davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-25
AN ODD MILL
Operated by the Geological Survey
at Washington,
Chiefly Devoted to Saving up
Petrified Logs.

There are many novelties in the gov
crnment departments at Washington,
and'especially in the scientific bureaus.
The most novel that has yet been dis
covered is petrified lumber mill OPP
Grated by the Geological Survey. 1t
is an institution that has not many
visitors, its location down in the base
ment of the survey building on F
street being rather out of the track of
the regulation sightseer, but there the
survey lapidaries grind thin sections
of rocks and minerals of all sorts for
microscopic examination, and there is
band saw, the invention of the sur
vey, that will cut anything from hot
butter to quartz crystal.
Lately the scientists have been saw
ing up lot of vegetable peterfactions
from Idaho. They can carve up any
thing in the shape of petrified logs
than they can get in front of their
oo"hhb hihtnlut. GNtu lflt OSSlllpu
man of the dina museum would not
be safe from them, and, indeed, lately
they were called on to cut up petri-
fled woman, one that was on exhibi-
tion in Washington. After they had
bored into one of tho damsel's lower
limbs little way they struck gas
pipe. The petrified woman was made
out of Portland cement and the scien-
fists gave her up as n hard case, which,
in fact, she was.
But the most interesting case that
has come to the petrified lumber mill
lately was known as a cycad, a sort of
vegetable parasite which flourished in
the prehistoric forests of the country
some million of years ago.
1t looked very much like a cocoanut
with the husk on and was cut up al
most as easily as though it had never
been petrifed.
The band saw used in the work is
nothing more than an endless steel
wire between al eighth and seven
teenth of an inch thick running at a
very high rate of speed over two good
sized hy-wheels, declares an exchange.
Water and emery are fed on the wire
as 1t runs, and the saw comes as near
being an irresistible force as anything
known in the cutting line. Since the
invention of the wire saw in the sur
vey, it has been copied by number
OF laboratories and lapidary establish
ments all over the country.
Besides the saw there are number
OF grinding machines, smooth iron
plates revolving like grindstones, fiat
side up and flooded with water and
emery. On these plates sections of
stone for microscopical examinations
can be ground thousandth of an
inch or less in thickness, 30 as to be
perfectly translucent under strong
light.
The lapidary establishment is one of
the most essential aids that the Geolog-
ical Survey has in working up the geol-
ogy of the country. Many of the rocks
that are met with in the fields cannot be
distinguished from each other, except
by laboratory examination, and as the
nature of the rocks filling the different
sections of the country has to be as
certained in working up its geological
history, the specimens, carefully la
belled, have to be sent back to the de-
partment in Washinton for study and
classification.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-25
SHEEP BREEDING.

The flockmnster should settle on the
type of sheep that suits his fancy, and
at once aim to produce it, and with
proper care the result will be as has
been in England and whether this
fancy be for long or short wool, n
white or black face, would repent
what has been SO often said-to keep
some one particular breed year after
year, always selecting the best to breed
from-and the result will be practi-
cally pure-bred stock, notwithstand-
ing the "whims" of those who talk
about trouble after the first cross and
flock running out if kept on the
same farm too long. These nre the
ories that have long been exploded,
said John Jackson at sheep breeders
convention.
II it would not pay us to fold our
sheep on grass in our hot summer
weather, it would pay to put moro on
our pasture, aud supplement the pas
ture by sowing vetches, which are
most excellent food for sheep. This
could be fed off by folding the sheep
on the land, cutting and feeding in
racks tho same ms in England-by
putting them on in the evening, al.
lowing them to remain till morning,
then to run in some shady place with
supply of water for the rest of the
day. A separate fold with "lamb
creep" would be good way to push
the lambs forward for the butcher OF
the show ring.
These vetches, if sown early, would
be ready to cut about the first of July.
time when pasturage is dry and
scarce, and if well manured this land
would make good preparation for
wheat, or for turnips or rape, to be
again fed off in the fall. BY sowing
the vetches at different times, as they
do in England, they will approach
good crop of corn. 1t is also most
excellent food for sheep and lambs,
especially when run through cutting.
box. 1t is very easily cut, even with
a hand box, and when quite green
enough can be taken in at time to
last week by standing it on end to
keep it from heating Bat it must all
be cut before frost, and be allowed to
partially cure, and then be put inside
on end; will make tho best feed foi
sheep right up TIL winter sets in.
Again, if we cannot feed our roots
on the land ns they do in England in
the winter seas IN, we can grow them
land should grow more of them) and
feed them inside, where l believe they
will do the sheermore good than il
fed on the land, as they are in England,
for even there they are often more or
less frozen, at other times in mud up
to the knees. Another thing / have
noticed when travelling through Eng
land, that is temporary building at
the corner of two or more fields for
shade and shelter. This, in many
cases, would pay in this country. Then
there is the dipping to destroy ticks.
This is regularly attended to in Eng.
land, and it would pay every owner OF
sheep in this country to follow their
example. New York World.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-25
FOR FARM AND GARDEN.
THE LONGEVITY OF THE HORSE.

The longevity of the horse depends
almost entirely on the intelligent care
and feeding given to him. If he has to
tax his reserve stock of vitality to do
extra work, or because of insufficient
feed, his life is shortened just 80
much. Overwork tells rapidly and is
both costly and cruel. Horses can be
made more valuable by little care in
teaching them. Put on a moderate
load and try giving few lessons. -
American Farmer.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-25
ouLTrvArrNo MELONS AND cUcuMpEns

cULTivATING MELONS AND CUCUMBERs.
To prepare the grounds for melons
and cucumbers, have 1T finely broken
and well enriched. Have hills about
five feet apart each way and plant
three or four seeds in each. If the
runners are pinched back at the third
Joint, and ii the lateral runners are
checked in the same way, the vines
will be more fruitful. Two or three
plants should be left in each hill. To
keep insects away, dust with tobacco
dust. American Farmer.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-25
Soft as Wax.

He-I wonder why TINT stunning
looking girl gazes at me 80 yearning-
ly. She must be endeavoring to make
an impression. ii'NQtf
she--Very probably, as people us.
ually use something soft for that pur-
nose Truth t
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-07-25
WIRE CHICKEN YARD.

A very good chicken yard is made of
wire fencing. The yard can be made
in sections, so that the different broods
can be kept separately. In such cases
fine mesh should be used, not over
one inch at the bottom, so that there
cannot be intercommunication. The
top of the yard can be covered so as to
keep out hawks and other enemies, and
rats can also be kept away by the same
means. Small poultry coops are con-
structed of this material, and in dog
kennels, rabbit patches, pigeon houses,
dove cotes and aviarios. the use of wire
is unlimited. 1t is cheap, durable, will
not blow down, admits plenty of light
and air, is neat AMI ornamental, and
the material does not obstruct view
of the interior. A good hens nest is
made of the same material, the advan-
tage being that it is clcanly, avoiding
dirt and vermin. Hardware.
The morning call., 1894-11-11

the Soshl saw him they ranged them
selves on both sides of the road so that
his carriage would have 10 pass between
them, and as it came opposite one of Them
yelled at him the japanese word for
fool, never supp0sing he would under
stand Ii. Mr.. Dun, raised his hat and In
the pollest and most polished of Japan
csc paid him the compliments of the New
Year. The SOshi was thunderstruck. He
looked very sheepish and turned away.
l asked a number of the prominent men
of Japan, including Count Ito, whence the
Soshi came, and | was told that they were
in most cases disaff-cted and unsuccessful
students. Thousands of young japanese
have been studying professions, and there
are hundreds upon hundreds of lawyers
and doctors more than are needed. The
Government places are all overcr0 wded,
and the universities tave been turning out
their graduates by the hundreds year.
The brightest students have been picked
out by the Government and sent abroad to
finish their educaiinns. When they have
come back they have been given positions.
and those who were not so fortunate have
had 10 stay out. The ''ou's" have banded
together and they nave formed these or
tent, insurTectionary in their tendencies
They would be bad element in case of
revolution, and they form one OF the worst
features of the new Japan. They hang
around Parliament, and they have been
growing in numbers rapidly up 10 the time
Of the present war. This will probably
carry off a good many of them, if the Chi
nese had enough nerve to kill anything
outside of their own troops, which they
seem not to have.
Speaking of the japanese Parliament, it
is he baby congress OF the world. and it is
one OF the most interesting legislative
bodies in existence. 1t has two houses.
which sit in a building not unlike great
seaside hotel in its architectural structure.
1t is made of frame and is of two stories.
Ii is situated in the center of Toxic, not
far from where the Shotgun laid down the
barbarous laws of the past, and just out
side of the moats which run round the pal
ace grounds.
There is wall around it, and when the
houses are in session you see about 500
black jinrikshas with bare-legged men in
The morning call., 1894-11-11

Oberammergau and persons of good
moral character; for many years.
the part of Christ has been taken by josef
Mayr, who, like most of his fellow-ctzens,
is wOod-carver. There is such flavor of
sanity antiquity about the performance
that people flock to see it from all parts of
Europe and America; Munich. which is
only seventy miles away. is thronged with
visitors. bound for the noun tains. When
the play was first written it was probably
composed on the same lines as the other
miracle plays, with bishops and priests in
the part of disciples and saints. and the
devil, with horns, a swisning tail and a
forked foot, acting as doorkeeper at the
gate of hell. To give zest to the perform
ance victims which generally included an
individual who personaied Roman En-
peror were thrown, from time to time,
into the yawning jaws. where demons re-
celved them on tridents and pitched them
into lakes of flaming fire and birthstone.
while a choir-bOy, in women's robes,
watched the Just penalty of the damned.
Something less than century ago the
parish priest of Oberammergau revised
the play and struck out scenes and dia-
l0gues which were unsuited to modern
taste, but in the main the ancient piece
was retained and still remains the sole
example of a dramatic literature which
perished everywhere else two or three
hundred years ago. 1t is like the Viking
snip and the caravel of Columbus, which
were lately seen al Chicago; an historical
relic telling the tale of day that is gone.
1t has been source of pride with the
honest Bavarian mountaiDeers to maintain
the local color and the true presentment of
their theme. Though the people are poor.
their land being unfertle, and their chief
occupation the carving of toys and rosa
res out OF wood, they have dubbed to-
geiher to provide gorgeous costumes for
Christ and the apostles AMI to drape the
scene with appro prate accessories. They
have done il as a labor of love. With
them the religious sentiment is as intense
as it was in the fifteenth century; their
digestion assimilates the most difficult
miracles without strain. They are
capable Of flying to arms. if another Peter
the Hermit called them, to rescue the tomb
Of Christ out of the hands of the infideL
There is fine lesson in the scene for
those who insist on uniform opinions
throughout the world. These Bavariau
peasants and toy-nIakers are as honest as
the most profound professors IF evolution.
and they are prepared 10 die for their
creed, which is probably more than can be
said of the professors. Five, ten, fifteen
centuries have passed over their heads
without changing the scope of their mental
vision. Who shall throw the stone at a
people so sincere ald so happy In their
convictions
The morning call., 1894-11-11
THE HUMAN EYE.
An Attempt to Demonstrate Its
Power ard the Result.

a family druggist in North Chicago
happened to look up from the tub of
fruit syrup he was compounding, and was
aslonished TO see the shattered wreck of a
man enter ana throw itself upon chair
The wreck was in an awful condition,
bleeding. like Colonel Marco Bozarris, at
every vein.
what in the name of Sir Walter
Scott has happened TO you?" cried the
druggist
Pour a few quarts of arnica on me"
responded the wreck, YEARLY, "and ri
tell YOU"
The druggist stitched him up and soaked
him in healing fluids, and listened for the
story.
Il live on Clifton avenue" said the
wreck. Il have lately been reading up on
llOn-tamerS, and l came to the conclusion
mat The human eve would subdue any
beast that walks. | tried it on all the ami
mails in the neighbOrhOod and it seemed to
work all right. For two or three weeks l
went around subduing things with my
eye. Then i got into an argument with
neighbor on the question. He held that
really fierce animal didn't care a red cent
for thu human eye. l offered TO bet $40
that he couldn't produce an animal that |
couldn't conquer by looking at"
81 can guess the rest said he druggist"
''He trotted out big mastiff, with mouth
as large as the Arctic regions, and you
tried 10 subdue it, and it wouldn't subdue
tt amount to anything, and in the grand
symposium that followed the dog tried to
make a record at plain and fancy chewing
and succeeded"
That sounds reasonable enough" re-
Piled the wreck YEARLY, "but it wasn't
the way it happened. My neighbor took
me into a strange yard by moonlight and
asked me to hypnotic big sorrel bull
dog that was sitting on the porch. Sever
al strangers were there to see the expert
meDt and | went 20 work. | stared into
the orbs of that beast ftr fifteen minutes
and it didn't seem to move muscle, then
to show that it was thoroughly subdued |
went mp and placed my hand on its head
1t was a cast iron bull dog and was sub
dued when il first came from the foundry.
While the spectators were laughing l
sailed into my neighbor. determined to
whip him all around the block and up and
down an alley, and you see the result. |
wish that you would pour pint of oil of
sassafras down my neek."-Chicago Tri-
bune.
The morning call., 1894-11-11

THE PASSION PLAY.

The lecture delivered last "Wednesday
evening by Principal Jordan of Palo Alto
on the Passion Play at Oberammergau
was one Of the most agreeable entertain
meDts of the season. The learned profess
sor Is so distinguished in science that Dc
pie hardly expected to hear him on q theme
which appeals to the imagination and the
religious instinct; but he is many-slded
man, aud was as delightful when he de.
picted the quaint old Bavarian supersti.
tons as he is when he discourses on the
squalido and the salmon!de.
The Oberammergau Passion Play is n
connecting link between the ecclesiastical
drama of the middle ages and the thsater
of to-day. 1t is said 20 have been composed
in pursuance of VOW made by the people
of the valley of Ammer that il Proyidenc e
would stay the plague they would COM
mem0rate the Savior's passion by a CEN
tennisl performance. The vow has been
kept. Every ten years Except in 1870,
when the entire dramatic troupe was con-
scripted to carry on the war against
France) the thrilling incidents of the Pas
sion are reproduced on the stage in a
piece which lasts all day. The
performers must all be natives OF
The morning call., 1894-11-11

ton bills. The Emperor can veto all
laws and he can proclaim a law when Par
lament is not sitting. He still holds the
chief command of army and navy, the
right TO make war or peace and TO con-
clude treaties, and be can confer such
titles and pardons as he pleases. Parlia-
ment has DO right to interfere with his
household expenses, and his Cabinet goes
before the different houses and defends
the administration. don't know that the
laws provide where Congress shall meet,
but the fact that the Emperor has called
them to Hiroshima, which is, | Judge,
nearly 400 miles west of Toxic, shows
that he can do as he pleases in this matter
Speaking of japanese finances, it is
wonderful how the people have come to
the assistance of the Government in this
war. The bonds Lave been subscribed
for, even more eagerly than they were
during our civil war, and millions of dol
lars more money has been offered than is
needed. The condition of Japan at the
time of the war was perhap4 as good as
that of any other Government in the
world. The debt was practically nothing,
and the treasury had a surplus of more
The morning call., 1894-11-11

The war in China is taking away from
Japan for tine class of men who have
materially disturbed the Government. 7
refer to the Soshi. These are like no other
men on the face of the globe. Thew are a
kind Of a cross between an anarchist and
political striker and though they exist in
nearly every part of the empire I have
never seen them described in letters OF
travel. They are peculiar feature of the
modern Japan and are the product of the
old feudal system married to the modern
civilization. Japan, you know, was
twenty-five years ago much like Europe
during the middle ages The Daimios or
mobiles Of the country owned the greater
part Of the land and each had a number
Of soldiers or Samurai about him. These
SamuTai were all soldiers and the
Daimio was expected TO support them.
When the revolution came and the
Daimios gave up their estates these men
were out of a job They took up with
different branches of trade. A large num-
Der went into the army. Some were en-
ployed in the new Government, and TODAY
the class is practically wiped out. Spring
The morning call., 1894-11-11

that thew can be turned up like opera
chairs and some members from the back
districts, who have been more accustomed
to sitting on the floor than on chairs, now
and then get up and kneeI on their seats
or sit cross-legeed upon them. They DO
not keep their hats on as they do 10 Eng
land and their modes of procedure are
more like the Reichstag than those of our
Congress. The most of the members
dress In European clothes, though now and
then you find one wearing a kimono.
The membership of the two houses is
about the same. The upper house is
called the House of Peers, and il contains
about 800 members. 1t comprises the
aristocrat3 of the japanese Empire, and
contains, in the first place. all the male
memb ers of the imperial family of the age
of 20 and upward. Thus, the Crown
Prince Will be a member of this house
when be gets 10 be CO. 1t also contains
mem bers selected from the eleven Princes
and twenty-Pight Marouis's, eighty
Counts, 355 discounts and twenty-nine
Barous of The empire. These men have to
be elected by their own order and their
number is restricted In addition to this,
there are some whom the Emperor has
made members on account of their learning
and of the services which they have done
for Japan, and it is probable that the
present war will largely increase this
number.
Then there are certain members who
come from the different counties and
districts in Japan, who have been nomi-
mated by the Emperor, and who are
chosen by the vote of the fifteen men in
each district who pay the highest taxes.
Those who are members on account Of
their blood, or have been appointed by the
Emperor, are fOT life. Those elected
by the different orders and by the tax
payers are for seven years. With all this
It Is questionable whether the Uprer
House contains the brains OF Japan.
The House CT Representatives., like that
OF our own, is the uoisiest and the ablesr.
1t also numbers 800, and any man can be
= member of Congress who is of Japanese
birth and over thirty wears OF age and paws
a tax of not less than SIS year. A
japanese has to be twenty-five years old
before be can vote, and voters must have a
similar taxpaying qualification to mem bers
of Congress.
Japan is a land of low salaries. The
ofhclals do not get half as much as ours,
and the memb ers of the House of Peers
aud of the House of Representatives re-
The morning call., 1894-11-11

eminent would hold the Japanese Govern
ment responsible for it. The Japanese Of
fcials a once took the matter in hand and
the SoShi were put down upon this occa-
sion. The streets leading to the school
were lined with police, and the result was
that DIR. MacCauley aud the American
Minister passed through unframed and
unmolested by even a look.
The American Minister is by no NJ eans a
coward, and it would not be safe for a
Soshi to attack him. He stands fully
feet in his stockings, and he weighs about
200 pounds. lie has lived in Japan for
years, having been sent there in the first
place through the influence of ex-senator
Allen G. Thurman, who is his uncle. He
speaks the japanese as well as the Eug-
lish, and he was employed in the legation
as interpreter ana confidential secretary
for some time before his appointment as
Minister. Last New Years. when out
driving with his coachman and footman
on the seat, he saw three OF the most des-
pera,e SOshi with sword canes in their
hands on the road in front of him, but he
told the coachman to drive slowly on. As
The morning call., 1894-11-11
GOOD SHIPS ONCE.
They Are Now Going to
Decay.
AID UP ON A MUD BANK.
A Sight That Cannot Fail to Bring
Sorrow to the Mariners
Heart.

damned together in the Oakland estuary,
close In to the bank Of the Alameda marsh,
are twenty-five vessels in different stages
of decay. The greater number of them
have been lying in their present position
for nearly two years and have become al
most total wrecks. All types of sea-going
craft are to be seen side by side so close
that they bump one another. There are
merchantmen. whalers. steamers. tugs and
yachts in every variety of rig; ships,
barks, barkentines. brigs. schooners and
sloops. When the vessels were lowed
over TO the estuary to be laid up they we're
generally considered in good condition
Many of them had just arrived from long
voyages. They must have aggregated
about 100000 in value then, but now
most of them are worth nothing except for
old junk.
The reason for the vessels being laid up
is easy enough to explain when the stag
The morning call., 1894-11-11

ceive 500 japanese ven and their travelling
expenses. The yen IS now worth about 30
cents, so they receive in reality only $500 a
year. Our Congressman, you know, re-
ceive 5000. The Presidents of both
houses receive 1000 yen, and the Emneror
appoints the officers of the House of Peers,
and he selects those Of the House of Rep
resentatlves from three candidates who
are elected by the House.
All of the voting in the japanese Par
lament is done in secret ballot. There is
great deal of speech-making, and the
representatives grow very excited when
they discuss the measures relating 10 the
Government. The Emperor has the right
TO dissolve Parliament, and he has dis
missed the last two houses because they
seemed inclined to cut down the expenses