davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
A History of Boots and Shoes

\ recent English publication is largely
devoted to the history of boots and shoes
From it these interesting facts are
cleaned:
Shoes alternate between narrow toes
and high heels, and when all who were
not blessed with a long toe jutting out like
IL promontory and q flat instep had suffi-
GENTLY punished themselves, they took to
fiat heels and broad foes, and again, when
they had forgotten their sufferings, to high
heels and pointed toes once more In the
time of the A1uises the toes were so long
and sharp that they had to be fastened BY
chains to the knee. Henry VIII. brought
The frail beauties Of Charles lis reign
wore pointed toes and very high wooden
heels, undoubtedly the most becoming
form, as it levels distinctions. In the
time of Louis XIV. and Louis XVI. the
same fashion prevailed; but after the
French Revolution shoes were onte more
broad and fiat, and so they continued in
Now the reign of pointed toes and high
heels is undisputed, and will probably re-
main SO, as walking has made way for
cycling, and comfort, therefore for the
feet need not be considered. While the
representations Of shoes are almost all of
the feminine persuasion, the. boots are
nearly all masculine. There are the boots
NOrH ny Ie4iy ": ut deAnam, Dy MARI
borough at Blenheim, by Cromwell's SOL
hiers at Winchester, and many others AL
though the5ladies did not wear boots, they
kept themselves out of the dirt by chop
ines, very like high schoolroom stocks.
Evelyn speaks of them in his diary. They
were worn at Venice higher than any
where else-some as high as half yard
and the wearer had to be supported on
each side if she tried to walk. There is an
alluSiOn to them in Hamlet's address to
the players, but they seem only to have
been naturalized IN England in the form
of pattens derived from the French word
uatjner to skate
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Men don't want to marry.
Mistress and Maid.

Mistresses stand in need Of reform as
we'll as maids, and the time has come
when housewives must realize that the re-
lations between them and their servants
cannot be those of slave and his owner
Moreover, the sooner it. is realized by ev-
cry mistress that ali the cardinal virtues
are not to be found in a single individual,
the sooner will she establish the domestic
peace Of her household. Even were it pos
slble to find young women so richly EN-.
dowed by nature, that no fault could be
found with them, they would be worth
more than few pounds per annum to
any family: Directly we produce servants
love for work, who never want rest or
holidays, or a Watchful eye over tjlf,n,.
then may we rest assured that wages will
60 mp BY leaps and bounds, and truly they
will be we'll worth whatever they demand.
But until the millennium comes we have
no hope of finding domestics of this type,
and meanwhile our best chance of secur-
ing better service is to realize that, as:
the mistress is the pivot of the whole
domestic machinery, she ought to come
much nearer to perfection than those she
governs, says the Lady's Pictorial. And
the best mistresses are those who do not
look for perfection in servants, and vet:
strive to bring them by ensy stages to that
ideal state. What is more and Of the ut
most Importance is that mistresses shoult:l
not blind themselves to the fact that their
maids are Of like passions with them
selves. They need to be considered in lit;
tie matters sometimes. Their work is
m0noto fous, their hours long, their duties
many, and their temptat ions often very
great. All these things are frequently.
forgotten by those who employ them, with
the result that domestics resent being
treated as machines, and rebellion ensues.
There is, however. q wide distinction be-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
STAYING to Tea.

Anyone who is 40 years old Or over can
surely remember :'going a visiting where
the hostess kept her best tablecloth and.
teaspoons in the parlor cupboard -.
She made no pEetense at concealing
the bringing out Of the best linen. but
was more shy about the spoons, which
betrayed themselves by d slight jingling
unless they We're rolled in tissue paper;
in any case they went out in the folds
Of stbe cloth along with the best knives,
which caused their owner so much trou-
.ble to- keep the ivory handles from turn
ing yellow and the steel blades from
rHsting. H., ~ss...Es, > H.
More than likely she had q rich, fruit
cake slowed away in stone jar in the
further corner of the floor Of the cup
board, and here strategy came in. II
you were extremely polite you looked
out of the window and turned the frag-
mentary conversation, as the hostess
passed in and out of the room, to other
subjects than the supper to-be. si !.
remember that my grandmother, with
whom / made few prim afternoon
visits, was extremely polite in this d..
reetion, but / allowed my childish cnri-.
osity full play, md enjoyed in full the
subterfuges Of prepare tons. II can re-
member that at the supper, called tea, 81
the tea would be very strong, and that,
there would be hot biscuits, with a good?
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
- 49, f-'.A ''F7s~' = T7aF' 'T'E'.H' -
Blaine's Monument,

Although against the expressed wishes
of James G: Blaine, his last resting
place in Oak Hill cemetery, Washington,
D. c., has been marked by simple mar
BILE shaft. In 1890, when Walker Blaine
died, the magnetic statesman from, Maine
went to this cemetery with friend to
select site for the burial, and in the
center of the lot chosen the Plumed
knight noticed a gnarled and twisted
hickory tree, which was blasted and
dead. AS Blaine looked at the. tree he
remarked to his friend that it aptly rep
resented his blasted and disappointed
life. and requested that nothing should
mark his grave but the dead tree. His
wishes in the matter were respected, and
for several years it was the only mark
by which the last resting place of the
great statesman could be distinguished.
A few months ago the tree was blown
down during cyclone, and Mrs. Blaine
decided to have the grave suitably
marked, and selected a monument exact
ly like the one over Walker Blaine's
tCmh
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Rubber Tires for Fire Engines.

= The fire department Of New York has
just tested, with successful results, the
use of rubber tires for the, heavy fire
engines. For a long time the hose carts
the proposition to equip the large steam
ers with them was regarded with consid-
cradle question:. Finally, rubber tires
were put on one of the five-ton engines
and when it was called out to q fire, it
glided along about as smoothly as a BIZ
cycle. There was very little OF. the yibra-
ton that plays such havoc with the more
delicate parts of an engines mechanism
and car tracks were crossed sideways
which generally threatens an upset, with
out the least difficulty. The officials are
highly gratified with the resultsaof the
test and will now equip all the engines
cost for repairs will be reduced about
one-haIf, which is a saving worth tile
while in the department Of a large city.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
The Jews of Fpanco

In view Of the Dreyfus affair and the
antlsemitic agitation connected with it in
France, it is of interest to learn exactly
what the status of the Jews in that conn
try is, says the Literary Digest. The
da4r r. Of IT, Hanover gives the following
Among the 11,OOO or 1900 Jew
ISL families in Paris, there are at most
500 or 600 who belong to the really
wealthy class and occupy a high position
in the financial world. Here it is that
the power of the Paris Jews is to be
found, the chief representatives of this
class being the house of 'Rothschild, with
these stand the names of Heine. Fould,
Dreyfus, .Hirsch Erlanger, Koenigswar-
ter. CamondO, Ephrussi, Haber, Schnap-
per, Guenzburg, and Others. All of these
Jewish bankers are also engaged in large
transactions in foreign lands, even as far
as Russia and South America. They
spend money lavishly, and are the own
es, etc. Rothschild, as the owner of $780,
600 or even 10000 hectares nf land
(375,O0O to 100000 acres), and Of (. mass
of real estate in Paris, is the greatest
holder of properties and Of vineyards in
all France. The other 1000 or 5000 Is
raelitish families in France who enjoy
a goodly amount of wealth are engaged
Ill ali hFuuS OI DuSlUeSS, even III the DOCK
trade and in printing. The trade in da-
monds, in old and modern works Of art.
is almost entirely in Jewish hands. Be
tween 5000 and 1000 Jews are officers
and. officials, many of whom are physi-
clans, engineers, savants, professors, au-
thors, journalists, musicians and actors.
Of the 500 or 600 richest Jewish families
there are only few some members of
which have not become Christians. -Four
or five young ladies of the Rothschild
family have embraced the Christian
faith and have married Christian hus-
bands. The Princess Of Monaco is
daughter of the Jewish family Heine:
and another daughter is the Countess Of
Elchingep, and both are converts. In
some thirty of these families all the
daughters have received Christian bap-
stisni and have been married to Chris
tians. Several of the wealthiest Jewish
families, e.. g., the Oppenheims, Count
sCohn d'Envers, have all become Chris
tians. The French nobility and the lead.
ing society people in general have al
ready been to Il large degree intermarried
with Jewish families. The same state Of
affairs exists also in the lower ranks Of
Jewish society, many members of which
have been Christians, mostly through
snnarriag &c. Z =.. s$. &.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
American Women.

The American girl may do anything,
and in particular she may receive atten-
tons from men which abroad could only
mean one thihg-an impending engage
ment, says London exchange. =, She is
perfectly free to be taken to the theaters
lates at frequent intervals. And these
things may mean nothing at ALL The
American girl is supposed not to be anx-
ious to get married. But once she is
married, all these little affairs must cease.
In America the married woman is gov
erned by a very strict code. Men over
there are said to be anxious to marry,
and when they are married they assume
that their wives require no male society
outside themselves. The contrast between
American and English society is thus
very marked: -
In America 49,
Men want to marry.
The married woman is; a nonentity.
The young girl is supreme in society.
In England ~
Men don't want to marry.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Kerosene will Do It.

Not few housekeepers are constantly
fretting over the ugly grease spots which.
even with much careful manipulating
will get onto the floor all about the cook
stove, caused principally by little splash.
es and spatterings which will sizzle over
the sides of the frying pan. Try as one
will with soap and water, these spots
cannot be eradicated.
Many women have oilcloth about the
stove to save this annoyance, but for the
benefit of those who cling to the hard
wood floor let me tell you what a clever
college girl who is making housekeeping
a study tried not long since. Being sim
ply exasperated one day at the unsightly
appearance of the kitchen, she deter
mined to try an experiment. First she
let the fire in the range go out, then she
opened the windows. With long-han-
died mop and bucket half full of kero-
sene she proceeded to cover the entire
floor, knowing full well, should she but
try it about the stove where the spots
were, there would, be difference in the
shades of the floor, and by doing the
whole she learned by demonstration that
this method was not only successful in
removing the spots, but quite equal to the
oiling of a hardwood floor, which the
family had heretofore had man come to
the house and do for them.-Exchange.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Place for the Bed.

1 Fashion in furnishing has, to GER
tain. extent. popularized the corner bed
stead, which looks very dainty truly with
it's pretty draperies; but oh, the unhealthi-
ness of SO placing bed! Consider the
same air, cooped up within those dainty
draperies and breathed and rebrca thetl
again by the unfortunate sleeper; what
a host Of bad headaches, not to men
ton worse ills, this method of arrange
ment must inevitably entail. The bed
should, by rights, be set Immediately in
the center of the room, so that free
current of air may continue to circulate
round 1t; but, failing the space for this,
the head Of the bed alone should be placed
against wall, the rest of the bed extend
ing out into the middle Of the room. It
is better to be cramped for space than to
sleep under unhealthy conditions.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Bureau of Advice for Women,

Occasionally, through revelation, man
has a practical idea in regard to feminine
affairs. One Of these moments of i'll
SEPARATION came to a thoughtful Benedick
as he waited, with his wife, for Fifth
avehue stage and idly watched very
fat woman, done up in bayadere stripes,
go rocking down the avenue.
shat it would be a good idea to start
consulting agency, where women would
go for advice about dresses and be
warned against making guys of them
selves"
",The WOMEN wouldn't co." asserted
Mrs. Behedick promptly.
'"Oh, YES they would, if it were prop
erly advertised. don't mean any cheap
place. Say two women of extraordinar
good taste should start such a business
1t wouldn't need any capital. There's
the beauty of the scheme. Now these
two, women would be ready to furnish
advice and information on everything per-
tanning to w!omen's toilets. They would
keep up with every quirk of style, and
know just what was to be found in the
shops, and how much everything would
COST - =. .s,s,e4...s : :. -.
Mrs. Benedick seemed Interested. and
allowed a ''Well, you're not so STUPID
after alp' expression to replace her super-
cilious smile.
1T sounds reasonable" she said, doubt
fully. Bene9ic * Yaxed enthusiastic.
"Reasohable! he ekclaihded, well, /
guess yes. a woman comes into the Office
and says: Now, here, I've SO much mon mon
ey for my winter outfit. / need dresses
for such and SUCH occasions. What would
you adviser The agent sets her intellect
to work and figures oiit the best possible
outfit to be had for the money, suggests
colors, goods, styles, sketches rough de-
signs, shows samples. If money isn't a
consideration, she TURNS her artistic nature
loose and plans marvels. If the client is
poor she tries to make little money 70
a long way, She knows where things
has lists of dfessnakers and milliiners and
persons Of that sort, all of whom she
knows to be- trustworthy. She considers
the clients face and figure; and doesn't
dress whale in bayadere stripes She:
plains and suggests until the woman is
satisfied and she charges reasonable fee,
prbportioned to the amount of ti1iie Spent
upon the problem.
II suppose sbine woiiien like to worry
over clothes aid wouldn't give the privi-
lege for anything; but / should think the
kind Of establishment I'm talking about
would be g0dsepd to lots OF women, if
it. We're trustworthy; and it's business
that is all profit and no Investment. I be-
this scheme. You can be head lady,
Mrs. Benedick still looked surprised. II
didn't suppose you ever noticed woman's
GOWNS" she said:
Men notice more things in Heaven and
earth than are dreamt OF In your philoso-
ply" said Benedick sententiously.-New
York Press. "
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
How to Prepare a Chicken.

Take fat, tender spring chicken of the
roasting size. Clean and wash well and
-four quite heavily. Place in a kettle
with heart end liver and two cups of
boiling water. Let it boil well, as YOU
would pot roast, and haste often. When
about half done, or so that it scarcely re-
sists the fork, add one-half of a cup of
vinegar, boil until done and take out.
Chop the liver and heart and serve in a
gravy. Chicken is delicious cooked this
way and served cold. The rich gravy
can be used as a dressing for lettuce.
All grease can easily be removed when
the gravy is cold.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
A Double-Reach Wagon.

/; "A Western inventor has patented u
wagon which will turn around in small
space, the reach being double and X
shape, with the ends attached to the axles
by hinges, so that when one end of the
forward axle is pulled ahead it draws the
opposite end of the rear axle with it,
until they are at an angle Of 80 degrees
nvor
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
New Method ofsaalvanizing Wire.

A new process Of galvanizing has been
invented by which the wire is coated
coil. The coils, or bundles Of wire are
first cleaned by acid. The whole bundle
is then dipped into the. bath Of melted
spelter, and when it has received a
thoroug h coating it is quickly dropped into
the basket of centrifugal machine. For
small or light coils the machine may be
already in motion, but for heavier wire It
The surplus coating is quickly throxp of
from the wire. When the mac & is
stopped the bundle Of wire Isl 4aHioyed
as rapidly as possible, and ID Jared on d
block to prevent the wires from soldering
together. BY this process wire cloth of
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Electrical Appliances in Germany.

= In electrical matters Germany takes
the leading place among the nations of
trique, Germany has III miles of cleo
trio railways and tramways, equal to
those Of all the rest of Europe together.
England is credited with a modest SO
miles. Most Of the larger towns of Ger
many have electric tramways, and the
whole tram system Of Berlin will, by the
year 1901ysbe converted into an electric
nr1c
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Uuco,n planiounble W,ves.

When you come to think Of it, says
Dorothy Dix in the New Orleans Plea
yune, the situation is like this: For the
great majority of women, their sole
chance of happiness is bound up in their
husbands and homes. If their homes are
unpleasant; if, after the first feryor of
love in the honeymoon passes, they fail to
be companions and chums with their hus-
bands, they have laid up for them fu-
ture of desolate wretchedness.
Now, this being the case, one would
think that any woman with single, soil
tary glimmering reason would, if only for
her own selfish benefit, make every effort
to render herself so agreeable and so at
tractive that her. husband would prefer
her society to that of any one else. But do
they? Gracious, no! There is nothing
else in the world that fills me with ais
much amazement as the recklessness with
which women deal with their husbands
know plenty Of women who never let
their husbands make a statement without
contradicting them, who parade their hus-
bands failings before company, and who,
# there is some one topic that can always
bring on a family row, never miss a
chance to lug it into the conversation
And these women actually complain when
their husbands go off to. seek congenial
company elsewhere. Think Of it!
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Marks on Playing Cards

The marks on playing cards are said
to have their origin in a symbolic repre-
sentation of four different classes of So
ciety. Hearts represent the clergy,
spades the nobility derived from the Ital-
ian word 'spads," meaning sword), clubs
the serfs and diamonds the citizens.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16
Making a Room Look "I.iyable. ~


The successful placing of chairs in a
drawing room amounts to an art. Every
one knows how with some articles of fur
niture one woman will make a room look
liyables and another will make it look
stiff, while a stupid servant will COM
pletely spoil the effect after a general
cleaning by putting each thing 'just
Any one who entertains much should
really study the arrangement of chairs,
as their juxtaposition and look of invita-
ton have much to do with the success of
small, gatherings. A Washington wom-
an whose charming receptions were not
ed for their attractiveness, and who had
the nearest approach to "salon" that is
possible in this country, said when asked
for the secret of her success:
II really ascribe what you are kind
enough to term my popularity to my
chairs. I never clear out my rooms for
a crowd, rs is generally the CUSTOM but
place inviting looking seats in groups, and
it is astonishing how quickly each group
forms, as it were, focus, and draws
congenial people together-New York
Tribune.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

s \ Gossip for the Ladies i


many excuses why they were not light-
e, q hot gingefbread, preserves that
bit my tongue they were so sweet and
perhaps Ind worked a little, and two
Or three kinds of cake, besides many
other things. u.s.. So. :, -
This recalls the changes Of fashion in
eating, as neither my mother; nor my
self would now serve more than one,
Or possibly two, Of the dishes at an
evening meal which we tasted in those
days Of staying. to tea" as u form of
accepting hospitality. Mrs. "A. II. Whit
aker in the New England Farmer. :.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

The Colorado Springs Gnzettc reports
that body Of high-grade silver ore has
been uncovered in the lArgentrim Juniatai
mine.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

The burning question in Kansas just
now is how to get fuel. There is q coal
famine ID the state, s..
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

WASHINGTON, April u, 1se0:-Col, +. W:
my friend, Mr. Pryor, for the satisfaction
usual among gentlemen from your friend,
Mr.. Potter, you state that your principal,
'dlsclaimlng the particular rules of the
code, will fight Hon. Roger A. Pryor; with
the common howie-knife, etc., etc. Not
recognizing this vulgar, barbarous aud tn-
human mode Of settling difficulties as either
usual among gentlemen or consistent with
the notions Of Civilized society, I must, with
out referring your communication to my
principal or even seeing him, emphatically
refuse to allow him to engage IN It. When
demand In such q way as may seem to me.
consistent with any fair and even most lib.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

April -, 186O.-Sir: If there he any am
biguity in my note Of last evening, after the
explanation of my friend, Col. Lander, to
your friend, Col. Keitt, last night, and Mr.
Chisman today, which | understand he made,
1 beg to say that will answer the inquiry
contained in your note, when a challenge
shall reach me. 1 have the honor to be. very
respectfully, etc, JOHN f. POTTER.
Hon. Roger A. Pryor.
Note-Immediately on receipt of the above
I delivered the following note, which l had
been furnished by Mr.. Pryor in advance.
r. p. CHISMAN.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

April II. ~ p. m.-The Hon. Mr.: Chisman
Sir; Owing to my not being able to find
him to change his place of meeting-I am
compelled to request you to await reply to
the note you have favored me with, for a
short time-say few hours. l am. most
respectfully, ETC., +. w. LANDER ,
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

Virginia. April II, 1S6O.-Sir: demand
the satisfaction usual among gentlemen for
the personal affront you offered me in de-
bate, and for which you were pleased to
avow your responsibility. I have the honor
to be, very respectfully.