davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Relic of the Days of Witchcraft.

While walnut log four feet in diane
ter, belonging to Oscar Woodring of Sic
gersville, was being sawed into planks
at a sawmill recently it was found that
when the tree was about foot in dame
ter three holes had been bored into it
with an inch augur, tells the Allentown
Leader. The holes had been closed up
with plugs. The plugs were drawn and
a small paper package was found in each
hole. After some effort they were Sc
cured and found to contain locks or rolls
of hair that had once adorned wom-
ans head. Each bunch was of 4 length
of 16 to 20 inches They were Of a
dark color, and in perfect condition, hav-
ing been tied up in heavy brown paper
securely tied with home-spun linen
thread. It is believed the holes were
bored and the hair hidden by some be-
lever in witchcraft maybe seventy or
eighty years ago when the tree was
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

The annual seattle CROP of New
South Wales is about 100000.
Washington was only % when made
commander-in-chief of the forces of Vir-
ginia. III r "a
Kant began his philosophical and
metaphysical speculations before the age
of IS.
-Hooke's first works We're published
when their author was barely Is years of
age. =
Young produced several Of his most
acceptable poems before reaching the age
Maurice, the son of the first prince
of Orange" showed himself a born sol
der at Is.
--Milton wrote ''Comus," by some es-
teemed as one of his most charming
poems, at rs.
Fielding was extensively known as a.
was so.
Thomas Flanagan of Elmwood, Ind,
is the happy owner of four-legged
Plymouth Rock rooster.
Among the Hebrews all slaves, eN-
cept such as desired to remain in servi-
tude, went free at the jubilee year.
During the sixty years ending with
1917 1.462.OOO slaves We're transported
from Africa to the Americas.
Chinese parents, unable or unwilling
to provide for their children. sell them
to whomsoever will buy.
1t is estimated that not less than
1SOOOO.OOO African slaves have persisted
to glut the avarice of slave traders.
In 1910 all serfs in the Austro-Hun
garian district were liberated. their own
crS being paid i'll government scrip.
"A Hebrew slave who desired to re-
main such had his ears pierced with an
awl aud was then slave forever
The rapidity of the growth of the
hair varies much i'll different persons
1t has been calculated that the beard
grows at the rate of one line and half
per week. or six inches and a half in a
year. On the head the growth is much
more rapid.
You whistle for it, originates in
the sailor superstition for whistling to
raise the wind. AS a great deal of
Il calm prevailed. the expression to de-
note failure to achieve an end came into
common speech.
The expression "a grass widow has
several fanciful explanation but is most
probably Il corruption of the French ex-
preston. veuve de grace, Il widow by
grace or courtesy: that is. a woman
who has left her husband or has been
deserted by him.
Io"SI oIi NSSStoulC oCCuo, liz NiSl-
many. are mostly grown in the fertile
lands Of Thuringia, the Magdeburg and
Nuremberg I'm regions, and in Wrr-
temberg Frost and grass seeds are
grown in Thuringia and on the Main:
clover and kindred seeds are from ST.
lesia.
Six hunters have trapped 225 foxes
within ten miles Of Gardiner, Me, dur
ing the past winter. One of the hunters
claims to have Il secret bait that is IL
resistble to fox, and he has a record
of sixty-eight foxes last winter. He
sold the secret to another trapper who
got tifty-two foxes.
An event in the railway world of
England is in the fact that the stock Of
the Great Eastern railway is now above
par. The Great Eastern only dates back
to 1862, but one of its constituent lines,
the Eastern Counties, is now about
sixty years old, and years ago the rolling
stock of the Eastern Counties line had
to be seized for debt. 1t has been Il
long struggle with the Great Eastern,
but the struggle has been successful.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Not Up on Baseball

Mr.. Zones was hurrying through his
breakfast. Mrs Jones was glancine nt
tie paper Suddenly she gave a snort.
'"Thiss is disgraceful, John, and should
be stopped" What should?'' he asked
'"This ball playing. / don't understand
one bit of the game, but just hear what
this paper says: Denny was pounded
all over the lot in the third inning and
was forced to retire Now, 1 don't know
what part Of the poor fellow was his
third inning, but to pound him all over
the lot and hurt him so he had to leave
is not right and" But, my dear, rim in
terposed Jones, you don't SEEM.
says: Cummings canght eight flies in
center field, Now, what in the name Of
patience was the man doing out there
catching flies They don I pay him for
that, do they Certainly they az, g
said Jones. zen he gets !, Graz
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Building Legislation in Boston.

r The Boston, Mass, board Of trade,
feeling that the changes being constantly
made in the building laws Of Massachu-
setts, were often proposed by those who
wished merely to gain some small point
for themselves and were acted upon by
legislators who but rarely had any
knowledge Of building matters, proposed
iii April, 1895, that the Boston Society
of Architects, the Real Estate exchange
and Master Builders association Join
with them to obtain proper legislation
for Boston building interests. + Accord
ingly a joint committee of five mem
bers from each of these four. organiza-
tons was formed to suggest desira bic
changes in building laws and to fight less
worthy ones. This committee elected
William Minot of the real estate ex-
change: chairman, Benjamin b. White
more of the board of trade .vice-chair-
man and William III. ,SayWard Of the
Master Builders association secretary.
After studying the subject carefully the
committee decided that for the present
session Of the Legislature no changes
were I'D visible in the body of the pres
sent law, but that % revision of the ex-
secutiye system III Boston wns desirable.
With this view they have INTRODUCED 4
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
A Perpetual Suburban Home.

A gentleman whose Office is in Worces-
ter and whose home place is suburban
town is planning a building which will
contain perpetual summer. 1t will be a
combination greenhouse and aviary. A
great room will. have double walls and
roof, glass for winter and wire netting
for the hummer months. In it will live
all the Year round native birds, which
may nett in trees Of the same species
where hing their parent nests, or. in the
shrubb3y or grasses, as instinct DICTATES.
mas Zime. There will be miniature
swat6ps aud rocky pastures. All sorts
'ofteonditions are possible to the enthusi-
.ast fortunate enough to have such an
opportunity. In the snripgtime, when
the glass is removed. the, house will
be almost as pleasant for it's inmates as
real freedom. So large a structure
would hardly deserve to be called a cage.
= Wnrcpster (Iazette.. .. j.. -. -
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22

cious sakes! One of the players was
killed. Who was it % asked Jones en-
citedly, getting up and coming rapidly
to where his wife was sitting. John.
says: johnson hit q beautiful three.
hagger, but in trying to stretch 1t died
ut home. Poor, poor fellow! To think
of him playing and then going home to
die. And just because he stretched Il
three-hagger. What is three-bagger.
John But the front door slammed
hard just then. and Mrs. Jones went on
Observation-Disclosures a., T !.sszacS-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22

the monster and set out III d boat with q
negro to capture It. He ran "a rome
through the gilla and made it fast, but
Just ut this time the stunned fish recoy-
cred his usual energy and made things
hum. He plunged down ward and act
the little boat spinning like a cockleshell
in whirlwind $3.50 So
Finally the fiah made seward for more
room aud deeper water. He set II i,aca
that made the boat fairlS skim the wa
ter,
Two miles below the, bar. or at Burn
side, he was conquered and landed. It
took a mule to pun him out of the water.
The fish hes a mouth big enough to
hold the head of n man. ~ florida Times
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Covers for Cushions.

Every one who has country or a
seaside home is beginning to think of
making it ready for the summer occu-
pancy. Nothing will do more to freshen
it uD and make it luxurious and com
Portable. than plentiful supply of cush-
ions. handsome apartment without
cushions is comfortless and bare. With
cushions you can transform barnlike
room into what seems oriental ease
and righteousness. In Il recent English
novel the hostess is complimented on the
beauty she has given to a meagerly fur
nished shooting box. Yes replies the
loads of sofa cushions to do it,"
In providing cushions for the seaside
cottage pretty idea is to have them
covered with something that is typical
of the use to which they are to be nut.
and above all, something that will stand
the wear and tear Of rough usage No
DELICATE satin or, embroidered silk.
Rather, sail cloth, the ever useful denim,
or heavy linen. Cushions covered With
dark red linen. or even the turkey red
calico, beloved of our grandmothers, are
pretty for the hammock and the willow
couch that should be part of the furnish
ing of every gallery.
A round one is made of white canvas.
on which are etched with white Il water
scape, birds, anchors, and the like. The
circles are united in design with blue
ribbon effect, gracefully floating on the
background of whit. The edges of the
white cover are worked with eyelets,
and the two pieces are laced together
with white cotton rope. They come a
little short of entirely covering the pillow,
so as to show blue denim covering be-
meath.
A square pillow has a white center,
with fish design of blue silk etching;
and blue corners with white applique
starfish laid on and worked in blue. The
edges of this cover are eyeleted and
laced together. ~~.>n-. 80 Izs,.e :
A third pillow is entirely covered with
blue denim, having in the center u square
of fine canvas, or heavy linen, OH which
is etched with the pen some suitable quo
tation and symbols of the sailors craft.
The edges are covered where the center
meets the border with rope work.
As very effective design III either silk,
sateen Or denim. may be easily managed
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
A Gootl-sized Florida Fish.

a" At Steve Melton's fish market yester-
day morning was exhibited fish that
made minnows of the biggest bass and
drum that were on sale z. \. ~ s !
Phe fish was q rock groupher. weighed
100 pounds. md was eight feet loag. It
port on Tuesday morning by. the Co
slnanche going out, md came to the sur
face tgil Hing FOR mir
John Arnau, q Iayport fisherman saw
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
How to Roll an Umbrella.

Rolling an umbrella is an art. The
right and only way is to take hold Of
the ends of the ribs and the stick with
the same hand, then hold them tightly
ing While f the covering is being twirled
around with the other hand. r. w.,
If this rule is observed the umbrella
will always be as nicely closed as when
it was bought, and the only wear and
tear. will be on the fabric: IL; :ss & -.
It is the twisting of the ribs out of
shape around the stick and fastening
them there that spoilss! most umbrellas.
when you are. rolling It up and Won will
find it lasts very much 16ngeE-New
York Morning Journal. ~
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22

Johnny Jameson had arrived at his
eighth birthday, and thought that it
would be real nice to write n letter to
his papa, and this is the way he be-
gan: e, s:.Z <sz y :.
tempted to do wrong i think Of YOU and
say. ct thee behind me, Satan. 0---0 Cur
Girls and Boys. s
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Graciousness of y Queen.

Bicycling in Italy is governed by some
very stringent rules. Among others, rid
ers are forbidden to use some of the
paths in Mona park.
Queen Margherita Of Italy is an en-
thusiastic wheelwoman. She was GID
ing smoothly along one of the forbidden
paths when young and Jealous soldier
stopped her. He did not know the
Queen and placed her under arrest. -
He beWailed his zea1ousness when he
learned whom he had arrested, and was
in abject misery until he received. not
a reprimand, but 10 francs and photo
graph of the Queen, sent by herself. The
Queen expressed the hope that the sol
der would study the photograph and
know her the next time.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
The Philosophy of C,ownx,

There is a hollowness about having q
man praise your gowns when he doesn't
know what he is talking about. When
man praises your clothes he is always
praising you in them. You never will
hear man praise even the good dress
ing of woman whom he dislikes. But
girls who positively hate another girl
often will add. but she certainly does
know how to dress''
And so the experienced woman wears
her. expensive clothes for other women
and produces her "effects" for men. She
wears scarlet OH cold or raw day. md
the eyes Of the men light I'D when thew
see her. It makes her look cheerful and
bright and warm. She wears gray when
she wants to look demure. Let a man
beware of a woman in silvery gray. She
looks so quiet and dove-like and gentle
that she has disarmed him before she
has spoken one word, and he will snugglc
down beside her and let her turn his
mind and his pocket wrong side out. A
woman couldn't look designing in light
gray if she tried. He dotes upon the girl
in pale blue. Pale blue naturally sug-
gests to his mind the sort of girl who
can wear it, which is generally a blonde
with soft, fluffy hair, fair skin and blue
eyes-appealing, trustful. baby blue eyes,
Lillian Bell in Ladies' Home Journal.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Reached the limit.

Gastronomical Arithmetic Teacher
Suppose. Johnnie, your mother cuts a
pound Of meat into eight parts, what will
each part be Johnnie Chaffle-"One-
eighth Of a pound Teacher-sCo correct.
Now, stlDpose she cuts each part IN two,
what will each part be then?'' Johnnie
Chaf.e -"One-sixteenth Of pound, /"
sTeachcr--s.,Just SO. Now. suppose she
cuts each sixteenth in six pieces, what
Will each piece be r. Johnnie g HASH
Texas Sitter.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
A Cabbage Twelve Feet Tall.

The tallest cabbage in California was
grown from seed sown by Samuel Wake
man of Berkeley, Cal. The stock Of this
plant, on exhibition at Mr.. Wakeman's
store, is II feet inches high.
In 1886 Mr.. Wakeman brought a
small quantity of kale seed from the
Isle of Jersey He kept some of the
seed, and gave some to the agricultural
department of the State university. The
remainder was distributed among East
ern friends, many of whom have made
inquiry as to where more of it can be
procured. In the university grounds
and in Mr.. Wakeman's garden are
measuring and feet in height, but
the specimen now on exhibition in the
Berkeley store is the record-breaker. It's
wonderful growth was attained in nine
months.
The sprouts of the kale are edible,
and taste much like those of the cab
bage However, in it's native habitat.
to feed the diminutiye COWS that have
aided to render the name of Jersey a
farmyard word all over the world The
California: experimenter finds that the
succulent green leaves are much relisled
by chickens, and a point in favor Of the
plant is that it produces green leaves
the year around.
Inc STOCK OF the befKeleV mOnStrOSlty
is as large as a mans waist at the root,
and tapers gradually to the seed
branches, ten feet from the ground. To
this height the stem has been stripped
of it's leaves, rendering it's resemblance
to hickory sapling very remarkable.
The top is surmounted by fea thery
punches of small yellow flowers.
The fiber of the plant is hard and last
ing, and can be converted into excellent
canes. Mr.. Wakeman has walking
cane of this description, vanished and
mounted with a gold head. He brought
the cane from England.-Berkeley (Cai.)
Cor. San Francisco Examiner.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22

at home by cutting out Of cardboard the
desired design, as a quarter moon, an
chor, and so ON, and laying it upon the
material, tracing the outline, afterward
to be worked in Kensingt0n or etched
with the pen. The effect Of rope in sail
or's knots gracefully trailed over the pill
low with large anchor in the corner or
center is also an artistic design.
A pretty addition to a collection of pil-
lows is one filed with the fragrant pine
needles, and having etched on it's cover
the legend. "Our Pines#Are Trees of
Healing" Such pillow would WOO one
to healthful slumbers.
White CANVAS worked In true colors,
like flock Of seagnlls, or birds, or a
semblance Of waves, with fish here and
there i'll solid work, IN a very artistic de-
sign. Blue water, doye.colored birds,
md brown Or black anchor, with yellow
ish rope, are true cDlprs.
Brown and white. denim are in taste
for the traveller, with quotations for the
OCCASION. A college lad pr lass would
APPRECIATE the ebl6rs u their. ALMA ma
ter pn pillow of white: and the class
pin designed Ii, hhe silk etching iii u CDR.
iiuf: - e: ~
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Glory to Brass Buttons.

Little Ruth Cleveland has not the ex-
allied idea of her fathers great Office
that she will possess later in life, ac-
cording to the Washington correspondent
of Boston paper.
One day, the weather being balmy and
spring-like, one of the policemen who
guard the private portion of the white
house grounds took his little daughter
with him to enjoy the pleasant surround
ings. The little girl is not quite years
old. While the policeman was pointing
out the beauty of the grounds to his
little daughter, Ruth and Esther Cleve-
land under the escort Of their respective
nurses, left the mansion for q run.
Ruth ran ahead of her nurse, and on
discovering a girl of her own age sur
veyed her from head to foot. After
looking the girl over Ruth Strengthened
herself up and said:
my y, papa is President; who is your
The policeman's daughter replied:
''My papa is policeman"
Ruth glanced up at the burly form
ornamented with bright brass buttons,
and hanging her head in an abashed
manner, said: II wish my papa was a
policeman"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Hard to Tell.

A small boy vino lives in Leeds, Eng,
and GRf INTO 9n %b hs
friends mother. He finally remarked
that it was getting very hard to tell,
from the places in which people live,
whether or not they are entitled to social
consideration.
.''Now, there is Blank street, he said,
you wouldn't think anybody was much
that lived on Blank street, would you?
But there is Mr.. Tomson, he lives there"
"And is Mr.. Tomson much?''
"Mr. Tomson!" with an air of one over
whelmed by establishment that such an
obvious fact should escape anybody. II
should think he was! He's an awful
swell. Why, he won't speak to my
father
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Lighthouse without a light.

The most extraordinary of all light
houses is to be found on Arnish rock,
Stornoway bay-a rock which is separat-
ed from the Island of Lewis by chan
mel over 500 feet wide: It is in the
Hebrides, Scotland. On this rock a
conical beacon is erected and on it's sum-
NIT lantern is fixed from which, night
after night, shines a light which is seen
by the fishermen far and wide. Yet
there is no burning lamp in the lantern
and no attendant ever goes to it, for the
simple reason that there is no lamp to at
tend to-, no wick to train, and no oil
we'll to replenish.
The way in which this peculiar light
house is Illuminated is this: ''On the
Island Of Lewis, 500 feet or so away, is
a lighthouse, and from a window in the
tower a stream of light is projected on
a mirror in the lantern on the summit
of Arnish rock. These rays are reflect
ed to an arrangement of prisms, and
by their action are converged to a focus
outside the lantern, from where they
diverge in the necessary direction"
The consequence is that to all intents
and purposes q lighthouse exists which
has neither lamp nor lighthousekeeper,
and yet which gives as serviceable a
light-taking into account the require
ments of this locality-as if an elaborate
and costly lighthouse, with lamps, serv-
ice-room bedroom, living room, store
room, oilroom, water tanks and all other
accessories were erected on the summit
of the rock.-Tid-Bits.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
Moderi House ON a Barge.

George n. Blanchard. an employe Of
the Spring Valley Water company. is
getting ready to build the biggest and
fanciest ark OH the bay. He has been
living for over a year in an ark at the
foot of Minturn street. hut has snld this
and drawn up plans for a. new craft
which will beat Gov Budd's Pelliwos
and the Tibu-on horse-rar ark. It will
be mounted on ii scow hull which is to be
so feet long and "a feet wide. Upon
this he will erect a two-story house with
bay windows; high feelings and all the
comforts of home. The interior finish
ing will include porcelain hathtubs, with
hot and cold water. incandescent lights
and all the latest improvements in the
furnishing line. The cost of the ark is
estimated at over $4,000. and the contract
for its construction will be let in a few
days. Blanchard has leased a mooring
place on San ,Leandro bay. near High
street, and will anchor his new mansion
there as soon AS it is finished Alameda
correspondent San Francisco Chronicle.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
"A SOrrOWful Case,

David Finnie, teamster, arose yes
terday morning at 9 o'clock, and, accord
ing to custom, prepared his modest
breakfast, babe his wife and 2-year-old
daughter an affectionate farewell and
went about his work as usual.
When he returned to his home he found
the house dark, and, when he entered,
no welcome greeting from his wife.
From the chamber he had left twelve
hours before came sound Of childish
prattle. wake up, mamma; wake up;
papa's come" lisped the little one.
Hastily striking light, Finnie en-
tered the chamber, and there, bending
over the still form of her mother, loving
~ pressing kisses upon unresponsive lips,
was the child, still in her night robe.
Mamma hasn't had breakfast yet"
she told him, in childish innocence, land
I'm so hungry"
The grief-stricken man took in the i'm
port of it all at elance-the wife and
mother had died, while the child at her
side, ignorant of death and the meaning
of the mothers unwonted stiffness, had
busted herself all day beside the corpse.
To the bed she brought her toys, doll
and it's dresses, her blocks and "pict-
ure book She had brought her own
dresses as well, and had apparently tried
to persuade the mother to dress her.
San Francisco Post.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-22
One on the Judge.

Old Mr.. and Mrs. Shuman from Bryan
for dinner saw crowd around the jus
tees court, says the Atlanta Constitu-
ton. The old couple, with pardonable
curiosity, inquired the cause Of the gath
ering. They were informed that a man
was on trial for beating his WIFE, Edg-
ing their way through the bystanders to
get. q look at the prisoner the old lady
murderous looking creature the prisoner
is! I'd be afraid to get near him.
''Hush!' warned her husband. ''That
isn't the prisoner; he hasn't been brought
in yet" 1T isn't? Who is it, them"
'It's the judgev'