davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05

the meadows just before thunder show
er, darling, leaping and turning in sud-
den movements. He is catching gnats,
mosquitoes, millers, flies, and when his
wide7open mouth is full of struggling in
sects you will see him sail home to yon-
der big, old-fashioned chimney in the
deserted house. Like rocket he shoots
down through it's crumbling top.
Inside on projecting stone is his
succeed castle, built of mud from the
river bottom and fine twigs and straw.
His white eggs are safe there from most
enemies, but an occasional unexpected
fire sometime destroys his home.
OF our carpenter birds probably the
persistent and noisy woodpeckers are
best known. There are about a dozen
species of the family resident in these
parts, from the tiny black-and-white
downy woodpecker to the big brown yell
lowhammer which gives us such good
shooting in the fall. These birds dig out
a nest in a dead bough, the opening door.
way of which is always miracalously
round and smooth. 4
in the deserted woodpecker homes our
early spring friend, the bluebird, loves
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05

so much name, but he is a very pretty
brown-capped fellow, and destroys mum,
berless nOXiouS bugs and flies. He has
one queer trait, however, which no one
can explain. In the doorway of his lofty
house he always hangs a cast-otf snake
canny thing is left to wave in the breeze,
betraying at once to any passerby his
hidden home. The writer has always be-
lieved that these birds have adopted this
custom to protect their homes from for
aging squirrels and weasels, of which
the woods are full, and which 6 are kn nsvIn
to be inveterate egg-eaters. Both OF these
animals fear snakes intensely and are Oft
en- killed by them.
In the big woods, too, build the hawks,
owls and crows. The owls feather a
nest in hollow tree trunk, but the 9TH
-ers build big, coarse nests of sticks and
roots with no lining at ALL They nested
some weeks ago, and the young crows
and hawks are now yelling for food.
They choose the highest trees, and prefer
the almost branches ones which have
only few limbs at the very top. This
gives their enemies, the wildcats and
coons, very scant foothold should they try
to climb.
Stranger perhaps than any other is the
home of the whip-poor-will. This weird
bird, whose call in the darkness always
suggests sorrow and loneliness, builds no
nest whatever. On the cold, bare face
of some fat rock, in an inaccessible and
wild spot, her two eggs are laid.
The catbird, wondrous singer and
mimic, builds big loose nest of bark
and dry tendrils of the wild grape. He
likes to put it in the midst of thorn
patch, the Ibriars of which will tear his
enemies to pieces. He is natural thief,
stealing bits of lace, small handker-
chiefs, worsteds and string from door
yards to weave into his house, FIRE.
quently they use pieces Of newspaper,
and one of their nests found in garden
here last season contained a page from
bird book on which was a wood cut
of a catbird. The finder preserved the
whole nest and says he believes that the
bird recognized the cut as a portrait and
took it home for that reason.
In the marshes dwell a big family of
basketmakers. They are the marsh
wrens, tiny, brisk little brown rascals
that sing the same noisy monotonous
tune all day. Along the sedge-fringed
creeks that cut the Housatonic's banks
whole colonies of wrens nest every year.
They weave ball of tules- and cat-tail
leaves as big as ones head. This they
lash securely to the tops of three or four
stout reeds.
Under the Dogs near by dwell the
snipe, and in the swaying sedge the red
winged blackbirds hide their grass
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
The Marriage of a Borghese.

The marriage of Don Scipio Borghese,
second son of Prince Borghese, with the
only daughter of the late Duke Ferrari
excited much interest in Rome, where the
historic name and social position of the
bridegroom's family, joined to their re-
cent reverses of fortune, invested the
event with much interest. The wedding
took place at one of the residences of the
brides mother near Genoa, but Rome took
a certain part in the fete, for at a flower
show which was held in the gardens of
the Villa Borghese- competition was got
up, with prizes of 200 francs and lesser
sums, for the best arrangement of flowers
for bride, and the winning bouquet, etc,
was forwarded to the young Duchessina.
Among the wedding gifts offered to the
bride by the Borghese family are a gold
ring. set with splendid emerald, which
formerly belonged to Pope Paul V. Borg
hese), and a ring ser with rubies, exquis-
itely chiselled by no less hand than that
of Benvenuto Cellini.-Letter from Rome
in London Queen.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05

woven nests. On the higher meadows
not far away, in hollows beneath the
grass. the bobolinks and meadOWlarkS
and field sparrows locate their homes.
All are shy birds and all hide their nests
so as to battle the sharpest eyes. 1t you
flush the mother bird when passing near
the nest she will run along the ground
rod or two before rising, so as not to
betray her hidden treasure.
In the elms and apple trees in door
Yards the gorgeous black and orange
Baltimore orioles hang their purse.
shaped nests from the extreme tips OF
the highest limbs. AS the delicateiy
the early summer winds one wonders
that the eggs do not fall together and
break. These nests of gray hairs and
moss and fibers are beautifully knit and
dashed to the crotch of branch with
stout threads and Irvine. They carefully
avoid using all colored Worsted or string
which might betray the nest.
Their brother, the orchard oriole, knits
his hammock home of fine. grass, using
the green material, which Of course hard
" shows among the vivid foliage.
In the doOryard pear trees the summer
yellowbird or golden warbler loves to live.
His SMALL compact, cup-shaped nest of
gray fbers and wool and hairs would not
be different from others OF the species
AS Mrs Yellowbird makes a kind, at
tentive mother, the nomad cowbirds
similar to the English cuckoos in habits,
lay their big eggs in her nest and leave
her to hatch them out and raise the nest
lings. When the young adopted stranger
begins to grow bit he, being stronger,
kicks out and kills the rightful heirs.
To avoid this enforced parental sacrifice
the yellow birds in many instances build
a second floor or two over their own eggs
and those Of the interloper, leaving them
to dry up, and proceed to lay and hatch
their regular brood. Nests have been
found with three floors, where the cow
bird has returned and laid her egg on the
superstructure, whereupon the equally
persistent warblers added one more
story to their nest.
The ruby-thrOated humming birds that
haunt our flower beds all summer nest
hereeand build the daintiest little houses
imaginable. At a distances Of ten feet
any passerby would mistake the tiny
ball of cotton succeed with lichen out
side for an ordinary knot on the dead
limb.
Last May a party Of New York fisher
men trouting on the Wepawaug, in Con-
necticut, came upon a nest built by a
black-capped chickadee in low stump on
the bank Of the stream. The pretty
birds had followed out home with a
round doorway about two inches in di-
ameter or trife less. Over the entrance
like little porch projected broad, fiat
fungus, and just below stuck out a small.
piece that did duty for a doorstep. A
Virginia creeper wound round the stump
and hid with stout leaves all but this fairy
portal.-New York World.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
Rescued from Siberia.

Lower the topsail yards! Let go the
main sheets! Hard up with your helmv'
These commands were shouted through
the speaking trumpet of the first mate
of the Seagull from the after deck, where
he stood beside the captain, both of them
holding fast to the weather rigging to Sc
cure themselves from going overheard.
The mates voice was lost in the shrek
ing of the wind, but the men understood
him, and the next moment the sheets of
the mainsail wentfipping through the
being torn from the yard fastenings and
carried away on the wings of the storm.
At the same time the maintopsail was
fouled and the canvas stood out as stiff
as board, making it impossible to haul the
yards down. The mast was bending like
a reed unuer the terrific pressure.
"Aloft! Aloft, somebody
1t was almost sure death to obey. Sud-
denly a strong-limbed lad Of IS, holding
a sheathknife between his teeth, jumped
into the shrouds like cat and went up
the rigging hands over fist. In three
minutes more he was cutting the sail
adrift.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
The Newspaper Readers.

women are the great newspaper
readers of the day, and will be the only
newspaper readers of the future, per-
haps, as men are so busy these days and
only find time to skim the news. But a
woman will find time, no matter how
busy she is, to read the paper thorough
ly. No one knows as well as the cul-
tured woman how much she must de-
pend upon the newspapers for the bril-
iiancy that seems all her. own re-
marked bright New Orleans woman
the other day.
A woman must read the newspapers
and she knows it. And the more she
reads the better it will be for her.
Whether in the crowded horse car, or
seated at her desk, or reclining upon her
luxurious couch in her own dainty bou-
doir, the woman who wishes to be well
informed eagerly scans the latest and
best that is in print, for she knows that
she must add a charm of mind to a
beautiful face and stylish dress, or the
very ones whom she most desires to
please will turn from her in ennui.-
Philadelphia Times.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
BRITISH COLUMBIA LAKES.
Some Are Tremendously Deep and Have
Strange Submarine Currents.

Little Shuswap lake is stated to have
fat bottom, with a depth varying from
So to "a feet, measured from the mean
high-water mark. The deepest water
found in the Great Shuswap was 500 feet,
about six miles northward from Gimme
mousun narrows. in Seymour Arm, though
the whole lake is notably deep. Adams
lake, however, exceeds either of the Shus-
waps, as its average depth for twenty
miles is upwards of HOO feet, and at
one point depth of 1900 feet was record
ed. In the northwest corner of this lake
at depth of, Ills feet the purpose of the
scientific explorers was defeated by the
presence of mysterious submarine cur
rents, which played with the sounding line
like some giant fish and prevented any
measurement being taken. It is a COM
plete mystery how the currents could have
been created at this depth, and scientific
curiosity will no doubt impel either pub
lie or private enterprise to send a second
expedition to the scene this summer to en-
deavor to solve the riddle. AS the height
of the surface of this lake is 1880 feet
above the sea level its present bed is
therefore only 100 feet above the sea, al
though distant 200 miles from the nearest
part Of the ocean. Dr. Dawson and his
associates believe that the beds of some
of the mountain lakes in the region are
many feet lower than the sea level.-Van-
couver World.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05

to nest. He Jugs in a pile of soft trash,
grass, cotton and hay. While Mrs. Blue
bird is occupied in Matching the five pale
blue eggs he devotes himself to surrepti
tious amours with neighbors' wives, well
knowing that his spouse is out Of sight
in the deep pocket-like nest.
The house wrens, too, delight to move
into a good, warm tree-hollow when lit
tie boxhouses are not placed conveniently
at their disposal. They are chatterine,
noisy folk, but very domestic. When
they have carted in all the twigs and cot
ton the place will hold, Mrs. Wren lays
her five brown-and-white eggs and Mr..
Wren dutifully brings her food, and sit
ting by the doorway, sings all her fa'
yorite songs.
The great crested fiycatcher is not so
large or striking a bird as to deserve
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05

ordinate railway employee; then he tried
journalism as a profession; next he drift
ed into law, and then into politics. He
has wonderful powers of oratory, which
stand out preaeminent in country where
all are eloquent, and his patriotism is de
scribed as ''above reproach." The prime
minister of Spain does not Shit it off,
very well with the Queen regent, owing,
it is said, to the brusque and inconsider-
ate way in which he behaved toward her
at the time of her husbands death.
Nor does the premier stand high in the
good graces of the little King. Entering
the royal lads presence some weeks ago,
the Conservative leader addressed him
as Bubi, the pet name used by his mother.
The familiarity greatly offended the
S-year-old monarch, for, with an air of
disdain, he exclaimed: II am only Bubi
for mamma; for you I am Ell Rey" (the
Kingl.-New York Tribune.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05

Near the top they begin to excavate,
and they burrow in horizontally to a
depth of about four feet, the floor of
their house slightly rising as it extends
backward, in order to keep out the rain.
Dozens of families build together in one
bluff, completely honeycombing its upper
edge.
Near by and often in the same soft
clay cliff will dwell a family or two of
kingfshers They also dig cut q hollow
home, but it is larger and more cunning
ly constructed. To guard against posi-
BILE attacks by ospreys or other enemies
the burrow is made to wind one way
and another back to a depth of seven
or more feet. To guard against weasels
and other rodent foes. which often dig
in from above, the birds try to make the
burrow end under large stone, and will
lengthen or shorten the labyrinth to eff
feet this result. At the end Of the dark
passage, around a sharp turn, is the
feather-lined nest, where the five large
glossy white eggs are laid.
Not strictly a cousin Of the swallows,
but commonly classed with them, is the
chimney swift, sometimes enormously
called chimney swallow" He is
homely, seoty, dusky chap, but bird of
infinite grace and marvelously swift
fight. Watch him skim and circle over
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
PEPPERMINT INDUSTRY.
1t is Becoming of Greater Importance in
Michigan Every Dav

1t is Becoming of Greater Importance in
Michigan Every Day.
The peppermint crop of Michigan is
fast becoming of great value, the yearly
output of Southwestern Michigan alone
amounting to hundreds of thousands of
dollars. The gathering of the crop is
about to commence, and it is an interest
ing sight to drive among the large fields
covered with fragrant blossoms, the per-
fume of which fills the air. Soon the
dozen or more distilleries on the low
lands south of Decatur will be in opera
ton, and the agreeable Odor will be in
the air for miles around.
The plants when in bloom are moved
down and allowed to dry in the sun until
nearly as dry as hay, but care is taken that
they shall not be too dry, otherwise the
leaves and blossoms in which all the oil
is contained would rattle off and be lost
IN handling. They are then raked IN
piles and drawn to the distillery, which
consists IN its ordinary form of two large
wooden vats, connected with steam gen.
Grating boiler, which supplies steam by
pipe leading from the boiler to the
bottom of the vats.
The plants are tightly packed in the
watts, after which a cover is fitted tightly
over them and steam admitted The
steam in passing through the plants
causes the cells in the leaves and bios
SONS containing the oil to burst, and the
fine particles of oil thus set free are car
ried off with the current of steam. After
passing through a worm immersed in
cold water, the condensed products flow
into receptacle, from which it is dipped
off into cans.
It requires on the average about 800
pounds of dried peppermint plants to
produce one pound of oil, so that when
the iavoring power of a single leaf or
blossom is remembered it will be under
stood why the pure essential oil is so pow
erful.
The yield per acre varies widely, owing
to the season, soil and cultivation, the
average throughout the peppermint dis
trict for a number of years be-
ing about fifteen pounds per acre. In
this immediate vicinity the yield is sell
dom less than thirty pounds an acre, and
last season several small tracts yielded
oil at the unparalleled rate of ninety
pounds for an acre of ground. Detroit
Journal
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
The ugliest Statesman.

Senior Canovas, the prime minister of
Spain, rejoices in the nickname of ''The
Monster" From the purely physical
point of view he merits the So
briquet, for he is without exception the
''ugliest statesman of any prominence in
the Old World. Short, squat, awkward
" built, a close-cropped, scrubby nous
tache failing to conceal his irregular and
discolored teeth, coarse-featured and
squinting violently, he adds to all these
attributes an almost ungovernable tenn
per and most undisguised and unmiti-
gated contempt for his fellow-creatures :"
Canovas, it seems, began life as sub
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
Garden Party Gowning.

While garden parties are not quite
such an institution in this country as. in
England, there are plenty given during
the summer season to make it necessary
to provide some suitable toilets for such
occasions Garden party is a generic
term, so to speak, and any outdoor en-
tertainment comes under that head. 1t
really is an afternoon reception held in
the open air instead of the house, and if
it rains, why, the same festivities can
easily be transferred indoors. In Eng
land the leading families generally issue
invitations once or twice during the sum
mer to all the neighboring people to
some such mad gayety, and it goes with
out saying that those hidden always ac-
cept. The outdoor games and the
ground to walk about in do away with
much of the stupidity of an ordinary re-
ception and afford most delightful OPP
portunity for displaying smart gowns to
advantage Men do not wage war
against garden parties with the same
virulence as against afternoon teas, and
find plenty to do, even if they do not
take part in the games provided for the
amusement of the guests, so that in
America we find a garden party good
way of entertaining. The background of
trees and sky demand a different style
Of gowns from those worn at receptions.
The lighter, more diaphanous and airy
the costume the more effective it is, and
the 'picturesqueness" should be more
considered than the ''becomingness. ?
Pink and blue, the light shades, always
look we'll in summer costumes, and white,
pale heliotrope and light tan all show up
effectively
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
wonders seen by a Native Alaskan

1.-THE Indians Of the interior Of Alaska,
says a traveller, "are as unsophisticated
and uncivilized as the natives of the in
terror of Africa. / saw an Indian lad in
Juneau who had been brought from For
ty Mile Camp, and it was amusing to
watch his interest in the big ships, houses,
cattle, electric lights. telephones and
monographs that he saw there The
two little incandescent electric lights in
terested him perhaps more than anything
else, and he would have gone broke in
buying them if his guardian had not pre-
vented him. He thought that he could
take them back to his tribe and make
them glow by simply turning the thumb
screw, and he believed that he could sell
them like hot-cakes on the Yukon The
mysteries of the photograph seemed to
him something supernatural, and they
were entirely beyond his powers of under
sta ndino -
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
Humming-birds and Flowers.

It has long been known that insects
assist plants by carrying the fertilizing
pollen from flower to flower, but the fact
brought forward that humming- birds are
just as effective distributors of pollen as
insects are.
1t has been shown that these little
birds, which are as fond as bees of the
honey Of flowers, carry the pollen grains
in great quantity, not only on their feath-
so we'll suited is the humming bird to do
this work of distribution, without any in,
tention of its own, that the question has
been raised whether it may not be the
most benefcent of all the unconscious
friends that the flowers have in the ami
NAL world
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
The Wheel Unromantic.

If the virtuous lady who fears that
bicycling is demoralizing to young cou-
pies knew how hard it is to converse
even with ones companion on a bicycle,
to say nothing of gazing into his eyes,
and if she were aware that one squeeze
of the hand might result in dangerous
somersault over a rearing bicycle. and
that city experts can ride near enough to-
gether to be very confidential, and then
only when both wheels are geared exact
ly alike, and that the attention of both
tete-a-teters is even then concentrated on
keeping the pedals from clashing, she
would realize that bicycle trip discounts
walking, driving, horseback riding or even
sitting in a room, for difficulties in the
way of spooning. The only way to in
dulge in a desperate Irritation when BIZ
cycling is to get off your wheel, and even
lady of great religious ferocity, com
bined with suspicious intelligence, does
not have to be told that it is not neces-
sary to buy bicycle nor, indeed, hire one
for the sake of sitting on bench by the
lake with a loved one or wandering
through secluded paths of the park. 1t is
great deal easier to firt at tennis or
badminton or golf or croquet. And far
easier to keep ones temper.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
DROVE HER CRAZY.
Paste Starts Heavy Beard on the Face of
Miss Mary Belcher.

The desire to- make her complexion
more beautiful has caused a once bright
mind to be left shrouded in the darkest
gloom. Miss Mary Belcher two years
ago was a bright, dark-haired, happy,
rosy checked girl Of Russellville, Ky.
One day she read in an advertisement of
a cosmetic paste that would make the
complexion perfect. She bought some
and used it for two weeks as directed.
At the end of that time she was Mortified
to notice the appearance of a black
beard all over her face. It grew rapidly
and in a short time she had heavy set
of whiskers. She grew hysterical and
about six months ago her mind began to
fail under the constant worry. She is
now a mental wreck. Miss Belcher is
% years old and lives with her parents
at SUGAR Grove. Butter county. Ky.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
Sleep if You Can.

eff you cannot sleep during the day.
said physician to a nervous, tired-look-
ing little woman, ''try and get at least
half an hours absolute rest of mind and
body in darkened room. Throw off all
tight garments, and in loose gown
stretch yourself out on couch, close
your eyes and think of nothing
Even if one does not feel the need of
this afternoon rest it is an excellent plan
to take it, benefting as it does the eyes,
the mind and whole body Thirty min
utes' complete rest every day will have
a magical effect in relaxing the facial
muscles and postponing wrinkles.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-05
The Brieht lexicon of Youth.

In recent examination some boys were
asked to define certain words and to give
a sentence illustrating the meaning.
/ picked some frantic flowers. Athletic,
strong: the vinegar was too athletic to
use. Tandem, one behind another; the
boys sit tandem at school. And then
some single words are funnily explained.
Dust is mud with the wet squeezed out;
fms are fishes wings; stars are the
moons eggs; circumference is distance
ton Gaunffa