davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
THEIR PICTURES SELL.

William II. Crane is a favorite, his pic
ture going off rapidly.
There is a heavy demand for photos
of Viola Allen as Glory in The Chris
tian."
Julia Arthur's pictures have been
selling well for year and the demand
is still strong.
Of the men, John Drew and William
Faversham are most popular among
picture buyers.
f. II. Sothern's pictures sell well, but
the demand for those of his wife, Vir-
ginia Harmed has fallen off.
Richard Mansfield has never been very
popular with picture buyers, but as
| Cyrano many of his photos are asked
| for.
Madge Lessing and Edna Wallace
| Hopper find their photos in demand.
Della FoX's photos, however, are at
| present a drug on the market.
Many people buy pictures simply be-
| cause they are pretty and for that rea-
son the princess of Wales and the Eng
| lish beauties are in constant demand
on this side of the water.
Ever since she went on the stage e.
len Barrymore has been favorite with
picture buyers. Maxine Elliott sells
wen, whether she is playing in the
town or not. She takes very striking
picture, no matter what the pose.
For years IT has been Lillian Russcll's
| photograph which was the best "seller"
the shops had. Nowadays it is Maud
Adams which everybody wants to buy.
The requests are almost all for costume
pictures rather than the mere photo
| praDh
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
HERBA SANA SANCTA.
The Creation of the Justly Celebrat.
ed Havana Cigar.
Something About Americas Acquisi-
tion I'm the Vuelta Abajo-Obser-
vations on the Tobacco
Culture of Cuba.
Especial Kingston Jamaica) LetterI

Especial Kingston (Jamaica) Letterl
I'D the late war with Spain have
no other result than the open
eAD ing of the great Havana cigar
industry to American enterprise, this
should alone prove ample compensa-
tion for the financial sacrifices involved
But it so happers that it is only one in
n long procession of advantages to ac-
crue from American control of Cuba,
and for that reason its individual sig
nificance is apt to be obscured.
brief descriptive sketch of the industry
may therefore be found of timely in
tercst--the more so, if based, as is the
following, on exact information derived
from experts.
Tobacco grows all over Cuba, as also
in Borneo, Jamaica, Java and other
quarters of the globe. But in only one
spot in all the world does the genuine
leaf grow from which the famous "1la-
vana" cigar can be made. This spot is
the Vuelta Abajo, or the province OF
pinar del Rio, west of Havana. Even
the aboriginal inhabitants recognized
this superiority. and long before the
close of the sixteenth century the Con-
quistadores of Nelasquez had estab-
lished the tobacco industry which has
latterly gained such magnitude. But
it was not until the middle of the
eighteenth century that the govern
ment established a royal factory, and
the systematic Development of the
Nuelta Abajo was commenced; and yet
another half century elapsed before the
removal of the government monopoly
gave a real Impetus to the industry.
Development then became rapid despite
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
GOLDEN FACTS,

The world coined 2h times as much
gold in 1897 as in 1896.
The world will produce in 1898 COM
plete more gold than it produced gold
and silver both in 1888.
The world produced IA per cent. more
gold in 1897, the latest full year re-
ported, than in 1896.
The gold coinage of the world in 1897
was the largest recorded, amounting in
value to S437, ,342, against $19j, $780,
517 in 1896; excluding recoinage. this
amount was approximately a net adj
dition of 1921 ,Og7,14S to the stock of
gold coin.
The deposits of gold bullion at the
mints and assay offices of the United
States during the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1898, were the largest in the
history of this country. Exclusive of
redeposits. they were of the value Of
$147, ,603, ,194.83, against $87 ,O03, ,337.71 in
the previous year.
On July /, 1895 the Russian treasury
held over $40, 600, 600 of United States
gold coin $50, 100000 worth of English
sovereigns. $27,000,0OO worth of Ger
man gold coins, and $16,O00,0O0 in
francs, besides the coins she may have
previously melted and great stock of
bars.
The worlds production of gold in the
last five years, according to the annual
estimates of the bureau of the mint, has
amounted to $077, ,622, 100. The indus
trial consumption has been about $780,
100000. Stocks of gold in sight in Eu-
ropean banks from December, 1898. to
December, 1897, increased $525, ,811 900,
or about 43 per cent.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
Birth and Death Records.

There are n great number of curious
kuperstitions as to the time of day
when a dying person is most likely to
to draw his last breath, and the
tide, the moon and the wind have all
been supposed to have some share in
the matter. According to the British
Medical Journal, Raseri, who has an
alyzed 25,474 cases of death and S6,515
o. birth, where the exact time of day
was noted, finds that the maximum
number of deaths occur in the early
afternoon (two to seven p. m.), and
the minimum in the last hours before
midnight, while the maximum number
CT births occur in the early hours of
the morning and the minimum in the
carly hours of the afternoon. AS re-
CARDS the cause of this, he points ont
that the hours of the maximum number
of deaths are precisely those when the
pulse rate and temperature are at their
highest in health, and when there In
a tebr:ie exacerbation in illness.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15

idea of the magnitude of the Cuba to-
hacco industry as whole.
Taking any average good factory fer
our observations, we see the bale con-
tanning our specimen cigar opened in
a room on the ground floor, the arrange
ment of which as to light, tempe rature,
etc, is carefully adjusted on ~ell-de-
fined principles. And here the leaves
are separated and sorted with a rapidi-
ty little calculated to indicate the con-
summate skill really employed. In
the moistening-room, whittier they are
next taken, they are carefully layered
in large wooden vats containing solu-
tion of saltpeter, where they remain
some hours The next stage is the press
ing process, which has been reduced to
fine art only equal to that of unfolding
the leaf again and detaching the stem
which IS the succeeding operation.
The unfoldcd and destemmsd leaves
are now finally separated according to
classes into "capas" and "tripas" (the
wrappers and filings for cigars), which
is done by workmen seated at large ta-
bles down the middle of an immense
room, and under the eye of experts
called "escoiedores," one of whom pre-
sides at each table. Around the sides
Of this room are ranged numerous small
tables, which are occupied by the cigar
makers proper, or the "torcedores."
| These take caps and filings by the
handfuls as needed from the large cen
| tral tables, and with celebrity that is
astonishing to the uninitiated specta:
| tor seem to conjure finished cigars out
of the litter of coffee-colored strips and
rags before them.
1t is really quite difficult to follow
this process. Our torcedor spreads a
strip of "capa" before him and flashes
a cleaning knife about it. The eye
| ours, at least-cannot follow the move
ment, but almost instantly, with no 9TH
er measurement than that of the eye,
he has carved the leaf with mathemat-
! ical eXactness. Then with equal preci-
sion and swiftness he grabs the neces-
sary amount of filling from the pie,
places it on the capa and rolls the cigar
into shape. The whole process is one
! of Hey, presto!-Your cigar, senor."
i 1t is more than mere expert work--it
is positive jugglery, because for all his
infinite celerity his cigars never vary
a fraction in size or weight, accord
ing to the class he may be making.
Born instinct as well as experience is
necessary for his work, which is second
only to that of the escojedor. He is not,
therefore, overpaid at five dollars day
any more than is the escojedor at seven,
whilst the subordnates at the large
| tables earn from three to four dollars.
| Our "havana" is now made-and we
will enjoy it all the more for having wit
messed it's creation from the green leaf
in the vega TO the fingers of the cour-
teous torcedor. But we must not smoke
it yet To get the full flavor we should
allow it to mature through the sorting
room, where we next witness its cias-
sification, counting in and doing up
into bundle of 25, to be boxed under
one of the numerous brands known to
the trade. TIP. PORTER.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15

the handicap of characteristic Spanish
res trictions, until in 1890 the Nuelta
crop valued $4,000, 900.
The general character of tobacco soil
is arenaceous and the temperature
moist; the chemical secret of Nuelta
Aba 10 is, however, one of the unsolved
mysteries of nature. 1T is so because it
is So" The technique of cultivation re-
quires the vega" Tor farm to comprise
but one "caballeria" of 33 acres; but of
late years economical concentration has
been adopted by combining two or more
plantations. Bananas are grown for
the double purpose of screening the
young plants and feeding the workers,
this fruit being their chief sustenance.
Each vega must have It's own establish
ment, no system of cooperative central
ization being practicable, as in sugar
cultivation. The hands are mostly poor
whites and mulatt0es, who can engage
In this form of manual labor in that
tropical land because most of the work
is done in the cool hours or under shell
ter, and at night.
Apart from the secret of the soil,
which ic beyond human cognizancc and
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15

Iglesias comes of an ancient and dis
tinguished Costa Rican family. He is
only Sc years of age, but his face re-
veals his grave and earnest character
and clearly shows that he is possessed
of acute intelligence. He is most dem
ocratic in manner, and his perfect sim
plicity, cordiality and courtesy make
him most popular among his country
men. The republican form of govern
ment is not a mere mask in Costa Rica.
That place is truly free country, i'm
measurably in advance of its Latin
neighbors. Iglesias wants a free press
and has it. lie is opposed to mOnop-
olies, and one of his greatest perform
ances as president was the abolition of
the tobacco and alcohol monopolies,
which had been used by the govern
ment. These industries are now -four
ishing under the stimulation of free
competition. Such is the work of the
young ruler of Costa Rica, who came
to this country to benefit his health
and to study. incidentally, the institu-
tons Of the United States.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

1t is stated that there are more til
10000 mud cabins in Ireland which co
tain only single room.
More than so per cent. of the ships OF
the world are built in the British isles.
Tame snakes are used in Morocco TO
clear houses of rats and mice
The tensile strength of a wet rope is
only one-third the strength of the rope
when dry, while rope saturated will
grease or soap is weaker still.
The hair and beard of a man rarely
grow gray together, the ,ne being al
most invariably darker than the other
for several years. There is no rule as
to which changes first.
Boiled cabbage is claimed to be n
cure for drunkenness. 1t is recorded
that the ancient Egyptians ate boiled
cabbage before their other food if they
intended to drink wine after dinner.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
ITEMS FOR THE CHURCH-GOER.

Arizona has 16 Methodist Episcopal
churches.
Chicago, with 100000 people, has
GAS churches.
The centenary Of Welsh Methodism
will be celebrated in 1900.
The queen of Holland is a Presbyte-
rian and worships in the new church Of
Amsterdam.
The 10000 German Baptists of the
United States gave last year $4,000
to missions.
Ballington Booth says that on Man
haitian island there are 100000 young
men who do not enter a church
1t is stated that in the last eight years
the number of Protestant converts in
China has more than doubled.
The roll of the Students Missionary
union comprises 5000 names, 1000 of
whom have gone to foreign fields.
There are 1,43O Young Mems Chris
tian association in the German empire,
with a total membership of $4,000.
A Home Missionary society has been
organized among the japanese Meth
odists. under the auspices of the Cana
dian Japan conference.
Baltimore clergymen interviewed by
the Sun of that city generally agreed
that the length of a sermon should be
from 20 to 80 minutes.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15

as quantity of leaves uniformly on ths
vega.
This is the basis of the arbitrary
qualities of tobacco of which one hears
so much and can ascertain so little
about. although it is of course in the
cigar factory that the distinction is de-
yelopcd to its ultimate conclusion. But
the yeouero encounters other and far
more ordinarily appreciable cares in
the maturing of his crop. His is no
ideal existence, but one of incessant
toll and warfare with inimical pow ers,
the most notable of which are the in
sect pests that threaten his work at
every stage.
All trials and chances of cultivation
overcome-of which we have here but
a suggestive outline-the raw product
is divided into four great classes, each
having its subdivisions. These classes
of tobacco are the "desecho limpio," the
choicest leaves from the top of the
plant; the 'dese chito," or second
stratum of leaves; the "libra,' the
small. inferior leaves from the top, and
the IN 1urlaUO, or leaves lICHI INC
ground layers. The manufacturers Of
the richest laces do not handle their
delicate fabrics with more gentle care
than does the veguero his "desecho'
and ~desechito" when making them up
into "gavillas" for shipment to the Ha-
vana factories. There is an unvarying
uniformity in the making up of the
"tercios,' or bales for shipment, which
is itself no unimportant branch of the
business, and when finally neatly cased
up in palm leaves the bales weigh from
100 to 125 pounds and are conveyed TO
the factories by mule caravans.
So much for the simon pure raw ma
terial Let us now consider the proc
ess of converting it into our familiar
friend, the incompatible Havana"
All told, the "fabricas' Of Havana cX-
ceed 200 in number, many of which
make an average annual output of from
IS 900, 900 to 3O,00O,OO0 cigars, while the
| less pretentious grade off TO modest
| hundreds of thousands. AS this APP
| plies only to the bona fide "Havanas'
of commerce, the reader may form some
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
FOREIGN ITEMS OF INTEREST.

In Berlin sheet music is sold Ivy
weight
London has 1850 miles of streets;
Paris 600.
The very finest brand of Havana cigar
fetches 81, 500 thousand in Paris.
Ghent, in Belgium is built on &c is
lands, which are connected by sc
bridges.
The number of Belgian breweries in
creased from 2,977 in 1896 to 3,O57 IN
1897.
A large orphan asylum in St. Peters
burg is supported by the tax on playing
cards.
In certain Partisan restaurants a shil-
ling is charged for the use of the table
cloth.
There are in the German empire
about 100000 persons belonging 10
other countries.
As many as III, 100000 bottles OF
champagne are stored in the vaults of
French producers. They represent u
cost price of $50OoO,0O0.
In Spain Hebrews are not permitted
to erect and maintain houses of wor-
ship. They have no civil rights, and ex-
ist in the kingdom only as aliens.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
AN UNASSORTED LOT.

Paris contains 10000 individuals who
live by begging.
1t costs little more than 100000 a
year to care for the capitol building at
Washington.
OF the 17,OOO, GOO, 900 letters forwarded
annually in civilized countries, tho
United States contributes 5000, 600, GOO.
What is called tortoise shell is not
the bony covering or shield of the
turtle, but only the scales which
cover it.
More men have died and are buried
in the Isthmus of Panama along the
line of the proposed canal than on any
equal amount Of territory in tho
world.
1t is asserted that David's tomb CR
Mount Zion, which is a MohammedaD
shrine Of the most sacred character.
and to which Emperor William was re-
Gently admitted by the sultan's s express
order had never been seen by a Chris
tian since 1887.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
ARE USEFUL AND PRETTY.

Gun metal chain purses have ap-
peared and are very attractive.
A sword hilt within a horseshoe sef
with diamonds is very pretty scarf
pin.
Among the many useful articles for
presents is tape measure of silver or
gold set with amethysts.
\ miniature sword is used as a pa
per cutter. 1t has steel blade anG
the handle is ornamented with gems.
A hand mirror with silver handle,
has prettily painted lake scene under
the glass, giving the effect of natures,
mirror.
Some very pretty articles of jewe!rH
for admirers of horses are shown. Pins
formed to represent articles employed
in riding and driving are numerous
The greatest demand is for match safes
enameled with the heads of thorough.
breds.-Jewelers' Weekly.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
AUSTRALIA AND ITS PEOPLE.

Australia contains an area of about
5000, 900 square miles, or nearly that of
the United States exclusive of Alaska.
Before Europeans went to Australia
the natives never in any sit uation culti-
waited crops for food. They never raised
any cattle or had any domestic animal
except the dog.
One of the most notable character
istics OF the Australian continent IS its
scarcity of rivers and fresh-water lakes.
The entire central part of the continent
IS plain, so destitute of water courses
as TO be almost a desert.
The aborigines of Australia form
distinct race from that inhabiting the
most of the islands of the Indian archi-
pelago. They are found only in Aus
tralia, New Guinea, the New Hebrides,
New Caledonia and the Solomon islands.
Many attempts have been made to
civilze the Australian natives, but with
little success. They readily adopt the
European dress, but have great aver
SION to any regular labor, and even the
youth are but slightly susceptible to in
struction.
Australia was first visited during the
seventeenth century, and in the latter
half of the eighteenth century was ex-
plored along the coast, while in 17SS
colonization began by the transporta-
ton of a shipload of criminals from
England to Port Jackson
The color of the Australasian is
brown-black rather than Jet, his lips
are not so protuberaut as those of the
African negro, nor is his nose so fiat,
and his hair is black and curly, but not
woolly. He is less muscular than the
African, but is capable of great endur-
ance.
The Australasians never had bows
and arrows, but were expert in the use
of the spear, and one of their peculiar
weapons was the boomerang, curved
blade of wood, which when thrown
sweeps from the direct course, some
times returning so as to hit an object
behind the thrower.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
John H. BANKHEAD.
Alabama COnGressmen Want Him to
Succeed Mr.. Bailey, of Texas,
as Party Leader.

Congressman John II. Bankhead,
whom the democrats of Alabama have
proposed for party leadership in the
next congress in place of Mr.. Bailey,
is an interesting character. The Fifty
sixth congress will be the seventh to
which he has been elected. He is pop
ular down in Alabama. but whether he
will please the silver people remains
to be seen. There are those who say
that Mr.. Banllhead likes gold, although
IN 1896 he ran against a gold democrat
A. S. Nandegraff-and defeated him
by nearly 5000 votes. The Alabama
delegation say that Mr.. Banl head will
get the support of the east and of a
maiority of the South Atlantic states.
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
CARE OF THE HORSE.

1t usually will pay to raise good
colts.
You cannot get a horse in good con
dition unless he has proper food and eX-
ercise, and it costs no more to keep
horse in good condition than otherwise.
If your horse does not masticate his
oats, put handful Of dent corn in and
mix it through. He will not swallow
the corn whole and will then chew il all.
Horse buyers every where report that
good drivers are getting scarce. There
are whole sections of country where
good driving horse cannot be found
Do not neglect the hour or two in
the paddock for every horse that is not
used regularly. Pull the shoes off the
unused horses and groom them every
day.
If a horse fall on an icy road where no
ashes or sand are at hand to roughen
the surface and enable him to rise,
spread the horse blanket where he can
get his feet on it.
Give the idle horses wheat bran. It
will keep them in much better condition
lHaH 10 NAHueT uleHh upon nay dlohe'
1t will cost no more. Never stuff u
horse or colt with hay.
A sole leather hoof pad has been in
vented to keep horses from slipping on
icy roads or smooth pavements, and
which also keeps the snow from ball
ing" in the hollow of the foot, or stones
from jamming there. It is easily re-
moved for cleaning or when not needed.
Farm, Journal
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15

control. the most important mystery
in the cultivation of Havana tobacco
is the pcgueros art-or rather instinc-
tive knack-how to regulate during the
growth of each plant the exact quanti-
ty and quality of its ultimate product.
1t is claimed to be hereditary gift that
no acquired skill can rival; and the eX-
perience of foreigners has invariably
corroborated the claim. A certain in
telligeEt and moneyed American spent
20 years in endeavoring to acquire the
art; and when the insurrection ruined
and drove him out he was no nearer the
goal, but still depended on native en-
plOyes. 1t appears to be an eXtracrdi-
nary development of the faculties of
feeling as though the fingers possessed
some superphysical delicacy. Be it
what ii may, the practical result ap-
plies t. The limitation of buds which
regulates the height of the plant and
the trimming necessary to produce just
precisely such and such quality as well
Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-12-15
RAIL AND TIE.

The London & Northwestern Railway
company issue yearly so tons of rail-
way tickets.
Hussia's railway system extends to
the length of 1859 versts-a verst be-
ing about two thirds of mile.
Mexico has more than 1000 miles of
railways. Thirty-eight of the railways
are subsidized by the government.
Tramway companies in Buenos
Ayres are not allowed to build any
tracks except such as can be used by
ordinary vehicles.
During the year ended September l
one passenger was killed for every
2.25O,0OO carried on the railroads in the
United States.
Most of the railroad stations in Rus
sia are about two miles from the towns
which they respectively serve. This is
a precaution against fire, as many of
the Russian dwellings are th2tched
with straw.
At three of the large London railway
misunderstanding Cross, Cannon street,
and London Bridge-more than $4,000
movements for signal and point levers
have to be made every "a hours, quite
apart from the telegraphic operations.
The best locomotives on steam lines
weigh 154 pounds per h. p, but on an
electric traction line at Baltimore,
which was opened in 1895. the electric
traction locomotive weighed 1876
pounds per h. p. These locomotives
weigh 90 tons, and develop 1,600 h. p.,
distributed on six independent driving
tylaC