davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01
Rodent Plaques
Of Deep-Sea Ships

Of the hundreds of ships that pass in
and out of this port every year there is
not one of them that is not, to greater or
less degree, overrun with rats. Especially
is this the case with wheat-laden ships
and vessels carrying food cargoes. Tho
number of vermin which infest these
vessels is simply incredible. In four
months voyage, which is the average be-
tween this port and Liverpool, the in
crease is SO great as to cause sensible
loss in every cargo of wheat shipped.
The rodents seize upon and destroy
everything upon which their sharp teeth
can make the least impression. The
leather valves of the pumps are favorite
article of diet of the pests whenever extra
precautions are not taken 10 guard against
these depredations. How many wooden
vessels have been lost through rats Dorin &
holes in the hulls will never be known. II is
q danger that is ever present and requires
constant watchfulness on the part of the
skipper to guard against.
No vessel chartered with wheat cargo
fails to bestow day or two before loading
to clearing the hull of rats. A few days
ago the four-masted British ship Strath-
olme, lying off section 8, found such
an operation necessary. Every hole that
would admit a particle of fresh air was
plugged up, the matches battened down as
tight as possible, and then great iron
plates containing sulphur in large quanti-
ties were set on fire and allowed 10 burn
for two days. Then the hull was opened
and the carcasses of the deao rats gath
cred in. Their number was immense.
Full four barrels OF dead rats were thus
secured. 1t was estimated that fully 5000
were caught. This was the crop Of one
round voyage.
In less than year another rat-killing
will be ordered and just as many will be
(. taken then.
Every vessel sailing out of this port un-
Nuergoes this same experience. From this
can be imagined the extent of the pest
ana The immense annoyance and damage
wnlch rats cause to the marine interests
alone.
thus 1t may be seen that these vermin are
enemies to be feared, and that they cause
In the long run perhaps as much devasta-
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01
Boom in Uncle
Sans Arctic Estate

The thirtieth anniversary OF the absorp-
tion OF the Territory of Alaska by the
United States will occur next year, and it
is certain that advantage will be taken of
the fact to draw renewed attention TO the
wonderful resources of that remarkable
region.
The present year makes an era in the
career of the Territory. For the first time
the Government has made the attempt to
give some sort of mail service to the in
terror points and has been fairly success
full in so doing. The mail is now carried
by paid officers of the Government, and
not depending upon the chance traveller
for its delivery. The great religious de-
nominations. recognizing the future posi-
bilities of Alaska as the home of large
population, have turned their attention to
the north and established schools, hospi-
tails and churches for civilizing the ma
tives and giving them instruction in moral
principles.
The 81, 500, 900 paid for the territory was
really and automatically the reward given
Russia for the moral support she accorded
this country at a critical period OF the
War of the Rebellion. If the diplomats
who thus disposed of territory embrac-
ing upward of 100000 square mics at a
cost of about 1z cents acre had known
wat the resources of Alaska in the year of
grace 1897 would be II is more than proba-
BILE that less unwillingness on the part of
Russia in disposng and the United States
in receiving this vast territory would have
been exhibited.
The season has closed in Alaska for
1896, and the reports of commerce enable
an estimate to be made of the years
productiveness, From the fisheries a
total OF So, SOC. 900 has been realized; from
the mines an estimate of So, ,000, 900 is con-
sidered about the actual result, and from
furs another million is added, SO that from
three industries alone the aggregate
amounts to So, 500 900. This leaves out OF
consideration the v hale fishery, which is
valued at half million dollars year.
and lum ber, which is the ultimate source
from which the supplies of the coast must
be obtained.
In consequence of the influx of miners
into the Yukon ana Cooks Inlet, Alaska
has received greater influx of citizans
than ever before. Probably an addition
of one third has been made to the popula-
| ton of the Territory in the last year. The
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01
Queer Substitutes for Bullets.

When hunter in the old days lost all
his bullets, or hadn't any to shoot with
he usually devised substitutes that on oc-
caslon served the purpose veil. All sorts
of things have been fired at game or In
dians, as the case might be The New
York Sun says that old Hank Ellison. liy-
ing up in Jefferson County, N. Y, told to
his dying day how he was cooped up by
Indians out West once with little lead.
lots of powder, a belt full of gold nuggets.
fine rife and bullet-mold. 1t was on
the top OF knoll where his log cabin had
been built, and he had a barrel of water
and lot of wood for emergencies. The
Indians Kept just out of range, dashing in
once in a while to draw his fire. He soon
used his bullets up, and then used be
gold. He fired nearly half his fortune at
the redskins before they left him.
Many hunter has used pebble in the
hope of getting a close deadly shot.
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01
1t Would Happen if They Were Hunted by Boys HmedW
Antique Weapons From the Museum

the menacing stranger from the land OF
the bushmen and the black "bush track
ers," the intimate of the cannibals OF
New Guinea, that travesty and sport OF
Mother Nature, combining the agility OF
the grasshopper and some of its playful
habits of iocomotion with the temp r of
Satan an d the speed and strength of the
wild horse of Arabia. Is not the kanga-
fellow generally?
These thoughts caused paternaI and ma
ternal pulses 10 quicken. Babies by the
scores and hundreds and thousands were
left squalling and wailing, while the
fathers and mothers, finding that the
nursegirls and servant-girls had already
fled, hurried valorously to the park to
calamity take part in any wlld-beast
melee necessary to rescue their threatened
offspring. In brief, the City was de-
serted, for it had moved en- masse to- the
park. The serried mothers and fathers
swept down upon the thin line of the
military Gordon and swept them away as
chaff flies before the wind.
Then there ensued such scenes as would
make Comanche smile and a crusader
chuckle. Straight to their prey, led by
unerring maternal instinct; looking not
for trails or paths. reeklng not of big griz-
zlies, hopping hangaroos, charging buffa-
loes or deers with branching and sharp
pointed antlers, onward rushed regiments
and army corps of eager women. Quicker
than it could be told small boys, wearing
casques and visors drawn and generally
appareled in a fantastic way, were thrown
over maternal knees and spanked, while
armor ratified and small boys walled lus-
tily.
From the quiver of famous old Tecumseh
Mrs. Smith shook out blood-stained ar.
rows as she whirled her 12-year-old son
about il dizzy and compulsory dance
on air, the wampum charms of Sangam
mon and the snake-skin pouch of bloody
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

thought would prevent the grizzly from
scratching him with its awful claws ii it
should come to hand-to-hand, man-to-
bear stand-up fight. In his grasp he had
two-handed sword with a blade three
and half feet long. He had on Captain
Kidd's belt, and in it were pistols and
dirks enough to furnish small arsenal.
Not far away, with his ear applied to
the ground, after the fashion OF the Deer
Slayer" of whom Fenimore Cooper tells,
"Get-there Harry" another newsboy,
listened, resplendent in headdress of Sioux
war feathers, his face smeared with park
mud, and hoarsely said: "Ah, ha; it's
hel l hear de twig crack. 'Tis de cop
and I'd better scoot." Forth he Jared.
decorated with Prince Edward cross
bow, which was ssfoaded with sfugs, and
with a quiver full of barbed and bone
headed arrows from Esquimaux land.
Some ones curly headed darling, whose
long wavy hair of silken texture had won
him the name of Buffalo Bill" two
minutes after he entered this wild beast
arena, stalked abroad horrid with battle
ak over his shoulder and with a Zulu
shield over his brave bosom. The battle
ak had helve four feet long and what
with the weight of the ponderous blade
he could hardly stagger along.
Sioux, Apaches, Zunis, Cheyennes,
Modocs, Arapaho S. Zulus, Esquimau,
South Sea Islanders. cannibal,, pirates,
mighty hunters of old, minute men, OF
'76, who fought at Lexington, Pequots.
Niantics, Crows, Blackfeet, Mandans,
Cortez. Pizzaro, Crus aders, Saladin, Moors,
Mohegans, Arabs, Turks, Saracens.all
seemed to have lived TO furnish glory for
the boys on this occasion. There was one
lad who strutled about in a Continental
uniform with old time sword, which was
drawn and ready "to stab de bear wid.'
Where did the animals all GO? The
grizzly ambled leisurely out toward Mayor
Sutro's The buffaloes started to browse
in herd on green and inviting bed OF
ornamental foliage until the newsboy
''wild West party" on the parks donkeys
rushed at them as fast as they could make
the donkeys trot. Then they were off like
wind.
Gee" yelled the boys, "jest see 'em GO.
Bring out de cannon and wen NOW down
de Drove"
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

cars of the Haight, McAllister, Hayes, !
Geary. Sutter. Clay and Jackson street lines.
They filled hacks and ambulances snd e1-
press-wagons. Long before they reached
the west end of the panhandle they heard
the hurrahing and shouting of boys, and
tancied they heard the whistling OF mu-
scum arrows and the clash OF museum
spears on museum shields.
Hardly had they arrived on the scene,
when the First Regiment OF the National
Guard Of California and the Naval Reserve,
who were having a joint parade, were on
the scene. The military men We're. STA
toned at all the park exits, not 20 pre-
vent the breaking out OF the thoroughly
intimidated and venerable wild beasts,
but to prevent more boys from breaking
in to Join in the hunt. As it was some OF
the boys crawled between tie soldiers
| and got into the park, and made mad
rush for bows and arrows and armor and
metallic helmets
The police were so busy chasing "the
kids" all over the park that they had left
the museum unguarded. Most of the his
toric halberds, pixies, South Sea Island
war clubs, crossbows of the days of WAL
| lace and Bruce, two o-handed swords, real
battle-axes, spears, darts, Zulu shields and
assegais and war-feather headdresses had
been seized with Joyous whoop early in
the proceedings by the newsboys who
were out in the park on picnic.
But the later corners found flintlock
muskets of the days of 1776. guns and
fowling-pieces of the seventeenth century,
queer old fintlock pistols by the score
ashes and belts supposed to have been
worn by Captain Kidd and his crew, or
some other equally daring buccaneers: cut
asses and rusty sabers, with hicks in
them; Daniel Boone's gun, with his record
Clipped into the stock of it; scalping-
knives and tomahawks; armor, such as
was worn by the crusaders. The babes who
were too young to wear armor found
drums. One of these drums was as long
as half barrel and cylindrical, with uni
form diameter from sheepskinned top to
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

difficulty of procuring exact estimates of
the value of Alaska productions in the
earlier years of the occupation by the
United States makes it difficult 10 get at
the true value, but authorities are unani-
nous in the conviction that Alaska has
paid for itself ten times over in her pro-
ductions OF the past thirty years. This
estimate is regarded as extremely conser-
vative.
The year 1897 will see continuance of
the immigration of miners to the Yukon.
The sources of the placer gold taken
from the headwaters of that mighty stream
have not yet been discovered. The search
for the quartz deposits of the Yukon will
be prosecuted more eagerly than ever
next year. These undoubtedly exist, and
there is no climatic difficulty why, when
once discovered, these mines cannot be
operated during the entire year. rail.
road TO the headwaters of the Yukon is
one of the possibilities of the next few
years, and its construction presents no es-
peciai difficulties. There. the quartz de-
posirs, which extend to the remotest limit
of the chain OF mountains, south, begin,
and their discovery will make new epoch
in the history of that Territory.
The people of Alaska, under the leader
ship OF the Governor, propose an exposi.
ton at Sitka next year, and are preparing
for the event through agents to all accessi-
BILE points. The aborigines have been in-
ylted to contribute their choicest speci-
mems of art, and all dwellers OF the Terri
tory will be asked their assistance in max
| ing a full exhibit of the wonderful re-
sources of the dependency. Such an ex-
hibition would be unique. novel and at
tractive, and draw TO it the attention of
/ the whole United States. Thousands of
| travellers in search of new sensation
would embrace the opportunity of visit
ing the land that inevitably, at no distant
date, is to be the scene of great develop
ment.
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

Then it was that the two historic can
non came from the museum and were
placed in charge of an artillery COM
pany, - who found powder somewhere and
loaded up their guns with paper wads and
round stones from the museum, stones
which came from a sacrificial pyre erected
by the ancient Aztecs. These boys ''stood
to their guns" until Captain Thomson
swooped down upon them with mounted
squad.
Meanwhile the hunt went merrily on
over hill and dale. The boys hunted the
wild animals and the police hunted the
boys to protect the wild animals from
harm. The news becoming generally dis
persed the people of the City left their
homes and shops and stores and offices
and poured nickels into the streetcar treas
ury of Mr.. Huntingten's Market-street
railway system at an alarming rate.
People rode on the roofs of the cars and
chung on by the eyelids" to get there.
The news spread across the bav and all
the people came in from Alameda, Santa
Clara, Contra Costa, Marin and San Mateo
counties. The big hotels were cleared of
guests The cooks and walters threw
down their aprons and culinary imple-
ranges. Finally even the ferry-boats and
streetcar lines were abandoned by their
crews, who could no longer stand the
strain.
In horrid fancy the perturbed people
heard the fierce growls of the grizzly and
the sErieks of small children who were
being chased UP a tree. Perhaps. ahi |
perhaps even now native sons and native
daughters were being torn by cruel claws
and their tender linn be were being crunched
by the terrible teeth of the bear. Faces
blanched and hands trembled at the
thought of the buffaloes.
Those ponderous hirsute masses, the
once undisputed and lordly monarchs of
the vast and occan-wide prairies, what
might not the fierce buffaloes do? Under
tAeir spurning feet the green sward might
be torn as with lowered heads they rushed
madly onward 10 annihiate whole battal-
ions of small boys at once. who thought it
the best of fun, in their ioolhardiness, to
"hunt the buffalo" in the armor OF the
dark ages.
Then the malicious, hopping kangaroo,
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

Ting.a-ling- a-ling-a-ling-a- -a-ling.
"Hellor'
"Who is that?"
"The Chief of Police"
VERY we'll. This is Captain Thomson
of the park police. The wild animals out
in Golden Gate Park have all broken
loose
Hold on Is the Quercus suberosa on
the rampage?"
81 don't understand"
"How about the fearful Leptos permum
ericiioliaP Is that ravening animal loose Pr
''Is that the Chief talking?"
''Yes. and l want 10 know if in the horrid
procession are the Achyranthus verschaf-
fellatis, the Casuarina quadrivalvus, the
Spergula pilifera, the Guaphalium lana
tum, the Lonlcera symphoricarpus, the
era eGus oxyacantha and the Mesem bry-
anthemum cordifolium?"
"Why, Chief there are no such animals
out here"
Yes, there are. l am reading their
names out of a report of the Park Com
missioners."
"Oh, you make me tired. Those are the
names of plants"
"Eh, what? So they are. That's what
comes from studying Latin by the light OF
campaign Roman candle. But what's
the matter? The animals will not hurt
any one."
That's not it. The kids have broken
into the memorial museum and have got
out spears, battle-axes, crossbows, bows
and arrows, and are Just dragging out two
popgun cannons, and are singing We'll
Hunt the Buffalo"
'Great ScottP' said the Chief, "supposs
the kids should really hurt those venera-
bic animals, We'd have Holbrook and
the whole Society for the Prevention O.
Cruelty to Animals after US, and there are
not enough iails in San Francisco to hold
all the kids" The perspiration rolled
down his face in great drops.
Hurry up" shouted Thomson, 'the
grizzly bear is on his way to the Cliff tc
make call on Mayor Sutro, and fifty kids
in arnlor are on the trail. They have
pressed into service all of the park donkeys
and have coaxed them into run"
"Coaxed the donkeys into a run, 81
groaned the Chief, then, indeed, will Hol
brook be after US. But how did the ami.
mails get out?"
Five minutes laIer every policeman in
San Francisco had received notice to go to
Golden Gate Park. They filled all the
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

sheepskinned bottom. Another was
shaped much like a toadstool and was
once used by Zuui Indians.
"Hurrahi there he is" burst forth a
chorus of youthful voices in the brush.
"Yi, see the buffalo skip" answered the
other boys.
Above the shouts OF the eager young
hunters was heard the beating OF the Zuni
war drum and of the drums which once
stirred the martial heart of Miles Standish.
Every hill, every copse and bit of tam
gIed brushwood, every drive, pedestrian
path and lovers lane swarmed and ran
over with boys. Wherever the police cap
tured one who might be menace to the
animals forty other boys seemed to spring
up in his place, for the news spread among
the boys from North Beach TO Bay View
and from the Barhary Coast TO Richmond
with lightning speed, and there was not
one boy in town who did not want to take
part in hunt royal In which the animals
to he captured were:
Ursus major, to wit, one grizzly bear.
Buffaloes, eight of them, old and young.
Back-tailed deer to the number of
thirty.
Elks. just sixteen of them.
Jumping kangaroo, only one, but he
twas dandy
Moose. one big fellow.
Mountain sheep, one. bah! he was no
good for fight"
Mule deer, two.
Spotted deer, two
White-taile deer. four.
Was there boy in San Francisco who
had not his fondest wish gratifiedp Not
one who managed TO squeeze into the park
and who thought that he had chance to
capture, single handed, the bear. and go
laundering down through the corridors of
time as Grizzly Bear Bob, the boy hero
of the Pacific For every boy was bound
/ to hunt the grizzly first, the buffalo second
and the kangaroo third and the deer when
he got time for it. There was not boy
of them who did not turn pale every time
that he thought he heard a growl, and
there was not boy of them who thought
of running away.
Strange apparitions there were among
the bushes. Here was "Slinky Bob" the
newsboy, with pewter helmet on his
head and full suit of armor, which he
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

Amsterdam has been negotiating for the
acquisition of the gas, water, telephone
and tramway companies. The sharehold-
ers of the water company have been pfac-
tically forced 10 sell their property to the
municipality at a sacrifice of more than
two-thirds of the share capital. The ex-
pertinent of municipalizing all such pub
lie undertakings seems likely to be carried
out thoroughly.
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

ton and destruction of life as the coun-
try's battl's. If the property loss through
the ceaseless work of rodents could be cal
culated it would mount up annually to a
sum of astonishing magnitude.
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01
DO NOT TEASE THE BEAR OR THROW
ANYTHING WITHIN THE ENCLOSURE.

So he is safe from the boys. and the po-
lice achieved, with the help OF the popu-
lace, and especially through the aid of the
mothers OF San Francisco, a glorious
victory. The armor and arms have been
restored to their places in the park mu-
scum.
The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01

| King Philip of the Narragansetts and the
war plumes of Shacknasty Jack busting
the main drive while Smith junior, I'M
afraid of the monarch oil the Businesses of
the Sierra, opened his mouth wide and
yelled like somebody being tortured by
redskins at the stake.
What the police could not do the
mothers accomplished with neatness and
dispatch. They brought down small boys
from trees and captured them as they
were chasing the deer around the islands
in Sow Lake, the fierce young hunters,
pausing with arrow on bowstring and
spear drawn back to throw. The maternal
command did this. So finally into the
concourse fronting the music-stand was
rounded up rare collection of knights,
Fiji and other warriors, deersayers and
elizziy bear hunters amateur hunters of
the Australian bush country, Wampanoags
and SO on, all in miniature.
The bad boys did not seem to be as easily
caught as the good boys. They had to be
corralled between lines of policemen and
mothers and fathers. Then they dropped
lariats, doub. e-ended war clubs, poisoned
darts and all TIE toggery which makes
the Mjdwinter Memorial Fair Museum
HoleWortHy. AL dI OHce tne lOuo mOtneIS
got scare. They skedaddled with their
charges in all directions.
Just at dusk the buffaloes, deer and
kangaroo, having kept out of the way all
day, stole shamefacedly back to their
comfortable pen, where there was enough
| to eat and drink and no bad boys to hunt
them and make them afraid. The grizzly
was lassoed by the park police and placed
once more in his den. He had lunched at
Mayor Sutro's grounds on Two or three
dogs, but he did not care much for dog.
Now the horrid bear is protected by a
sign bearing this inscription:
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-01

People used to dig such roots as dan
delion, sarsaparilla, yellow dock. etc.
etc, every spring and brew home made
root beer from them. This home made
beer was used as a tonic and beverage
by the whole family. just as soon as
they could get the roots out of the
ground in the spring. Nowadays and
for many years past, Williams Root
Beer Extract has taken the place of
the root digging and brewing process.
as it saves great deal of time and
trouble, and contains in concentrated
form all the valuable roots and herbs
that were used by the old folks years
ago.
The sale of Williams Root Beer En-
tract has increased year by year. I'M
til 1t has become a leading article in
thousands of stores. and many deal
efs buy several gross at once, in or
der to supply the large demand.
Inc fact that root beer was in de-
mand has led to the manufacture and
sale of many limitations of root beer
that contain no roots. In buying root
peer extract you should buy the kind
that will do the system good. by i'm
proving the appetite and aiding diyes-
tlon. Williams Root Beer Extract can
De relied upon. as it is the production
of the well known Drug House The
williams 4 Carleton Co. of Hartford
june1d&w1t
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-01
Farm Notes.

The following table of analyses made
under the direction of Prof. c. A.
Goessmann in the department of chem
istry at the agricultural college shows
the varying value of 13 samples received
at the station previous to April 1st.
All but one sample from Lowell.
We're within guarantee. The figures
show variation in moisture from 1.3
per cent to 23.3 per cent. The potas-
SUM oxide varies from "a to eight, and
the amount of phosphate acid shows
extremes of less than one to over four
per cent.