davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
cRATERs OF DIAMONDS.
Barney 5arnato and the Secret Of the
Blue Rock.

Barney Barnato and the Secret Of the
Blue Rock.
1t is now generally believed that
diamonds are formed in the earth
by extreme heat and pressure. Bar
"ey Barnato, the South African
diamond magnate, was one of the
first men to fathom the secret of
the source of the Kimberley dia-
monds and to make fortune from
his knowledge. The pioneers work
ed in the yellow earth which lay on
the surface and found diamonds
there in abundance. How they
came there the men could not i'm
agine. When they had got through
this layer of yellow earth and touch
ed the blue rock underlying it their
hearts sank. They thought they
had come to the end of their riches.
Barnato, however, did not believe
that the gems had been deposited
from above. He believed that
what they were working in we're
really the craters of extinct volca-
noes, that the diamonds had been
forced up from below and that
whence these had come more and
greater were to follow. SO he
bought every claim he could, and
time indicated his judgment.
He did not make his guess public
property. The ordinary man when
he found his layer of yellow ground
run low made haste to sell out to
the initiated. One man who had
reached this stage obliged a friend
by allowing him to dump upon his
claim the yellow earth which had
been worked and sorted. Then he
found newcomer who was looking
for a claim rich in yellow deposit.
The novice paid $4,000 for the site
and thought that he had virgin
yellow upon which to work. AS a
fact, he had to go down into the
blue before he handled diamond.
But the bitter was bitten. The
claim which was sold for $4,000
soon began to pay out of the blue
rock and then could not have been
rebought for 100000. Barnato
would have given $4,000 for it and
taken the risk, but he did not hear
anything of the transaction until
the tenderfoot had bought and the
man who thought himself clever
had departed.-Chicago News.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
Stood by His Dad.

Once when John Van Buren,, son
of President Van Buren,, was max
ing speech in behalf of his father
an old Democrat rose in the audi
ence and upbraided him as bolter.
Few men were more effective OH the
stump or quicker at repartee than
John, and he replied to the charge
with an anecdote something like
this:
Gone day a man on horseback
came up with a boy who was con-
tending with an overturned load of
hay. Instead of tossing the hay
back i'll the wagon, the boy was en-
ergctically tossing it hither and
thither, regardless of where it land
cd. The traveller halted and said
My young friend, why do you work
so furiously this hot weather? Why
do you not toss the hay back in the
wagon and be more deliberate in
your labor?' The boy stopped, wiped
the streaming perspiration off his
face on his shirt sleeve and, point
ing to the pile of hay on the road
side, exclaimed, Stranger, dads un-
der thar and then he set about
work more furiously than ever"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
Tho Great Unknown.

Newton at his death said to his
friends, who expressed their admira-
ton Of his discoveries, 81 do not
know what | may appear to the
world, but to myself l seem to have
been only like boy playing on the
seashore and diverting myself in
now and then finding a smoother
pebble or a prettier shell than ordi-
nary, while the great ocean of truth
lay undiscovered before me-"
The same thought passed in La
places mind when, dying, he said to
his friends, "What we know is but
little; what we do not know is inn
measurable" Gassendi, the man Of
approved morals, religion, science
and humanity, a minute before his
death whispered into friends ear
the sad confession, 81 was born
without knowing why, l have lived
without knowing how, and now /
die without knowing either why or
how"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
WEST BRlDGEwATER

Mrs. Lena Smith Of Rutland came
to A. A. Pinney's Tuesday night.
Mrs, Fred Tarbell of Plymouth
has been caring for her father, A. j.
Pinney.. A nurse from Rutland is
caring for Ernest.
A. J. and Ernest Pinney are little
more comfortable this "wednesday
morning,
Charles Hill was in Rutland
Monday.
Mrs. S. B. Spaulding and J. E.
Willis went to North Shrewsbury
Thursday.
Frank Wardwell got his thumb
caught in the stretcher lathe and DR..
White dressed it for him.
w. A. Spaulding of Bridgewater
Corners is'helping H. H. Spaulding
for a few days.
Mr.. and Mrs. Mills OF West
Woodstock were guests at F. w.
Spaulding's Friday.
Clarence Pinney and daughter
returned to Rutland Wednesday.
The boiler for Rooney's mill
arrived Tuesday. 1t weighs nine
tons.
Among those for whom c. B.
Corey has put in new telephones
are: Francis Hadley 1922, B. c.
Hill 1881, postoffice 81, E. J.
Bridge 9-5.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
As 10 a State License Board.

1t is to be hoped that Governor
Proctor's recommendation for a state
license board will meet with opposi-
ton strong enough to forestall any
serious consideration of change in
that direction by the Legislature.
Local option is now having trial,
and the suggestion that another com
mission be saddled ON the state as
sole manager of the liquor business
in every town seems unpleasant and
unwise
There is even suggestion of poll
tics now in the appointment of
license commissioners by assistant
judges but the possibilities OF job
berry and corruption in an autocratic
tate board arouse, louder protest,
though the proposition is a legacy
from tlo Proctor family.
The Brattleboro Phoenix alludes
approvingly to the work of the New
Hampshire state board of license
commissioners, which" it says,
Seems to do effective work without
meddling in politics" Possibly it
does. For instance. Walpole and
Cornish are not normally license
towns; at least it is hardly suppose
BILE, but they have wholesale liquor
dispensaries, placed there by the
power of the license commissioners
for the Generalization of the neigh
borhood. This is some of its effective
work, but it is not understood that
similar powers are to be vested in a
Vermont commission, should it be-
come a. reality.
Again, the border line saloon in
Braintree is held up as horrible
example of the working of the pres
ent plan of appointing license com
mission ers, and Middlesex is, or was,
another instance. Hayville is still
to be heard from. There are two or
three towns where neigborhood nui-
sances have been erected, but their
existence is very weak plea for the
remova of the license business from
every one of the states 246 towns.
Nothing would be simpler, it would
seem, than to empower local license
commissioners to control the location
of saloons to the extent of eliminat-
ing these boundary line rum holes
which prejudice the interests of we'll
watered villages in the vicinity.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
THE LEGISLATURE.

More than quorum was present
when the Legislature reconvened
Monday and 80 or more bills were
handled by both houses.
An important bill was introduced
by Mr.. Williams Of Newport, seek
ing to establish a district court in
every county of the state, which shall
try all causes up to $4,000 and have
ihe right of appeal directly to the
supreme court. They would also
handle criminal cases Of the minor
character, The salaries of the
judges are to be fixed by the COM
mittee reporting the bill.
Senator Kidder of Windsor in
,oduced bill.which provides that
boaid d of health will make free
stribution of anti-toxin to physi-
c..'ns vino apply for the same.
X movement was set on foot
M, nday by Speaker Cheney and
oth,r state officials to keep the mem
hers OF the General Assembly in
Montpelier through election week,
bill in the House providing for
voting FOR presidential electors at
the state house.
One { the measures introduced
MONDAY ,ftcrnoon was one by Til
den Of Barre to amend the liquor
Lazy, plogilng for the election Of
license commissioners by towns and
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
VERMONT SHEEP AND TARIFF
E. p. Wheeler Gives Results Of a
Personal Inquiry in State.

Some idea of the effect of the
present tariff on sheep raising in
New England is conveyed by Ever
EFT P. Wheeler of the New York
Reform club, in . letter summarize
ing the results of a recent personal
inquiry in Vermont, and transmitted
through Secretary Arthur ]. We'll
lington Of the Massachusetts Reform
club.
Mr.. Wheeler addressed the Massa-
chusetts Reform club at its dinner of
Oct. 9, when ex-Secretary of the
Treasury Leslie M. Shaw was pres
ent and spoke on the subject, "What
shall be done with the Dingley
tariff" Mr.. Wheeler has been for
years past pronounced tariff re-
former and at the present time is
urging a moderate revision OF the
tariff at the present session of the
next congress. He says in his letter:
"After the discussion of the tariff
between Mr.. Shaw and myself, l
went into Vermont incidentally to
inquire into the effect OF the tariff
upon the wooden industry.
''In the town of Weathersfield
was informed that there was not
single sheep, and that the farmers
found the dairy business more profit
able. In this town, under the opera
ton of the tariff Of 1857, which put
wool on the free list with the con-
sent of majority of the representa-
tives from New England), there
were thousand sheep.
sin this town lived Consul Jarvis,
who introduced the merino sheep
into this country. He was Henry
Clay " hig. but he approved putting
wool on the free list because he knew
that wooden goods were made from
mixed woods, and it was for the
interest of the wooden mills to buy
their foreign wool as cheap as posi-
BILE, and that in this way the pro
duction of wooden goods in this
country would be increased, and
consequently the production of
native wool.
81 also found that the price which
was being paid in Windsor county
for unwashed wool of medium
quality was eighteen cents per
pound. This is less than the price.
which prevailed under the tariff of
1857. 1t is obvious that the duty for
eleven and twelve cents on first and
second class woods has not operated
to raise the price of wool, but only
to increase the price Of wooden
clothes, blankes and the like.
"On looking at the quotation on
wool in London, found that the
price OF Australian wool, under the
tree trade in London, was as high
as the price of Vermont wool in
Vermont, under the so-called pro-
tective tariff.
"All this shows, to my mind, the
absurdity of Mr.. Shaw's contention
that there should be no protection
in spots Put into plain English,
this means that we should have a
tariff like the present Dingley bill,
which obstructs foreign trade as
much as possible, and Injuries the
consumer far more than it benefits
the producer"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
GAS To7EA.
,.,,+b. >,Ths Kind You Have Always BOQ
' So + &hAzz7a1
A HEAVY SWORD.
The Way the Bright "super" Handed II
to the Actor.

The Way the Bright "super" Handed Il
to the Actor.
II. J. Byron was once engaged in
stage managing a SHOW" in the
provinces and had, if possible, an
even denser lot. of supers to deal
with than usual. One of these had
to hand him sword at the wings,
the exigencies of the part requiring
that he should leave the stage for
the purpose of fetching such a
weapon.
On the first evening Byron was
considerably annoyed at the super's
want of manners in handing him
the sword by the blade instead Of
politely proffering the handle.
"You evidently do not know how
to hand sword to gentleman, +"
said the actor-manager when the
curtain was down. 'I'll show you.
You hold it by the blade, with the
handle over your shoulder, and
when you have to transfer it you
lean forward with polite bow and
bring the handle gently down into
the recipients hand-thus."
The super averred that he under
stood and that Byron might count
on him the following night.
Sure enough, when that came
around, there he was, a quarter of
an hour before it would be required,
with the sword duly poised and its
handle well over his shoulder. Thus
he stood at the wing waiting the
actors advent, totally unmoved by
the laughter his precaution-and
something else-gave rise to in 9th
ers of the company.
When Byron at length came ex-
citedly for the weapon our friend
showed he had learned his lesson
well. With polite bow he brought
the handle down into the actors
outstretched palm.
With a yell the latter dropped
it and then proceeded to vent his
wrath on the astonished subord
nate. The handle was nearly req
hot, for in his anxiety to make u,
mistake about having it propcrl
over his shoulder the uncons1iou
super had been holding it for a
least ten minutes in the fame of
gas jet.-London Tit-Bits.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
EAST BARNARD

James Noonan was guest at
David Dykes in Bethel Saturday.
Mrs. Emma Cox was a recent
guest at M. H. and F. H. Billings.
Clarence Chadwick has finished
work at Roy Aliens. !
Mrs. w. L. Allen has returned
from trip to Wayland and Weston,
Mass, where she has been visiting
relatives.
Frank Snow was in Montpelier
Tuesday to attend the reunion of the
9Th VT. Regt.
Mrs. Haley, who has been keeping
house for George Snow, is visiting
friends in Concord, N. H.
Work is progressing on the old
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
CHURCH SERVICES.

Congregational--.Rev. Benjamin
Swift, pastor. Morning service at
1890, Sunday school at 1850.
Thursday evening prayer meeting at
100, Vesper service at s.
Univel salist- Rev. Ralph Hol
brooke Cheever, pastor; morning
service at 1890, Sunday schoo! at
II.45.
Methodist Episcopal Rev. II. J..
Chrvstie, Phi. D., pastor. Parson-
age, 6 Mountain avenue. Services
Sundays Preaching, 1890 a. m. t;
Sunday school, Hasa a. M; preach
ing, 100 p. M; Thursday prayer
meeting, 7'3o p. m.
Catholic Rev. E. c. Drouhin,
pastor. Mass at II m. evening
service at .7.3o.
Services will be held the fourth
Sunday of each month at Village
hall, Quechee, at 9 o'clock, and at
Barnard, at the town hall, on the
second sunday or each month at 9
O'Clock
St. James-kev. Charles S. Lewis,
rector. Holy Communion every
Sunday, 1880 a. m. First Sunday in
month H. 80 a. m. Morning Prayer
and Sermon 1890 Il. M, Evening
Prayer and Sermon 500 p. m.
Saints Day, Holy Communion 10
a. m.
Christian Rev. w. A. Leonard,
pastor. Services Sunday: Preach
ing at 1890 a. M; Sunday school at
IL; Junior Christian Endeavor at
5 p. M; Y. P. S. c. E. at 7.3o p.
M; mid-week prayer meeting
Thursday evening at 7.3o p. m.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
Election Day, November 8.

1t looks like Bryan to the Demo
cratic enthusiasts while the Repub-
licans are equally confident. Most
of the forecasts of last Sundays pa
pers favored Taft. The New York
Times, a conservative prophet, places
Taft's vote at 2S6, Bryan's 1872, with
three states in doubt.
The New York Herald says Taft
will have at least 2S0 electoral votes.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
RAIsIN WEED.
brass Rugs With Which the sarSasSs
Sea 10 Strswn.

- -
When a ship approaches the Sar-
gasso sea it appears to be heading
straight for a meadow thickly car
peted with coarse autumnal grass or
a Scottish moor covered with yellow
gorse. A nearer view discloses
what appear to be innumerable
small islets, generally round in
shape and varying in width from
90 to 100 yards. These islets are
intersected with lanes of clear wa
ter, and where the blue of a cloud
less sky is reflected in these open
channels the yellow color of the
islets becomes intensified by con-
trast to bright golden. When a stiff
breeze begins to blow they change
form, frightening out in broad, un-
dulating strips, all moving with the
wind. Each strip unites with the
one ahead Of it, but the distance
between them on each side remains
uniform and never becomes wide
enough to admit of the passage Of
a ship or narrow enough to close
up altogether. This produces the
strange effect of blue ocean even
ly striped with parallel bands Of
yellow.
When the sea is perfectly smooth
again the strips resume their usual
round or oval shapes, and a vessel
moving through them has the ap-
pearance of a ship sailing over q
meadow. Closer inspection shows
the floating yellow stuff to be COM
posed of compact masses of a trop-
ical species Of seaweed, which, torn
from the bottom of the gulf by the
fury of the storms, drifts into the
circular currents of the Sargasso
sea and remains there until it slowly
decays under the hot rays of the
sun. The yellow color is due to
clusters of amber hued berries ex-
actly like punches of grapes with
which it is covered and which cause
sailors to call it raisin weed. II
lis also full of marine life. Tiny
crabs scurry to and fro across it,
aquatic spiders Turk among the Der
ries, and microscopic shellfsh Of va
rious kinds cling to the stalks. Most
people who cross the Sargasso sea
want to take home specimen OF
this famous weed, and an obliging
sailor usually lowers a bucket over
the side and scoops it up. Enclosed
in a wide mouthed bottle filled with
sea water and tightly corked, it will
keep long time.-New York Press,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
NOTHING, BETTER THAN PAGES
PERFECTED POULTRY FOOD"

d. ]. Lambert Of Apponaug, r. l.,
the maker of the famous death to
Lice" remedies, and who is known all
over the country as a poultry expert,
says there is nothing better than
"Page's Perfected Poultry Food
Here are his exact words: 'RatIons
should vary with different seasons.
Some kind of animal food is necessary
at all times, and have found nothing
better or handler than Pages Per-
fected Poultry Food"
If you want to know more about this
food and the best ways of using 1t,
white to G. s. Page, Hyde Park, VT, for
his booklet, profitable Poultry" 1t
will be sent free, postpaid, to anyone
mentioning this paper.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

were several answers and such as
maintained that the problem was
unsolvable:
When first the marriage knot was tied
Betwixt my wife and me
Ny age did hers as far exceed
Az three times three does three,
But when ten years and half ten years
We man and wife had been
Her age came up as near to mine
As twice four Ia to sixteen.
Now, tell me, Captain David Gray, / pray,
What were our ages on tho wedding day?
David Gray was a noted writer
of mathematical subjects who lived
at that time.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

Ohio is trying county local option
and in places it works disastrously
for the temperance cause. Thirty
three Of the SO counties thus far vot-
ing have gone dry" but wet"
victory followed contest in one
county in which there are several
cities Of considerable population
License is therefore imposed on ODER
lin, in that county, college town
though it gave "dry" majority Of
I'll.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

cheese factory, to convert the lower
part into a Grange hall.
E. S. Bradley was in Woodstock
Monday.
AS HERNIA Allen and wife were
riding near E, S. Brailey's Monday
the axle OF the wagon broke. For
tunately neither of them was injured.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

"Well, subj" said the old darby
IN reply to a question of the Judge,
Il deg bout ez OF ez what de OF
tree is what STAINS in my white
folks yard"
Sand how old is the tree ?"
"Well, sub, ter git down exac', dat
tree is de same age ez de brick house
whar de white folks live at, witch is
bout ez OF ergin ez what de barn is
an twice ez OF ez de mule stablep
Atlanta Constitution.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

cities instead OF their being appointed
by assistant judges.
FOR STATE FAIR PREMIUMS.
Mr.. Bacon of Hartford introduced
a bill appropriating $4,000 annually
for the years 1909 and 1910 for the
use of the State fair commissioners
in offering premiums.
Mr.. Perkins of Pomfret introduced
bill which is OF interest to owners
OF dairy herds in the state. This
bill providss that when tuberculosis
cattle are slaughtered by order of the
state cattle commissioner, the state
shall pay 50 per cent. Of their ap
praised value, instead OF rs per cent,
as at present.
Senator Kidder of Windsor intro
duced a bill providing state aid to
such schools as may have courses in
manual training. Such schools and
courses must be approved by super.
intendent OF education. To commit
tee on state and court expenses.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
Got What He Wantsd.

GOOD morning, uncle. How are
you today"
"Ah, nephew, | am well. How
are youH"
"First rate. Guess what brought
me here"
ooh, the old story, I suppose"
T'll bet you 5 shillings you can't
guess"
'G'll take It'll You came here to
borrow some money"
you've lost Pay me the 5 shil-
lingsl | only wanted to inquire
how aunt is today!"-London Tele-
graph.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
A Serious Joke.

A noted joke immortalized in Le-
ver's "Charles O'Malley" was &C
tually perpetuated by Mr.. Frederick
Welcome, student in Trinity col
lege, Dublin. Mr.. Welcome pre-
tended to hear a voice in the sewer
and persuaded the mob that pris-
oner had escaped into the sewer
from the Jail and that he was per-
ishing there. The mob excavated
the street. The troops were called
out, and a riot followed.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
Woo stOok, VT, Oct. 81, 1908

The lard-worked Senate has voted
a four-days vacation, allowing the
members to go home and cast their
ballots. The House killed Senator
Kidder's resolution providing for an
election day recess by vote of l57
to II.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

Here is an odd little piece of dog
gerel which appeared in the London
Gentleman's Magazine many years
ago and which gave rise to much
discussion. Correspondents seem to
have been pretty evenly divided be-
tween those who claimed that there
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
Typhoid Fever at South ROyaItOn.

Three cases of typhoid fever have
developed in the home of DR.. D. E.
bearing at South Royalton. The
doctor, boy attending school, and
a housemaid are very III.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

1t is said that one of the automo-
bile manufacturers is going to ex-
hibit "wind wagon" at one of the
shows this winter. 1t probably looks
good deal like the back platform
Of Pullman car.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31
BIRTHS.

In Woodstock, Oct 20, son to Mr.. and
Mrs. j. p. Goddard.
In South Reading. October 7, IL son to
Mr.. ana Mrs. John Sawyer.
In Barnard, October g. a daughter to
Mr., and Mrs. Fred Morgan.
In Taftsville, October q, son to Mr.. and
Mrs. VIM. Osnler.
In West WOODSTOCK October %, a daugh-
ter to Mr.. and Mrs. Leslie Cowdrey.
In Bridgewater October IL, son to Mr..
and Mrs. Gilbert Adams.
In Bridgewater, October 8, q son to Mr..
and Mrs. Vim. Bradley.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-31

1t is said that some one has sent
one of the treasurerS of one of the
large national mittees a bunch
of $1,000 in confederate money.