davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
MAKING MAPLE SUGAR.
Method of Gathering the Sap an
Boiling The Sirun.


Boiling The Sirup.
Maple sugr and sirup are fayorite
sweets the country over, and this fact
gives general interest to some infor.
nation about the maple sugar industry
which has practical value also for the
sections where this particular kind OF
sugar-making prevails. An American
Cultivator correspondent supplies the
following details:
The evaporator is the first and most
important consideration. The point tc
be considered in an evaporator is the
one that can make the best sugar in the
least possible time with the leastamount
OF fuel. Evaporators are made of gal
vanized iron or steel, copper or tin
They are usually supported on iron
arches lined with brick, but sometimes
the arches are made entirely Of brick
Storage tanks, draw tanks, sirup tanks
buckets and pals are of galvanized
steel. tin or wood. We consider gal
yanized steel the superior article be-
cause 1t will not rust. Bucket covers can
be of wood or tin; spouts, steel or tin.
Take sugar place Of 5000 trees or
rather, one that uses 5000 buckets
When the boss" thinks 1t is time tc
sugar" the men are set to tapping the
trees. A three-eighths or one-half inch
bit is used, and in large trees the hole
Is bored about two inches deep, in
smaller trees only about one and hall
inches. Spouts are driven or screwed
in, buckets hung to each spout and GOV.
ers, If they have them.
Some trees are tappepd in two OF
three and oftentimes four places, hang.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
Origin Of a Joke.

DR.. Finders Fletrie. the eminent
archaeologist, announces that he has
deciphered the cuneiform inscription
on tablet he excavated in the plains
of Assyria, and believes that it is a
copy of prehistoric comic paper.
Among other items, It contains the
following merry jest, which bears a
strangely familiar sound:
Now, there were gathered together
at the place of the telling of stories,
mary of them that have lived long in
the land, and one of them lifted up his
voice, and said:
Behold. it groweth cold with much
extremeness.'
'Whereupon another made answer,
saying:
Verify, it doth. But let us sep
arate and get hence, fer here cometh
Methusalem, the aged, and if we tarry
he will even tell us again of the cold
spell of the year 40.
And they got hence with much
speed"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

orators by rubber hose or iron pipe. the
flow of sap from storage tank to evap-
orators being regulated by automatic
valves. Thust he sap enters one end of
the evaporation, working back and forth
through partitions and corrugations till
it reaches the other end of the evap-
orator, when it is drawn off as '.sirup."
The sap is not handled" any from
the time the men pour 1t into the draw
tanks until it comes out finished ar
ticle. /. e., made slrup at eleven pounds
to the gallon.
This may be put away in sirup tanks
and allowed to cool and settle, and then,
if the sugar is wanted, this sirup is put
into the "sugaring off" pan on separ.
ate arch and boiled down until the right
pitch is reached. when it is taken FROM
the fire, stirred gently and allowed tc
cool and then put into tin cans or wood.
ell tubs, and it is then ready for market
in the form Of maple sugar
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
MISTAKES ABOUT LINCOLN.
He Was Not an Obscure Public Man
When Nominated

He Was Not an Obscure Public Man
When Nominated.
An Iowa writer who Is telling about
the number of great men which his
State has produced in the past few
years says that although Secretary
Leslie NJ. Shaw has been only four
or five years in politics. yet "he is far
better known to the nation than Lin
coin was when he was nominated for
President" The notion that Lincoln
was unknown outside of his own
State until his nomination for Presi-
dent has been expressed by better in
formed writers than the Iowa man
here referred to, but it is delusion
just the same.
Lincoln served term in Congress in
the latter part of the Mexican war.
and though he did not make national
reputation then, he was sufficiently
we'll known throughout the country in
1850. at the time when the Republican
party S first national convention was
held, to get 40 votes in that conven-
ton for Vice President on the ticket
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12


Speaking on the most useful horse
for the farmer before the West Vir-
GINA Live Stock Breeders Associa-
ton. G. Il. Lewis said in part: The
heavy horse has signal advantage in
some farm operations. In blowing or
operating manure spreader or haul
ing the crops to the barn or to market
the heavy horse is just what is want
ed. but In narrowing he does not have
an advantage proportlonate to his size.
For drawing moving machine the
lighter horse is better. Hitch heavy
horse to the shovel plow or cultlvator
and start him up and down the corn
field. with scarcely room between the
three-foot rows for him to put his pom
derous feet. walking on two rows at
once and breaking down more corn In
each than little horse could In one,
and you will quickly decide that he
was not made for that kind of work.
BESIDES TO carry 1000 pounds of sur
plus, useless horsehesh over the soft
ground of the cornfield takes a great
deal of energy, and that energy has to
be supplied by an extra amount of
feed. Then through the long winter
months of idleness 1t requires great
deal of grain to keep the heavy horses
huge body in repair.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

Some of the best corn crops of last
season, season of poor crops in all
corn sections, as a rule, We're from soils
plowed In March or early April Elk
perience has shown that this early
spring blowing is to be preferred to
fall blowing, for corn. The stable
manure is hauled to the field during the
winter as made, and in March, as soon
as the ground can be worked, 1t is
plowed, the blowing being rather shall
low. This blowing is done in the regu.
lar manner, but nothing more is done
until complaining time, when the
ground is further prepared for the crop.
The seeding is done with drills and
the summer system of cultivation start
ed with the weeder early and continued
as long as possible. The plan is COM
paratively new in some localities, but 1t
has brought good results, and is well
worth trying.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
THE POWER OF SUPERSTITION


The gypsy Charm and Its Alleged
miraculous Cure.
Superstition is Il force to be reckoned
with and not despised by those who Ia
Dor for the good of the poor in the large
cities. A philanthropic woman of New
York tells the following experience:
"a poor Italian housewife, living in
Mulberry street, had swelling of the
knee. She told me of her trouble and
| gave her the address of free dspens
AIRY, where she went for treatment. The
treatment did not cure her ard She
drew out from the savings bank a large
part of her little hoard of savings, and
in spite of all my protests, paid it to Il
gypsy woman on the outskirts OF
Brooklyn for Il charm. This charm con
sisted of a piece of parchment. OH
which were written some queer char
acters. The whole was tied up in n lit
tie bag and was suspended by a string
around the patients neck. When she
showed it to me laughed the thing tc
scorn and tried to show her how foolish
she was to pay hard-earned money to q
miserable quack. could not convince
her of the folly. however and so gave
up the effort. trusting to time to prove
me right.
''rhe neighbors of the woman Will
the swollen knee soon heard of hel
gypsy charm, and one of them who hai
an eruption of the skin which had long
defied the power Of medicine to remove
1t begged for n copy of the charm. The
first woman was ready to do this favor
to her fellow-sufferer and rs neither
could read nor write they used !;
1O-year-old son of one of them to make
the copy. This boy had been attending
a public school. and his parents were
exceedingly proud of his ability to reat
and write American But the lad coult
make nothing of the gypsy writing OF
the parchment He was equal to the
occasion, however, and showed he he,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

While it is possible to do many things
with artificial heat, all attempts to
hasten activity on the part of the bees
by artificial heat have proved failures
more, have been fatal to the colony.
Prominence is given this now In view
of several items going the round of the
press advising the packing of hives in
stable manure to furnish the artificial
heat. In experiments brood rearing
was fastened, 1t Is true. and more bees
Matched, but they We're weak, and sue.
cumbed to the weather when they left
the hives, and many of the honey gath
erers started out earlier owing to the
artificial heat, and never returned.
The hives should, of course. be packed
with some material SO that the bees
will not suffer during the winter, but
all attempts to force them to gather
honey before settled weather will re-
suit In disaster.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
The New British COINAGE.

1t will be day of mixed feelings
for many Englishmen when they cease
to use coins inscribed with Queen Vic
toria's head. A great many British
subjects now living have never used
any other inscription, except when
they have found few battered shil-
lings of William w. and George ". in
their purses. Fortunately the transit
tion from the coins of Victoria to
those of Edward VII. will be very
gradual. But the Mint will not "call
in" the coins of the Queen except in
the most s,aauel manner, and the
coinage of Edward Vii. issued at first
will only supply the uorn al gaps of
the passing year. 1t was on.v recent
ly that the coins of George v. and
William Nv. were finally called IL, and
most of us will probably continue to
use some of the coins of Victoria es
long as we live.-London News.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

1t is unfortunate that farmers will
not learn that the fowls have no place
in the barn with cattle; indeed, that the
poultry-house ought not to be placed
near the barns at all, for poultry lice
will get on to cattle. and especially on
calves, and are hard to get rid of. If
the poultry-houses are properly cared
for there ought not to be any lice in
them. At this season of the year the
nest boxes, roosts and the dropping
boards under the roosts should be well
cleaned at least once a week and the
nest boxes and the fowls be well dust.
cd with insect powder. 1t is especially
necessary that the hens which are to be
used as mothers be kept free from lice,
or there will be great mortality among
the chicks when they are Matched. If
poultry lice are in barns it will require
considerable work to get rid of them.
Whitewash and insect powder will
need to be freely used to accomplish It..
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
Minor State Matters.

Muscatine is looking forward to
building boom this spring.
Charles Vi Dubuque was
struck by i, ,rain and his skull fractured.
The fire which destroyed six. business
houses at Wellman was caused by the ex-
plosion of lamp.
'Poachers are rapidly depicting the Dcs
Moines river by illegal fishing in the viz
cinity of Ottumwa.
A train load of emigrants from Cerro
Gordo County have gone to Dakota and
will organize colony.
A lodge of the National Grange has
been organized by farmers at Tabor. 1t
starts out with forty members.
1t is intimatcd that the Chicago and
Northwestern will erect n handsome new
freight house ut Belle PLANE.
Mason City will endeavor to induce tho
Patriarchs Militant of Iowa to locate n
permanent camp ground on the shores of
Clear lake.
VIM. Lorenz has been appointed chief
Of police at Clinton, to succeed former
Chief Cole, who was removed.
Twenty fiat cars We're filled with car
wheels and scrap iron gathered from .he
Rock Island wreck at Brighton.
Council Bluffs is endeavoring to secure
the location i'll that city of Il horse collar
factory that would employ sixty hands.
Dubuque bowling team has returned
from Il tour through Minnesota. They
lost majority of the games they played.
The G. 4 N. w. Railway contemplates
expanding in the neighborhood of $780,
900 in improvements at Missouri Valley.
Muscatine will send committee of
three citizens to Washington to labor for
an appropriation fora government build
ing.
Prof. Nutting of the State University
has gone to the Hawaiian Islands in the
interests of the botanical department os
the school.
Mother Mary of Angels. one of the
| founders of the Sisters of Humility in
Iowa, died at Ottumwa, aged "A years,
of pneumonia.
Cora Ryerson. who shot and seriously
wounded her stepfather, Andrew Selling,
has been released at Des Moines. The
victim declined to prosecute.
The joint committee of miners and or
orators at Des Moines adjourned without
agreeing on scale. Another conference
has been called.
Drunkenness is on the. increase at Cen
terville and an effort may be made to
close up several holes-inthew that are
alleged to be operating.
Charles Payne. one of the Oldest fire.
men in the Burlington fire department,
was killed by a live electric light wire
that had fallen to the ground.
Word is received in Marshalltown of
the death at Portland, Ore, of Rev. Il.
y. Judd. at one time one of the best
known Episcopal min.sters in the State.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

Ing through the back of his shirt. His
mare was running like prairie fire
on the upland and Blue Duck made
no attempt to check her. Gentle
man" Ed had charge of the game.
Thompson flew through the square
headed for the north, and a moment
later Ed came in sight. his black horse
running close to the ground, his ears
sticking straight ahead. every leap
bringing him nearer to Thompson.
Ed was sitting erect. swinging lightly
in his saddle, the sawed-off gun held
at half rest in the crook of his arm,
his eyes on Thompson and the white
mare.
"A race for your life" shouted An
derson.
Me t'ink Meester Thompson nevalr
come back" mumbled Halvorssn.
Both riders disappeared in the great
NAV of the plain and then family,
whistling softly on the wind, came
back a single report OF gun.
That's the dispenser" said Ander.
son.
Half an hour later Ed rode into town
and swung out of his saddle in front
of the mo. Hard" He tossed the
dispenser" to Anderson, who. look.
Ing at it critically, exclaimed:
Sure you didn't use it."
NO" said Ed. He turned T. the
crowd. and as the men stoppea stheir
chatter so that he might speak said:
Thompson only knocked his wife
senseless. found her coming to
when got to the shack and Thompson
saddling up. covered him quick and
he dropped his guns short. Then
had the woman cover him, and laid
the quirt on his face and back until
l cut him to the bone. l told him the
law of this country was that woman
comes first. and that the man that
raised a hand to one of them was
worse than a dog; that came out to
kill him. but thought. after all, lit.
tie of his own medicine would be best.
The woman never peeped-only her
eyes blazed and she never tools her
eyes off of him or the sights of the
gun. think she would have shot him
if had been away. She had him for
the first time in her life.
well, took the gun from her and
was coming back when Thompson,
who had been down on the ground,
jumps up. strikes at her, leaps on his
pony and starts pell-mell for town.
He got good 200 yards start of me-
but let the black have his head, and
you saw us go through. Thompson's
mare. after she left here, headed
straight for the Mouse country, and
l guess she's going yet. That's all
there is to it, boys"
He slipped one of his guns out, fin.
ped an empty shell from it. blew down
the pistols barrel. slipped in new
cartridge and snapped the cylinder in
place:
Il tell you," Anderson, he remarked,
your dispenser is all right, but for
hitting anything when you don't mean
to miss under any circumstances these
single actions take the prize"
And that was all we ever knew of
Thompson. No one cared to ask Ed
whats really happened; no one ever
looked for Thompson. Blue Duck was
not inquisitive on some things. Mrs.
Thompson in time married again, and
married we'll. Thompson never came
back.-H. L. Cleveland, in the Chicago
Record-Herald.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

ing bucket to each spout, Of course.
Then, the weather being right, the sap
runs, and the teams are started as soon
as possible, for the quicker the sap is
made into sugar the better the sugar is.
Men with pals holding sixteen quarts
so to each tree, collect the sap and
empty it into the draw tank, which is
being hauled about Gil sugar sled"
by pair of horses. These tanks hold
anywhere from twenty-five to fifty pail
fuls. When n load is secured, the team
is driven to the sugar houses, and the
sap. by means of four-inch pipes. is
drawn from the draw tank to the stor-
age tank.
The storage tanks are placed ON n
staging on the outside of the sugar
house and connected with the evap-
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
Soil Culture in Fruit-Growing.

Soil Culture in Fruit-Growing.
A few years ago there We're few
farmers who had any faith In the
efforts of skilled expermenters to in
duce them tO'conserve the moisture in
the soil by system of shallow cult
walton during the summer One by
one they tried the plan. many of them
In desperation during a season of
drought, until now thousands have
proved Its great value. Fruit growers
are becoming interested in the question
and realize that with fruits that absorb
Immense quantities of water from the
soil 1t is absolutely necessary that ev-
erything possible be done to keep in the
soil for the use of the tree during the
summer all that is possible of the
water that falls during the fall, winter
and spring. Nothing will accomplish
this better than the system of surface
culture during the summer. Then IL
this plan is followed by n cover crop
during the winter to be turned under
in the spring, the trees have every in.
centive to thrive, provided, of course,
the soil is properly fortified.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
Improvement of Soils,

Any scheme of rotation should have
the growing of at least one leguminous
crop III Its plan. BY this means large
gains of nitrogen may be made from
the air. Potash and phosphoric acid,
unless already in the soil, must be sup
piled by commercial fertilizers. In the
case of very poor soil it is not advisa-
bic to remove the crops unless the ma
nure Is returned until fair state OF
fertility has been reached. Stock rails
ing, dairying and poultry raising are
profitable lines of agriculture to carry
ON in scheme for improving the fer
tility of poor soils.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12
Among Our Neishbor,.


The Lyons city hall is being remodeed.
Chas. Haskins of Davenport broke his
leg while bowling.
The p. NJ. Messer library at Musca.
tine has been opened to the public.
The Chicago Great Western will relay
a portion of its track with 70-pound steel
rails.
The business men of Waterloo are agi.
tating the question of paid fire depart
ment.
j. G. King of Boone was elected presi-
dent of the Central Iowa Teachers Asso-
citation.
Lehigh citizens are agtating the ques.
ton of north and south railroad through
that place.
The Odd Fellows lodge at Cotter will
erect handsome brick building for lodge
purposes.
Two trappers in Franklin County hav,
so far this winter caught $50 mink ant
100 skunks.
Clinton banks have reduced the rate
of interest paid on deposits from tc
S1a per cent.
There is a move on foot to organize
an association of the business college
teachers of the State.
Robert Jones of Dnbunue suffered ,
fracture of the skull by fall on de.
fective sidewalk in that city.
A district meeting of the A. q. n. w
for the southwestern mart of the stat,
was held at Council Bluffs.
One hundred new cases have been dock.
eted for the Forthcoming term of tho
Polk County District Court.
The mine tool makers of the State h,v,
been granted nine-hour day and will pet
. per cent increase in wages
Ernest Sworso, of L,r. na.,.
r;ously in ;rraa h.. ., ma, e. "as - 81
ing on the new library building
Dovor,ort ,;o,o,o a.,i
soc;at;nn tbo maim ,',nna is ~ Ill, AN US
to kocn II, tbo nr;nn ,f ra,,m;, n,.,. eA IS
,,.,.,
Mts. "1''ne" hauser' iiV,hs near Mt.
tolon ~ th,, ,,n..,,;,.,i ss,. 49,, ... gnu
e - spa ''e"."
sam i.eeser, u uri'er IN mine at Bus
80. m"' i".'s i,'"'eu y. oeihs caush'
'.."eei. :" e"' anu F" IT'D oi Tue nine.
Inc directors OF the fraternal Broth
eIhoou OIL the world contemplate moving
tneif headquarters from Upton to Des
MONIES.
Mrs. @eo. Y. LaIman of Burlington
was guest OF the Park Avenue Hotel in
New York during the recent awful fire
pnt escaped without injury.
The 2-year-old child of Joe Blondit OF
Keokuk drank enough laudanum to Kill
Il dozen men. but the prompt application
of remedies saved the Youngsters life.
The Democrats of tho Third Co,yros
sional District ,rc t,,lk;rg If n;,tin., T.
IA Snringer nm Irdnnnnl.nno ,,tann., -
against Congressman Hnndnrson a., ~
fall clcc,ion
M. SD,
~ noA a, 'nel .oah Vi hoek hap'us' whe
s s.,.eu .ae ne Vi rival aea'er' was hned
So M NV .,; los's,
dcmnation proceedings to secure move
trackage room Mt Dayenport,
Charles vi,.ont =, n,h,o,. ,,
struck nv /, Chic,ro cro.t Wostan. W. m"s
and received a fracture Of tba skull ~
II * rumored tbot ,ho chio,a
Nortbwostnrn R.;,mar Ill, ,,,;,I anu n
south from nos Wo;m.s ~ po otu d H lh.
Surveyors have been at work in Lucas
County and this fact has given credence
to the rumor.
There were sixty-one births and tb;r
ty.three deaths in Dubuoue 1nrn, th.
month of January.
Iowa postmasters opnointed. ca,;for
mia, |. B. Wise, vice j. A. Wise dead
Shambaugh, q. II. Tilman. vice less.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

the making of true American, for he
would not acknowledge defeat. What
he wrote was This is know good
"It was not until some time after
ward that ! heard of this. when the
woman with the skin trouble was show
ing me the copied charm. When saw
the trick the boy had played on both
of them thought my vindication had
truly come. But when explained it
all to her she met with the Touchdown
argument:
"Well, miss, 1t cured us BOTH
what could ! say to that"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-12

There is no doubt that skim milk
will bring the greatest returns when
fed to laying hens, provided one can
get twenty cents or more dozen for
winter eggs, and If one has but few
hogs and many hens the latter should
have the skim milk by all means. On
the other hand, it may be fed to hogs
With profit, and II fed with corn meal