davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
A Pet Crow.

A well known up town family has a
pet crow which is given the liberty of
the whole household. 1t is as precise
and particular about its appearance as
a prudish young maiden, and frequently
it is allowed place in the dining room
when the family meal is eaten When
night comes it stations itself at one Of
the fence corners and keeps looking
out for intruders until the early dawn,
setting up loud cawing at the sight Of
any stranger approaching. A valuable
diamond earring belonging to one of the
daughters was missed from the dress
ing case the other day while the crow
was perched on the window sill. Search
was made everywhere for the missing
piece Of jewelry without success, and
the finding of it was given up as one Of
the impossibilties.
A few days since the crow was fol-
lowed into corner of the yard filled
with empty boxes, and in one of them,
hidden away from sight, was found a
perfect bric-a-brac shop, number of
bright silver and copper coins, filigree
comb, several lustrous tortoise hair or
naments, lot of bits Of broken col
ored glass, and stock Of shining but
tons of endless variety, and the dia-
mond earring. The character of the
crow has been considerably lowered in
the estimation of the family since the
discovery.-Philade Press.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Saving Seed.

THERE'S principle in seed saving that
applies to potatoes as well as to other
plants. This principle is selection, and
selection means choice in all that relates
to a crop, no matter what it may be. 1t
is essential in its relation to earliness
quality and productiveness. In a few
years distinct type will be secured that
for long time will remain constant,
even when grown under other condi-
lions. The proper time to commence
this important work is not in the early
spring, but before the crop is dug, says
The American Agriculturist, which
gives the following advice: at is the
best way to go over the field, select the
hills with the most vigorous vines, esps-
cially those that are growing singly, the
shorter and more stocky the better. Dig
these before the main crop is disturbed,
and save such only as produce the most
potatoes to plant, and such as are the
most uniform in size and shape, not
those that yield the largest tubers, but
those that give the greatest number Of
good, salable potatoes and the least
small or poor ones. Vitality is an essen
tial element in all plants, as upon it de-
ponds productiveness. When hill is
opened, if there is single potato that is
not perfect, discard the whole. Each
tuber should be carefully examiAed as
to form, color and shape, and what is
more important still. see that it has a
clear, thick skim"
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
How Often Can We Loye2

How many times can man or woman
be in love, really, truly and intensely?
In undertaking to answer this question
one wise editor seems to take it for
granted that while man is capable Of
loving really, truly and intensely" as
often as a suitable object meets his eye,
woman has only one real love-a man
whom she idealizes and worships for.
ever.
This fine theory does not seem to wear
in real life. Both men and women may
be in love over and again. A woman
may adore good looking youth when
she is sixteen, or she may be attracted
to a scapegrace and think she wants to
save his soul, when she has only sick
ly, sentimental fancy for his personal
ity, which would quickly change to
loathing if she should marry him. At
one period of their lives both men and
women love one kind of person, at anoth-
er time another, the ideal ever changing
as they themselves change. Some keep
on falling in love with one after anoth-
er, trying to find the right one, and
they describe the search as a very agree
able one. But it is good deal easier
and pleasanter falling in love than fall
ing out of it successfully.
With those who have been in love
oftenest, however, this fact undoubtedly
remains-though they have loved over
and again there is always one whose
memory in after years is dearer and
sweeter than that of all the rest. In the
strong, wise years, when mere magnetic
attraction can no longer draw one to
fresh faces, this seems to have been the
s1ly true love. And if this dearer than
all the rest happens to be the one to
whom the lover is married, happy indeed
is he or she.
We change, all of us, and those who
change most grow the most. Fortunate
are they who married their ideals and
whose ideals change as they change and
grow as they grow. This comes the
nearest being perfect welded happiness
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
HOW FOOTBALLS ARE MADE.

Pressed from Gun Cotton Mixture, Cut
in a Lathe and Dyed.
"Celluloid has altogether superseded
ivory as material for poolballs," said
manufacturer. ga set of sixteen cellu-
loid balls will outwear three OF four sets
of ivory and they cost only twenty-five
doHars, whereas you cannot buy six
teen good ivory balls for less than
$115. The condition of the atmosphere
which causes the ivory balls to shrink
and swell and crack just as if they were
made of wood has no effect upon cellu-
loid.
''Of course you know that celluloid is
a mixture of gun cotton and camphor.
Naturally it would be yellow, but zinc
white is put in to make it white. After
the ingredients have been properly
mingled with the aid of steam heat the
celluloid is pressed into blocks, which
are little bigger than the balls that
are to be made. In order to render
them as hard as possible the material is
subjected to pressure of 300 tons on
each ball. Next the blocks, are turned
in lathe to perfect spheres of precisely
the diameter required by means of knives
which work automatically and cannot
cut beyond certain distance from the
center of each ball.
"When this has been done the perfect
spheres of celluloid are ready to be dyed
in various colors. For this purpose they
are dipped and allowed to remain for
some time in pots containing the dyes,
those parts which are not desired to be
colored being protected by means of lit
tie cups of brass ingeniously fastened
upon the balls. In the plain balls of
red, blue, green, purple and yellow only
the round spot where the number is to
go needs to be covered, but in the treat
ment of the striped balls the matter is
not so easy. After they have been fshed
out of the pots the dyed balls are put on
lathe and made to revolve rapidly,
while fine sandpaper is dclicately APP
piled SO as to smooth their surfaces.
Then keen knife, manipulated by
hand, removes from them the thinnest
conceivable shaving all over, which
does not take off the color, because the
dyes penetrate to little depth. Finally
sandpaper is again applied and the balls
are ready for the last process to which
they must be subjected.
"This last process is the vanishing.
They are placed for this purpose in little
wire cups, which come into contact with
them at as few points as possible, and a
transparent lacquer is bestowed upon
them by hand with brush. AS soon as
they are dry they are ready to be packed
and sent to the retailer. When they are
newly finished they are quite as pretty
to look at as any ivory pool balls that
ever were made. When are the mum.
bers put on, you ask? Oh, they are cut
very quickly with dies before the balls
go into the dye pots, and a little plum
bago is rubbed into them to make them
black. No it would not be possible for
celluloid ball like one of these to ex.
plode; nor could it be made to burn, in
asmuch as its density is too great. How.
ever, if you were to cut it up into chips
it would go off at a pretty lively rate
upon being ignited. Washington Star.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
COMB FOUNDATION.
A Practical Question Answered by Sew
eral Experienced Heekeepers.

A Practical Question Answered by Sew
erai Experienced Beekeepers.
This question was asked and answered
through the columns Of the American
Beekeepers' Journal:
|, Which do you prefer, light, medium, or
heavy foundation for seotionsl Z. What per
cent, do we gain, II any, by using full sheets OF
foundation in sectonss
Following are some of the replies;
|. Between light and medium. Q. Fully
10 per cent. p. II. Brown.
/, Light, 2. | cannot say. We get
straight combs, and ! believe enough
more honey to pay.-A. j. Cook.
l. Very light always. There ought to
DO law to prevent the use Of heavy
comb foundation in sections. There is
an unwritten law. 2. could not give
the per cent, but it is quite a little
more than legal interest in this locality,
p. II. Elwood.
/. prefer light foundation Tor thin)
not extra thin. O. do not know just
what per cent. we gain in amount Of
surplus honey; seasons differ. But
there is another factor-another gain.
You should, and probably do, have but
little if any drone comb in most of your
hives; SO, unless you use queen-includ-
ing honey boards or full sheets Of
foundation, you would get your Sec
tons full of drone brood.-James He'd
don.
/. Thin foundation is specially made
for use in the sections-no heavy comb
foundation should ever be used under
any circumstances or with any pretext
in comb honey. Such would damage
the market, destroy confidence in its
purity and reduce its value. Q. While
it doubtless pays to use full sheets of
foundation in sections, the percentage
would be hard to tell.-Editor.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19

st. Swithin's Day comes on the 18th
Of July; if it rains then, it will rain on
the forty days following. Swithin was
bishop of Winchester and died July @,
1852, leaving directions that he should be
buried in the churchyard of his cathe-
dral, so that the rain might fall on his
grave. Some years afterward the monks
desired to move the remains into the
cathedral and fixed on July Is for the
translation, but for forty days it rained
steadily, SO that they could not open the
grave, and at the end of the fortieth day
they decided that the saint preferred to
stay out in the wet.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19

An engineer on one of the railroads
running into this city says that persons
in his business can always judge of the
condition of their machinery by the tone
it gives out while running. Every en-
gine, whether stationary or locomotive,
has particular tone of its own. The
engineer becomes accustomed to that,
and any departure from it at once ex-
cites a suspicion that all is not right.
The engineer may not know what is the
matter, he may have no ear for music,
but the change in tone of his machine
will be instantly perceptible and will
start him on an immediate inves:ira-
tion.-Cincinnat Enquirer.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
ODDS AND ENDS.


In California they catch fish by wheels.
Laplanders often skate distance Of
100 miles day.
It is intended to lay submarine cable
in the Caspian sea.
Try to keep cash account and to teach
girl to do the same.
Weather, smoke and a vicious woman
drive men out of doors.
Keeping pan of water in the oven
will prevent fowl from scorching.
A good handful of borax will soften
len gallons of water for laundry use.
Maine has a foreign born population
Of 7S,961 and colored population of
1898.
So minute are the pores of the skin
that a grain of fine sand will cover 800 of
them.
Over 100000 postal cards are neces-
sary to meet the daily demands in this
country.
The trouble with the man who knows
nothing is that he is always the last to
find it out
A North Carolina woman only learned
to write after she had passed the age of
eighty-two.
The town of Roanoke, Va, has grown
in ten years from a population of 900 to
one of $4,000.
The word reverend" occurs but oflsA
in the Bible, which is in the ninth verse
of the eleventh psalm.
People who conceal their mistakes
in many instances destroy their only
chances of usefulness in life.
1t is the man who has to live on corn
bread at home who finds the most fault
with the pie when he travels.
The big battleship Texas will have
cost Uncle Sam SO, 900, 900 after her guns
shall have been put on board.
! Never forget to mention to the doctor
the appearance Of rash. 1t may be
nothing or it may be most serious.
The freshman class of Vassar have
chosen rose pink for their class color,
and the sweet pea for their class flower,
The state of Massachusetts has de-
cided to give financial and other aid to
1913 of its towns that they may secure
free public libraries.
. When you are driving bargain with
your iceman don't contradict him when
he says the crop was small last winter,
because he can prove it was very thin
by the number of persons who fell
through and were drowned.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Long Campaigns versus Short Ones,

Long Campaigns versus Short Ones.
There is a growing conviction In the
United States that we have too much
politics, and since the recent campaign
in Great Britain many leaders Of
thought have declared that our cam
paigns should be greatly shortened.
just think of it! The Salisbury parlia-
ment was dissolved ON June 80. The
elections We're ordered for the first three
weeks of July, and the writs directed
the assemblage of the new parliament
on Aug. A.
In less than six weeks the government
of the United Kingdom is completely
changed. The latest expressed will Of
the voters takes effect in a change of
policy in less time than is employed in
this country in selecting the delegates
to national convention. The campaign
now in progress and already heated
must grow hotter and hotter with the
perfect day-four months of party war
fare. Then, if new man is elected,
seventeen more weeks must pass before
he takes the helm, and ordinarily con-
gress does not even convene till thirteen
months after it is chosen. The inevita-
BILE result is that elections in this coun-
try degenerate into mere questions of
money and endurance.
But there is another side to the ques-
ton and very important one. "Eter-
nal vigilance is the price of liberty" and
it is quite possible that if Americans did
not maintain the habit of discussing
political questions frequently there
would be evil results. Most assuredly
frequent elections make men more toll
Grant of political differences. Here, for
instance, are two men who vote together
in the spring elections Gin village OF
township and on opposite sides at state
and national elections. They cannot
afford to quarrel seriously.
The educational effect is also impor-
tant. Go through the rural regions OF
any "close state" and you will observe
that every scholarly young man is called
into action early. The people feel that
they have sort of right to the services
of the educated. The young student
the young teacher and the young lawyer
are expected as matter of course tc
stake the stump The effect is excel
lent. So, take it all in all, there is nc
need to hurry in making change.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Second Crop Potatoes.

Professor Massey sees a possible Boz
nanza for the southern farmer in grow
ing second crop potatoes, and among
other demands for them he mentions the
northern market for old potatoes in the
spring, as they would be unsprouted and
superior to green new ones. There
might be a greater demand for them for
seed, as truck farmers find them earlier
than northern seed. Louisville mer-
chants now furnish some Ohio garden
ers with second crop seed, and while it
is less productive than home grown
stock, the high prices of the first ten
days of the new potato season makes it
a paying business to use the southern
seed, according to a correspondent of
The Rural New Yorker, who writes fur
Their as follows:
This seed now costs too much. 1t is
brought north in small lots, and every
middleman adds very substantially to
the charges. If southern growers would
ship their product north in CARROTS, just
as we ship ours to the southern markets
in the fall and winter, the price and
convenience of getting the seeds would
induce northern truck farmers to give
them wide trial. A leading truck
farmer in our market orders them di-
rectly from the south every spring, pay.
ing round price, but he prefers to dc
this rather than plant home seed and
get a later crop. 1t pays us in southern
Ohio to go north for seeds for the main
crop of potatoes, as they are more vigor
Gus growers, and to the south for seeds
for early crops, but half the profits from
this exchange are reaped by railway
companies. They should have all they
earn, but when they take all the traffic
will bear it prevents such an exchange
of products between the farmers of thil
broad country as would be advantageous
tO oil
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Fin de steele charity is farreaching,

Fin de steele charity is farreaching,
and besides providing the actual necessi-
ties for the poor it strives to educate and
refine this unfortunate class. The Peo-
pies palace Of London is one of these
practical charities. 1t feeds the hungry
and reforms the wicked by teaching
them the beauty Of work. The books,
the concerts and other refining infiu-
ences are also moral factors. Under
this same head may be included the re-
rent free loan exhibition in New York
city, which included more than hun
bred real works of art. The title of each
picture was given, with a biography Of
the artist, and criticism which was Of
assistance in educating the artistic ap-
probation of these men and women,
who rarely have an opportunity Of see
ing good picture.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Cackles.

The poultry products of the United
States had farm value of at least $780,
100000 last year, and no less than 49,
100000 dozen eggs were imported at a
first cost of fifteen cents per dozen, or
nearly $4,000, 900, while the average an
nual value of such importations during
the past four years has been S2.2l6,326
The Farm Journal says: For choice
table poultry, especially capons, we
would advise crossing Langshan females
with a La Fleche male. Such poultry
would sell equal to Ward McAllister's
famous mutton.H
1t is reported that three factories in
the United States devoted to making
albumen paper for photographers con-
sumo upward Of 100000 eggs annually
The Poultry World advises: Give soft
feed IN the morning and the whole grain
at night, except little wheat or cracked
corn placed in the scratching place to
give them exercise during the day"
Sour milk will bring better returns in
eggs than in any other way.
In buying birds or eggs go to some re-
liable breeder who has his reputation at
stake.
The city authorities In every city, with
the cooperation Of all honest men,
should wage war against the Ubiquitous
sweating system. 1t is the deadly para
site fastened on honest labor and should
be exterminated by vigorous hand.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Can't Be Done.

The problems of how to make good
butter or cheese out of poor milk are
those which no dairyman should con-
slider. If they can be done it would be
much more to the advantage of all par
ties if the time and thought were given
to learning how not to have any poor
milk. There are difficulties enough in
the way in striving to produce good
article from good milk. The farmer
should learn how not to produce any
poor milk, and the creameries should
learn, and are learning very rapidly,
how to detect 1t when offered to them
and how to reject it with sufficient firm
ness.-American Cultivator.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19

President Harrison, ex-President Cleve-
land and other eminent statesmen of
both political parties have warmly in
dorsed the proposal for public school
celebration ON Columbus Day. This
movement appeals to every true Amer
lean. 1t brings together in common
cause individuals among whom on most
subjects there is wide diversity of
thought and opinion.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19

The vast army of friends Of free edu-
cation who are working for the public
school celebration of Columbus Day be-
lieve there is right and wrong way
of doing everything. They believed the
right date to celebrate Americas 400th
anniversary was on Oct. 81, 1892, as that
day on the Gregorian calendar of our
time corresponds to Oct. 10, 1899, the
date of the discovery on the Julian cal
endar. They brought congress to their
point of view, the president signed the
bill and Oct 81, the true Columbus Day,
will be observed by the public schools
throughout America.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Antiouarians are baffled in the search

Antiquarians are baffled in the search
for the origin of the sausage" 1t
seems to be a very ancient institution
and was a favorite dish among the
Greeks and Romans. The bologna sau-
sage is a descendent of the ancient
Roman sausage and SO is older than the
historic "wiener wurst."
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Sightseeing Guilds,

New York city had its laugh at the
$4,000 Christian Endeavor people who
recently convened in that city, but the
country has laughed at the city with
much better reason. The curiosity of
the city people and the innocent surprise
of the city papers proved that New York
is singularly narrow and local in the
range of its knowledge. Apparently
few of the reporters knew that such an
organization was growing rapidly and
had held immense conventions else
where.
This mutual amazement and amuse-
ment has led to many suggestions for
cooperative holiday travelling next
year, somewhat like those SO common in
England, and managed from what is
called the Regent street center" By
this plan 100, or even 500, people travel
from remote shires and visit all the
sights of London, from the tower to the
park, Westminster abbey, parliament
house and the British museum for less
than half what it would cost them to go
singly. If the party is very large it di-
vides into groups for sightseeing. In
fact, there are now regular touring
guilds in London, Liverpool, Manchester
and other cities.
These guilds are already organizing
groups for the Worlds fair at Chicago
next year, and the question very nat
urally arises, Why should not Amer
leans be organizing in like manner? OF
course there will be excursion rates"
and all that sort of thing from every
part of the Union, and large majority
will prefer to go it alone, but there must
be million or so whose comfort would
be promoted by organization, whether
to visit the fair or tour elsewhere.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19

Two hundred and fifty-seven years ago
this July Roger Williams was sum
moned before the general court at Bos-
ton to answer the charge of heresy, and
in October following he was ordered to
quit the colony of Massachusetts. But
Roger got sweet revenge on Boston after
all, for some years later he wrote for one
of his works chapter on "The Fruits
of the Earth in the New World" and
never mentioned beans once.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19
Six Years. ParIiamen;s.

epresent parliament was summoned
on Aug. 5, 1886, and therefore is Near
six years old. There are instances or
record during the present century Of
parliaments which have longer record,
but not many. Earl Grey was prime
minister for six years and two months
about seventy years ago, and Lord Pal
merston for six years and week about
a quarter of century since The prob
abilities are that this parliament will
not have six years life.-London Let
ter.
The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-08-19

Some capitalists propose to build a
new railroad between Chicago and st.
Louis. It will cover distance of 248
miles, which is a straight line between
the two cities. 1t is expected that the
speed of 100 miles can be maintained
with electricity as force. This ire
mendous speed convinces one that 1t is
only matter of time when electricity
will entirely supersede steam as motive
power in railroading.