davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Persian Peasants.

There is probably no peIsantry in
the world so ground down as the Per
sian. The agricultural laborer there.
as in China, never tries to amcliorate
his condition for the simple reason that
il he earns more more is taken away
from him by the rulers of the land.
The general condition of the laborins
classes, however, does not seem to be
SO bad as might be supposed. In Il
country so vast (1J000o square niles
and so thinly populated Ca,5Go.0o0 in
alb Il small and sufficient supply of
food is easily raised, especially with
such prolific soil at the command of
the poorest. At ShiraZ there are two
harvests in the year. The self, sowed
in summer and reaped in autumn, con
sists of rice, cotton, Indian corn and
garden produce, and the tchntoi is
sowed in October and November and
reaped from May till July. This is OK
clusively wheat and barley. Here also
grow grapes oranges and pomegran-
ates, for which latter Shiraz is famed.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Beware of overstocking the Pasture

For the last three years most Of
the territory covered by Wallace's
Farmer has received about 80 per
cent more than the average rainfall,
and as result pastures have been
luxuriant. While the quality was
not the best on account Of the large
water content, there has been an
abundance of it, and there has been
comparatively little danger of over
stocking. We know not what the
future may bring forth, but it is
certainly reasonable to expect that
the cycle of wet seasons has about
run its course, and will be followed,
as they have in the past so far as we
know, by cycle OF drier seasons.
eliminating in a year of drouth.
Farmers should therefore under
stand that they cannot safely calcu-
late on such rank pastures as they
have enjoyed Tor the last three or
four years, and should guard against
overstocking them.
By overstocking we mean putting
more cattle or other live stock on
pasture than it can support in the
very best condition. A little grass is
only a provocation. To pasture cat
tie in field that does not have
superabundance of pasture from the
middle of May.to the middle of July
is about the poorest possible econ
omy. 1t is bad for the cattle, but
worse for the pasture. Cattle do
best during these months when there
is at least twice as much as they
need. Intact, to get the best reults
out Of pasture you want to have
about half a ton Of possible hay to
the acre at least until the middle of
August. This is particularly the
case with regard to timothy and
clover. We can then calculate on
the surplus growth to carry them
through fly time in July and August,
and can expect the fall rains to
bring on sufficient crop for fall USE
Overstocking is bad for the stock;
it is quite as bad for the land. Every
farmer knows that to get profit out
of pasture land he must have the
soil fully covered with grass and fill
ed chock full of grass roots in a
thrifty condition. Close pasturing
invariably thins out the stand.
When the growth is short the hot
suns Of July and August parch the
ground and decrease the vitality of
the grass roots, and the result is a
thin and improbable fall pasture.
When you can see the dust rising
when the cattle run over the pasture
field you may know that you are
overpasturing.
Possibly this warning may not be
necessary this year, and, again, it
may. Give the live stock about
twice as much as you think they
need, and you will have during a
dry season more than you expect.
We know of no farm practice more
damaging than overstocking the
pastures If there is large amount
of pasture unused in Ii fall,
especially Of blue grass, don't
imagine thatit is wasted. Blue grass
will keep through the winter and
will furnish valuable feed two OF
three weeks before the ordinary
grazing season. In fact, we don't
know Of any better way to get cattle
on grass than putting them on a
blue grass pasture that has not been
closely eaten in the fall, and allow
ing them to take the dry grass and
the green grass together.-Wallace' Is
Farmer.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Why Life rrcser.ers Arc Useless.

Why Life PrcScrvers Arc Useless,
"On my ship" said the captain, 'the
stewards. the first day out. so to every
passenger and show just how the life
preservcrs are put OH.
"rhe steward first says:
Excuse me, sir. but do you know
now to manipulate Il life prcserver?'
why. yes; l suppose So, the pas
senger replies.
Then, sir. if you please says the
steward, getting Il prcsefvcr down.
And he hands it to the passenger to
put on.
"The passenger. nine times out of ten,
either puts the life prcservcr on wrong
or can't put it OH mt all. So the stew
ard shows him how to do it. He is i'm
pressed and grateful
"The life preservers, in IL shipwreck.
would be of little use, for nearly all
the passengers would be unable to get
into them. There should be maritime
law requiring Il passengers drill with
the preservers every voyage, so that
each passenger in catastrophe would
know how to save himself with the
means placed ut his disposal. AS
things are now, there might rs well be
no life preservcrs on slips."-I'hladel-
phia Bulletin.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
The Costliest Canes.

"a single joint malacca cane will al
ways fetch from Si0O to $500" said the
dealer.
"Why?'
Because malacca hardly ever grows
with enough space between the joints
to make Il single joint stick Usually
the joints are not more than Il foot
apart. When you find in Singapore
that is where malacca comes 1l.om-:l
piece of malacca with the joints five
feet apart, so that it will make single
joint stick. come to me, and will give
you $500 for it. NIalacca sticks with
the joints three feet apart are worth
$50 or $40. Snakewood sticks, if they
are marked well-snakewood comes
from British Guiana-;lre worth $40 or
$50. A yellow ebony stick : ebony
comes to us in logs from Ceylon and
Mauritius-is worth $50 or S25. Wang
hee, from China, makes an excellent
and costly stick. \ perfect wnnghec
is worth $20."-St. Louis Globe Demo
crat.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23

Again, at night when the work is
done you pick up the country week
ly from the old home back east.
You look over town news. scan the
blazing half.page ads and turn over
to the country correspondence. Not
that you were acquainted in every
neighbour cd from Pleasant Valley
to Pumpkin Ridge nor do you know
the present generation spoken Of in
tho news items. But here and there
is an oil family name that makes
you think and takes you back to the
good old days gone by. The old
tourist printer has been relegated to
the Junk pile by the linotype, the
city man takes his notes in short
hand, the editor dictates his matter
to an amanuens and from the type
writer it goes down the tube-the
revolution is complete, yet there is
one good, old-fashioned feature hold
ing over-the weekly copy from the
county correspondent. Nothing can
take his place. May he be with us
forever, because the paper needs
him and the readers appreciate him
and we want him, though he hasn't
improved a lick in spelling and
punctuation. OK Republi-
can.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Narrowing Growing Corn.

We have been taken to task some
what sharply in the past for express
ing ourselves as believing that it is
not a good policy under ordinary
conditions to harrow corn after it
makes its appearance above the
ground. Of course, on matters of
this kind it cannot be expected that
all will agree, this being partly due
to the fact that tie condition Of the
soil makes considerable difference in
the kind of attention that a crop
needs.
The growth of weeds is SO profuse
almost throughout the entire central
West that it is not surprising that
men go to extremes in their efforts
to destroy them while they are still
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23

The horse is always about to be
but never is put out of business.
On the appearance Of every new
agency of transportation the an
nouncement is solemnly made that
the horse, after passing through an
era of decreasing prices, will cease
and determine. Itwas so when rail
roads began to gain Roadway, when
bicycles came into use, when the
electric cars commenced to buzz
along the highways, when the auto
developed into something more
than a curiosity, and yet here the
horse is still with us and more valu-
able than ever. Statistics submitted
to the house Of representatives in
connection with the agricultural ap-
preparation bill show that there has
been a notable increase both in the
number and value of horses in the
United States in the last nine years.
The aggregate of horses Jan. l, 1906,
stood at lS,7lS,57S, against 4,3G4,-
667 at the corresponding date of
1897. Their total value increased
from $452, 2,649,39 in 1897 to ST.
5l0,SS9,9 S9,9O6.-Indianapolis News.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
A bret uarte Joke.

Sam Davis of Nevada once made
6ager that he could successfully imi-
Gate the style Of any living or dead
poet and do it so thoroughly that the
difference was not discernible and that
the public. the press and the critics
would not detect the fraud. AS "a re-
suit he wrote "Binley and 49," to which
be signed II. Bret Harte's name. The
fake was put out in publication
known as the Open Letter. 1t describ-
ed an engineer who took his train
through snowstorm in the Sierras, dy-
Ing at his post. From the Atlantic to
the Pacific the poem was copied
"Binley and 4G'' was given full page
In Leslie's Weekly, with portrait Of
Bret Harte, and described as "the best
short poem Of the decade" 1t was
many years before Mr.. Harte denied
Its authorship. The poem has since
been Incorporated in several books Of
popular recitations, Notwithstanding
Binley freezes to death beside roar.
ing locomotive furnace, with $50
pounds of steam up and two cords Of
wood within reach-Success Magazine.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Color schemes In nui,d,nr.

Strange how little we Americans do
with color. We Lave red brick house
or Il yellow bricl; house with a red tile
roof or Il green roof. and that's about
the gamut we run. Most beautiful ef-
fects cam be gained by the use of enam-
eled colors even on fiat surfaces; dainty
patterns can be worked out and bril-
liant yet harmonious effects gained
Our coloring schemes are tame. We
certainly have much to learn il that re-
spect from the Persians of Old. They
We're masters in enamel, and their
work was gorgeous. beautiful. With
us it is lack of taste: it certainly is net
lack of material. There are American
makers of tile that pfoluce material
equal to that of antiquity. the richest
colors and the most easily adapted
shapes.-Clay Worker.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
No Surprises In Dreams.

No one Is ever surprised in dream.
A man dreaming is at one moment
bathing in the sea and at the next mo-
ment soaring in Il balloon, but the sud-
den and ineXplicable change does not
surprise him, nor Is he surprised to
meet in the flesh friends long dead, nor
is he surprised to find himself doing
deeds that really are beyond him. The
reason is that drcamers have no mem
ory. In real life 10 be pursued through
the streets by Il lion would be astonish-
ing, but this accident would be accept
ed in dream as horrible. but quite
commonplace, the memory not being
there to say that 1t it is unheard Of for
lions to pursue one in cities. In the
same way, in dreams, men are not sur
priscd to find themselves ballooning be-
cause they don't remember that they
We're never up in IL balloon before, and
they are not surprised to find them
selves conversing with dead people be-
cause they don't remember that these
people are dead.-New York Press.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
The Color of Flames.

You have often noticed the many
tinted bars and bands that rise in tho
shape of "forlled tongues of flames
from wood burning in the CRATE. 1t is
ten to one, however, that you never
have thought to figure or the cause OF
the variegated hues presented by
flames. TO bring the matter quickly
to the point, we will say that the many
colors are the result of combustion
among the different elements OF the
wood. The light blue is from the hy
drogen and the white from the carbon
the violet Is from the manganese, the
red from the magnesia and the yellow
from the soda, which are constituent
parts of the wood.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
The stinEinr Iree.

The stinging tree of Australia some
what resembles gigantic nettle. 1t
has an unpleasant odor, and the ma
tives and native animals are careful to
avoid it. When man is stung by the
tree-or, to put 1t more prosaically
priclled by the trees thorn-thc little
wound gives him at first no pain what.
ever. But in few minutes madden.
ing pain is set up; the victim shrieks
and rolls upon the ground. For months
afterward when water touches the
stung part great agony ensues. Dogs
when stung rush about with piteous
whincs, biting pieces of flesh from the
place that has been stung.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23

young. This primarily is the reason
why we find the practice of harrow
ing the corn after it appears above
the ground so common. We object
to this practice because too much
corn is covered up and pulled out
A few years ago while attending a
farmers institute we heard gentle
man, who had farmed in the corn
belt for period of forty years, adj
wise farmers to go into their corn
ields after the plants appear and
harrow the surface well without
ever looking back to see how much
injury is done. He advised not
looking back because he no doubt
presumed that the sight would dis
courage anyone who had an ambition
to have a good stand. lie claimed
that the plants would come on, and
that the good done in the way OF
creating a mulch and destroying
weeds would much more than offset
the harm that would result from
thinning and covering.
In this theory we take no stock
whatever. We believe that it is an
cient doctrine, and that it has under
ordinary conditions long outlived
it's usefulness. We emphatically
believe in the practice of thoroughly
destroying all weeds by the use OF
disk or harrow Immediately before
planting, and we also encourage
narrowing as much as one has time
for until the plants appear above the
ground, but after that we beg to be
excused until the cultivator can be
used. OF course it is sometimes
possible TO use light weeder with
good results, but we have seen harm
done by the senseless use Of even
this implement.
Ii you are a believer in narrowing
growing corn we suggest. that you
leave strip unharrowed this year
and sometime during the season
make count of your stand on both
patches. If it has not been cut from
10 TO 20 per cent, then we assume
that your soil is comparatively light
and that such plants as are covered
up by the harrow are able to come
through light soil coating. If the
weather continues wet, as was the
case in 1904 and 1908, the mistake
of narrowing growing corn will be
almost fatal, because during those
Years the surface soil was so clammy
throughout large portion of the
corn belt that such plants as were
covered by the harrow never again
saw daylight.
The right plan in our opinion is
to fest the seed so that it will germi-
nate strong when planted, test the
planter SO as to plant just the
amCant OF seed.that you think should
be planted; keep the harrow out of
the crop after it makes it's appear
ance; cultivate the crop sensibly
three or four or possibly five times,
and you will have ten or fifteen
bushels per acre more than if you
put heavy harrow into your crop
any time during its growing period.
Homestead.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Who rises every time he falls vii
sometimes rise to stay.-Morris.


Housewives are apt to judge the
quality Of groceries by the price paid
for them. AS an illustration of this n
grocer tells the following story: 81
had two qualities Of tlour-one fine and
the other poor. One day accidentally
sold one for the other. My customers
who paid high price for the poor
quality, said that 1t had given entire
satisfaction, while those who had re-
celved the fine flour for low price
complained of it, and a few returned II
us unfit for use."
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Doctor. ana so1cmnity.

The days are past when every self
respecting doctor was expected to dress
In style tastefully blending the di-
vine with the undertaken. But n "sus-
talned and impenetrablc solcmnity" is
still priceless possession for those
who would achieve success in medi-
cine. If this is IL natural gift, so much
the better; If not. it should be acquired
at any cost-British Medical Journal.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
MICKEY ENDORSES SPELLING REFORM


| I've been called down n kecp NV times sens we
| been ut the ktse.
An woncc | told that prt oitoom man I'd like to
| smash his facr.
He ~ that kat spell ~ bi'. Gr do mutch eice
| beside,
An that my plonfs louk like I'd set um from a
kas3 aNSl pitc.
| But emmy how l spell my words the way tina ar
| pr0nounst.
| An if that don't Slo cOmOn sencc hO 20 may
| bel linst.
I'm GLAD that Andru Karnesee has sidei In wit
An 20. a lot of college profs to s, hat ,ha
1t prhves owr prnof-reeder is tong. and mo en-
| ackly rite.
He sez that "tung'' is alwaz. spelt It o-u.n-ge;"
Tia halnt no kind NV ssnce III that AS ciny won
| kin Sc;
Fur then "i-o-n-g-,rc'' Sool be knreckt fer
lung"
An such like llotic W. ~ for woids like bung"
Tta's lots nv wolds, as YOU allno. .int 81 cit
wit ehny scnce:
II, try to tell yous sum NV cm-the list tho is
immense
Lead" Is .bothersum; wat IL it. "leed" or
An then re adj Is bld; les mako it "resd"
An thare IL "d-o-ug-h;'' tina tel me 1t spells
"dce,"
But say FAY taat tough" spells "tuf instead NV
"laf;'
If that IL so how is that "c-a-l-f" spe's "caf?"
An wolds like rain" and 'reu" and "reign"-
les spell EN- awt the sane;
I wood show good sence to do 1t in this heer
fOnetlc game.
Then fits ''box" wy halnt 1t "sox;" kin emmy
body tel?
An then there's 'miget" and also "mite'- say.
wOt n way to Spe
I'm Jest agoin fer to rite tn Andru X Arnegee
An tel him his reformn' skeem was fust thot
NV by me.
spoze hell say that I'm the won for PRECEDENT,
you no,
Nv that fonetlk spelling klub hi, munoy will
make go.
1 bet we bring about reforms, far reachin' and
immens
I'll make that proof-room b:ss NV ourn look
wOrs'n thirty sence;
Fer wen he sees Its Inc that's rite an him the
won that's rong.
To show him wliar no gifts Off at wont take me
very long.
An wen the boss finds out that I've reformed
the speliin book,
He'll make mo proof-rOOm foreman, sure, elce
Pm much miStOok.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
The First Man Drcssmnkcr.

AS far back us 1870 there was in
Paris man dressmalier, probably
the first of his kind. His name was
Rhomberg, and he was the son of Il
Bavarian peasant from the neighbor-
hood of Munich. He owed his success
to his genius for concealing and rene
dying defects of figure. He drove Il
beautiful carriage ON the boulevard
and had an escutcheon in the shape
Of pair Of corsets and an open pair
Of scissors painted on the panel of each
door. He left a large fortune to his
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
London Notes and Queries.
pispe,l,ne a ua11uc,nntlon.

The Widow-Now, gettln' right down
teh cold, hahd facts, Nose, what am yo'
prospects? The Suitor-AIah dear, rs
got Il good Job as manageh OBJ laun-
dry in sight. The Widow-Well, yo
want teh git dat out OBJ sight an fo'glt
It! Nah last husband had dat same hal
luclnashun, but de lady who promised
teh lub, honeh an obey him positively
refused teh be de laundryLPuck.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Obstinacy.

There is something in obstinacy
which differs from every other passion.
Whenever it fails 1t never rccovers,
but either breaks like iron or crum-
bles sulkily away like fractured arch.
Most other passions have their period
of fatigue and rest, their sufferlngs
and their cure, but obstlnacy has no
resource, and the first wound is mortal.
johnson
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
I-NVIOuN CnIl0tIl,

There is Il great deal Of gush about
the charming and all conquering
American girl. What is the truth about
this much Landed damsel? The most
attractive American is she who is edu-
Gated abroad, who initiates the voice of
the Englishwoman and the dress Of the
Frenchwoman and who uses the money
accruing from Chicago pork or New
York stocks to buy, so far us such
things may be bought, the old world
graces of speech and attire.-Canadian
Magazine.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
For It's vocabulary,s Sake

Indirectly, more forcibly sometimes
than directly" said Il senator, "a man
may be accused"
''rhus good woman of Cincinnati
called her cook one morning and said:
Mary, come and take the parrot
out Of the bedroom at once. The mas
ter has lost his collar button.'"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Dodgine Him,

Mr.. Borem II didn't see you last
Sunday Miss Cutting Oh, you
must have IL you saw me at all! Mr..
Borem-I-er-beg pardon. don't un-
derstand. Miss Cutting-I say If you
saw me Sunday you must have seen
me last, for was careful to see you
first. Philadelphia Press.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
To scrnpe un Acquaintance.

''To scrupe an acquaintance" was
originated by the Emperor Hadrian.
Once when visiting the public bath he
found an old veteran scraping himself
with IL piece of broken crockery in lieu
of an iron or copper scraper. Hadrian
gave him IL sum of money to provide
the necessary materials for bath and
on his next visit to the institution
found it full Of veterans scraping them
selves with potsherds. "Scrape away,
gentlemen. but you shall not scrape an
acquaintance with me-" was Hadrian's
comment rs he went out.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23

Mr.. Wholesale : Want Il job, CHI
What can you do? Applicant Moth.
ing. Mr.. Wholesale : Say, YOU don't
want 'job." What you want is a
"position."-NewY York Press
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
Moving.

He~read the letter twice and then
said, 'rhis is one of the most moving
pieces of literature ever saw"
"Is it an appeal for ald?" asked his
wife.
"No. It's note from the landlord
saying he has raised the rent"
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
The Way of the Law.

A man who goes to law may not be
in the poor suitor class when he starts,
but is liable to be before he finishes
Washington Star.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23

An early use of this slang expression
Is to be found in some verses-proba-
bly, by Elllanah Settle-quoted by Wal
ter Thornbury in his "Old and New
London" from a poem on the Lord
Mayors Banquet of Sir Samuel FLUID
YER" 17G1, and apparently published at
the time:
Where are your eyes and ears?
See there what honorable gent appears!
London Notes and Queries.
Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-05-23
The Poet. Inconsistency.

"You speak of the brooks" said the
critic as he looked over his .rlend's
poem, "as the most joyous things in
nature"
$50 they are" said the poet.
"But you are inconsistent"
"Whyw
Because later on you say they are
ever murmuring"