davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

An Important A~1StAMtuU4t ct4triI1"4<
The Century prints a new portrait
OF Lowell, a review OF his works by
Prof. Woodbury., the poet, and let
ter from Lowell written in 1875, In
which he explains privately his mo-
tive In writing his historical patriotic
poems OF "The Worlds Fair, 1876"
and "Tempora Mutantur." Wequote
the following from Mr.. Lowell's let.
ter: II had just come home from
two years stay In Europe, SO 1t was
discovered that / had been corrupted
by association with foreign aristocra-
ciesl / need not say to you that the
society l frequented In Europe was
what IL Is at home, that of my wife,
my studies, and the best nature and
art within my reach. But / confess
that was embittered by my expert
ence. Wherever ! went l was put
on the defensive. Whatever extracts
/ saw from American papers told of
some new fraud or defalcation, public
or private. 1t was sixteen years since
my last visit abroad, and l found a
very striking change in the feeling
toward America and Americans. An
Englishman was everywhere treated
with a certain Difference; Americans
were at best tolerated. The example
Of America was everywhere urged in
France as an argument against repub-
lican forms of government. 1t was
fruitless to say that the people were
still sound when the Body Politic
which draws its life from them showed
such blotches and sores. / came
home, and, instead OF wrath at such
denominations, / found banter. was
profoundly shocked, for had received
my earliest impressions in commune
ty the most virtuous, l believe, that
ever existed. In the Com
monwealth that built the first free
school and the first college, heard
culture openly derided. 1 suppose
/ like to be liked as well as other
men. Certainly l would rather
be left to my studies than NEEDLE
with politics. But 1 had at
tanned to some consideration, and my
duty was plain. wrote what did
in the plainest way that he who ran
might read, and that / hit the mark
/ aimed at is proved by the attacks
against which you so generously de-
fend me. These fellows have no no
tion what love Of country means. 1t
is in my very blood and bones. If
am not an American, who ever was?"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

THE earthquake across the central
portion of the Mississippi Valley
from Memphis to Keokuk, extending
ON the east to Louisville and west for
a shorter distance from the river, re-
calls the great earthquake which had
its center at New Madrid early in
this century, and which was one Of
the most severe known in this coun-
try. All great river valleys have
their shocks and slips, generally in a
line parallel with their course-this
one ran north and southland which
are ordinarily attributed to the
changes due to erosion and the de-
post of alluvium which change the
balance of the earth's crust. 1t Is in
teresting to note that in the present
instance the shock was in general
confined to the territory on each side
of the Mississippi and its tributaries
under 500 feet Of elevation. The
places reported as feeling the shock
are nearly all below this elevation,
and the 500-foot contour line runs
back farther on the left than on the
right bank Of the Mississippi at this
point, which may account for the
wider eastward extent Of the shock.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

10 IAlIOAAM AfoNNA8of
very bright man made droil little
oom-bo0m--booml
I've wished that he hadn's full many a
time:
Boom-bC om-booml
! said. snow. this book may DO hidden
away.
This rhyme is so funny TIL learn IL to say.
Some child will be wanting story some
day"
Boom--bo0m--bconl
To learn twas only brief moments task.
Boom-tidera- da-boom!
(Now, once TO T. Eet IL Is all that askD
Boom-tidera- da--boom.
Thon quickly tried it on two little boys
Who reveled In games that made plenty OF
noise,
But this pleased them better than all Of
their toys
Boom-tidera- da-boom!
And. hearing me say II. the little boys, too,
Il, --tidera-da-boom.
With very slight practice could say IL all
through
Boom -tidera -da-bocm,
And over and over. and over once more,
We'd say 1t while marching and pounding
the floor,
Till some wicked people-well. really. they
swore
At our boom -da--boom- a. diddle-
Boom-tidera- da- boom!
And ever since then have lost all my
peace;
Boom-tidera- da--booml
For, waking or sleeping. it never will cease;
Boom-tidera- da-boom,
Though the trials OF many were grievous
to bear
With that aendish old jingle of SPunch
with care,n
Compared with this torment, they're sim
ply nowhere!
Boom = tidera -da = BOOM a iddle-d dee
Boom - tiderA-da - boomi
It's worn on my nerves till I'm ready TO
, drop;
Boom--tidera- da boom!
But horror OF horrors 1t never will stopl
Boom-tidera- da-boom
'Gainst reading or preaching II still holds
its own.
And even when into my parlor were shown
Some strangers, my greeting. in solemnest
tone,
Was, .Boom - tidera-da - BOOM a diddle
dee
Boom-tidera- da--boom!p
1t would seem the bright man must be
worse of still;
Boom-tidera- da-boom
/ should like to inquire IL he's really Ill;
Boom-tidera- da boom.
But the mischief has gone TO my head like
wine,
And, just as I'm going to say something
fine.
can't even get to the end Of the line
Without boom-tidera- da--boom--
ldera-da-boom-
Boom = tidera-da = BOOM "a diddic-oee-
Boom-BOoM-BOOMi
st. Nicholas.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12
How to Prevent Rust on Iron and steel.

!. In the German army oil of gutta
percha is used for this purpose. 1t is
applied with a flannel rag and will
stand for years. To take off this preserv-
alive apply more of the oil, let 1T re-
main on the article for from twelve
to twenty-four hours, when both the
old and new applications can be wiped
off.
2. A solution Of gutta percha in
benzine consistency OF creamy is a
simple preventative against rust on
metal. 1t can be easily applied with
brush and as easily removed by the
application of benzine.
3. Dissolve thirty grains Of camphor
with pound of fat, take off the froth
and add graphite, until it has at
tanned the color of iron. Wipe off
tools, ETC., and then apply the mix
fSTs and %ah wipe sS 1T after %
keep tools or polished iron or steel
free from rust for many months.
4. To preserve polished iron sur
faces from rust, melt together seven
parts fat (tallow) and one part resin,
stirring the same until it cools. APP
ply in a half liquid state; il too stiff,
thin with benzine or petroleum. 1t
preserves the polish and can easily be
removed.
5. To make a permanent preserva-
tive for iron and steel, it is best to
use nothing but linseed oil, thickened
with pigment related to the metal
itself, and native oxide or a roasted
oxide of iron is the best for the pur-
pose. Boiled linseed oil will form a
skin, through which no oxidation can
take place.
8. Slack a piece of fresh lime in a
covered vessel with only water enough
to make it crumble. While the lime
is yet hot, mix it with enough tallow
to make soft dough and apply this
mixture to polished surfaces. AS it
does not dry to any extent or become
hard, it is easily removed.
I. Olmstead varnish or preparation
has been in use for many years, and
has proved itself perfect, especially
for planned and ground surfaces and on
Russian iron, which are very sensa-
tive to rust. 1t IS made by melting
first sixty grains resin and then one
pound of fresh tallow or other grease,
when both are to be united. Must be
applied while still warm and the sur
face must be perfectly clean before
application. This can also be re-
moved without much trouble. Indus
trial World
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

Just then the workman's wife com
planned that She could not remove the
paint stains from of the windows she
was attempting TO clean.
~Why, let ms tell you how to do
that." said the workman. "A painter
told mo only the other day. Take a
penny under your thumb and rub it
over the paint spots. They will all
disappear. 1t is far better than a
knife. Here Is a penny-try it."
s He took the boastful penny from
his pocket and the woman did as di-
rected.
The paint disappeared as II by
magic.
Il am 50 glad to know about this, "
said the woman. Il will keep this
penny with my scrub-brushes and
securing cloths, that / may always
be prepared for such an emergency"
And thereafter the proud penny re-
NAMED with scrub-brushes, while the
nail was afterwards used to fasten a
United States banner to the mast Of
ship.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

THERE must be something little
irregular in public sentiment in
Omaha. The World-Herald speaking
of the attendance at an exposition in
that city, says: Round about the
gallows where Ed Neil looked last on
earth the children played last night,
and in the shadow which fell from it
cast by the electric lights, men and
women gathered to look on. Even
the steps up to the platform were
traversed by hundreds Of feet, as
those more curious or more DESTROYS
of being seen than the others, went
aloft to look down. There's no deny
ing it, the gallows was the strong
card. The World-Herald says moth
ing of its being unusual in American
cities to keep gibbet standing in the
vicinity of an exposition.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12
A New Use for Waste Glass.

A new use has been found for waste
glass by a firm in Paris, says the
American Manufacturer. Any frag-
ments of broken glass OF various col
ors are mixed together, after having
been broken to suitable size; they
are then placed in molds lined with
silica, tale, or some other resisting
material, and fired. A coherent mass
is produced which can be dressed and
cut into blocks, which are, OF course,
irregularly colored. Such blocks may
be used as artificial marble. The
blocks are usually rough on one side,
owing perhaps to incomplete fusion;
this gives a surface which is admir-
ably adapted for causing them, es-
pecially If they are stabilize in form,
to adhere to walls with the addition
of little mortar. Fine decorative
effects can thus be produced. Designs
in relief can be obtained by pressure
while the block or slab is still plastic.
II a suitable mold be prepared with
movable partitions, then pieces of
glass can be arranged in such a way
that, upon firing, very effective
stained glass" window is produced,
The necessity Of using leading" as in
the ordinary way. being thus obvi-
ated. This idea will enable many
manufacturers, who have heaps OF
waste" glass lying about useless, to
turn them with very little expend-
iture TO profitable account.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

In the armies Of France, England and
Germany. All he could do was to buy
samples from private powder mills.
This he did, and he brought back
samples of the English Maxim and
Houghton, the French b. N, the
German Noble and Walsrode and the
Belgium Werdenen. All these have
been tested by nearly every European
Government and found not satisfac-
tory, in spite Of the Improvements
made upon them. Each company as
sured the agent that its powder was
the best and that it would like to
supply the United States Government
with as much smokeless powder as
the whole army could puff away.
Captain Blunt, of Springfield, at
the head of the board Of army officers
for testing the new magazine rifle to
be introduced into our army, was as
signed to thoroughly test these pow
ders.
According to Captain Blunt's report
all the smokeless powders brought
from Europe, as well as the one man
ufactured by the United States navy,
is valueless for use in small firearms
such as infantry rifles.
The force of smokeless powder Is
much greater than than that Of or
binary gunpowder, because Of the
high explosive character Of the sub
stances used. It's combustion is so
rapid that one grain more than the
normal charge of a cartridge will
cause an increase of $4,000 pounds
pressure to the square inch In the
breech of a gun. Unfortunately the
most skillful hand cannot measure
powder charge to the nicely OF a
grain, more or less.
The increased pressure causes an
increased velocity Of the missile, and
as by far the largest number of car
tridges will be a trife irregular in
weight, the produced pressure and
the actual velocity of each bullet
will differ. With such material
craftsmanship would become farce,
and an infantry body forced to use it
might as well throw rifles away and
essay to hit the enemy with baton.
Only a few trials have been made
to establish the value Of the samples
of smokeless powder for large guns.
The S-inch breech-loading steel rifle,
the smallest of the American big guns
at Sandy Hook, was fired a couple OF
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

times with the German Walsrode.
The results, in a measure, surprised
the experimenting officers.
The normal charge OF ordinary
powder for an 8-inch rife is 100
pounds. Only forty-flve pounds of
the German smokeless powder were
used, and the low. pressure of 80, 900
pounds per square inch to the breech
of the gun, with extraordinary velocity
of over 1000 feet per second was OBJ
tanned. Taking into consideration
that the full charge Of 100 pounds of
ordinary powder, with pressure of at
least 35, 900 pounds to the square
inch would not have given more than
1850 or 300 feet velocity, it would
seem that this smokeless powder has
some good qualities.
All these foreign powders have been
carefully analysed, but their compost
ton remains secret. 1t has been
impossible to determine the chemical
bases of some of the compound ingre-
dients, and until this Is done it will
be hard for our powder-makers to i'm
prove upon these products. The value
Of smokeless powder in warfare Is be-
yond dispute. The War Department
seems to realize this, and the ordnance
department does at present, with its
limited means, all it can to keep
abreast with the progress Of modern
times. This government should fol-
low the example of foreign powers and
establish laboratories, placing them in
charge OF skilled chemists, who might
study the smokeless powder question
thoroughly.
The French smokeless powder has
the appearance of thin sheets of glue,
which are cut in strips two inches
long and half an inch wide. The
charge is bound together with string
and then put into the gun. The Ger
man Walsrode is cut i'm cubes one
third OF an inch square. 1t is dark
black and under the knife acts like
soap. A thin piece cut from IL is al
most transparent. One Of the. chief
components OF all smokeless powder is
now nitro-cellulose, which seems to
have transplanted the straw cellulose-
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12
Thought IL Was a Gun.

A correspondent who has had con-
siderable experience In South Africa
narrates an incident which occurred
on the Limpopo River, the northern
boundary of the Transvaal. One of
his drivers was q Hottentot named
Cigar, and though the roads were
heavy, he had to hurry on, time being
an object, not even haltikg for the
usual siesta in the middle OF the day.
But one day the bullocl<s stopped sud-
denly and refused to advance further.
The Hottentot's experience told him
there was something ahead that
frightened the oxen, so, selling his
whip, he went forward TO reconnoiter.
He was not long in discovering the
cause of the trouble, namely, a splen-
did couple OF lions with their cubs,
enjoying a midday snooze. Without
hesitation he measured with his eye
the distance, then raising his giant
ox-whip. brought it down among
them with a succession Of cracks that
rTaled the report of a gun. Thus
abruptly awakened, neither of the
parents stopped to learn who had
disturbed them, but bounded of into
the adjoining jungle, closely followed
by their progeny.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

THAT was an earthquake OF rare
discrimination that made itself felt
in California. "Drug store fixtures, Z"
we are told in dispatch from Napa,
suffered greatly. Bottles were
thrown from the shelves to the floor
and other damage was DONE" A few
more efforts in the same direction will
materially raise the earthquake in
public estimation and conduce to the
general health.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12
Good, If True.

A Frenchman has succeeded in
making commercially pure chloro-
form. Heretofore this has been con-
sidered impossible. AS the impurities
in chloroform. are generally the cause
of fatal effects, the Frenchman's
achievement is regarded as very i'm
pOrtant.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

man was carpenter who had been
engaged to complete some work upon
the balcony of new house. His
wife was busily engaged scrubbing
the floors and cleaning the windows
ut must be very dull and humil-
iating to be nail," said the penny.
You are obliged to occupy such a
mental position in life"
"Oh, / do not know about that, "
answered the nail. 1--WE nails help
to hold homes together, and that is q
noble mission l am sure; and what
ever our niche in life may be, we real
lie that we belong to the great iron
race-we are proud of the stuff we are
made Of"
"Oh, as for that, you have little to
boast about" sneered the penny.
think of my family-the proudest
and greatest on earth. We could
buy yours up and pitch you into the
sea if we cared to do so, and the
world would go on without you. Men
would invent something to take your
place. But society could not exist
without us"
But you are mere nobody in your
own family" retorted the nail, be-
coming angry. your gold and silver
relations look down upon you-com-
mon copper that you are"
"Oh, it is mere spleen which makes
you talk like that" replied the penny.
"You know very well that it is taking
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12
The story of a Proud Penny.

A penny, having travelled around
the world bit, became very proud
and conceited. Il belong to the peer
less aristocracy of money" it said to
itself and to all who would listen.
There is no one who does not bend
the knee to my family; we are sought
after by the proudest people on earth,
and we rule the world"
One day the penny was talking in
this strain to an iron nail. The nail
and the penny CHANGED to rest side by
side in a workman's pocket. The
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

A Boston man who has just failed
in business, with liabilities of $780,
900, evidently wants to give his cred
itors chance, though it is s&all
one. He offers to settle with them
for a mill on the dollar, which he de-
.clares is as much as his assets can
pay. The Boston papers believe that
this is the smallest offer ever made in
the case Of failure, and they are
probably right.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

Samples OF the Improved Powder Brought
from Europe.

SAMPLES OF the Improved foWuor BrouIut
from Europe.
Some months ago the War Depart
ment sent a special agent abroad to
get samples OF the different smokeless
powders used by the European powers
While the idea was good, says the
New York World, the task was hope
less from the start. The war departs
ments of France, England and Ger
many make their smokeless powdei
and no outsider can enter their
factories, much less get samples OF
their powders. The process OF manu-
facture is considered a state secret.
Even active officers OF the countries
named have to apply for special per-
mission to visit powder mill belong
ing to their government.
Under the circumstances 1t Is not
surprising that the United States
agent found it impossible to get
samples of the smokeless powder used
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12
Best Color for War shi>,.

The question as to the color which
best defies detection on land or sea
has always been matter of dispute.
The French naval authorities have
made new departure. All the yes
sells are painted dull sulphurous
gray, exactly the color Of cannon
smoke as n issues from the gun. The
contention is that this color has the
advantage of being indistinguishable
in fogs, sea mists, and darkness. 1t
is more battling to the search light
than any other tint. The French, at
any rate, have the only navy in the
world as yet that has departed from
white and bls ,iS.--The Engineer, New
York City.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

In sensation serial of alleged
Texas life in Harper's Weekly, the
characters who talk dialect are made
60 say, ito hum" No one in Texas
would know what that means unless
it were explained as "at home" The
rest of the dialect is on a par with
the sample, but the sample is enough
TO show that the story was evolved
by some brilliant Cape Coddler, who
in all probability was never in Texas
in his life.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12
nIannfacinredEr r.

The contribution which the hen
makes to breakfast possibilities would
seem hard to initiate, yet 1t is freely
stated In English journals that the in
dustry of manufacturing eggs has at
tanned large dimensions In that
country, and further that the manu-
featured article is for the most pur.
poses as good as the genuine.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

THERE is nothing remarkable or in
credible in the story that a large
number of diamonds were Struggled
in the beak of a pelican. Lots of gems
can be put in bill. Ask any jeweler
If this is not so.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

hundred and Ave names were sug-
gested, and not one hit upon Ruth.
Frances Folsom" had 32l adherents,
and Frances" POT. "Rose Frances"
was next with l75. After all, the
world can't help man naIAe his own
habv
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

A CONCERT was given in New York
a few evenings ago to raise funds for
the Grant monument. New York
men Of wealth seem to be willing to
do almost anything to raise the money
excepting to put their hands in their
pockets man-fashion.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

Uuq GHEBE fas nay be no romance left in
brigands of Greece and Turkey are
doing their best to provide it. Athan-
asias, the Greek brigand, is as roman
tic a figure as ever figured in melo-
drama or sang his melodious course of
villainy through an opera.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

OMAHA is agitating the subject of
issuing bonds to buy parks. 1t is
perfectly safe. Twenty years from
now she can sell strips for town lots
along the borders of her parks and
pay off every bond. No city ever lost
money by buying parks, unless the
city itself went dead.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

AS THE years come and go the
memory and character of Henry
Ward Beecher will grow upon the
people. On recent Sunday beau
tiful memorial church was dedicated
to his memory in Brooklyn.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

RECENT festivities at Chicago
served at least one good purpose in
demonstrating that the man-of-war
Michigan could fire her guns twenty
one consecutive times and still float.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

THE last scheme for the erection of
a monster tower at the Worlds Fair
has given up the ghost, and there
should be no mourners. 1t would
have been but servile imitation at
best, and as for its value, the cloud
of smoke that overhangs Chicago,
would have made it practically USE
less as a point Of observation.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

A New YORK couple were married
the other day without knowing it. A
less extraordinary phenomenon is for
a couple to be unmarried in South Da-
kota while only one of them knows
of it.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

THE New York ball-players accused
of throwing games. to Boston have
testified that everything was straight
and honorable in their conduct. What
moro does ANYBODY want?
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

THERE is a plant in Asia the seeds
of which when swallowed make the
eater laugh merrily until their effect
is exhausted. 1t would be an ex-
cellent accessory to a modern comic"
opera.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-12

BUFFALO BILL is soon to bring his
wild West" show back to this coun-
try for new features. He might OBJ
tain some of his widest Western feat
ures from Omaha, Neb.