davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
A PRICELESS PALM.
Or ALL TREES THE COCOANUT
IS THE MOST VALUABLE.
The Sea a Vehicle for It's Wide
Distribution and Propagation
Many Uses to Which
1t is Put.

~ the $50 or more known
[ palms, the cocoanut palm is
Y ! at once the most graceful, the
most picturesque and the
most useful, It is to this tree that
Purchas quantity refers in his Pilgrim.
age, when he says: "But Of greater
admiration is the coque tree, being the
most profitable tree in the world, of
which in the Island of Maldina they
make and furnish whole ships" A
further idea Of its numerous uses is
limited at in the oriental saying that:
THE attributes of the cocoa would fill
o volume" The Ceylonese claim that
it has as many uses as there are days in
the year, in substantiation of which
they exhibited at the Worlds Colum-
bian Exposition just 365 uses of this
wonderful palm.
With many other plants that have
been cultivated by man since prehis-
toric times the exact origin of the co.
Goa is not known, though it doubtless
came originally from some group OF
islands either in the Pacific or the In
dian Ocean. The greatest difficulty
in locating its first home is due to the
wonderful provision nature has made
in it's fruits for the distribution of the
species. The preponderance of fact
and ancient historial data would seem
to point, however, to an East Indian
rather than Pacific source. It's pres.
ence on the east coast ofSouth Amer
lea, on the coast and islands of the
Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
and on the west coast of Africa is
known to be due to recent introduc.
tion by civilized men.
The cocoanut palm varies in height
from fifty to 100 feet. It's slender
trunk is never rigidly erect, like that
of the royal palm, but leans in grace
full curve, ascending in its growth.
It's follaged summit is o crown OF
dropping and ever waving feathery
leaves, always grandly picturesque.
Although the tree is now cultivated in
all tropical countries, often at quite a
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
The Chinaman ami the Piano.

There was q Cinnamon who has
laundry on Market street, who went
to a musical few days ago. The
press agent for the show struck up
quite On acquaintance with John and
gave him ticket, so John went.
I happened to be in the laundry
when John returned from the enter
tainment. He and his partner have
not been in this country very long,
and it was the first time John had
heard q piano. I won't attempt I'd
give the dialect, but this is the way Id
described the instrument to his tel |
iow.countrYman:
"They had a four-legged bess
which the people could make sing q
will. A man, or q woman, or even
feeble girl sits down in front of tn
animal and step on its tail, while ~
the same time hitting its white teet
with his or her ingera, and then th
creatures begin to sing. The singing
though much louder than bird,
pleasant to listen to. The beasts doe
not bite, nor does it move, although
was not tied up during the whole ever
ing" "-Louisville (Ky.) Commercial
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
A COCOANUT GROVE.

distance from the sea, it thrives best
and produces the greatest number of
fine fruits near the beach, where it
requires but six weeks to mature o
crop of from five to ten nuts, each
tree continuing this production until
its annual yield aggregates from eighty
to 100 fruits.
The cocoa presents one of the finest
examples of natures most provident
measures for seed sowing and natural
distribution of seed, the nut being
carefully and successfully nurtursd to
the end that it may become floating
vehicle for the germ of new life that
it contains. The nut, when ripe and
ready to fall from its lofty height and
roll into the sen, has hard, woody
shell, inclosing considerable air space
and the elements of growth in the
form of thick white album en- the
meat. This nut is surrounded with
mass of lightly meshed fiber, which
still further augments its buoyancy,
and the whole is invested in thin
waterproof skin which enables the
fruit to float about in the currents for
an indefinite period, until it is finally
cast up on some far off isle or main
land and, rolled inward by wave and
wind, finds final resting place where
it may germinate by throwing out and
upward a single lent and rooted from
one of the three black-stoppered holes
in it's emaller end. This readily &C
counts for it's wide distribution, and the
luxuriance and vigor OF the cocoa palm
growth that characteristically fringes
even the smallest and most remote
coral islet in the tropic seas.
Each nut, when green, contains
about quart Of delicious water, afford
ing when freshly cut from the
tree coolest drink to be obtained in
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

native tribes. By boiling it is con-
verted into tolerable sugar, or jag
gerry, the only sweet known to him.
Eight gallons of toddy yield the Gin
galese two gallons of delicious liquid
which they call "pervin," a sort OF
thin maple syrup, go to speak.
The shell of the cocoanut takes a
high polish, and when cut in two forms
a convenient and durable cup or other
needful vessel. The husk or coir sur.
rounding the nut yields the best fiber
possible for braiding into ropes or
cables, espe ciallY as such cables float
and are practically indestructible by
water. One of these cables, four inches
thick and $50 feet long, together with
numerous other coir articles, can be
seen in the galleries of the Field Col.
umbisn Museum. The Polynesians
twist and braid this fiber into small
cords that serve in house construction
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

But the objections cited against stoves
when made with thin plates of metal
without any lining to protect them
from becoming red hot apply with
equal force to vast majority OF hot
air furnaces now in use. Air deliv.
cred from furnace should never ex-
ceed the temperature indicated by 100
degrees Fahrenheit; where the heat
reaches $50 degrees to 1s0 degrees ut
the point of delivery, the effects are
undoubtedly pernicious.
The principle to be attended to in
construction of all hot air furnaces is
to generate and communicate the
greatest amount of heat with given
quantity of fuel, without producing
any change in the breathing property
of the air. A common fault is that
the water pan is allowed to become
empty, so that the heated air has that
dry and stuhy quality of which many
people Justly complain. But with
water constantly evaporating in the
furnace, with cold air drawn from out
doors, and with such an arrangement
of pipes that every room will receive
its due proportion of heat, there is no
system more satisfactory for ordinary
houses, nor is any more economical
an important consideration.
Many house-holders urge objection
to the hot air system that at first
glance seem to be we'll founded. They,
themselves, have these furnaces and
they never tire of recounting their
tribulations with them. They say
that there are certain rooms in their
houses that never get particle OF
heat, although they force the furnace
so that it eats up coal by the ton and
makes the rest of the house unbear.
able; and often IN impression exists
that certain pipes and registers will
always be favored, and that one or
more (generally the one to the north)
is bound to go without heat. Such
people will at once dispute the asser-
ton that each pipe can be male to
draw as we'll es It's fellows, and that
every register, properly managed, will
throw out its quota OF heat.
The one prime fault with most hot
air heaters is that the cold air box is
very much too small. The size of this
is generally left to the judgment OF
the carpenter and builder, and is
made small so as not to be in the way.
1t is simply o physical fact that no
more hot air can be sent out OF the
furnace than cold air goes in. If the
cold box has On aperture OF five
square feet, and the hot air
pipes aggregate ten square feet,
it stands to reason that half OF
the hot cir pipes will be starved. An
easy test of the matter is this: Wait
until you have hot fire in your fur
mace, and then open all the registers
and hold lighted candle before each
one in turn. If there is a down
draught through one or more of the
registers, the furnace, starved for cold
air, is drawing through one OF
those with the least upward draught
in order to discharge it when heated
through the others. If your hot air
furnace fails to give satisfaction, and
is of reliable make and in good con-
dition, investigate your cold air sup.
ply first of all; then see that each OF
the hot air pipes is taken only from
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

where we would use nails, while the
whole husk needs but to be cut in two
lengthwise to form an excellent pair
of scrubbing brushes. The utility of
the nut does not cease here, for the
ripe meat yields, on pressure or heat
ing in the sun, fine oil for cooking
or Illuminating purposes, as well as for
the toilet. Nothing obtainable is
more refreshing under the blazing
tropic sun than amounting the body
with clean, sweet cocoanut oil. Large
quantities of this oil are shipped to
various countries, where it is used in
making pharmaceutic preparations and
in the manufacture of candles and
soaps.
Not only does the fruit furnish the
native with fire, water and food, but
the tree his house and oil it's comforts.
Tho wood is soft internally but hard
externally. Small trees are thus read
lily converted into system Of water
pipes or other useful tubes. When
old and past fruiting the whole trunk
becomes hard, forming the well.known
porcupine wood of commerce, and
much used where the trees grow for
corner posts and rafters of dwellings.
The leaves, usually from twelve to
fifteen in number, of which from five
to six ore produced each year as the
old ones drop of, are from eighteen
to twenty feet long, and make an ex-
cellent thatching for both the roof and
sides Of buildings. Before unfolding
these leaves are inclosed in O. fbrous
sheath, which is used as a sieve or
strainer, and again for clothing and
bedding, while the young unfolded
leaf is cooked end eaten like cab
bage. The base OF the old leavesis ex-
panded until it half clasps the trunk,
and the midrib stripped of it's lighter
leaf tissue forms hard and durable
shovel or paddle, as need may require.
By splitting up this expanded part an
excellent broom results, or by remoV-
ing it and sharpening the mldrib O
spear or arrow is readily formed. The
leaves are also made into fans, para
soils and beds, and the sheathes into
fish nets and hammocks, while the
leaflets serve as paper when writtth
upon with a sharpened piece of I'll.
midrib. The smaller ribs are con-
verted by splitting into neat hair
combs, while the whole leaf makes an
excellent torch, whose resulting ashes
yield potash that in turn converts
the oil of the nut into one of the finest
of soaps. ),
In the collections in the botanical
department of the Field Museum may
be found twines, ropes. mats, cloth,
rugs, brushes and various other utlll.
cations of the cocoa fiber, rs we'll
as many of the nuts in section,
showing the various useful portions OF
the fruit, together with other kindred
palm nuts that yield oils and products
of somewhat less extended use. Among
these the most curious ore the
quadrangular cocoanuts OF the South
Sea Islands and the great coco de mer,
or sea cocoanut, of the Indian Ocean,
the latter being the largest tree fruit
known, often weighing over nifty
pounds. In shape this seq cocoanut
much resembles twin growth, and
its peculiar form, as we'll as its great
size, give rise to many varied and su-
perstitious legends among the peoples
of the East African and West India
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

the drier tropic countries. In course
of time, as the fruit ripens, this water
becomes in most part of the consis-
tence of cream, and finally deposits
within the great embryo sack q thick
layer of "meat" IN which the relatively
tiny embryo lies. This coating con-
stitutes almost the entire food of the
natives of many countries, and that OF
their domesticated animals. Even the
skinny, fearsome dog that detects in
his every approach to man all oppor-
tunity to receive O. cuff or kick will
rush frantically 20 your side should
you pick up cocouut and break 1t,
sure of his poor meal within the shell
you later cast away.
The spathe that contains the flowers
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
The width of this house including1

The width of this house including1
yersnds is 46 #. 4 ins. it's depth, in-|
Guiding front veranda, 4e #. 8 ins. Its|
foundation is of stone and brick. The
first story, clapboards; the second
story, gable. dormers, roofs and ver-
anda enclosure, shingles. The cellar
measures 7 it. 6 ins. in hight the
first story, 9 #. /; second story, 8 #. 9.
ins., and the attic, 8 ft. It is finished!
throughout with three-coat plaster
The hooring is of North Carolina pine
the trim, white wood main staircase,
ash; kitchen and bath room, waln--
scoted. The laundry is in cellar ur1-
der kitchen, and the kitchen has q
portable range.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
A SimnIe Little Trick,

A lawyer who has IN Office in the
New York Life building was at q party
the other night where the principal
advertisement was tricks, one Of which
recalls to tho lawyers mind one he,
used to do when he was schoolboy;
back in Maine. He called for q whisk
broom and then. laying nickel in the
center of his open palm, offered it to,
anyone in the party who would sweep
it off with the broom. One Of the con-,
ditions was that the broom must be-
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

Yields on incision a quantity Of deli:
cious liquid that. when fresh, is called
"toddy." This liquid on fermenta-
tion produces palm wine, delightful
drink, as we'll as useful yeast for the
baker who is fortunate enough to have
-four. By distillation toddy yields
about twenty-five per cent. OF Ear
rack, the true 'strong drink" OF the
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
Names TalieSt Man.

The taliest man in Maine is W.
Kelley, of Phillips. He is six feet t.
inches tall, and OF symmetrical bull
Weighing more than 200 pounds. ]
rides bicycle, which he had to ha
made expressly for his own use, b
cause OF tae length OF his legs. He
leader Of the local cornet band.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
Useful Rats.

Rats have been found very useft
in cotton mills where the raw cotto
has been imperfectly ginned. in
Spanish cotton mill the storeroom W,
invaded by swarms of rats, who pulld
the bales to pieces to get at the seed
left in the cotton. They did taewo1
thoroughly, without injuriag the fb\
in apy way.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
New York's Hebrew Population.

It is claimed that something like 112, 900
Hebrews live in that part OF New York City
east of the Bowery, bounded by Last Hous-
ton street, Ludlow street and East Broad
way. OF this number nearly half are chill
dren, and not more than $4,000 of the adults
can speak English or even foreign Ian
guage fairly Ineligible to other people.
They come from Russia, Poland and Hun
gary.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
1ntultive sense that something was

1ntultlve sense that something was
wrong, she made laudable efforts 10 re-
lieve the strained condition OF things by
introducing various subjects OF CONVEX
sation.
Margaret seconded her ably, but Brian
answered in monosyllables. 1t was
relief to him, if not to all parties, when
dinner came to an end, and they at last
repaired to the parlors, where, as soon
as politeness permitted, Brian excused
himself OH the plea Of fatigue and sought
the welcome solitude OF his room.
Come, Miss Hilton" cried Margaret
when they were alone, let US go to our
sitting-room. 1t is ever SO much more
cozy than these bare parlors. Don't you
think so2"
She did not wait for an answer, but
hurried off to the room in question,
where Miss Hilton, following more
slowly, found her ensconced in the
depths Of large rocking chair, bending
closely over book which she was hold
ing upside down. .
Tell me all about it," said the old
lady, gently taking the book from her
hands and placing it on the table. You
know we agreed to have no secrets nom
each other. You and Brian have met
before tonight. "
Yes" answered Margaret, slowly
buying her face in her hands, and, on,
Miss Hilton, I did not think the day
would ever come when should feel 30
thoroughly humbled. had rather beg
in the streets than feel my sense OF
obligation to him. He thinks me capa.
Bile of stopping to seek revenge. He
thinks am enjoying the money be has
lost, but, ah, if he knew what bitter hu-
initiation it's possession is to me, he
could wish no sweeter revenge"
Revenge, Margaret You talk Wild
ly, my dear child. I'm afraid that trip
to S'conset did you more harm than
good. can very safely say that such
an idea has not entered Brian's mind"
Perhaps not, replied Margaret, mis-
erably. Il do not think he is revenge
full, but I will tell you the whole
story, Miss Hilton. How we met, aud
what passed between US, and then you
can understand how circumstances have
made my old regret more bitter.
Then, with her head on Miss Hilton's
shoulder, and her hand clasped in that
of the dear friend who had never failed
her in any difficulty, Margaret told OF
the meeting on the beach at S'conset,
of the long and pleasant hours of
close companionship, and of the inter-
view which marked an epoch in two
lives.
Miss Hilton listened quietly, and II
she guessed what was left untold, she
gave no hint. She talked to Margaret
in her easy, gentle way. She said all
that was possible in Brian's favor, but
apparently her words were Intellectual
in changing Margaret's ideas, and she
confessed to herself with sigh that
the unfortunate meeting had been a
contretemps indeed, and severe If not
fetal blow to her crushed hopes.
ITO BE CONTINUED
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
Tame Cats Turned Wild.

II has taken about twenty years to
produce the wildcats of Goat Island,
the degenerative process commencing
soon after the lighthouse was estab-
lished there in 1875. 1t seems that
the first keepers brought a number OF
cats with them, but with unrestrained
liberty the animals gradually forsook
the comforts of civlliSation. Goat
Island is the home of thousands of
birds and squirrels, and to this is pos
sibly due the temptation OF the cats to
forsake the keepers freside. At first
the cats would absent themselves for
days at time, but the kittens were
born at home. In time, however,
they got over this and lived altogether
in the underbrush. After few years
the descendants Of the first cats were
so wild that they were afraid of human
beings and made their dens in the
crevices of the rocks.
From that time the cats became
wilder, until now they are as ferocious
as the terrible creature of the noun
tains. They have increased in size
and changed altogether in disposition.
They are always seen in pairs, and ap.
pear to mate, as all species of the cat
tribe do in the wild state. The cats
live on squirrels, quail and sparrows,
as we'll rs such other small animals and
birds rs they can catch. They are
supplied with water from dozen
springs IN different parts of the island.
In addition to other changes the
wild cats have become hostile to such
tame cats as are brought to the island
from time to time. They will attack
them on sight, and never stop until
thev have killed their victims.
The chief destruction wrought by
the wild cats is on. the quail that in
habit the island. The "artful drum.
mers" used to be there in abundance,
but are now pretty we'll thinned out.
The cats are constantly on the alert,
and not only kill every quail they can
catch, but often destroy whole nests
full of young. To prevent this the
l1ghtkeepers are always on the look
out for wild cats and shoot everyone
that comes anywhere near the house.
AS consequence, the cats keep some
distance away and the quail seem to
know they ale safe in that locality,
for there are more nests there than in
any other part of the island.
Many plans have been tried within
the last few years to rid the island OF
the hungry, carnivorous pests, but
the more they are prosecuted with
shotgun, trap and poison the more
rapidly they seem to multiply.-San
Francisco Call.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

held stra1Snt up ana tne co1a e"oP
with the ends of the broom straws.
"Oh, can do that" said o young
woman, and she took the broom and
began to sweep at the coin. The harder
she swept the tighter the coin stuck to]
the open palm Of the lawyers hand |
One after another, each person at the
party tried to sweep off the coin and
it was an astonishing thing that the
broom would not bulge it.
Since then the trick has spread, and
at nearly party someone shows thd
whisk broom and nickel trick, and il
causes no end of wonder and amuse
ment. Any kind of small coin and any
kind of whisk broom are all that are
needed to show the trick.-Kansaa
Citv Star.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

the crown of the furnace; that each
pipe has distinct pitch (the greater
the better) and finally it may be we'll
to cover The pipes with asbestos IN Or
der to prevent them from losing heat
by radiation. If you have good fur
mace to begin with, do not give up un-
til you have mastered theproblem and
obtained the results you should OBJ
tain.
The accompanying plan is for a
house with hot air heating.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

CONSERVATION. 40 Aouuo u4o oySo
meeting those Of Margaret Smith.
Incapable of speech, he could only
stare upon the seeming apparition, while
Miss Hilton gazed helplessly from his
disturbed face to Margaret's cold, i'm
penetrable one.
Only Margaret was equal to the occa.
sion. She had prepared herself for this
meeting, and advancing toward Brian
with easy self-possession, though with
an Dir and expression that told OF re-
membrance, she took his hand, saying
in rather conventional tones:
1You are welcome to Elmwood, Cousin
Brian, though hope you need no words
Of mine to assure you Of that. I must
beg your pardon for my late appear
ance. Miss Hilton gave you my excuse,
and I am sure her presence more than
| compensated for my absence.
Brian tried to make soma Ineligible
answer, but he was not very successful.
| Margaret was amply revengcd.
He wondered II revenge had been her
| object in bringing him here. just now
| he was willing to believe anything.
Margaret saw his inquiring glance,
and probably guessed his thought. She
| bowed her head, while a deep flush
passed over her face. Then, turning
abruptly with the announcement that
dinner was served, she led the way to
the dining room.
The many excellent dishes failed to
tempt Brisn's appetite. While he found
himself unable to penetrate Margaret's
object in concealing her identity from
him, he had an unpleasant remembrance
OF their last meeting, the despicable
part he had played, and the contempt
| she had manifested toward him.
Miss Hilton watched him narrowly.
She was much mystifed. but with an