davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
STOLEN SECRETS.
Valuable Manufncturing Processes
surreptitiously Obtained.

In days gone by the proprietor of a
chemists shop close by Temple Bar,
in London, enjoyed the monopoly of
making citric acid. He employed no
workmeu; the mystic operation by
which he grew rich was confined to
himself. One day. having locked the
doors and blinded the windows, the
chemist went to dinner. a chimney
sweep, or boy disguised as such, wide
awake on chemistry, was on the watch.
Following the man to Charing Cross, to
make sure that he would not return that
day, the sooty philosopher hied rapidly
back to Temple Bar, ascended the low
building, dropped down the fue, saw
all he wanted, and returned, carrying
with him the mystery. The monopoly
of the inventor was gone, A few months
after the price of the article was re-
duced four-ffths. The poor man was
heartbrolen and died shortly after
ward, ignorant of the trick by which
he had been victimized.
The history of cast-steel presents a
curious instance of a secret stealthily
obtained under the cloak of an appeal
to philanthropy. In 1860 there lived at
Attercliff a matchmaker named Hunts
man. lie became dissatisfied with the
watchsprings in USE and set himself to
the task Of making them homogeneous.
He succeeded; his steel became famous
and about 177O n large mandatory OF
this peculiar steel was established at
Attereliif. The process was wrapped
in mystery, faithful men were hired,
large wages paid and stringent oaths
administered. One midwinter night,
as the tall chimneys of the Attercliff
steel works belched forth their smoke
traveller knocked at the gate. 1t was
bitterly cold and the stranger awakened
no suspicion Moved by motives of bu-
manity, the foreman let him in. Feign
ing to be worn out with cold, the fell
low sank upon the floor and soon APP
peared to be asleep. That, however,
was far from his intentions; he saw
workmen cut bars of steel into bits,
place them in crucibles and thrust the
crucibles into the furnace. The fire
was urged TO its extreme heat until
the steel was melted, and then drawn
out and poured in liquid form into
molds Mr.. Huntsman's factory had
nothing more to disclose; the secret of
making cast-steel had been stolen
Detroit Free Press.
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
GEMS OF THOUGHT.

Some Of the noblest heroisms of the
world have been achieved in humble
life.
Life is real-it is a real and earnest
thing. II has homely details, painful
passages, and a crown of care Tor
every brow.
Girls will never be happy except in
tie company of their playmates. un-
less home becomes to them "a scene OF
regular duty and personal usefulness.
There are few objects in this world
more rcpulsive than selfish woman
"a woman who selishiy consults her
own eniovments, her own ease. her
own plcasure.-J q. Holland
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18

lose their identity and their lands will
American humanity. This is what
these papers say, and they are ably ed
tied. What a sad finale to a once proud,
rich and happy race of people. These
papers tell of an $4,000 steal and a
$l20000 steal. and say that now big
railroad corporation has got a finger
in the pie and the Indians land must
go. Enough votes will be bought in
congress to force the allotment bill
and then will come a second Oklahoma.
In speaking of these things, DR.. Peter
son got excited and said: This nation
is a nation of robbers, and it is and
always has been maxim of Anglo
Saxon people:
power
And they may keep who can
Speaking of Indians haunting me, |
received a letter from a northern gen.
tleman asking me as a great favor to
get for him an ancient ante-bellum
powder horn-one with a history, If
possible. Well, they are all ante
bellum, and so l found one that had
been laid aside for half century-one
that carried powder in Jackson's war
with the Seminoles in Florida, and has
the odor of dead Indians and no doubt
has been in at the death of bears and
panthers and wildcats innumerable.
remember when these powder horns
had rank and standing in the house
and children looked upon them with
fear and reverence, but one day the
percussion lock came along and soon
after the breeeh-loader came along, and
the powder horn was hung ON a high
nail and has been hanging there ever
since. Like the Indians bow and ar
row, it has surrendered to the march
of progress and eiyilization.-Bill Arp
in Atlanta Constitution.
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
LESSON OF THE EPIDEMIC.
yellow Fever Can lie Exterminated
from This Hemisphere.

Americans do not sufficiently realize
what a humiliating reflection upon the
enlightenment OF the western hemi-
sphere, from a sanitary point Of view,
a yellow fever epidemic constitutes. In
Europe the disease is now practically
unknown; the last serious epidemic
having been that of Lisbon in 1857,
Yellow fever now belongs to the west
ern hemisphere, from which also it
should be eXtirpated, as can be done,
il the proper kind of international pub
lie opinion be brought to bear upon the
subject. While the disease is not in-
ligenous to the United States being
always an importation, its visits are,
nevertheless, so regular that since the
beginning Of the century there have
been only nine years in which it has not
appeared Its natural breeding ground
is furnished by the heat, moisture and
filth of tropical seaports. These con-
ditions are found in certain cities of the
Spanish main, which, lacking proper
sanitary regulations, have become per-
petual foc of infection; and Havana
is the worst of them. There the disease
prevails during the entire year, a steady
supply of fuel for its yirulent flames, as
it were, being furnished by the new
comers. The natives generally are i'm.
mune to it, having usually had the nal.
ady, in a mild form, in childhood
For us the position is a simple one.
Since we have such neighbors we must
either bring about a reform in their
sanitary conditions and practices or
continue to run the risk of an annual
invasion of this terrible disease.
Thirty-fye of the visits of yellow fever
to this country since 1900 are known
definitely to have been from Cuba; and
of these 90 have been clearly traced to
the port of Havana. Europe's protee-
tion against Cuba, in this particular,
lies in her remoteness. A Adisease which
turks in a vessel starting across the
ocean has time to develop and manifest
itself so clearly that the quarantine of
ficials on the other side can discover
ii on the vessels arrival. But with
Cuba hardly six hours from Key West,
there will always be a percentage of
danger, however stringent the qnaran-
tine regulations may be, If the eondi-
tions remain as they are. unless, in
deed, we assume a policy of absolute
nonintercourse with the island during
the summer months-Dr Walter Wy
man, in Forum.
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
AN AFRICAN POISON STORY.
Strange Phenomenon Seen In the
Northeast of the Dark Continent.


Charles NJ. Stern, of Chicago, who has
Just returned to this city after jour
ney through northeast Africa, told OF
curious meteorological phenomenon
which he observed in a district called
Gwallah. The vegetation in that re-
gion is very luxuriant," said he, "and
the plant life must give off an unusual
ly large quantity of carbonic acid gas.
At least that was the conclusion l
reached after seeing three natives die
and four or five dogs.
"The moment the animals put their
noses close to the ground they would
fall over and gasp, and die in about five
minutes. The natives who died slept
on the ground instead of in hammocks,
as others did. | saw hundreds of dead
birds. My theory is that a stratum
of the deadly gas covered the ground
for depth of three or four inches, and
any living thing breathing in that area
would be asphyxiated.
81 could not understand, however,
how the gas was not distributed in a
thinner layer, and what kept it in one
place for a whole day. Nothing like it
had ever been known there before. The
deaths of the men and the dogs all oc-
CURED within "a hours. Then the gas,
if it was really gas, seemed to dissipate.
1t was a very strange occurrence and l
might have been induced to make n
more exhaustive investigation il my
presence had not excited distrust.
got away as quickly as possible, rather
than be accused of being the cause of
the sudden deaths. The natives are
superstitious and attribute most OF
their misfortunes to witchcraft, so I
thought it the part of wisdom TO get
away."-N. Y. Mail and Express.
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
IL Hurt His Dignity.

He was walking between two police
men. and the three were on their way
10 the station house.
81 tell YOU" he said, with bitter en-
phasis. "this is a beastlY outrage, The
idca .of making a man i'm my position
walk in this public manner TO a fetid
lookup. It's scandalous.'
"But YOU were seen snatcElug the
watch" said the bigger officer.
"Oh I'm not kicking about that
puoth the prisoner, "but where IN
tophct is your blamed patrol wagon
Hang me. If this isn't the first TING in
CT my experience that I ever he'd %
walk. Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
ETects of nnre ana Dense Air.

DR. Won Liebg, OF the University of
Munich. calls atcEtion to some of the
curious effects of rareiied and of con-
densed air on human respiration. On
high mountains some persons expert
cnce distressing "shortness of breath"
one result of which is that they are
unable to whistle. Precisely the same
effect is sometimes produced by the
condensed air OF caissons and diving
bells. Laborcrs working i'm compressed
air frequently find. however. that their
powers of cNcrtion are increased as
long as the atmospheric pressure is not
more than double that of ordinary air;
hut beyond that point unpleasant eff
fects are experienced after the men
have left the working shafts and re-
turned into the open air. on the other
hand high atmospheric pressure in the
case oft persons NOT doing manual labor
has been found to act as mental stim-
ulus, increasing the impulse 10 talk
Science.
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18

One quart OF sour milk. one teaspoon
full of soda, two eggs. well beaten, flour
enough to make a good batter bake in
griddlcs; make each cake about as
large as a pie plate. When each cake is
done butter well and spread with sugar
and cinnamon, pile up like q layu cake
then cut down IN Quarters H. IL fine
--Iel.urr HuurA
The Van Buren press., 1897-12-18
Ills uIunder.

Tie Casualty got three 25-eent
cigars crushed iu my vest pocket the
Lst time was here.
She lcoldyl Well. don't You think
that 81 ,.rs worth 80 Somerville I5s;f-
DaL
The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23

been in the water for some time. Post
master English reported the find To the
auth critics.
1t is the general opinion of local ship
ping men that the Samaria went down
with all on board north of Cape Flattery,
as wreck south of that point would have
attracted attention before this.
The loss of the Samaria has precedent
in the mysterious disappearance of the
British ship Cadzow Forest, which ar
rived off the river last fall. A gale sprung
up and the vessel was driven to the north.
No trace of the ship was ever afterward
discovered. She probably went down at
sea north of Cape Flattery, and local ship
ping men think the Samaria met like
fate.
The most feasible solution OF the mys-
terry is that the Samaria was overturned,
or else that she sprung leak and found
cred, as no other trace has been discovered.
She was out thirty-one days to-day.
The Samaria was a wooden vessel OF
1439 net tonnage. She was built in 1876
by Houghton Bros. at Bath, Ne. Her
dimensions were: Length 2176, breadth
SO. l, depth "a
The ship was commanded by Captain
McRae, wSo at the time OF the vessel S
loss-ifs she has foundered, as is presumed
was accompanied by his wife and two
minor caildren. Captain McRae bore the
repution OF being skiIlful navigator;
but, as the Samaria was always conside cred
stanch enough to weather the fercest OF
gales, her loss is the subject OF much
speculation and conjecture among sea-
faring men.
The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23
w. c. Z.U ADJ0URRS At eAR0Y
Close of a Most Profitable and Entertain
ing Conyention-Nsw cogny
Officers Elected

GILROY, CAL, April 22.-The twelfth
annual convention of the Woman's Chris.
tian Temperance Union of Santa Clara
County concluded its three days session
in the Presbyterian ch urch of this city at
noon to-day.
The session was attended by forty four
delegates from the ten unions in Santa
Clara County, with visiting delegates from
San Benito County. Il has been a profit.
able and entertaining meeting. Essays
and addresses on all the leading questions
of union WORK have been made by promi-
nent mem bers. The State president, Mrs.
B. Sturtevant Peet of San Jose, was pres
elt and made brilliant speech on Chris
tian Citizenship"
The meetings have been open TO the
pnblic and have been largely attended
Local singers contributed to the musical
portion of the programme. Mrs. Renow-
den Bailey, State superintendent of sing
ing, contributed several fine solos. The
delegates had the freedom of the houses
of tine city, and before ad journment passed
a rising vote of thanks for their cordial
entertain ment In Gilroy.
The following county officers were
elected for the ensuing year: President,
Mrs c. Nj. Ayres of San Jose; first vice.
president. Mrs. A. E. Clark of Gilroy ;
second vice-pre sident. Mrs. s. ]. Churchill
of San Jose; corresponding secretary, Mrs.
Craig of San Jose; recording secretary,
Miss j. B. West; treasurer, Mrs. ]. L.
Forsythe of Gilroy; auditor, Mrs. II. L.
Burwell of Morgan Hill.
The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23
Everything Arranged for
the Leagues Con-
VentiOn.
Several Hundred Delegates
Expected From All Parts
of the Coast.
Grand Open-Air PRAYER Meetings
VIII Be Among the Leading
Features.

SAN JOSE, CAL, April 22.-Prepara-
tions are com plete for the Epworth League
Convention, which will meet in this city
next Tuesday evening. 1t is expected
that several hundred delegates will be in
attendance, and nothing has been LETT un-
done that Will add to the pleasure of the
visitors. The committee of arrange ments
in charge of the convention is as follows:
Rev. +. V. Fisher, chairman; Miss Eliza
beth Blasdel, secretary; ]. J. Bennets.
treasurer; Miss Mabel Forward, E. C.
Hurlburt, Professor L. Krock and Nj. R.
Walker, who are the efficient managers of
the convention plans.
com mittee, headed by M. r. Walker
as chairman, will meet all trains or Tues
day and escort the delegates to Hale's
Hall, the general headquarters of TIE COM
mittee. Al o'clock Tuesday evening the
visitors will be rendered banquet in the
parlors of tie First NJ. e. church. From
10 10 in the evening reception will be
held at Hale's Hall.
Representatives of the city churches,
Endeavor societies and leagues will well
come the guests, while some prominent
| citizens of San Francisco and the district
! president, Rev. Herbert Briggs Of Santa
| Cruz, will respond. The University or
| chestra will play aud prominent San Jose
| musicians will furnish a delightful pro-
gramme.
The convention proper will open the
next day with the sacrament OF the Lord s
| Supper at the First NJ. e. Church, at 8
A. NJ, followed by love feast. The ad-
dress OF President Briggs, the reception of
| fraternal delegates and the routine busi-
ness will consume the morning.
The afternoon will be devoted to dis
cussion of the model working league, with
papers on the social, literary and phiian-
thropic phases of league work. The junior
and intermediate societies will have a
prominent place on the programme.
On Wednesday evening the feature will
be the address of Rev. DR.. Beard of San
Francisco on "The Sociological Posslbil-
ities of Methodism."
The work of Thursday will open with a
sunrise prayer meeting in ST. James Park.
The morning session will consider per
sonal Evangelism" in all its meanings
and methods.
After an early business session of the
afternoon and a missionary hour, led by
| Rev. DR.. Masters of San Francisco, the
visitors will go 10 a reception rendered
them by the University of the Pacific on
their campus at College Park.
! The closing evening OF the convention
will be thoroughly evangelistic. At 4
! o'clock the whole convention will be
| turned loose on the streets holding gospel
meetings all over the cen ter of town. AT
s o clock, headed by the gospel wagon, q
great procession will be formed, which
will march to First Church, where Rev.
Z. 2. bennett of Santa Rosa will preach
the convention sermon, and President
Briggs will hold the closing conservation
service. -
On Friday many of the delegates will
| remain over 10 visit Alum Rock and
Mount Hamilton
The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23
THR|PS ATTACK
FRESNO'S VINES
Threaten to DESTROY the
Coming Crop of
Grapes.
All Efforts to Eradicate the
Pest Seem to Be of
No Avail.
Professor Woodwork Making q
Careful Study of the
Situation.

FRESNO, CAL, April o. Professor C.
w. Woodwork OF the State University is
actively engaged IN conducting inyestiga-
tions among the vineyards hereabout with
view TO finding some effectual way Of
e1terminating the thrips or vinehoppers,
which are threatening to destroy the COM
ing crop OF grapes. He has not yet found
a satisfactory remedy and is vigorously
prosecuting his work. The hoppers at
present are infesting only vineyards in
certain sections. They seem to be migra-
Tory, however, and there is danger that
they will spread over the entire vine
growing district. The Investigations and
experiments by the college expert are be-
ing watched with the greatest interest by
the farmers, and they appreciate very
much the efforts of the professor In their
behalf.
Professor Woodworth is of the opinion
that the vinehoppers feed all winter, ex-
cept in extreme cold weather, on every
thing they can find digestibie. The insect
is dormant or active according TO the
temperature. The first young will appear
about two weeks hence. They lay eggs ali
season and have two or three crops OF
young. The feeding OF the pests varies ac-
cording to their activity. In the winter
they eat little, but IN the spring they feed
ravenously to develop eggs. The pests in
| sert the proboscis into the plant and suck
Gut the sap and green matter of the
vine.
Professor Woodwork believes that the
eggs are inserted in the Leaves of the
vines. The eggs are not in the ground.
The coming crop of yonng will be the off
spring OF the thrips that remain over
from last summer through the winter.
| Eggs do not endure the winter. Only the
| adults survive the cold, and from them
spring the young of the first crop of the
season. Sheep pasturage in the vine
yards, therefore, does not affect the crop.
| Professor Woodworth has not vet ar
rived at decision as to the best trea +
mem for destroying the pests. There are
three ways under consideration-by spray-
ing. application of some sticky substance.
| or bycatching the flying insects with nets
He considers the last named the best of
the three. There is possibility, but no
| probability, says the professor, that the
hoppers may disappear from some un-
known disease. Barring the threatened
injury from the thrips the indications are
that the crop of grapes this season will be
the largest ever known.
Mr.. Porter, in discussing the situation,
said: II really believe that the pest will
The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23
be of great injury to the entire grape crop
unless some means is discovered very soon
to check it.
VINE PEST SPREADING.
ThripS Will Make a Great Differ
ence in the Fresno County
Grana CrOn.


Thrips Will Make a Great Differ
ence in the Fresno County
Grape Crop.
From all accounts received in this City
the vine pest, known as thrips. of Fresno
is causing The vineyardists of that county
great uneasiness and is even alarming
those of the adjoining counties. A. w.
Porter of Porter Brothers Company is in
receipt of several communications from
that part of the State and from appear
ances the entire grape crop stands in
danger of being destroyed. He had
communication over the telephone yes
terday with J. f. Niekirk of Malaga, four
miles from Fresno, in which Mr.. Nekirk
stated that the hopper pest is spreading
every day.
So far, the gentleman stated, nothing
has been discovered to check it. The
nelghboring vineyards have been at
tackled and the bright young leaves droop
and fall as though fire had passed over
the vines. At the rate the pest is spread
ing II will not take long before it works
itself into the adjoining counties. Cut
worms, the regular grasshopper and such
insects have been encountered and de-
feated. but the thrip is q mystery to all.
In one OF the letters received by Mr..
Porter from Hobbs, Parsons e. Co. OF
Fresno, dated April 20, the writer says:
There is quite scare among the growers
over the vlnebug that is doing considerable
injury at the present time. / presume you
have seen accounts in the papers. There is no
doubt they will cut off the crop some, but to
what extent 1t is hard to tell.
The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23

Jagged up the coast to 16 west. In 44.302
north very foul weather was encountered,
but during the remainder of the trip it
was pleasant.
The schooner Meiancthon and the bark
Carondelet, bound for San Francisco, were
spoken last Wednesday. Not one of them
had seen anything of the missing ship, SO
the Rush returned TO port. Shipping men
are still of the opinion that news will come
from the Samaria before the month is out.
They contend that the vessel was dismast-
ed off the Columbia and the nrevailing
winds drove her north past Vancouver
Island. In the circumstances, as they
place them, there could be no chance of
the Samaria being spoken oy vessels south
bound and no news would reach San
Francisco. Still the general belief is that
the collier went down in the heavy gale
that prevailed along the Oregon coast a
month ago.
The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23
STANFORD-BERKELEY DEBATE.
Eftb Annual Controversy of the Universi-
ties 10 Take Place IN This CITY
To- Morrow EyeBioo

STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CAL. April
22.-Next Saturday evening the fifth an.
nuaI debate between Stanford and Berke.
ley is to take place. METROPOLITAN Ten pie,
San Francisco, will undoubtedly be
crowded, as the intercollegiate field day
in the afternoon promises to excite great
college enthusiasm. A large delegation
from the universities will witness both
events.
The question for debate was submitted
by Berkeley and reads: Resolved, That
each member OF the Cabinet should have
a seat and vocs in Congress. Stanford
had the choice of sides and selected the
negative, contrary to her custom in former
debates. The wearers of the blue and
gold will be represented by Charles C.
Cohn. Adolph L. We'll and H. A. Over
street. while Miss Londa l.. Stebbins, John
NJ. Surfer and A. b. Morgan are 10 up.
hold the cardinal.
Both universities have won two de bates
and the fifth match will be hotly con-
tested. The Stanford team has received
special attention this year, and if they fail
to win the decision of judges it will not be
because OF any lack OF thorough prepara-
tion. The three judges have not been Sc
lected as yet.