davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
Making Thimbles.

In the making of thimbie there
are several operations, the blank pass
ing into the cup and then the rolling
on of the band, says Hardware. Then
the thimbles, which have assumed q
form warranting the name, are carried
to the factory proper, and after burn
ishing the more interesting process of
knerling is performed. This knerling
is the forming of the little indenta-
tions which receive the end of the
needle and assist in pushing the point
through the fabric. The cup is placed
in a lathe and the operator, with o
suitable tool, knerls the end of the
thimble.
During the operation peculiar and
by no means unpleasant musical sound
is emitted with varying tones. The
point of the thimble being reached a
fiat knerler finishes the side, and with
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
PURIFYING TURBID WATER.

DR.. Lehman recommends to house
wives simple means of precipitating
turbid water by the use of solution
of alum. One hundred and Thirty
grains of crystallized alum dissolved
in one pint of water will produce
large quantity of the purifying liquid,
as 1t is only used in the proportion OF
one to two grains of alum to a gallon
of water. That would require three
teaspoonfuls of the solution to every
two gallons of water. After stirring it
in, let the water stand a few hours,
and it will be perfectly clean and ready
to be poured off from the thick deposit
in the bottom. If it is then filtered it
will be in good condition for drinking.
Even without fltering it will be safe
to drink the water if it has not stood
very long, as it has been found that
the addition of the. alum greatly re.
duces the number of bacteria The
taste is not affected, as the slum de-
composes in the water, and sets free
compounds that attach themselves to
the muddy elements in the water and
cause them to settle. This remedy is
not for contaminated water, which
should always be boiled.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
Sound ports.

The customs officers of San Fran
cisco have to deal with some of the
most artful smugglers in the world.
The Chinese are race of smugglers,
and there is not a people on earth
more fertile in expedients to evade the
revenue laws. Their stolid, impassive
demeanor serves them admirably in
their contraband operations, for their
actions seldom afford, as is the case
frequently with white people, any
ground to suspect that they are trying
to practice a fraud. They have taught
the sailor men of the white race the
shrewdest tricks practiced on Uncle
Sans tax gatherers, and are never
caught in one device without being
read with another equally as hard to
detect.
Before the influx of Chinese laborers
was stopped it would sometimes occur
that q Mongol looking as if all his
years were acquainted with only
poverty and toll, would innocently
try to sneak ashore with dirty old
blouse stuffed full of. fine silk handker-
chiefs, scarfs or Indian neck shawls
The Chinese garment for cold weather
is quilted blouse or tunic, with a
heavy filling of cotton. Silk handker-
chiefs being light and fine, a single
blouse would sometimes contain a
valuable invoice.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
Singular Custom in Rome.

The eve of San Giovanni was, as
usual, well celebrated in Rome by the
midnight fair that is held in the piazza
in front of the Basilica of st. John
Lateran. A correspondent writes:
Cup to an early hour in the morning
crowds of people we're to be seen in
the different osterie, of which there
are many in the piazza, eating snails
and young pig. 1t is always the Gus
tom to eat snails on st. Johns Eve,
and whole plateful is generally de.
molished by each member of the fam.
lily who goes to the midnight fair-fo1
the, whole family goes, and sometimes
they are very numerous. The snails
are generally eaten either simply
boiled or stewed, together with the
shells, of course, and before they are
cooked can he seen in baskets full of
them, all of the largest kind, and
crawling about, not only all over the
inside OF the basket, but also over the
outside, while the vender calls upon
the people to come and look upon the
beautiful fat snails, ripe for eating,
that he has for sale. The stewed snails
are considered quite delicacy, and
they are presented before one in a
large bowl. Of course, it is not pos
sible to eat them with knife and fork.
so one is furnished with short, thin
stick, very much like wooden tooth
pick. One then takes up the shell and
with the thin stick one extracts the
contents otherwise the stewed snaiD
and conveys it to ones mouth. -
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25

gled opium, even after they have def.
mite information that it is aboard
vessel. Only recently the officers
failed to find lot, although they
knew positively that it was on board.
However, keeping the closest watch
on everything that left the ship, they
finally intercepted the opium as it was
being taken ashore.
Several years ago the officials we're
informed that hole had been hol-
lowed out under the stern of one OF
the China steamers as a receptacle for
smuggled opium. When the steamer
arrived they made search and found
a hole large enough to contain be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 worth of the
drug, but it was empty. 1t had been
dumped out into the bay off Fort Point
with floats attached. A considerable
portion of it was picked up. A regu-
ular business was for a while main-
tanned by throwing the opium over
board with floats attached to long lines
for confederates to pick up and take
ashore in boats, but the officers became
cognizant of it and broke it up.
Once a box containing the bones of
dead Chinese was placed on steamer
at Victoria to be brought here for
shipment to China. An accident
caused it to be closely examined, when
large quantity of opium was found
concealed under the bones. Large
quantities of opium have been SNUG
gled in barrels of salt fish and in lum-
Der.
. Cigars come here from Mexico or
Manila in cases of sea biscuit or sacks
of sugar. They creep past the customs
inspectors in many innocent disguises,
but cigar smuggling Is more dangerous
and difficult than opium smuggling,
and is less lucrative. These devices
have no relation to collusion between
customs officials and importers to
undervalue goods or to admit them as
of non-dutiable character when they
are something else. 1t is only re-
Gently that gigantic frauds were prac-
ticed in this way. Nevertheless, the
aggregate amount of smuggling IN
small lots at this port is very large
every year, Notwithstanding the vigil
ance of the officers. Almost every day
some one is caught smuggling, but the
number of escapes exceeds the number
of captures right along.-San Francis
CO Chronicle.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
Egypt Has Banished the Bastinado.

A newspaper man has been inter-
viewing Zoulfcar Ibrahim Bey, Judge
of the criminal courts of Alexandria,
Egypt, on the administration of JUS
tice in that country. The Judge was
educated in the French Military School
at st. Cyr, and speaks French Like a
Partisan. When asked whether the
bastinado was still inflicted in the po-
lice courts of Egypt he denied it en-
phatically, and said that any police
man of that land who dared to strike q
citizen would be punished very Sc
verely. 'tIt is expressly prohibited, "
he said. "Our police are organized to
prevent violence, and not to have re-
Course to it. And in that connection
I am glad to learn that the New York
police are prohibited the use of the
club. The days Of the old barbaric
punishments have long gone by, and
for many years we have been governed
by the code Napoleon. Our punish
ments are simply fine and imprisoA-
ment for ordinary ofenses, the gal
leys, where the convicts work in chain
gangs, for graver crimes, and the cap
ital penalty for murder, which, how
ever, is more rarely inflicted year
after year."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
R@&!a!:'!:!! q! Bski9g Bs%5s'!
ABSOLUTELY PURE
ABSOLUTELY PURE
Frogs Fond Of Wasps.

AS you and your, readers seem in
terested in odds and ends of natural
history, I send you one which may be
worth publishing, writes R. E. Bart
lett. Some time ago discovered ac-
cidentally that frogs are voracious
eaters of wasps. I have in my garden
o tank for watering and an island Of
rock-work, which is favorite haunt
of the frogs. The wasps just now are
carrying on raid against my fruit, and
when I wish to crafty my revenge
and my frogs, catch msrauder be-
tween post card and aninverted wine
glass, carry him off to the tank, wet
his wings to prevent his flying, and
set him on the rock-work before the
frogs. After q moments pause, frog
advances and in an instant the wasp
has disappeared, drawn into the frogs
mouth by a single dart of his long
tongue. Occasionally the wasp reap
pears, wholly or partially, having
made it unpleasant for the frog; but
he is almost always swallowed in the
end. Usually convulsive movements
may be noticed in the frogs throat and
body, as though the process of degluti-
tion were not quite easy; but that they
like the diet is evident from the fact
that d single smallish frog has been
known to take three wasps one after
another. Indeed, it is remarkable
what very small frogs, quite infants,
will swallow wasp with avidity. This
afternoon tiny frog swallowed full
grown wasp, when big relative went
for him quite savagely, like q big
schoolboy thrashing a small one fol-
presuming to be helped before him. -
f-
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
HoM TO CLEAN BLANKETS.

Various methods OF cleaning blank
cts appear in the newspapers with
periodical regularity. Among them
the following has the merit of being
probably the least taxing to the phys
ical strength and the most economical
of any and at the same time equal to
any ineficacy: Pour into the tub half a
pint of common household ammonia,
laying the blanket lightly over it, and
Immediately pour in enoug b warm
water to entirely cover the blanket.
This sends the fumes of the ammonia
through the tibres of the wool and
loosens the dirt in way which seems
little short of marvellous The blank
cts should then be pressed and stirred
about with a stick till the water seems
to have acquired its darkest hue, when
a second tub of clear water of about
the same temperatures as the first
should be used in the same way, after
which the blanket should be run light
ly through the wringer and hurs G-;
to dry.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
A Siamese Spectacle.

The King of Siam has fine idea OF
the picturesque. On the night OF the
fighting at Bangkok he ordered out his
chair of state, and shielded by the gi-
gantic royal umbrella made q midnight
inspection of the troops, followed by
his body guard and making On impos-
ing show. As they marched along bare
footed-we read in the letter of cor
respondent at Bangkok their footballs
scarce disturbed the quietness of night.
One faring pine torch cast it's light
upon the figure of the king and added
to the solemnity of the scene as its
light faded into the distance, growing
fainter and fainter as the troops, silent
as death, passed in long e'.-Lon-
don Globe.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
KNOWLEDGE

Brings comfort and improvement and
tends to personal enjoyment when
rightly used. The many, who live bet
ter than others and enjoy life more, with
less expenditure, by more promptly
adapting the worlds best products to
the needs of physical being, will attest
the value to health of the pure liquid
laxative principles embraced in the
remedy, Syrup of Figs.
Its excellence is due to its presenting
in the form most acceptable and pleas
ant to the taste, the refreshing and truly
beneficial properties of perfect lax
ative; efectually cleansing the system,
dispelling colds, headaches and fevers
and permanently curing constipation:
1t has given satisfaction to millions and
met with the approval of the medical
profession, because it acts on the Kid.
neys, Liver and Bowels without weak
ening them and it is perfectly free from
every Objectionable substance.
Syrup of Figs is for sale by all drug.
gists in SOC and 81 bottles, but it is man.
ufactured by the California Fig Syrup
Co. only, whose name is printed on every
package, also the name, Syrup OF Figs,
and being we'll informed, you will not
accept any substitute if offered.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
WORDS OF WISDOM.

Prudence is the muzzle for zeal.
Truth is truth. come whence it may.
Conservatism is @ mild form of cow
ardice.
Society is no comfort to one not
suciable.
A woman who can love once can
love twice.
We shape our own fate quite as much
ss fate shapes U.S.
Whatever is worth doing at all is
worth doing we'll.
As soon as two people begin to think
alike they disagree.
Avarice is so close that he who has
it denies its possession.
Pretense may not be of long continu-
ance but it goes while it lasts.
In all human action those faculties
will be strong which are used.
The vain man makes merit OF mis-.
fortune, and triumphs in his disgrace.
Wisdom is everlasting; early or
late, we apprehend her just the same.
Life ia short. The sooner that o
man begins to enjoy his wealth, the
better.
A woman may be no more vain than
o man is, but she will do more for
vanity'5 sake than man will.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25

A demure Chinese maiden would
sometimes step ashore with the thick
soles of her shoes stuffed with silk. A
whole covey arrived here some years
ago with their shoes stuffed in this
fashion. An inquisitive inspector had
his attention attracted to the ex-
traordinary thickness ofthe soles, and
made an investigation which resulted
in valuable seizure.
To a man the Chinese crews on the
steamers plying between this port and
Mexico, South America and the Orient
are smugglers. They hide their con-
traband goods in the oldest places
imaginable and get them ashore past
the eyes of the customs officers IN ways
that almost battle detection.
They have brought opium skilfully
stuffed in bananas still hanging to the
stalk and in oranges. One day, about
six years ago, a Chinese dressed as a
cook walked leisurely down the gang
plank of Pacific Mail steamer with
basket on his arm containing several
loaves of bread. He shuffled right by
Custom House officer, and would
have got away all right, but on the
wharf came into collision with
drunken sailor. The sailor, who was
to blame, gave the Chinese violent
shove, sending him sprawling and scat
tering his bread loaves. Apoliceman
interfered and noticed that one OF the
loaves had broken open. He started to
examine and the Chinese started to
run. Every loaf was filled with opium.
Chinese have been detected with
boxes of the drug deftly bound up in
their queues or tied under their arms.
Every bit of baggage and every arti-
Gle they take ashore is hiding place.
Beams on ship and table legs have
been followed out as receptacles for
contrabaad opium. False bottoms are
put IN cubby holes and pantry draw
ers. Hiding places are sought in coal
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25

t It appears from the recent discus
sions of the pan-American medical con.
gress that there is much less fatality
attending night than q day accident
on the rail. Many expert surgeons de-
clared that this was the case, and at
tributed the difference to the mental
strain, which is much greater by day
than it is when darkness wells the hor-
rors of the scene. The mental shock,
the railway surgeons say, is greatest
where through the sense of sight the
injured is conscious for few moments
of approaching danger. The case of
the brakeman who, while making fly
ing switch, catches his foot in the frog,
is good illustration. He cannot tear
himself loose. He sees the loose car
coming down, and knows what is going
to happen. The mental shock to that
man makes his condition much worse
than that of man whose foot is caught
and crushed so suddenly that he does
not have time to appreciate the I'M
pending danger. The railway sur
geons say that many fatalities occur
for which this mental shock is respon-
sible, rather than the physical injury.
They say that experience proves In
juries at night to be less likely to prove
fatal. They account for this by the
fact that the injured has not been able
to comprehend what was coming, as
he might have done in the daytime.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
Melting Metals in Water.

The remarkable electrical expert.
ments recently made in Berlin, in
which bar of iron was apparently
melted by inserting it in cold water,
have naturally stimulated further in
vestigation on the same line. AS be-
fore explained, the apparatus used is
vessel of glass or porcelain, provided
with sheet lead electrode connected :
with the positive pole Of continuous
current generator; the vessel contains
sulphuric acid and water. A flexible
cable from the negative pole is con-
nected to strong pair of pliers with
insulated handles. Taking in the
pliers piece of metal of any kind
iron, for instance-and immersing It
in the acidulated water, the liquid is
seen Immediately in ebullitlon near
the iron rod or plate, which latter is
rapidly heated and brought to a daz-
zling white in few seconds, and soon
begins to melt in spark-like drops
The heating is produced so quickly
locally that neither the water nor the
body of the metal rod has time to be-
come hot. So rapid an evolution of
heat means tremendously high tenn
perature. In q very short time as
high as 1000 degrees Fahrenheit has
been developed, which is proved by
using a carbon rod instead of metal
one, when in few moments
amorphous carbon fragments are seen
dropping off, The inventors claim to
have attained with large currents the
enormously high temperature OF A.
900 degrees Fahrenheit, or nearly five
times hotter than molten iron. The
first suggestion for the practical
utilization Of the discovery was for
Welding purposes, to which it IS
evidently particularly adapted. An
other application which the expert
ments would seem to tend toward is
the tempering of one edge or one ex-
tremity only of steel cutting tools.
The hardening of the skin surface Of
large pieces of metal, such as armor
plates, offers another inviting field.
Krupp, it is stated, is already trying
this new method of electric beating
for tempering the superficial surface
of large guns. Boston Transcript.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
SMUGGLERS' TRICKS.
SHREWD DEVICES TO EVADE
CUSTOMS DUTIES.
The Chinese Lead All in Artfulness-
Their Marvellous Ingenuity
in Importing Contra
band Opium.
~ AN FRANCISCO is the second

~ AN FRANCISCO is the second
~ importing city in the United
= States and is naturally the
theatre of many smuggling
operations. The character of many
of the imports is such, too, as to
stimulate efforts to evade the revenue
laws. Articles of small bulk and great
value, on which the duty is heavy, are
incentives to smuggling. At the Port
of New York precious stones, velvets,
and laces are the articles usually
found endeavoring to get into the
country in a contraband way. In San
Francisco opium, silks and cigars are
the favorite articles Of the smuggler.
The reason for this is that our ocean
commerce is largely with ports which
send abroad these articles, while laces,
velvets and precious stones come here
by rail across the continent. There
is some effort to smuggle such things
from British Columbia, but on small
scale, while the importers of contra
band liquors endeavor to get their
goods landed at some OF the Puget
Sound ports.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
OUSEHOLD MATTERS.
MAKE NO EXTRA WORE.

The golden rule in housework
should be "Make no extra work, writes
Juliet Corson. Have system of liv.
ing and maintain it. Have place
for everything and keep everything in
its place. Near the entrance door have
suitable holders for coats, hats, wraps,
umbrellas, canes, over and outdoor
shoes, etc., and see that they are kept
there. In the sitting-room have a
place for writing and sewing materials,
and special table for booke, naga'
zines and papers, and insist upon it
that they shall be put there instead Of
being left where they drop from the
readers hand, only to be picked up
by the tired mother, whose work in
some households seems never ending.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
SECOND STAGE

sharp-edged tool the polished cutting
at the sides of the band is performed.
Then on another lathe it is placed in
hollow block and the inside burn
ished. All the oil and dirt are then
removed, and the thimble is polished
and made ready for the market.
Thimbles are made of various metals,
those of gold naturally being priced
highly, while one on exhibition ut the
Worlds Fair, of colored gold studded
with band of forty diamonds, is fit
for princess. A monstrosity at the
same exhibition is thimble nine
inches high and seven inches wide,
the maker having at one time some
idea of teaching an elephant the art OF
sewing. -Picayune.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25
PICKLES.

White Onion Pickles-Take large,
white onions and pour boiling salt
water over them. Let stand three
days and pour of. Scald e gallon OF
strong vinegar, add ten ounces of tur-
meric, pour over the onions and let
stand ten days. Drain, and cover with
vinegar, seasoned with red pepper,
horse-radish, celery-seed, mustard,
cloves and allspice.
Green Tomato Pickles-Take peck
of green tomatoes and cut in halves,
slice dozen lemons. Put layer OF
the tomatoes, then layer of onions in
large jar, continue until all are in,
sprinkle each layer with e little salt (;
let stand twenty-fou- hours. Drain,
put in porcelain kettle with On ounce
of cloves and allspices each, two ounces
of ground mustard, one of black pep
per and white mustard. Seed each,
cover with strong vinegar, let simmer
gently for fifteen minutes. Put in stone
jars, cover and keep in a cool, dark
place.
Cucumber Chow-Chov-Soak Gu
cumbers just out of the brine until
fresh. Scald in strong vinegar, drain,
and put in stone jar, and cover With
gallon of vinegar scalding hot, to
which has been added half pint each
of mustard-seed, black and white, two
ounces of white ginger, one Of pepper,
two of ground mustard, cne each OF
mace, cloves and allspice, with two
ounces of turmeric, tablespoonful OF
grated horse -radish, head Of garlic,
one tablespoonful of salt, two sliced
lemons and three pounds of brown
sugar.
Creole Pickles-Take two dozen
large cucumbers, a peck of green
tomatoes and half peck
of silver skinned onions Put the
whole cucumbers and tomatoes in
strong brine for three days. Cut the
onions and sprinkle with salt. Put
half gallon of vinegar, with three
ounces of white mustard-seed, one
each of turmeric and celery-seed, one
box of ground mustard and two pounds
of brown sugar in porcelain kettle,
and set on the stove to simmer one
hour. Pour over the pickles, seal and
set in cool place.
Virginia Mixed Pickles-Take four
dozen large cucumbers, half peck of
full-grown green tomatoes; twelve
white onions, two heads OF cabbage,
half pint of grated horse-radish, a
fourth of pound of mustard seed and
ground pepper each, ore ounce Of
cinnamon, one ounce of celery-seed,
half a teacup of salad oil, and two
ounces of turmeric. Quarter the Gu
cumbers, cut the tomatoes in thick
slices, chop the cabbage AID onions.
sprinkle with pint of salt, let stand
twenty-four hours and drain. Mix the
spice and seasoning in gallon Of
strong vinegar, scald, and pour boil
ing hot over the pickles. Let stand
two days, reheat the vinegar, add a
pound OF brown sugar with the oil,
and pour over the pickles.