davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
BUTTONS AND SONGS.
Popularity of One at the Expense of
the other in Political
Campaigns.

Some inquiry was made during the
recent campaign in New York and else
where as to what had become of the
campaign songs. Neither the republic
ans nor the democrats went to the trou-
BILE of employing professional poet,
saws the Sun. 1t was evident that cam
paign poetry was on the wune, and I'M
less there is revival next year in the
presidential campaign political song
writing will become almost lost art.
One reason which may, in part, at least,
account for this is the fact that during
former political campaigns the most
popular songs which were altered or
parodied to suit party requirements
were usually of a sentimental or pathet-
ic character, whereas the songs now
most popular and most generally ia
miliar are negro songs of a jocose
character, which give little opportunity
for effective political changes.
Campaign songs in presidential cleo
lions have come to be regarded as al
most as essen tial as campaign speeches,
and ordinarily the national committees
of the rival parties have special depart
ments for the employment, compensa-
ton and disposal of glee clubs and
singing quartettes. This is especially
true of the republicans, who have in all
recent national elections utilized, es
pecially in the west, this feature of
modern campaigning. The Importance
OF such songs, however, has been
eclipsed by the greater popularity, as
a symbol of political allegiance, of cam
paign badges and buttons, the use of
which has become so general, and the
expense of which has been so much re-
duced that he.song writer's occupation
is nearly gone.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
Novelties of the Road.

In a iaunting trip through the east
ern counties of England Mr.. Hissey
noted some of the curious signs which
show how modern life differs from life
in the past. What, wonder, would our
ancestors make of the following notice
appended to the sign of an old inn on
the way, which we deemed worthy of
being copied? "Good accommodation
and stabling for cyclists and motor
lists" The following notice, affixed to
the porch of a country church, plainly
tells story of changed times and of
changed ways: Cyclists welcomed in
cycling dress" On the road from
Crowland to Spalding, by the wayside,
we saw a large notice board bearing
this legend: Zone thousand miles in
1000 hours, by Henry Girdlestone, at
the age of Sc, in the year 1s44."-
Youths Companion.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
THE FIGHTING SWoRDFIsH.
Deadly COmbats Are Often Fought
by These Most Fearless
Fish,

The swordfish is utterly without fear,
and will, like a buffalo or rhinoceros.
charge anything that offends it, often
doing an amount of execution hardly
to be believed did not the evidence
exist. Combats between swordfish are
most interesting, and may be COM
pared to a duel between two expert
swordsmen. Such a contest was OBJ
served off the long pier that extends
out into the ocean at Santa Monica,
near Los Angeles, last year, says the
San Francisco Call Some fishermen
noticed two big fish leaping out of the
water and dashing along the surface.
Soon it was seen that they were sword
fish. The season was when the fish
are unusually ferocious. They had
made several rushes and when observed
were at close quarters, striking each
other powerful side blows like cavalry
men. This was unsatisfactory, and
finally they separated and darted at
each other like arrows, the water hiss
ing as their sharp dorsal fins cut
through it. They evidently struck
head-on, one missing, while the sword
of the other struck just below the eye
and plowed a deep furrow in the fish,
partly disabling it, so that it turned
and attempted TO escape. But its ad-
versary also turned, and with a rush
drove its sword completely through the
body of its foe and held it fast, only
wrenching its weapon loose when its
enemy stopped swimming.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
DEADLY SEASONINGS.
They Are Sometimes Used in the
Orient to Assnssinate Objec-
tionable Persons.

The ways of the east are devious, and
an intelligent anticipation of coming
events is marked feature in Indian
palace rule. The dreaded cholera is an
ever present disease, but more men die
Officially" of it than is actually the
case. The cholera morbus kills its tens
of thousands, no doubt; but powdered
glass, finely cut up camel's hair and
bamboo chips assist in the fell work,
says the New York Journal.
Is resident inconveniently active?
Then in his curry he may discover pull
verified glass, which, once swallowed,
initiates the disease sufficiently closely
to account for death. The papers the
other day announced the attempted as
sassination of a well-known Indian res
ident by this method; but, happily,
enough, the deadly plot failed. The
cameps hair and minute portions of
bamboo are equally efficacious, and are
exceedingly difficult to discover when
cunningly mixed by suborned cook.
These facts sufficiently explain the
elaborate precautions against poison
ing taken by all oriental mon.rchs.
The sultan of Turkey actually has each
dish sealed so as to avoid any tamper-
ing with the food in transit from kitch-
en- to the dining hall.
faster partakes of each dish be-
fore the autocrat and lord of millions
can safely eat from it, and even then
the haunted dread of death waits ever
upon him.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
Bicycles In Tiger Hunts,

The latest use to which bicycles have
been applied is tiger hunting. A paper
published in British India gives an ac-
count of this startling innovation. A
pig, it appears, was carried away by a
tiger from a coffee estate at Castle
wood, in the state of Johore. 1.-THE
news having been sent to Johore," runs
the report, ''the sultan's crackers were
out on bicycles by midday and located
the tiger in some low shrub within
half mile of the shed. The sultan him
self rode out at four o'clock, and after
short beat of half an hour a large
tiger was driven out of the shrub and
fell to one well-placed shot by the sui
tan through the tigers forehead"
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
WHERE HONESTY EXISTS.
No Burglar Alarms Are Required
in the Small Towns of
Connecticut.

"People in the small towns up in Con-
necticut," saida travelling man, appear
to be much more honest than they are
in New York. Not one family in ten
thinks of such a thing as burglar
alarms, and half of them do not even
lock their outer doors when they re-
tire. But what impresses me most are
the street laundry boxes.
NEARLY every town of 5000 or more
laundry packages are received and de-
livered. These places are generally dry
goods or notion stores, or haberdash-
cries. Suburban merchants as a rule
do not keep their stores open much
later than eight o'clock in the evening,
and do not open them until seven or
half-past seven in the morning.
"This does not suit all their patrons,
so it is no infrequent sight to see out
side the store a large red box with a
fairsized opening in the top. The box
bears the Legend If the store is closed,
put your laundry in here Now just
imagine a New York laundry Office
using a receptacle like that. Why, five
minutes after package was deposited
in the box it would be fished out and
in an hour its contents would be in
the possession of some dealer in second
hand clothing. But up in Connecticut
the scheme seems to work very well,
and all [ can say is that it is tribute
to the general honesty of the COM
munitv"
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
THE OBELISK IN DANGER.
Ancient Egyptian MOnOlith in New
York Is Falling to
Decay.

One of the chief attractions of Cen
trail park, in the city of New York, is
the Egyptian obelisk erected opposite
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This
ancient monolith was erected in Cen
trail park in 1881, having been trans
ported from Alexandria, under charge
of Lieutenant Commander Gorringe. 1t
was asserted that the severity of our
climate would cause disintegration, and
steps were taken to prevent this, or to
reduce it to minimum. A careful ex-
animation made recently proves that in
spite of the care taken to prevent it
the process of disintegration has been
going on. The ravages of the weather
are particularly noticeable on the west
face of the obelisk, which has a scaly
appearance in certain places. This is
the side upon which the shaft rested
when partly buried in the sands of
Egypt, and the hieroglyphics on it are
much fainter than on the other three
surfaces. Then, the crack which ex-
tends from the base to the south side of
the obelisk has been gradually spread
ing, although it was filled with a
wooden plug covered with cement when
the stone was erected on it's present
site. The authorities who have charge
of the obelisk will make thorough in
vestigation, and if it can be shown
that the monument is in danger of de-
struction by being exposed to the in
clement elements, it will probably be
removed and exhibited under cover.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
South African Diamonds.

In an article entitled 1.-THE Original
Rock of the South African Diamond" in
National Science, Prof. Bonney says the
first diamond was found in some gravel
from the Orange river. Three years
later it was obtained from a peculiar
yellowish deposit near the present site
Of Kimberley. This diamantiferous
"yellow ground" as the miners called
1t, was found, as it was worked down
wards, to change gradually into more
coherent rock of a dark green-blue
color termed "blue ground" The dia-
monds are often found, by their anon
alous optical character, to be in condi-
ton of strain, and they are sometimes
only fragments of crystals. The rock
in which they are found has been con-
siderably affected by secondary min
eral changes, brought about, probably,
by the action of heated water.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
GID LEATHER HANGINGS.
An OId-WOrId Art That Has Been
Revived by Two New-WOrId
Women.

Two young American women, Amer
lean women of Boston, have lately
made new again the old-world and old
time art of gliding leather hangings
for the walls of homes and buildings.
The revival Of this old art is due en-
tirely to the perseverance of two sis
tiers, the Misses Mary and Clara Ware,
who are graduates of the courses in
decoration of the school connected with
the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
While continuing their studies in Ven
ice they were much impressed by the
beauty of the gilded leather in some
of the old palaces and gradually they
were led to investigate the methods
that had produced it. They found that
in the fourteenth and fifteenth CEN
turtles gilded leather was one of the
chief industries of Spain, where It had
been introduced at least 300 years be-
fore by the Moors. 1t is therefore I'M
doubtedly of African origin. From
Spain the art spread to France and
Italy, while the making of "Cordovan
leather" as it was called, is said to have
been one of the chief sources of wealth
in the Netherlands. This art, like other
old arts, degenerated in the seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries. In
its last days both materials and work.
manship were often cheap and inferior
In the present century practically no
leather of this kind has been produced,
and it has remained for these two
young American women to show its
possibilities in modern schemes of dec
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
ONE WOMAN'S WAY.
A Livelihood Gained from the Fem
mime Sense of Jumping at
a Good Thing.

81 met woman not long ago on the
road" remarked New York drummer,
"who gave me point or two on how
bright woman can make her way in
the world. She was a widow, with two
children to support, and was house,
keeper of an Indianapolis hotel until
her health failed. She had to give it up
at last, though she tried to hold on, for
that was all she knew how to do, and
she retired with only 500 or so to go
on. Not knowing exactly whittier to
turn, she went to New York city and
just wandered around for awhile, look
ing at things. One day she saw the
women crowdins the life out of one an
other at bargain sale of skirts, and
for day or two, and then spent all the
money she had for silk skirts that were
destined for the bargain counter. They
were. rumpled and looked iaded and
tired, but she took them as they were
at small figures and carried them to her
rooms. There she ironed and pressed
them out till they looked like new, and
then went out into the suburban towns
to sell them. She found ready pur-
chasers at good prices, and came back
for more. These she made as good as
new and had no trouble in disposing of
her stock.
She added shirt waists next and then
began getting shop-worn silks, rem
nants and that kind of stock, and grad
ually increased her territory, hiring
somebody to do the renovating while
she was attending to the buying and
selling. She has been at it three or
four years, and in that time has built
up trade that is paying her this year
between $500 and 5000 a month. She
has her children at good schools; has
nice little home in one of the suburban
towns, which she owns, and is about
the thriftiest and most businesslike
woman 1 ever saw. No training either
to begin with, just the woman's sense
of jumping at good thing and get
ting it."
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15

lating to ship building were Miss Harra-
den's "Ships That Pass in the Night,
and little volume on "Seaboard Life
written for boys, by W. H. Rideing.
An appeal was made to the librarian in
charge of the reference room, which re-
suited in the ascertainment Of few
initial and elementary facts from the
standard history of Philadelphia. OF
first-hand material there was absolute
" none. Beyond what was contained in
the history of Philadelphia the library
afforded no information concerning
one of the Oldest and most interesting
and now one of the largest industries
of the city.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
WHIMS OF RACE HORSES.
The ThOroughbreds Are as Full OF
Queer Notions as the Most Err
ratio Human Being.

Talking about people being pecul-
lar" remarked an old trainer out at the
Bennings race track the other day, 'if
there is anything more peculiar than
race horses l haven't come across it.
Race horses, mean thoroughbreds, of
course, are as full of whims as-Well,
as a woman, and you've got to humor
them just the same as women. l re-
member one l trained some years ago
"a horse, | mean, of course. He was
a great one, and few of them could
show him the way in. Yet that fel-
low couldn't be exercised in preparing
him for a race unless the boy on him
was rugged out in the stables colors.
You couldn't fool him about it, either,
for he knew just as well whether the
boy was fully dressed as we did, and
if he wasn't you couldn't get the old
fellow on the track. But when the boy
put on the buds, why, the old horse
would go out and do all that was want
ed of him." says the Washington Star.
"Then there was another that had
that wouldn't associate with other
horses, and the consequence was that
we had to train him by himself. Actu-
ally had to wait every time until every
other horse was off the track. Then,
when he had the whole track to himself,
we had all we could do to get him Of
when we thought he had been given
enough. This same one we had to send
to the post by himself, and when we
got him there we had to keep him away
to one side, off from the bunch. An
other one l had was just the opposite,
for he wouldn't go on the track, either
for exercise or for a race, unless he
was accompanied by another horse.
Then there is the horse that runs
true as long as he is in the lead, but
will stop and give up the fight the mo-
ment another one gets near him or
passes him. On the other hand, there
is the horse that tries all the harder
as long as be is behind. Then there is
the horse that will not try if the jockey
has whip, while there are others that
will not try unless they are given both
whip and spurs. But, as l said, they
are very peculiar, and have as many
whims as mankind"
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
CHIEF INDUSTRY IGNORED.
Philadelphia Public Library, 1t Il
Said, Contains No Book on
ShipbuiIdinR.

A student of the history of Ameri,
can iron and steel shipbuilding recently
visited the public library at Philadel.
phia. Philadelphia and Chester, which
so far as ship building is concerned, are
practically one, are the birthplace OF
iron and steel ship building on the AT.
lantic coast, and it might be expected
that frst-class historical material con-
corning the industry would be found
In abundance in the public library OF
Philadelphia When the card catalogue
was examined, says the Boston Tran
script, It was discovered that the only
books under the heading of ships or re-
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
Architectural Jokes.

The builders of the old churches in
England were not so serious but that
they now and then perpetrated a joke
even in stone. On more than one OF
their creations they carved in relief a
scene representing a monk preaching
solemnly to a flock of geese. The same
humorous spirit is sometimes to be de-
tected in the domestic architecture of
early times. Mr.. Hissey gives an in
stance: Just upon the boundaries of
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire former
ly stood a rambling old farmhouse.
The living room was long and low, and
on the center beam that went across
the ceiling was inscribed this legend:
"If you are cold, go to Hertfordshire."
This seemingly inhospitable invitation
was explained by the fact that one
half of the room was in one county and
one-half in the other. The fireplace
was in Hertfords hire.-Youth's Com
panion.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY.
An Instance of Base Ingratitude
on the Part of an East
ern Man.

At dinner the talk turned on southern
hospitality, and many were the in
stances related of it before a pretty
young southern matron had a chance
to tell her story.
"When my husband was in business in
the south several years ago." she said,
''the manager of the Boston firm whose
agency he held was taken suddenly i'll
while in our city. He was alone at the
hotel and l told my husband to bring
him to the house.
ut turned out that he had typhoid
pneumonia, and for five weeks he was
just about as sick as man could be
and get well again. / nursed him with
as much care as if he had been my own
husband, and when he finally recovered,
the doctor told him that if it had not
been for my nursing he never would
have gotten well.
'The day he was leaving he thanked
me for taking care of him and pressed
five-dollar bill into my hand. l was
so mad l hardly knew what to do, and
l said: When do kindness l don't
charge anything for it, but if l was
going to charge anything it would be
heap sight more than that And right
then and there called my colored maid
and, handing her the money, said:
Here, Mary, is something Mr.. Pratt is
giving you for your trouble. And
what do you think that man whom l
had nursed back to life said:
$50 this is your southern hospital
ity, is it?' Every time remember that
fellows sheer l wonder if you people
up here really know what hospitality
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
Feminine FinancierinE.

That women are the best fnanciers
of the world we have often had oppor-
tunity to acknowledge, says the Hon
olulu Independent. We have seen them
at the auction sales when they made
bargain" by buying an article they
had no use for whatever, and we have
seen them haggling over the price of
cheap calico for a reduction in price OF
one cent a yard, and then triumphant
ly carrying their purchase to a fash
ionable dressmaker and paying her ten
dollars for a morning" dress. This
morning we could not help smiling
while watching a lady credited with
possessing good business sense buying
"Chinese birds" on board mail steam
er, haggling over the price of the birds
and beating down the seller of seven
fine specimens by 50'cents of the origi-
nal price. In the meantime her hack
was waiting, and the driver charging"
She made her bargain, saved so cents on
the birds and paid the hackman one
dollar for waiting. That is female
fnanciering.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
Natural Icebouse ON a Farm.

Water constantly freezes in summer
IN a rocky crevice on the farm of John
Dood, in Sweden Valley, Pa. Aside of
this fact, and with the intention Of
forming a natural icehouse, the owner
tried to have a shaft sunk in the rocks.
When the men had gone down IA feet
the atmosphere became so densely cold
that they had TO cease work. Dripping
water freezes there In few minutes.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15

1t is rumored that the French, after
having taught the world the merits
Of soup, are themselves falling off in
their love for the traditional national
dish. Until the Franco-Prussian war
soup was regularly taken at luncheon
as well as at dinner and the older GUS
tom included breakfast No. / as well,
but it is now coming to be the fashion
to restrict its use to dinner. In this
country the soup habit has increased
prodigiously within the past ten years,
though less importance is attached to
{ than In Europe.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
FILLED the Reimbursement.

A primary teacher was hearing reci-
tation in grammar, and the class was
composed largely of the smaller stu
dents. The teacher wrote the three
words: Bees, bear, boys" on the board
and asked the pupils TO write sentence
containing the three words. She was
quite taken back a few minutes later
when one of the bright boys in the
class handed in the following: Boys
bees bear when they go in swimmir '
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
Paid I'm Advance.

A nervous drummer who carries with
him wherever he travels coil of rope
was asked by the landlord of a small
hotel up in Shasta county, Cal, what
the rope was for. "That's a fire cs-
cape" explained the drummer, land I
always have it with me so in case Of
fire 1 can let myself down from the
window" Seems like a pretty good
idea," said the landlord, "but guests
with fire escapes pay in advance at this
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-12-15
Tall Government Chimney.

Thetallest and largestchimney south
Of New York is now being constructed
for the use Of the United States bureau
of printing and engraving. When COM
pleted it will be 223 feet high.