davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
| THE ARIZONA KICKER.
The Editor Meets Hard Crowd Bot
Manages to Save His Bacon.
cepyrisas, 1877. By M. QUAD.
Copyright. 1897.

Having some business to transact at
Pine Hill. we left the Gulch at an early
hour last Wednesday morning, and had
proceeded as far as Dog Creek, and
were galloping along with a feeling
that life was worth the living, when a
highwayman stepped from the bushes
and ordered US to hands up. AS he had
tine drop on US, we didn't hesitate to
comply with his somewhat surly re-
quest. He went through ms for $11
in cash and our guns. and detained us
for half an hour or so. This delay was
our undoing, and we blame the robber
for not being a handler man at his
business. We had just reached the
forks of the Grass Valley road when
we ran plump into dozen cowboys
belonging to the three B. B. B. ranch.
They discovered almost at once that
we were not armed and closing in upon
US. we were made prisoners. In order
that we should indulge in no false
hopes. the gang announced that we had
only a few minutes to live, and that a
rope and a limb would be the manner
Of our taking off.
We discovered from the outset that
we had no friends in that crowd. Two
Of them were at some pains to inform
US that they were carrying chunks of
lead which we had fired into them, and
the remainder owed US a grudge on
general principles. A rope was thrown
around our neck, we were led to a
nearby tree, and there were good rea-
sons for believing that the greatest
family newspaper of America would
soon he without head
When all was ready for the cheerful
task of pulling US up to the limb the
gang got over its hurry and concluded
to toy with us. A speech was de-
manded, and though we were not feel
ing at our best, we gave them one, or,
rather, an address. It was our new ad-
dress on the Pilgrim Fathers. and this
was its first delivery. Our voice didn't
do US justice for the first two or three
minutes. and we were somewhat both
cred with a chill which insisted on
creeping up and down our spinal col
umn, but when we had presently
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
Jim Was Down on Bikes.
Copyright, 1881


At the foot of a long hill on a Ken
lucky turnpike came upon a farmer
at his gate, who had bottle in his hand
and who said to me:
stranger, if yo' ar bound to town
would yo' leave this at Strikers drug
stoh fur me and tell 'em to send it out
by the fust one comin'?''
l said L would, of course, and MOTTO
ing that the bottle smelled strongly of
liniment, I asked if anyone had been
hurt.
tits my son JIM" replied the old
man. "Yo' might call it hurt, or yo'
might call it wrecked fur life. Least
wise, what's left of him is in the house
thar and has to be rubbed with lini,
ment every two hours"
"Did tree fall on him?'
mo, sab, no tree"
Fell off the barn, perhaps?"
mo. sab. didn't git no fall tall, and
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
THE MULE MUST GO.

in France Canal Boats Are Now
lowed by Trolley Motors.
The mule who pulls the canal boat
is to go and electricity will supplant
him, just as it has already done as a
motive power for street cars.
Experiments have been made on sew
eral of the American canals, notably on
the Erie, in New York state, looking to-
ward the substitution of electric haul
age, and, according to PIndustrie Elec-
trique, there is a fair prospect that
similar systems will prevail on all the
French canals, and that electrical en-
ergy will perform the present work of
the towpath animal and do it better,
more rapidly and with greater cleanli-
ness.
At present the installation on the
canal of l.Aire and Ia Deule is no longer
an experiment, but an industrial enter
prise. Two systems have been used
either the drawing of the boat by an
electric horse" upon the towpath, or
driving the boat direct by a motor.
In either case, the wire is tapped by a
trolley.
The electric horse" is a motor, and
1t travels along the towpath, taking its
current from an overhead line, which
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
FIRST SILVER WEDDING.

A Custom That Dates Back to the
Reign of Hughes Capet.
The fashion of silver weddings dates
back to the reign of Hughes Capet,
king Of France in 9s7. says Vogue.
Once, as Hughes was arranging his
uncle's affairs, he found on one of the
estates a servant who had grown gray
in the service of his relative. He had
been such friend of his masters that
he was almost looked upon as one of the
family.
On the farm with this old man was
also serving woman who was as old
as he, and also unmarried, and who had
been the most devoted and hard work
ing of the women servants of the kings
uncle. When the king heard these
praises of the two, he ordered them to
be brought before him, and said to the
woman:
"Your service is great. greater than
this mans, whose services were great
enough, for the woman always finds
work and obedience harder than man,
| and therefore will give you a reward.
At your age I know of none better than
dowry and a husband. The dowry
| is here-this farm from this time forth
| belongs to you. If this man who has
worked with you five and twenty years
is willing to marry you, then the hus-
band is ready"
"Your majesty" suffered the old
peasant, confusedly, chow is it possible
that we should marry, having already
silver hairs?"
'"Then it shall be a silver wedding"
answered the king, land here I give you
a wedding ring" drawing a costly
ring from his finger and placing the
hands of the thankful old people to-
gether.
This soon became known all over
France, and raised such enthusiasm
that it became fashion after a %
years marriage to celebrate silver
/ wedding
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
AduIteration of siIlx..

An English chemist has recently an
alyzed a sample of silk dress that was
submitted to him by lady. He found
that it contained only a fraction over
% per cent. of silk, and as much tin was
found in it as that present in poor tin
ores from Cornwall. The tin occurs in
the so-called weighing of the silk.
The chemist states that he at once real
lied the fact that the silk dresses worn
by the ladies in Regent street and Bond
street. London, taken together. would
represent Cornish tin mine Of very
fair quality. He was informed by an
expert that the silk he had examined
would not stand more than three
months steady wear
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03

warmed up to work things went bet
ter. We have always been against the
Pilgrim Fathers and their Puritanic de-
scendants, holding that they were set
of kickers and malcontents who de-
served the stocks. and it so happened
that most of the cowboys were our way
of thinking. The address didn't move
any of them to tears or cheers, but one
of them did step forward and loosen
the moose around our neck and give
our Adams apple better show to wob-
BILE about as we talked. The address
was written to occupy two hours. but
after listening about Is minutes. the
cowboys said the rest of the Pilgrims
could go to and demanded change of
programme. There was more toying in
store for US.
We were commanded to sing, but
declined. on the ground that our voice
had never been trained. The gang
tailed on to the rope and drew us off
the ground. and we then concluded to
obey the command. We sang THE
Sweet By and By" What Is Home
Without a Mother and half dozen
other sad. sweet songs. We didn't ex-
pect our singing to tickle them. but it
had that effect. and some of them
laughed till they fell down. When our
voice is raised in song it generally has
the opposite effect on our hearers. and
they either make for the woods or
shoot at US. We kept the machine go
ing until they finally grew tired of it.
and wanted change.
When we were ordered to do sail
or's hornpipe for the delectation of the
gang we plead want of jurisdiction.
headache, loss of sleep. and several
other things. But as soon as five or
six of the fellows began shooting at our
feet our knees instinctively went to
work. We were never a graceful
dancer, and we have no doubt that we
made an awkward showing on this oc-
casion. We think so from the fact that
some of the miserable wretches laughed
till they had to be thumped on the
back to get their breath again, and
their ye1ls of mockery could be heard
for two miles. It makes my blood boil
to remember how we were obliged to
cavort around and make a clotheSpin
of ourse1f. but we were in the hands
of the enemy and had to obey. By and
by we were ordered to stop the ma
chine. but there was more to come.
While we were dancing one of the
.. men was busy writing out the follow
ing schedule" which was read to Us
and our signatures demanded:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
ELECTRIC CANAL TOWING.

follows all the sinuosities of the water
course by a rigid trolley. The tow
ing cable is attached between the two
rear wheels. In front the single guide
wheel is controlled through heveled
rear. The motor has ring armature;
the fields are in series. and it absorbs
about six kilowatts. The shaft of the
immature communicates motion to an
endless screw of bronze, which meshes
INTO the toothed wheel of the drivers.
These are of iron. and the felloes are
covered exteriorly with cords of aloes
aber to give them elasticity and aug
ment their adherence. Inside the cab
are found the necessary switchboard
and the steering gear, speed regulators
and brake. The front of the cab has
glass sash, so that the motorman. while
protected from weather, can watch the
road ahead of him..
The propeller. actuated by a motor,
Is three-bladed affair, making 300 rev.
olutions per minute
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
ONCE WAS TROPICAL

Traces of Once-Luxurfant Vegetation
Found In Greenland.
That Greenland was once a tropical
country is proved by the remains of an
extensive tropical flora found there.
Mountains and valleys now covered
with sheet of solid ice, said to DE over
mile thick, were formerly a verdure-
clad wilderness of luxuriant vegetation.
There were palms, tree-ferns, eucalyp-
tus, and numberless other trees, the
trunks of which were festooned with
climbing vines draping them with foil
age. while the ground was carpeied
with ferns and other plants. Prof.
Charles Schuchert and David White,
two Smithsonian scientists, who &C
companied the Peary expedition, have
returned from West Greenland with
valuable collection of fossil remains of
plants, which we regard as properly
belonging to the neighborhood of thel
equator, and contemporaneous remains
of marine animals. These latter in
clude sea snails, mussels, sea urchins.
Faculties, and ammonites. The twoc
latter were cephalopods related to the
modern nautilus. At the present time
TO descendants of theirs are living.
These relics of vanished marine fauna
were found inclosed in nodules OF
stone, extremely difficult to break, of
which they were in many cases the
nuclei. The tropical plant beds were
overlaid by later formation in which
were masses OF fossil plants, but no
trace of animal life. The finding of a
species of poplar. the oldest hardwood
plant yet known, was the most interest
ing discovery of the expedition. These
grew during the epoch already de-
scribcd, when tropical forests covered
Greenland, during the early part OF the
cretaceous period. probably at least
100000 years ago, Evidence seems to
point that in that ancient time climates
all over the world were nearly the same
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03

no tree fell on him. He jest got emery.
Jim did"
"You mean he got dissatisfied with
things?"
''Mebbe I do, sab. Thar's about
hundred folks a day cum along yere on
them bicycles, and fur var past Jim
has sassed every one OF 'en. He never
took to the bike nohow. One day about
two weeks ago, arter a Teller had got
off his bike and hit Jim on the nose
Jim sez to me:
Pop, thar's gwine to be a calamity
around yere this very night, and yo'd
better stay in the housed
whats the calamity?' seq I.
"'Never yo' mind, but yo'r son Jim
ar gxine to git even with the hull
crowd tonight
''I didn't say no no." continued the
old man. ''kase Jim ar great hand to
blow around. lords night I seen him
huntin' up lot Of rope, and soon arter
supper he was missin'. I didn't go out
to hunt for him, and mebbe it was nine
o'clock when I heard the racket"
What racket" I asked.
"YellS screams cuss-words-
whoops-groans and all that, down by
the 1OOI OF the QiH My SON jim ndu
gone down thar and stretched a rope
across the road jest in time fur about 80
boys and gals who was out ridin' to hit
it. They was all piled up in heap at
the foot of the hill, and Jim was in the
fence-co'ner laughin' to split"
'And they didn't discover him?"
Didn't they? Wall, L reckon they
did! The blamed idiot had to git out
| and swing his hat and whoop, and two
minits later he was wrecked fur life. It
wasn't no injury-no pertickler injury.
They jest begun at the top of his red
head and busted him. all to smash, and
when I got thar and picked up the re-
mains thar wasn't skassly nuthin' but
locks O. ha'r and boot-heels to pick up"
But you say he is still Hving?"
asked.
| '-Oh, yes That is, them mangled re
mains is DRAWN breath now and then,
and once in awhile they ar openin' one
eye and 1ookin' around the room. but
we don't hev any hopes. I'm jest rub
bin in the Eniment. kase I want him
to git his senses back long huff to see
what an idiot he made Of hisself. Tell
| Striker to fill the bottle and make II
strong, and if he axes arter Jim yo' kin
say thar is no chance to speak OF, 'cept
that we've got one leg Strengthened out
and he seems to know his mother!"
l II. QUAn
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
WOMAN AND HOME.
CHINA PAINTING HINTS.
Description OF some Very Popuiar
Styles of Decoration.

Description OF some Very Popuiar
styles of Decoration.
Within the past few years the art of
china decoration has been most pop
ular pastime and a profitable business
to many.
The mode of coloring is simplified and
much improved with the advance In
this work, and the demand is for bet
ter class of designs than formerly were
placed before the public, they being for
the most part decidedly crude and mar
tistic.
Here is a. conventional design for
decorating set Of plates; either break
fast. soup, dinner. dessert or fruit
plates, and a design for decorating a
tea caddy, biscuit Jar. rose jar. or even
tray. The design Tor plates can be cas-
lily painted by an experienced person. as
1t requires simple tinting. and the shad-
ing of the cut VIII guide one in shading
the colors from dark to light.
One desirable scheme of color is car
ried out in painting the darkest scrolls
in deep purple. The next lighter is
carnation No. 1. and the lightest scrolls
III silver yellow. The scrolls should be
all shaded, starting from the center
Oh the design with VIC uoi HSS' SiiN~N~
and gradually fading out to a pale
shade at the top of the scrolls.
Another style of decorations is as fol-
lows: Tint the darkest scrolls with
carmine. shading to light at the tips
of the scrolls. The next lighter scrolls
should be shaded with grass green. and
the lightest in a delicate tint of sky
blue. There are many other harmon
ious combinations of color which will
suggest themselves to the artist.
In painting the yellow narcissus de-
sign more skill is requisite in order to
shade the petals and cups to prevent
8 fat appearance. One must use his
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03

81 die willingly.
sI asked the cowboys of three B. B.
B. ranch to hang me for my crimes.
81 am a buffer, a duffer and liar.
81 am no editor, and the IL bodies IL.
my private graveyard are those of jack
rabbits.
DO not bury my remains. but leave
them for the buzzards to peck at"
We at first refused to sign, but on
being elevated about four feet and
dropped again, we made haste to afhx
our signature.
When the signature had been secured
the idea was to pull us up and bring
the affair to a happy climax. The rope
was just lifting us of the ground, and
we had a feeling in our neck as if we
had swallowed table leg, when Maj.
Shorter, Capt. Daily, John Barnes and
three or four other gentlemen ap-
peared. being on their way to Pine
Hill to attend court They at once
came to the rescue, but for time a
hot conflict was threatened. We were
finally released and slowly journeyed
back home. Our neck feels foot too
long, our Adams apple sticks out like
a Chicago bay window, and we are liv-
ing on grease until our throat gets in
shape again. AS to the future, we have
only few words to say. We owe the
gang debt, and we shall pay it off. If
we can't hump at least half of them out
of this country or under ground in the
next month then We'll cut off out coat
tails, hang up our guns and ask China
man to kick us.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
care OF Em..o..ea nr...

The simplest means of Frightening
brass is to cover it with a solution of
oxalic acid in soft water. made in pro-
portions of one ounce of acid to a pint
of water. When the metal is well COW
cred with the fluid polish it briskly
with a wash leather. 1t must be
noted that this oxalic acid preparation
is poison, and very strong in it's eff
feet upon the brass. so | do not advise
that it be used too often. or be kept
where irresponsible people could reach
it. The bottle should be labeled poi
sono
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
Nice way 40 Roa.t ..,..

A delicious roast of lamb is secured
by parboiling carefully selected leg
with five or six onions in the water.
When it is put into the oven the
onions, which are. of course, by this
time wall boiled. are scattered over it.
One might fear that the dish would be
disagreeably permeated with onion,
but it is not; rather there is obtained
q fine, delicate suggestion of the vege-
table, mingled with the native flavor,
now quite devoid of any suggestion OF
yoolliness.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
TO Prevent Heating of Guns.

The class of guns which are loaded
and discharged by machinery and fired
with great frequency heat even more
rapidly than the old-fashioned cannon
and small arms. NJ C. Barden, of West
Pawlet, VT, suggests the introduction
into the base of every cartridge of a
capsule of liquid ammonia, or some
other substance which. having been
previously compressed, would expand
to many times its volume when con-
fined. Cold is always produced by the
expansion of any elastic gas. The dis
charge OF the gun having shattered
the capsule, the heat OF combustion
would be subdued before it could ex-
tend to the gun. As no actual expert
ments are reported. it cannot be exactly
predicted what the result would be.
The scheme has merit, and a number of
interesting questions are opened up by
the idea.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03

of high resistance are imbedded, othe
passage of the electric current through
them being accompanied by heat. This
pad is nicely upholstered in any suitable
form and is operated by connection
through flexible conducting cord and
plug with an incandescent lamp. After
the pad has been applied to the body
and the current turned on by means
of key switch heat is Immediately de-
veloped and keeps on accommodating I'M
til too hot to be borne were it not for the
presence of tiny adjustable thermostat
imbedded in the pad, which maintains
the heat at any desired temperature
Though no larger than a button, the
thermostat has an adjustable screw by
which it can be set 10 regulate any
temperature. Tests conducted over a
period of weeks show that it is capable
of maintaining the temperature con-
tinuously within few degrees of that
desired. Besides this regulator, which
operates with comparatively limited
temperatures, there is another Fegula-
tor on the lamp cord, which can be set
for two or three temperatures, thus
making the instrument accurately ad-
Unstable within wide ranges These
pads are made in any size from IS to "a
inches wide and up to six feet in length,
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03

", and fastens with a hook and eye un-
der the bow, which is also q made"
one
The bow and ends are doubled, and
along the edges. where the ribbon is
sewed. tiny plating Of white chiffon
is sewed in. This gives weight to the
ends and makes them q part of the trim
ming of the dress. Many dressmakers
interline their ribbon sashes with
heavy cambria to give them stin more
foundation. The chiffon Is RULED very
thick and is sewed between the edges
of the ribbon with machine stitching.
These sashes are made of black and
white ribbon, and are also, as in this
case. made of ribbon with tiny figures
in IT.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
THE ELEcTRoTHERM.
1t In suppIantfng Hot Water BaEs,
and Mustard PIasteFs.

Electricity plays many Important
parts in the conduct OF modern hosl
pital. The current was first discovered
TO be necessary for lighting purposes.
as it is the only method of illumination
that does not vitiate the atmosphere,
then besides minor applications, the
X-ray laboratory proved a not less val
liable feature, and now the latest is the
supplanting of the time-honored shot-
water bottle. The hot-water bottle is
hottest when first applied. so much so
as to shock the patient or at least rem
der him uncomfortable. while the cleo
trie-heating pad designed a short time
ago grew hotter and hotter the longer
it was applied. which was condition
just as bad. This feature, however.
has been entirely overcome and now
the electrotherm is the ideal method of
locally applying heat to any Part of
the body. 1t is very simple appliance,
merely pad of asbestos in which wires
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-02-03
Dangers of CarboIie Acid.

warning regarding the danger of
using carboiic acid as disirfectant. a
cleansing wash, OF an ointment has been
sent out II is said that local gangrene
is the penalty of too strong an appli-
cation or of a weak application too long
applied If used IN too great strength
it would refard or prevent the healing
of wounds In surgery it is only used
a. germicide and disiafectant-