davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
1t Killed the Bear.

A man who had experience in Alaska
was listening to group of citizens dis
cussing the weather and broke in on
the talk thus;
"Pshaw, you fellows don't know what
changeable weather is. You think it's
always cold in Alaska, do you? Well,
just let me tell you little personal ex-
perience of mine. One day | went
hunting with a party Of miners. The
weather was quite warm when we
started, and | perspired freely. Sun
denly it turned bitterly cold, and large
icicles formed on my whisllers Il had
grown a full beard. Crossing a small
canyon, | came face to face with big,
ugly looking bear. | had nothing but
powder in my gun, and the man with
the cartridges was away behind me- so
as a desperate resort | rammed the
icicles from my beard into the gun and
blazed away"
"And what happenedY said one of
the crowd eagerly.
"Why, | struck him squarely in the
head and killed him."
"Killed him? Impossiblew chorused
the crowd.
But it did, tell you. The tempera.
ture suddenly turned warm again, melt
ing the icicles and the bear died from
water on the brain" - Detroit Free
Press.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
Need of a New Patent Office.

The productiveness of American in
geuuity, measured by the constant in
crease of patent office business, has for a
long time suggested a new government
building for the bureau. When the post
office department was moved into the
new post-office building last year, the
general land office and the Indian office
found quarters in the old post-office
building. This made a good deal Of
room tor the patent office. But the
patent office has been renting several
buildings side of the interior depart
ment building for its models, documents,
and archives, and even with the adui
tional room the whole bureau could not
be consolidated in the interior building
Commissioner Duell, speaking of the
matter, said: 1T will require an appro-
priation Of about So 100000 TO provide
such building as the patent office should
have, and believe congress is now fully
convinced Of its needs. No effort will be
made to secure legislation IN the coming
Sc sion, for the reason that there will be
but little time, and there are so many
import nt issues that will demand at
tention, but there will be a very vlgor-
GUS movement upon the beginning of
the next congress to secure such build
ing. Even now that the general land
office has been moved from the building,
the patent office is cramped for room,
and, above all, the building is unsuitable
for the purposes of this bureau. We
have library OF scientific works that is
so crowded that many of the books are
stored in way that makes them mac
cessible. Books are on wooden shelves,
so that the danger from fire is very con-
siderable. We have 100000 Sc OF
copies of patents ready tor issue, and
they are on wooden shelves In the case
OF many patents hat are now owned by
people by assignment, the only official
record of such ownership is in this office,
and such records are depended upon in
cases of the loss of original papers. -
Washington Correspondence, Philadel-
phia Ledger,
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
A Fine Distinction.

A young down town drug clerk who
had heard the story of the colored wo-
man who had asked for flesh colored
court plaster and was given black by
the observant dealer stored the Incl
dent away in his mental dust box and
decided to use it at the first opportu-
nifty. He had not long to wait, for a
few nights ago a comedy colored girl
stepped into the store where he was
employed. "Ah wants some cout plas-
ter" she said.
what colorY inquired the clerk,
with affected nonchalance.
"FleSh cullah, sah."
Trembling in his shoes and keeping
within easy reach of a heavy pestle,
the clerk handed the woman box of
black court plaster, and he was sur
prised at the time that the situation af-
forded so little humor. The woman
opened the box with a deliberation that
was ominous, but she was unruftled
when she noted the color Of the con-
tents.
"Ah guess yo' mus a-misunderstood
nah ordah. All asked fob flesh cullah,
and yo' done give me skin cullah."
The drug clerk is still little dazed
from the encounter, and he has firmly
resolved to subject every Joke to rigid
laboratory test hereafter before using.
-Pittsburg News.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02

1t is not generally known, but the
largest hopyards in the world are
in California, along the Sacramento
Russian and Feather rivers, and the
very biggest hopfeld on earth is at
Pleasanton, in Alameda county, where
there are 3GS acres, with more than
$4,000 vines under one wire.
As the picking must all be done by
hand and within the short season
when the blossoms are at their best, an
army of people has to be suddenly
mustered for the harvest. The mild
climatic conditions that favor the de-
velopment of the hop and the pleasant
inland valleys where it is grown com
bine to make hop picking something
of a summer time delight, for the work
is neither difficult nor arduOus, and
the pay is fair.
There are but two drawbacks to
hop picking. One is so called hop
poisoning, which is simply a sort Of
prickly heat or rash sometimes pro-
duced by contact of face and arms
with the nettlelike fuzz on the stalks
Of the hop vine. 1t does not affect all
pckers. The other is the dark stain
ing of the hands resulting from the
resin of the blossom. 1t may be re-
moved by rubbing with the crushed
green leaves of the hop.-San Francis
co Chronicle.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
An AII-British Railway to China.

One of the great tasks Of the new CEN
fury is the railroad Great Brian is plan
ming to build from Egypt to he Yangtse.
1t is proposed that the western point of
departure shall be either Alexandria or
Port Said, and that the rou'e, following
roughly the parall Of thirty degrees
north latitude. shall cross the lsthmus of
Sinai and Northern Arabia, skirt the
shores of the Persian Gull, and pass
through BaIuchistan to Kurrachee in
India. The length of this SECTION would
be a trife under TWENTY-FIVE hundred
miles, and, except at the head OF the Per
sian Cult, would present no physical
obstacles that could not be easily sur.
mounted. Use of the Indian systems,
with link to be supplied here and there,
would bridge the distance between Kur-
rachee and Mandalay, whence the Indian
government is now building railroad
to Kunlong. Careful surveys have devel-
oped practicable route from KunlDng
to the Yang-tse at Su-chow, and rom
that point a line could be easily extended
to Shanghai. Many sid,d results will
attend the building ct hi line Besides
revolutioniz,ng the sea route and traffic
with Australia, it will provide rapid
and safe mea s o. transit between Eu-
rope, Iudia, IN h'na, and will enable
cheap and sp DIV exchange OF products
throughout the vast g'on lying be.
tween he Mediterranean and the Pacific.
Finally, and this is the argument most
tr, qu,ntlv urged in it's behalf, it will torn
Engand's ma ural response o he Trans
Siberian Railway, aud wi conduce enor-
mously to her power and prestige in the
East. Construction of this line is part
Of the declared policy OF Great Britain in
China, AMI conservative advocates be-
lieve it will be bull during he next de-
cade.-[ The Worlds Work for January.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
The Hnlbard.

Halbard is the arms carry'd by the
serjeants Of foot and Dragons; the
head of the halbard ought to be foot
or 10 inches long; one end ought to be
hollow to receive the staff, but the
other broad. ribb'd in the middle, edg'd
on both sides and drawing to a point,
like the point Of two edged sword.
On one side Of the head is likewise
fixed a piece in form of half moon or
star, and on the other a broad point Of
four inches long, crooked a little,
which is very commodous for drawing
fascines, gabions or whatever obstacle
happen in the way. The staff of the
halbard is about five feet long and an
inch and half diameter, made of ash or
other hard wood
Halbards are very useful in deter
mining the ground betwxt the ranks,
and for dressing the ranks and files Of
a battalion, and likewise for chastising
the soldiers. -Gentleman's Directory,
1905.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
Expensive State CapitOls.

The cornerstone Of a million dollar
state capitol for Arkansas was laid re-
Gently at Little Rock. A few days ago a
contract was given out at Jackson, Miss,
for the building there of new state
capitol at a total cost of nearly mil
lion. The present capitol and grounds
at Jackson are of the estimated value OF
$500 900 and the Little Rock capitol
and grounds of the value OF $3.50, 600.
Many of the older settled states have
capitols which were built many years
ago and were designed to meet condi-
tions which nearly every state has since
outgrown. The capitol of Alabama at
Montgomery represents an investment
of only $50 900, that of Louisiana at
Baton Rouge $25O,000, grounds being
included in this estimate; that OF Ken
lucky at Frankfort, the scene OF the Goe-
bel shooting, $500 600, grounds included,
and that of Maryland at Annapolis,
$3OO.OO0. There has been general ten
dency to replace the old buildings by new
and more costly structures, as is being
done in Arkansas and Mississippi, Thus
in Sacramento, the capitol of California,
the new building and grounds represent
a total expenditure of So 900, 900. Aus
tin, Texas, has a $2,5000O0 capitol.
PENNSYLVANIA has at Harrisburg So
100000 capitol. The little state OF
Rhode Island has at Providence a $3,-
! 100000 capitol ana the Iowa state CAPT.
tol at Des Moines represents total in
vestment of So 100000. The Illinois
capitol at SPRINGFIELD represents total
investment of $4, 100000 and the Ne
braska capitol at Lincoln represents a
cost of $750,00O. The Wisconsin CAPT
toll in the small town of Madison repre-
sents an investment of $1,000 900 and
Michigan has at Lansing 81, 500 00C
capitol. In the smaller cities of the coun
try there are to be found usually the
most expensive capitols, circumstance
which has given rise to the expression
'the smaller the capitol town the more
expensive the capitol building" Colo
RADIO has a So 100000 capitol and Wash
ington has completed one at Olympia
costing 81 900, OOO- New York Sun.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
Treatment For Sprains.

The prevalence of sprains and strains
owing to the indulgence in athletic
exercises of all kinds moves an au-
thority on the treatment of these pain
full accidents to say:
A little common sense treatment Is
often all that is needed when the strain
is at ankle or wrist and without com
plications. 1t will swell very alarming
ly at first and gradually develop a
frightful looking bruise, but from the
first it should have complete rest and
a treatment of hot and cold douches,
the hot being used at first, when the
swelling is painful, and the cold later
on, as a sort Of tonic to the relaxed
muscles. The hot must be very hot
and the cold very cold, as the tepid
water does harm rather than good.
For the first day of a strain, when
all the wrenched carriages and mus
cles are aching, great relief is found in
a poultice of egg and salt. To make it,
beat the white of an egg till light, but
not stiff. Stir in gradually a cup and
a half of salt, or more if needed, to
make a thick, pastelike icing. Spread
this ON a cloth and bandage in place.
Cover all with oil silk or a thick bath
towel to protect the sheets, since the
egg leaks out continually. After this
has relieved the soreness begin with
hot water lamentations and wear a
light, firm bandage, except at night.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
Office Building Mail Service.

The large amount OF mail ma ter which
arrives at the New York postoffice every
day addressed to the all business blocks
in Broadway and Park Row has caused
the creation of what the postmen call
"skyscraper" mail routes, says the New
York Tribune. They are considered quite
"cnch" for the winter and the men
who have been assigned to them are con.
graduating themselves that their work
will be indoors. AS many as three car
riers have been assigned to some of the
larger buildings, where the population is
greater than that Of many small towns
and the mail matter received much
eaterin proportion. The Empire Build.
ing, Park Row Building and Equitable
Building have at Least 5000 occupants
each, and have forces OF mail carriers
large enough for towns Of that size. The
daily population OF the Equitable Build
ing is 300, and three carriers work
eight hours a day 10 handle the mail,
which averages about eighleen thousand
pieces a day. Every forty-hve minut s
mail wagons run over from the postotfice
and carry back wi h them rs pounds OF
outgoing mail. Mony people who do
not have regular Offices in the bu d ng
have their mail sent in care of friends,
and this adds considerably to the guam
titv. The Park Row Building, will six
floors given over to city departments,
has an equally large mail. The Empire
Building averages thirty FIVE thousand
pieces a day, and there are several other
buildings which receive almost as much
= Scientific American.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
Bird IntelliRence,

! During q high wind one summer day
q young oriole was thrown from its
nest to the ground. 1t was picked up
by kind hands and kept in the house
till the storm was over and then placed
on the roof of the piazza. A watch
was kept behind the closed blinds of a
window near by to note proceedings
on the part Of the parent birds. They
in the meantime had seen the little one
borne away and had followed it to the
house, and, as it was kept near the
open window, its cries had apprised
them of it's whereabouts. They soon
came to 1t on the roof and lowered
about it, doing much talking and con-
sulting together
Finally they alighted near the little
one, and the female slipped her wing
under it and seemed to urge some
course of acting upon the male, who
fidgeted about coming to the little one,
spreading his wings over it, then fly
ing to a tree, when the female followed
him and brought him back and again
slipped a wing under the little one.
Finally he seemed to understand or
to get his nerve under control, and,
slipping his own wing under, together
they made a sort of cradle for the bird
ling, and, each tapping it's free wing,
they flew to the tree, bearing it to a
place of safety among the branches,
where it was lost sight of,-Boston
Christian Register.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
END OF THE CENTURY JOKES.
Collected with Onr Five Dollar Falr Oh
Christmas Shears.


Christmas shears.
"'Pay as you CO. is my rule. :"
"Yes: so many people won't believe
Won when YOU say you'll pay asyou come
back."-[ Detroit Free Press.
Mrs. Mahone-" There's no sense in
larrupin thot kid av yours the way yez
did this marrnin'. 1t only wears out the
safe av his pants" -.
Mrs. Ochone-"Only thrihe. Because
it's so long befoor he kin sit down agln,
thot it more than makes up tor 1t.
-[Judge.
Bacon-"I understand member OF the
Anti-Imperialist League had bad faint
ing spell the other day"
Egb ert-"Indeed ?"
YES; he heard his wife was about to
appear in an Empire gown. ~ Yonkers
Statesman.
"Why did Anthony Hope?"
because Mrs. Campbell Praed.
"When does Albert Trott?"
"When Gibson Bowles."
"What gave Barry Pain ?"
ITO see Flora Steele"
"Why was Rider Haggard Z"
because he had to Marie Corelli."
i London Globe.
Stranger-"Boy, can you direct me to
the Bank ?" Boy-"I kin tor sixpence.'
Stranger Sixpence! Isn't that high
paw" Boy-"Yes, sir; but it's bank dl-
rectors what gifts high pay, you see, sir
Il London Tit Bits.
The professor comes to his lecture room
and finds it entirely empty. Indignant
at the absence of students he breaks out
apgrily: Gentlemen, | must ask you
to come in greater numbers in future
for have no intention OF delivering my
lectures to empty benches ~ Meggen
dorfer Blaetter.
Boy-"Please, sir, may l have the at
ternoon off? My grandmother is to BE-
buried"
Employer-"This is the eighth grand
mo her you have buried since the foot
ball season opened"
Boy-"I know it, sir. come of very
old family, and nv ancestors can't stand
the excitement OF the game. They re dy
ing off very fast."-L London Tit Bits.
Cahill-"Was the strike SUGGEST"
Cassidy-"It was. After being out si1
weeks we succeeded in gittin back GU
jobs. -[Puck.
Mistress Severely III such thin&
occurs again, Norah, shall have to ge
another servant"
Norah-I wishyer would-theres easily
enough work Ter two OF us. "l-Londor
Tit. RitS
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
SUNDAY.

FOREIGN Reports reach Manila that
American columns have killed or captur
ed many insurgents throughout Luz II
with casualties on their side; the Philip
pines commission will authorize the EN-
ployment OF 600 American school teach
ers in the islands Imports into Dem
mark from the United States have treble
ed since 1896, and now exceed 500 ,OOO,-
OO0.-Much American corn is arriving at
Berlin in bad condition.
UNITED STATES Grove has
been posi- lively identified by man who
saw him as one OF the men who hired the
house where young Cudahy was kept
when kidnapped; the elder Cudahy has
received a letter threatening another alb
duction unless the reward tor the arrest
OF the kidnappers is withdrawn he
coming year will see the retirement OF a
large number OF rear-admrals from the
active service of the navy, and many
changes in consequence will occur.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02

In some old court memoirs of the
eighteenth century which have recent
ly been called again to attention it is
stated that when George " was a
baby he was bathed only once a fort
night. That was thought to be plenty
often enough in those days for child
to be washed. When one of Georges
little sisters had measles, the royal
mother gave most careful instructions
that the child's linen was not to lie
changed too soon. rs she feared that
some careless attendant would clothe
1t in garments insutliciently aired and
so drive in the rash" In those days
people were much afraid of clean linen
and bathing. 1t was believed the COM
plete bodily additions were weakening,
yet prince, peer and peasant alike call
ed in at every ailment the doctors Of
the period, who bled them into state
Of weakness and sometimes death.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
0ught to Know,

Lady-Where is the agent for these
fats?
Man at Door, can rent the flats,
mum.
Are the rents reasonableW
ayes. num-"
"What sort of janitor have you"
"A very good one, num-"
as he polite and attentiyeW
eyes, num-"
"Honest"
eyes, num-"
Doesn't ne ever steal from the
market baskets Of the tenants?"
"Never, num-"
Hes a good Christian man, is hep
ayes, num- A potter, more at
tentive, honester or more Christian
man never lived, num-"
I'm delighted to hear that. Where
Is he now"
"Pm him. mum" weekly Bouquet.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02

Not far from the heart of New York
city is factory for the manufacture of
deadly poisons in quantities large
enough to annihilate the entire popula-
ton of New York. The factory is so
guarded that even it's next door neigh
bors need have no fear of it, but the
possibilities stored there excite the i'm
agination. No one may enter it with
out a special permit. The employees
are all skilled men, well aware of the
danger of the slightest carelessness.
They manufacture, among other things
pure anhydrous acid, which is so dan
gerous that in its pure state it is not
placed in the market. There is instant
death in its fumes if they are permitted
to escape. Nitric acid is stored in an
other part Of the factory in big glass
carbOys. The men who work in this
factory realize that broken carboy Of
nitric acid would mean disaster, and
they treat it with the respect which it
deserves. This factory and others like
1t are guarded more carefully than a
safety deposit vault.-New York Sun.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
Scotch Terseness and Thrift.

In dull Scottish village on a dull
morning one neighbor called upon an
other. He was met at the door by his
friends wife, and the conversation went
thus:
"Caul1?" cay"
"Gaen to be weetv, think" SAY"
rs John in ?" "Oh, ay, he's in"
"Can see hm?" mo"
But wanted to see him." GAY, but
you Gamma see him. Johns deid."
"Deid?" "Ay."
SUDDEN" "Av."
Every sudden?" Every sudden"
Ibid he say onything about pot of
green paint before he deld ?"-T Ian Mac
laren at London Dinner.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
The Tryst.

De night creep down erlong de lam
De shadders rise an shake,
De frog is SATIN up his ban,
De cricket is awake;
NV wo'k is mos nigh done, Celes',
Tonight 1 won't be late,
rs hu'yin thoo my level bes',
Wait fu' me by de gate.
De mockin' bird IL sen his glee
A-thrllin throo an throo,
I know dat oil magnolia tree
Is smellin' des' flu you;
De iessamine erside de road
Is bloomin' rich an white,
NV heats a-th obbin caused it knowed
You'd wait flu me tonight.
Hits lonesome, amt it, stan'in' thaih
Wild no one nigh to tax
But amt dey whispahs in de aih
Erlong de gyahden walk ?
Don't somep'n kin o. call my name,
An say "he love you bes'
Hits true, wants to say de same,
So wait fu' me- Celes'.
Sing somep'n flu to pass de time,
Outsing de mockin'-bir
You got de music an de rhyme,
You beat him wild de word.
rs comm now, my wo'k is done,
De hour has come fu' res,
l wants to fly, but only rum
Wait flu me deah Celes'.
-[Paul Laurence Dunbar, in New Lippin colt
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02
Gleanings.
There are $500 species of bees.

There are $500 species of bees.
The skin OF an elephant usually takes
about five years to tan.
The farms of Kansas yield this year
over $3.50 to every man, woman and
child in the state.
To the South African oxen the tulip
plant, which the beasts greediy devour
if they can get it, is rank poison.
A German professor, in giving his ex-
perlenoe as an explorer in the wilds of
Africa, says that the best protection
against lions is an umbrella, as the
beasts are especially afraid of one when
opened suddenly upon them.
A Brooklyn man named Frederick
Braun owns acollection of 500 skeletons,
illustrating the craniums of every living
race and many long extinct.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-01-02

Toto was crying. Whats the mat
ter?' asked one of her fathers friends.
"I'ze lost my 2 cents" she walled.
"Well, never mind. Here are cents"
said the friend
Soon Toto was crying harder than
ever. whats the matter now" she
was asked.
"I'm crying because if hadn't lost
my . cents I'd had 4 noww was her
reply.-Detroit Free Press.