davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
An Amusing Picture.

One of the most remarkable cases of
putting on a cap if it fits" is afforded
by the history of certain picture, paint
ed during the last years of the second
French empire, by the artist Schenck,
which has lately been bought by an
American gentleman.
This picture was shown at the salon,
the annual exhibition of the French
painters. 1t represented simply lot of
donkeys gravely celebrating round a
table covered with green cloth. 1t was
very clever and amusing picture, and
took the public fancy.
The Princess Mathilde sister-in-law Of
the Emperor, was pleased with it, and
had made arrangements to buy it, when
it was nosed about that the painting
was intended to satirize the privy council
of the Emperor. This stopped the sale
of it at once.
After this the picture went from pillar
to post. and was finally offered at ii sale
exhibition in Munich Here it was seen
by the Empress of Austria, who was so
much charmed with it that she began
negotiations for it's purchase.
At this stage of the proceedings, how
ever, it was whispered to the Empress
that the canvas represented the royal
council of Bavaria.
''In that case" said the Empress, 81
shall not buy it; do not want any po-
litical pictures,
ct is not known how many more royal
councils the painting of the donkeys was
taken to represent; but after more than
twenty-five years of vicissitudes it went
to America under the name of INA.
poleon Ills Privy Council"
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
Bursting Fly-Wheels.

The bursting of a fy-wheel is almost
unheard of in England, Notwithstanding
the high-speed engines we now have run
ming, yet in the United States the fly
wheel casualties have become a matter
of weekly report In England we have
many thousands of high-speed cast-iron
fy-wheels and very large wheels UP to
sixty tons weight running, with very
high periphery speed, and they all run
safely, and yet in the states they say:
''The sudden advent of electrical appa-
ratus and its high speeds found people
making fiy-wheels of cast iron, with
narrow factor of safety. or, indeed no
factor of safety at all, if we consider the
impossibility of detecting inherent strains
and imperfections in this material No
one can know the value Of material mold
ed into form at a temperature of 1000
degrees and then cooled down to for
tieth of this temperature. nor can they
judge internal structure by surface in
dications. The fact is that cast iron is
not suitable material for fiy-wheels that
are to be driven at high speed, nor is it
necessary to make them of this material.
There is not even the claim of cheap
ness in their favor. if the methods of
making such wheels of wrought iron
and steel wer once worked out"
Twenty years ago a Scotch firm. who
had to make a large t1y-wheel for
spinning mill, riveted up a box rim,
made from rolled plates, and filled it
with cemented masonry or "grout." and
did a very sensible thing.-London En-
gincer
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
Economy Of Electric Traction.

In order to rebut the frequently made
claim that a locomotive can make as
great mileage as an electric motor, w.
Baxter, Jr., shows what is done i'll actual
pra ctice. and at the same time makes
the distinct statement that such a com
pany as the Pennsylvania railroad could
effect a saving of over Sc, 900, or 1874
per cent. of it's operating expenses, by
the adoption of electricity. On the rail
road named there are 1103 freight en-
gines, giving a mileage of 2O.40O35S an
nually. In the passenger service there
run per year by passenger trains is H.,
sos, 800. Figuring on a basis of 80 per
cent. of the engines in use, the miles
run per year would be 34670, and on an
80 per cent. basis, $4,000 miles. Trolley
cars making an average of less than ten
miles per hour, run from 5000 to $4,000
per year. At this rate motor cars
drawing freight trains at 10 miles per
hour could easily cover $4,000 to $4,000
miles per year, and those used for pas
senger work, and making an average
speed of 80 miles per hour, could run
over 100000 miles per year. If so much
greater yearly mileage could be made by
electric motors, it follows that the wages
of motormen would be very much less
than the wages of enginemen per train
mile, the daily compensation not being
higher, and the distance covered being
far greater. After going fully into every
cost of operation and maintenance of the
two systems, Mr.. Baxter establishes the
fact of the superior economy of electric
propulsion for trunk lines
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
NEW WOMAN FLIES KITES.
ssBarrel Kites Invented by the Champion
Woman Kite Flyer of California.

'sBarrel Kites Invented by the Champion
Woman Kite-Flyer of California.
Barrel kites are the novel invention
of Miss Nellie Ross of Fruit Vale, Cal
Three months ago she first demonstrated
their practicability, and since then has
proved, as she claims, that they fly high
er than any other kites ever made on
the Pacific coast. A recent. visitor to
what Miss Ross calls her ''kitery'' saw
simply very clean and neatly white
washed backyard. Against some desert
ed henroosts leaned some queer cloth
and bamboo objects that looked like
flattened balloons with the ends knocked
out. The largest We're five feet high by
four broad, and they were of all colors.
The string used in flying them is about
two miles long.
The young kite-fiyer, who holds that
every woman should have hobby and
who thoroughly enjoys hers, makes all
her own kites. Then she flies nine or
ten at once, to the great edification of
the surrounding neighborhood and to the
delight of the small boys, who are always
willing to help haul them in. Each kite
is named, and Mckinley" and Grover
compete with those bearing less famous
names, to see which can climb the high
est. Barrel kite flying is said to be as
pretty as it is successful, and California;
champion kite-fyer wears her distinction
very gracefully-NeW York World
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
Aluminium for Torpedo Boats.

Among the thousand and one purposes
for which aluminium has been held to be
eminently adapted, its use as material
of construction for torpedo boats APP
peared likely to promise good results.
Subsequent experience showed that the
metal usually met with in commerce ex-
hibited corrosive tendencies which
seemed calculated to initiate greatly
against it's adoption for this purpose.
Some time ago the French government,
in order to obtain some definite data, had
both torpedo boat and yacht built
of aluminium, and recently an examina-
ton of the vessels has been made, the
result of which is, on the whole. favOra-
BILE to the use of the metal for this pur-
pose. The torpedo boat was found to
have suffered most, the. protective COW
ering of paint or varnish being less inn
pervious than is desirable, while in
places it had peeled off entirely. In the
Yacht it was found that repainting
stopped the deterioration, and in general
it would appear that both vessels had
stood service WELL No doubt much has
vet to be learned as to the mature and
proper treatment of the material, and
probably it is to a lack of this knowl-
edge that many of the past failures have
been due. One condition which certain
ly appears to be indispensable is that
for all such purposes the metal must be
pure The further necessity of homo
geneity in the plates is too self-evident to
need insisting on, but as experience in
rolling the sheets is being gained daily,
it will not be long before most, if not all,
of the difficulties which now seem almost
insuperable, will be successfully sur
mounted Mechanical World.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
GREAT FISHING IN OREGON.
One Way of Transporting Eels-An In
passable Fish Ladder.

paSSaDle Fish Ladder.
Last week was an unusual one for
fishing with hook and line for young
salmon on the island below the falls at
Oregon City. Wednesday Bob Inman.
Charley Swigert, H. G. Campbell and
Joe Hatfield caught fully 200 pounds of
fish. Several good catches were made
by other spOrtsmen from Portland and
Oregon City. p. f. Morey hooked and
landed 1OS pounds with a spoon in two
and a half hours Saturday. G. III. Nc
Isaac and John Bowie made a fine haul
Saturday. Sunday about dozen fish
ermen made good catches, among them
f. M. LongshOre and John Bodley
The falls at the present time present
one of the grandeSt sights ever witnessed
anywhere. The amount of water pouring
over is something enormous, and the way
it is dashed into white foam by the mad
rush of water is awe-inspiring and one
realizes his utter insignifcance. In this
vortex of. churning water are to be seen
thousands of huge salmon trying to leap
the Instructions. Out of the water they
leap ten feet into the air, only to be
carried down with the mad current
Some do make it, and hide in holes be-
tween the rocks, rest awhile. and then
rush forward, only to meet defeat, as it
seems impossible for them to gain the up
per river.
Thousands of lamprey cells are dipped
out with a net, to be shipped down the
river for sturgeon bait. These eels are
tied up in sacks; the sacks are fastened
to air-tight barrels and then cast into
the rushing waters. They float down
stream and are picked up by boatsmen
in the eddies above the bridge.
1t is interesting to hear the visitor ask
for the fish ladder built by Gov Penney
er, and when a broken wall of water
thirty feet high and twenty feet wide is
pointed out, the blank look of astonish-
ment tells its own story The fish new
err lived that could ascend that perpendic-
fishway is a complete failure and
money wasted. A fish wheel has been
built and catches the salmon. After
vainly trying to ascend the ladder they
become tired Of the struggle and are
willing to commit suicide rather than
make an effort to return to the sea-
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
Went Stockingless.

Baseball is still popular, but it is no
longer the fad it once was. Apropos of
this is story told by writer in the
New York Commercial Advertiser illus
trating the way in which a city went
wild over the success of it's home club:
what 'old-timer' can forget the ire
mendOuS excitement created by the tri-
umphal tour Of the famous Red Stock
ings' of Cincinnati when they played an
entire season without losing a game,
and in doing this travelled from the At
lantic to the Pacific and from the great
lakes to the sunny South? | was in
Washington when Shermans army
marched in triumph along Pennsylvania
and the sight Of the men who had
marched through Georgia. from Atlanta
to the sea, and thence to the capital of
the country, almost frenzed the spec
tators with joy. | was in Cincinnati
when the Red Stockings came back
to the Queen City in triumph, the victors
of the season, with not defeat to tar
nish their record. The excitement. was
almost as great as it was in Washing
tonson the other triumphal occasion. At
that time red hosiery was almost as
popular with the ladies as is black today.
Nearly f8every window on the line of
march Of the club was decorated with
red stockings. So general was the dis
play that a wit of the town declared
that most Of the fair enthusiasts
Went stockingless that day,
To paint the town both red and gay.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
Animal snecimens to order.

l remember a peculiar instance Of
what can be done by modern taxidermy
and of the skill in particular that falsi-
fed the old saying, you cannot have
your bird and eat it." A friend made a
savory stew of the flesh of bird, of
what species / have forgotten, and ate
it. He then articulated and set up its
skeleton, and afterward constructed an
artificial skeleton on framework upon
which he shaped and modelled it's skim
so that from one he practically obtained
three birds At another time, having a
tiger rug to make up, and also a tigers
head to furnish for trademark, he in
geniously supplied both from single
pelt Cutting off the head he construct
ed another from the white hair upon the
under part of the ANIMAL which in such
Il rug as he designed would otherwise go
to waste Spots from which the hair
had been worn away he rehaired by
fastening individual hairs, hair after
hair, in due order, with some adhesive
preparation, to the bare hide After he
had shaped the second head and dyed it,
and colored in the black markings, he
fastened it to the remaining skin, and
the rug was complete. and in every way
a fine-looking piece of work [ have only
to add that there was no deception in
the matter. as the purchaser of the rug
knew how it was made.-From ga New
Art" by j. Carter Beard, in the July
Scrihner'S
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
A Circus Yarn.

An old circus man has been telling the
Syracuse Courier stories of p. e. Bar
mum, and among others he recalls one
concerning one of his trips to London.
He sent tickets of admission to all the
clergy and to the bishop of London and
his family. Barnum's reputation as a
philanthropist had gone before him, and
it became necessary to establish a regu-
lar picket guard around him to protect
him from annoyances in his hotel. The
applicants for charitable donations
would frequently get through the line
and apply for donations ranging from
$500 to $4,000. After the bishop of
London and his family had seen the
show the bishop called upon Barnum and
chatted with him some time. Barnum
impressed him. as he did everybody. as
being a big-hearted, amiable and brainy
man. The, bishop on leaving took his
hand end said: "Nr. Barnun1, you are
not such a bad man, after all. ! hope
to meet you in heaven. sir" ''Well. you
will, if you are there" replied Barnum
The answer was too much even for the
bishop, and those who heard it shouted
with laughter
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
MONEY MADE OF GUM.
Coined in the Malay Peninsula and the
Cheapest Money in All the World.

Coined in the Malay Peninsula and the
Cheapest Money in All the World.
The oldest money in use in the world
is coined by the mint officials Of the
Malay peninsula. 1t is thin disk or
wafer of hardened vegetable gum, which
is obtained from the bola tree and mixed
with emery sand. These coins have the
smallest exchange value of any medium
in the world, excepting perhaps the
shell money Of the west coast of Africa.
No other piece of money can be acquired
with so small an expenditure of time or
goods as the bola gum coin, and when
mana European--happens to come into
possession of some millions of them he
is not esteemed rich, but unlucky. Some
idea of the infinitely small value Of one
of these coins may be gained from the
statement that a copper cent can readily
be exchanged for 10000 Of them. New
York PrnSS
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
PASSING OF QUARTER DECKS.
Ships Commander Now Makes His Pos
on the Bridge.

Ships Commander Now Makes His Pos
on the Bridge.
One more stored feature of sea-going
vessels has become obsolete through the
use Of steam in place Of wind as motive
power. There is now no quarter deck.
At least, it is not the old quarter deck,
the post of command, where the officers
shouted what Stephen Crane would call
their red and tangled and oathy orders. On
the steamer of today the quarter deck
is abolished, except as a promenade for
passengers, and orders are given from
the bridge, well forward of amidships.
instead of aft, and sufficiently elevated
to give view Of the vessel from stem to
stern.
This bridge is frequently as high rs the
maintop of sailing vessel, and, except
for the storm cloths that surround it in
winter, is fully as exposed. Ocean
steamships have no covered pilot houses,
as the sound and river steamers do but
on the bridge, where every roll Of the
ship is exaggerated the captain and his
aids maintain their constant lookout
and even at that height they are occa-
sionally drenched with spray.-New
York Press.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
THE OLD SOLDIER WAS A WOMAN.
She Had Fought in Many Battles With
out Having Her Secret Discovered.

She Had Fought in Many Battles With
out Having Her Secret Discovered.
A story comes from Butler county that
while a terrific storm was raging, Otto
Schaffer, hermit farmer, who had lived
there many years, took shelter in his
cabin and was offering up a prayer for
protection when bolt of lightning de-
molished the house and killed Schaffer
Neighbors found the dead body on the
floor and summoned the coroner This
official prepared the body for burial, and
in doing SO made the discovery that has
been the talk of the county. He says
Schaffer was a woman. The deceased
was an ex-soldier and participated in
many Of the battles Of the war. Despite
this discovery the Grand Army veterans
turned out and gave Schaffer a soldiers
burial. AS the comrades fired last
salute over the grave into which the
coffin had been lowered it was found
that gun was loaded with ball as we'll
as powder, and the shot killed a dove
which was flying over. The dove fut-
tered and fell on the coffin dead. Schaf
fer leaves considerable property, but no
one in the county knows Of relatives of
the deceased. Topeka Kas.) dispatch
to st. Louis Republic.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
TO WASH THE BLOOD.
A Simple Salt and Water Injection in
Place of TRANSMISSION


Washing the blood is the latest rene
dy for diseases brought on by or causing
a sluggish circulation and low state of
the blood. The washing process is per-
formed by plain salt and water. From
a pint to two quarts of water is injected
into the system by means of an ordinary
hypodermic syringe.
A vein is opened in the arm of the pa
tient with the usual antiseptic precau-
tons, and the salt water injected in large
doses. profuse perspiration and gen
eral activity of the secretory organs fol-
low, carrying away the noXious matter
present III the blood. The new remedy
is recommended by several doctors in pa
pers read recently before the Academy
of Medicine in Paris, and has been sue
cessfully employed in numerous instances.
In cases of anaemia, typhoid, hemor-
rhages, sudden shock and even in cases
of intoXication this blood washing. it is
said. works wonders. For some wears
surgeons nave used a saline injection in
cases of collapse after an operation 1t
is the most powerful tonic known, and
has saved many lives. Its efficacy in or
binary diseases has, however, only re-
Gently been discovered.
Modern medicine has tendency to re-
sort to- simple methods which recognize
the all-curlng powers of water. Wash
ing the stomach, as practiced by several
new 4OfK pHySlc1duS, is OF very recent
origin, and is considered invaluable in
cases of Indigestion. A simple bath of
warm water is often all that is neces-
sary to restore the stomach to it's nor
MAD condition, by removing the poisonous
waste products which are not profusely
thrown off by the secretory organs. By
means of a soft rubber tube put down
the throat water can be poured into the
stomach and siphoned out again. To
wash the blood is of course more diff
ficult, as the water has to be injected
into a vein.
1t is well known that the blood of a
frog can be drawn off and the blood of
another frog substituted without great
ly mountaineering the creature. It was
then found that a salt water solution
can be substituted instead of blood, to
considerable extent, at least, and the
frog will live and be as sprightly as ever
This fact first gave the scientists the
idea of injecting an artificial serum into
the veins of a human being, either amaze
mic or intoxicated. The new remedy is
very simple in its action, and can always,
it is said, be employed with safety
WASHINGTON Star
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
Authority on Cooking.

The man who makes gastronomy
profession is rari avis nowadays. Yet
occasionally one is found. Thomas Muir
rey, the editor of Twentieth Century
Cooking, is said to be one. Not long
since he was asked by prominent editor
to contribute articles on cooking to his
paper His answer was: "Sir. create
chair of gastronomy in~your editorial de-
partment and put me in it. with an ample
salary and the means to experiment in
the culinary art. and | will write articles
which will make your paper an authority
on cooking all over the world He
didn't get the place he demanded but he
has made his own paper the culinary au-
thority par excellence, as the French say.
Some years ago Mrs. Murrey went off on
a summer trip, and when she returned 10
her home she found that Tom had put ND
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20

l have recently lost a young patient,
lad of whom L was very fond. whose
death was directly due to imprudence in
bathing last summer. Not always fatal
results ensue, but more often than boys
are aware very serious consequences fol
low l know boy who has a perma-
nent affection of the hip, which has
famed him for life, that was produced
by persistently remaining too long in the
water. The many cases of fever which
the early fall months develop are large
ly accounted for in the same way. Swim
ming is fine sport; there's none better:
but it should be enjoyed nationally and
not abused. New York Times.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-20
WHALES OFF SAN FRANCISCO.
Three of the Mammals Play Around the
Ferry Steamers.


Three whales made their way in
through the Golden Gate yesterday and
had a great time Of it for two or three
hours with the Sausalito and Tiburon
ferry-boats as they came and went on
their hourly trips, says the San Fran
cisco Call. Two of the mammals were
graybacks and one, Capt White of the
Tiburon is confident, was a sperm. 1t
was of enormous proportions and three
times the size of either of the other
leviathans. The graybacks spouted
about the steamer for over a mile of her
course. One of them jumped almost
clear of the water and then sounded
The last seen of him was his tail, which
waved for an instant in the air, and
then vanished. The sperm whale re-
NAMED by the Tiburon for time and
then it also sank out of sight
On the return trip they again put in an
appearance, and Capt. White came to the
conclusion that they were feeding on the
small fish with which the bay abounds
at this time of the year. They did not
seem to be bit afraid of the steamer,
and evidently took her and the noise she
was making for one of their own kind
at play. It would probably fare badly
for any of the bay craft that should
happen to strike one of these monsters
on a dark night. The last seen of the
trio they were working their way slowly
back to the heads.