davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
The American ParIor.

I'VE have prevalent folly of setting
aside a. room in our houses which we
very rarely use,' writes Edward Box,
protesting, in the Ladies' Home jour-
nal, against the bad taste exercised in
furnishing our homes. If means are
at our command we crowd such a. room
full of puny gilt chairs, upon which no
one dareS to sit: on the walls we hang
impossible paintings, with equally i'm
possible, massive gold frames; an :ele-
CANT sofa upholstered in silk or satin.
with gflded frame, is introduced: \.
gold clock which never runs is put on
mantel of solid onyx: a 'Chippendale'
cabinet Is added-which always har-
monizes so superbly with a Louis XIV.
SOFA or cha1r-and we have what we
call a raWing-room.' II we are Of
moderate means, then we make the
'draWing-room' as closely resemble one
IN some wealthy home we know Of as
possible. only with limited means we
must purchase cheaper articles. Then.
we have as good an example of the
showroom of cheap furniture store as
it is possible to obtain. If we are poor,
then we set around stift1y four or five
black haircloth chairs; we put marble
top table with plush-album on it in the
center; haircloth sofa which no can
possibly stick on; Franklin stove that
is never lighted; we hang a wreath of
wax flowers in 4 glass case on the
walls; carpet riotous with the most
gorgeous roses is put on the floor, and
then, after we have carefully pulled
down every shade in the room, so as to
exclude Gods pure sunshine and get g.
nice, musty and cemet erial smell in the
room, we have what we call, in Ameri-
ca, a parlor. And in either case we
have a best room,' so best that we
never use it. and people shown into it
are always glad to get out Of it. But
we have 'drawing-room,' or 'parlor,
and, in the minds of some, without such
room no house is complete''
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30

place, the enormous size and weight Of
the trees necessarily entails very con
siderable breakage when one Of them
falls. Such tree strikes the ground
with force Of many hundreds or even
thousands of tons, so that even slight
inequalities are sufficient to smash the
brittle trunk at it's upper extremity into
from this cause is great, but it is only
one OF the sources Of waste. The great
diameter of the logs, and, in spite Of the
lightnesS of the wood, their enormous
weight make it impossible to handle
them without breaking them up. Fol-
this purpose gunpowder is the most
available means The fragments OF
logs blown apart in this way are not
only often Of wasteful shapes, but un'
less very nice judgment is exercised in
preparing the blast a great deal of
wood itself is scattered in useless spin.
terS."
AT the mill, where waste is the rule
in the manufacture Of lumber in the
United States, the big tree makes nc
exception. This waste, added as it is
to the other sources of loss already men.
toned, makes total probably often
considerably in excess Of half the total
volume of the standing tree, and this is
only one side of the matter.
1.-THE big tree stands as Il rule in a
mixed forest, composed of many spe
cies. The result Of sequoia numbering
upon this forest is almost ruinous. The
destruction caused by the fall Of enor.
nous trees is in itself great, but the
principal sourse of damage is the i'm.
mense amount of debris left on the
ground-the certain source Of future
fires. This mass Of broken branches
trunks and bark. is often five or six OF
more feet In thickness and necessarily
gives rise to fires Of great destructive
power, even though the big tree wood is
not specially inflammable. The devas
tation which follows this numbering is
as complete and deplorable as the un
touched forest is unparalleled, beauti
full and worthy Of preservation. AS a
rule it has not even had the advantage
of being profitable. Very much of this
destruction has been done
without leaving the owners of the big
tree as we'll off as they were before il,
began"
Series of Pamphlets to Be Issued.
The pamphlet which was published
by the forestry division of the Depart.
ment Of Agriculture is one of series
which will be issued in behalf of the
big trees. The report was prepared for
the information Of the Senate Commit.
tee on Public Lands, which was at the
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
LOGGING RAILROAD IN A BIG TREE FORREST

t'cally all the literary and scientific as
soclatlons OF the species connected with
it, has been purchased recently by a
sion on the LIST Of April, 1900.
The Sequoia and General Grant Ma
tlonal parks, which are supposed to en-
brace and give security to large part
OF the remaining big trees, are eaten
into by sawmill each and by private
timbering claims amounting to Il total
of 1,172,S70 acres. The rest Of the
scanty patches of big trees are in fair
way to disappear-in Calaveras, Tue
lumne, Fresno and Tula:e counties,
they are now disappearing-by the ak.
In brief, the majority of the big trees
OF California, certainly the best of
them, are owned by people who have
every right and in many cases every
intention, to cut them into lumber"
scientifc Value of Big Trees.
Further along these same lines the
value Of the big tree is thus considered:
1.-The big trees are unique in the world
the grandest, the oldest, the most ma
jestically graceful trees-and if it were
not enough to be all this, they are
among the scarcest Of known tree spe-
cies and have the extreme scientific val
lie of being the best living representa-
tiyes OF a former geologic age. They
are trees which have come down to US
through the vicissitudes of many cen
turtles solely because Of their superb
qualifications. The bark of the big tree
is often two feet thick and almost non
combustible. The oldest specimens
felled are still sound at the heart and
fungus is an enemy unknown to it, Yet
with all these means of maintenance
the big trees have apparently not in
creased their range since the glacial
epoch. They have only just managed
to hold their own on little strip of
country where the climate is locally ia
vorable"
Everyone who is interested in the big
trees, as everyone must be either from
curiosity, a natural love Of the forest
or for scientific reasons. must deplore
the destruction of these forests. Every
one who has visited a forest in any part
of the world will regret the destruction
Of these jungles of beauty. Every
thoughtful American is waking to a
realization Of the criminal carelessness
with which the forests Of this country
have been wiped out The numbering
Of the big trees, with its accompanying
waste and devastation, seems partic
ularly unnecessary and almost immora
proceeding.
Forester Pinchot says of it: '"The
numbering of the big tree is destructive
to most unusual degree. In the frs
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30

tons in latitude and longitude to this
tentative position are computed. In
1890 the center was assumed to be at
the intersection of the parallel Of 80
degrees, with the meridian Of sc de-
grees west of Greenwich. This would
have made the center Of population of
the United States just two miles due
north OF Seymour, in Jackson County,
Ind. From this assumed base the veri-
LEGATIONS were made and the true center
was located.
The movement of the center has been
steadily westward. On the accompany
ing map its unWavering march toward
the west, with occasional dips to the
south and the north, is shown. In 1890
1t was east of Baltimore twenty miles.
In ten years it had moved forty miles
westward. The annexation of LOUIS
lana brought it south and west, and in
1920 it was sixteen miles north OF
Woodstock, Va. In 1910 the pioneers
OF the West brought it north, and in
1850 it had moved south again. Texas
had come into the Union The growth
ofsthe great West had switched it back
to the north in 1860, and it was near
Chillicothe, Ohio. War reduced the
population Of the South in the decade
between 1860 and 1870, and the center
moved north near to Cincinnati. In
another decide it had cleared Cincin-
natl in its westward progress, and in
1870 it had settled in central southern
Indiana. The past ten years has car
ried the center westward about TWEEN
ty miles and northward about seven
miles.
Upon information given out by Gov
eminent Census Director Merriam,
party at Columbus by mathematical
calculations located the center of pop
ulation in a wheat field on the farm of
Frank Wright, nine miles north of the
city and one and a half miles north of
Taylorsville, in the southwest corner
of the northeast quarter, section Is,
town 10, range 5 east. An inscribed
board marks the spot.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
LIE TO THE CENSUS TAkER.
Women and Foys Misre present Their
AGES from Different Motives.

Women and Roys Misre present Their
Ages from Different Motives.
Feminine vanity, as it is related to
the desire to be esteemed young, and
bOyish ambition to attain the manly
and voting age Of Fl years, are plainly
shown in census figures. This is no new
revela ton in the taking of the twelfth
census, but it is an old tendency which
has been shown by the figures of the
past censuses of the United States, as
we'll as Of other countries. It has again
been exemplified in the figures relating
to the census Of Cuba. A study of the
statistics of Cuba has shown an excess
sive number of females between the
ages of Is and 10 years, inclusive. when
compared with the number of males Of
that age. 1t looked, in fact, as if there
were a good many thousand girls Of
that age in Cuba who would never find
mates in life and who would end their
days in single blessedness simply be-
cause there were SO many of them COM
pared to the youths who were growing
ND with them. That is what the figures
would appear to indicate to the lay
man, but to the census expert they
mean something else. They simply
mean that girls below the age of Is
wish to represent themselves as older
than they are, while those who have
passed their teens cling to the age of
youth to the extent Of even deceiving
the census enumerators Young ladies
who are sensitive on the subject of
their ages fear that the enumerator,
who generally lives in their neighbour
hood and frequently knows them, will
"blab'' their ages to all the marriage
able young men and perhaps interfere
with some attachment that bids fair to
ripen into mellow love. The fact is, the
enumeration, as a rule, is perfectly cal.
lous to the significance of the census
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
King Oscar Was His Host

A story illustrating the simple bon.
homie Of the King of Sweden and Nor.
way is told by NJ. CASTOR BONNER. the
botanist. NJ. BONNER was botanjx;n.
near Stockholm, when he met y
stranger similarly occupied. The two
botanists fraternized, and NJ. Bonnie,
suggested that they should lunch 20.
gether at an inn.
mo; come home and lunch with me
instead said the stranger; and he l.]
the way to the palace and opened the
gate.
NJ. BONNER was naturally astonished
but his new acquaintance wa, most
apologize.
Pm sorry he said, 'but I hannah
to be the king Of this country, and this
is the only place I've got to enterta;,,
anybody in.' So they went in and
lunched, and talked botany togctnc,
all the afternoon.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
DESTROY BIG TREES.
CALIFORNIA GIANTS ARE RUTH.
LESSLY CUT DOWN.
Necessary Waste of Lum boring Mann
moths Over Fifty Per Cent-Forestry
Department Demand That Efforts Be
Made to Save Few Remaining Groves.

Clifford Pinchot, United States fores-
ter, has issued pamphlet concerning
the big trees Of California which has
created no little comment through it's
endeavors to state clearly and emphat-
ically the necessity for the preservation
Of the California mammoths. The
writer protests against the rate at
which the big trees are being destroyed
by private owners, pointing OFT clearly
that the chances OF a renewal Of the
wonder grOWths are to be little consid-
cred
'MOst Of the scattered groves Of big
trees are privately owned and, there
fore, in danger of destruction" he
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30

time considering the preservation of the
Cala'eras and Stanislaus big tree
groves. 1t is the first document on the
subject which has ever been published
oF the government, strange as the faci
may seem. Prof. w. X. Dudley, OF
stanford University, who aided Will
the work, is now preparing a more de-
tailed account of the big trees and the
Dig tree groves, which will be published
by the government forestry office. The
pamphlet now out contains an excellent
map of the forests of California. con
tanning big trees, together with de-
tailed account of each of the large,
groves.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
STORY OF A SMOOTH DIME.

Like the Proverbial Cat, 1t Never
Failed to Come Back.
That there is Il whole lot of truth in
that old saying about a bad penny al
ways turning up, a young physician
friend OF the Saunterer firmly believes.
The illustration of it he banks on was
furnished by silver dime
Il got it in change somewhere" he
said, in telling of the incident 1T was
Worn almost so smooth upon both sides
as to closely resemble a piece of tin.
noticed it particularly because Of a Pc
cul1ar mark upon the edge. AS soon as
[ discovered the unWelcome coin in nv
pocket | determined to get rid of it,
Dropping into a cigar store up in my
neighborhood, l bought a cigar and
handed over the polished dime. The
cigar man looked at it suspciously, but
as am good customer of his he took
it and said nothing.
About two hours later al l was about
to take car down town after lunch |
concluded to buy a paper My car was
coming and | rushed over to a news
stand on the corner. Grabbing up the
paper | wanted, threw down a quar-
ter'-the only small change | had. The
newsdealer hurriedly gave me my
change and l got back to the car track
just in time to swing myself on the car.
when the conductor reached me |
pulled out the change, and 10, there was
my worn dime. l knew it by the pe-
culiar mark on the edge. Handing the
conductor another, I showed the coin
back into my pocket and rode on. On
the corner near my office is an Italian,
at whose fruit stand l spend a good bit
of money each day.
Cline 10 cents worth of peaches I
exclaimed, rushing up to him after
alighting from the car. I'm in hurry
''He wrapped up the peaches, and,
showing the smooth dime into his hand,
l grabbed the bag and ran. There.
the COMPOUNDED thing is gone at last
l thought. I'll stay away from that
stand for day or two or until he gets
a chance to work the dime off on some
body
Il reckoned without my host. Along
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon l sent
my Office boy out for some change to
give customer who wanted to pay a
bill. Whether or not you believe 1t, the
very first coin [ caught sight of in the
several he brought me was that con-
founded 1O-cent piece
"'Where did you get this changer /
asked.
AT the saloon around the corner
the boy replied. Why?
II was too much worked up to an
swer. AS l afterward discovered, the
saloon-keeper had sent to the Italian
for change and the latter had worked
off the dime on him. In turn, the saloon
man had gotten rid of it by sending it
to me. Where is the dime now? In my
collection Of clrios, properly labeled,
and I wouldn't part with it for ten
times it's ue"-Philadelphia In
Oliror
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
A Matter of Taste

beg pardon" said the postal clerl
who had sold her the stamps, but w,
don't have to put a scent STAMP On ,
letter for Canada"
II know" said she, 'but the shad,
just matches my envelope. you know ,
philadelphia Press.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
Florida Tobacco.

Florida, according to local papers is
becoming one of the great tobacco-pro
ducing States, and the product has heon
pronounced in some respects equal r.
that of Cuba. Sumatra wrapper tobac
co raised in Florida recently took rho
prize at the Paris exposition over the
world.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30

cording to the number of those who are
under and above that age This is sim
ply the result of ambitious youth to
reach the voting age. In Cuba, where
expectation of voting has not been
nourlshed by the boy all his life and in
duced a preference Of 81 as desirable
age, the last census showed no excess Of
men Of that age.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30

When people say they will do anv.
thing in the world for you, they mean
about as much as candidate when be
says his ambition is to serve bis
country and his countrymen.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
GOOD CHEWiNG-GUM TOWNS.

Salesman Says They Are Mostly in the
West and North west.
J. J. Amend, travelling representa-
tive of one of the largest chewing gum
manufacturing companies in the United
States, expressed surprise, in speaking
to a New Orleans Times Democrat re-
porter, that the establishment of q
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30

You can't tell by the size of the bill
what the size Of a ton of coal is.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
A Tip About Using Stamps.

"Wait until / have washed OF the
postage stamp on this envelope. spoil
I'd in the Addressing" said a man.
1T is not necessary TO do that. SAID
4 lawyer. You may TAKE your scis-
sors and cut out the adhesive stamp
and stick it fast to your new envelope
with mucilage. Notwithstanding the
adhering piece Of the old envelope.
1T does not look nice. and may be-
come detached in the mail. but II the
stamp is a genuine. unused. adhesive
stamp it is not questioned. The GOV
when it sells an adhesive =
cent stamp. undertakes for such con-
sideration TO transport and deliver to
destination the letter TO which 1t Is al
fixed. The fact that 1t has 4 piece OF
All envelope to which it was formerly
attached, but not used or deposited
for mailing. does not relieve the Gov
to execute its part OF the con-
tract when the letter is deposited for
mailing. the stamp being otherwise
nprfect."-Washington Star.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
A Soldier of Fortune.

Henry H. Greys0n, who died IN A
Philadelphia hospital the other day.
was q soldier of fortune in tire truest
sense. 4 man whose activity. whether
lighting. mining or exploring. covers so
varied a field as South Africa. Brazil.
Mexico and the Philippines. certainly
deserves that title. If. as some have
asserted, the modern soldier Of fortune
IS the llneal descendant and true heir
or the old mercenarv. he has at east
greatly enlarged the scope of his OK
plots. But perhaps the interesting
hinG about him il that he is about TO
become extinct, and every time he il
mentioned he attracts the Interest of
a ma salute. GrnySOu. Colonel Shici
and others less noted are survivals Of
\ TYP" that nature, meaning IN his
'ase modern industry. and scientifically
IT1IIed armies. does not scoL1 careful!
e.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
Primitive TeIegraphy.

The KafrS, Basutos and Zulus or"
the native runners But it is not BY
running that they do the best Of their
work. This they do by shouting their
messages from hill 70 hill. They are the
South African telegraph system. The
first news Of the battle of Glencoe
which reached England and America
came to Cape Town in this way.
Whatever message is given by a native
negro is never altered by any one who
forwards it, though it may be passed
along by 1000 men. The precise words
that are uttered by the first maj are
the identical one which the last one
hears. White men have often tested
this by sending messages in this way.
and no n has e known the mess
ages delivered TO have been exa-ger-
ated, diminished or altered in tha
slightest degree.-Julian Ralph. in Col
lier'S Weekly.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
Cowboy B~lacksmithinS

Up at my camp near the -Four
Peaks" told Jim Bark, the we'll known
cattleman. "the boys are all HANDY
With q rife. We've Il lot of guns IN
there. The old~-fashioned black Dow.
der Winchester has been discarded ana
nothing but the best goes. Most Of The
new guns were bought during tie
Spanish war. when we would experi-
mcnt all day with tree trunks and
rough trenches. learning the art Of war
at home. We found that j bullet from
one of the new Winchesters. driven by
smokeless powder, was good for -four
foot and more of pine timber and for
more than an inch Of iron.
Il thought the boys had done about
everything in the shooting line that
could be done long ago, but | was mis-
taken. | sent them up a wagon. In
hauling down some firewood they
broke the holsters all TO flinders. The
holsters hold up the wagon bed. you
know. Well. the boys figured out all
right the rebuilding of the wood parts.
but came near being stumped on the
iron filings. They got some old iron
wagon tires and cut them i'll proper
lengths, but hadn't a way that they
could see to punch the necessary bolt
holes. Finally the question was solved.
one of the boys carefully marked the
places for the bolts. stood the piece
Of tire against a tree and put n bull
act. 3O-caliber. through the tire ut each
placed marked. 1t was a novel sort Of
blacksmithing. but it worked Arr
iona Grapevine.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
DieRusunRs

Skin srxptions, which keep You
scratching, and look raw and sore.
It is unrefned in either 4 and gives
the impression Of uncieanness. Don't
YOU want to get rid of it? Get . SOC.
box of Tetterine from your druggist,
or send stamps TO J. I. Shuptrine.
Savannah. Ga. 1t cures, without fail,
all skin diseases. Give it q trial.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
That
Tired Feeling

Just as surely indicates that the
blood is lacking in vitality and the
elements of health as does the
most obstinate humor that the
vital fluid is full OF impurities.
Hoods Sarsaparilla cures that
tired feeling by enriching and vi
taliHing the blood, creating a good
appetite and invigorating every
organ of the body.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
Cure For EaYache.

Captain-Corporal, what became Of
that tall recruit
Corporal Goodness only knows,
Captain. He was sufferip' VIII the ear.
ache ar asked for some cotton 70 stick
In his ear. Somebody gave him some
p~upcotton Ia we hain't seen him
since.-Chicago News.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10
Soldiers are Like Children.

To the medical man the soldier is
very like a child. That is to say. he
suffers from precisely the same dis
eases as children. In any large army
hospital you will find rows of patients
down with measles. Scarletina. diph-
liberia. humps and sometimes whoop-
inc-coush. In fact. the soldiers hos
pital is as like as can be to the chill.
dren's hospital.
Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1900-05-10

Acting Secretary of War MeiElejohn
has received a report from the Sccre-
tary Of State Of Cuba. through Gov
ernOr General Wood, showing that &C.
1863 Spanish residents of the islanN
have preserved their allegiance to ;he
crown Of Spain. under the terms o. ar
ticle TX Of the Paris treaty Of peace.