davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21


The great difference between the
price of homegrown pork and store
bacon makes it a paying job for a
farmer to smoke his own meat, at least
for home consumption. A smoke
house Is a fine thing on any farm, but
like many fine things, is something of
luxury. There are many farmers who
cannot afford well arranged smoke
house. For the benefit of these we
give below the sketch and description
of smoke-boN which will supply the
farmers table with bacon ut no eX-
pense and little trouble.
1t is made of box about 5x3 feet
and 4 feet high. 1t is without bottom.
The door for putting in and tending
the meat is put in the side of the box
next the top. This is about a foot
wide, with hinges on the lower side.
Staples are driven in the ends of the
door "a, Fig. A. with hooks OBJ to slip
place when closed. For hanging the
meat, bore holes through the top of the
box, far enough apart so that the
pieces will not touch when hung. To
hang the meat, take stout cord or plia-
bic wire, fasten one end into the meat
and run the other through the anger
holes after forming a loop of 1t. Run
a stick through the loop and your ham
is secure.
A fire put in the box would make ii
too warm for the contents. To guard
against this, the fire that furnishes the
smoke is some distance from the box
being conducted to it through cover
ed trench or several joints of old stove.
pipe. For the fireplace, dig hole a
foot or so in depth. short distance
from the boX--6 feet is far enough
md connect it with the box by trench
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
Artificial FERTILIZATION

A scientific investigation demon
strated that the failure of some Of
the California fig orchards to bear
fruits was due to the failure of the pol.
len to reach the female flower. Arti-
fetal fertilization was attempted and
pollen was introduced into the flowers
by blowpipe at the proper period Of
growth. The trees SO treated produced
excellent fruit. Agents of the Cali
fornia fig-growers who were sent to
Smyrna to study the methods used in
that country, where the best and larg-
est supply of figs come FROM found
that the trees were fortified by curl
GUS bee, which carried the pollen from
flower to flower. The Smyrna fig.
growers would not sell any of these
bees. The California agents obtained
some secretly, however. but they died
before reaching Los Angeles.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

ture, but little risk will be run by the
purchaser who carefully examines the
outside of the cans which he buys. The
heads Of the cans should be slightly
concave, which shows that they were
hot when sealed. If the heads are con-
vex 1t shows that decomposition has
commenced in the can.
The total value of the food supply of
the United States has been estimated
at $5,000,00O,OOO. According to DIR.
Wiley's estimate, 80 per cent. of this Is
adulterated, or $4.5OO,0OO,OOO Accord
Ing to the American Grocer's figures,
which are the most favorable, not more
than 10 per cent. of the adulteration Is
harmful or injurious to the health.
Taking these statements, the result
shows that there is $3.50, 100000 worth
of poisonous food products put annual
ly on the country and $4,000, 600, 700 of
fraudulent products.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
Keep Young Hogs Grow,,.,.

There is an impression among farm.
ers that hogs in summer at pasture can
get enough with the swill from the
house and what they can get in the
fields. This was all right SO long as
skim milk, one of the best foods fol
growth, was part of the swill, and I'M
eaten refuse from the table was also
thrown in. But in many places the
SKINNED milk is now sold in some
form, while n better use for table re-
fuse is found in giving it to the poul-
try. So the pig is starved in summer,
which is the time he ought to grow
the fastest, and is the poorest prepara-
ton for the heavy corn feeding that
will begin in September and continue
until the pig is turned over to the
butcher A half-starved animal loses
the power of digesting hearty food, for
the stomach, like every other organ of
the body, needs to have something to
do to keep in good health and strength.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

Both manufacturers and retail gro
GERS make enormous profits, for their
fraudulent coffee can be made for as
little as or 4 cents a pound. Often
the flour. crackers or cereals which
enter into its composition are SO badly
damaged that they could be utilized
In no other way. There. is, besides,
much huckstering in real coffees, and
lower grades are frequently mixed
with the higher. Thus Maracaibo and
La Guayra coffees are mixed with Java
and Mocha coffee and the mixture sold
for pure Java or pure Mocha.
Cheap cream of tartar has been
proved to be composed largely of tar
taric acid and terra alba. This terra
alba, or white earth, imported from the
shores of the Mediterranean, has been
used us a food adulterant to fearful
degree. 1t is, when pulverlzed, white
and almost impalpable powder, taste
less and looking like fine starch. Its
presence Is frequently detected In pow
dered sugar, which may account for
the fact that housekeepers do not find
powdered sugar altogether satisfactory
for cooking purposes. Pure cream of
tartar will dissolve in hot water, but
terra alba WI not; therefore to test it
put teaspoonful into tumbler of hot
water, allow 1t to stand for few mo-
ments, and then see whether there is
any sediment. II the sediment is large
terra alba is probably present. If 1t
does not dissolve, leaving the water
clear, add few drops of tincture Of
iodine to the water. If pure, the color
will remain unchanged; but If starch is
present the water will turn bright blue.
The usual adulterants of tea are
spent" or exhausted tea leaves, leaves
of other plants like tea, sand and vari-,
GUS materials used for colorlng the
leaves. Colorlng is common and is
called facing" 1t generally consists
in coating the leaves with powdered
soapstone, with lead, or plumbago, if
they are to be black, or with the pow
dered soapstone with indigo or Prus-
sian blue If they are to be green. Often
the facing adds materially to the
weight Of the tea. In England the use
of exhausted leaves is much larger
than 1t is in this country. Spent leaves
are bought up from hotels and coffee
houses at merely nominal prices, and
are dried and faced before being re-
sold. They are easily detected by their
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
PURE FOOD SCARCE.
NINETY PER CENT OF THE SUP.
PLY is ADULTERATED.
Startling Revelations Brought Ont by
the Senate Investigating Committee
Enormous Amount of Fraudulent

If there is any pure food manufac-
tured or sold in this country, the Senate
Pure Food Investigating Committee,
which took testimony in Chicago, did
not come across it. The evidence in
the hands of that committee tends to
show that nearly all the commoner
articles of food are adulterated by the
manufacturers, and some of them with
deleterious and dangerous substances.
One of the witnesses, DR.. II. Ii. Wiley,
chief chemist In the Department of
Agriculture, went so far as to tell tile
committee that 80 per cent. of the
liquid and solid foods consumed by the
people of the United States are adul-
terated. And DR.. Wiley said this state
ment was based on his personal inves-
tigation. He had. so he told the COM
mittee, examined and tested almost
every article of food and drink bought
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

Wherever the codling moth is abund-
ant that will attend to the thinning of
the early apples, which begin to ripen
even while the moth is at work in its
first brood. Very few early apples es-
cape the Worm, and many fall before
they are fit for any use. But one OF
two entire failures of the apple crop
have so reduced the codling moth that
we think 1t will pay to go through trees
of early apples and take out one-quar-
ter TO one-third, according to how plen-
tifully the fruit has set So soon as
the fruit begins to turn further thin
ming may be made with profit.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

Recently published memoirs of Hen
ry Reeve, who wrote leading articles
for the London Times and was editor
of the Edinburgh Review, give his
view of journalists responsibility.
His estimate of duty will inspire con-
scientious newspaper men. "To find
out the true state of facts" said he ito
report them with fidelity, to apply to
them strict and fixed principles of jus
tice, humanity and law; to inform, as
far as possible, the very conscience of
nations, and to call down the Judgment
Of the world on what is false or base or
tyrannical, appear to me to be the first
duties of those who write" Measured
by such standard, how reprehensible
is inaccuracy, how criminal is faith
lessness, and how depraved the NAL
evidence which, for purposes of gain.
makes a newspaper Office a treasury of
baseness and falsehood!
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
Many Adulterants Poisonous.


Many of the authorizations are of such
character as to injure the pocket of
the consumer rather than the health.
Commercial fraud, according to the tes-
timony of the national and State gov.
eminent officials, is chiefly the result,
but wholesale loss of life has occurred.
In a report made by A. j. Wedderburn,
a special agent of the Agricultural De-
partment, he calls attention to many
cases of death. The deleterious sub
stances are usually used through iSnor-
ancc, one case of record being that in
which death resulted from the use of
chrome yellow, not only to the custom
err, but also to the vender and the mem
bers of his family.
Coffee is perhaps the most extensive
ly adulterated article. Consumers do
not take the trouble to find out wheth-
er their coffee is genuine or not. Arti-
fetal coffee beans used to be manufac-
tlu'ed with consummate care, but now
adays many producers do not attempt
to initiate the beans except in color and
size. Spurious coffee beans We're for
merly imported from Germany In large
quantities and to some extent from
France. But American manufacturers,
realizing the profit to be made in the
trade, entered the field and now make
better limitations than any that are to
be imported. Flour or almost any
cereal is mixed with mQlasses and
nodded to resemble the bean and then
roasted aud colored. Sometimes chicory
or burned sugar forms Il part of the
compound. Which, although almost
worthless, is not harmful when com-
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
No Grass for Working Horses.

1t seems almost cruel not to give
horses feed of grass occasionally,
even when they are hard working at
this season, when grass and clover are
at their prime. Yet every farmer
knows that il allowed to run to grass,
even for a few hours, the working
horse will lose his appetite for the solid
food that gives him strength, and be
incapable for several days thereafter
of doing Il full days work. Horses are
exceedingly fond of grass and clover.
Sometimes, If old hay is scarce, the
farmer tries to economize by cutting
some clover, and after drying it nearly
into hay feeding it in place of the hay.
But even this has to be given very
carefully or 1t will work injury.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
HOW PADDY COMMITS SUICIDE.
An Old Police serseant's Observation,
\,

AnOld Police SerGeant's observations
on the Weather and Its Effects.
Good suicide weather." the grlzzled
old sergeant behind the desk of one of
the New York police stations observed,
as he glanced out at the dull, over!
whelming clouds from which the rain
sifted down in a never.ending drizzle.
"a good day for suicides over here"
he continued, musingly. "lf a Ger
man is going to kill himself he waits
for just such day US this. Even If
he don't intend to kill himself three or
four days like this will soon drive him
to 1t. Wen be apt to have three or
four cases reported before roll-eall.
Now, it's different with French
man. When German feels blue it
makes him all the bluer if the wealth
ers bad. But a Frenchman, when he
is crossed in love or has gone broke,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
sunflowers MS rean Poles.

The selecting and cutting of poles for
the vines of the bean TO grow on is no
easy task, even where timber is plenti-
full, and in prairie country it is a
problem. have found substitute for
the pole in the old-fashioned sunfiower,
one stalk for each hill. They are orna-
mental, the seed is good for the poul-
try, and the stalks make fine kindlng
wood. Some may claim that the sun
flower will take the strength of the
ground from the beans, but my expert
ence does not agree with this. The
finest beans ever raised We're grown
with sunflowers for poles.-J. L. Irwin.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
thinks the weather is sympathizing

thinks the weather is sympathizing
with him If 1t rains when he is feeling
badly. When he makes up his mind
to commit suicide he'll invariably car
ry out his intention ON sunshiny day.
The worlds brightness seems only to
mock him."
"And what about the Irlshman, SER
geant?" asked the new policeman.
Look here, young man." said the
sergeant, with just a. suggestion Of
Limerick In his tone, "Irishmen don't
commit suicide. When an Irlshman
gets broke and blue he don't kill him
self. Not much! He goes and beats
somebody, or gets beat himself, or fail
ing in both instances goes home and
beats his wife"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

wide enough to admit the fibrous roots
OF tree, which go everywhere in
search of moisture. In the tile the tree
root expands until the tile is entirely
filled. and the drain is ruined. Almost
any large tree will do this, but the
worst of all trees are the willow, elm
anu locust. All of these love water,
and none of them should be allowed to
grow near underdrains or wells. In
some parts of the country willows and
locusts are planted in dooryards. But
If near a well, even if the we'll be roof
ed over, their roots will find their way
to the water, and spoil ii for Use.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

DIR. Herman, of the University of
Kiel, has been feeling the wrists of the
members of bicycle club, immediate
ly after they had pushed their wheels
up moderate ascent. In every case
the pulse was beating at the rate of
one hundred and fifty to one hundred
and sixty strokes minute, and in one
man of stouter build 1t mounted to one
hundred and eighty. AS seventy-eight
is the normal average, 1t appears that
this kind of exertion may quite double
the activity of the heart. The doctor
had previously observed this effect on
himself, after wheeling up the same
hill; and he gives warning that the
same result may follow ride too long
continued or over u lumpy road. He
also advises the cycler not TO smoke
when riding, and to keep his mouth
shut, SO as to breathe only through the
nose
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
YOUNG coxcoMe

Taught a Lesson by an Old Man from
the Country.
He bore the customary resemblance
to rural visitor. There was the chin
beard and the clean-shaven upper lip
and the trousers that fell just below his
ankles. No wonder the foppishly CARRIED
youth at the end of the car snickered
aloud when he entered.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
Demand for Champagne.

The total demand of the world for
champagne is about 22,O00,000 annual
ly. demand which can be readily met
plies held in years to come from the
supplies held in stock in the vast coal
cellars at Rheims. where one noted firm
alone keeps a standing reserve of
100000 bottles.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
An Interrupted Sermon.

Just after the rector of Manaton,
Denvon Qsev. j. G. b. Sanders) had
commenced his sermon on Sunday
morning, he saw gentleman on n
visit to the parish taking notes of the
discourse. Stopping in the midst of
II sentence, the rector said: Are YOU
taking notes of my sermon, young
man." Yes, sir" was the reply. The
rector: "Then if you don't stop, l
shall" The visitor said it was n pub
lie place of worship. Very well, them"
replied the rector, who began to close
his book. The visitor thereupon said
he had no wish to cause a disturbance.
and would put his notebook away.
The rector said he thought the visitor
was very rude. He then proceeded
with his sermon.-Devon and Exeter
Gazette.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21


1t is never safe to leave a large tree
growing near where an underdrain has
been laid, unless the tile are jointed,
that is, made like the city sewer pipe,
so that one end is smaller, and slides
into the next, making tightly fitting
joint. AS tile are usually laid it is i'm
possible to prevent there being crack
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

Some visitors were being shown
through Kew lunatic asylum, Victoria,
few days ago, and, coming opposite
the clock in the corridor. one of them,
looking up quickly at his watch, said:
us that clock right?" mo, you idiot"
said patient standing by; ut would
MT be In here If 1t were rlght."-Mel-
bourne Australasian.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
Fllntx Goats for Pl.nts.

If two pieces Of sugar cane are
rubbed together in the dark they will
make tiny light. This comes from
the fact that every reed or cane or
leaf of grass has hard, fiinty outside
skin, which helps them to stand
straight up and also keeps the tender
inside from being eaten up by many
of the insects.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
Points i'm plantinr the i, W ;,

There may properly be a border of
low growing shrubbery next to the
house and it is well to plant II vine of
some sort by the piazza. Nothing is
better for this purpose than the com
mon woodbine or Virginia creeper.
Akebia and actinidia, two new Japan
csc climbers, are also good. In general,
n better effect is produced by planting
in masses and borders than by dottlng
the plants here and there over the
lawn.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

even be materially lessened in number
until it is possible to make an example
of the perpetrators, and that opportu-
nifty must be lacking so long as the law
prescirbes only fine and one year of
Imprisonment for them.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

1t would be interesting to know by
what process the New England judge
reached the conclusion that the rail
way corporation which killed Antonio
Petrillo must pay his heirs $40. Assum-
ing that he made on the average $500
a year, he represented capital of
$4,000 invested Mt per cent. Looking
at him not as living being but as a
corpse, n medical college would have
paid for him, had the railroad COM
pany not mangled his body, at least
$50 in cash, without the annoyance and
expense of a lawsuit.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

PENNSYLVANIA University is to give
medal every year to the senior who
looks the most like the ideal type of
man. This sounds odd. but it merely
savors, after ALL of the recognition
paid by the old Greeks to beauty in the
abstract.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

pure coffee will not tint the water for
a long time. Such tests are SO simple
that there appears little excuse for not
trying them. Yet manufacturers sell
to dealers tons of artificial coffee,
which is accepted unquestioningly as
the genuine article
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

How cheerfully your husband runs
your lawnmower. Mrs. Riprap."
Eyes. | keep his fathers old scythe
hanging in the piazza, and whenever
he looks at it he knows he is well off,"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

Now that the doctors have decided
that tight hats are injurious some men
will have to have two of different sizes
one for the night before and one for
the morning after.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
An ODD Burial Custom.

Some OF the inhabitants of New
Guinea have an odd way Of disposing
of their dead. They place the bodies
on raised platforms at some distance
from their dwellings. and when the
flesh has disappeared the skulls are re-
moved to and stored in u cabin for
that purpose.-Spare Moments.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

The founder of one of our agricul-
tural colleges, who was more noted for
having the interest of the public at
heart than for aptness of expression in
speech, was once called to be chairman
of meeting convened to consider the
necessity of procuring ground for a
new cemetery. Gentlemen" said he,
II suppose you all know that there has
got to be new cemetery, and now we
are anxious to know how many of you
are ready to go into itv'
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

There is this to the everlasting
credit of the farmers wife: She is kept
SO busy that she doesn't dress her boy
in long curls after he has put on
pants"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21
Poor milk. Magnitied $50 time

pended in producing counterfeit arti-
Gle than would be required to get ma
ture to produce the real thing. The
profit is in producing it in large guam
tity from waste substances. This is a
sort of utilization of the by-product
that the country cannot stand for any
length of time without serious deter
ioration of the physical and mental
strength of its people, and the status of
these crimes and fit punishments for
them will undoubtedly be fixed as re-
suit of the report of this committee
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

One Chicago judge has gone on rec
ord as opposed to gum chewing in
court. This is evidently Il base at
tempt to discourage women lawyers.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

The Oldest old maid in the country
died a few days ago. But there are
others.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-21

There is nothing which cannot be
borrowed. Some women manage to
raise family without spending q cent
on high chairs or baby buggies.