davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
OBSERVATION TOWERS.
Erected In Ohio by Members Of
the Geodetic Society.
A Line ON the Earth's shape-The One
In the United States Is tho Only
One Running East and West
Scientific Speculations.

Brown county and it's sisters, Cler-
mont and Adams counties, O., have
within their borders three towers,
the erection of which, with the sur
veying, the building and experiments,
occupied IL years of time and cost $780,
600. For some reason, perhaps the COM
paratiye remoteness from news centers,
perhaps because of the reticence of
those interested in the matter, the story
of these towers down on the mountains
and plains of the counties named, only
60 miles from Cincinnati, has never
been made public.
Three of these towers were erected,
after much surveying, by a party con.
sisting of five men, who wore a sort
of undress uniform; a lady, the wife of
one of the party, and another man,
dressed in civilian clothes, who APP
peared to be the paymaster of the band.
They were evidently persons of re-
fnement, and they boarded at the best
country houses in the sections in which
they were at work. They were very
pleasant, agreeable people and well
liked by their hosts, but they talked
little, and only of their work. The
farmer people, unfortunately, kept no
record of them; not even their names
being remembered.
The first tower was erected about
three miles from Bethel, Clermont coun-
ty, on the plateau. The land through
the southern part of Ohio is several
hundred feet higher than the river.
This tower was 136 feet high and was
arranged with an interior stairway,
leading to the platform on top of the
structure. The tower was not expen-
sive, so far as material was concerned,
but was costly, because the hauling and
the dressing of the timber required
much expenditure.
The second tower was built on Ash
Ridge, in Brown county, ten miles from
the Bethel structure. 1t was 140 feet
above the elevation, and was in no way
different from the Bethel tower. The
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09

being that the new force is so vast and
powerful that after years of labor he is
just completing the mastery of the
rudiments of it's principles and nature.
He promises, however, that early in the
year 1896 it's powers will be given
public and ample demonstration.
Probably 100000 have been spent by
the stockholders in the company organ
lied twenty-odd years ago to put the
Kelly discoveries to the test, and these
gentlemen are themselves ignorant of
the exact nature of the force. The be-
lief is very general that the whole thing
is gigantic delusion, and yet there are
scientific men of high standing who do
not so denounce it. Several mechanical
experts of excellent repute, moreover,
have declared from personal investiga
tions in Keely's laboratory in Philadel-
phia that results are shown there which
could not have been produced by COM
pressed air or steam, by draulic pressure
or electricity.
These results are interesting. An
eyewitness has seen ten-pound weights
iiobo up ihi No"h, puuoS' eiid iiAO'S III
various directions in a jar of water, with
no apparent influence brought to bear
on them except that of musical notes
given on a tuning-fork and repeated
and reinforced by musical apparatus
near by. Apparently by this same
strange means a steel shell weighing
several tons was raised from the floor
to the top of tripod six feet high,
there being no mechanical apparatus
in view but small box which was con-
nected with the shell by wire. Ac-
cording to the philosophy by which
Keely explains these strange phenom.
ena, every mass has it's musical chord,
and if this chord is struck so that there
will be more than 10000 vibrations in d
second the force of gravity will be
overcome and the weight will become
obedient to the influences of the music
al notes. Of course, this seems absurd,
and yet the results remain. Scientific
men have been astonished and puzzled;
capitalists have invested their money
The .Keely motor, says Demorest's
Magazine, is either monumental fraud
or one of the greatest discoveries the
world has yet known. Either contin-
gency makes Keely, who is large man
of impressive presence, one of the re-
markable figures of the century.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09

by those who were frequent
visitors at the white house dur
ing its occupancy by Mr.. Har-
rison and his family. Mrs. Dimmick
now resides in New York, and, it is in
timated, is the magnet which draws the
distinguished statesman so frequently
to that city. She is the niece of the
late Mrs. Harrison and her presence
added much to the charm of the social
life of the last administration. She was
extremely popular and scarcely less
esteemed than Mrs. Harrison, whose
graciousness and sweetness of manner
won the friendship of all who met her.
Mrs. Harrison died October 25, 1892, and
through the long and tedious illness
her devoted husband was greatly as
sisted in his patient vigils at her bed
side by Mrs. Dimmick.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
GREAT BRITA1N's NAVY.
Mice and Bank Notes.

Among the recently presented bank
notes for redemption at Washington
were bills amounting to $2,75O, which
composed the nest of mouse. The bills
were nibbled at the edges, 500 and
$500 bills, but not mutilated so as to
prevent their redemption. Mice like
nothing better than bank bill for
nest-making. The writer once assist
ed an old Cincinnati merchant to find
a mysterious robber of his money draw
er. We found a crack in the back
of the drawer, and about Is feet
away a mouse nest, made entirely
of bills nicely laid out, and lined with
cotton, and the bills but little dam
aged.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09

a special mission to the same court,
while his last appointment to foreign
courts was that of Harrison, who sent
him to Europe to negotiate several rec
iprocity treaties.
1t was upon the resignation of Mr..
Blaine that he was made secretary of
state. In addition to this diplomatic
experience he has been counsel for sew
eral of the foreign legations at Wash
ington. 1t was at the end of his service
in the state department at Washington
that he started on trip around the
world, and stopping in China he was
entertained by Lii Hung Chang. The
impression created was so great that
he was sent as special representative
to conclude treaty of peace with Japan.
1t was for this service that he is said to
have received the comfortable fee of
100000. u....urr.s .r.... .....
Mr.. Foster as a private citizen is a
man of little ostentation. He makes
no capital of his varied achievements
either on the diplomatic field or on the
field of war, for he was actively engaged
in several battles of the civil war, and
had command of regiments. He was
equipped for the practice of law in the
Harvard law school, and made a special
study of international law. For time
he edited paper and later rose to the
dignity OF postmaster of his town.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09

d. Willis James and his son, Arthur
Curtis James, the latter graduate of
Amherst. The Coronet is famous for
her victorious race across the ocean
with the Dauntless in 1886.
The total eclipse of 1896 will have be-
tween two and three minutes of dark
ness, and to take advantage of this
astronomers from the United States,
England, France, Germany and Italy
will travel thousands of miles, carrying
fine and cumbersome instruments with
them. Not one of the parties, how
ever, will have the mechanical facilities
which will be possessed by the Amherst
expedition, because none will have the
advantage of an entire yacht for the
transportation of the apparatus. The
boats cruise is likely to cost something
like $4,000, all for a two-minutes'
glimpse of the phenomena of an eclipse
or such it would have been not many
years ago, when astronomers had to
write out descriptions of and sketch
what they saw. Prof. Todd has arranged
n mechanism by which he can connect
as many telescopes and cameras as he
may please, and can control their oper-
atoms as Photographic apparatus. He
will make the photographs of the
corona and total eclipse for pictorial
purposes and to measure the intensity
of the corona and the light in every
part.
Mr.. James present plans are to board
the Coronet with his friends and asso-
ciates about May 1. They will be six
or seven weeks in reaching Yezo. They
will stop only at Honolulu, where they
will remain week or more. At Yezo
Prof. Todd and his workers will disem-
bark and set about getting the astro-
nomical apparatus in place, and Mr.. and
Mrs. James, Mrs. Todd, and their
friends will make a tour of Japan, re-
turning to Yezo before the eclipse.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
Vegetarian Matrimonial Agency.

The German papers are poking fun
at the announcements of matrimonial
agency which has been started by vege-
tarians, and to which none but fruit,
root and vegetable eaters need apply.
The advertisements are certainly very
funny. A workman who says he
knows exactly what his destiny will
be- wishes to meet with vege-
tartan lady prepared for fruit diet and
emigration" An advertiser who signs
himself Honest Poverty" desires to
correspond with vegetarian lady OF
"good landed estate and childish dis
position" The touching appeal of a
spinster reads: "a vegetarian maiden,
position" The touching appeal of a
faithful heart for young husband,
willing to live by the fruits of the
EARTH" ,WWsH#|I ,"at .r.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09

1885,, and at the age of three
years came with his parents
to Olge county, Ill. He was ed
ucated at Mount Morris college and at
Asbury university. He was elected to
the 47th congress to fill vacancy, and
was successfully reelected to the 4Sth,
10th, 50th, 51st, SD, SD and 54th con-
crosses. He is a man of fine appear
ance, an eloquent speaker and most
agreeable gentleman. In his youth he
was an official stenographer at the cap
itol, and his familiarity with men and
events of the war period supplies him
with a rich fund of "reminiscences. He
is Mr.. Reeds most intimate friend in
the house, and the two are almost in
separable.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
PLANT TRAPS INSECTS.
Lures Them with Honey and
Then Destroys Them.
After Dispatching Its Victims 1t Reopens
Its Wings and Throws the Skel-
eton Out-As Rare as 1t Is
Wonderful.

Venus flytrap is the name of very
curious plant on exhibition at the
flower show in the Grand Central
palace at New York. 1t is a pretty, un-
assuming little plant, but with blood
thirsty tastes all out of keeping with
its modest appearance. The Dionaea
Inuscipula feeds on flies, mosquitoes,
ants, in fact any insect which comes
within it's treacherous embrace.
1t is not content with unwary insects
which may happen to alight on its
dangerous leaves, but deliberately en-
tees them by eXuding a kind of honey
from the edges of the fatal traps. These
little traps are two soft, downy leaves,
which hinge together on one side. They
are fringed with delicate bristles which
look like eyelashes on two very wide
open eyelids.
There is absolutely nothing to excite
the suspicion of an insect visitor, even
the willy mosquito. Lured by the honey
on the edge of the trap the luckless in
sect alights on the bristles and pre-
pares for a meal. 1t never gets any
further, for at the touch of the insects
feet the bristles fly back like lightning,
and the two leaves come together, in
closing the fly between their walls.
The bristles interlock like the fingers
of clasped hands, thus rendering es-
cape impossible. Under the stimulus
of the prisoners struggles the numer-
Gus glands on the inside walls of the
trap pour forth secretion which con-
tains some substance like pepsin. 1t is
in fact a vegetable gastric juice, and
under it's influence the unfortunate in
sect gradually melts away-is digested
alive in fact. When the juices of its
prey have been extracted the trap re-
opens and the skeleton and wings are
thrown out. This is how the plant
lives, although when flies are scarce it
can manage to get along on a vege-
tartan diet, which is supplied by the
roots.
Venus fly trap is a perennial plant,
and the leafess stem rises from n ro-
settle of root leaves. 1t runs from six to
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
Phosphorus in the Brain.

The human brain contains a consid-
cradle proportion of phosphorus, vary
ing from one-twentieth to one
thirtieth of the entire mass. If the
average weight of the Caucasian brain
be taken at 47k ounces, it will then con-
tain an amount of phosphorus amount
ing FRONT 7-12 to 2ss ounces. Acurious
fact regarding this phosphorus in the
human brain is that it is almost
entirely wanting in the brain matter OF
idiots. 1t has also been noted that the
brain power depends to some extent
at least, on the number and depth of the
.convolutions in the brain mass. Halter
says: The lower we descend in the
scale of intelligence the fewer and shall
lower these convolutions become."-
Philadelphia Inquirer.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09

| EaDQJARTERs OF THE CoNFEDERACY.
fall of the confederacy as it is possible
| to make it.
"The White House" is one of the old
| est and handsomest residences in Rich
mond 1t was built by Judge Broken
| borough, a well-known lawyer and
wealthy citizen, nearly so years ago.
The mantels, of which so much has
been written, were imported from Eu-
rope, and are of Carrara marble, carved
in caryatides supporting shells filled
with flowers. This house was bought
for $4,000 by the city from Louis d.
Crenshaw, and was presented to Mr..
Davis as a gift. Mr.. Davis declined to
accept it on those terms, but consented
to make it his residence during his life
time. Upon the entrance of the federal
troops into the city after the evacuation
Gen. Weitzel and his officers rode
straight to this house, and constituted
it the headquarters of the northern
troops. Candy and Ord also used the
house IN this capacity during the period
that Virginia passed through the stages
of reconstruction.
1t is proposed to assign room to
each of the seeding states for a COL
lection of relics, and in addition there
will be q large room for general mu-
scum and one for a library. The first
of the state collections-that of Geor-
gia-has been received. 1t was pre-
scented to the committee by Mr.. De
! Reune on the seth birthday of President
Davis (June, 1894. Among the relics
are the cape, gauntlets and sword of
Gen. Lee; the plumes from Gen.
Stuart's hat; the spy-glass used by
Gen. Beauregard at the battle of Man
assas, and the collections from The
various soldiers homes established
through the south, including the Lee
Camp Soldiers home collection, which
contains, in addition to very many rare
and interesting relics, the skin of
Stonewall Jackson's charger. There
are also a number of manuscripts and
private papers.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
FINEST FLY CATCHER IN THE WORLD.

ten inches in height and is of very
delicate growth, soon dying of the
slightest injury to its stem or root.
w. A. Manda, the expert florist, who
has made many collections Of the plant
for various botanical societies, says
that it is to be found in only two spots
in the world-around Wilmington, n.
c., and Raleigh, n. c. In ten years, he
says, it will be probably extinct, and
is even now exceedingly rare.
Strangely enough, plant inclosed
so that no insects can get to it, will
live longer and thrive better than one
well supplied with flies. A flesh diet
renders it exceedingly delicate, and
furnishes another argument for the
Vegetarian society. Darwin analysed
the juices of the trap and found that
they resembled the gastric juices in an
animal, giving an acid reaction and dis
solving rapidly small pieces of beef,
cheese, etc.
The muscles actuating the lids of the
traps strongly resemble in their action
those of human being. By making an
incision and dividing what seemed to
answer for nerves in the stalk of the
the trap the leaves became paralyzed
and would not shut. These facts appear
to show that the Venus fly trap comes
nearer to animal life than any form of
vegetation known.
Many scientists have studied the
plant and say that it undoubtedly
thrives on juices of the slaughtered in
sects. Mr.. Manda, who is an authority
on the plant, says that the idea of the
plant living thus is all nonsense, and
claims that the insects are responsible
for the killing of the plant. The So
called gastric juice is, he says, natures
effort in behalf of the plant to get rid
of the intruder. He is unable to explain,
however. why the fly trap spreads at,
fractions TO beguile the insects to their
doom. ... .-.-
Audubon says that lie saw specimens
in Florida of the Dionaea of enormous
size and big enough to digest birds
Nobody else has seen them. The gen,
eral impression is that he was mis-
taken.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
CONGRESSMAN HIT.
The New Chairman of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee.

Affairs Committee.
Robert Roberts Hit, chairman of the
committee on foreign affairs of the
house of representatives, is an ideal
statesman, sufficiently aggressive to
be in touch with the sentiments of the
people, and conservative enough to be
absolutely safe. He is born diplomat,
which gift, supplemented with seven
years experience as first secretary of
legation and part of the time charge
d'affaires in Paris, few months as as
sistant secretary of state, some years
service on the committee on foreign
affairs in the house, and two years it's
capable chairman, makes him essential
ly the fit man for the place. Mr.. Hit
was born at Urbana, o., January 16.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
Bishop vincent's La test idea.

Thelatest Chautauqua projects Bish,
op Vincent's Hall of Christ" which is
to be devoted wholly to Him who is the
center of our civilization" as DR.. Vim
cent says. The hall is to contain a hall
where the life of Christ can be studied,
with seats for 800, a library containing
nothing but lives of Christ, and a gal
lery for paintings and engravings of
scenes in the life of Christ.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09

third tower was built at Peach noun
like 900 feet above the river surface.
At this station the party fingered long
est. 1t was their rule to go away about
November 1 and not return until late
in May.
When the towers were finished sew
eral young men in the vicinity were en-
ployed to work large mirrors with long
handles. A stationary mirror stood on
pedestal shielded from the weather.
The visitors were regarded as lunatics,
bu the work was continued. The ed
itor of the Georgetown News-Democrat
recently spent some time looking into
the matter, and this is the ,informa-
ton he obtained:
The strangers were representatives of
what is known in geographical circles
as the Geodetic society, whose object
is to determine the exact shape of the
earth running east and west. There
are two or three north and south lines.
Russia has the longest line ever run,
from the Black sea to the northern linn
it of the kingdom. There is one India
run by England, and France and Eng
land together have one in Scotland, ex-
tending to the Balearic islands. The
United States is the only land with
sufficient east and west country on
which line can be run. 1t is the gen
eral belief that the world is flat at the
poles. These lines will be used to de-
termine the exact shape of the earth.
1t is claimed that next summer mes
sages will be flashed by mirror from
the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
MAN OF MANY PARTS.
John w. Foster, Soldier, Diplomat, States
man and Scholar.

EX-Secretary of State John w. Foster,
of Indiana, is especially a diplomat.
Almost every administration from the
time of Grant has recognized his special
aptitude.in this field and has given him
some appointment to foreign courts.
1t rarely falls to the lot of diplomat
to hold more than one position, but Mr..
Foster has had no less than six. Presi-
dent Grant made him minister to Mexi-
co. President Hayes took him from that
court and sent him to st. Petersburg.
President Arthur picked him out for the
court of Spain and sent him thither.
President Cleveland once sent him on
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
THE KELLY MOTOR.
General Interest Has Been Revived In That
Mechanical Mystery.


Mechanical Mystery.
The announcement that John Jacob
Astor has evinced great interest in the
Kelly motor has revived general inter
est in that mechanical mystery, which
has been under discussion in the scien-
tific world for quarter of a century.
It's inventor, John Il. w. Kelly, claims
that he has discovered new motive
power, which he can apply practically
in his motor and which will, at an ex-
ceedingly' low cost, draw loads, raise
weights, evolve light and heat, and, in
general, supplant steam and other mo-
tive forces. Despite the time he has
been at work on it, Keely has not as yet
been able to adapt the motor to practi-
cal uses, his reason for this inability
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
Russia's Nayipable Waters.

The latest reliable statistics are said
to show that Russia has now in Europe
$4,000 miles of navigable rivers and
canals-that is to say, 5000 miles more
than all the rest of Europe-and that
her river flotilla, using these water
ways is quite double that of Germany
and enabled her to carry during tho
last six months 30,oo0,00o tons moro
goods by water than by rail.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
CONFEDERATE MUSEUM.
To he Established In the Jefferson Davii
House In Richmond.


Within short time the old home in
Richmond of Jefferson Davis will be
thrown open to the public as confed-
crate museum. The white House of
the Confederacy," as the mansion is
called, has been the property of the
city of Richmond for many years, and
lately has been used as a schoolhouse.
In 1890 an organization known as the
Confederate Memorial and Literary So
ciety was formed, and soon after made
q proposition to the city which ended
in that society securing control of the
house for the purpose of opening there
in a museum and library. The neces-
sary repairs have been almost COM
pleted and the building is as nearly in
the condition it was at the time of the
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
LONG telegraph Line.

The longest telegraph line in the
world, above ground and without a
break, has just been completed in Aus
tralia. The line runs from Rockhamp-
ton, in Queensland, to Boone, in west
ern Australia, and crosses about two
thirds of the entire continent. The
total length is something over 5000
miles.
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
THE coRoNET's MISSION.
Yacht Departs for Japan ON Scientific Pur-
pose Bent.

Yacht Departs for Japan on Scientific Pur-
pose Bent.
The schooner yacht Coronet left New
York for Japan recently. She is under
charter to convey the Amherst college
scientific party to Akeshi Zezo, japan.
She is manned by IA men, under coma.
mand of Capt. C. S. Crosby, who has had
charge of her since she was built. She
will sail for San Francisco direct, and
Capt. Crosby believes she will reach
that city early in March.
Prof. David P. Todd and q party of
IA Amherst college professors will
board the Coronet there and start ut
once for japan. Their mission is to 90
serve the total eclipse of the sna on
August 9. The Coronet was placed at
the disposal of the party by the owners,
Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-01-09
Satisfaction Either way.

A famous advocate confessed himselfg
II am never so happy as when am de
Tending aprisoner l know to be guilty;
for if he is convicted he will get his de-
serts, and if l get him off it will be q
tribute to my skill"