davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

you win have to find some one who
has. At some other time l may tell you
how you can magnetic your needle
without a magnet. To magnetic the
compass needle, lay it upon a smooth
surface, and with one pole or end of
the magnet stroke the steel from near
its middle to one end; and with the
other end or pole stroke the other end
of the steel from the middle to the
other end. This should be repeated
until the steel is thoroughly magnet
lied. If now the needle be balanced up
on its support it may dip a little. This
can be remedied by breaking off a little
Of the heavy end. Try different metals
on youE eedle, and see if all act upon
It in Just the same way.-Orange judd
Farmer.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

is a capable lecturer and writer, and hez
pen has never been idle. Mrs. Gait, on
the other hand, has, it is alleged, spent
more of her time reading poetry and
raising flowers than in helping her sis
tiers. Mrs. Blake is native of North
Carolina. In 1865 she married Frank
G. Umsted, who left her a widow with
two children dependent on her. For
ten years she earned her own living and
educated her children with the money
she made out of her literary work. In
1866 she married Grenfn Blake, of New
York, and since then has resided in
that city. The threatened secession
from the old association and the organ
ization of an opposition society with
Mrs, Blake as its president finds favor
among many of the most progressive
of the suffragists in New York.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
GIRL FREsCO PAINTER.
bliss Louise Twyman, of Chicago, Has
Done Some Notable Work as
a Decorator.

So many young women have taken
up interior decoration in the past few
years and have done, so well that this
very lucrative art seems destined to
fall to the gentler seq by right of pos
session and perfection,
Ten years ago a woman decorator
was a curiosity. Even six years ago,
when Miss Louise R. Twyman, the sub
ject of this sketch, under the tutelage
of her father, opened a studio in Chi
cago, she was considered the pioneer
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
R BIAKR PROTESTS
Not Elected Leader o. Gle suf-
fraBe Association.

Mrs. Lille Devereux Blake, who, with
her friends, threatens 70 displaCe Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait as the leader Of
the woman ~snGragists, is regarded as
in many respects a more capable wom-
an than the recently elected president
Of the suffrage association. Mrs. Gait,
it is charged, has never accomplished
anything worth talking about for wom-
en-, whereas Mrs. Blake has devoted 30
of her GO years Of life to the Be
sides, Mrs. Blake has been prominent
in every movement having for its object
the amelioration of woman's condition,
without reference to the franchise. She
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

however, they felt a desire to see
the big world outside, and, according
ly, fell into the habit of taking long
rambEes by night.
1t was while returning home early
one morning from one of these ram
bles that the prettiest one of the lot
came face to face with a bright-eyed
boy of about IA. For a moment both
were too frightened to move; but the
boy soon recovered and made a pris-
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

will prove that they are of precisely the
same size. Now, ii the two pictures of the
fat man and the lean man are observed,
everyone will say that the lean man is
the taller of the two, but they are really
exactly the same height. The reason of
this deception is that the stout man, be-
of the breadth of his figure, seems
shorter. This explains the very common
phrase, chin and tall" the thinness o n
t~ributing to the impression of height. The
Importance of proportion for beauty, either
in person or in art, is demonstrated by this
example.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
Tronlnr bv EIectricitv.

IN the laundry Of an insane asylum
at Pontiac, Mich, electric irons instead
of gas irons have proved to be peculiar
Iy adapted for insane asylum service
where most Of the work is done by
the patients. There is no chance of
their setting anything on fire with the
irons, and as the irons are kept at an
even temperature, they do not require
the exercise of Judgment in changing
them
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
HABITS OF RAccooNs.
They Arc M-ischievous and Pretty,
and fond Of Nuts and Fruits as
Wen al Fat Chickens.

A few years ago, in the top Of q
large hollow tree in a moist bit Of
woods in northern Pennsylvania,
there lived a family of four young
raGcoons. Their mother, with a feel
ing common to all mothers, thought
these four, fluffy, frolicsome young
sters to be the finest babies in the
world. All went well with the little
fellows while they remained in the
hollow tree, under the care of their
wise old mother. AS they grew older
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
JEFFERSON DAVIS coURTsHIP
II IL to BE Commemorate BY Inacrip-
ton ON the stone Where He
Proposed.


Mrs. j. II. Rabb, a wealthy widow
and an old resident of Vineennes,
Ind, is preparing to commemorate in.
a unique name the courtship Of JEFF
ferson Davis, then a lieutenant in the
United States army, but afterward
president Of the confederate states,
and Miss Mary Knox Taylor, second
daughter Of Col. Zachary Taylor,
afterward president Of the United
States. According to local tradition
Taylor was in command of the fort
near VinceRnes at the opening of the
Black Hawk war in. 1882, and Davis
was a lieutenant under his command.
Near the fort, and on what is now a
farm belonging to James Wyatt, was
a large stone, which lay partly above
and partly buried in the ground. The
young lieutenant and Miss Taylor
formed a deep attachment for each
other, often walked out on the prai-
rie surrounding the fort, and fire.
quently seated themselves on this
stone.
On one Of these occasions, while
seated on the stone, Davis proposed to
Miss Taylor and was accepted. 1t is
said that Col. Taylor said to a friend
at the fort, when the engagement be-
came known, that he had no objec-
tiohs to his daughters sutton, except
that he was a soldier and that he
himself knew the privations of a sol,
dier's family and would save his
daughter from such a fate, When
Davis asked the hand of his daughter,
however, this objection was waived
and consent was given.
Among their acquaintance at Vim.
cennes, both Davis and Miss Taylor
spoke of the pleasant hours they haC
passed seated on the old stone, and il
one of these references to their even.
ing walks Davis told of proposing tt
Miss Taylor while seated on it. 1
was shortly after this that Taylor
and his prospective son-in-law found
themselves of opposing opinions in re
spect to the appearance of an Officer
at a court-martial without his uni
form, the young lieutenant voting
with an officer named Smith, between
whom and Taylor there was bitter en-
nifty. Following this episode Col
Taylor withdrew his consent to tn
marriage, but Davis and Miss Taylo.
continued their association, whicl
was now confined to walks upon tn
prairie, where the old stone becam
their favorite trysting place, ant
which resulted in a determination t.
marry without the consent of her ia
ther. Davis soon after resigned from
the army, and he and Miss Taylo
were married at the home of an aun
of the bride in Kentucky.
It is this series of events that Mrs
Rabb proposes to commemorate, an
the stone has been brought fror
the Wyatt farm and is now lynn
near the front door of her home. Sh
is engaged in securing the exact date
of Lieut.. Davis stay at the fort, an
of his, first meeting with Miss Taylor
and, if possible, of the day on whic
he proposed to her. AS soon as tn
data can be secured, the stone will b
smoothed and polished and the event
will be recorded upon it in the Orde
in which they occurred. The loca
historical society of Vincennes is il
terested in the work also, and whe
the record is complete and placed o
the stone it will be turned Over to til
city with appropriate ceremonies
n. Y. Tribune.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
Woman'g Superiority.

Dodson-Do you think that a woman
is mentally equal to a man?
Hilary-Equal? She is away above
him. There is my wife, for instance.
When we get home from church she
can always tell me what the text was;
and, more than that, she a tell what
every woman in the Westinghouse
had on, and give a pretty close esti-
mate of what it cost and how long IL
had been YorR.-BostOn Transcript
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

THERE is nothing of which we are
b., more sUre than of that we see-yet
there is nothing in which we are
more easily deceived. Anyone would de-
cid in a moment that the left-hand figure
Enclosing a dog is the smaller of the W
in the picture-but it isn't. Both of these
are exactly the same size, as measure
ment will prove. Why do we think that one
Is larger han the other? Because the top
and bottom lines of the Ieft-hand figure
run toward each other on the right, and
this makes the figure seem smaller than
the one next to it, although a compass
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

The River Jordan is a very small
stream, a mere creek flowing through
the sand. It's width is about
100 feet, its depth 5 to 12 feet.
Thickets of reeds cluster upon its
steep banks, making access difficult.
Its swift current and a foot Of tough
mud beneath its cold waters make
bathing in the sacred river a risky
experiment. rather thnn a pleasure.
Chicago Chronicle.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
HOMEMADE COMPASS.
How to Put Together a Toy Which
AROrds Amusement as Well as
Instruction. ,

Get a piece of a handspring to a
watch, from three to five inches long.
It can be Strengthened by passing re-
peatedly between the thumb and finger
If held firmly, Now, if you have moth
ing better, take an old file and grind
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

or file the small end, or handle, to a
sharp point. Then strike this punch
with a hammer into the middle of the
steel so as to make a little dent; then
give the steel a little bend at this point.
Now drive a nail through a little block
Of wood and sharpen the nail to a long
point. You are now ready to balance
the steel on the standard, made Of the
sharpened nail. If the work has been
carefully done the steel will balance
nicely upon the point of the nail, as
shown in the drawing.
Now comes an essential part of the
proceedings, and not a difficult part if
you have a magnet. Ifyou haven't one,
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02
~ ARoctIonate Waap.

one Of the eccentriclties o Sir John
Lubbock, who was recently raised to
tbe peerage, is his fondness for live
insects as pests. He one made a ia
vorite Of a wasp he caught in Spain.
and the insect grew so fond of him
Ebat it would lie stin in his hand to be
stroked.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-06-02

People who are looking for trouble
can always find it in public Places
Chicago Democrat
The Globe-republican., 1900-01-18
a MENAcING ASSURANCE.
But 1t Was Not Meant in Way the
Professor Understood

But 1t Was Not Meant in the Way the
Professor Understood
Il had a peculiar case in court the
other day" said a lawyer etAn old
Irishman named Callahan had got into
a row with his landlord about some
repairs and refused to pay his rent
The landlord was a fussy little ex-col-
1ege professor, totally IMMERSED in the
ways of the world, and he was impru-
dent enough to send word that he
would have the family evicted, and
then called to discuss it personally He
emerged yelling +Murder!' and said that
he had first met Mrs Callahan, who
told him her husband would do him
no harm, upon the strength OF which
he had waited for his return. When
Callahan came in he promptly gave
the visitor a beating The old Irish
man and his wife were both arrested
and I appeared for the defense. The
ugly feature of the case was the al
legged effort of the woman to lure her
caller into trap, but when put on the
stand she denied the landlords story
in toto and swore point blank she had
warned him that her husband proposed
to punch his head. Both parties seemed
perfectly sincere in their statements
and was somewhat puzzled 1 finally
decided to cross-examine the ex-pro-
fessor- Now, repeat to u.s. 1 said .ex-
actly what Mrs. Callahan told you in
regard to her husband She assured
me positively. answered the landlord
| that he had no intention whatever of
molesting me- But she didn't say it
! in those words 1 insisted What I
want is her exact language Well
sir said the witness. beginning to get
| f1ustered. she gave me to understand
! - oh, never mind that in ter
/ rupted the judge, give US her own
| words Very well, sir; very we'll si-,'
| exclaimed the little landlord desper-
| ately- She said, When Mike comes
home he won't do . thing to your"
! When the judge got through laughing
he let the prisoners off with a repri-
/ mand-f-New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat-
The Globe-republican., 1900-01-18
nri@souri-s Poultry.

When the state statistician at Jeffer-
soE City completed his compilation of
Gently he discovered that the greatest
gain OF the year was in poultry, says
ST. Louis G1obe-Democrat. His returns
of shipments showed that the Missouri
hen had cause to cack1e loudly. One
hears q great deal these days about
Missouri's booming zinc and lead in
dustries- All that is claimed for these
wealth-producing factors is well
founded But what tribute is due the
hen when 1t is realized that the poultry
shipped by rail in Missouri last year
exceeded in value the zinc ore. while
the eggs went the lead ore $4,000 bet
ter? Furthermore, in the case OF the
poultry and eggs, these shipments We're
the surplus after the home consump-
ton had been satisfied And it is
claimed that fully half the chickens
and eggs produced in the state do not
find the way to market by rail-
The figures are amazing. The poul-
try product shipped and sold last year
amounted to over 100000 pounds. It
realized the producers at first price
S4 900, 900. The eggs shipped were 3d.
935, 900 dozens, and they brought to the
| people who gathered them from the
| nests So, 393, 900. Poultry and eggs to-
| gether yielded to the farmers of Mis-
souri, after their own tables had been
| supplied, $S,29 900. Why, The two
| great items of agricultural gain for
| Missouri last year, cattle and hogs.
| realized, respectively, S34,0o0,ooo and
| $50 600 900 each, only about four times
| what the poultry did. And they con-
sumed the corn crop, of 100 ,000, 900
bushels, and kept considerable pro-
| portion of the farmers of the state
| doing chores from daylight to dark all
winter. Where is the farmer who can
figure the cost of his flock of chickens
The poultry product is the velvet OF
the farm.
The poultry product of Missouri
gained 100000 pounds last year
which meant 81 500, 900. And the prod
| uct this year will score a notable ad
vance the buyers and shippers say.
The Globe-republican., 1900-01-18

1t is sincerely to be hoped that in
connection with the National Horse
Show which will in all probability be
held in conjunction with the great
show of breeding and fat cattle. sheep
and swine at Chicago in 1900 a street
horse parade will be made a leading
feature of the event
People open their eyes in wonder
when they behold the great draft
breeding horses and mares at the horse
shows and seem to view them in the
light of curiosities rather than from
the standpoint of utility What breed
ers want and need in addition to as
tonishing the public by the appear
ance of their show-fitted stations and
mares is to show the utilitarian, prac-
teal side of their horse breeding oper-
atoms, and for this a street parade of
working draft horses is absolutely
necessary.
The idea is by no means new, as it.
has long been established in practice
| abroad and to small degree here.
| 1t cOntemp1ates show of draft, geld
| ings and mares of the different breeds
| and grades by city merchants and
| others. 1t would bring out the prac-
| teal results and improvement attained
| by the use of pedigreed draft sires
| among the mares of the country 1t
| would show the geldings and mares in
| harness a draft horse of any
| breed or grade never looks quite SO
| well as he does in harness and at work
| -hitched single. double, three-abreast
| or fOur-in-hand- 1t would also create
| a wholesome rivalry among the great
| consumers of graft horses to own
| and show the best horses in the best
| condition and harnesses to the most
| attractive wagons and trucks.
| If such a show should be arranged
| there would be little difficulty in pro-
| viding the premium money, and it
could be confidently expected that the
| various horse-breeding associations in
| terested would arrange to provide spe-
| cial premiums medals for winning
| horses of their respective breeds.
/ We hope that breeders will see to 1T
| that this idea is not lost sight of, and
| that a great street horse parade will
| be the result
The Globe-republican., 1900-01-18

When those old prophets point you to
a Iazaretto, you understand 1t Is a
lazaretto- When man having begun
to do right falls back into wickedness
and gives up his integrity, the Bible
does not say he was overcome by the
destinations of the festive board, or
that he surrendered to convivialities.
or that he became a little fast in his
habits I will tell you what the Bible
says trThe dog is turned to his own
vomit again and the SOW that was
washed to her wallowing in the mire-
No gliding of iniquity- No garlands on
a deaths No pounding away with
a silver mallet at iniquity when 1t
needs an iron sIedge hammer
1 can easily understand how people,
brooding over the description of I'M
c1eanness in the Bible, may get morbid
in mind until they are full Of it as
the wings and beak and the nostrn and
the claw of a buzzard is full of the
doors of a carcass; but what is wanted
is not that the Bible be disinfected.
but that you. the critic, have your
mind and heart washed with carbolic
acidi
1 tell you at this point in my dis
course that a man who does not like
this book, and who is critical as to its
contents, and who is shocked ard out :
ragged with its descriptions, has never
been soundly converted. The laying
on of the hands of Presbytery or Epis-
| copacy does not always change mans
heart, and men sometimes get into
| the pulpit as well as into the pew, never
having been changed radically by the
sovereign grace of God Get your
heart right and the Bible will be right
| The trouble is mems natures are not
| brought into harmony with the Word
| of God. All, my friends, expurga-
| ton of the heart is what is wanted
You cannot make me believe that the
| Scriptures, which this moment lie on
| the table of the purest and best men
and women of the age, and which were
the dying solace of your kindred pass
| ed into the skies, have in them talnl
which the strongest microscope of hon
est criticism could make visible If mer
are uncomfortable in their indignation
| when the integrity of wife or child
is assailed, and judges and jurors as
far as possible excuse violence under
| such prOVocation what ought to be tbs
overwhelming and long resoundInE
thunders of condemnation for any maj
who will stand in a Christian pulpi
and assai1 the more than virgin purit!
of Inspiration the well beloved daugh
ter OF God?
Expurgate the Biblel You might a
well go to the old picture galleries il
Dresden and in Venice and in Rom
and expurgate the old paintings Per
haps you could find foot of Michae
Angeles Last Judgment that Nigh
be improved Perhaps you could throN
more expression into Raphaels Ma
donna" Perhaps you could put NOR
pathos into Reubens' Descent fror
: the Cross Perhaps you could chang
| the crests of the waves in Turner
slave Ship" Perhaps you might g
into the old galleries of sculpture an
change the forms and the posture {
the statues of Phidias and Praxitele
l Such an icOnoclast would very 500
find himself in the penitentiary- BIZ
: | it is worse vandalism when a man pro
/ poses to refashion these masterpiece
> of inspiration and to remodel the NOR;
l giants of this gallery of God.
The Globe-republican., 1900-01-18

An Ingenious gentleman has devised
an instrument which he thinks will be
of great assistance to white soldiers in
their combats with native tribes 1t
is a big wooden tube. with a piece or
perforated raw hide stretched over the
opening when blown 1t makes a noise
which can be compared with nOthinx
on earth. and is calculated to make the
savage anxious to depart for the
happy hunting ground or whatever
may be his idea of a future existence.
without further delay.
The Globe-republican., 1900-01-18

The Vermont Experiment Station
sends out the following warning: Look
out for the man with the patent milk
preservative- There are various agents
now abroad in the land selling
+rF'reezene'' '-No-ice-needed Pre-
servative,' Liquid Milk Sweet and
several such nostrums intended Incl
dental1y to keep milk from souring.
and primarily to gather in the farm
er's loose change In all those several
gases which have been reported to the
Vermont Experiment Station, the
chemical basis of the preservative is
the same. 1t is neutrality-suspicious.
alma powerful disinfectant and
germicide, but not desirable article OF
diet for the human species 1t is not
strictly and seriously poisonous, but
it is held by all the best authorities
to be harmful to the digestive system
It is the same material now largely
in use in the creameries for preserving
samples of milk for testing 1t will
certainly keep milk from sourIng; and
it thus enables the sloven1y dafryman
to cover up many of his worst negli-
gencies. 1t leaves him free to enjoy
the filth of an unclean stable. to save
himself the trouble OF cleaning his
cans to be as loose and lazy and
wicked as he p1eases- This is not to
say that the man who uses Preserva-
tive Freezene and the like is neces-
sarily that sort of a fellow; but these
chemicals do protect him from the re-
suits of negligence and ignorance. and
seem, to the unprejudzced observer, to
offer the careless milkman an unde-
served salvation from his SINS
1t is reported that many range horses
are being shipped onto the great horse
markets of the country and some ara
even going to Europe