davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
MUssEL E
Great Mississippi River Industry Cree
ated by a GermRR ButtOn MaAesR
Named BOeppIe.

The Mississippi river has the bu-
ton, and a German button maker
named Boepple found it in the lowly
fresh water mussel locally known as
the "niggerhead," which was sup
posed to be useless except for ash bait
when worms were scarce.
Ten years ago all the material for
pearl buttons made in this country
was brought from the South China sea
to the factories in New York and New
England. Now the factories are
strung along the father Of waters
from Muscatine, Ia, to points in Mis-
souri,, and the material to keep the
factories busy is being fshed up OF
graphing hooks and brought ashore
in "John boats" The John boat is a
queer craft, somewhere between a fat
boat and a mud scow. The deck is
rallied on either side with gas pipes,
to which are attached trot lines. 1t is
an unwieldy looking craft, but the
Mississippi river boatman puts out to
sea in it with a confidence in its safe
ty that is deserved by long use. He is
sure to make five dollars a day in it
by hard work and good luck, for he
has only to catch 1000 pounds of mus
sci shells and shovel them off at a fac
tory wharf.
The process Of making the buttons
Is simple. The mussels are first
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

An OK race is held in many Of the
provincial districts Of Germany. The
entry fee for the race is very small,
but each OK entered must be ridden by
its owner. Furthermore, the rider is
not allowed TO have either whip or
spurs, and he must ride his animal
bareback and depend entirely upon his
voice to guide the beast. 1t is here that
the skill Of the rider comes into play,
as everything depends on the training
Of the OK and the ability Of the owner
to direct its movements despite the
%distracting noises of the. other com.
petitors and spectators. As the oxen
do not race on a track to direct them
is no easy matter. The rider who can
force his numbering steed to go in a
straight line Is certain to win.-N. z,
TimeR
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
HER SYMPATHY WAS WASTED
one Can't Always Judge OF q Mama
Salary by Hi ONCE
Clothes.

"WeIl, it just makes me feel terribly
bad to go up there and see poor, old
john" said the young woman. She
had just been up to the editorial floor
Of one of the big daily papers with
her husband to see one Of their old
friends, who had beene steadily scrih-
bling away on the paper for about
eight years, says the Chicago Chron-
icle.
"Why, what's the matter with
John? What do you call him poor,
old John for?" asked the husband, in
establishment.
well, there was poor, old John
sitting there at work with the same
old, shiny, ~threadbare coat on that.
he wore when 1 first saw him at work
there seven years ago. / just know
they don't pay him over SIS a week
and that he doesn't get half enough
to eat. What are you snickering at,
anyhow? I suppose you wouldn't
care if he'd starve."
"say, you are wasting an awful
lot Of sympathy" said the husband,
as o as he could stop laughing.
John is drawing a salary Of SIS a
week, and he wouldn't take $500 for
that old, shiny working coat. He
told me the other day he didn,B be-
lieve he could write a line If he had.
on anything else.i'
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
THE SMOKING HABIT.
1t Affects the Nervous System and
That Is why Boys Should Shun
1t as They Would Vice.

Perhaps there is no habit that our
young boys fall into that does them
so much harm as the habit. Of smok-
ing, and especially cigarette smoking.
They fall into this habit easily be-
cause it is a common one and because
they think it a manly thing to do, as
they e the elder boys and men do
ing.
Physicians tell us that nothing
weakens the intellect and injuries the
nervous system so quickly and surely
as cigarettes.
A short time ago ] read of q can
non exploding and terribly injuring
and disfguring a dozen men and boys.
1t was said that a young c~avalryman
passing the cannon and seeing powder
trickling down from the broken bag
at the mouth of the cannon threw his
cigarette in the powder, ~remarking
to his companion: 'Now wen see
some fun"
Only a mind weakened by cigarette
smoking could have done such a cow
ardIy, wicked thing. A young man
of my acquaintance learned to smoke
during the recent war. He is a large,
manly, capable fellow and yet is so
nervous he cannot keep still a mo-
ment, and is never satisfied without a
cigarette in his mouth. The pity of
it.! A strong young manhood, capable
of reaching success in any field where
he gave his attention-an abject slave
to tobacco.
There T corporations and business
men who refuse to employ boys and
men who smoke cigarettes or who
even smoke at all.
Such corporations and such men are
doing a grand work in helping men
and boys to give up the useless and
misunderstanding habit. A business
man knows that an employe who is
addicted to the habit of cigarette
smoking is not to be trusted, that the
habit deadens them to all moral re-
sponsibility, and they will have none
of them.
What is true in business life is true
everywhere, and the boy who smokes
cigarettes will find sooner or later
that his evil habit has shut out from
all that is good and true in life.
The manly, clean, trustworthy boy
is the between whose lips is never
seen the cigarette or cigar.-National
Rural.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

with IL others, a comfortable cote, and
when this was removed from the sta
ton by order of the authorities it re-
fused to abandon its old home, though
its II companions at once sought for
shelter elsewhere. This fidelity was
suitably rewarded. The railroad Off
Gals gave the bird carte blanche to
search for food wherever it pleased,
and the public literally supplied it with
corn and other dainties. Asingular fact
is that IN the three days when it failed
to accompany the train a Belgian en-
gine was used instead-o of an English one,
and the assumption is that the fuel con-
sumed by the latter gives forth a steam
which the bird prefers to that from a
Belgian engine,-Cincinnati CONNER
cial Tribune.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
Tndla ]. Not ProrrerrIva.

Madras is the only city in India
where electricity is used as the power
for street service. The tramways Of
Bombay are run by horse power and
the streets r lighted by gas. EIec-
tricity is used only in a limited way.
India would seem to afford an excel
lent opportunity for trade in cleo
trical machinery and appliances. An
American company is trying to get
the privilege Of converting the Bonn
bay tramways into an electrically
operated system.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
- InInnd 81 snInhnr-

In the Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand,
is situated White island. which con-
sists mostly Of sulphur mixed with
gypsum and a few other minerals.
Over the island, which is about three
miles in circumference, and which
rises between 500 and 900 feet above
the sea, floats continually an immense
cloud Of Yapor attaining an eleva-
tion of 10000 feet. In the center is
a boiling lake Of acid charged
water, covering so acres, and
surrounded with bIow-holes from
which steam and sulphurous fumes
r emitted with great force and
noise. With care a boat can be nav
igated on the lake. The sulphur from
White island is very pure, but little
effort has yet been made to procure it
systematically.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
STORY OF A PIGEON.
Every Day the Bird Races with a
Train That Runs Between Two
Towns in Belgium.

There is a pigeon in Belgium which
regularly flies with the morning train
that goes from Liege to Waremme. It
began to accompany the train toward
the end of January, and it has done so
every day since then, except on three
occasions. The Mouse, one of the lead
ing newspapers in Belgium, vouches for
this fact, and gives other curious detail
about the remarkable bird. The train
starts at 9:57 a M, and a crowd gathers
daily to see the pigeon go with it. The
bird wheels around the station while
the passengers are taking their seats,
and as soon as the whistle is blown and
the journey begins it takes up a posi-
ton a little behind the engine, and
there it flies surrounded by the moist,
though warm, steam, which it evidently
enjoys. 1t retains this position even
while the train is passing through
tunnels, and apparently is not incon-
venienced in the least by the warm
vapor. When the train reaches its des-
tination the bird flies swiftly along
the railroad track back to Liege, where
1t arrives about 1880 o'clock.
This pigeon was born at the railroad
station in Liege, and consequently is ia
miliar with trains, smoke and steam.
Until 3 few months ago it occupied,
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
SILLY BOY.

A finger on his brow was laid.
His gaze was on the ground.
He paced the road through sun and shad,
In gloomy thought profound.
He did not see the daisies drift
Like snow beside the way
he did not see the zephyr lift
The white and crimson may.
This question dread he could not shun:
What answer can there BET
On wig sheald Arthur Atkinson
Be favored more than me?
II batted in the cricket match,
IA other chaps have done
But Arthur made a clever catch
Before I made a run.
IT'S true I batted rather high:
But others do the same
And yet somehow it's always
Who suffer in the game.
And every time a match Is won
It's always sure to be
Success for Arthur Atkinson
And none at all for me.
''No doubt it always viii be so
I'll let the chances slide,
Because success is sure to go
10 those who haven't tried
Determination I may lack,
For practice Is a bore,
And people say this keeps me back
While Arthur goes before.
But talk like that I always shun
AS nonsense, for you see,
I'm sure hat Arthur Atkinson
Is favored mor than me-"
John Lea in Cassell's Little Folks
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
Electrlc 80 Ii 1ndin.

The electric fan bids fair to super
ssde the punkah coolies Of India. The
regular price for four coolies to di-
vide up the "a hours is six cents each.
With electrical fans the work can be
done for one-third Of the cost and.
considerable Inconvenience may be
avoided. A writer in the Electrical
World states that the day shifts Of
coolies do keiiable work, but the night
gang Is NOS so satisfactory.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
MeEleo,s MiEed Ponulation.

The Mexican census recently taken,
whose results are just coming out,
shows a population of 70, 491, 573, over
two-thirds of whom cannot read or
write. Over 80 per cent. Of the popu-
lation is of mixed and Indian races.
sixty-three languages are spoken
among the people. The Indian tribes
or races make up more than s5 per
cent. Of the population and are Ovid
ed into 50 languages. Very few Of the
people of mixed and Indian blood can
be regarded as civilized.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
TWO BEACH cHUMs.
starhsh and Sea Urchip no Not Laoh
Alike, Yet They Are voFy
Near ReIattonn.

When we 60 down to the beach On.
a summer day we often see the gray
star-fshes lying on the sand. If we
visit a rocky beach perhaps we shall
find some sea urchins, too. May be
they will be covered with sharp
spines, but generally when the little
animal that lives inside the shell ia
dead, the spines drop of and the ur
chin has only a lot Of small round
knobs left on his shell.
The star and the urchin don't look
at all alike, but they are very near
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

ner. Railway companies often paint
their freight cars with such APP
paratus, too. It is alleged that two
men can with a pump do, the labor
that would require 80 if the brush
were employed. The great advantage
Of the system, Of course, is the saving
of time effected by it. Although a
kalsomining pump is on the market, it
does not seem impracticable to use
for this purpose apparatus used for
spraying plants with poison, provided
that the pump is cleaned before and
after using.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

Justice in this country is admins
tered with so much Ieniency that the
very large proportion Of criminals es-
cape their just deserts and the knowI-
edge that an innocent person has been
convicted and punished is both aston.
ishing and depressing. Nearly so years
ago a stonemason living in Lancaster,
Pa, was accused Of stealing a crow
bar, convicted and sentenced to Jail
for a year. He served his sentence,
but to the day Of his death protested
his innocence. A few days ago the
crowbar was found near an old wall,
under such circumstances that made
it plain it had fallen there, and been
covered by accident. The poor old
fellow was dead and nothing could be
done to him in the way Of r~eparation.
but his friends r pleased to know
that his memory Is now free from
stain.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
KALsoMINING PUMP.
Brush VIII and Does the Work
More Thoroughly.

Paint and whitewash are now app
Piled on a large scale to cars, stone
walls and buildings by means Of a spe-
cial pump. The immense edifces in
which the worlds fair at Chicago was
held in 1898 were coated in this msn'
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

The artesian wells Of eastern Al
geria have r%econciled tribes whom
military terrorism failed to pacify-
The first appearance Of the rock drin
machinery merely provoked their bans
ter, but when unfaifing gsuntaius of
cold water burst forth and Dled tanks
and refrigeration canals their iihes
turned to silence and finally to grunts
Of approval. Now they r besieging
the tents Of the government engi-
aeers, begging them to try their luck
here and there and promising their
political support in cas- Of an aquatic
treasure troye should restore the pro-
%ductiveness Of their p%arched-ous fields
". Y. Sun.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
LIrhtnInr Fire1 o. a en-.

Lightning passed down the CHM
ney Of the tollgate house near VIII
Transport, Nd, and played around the
trigger Of a loaded gun that stood in
a corner. In an instant a deafening
noise aroused the occupants of the
house, Mr.. and Mrs. Elmer Palmer,
who had been asleep The gun had ex.
ploded. s.nd was shattered into DieceR
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
INSTINCT OF THE "HoMER.''
Mystery of the Carrier Pigeons Fac.
uIty of "LOcatiOn" without
Sight or Compass.

THE mysterious faculty that enables
cats and pigeons to find their way
back from remote points is one of the
greatest puzzles in nature said a
New Orleans educator who has made q
speciality of zoology for many years.
''We speak of it as sense of direction
'homlnginstinct and brain compass "
he continued; "but as far as explaining
it is concerned, nobody has ever been
able to offer a theory that was even
plausible. 1t used to be thought that
the memory Of landmarks had some
thing to do with the phenomena, but
that is exploded by the fact that the
animals always take the shortest cut
home, regardless of the circuitous
route by which they may have been
carried away. That such powers
should be highly developed in creatures.
as different in other respects as cats
and pigeons is in itself one of the
most battling and extraordinary fea-
lures of the whole problem; but I am
convinced that the faculty, whatever
it may be, exists in arudimentary state
in nearly all animals, including man
himself, and may be easily sharpened
by circumstances and surroundings"
relates the New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat.
"For nine or ten years I used to
spend part of every summer in Minnie
sofa and Wisconsin, living in the
woods and studying animal life. Ibe-
came we'll acquainted with many ma
tive hunters and trappers, and have
known several who showed clear evil
dence that they possessed the brain
compass Nomatterw herethey went.
how they twisted and turned, or what
happened to distract their attention,
they always knew the direction Of
their cabins and could return unhesi-
tatingly in a bee line. They were all
ignorant men and absolutely unable
to explain their power. The only thing
they could say was that they felt it.
Other trappers were remarkably ex-
pert in finding their way through the
forest, but they were simply adopts at
wooderaft and went by a thousand
signs and tokens to which they had un-
consciously turned their eyes. The
two faculties were entirely distinct,
and, while the skilled trainer was in
Variably alert and feverishly observ4
ant, the brain-compass fellow was usu-
ally dull and sleepy and paid no atten-
ton to his surroundings. The men
themselves recognized the existence Of
the homing instinct and contented
themselves by saying that it came
natural to Pete or Pierre, or what
ever his name might be. 1t is certain
ly a fascinating problem, and 1 have
long believed that its solution would
uncover some tremendously important
secret in regard to the relations Of man.
and inanimate life"
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

II wonder" said little Harry, 'fi
men will ever live to be 500 or 500
years oldl" enc, I guess not" replied
his f~ve-year-old sister, who was study
ing her Sunday school lesson. "The
Lord tried the experiment once and
they got 30 bad that He just had to
drown them. AGood Housekeepine
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
when Chainn Get UnruIv.

Sometimes a chain climbs the
sprocket teeth and runs off the
sprocket with no apparent cause. In
such cases a permanent cure can be
effected by filing down each of the
sprocket teeth a little so as to allow
the chain block TO lie deeper than be-
fore
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

won't you come and sit On my
knee, darling?"
81 would like to, but mother said
I must sit here, because there's a hole
in this end Of the sofa. "-London
King
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
Gulf Stream on GreenIand,r 3

p &@4A
Although the easterntcoast of Green
land is much nearer to Europe than
the western, it is really much more.
inaccessible to explorers and far less
is known about it. The eastern side
is colder than the other. A small.
branch Of the gulf stream flows up
the western coast and mitigates the
severity of the temperature. That
route to the pole, therefore, has
proved the most popular with expIor-
.ers. Brainerd and Lockwood were
thus enabled to carry the American
nag to above the eighty-third parallel
Of latitude. Peary chose this path as
the most promising. And the Nor
wegian S~verdrup, who followed him up
to the arctic regions two summers
ago, did likewise.-N. Y. Post.
The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24

Mammy-Why do you call him
"~Jonesy2'
Johnny-Well, you see, his name is
Jones, but we call him 'IonesE" for
Ehort-Puck,
Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-01-15

A finished hand,-He's a very
versatile young man.
Indeed,
Yes, there isn't any kind of work
that he can't shirk.
Irate Customer thought you said
that parrot you sold me could talk?
Bird Dealer-So it can, sir!
Why, Tve had him over a week now
and he hasn't uttered single sound.
forgot to tell you he is a mute, he
talks with his claws.
Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-01-15
REMEDY FOR TROUBLE.

Work is your true remedy. If mis-
fortune hits you hard, you hit some
thing else lard; pitch into something
with will. There's nothing like good,
solid, absorbing, exhausting work to
cure trouble. If you have met with
losses, you don't want to lie awake
and think about them. You want to
sleep-calm, sound sleep-and to eat
your dinner with appetite. But you
can't unless you work. If you say
you don't like work, you 60 loafing
all day to tell Dick and Harry the story
of your woes; you'll lie awake and
keep your wife awake by your tossing,
spoil your temper and your breakfast
the next morning, and begin tomor-
row feeling ten times worse than to-
day.
There are some great troubles that
only time can heal, and perhaps some
can never be healed at all; but all can
be helped by the great panacea work.
Try it, you who are afflicted. 1t is
not patent medicine. 1t has proved
it's efficacy since first Adam and Eve
left behind them, with weeping, their
beautiful Eden. 1t is an efficient rem
edy. All good physicians in regular
standing prescribed it in cases of men,
tai and moral disease. 1t operates
kindly as we'll as leaving no disagree
able sequel, and we assure you that
we have taken large quantity of it
with beneficial results. 1t will cure
more complaints than any nostrum in
the materia medica, and comes nearer
to being ''cure alp than any drug
or compound of drugs in the market.
And it will not sicken you if you do
not take it sugarcoated.
Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-01-15
REWARD.

We, the undersigned druggists, offer reward OF
so cents to any person who purchases of US two rs
cent boxes of Bakers Mandrake Bitters Tablets
if it fails to cure constipation, biliousness, sick
headache, jaundce, loss of appetite, sour stomach
dyspepsia, liver complaint, or any of the diseases
for which it is recommended. Price 20 cents for
either tablets or liquid. We will also refund the
money on package of either if it fails to give
satisfaction.
M. A. Barter & Son, Branch; Barron Hamo-
let Barton; CIV. Russell, Irasburg; III. 5.
Webster, Barton Landing; j. d. Leavitt, Crafts
bury; 1. Stephenson, Lowell, and l.. X. Wellman
Estate, Lowell.
Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-01-15

The old reliable remedy for Spavins, Ring
bones, Splints, Curbs, Engagements, Etc.
Also all lameness.
b5 Irwin st., Muskegon, Mich, Jan. 20, 80.
Gentlemen:-I have used your kendali'a
able success.
have cured six Spavins by it's use.
You are at liberty TO use my name IN you
wish. will stand by IL. l have performed
some wonderful cares.
Very truly yours, j. RowLnY.
Ask your Druggist for KENDALL'S SPAWN
CURE, also "a Treatise on the Horse" The
book free. Or address,
DIR. II. y. KENDALL CO,
Enosburg Ehits, VI.
Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-01-15
Casio RIA
CAST RIA
Bears the signature of CHAs. II. FLETCHER
In use for more than thirty years, and
The Kind Yox Haze AIz0ays Bought
RELIGIOUS.

Sincerity is prayers passport.
Everyone must bear his own bur-
den.
The humblest saint is nearest the
throne
To be just like Christ is to be
lovely.
Love of country is part of true re-
ligion.
Its the shallowest brook that
makes the most noise.
Tho saloon is the Christians pro-
blem as we'll as the drunkard's.
We have only our own life to an
swer for. Others must answer for
themselves.
"A motive is better than a method;
a purpose is more than a plan.
More personal preparation would
mean better participation in our
meetings.
"A deep religious life is always
manifested by quiet earnestness, dig
nifty, and reverence.
Troubles are the tools by which
God shapes us into beauty and also
usefulness.
ALI our fetures may depend on
what we do this one day.
We must wait for answers to our
prayers as we must wait for fruit to
ripen.
Many of us have much more care
and trouble in looking after other
peoples's lives than our own.
One may be a patriot and not a
Christian, but one cannot be a Chris
ton and not patriot.
Each day may be the last, and we
should live every day as if it were the
end.
The least thing that is our duty,
Gods will for us, is noble as if it were
the highest ministry in heaven and
earth.
Christ recognizes his own by their
wounds-wounds made sometimes by
his own Christening.
When God sets US a duty or a
task he will always give uS the
strength we need to do it.
We should accept the task of each
hour, whatever it is, and thus make
the hour bright with duty well done.
When God permits us to be in a
hard place he intends to care for us,
and we need not fear to trust him.
Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-01-15
GO TO
DERBY ACADEMY,
DERBY, VT,

To fit for college; TO be trained sufficiently
to begin the study OF the professional to bet
ter equip for teachinRj TO prepare for the
largest development of your powers In the
world of business.
Special classes for young men attending
only in winter. Winter term opens Decem-
Der s, 1899. Send for Catalogue.
As q. A. ANDREWS, Principal.