davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19


"Creak!" said the old tin sheep on wheels;
Pm growing old. and down my back
Pm very sure there's dreadful crack.
There's nobody know9," said the old tin
sheep, It'll he's old how an old toy feels"
IL used TO trundle about the floor;
But that was when l was young and
new;
It's something that now could not do.
No; ] shall quietly rest myself on this
shelf behind the door.
'Creakl" said the sheep; whats gone
amiss?
Some one Is taking me out, know.
They're pulling my string, and away
90.
Stop oh, stop" cried the old tin sheep;
II never can go like this."
But Tommy pulled the sheep around;
About the nursery 1t went so fast
The floor beneath seemed flying past
While creakety- crcakety- creak the wheels
went round with doleful sound.
Then Tommy left it there on its side
The wheels moved slowly and stopped
with q creak,
And the wax doll heard it family speak.
There's nobody knows what he can do"
said the sheep, ''till he has tried"
= Katharine Pyle.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Foul Breath and How to Treat II.

Foul breath comes from several
causes, viz: digestive disturbances,
bad teeth or certain forms of catarrh.
If foul digestion, it comes from the
stomach, and in that case the stomach
should be washed out or otherwise
sweetened, and mild diet adopted
until the stomach clears itself. If from
the teeth, it usually comes from a
cavity in which food lodges and de-
composes. This is deleterious to
health aside from being disagreeable,
and should be remedied by consulting
q good dentist. If from catarrh it is
usually the atropic kind, in which
there is usually good deal of dryness
to the throat; the secretions become
morbid and cling to the mucous MEM
brane, decomposing and forming
crust, usually in the posterior mares
or vault of the pharynx. This is a
very troublesome form of catarrh, and
should lead to consultation with q
specialist. A spray of peroxide of
hydrogen mixed with water, equal
portions, will destroy all odors. An
application of carbolized vaseline has
also been found to be of great SER
vice. The Home Doctor.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19

The song of the wind in the grassl
Come lie on the ground and listen
When the white clouds drift and pass
: And the dewdrops cease to glisten.
II comes with the perfume of flowers,
1t chases the cares that harass,
And fraught with magical power
Is the song of the wind in the grass.
Come lie with your heart to the clover
Out under the orchard trees
And listen the sweet tune over
A-chime with the lay of the bees.
The tired brain a-throb and a.quiver
Wakes quiet and clear as q glass,
. Till cool thoughts flow like river
To the song of the wind in the grass.
A rest that is sweeter than mirth
Through the soul is soothing steal
ing,
For the touch of the dear brown earth
Hath balm of heavenly healing;
And under the warm blue sky,
As soft as whispered mass
Or dreamland lullaby,
Is the song of the wind in the grass.
Samuel M. Peck in Youths Com
panion.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Paris Fashion in Dogs,

A Paris correspondent writes: "The
fashion in dogs in Paris is as chang.
ing as any other. The canine exhibit
ton which is now open on the Quai de
lOrangerie reflects the latest taste in
the matter. The vogue of the poodle
il at an end, and for the moment nc
dog can aspire to the epithet of chic
unless he be large or most diminutive.
Danes are most in favor of the former
class, and Scotch terriers and toy bull
dogs of the latter. German bassets are
also highly esteemed, and among the
finest in the capital are those owned
by Miss Maud Come, the indefatig-
able champion of the Irish cause in
France. Some Partisan dogs enjoy
wide celebrity. Such is the case,
for instance, of Ali, a blue Dane be-
longing to the Duchess Dues, OF
Miss, the Comtesse de Burgues'
Pomeranian, and of File and FLAG,
Nine. Bernhard It's Russian dogs.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
strangest Mountains in the World.

A jumbled mass of granite blocks,
some of them fifty feet square, all of
them carrying sharp edges and fiat
surfaces, as though done by the hand
of some Titan stone worker, and piled
heller SHELTER in huge heap 1000
feet high and four miles thick at the
base. Granite blocks of every con-
ceivable shape and size, and between
them. as they rest unevenly upon one
another, dark caverns and passage
ways; chambers as large as those of
Luray or Mammoth Gave. Not a
bush, not a tree in sight; not even the
trace of an animal to lend at least the
semblance of life. This, in few
words, is the Black Trevetoas, of Aus
tralia, by all odds the strangest, most
unexplainable mountains in the world.
This wonderful pile of granite is
situated twenty miles back of the coast
range of mountains that fringes the
edge of Cape York peninsula. The
natives, whose ancestors lived at the
base of the Black Trevetons, will not
go near the spot, and it is totally de-
serted. No man is known to have
scaled the highest peak up to this
spring, when Mr.. John F. Hobbs ac-
complished the perilous feat alone. In
his account of the ascension he offers
no explanation of the wonderful form
alton of the Trevetons. They look
like mountains that have been blown
to pieces.
Mr.. Hobbs penetrated several of
the caverns in the mountains and had
many weird adventures.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Organ Grinders in the South.

"You very rarely see an Italian
organ grinder in large city of the
South" said resident of that section
of the country to Star reporter.
You see plenty of organ grinders
just as you do here, but they are all
run by colored people. In my town
there seems to be company--prob-
ably made up Of whites---that owns
and directly manages all the street
organs, and this company hires colored
men to do the active work of hauling
the things around and grinding out
the doleful strains you are so familiar
with here. They are very successful,
too, and l believe the company loses
very little through the dishonesty Of
its employees. I don't know whether
they are paid stated salary or COM
mission on what they bring in, but I
suppose it is the latter, for / know
personally one or two old-timers who
make as much as "a and s. day. In
all other respects the organ industry
is the same in the South as it is here"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Charged by Wild Bears.

A band of bears numbering eleven
left the wood surrounding the town of
Louviers, France, and after crossing
the river, invaded the town, two Of
them even entering houses, where
they were shot The noise of the fire.
arms frightened the others, who swan
back across the river and made for the
wood. On their way they met q
cyclist, who promptly turned tail and
fed. He rode as hard as he could to
escape the animals, but they rapidly
gained on him, and, finding that the
race was a hopeless one, he got down
and crouched behind his wheel. The
bears charged the bicycle and smash ed
it all to pieces, and then made off,
leaving the cyclist more dead than
alive. His regret at the loss of the
bicycle was probably more than made
up by his Joy at finding himself safe
and sound. American Cyclist.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
THE wooDpEcKER.

There is an article by Frank M. Chap
man in ST. Nicholas on The Little Drum
mer Of the Woods" giving much curious
information concerning the woodpecker.
Mr.. Chapman says:
IL we had woodpecker in our hands
we should see, in the beginning, that its
bill 10 not slightly hooked, with the upper
mandible turned down ut its end and
overlapping the under mandlble. rs in the
crow and other birds that pick up liv-
ing" but that both mandlbles are of equal
length, and cut squarey off at the tip.
1t is therefore like wedge or chisel.
Perhaps the tip of the birds tongue
will be seen appearing through its nearly
closed mandibles, and our attention Is mt
once attracted by its peculiar shape. We
discover that it is remarkably long, and
when fully extended reaches almost il not
qnite an inch beyond the point OF the bill.
IL is not hat, like the crows. but round
and flcshy, and has sharp. horny point
which. by looking at it very closely, we
see has series of barbs on both sides.
In the meantime our hands have doubt
less been pricked by the bird 8 tail feathers,
each feather being stiff. bristly. and
pointed at the end Some of the larger
woodpeckers = the pieated and ivorybill,
for instance-have this singular kind of
tail-feather highly developed The main
stem or shaft of the feather is much larger
than usual. and each barb growing from
this shaft is curved downward and in
ward. and is strong and pointed. Com
pairing this feather with the fiat tail
feather of crow, we see at once how
different it is in form.
The wings do not impress us as in any
way unusual; they are neither very long
nor very short, but the arrangement Of
the toes is so peculiar that they were at
once commented upon by blind girl, to
whom had handed a specimen of one OF
these birds. Instead OF the disposition
common to most birds. three toes directed
forward and one backward, we discover
two front toes and two hind ones and we
will note also that each toe is armed with
a strong curved nail.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19

wow.wow:" but this time rather mego
defantly. Receiving no response 70 thlo
challenge lie ventured 10 take few stepo
cautiously toward Jack in.the- box. paused
. while. and gave another bark; and -.
with barks and pauses he at last reached
the fearful object
IL would take too long to describe I'll
bis maneuvers and his many snaps b.
fore he venturcd to seize the thief who
had stolen his bone. but when he did 20
1t was very amusing to watch the manner
In which he worried that unlucky toy.
The spiral spring, which we all know
Is the backbone OF a jack-in- the box. was
the only thing which baflied him, the end
OF it getting in his eyes, up his nose, In
his ears, and everywhere. For weeks
after. when that spiral wire had become
covered with rust, Spot used always TO
give 1t timid nibble. followed by con-
temptuous sniff, as he passed it by.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Benefit of Focs.

Fogs are said to have very bene-
fetal effect ON the health of districts
where they are prevalent, as they are
great purifiers of the atmosphere, and
even the sulphur, which makes the
London fog SO pungent and irritating,
is credited with effecting quite an APP
preciable limitation of prevalent infec-
tious diseases. Professor Maur is now
of the opinion that smoke may be
turned into hygienic ally, and un-
der some circumstances be made cap
able of preserving the public health
to degree little imagined. The dust
collected from the smoke of some
Liege furnaces burning coal raised
from the neighboring mines produces,
when Dissolved in hydrochloric acid, .
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19

''And II laughing h good for the
health 81 the doctors cay II IT," Bob
concluded, We've al laughed
enough tonight TO keep us alive and
well for the next twenty-five years. "
And there followed . volley Of
cheers, and reluctant breaking up.
81 should like to know what these
young rascals Of ours will think up
next?" Dwight's father said, when
everybody had gone save Irene and
her mother.
"Irene thunk this up" said Dwight.
1--WE cannot complain, said Irene's
mother, ''if all their projects are as
economical as this and as successful"
1T cost $2.63," said Dwight, sex
actly."
swell, now that you've had your
fun" said his father, you'd better
take your money and give them the
party you expected to give-hadn't
you?"
Dwight and Irene exchanged looks.
"Wouldn for anything!" said Dwight,
hastily, 'I'm sick to death of pink
silk dresses and long gloves, and or
chestras behind palms, and chicken
salad and ice cream, and the rest of it.
Aren't you, Irene?"
''Of course am. We all are. Ii
was blessed relief, Irene answered.
And she added softly, with innocent
eyes on the chandelier.
81 heard Katy Delaney talking to
Maggie Long this morning. She was
telling her all about her graduation
dress. It's going to be white barred
muslin, with white ribbon trimmings.
She's got slippers and gloves and a
fan and everything, and she's had
enough money left to get her mother
something to wear, so she can come
and see Katy graduate. She won
dered and wondered who sent her the
money, and she was so glad and happy
about it that she was crying"
"Pshaw!" said Dwight, and he be-
gan to whistle.
Whats all this" said his father.
"Irene Winslow' said Dwight
warningly.
But his father refused to be left in
Tile udTk. ne Sullleu III peCullhI
and thoughtful way when Irene had
finished the explanation, and he
looked Dwight over. He did not say
much; he remarked, merely, that he'd
just as lief have Dwight for son as
any other boy he could think of just
that minute.
The hard-times party became cele.
brated. The local paper printed de.
tailed account of it, and the s. L. C.'s
talked about it for four weeks, and
went in groups and had their photo
graphs taken in the costumes they had
worn.
But for Dwight and Irene the best
of it came later, when Katy Delaney
read an essay at the high school com
mencement, and received her diploma.
She looked well in her white dress
trimmed with bows of white ribbon,
and she was radiant picture of pride
and bliss. And for Dwight and Irene
the best of the hard-times party was
then and there.-St. Louis Star.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Diamonds In a Volcano.

An interesting discovery from a
geological point of view was recently
made by an explorer in the mountains
Of Witzies Hook, Natal. On the sum-
NIT of an extinct volcano on the edge
of a lake that occupies the crater,
soundings revealed layer of sand in
closing small diamonds. 1t would be
interesting to know whether these
diamonds were there accidentally
that is as the result of washing opera
tons carried on by the natives-or
whether this discovery corresponds to
an actual mine of diamonds, for the
hills of Whites Hook are not situated
in regions known to be diamond-bear-
ing. On the last hypothesis the pres
ence of precious stones in the crater of
volcano would doubtless throw some
light on the formation of the gems in
nature.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
sPoT's SAVINGS BANK.

We are all familiar with the habit De-
cuiar to dogs of burying and hiding
bones for future dinners and lunches,
making, as 1t were. savings banks OF our
flower beds and strawberry patches.
once lived in farm.h house where there
also resided a dog which was particularly
given to this thrifty practice. and the
boys used to play practical jokes on him
on account of tue misery habit.
One day, having watched him hide a
sleeps humerus Tor shouldcr-of- mutton
bone) in this manner. they dug it up. and
buried in its place one of those toy jack
in-the-boxes. with big furry whiskers and
large staring eyes, which 6y up with a
spring as soon as you unfasten the lid.
This they so arranged that the moment
Spot touched it with his paw it should 90
off. so to speak
For several days Spot was as closely
watched as suspected nihilist would be
by the police OF ltussia, but he showed
no sign OF drawing on his bank account.
At last 1t was suggested by shrewd little
fellow that they cut off his rations aud
so starve him into doing what they wanted.
This soon had the desired effect and Spot
was SSSh Siyfy Siccpiug dfOiS unuer the
shadow OF the fence toward his safe-de-
post vault where. after casting cautious
glance around TO see that he was not
watched. he began lazy and deliberate
scratching All Of a sudden the grim and
grizzly Jack flew out of the earth look
ing none the less awful from having his
hair and whiskers filed with particles of
earth and gravel.
spot glared with dumb terror at the
apparition for the sixtieth part of second,
and then gave one great bound backward,
and uttering howl Of agony, wheeled
of. with his tail between his legs. till he
brought up standing in one of those veg
etable porcupines known as a gooseberry
bush Then he prickcd up his ears,
frightened his tail more firmly between his
legs. stared wildly to the right, left, be-
hind. and all round and then raised up
his voice and walled. "W-o-o-o-cooi
-o-ow-wow-ow -wow!" After this he
took two bars rect looked all around again
and once more gave vent to "Wow-
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
FOURTEEN ACRES OF suNFLowsRs.
A Pennsylvania Farmer Feeds the Seeds
TO His Cows.

A Pennsylvania Farmer Feeds the Seeds
to His Cows.
II is said that fourteen acre field
OF suntiowers was novel sight last
fall on the farm of Charles A. Council
man, near Glyndon, Penn.
Mr.. Councilman pays great deal of
attention to milk, as we'll as being an
extensive farmer, and has satisfac-
torily tested the milk producing quail
ties of the seed of the sunfower, when
fed in connection with other proven
der. He says that sunfower seed con-
tains large quantity of protein, which
milk production than cottonseed m cal.
He Beds to his cows what he calls
''balanced rations. A ration for
each COW day he says is composed as
follows Four pounds of ground sun
flower seed, six pounds of barley, fif-
teen pounds of clover hay and thirty
pounds of sweet ensilage. This
approximates the German standard.
Milk produced from cows fed on
sunfower seed, Mr.. Councilman says,
will bring two cents a gallon more
than the usual market price on ac-
count of its high percentage of cream
% to "a per cent. He does not sell
milk directly to the consumer, but fur
nishes it through dairy company.
His fourteen acres of sunfowers, he
said, would produce about thousand
bushels of seed. When mixed with
barley, the cows like it. The seed il
gathered in September, the heads c,st
from the stalks and the seeds threshes
out and stored away like grain, and
will not become mouldy if properls
dried out before being placed in the
bins.
Mr.. Councilman has been expert
menting for some time upon his farls
with raising and feeding sunfowci
seed, and is much pleased with tbe
success that has attended his efforts.
The feeding of such food to cows 81
done in Europe, Mr.. Councilman says.
and reading reports of the success Oh
tanned there led him to try the expert
ment. In Russia, he says, millions o.
tons of sunfower seed are raised an
nually, and sent to Denmark, Belgium
and elsewhere to be fed to cattle.
Mr.. Councilman, it is said, was for
merly known as the champion potato
grower in the county, but of late years
has not been giving so much attention
to raising them, though his annual
crop is still large.-Farm, Field and
Preside.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Uncle Sans First Postage Stamp.

Fifty years ago-in July, 1S47--
Uncle Sam issued his first postage
stamp" writes Fannie Mack Lothrop,
in the Ladies' Home Journal. "In
England, seven years before, Rowland
Hill, father of the penny posts, in
troduced the 'sticking-plasters, as the
stamps were contemptuously called.
John M. Niles, our postmaster general
at that time, tried heroically, but in
vain, to move Congress to authorize
stamps for this country. His success
sor, Cave johnson, was more fortu-
nate, and the bill desired was APP
proved on March 3, 1S47, the stamps
not being issued, however, till Au-
gust, though the time appointed was
July /. Only two values of the new
stamps were introduced in 1847--a 8
and 10 cent stamp, bearing, respec-
lively, the portrait of Franklin in
bronze tint and Washington in black
''The first purchaser Of stamps in
the United States was Henry Shaw,
the Father of Henry Wheeler Shaw
DIETER known as Josh Billings the
humorist). Mr.. Shaw was in the post
master generals Office on August 6
1S47, when Mr.. Johnson entered with
the printer from whom he had just re.
ceived sheets of the new stamps. Mr..
Johnson passed sheet to Mr.. Shaw
for inspection. After giving the
stamps hasty glance, Mr.. Shaw, per-
haps with an eye to further fame, took
out his wallet, counted out fifteen
cents, and purchased one of each vaA
riety. The five he kept rs a curiosi-
ty, the ten he presented to Governor
Briggs, Sc an appropriate gift"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19

Won Moltke was an arly riser and
loved early risers. Once, while roam
ing around his Silesian estate at day
break, he found peasant woman
bearing on her back a sack of potatoes
which she had just dug, making load
heavy enough for mule. Here's q
thaler for you," said the great field
marshal; "you see the early bird
catches the worm" Afterward he
found out that she was n night thief
who had ravaged his fields persistent
ly, but whom his steward had never
got up early enough to catch. ---Lendop
Spectator.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
BOY AND GIRL RREr-oLRANRRs

The street-cleaning department of the
city OF New York had its annual parade
and $500 men, each attired in white
with flower in his coat-lapel, marched
In line, and nearly thousand carts Of all
descriptions, with streets prnklers, sweep.
ers and other paraphernalia. were in
Guided in the display. But the most
novel feature was the division composed
OF the "children's auxiliary" the girls in
wagons and the boys on foot. There
were hundreds OF these boys and girls.
who have done volunteer work in keep.
ing the streets clear of refuse.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
BLow-PIPEs FOR WAR.

The boy who shoots peas from blow
pipe may not know that a blow pipe of
large make is an implement of warfare in
South America 1t is used by the Indian
tribes on the west coast, and it varies in
length from ten to fifteen feet. and is
made from one OF the many species of
hollow canes that grow in the forests of
those districts. Its ammunition is of two
kinds First. arrows tipped with poison;
and, secondly, pellets of dried clay. But
the greatest range of these overgrown
pea. shooters is seldom more than twenty
i've yards. and they do not shoot ac-
curately, owing to the irregularity of fine
bore.
A really terrible blow pipe is used by
the Dyaks, of the Malay archipelago
These weapons are made of hard wood.
are eight feet long, and nearly one and a
half inches in diameter, and have a spear
head fixed to them, so that they serve the
double purpose of spear and blow-pipe.
The bore is about third of an inch. and
Is perfectly true throughout while thorn
OF the sage palm makes q natural arrow
with point almost as hard as iron.
Feathered with pth and tipped with the
deadly wourali poison, these arrowlets
have an extreme range of eighty yards
and can be aimed accurately at an object
fifty yards away.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-19
Slams King at the Vatican.

Slams monarch examined carefully
marble tablet with Siamese in
scription which the Vatican museum
authorities had prepared in his honor.
and, thanking them for their polite at
tention, corrected the spelling and
syntax of the inscription.