davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
MARRIAGE IN MASSACHUSETTS
Some Reasons Why Yankee Women Have
 Long Outnumbered the Men,.


 The excess of women over men has long been feature of the population statistics of Massachusetts, and since Mormonism is not permitted to four ish in that progressive state the natu- ral effect of this feminine surplus has been an unusual number of old maids. The cause, says the New York Press, is probably Horace Greeley's advice to young men on the subject of going west. The Massachusetts young man has been going west ever since, but we decline to believe that it is his fault that the Massachusetts young woman has not gone west with him. She stayed behind, not that she loved the Massachusetts young man less, but that she loved Massachusetts more, especially Boston. But as the Massa- chusetts young woman who did not go west with the young man of Horace Greeley's day became an old maid she missed the young man. She was left to lavish the wealth of affection upon cats, birds and other pets. And thus it happened that 8 Massachusetts old maid, having nobody else to leave her fortune to, recently left it to her pet cat.>
 There are those who think the ten dency of our time is toward reduction in the ratio of marriages to the popu- lation of the marriageable. In one sense this is result of the continual improvement in the independence and general social condition of women. Not only are they no longer the slaves of men, but they are not obliged to tie themselves to men in order to get living. As civilization increases the number of occupations in which skill and tact and passive endurance make success, women, being often superior in these respects, take possession of greater number of places and crowd men out. The tables seem to be turned against the inquiry of Miss Mona Caird: ''IS Marriage a Failure?" This question caused a great deal of discus sion in print a few years ago. If it is to be answered in the affirmative which heaven forfend-then it must also be declared, on the strength of the latest returns from Massachusetts, that singleness is failure too. This leaves the relative merits of marriage and of singleness just where they were before Miss Mona Caird dared to prick the alleged bubble of matrimony with her pen. If an old maid who died rich was, nevertheless, so circumscribed in the wealth of affection and home life as to be obliged to endow cat, what can be said of the success of old maids who never get rich, even in money?
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
sPARRoWs ON A SPREE.
An Ingenious Planter Saved His Cotton
 by Getting the Birds Dead Drunk.

An Ingenious Planter Saved His Cotton
 by Getting the Birds Dead Drunk.
 The English sparrows have proved a nuisance in the cotton country, for as soon as the pods open they pick out the cotton and carry it off, and some planters have lost, as they claim, hun dreds of pounds in this way. There is one man, however, on the Mississippi that has not lost much, says the St. Louis Chronicle. When he found the sparrows were committing depreda- tions he procured quantity of wheat, soaked it in sweetened whisky, and strewed it along the rows. The spar rows found it and thought they had a picnic.
 So they had, but in fifteen or twenty minutes were the tipsiest lot of English sparrows ever seen on the face of this earth. They rolled about on the ground, falling on their backs and sides and kicking their heels into the air like parcel of drunkards, all the while uttering the most comical squeaks. They did not have long to squeak, however, for the boys gath cred them up and threw them into bags. The first day they gathered two bushels of drunken sparrows. Three or four days later the experiment. was repeated with almost equal success, and from time to time since. They made excellent potpie, but the surviv- ors have evidently come to regard the plantation as hoodooed, for now very few come about it.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
A CLEVER BOSTON GIRL.
Even Chicago Hackman Was ParaIyzed
 by Her Financial Operations.

Even a Chicago Hackman Was Paralyzed
 by Her Financial Operations.
 The Chicago hacLman is supposed to be endowed with full allowance of the smartness peculiar to men in his profession, but Boston girl is cred tied with getting the best of him. The hackman himself tells the story, says the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. His name is Johnson, and his business during the summer has been mainly in the service of the guests in the dormi- tories of the Chicago university. Johnson has run daily excursions for them through a twenty-five mile drive for one dollar,
 Within two days after her arrival Johnson took the Boston young woman out as one of his morning party. She occupied the seat with him and piled him with questions. On the following day when he called for passengers Johnson noticed this Boston girl flying around in a lively way. Soon she came to him and wanted to know how much he would charge to take forty persons up to the center of town and back for an evening reception. He gave his figures, and then she went shopping.
 The next day she told Johnson she could get the work done for twenty. eight dollars, and that he might as well take the job at that figure, She preferred his rigs, she said, because they looked nicer than any she had seen elsewhere. Johnson took the job, and on the evening appointed the young woman marshaled out her forty people. They were in evening dress and full of gayety. Suddenly the Boston young woman SD oize out: "We may not all get together when we come back and may be very tired. Suppose I collect the fares now and be done with it?"
 She did so, and each person paid he1 one dollar for the evenings transpor- tation. She quickly counted out twenty-eight dollars and gave it tc Johnson, and placing twelve dollars in her own purse rode to the event ng's reception with a satisfied smile and a most charming affability. Three days later she did the same thing over again. As she put the twelve dollars in her purse Johnson scratched his head and says he muttered: Well, I'll be d-I'
 The next time he proposed di- vision of the spells. She eyed him for a minute, saw that he was in earnest, gave him four dollars out of the twelve, and after that they did business on this basis. She got up sightseeing parties inside the fair, theatrical parties. lecture parties, made scores of friends, and at every move seemed to add to her purse. Sc well did she succeed that she had two months at the fair and went home with one hundred dollars in her pocket.
 Johnson says he has travelled about R good bit, his last excursion of impor- tance being a trip to the Paris expo sition, but he never saw person who could do up'' Chicago hackmen as that Boston girl did.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
swARMs OF WILD GEESE.
One of the Terrors Which Beset the Wheat
 Grower in California.

GrOWeF m OaDIOrntas
 ''I had an experience with wild geese in California. and it is so big that few, except those who are familiar with them, can readily believe it," said State Senator Dare to San Francisco Examiner reporter. ''I own ranch of fourteen thousand acres at Knights Landing, on the Sacramento-the Yolo ranch. raise a great deal of wheat, and every year as soon as the wheat comes up the country is overrun with geese. 1 have seen droves of them two or three miles long, and so thick that when you shoot into them with rifle you are bound to hit some of them. They are so plentiful that am obliged to hire herders to keep them off. They settle in great bands. A band will set tie down on five acres, say, and you won't hear quack nor a squawll, but the geese are there and very industri- ous, and before you know it they have pulled up and eaten every bit of the grain. They have a skillful way of grasping the tender shoots in their mouths and pulling and relaxing and pulling again till they get the swollen grains with the blades and then eat the whole. A storm is almost sure to bring them in large numbers, but they often come in entirely fair weather. I keep many herders to drive them away. If it were not for this I wouln't have any wheat. The men are armed with loud sounding Winchesters and they keep shooting among them all the time. At night the geese don't bother, but early in the morning and all through the day they literally swarm. The herd CTS go out very early in the morning and stay all day. It is continual bat tie. The geese must be kept going all the time or the wheat is gone. When the men are blowing they get very close to the geese. Take fourteen or sixteen teams, each with a big plow that turns four furrows. They come along in a string. The first one is a good way off. The next is little closer, and so on till the last one is fifty feet or more nearer than the first one was. The geese don't notice this and a man cah knock them over as he goes by. 1 saw one man take monkey wrench and bowl away and kill one. In fact, if anyone wants geese he may easily kill them by thousands, and I was almost going to say millions, up there. I have killed them myself many a time. The annual visitation of the geese at Knights Landing is not joke. It is the sternest kind of reality and means heavy loss if war fare is not kept up against them.'
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
COLON THE SOUTHERN STATES
Improved Methods of Working Sulphurets
 Open a Promising Field.

Improved Methods of Working SuIphurets
 Open Promising Field.
 There is considerable discussion just now, says the Atlanta Journal, about the prospects of gold mining in the south. It is known that there is a vast quantity of gold-bearing rock in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Though mil lions of gold have been taken out of these beds most of them have not been thoroughly worked and many of them have been merely scratched. Up to the time gold was discovered in Cali fornia there had been produced in the United States S12, ,575, and all eX- cept $37, $50 came from southern states.
 Nearly all the previous gold mining in the south has been conducted on methods which are now obsolete. The improved methods of working sul- phuret ores open new prospect for gold mining in the south.
 The official figures show that up to 1892 Georgia had produced S15,902, ,260 worth of gold, North Carolina S21, ,5S5,- S44, and Virginia $3, 189,610. These are the official figures, but the real value of the gold product of these states has undoubtedly been much greater.
 Prof. Stone, after visit to Califor- nia in 1873, said that he was satisfied that the gold ores in the south are the richest and easiest to work in this country. Recently there have been many prospectors through the gold re- gions of the south and we look for in creased activity in gold mining in Georgia and every other southern state where there are known to be heavy deposits of gold.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
COST OF BRITISH DEFENSE.
The Immense Expense Incurred by Eng
 lands Military Operations.

The Immense Expense Incurred by Eng
 lands Military Operations.
 The British empire spends as a rule upon defense from $250, ,000, ,000 to $780, 000, coo year, of which the military ex- penditure of India, with the indirect expenditure for the sake of India on the mobile land forces at home, forms the largest item, says Sir c. W. Dilke, in North American Review. Almost the whole of this vast sum is expended out of British loans or taxes under the control of the parliament of the United Kingdom, and out of India taxes under the indirect control of the house of commons through the secretary of state, who is a member of the govern ment of the day. This expenditure, although vast, although open to the re- proach that it does not do more than maintain a feet slightly superior to that of France, and an army of very small numbers, is a feabite as com pared Gin it's ill effect upon the wealth of the nation) with the military eX- penditure of Italy, or, in less degree, with that of other continental powers. The evidences of the overpressure of taxation in India itself, many as they are, are slight in comparison with those which are present in the case of Italy; and it may be assumed therefore that, while the taxpayers of the United Kingdom and of India may make their voices heard in insisting upon better value for their money, the expenditure will not in itself be broupht to an end by bankruptcy.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
Grand prchess serge.

Grand Duchess Serge of Russia, who. with her husband and Grand Duke Paul, has been to Balmoral on a visit to Queen Victoria, is the hand somest of the daughter rs of the late Princess Alice of Hesse. As young girl Princess Elizabeth of Hesse at trated great attention, and she was only twenty when she was married. At the queens jubilee Grand Duchess Serge was immensely admired, while the jewels she wore at several state en, tertainments-they were magnificent turquoise and -cited uni versal envy. The grand duchess has no children, and it is an open secret that her married life has not been 8 happy one.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
Convertible Steamships.

Convertible steamships are the new est designs in ship5uilding. They are built to carry general or liquid cargoes on very short notice. The first vessel of that type, the new British steam ship Mexican Prince, arrived here few days ago from the Tyne. She was built at Wallsend, England, for James Knott, and had every req uirement for loading and discharging anything that might have to be sent across the sea. Steam fans to drive out gases that al- ways accumulate on this type of yes sells were part of the ships equipment. Winches and high-power pumps were also on board to suit the varying de- mands of commerce.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
EIcrators for the oueen.

Since Queen Victoria met with an accident at Windsor castle eleven or twelve years ago, when one of her knees was injured, she has foundi livery troublesome and sometimes painful either to ascend or descend a staircase. This difficulty has lately increased so much that an elevator has just been placed in the private apartments of Windsor castle for her majesty's use, and another is to be fitted up at Os- borne. The queen has greater num- Der of steps to ascend at Osborne than at any other of the palaces, as her own apartments are in the pavilion near the top of the house. Elevators are also being made for Buckingham pal ace and Balmoral. which will be ready for use in the spring. There was one in Buckingham palace for some years, which was made for the duke of Alba ny, although after his death it was re- moved.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
CURED BY A FALL.
4 Lady Freed from Her Infirmities by an
 Accident.

Accident.
 One of the most remarkable cures ever known in Maine occurred not long ago in Portland, says the Lewiston Journal. Three or four years ago a lady in that city was afflicted with what was supposed to be sciatic rheu- matism. She lost the use of one foot and ankle, then of the arm on that side. Instead of growing better the disease continually increased until the whole side of her body was practically helpless. The doctors were not agreed, some calling it rheumatism, others paralysis, a fall received a few years before being by several supposed to be the cause. But all treatment was uq- availing. The disease, whatever it was, continued it's slow but dreadful progress until the lady was entirely helpless, unable to move hand or foot. It was at this time that the miracle oc- cured. One day during the tempo rary absence of her attendant in an other room the invalid slipped from her chair, and, being unable to support herself, fell to the floor.
 The family were much frightened, but were treasured on finding that no serious harm had been done; but the wonder came a day or two later when the helpless invalid began to as tonish her friends by moving her hands and doing things she had been unable to accomplish for months. The recov- cry was as steady but much more rapid than the decline, until now she is fully restored to her old-time health and skill. Whether the fall jared from the brain clot of blood that was holding her in prison or what the cause, it is evident that the fall was what freed her from her infirmities.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
HE WAS A HERO.
But His Faith ia the Tender Sex Was AL
 most Too Strong.

But His Faith ia the Tender Sex Was Al-
 most Too Strong.
 The girls had seen a picture in an English paper Of a life-saving fire corps organized by the. young ladies of an English town, and, as Tiptor was lack ing in any such association, they de- cided to form a similar brigade. The drill, says Harper's Bazar, consisted in getting around large blanket and holding it as a ret to catch unfortu- mates who jumped from the second or third stories of the burning dwellings
 Great enthusiasm was manifested among the damsels, and dogs. cats and heavy weights were dropped success fully from dizzy heights. But the fair members of the corps wanted some real practice, but could not persuade any small boy or man to make martyr of himself in the cause of beauty and science.
 The brigade was very anxious to have somebody try it, so that they would be prepared in the face of real danger, and after much persuasion a young man, deeply enamored of one of the members, was prevailed upon to fall into the blanket from the top of g barn.
 The life-savers gathered one after noon, attired in becoming uniform, and about twelve gathered around the blanket and took a firm grip. Then the accommodating youth, for loves sweet sake, climbed up on the roof of the building, made ready, and jumped!
 Each girl was gazing upward, and at the terrible sight was so shocked that, without thinking, twenty-four hands went up to as many eyes to shut out the view.
 The brave young man is still con fined to his room, but his engagement is announced, and his lawyer is en- deavoring to collect his accident in- surance. At the last meeting of the Tipton Debating society it was pro posed to bring up the question. Whether it pays to be modern hero" ," but as all the men having seen the treatment accorded the invalid wished to speak in the affirmative, the ques- tion was dropped. The sad thing about it is that all the youths are now willing to fall into blankets from any height, while the corps has dissolved permanently.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-15
Great Potato Eaters.

Contrary to the general belief that Ireland leads the world in its fondness for ''praties,' statistics show that the people of Germany and Belgium are the greatest potato eaters; the con sumption in these countries annually exceeds O ne thousand pounds per head Of population.
Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-03-22
PRACTICAL DAIRY HINTS.

good hay cutter and a little bran and
water viii make good milk even out Of
oat straw and coarse hay.
It is much better to wrap butter in
paraifined paper than in odds and ends OF
old muslin from all sorts Of worn out
garments.
Calves viii keep sleek, and continue to
grow If fed roots. fruit or a few ground
oats daily with the best OF hay. Foods
that are slightly laxative are best.
Winter dairyiug is as practicable as any
other excepting that it requires more
brains than to spend the time at the vii
lage store or grog shop, but it pays better.
Il cattle are neglected and allowed to
roam over frost bitten fields and stand
out in chilly winds they will lose more in
condition in one week than can be gained
in month Of ieoding
Give the calves warm. wen ventilated
stables and a little extra feed. one pint Of
meal each day win more than pay. Don't
leave them out in the cold November
winds, that don't pay.
You may have a big price offered for
your best COW but twill rarely pay to sell
her. She viii soon make up to YOU the
difference between the price Of q poor
COW and the sum offered, and the best Of
ii is she wont stop there.-Dorothv
Tucker, in Farm Journal.
Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-03-22

barn. II has stills and frame placed on
low foundation wall. The roof is made
Of rough boards but is SO steep that no
water ever falls on the machinery. The
second Gig. ? is only thick stack OF
straw placed on heavy poles laid across
two banks or stone walls. II is twenty
feet square in the clear and shelters
most OF the machines used on
a hundred-acre farm. Unless the
mat Of straw is made heary and added to
each year as f settles week 81 rain viii
force some watCr thrcuTh il. A better
roof would be made lsa thec described
as follows; slight pitca Given the
roof ana rough boards age covered with
Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-03-22

III Chicxamauga, at the threshold OF Ins
war department. Helm had been a
cadet at West Point while Lee was
superintendent, and stopped to speak
to his old-time commandment Helm.
too, was agitated, for he was brother
in-law to Mr.. Lincoln, who that very
day had offered him the place of major
and paymaster, vice Longstreet. re-
signed" All this Helm told Col Lee.
Il cannot help you" said the stately
Virginian, ''for within the last hour |
have given up my own career. have
left the United States army My own
mind is too much disturbed to advise
You. But do what conscience and
honor bid"
OF Lee us soldier Of the great war,
history is full There was one curious
fact in Gen. Lees selection OF his staff
after he succeeded Gen. Joseph p. John
ston in tie command of the Army Of
Northern Virginia. II was that his
staif was mainly composed Of bright
Young follows who had come froin the
Virginia military institute. and rot of
West Pointers. Col A. p Mason, then
Gen. Johnston's chief adjutant general,
went west when Cen Johnston was
ordered'to command the Army Of the
Tennessee. Gen. Lees STAFF was Adjt
Gen. Walter II. Taylor Inspector tfrst)
r. Fl. Chiffon; John Lawrence Cosley,
q West Pointer was his chief quarter
master; A. H. Long. a West Pointer,
military secretary, and aftervard chief
Of artillery Of Lees army, while W. H.
Nena5le and Charles Marshall were A.
d. G. S with the rank Of colonel
Never have ! seen or known such a
man as Gen. Lee" said poor Corley,
who died by his own hand not long
after the war. II saw him every day
for hours no officer could be kinder
or more courteous But be was hodged
about by something strong, natural
dignity that mo- man on earth ever
broke through Washington Post
Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-03-22
vENTILATE THE COW STABLE.
Experiments showing the Loss Caused
bY PoOr Air.


There Is a general conviction that lack
Of ventilation is very bad thing for
cows, but very few could be found who
could frame systematic arrangement Of
facts to support the theory, says the
Orange Judd Farmer. Prof. King, Of the
Wisconsin Experiment Station, has made
some practical experiments in this line,
which furnish a foundation for good
Judgment as to the effect Of bad ventila-
tion in shrinking the flow OF milk.
Twenty cows were experimental with
during fourteen days, being subjected to
periods of good and bad ventilation al
ternately, but kept continuously in the
barn all the time. The bad ventila-
ton consisted simply in closing two
openings usually acted as yenti-
lators with sliding doors, but still leav-
ing a third door wide open, 50
that there was some access left
for fresh air. During the good ven
tilation DAYS the cows showed an increase
Of about .55t lbs. per COW daily, or gain
Of little over 3l5 per cent above inferior
ventilation. The average temperature Of
the stable was about 81 degrees Fahren-
heit with good ventilation, as against 73
degrees under the other, or a difference
OF six degrees. The effect of this was seen
on the amount OF water drank by the ani-
mails. In round figures, at the higher
temperature the animals each required
seven gallons, while six gallons suiiiced
for those at the lower fgure-the exact
difference being ia lbs per head daily.
The higher temperature, by causing a
greater perspiration, required more water
to keep it up. The food consumed was
the same in both cases, but the bad ven-
tilation caused the loss Of 1914 pounds per
head
Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-03-22

Ripans Tabuies NAV be OBJ
fained ofnearest druggist.