davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
ICE USED TO BURST SHELLS
Simple Device for Breaking Up Old
Pfojecti1es Left Over from
the Civil War.

The United States government has
been having dealings with the junk
man. 1t has sold an immense quantity
of old projectiles in the Brooklyn navy
yard to the Penn iron works of Chester
Pa. at secondhand rates.
These projectiles range in diameter
from S to Is inches, the latter being a
popular form of cannon ball during the
civil war. In the lot were GAG 15-inch
shells, 1900 eight-inch shells, and 5000
nine-inch shells. They were sold to the
first buyer at one-half a cent per pound
and he disposed of them to the Penn
iron works at about cent pound
Under this arrangement the latter pays
about s. each for the larger shells OF
300 pounds and $1.5O apiece for the
smallest.
The prcjectiles are sold merely be-
cause they occupy valuable space. They
had no value to the ordinary junkman
because he did not know how to break
hem up. and it is impossible to mel,
them in one piece. The man who
bought them first broke several pile
drivers upon them and finally gave il ur
in despair.
American ingenuity, however. was
equal to the task of smashing them. 4
genius employed in the Penn works hit
upon novel way of doing it. He will
arrange the shells with the fuse holes
upward and wait for cold weather
When this comes he will fill them with
cold water. This will freeze. When
water freezes it expands with terrific
force. The expansion will smash the
shells as if they were SO many walnuts
This peaceful method of exploding
the shells resembles the turning of a
sword into pruning blade. the popu-
lar simile of the poets. 1t may also
point the way to some ingenious in
ventor who wishes to discover a
cheap application of force. Perhaps
the ice-power engine will be developed
as a result of the frigid explosions at
the Penn iron works.
When the government announced
that it was going to sell the shot many
grand army posts passed resolutions OF
regret. They declared that they
should be reserved as relics. Thereupon
the secretary of the navy offered 1000
eight-inch shells to any grand army
men who would call for them and move
them to their post rooms. As each shell
weighs $50 pounds. it is not an easy
thing to tote it around. The secretary
waited for long while and not sim
4 f.
He wrote again to the grand. army
posts. renewing his offer, but without
any result.-Chicago Chronicle.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
ABOUT AMERICAN CITIES
Some Interesting Data Regarding
Health. Population and 9th
er Condition..

Anticipating the work of the censu.
takers and acting on instructions from
congress. the department of labor al
Washington has issued statistics relat.
ing to all the cities in the United States
of population of 10000 or more. II
was found that there were 14O such cit
les, and the statistics collected throw
much interesting light on their status
and development.
The oldest city in the United States
is Albany, n. u, which was incorpo-
rated. in 1856, Philadelphia dating IL
years later. New York, Chicago and
Philadelphia are the only American cit.
les whose population runs into the mil,
lions. Some odd contrasts are present
ed in the tables which give the ares
covered by the different cities. 1t ap
pears that Taunton, Mass. occupies
territory greater than that of either
Boston or Baltimore. New Orleans,
city of 2s5,000 inhabitants. covers 1885,.
600 acres, while Newark, n. j., with
population of about the same size. oc
cupies less than $4,000 acres. One ex.
poets to find the manufacturing dig
tricts of Pennsylvania. Massachusetts
and Illinois closely packed, but it il
surprising TO notice that Richmond,
Va, covers only $3.50 acres and Louis.
vile, KY, 12,S00 acres, as compared witt
Duluth, Minn.. and Des Moines, Ia.
which. with much smaller populations
in each case. cover respectively 40, ,96e
and "a 500 acres.
The health statistics show that Nc
Keesport. Pa, is perhaps the healthiest
city in this country. Its rate of deaths
from consumption is only 1.09 per
thousand. as compared with 12 in Bos.
ton and New York and 20 in Denver,
Col.-due, of course. to the fact that
consumptives resort to Denver from
all parts of the country. The rate of
1850 deaths per thousand from old age
considerably the highest on the list)
is accredited to Salt Lake City, a con.
dition to account for which no theory
has yet been brought forward. In
Pittsburgh and Chicago deaths from old
age are only two per thousand.
At time when the extension of mu
nicipal functions is occupying public
it is interesting to note the
figures which relate to city ownership.
Ninety-six cities over their water sup
ply. among the exceptions being In
dianapolis, New Haven. New Orleans
and San Francisco. Four have mu-
nicipal gas works-Duluth, Richmond,
Tciedo and Wheeling-and 13 own and
operate electric light plants.-Chicago
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
QUEER DEATH OF A WILDCAT.
InterestinE Sport Chasing the fierce
Fighters In One Of Cnllf0r-
| .s sses'S e. MAS yalleys.

A wildcat lately came to its death
in most unusual manner at La Can
ada, valley in the mountains a snort
distance from Pasadena. Cal. The ani.
NAL was being pursued by "A blood
hound sEd had taken to a tree. In
jumping from one tree to another the
cat missed its footing and fell. Its
head slipped into crotch made by q
couple of branches and its neck be-
came firmly wedged. As it was strug-
Cling to extricate itself the cat became
more tightly fixed, and was choked to
death. N f.@sur
Wildcats are plentiful in that section
of the country, and afford much sport
to the hunters about here, who fol-
low them with hounds. La Canada is
skirted on one side by deep canyon,
or arroyo, tumbled full Of powders
and thick with underbrush and small
oak trees. This arroyo is the favorite
haunt of the wildcat and lynx.
The hunting party arrives on the
ground at an early hour with pack OF
hounds. Foxhounds are generally used
for the purpose, but greyhounds are
sometimes sent after the game. a day
Is selected for the hunt as soon after
a rain as is possible, for at that time
the scent is followed more easily.
/ One of the older hounds is slipped
and it is seldom long before he ha.
found a trail and is in full bay. Al
of the hounds are at once liberated
and away they go. over rocks and
powders, under bushes. up banks and
down bluffs. The hound runs entirely
by scent, and sometimes will not see
the cat when there is only few fee
between them.
The wildcat is not a good runner. ant
Inevitably seeks refuge either in a ire.
or between the powders. If it can finf
a convenient gap among the piled rock.
where it can slip in its chances to escap,
are fair. for there it can stand at ba.
and meet the enemy, who must ap
proach from only one side. But j.
there is no crevice at hand. and the
frightened beast goes into tree. all
is lost, for the hunters can dislodge
it with long poles, and the dogs ars
then able to attack il from all sides
and soon pull it to pieces. The hunters
are obliged to follow on foot, for the
country is far too rough to admit OF
riding.
'rhe wildcat is fierce fighter. and
Individually is a match for any but the
best dog. 1t will not fight. however.
unless brought to bay.-Chicago Inter
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
HERE AND THERE.

There is some force in the argu-
ment that rural mail delivery is i'm
practicable on account of vicious dogs
at almost every country house.
Run sheaf oats through cutter
and add about one-fourth the bulk Of
wheat bran; slightly moistcn it, anL
you have as good horse feed as ever
was invented.
1t is estimated that in feeding
either cattle or hogs. it takes three
days of good feeding ana watering to
undo the injurious effects of one days
neglect. Hence there should be no let
up in feeding.
making for profit with cows that yictl
less than 5000 pounds of milk and 200
pounds of butter per year. Two hum
drcd and fifty pounds of butter would
be far better minimum. There is no
danger of overproduction of good but
ter.
The chief advantages of artificial
incubators is that they are always
ready for business, which is not the
case with hens; and they can hatch as
many chicks as ten or twenty kens in
the same number OF days. Good mother
hens, however, will hatch larger per
cent of eggs than the incubator.
1t is no more unreasonable TO ex-
pect blood from turnip than abund-
an. crops of good fruit from poor so,s.
Fruit trees and plants of all kinds ara
like animals-th must be fed If they
are expected to be profitable.
-Three-year ola Texas-bred and
Texas-fed high-rade shorihor1as se-
Gently sold at $6.75 At Chicago. Il head
averaging 1,s46 pounds. This is the
high point Tor II years past These cat
tie were tatteued principasiy apen cstsl
len eeo meal HitA sesae e.'sr asskis
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
the road became solid, without rock
surface. Bad roads constitute the
heaviest tax borne of traffic, and TO get
rid of them almost any practicable
expenditure. would be money profita-
bly, invested.-Texas Farm and Ranch.


There is no more profitable line OF
breeding than the breeaing of mules,
and the limit of price haE not yet been
reached, for the mule mas not been de-
veloped to its highest possibilities. As
a work animal the mule IS superior to
the horse. 1t will do more work and
do. it on less food. IL il almost inn
mune from disease, and of all the epi-
denies that have swept through the
horse kingdom, not mule to our
knowledge, has ever been attacked.
There is popular belief that the mule
is vicious, and is too handy with his
hind feet; and is must be confessed
that there is truth in tie indictment.
But who is at fault? The animal has
been considered rs sort of outlaw
from time immemorial. It has been
abused until all that was mean in its
nature was developed ami considerable
meanness sided. The creature is APP
preciative of decent treatment, and in
an experience of several yars in breed
ing mules, we never had but one VIII
cious one. We were compelled to use
harsh measures with this animal.
She was born with Satan in her, and
could outkick anything We ever saw.
We tried kindness and it was useless.
Once upon attempting to enter the
stall along side of her. she let fly with
both feet. We had o heavy bride in
hand and with it we nearly pounded
the mule to death. She crouched, and
trembled like leaf III the wind. But
it cured her. Ever after that she ap-
prcciated kindness and she received
plenty of it.
Our method was to pet and handle
the colt from the beginning, just as a
horse colt should he treated. Break
the mule to halter, bride, bit and har-
ness, as you ought to do with a horse
colt, and when the time comes for
hitching to the wagon, you will not
have the slightest trouble. You will
have, too, pair of mules that will
be worth 500 more than the average
pair of mules brings. That is what we
mean by saying that the limit of the
profits of mule bre eeding has not been
reached. We can improve the mule by
making it more gentle, by increasing
its walking gait and By enlarging its
size. Many mules are too small. There
is a good demand for mules in many
sections of the country, and the de
mand can be increased. In engaging
in breeding, it is wise to breed some
thing that everybody is not breeding.
The majority of farms breed horses.
Comparatively few are breeding
mules, and mule breeding will prove
the most profitable line of breeding
for years to come.-Chas. G. Jones, in
Epitomist.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
HOW PEOPLE SETTLED.
Successive Waves OF Migration Have
Been Largely Determined
by Topography.

Above the south and east of the Ap-
palach;an chain. the geography Of the
population of the United States falls
into divisions as clear and as readily
apprehended as they might have been
predicted had the students Of earth's
surface proceeded far enough ahead Of
its occupants TO take the bearings. The
original Ohio immigration spread over
the Typographical plain until it was
checked at the Mississippi. 1t went to-
ward the Canadian boundary until it
was baffied by the down-pouring cold
from the lakes of Winnipeg and from
Rat Portage. A second movement
crossed the Mississippi and the Missouri
rivers. settling Iowa and Missouri and
overfiowing into the higher termini of
Kansas and Nebraska. When the navi-
CATION fever grew strong, and the pub
lie lands became as numerous as are
the passions of men to obtain things
free of cost. Michigan. Wisconsin and
Minnesota were inhabited, with a scat
tered surplus crowding over into the
then forbidding prairies of Dakota.
mcnt by itself. as Texas has always
been state alone and unique in its
place in the galaxy of the nation.
Gold allurements on the Pacific coast
put the procession of the census out of
its order and left big blank between
the Sierra Nevada, Wasatch and Cas-
catie ranges. and the western portions
Of Kansas and Nebraska. until simi-
lar allurements in Colorado at the time
Of discovery of the Leadville carbonates
reversed the order again and created
The constituency of state in the vi
cinity of Plies Peak. Kansas and Ne
braska fillec up with the extension of
the railroa6s toward the coast. The
Dakotas th;ckened their population
after the northern railways were CON-
pleted. Washington state constituted
almost a movement by itself, ensuing
upon the arrival of the Willard railroad
experiment at Puget sound and the
discovery of the water possibilities in
the eastern section, which is now
known rs the Palouse country. \ last,
and probably final. movement set in
when the territories of Idaho, Montana
and Wye ming received their statehood.
Popuh ton halted. and halts now. mt
the rocky shore of the Pacific. The
next great division will be in pursuit
Of the constellation of fame which Ad-
miral Dewey lit in the Bay of Manila.
-Ainslee's Magazine.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27

Teacher-Johnny Iaay stand mp to
recite. Now. Johnny suppose borrow
$50 frum your father and agree to pay
sve dollars a week, how long will it be
.efore he gets his money?
Johuny-Just one week
s'Oh. think again: that's not right. :"
"Yes. it is. know my father. He'd
have you up In the courts BY that time" !"
N. ]. World.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
NAY BE FAMED OpHIR MINES.
Gold Fields Of the Transvaal MAJ
he the source OF SOlomOn's
Riches. AE

At a time when all eyes are on South
Africa n few particulars of the min
eral wealth which brought outlanders
to the Transvaal will prove of interest
Wdnderful, indeed. ares these great
'Witwatersrand" gold fields of the
South African Republic. The Dutch
word "witwatersrand" means literally
"white water range" and the strip oi
territory few hundred miles long and
few miles i'm width to which it is ap
piled was but few years ago consid
cred nearly worthless range. useful
only for the pasturage of cattle anG
sheep. and for even this comparatively
valueless. In 1883. however, gold was
discovered. and in 1854 the value of tht
gold production was about f10.0Oc
1t increased with startling rapidity
the production of 1855 being about 6 l.
0OO. 900; that of 1890, E2,000.O00 1899
over & 100000: 1895. over fs.000.00G
and 1897 and 1885, about 100000 ir
each year.
This wonderful development attract.
ed to South Africa thousands of people
in the hope of realizing quick fortunes
Development, however. showed that the
mines could only be successfully
worked by the use of costly machinery,
end while they have been extremely
productive where machinery has been
used they were not of such character
as to make hand or placer rninine
profitable. as was the case in Cali
fornia. The gold production in the
rand since 1854 has been over e6O,000..
900, and careful surveys of the field
by the use of drills and other processes
experts show beyond question tina,
the sin sight" probably amounts to
hundreds of millions sterling, while the
large number of mines which have been
located in adjacent territory. particu-
'arly in parts of Rhodesia. give prom.
Use of additional supplies. SO that il
seems probable that South Africa will
for many years continue to be, a. ii
Eow is. the largest gold-producins Sec
ton of the world.
Recent discoveries lead to the teiief
that these wonderfully rich mines ere
the long-lost "gold Of Ophir," from
which Solomon obtained his supplies,
making "a navy of ships in Eziongeber,
which is opposite Eloth. on the shore
of the Red sea. in the land of Edom;
and Hiram sent in the navy his serv-
ants, shipmen that had knowledge OF
the sea, with the servants of Solomon :
and they came to Ophir and fetched
from thence gold. and brought it TO
King Solomon."-N. Y. Herald.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27

"Are you really coal baron?" she
asked the man who had called frequent-
ly enough to justify such an inquiry.
Il am in the coal business on large
scale. and some newspapers allude to
such dealers ss barons," he replied.
candidly.
.And do you. really squeeze people ?"
she persisted, for her determination 10
penetrate deeply into the mysteries Of
economies was strong.
Subsequent developments convinced
her that he really squeezed people,
Detroit Free Press.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
A wiae-Awak- Refere.ee.

Police Chisf--In advocating PATROL
man Foley for night duty You advance
especial qualifications. presume.
Police Captain-Yes. sir: he han
ohsosis insomnia, sls.. Judge.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
Oct for Business.

Mack O'Rell-Old chap. always con-
sidered myself a pretty masher, but the
other day met my match.
Luke Warme-How was that?
"Why, i noticed beautiful young
woman gazing in shop window. I
woit mp and cosghed slightly to at
tract her attention. Guess what hap.
pened.'
Cant imagine"
"Why. she tried to sell me soms
sesgA dssps.".-cAicaso Evening News
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27

italy IuvesasgatisG Bee Prisons.
The Italian government II making
Thorough invsstlSatien ot IT. prisons.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
How We Use I'm the Forests.

\ cord of spruce wood is equal to
615 feet board measure. and this quanti-
ty of raw material will make half ton
of sulphite pulp, or one ton of ground
wood pulp. Newspaper stock is made
up with two per cent. of sulphite pulp
and so per cent. of ground wood pulp.
The best known spruce land, virgin
growth, possesses stand of about 1000
feet to the acre. Twenty-Five acres Of
this best spruce land will therefore con-
tain $4,000 feet of timber. An average
gang of loggers will cut this in about
eight days. This entire quantity OF
wood turned in at any one of the large
mills will be converted in single day
into about $50 tons of such pulp as
goes to make up newspaper stock. This
pulp will make about an equal weight
of paper, which will supply a single
large metropolitan newspaper just two
days.-Boston Transcript.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27

els per acre.
Pride of the North. .34.5 bushels
Mosby's Prolific ......... $3.50 bush ,is
Cary's Klondike ......... .32.9 bushels
Forsyth's Fayorite .31.2 bushels
Southern White GourdSeed.3O.S bushels
Nineteen varieties yielding above 25
bushels per acre and less than 30 BUSH
els:
Early MastodOn ......... .o9.5 bushels
| 100 Day Bristol. .29.4 bushels
Cuban Giant Ensilage. .29.0 bushels
Giant Broad Grain. 800 bushels
Iowa Silver Mine. $50 bushels
Cookies Prolific ........... $50 bushels
Hickory King ......... .27.5 bushels
Farmers Pride ........... .26.5 bushels
Johnscn's Giant Beauty ..26.S bushels
Legal Tender Yellow Dent .26.7 bushels
Dungan's Prolific ........ .26.7 bushels
Holt's Strawberry ....... 1855 bushels
Blount's Prolific ......... 1855 bushels
Yellow Creole ............2 1868 bushels
White Cup Dent ..........2 1868 bushels
Johnson's Large White Broad
Corn ................... .20.2 bushels
No. l Corn. .26.2 bush els
Golden Beauty .......... .2S.S bushels
Ciark's Early Mastodon
Lent ................... .-o.S DuSneiS
Twelve varieties yielding below 2S
bushels per acre:
Early Red Cob Ensilage. "a. . bushels
Pennsylvania Yellow Dent. 24.O bushels
White Rockdale e.......... .239 bushels
Murdock ............23.9 80 bushels
st. Charles White .. .23.9 bushels
Riley'S Fayorite ........ .23.9 bushels
Leaning ...............23 .23.3 bushels
White Cap Dent. .21.2 bushels
Johnson's Large White
Field ...................2O 300 bushels
Shaw's Improved ......... 1876 bushels
Champion Early PEARL. 14.7 bushels
Golden Cable l3.7 bushels
B. C. PITTUCK, Agriculturist.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27

mtg sscialist Gathering Next Year.
Socialists will hold Mt Paris next
year the largest congress in their his
terry.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27
FARMER AND PLANTER.
EXPERIl(ENTS WITH CORN.


Thirty-five varieties of corn were
tested at this station during the past
season. OF these, "a varieties yielded
above 25 bushels per acre, which is
above the average yield for this imme-
1iate section. The average of all check
plots golden beauty averaged 25.s
bushels per acre, and 90 varieties
yielded as much and more. The sea-
son was peculiarly untitled for best
growth of corn. The short drought
the latter part of May and June caught
most of the varieties in silk. The food
and storm on June 80 and the first few
days of July injured large per cent
OF the corn by loosening the soil and
blowing down and breaking stalks.
This latter condition was followed by
a protracted drought, which was light
ly broken ON July q, but continuing
prevented in most instances the ears
from filling out to their normal condi-
tion.
The following are the varieties
planted, with yield per acre:
Five varieties yielding above 30 BUSH
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-01-27

Mrs. Wiggles-Mrs. Bjohnson spoke
of you when I met her yesterday.
Mrs. Waggles-Did she? What did
she say?
"Oh, if had thought you would
ask me that 1 would never have said
anything about it!"-Somerville Jour-
nal.
The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-09-11
THE CHILDREN'S ROOM.
It Should BE Made O. Place Of Beauty
Instead Of for Cast-OR
Furniture.


If there be any room in the house
which is destined to receive the over
flow OF furniture, broken and mis-
matched odds and ends, you may de-
pend upon it that room is the nursery
or "children's room," says the San
Francisco Chronicle.
Many mothers wonder why their lit
tie sons and daughters are SO fond OF
running the streets, preferring always
TO be out of the house and away from
home. Exercise in the open air is the
best exercise, but everything can be
oyerdone, and the children should be
taught that some part Of each day musi
be spent indoors.
1t does not always occur to parents
that the simplest explanation Of their
children's desire to be forever on the
70 Is because they have no place at
home sufficiently attractive to hold
them there.
The nursery should be made place
Of beauty to the little ones. Instead
of half-worn and cast-off furniture it
should be furnished with an entirely
new set. Oak furniture is never expen-
sive, and is bright and cheerful In liv-
ing room.
One Of the prettiest adjuncts to Q
child's room is picture screen. Make
the screen Of plain blue or red denim
on a light wood frame and fasten the
pictures on it with small brass paper
clamps Every child has its own col
lection Of photographs and picture
cards, and when these are arranged
artistically the effect is dainty.