davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
SHED FOR TOOLS.

are either left out of doors for lack of
q place to put them, or are crowded
away into any nook or corner that can
be found, often to be in the way for
the next six months. T
The accompanying illustration
shows chesply built tool house that
is fitted to hold all the farm tools and
implements, providing also in one end
q repair or carpenters shop. Three
sets Of double doors are provided,
both in front andopposite these on the
back side, 80 that q machine can be
driven in at one side, the horses un.
hitched and driven out the other side,
leaving the machine ready to be
hitched onto the next day. and drawn
out the front doors without turning 1t
about. There is no chamber in the
building, but there is ample storage
room above the CROSS ties to pile away
lumber. or the hundred and one
other things that need to be kept from
the weather. A part of the space
could be foored over at one end to
provide place for sleighs and sleds
during the summer months, hook
being placed conveniently in the ridge
pole for pully block to use in hoist
ing them into place. New York Tri.
bune. -.. :.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
Dip a Razor in Boiling Water.

sThe old.fashioned barber imagined
that the cutting qualities of a razor
were benefited by dipping it in very
hot or boiling water" explained
laxative knight of the razor. "He
thought the razor was improved be-
cause the hot water removed a resin
GUS substance which collected on it.
The razor was improved, but not for
the reason given. 1t has been found
out that razor or other fine steel
cutting tool is best tempered at heat
of 212 degrees. That is the exact point
of heat where the best edge can be put
on razor. Two hundred and twelve
degrees of heat is also boiling point of
water, and consequently when a razor
is dipped in boiling water it gives it a
new edge again. The old-fsshioned
barber wes right, therefore, though
he did not know why he was right"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
THINK THIS OVER.

We want to see more beauty and
greater abundance in fruits about the
farmhouse. We want to see more con
tentment aud pleasure there. We
urge the cultivation OF flowers for the
pleasure it affords, and the raising oil
more fruits and better gardens for the
increased vigor and health suci things
lmpart.
We have vineyard that begins to
ripen it's fruit about the lst OF August,
when there is a certain amount of Ian
guor and listlessness in the atmos-
phrrc, time when tevers are apt to
take root in the system, and when
everyone feels more or less run down.
But since our vineyard has been bear
ing, and we can go to it OF an early
morn, before breakfast, and eat the
fresh. sweet, ripe grapes, there comes
o revived feeling, breakfast tastes bet
ter, and the system is toned up for
IL day. 1t is one of the wise provls-
lora Of nature to ripen grapes just at
the time of the year when they are
best suited to the health and appetite.
We urge the planting OF vineyards
and other small fruits. "A fruit garden
is of greater necessity, in so far as sthe
health and happiness of the family are
concerned, than the cornfield. The
peasants of Spain, it is said, eat fruit
more than aDJ thing else. yet theE are
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

in 1897. But there is country in
| Germany where it has been worn for
hundreds of years, and, curiously
enough, the wearers are of the female
sex. The women of Elzthal, Schonach
and other neighboring valleys in the
Grand Duchy of Baden wear high
hats as part of their best clothes.
An Elzthaelerin in her holiday or
Sunday clothes is one of the most pic.
turesque sights that the entire pic.
turesque feminine sex can offer. She
is, in a majority of cases, bu1om,
pleasing person, and her strange head
gear adds to the commanding charac.
ter of her aspect.
The hat is slightly higher than the
kind usually worn by men of this and
other highly civilized parts of the
world. The sides are perfectly
straight, fashion which has prevailed
among American and English Imen,
but has not been seen for several
years. 1t is, in fact, of the variety
which has been called the ''stove.
pipe" In the happy and antiquated
community of Elzthal the fashions do
not change perceptibly in the course
of a hundred years. A girl is happy in
the possession of one, or at most two
high hats, aud her father or husband
should be happy in the knowledge
that she does not want more.
When it comes to the brim there is
some difference between the Elzthal
woman's hat and that of conventional
man. The brim turns down slightly
at the sides, and two ribbons are at
tached here, which pass under the chin
and hold the hat on the head. Even
in primitive Ezthal woman does not
go the length of wearing a hst large
enough to fit her. It must perch
lightly on top of her hair, and be Sc
cured by something more than its own
weight.
These high hats are often handed
down from mother and daughter, and
are source of much pride. Although
they are in many cases very old, they
are kept IN excellent condition, and
show less damage than three
months-old spring hat as worn by an
American woman. They are made of
felt just stiff enough to hold its shape.
The hats are reputed by ancient ira.
dition to be very healthy to wear, be-
cause they interpose an air chamber
between the heat or the cold and the
top of the head. The women of Elz.
thai and Schonsch do not suffer from
badness, misfortune which is sup.
posed to be produced among men by
the use of the high hat.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

to combination, and pool their in
terests. All that they get is buried in
some secret spot, and they take turns
in guarding it. have never heard of
one of them playing the others false.
although they are tricky enough in
their dealings with the whites. OF
course, the fact that death in some
terrible form would be the punish
ment of any breach of faith acts as
deterrent.
"Having got our diamonds, the next
thing to do was to get them ont of the
country. If you 50 out by the south.
ern coast you have to show bill of
sale for every gem in your possession,
and you are searched pretty carefully,
too. That is the sort OF protection
the company gets from the Govern
ment. Of course I couldn't show any
bill of sale for my purchase. The
thing to do was to get out of the coun.
( try some other way. We struck scross
country with our OK wagons until We
came to the river, and then travelled
by water to the coast. On the way we
had some great hunting. The animals
you see in the picture are wild beasts
shot near Christiania.
elf I were writer" concluded Mr..
Levy, 81 could write q book worth
reading about the diamond trade of
the Kafirs down there; but the most
interesting chapter I'd have to leave
out because I won't ever know the
truth OF it; how that boy got the five
pound lump of dirt and diamonds,
from the shelf, 1900 feet down, up to
the earth's surface in the face of the
most perfect inspection system in the
| world. New York Sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

Possibly the finder of it may have kept
it concealed for months in the mine
before he could get it up; and un.
doubtedly there was concerted action
on the part OF several men. They
generally work together. Any way,
brought out it was, and by this fell
low"
Mr.. Levy put his finger on the figure
in the photograph, on the far left,
then he changed it to the figure in the
background on the left.
"And that chap was my scout" said
he. 81 had employed him before
when was in South Africa, and he
told me of this wonderful lump Of
earth which fellow tribesman of his
had buried. It was in Christiania, up
north of Kimberley. Ihad gone there
by OK wagon with my brother and
three other white men. We had about
thirty boys-Kafirs and Zulus, that
is, they're always called boys-with
the party. The Kafir who had the
diamonds was to meet my scout and
complete the deal, the price raving
already been set and accepted. None
of US whites figured in the transaction
as principals. My scout took out the
money and brought back the chunk of
blue mass. and that is all there was to
it. The other Kafir-it's inconveni.
ent not to have any name to call him
by, but the only name any of them
have is just 'boy, so far as their en-
ployers are concerned-the other Kafir
joined our party for time. He told
me that he had been whipped for some
act of his in the mines, and he felt
very revengeful over it. The picture
in which you see him was taken outside
of Christisn;a just before that boy
left us. On his way back to the mines
he was murdered, but it isn't likely
that the murderers got any money, for
those fellows bury their stuff. They
work in combinations, ten or dozen
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

labor in the mines, go the Kaffir is not
above decreasing his period of service
by secreting few diamonds about
him if he can. To keep the men from
getting away with all the diamonds,
the pany has an overseer for every
SIX or eight workers. As the Kaftirs
work with no clothing other than an
extremely small breech clout, oppor-
tunities Tor external concealment are
very small. Every one of them is
carefully searched every day before
he leaves the mine. There are three
punishments for Kaf6rs caught stealing
diamonds One is whipping; and it
is no joke the way it is done there.
The second is Imprisonment, which is
likely to include whipping, and the
third is being committed to the break
water to break stones. In spite OF
all these precautions there are many
diamonds stolen yearly.
"Well, to come back to the subject,
it is almost inexplicsble how a i've
pound lump of diamond earth could
be brought out without discovery.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

South Africa. The illustration shows
the exact size of the lump of earth.
On the surface of this lump of earth,
which is called blue mass, are forty
five diamonds of good size, while
many other smaller ones can be seen
glinting through thin encrustation.
Blue mass is the regular diamond
matrix, the earth of all the Kimberley
mines of South Africa. It dissolves
like lime under 240 pounds pressure
in water. On an average this earth
yields about S12 worth of diamonds to
the ton. If it were all as rich in dia.
monds as this lump supposedly is,
reckoning from what appears on the
surface of it, the yield would be some
think like six million dollars ton.
Mr.. Levy says that until he finds an
Z ray that will show up the interior
of the specimen he can't tell the COM
mercial value of his prize. As Curl
osity he considers it worth about
$50,
OF the diamonds on the surface of
the piece of earth the largest is reck-
oned to weigh about sixteen or seven
teen csrats. This one is nearly round,
and almost completely encrusted with
the blue mass. 1t is not of very good
quality. The best of the stones ap-
pears to be of about four carats
weight. Several of the diam onds are
Almost perfect octohedrons, while 9th
srs show almost equal geometrical
regularity, but less complexity. The
owner thinks that the surface value is
about $1,000. Undoubtedly thero are
other diamonds inside the mass, and
what the entire value of the diamond
yield would be can only be guessed at.
Mr.. Levy refuses to say what he paid
Tor the specimen, but he states that,
in addition to the money. 1t cost him
great deal of worry and anxiety to
get it out of Africa, as only gems
brought through the regular channels
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

md seam in the centre front, the clos.
ng being effected on the left side with
buttons and button holes. Contrast
NJ material is applied to the reversed
,ortion of the fronts, which roll back
ward to form the deep graduated
,evers. The shapely back has the usual
,entre, side-back and under.arm seams
,prung below the waist line and laid in
,ox plaits at the lower edge. Medium
ized pearl buttons are used as decora.
ion. A distinctive feature is the fam
siful and protective collar that flares
tylishly at the top, it's lower edge be.
ng Joined to a deep standing band
hat fits the neck closely. Pocket
sps cover the openings to inserted
pockets and deep bell.shaped cuffs
inish the stylish gigct sleeves.
Rough and smooth faced coatings
IRE equally adapted for this style, but
vmooth faced cloths in rich shades OF
yreen, blue, dahlia, tan and dove tor
iressy occasions, contrasting pret:ily
with velvet or heavy corded SILK. A
;silor finish should be employed when
Ehe Jacket is made all of one material.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

blouse effect over the narrow belt Of
velvet. Graduated revers that form
pointed epaulettes over the full short
puffs of the stylish sleeves are decor
ated with buttons. The neck is com.
pleted by standing band of velvet,
with tiny points of the contrasting ma.
terisl above. The tull straight skirt
is gathered at the top and sewed to
the lower edge of the, waist.
The mode is appropriate for growing
girls, and may be developed in com.
bination of silk and wool, or velvet
and wooden goods, with decoration OF
braid, gimp or ribbon velvet.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
Kites That Carry Men.

Five huge kites were used at Christ
church Park, Ipswich, by Lieutenant
Powell a. short time ago to demon
strste the possibility of raising man
from the ground for reconnoitering
purposes in time of war. A wicker
car was attached to the kites and held
the aeronauts. During the trial it
was prevented from taking too high a
flight by an anchorage rope held from
below and paid out from q windlass.
An ascent of about fifty feet was sue.
cessfully made by three persons
separately, it only requiring the let
ting out of more rope to have extend
ed this distance. .-Cleveland Plain.
Dealer.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
DEMAND FOB GOOD DRAFT HORSES.

There is always demand for good
draft horses, and farmers who have the
courage and energy to raise them get
the profit. Scotch farmers have not
been discouraged by the ship loads Of
cheap American horses, but have se.
cured the very best sires to breed the
best heavy draft geldings that sell
high and are above all foreign compe-
tition, and they are on the lookout for
good horses to mature at good profit.
It does no good to sit down and COM
plain. They meet the competitor and
low prices with better class of horses.
The Scottish Farmer says: Earning
affords to tho open-minded man nu.
merous' openings for exercising his tai
ents and abilities. To the man who is
determined to be circumscribed in his
ideas and aims, agriculture may be a
close corporation. Such man can
shut himself up and zee nothing be-
yond; but, to tne man who looks out,
there is in agriculture plenty of out
look. These thoughts are suggested
by the really first class exhibition of
draft stations seen at a parish show
near Glasgow within the past ten days.
Many of the farmers in that locality
have found it profitable to purchase Q
good, growing young horses, to keep
them always improving, and finally
to sell for city work. To farmers pos.
sessed of the requisite skill, with hold
ings from $50 to $50 acres, the profit
thus derived is an important addition
to revenue, and such have felt some.
what keenly the effect of the dimin-
ished profits following on the exces-
sive Importation of cheap horses from
abroad. This is likely to be tenn
porary check, and the gelding trade is
still a paying venture. Farm, Field
aad Fireside.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

noted for their strength and vigor.
French fruit is filled with the very
essence of the life-giving principle.
1t is natures storehouse of the MOSS
beautiful and pleasant elements OF the
soil and the air, such as are bound to
impart renewed strength to the con-
sumer. It is beanty and Vitality COM
bined and condensed. ,. r.; d..
How much more of happiness and
pleasure there is sure to be in the home
that is surrounded by beautiful flow
srs and fresh. sweet fruits How su.
perior in every respect is such home
in which to raise our children. com-
pared to the barren home OF tho
thoughtless and shiftless, that give no
heed to the better and more elevated
system Of living that comes OF Guilt.
waiting nature in her highest branchesl
Think this matter over.-coleman's
Rural World.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
SWOLLEN CHEESE.

Huhy cheese, as it is termed, when
cheese swells up and cracks and exudes
bad-odored fluid, is caused by i'm
purity in the milk, derived either from
the water, which is apt to be bad Just
at this time, or to some other cause
which produces putrid decomposition
of the cheese, with production of gas,
by which the cheese is burst. When
cheese is in this condition it is too late
for cure. But the method Of prev
ton is to strictly avoid anything in
the milk that is of impure origin, as,
for instance, impure water from stag
nant places or moldy or rank. coarse
feed from swampy ground. At the
late summer time this is to be care
fully guarded against. The way to
cure it in the curd when fresh made
and seen to be filled with gas, which
causes it to float on the whey, is to
scsld the whey and thoroughly cook
the curd in it, by which the germs are
destroyed. American Farmer.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
American Snake With Three Heads.

DR.. Shaffer, noted Iowa naturalist,
recently added to his collection of
serpents remarkable three.headed
snake. The reptile, the first OF it's
kind ever discovered, is perfectly
formed. Its three heads are of exactly
the same size and shape. Its various
necks are joined at the same place to
its body.
This remarkable reptile was dis
covered by William Price, farmer,
about three miles from Elizabeth,
Penn. While Price was repairing a
fence he found a snakes nest, filed
with eggs. He broke the eggs. To
his amazement, snake with three
distinct heads crawled from one of the
shells. Price killed the snake and
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
Just What's in q Dream.

A young lady OF Philadelphia, after
partaking heartily of ''scrapple," re-
tired and dreamed that she had lost
her watch, valued present from her
father. When she awoke in the morn
ing she recalled her vivid dream, and,
looking at the place where she could
have sworn that she had placed it, 10,
it was gone. :.
She told her father and brother and
they, making no doubt that it had
been stolen, reported the matter to the
police and the pswnshops were haunted
iu vain. On the next night the young
woman dreamed again.
This time che dreamed that before
retiring that she had hidden the watch
in an old shoe on the bottom of closet.
Upon arising nextmorning she recalled
the dream, and out of curiosity ex-
plored the old sh oe in the closet. and
found the watch. New York Jour-
nal.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
DIGGING AND STORING POTATOES.

DIGGING AND STOhiNo fOIAIOESs
The digging and storing ofpotstoes
by the average farmer. says the
Indiana Farmer, is generally done in
a very careless manner. The essential
point is to retain the flavor until used.
and to do this they should never be
left exposed to the sun or air. Early
varieties should be dug as soon as tops
are dead, or when the skin ceases to
slip from the potato. If early varieties
are left in the ground they will sprout,
and thus destroy the flavor. Late
varieties may be left in the ground
until danger Of freezing. As soon as
dug they should be immediately stored
in q dark, cool, and somewhat moist.
cellar. And right here is where some
may differ with me, as some recon-
mend dry place in which to store.
If stored in dry place they will wilt
and become strong. I have noticed
potatoes that remained in the ground
over winter, that did not freeze, that
we're as fresh and we'll favored as
when first matured. If stored in
dry cellar they should be covered with
moist sawdust, to keep them fresh and
exclude the air. Pitting is most ex-
cellent way; simply piling them on
we'll drained ground and putting on q
layer of straw and enough dirt to keep
them from freezing. Care should be
taken to uncover as soon as danger
from freezing is past "A the spring,
and keep sprouts removed. As to
manner OF digging, if five acres or
more are to be dug it would probably
pay to use potato digger, but If less
than that amount, the work can be
done with four.tined fork garden
spade, or plowed with common break
ing plow.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

can be taken out through Capetown,
the customs officials seizing all 9th
ers. This little bunch of gems was
not brought through the regular chan
neIs. It was bought from q Kafir
who was murdered shortly after the
sale, presumably because the murder
ers expected to find the proceeds OF
the sale upon him, in which they we're
probably disappointed. Kaffirs do
not carry large sums of gold about
Awlth them. Here is the story of the
blue mass 30 far as Mr.. Levy chooses
to tell it.:
.'It was found" said Mr.. Levy to q
3Suz reporter to whom he was show
Ing the specimen, ''in 1891, in one Of
khe Kimberley mines, 1900 feet below
Ehe earth's surface A Kafir picked
It up just as it is there. How he man
eged to get it to the surface of the
earth is beyond my power to tell; al
most beyond 1t to imagine. Only one
Who knows of the rigorous watch kept
by the overseers upon the Kaffirs who
york the mines can comprehend the
normous difficulties of getting out
uch lump of earth as that. Why,
bout the only way they can get single
tones is by swallowing them. .,
"Let me digress moment tc tell
7ou something about the mine work.
III the diggers are natives, mostly
kafirs. They come from their own
and four days on foot to work in the
hines, and get enough money to go
ONE and buy wife from their King.
II the women are owned by the King,
tho sells them to the men. That's the
Fay the royal exchequer is kept up.
wife represents very long term oil
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04

barred with yellow and deep violet,
brown velvet being used for the
sleeves and yoke, with ribbon velvet
trimmings to match. The iaunty little
hat of cinnamon-brown felt, with
bands of violet taffeta and large.bow
of ribbon IN changeable tatfeta and
ostrich tips forming a charming ad-
dition. ,
The waist is arranged over q fitted
lining, which closes in the centre back
with small buttons and buttonholes.
The front has narrow pointed yoke
of velvet, to the lower edge of which
the full portion is joined, forming a
broad double box plait, which droops
perceptibly at the waist line, with
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
The Great Secret.

Boerhaa7e, the greatest doctor OF
his time. was anxious that it should go
forth that even the most eminent doc
tor is somewhat of "humbug." He
carefully handed tho key of small
diary to his executor, bade him open
it INN ediately after his decease, and
let the contents go forth to the world
at large. When the notebook was
opened, all its pages but the last were
blank, and on that final one there was
written in large letters: "Directions
to patients: Keep your feet warm
and your head cool, and trust for the
rest to Providence. THE Argonaus