davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
MAKING PATENT LEATHER,
It Cannot be Guaranteed Although til.
PROFESS is Difficult.

It Cannot be Guaranteed Although the
Process is Difficult.
Japanned leather, generally called patent
leather, was first made in America. A
calfskin in France The leather is cur
ried expressly fol. this purpose, and par
ticu'ar care is taken to keep it as free
as possible from grease; the skins arc
then tackled On, frames and coated with
a composition of lihseed oil and TIMBER
in the proportion Of eighteen gallons of oil
to five of TIMBER boiled until nearly solid
to It's proper consistency. Lampblack is
also added when the composition is zap
piled in order to give color and body.
From three to four coats of this are neces-
sary to form substance to receive the
vaNnish. They are laid on with Il knife or
scraper. To render the goods soft and
plant, each coat must be very light and
thoroughly dried. after each application.
A thin coat is afterward applied of
the same composition. of proper consist
ency, to be put OH with a brush and with
sufficient lampblack boiled in it to make
perfect black. When thoroughly dry it
is cut DOWN with IL scraper having turned
edges: It is then ready to varnisb: The
principal! varnish used is made of lnsced
Oil and Russian blue, boiled to the thick
ness of printers ink. 1t is reduced with
spirits of turpentine to a suitable consist
cncy to work with brush and then a1,-
Piled in two or three separate coats, which
are scrapcd and pumiced until the leather
is perfectly filled and smooth.
The finishing touch is put on with spc-
cial care in Il room kept closed and with
the floor wet to prevent dust. The frames
are then run into an oven heated. to about
173 degrees. In preparing this kind of
leather the manufacturer must give the
skin as high heat as it can bear in order
to dry the composition on the surface as
rapidly as possible without absorption, and
cautiously. so as not to injure the fiber
of the leather. 1t is well nigh impossible
to guarantee the permanency Of patent
leather, no matter how expensive or how
careful be the preparation, for it has sad
trick of cracking without any justifable
provocation.-New York Advertiser.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
PiRrr0 and His Raar


Little Pierre is Il newspaper pedtller in
New York city. He has not always ped.
died papers. Once he had trained bear
with which he made his living by giving
street exhibitions. This is his story as nc
gave It to 4 lady connected with the New
York Recorder:
| was born in French Canasla. Ny fa-
thor. Pierre FORMER, was shoemaker in
Il small province twenty miles from tho
city of Quebec. He was a hard, unsympa.
thetc man. My mother was an angel
elder. was given my fathers name
Pierre, that is all I ever received from
him. My brother Jean was his fayOrite
and l the recipient of all his Injustice
and often brutality My poor mother was
heartbroken. l, her first-born, was her
pride and idol, and to stand by silently and
see me maltreatcd was gradually killing
her.
She was too much afraid of my fathers
wrath to interfere in any way, for several
times he had threatened to send me away
from homo. and my poor mother dreaded
i separation from me. Why was this,
mademoiselle? Because I could not learn
to make shoes. Would not, my father in
his rage would say. but. alas l could
not master his trade, try as hard as !
might, and I did try.
My brother Jean, on the other hand, was
quick to learn the business, and by the
time he was Is years old could turn out a.
neat a pair of boots as one would care
to wear. Poor Jean! He meant WE'LL but
naturally he was f1attered and bit spoiled
by our fathers marked preference, and so
at times there was little sympathy between
us. His heart was not hard. though. for
when the final rupture between lie pere and
myself took place, Jean. with tenderness
| had not thought him capable of, pleaded
hard in my behalf But this attitude of
my brothers seemed rather to increase my
father s anger toward me, and his abuse
Waxed more unreasonable.
II will have nothing more to do with
him!' he said. He is n lazy fellow, who
sits in the sun all day and dreams He is
Il curse to me, disgrace to his mother and
not worthy to he called son. a good-for.
nothing at 1S years of age Bah! he is Fl,
company only for the black bearr' And
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
YOUNG FOLKS. !:
The Rishoip and the Baby.

Isl -- & 81
a poor little baie.facf,i baby, ~
t fa cnl ae WIND ad p fS:H her
Aid ruiiing her bright haif's eoid. '.ss> ,
FQE Just when the busy people +. at4
buying their gifts for the Christmas tree.
Her mother WIS suddenly gone.
She did not cry;;,poor midget. ~,',.. f..
!. But lifted pitiful eyes
at the crowds of cnreless strangers,
And the gray indifferent skies.
Jostl led and na Pus ~ a. and fyightened
With the wintry darkness falling,
And the snowfakes gathering fleet.
She was seen by a great kind giant;
T. With swinging stride he came.
Even then the angels In heaven
Wrote Saint before his name.
From the height Of his splendid stature
He stopped to the little maid
Lifted her up In tender arms,
And babe her not be afraid.
Against his broad breast nestled,
She clung like Il soft spring flower
That Il breeze had caught and carried
To strong and shcltering tower.
In his thick warm cloak he wrapped her,
The little slivering child.
E"l'll find your mother, baby"
f The bishop said, and smiled
That smile like a fash of the Sunrise
tbs but. memory .dim,,
For The years are hasting onward,
And we are mourning him.
The white cold SHOWS are drifting
Where today he lies asleep:
After his life's long warfare
The soldiers rest is deep.
But Of dear things said about him,
T or victories that he won,
No sweetcr tale Is told than this
Or his grace to a little one.
Margaret II. Sangster in Harper's Bazaar.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
How Lumber is Made.

Way, way off, where it is very cold in
winter and where the trees grow, oh, 80
straight and tall, was a pine tree 1t
never shook OF all its pretty green dress
IN the fall. as the trees that grow near
your house do, but kept dropping the use
less leaves, few at time. Its Leaves
were queer things-not like leaves at all
only like long green needles, stuck in
punches on branch.
wen, one day, in snow time, some men
came along with oxen, but the snow was
so deep that the men had to walk On ton
OF IT With snOwshoes, while the oxen
made paths for them by walking in the
snow, pushing it aside with their strong,
warm bodies
Bye and bye they came to place near
the river where the snow was not SO deep
and then they began to chop! chop, chop!
chop! My! how long it took to cut into
the great tree before it felt afraid to
stand up straight any longer and SO de-
And tumble it did, with a crash that
would have scared the little brides. if
there had been any little brides to hear
1t, but You know they had flown away as
soon as the warm weather was over.
lhen the men cut off all the branches
and itstook them long time, because
some were very large. Way up NEAR the
top OF the tree, of course, there were
teenty timely ones. But all hail to come
on until the tree was just big long pole
lhese long poles had to be cut into logs
and dragged to the river, where they
were tuInbled in and left to stay until the
| warm weather should melt the SNOW and
MI the stream. After the river had all
the water it could hold, it said: Il guess
| III flow faster. l want to get these logs
to the mill" So it rushed along, carry
ing the logs with it until they came to
the mill. If the logs are tumhled into a
iake instead of into river they have TO
be tied together so they cannot slip ava
and get lost
But the lake cannot carry them TO the
mill as the rushing river does, so a little
steam tnsboat fastrns some ropes 70 the
raft OF logs and pulls them wherever they
are to 30. When they get to the mil
thcy lie crowded together in the water
waiting to be pulled up the slopins plank
As they are wanted they are pulled up by
CHAINS which the men have fastened abou,
me logs. one at time. Up they go, all
dripping with wafer. Up to the door
where man with sharp hook stands
ready to stralghten them on the moving
plank which runs between the spiked
wheels. Buz-z-z sings 4 bright. sharp
toothed, steel wheel. as it whirls around
faster than your bicycle wheel can go
even When you are racing. Buz-z-z.
J;uZz! it sings, as the moving board brings
the log to it.
please, Mr.. Saw" says the log:
please take off my rough bark. 1t will
not hurt me. The carpenter men. who
make the kindergarten chairs, want only
the white wood inside"
SO the saw buzzes away louder than
ever as it trims off the rough bark. Ieav-
ing only the nice white wood Buzz, il
! sings again and again as it slices the log
into long. clean boards. out of which the
furniture man will make you tables and
chairs: The glue man will glue them.
ana the painter will paint and yarnish
them nice and shiny.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11

so he ragged, and even swore, madamoisc.lc,
and that night was driven from home.
There were sharp words that passed be-
tween my father and mother that night.
for ut last her mother heart could stand
40" longer the bitter Injustice of such be-
havior, and she upheld and defended me-
at the risk of personal ill-treatment.
He cannot make shoes, but is that a
crinle?' she cried. pierre was not made
for such work; he is poet and some day
will be a great man. The boy is good and
kind; give him an education and you win
smart lad, my Pierre, and not a dullard
like his brother Jean. who only knows
how to make Shoes and my mother wept
bitter tears. But my father was past yield
ing. His favoritc had been called dull
ord.'.' and all my mothers talk about "a
poet and education had famed his
wrath to white heat.
"A poet! Why, the boy is mad. None
but fools make rhymes. No education will
he get from me. Learning does not make
good shocmakers, and l want no lazy
louis about me. No, madam, Pierre must
be off. Let him take his black bear with
him: in such company he will not be lone
w. and my father laughed with keen en-
joyment at the idea.
pierrcs voice trembled ut the recollcc
ton of his fathers unkinlncss.
And then, madcmOiselC, l babe my pre-
cious mother adcu--it was adicu. for
never saw her again; and in the early
dawn of the morning, with her tears wet
on my checks, her tender words and
| unclaimed Napoleon from his post near
the old back fence. and together We
slipped away into the world.
Will you believe it. mademoiselle, Ma
poleon and l slept side by side for FIVE
long years and earned together our daily
bread. The bear was given to me while
it was little more than cub by my
uncle Jacques, my fathers brother, who
was a great hunter. In the wilds of the
| an old bear and her two cubs. l have
almost forgotten the story, but. q: any
rate. ono cold, snowy day in January,
when l was still in knickerhockers. my
| uncle appeared ut our cottage, half frozen
with the cold, and Napoleon. then cub.
in his arms.
My uncle was welcome, but the little
bear was not, and had it not been for my
care, and attention to the little fellow he
would surely have died. Gradually he got
to know me and would run ut my call as
a well-trained dog will do. Ny uncle was
very proud of him, but Napoleon showed
his preference for me, and would allow no
one else to feed him. As he grew older
and bigger he grew more fierce, and to all
the family but myself lie became irritable
and oftentimcs dangerous. How I loved
him, mademoiselle! He was SO handsome
and SO intelligent. and then he was my
friend, always my friend. My uncle died
that spring. and Napoleon became my
own. indeed, and was very happy.
taught him many tricks, and, really, mad
elnoiselle, he could almost speak!
Pierre spoke with an enthusiasm almost
boyish in its intensity.
/ was Is years of age when my father
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
Ih. CsieFe<a Oyster.

The color preJusIice keeps ON invading
the S"riEi rtrvie Nh spite eft the IiclStfefs
of slavery ard THE distance ef tFs. var
so that only white oysters are raVv A.
eepted by these who are partiruT.rr sEour
bow their feed faaks as well as fsssres
The experts declare thst they are NOT
only worthless. bat dsnSsrrvs. for Ir Is
the SCI. water that gives them their y,-E
low and brown hnss, which are ss-ss< If
health. us tire bronz,s and the zrttare n,
the cutsieos cunfYsiexiss tf the rlsf,fy -syyss
the vigc-aus. FRESH wssrr ard wv rys~v
bleach them. but with their ester =ss.s
their health. They beeerss. ut.sxh..I,-
somefy fat and DE- ef s.iseeSe bur g5s
tir thing ike that viii ase Ne allowed t,4
interfere with th,. esthcsis tastes 81 tEs.-..
who have made mp their minds s.s q, ts.,.
proper ealor in which, the oyster sgssuE.f
be ssSDH-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
Tho Valiant Heart.

One of the sorest evils with which man
or woman can be afflicted is despondency
: 1t curtais the powers of resistance to the
evils that threaten, and magnities' the
foes that assail. 1t presents yielding
soil to the seeds from. which proceed half
Of the smaller evils that ;,ssail mankind.
a hopeless soga:is the one most open to
the the wilcs of the destroyer, and it is in
traces of manhood and Womanhood are
thrown away to complete the niisfor-
tunes that have gone before. There is
at such times everything in maintaining
bold front. Misfortunes themselves
scamper away before a valiant: heart,
literally as! well as a hound will down
before q determined eye. There have
been many instances i'll history where
nothing but the pretense of a power that
was not actual has compelled terms in
battle which could not otherwise have
been obtained and the wholesome result
solely of the maintaining of bold heart
has been celebrated in prose and verse
under the familiar story of Robert
Bruce and the spider.-Domestic Month
w.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
5OSSlP FOR THE LADIES.



gs My Castle il the Air.
at Icould go halloonlng, T.
And had the time to spare, eEf.e a%s
I'd Journey to discover H.. .&- +
My castle In the mir. !. -. T..
=. It stands that stately building, ,......,.
BEYOND the yellow moon, -. -. -,
Where tratlesnen's bills cnn never come,
Not even by balloon. s&'L
The Water-rnte collector .....-.
- He eyes it's door In vain,
Because it's clstern runs with,
No water. but champagne. AL,
Its roof has been constructed -,
So very high and steep. Il.
No l0ve-lOrn cats can chamber there
To brighten gentle sleep.
My neighbours hens can never
Defy the garden wall.
Because there are no netghbOrs
Or hcn-cOOpS near al all.
50 in the garden holding,
In rich prOfusi0n grow
Tobacco trees and caulitlOWers,
And roses all arrow.
o! could reach my castle,
I'd never need to think,
I'd never need to scribblc,
And clothe my dreams in ink.
So when I'm not so busy,
I'll hire 4 big balloon,
And sail away Witll-I know whom
Beyond the yellow moon.
David La Costa.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
half meltel wassnow delightfully."- smooth

half y, m e, wassnow delightfully."- smooth
I. Please let mssslide little while first!'
The pleaded. ITS just fight now, and l
cam set my lesson afterwards"
II, But for ohce mamma was not to be
ehtreatcd.
"No,'' she said firmly, "the sliding can
wait, but the lesson and cannot. Come, {"
% ne shesitntei, '"'yOu are getting. to lie a
big boy, and must learn that You have
something to do besides playing all day"
Poor little Percie! How very unpleas-
ant this new doctrine sounded in his ears.
and his childish face wore look of pre-.
ternatural gravity rs he put away his
cap and seated himself ut his mothers
knee with that hateful primer open be-
fore him.
How. he toiled and worried over those
six lctters! Dull and stupid, his mother
evidently thought him, although she con-
sclentlously kept her own patience, and
went over them with him again and
again. 1t was not, however, until the
clock was on the stroke of eleven that
the lesson was fairly mastered and the
tired little pupil allowed to seek the
| longcd-for recreation.
AT dinner, too, everything went wrong:
papa was sharply critical in regard to
MIS- sons manner of managing his fork
/
for awkwardness that had always here
totore been passed over with a gentle
reminder, and remarking at the close of
| the meal that "nercc was getting old
enough to be taught better table man
ncrs."
But the cruelest stroke of all was re-
| served for the lust
After tea, ever: since he could remem-
Der, IT. had been his mothers habit to
take him in her arms, while she rocked
and sang to him some of the sweet little
songs that he so delighted to hear. or
talked to him in her low, sweet voice OF
hundred pleasant and interesting
| things.
Tonight, when he climbed into her Ian
I as usual, she put him from her, kindly
but decidedly, while she said, in a low
| tone:
You are getting too heavy, dear, for
me to rock in my lap every night. Be-
sides, it's time, You were in bed, and ]
VII 80 up with you and sing you one
little song before leave you. Will that
do?,' and she kissed him kindly.
The little fellow made no reply. His
lips quivered and big tears stood in his
blue eyes. but he climbed the stairs man
fully, SURPRISING the sobs that threat
cned every moment to break from his
overcharged heart, said his prayers in q
faltering voice, and with a good night
mammal! turned his sad little face tt
the wall and sobbed aloud in the unpity
ing darkness and silence:
| "Oh, Furry, Furry! you and is botf
being weaned the same day."-New Or
leans Picayunc.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
A Tribute to Holmes.

Life is worth living when one can use
lts, Opportunities SO we'll as Oliver Wen
deil Holmes has done. He who leaves
behind him such IL gentle, fragrant mem
cry as this has lived for good indeed.
IEere was heart Tint throbbcd with
love and sympathy to, tile very end. He
looked ut things with wise and kindly
eyes: He laughed, but it was the sweet
laughter of affection and good fellowship.
There was no gloom in his philosophy, no
sting III his quiet satire, no offense in his
remonstrance or suggestion. He loved us
all, he felt for our SORROWS and our frail-
tics. ills rich and mellow counsel fell
not nM>n us from pinnacle. He talked
to men sitting by their, sides, and with
their hands III his, and with glances meet
ing on level. He was their friend, their.
loving equal, their patient, tolerant, SYM
lathizing brother. He spoke to them not
for their confusion and .rebuke, but for
their encouragement, their comfort and
their happiness. The whole country
mourns and honors him. All classes and
conditions of mon remember. him with ten
derness and gratitude. He Taught the
beautiful gospel Of humanity He led the
radiant propaganda of affection. No
King. no conqueror, no magistrate or
ruler ever bequeathed SO fair d legacy;
no iioisV ,reformer Of 1ealois doctrinaire
over WELD ed such nh ihtluence.-W aslli1is<,
ton Post.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
"A Battle ROYAL.

The Boston Transcript recalls the fact
that SO recently as November II, 1880, d
large pack Of wolves took possession of
hill near Tamworrh, N. II. The farm
ers, alarmed by the .depredations Of the
beasts, formed themselves into an army,
600 strong, under command of an old
officer, Gen. Quimby. The hill was sur
rounded by GORDON of 'marksmen, who
closed in upon it from all sides, and a
battle royal resulted. The wolves were
defeated and took to fight, leaving
scores, il not hundreds, Of their number
dead on the field, and the town was
saved. There was q grand j0flification
chat night, when the hard cider ran free,
and it may be that many persons living
worth Of the bodies of the wolves and
the joy that followed it, and which in
strict New England consciences justified
the cider. n.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
Lost Her Money.

Ouida is reported to be poor now, after
9 considerable career of extravagance.
One who knows her says that :'ife with
out riches. a perfumed boudoir, priceless
bits 'of china, and the rest will seem al
most a desert to her. but for the present
she is :retrenching. She has sold her Ital-
ian palace and fittings, and is living quiet
". Part of her large earnings have been
lost in reckless speculation.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
WEAVING The Kitten.

Never was there a more devoted mother
than Silky, and never was there a sauc-
err, holder, more obstreperotis little animal
than Furry, in those privileged days of
early kttenhood. AS soon as her eyes
were fairly opened she began her imposi-
tons upon her patient, much-cnduring
mamma.
Silky was quite as fond of her morning
nap as overburdened mothers are apt to
be, but that ever wakeful kitten soon put
Il stop to it. With the first peep of day
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11

turned us adrift, and at that time Ma
poleon was taller than l was. ]. an r,
now, and Napoleon has been dead two
years; Yes, for five years we tramped
together, from East to West, North to
South, and then back to the old home.
but mother@was not there, andSso Ma
poleon and came back again to the
states. And very clever he was, too. He
could dance, skip, fire off a gun, stand on
his head and -do.-aBy humber of other
cute tricks The ladies' always gave him
sWeetmeats and the children he would
allow to stroke his fur. Napoleon always
loved children.
My poor Napoleon caught cold during
long tramp we had in the rain through,
died.
Poor Napoleon! I needed money, so I
sold his body for $50. and witt, that
: money fitted out my news stand, bought
neat suit of clothes and had a round
sum to put by. ] always wanted to learn.
mademoiselle, and thought daily reading
OF newspapers and magazines would help
me, and it has
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
Ba1InOra1 Tartan

Several of the rooms at Balmoral were
rcdecorated this year with the ''royal Bal
moral TARTAN the pattern of which was
designed by the late Prince Consort for
the exclusiv We use of members of the royal
family, as he considered that the old ''roy-
mon. Several shawls and plaids of this
tartan invariably figure among the we'd
ding gifts of the Queen to members of the
British royal family.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
Ghess fnr Wn,,,oa.

Mrs: w: J. Baird, the famous chess
problem woman of London, recommends
the game for women on the grounds that
it is a useful corrective to the tendency
to jump to conclusions. which most of the
sex have. "Resdes' she says, 1T is Il
home Accomplishments no woman is com
PEELED to leave her own Preside. for the
sake of chess; and, lastly, it produces no
flirting and general frivolity.''.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
Expert with the Needle,

The wife Of the artist Millet is SO
skillful with the needle that she not only
designs most of her own and her chill
dren's clothing, all of which are models
of grace and beauty, but she copies old
costumes found in byways of Europe
which her husband wishes to portray in
his pictures, cutting and even sewing
many of the important parts herself.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-11
a Hint To the Doctors.

II see that the doctors have found
another microbc." said Mr.. Jason. '''rhey
call this one the"-herc he stopped te
spell it--"tligastricus monoeephaIis. as
nigh az l kin read it. y
they'd be in better business fightia' EN-
instead of settin' around calm hns1
names. Cincinnati Tribune.