davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

eanens me splnt OF progress ana began
- ass sboughten" tobacco and wear
Store shirts. Fortunes were made
Ont q fruit. The man with a large
peanh orchard OF strawberry farm was
She nabob Of his community. Hay.
Grain and stock we're also ex-
fensively raised, but II was APP
Darent from the first that the new
Egypt would never. like the old, become
ths eranary OF half world, The soil
was generally good, but 1t w&s not equal
40 that OF the Nile valley. PeAehes and
strawberries continued to be .itk prize
product. For the growth OF these It had
NO superior and scarce an equal be-
tween Cape Cod and California. But
every body could not grow strawberries
and peaches for the Northern market
An Apple-kaislng Mania.
Some years ago II occurred TO Few
restless spirits that opulence might be
found In apple orchards, and they be-
gan 10 experiment. Most people were
incredulous. Everybody knew that
Egypt would grow good apples, but few
| supposed It possessed peculiar advan-
taoes for that industry. In some sec
tions the experiments did not prove very
successful, but in the counties OK
Marion, Clay, Wayne and HIGHLAND
GOOD results were obtained and orchard
planting on an extensive scale soon fol-
lowed. The pioneers OF the orchard in
dustry planted many varieties, and, as
the apple tree is of slow growth, sew
ersl years elapsed before 1t was ascer-
tanned that the soil and climate were
especially adapted to two or three
| varieties only. Mr.. Thomas II. Low
rey is the pioneer of the orchard indus
try OF this section. He planted the first
j commercial orchard in 1866. 1t con-
sisted Of thirty-two acres Of various
varieties, and Is still fruitful at the
good old age of twenty-six years. Two
Il hundred wine-sap IN this orchard
produced In one season $1,000 bushels OF
apples, or an average of fifteen bushels
per tree. They sold readily at 80 cents
a bushel, or $2,400 for the lot. which
was grown on four acres. Mr.. Lowrey
last season sold his apple crop, on the
trees, in the month OF July. for $225 pei
acre, the purchaser assuming not only
ali risks but the expense Of picking anC
barreling the fruit Two years ago HI
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

AS the orchards develop 1t will be neces-
sary for them to take entire charge OF
the gathering and barreling,. as the
amount OF labor necessary will be far
greater than the local supply. The
great bulk OF the fruit Is sold as soon
az IL natures, or even before that
time, but some growers keep portion
OF their crop for the spring market. The
fruit, where so kept, is stored In what
are called cold storage houses, being
simply buildings where, by means oil
double walls and sawdust filling, an
equable temperature is maintained.
Some OF the fruit grown in this section
has been shipped, via Chicago and st.
iI,ouis. TO Europe and South America.
IL Is said to stand the changes OF climate
better than that grown elsewhere.
The orchards present beautiful ap,
pearance in the spring when In iull
bloom. and again in the autumn When
laden with the luscious fruit. Many
trees are so covered with bloom in MAY
as 10 resemble pyramids OF snow, anC
40 heavily laden with fruit IN October
that Mt a little distance, they seen
solid mounds OF apples, the leaves an'
limbs being scarce visible, so closet.
do the great red globes crowd upoI
each other.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

1902, at the towns expense, to
preach for them. The house which
was built for him Was given to Mr..
Walker, his heirs and assigns for
ever. For his maintenance they
added "three score pounds per an
num-" to be paid in corn" The
summons to the meeting was by
drum, for the beating Of which
Abraham Smith received thirty
shillings a year. Mr.. Walker left a
few years after this, and his place
was taken by several other minis
tiers. In the meantime house OF
worship had been provided. In
1868 the town ordered that con-
venient pew should be made for the
minister to preach in" and humble
temporary building was erected.
Here the pious Of the town wor-
SHIPPED until 1893, when, after five
years of agitation, the "old stone
church" was built. 1t was forty
feet square, built of rough stone.
The roof was of hewn shingles, and
was surmounted by square cupola,
over which bell swung and a
weather vane indicated the direction
of the wind. This vane, the records
say, had to be taken down, because
of the excessive desire of the British
soldiers to use it as mark for theiI
| bullets.
During the revolution the old stone
church served the Royalists as q
prison in which they confined many
man who professed loyalty to the
American cause. Later these 50 m'
Royalists determined to destroy the
church, but Rev. Mr.. Burnett, who
had some influence with the officers
saved the old building from destruc
ton. After the war it was used 70
several years as town hall.
For over a hundred years the oil
stone church stood, monument u
the piety of the people.
| In 1919. however, il was torn dow
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

profitable life of tree, though many be-
lieve that, with, proper care and prul q"
ing, the prolific age may be prolonged
indefinitely. The young trees require
little pruning 10 shape them properly,
but they are seldom touched with shears
or knife after they begin to bear until
the age OF Is years, when the old
branches are thinned out, affording room
for new and vigorous growth.
Money In the Business.
big money, actual or potential, does
not cause the people of the apple belt to
neglect little things. They guard as
carefully against waste as does the
. Chicago pork-packer, who is supposed
10 find profit even in the curl OF
pigs tail. While certain that they have
discovered a royal road to wealth, they
O not-neglect the economical turnpike.
Every apple, big and little, is turned to
taipfofit, and even the parirgs and cores
are transmitted into yellow gold. Apples
that cannos. find market with their
Jackets on are evaporated, anc thereby
become a standard article OF commerce.
A few large growers have their own
evaporating establishments, but most
OF this work is done by independent en-
terprise. The largest evaporators are
located at Flora, In Clay County, ana
at Noble, in Richland County. These
evaporators have a capacity OF about
900 bushels per day each. Last season
the one at Flora used up $4,000
bushels Of apples. When running
to it's full capacity it employs sew
enty hands. The cuttings and drop
pings are bought by weight; the price
maid ranging from 40 cents to 20 cents
per 100 pounds, or 20 cents to 80 cents
bushel. A great many thousands o
dollars are annually paid out for frui
that, but for the evaporators, would b
utterly worthless, and would be Above
to rot in the orchards. The fruit is frs
pared and cored by machines operate
by girls. 1t is then subjected to
bleaching process. which consists OF IN
smoke OF burning sulphur. 1t come
out almost as white as sheet OF not
paper, and then goes TO the slicing ms
chimes, after which It passes Into Tn
, drlers, where it subjected for an hour
. more to q temperature OF 22O degree
, Fahrenheit. It Is then ready for boxing
: The chief markets for the product OF Il
evaporators are st. Louis and Chicag
/ A great deal Of IL eventually finds 1
way TO foreign countries. The peelint
A and cores are dried, sacked and shlpp'
d TO Chicago, where they command
= ready sale. In years when the Rener
n apple crop Is light they frequently So
for cents pound. There are sever
factories in the United States that "a
: these dried cores and parings In q
y manufacture OF iellles, but the gre
10 bulk Of It goes to Europe, and especial
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

ably not exceed six bushels per tree.
This, at so cents a bushel, yields So
tree, or $3.50 an acre, although many
orchardists insist that the average is
much higher. But granting only 500
per acre as the average, the profit is suf-
'ficfently great to make orchards gilt
edge investment, as the expense neces-
sary 10, keep.a grown orchard In condi-
ton and pile the fruit is very small, and
land is cheap.
Most OF the planting Is done in the
fall, though many trees are put out In
the spring Some planters plow the
ground thoroughly, but the usual
method Is, in case of fall planting, to
pillow only strips, five or six burrows
wide, where the young trees are to be
placed. The best success is obtained
with 1-year-old trees. though many
2-year-olds are planted. Great care Is
taken to place the roots OF the young
trees straight and give them plenty OF
mellow earth to expand in. One-year-
old trees are simply well-developed
switches, but the 2-year-olds are
usually "headed"-have put forth tiny
branches. Great care is taken at the
nursery to make the trees head near
the ground. tall and stately trunks be-
ing considered entirely too ornamental
to be useful. This is accomplished by
cutting off the tops of the infant trees
and stripping the buds from the stem to
the required height. The trees are
usually placed thirty feet apart each
way, which allows forty eight to the acre
Some orchardists plant them 3Ox2e
feet, thus securing a stand of fifty TO the
acre. When the trees attain maturity
the space between them is narrowed
down to foot-path. The orchards are
usually kept in corn until the trees are
| years old, as this affords them the
necessary cultivation, and the partia
shade thus secured is thought to bt
beneficial to the young trees. They be.
gin TO bear when about z years old, anc
at the age OF 10 are producing a fail
crop. They do not reach the best bear
ing period until the age of 10. From
that age until 80 is regarded as the mos
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

sold his crop for $3.50 an acre.
Four crops gathered from young
orchard have netted him be-
tween $500 and 5000 per acre
in the aggregate. Many others
who were among tie first to plant
orchards have done equally as well. 1t
was such remarkable exhibits as the
above that converted the incredulous
and set everybody who could command
the wherewith to purchase piece OF
ground and a stock of trees to planting
orchards. Planting on large scale be-
gan eight years ago, but the apple
craze" did not assume an epidemic form
until about 1889, consequently most
OF the orchards in the great apple belt
are too young 10 Dear. The magnificent
returns paid by those that have reached
maturity is q constant stimulus, and the
number Of trees put out each succeed
| ing year increases in q ratio OF geomet-
ricai progression. The desire to secure
orchards now amounts to almost
mania, and may not .inaptlyis be COM
pared to the gold fever that once ragged
with such virulence in Oalifernia. 1t Is
estimated that within the past three
years 1000 600 apple trees have been
put out in Marion, Clay, Richland and
| WAYNE Counties, and the work may be
said to have just begun. Many farmers
will plant from ten TO 200 acres more
next fall. The local nurseries cannot
supply the demand for trees in their i'm
mediate nelghborhood, and trees are
shipped in by the carload from Missouri
and Indiana nurseries.
| rt A County of Orchards.
Clay County already has the largest
orchard area of any county in the
Union! Twenty eight thousand acres
and nearly 1900, 900 trees are the fig
ures. The other counties in the apple
belt are making a noble struggle to keel
abreast of the procession, and are mo-
? tagging far behind. Wayne is good
, second. 1t is safe to predict that the
, orchard area of these four counties vii
, double during the next three years. Tht
, orchards range in size from 10 to 30'
4 acres. A man with less than ten acres
!; is not considered worthy the note OF tn
/ apple statistician. He does not appea
4 in the figures. Orchards Of so, 80 ant
g. Ito acres are common. Nearly ever.
!, business and professional man in tn
' four apple counties has contracted tn
Il orchard fever. and east an aechor t
s windward in the shape OF few lupdre
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

n TO waste their energies upon the arid
plains of Western Kansas, or wear out
shelr lives in unequal battle with the
Dakota blizzard.
Finally along the line OF the niinoa,
sruita and berries was begun In small
way. It proved quite profitable. and a
new era dawned upon Egypt. Hand
some towns sprang up and nourished.
Industrious immigrants came pouring
in, who planted peach orchards and set
cut strawberry beds OF many acres.
Carload lots Of the luscious proaucts
Aegan 10 find their way to the Northern
markets, and soon great fruit and berry
trains. consisting OF several sections,
we're rolling northward. and the return
stream or money. and merchandise
thought comfort and higher culture.
The 'possum and his improyident Pur-
sner began TO disappear. The natives
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

growing trees. Perhaps four-fifths OF
the apple orchards have not reached the
bearing age, and of the remainder only
a small portion are In their prime. Yet
Il is estimated that three years ago,
which was q very farorable crop year,
more than S4OO, 900 was paid out In Clay
County alone for apples. Two years
ago the crop was not so good, yet some
$500 900 was poured into the pockets OF
Clay County apple growers. Last year,
with still less favorable crop, 1t reached
the snug sum Of quarter million dol
lars. When all the trees now planted
in the apple belt are bearing, and good
crop finds fair prices, Northern Illinois
win probably take a reef in its patrlclan
nose when It refers to Egypt"
Ha.dling the fr,iit.
| The fruit Is usually sold In the or
chard, sometimes on the trees, some
times piled on the ground and sometimes
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

sur. LrwIs h. PARSONS arly day this
section was celebrated for its corn
crops, and that residents OF counties
tArthes north made frequent pilgrtmAges
10 purchase 1t, even az the sons OF
Jacob went down into the Egypt Of old
with sacks and shekels. What 10 the
explanation offered by tho Illinois
Egyptians, but their northern follow
citizens tender a different tale. They
state that the term was not intended to
typify a land of plenty, one flowing
with milk and honey and teeming with
wine and corn and oil-one where
every prospect pleases and only man is
vile"-but rather a country the poverty
Of whose soil was equaled only by the
donse ignorance and constitutional in
dOlence Of its people. The products oil
ihe Illinois Egypt were popularity sup
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

who Made Many Thousands OF Dollars BY
HumbugRtng People.


who Made Many Thousands OF Dollars BY
-Humbuggsng People.
Confirmation Of the oft-repeated
assertion that 1t is easy for anyone
not an idiot to live by his wits Is
found in the life of Anna. better
known as @Mom" Bender, who died
recently and was buried at North
wood cemetery, says the Philadelphia
Times. She was 81 years OF age, and no
funeral that has taken place In recent
years in Kensington has attracted the
same number OF curious people as
gathered around the little dwelling,
1416 Hope street, where MON"
breathed her last.
For years this old woman has been
the switch of Endor' for Fishtown
and its adjacencies. Dull, ignorant,
utterly without shrewdness, for sixty
five years, with pot OF coffee
grounds as her capital, she has been
raking in money. She has often
stated that during the war her daily
income was S25, and Saturdays and
Sundays not infrequently $50. Wives
and mothers whose husbands and
sons were in the army visited the old
fortune teller in search OF comfort,
and her formula was ever the same.
"Yes, my dear, I've gift from God.
/ can tell what is to be and what has
been. Yes, there is dark man who
loves you; beware of him. He wants
to take you across the water and
dress you in gold and silver, but you
wouldn't be happy with him, my
dear. Your true love is a light man,
etc. ETC., and then the grimy fingers
would rake over the coffee grounds.
OF course, to most people the in
ference is inevitable that only the
poor and ignorant are influenced by
such rubbish. But this is mistake
as far as "Mom" Bender's customers
were concerned. A newspaper man
once identified three OF her custom
ers as public school teachers, and al
least a third Of the patronesses were
of good social position.
Fifty-nine years ago "Mom" Bender
was telling fortunes in st. John street
above Callowhill, and in her long life
she saved at least $75, 900, which was
invested in small houses. Most o
these, however, were taken from he
by what she claimed was fraud
-Four years ago she lived on Franklin
road, above Belgrade street, and
neighbor with turn for statistics 1
responsible for the assertion that a
20 cents per head "Mom" Bender wa
making from 81 to $40 day.
Fifty years ago Mrs. Jackson,
huge colored woman, who lived o.
Eleventh street, below Lombard, wa
the best known of all fortune teller
Of her time, but she was very brigh
and shrewd in her calling, and varie
her predictions to suit the style an
character of her visitors, and she sol
yoodoo charms. One Of these wa
exhibited not very long ago. 1t was
ball of wax full OF short black hairs
and with two chicken feathers stuc
: through it and tied at both ends wit
a a red string. Yet this piece of mol
Y sense was bought to injure a partnt
Il in business In water street firm
: hoodooing him. Mrs. Jackson left
T fortune to her daughters.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29
proNEER PREssYTERIAMs.
jamaica. L. l., Has the First Of Theil
American Edifioes.


American Edifioes.
The town OF Jamaica, l.. l., ten
miles from New York City, boasts OF
being the first home OF Presbyterian
ism in America. The Presbyterian
Church OF Jamaica, still fiourishing
and wealthy body, was the first organ
lzation OF its kind In this country.
The records In the Town Hall fur
nish evidence that Jamaica was
founded under grant given by Gov.
Peter Stuyvesant, done at Fort Am
sterdam in New Netherlands, March
81, 1856. The ground was purchased
from the Rockewa tribe of Indians,
who in the deed of purchase inserted
these words: "One thing to be re-
membered, that noe person Is to cut
downe any trees wherein Eagles doe
make their nests"
Hampstead was already established
and had a Dutch church. The min
listers from this town often came over
to Jamaica to preach the gospel to
the new townsmen. 1t was not until
1861, however, that the Jamaica peo-
pie decided to have minister and a
church of their own. The first thing
they did, even before building
church in which to worship, was tc
build home for the minister" ano
Goodman Benedick and Nathaniel
Dinton" were appointed to supply
the minister's wants.
A religious body, to worship &C
cording to the doctrines Of the Pres
byterian Church, was then formed
and Mr.. Walker, young licentiate
was brought over from England II
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29
ATimber Preseryatrye.

Remarkable success is said to have
been attained with new process for
preserving timber lately introduced
in England. The agent employed Is
melted naphthaline, contained in a
tank, In which the timber is inn
mersed. The temperature of the
bath is about 200 deg. Fahrenheit or
little below, andisevenly maintained,
the heat being derived from steam
pipes, passing through the tank.
The timber is soaked from two to
twelve hours, according to the size
of the piece. 1t is believed that
wood which is thus thoroughly inn.
pregnated with naphthaline, which
takes the place Of the sap and water
it expels, will have peculiar advan-
tages In its susceptibility to polish,
for which merely rubbing with q
cloth will be sufficient.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

posed to consist principally OF buck
ague, yellow dogs. 'possums, and hoop
poles; the chief occupation OF the peo-
PIE to be chewing plug tobacco and
swallowing quinine The inhabitants
Of the modern Egypt were supposed to
be held in a bondage OF laziness from
which no Midianite Moses would ever
lead them-to be cropping In mental
darkness, compared to which the shad-
Ows that feli upon the land of the
Pharaohs was an Italian sunset. South
ern Illinois was regarded as the Naza-
roth OF the new world, from which no
good was expected to proceed. It was
sDArsely settled, and land might be had
almost for the asking; twas within easy
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

and some of its stones used in laying
the foundations of new structure,
in which the Presbyterians worship
at this day. The new structure was
dedicated on Jan. Is, 1914, under the
ministry of Rev. George Faitoute,
who died almost year and halr
afterwards. The building is 80 feet
long and 46 feet wide. 1t contains
144 pews, besides a gallery on three
sides.
III nothing but years is the church
old. Its foundations are firm and the
building is steady. With later years
the interior has been reftted until II
is now elegant, for among its com
municants are some of the wealthiest
families in the town.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

barreied. Tno price PAID ranges accord
ing 10 quality and the state Of the gem
ersl fruit crop, from about $1.1O 70 $40
a barrel Of three bushels each. Perhaps
SO cents a bushel 10 a fair average price
for all grades and seasons. 1t Is no un .
usual thing fcr'a tree that has reached
maturity to produce twenty bushels OF
choice fruit In a single season, and one
made a record OF forty-five bushels OF
apples that sold for 80 cents a bushei.
The average for all seasons will prob
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29
A New Kind OF Fancy Leather.

A new kind of fancy leather, re-
ported to be obtained by tanning the
stomachs of animals, is described by
the Boston Journal of Commerce. 1t
is prepared from the same material
from which tripe is prepared. 1t
makes handsome leather for pocket
books, bags and fancy articles, and
can be dyed in any color. Only the
inner membrane is used. The heavy
integument is split of, leaving a
moderately thin and coarse-fbered
leather and soft as chamois. There
is a great variety Of grain and pattern
in the same piece Of the leather, and
much of it is too plain to admit OF
using it in large articles with the
best effect, but excellent results can
be obtained by matching opposite
spots of the skin, II skin 1T can be
called. The part known as the
"honeycomb" makes particularly
rich appearance when dyed and pol
ished. 1t Is much more effective thar
alligator or lizard skin, and much
softer and more easily worked int
| irregular forms. Another part hal
the appearance of being covered will
let beads when dyed black and pol
ished. Any part Of the material will
keep people guessing what 1t Is mad
from, and that is part Of the pleasur
of owning any novelty. The invento
or discoverer Of this new leather say
that he can get from twelve tc I'll
teen feet from an animal
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

and everybody is expected to assist at
the ceremony. AS the trees branch low
fully two-thirds Of the crop can be
picked while the operators stand on the
ground. To prevent bruising a large
hopper is made of strong muslin, with
an opening at the bottom through which
the apples pass to table covered with
many sheets OF some strong eiotn.
This Is placed where the pickers from
four trees cal throw into 1t. AS soon
as the table, which holds perhaps a
/ bushel, is filled, the upper cloth is re-
moved by taking it up by the four cor
ners and emptied into barrel or pile
upon the ground, and this process Is re-
peated until the supply of cloths on the
receiving table is exhausted. Buyers
come from st. Louis and Chicago and
contract for the apples, sometimes by
the barrel, but frequently by the lot
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-09-29

reach OF Chicago, st. Louis. and other
mighty markets: the Father OF Waters
oarossed it on the west, and the raging
wabash fretted along the east, and the
sunny waters of the Ohio sparkled on
the south. Railways piehced 1t, and a
sky of Italian softness smiled upon it;
Il was threaded by thousand small
streams, and medicinal springs, such as'
Ponce de Leon vainly sought among The
everglades and alligators OF Florida,
burst from its sunny bosom; but it,Iay
under the ban. and did not prosper OF
progress. Home seekers hurried across