davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

But the residents of the South of Florl- da awoke next day to find that the value of their fruit had doubled during the night. The ends of t4e trees had been nipped by the frost, but almost the en- tirety of the orchards had been spared. Prices had risen at bound from between 30 and 75 cents a box to S1.50. This gave a tremendous impetus to orange culture. New groves were set out, and even roots of frozen-down trees were brought south from what had been called the orange belt and planted, while the old groves were given more scientific care than ever before.
 Stringent precautions are now taken to ensure against freeze. Quantities of cords of wood are piled around the groves. Some growers have even pro cured tents which can be fastened over the trees for their protection. should they be in peril of frost
 The principal varieties of the citrus now grown in Florida are the orange. tan gerins, mandarin. kumquat, lime, citron. grapefruit, lemon and shaddock. This last, the largest species of the orange, Is coarse and bitter, and of little use. The lemon Is inferior to the Siclllan kind. and lemon orchard seldom brings much to the owner in the way of profits. But the oranges, divioed chiefly Into 'brghts' and "russets," produce considerable re- turns, their present value on the trees being about sl1 10 per box. As POO boxes to the acre are considered nothing extra ordinary in the way of a crop, the profits of orange growing can be estimated. Tangerines average $1.so per box, while the grapefruit brings as high as S2.50 This delicious fruit was only a few years ago regarded as worthless. and grown only as a curiosity. It's selling value was about one-quarter of a cent apiece, and shipments to the Northern States were unknown. Finally physicians took mp It's cause and declared 1t to be not only healthful, but, what was of infinitely greater consequence, beneficial to the complexion Information was published as to the manner in which 1t was to be eaten, the demand increased. and soon high prices ruled. At the present time acres of this once despised fruit are to be seen In Florida, and the grapefruit groves, with the long, slender branches of their trees propped up with poles In order to support the thick clusters of yellow fruit, are one of the most pie turesane scenes In the citrus regions of the peninsula.
 The tiny knmquat no larger than wal nut, acid and tart whose rind Is the most delicious portion of the fruit, has passed through a similar history. It now obtains high price, and is used chiefly in preserves, use which may have been learned from the Chinese.
 The orange tree, the strongest speci- mems of which are grown from seeding plants, first produces fruit in It's fourth year. The barren, sandy soil of the pen insuls necessitates frequent fertilizing, and this is done usually three or four times year. In March the blossoms ap- pear; a very waxy-white, with yellow
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25
U6e Scientific Breeding of Nice

top with A ladder and wheel for the mice to exercise themselves in. A little box with a sliding door over the hole for ingress should also be provided for the mice to sleep In.
 If you wish to make money out of breed ing mice it is as well to start. with two pairs consisting of as nearly black buck as possible and doe that has been bred from A white and common mouse. The other pair should consist of a piebald doe with a suspicion of fawn in her coat and a mouse e-colored buck. A common mouse would do admirably for the purpose
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

centers, those of the grapefruit, which what eoarser, but in other respects simi- lar. The best fruit generally appears on trees grown upon the poorest land-possi- bly, on account of the greater application of fertilizers. The fruit develops slowly and begins to color In October, the first picked being generally half green and rip ening in transit. It may be left upon the trees till April or May with no detertora- ton in It's qualities. although 1t will be liable to diminution In quantity by reason of windfalls This Is especially the case with the grapefruit, which are produced abundantly upon the trees, and always in clusters, so that the branches are quite unable to sustain their weight during a prolonged period, hence the grapefruit season Is somewhat shorter than that for oranges.
 When the orchard Is to be stripped of It's produce the orange clippers arrive from the neighboring village or town. Their work is the hardest and the worst paid of all connected with the orange ln- dustry. the price for filling box being usually five cents. Where the fruit Is thick an expert picker is said to gather us many as 40 boxes In day; but when 1t is necessary repeatedly to adjust and climb the long ladder to secure a single fruit depending from one of the highest branches of the tree. dollar day is hardly earned wages.
 The clippers, who are usually, but not invariably, negroes, come 10 their work accompanied by a wagon loaded with empty boxes, which are distributed throughout that section of the orchard to be stripped, under the several trees. The clipper wears a large sack over hls left side, reaching to the knee and fastened around his neck. He carries q long lad der and strong pair of clippers, the blades of which are curved much In the manner of nail scissors, to prevent any chance injury to the fruit. Having se- leeted hls tree and pulled down his sleeves to mitigate-for he cannot pre- vent-the scratches which he will receive from the spiked boughs, he clips of the fruit around the lower branches which are within his reach, fills the gunnysack at his side and dumps the fruit into his box. He then places the ladder against tue DOusus, ascehuihS ny "ebh0e' "H" slowly clipping of the fruit within his reach, until he has denuded it clear up to the top After this he shifts and read justs hls ladder and continues to climb the tree from the Inside, In order to col feet the few elusive oranges which are invisible from the ground. Here Is where he loses time. The final process upon ca ch tree is the most wearisome and the least profitable; but it is almost point of honor that each tree is to be stripped clean.
 Clipping is invariable. and the orange Is removed from the stem at the closest possible point to It's rind. A picked orange Is commercially almost valueless, and box of oranges that had been pick ed instead of clipped would be rejected
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

i sells afterward at the market pricI which may be assumed to be $3. Totl profit from fraud 300 boxes at S1. | equals S525, in addition to commission q the fraudulent sale. Others, more boil sell the oonsignments and retain the eI tire proceeds
 Thus the grower has been taught \ experience that It Is better to accept low price for the fruit upon the tree thal to risk losing the 7eturns of hls enti1 shipment
 An ex-senator of Florida was at od time the means of exposing some of thea frauds. He shipped a consignment of o anges to a commission agent in Mel York by water and went thither by trail knowing that he would arrive before tfl ship came In. He arranged to be upd the dock when his consignment was uI loaded and, being unknown, secured d option upon the fruit at a good price. In mediately the agent sent a telegram the senator's wife: Fruit arrived In bal condition" and named some low price the best that could be obtaine. for | The telegram was sent back to the SCI ator, and he confronted the commlssIo agent with It. The effect was electrica Cajoiment, threats and the offer of brlt were sueeessavely resorted to in vail
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25
What is 50 Seconds Worth

One of the commonest excuses for thu lack of self-culture and attention to othe duties Is the lack of time. Hundreds men, young and old, cheat themselves with the notion that they would do thi or that desirable thing If they ''only had time" But the truth generally Is thai the busiest of them could find leisure fol the extra things by utilizing odd chinkt and crevices of time, and properly arrang Ing their regular employments. An earnI est purpose finds time or makes it, I1 setzes on spare moments, and turns large1 fragments of leisure to golden account
 How many men are there In the busiest classes who do not waste time In bed, in| lettering or in idle talk 15 to 20 minutes Fl Yet even this petty fraction of time if del voted steadily to self-improvement, would make an ignorant man wise in a few years, or If spent In works of benevolence would make life fruitful in good deeds Even 10 minutes a day spent in thoughtful study would be felt at the years end I'd ask for leisure to do any ordinary thing is simply to confess that we do not care td do 1t On the other hand, who but him who has experienced it can tell the rapI ture with which knowledge is gathered in those hurried but precious moments by the reader who has instead of whole days only snatehes of time at his comma nd 1 While the owner of a large library lounges whole afternoon on his sofa, unable to decide what book he will read the poor fellow who hangs over a bookstall or snatches 10 minutes of his work to dip Into a prized volume revels in an intel lectual paradise.
 Two great English writers have made calculations regarding the amount of time of which a man who lives threescore and ten can consider himself master or spend as he wishes. Dr. Johnson estimates that after deducting from our allowance of time all that Is required for sleep and meals or engrossed by the tyranny of custom, all that Is spent In the exchange of civilties, all that Is torn from us by disease or stolen away by lassttude and languor, the portion Of time which Isl left for us to spend wholly as We choose is very small
 Thomas de Quincey, estimating the time a man can give to self-culture, reaches al conclusion hardly less dispirfting. He con. cludes, after similar deductions, that out of the 25,55o days between the ages of 2i and 70 a man will find not so much as 4,000 days left at his disposal for direct intellectual improvement.
 0<3p@@~~~%e@D@s@~> note, or beautiful chestnut-and-whlt variety, worth s25, or merely q quantity of white and mottled mice, worth about l2 cents each. The best mice should be separated from the others when three weeks old, and they should receive a nb- eral quantity of hempseed which has the effect of giving a sleeky gloss to their brushed and they may be exhibited when eight weeks old.
 As pets. they. are amusing and instruct i've, and there is no reason why one should not make S1O0 ner annum hv dfsposin1 of the young, while, if one has the good for tune to breed good exhibition mice, they may easily win their fortunate owner $lo0 year In prizes-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

crossed with the white mouse, which Is not q dlstlnet species but only an albino variety of the pest of our kitchens. The white mouse with pink eyes, a feature world possess, is practically yalueess. but n true white mouse with black eyes would be cheap at 50. The best way to start "mousery' is to procure a large structed out of an old soap box, which should be fitted with a door and wire rails placed In the front It is an excel lent thing to fix a shelf halfway from the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

It will surprise many to hear that nu- merous people make excellent livelf1oods out of breeding fancy mice and that there is in hourishing existence a national mouse .and cups ard prizes galore. In addition, tn once-despised mouse has a monthly 1ouanal devoted to its interest, and $25 is quite a common price for prettily marked mouse to fetch, and Sl0O has actually been paid for champion.
 The Httle animals that fetch these ex- traordinary prices are merely variations ef the common mouse creased and re-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

That particular commisslon-house wa put out of business. Unfortunately th' exposure had no permanent effect, and t the present day many an orange grove who attempts to realize the full value O his produce learns by experience, grow wise and passes Into the bondage of thu middleman. VICTOR ROUSSEAU.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

its compartment with his left hand; his hands approach each other with spon- taneous movement, and almost immedi- ately the fruit lies in the box, wrapped securely in It's paper covering. Very soon the box is full. and the packer. register ing another four cents In his mental ac- count-b book, thrusts the full box aside, selzes another and resumes hts task.
 Very much the same procedure Is en- acted with the grapefruit which are, however, scraped with blunt knife and polished before passing into the packers hands. The grapefruit average about 54 to the box. Three hundred boxes of fruit go to the carload, and busy factory will turn out three carloads daily
 Leaving the aromatic atmosphere of the packine-house we approach the box makers habitat where two or more men are ceaselessly engaged in turning out new boxes for the reception of the fruit. The time occupied in turning out box is between two and one-half an4 three min utes, and the operation Is of the simplest character. The room Is piled high. almost to the roof, with ''centers" of solid pine
 
 Southern States, and with lends" of paneled pine wood, fiat pieces cut into the shape of the panel of door or the sec ton of window frame, thereby making a projection which the hands can grip in lifting the full boxes. Two ''ends' are placed parallel to one another, with "center'' piece between; sides are nailed on and three long, 1.-the, slender strips or hoops of birch bark, imported from Maine, are nailed around the frame. Tn less than three minutes after the lends" were placed into position the new box stands completed. The factory being usually situated over the packing room, the box Is slid down an inclined roadway to the floor beneath, where 1t Is taken by the packers as 1t is requlred
 Between the tree and the consumer the orange passes through the hands of the picker. packer, produce agent or whole saler and retailer. It is obvious that un- der such circumstances it's price must be considerably enhanced before 1t passes into the hands of the public. Here gre the figures showing the average receipts in transit:
 Received by the orchard owner, per
 box. $l1O Received by the clipper per box..... 05 Received by the packer, per box..... .04 Received by the boxmaker, per box. .01 Shipping charge, per box, to East
 ern points averages. '.-....-.... .6O
 This makes total cost of s1.s0 per box to deliver in New ork or any Eastern notnt To these firuree must he added
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

they will take into their sleeping con- partments and by laborlously revolving round with their heads stuck In one posi- ton. like a pivot, construct a nest not unlike birds.
 The best food for them consists of oats, hempseed and every alternate day a piece of bread soaked in milk. Five cents per week spent on oats and hempseed would suffice for 20 mice. In about a month after they have paired a number of little mice will make their appearance. They are quite blind and hairless and resemble nothing so much as tiny pink pigs. Six to eight Is the usual number at birth, but the fawn-and-white mouse "Trilby' once had IT little ones.
 Six young ones are plenty to leave the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

at any packing house without hesitation. The tiny fragment of the stem. shriyeled to small knob or excrescence at the head Of the orange, may be observed upon all fruit exposed for sale An or ange pulled from the bough exhibits In It's place little round depression, and will remain sound for a much brlefer period of time than the clipped orange. On this account the windfalls. which lie scattered everywhere especially under the grapefruit trees, cannot he included in the crop, but are either eaten by the proprietor or disposed of at a nominal price to traveling peddlers or the village stores
 When the crop has been gathered in the boxes these are removed to the pack ing-house to be prepared for the market. The ordinary packing house has two en- frances, one at the back, where the freshly gathered fruit Is brought in, and the other at the opposite end of the building from which a raised passage way leads directly to the freight cars which are always In waiting. 5usy packing house employees 30 or 90 hands during the rush season. most of them
 
 by negroes. packer obtains four or sometimes five cents per box. and as he will soon attain to an automatic control of hls task at a considerable speed, he can earn easily $3 a day, exclusive of overtime. During the packing season, therefore, there is considerable short age of labor everywhere, employees leav- ing the stores and public services to ob- tain improved wages and easy work. A boxmaker receives one cent per box; good man makes from s12 to $15 week.
 When possible, the newly gathered or anges are left for two days in order to ripen them. When they are ready to be packed they are dumped from the boxes in which they lie into an orange sizer. These machines are of several kinds. but all of them effect the same purpose--to sort the oranges according to their re- spective sizes. There are two main va rieties of this machine; the one long sloping board with holes at the bottom through which the oranges fall Into com partments situated on either side; the other round with the compartments form ing a semiclrele around the central space into which the fruit Is first deposited. The oranges. having been placed in the sizer, run upon two cords passing along a groove down an inclined plane, and each drops through the appropriate hole into the receptacle underneath. There are usually six of these compartments to every sizer. and the boxes, when packed, hold 250 200 1T6 150, 128 or 96 oranges apiece. according to the dimension of the fruit. The cords. which carry the or anges, are set in motion either by a crank or a foot pedal.
 In frout of each of these compartments a packer stands with a new, empty box in front of him. In his right hand he holds small square e paper which he has plucked from great pile standing at his right side. He seizes an orange from a@%S< <Rge- 0~<
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

of course, the expenses of the packing house In the matter of haulage to and from the orchards, as well as the cost of lumber and paper. their machinery and general upkeep, and the salaries of those employees who are not paid by piece work. A box of oranges sold at auction in New York fetches on an average something under $3, though prices huctuate consid- erably.
 It will be seen that considerable DOT tion of the returns are thus absorved by the wholesaler, and this opens up one of the sorest spots in the history of orange culture The wholesaler reaps his reward because he controls absolutely the dis trIbution of citrus fruits; because the grower mush sell at $1.10 upon the trees or submit to the extortions of dishonest commission men,
 There are two ways In which the grow CT disposes of his frul. He can clip and prepare 1t for the market in his own packing house and ship 1t to some produce agent in the North, to be sold on com mission for him. or he can sell upon the trees to the buyer of some Northern house, who will relieve hlm of all cost and responsibility of clipping, packing and shipment and pay hlm from S1 to S1.15 per box.
 Sometimes the packing houses purchase the fruit from the grower on their own account, but they more often act as local agents for the Northern firms, receiving from them a certain sum to cover their expenses.
 But 1t Is manifest that the grower would receive greater returns by packing and shipping his own fruit than by sell ing 1t at s1.1o upon the trees. Why. then, does he hand over large portion of his profits to the middlemen?
 He has learned by experience that the percentage of dishonest commission agents Is sufficiently large to jeopardise all prof it's from his shipment.
 Here is a favorite trick played upon him:
 One commission shark In some Eastern point says to another, 'I have just re- ceived carload of oranges to sell on commission. Have you any?"
 Yes" replies shark No. 2, II have just received a carload also.''
 "Then sell me yours at s1.25 per box, and I will sell you mine at S1.25.'
 Shark No. agrees, and each wires his principals: Fruit received in bad con dition; have sold at S1.25," which he re- mits. This transaction is entered upon the books of either firm as a bona hde sale of a carload of oranges a. $1.25 box. By this transaction the commission agents have merely exchanged conFgn- ments: but each has acquired a carload of oranges at SIPS per box, which he
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

doe The smaller and weaker ones are better drowned. Great amusement can pc derived from watching the mother and father washing and airing the youngsters them out of the nest and roll them in the bran and then lick them clean and carry them back Mice, as a matter of fact, are the cleanest animals imaginable. They are always washing and combing them selves and pay as much attention to their toilet as fashionable lady. At the end of week a faint down clothes their tiny bodies, and in IA days they open their eyes and their coloring and markings are well defined.
 Then, if you are fortunate, you may ''biuish- gray" mouse, worth perhaps $50
The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

Any of the above mentioned mice should be purchasable for 25 ceuts each, and the object in having two pairs to start with is to prevent iuterbreeding amongst their tions In undersized, badly marked mice, valueless except as children's pets.
 The pair should be kept in separate cages or one large cage can be divided into two compartments. It Is very dan gerous experiment to allow two adult bucks to remain in the same cage, for they will frequently fight to the death. Mouse fights sometimes last for hours and usually result in the death of the, van quished mouse, while the victor Is nearly certain to be minus an ear or tail. To keep mice in good condition cleanliness is essential. For their nest there Is nothing
The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1906-05-31
FLAG DAY PROCLAMATION.

The citizens OF South Dakota are
earnestly requested to join in max
ing Flag day, June IA, 1905, a great
event. Let us from one end OF our
state to the other. fling the ''stars
and stripes" to the breeze.
Mayors of cities and villages are
req uested to have fags displayed on
public buildings and to invite their
fellow citizens to do the same from
homes and business houses.
Editors are requested to make
editorial announcement and to print
aud publish addresses upon the sub
ject OF the flag and to ask their read
ers to display the flag on Flag day.
Grand Army posts and American
soldiers and sailors are requested to
arrange for patriotic exercises cele-
brating the day, and to teach the
story OF the flag and what 1t stands
for.
Let us all remember that our flag
has become the symbol of great ma
tion and il seen In ALI parts OF the
world. and wherever 1t goes It pro
claims human liberty.
Samuel III. Elrod.
Governor.