davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
A TIGRESS WITH A GRUDGE.
She Gets Furious at Sight of n Keep
er Who Once Beat Her.

There Is a lean tigress In the Central
park menagerie who spends part OF
the day beating her head against the
iron bars Of her cage in vain attempt
to spring upon one Of the keepers.
Ordinarily the animal is quiet enough.
It is only when this keeper passes
that she ceases to be purring cat and
becomes fiend incarnate. The other
morning the tigress was in an extreme
ly bad temper. When her fancied en-
emy stuck a mop In through the bars
to clean her cage, she sprang ut him,
growing in thunderOus bass. Nearly
everybody in the crowd stepped back
involuntarily. The keeper placed an
iron bar In the cage at the great cats
feet and went on with his work, while
the animal snarled in impotent rage
and drew back her upper lip over two
cleaning white fangs.
"She doesn't seem to be fond OF you"
ventured bystander.
mo, there isn't much love lost be-
tween us" replied the Keeper hei
tantrums show that animals treasure
grudges just like people. That tigress
came here eight years ago. A day or
two after she arrived had to punish
her, and she has never got over 1t.
She watches me all day out of the cor
ner of her eye, and every time | go
by the cage she makes jump. l sup
pose she thinks she'll get me some
time. II she does, might as well say
goodby."
While the man talked the tigress
looked at him with hate plainly stamp
ed on her face. When he went away,
she watched him until he was lost to
view. Then she resumed her nervous
tramp, tramp.-New York Mail and
EynrpSS
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
proat, In Fraction. Of Cents.

It is most astonishing that trade
In these days is making its enormous
profits In the fractions Of cent. In
one of the cities Of the country there
was a bank president who gave his
millions for philanthropic purposes.
During his life, even on the days when
he was almost too infirm to walk, he
would trudge sadly and brokenly to
his home. One day man met him on
the street and said:
"Why don't you take the street car"
He instantly replied, my dear
friend, do you appreciate the fact that
q hundred dollars would have to work
half a week to pay that fare"
And yet he gave two Snilltons TO q
library and another million to hos
pital. That is the spirit Of modern
money making. On the one hand 1t
gets the millions through the fractions
Of cents, and with the other 1t spends
the millions without regard to deci'
Enthusiastically Evening Post.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
THE DEADLY COBRA.
How venomous Creature Is Handled
by HindOo Snake Charmers.

How venomous Creature Is Handled
by Hindoo Snake Charmers.
The creatures were on the defensive,
but not one Of them attempted to
strike ut the master, who sat serenely
In front Of them, so long as he did
nothing to annoy them. Kullan talked
to them as If they were his dearest
friends. After time one or the other
of them would lower its head, collapse
It's hood and begin to try to wriggle
away. Whereupon Kullan would give
1t a smart little rap on the tail with
his stick and bring it instantly to at
tention again. Whether this man pos
sessed any special magic over these CO.
bras or whether the description given
below of how he could handle and play
with them was simply due to his meth
od cannot say. He himself repudia-
ted the idea of magic and asserted pos
itively that any one who had the nee
essary nerve and dexterity could do
exactly the same.
He used no reed instrument or mu
sic of any kind to propitiate the rep
tiles. He would simply squat on his
launches in front Of them, and. after
they had been kissing and swaying
their uplifted heads backward and for
ward for n few minutes, he raised his
hands above their heads and slowly
made them descend till they rested on
the snakes heads. He then stroked
them gently, speaking all the time In
the most endearing Hindoostanee
terms. The serpents appeared spell
bound. They made no effort to resent
the liberty, but remained quite still.
with heads uplifted, and seemed rather
to enjoy it. Presently his hands would
descend down the necks about three
inches below the heads, his fingers
would close loosely around the necks.
and he would lift them off the ground
and place them on his shoulders. The
looseness of the grip appeared to be
the main secret. The snakes, being in
no way hurt, would then slowly crawl
through his fingers and wind them
selves round his neck, his shoulders
and his arms. They appeared to real
lie that no harm was to be done them,
and they made no effort to resent
the handling. He would pick them
gently off one arm and place them on
the other and, in fact, stroke them ana
pet them as IL they had been u pair
of harmless wOrms.-Cornhill.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
Who, Irving Forgot Himself.

Ben Webster, an English actor, told
a good story of how he held his own
when Sir Henry Irving happened to be
absentminded. In the Lyons Mail'
there is a touching scene between Le-
surques played by irving and his
daughter Julie, of which Didier (Slr.
Ben Webster) is a perfectly silent wit
ness.
One night Sir Henry, instead OF max
ing his long speech, appealed in tren-
bling tones to Mr.. Webster: Speak to
her. Didier; speak to her!" Didier was
dumfounded. There was an awful
pause. Irving, quite unconscious OK
his own mistake, frowned wrathfully
at the young actor, but Mr.. Webster.
equal to the occasion, gave way to a
burst of tears and exclaimed, u can
not; you know ! cannot speak!' ana
turned his back on the audience.
Then Sir Henry picked up his lines
with a start, and 1t was observed that
Didier's shoulders shook with emotion!
Louisville Courier-JOurnal.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
CHAPTER II.

This episode, with its tragi-farc!cal
interlude, had been the first tete-a.tete
of the couple. The spinster. Miss Pa.
mela Brundage, absorbed as she was
in nursing her paralytic father, whose
babble only his own family could con.
strue, had shrewdly guessed that the
soldier guard was something more
than the miserable Yankee hireling"
current in southern phrase. Pride In
the family tree, her ruling passion. was
matched by kindliness which sweet
ened it to the core.
"Perhaps Mr.. Wentworth" - twas
thus she was wont to put it-"wouid
like some readin to beguile his time"
And, with much condescending -four
ish Of language, she gave him sundry
volumes Of Shakespeare, Dryden. Pope
and Addison, which. with similar old
fashioned classics, made up the stock
of a southern gentleman's library OF
the period. Polly's fine eyes had shot
daggers of scorn at this cOmplaisance'
"Why should you trouble yourself
about this Yankee soldier, Auntie
Pam?' she demonstrated. Better let
Uncle Jonas act for you" Polly estl-
mated fitness Of favor in this instance
to be its bestowal at the end Of pair
of tongs.
lord Chesterfield Regards polite
ness to ones interiors as the finest test
of good breedin," answered the spin
ster, with a bridling of her thin neck
and look of reproach.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
WHAT Is THE MATTER WITH THE
CRGAMP

AqricultUral Editor:
The above question was asked not long
since by a farmer, who had churned sew
eral hours on his cream, and vet it OBJ
stiuately refused TO trsnsmute itself into
butter 1t is not my purpose to answer
that question directly, but will tell you
how | manage with mine, and always
with good success.
have had something to do with but
ter 10 king, off and on, for more than
fifty wears; and the time was when
something was the matter with the
cream occasionally, but not late years,
having found out the remedy. And now
for the modus operandi; which may not
be the best, but which suits me to per-
fection.
take no pains TO keep the cream at
any particular temperature in winter,
while accommodating for a churning-
anywhere between the freezing point and
30 degrees Fahrenheit; but when enough
is gathered for the purpose, the churn Is
partially filled with boiling water, the
can of cream set on the stove, the tenn
perature taken, and then stirred often
until il rises to 60 degrees; when it Is
removed from the stove, the hot water
turned out of the churn, the cream TAX
ing its place, and in few moments it
will rise to 65; just the right degree for
making butter. | do all the work my
self, milking, gathering the cream and
churning, when it is handed over TO the
women to salt and make into balls or
bricks. according as it is to be used at
home or sent TO market.
have followed this method for some
years, and, as yet, a churning OF cream
has never gone back on me; always
coming in thirty minutes, or little less,
when the above rule was carried out to
the letter. And now, if any one has a
better way, please pass it in, and it will
be given fair trial.
Don't forget to salt your cows often,
and the best method is TO keep lump Of
mineral salt in the manger for them to
lick as they want it.
LEMUEL DUNHAM.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
"REMINISCENCES.
SEVENTY YEARS AGO.-HAvE PROFITS
IMPROVED MACHINERY?

| notice an article in the Homes
March %, written by my old friend, w.
w. Andrews, that has the right ring to
it. | have often asked myself how 1t
would look TO see all the lawyers, min
listers, doctors, merchants, spectators,
peddlers and members Of every other
profession and occupation urging all the
boys to go into their chosen craft or pro-
fession as we see farm writers, agricult-
ural editors and almost everybody else
advising boys to 'stick to the farm"
have heard the matter talked so much
that am tired and sick. | want the
boys TO 20 where they can do the best.
They say all the smartest boys and girls
go to college, and thus fit themselves for
the best places. l don't know but that
is so, at any rate the boys who go to
Orono seem to shun the farm after they
get through. They seem to have an idea
that they cannot get pay for an educa-
ton by farming. That may be so. |
have been farming for n good many
years. | was taken out of summer
school seventy years ago last June AMI
put on horse TO ride to cultivate corr
and potatoes, only We cultivated with a
crOtched harrow. Cultivators had not
come round then. One thing | have
learned. That all the improved farm
machinery we have has not really helped
the business of farming.
have hayed five weeks on upland,
and after having taken my sickle and
helped to reap eighteen bushels sowing
of wheat, and we got along swimmlngly,
At any rate nv father succeeded in pay
ing his bills and kept out of debt. Then
there were no railroads, telegraphs,
mowers, reapers, sewing machines, cook
stoves, matches nor patent medicines ex-
cept bronchitis pills, but we got along
aud kept the doctors bills paid and lived
till this time. But we could not live so
now. Why? Because custom and
fashion demand that we live otherwise.
Other people live differently, and farm
ers OF all people should enjoy the privi-
leges that labor produces.
The farmer feeds the world and ought
not himself TO go hungry. But am
straying from my subject. Brother An
drews says we need not keep the board
of agriculture. He had rather have the
cost in repair of roads and bridges. |
would rather have it in the state treas
ury to be used as we require IT'D. IL.
Thing i'm New England Farmer.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16

with arms. would retire without fur
ther mischief. Now he dreaded fusil-
lade. 1t would 90 sorely against the
grain to fire on his own uniform,
though that uniform had been dis
graced by its wearers, and he would be
clearly within the line Of his duty. But
fate took the problem out Of his hands.
The jingling of scabbards smOte the
ear sharply, for the grass grown road
had muffled the nearing hOOf beats.
Carbine shots and yells rang out as a
squad Of gray coated troopers rode to
tie gate, while others pursued such Of
the flying thieves as had not dropped.
What wonder that in the confusion OF
the scene shots flew at the solitary
blue figure standing, sword In hand, on
the grass! Tom Wentworth sank to
the ground, pierced by bullet, and
Polly, who had watched tho swiftly
changing drama with heart IN her
mouth, felt mist swim over her
senses. Blind to all else, she sprang
from the piazza and bent over the hud-
died heap Of blue, the hero who had
fallen for her and hers. What matter
to her now whether he wore blue or
gray!
"Polly, Polly, what does all this
meanY said a familiar voice. and she
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
FARM NOTES.

The milkman wants cow that will
Weld the largest quantity Of milk on the
smallest amount of feed.
Unless big cow is an extra gooa
mixer sbe ia less profitable than small
one that Is fair milker.
When cream is kept until the milk In
it has soured there Is formation OF lac
tic acid, but cream may be ripened oy
the agency Of heat and air and escape
this Tactic acid ferment, which Is OFTEN
the cause of the cream not coming.
The harm that has no box stall In 1t for
special purposes is not thoroughly fin-
ished. A box stall should be tightly
boxed up and should be really box
stall. It will come handy many times,
and will pay for itself many times over,
In the course Of few years.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
PROFITABLE AND UNPROFITABLE
AGRICULTURE.

A man whom once knew kept hog
until it was seven years old, and upon
being asked why he did not kill it said,
"Oh. well, have got to keep hog and
| suppose might as well keep that one
MS any," This man did not make sue
cess of farming, and turned his atten-
ton to selling some kind of patent bot
tied electrical cure-all. But there are
others, and you will find in the state OF
Maine large number OF unprofitaole
cows, boarders with long debit account
in arrears, that are kept for the same rea-
son that Mr.. kept his hog.
1t has been said that ut is better to
do nothing than worse than nothing"
and it is well also to remember that
financial success depends as much on the
percentage of profits as on the amount OF
business. Perhaps the Jew clothing
man who sold his goods at less than cost
could make success by selling large
quantity, but the farmer Is not built that
way.
know farmer who cut the bushes
off from very rocky piece OF ground,
made bluff of plowing it, sowed it to
oats without any manure, and raised ten
bushels to the acre. The land has since
grown up to bushes. Every 20 cents
that this farmer got off that piece OF
land cost him 100. Brethren, don't DO
such things. Go fishing. Sit in the
grocery store and talk politics. Settle
the tariff question or the war In the
Philippines. Build the Nicaragua canal,
but don't do things like these, because
we lose caste when we do them. This Is
a commercial country. The almighty
dollar sits on the throne, and in order to
be respectable we farmers must have
money. Have made some mistakes my
self, but being modest will not mention
them. Will speak rather Of successful
venture in a silo built two years ago, 20
feet deep and II feet square.
We put in it last fall six acres or we'll
cared corn, as it was beginning to glaze,
stalks and ears uncut. We filled IL
plump full three or four times, but corn
10 silo of that depth is sure to settle,
and doubt If any one ever saw silo
full of corn a week after it was filled.
We commenced to feed out of it about
a month after it was filled, and from
that time to the present it has furnished
one feed day for twenty-three or twen-
ty-four head of cattle. 1t is nearly
empty.
We reckon that it is worth more in
proportion to hay than the chemical
analysis would make 1t, on account OF
the change from dry ration to more
watery and palatsble one. The COWS
will leave any other kind Of feed for It,
md appear to be more thrifty with
smaller ration of grain than when we
had no ensilage.
Now is a good time to 60 out and trim
up some of those scruhby pine. 1t will
nav YOU to hire man to do it.-J
Quincy Ferguson in Turf, Farm and
| Home.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
DOGS ON THE STAGE.
Leapins For the Villains Neck-A
Very Sensitive Animal


Four legged animals In drama are OK
course a very common sight today. Al
though they are often Of far more Inn
portance than the mere super, they
have an affinity to that class, for theirs
Is no speaking part, unless one counts
the bark of dog as such.
A little time ago the writer met an
actor who was taking the part OF VII
lain in a play wherein a big mastin
seizes him at the back Of the neck just
as he (the villan was about to murder
the heroine. NASTY part, that OF yours.
How do you manage to escape nightly
being bitten by that big brute OF
dog?' "Not a nice part, 1t is true" he
answered, but the dog Is well trained.
He is kept without food for few
hours before the show. a piece OF cook
ed liver Is tied to my neck. He Is held
in the wings till the cue comes, then
he rushes on to me for his supper, ana
the curtain goes down on a very erect
I've tableau. | don't object to the dog.
It's the liver"
The mention Of stage dogs brings to
mind an amusing incident that occur
red i'm n well known theatrical agents
office last summer. In came rough
looking little man wearing check suit
that once used to speak out for Itself,
but was now silenced by the heavy
hand of time. The man was followed
by dog of attractive appearance. Inc
visitor said he did a tramp act as
sisted by the animal. Then they gave
an exhibition of themselves and were
certainly above the average. what are
your terms:" the agent queried. Ten
hounds a week" I'll give you two"
The imitation tramp-but he was not
far from the real thing-looked with
sad, reproachful eye at the agent ana
silently backed out Of the office, the
dog meekly following. However, within
few seconds the man returned, quick
" closing the door to exclude his part
ner who clamored to get In. iii take
t." he said in n hurried whisper.
"Where's the contract? I'm real broke,
SO It's Il clear case Of push; but, FOR
heavens sake, don't mention the price
where the dog can hear you."-Cham-
bers' Journal.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
MOST PEOPLE LOPSlOED.
Differences Between the Legs, Eyes
md Ears of Men and Women.

md Ears of Men and Women.
The two sides of persons face are
never alike. The eyes are out OF line
in two cases out of five, and one eye Is
stronger than the other In seven per-
sons out of ten. The right ear Is also,
as a rule, higher than the left.
Only one person in 10 has perfect
ewes. the largest percentage of defects
prevailing among fair haired people.
Short sight is more common In town
than among country folk, and OF all
people the Germans have the largest
proportion of shortsighted persons.
The crystalline lens Of the eye Is the
one portion of the human body which
continues to increase with the attain
ment of maturity.
The smallest interval Of sound can
be better distinguished with one ear
than with both. The nails OF two
fingers never grow with the same ra-
pidity. that Of the middle finger grow
ing the fastest, while that Of the thumb
grows the slowest.
In "a cases out OF lOO the leIt leg
is shorter than the right. The bones
of an average human male skeleton
weigh 20 pounds, those of woman are
six pounds lighter
That unruly member, the tongue OF
q womau. is also smaller than that OF
q man, given man and woman OF
equal size and weight. 1t may be APP
palling to reflect, but it is nevertheless
true. that the muscles of the human
law exert force of over 800 pounds.
The symmetry which is the sole In
telligible ground for our idea of beauty,
the proportion between the upper and
lower half of the human body, exists
In nearly all males, but is never found
I'm the female. American limbs are
more symmetrical than those OF any
other people. The rocking chair, ac-
cording to an English scientist, Is re-
sponsible for the exercise which In
creases the beauty Of the lower limbs.
The push which the toes give to keep
the chair In motion, repeated and re-
peated. makes the instep high, the calr
round and full, and it makes the ankle
delicate and slender.-Exchange.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
CHAPTER l.

The soldier guard at General Brun-
dage's place, which lay on the Pamun-
key river, loitered on the bank with
string Of freshly caught sea trout in
his hand. The distant boom Of cannon
Mt the front rolled low thunder, and
Tom Wentworth's heart reeked with
discomfort. 1t was epic and not idyl
which he craved. He turned his head
at rustling.
"Good morning, Miss Polly" raising
his cap. Il have a mess of fish here for
Aunt Chloe's frying pam"
"When did l become Miss Polly to
the Yankee gyard Of my grandfather's
plantation?" the girl flashed out as she
stepped into full view.
1t was a charming apparition despite
the battered straw hat, the faded ging-
ham gown and the hideously cobbled
shoes wherewith faithful Uncle Jonas,
the family factotum, had striven to
eke out a scanty wardrobe. This
Federal cavalry trooper, not long out
Of college, could think Of nothing but
some failed hamadryad just emerged
from the cloven bark Of the big oak.
AS they turned, each with sense Of
keen irritation, the soldier picked mp
Polly Brundage's hat, which had fallen,
allowing countless notes Of gold to
shine aureolelike on her silky topknot.
She took the straw monstrosity with
gingerly little fist and an arctic "Thank
you," and suddenly an impish fancy
seized her. for this was maid Of
moods, whose pride was not proof
against irrepressible bubbles Of mirth
and mischief. Not far away squatted
two half grown negro boys, frowning
with incipient war over half ripe
watermelon.
"Pyompey, Caesar, cyome heah right
now.' called Polly. and she placed
them in pose Of combat. POmpey, the
bully of the plantation juveniles, had
often hammered Caesar to submission,
and Polly felt sure Of her champion.
"Now, Pyompey, you stand for our
brave Confederacy, an you must fight
like a hero in a great cyauSe, for Caesar
Is the moth. an if you don't whip him
the lads quaking soul foreboded the
uncompleted sentence. The clash Of the
champions as they butted and wres'
tied and thrashed each other with
windmill strokes was scarcely Homer
ic, but a pretty mill of it's kind. At
last Pompey stumbled and went to
grass, whereupon the unchivalrous
Caesar, with memories Of cOntumely
and defeat fostering in his black bos,
ON. knelt on the squirming body and
pommeled it with tattoo Of thwacks.
At last Pompey, all other thoughts
blotted out by the play of those ruth
less fists, bawled out, Il gives In, mig
gah," and, once released, scuttled
away over field and fence.
No words can do justice to the storm
of Polly's spirit. All glimmer of hui
NOR faded as the battle waxed, while
her wide eyes were full Of woe, and the
absurd was blown away in the terror
of portent. There was something pa
thetic in her quivering eagerness and
the dismay which darkened over the
close of the vicarious strife. Big drops
swelled in Polly's eyes, and she ragged
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16
Order OF Notice Thereon.

DISTRICT or MAINE, So.
ON this 6th day of April, A. ID. 1901, on reading
the foregoing petition, 1t Is
Or,ierei 6y the Court. that hearing be had
upon the same ON the 18th day of Apr, A: ID.
1901, before said Court at Portland, In said Dis
tric, AZ 10 o'clock In the forenoon; and that no
uce thereof be published In the oxford Demo,
crat. a newspaper printed in said District, and
that all .nOwn creditors, and other persons In
Interest. may appear at the said time and place,
AMI show cause, II any they have, why the
PRAYER Of said petitioner should not be grantei-
And IL Is further ordered by the Court, That
the Clerk shall send by mail to all known cred
tors copies OF said petition and this order, adj
dressed ~ them AT their places OF residence rs
stated
Witness the Honorable NATHAN WEBB, Judge
Of the said Court and the seal thereof, at fort-
ami, In said District, on the 9Th day OF Apri
A. ID. 1901
Isl All. DAVIS, Clerk.
true copy OF petition and order thereon
Attest: A. II. DAVIS, Clerk