davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
Modern Buccaneers
us IN q the Poetic.

buccaneer himself. He is there, too.
Generally speaking, he is Chinese.
But there are men from the 0ccident
willing ito take chance" to turn the
golden flood rolling their way.
Almost every port on the Pacific has
Its quota of adventurers. Most of them
must have grown tired of their own
names, for they use others, and usual
ly their means Of support are not os-
tentatious. These human wrecks are
to be found from San Francisco to
Sydney. The Hawaiian Islands are
not free from their presence; they can
be found upon the beach at Apia, but
in the treaty ports of China they con-
gregate In numbers.
At Shanghai is collected the fotsam
and jetsam of the world. There are
many mysterious Englishmen, Ameri-
cans and others stranded there. The
secret of their means of existence is
shown occasionally in the consular po-
lice court. They keep dives, they league
themselves with notorious natives In
smuggling transactions, and now and
then during dispute with Chinese
whom they were endeavorlng to cheat
in a dubious business scheme somebody
Is murdered. The lawless, the embez-
zlers, the welchers who have been
forced to abandon connection with their
home towns find refuge In Shanghai,
where something always Is turning
up" for man who rises superior to
his conscience.
These modern buccaneers are cap
talns of industry" They organize raids,
plan piracies, but 1t is the willy native
who is entrusted with the execution of
the schemes. Most of the master minds
do not care to risk their precious lives,
while there are plenty Of dlsreputables
in the native quarters willing for few
dollars to cut throat or lead an at
tack upon liner. Some Of the adven-
turers live by blackmail. others by CIV
ing tips to native pirates and robbers
of where loot may be found. Hong
Kong, Macao. Nagasaki and Singapore
all have their quota of these cosnopo-
lites.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
kinofishers as weathercoeks.

There is a very quaint and old
world superstition in connection with
the kingfisher, which fancy still OBJ.
tains here and there in remote parts
of the countryside. The superstition
is this: that if stuffed or dried king
fisher be suspended by thread or
string from the beam or ceiling of a
room Its breast will always turn in
the direction of the prevailing wind.
How the notion first arose and how,
in the light of common sense and in
quiry, it has been SO long perpetual
ed it is hard to say; but 1t has long.
existed. have clear recollection as
youngster of going into humble
cottage in the shires and seeing a
stuffed kingfisher thus suspended as
weather vane,-Country Life,
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
THE BARRED OWL.

The barred owl, which is only a
little smaller than the horned owl,
may be distinguished from it even in
the dusk, by the absence of horns, or
sar-tafts. This bird has round fac
lal disk, and its expressive, dark
brown eyes give its face an almost
human expression. 1t, too, is great
destroyer of the voolfolk. On muffled
wings which carry no warning of
impending danger to the creatures on
which it preys, it floats through the
gloomy forest on its errands OF death.
ITS sensitive ears catch sounds which
would be quite inaudible to us, and
perhaps the faint squeak of wood
mouse is heard as distinctly by 1t as
the neighing of horse would be
heard by man. The stirring of a
small bird in its sleep; the patter of
a shrew on the snow; the whisper of
mole pushing its way through the
earth-all are taken note of. Soft
as these sounds are, they may mean
sudden death to the creatures which
make them If an owl happens to be
in the neighborhood. The barred owl
usually nests in hollow tree, and
is said to be almost as formidable
as the horned owl when its nest is
in danger.
once had barred owl in cap
tiyity for some months, and when cor
nered 1t was very savage and would
fly straight at my face. One moon
light night set 1t free, ana 1t rev
first to a bare oak-tree. where . 1t
stopped and preened its feathers care.
fully before going further away. The
next morning heard a great com.
motion among the crows, and look
ing out saw a flock of about a dozen
sailing around the top of an apple.
tree, and sometimes alighting on the
outer branches. When l went to in.
vestigate, the crows flew away, and
when l climbed the tree, from. the
middle of 1t arose the big owl, which
flew across an open space to another
tree, where it was quickly surround
ed by the crows again. On the fol
lowing morning there was another
ccInmotica, this time among the blue
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
lk}DlxScience
r. S4IlventiOn|

A curious kinematograph Illusion Is
the turning backward of carriage
wheels. An explanation is that be-
tween the instantaneous views making
up the moving picture the wheels
moved not quite the space between the
spokes, so that other spokes-all being
alike-are seen just behind the places
first occupied.
A new pen has recently come upon
the market in Europe for which con-
siderable success is predicted. These
pens are made Of tantalum in substitu-
tion for steel. They are more flexible
than gold pens and more durable than
those Of steel, since they resist corro-
sion, and can with difficulty be spotted
with Ink. at the same time their points
are exceedingly hard.
A new speed indicator for trains is
German suggestion. A dynamo driven
by the axle of the locomotive would
show an increase In voltage CORE
spending to the number Of revolutions,
and yoltmeter with two dials could
be made to indicate both the potential
Of the dynamo and the corresponding
rate per hour of the locomotive. An
attachment could be added to give a
continuous record of the speed.
Sea snakes are very plentiful in the
south Pacific. They are widely dis
tributed, stray individuals having been
secured on the coast of New Zealand.
When swimming close to the surface
they exactly resemble an ordinary
snake, except that the head is
always below water. At night
they come ashore and lie among the
rocks. They feed on fish, and al
though their small double fangs appear
harmless they are reported to be very
venomous.
Travellers have noticed that Damas-
Gus blades are made only when the
wind is from the north. The expert
ments of NJ. Anozoff were suggested
by this hint, and have consisted In
hardening steel instruments by cooling
them in powerful current of COM
pressed air instead of quenching in
water. The trials Indicate that for
very sharp tools this method is SUI
perior to any other. The effect varies
with the thickness of the mass to be
hardened, and increases with the
coldness of the air and the rapidity
Of the stream.
The chemical synthesls of our food
must remain dream for the present,
we are told by Prof. T. Bokorny, a
German chemist. With the aid of sun.
light, plants form carbohy from
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

1t is almost impossible for one who
has seen only the Eastern or Rocky
Mountain forests to imagine the woods
of the Pacific coast. Pictures of the
big trees are as common as hostage
stamps, but the most wonderful thing
about the big trees is that they are
scarcely bigger than the rest of the for
est. The Pacific coast bears only
tenth of our woodland, but nearly half
of our timber. An average acre In the
Rocky Mountain forest Yields one to
two thousand board feet of lumber: in
the Southern forest, three to four thou.
sand; In the Northern forest, four to
six thousand. An average acre on the
Pacific coast yields fifteen to twenty
thousand. Telescope the Southern and
Rocky Mountain forests, toss the North.
ern on top of them and stuff the CEN
trail into the chlnks, and. acre for acre,
the Pacific forest will outweigh them
all,-American Magazine.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
Change.

. OIdU8eos
When was child,
And he was a child,
And he lived over the way
My mother wouldn't let him come,
When l went out to play.
For he chewed gum
And he said darn"
And bully" too, and "hook!"
And mother said you'd hardly find
Such words in Webster's book.
And though I longed
To play with him,
He seemed to have such fun
had to stay inside our yard
With Jack, the Colonel's son.
And now-they're rich;
Have moved into
The biggest house in town,
And have gorgeous coat-of-arms-
A lion and crown.
But the queerest thing
About 1t all,
Il mothers change-not theirs.
For now-she says he's most cor
rect
And l must stop my airs!
-Lippincott's Magazine.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
story of Mexican Church.


An interesting story is brought from
Celaya by an American lady, who
vouches for the truth of 1t, which
might furnish food for thought and
Investigation to the sceptical, who
cannot accept as gospel all stories
relating to the supernatural.
According to the story told by this
lady there appears every night ex-
actly at the hour of 10 on the grounds
of the parochial church of Celaya,
which is in the heart of the city, the
form Of man dressed in priestly
garb, who walks back and forth be,
tween the gate and the door of the
chapel reading strange book and
murmuring strange sounds. y.
The gaze of this Nocturnal perambu.
lator is fixed steadfastly upon the
book, in which, to all intents and
purposes. he is intensely absorbed.
and pays not the slightest attention
to things mundane. 1t is said that
rain or shine midnight visit is new
er missed, and this has been kept Up
for months. According to the story
no one dares approach the premises,
and the peon class, the members OF
which are intensely superstitious, will
not venture within block Of what
they consider the haunted church =
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
Using Dips ON sheep.

There are something like twenty flve
different sheep dips on the market, and
most II not all of them are reliable. AS
is the case with many other things
that are manufactured carefully, as
they must be to retain their reputation,
these dips are to be preferred to the
mixture made at bone of lime and sui
phur.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

jays, and by following them up, I
got another glimpse of the owl. He
stayed in the neighborhood for some
weeks, during which time 1t killed a
number of rabbits: but as the jays
and crows made no more fuss, pre-
sumo 1t found some secret place in
which 1t could hide in the daytime.
Most OF the smaller birds seem to
recognize an owl as an enemy, and
are eager to mob it whenever an OPP
portunity offers. - Woman's Home
Communion.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

Butter is a hydro carbon, and all
excuses Of 1t are stored up as fat In;
the body. 1t gives energy and power,
to work to those who eat heartily OF
1t. For any one afflicted with consump-
ton butter cookery, If plenty of fat can
be dlgested, is one of the best ways Of
curing the disease should 1t be- in its
early stages or OF keeping it at bay
IL advanced. 1t is not economy to-
spare the butter at table even to the
healthy people. Butter is not simple
fat composed merely Of one sort 1t 10
a mixture of no less than seven diifer-
ent sorts of fats, and no more complex
oil can be taken than this. For dys-
peptic and liverlsh people good bread
and butter, along with fruit, should In.
variably take the place Of pie. pastry
and biscuits. Pastry for such people
is only another name for poison, and
biscuits are as often as not baked with
lard.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
\ PLEASANT THOUGHT.

A PLEASANT THOUGHT.
If all the dollies came alive
How busy little girls would be!
Judith l think, has twenty-five.
And myself have twenty-three5
know I'd very careful be
With all the babies that were mine,
I'd treat them as folks treated me
And scrub them till they all would
shine.
I'd give them everything that's good,
And always have them dressed in
style.
I'd paddle them when they were
And lecture them once in a while.
If at the table they should smear
Preserves and things around their
place
I'd feel compelled to be severe,
And make disappearing face.
These are the thing that I would do;
And in the end they'd grow to be-
If all that I've been taught is true
The models of propriety!
Marietta NJ. Andrews in Echoes
from a Washington Nursery.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
.oNLY A GIRL .

e
"Do I please you now, Mrs. Moth.
err"
Clean you are, down to the finger
tips and up to the hair" his mother
answered, smiling. Now, Jessie
kindly step forward in your turn"
"Oh, there's never any need to
make a girl come for examination, y
shifted Howard. "She loves to scrub
and dress up"
Cleanliness is next to Goodness.
sir!"
'Of course. But some women
like the farmers wife where we went
last Summer-spent so much time on
their cleanliness they never get to the
Goodness at all. Such temper! and
she kept the house like wax, as
mother said"
"The two things don't necessarily
go together" said his mother, "and
the girls are not to be despised fol
paying attention to the pretty
things"
Now, Mother! l never said SO.
I'm not that sort of a fellow"
mo; don't think you are. be
lieve you appreciate Jessie as much
as she does you. Your words remind
ed me of something that happened
when l was child. Shall 1 tell
you?"
please do they cried together.
well, the Summer was eleven we
were spending on the shore of bean
tifll lake in the northern part Of
the State. Among our guests was
Archibald, boy who was very vain
of his strength and made believe to
despise all girls. Especially he re
garded with contempt a cousin Of
mine, the. slenderest, daintiest little
creature imaginable.
"He was bathing alone in the lake
one day, when he discovered our ia
vorite rowboat drifting away. He
knew that we were on the bluffs
above. and he wanted to show off,
so he struck out for it. The boat
was too far away, however, and he
tried to return. But he got into the
Icy currents and we were Mortified
to see him seized with cramp and
struggling helplessly.
las we gazed, unable to do any
thing, we saw girl in blue bathing
suit go down with one of the pref.
test dives ever saw and in min
ute she was going out with long
racing stroke. He clutched at her
desperately but she was too quick
for him and had him by the hair in
q minute.
Slowly she swan in, keeping his
head up CALAMITY. How she did ii
we couldn't imagine. BY the time
they reached the wharf, people were
running down to help.
"That night she didn't come down
stairs; but the next evening she ap.
peared as dainty as ever, and very
apologize and grateful young athlete
she found waiting her. l never heard
Archibald say anything critical OF
girls after that"
Shouldn't think he would" said
Howard, emphatically.
Now, in a storybook, they would
have married some day, and lived
happily ever AFTER said Jessie.
But they didn't" answered her
mother, smiling. Though they really
were good friends always, and
thing they both profited by the friend
ship SO strangely begun.-New York
News.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
Cure Tor Hor.e Di.tcmp.r.

A condition powder made up Of the
following drugs Is good for horses af-
aicted with distemper: Eight ounces
Of iron sulphate, ounce OF pulverized
gentian, ounces of pulyerized ginger
and 8 pounds Of oilmeal mixed thor
oughly. The dose Of this mixture is a
tablespoonful three times daily In
ground feed.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

He-I want to give Miss Sharp a
palm for her pnrlor. What kind would
you suggest7
She-Why don't you give her cactus
Free Press
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
PHILANTHROPY sPARRows.

PHILANTHROPIC SPARROWS.
For several days four or five spar
rows had visited certain place on
the roof near my window They al
ways brought food for another little
fellow, who never tried fight from
the spot. The visiting sparrows
never came empty billed. They would
drop tiny morsels of food near the
little sparrow. When it began to eat
the crumbs the others set up a great
chirping, and then flew away.
After watching this for few days
went out on the roof and approach
ed the lone bird. 1t did not flutter
away from me, and made no resist
ance when picked it up.
The sparrow was blind. It's eyes
were covered with milk-like film.
Outing Magazine. a
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

Sweet corn Is one Of the safe crops
for the farmer near large town. When
the corn is high In price 1t can be sold
at a good profit. but when, as during
the present season. sweet corn ID cheap
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

The soubrette-You say you're not
on speaking terms with the manager?
The Comedian-Preclsely. l always
require written contract.-Puck.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
ON BACK OF TOMBSTONE.

ON BACK OF TOMBSTONE.
Cad Clark Preston, died Feb. IA, 1876,
aged 81.
Mary B. Dimick, died June Z, 1870, aged
GO "a wife).
Clarissa Preston, died Nov. 80, 1859,
aged 81.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

How intensely rivals hate each 9th.
er! And rivals In business hate each
other almost as much as rivals In love.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

Tests show that large number of
varieties Of cowpeas are adapted to
orchard use. but the most desirable for
Southern Missouri seem to be the
Whipporwill, Clay and Black. 1t Is
well to keep in mind that one Of the
principal objects Of cultivation Is to
hold the moisture in the soil. 1t Is
well established that cultivated lands
retain moisture, while uncultivated
soon dry out to considerable depth.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
GAME THAT sHARPENs THE
WITS.

A game is where each guest ans
wers any question put to him in
words beginning with the initial of
his own name. Each person, being
provided with pencil and paper. the
hostess reads a set of questions (for
them to answerl in turn. For In
stance, young fellow whose initials
were B. S. B. gave the following
answers to series of questions, and
that on the spur of the moment, for
bat moment is allowed:
What is your fayorite diyersion?"
Blowing soap bubbles
What is your fayorite dish?" Bos-
ton string BEANS"
What is your favorite drink"
Bottled sarsaparilla beer"
What is your pet vice." Burn.
ing small babies etc.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

ON FRONT OF TOMBSTONE.
Erected to the Memory of
Electa Barton, died March IA, 1924, aged
26 years.
Yheodocia Church. died April 2. 1910.
aged As years.
Mary Wood, died Sept. 20. 1s43. aged
As years.
Lucy W. Alden, died Aug. 20. 1874, aged
40 years.
Olive L. Arnold, died Sept. 10, 1S4s, aged
35 years.
All Wives of Cad G. Preston.
Ephraim A., son of Cad G. and Olive L.
Preston, died July 25, 1S47. aged 8
months.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
cH1pMUNKs CHIP, CHIP.


1t was my good fortune to be born
a country boy and grow up with the
chipmunks in Orange county, New
York. They do chip. chip. chip"
when suddenly startled. Nature has
provided them with a pouch in each
cheek y.here they can store four
acorns. They can and will climb
when cornered. but they do not like
to.
have hunted red squirrels, but do
not remember ever seeing one jump
from tree to tree; but how they can
shin down a tree! My good old dad
when he used to go hunting with
his boys would discourse on the hab-
its of animals, and in speaking about
ed squirrel activity said if light
ming would strike tree top the red
squirrel would sget down to the bot
tom quickest.
To renew my youth I have just
bought a farm in Monroe county,
Pennsylvania. In looking it over the
other day I find there is a stone to
every square yard, and a chipmunk
to every stone, so If this thing is
not settled very soon shall ask the
oldest Inhabitant" and then he will
be.-Ryerson w. Jennings, in the
New York Sun.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31
DON'T FOR GRowN-UPs.

The pupils in one room in the Sa-
betha schools were each required to
write a short composition. One of
them, a boy of 10 years old, wrote the
following:
us boys and girls are always
bossed around, and everybody says
don't to US. Here are some don'ts
for you grown people that am go
ing to write in this essay, because
I dassent speak up and say 'em to
anybody's face:
Don't tell us boys and girls what
We can't eat and when we've got to
quit eatin'. We don't try to give you
advice about your eatin's.
Don't get excited when we have
been away from the house few
hours. We're all right. Ladies
shouldn't get so nervous.
Don't tell us you're going to lick
us when We go to bed. There amt
any fun till after it is all over.
Don't blame us when you can't
find anyone else to blame. We're dead
tired of getting the worst Of it.
Don't make us apologize. Peo-
pie ought to apologize to us lots Of
times, bat they never do 1t. You bet
we notice 1T, too.
Don't be everlastngly grabbing us
and Strengthening us out and pulling
at our clothes and poking your I'm
gers in our ears to get the dirt out.
WE DON'T LIKE IT.
Don't always make us do your
way. We want to do our way once
in while
Don't nudge each other and ask VI
silly questions. We're on to you old
smart Alecs.
Don't make fun of us. We've got
feelings, although the big people new
er seem to know 1t.
Don't make us show or How
would you feel if somebody made you
do tricks like an Irish setter?
Don't make us thank you and all
that kind of business every timd
somebody hands us something. They
don't do it because they want Us to
bow and scrape around. They do II
because they were us themselves
once.
This amt all the don'ts 1 know
but I'll have to stop because the
teacher won't let me make the piece
any longer. kansas City Journal.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

Some people never will learn. There
are any number Of people who still In
sist that the feed influences the fat
content of cows milk in spite Of the
fact that almost every station in the
United States has demonstrated that
the food has nothing to do with the
relative richness Of milk, says Farm
ers' Advocate. The feed vitality In.
tiuences the total amount of butter fat
a COW will produce in a given time.
but it does not make the milk rela-
lively richer. The per cent Of butter
fat in milk is an individual character
istic of the COW and not Influenced BY
feed to any appreclable extent.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

A great many growers Of small fruits
make n practice of shipping their prod
ucts in boxes with false bottoms. The
bottoms are set up about half an inch
for the purpose of deceiying the GUS
toners and making them believe that
they are getting box full Of berries.
1t is disappointing to get fooled like
this, and 1t has tendency to reduce
the amount Of fruit used. Another dis
agreeable practice is putting the best
of everything on top. These are dis.
honest tricks and customers resent such
treatment.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-10-31

Some good housewives that we know
Of keep supply Of canned vegetables
and canned meats on hand so that in
time Of emergency they may have some
source to which they may turn. The
fruits, vegetables, fish and meat which
come this way can be converted quick
~ into many delicate and palatable
dishes, and they are always sure to hit
the popular appetite.