davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
The College side-shows Again.

When College President Woodrow Will
son declared the other day that in the
colleges the social and athletic side
shows had swallowed the circus, Presi-
dent Schurman of Cornell was prompt to
assure the public that though that might
be true of some of the Eastern universi-
ties where the social end of things loom
ed up big, conditions altogether different
obtained in the newer universities like
Cornell and In the great State universi'
ties OF the West. We notice that at the
University of Michigan last week the
Commencement address was delivered
by Prof. Charles Mills Gayley, OF the
University of California, who pleaded,
the papers say, "for greater attention to
study and less to functions such as class
meetirgs, business meetings, editorial
meetings, football rallies, pajama rallies,
and vicarious athletics on the bleachers. "
Talking rubbish increasingly, thinking
rubbish INCREASINGLY" said Professor
Gayley, "with all this, what margin is
left fc. the one activity of the college,
which Is study?" This sounds uncom.
monty like the complaint of distraction
which was filed by DR.. Wilson, and yet
it was made by teacher from California
before his learned brethren at Ann
Arbor. 1t looks as though our colleges
came nearer to being tarred all with the
same stick than DR.. Schurman supposes.
Professor Gayley went ON to say:
"Let US encourage our high schools to take
over the hrst two years work now covered by
our colleges"
"The "first two years. work now Gov
cred by our colleges" which DR.. Gayley
speaks of seems to consist largely OF dis
fractions and side-show interests. Nov
II all that could be taken over by the
high schools, leaving the scholars ready
for serious work when they got to col.
lege, what a great thing that would b.
for the colleges! The high.school boyi
have tried their best all over the country
to do this very thing, but the authorities
have usually discouraged them.-Har
per's Weekly.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
A Celebrity Game.

Cut out from magazines the pictures
Of noted people and then cut of their
heads. That sounds rather savage. but
AS you are To supply them with new
heads il isn't as unkind rs II seen
Cut the figures out in outlines al
paste them Oh uniform pieces OF ca
board and then take all the heads
paste them on To other bodies. Sol.
times the effect Is startling. and the
strange thing is that IL Is extremely
hard to recognize head when II mas
somebody else's body. To play the
game number each piece of cardboard
and write down on paper who the
person Is to whom the head belongs.
or course the players must not see
this paper. but must be given the
pie, cs Of cardboard To look over. After
tlI,. have guessed as many rs they
can and written down the names on
papers read them the correct list. or
course the winner Is the one who made
the best guesSes.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
THE GIRAFFE.
Africa's Second Story Worker With
the lona Distance Neck.

the Long Distance Neck.
The giraffe is the second story work
er Of the animal kingdom 1t Is a
merger OF the zebra and the camel and
is also a distant relative Of the palm
tree. The giraffe consists Of eight feet
Of neck equipped with body Mt one
end and a head ut the other In the
matter Of neck II has all the rest Of
the animal kingdom beaten by a
length. The CRATES mouth is located
80 far from its stomach that 1t has
to eat today to appease tomorrow's ap-
petite. Many q giraffe has starved to
death while the first meal It had eaten
for two weeks was slowly travelling Its
transcontinental esophagus.
The giraffe looks as II II had started
out to be zebra. but. having reached
the shoulders. had kept on going. 1t Is
very dark in color. marked by yellow.
Ish brown stripes In a handsome lin
oleum pattern II lives on tree tops
eagles nests and rainbows. During
the Boer war the British army had
some difficulty with giraffes. which
formed a great liking for war balloons
and frequently nlbbled them during
their flight In order to inhale the gas.
Why does the giraffe have a long
distance neck7 Persons given to the
use OF common sense will realize that
Africa Is rich in insect life as well as
animal life and that all African AMI
mails carry innumerable parasites on
their hides. The giraffe's head Is SC
far from bis body that long neck Is
absolutely necessary in order that be
may reach down and grab of tick
from his fetlock when necessary
Even a child could see this.-Collier''
Weekly
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Feeding the Dairy Cow.

Some practical dairymen will say
never feed grain feed or any kind OF
feed to a cow when she is being MIXED; !;
others say always give the cow some
thing to be licking at when she is being
milked, and more milk will be Secreted
by the COW. My own opinion Is that it
makes little difference 80 far as the food
is concerned. 1t does make difference
as regards the habit of the cow and the
habit of her mixer. The secretion of
milk is partly if not wholly mental
process. That an angry or excited hu.
man mother will secrete milk for her
babe that does not agree with the babes
digestion is a known fact, and mad or
excited cow will not secrete as much
milk during the time she ia being milk
ed as the cow that is happy. Now to
the point: If cow is happy in the
expectation that she is to be fed some
thing she likes after she is milked, and
is being MIXED by a person she is in
sympathy with, she likely wilfproduce
a full flow of milk; but If her mixer is q
person she has no respect for, or bois.
ferrous fellow, she will, if of nervous
temperament, not produce the quantity
of milk she would were her attention be-
ing drawn toward eating food, and she
would not be thinking of her mixer or
her surroundings. 1t therefore depends
upon circumstances and dispositions OF
COWS and their mixers more than 1t
does upon whether COWS in general are
eating when they are being MIXED or
not. The all important thing is to keep
the old COW good natured and happy.
Some very fine meals had better be
moistened little, as they will be relish
ed better, and it takes too much saliva
to moisten them. Ordinary grains
ground into meal, like corn and oats
ground together, can be fed jnst as
we'll unmixed with moisture. Slop
foods, SO that COW half drinks them,
are not so valuable as if the meals they
are made of were fed dry, as general
rule, subject to exceptional conditions.
&C. D.. Smead, V. S., in Tribune Farm
er
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
The Study of Trees.

Summer is filled with possibilities for
profitable study and recreation combin-
ed and no subject can be better adapted
to the use of the work among the young
er members of the Grange than the
study of trees. Many men and women,
particularly the latter, spend long lives
in ignorance of all the names of the trees
except the most common ones. Re-
GENTLY a member of one of the Oswego
County's Oranges was asked to bring to
the Grange specimens of as many diner
ept kinds of trees as he could find in the
immediate vicinity and he responded
with an exhibit of sixty different varie-
ties and named two more kinds which
he knows of but hadn't time to secure.
This boys father happens to be stu
dent of nature and helped in naming the
varieties. A guessing contest on the
kinds of trees was called for but proved
a failure as no one tried to guess more
than a few and in most cases were wrong
in their guesses. The specimens were
fair sized pieces from trunks or limbs,
showing we'll the bark and color of the
wood. Later in the season Leaf ex-
hibit would be very interesting. The
full grown leaf should be spread out
and fastened to a card so that its forma-
ton can be plainly seen. To arouse an
interest in the minds of the children IN
this most important subject may help IN
the future toward the reforesting OF ou'
country.
The Juvenile picnic which is greatly
enjoyed by all can be made a time Oh 10
struction as well as pleasure it some In
terested person makes the occasion ont
OF study of the trees to be found in tht
chosen woods. In note books each kline
can be jotted down together with tn
general appearances, habits OF growth
and the use made of the tree. In futur'
studies these notes may be OF grea
value to the student as location OF varie
ties often troubles the young botanist an.
any knowledge of habits is 80 muci
gain.-Grange Review.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Soil Preservation.

Every farmer knows that certain crops
improve while others impoverish the
soil. But it is not necessary to confiue
ones attention to the improvers alone.
To build up farm one should study the
matter of crop rotation. This is mat
ter for you to decide for yourselves. /
am not able to suggest here any rotation
for general use, as different crops would
have to be used on different soils and
also different men would find different
crops more paying and more convenient.
find that on the clay rotation of
cowpeas, followed by wheat, this by
clover sown in the wheat and winding
up with corn gives convenient and
beneficial rotation. This is four-year
rotation. The soil will hold its own
with such rotation, but to build up more
rapidly we leave out the wheat and
break up the pea stubble for the clover.
We make a practice of sowing peas in
the corn at last blowing for fall pasture.
This proves great help to the land and
also very useful pasture because of
the time of the year. We sometimes SOW
winter rye for pasture and turn 1t under
in the spring for corn or clover or past
ure the cowpeas and plow under the
vines for wheat. These crops of green
manure work a marvellous effect and in
a very short time. 1t is supposed that
one cannot afford to plow under crop
in this way, but since it is crop of but
little feed value the gain to the clover,
corn OF wheat crops will make good the
loss, to say nothing of benefit received
by following crops.
There is very often an objection raised
to this plan of soiling, claiming that it
will make the land sour. 1t is not the
added humuS but the imperfect drain
age system that makes the land sour.
might add that many soils are supposed
to be much less fertile than they really
are because they are not drained. The
soil becomes cold and close and event
ually becomes acid, which Injuries the
growing crops. The unhealthy plants
cannot extract the chemicals from the
soil no matter how plentiful such plant
foods may be.
Thing is not used as plentifully as it
should be. There are no doubt many
places on your farm that tiling would
work to perfection. The tight soils can be
drained by open bitches. We have no tile
whatever and feel the need of none, al
though our drainage system is not what
it might be. The closeness OF the soil
and the lay of the land make open ditch
es successful.-E. j. Reed in Rural
World.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20

sometimes IA little yellow mixed IN.
They have very Hat, three toed feet
built for swimming. vt the back of
the foot Is u very small fourth toe that
looks as il il started To grow, but
never did.
: The penguin has tlippers that resem-
BILE wings. but are really no wings AT
all. and the bird cannot fly. These
clippers are used as paddles to help the
penguin along fast in the water On
land they are used like the fore feet OF
an animal-to walk on When the pen
yuin desires To move over the ground
it dumps down upon all fours and
crawls along.
Really IL is hard IL say whether the
penguin's front ilippers are wings.
arms or lins. They have no feathers,
but are furnished with Scalclike
covering. In swimming these tiippers
move with tremendous rapidity. shoy-
ing the penguin through the water SO
fast one cannot tell whether II Il
bird or fish. Ii Is Il warm blooded
creature. however. and has 10 breathe
air like any other bird. Ii Is n won
derful diver and dips down many feet
into the sea for its food.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
A Garden Lover.

One OF the richest things about gar.
den is the pleasure derived from watch.
ing things grow. Much as love the
mature vegetables and flowers, l find
great delight in observing the daily
growth of the young plants. Every day
during the growing season l take note
of the progress my garden is making.
What a joy to see the plants pushing up
through the soft soil! What sight is
more delightful than q row of young
beans that spring up during the night to
greet you in the morning? The rapid
development of the young onion is quite
inspiring. The jealous eagerness of the
young potato plant is a source of gen.
uine optimism. l take personal in
terest in my plants, and try to get on
terms of utmost intimacy with them.
They and maintain the most friendly
relations. try to be good and appre-
ciative friend to each one of them, and
they are the truest and most satisfac-
tory friends 1 have in the world.
count myself wonderfully enriched by
my possession of their sympathy and
confidence.
never measure the worth of my gar
den in dollars and cents. That is poor
way to measure the worth of anything
anyhow. My garden is estimated in
terms of joy and satisfaction. A fine
ripe tomato is a wholesome article Of
food, tits true; but it is more than that /;
it is a thing of beauty, delight to the
eye and comfort to the heart. l think
my vegetable garden pays for itself in
financial returns, but am not quite GER
tain about that. / confess have never
counted up to see. But l do know that
it pays in substantial pleasure. would
grow 1t if it paid no better than the
roses | raise or the songs | sing. The
very sight of the growing plants and the
vegetables is worth more than
money in the bank. Why, that back
yard garden is veritable oasis in life's
arid plains, and the eyes dance at the
sight of it like the heart of the desert.
worn wayfarer as he comes into view of
a palm grove in the midst of the great
waste.-Cor. Country Gentleman.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Why Clocks Have Four Is.

Why are four rs used in the place
Of the usual " to show the number
OF four on the face Of old clocks? The
four Is are used because Of the OBJ
stinacy of Charles V. OF France. When
Henry Wick carried 10 the king the
first accurate clock the king said TO
him that " was wrong and should be
changed 10 iii.
Vick said. you are wrong, your
majesty
Wbereat the king thundered out: 81
am never wrong! Take II away and
correct the mistakew From that time
to this day the four Is have stood as
the mark of the fourth hour.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
A Strange Bird
OF Southern Seas

Sometimes 1t seems as IL nature tired
q little of serious work and wanted to
amuse herself. Then she forms odd
beasts, birds or fish. 1t must have
been In one Of her humorous moods
that Mother Nature created the pen
guin, that strange fishlike bird Of the
southern hemisphere. 1t is never found
I'm the northern and Is most around the
southern point of South America. On
the coasts Of Patagonia are great
fiocks Of penguins. Where not blade
Of grass is found these birds can live,
because they subsist on a fish diet en-
tirely and mind the cold no more than
a polar bear does.
These birds have the odd habit OF
standing erect, like man. The lar
gest varieties Of the tribe are the king
penguin and emperor penguin. When
standing up straight they are nearly
three and one-half feet high. They
have dark backs, while the front OF
their bodies is shining white, with
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Farm Help Working on Schedule.

once observed the labor problem
very satisfactorily solved on a farm in
Oxford County where certain farmer
was carving on a milk farm Of 40 cows.
This mans neighbors were always
struggling with the hired man question.
They could never get men when they
wanted them and when they secured
help it was of such an unworthy char
acter that it was of little value. An
analysis of the situation disclosed the
fact that save this man there were none
of the farmers doing more than frac-
ton of what they might do or ought
under the circumstances to have done.
They were living along under loose
plan or no plan at all, keeping all the
way from none to perhaps one half OF
the cows their farm would sustain, rails
ing a little sweet corn, keeping a few
pigs, growing small garden, cutting
some hay and little timber and cord
wood. Aside from the cost OF living
there was not enough cash made on the
farm to think of hired help only as an
exception.
Unfortunately a man will not remain
in the country the whole year to work
rev weeks dt SpeSiai ti"oS' "" WV
farm above noted, however, there was a
plan. At a fixed time in the morning
the men got at work. Each man had
his particular work to do all of the time.
The farmer took his place with his men.
At 8 O'Clock p. NJ. all the work was done
and the men were ready for supper.
This rule was lived up. If man want
ed to get off for day or week all he
had to do was to say so and all hands,
farmer and all, divided his work so that
while he was gone his work was done by
the rest. The hired men were paid
moderate wages but always seemed
happy, contented and interested. One
man worked on this farm for thirteen
years, another for seven. The practice
was long term service. The farmer had
the utmost confidence in his men. The
men were of no higher class than most
hired metf but some way the arrange
ment was such as to secure highest re-
suits. 1t was in the plan. This farm
was known far and wide but what made
il famous and profitable was the method.
L. Fl. Clarke in Turf, Farm and Home.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
The Smart Kid.
tPerclv.l chubo to kindergarten Associate

(Percival Chubb 70 Kindergarten Associstion.)
The child in the comic supplement- is
always the "smart kid" The absolute
abomiuation of American life Is the
s'smart kid! He is the worst thing all
foreigners have against us. We must get
rid Of him. He begins to trough house.
In the nursery and hazes the kindergar.
ten. Uncles and aunts, fathers and
mothers, are alike made clowns In every
comic supplement In order to make at
traotive to the American youth this ideal
OF tho ''smart kid"
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
M.,t;no Lead In Tissue Paper.

Take buckshot. wrap ii tightly IN
one thickness Of tissue paper and. hold
ing the ends Of the paper In the tineers
of each hand, place the part that Aalds
the shot over the fame Of match just
far enough away from the flame not to
burn the paper. In few seconds un-
fold the paper and you will find that
the shot has melted without even
scorching the paper.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Not In Virginia.

The dusky manservant OF Il Wash.
ington official. being granted leave OF
absence to visit his home I'm Virginia.
hied himself to department store 10
purchase valise. The salesman
seemed to think the darky should pur-
chase something I'm the way OF large
bag. Here's fine one" he said
the best alligator bag you can get.
Only
Look heah. boss" interrupted the
darky impatiently. II done tole yo'
several times don't want no alligator
bag. amt goin' to Floridy. is goin'
to nah home in virginny. .'-Lippin-
coff'c
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
s.t.tv for wives and Children.

One of our leading state exchanges in
discussing editorially the value OF fire
proof buildings, closes . lengthy article
with the following good advice: Fire
proof construction is also the proper
thing for homes, and In fact for aii
buildings meant to last lifetime. But
AZ least libraries should be stored In In
combustible houses. Also wives and
children when valuable for preservation,
should sleep in incombustible homes.
Why not?" Why not, say We, store our
wives and children, along with our
Libraries, where they will De safe anu
we know at all times where tney aIef
The suggestion Is new one tbut IN tne
radical changes going on who knows but
individual FIRE proof beds and sleeping
rooms. or refrigerators for those super
heated, may not become the fashion.
Strange things are being evolved In these
dsys.eDr. Twitchell In Maine Farmer.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Frames and Dollars.

We like to read French stories. but
every time francs are mentioned we
stop to turn them into dollars. "She
had l7,OOO' francs per year In the
funds" the story will say, whereupoD
we stop to divide seventeen by five
TO turn the francs into dollars and find
out how much money the heroine had
AtchisOn Globe.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
To Overcome a Dislike.

A sure means Of overcoming dis
like which we entertain for any one Is
TO do him Il little kindness every day,
and the way to overcome a dislike
which another may feel toward US Is
to say some little kind word OF him
every day.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Iha Ace of Trees.

The pine reaches maximum age OF
700 years; the silver fir. 425; the larch,
215: the red beech, 245; the aspen, 2lo;
the birch, 200; the ash. 10; the elder,
145, and the elm, 130.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
The Occasional Hero.

HE woke up one morning to hnd
himself famous"
"WellT
"But people had forgotten all about
him by the time the 4 o'clock extras
were out."-Iouisville Courier-JOurnal.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
whas,. Ina Name?

Farmer Hayrick-Why are you go.
Ing to charge the summer borders
more this year?
Farmer Corntassel-l've called the
place bungalow.-Puck.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Financial.

Mother. how big must ! grow to be
In a bank. like uncleY asked the small
hoy.
'Not very much" said his father.
for | have often seen In the papers
that cashiers are short" = Spokane
Spokesman Review.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20

Dairy cows must be treated In accord
ance with their Importance, as Q factor
Of success, and the milk and cream must
be handled properly from COW to churn
and from churn to market.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20

Keep the poultry house clean and neat
and your efforts will be amply rewarded
BY the egg basket and kind words from
your friends.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
Good 1hina. to Rsmsmbsr.

He who shuns burdens because OF
yheir weight can never lift.
II we are stirgy Of kind words We
are the worst kind Of mlsers.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-07-20
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPEED THE PLOw."

on practical agricultural topic
is solicited. Address all communications In
tended for this department to HENRY d
HAMMOND, Agricultural Editor Oxford Dem
ocrst. Paris. Ne.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-02
HAVE SMOKER AND LUNG H
Boat Club Members Enjoy a Social
Session at the Club House.

A score of the members of the Island
City Boating association held social
gathering at the club house last even
ing and enjoyed themselves so thor
oughly that each one decided that if
he failed to show up for the next one,
he would submit to a court martial and
be shot at sunrise without a word of
reproach. The gathering was to pro-
mote fellowship among the members
and it was very successful The time
was devoted to program of phono-
graph music and a lunch consisting of
sandwiches and coffee Clay pipes
were furnished to all who cared to
smoke. 1t was decided to hold meet
ing every Monday evening and as many
of the members of the club as wish to
may join the. social organization. C. l..
Beardsley, appointed by the club, will
have charge of the meetings and see
that entertainment is provided each
time.