davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28

was cleared southwark to the line of
the Chesapeake s. Ohio road. Early
established headquarters at Staunton-
On the I'd of March, 1855, by the vic
tory OF Vaynesboro. directly on the
Chesapeake Il Ohio road, Sheridan
finally gained complete control of the
Shenandoah. Thence he moved south
ward to Lynchburg, destroying the
James river canal and cutting various
lines of railroad. on the 10Th of March
reached White House, and on the 1st of
April he was turning Lees flank at
Five Forks.
Thus, in outlines only, are recalled
the countless matters and the innr-
merable points Of absorbing interest in
the Shenandoah. The veterans who
served there will readily fill in the
pictures with their personal cxpe-
riences OF battles, camps and marches.
Such of them as wish to visit Antie-
tam and Gettys burg will find the in
terest increasing every step after cross
ing the Potomac. Antietam is just
over the river. and it is but few
hours ride to Gettys burg. Through
the mberland valley, which is
continuation of the Shenandoah,
Gen. Patterson came down be-
fore Bull Run to hold Johnston
in check. With him came Col
Thomas, afterwards commander of the
Army of the Cum berland, to his
first battle at Failing Waters. Under
this leader, as private soldier. served
Samuel j. Randall. afterwards the
democratic statesman, then a private
cavalry soldier-the first man to write
the war department in eulogy of
Thomas. The burnt section is still
visible at Chambersburg; and there is
the monument to the first soldier killed
in the defense of northern soil
All these great chapters in our war
history, which the veterans are coming
to live through again, make up but one
of the side trips which the Chesapeake
& Ohio affords for easy visit to the far
famed theaters of eastern fighting.
Passing east from the Shenandoah,
the line crosses the Blue Ridge and en-
tiers upon the great fields of eastern
Virginia. II. V. BOINToN.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
ACROSS THE REEF.
An Exciting Struggle with q Stor
Sea.

An Exciting Struggle with q Stormy
The author of IA Cruise in an Opium
Clipper entertains his readers with a
surf-boat adventure in which he par
ticipated off the coast of Formosa,
where it had become necessary to make
a landing in a new and dangerous
place Another man - Nealance and
himself Y ere to accompany the captain,
and take what soundings they could as
they went through the surf. One end
of a long, light manila line was passed
into the surf-boat and made fast. SO
that those who were left behind could
draw the boat quickly back again in
case of any disaster.
Each of us had loose life line made
fast to his person, loose enough to let
us get from under the boat in the event
of capsize but still attaching us to
the boat, so that when it was hauled
back we should be brought back also,
though probably half drowned.
Everything being ready, the steers
man carefully counted the rollers. be-
ginning with the heaviest one. When
the twenty-seventh-the heaviest-had
passed, he gave the signal, and we shot
into the next one. It's white, kissing
top covered us fore and aft, and for a
second the boat was thrown into an
almost vertical position. Then she
came down with Il thud that would
have stove any lighter built craft.
AS she touched the crest Of the wave,
the six Oarsmen let go their oars, which
for a second hung well secured along
side. Then, the crest being passed, in
a twinlsling each oar was bent in earn
est to send her through the next wave
Getting soundings here was no joke.
When the beat was in her vertical posi-
ton on the crest of the wave. it took
me all my time to hold on; and when
she was down in the hollow, I could
barely get one cast before l was again
carried skyward
About halfway across we met the
twenty seventh sea again. l shut my
teeth hard, and grasped my hold tight
ly, as 1 gazed on the gigantic. white,
laundering mass. Completely swamped
in it, the boat was yet carried aloft sc
high that for second / imagined a
soriersarlt was to end our voyage OF
discovery. AS the captain said: 1--WE
just saved being somersauited by the
skin of our teeth"
AS we recovered from the shock and
fell into the hollow, L perceived a grin
of satisfaction on the dark visage OF
our Steer-OarSman.
The men pulled with new energy,
and we reached the extremity of the
broken water just in time to ride safe
ly over the next twenty seventh sea
before it curled its crest to fall
upon the rocky reef. Then we pulled
little away from the reef. laid in oul
oars and let go the anchor. to give u
all a rest and breath before we started
on our periious journey back to the
ship.-Youth's Companion.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
NEW RIVER SCENERY NEAR GAULEY
BRIDGE, C. s. O. RAILWAY.

NEW RIVER SCENERY NEAR GAULEY
BRIDGE, C. & o. RAILWAY.
SO successful was this great southern
soldier that at the north the Shenan-
doah was called the Valley of Humil-
iatiOn.'' And so it remained until Sher-
idan swept it with the resistless storm
of his troopers, leaving it bare as if
from the breath of cyclone and final
ly wrestling it from confederate con-
troll and making successful campaign
against Lees army a possibility.
Aside from the interest with
which war history clothes this valley,
its natural beauties make a ride
through it, from Natural bridge, to
Harrisburg, Pa, one of the most at
tractive IN any land. While the val
q. ley, under the name of Shenandoah, ex-
tends only to the Potomac at Harper's
Ferry and Martinsburg, the ranges
which bound it on the east and west
still run northward to the Susque-
hanna The valley north of the Poto-
mace changes its name to Cum berland.
Like the region south of the river, it is
not only rich, but notable for it's STIR
ring battle-history, as Cham bersburg,
Antietam, and the movements before
and after Gettysburg attest
AS part Of the natural attractions.
the Luray caves and the Natural
bridge have a worldwide reputation,
and are properly classed among its
wonders. Both are within a short
ride of Stanton or Waynesboro.
But to the veteran, these will hold
secondary place beside the various bat
tlefields with which these valleys are
thicl1ly dotted. Every foot south of
the Potomac was fighting ground;
every town was At some time the head
quarters of well-known forces: nearly
every farmhouse was hospital, and
some of the dead and wounded of the
many contests had fallen on every
acre. On the union side Fremont and
Sigel, Milroy and Shields, Hunter and
Banks. Kelley and Crook, Wilson and
Sheridan and others of note had there
met jackson, Ewell, Early, Stewart,
Ashby and the advance of Lee in
force. There were innumerable small
affairs, and many extended and fierce
engagements Columns in advance
and in retreat ebbed and flowed
there through every year of the war;
while every gap opening eastward
poured its footmen and its horsemen
upon the TANKS, first of the one army
and then of the other.
From the opening of the contest till
its cl~ Sc it was the vortex of strategy.
The war found it an ideal pastoral
country, of rich and beautiful farms,
of wealthy and aristocratic families,
where life in its ease and sunshine ri
, vailed that in older lands. 1t was the
granary and storehouse of the confed.
eracy. The war left it bare, black
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28

west of Staunton. 1t was sharp af-
fair, and resulted in Banks abandon
ing his plan of clearing the valley, and
in his returning to Strasburg.
On the Goth of May, Jackson. joined
by Ewell started north from New
Market to attack Banks entrenched at
Strasburg. Every town is marked with
the history of that campaign, and the
veterans who visit them will recall the
stirring scenes that filed the valley
through all the years of the war with
every species of excitement which bat
tie and campaign can give-the citation
of victory and the depression of defeat.
And this is'true of every station which
the trains pass. for each was at times
the theater of alternating success, and
again for each the fields of defeat
At this period, the celebrity of move
ment on both sides of the valley al
most riva1ed the trains which hourly
rush through it. Banks fell back to
the Potomac, Jackson attacked Charles
ton, took it. and pushed on to Harper's
Ferry. Next came fifteen thousand
men from Mcdowell at Fredericks-
burg, through Manassas Gap, whose
mission was to bag Jackson" The
latter withdrew in great haste to
Strasburg. It was a race to save his
army. Fremont was closing in from
the west, Shields from the east and
Mcdowell waited at Front Royal to
seize his prey. There was immense
stir and activity on all sides, but Jack
son won, and reached the upper valley
unscathed Over every step of this adj
vance and retreat, the blood of the
union veteran who looks upon the IA
miliar places will run fast under the
quickening of memory.
Port Republic, Cross Keys and Har-
risonburg are close to Stanton and
Waynesboro. There were hot battles
near the latter place. AT Port Repub-
lie, jackson fell upon Shields and
avenged Kernstown. AT Cross Keys
he defeated Fremont. Both were
famous engagements. He captured the
union garrison at Front Royal, and
drove Banks across the Potomac.
These were stirring months-the
three which made up the spring of
1862. They ended Jackson's operations
for the time in the valley. He sudden
~ and secretly withdrew and aston
ished Mcclellan by appearing on his
flank at Cold Harbor.
From these most general statements,
and space does not admit of details, it
will be seen that there was no other
spot during the early periods of the
war where movement and fighting was
so sharp and constant as on the She
nandoah.
With the autumn of 1862, the valley
began to witness campaigns on a great
er scale.
In September, there cane Lees first
invasion of Maryland, and while his
columns moved along east of the Blue
Ridge, the valley was alive with sup
ply trains, and all the varied accom-
paniments of a great arny's advance.
Through the valley he soon after re-
treated from his defeat at Antietam.
and in it he gave his army rest and re-
plenished his stores. The next year.
after defeating Hooker at Chancellors-
Vile, Lee sweeping over into the val
ley marched north to Gettysburg.
Through it, he came back with his
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
FEED AND FERTILIZERS.
The Cheapest Method OF Maintaining tn
Fertility OF the Soil.

The Cheapest Method OF Maintaining tR.ss
Fertility OF the Soil.
The farmer who buys q large portion
OF the food for his stock not only takes
advantage of the opportunity of con-
verting raw material from elsewhere
into meat, butter, milk and cheese. but
he brings upon his farm fertilizers that
are more complete IN their relative
proportions of available plant foods
that can be intelligently selected fF
| him in the shape of commercial fer
tilizerS
If a careful analysis CT the foods
could be made before feeding, and the
| manure computed according TO the ma
| terials from which IT Is produced, il
/ would be demonstrated that theirs
| is no better mode Of buying fertilizers
than to procure the cheap grain stuffs.
such as bran. middlings, etc, and con-
vert a portion into some salabla
article, retaining the remainder o
the shape of manure to be used ON tbs
farm
The true value of any material ssed
as food for stock is not only aecoeling
to its proportion of nitrogen, phos-
pilates and carbon contained, bIft in
the digestibility of the foods also Na
food, however rich it may be in the ele
ments necessary for satisfying tho de-
Inands of the animals. viii prove salts
factory unless it can be dl-eSeeoss bus
as there Is no waste or loss of ecy ma
terial consumed, the undigested po@
lions are voided as manure. Sust what
this manure Is worth to the farmer
depends upon the constituents of Che
food and its value after the sligestible
| portions have been urIssea nv the IN
| finals
A ton of bran selling st Sas has q
fertilizing value of Sl4 In other words
If the value of the bran ~ food b
| overlooked, the cost of che bran q
manure is S14. and the cost Sof che
meat. milk. etc, depends rpoa bow
large q portion of the bran is converted
into those articles, the manurini valua
OF the bran If 1t is used as q xer<ilize9
by direct application to the soa Selnf
ST.
All foods become better prepared rs
fertilizers when they are passed
through the body of the anixnsx a
they are then decompose6 aud als1
changed IN composition Grees foods
do not produce as much fegfilizing
matter as dry foods. because theF con-
tain more water and are better Z
gested and assiIniiated, and ~ MSn Il
not feed alone or exclusively A e0n q
manure from many different f0OaA mas
not possess v1lue exceeding - or -
Much depends on the stock. throwing
animals use more mineral matter and
more nitrogen, while fattening anH
mails appropriate more carboA Xhl
manure from matured steers Is $heeee
fore of more value than that froua
young stock or from cows, as lesS S -
quired to supply the wants Of The ani-
NAL, and this difference in aKimafs and
!, foods is something which demands the
close attention of the farTner.-RhA0s
delphia Record
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.

A BOARD floor is best if the house
stands in a dark place, otherwise an
earth floor is the best
THE result of the recent attempt to
raise tea in North Carolina indicates
to such an industry, but that, owing to
the expense of picking and curing,
none but the highest grades could be
produced profitably.
ALL should know that the bee does
not make honey. but simply gathers 1T
from the flowers; when it obtains its
sweets from the sugar, it deposits
sugar syrup in the cells. not honey,
and no amount of manipulation by the
bees can make it into anything else
but sugar syrup.
TINE and again we hear of farmers
who feed their hens all the corn they
can eat. and then wonder why they do
not lay. 4 grain that contains eighty
six per cent of fat-growing elements
is mighty poor egg food Once a day
is all corn should be fed, and then just
at night
IT does not take a year for the hen
to give a profit She begins at once
and turns in her product daily, being
the only source from which cash is re-
ceived at this season The great de-
mand for eggs should stimulate the
poultry interests on the farm, especial
ly as a winter industry.
EXPERIMENTS have shown that a tile
drained soil is on the average about
ten degrees warmer at seven inches be-
low the surface than an undrained sur
face at the same depth. This fact IL
Illustrates the value of drainage. II
lengthens the season at both ends for
plant growth
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
FIG. L.

lady-bird beetle, OF Awaits fifteen
punctata Zig e. These beetles. like
the potato beetle and all others have
the three stages-larva. pupa and i'm
ago, or mature state. The lady-tird
beetles live on plant lice, and as soon
as the larvae hatch from the egg they
commence to feed upon the lice around
them. They grow very fast, and 1t takes
many a louise each day to satisfy their
hunger. When they become full grown
they search for some good place, usu-
ally protected, be It plum, or leaf, or
twig, and soon transform into the sta
tionary or immovable state known as
the pupa state Fig L shows the po-
sition in which they are usually found
They are not entirely imnovable, for
if one is disturbed or touched it viii
throw the lower portion of the body
out and back several times in rapid sue
cession. Although the pupa IS usually
attached to something besides the fruit,
it was not at all uncommon in the
plum orchard, and especially where the
fruit was very thick. to find them at
tached, as shown in the figure.
After remaining in this condition for
about week, some morning we will
notice that there is nothing left but
the broken skin. Our lady bird has
now reached its third stage. has
broken its prison bars and walks out
in freedom to again feast on lice after
its long fast 1t is shaped like half
pea. fat side down, and has bright,
shining. crean-colored she'll speckled
with black dots as in Fig. ?. or it may
be a deep wine color with but few
markings, as the specie varies in color
all the way between the two. Thus
we see that this little friend does no
harm to our plums, while it does ma
terially aid in keeping the injurious
lice in check, and should not be de-
stroyed if we can help it
What has been said OF the life his
tory of this species of lady-bird is true
Of the whole family All feed upon
plant lice in the two active stages, and
are for this reason one of our most
beneficial families of beetle. They are
very numerous and Of many different
colors and markings The most com
mon ones are yellow or red with black
markings
There is one species that is common
around our apple trees which is black
with a little red spot on either side,
from which it gets the name Twice
Stabbed Lady-Bird Beetle" 1t feeds
on the bark louise of the apple. Often
large number of the pupse of this
species may be found collected to.
gether in little bunch on some twig.
In general they are much like the
pupa on the plum, but are darker and
very spiny- Do not destroy them; they
are dollars to you-G. C. Davis. in
Farm, Field and Stockman.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28

corruptly Influenced by book publishers
to make these changes; but it would
not be fai.. to even intimate such a
thing concerning the immaculate Off
Gals who preside over the schools IL the
national capital
In majority OF the towns. cities and
counties OF this country, since the new
year dawned, the children have been
going to and from their schools, either
walking upon or wading through the
snow; or rushing with flying feet
through the bitter cold air which comes
with biting strength from the far north
land In this city, however. where the
climate is Modified and modified by the
genial influence of the gulf stream, or
children, young men and maidens trav.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
The Cause of Conwebs.

The celebrated English poet Dryden
had a wife who was bilious to write
poetry as well as her husband So she
shut herself up in her apartments to
compose verses. Sad to say, the serv-
ants took advantage of her absence to
neglect their work, and Dryden was
mortified to be obliged to receive his
friends in room which plainly showed
their carelessnesS.
Mrs Dryden" called he, in rage,
after the gentlemen had gone, 81 de.
sire you will write no more poetry,
madam"
.sWhy so, my dear?" asked the good
humored lady.
Because cried he, Il notice when
ever we both write poetry at the same
time the spiders Immediately begin te
spin cobwebs- "-Harper's Young PEG
pie.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28
CALF-FEEDING TESTS.


SKINNED milk and FLAX need GOE1DAuU0
with Whole MiIk-
At the Iowa station, experiments
have been in progress to determine the
feeding value of ground fax seed for
young calves A bull and a heifer calf
OF the Holstein and shorthorn breeds
Were chosen, the two bulls being fed
on whole milk. and the two heifers On
milk SKINNED after being set twelve
hours, with as much fax seed a. they
could assimilate without securing
These experiments lasted 5 months,
the calves being weighed every lsdav&
The results Indicate
l. That-a ration of skim milk snd
ground fax seed compare sasNrably
with new milk ration 1ox so1ng
calves
= The skim milk and fax seed Deal
fed calves were less Intercepted in
their growth by weaving, thSa ware
the whole-milk calves
3 A saving value of butter FAT alone
of Sill per month on each calf Raa
effected by substituting tbs ErOun2
| fax seed
!. The cost of producing q pound q
gain, estimating new milk ~ SIS cent>
per hundred pounds, skim tailk az "a
cents per hundred pounds, gfasR cent
per pound, hay So per ton tshe iatrer
two being fed alike to both LOTS, 1nd
flax seed meal 81 cents per pond
was 10 cents per pound increase viii
| the fresh milk ration, and only eenao
! with the skim milk ration
1t appears from this that where
there are proper facilities for consekes
ing the butter fat into butteg. - d
much mora economical tn feA6 ealRen
skim milk and fax seed than sRhplG
\
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-28

AN EHlSODE OF SHERIDAN
shattered columns and pitched his cal p
for recuperation along the Opequon.
When 1864 opened it had been de-
cided that no campaign against Rich
mond or Gen. Lees army could oe sue
cessful unless the Shenandoah could
be cleared Of confederate troops and
firmly held by the union forces.
Gen. Hunter succeeded Sigel in May
of that year. He moved with great
energy and came to battle close along
the line of the Chesapeake & Ohio at
Piedmont, near to both Staunton and
Waynesboro. Thence he pushed south
to Lexington, and fought his way to
the entertainments around Lynch burg.
Here Early, from Lees army, by a
rapid march via Trevilian station,
further to the eastward on the Chesa-
peake & Ohio, had joined Breckin-
ridge. Hunter then began rapid re-
treat, and eluding these forces, instead
of attempting to withdraw down the
valley which would have exposed him
to the dangers of movements in his
rear from Lees forces, struck directly
westward for the Kanawha valley. He
first rested at White Sulphur, directly
on the Chesapeake & Ohio. and then
moved along it's line to Gauley bridge
Thence Hunter finally reached the
Ohio river. and thence by boat and rail
was transported to the Potomac valley
again. When he reached Cumberland,
on the Baltimore g. Ohio, Early. who,
when Hunter uncovered the valley by
his westward march. had pushed down
to the Potomac, invaded Maryland,
and was we'll on his way to Washing
ton. Then followed the tremendous
sensation of the Early attack upon
and final repulse from in front of the
capital by Gen. Wright's corps from
Petersburg and part of the Nineteenth
corps from Hampton Roads. There
are thousands of western veterans who
will Ind the valley full of reminders OF
these stirring events.
Next came the great union move in
overwhelming force for the final clear
ing of the valley. The veterans will
clearly remember how the Army OF
the Shenandoah was constituted: Three
divisions of the Ninth corps, part Of
the Nineteenth. two divisions OF
Crooks Army of West Virginia, Tor
belts cavalry division from the Army
of the Potomac, Loweil's cavalry brig
ade, Averill's, Duties and j. ii. Viii
sons cavalry commands splendid
army led by Sheridan.
The season brought the great en-
gagements under this leader. First
however, he was compelled to; with
draw from Strasburg to Harper:
Ferry. thus repeating the move which
had become as frequent for the valley
as the routine statement in the cur
rent dispatches after many battles
The Army of the Potomac has occu
pied its old camp
But there came time in the latter
part of September. 1864, when the val
ley was to be finally swept clean OF 1t:
hostile forces, ard blackened and tenn
porarily blasted by the breath of war.
! Sheridan. in force. once more moved
| forward. Then came the noted battle:
of Winchester. Fishers Hill, Tom
! Brook and Cedar Creek. The vale,