davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
In q Balloon.

A dim sunlight strikes us in the bal
loon. Suddenly we realize we are in
bright sunshine again, with fleecy
white clouds below US and deep sky
above. Look at the shadow of the bad
loon on the clouds! See the Light, puis-
matte colors like q halo around the
shadow of the car. Hene we are all
alone, in perfect silence, In the depths
OF a great abyss-massive clouds tow
er1ng up ON all sides, a snowy white
mass below. But no sign Of earth-no
sign Of anything human Not a sound,
not sign of life! What peace! What
bliss: Horrors! Whats that report :?
The balloon must have burst. Oh nou-
sense! Keep still! It's only a fold of
the stuff nipped by the netting being
suddenly released; that's all.
Well, we are falling, for see the bits
Of paper apparently ascending. And
we must take care, for the coldness
and dampness Of this cloud will cause
the gas to contract, and we shall fall
rapidly. So get bag Of ballast ready,
for we are already in the darkness Of
the cloud. Now the gas bag shrinks
and writhes. and the loose folds rustic
together, and it gets darker. You can
feel the breeze blowing upward against
your face or hand held over the edge
of the car. Well, that's not to be Won
dered ait, for remember we are falling,
say thousand feet minute, which is
the same thing as if we we're going
along ten miles an hour sitting in a
dogcart. Not quite the same, you say
you'd sooner be i'm the cart? Wen, per-
haps if the horse were going straight
at a wall, without the possibility of
being able to stop him, you would think
otherwise. But look! There is the
earth again; so out with your ballast.
Go on! Pour out plenty; there's no good
economizing.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
Cowardice Of Alligators.

The cowardice of alligators is well
known by the people who reside along
the bayous which We're at one time fire.
quented by the saurians, said gen
tleman from Southwestern Louisiana.
A great many persons who only know
OF the alligator by reputation swallow
Without a qualm the stories which are
so often told about the hairbreadth es-
capes and remarkable adventures with
these reptiles. The truth is that they
90 not possess sufficient coulage-the
ahgators, mean-to attack mouse,
unless it was chained to a bank and
couldn't show fight
l remember crossing a stream in the
Vermlllion country a number of years
before the craze for alligator hides had
struck the country. I entered a skiff,
and when about half way over, my
uog, which I had forgotten, came
bounding after me, and leaping into the
water began to swim across after the
'oost. Almost Immediately several al
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18

hgaaors, lying with the tins Of tbe,r
noses above the surface. began to move
arter the dog, and soon came within =
Iew ' feet of the animal. He realized
-, ei,a. ne was being chased, and proceed
eu TO turn the tables by chasing them.
ne parked and turned to make for the
saeors' but they got out of the way.
wen, the dog and the sa1lrians kent
up thls performance until the former
l'aa crossed the stream. The allipa-
.ols seemed to be afraid to come Within
oi'lng distance, although it would have
. peeal impossible for the dog to have
Inquired them. They We're simply afraid.
cila1s all, and it is always the way
With them. I have frequently swan
arter an alligator myself, and he would
invariably turn tail and get out Of sight
In hurry. Courage! They have no
more than a goat.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
A WONDERFUL CHANGE.
What the South Is Now and What It
Was Twenty Years AGO.

.ne oOutn As NOW and What It
Was Twenty Years Ago.
Where the proud city of Birmingham
stands to-day there We're in 1877 only
worn-out fields. Chattanooga was a
dllapidated village, Atlanta still sat in
the ashes of the war. Florida was al.
most as much of wilderness as in the
days of Spanish rule. Texas had made
no impression upon the worlds markets
as cotton producer. The States of
Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas
were IN poverty and despair because
OF the miseries of the reconstruction
PERIOD. The coal and iron mines of
tennessee, Alabama and Virginia were
practically undiscovered and unopen.
ed. Ihere was no serious competition
by any southern port with New York
and Boston for the export and import
trade. With single exception there
was not one great railroad system in
the South, and that did not touch the
southeastern part
Twenty years ago the manufacture
of cotton in the South was wholly an
lnfant industry, and cities now known
as textile working centers were mere
trading posts at the cross roads. The
frutt and vegetab bic business of Florida
was so small as to attract little atten-
ton, while the fruit and melon bust
ness OF Georgia did not exist at all.
Southern farmers then bought their
corn and meats, instead Of raising them
as they do now, and the cotton crop Of
Georgia, Notwithstanding the compar-
atively low prices, and Notwithstanding
the cities have absorbed so much of he
rural r. population, is twice as large as
it was then.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
Meade and His Men,

General Horace Porter relates the
following anecdote Of General Meade
in his Campaigning with Grant" in
the Century:
General Meade was most accoan-
plished officer He had been thorough
ly educated in his profession. and had
complete knowledge of both the sci
ence and the art of war in all it's
branches. He was we'll read possessed
of vast amount Of interesting infor-
nation, had cultivated his mind as a
linguist, and spoke French with fuen-
cy. When foreign officers visited the
front they We're invariably charmed by
their interviews with the commander
of the Army of the Potomac. He was
a disciplinarian to the point of sever
tty, was entirely subordinate to his SUI
periors. and no one was more prompt
than he to obey orders to the letter In
his intercourse with his officers the
bluntness of the soldier was always
conspicuous, and he never took pains
to smooth any ones ruffied feelings.
There was an officer serving In the
Army Of the Potomac who had former
ly been a surgeon. One day he appear,
ed at Meade's headquarters in a high
state of Indignation, and said: General,
as was riding over here some of the
men in the adjoining camps shouted af-
ter me and called me old Pills. and
would like to have it stopped" Meade
Just at that moment was not in the best
possible frame Of mind to be approach
ed with such a complaint He seized
hold of the eyeglasses, conspicuously
large in size. which he always wore,
clapped them astride of his nose with
both hands, glared through them at the
officer, and exclaimed: 'Well, what Of
that? How can l prevent it? Why, I
hear that, when l rode out the other
day. some Of them called me a ID
old goggle-eyed swapping turtle and
1 can't even stop that!' The officer
had to content himself with this ex-
plosive expression of a sympathetic
fellow-feeling, and to take his chances,
thereafter as to obnoxious epithets.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
NAL alternately takes mouthful OF
hay and a SIP of water

hay and a sip of water.
Mexico has an excellent federal teie-
graph system, and nothing of import
ance can happen nowadays anywhere
in the country that President Diaz does
not know of it almost Immediately. A
night service has recently been begun
by which telegram Of ten words can
be sent for ten cents
The food of the swallow is composed
of insects alone, and the number these
birds destroy in single summer is in
calculable. They are in summer on
the wing for fully sixteen hours dur
ing the day, and the greater part of
the time making havoc among the mill
ions of insects which infest the air.
The manufacture of artificial honey
has reached such proportions that
much attention is being given 10 it's
analysis. The Germans suggest the
use of acetone, baryta. iodine and ethyl
alcohol in very satisfactory tests for
honey made from or adulterated with
starch, sirup, commercial dextrine, mo-
lasses or cane sugar.
Delaware is a State in which old
forms and usages are still strictly OBJ.
served. The ceremony Of burning the
old applications for licenses and re-
ceipts for bills paid was gone through
at the Dover courthouse recently. Un-
der an old Delaware law, the clerk Of
the peace Of each county is ordered to
burn these papers every five years.
The miners of Glacier Greek. Alaska,
are doing a great deal Of burning"
this winter-that is, thaw out the froz-
en- gravel by fire. Streams freeze solid
at the beginning Of winter. Wood costs
81 cord at the stump and $40 and $12
for hauling. The gravel is taken out
and stored and not washed till warm
weather thaws the rivers.
Lavender is still used in English lin
en- closets, but the supply is threatened
with extinction. The growers in the
7iallge of Hitchin one Of the chief CEN
ters of the lavender industry, assert
that owing to a succession of bad sea-
sons the plant is dying out there, and
that, moreover, they cannot compete
with foreign limitations of lavender
water.
In England the telephone is branch
of the postofice department, and since
1892 Parliament has voted $6,50O,OOO
for telephone construction and exten-
sion. London has several circuits to
Liverpool and eight to Manchester. An
underground telegraph line will be
built to Birmingham, and when it is
completed the overground lines will be
used for telephoning.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
The Care of Wells.

There is NO need of further proof Of
the dangers which wells present, from
the point of view of possible contam nina
ton with disease germs, notably those
of typhoid fever. 1t Is well known
how many villages have been depopu-
lated by that terrible malady, simply
because the wells which afforded the
water supply had received not only
water from pure springs, but also
drainage from cesspools.
DR.. Koch, having recognized the posi-
tive character of this peril, advises the
arrangement in wells of sand filtering
apparatus, for which he offers a very
simple plan. At the center Of the well
he lowers an iron tube six or eight
centimeters two and half or three
inches) in diameter, of which the lower
extremity, tightly closed by metallic
plug. is pierced with q series of small
holes that permit the water to enter the
pipe. In the open space between this
part of the device and the sides of the
well (Which should be we'll walled up)
fine gravel should be placed. rising
above the highest level which the water
is liable to attain. The coarse sand
should be filed in even to the mouth Of
the WELL and a pump-plunger inserted
inside the tube. The water which is
pumped in is then filtered by its pas
sage through the sand. It is not posi-
bic, perhaps, to say that all the bac-
terra will be arrested, because sand
liberation is not recognized as abso-
lutely efRca cious, but it is at least a
great safeguard, and the installation is
very simple. 1t is especially important
that fine sand should not be permitted
to enter and accumulate in the body Of
the Dump-Denyer News.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
Sale of J.andseers.

Sir Edwin Landseer's "a Piper ana
a Pair Of Nutcrackers'' was sold re-
Gently in London for SS,135, and his
Eager Terrier" for $2,S35; view Of
Gillingham by w. Muller for SIS, $50;
Millais's "My Second Sermon" for
$1,705; Friths THE Pet Fawn," for
81, $50; Linnelps "The Emigrants,'' for
$4,41O; Peter Grahams "The Cradle
of the Sea Bird" for $4,355. and two
pictures by Clarkson stanfeld, 1.-The
Worms Head, Briston Channel" for
SLIPS, and "Cittora on the Gulf Ct
Salerno," for $2.310.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
A Mistake.

"Of course" said the jeweler, "yori
meant well, but don't do that again.
'What do you mean" inquired the
man in charge of the repair depart
ment.
''You charged that Last man so much
that instead Of having his old watch
fixed he bought a new one that l had
marked down to cost as an advertise
ment. nt."-Washington Star.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18

munication was once opened relief was
ready. TIE father could not do too
much for the daughter, and all his saw
ings Went to her. Through influence
eXerted by the officers of the company
she was placed in school, and after the
war became one of the most influential
women in her circle in a Southern city.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
Corrected.

Mrs. Gray-It's positively disgracefu.
his dead wife is hardly cold.
Mr.. Gray-My dear, 1 think you
wrong Black. l happen to know that
his wife was cremated.-Minneap
Times,
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
Barbarities to Smokers.

While Englishmen smoked and
laughed at their kings wondrous ways
OF growled at his tena cious grip upon
their pockets, Eastern potentates were
treating their subjects as only despots
can for daring to indulge in the Frank
ish novelty Of smoking. In Persia,
where but recently jealous strife ragged
for sole possession Of the tobacco indus
try, Abbas I. Of dread memory cut off
the lips of those who smoked and the
noses Of any who ventured to snuff On
one occasion he threw an unfortunate
man whom he discovered selling tobac-
co into fire along with his goods Yet
by and by this demon of cruelty him
self was enthralled by Nicotiana's
charms and become one of her most
fervent devotees. The Turks under
Amurath Nv. were similarly punished
for infringing his edict against smok-
ing.
Not less cruel were the barbarities in
ficted upon Russian subjects, who, un-
der Gear Michael Fedorowitz, were
publicly knouted for using tobacco in
any form; in some instance their nos
trils were split open. If guilty of a sec
ond offense, death alone could wipe out
the crime.-Gentleman's Magazine.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
Demoralizinx.

Flo-I'm afraid l must give up cy-
cling. / find it SO much more difficult
to be good.
Tom-Why? Blasphemy?
Flo-No; but I'm always coveting my
neighbor's wheel.-Pick-Me-Up
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
News About Caesar.

Teacher-Now, what can you tell me
about Julius Caesar?
Pupil-He wrote books in classics
It'd Bits.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18
A Recommendation.

Where did you get the idea for this
story?" asked the editor Of the con,
tributor.
"Out of my head, sir.''
"If you have any more ideas Like that
in your head I advise you to have it
amputated." d."-Louisville Caurier-Jour.
nal
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-18

There are two occasions when women
count their own fingers: one of them is
when they hear that widowe9 10 to
be married,
The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-12

A few days ago at Quartsburg, in
Baker county. Theodore Eby, miner,
was working alone in stope in the
Clifford niue when huge rock fell
from the hanging wall and struck his
leg, breaking it about half way be-
tween the knee and hip and pinioning
the unfortunate man fast. Within
arms length of where he stood was a
pick. With this instrument he pried
the rock from his leg and extricated
himself. There was no assistance
nearer than Mr.. GIfford's house, just
below the dump OF the tunnel, and the
only person there was Mrs. Clifford,
her husband being absent.
There was only one thing for Eby
to do, and that was to get himself out
tie best way possible. The journey
ahead of him required almost super
human effort. He had to go down on
a ladder in sxtyfoot shaft from the
stope to the tunnel, which was 800
feet from the entrance. He let him.
self down the shaft by his hands, and
on reaching the tunnel crawled out,
all the time suffering the most intense
pain. On reaching the dump he called
Tor help, and Mrs. Clifford came to his
assistance and helped him to the house
and to his bed. Later Mr.. Clifford re-
turned home and procured physician
to attend Mr.. Eby, who at last accounts
was getting along as well as could be
expected. Morning Oregonian.
The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-12
The Height of Trees.

1T has, perhaps, occurred to few Oh
US that the boughs of trees occupy .
very different position in summer and
winter, respectively, but Miss Agnes
Fry has made careful measurements
of the height from the ground Of
branches of both walnut and mulberry
trees in August and December, anu
she finds that IN some cases there sS
difference of as much as thirty'ons
inches in the height of the same bralcA
from the ground in these two months,
This particular figure was o0talne11
with branch of mulberry tree, anu
it was found that in December welgl.
Of thirty-fve pounds was not suliolen'
to lower it to its summer position
In other cases there were differences
of from thirteen to nineteen inches IL
the distances in summer and winter
respectively of branches from ll'
ground. No wonder, then, that 'lo
diagnosis of tree in winter from ~
general outline is so difficult task
Public Opinion,
The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-12

New York City is to have high
Notwithstanding it has not had.
says the New York Press, since the
old High School was turned into the
Normal College. The city now has its
Normal College for girls aud the Col.
lege of the City of New York for bows,
but 1t has no system of high schools,
which are popular In nearly every
other city in the Union. The Commit.
tee on High Schools Of the Board of
Education at the meeting OF the Board
recently recommended the establish
ment Of three high schools, and the
report was adopted The Girls High
School will be situated IN the building
now occupied by Grammar School A.,
at 3G East Twelfth street; the BOYS
High School will be in the building
now occupied by Grammar School 81.
at 50 West Thirteenth street, aud the
mixed, or "co-ed" High School will be
in the building occupied by Grammar
School 90, at Courtla1d avenue and
lj7th street.
The Board appointed a COMMITTEES
to visit the schools Of some Of the
other cities 60 that tie lstest ideas
may be put into practice in the high
sebools o. New York When they ere
established
The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-12
Pursued by Black Bears.

Elmer Thornburg, a mining man OF
Granite, Or, arrived at his home,
after having u most exciting trip across
the mountains on snowshoos and mar
rowly escaping being food for a couple
Of fierce and hungry bears. Thorn
burg is interested in mining ground
away down in a region known as
"Desolation, " in the lower North Fork
country, and one day recently he con.
cluded it would be wisdom on his part
to take q trip down to see how the
camp was prospecting and take the
United States mail and extras in to the
boys. The journey to within about
four miles OF the camp was mnde with
out difficulty by Thornburg, mounted
upon PAIR OF snowshoes, but at that
distance the snow was all gone, and he
had to abandon his snowshoes and
take to walking. This, with his Jack
on his back, was no picnic. When
within about two miles OF camp he
sat down on the sunny side OF log to
rest.
No sooner had Thornburg settled
himself comfortably than he was dis
turbed by several grunts and lot of
clawing and scratching beneathSthe
log. lie was unarmed. In a minute
there appeared from beneath the log
two black nuzzles, followed by the
bodies of two full-grown, ferocious,
red -jawed, black bears, with hristles
erect as they came from their COM
Portable burrow.
Thornburg jumped to his feet and
started down the trail on run. The
heavy pack On bis back impeded his
progress, however. The hungry beara
quickly took up the scent, and were
after him. When he saw that the race
would be an uneven one, he dropped
his burden at the foot OF q young
black pine tree and climbed up among
the branches as nimble as a chipmonk.
The bears broke open his discarded
bundle and ate all the bacon and other
good things. Then they turned their
attention to Thornburg. Fierce with
hunger, their savage appetites just
whetted good, the bears put their huge
paws around the slender tree trunk
and endeavored to reach him.
Breaking off a branch Of the tree,
Thornburg raped smartly each black
nose that came within reach, and bruin
would 60 away growing, only to re-
Turn when the pain had ceased This
was the best aud only defense the pur
sued man could avail himself of. In
the meantime he began to yell at the
top of his voice in the hopes that his
cries might reach camp. They finally
did, and Mr.. Dickson and I'd
Flaheriy came out with their trusty
rifles and made it possible for the IN
armed and unframed mau to descend
from his perch.
Thornburg will not make any more
trips on snogshoes across the noun
tains without his gun. Portland Tele-
gram.
The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-12
SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

Alphonse Berget recently described
a method of studying the expansion
of liquids by means of photography.
Belgium has followed the example
of Italy in adopting a twenty four.
hour time on the railroads and in the
post and telegraph Offices.
To prevent nuts from turning loose
the bolt is futed for short distance,
a spring ratchet fastened to the nut
engaging the grooves in the bolt
TO promote combustion in furnaces
double set of ians, one larger than
the other, are set in an air Shaft, ex-
haust steam acting on the smaller set
to run the larger or air fans.
A new belt which will not run off
the pulley has rubber Aange on its
edges, which fits over the sides Of the
wheel and is stlffened by means of q
cord threaded along It's edges.
A new design III repeating rides has
double chamber or magazine for
cartridges extending the length of the
barrel, each chamber being connected
in turn with the firing mechanism by
lever in the stock.
From maps and papers extending
back 23O years, DR.. Hermann Wulser
finds that the lakes in the Canton of
Zurich have greatly diminished in
number and size. The forest area
has been reduced but little, but the
vineyard area has steadily increased.
An old sea captain of Long Island
has proposed the unique scheme OF
equipping mortar batteries at life
saving stations from which to throw
bombs filed with petroleum to calm
the waters raging around wreck.
Through the resulting smooth water
and surf, the rescue work would be
comparatively easy.
Signor Marconi, whose use of the
electro static system in telegraphy has
created extraordinary interest in Eng
land, is some years under thirty. He
is typical italian in appearance. He
is the pupil and protege OF promin.
ent Italian electrician, and took his
invention to England to sell it there
as in tine best market.
Pneumatic tires are said by those
who have made tests in France to save
thirty to fifty per cent. in draft over
ordinary carriage wheels. Tho ex-
periments were oyay nacalam, paved
and ordinary roads, and over muddy
ground and ground covered with two
inches of snow. The greater tho
speed the greater proved the saving.