davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
A FoRyuNe IN HoBNAlLs.
How OEe California Spectator Made


Money.
In the li.ele town of Los Guilieos.
tucked away among the mountains in
Sonoma county, Cal, is queer charac-
ter of the name of James Rippey, who
has kept a halfway house and been
postmaster for tho express company at
Los Guilieos for thirty years. This
man was one day one of the luelziest
and wealthiest men in the mines
In the early fifties Rippey was knock
ing about San Francisco doing odd
jobs. There was a great demand for
carpenters in the towns about that
time. and, possessing considera BILE me-
chanieal ingenuity, Rippey concluded
to try his hand at house building. He
got hold of a few carpenters tools and
started out. lie had no trouble i'm Sc
curing work, and was soon earning ten
dollars day laying PLANK sidewalks.
lie lived extremely close, and in few
months he managed to lay up several
hundred dollars.
One morning Rippev read in a news
paper of the arrival at sun Francisco
of an English ship with cargo OF
miners tools and general hardware,
which was TO be sold AZ auction on the
wharves lie concluded to speculate "A
little, and he attended the auction sale
for several days. The pic1axes,
shovels, washpans. etc, were quickly
bought up by the hardware dealers
and spectators at prices that diseour-
aged Rippey from making a bid.
Finally several hundred pounds of
hob-nails-a short nail with a large
head-were put UP. The spectators
didn't seem to want them, and the bid
ding was low. Rippey thought he saw
his opportunity, and the bid off three
hundred pounds of the nails, paying
for them six hundred dollars.
When he had paid for the nails he
had about four hundred dollars left
With this money he bought two mules,
a camp outfit and some provisions.
Packing the nails and the other stuff
on one of the mules, he started for the
mountains.
The Sierras were alive with prospcc-
tors, and at the end of the first week
out Rippev rode into a camp known us
Gold Run, up in Placer county. Rippey
Joined the camp and offered to hob
nail the miners boots with imported
nails. For each nail he got bit
twelve and one-half cents.
Money was easier to get at Gold Run
than shoes, and. as the nails protected
the soles of their boots from the
gravel, the miners readily fell in with
Rippey's plan. For a month he had all
the work he could do, and at the end
of that time he found that lie bad ac-
cumulated gold dust to the amount of
about two thousand dollars. lie still
had more than two hundred pounds of
nails and, satisfied with the scheme
that he had adopted, he moved his cob
bling outfit to another camp, where
the same prosperity attended him.
1t was eight months before Rippey's
supply of nails played out. AS they
grew scarce he increased his price un-
til during the last month, the miners
at Placer Creek were taxed four bits
fifty cents each for hobnails. In
eight months Rippey cleaned up TWEEN
ty-five thousand dollars. st Louis
Globe Democrat.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
He Had n foo.

4 drake and a gander met on mar
row path, and neither would give way
see here. now exclaimed the gan
der as he pulled out lis crop and
RULED his feathers. but do you know
that am directly descended from the
ostrich family?"
Il never heard of il, replied the
drake. but let me give You pointer.
Ny great-grandfathcr was an eagle
and high flier.''
Humph My great-grandfather
could have eaten him at one mouthful!
Il Is a great piece of presumption on
your part to block the road!'
WHAT is an ostrich but great, over
grown rooster GU stilts?"
And what Is an eagle but an old
hen too lazy to supply the market with
eggs
They were having it hot and heavy
when the farmer came along ansi
stopped to inquire the cause of the
row When he had heard the particu-
lars he replied: $50
1t may all be true aboG. your ances'
tors. hut Judging You as dratNe and -
cancer ! find you of so little benefit that
I shall eat YOU both to commemorate
the discovery that ! am descende from
a king. N Y. Recorder.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
CAUSE AND EFEECT.


TO wipe Out Protection.
The democratic victory of 1892 was
public notice that that party would at
tempt to wipe out the protective sys-
tenn.
The effects were seen almost imme-
diately. New industries in contempla-
tion were abandoned. Those already
established stopped eniarging. Doubt.
uncertainty, growing soon into the
certainty of hostile legislation, cur
tailed business. Prudent men reduced
their business, the demand for work
fell off and all hands prepared. as best
they might, for the coming storm.
Now that it has come and stays with
us; now that its effects are so appalling
| ly plain; now that all feel so sorelv its
| havoc. the great democratic party has
the gall, the cheek. the supreme audac-
ity to claim that the Mckinley bill did
all this.
So preposterous a change needs no
comment at all; all needed is To lay
1 facts before the voters and let them
Judge
We are therefore justified in asserting
that the act of 1890, could its perma-
nency have been assured. would have
accomplished the double purpose for
which il was enacted-revenue and
protection.
1t may be answered however. that
the tariff act of 500 has been in con-
tinuous operation since its enactment
and is still in force, and yet under it
revenues have declined and industries
decayed. Conceding this to be true,
we deny that the existing deplorable
condition of the country is attributable
in any degree whatever to the law it.
self.
The Mckinley tariff never closed n
mill in the United States, shutu mine,
stopped a wheel, blew out a furnace
fire, or drove n single workman into
| the streets This general paralysis of
! business throughout the country comes
solely from the ascendency of polit-
zeal party pledged to the repeal of the
act of 1890. and the substitution there
for of tariff Invested of all protective
features With such a party in full
control of the government, is it any
! wonder that domestic manufacturers
suspend operations until advised of the
conditions under which they must mar
ket their output?
Business prudence dictated the sus-
pension of the manufacture of domes-
tic fabrics with high-priced labor until
the conditions should be determined
upon which the foreign competing prod
ucts should be permitted to enter our
markets. Importers naturally limited
their orders to the strict necessities of
trade in anticipation of more favorab bile
conditions. And so manufacturer and
importer alike prudently suspended
business until the democratic party
should fix the terms upon which they
would be permitted to resume. When
the Judge pronounces the sentence of
death on the convicted felon there IS
no change in the law. but the victim is
apt to lose interest in human affairs.
On an ocean voyage the chart and COM
pass may remain undisturbed, ut with
a mailman at the wheel and a lunatic
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
GATHERED ABROAD.

PEOPLE of Russia, as n rule, speak
only their own tongue.
THERE are now four thousand more
Hebrews in Jerusalem than there were
fifty years ago.
IN London there is a fur company
which was established during the
reign of Henry VIII.
The empress OF China has sent FIVE
ladies to the court of Berlin in order
to learn German manners and ETH
quet:..
DIJoN, France, has a poplar tree with
a record that can be traced to 722 a. d.
1t is 1872 feet high and As feet in cir
conference at the base.
The gigantic earth worms which in
fest the river banks in Gippsland. Aus
tralia, often grow to be six feet long
and from one to three inches in diane
ter.
OK the occasion of the birthday of
the sultan of Turkey recently all the
persons imprisoned for small offenses
who had served out two-thirds of their
sentences were released.
The most remarkable echo in the
world is in one of the rooms of the
Pantheon. Striking the hands to
gether is said to make a noise equal to
firing twelve-pounder in open air.
IL A. ID. 9s2 a town law was pro-
mulgated at Strassburg requiring the
carpenters 10 do prescribed amount
of work every Monday for the bishop.
No compensation was given for the
work
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
ABOUT THE VIOLIN.
The MufiIation of Famous Old Iusfru-
ments hx Modern Renairers

The violin is unquestionabIy the
most interesting OF AL musical instru-
ments existing. [ fortunately, violins
possessing the noble tone quality SYM
pathetic to the heart, as the true artist
imagines and Graves for, are rarities;
and again in many instances Just such
productions are not understood, for TO
acquire knowledge of tone is a science
requiring years of study and expert
ence, and this qualification is little
POSSESSED by many violin admirers =
yes, even artists.
1t is well-l1nown fact that Italian
violins of the old and great masters are
in preference. Tut how many of them
now in private clllections as well as in
possession of artists are intact, and
have not been tempered with? Who
to-day can demonstrate or has the
knowledge what is Stradivarius tone
or Guernerius tone, etc? Is ANYBODY
living who can say: Here is a violin
lust as il left Stradivarius' hands and
of his best period" etc, and couse-
quently say: HAS the Stradivarius
toner Does anyone ever consider the
length of the bass bar, tine length of
the neck, and other adjustments made
by the old masters, in comparison with
how they now are in those violins for
present ritcll and requirements? And
how often they have been altered, in
only too many eases been tempered
with, by overzealons fepairers
for so-called improvements ac-
cording to their respective sys-
TEN of notions! Now, wherein
can the mueh-abused assertion be sub
stantiated viz: This is Il Stradivarius
tone, etc, and that is not?" Hereby is
demonstrated to some degree the ques-
ton of tone, and in what tone quality
is the correct one for violin. Hence
many conflicting opinions. This art,
the VIOLIN originated by the great
Italian masters is not lost America
has delivered productions which in
every way represent the best of the
Italian masterworks in perfection and
tone, for George Gemunder, known
the world over as the greatest living
violin maker, has achieved wonders.
His successes, demonstrated at London
in 1851, Paris, 1867, Vienna, 1878, Am
sterdam, 1898, and many other worlds
fairs, are undisputed evidence of this
great masters art, and several such
special works are still in his posses
sion valued as highly as the best of
the old Italian masterworks N. Y.
Sun.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
The Rose of Jericho.

The rose of Jericho, a plant with
which many superstitions are con-
uectcd. is called rosa Marie. OF Mary's
flower. 1t is a small, bushy. herb
aceous plant, about six inches high,
of the natural order crucifer@, which
grows in the sandy deserts of Arabia
and Palestine, and bears small white
flowers or many branches. When its
leaves fall the branches contract
toward the center and coil themselves
inward and interlace like a ball of
wicker work, which is blown about
from place to place. When it happens
to fall into water it uncoils, and its
pods open aud let out the seed. If a
specimen is taken before it is quite
withered it will retain the property of
contracting in drought and expanding
"a moisture for years. Its generic
Lau,e. anastica. signifies this seeming
resurrection 70 life. st. Louis Globe
Democrat.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
USES OF COTToN-SEEo OIL.



Put.
Cotton oil ranks next to sperm oil
and bove lard oil for illuminating pur-
poses, and it may be burned in any
lamp used for either. Mixed with pc
trolcum, il increases the freedom of
burning; but this requires a change in
the wick. AS lubricating oil cotton
seed is useless, because it is half way
between the drying and the non-dry-
ing. For the same reason il can not be
used for paints. for wood filling or for
leather dressing. 1t has some use as a
substitute for vaseline and similar
products. The oil enters into the pro-
duction of laundry and fancy soaps and
soaps for wooden mills. The American
sardines, properly known as young
shad ana herring, are put up weh this
oil, and the use of it ex tend so far that
nearly all the real sardines of Europe
are now treated in the same way. The
oil forms an emulsion in medicine and
"A substitute for cod-liver oil On the
market the crude oil is known as either
prime, OF off quality, or cooking. There
are also the white summer, the yellow
winter, and the white winter. All
these, except the crude, bring an aver
age of about fifty cents gallon in the
wholesale market. After the oil has
left the seeds, they become food for
stock in the shape of oil cake, while the
ashes from the hulls make a fertilizer
for root crops. Frederick G.. Mather,
in Popular Science Monthly.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
DRIFT OF OPINION.


- Tie democratic party, we notice.
is still running down Hin all over the
country. Chicago journal.
Judging from its record on the
tariff bill, the "financiering' done by
the senate finance committee is of the
bargain-and-sale order. Louisville
Courier-Journal tDem.l
sT-The Cleveland democrats are be-
ing rapidly reduced to the number of
persons who have been appointed to
federal offices since March 4, 1898 st
Louis Globe Democrat.
sT-I I'm 1861, when the republican par
ty took hold of the reins of govern
ment prophets of evil said "all was
lost" And yet the republicans brought
order out of chaos, and such prosperity
as the world never before saw. They
can do it again-more than that, they
will Chicago Inter Ocean.
cE~The democratic party has always
advanced as one of its stock objections
to protective tariff, that lit taxes the
many for the benefit of the few" This
is false, OF course, but il the democrats
party believes that it is unjust Ito tax
the many for the few, is it not quite as
unjust TO tax the few for the benefit of
the many? Aud does not an income tax
do just that, without Doubt Toledo
Blade.
G7 1t may be claimed that national
questions did not enter into the cleo
tions recently held. which were gen
orally for town and municipal officers.
Such a position cannot be maintained
So generally have these elections re-
suited in favor of the republicans, even
in districts heretofore strongly demo-
cratic, that it is vain to attempt to dis
guise the fact that they are profess
against the folly and incapaeity of the
democratic administration of national
affairs brooklyn Standard Union.
sH-The government continues TO run
behind every month The receipts for
April were 80. 500, 900 less than the ex-
penses The total deficit for the past
ten months foots up s65, AZ, Az, or an
average of over SIS, 500, 900 month. At
this rate the democrats viii have the
whole country mortgaged TO Wall
street before the end of Cleveland 5
term. And what makes the outlook
still more gloomy IS the fact that the
Wilson bill in any form possible TO pass
i almost certain TO increase the deficit
--Chicag0 SIM
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
FOOD FOR AlllGATORS.
Women who Sathe Daily i'm the Rivers o
India Run Great Risks.

women VINO sSatne Datiy IN the Rivers OF
India Run Great Risks.
Almost every Indian river is deemed
sacred, and some spiritual benefit is
supposed to be derived from bathing in
it. In any large town or village there
is usually bathing CHAT, with con-
venient flights of steps leading down
to the water. Here the people assemble
in great numbers. The women of the
higher classes creep down before day
light, and hope to get back TO their
hou before they can be seen. The
young women, with their graceful fig
ures and their wet garments clinging
osely to their bodies would perhaps
not mind little delay, but they are
hurried home by their elderly chaper-
ones
Sometimes one of these poor creatures
is carried off by the alligator, who is
ready to take an early worm, which
tends to show that the worm was
wrong in getting up so early. In the
course of the morning the number of
bathers increases, and they stand about
ENJOYING I'll in additions and oblivious
of danger. All of sudden an alligator
seizeS one of them and drags him d. vn,
almost before shrek of DESPAIR can
be uttered. The other bathers flee; but
there is no one 20 rescue the unfortu-
nate victim of the day. OF course, some
attempts are made to kill an alligator
that haunts bathing CHAT. but the
fishermen have no gun and the alliga-
tor easily breaks their net
1t may seem incredible, but at one
of the bathing places of the City of
Cuttaell a large alligator was killed,
and when it was cut open the silver
and gold and brass ornaments that
the women wear that were found in its
belly were enough to show that it
must have carried off and killed up
ward of thirty grown-up women. i
have not got note of the length of
that alligator, but the head was kept
by gentleman whom ! knew, and /
often saw it-Longman's Magazine.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07

\ good story Is told of one of the
London music halls. The hall in ques-
tion bore the uneuviable reputation of
possessing the absolutely worst band in
existence.
on a certain benefit night star
had promised 10 come down TO do a
turn and IN consequence the place
was packed full. When the stars time
had arrived instead of that eagerly
expected individual the persplring man
ager came before the curtain holdir a
telegram in his hand.
Ladies aud gentlemen" he sad,
4 regret 10 Inform you that the GreGt
Howier' cannot storm of hisses) possi-
biy arrive for at least another quarter
of an hour Great applause.l In the
meantime the band will play you q
selection
There was dead silence for a brief
! moment: then small boy in the gal
lery spoke up
Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith" he shrieked.
don't let the band play. sir; we viii
be quiet. we will. indeed. sir" Boston
Globe.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
Where Pet Monkeys Come From

Most of the monkeys that travel with
shows and organgrinders come from
the lsthmus of Panama. These ami
mails are captured by the natives in
rather a curious way They take a
cocoanut and cut hole in il large
enough TO admit monkeys paw. A
string is then attached to the nut
The monkey IS a very inquisitive little
animal and when he sees one of these
nuts he inserts has paw through the
hole to find out what is inside. When
the paw is closed IL can not be with
drawn, and as the monkey has not
sense enough to open his paw. the nut
is dragged by the string and the
monkey with it to within reach of the
captors who throw 4 net over the
monkey and in that way secure him.
81. Louis Globe-Dernocrat.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
GLACIAL LAkE-BEDS.
Interesting Features of the Ice Age and
Its Work.

On tolerably wide and level valley
bottom the ice would press with its
fullest intensity. and its armature of
denselv-paclxea stones and rock frag-
ments would groove and grind the
rocky floor over eve.y foot of its sur
face, and with a rate of motion perhaps
greater than mat - the existing
Greenland and Alaskan glaciers, owing
TO the more southern latitude and
therefore higher mean temperature of
the soil and the ice. At the same time
sub-glacial streams. forced onward m
der great hydrostatic pressure, would
insinuate themselves into every vacant
groove and furrow as each craving tool
successfully passed on and the one be-
hind it took a slightly different posi-
ton; and thus the glacial mud, the
product of the erosion. would be con-
tinually washed away, finally escaping
at the lower extremity of the glacier,
or in some cases getting emoayed in
rocky hollovs where II might remain
permanently as masses of clayey It'll. -
packed with stones and compressed by
the weight of the ice to the hardness
of rock itself. The continual lubrica-
ton OF THO whole valley floor % water
forced coward underpressure, t, ether
with the ever-changing form of the
under surface OF the glacier as it slow
lv nodded itself to the varying con-
tour of the rocks beneath, would
greatly facilitate the onward motion.
Alfred r. Wallace, in Popular Science
Monthly
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
HIBERnATIoN OF sNAlLs.
How the MolIusks Prepare for Their Long
Winter Sleep.


1t is believed that all shell-bearing
land mollusks either hibernate or esti-
vate according to conditions of climate.
Most of the snails close the aperture
with a membraneous or coriaeeous COW
ering, consisting of lime and mucous,
which is called an epiphragm. w. G.
Binney has thus described the opera
ton: "The animal being Withdrawn
into the shell. the collar is brought to
level with the aperture and guam
tity of mucous is poured out and covers
it. A small quantity of air is then
emitted from the respiratory foramen,
which detaches the mucous from the
surface of the collar and proiects it in
a convex form like a bubble. At the
same moment the animal retreats far
Their into the shell. leaving a vacuum
between itself and the membrane, which
is consequently pressed back by the ex-
ternal air to a level with the aperture,
or even farther, so as to form con-
cave surface, where, after becom-
ing desiccated and hard, it remains
fixed. These operations are nearly
simultaneous, and occupy but an in
slant" As the winter advances the
snail withdraws deeper and deeper
shutting itself out by other epiphragms,
like n retiring army covering its front
by brcastworl<s as it retreats, until
sometimes it has made no less than
half a dozen, one within the other
With the snail such as ours, that in
habit moist wooded districts, this pro-
tcctng wall is chin and nearly trans
parent, while in those of arid regions
it is thicker and often calcareous
Some of the large heiices of south Eu.
rope secreate somewhat shelly
epiphragm resembling the coating of
a turtles egg, convex externally, with
the edge turned in and roughly
cemented to the aperture of the she'll
In this condition If not resuscitated by
moisture, the snails will remain alive
for an indefinite period. T..
Simpson, in Popular Science Monthly.
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07
a. a SPRING PARABLE.
TIL Yesterday one tree was brown
one only. mid the green OF spring,

TIL yesterday one tree was brown
one only. mid the green OF spring,
Wearing her dead leaves like crown
She stood aud seemed 70 gloom and frown
On every glad rejoicing thing.
Til yesterday. When touched al last
The slow buds quiczeuei AMI uncurled.
And the poor tree fOrEave her past,
And learned 10 hope, and THE. and fast
Showered her dry leaves on the word
Swift sudden hope replaced despair.
The brown leaves dropped. the green leave
grew,
kud clothed upon. and fresh and fair.
The happy hOughs swung al Ia air
and drank the sunshine ani the dew.
Souls have their dead leaves sere ana dry,
Dead hopes, dead visions, dead delight
Relics OF giadder DAYS gone By,
Worthless to every human eye
But yet we clasp the poor things tight,
snd feel that life were bare indeed
II We should lose the n or lei fall,
And al the old time hurts woull bleed.
And we unwrapped from sOrrOwing weed
Like m0uruers dragged 20 carnival
Then in a moment suddenly
Gods blessed sunshine. all unguessef
Reaches and heals our hearts, and We,
TESTING it, sweetness Know that lie
Bids Us be happy with the rest
Susan Coolidge in : :. Times
River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-07

Briggs-T hear Won Blumer invited
you ont to dinner. Quite a saving
when you get asked out TO dinner, isn't
it?
Griggs-Not if it was the sort of n
dinner we had last night
Briggs--lIow' that?
Griggs (sorrowfuliy I'VE played POI
lxer afterwards brooklyn Life.