davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
Painters in Peril.

ropes, which 1t is claimed parted one
rope as neatly as If it had been cut
with knife when the weight of three
men was placed upon it.
The contractor found evidences OF
acid having been applied to the part
Of the rope which broke. This, he
thinks, was done by some person try
ing to kill all the men at work when
the scaffold would fall. He does not
suspect who could have placed the
acid on the rope, which for several
nights has ben put into a barrel and
allowed to remain standing on the
sidewalk in front of the Hotel Antler.
Whoever applied the acid to the rope
did SO in one spot only, so that it
would require some little weight to pull
it apart after it had destroyed the ma
Mia tissue Of the rope.
The boss had to climb down a rope
from the fourth story to the scaffold
to release the twisted guy rope and re-
Eeye the men who were suspended in
the air and holding on by their arms
and legs in imminent danger Of losing
their hold and their lives at the same
time He was cheered by the great
crowd that gathered as he slowly
swung himself loose and let himself
slide down the ropes to the scaffold
The accident happened shortly after
noon, when the three employees. John
Thompson, Herbert Clems and William
Blackburn, were preparing to raise the
seaffold upon which they were work
ing cleaning the granite front of the
hotel, from the fourth story to the
fifth. The rope on the right hand side
of the seaffold parted near the scat
fold without warning and Thompson,
who had been pulling on the guy rope
on that side, just frightened his hold
and hung suspended in the air as the
scaffold tell from him.
Clems and Blackburn, with rare
presence of mind, on the opposite end
of the swinging ladder each grabbed
as the other end dropped, one catch
ing the scaffold and the other the
ropes on the other side. The guy rope
twisted and held the scaffold from fall
ing clear and each of the men chung
desperately, while the crowd below
scattered and gathered on the other
side of the street. expecting any min
ute to see the men drop to certain
death
Contractor Smith was eating in the
hotel when he heard a cry that the
scaffold had broken. He raced up the
stairs until he reached the fifth floor
and, swinging out of the window. he
grabbed the suspended buy rope and
slid down to where he could release
this rope and allow the swinging lad
der to descend to the pavement.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22

crushed the creatures and SO creased the rails
that progress was impossible for some time.
The passengers said that they could have
stood the situation more philosophically if the
blockaders had been frogs, for then the ques-
ton of the food supply would have been
settled for lot of hungry people. Frogs legs
make good eating.
II is not generally known, perhaps to the
layman that toads, like frogs, lay their eggs
in the water. Countless millions of eggs will
be deposited in some morass They hatch out,
the young get big enough, and migrate in a
body to the dry land, sometimes going long
distances as an entity. These, it is said, are
the marching armies Of toads which astonish
people and accounts Of which are spread
broadcast over the earth.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
points 10 Good Eu+nre.

Seven poor children, four girls and
three boys, all about ten years old,
went to a nearby seashore resort, in
charge of two women, for a days out
ing. The funds for the picnic were
provided by two boys who sell papers
and who live in one of the two houses
from which the excursion party was
recruited. One of the women In
charge Of the children said that the
boys had arranged the outing ''of their
own accord, and the remarkable thing
is this: They are not good boys By
any means and one Of them is prob
ably the naughtiest boy in the neigh
borhood. But we think that when boys
do little things like this they will come
out all right. New York Tribune.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
Nas8} by EDWARD Do CLARK

Windham who did not thoroughly accept the IN
depreciation were Colonies Dyer and Elderkin. In
few minutes the light of the torches showed an
immense coneourse of toads or frogs, whenever
they were, bearing down the main street OF the
town, croakng and "gIucking'' like myriad OF
night demons It suddenly struck the people thar
If Judgment day was at hand, notwithstanding
the fact that Colonies Dyer and Elderkin seemed
to have been singled out by the visitors, the day
of accounting according to the Bible was an all
embracing affair, and thereat all the Windham
people started trembling violently.
There living today a good many persons
who are direct descendants of the Colonel Elder
kin whom the batrachians called to judgment that
night. In Chicago until recently there lived
Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Norris, a direct descend
ant Of Colonel Elderkn. Mrs. Norris had heard
the story of the invasion Of the village score OF
times from the lips of her grandmother who as
child taken time after time to see the place
from which the night disturbers came. To the
days of their deaths Colonies Dyer and Ederkin
were called Frog Dyer and Frog Elderkin, and
If local Connecticut authorities to be believed,
there has not been from that day to this
either toad frog in the meadow and pond
from which started that midnight migration
To get away, for a moment from frogs and
toads, and in order to lead back to them again,
let it be said that out in Utah the gull is
fully protected bird. Olive Thorne Miller speaks
of them as great, beautiful, snowy creatures who
look strangely out of place SO far from the sea-
shore" l have been told that these gulls are
sacredly protected by the law and the people Of
the western state, and have also been told that
the early settlers. the Mormons, believed that the
Lord has sent the birds to his chosen people.
1t is no wonder that it was believed the gul1S
were specially sent. Clouds of grasshoppers had
destroyed the crops in that early day in many
of the western territories. They attacked Utah
by the million millions. Then it was that the
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
PLOT TO PLUNGE PAINTERS
FROM A HIGH BUILDING
coWARDLY ATTEMPT TO WRECK
A scAFFoLD BY THE USE
OF ACID.

Pittsburg-What at first was
thought to have been an accident,
which almost resulted disastrously to
many pedestrians in Fifth avenue, has
turned out to have been dastardly
attempt at murder, presumably the
work of fiend or insane man. But for
the twisting of a guy rope on scat
fold and the presence of mind of the
three men working on the Hotel Ant
Ter, they, and possibly some of the pass
ersby four stories below them, would
have been crushed to death.
A reward of $3.50 has been offered
for information leading to the arrest
and conviction of the person or per-
sons who put acid on the scaffold
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22

intention so to dc, they have inaugurated veri-
table reigns of terror.
Years ago, in the little Puritan settlement
of Windham, Conn, out of which sprang as
many notable American families, perhaps, as
have come from any other colonial hamlet, a
migration of toads led the people to believe
that the tocsin Of the last day had been sound
ed. and they were all summoned, sinners and
sinless, to answer at the bar of Judgment Ira
dftion says that the migration which brought
this fear upon the people was one Of the frogs.
Scientists Of today lean rather to the toad
theory, but 1t made little difference to the
frightened populace which species of batra-
chtan brother 1t was that brought horror into
their midst
Now 1t happened that there lived in Wind
ham two colonial colonies, big men and digni-
fed by names Dyer and Elderkfn. It may do
no harm at this late day to say that both these
military titled gentlemen were more fond of
good living, SO the story goes, than was per
hans exactly consistent with the strtctest Pur-
ftan thoughts Some of the elders of the place,
It is said. looked a bit askance at some of the
views of Colonies Dyer and Elderkin There
were slaves in that day IN Connecrcut ana
Windham held its share.
one peaceful night in May the Windham
Families retired at their usual hour, not long
after candle light" At midnight they were
ovranped In the profoundest slumber, but no
1een however sound could Withstand the roar
hat broke upon that peaceful hamlet in the
Ugatches of the night. There were blended the
noises of q million Threats. 1t was cultural,
harsh and horrible, and it came out OF the
io+tv hlackness of midnight. The people of
Windham jumped from their beds panic strick,
IN threw on what clothes they could and
r,,sbed outdoors, many bearing pine torches
which ate little light holes in the inky black
ness.
,1,,no To the knees of their masters. The noise
ceased not for an instant, but on the contrary
t,,oreased with every moment, and then, to
tbe added horror of all, the noise found shape
n words which one quick-eared, imaginative
woman interpreted into this all but two OF
fha people accepting the Interpretation read
nv. Judgment day; Judgment day; Colonel
nyer and Elderkin too, and catch niger too"
Il is perhaps needless to say that the only
two people among the white inhabitants OF
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
His First Lesson in Economy.

when l was very small boy and
a dime looked pretty big to me, met
John H. Farley-who had always been
my good friend-on the street one
June day" says Frank Harris.
Frank, he said, the Fourth of
July is coming soon. You'll want
some change then Let me be your
banker until then and you'll have
some money for frecrackers, torpe
does, lemonade and peanuts.
Il emptied my pockets into his hand
and every day thereafter until the
Fourth / turned over to him my small
earnings. When the day of days came
around | had a fund that enabled me
to celebrate in proper style, while
many of my playmates were fiat
broke. It was my first lesson in thrift,
and it was a good one. Hundreds of
Cleveland people would be glad today
to testify to the fact that when John
II. Farley was friend of a man or
boy he was friend indeed. '-CleYe-
land Leader.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
LOST Cash FOUND BY HENS
Roll Dropped by Farmer Is DiscoV-
cred Being Fought Over by
His Chickens.

Logansport, Ind.-Ray Morris. living
ten miles north of Logansport, came
to the city intending to deposit $500
which he had received for his wheat.
On reaching the bank he discovered
the money was missing from his
pocket.
Immediately he telephoned to his
wife, and vas cheered when she said
she had found the cash.
Shortly after he had driven out Of
the yard Mrs. Mortz noticed two chick.
ems pecking and Juggling at a green
looking object In the yard She in-
Yestigated and found it to be the $500
roll which her husband had dropped.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
Latest Mine Horror

The Doctor-Of course, If the oper-
'ators in the anthracite and bituminous
fields form a coalition
The Professor-The there will be
nothing for the consumers to do but
to coalesce.
(SIow curtain.)
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22
llIiterate lmmiqrants.

Ellis island records show that of
52,727 immigrants who arrived here IN
July 1885, or about Is per cent, are
illiterates. Illiteracy is no bar to an
immigrant so long as he appears phys
ica1ly able to care for himself Only
], 127 persons who sought to enter the
country were barred at this port last
month.-New York Press.
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22

peneht may come to the people of the United
states by the study of the habits of particu-
lar animal, that animal is studied forthwith
and studied carefully
IN folk lore history and in the history of To-
cahtles which hardly can be classed as folk
IoFe, the frog and the toad frequently have
oeen confused sometimes stories have been
told OF frog visitations and it has turned out
Inat the invading army was composed of toads.
Ine reverse of the statement also has been
FOUND to be true on several occasions
Some years ago army of track-hopping
tramp toads took possession of the gravel road
oeo or the Sioux City and Pacific railway, and
IN unbroken column miles in length as the
local story had it, the toads marched past the
town OF BleTcoe, Iowa. 1t is stated that there
were SO many millions in this mighty army
tnat nothing like accurate estimate of the
eoads could be made. The ground was said
60 De brown with the color of its visitants
II there was such an army of the batra
chians as it is said there was it would be no
wonder II the residents of the infested district
might have feared that the toads would divert
tne1r course from the railroad into the towns
10 repeat Pharaoh's plague of the frogs, when
the rivers brought forth frogs abundantly
winch went up into the houses, and into the
bed chambers, and even upon the beds and
upon the people, and even into the ovens and
into the kneading troughs."
Now the toad is not nearly so handsome
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22

S 80 40 LIZ mug SOuoIl1.
He never could "a-wooing
go" like his green-coated
brother, despite the fact
that Shakespeare proclaims
that his toadship has a jew
Ell in his head. Ugly and
venomous. the bard of
Avon writes the toad down,
and ugly and venomous to
the peoples mind in many
places he is to this day, al
though in reality he ranks
with the birds as one of
humanity's best friends. AS
a matter of fact, it is likely
that the brown-skinned ar
my which moved without
banners in military array
some years ago was on the
maFcn TO meet the great
army of Rocky Mountain To-
Gusts which was moving
steadily forward in an op-
posfte direction and in Gen
eral sherman's words, For
aging literally upon the
country"
Even though the toads
are SO harmless and help
full, they perhaps will never
get anyone to love them. It
must be admitted that ap-
pearances are against them.
The Iowa people who some
years ago were visited by
the toads had no reason to
arrogate to themselves any
particular distinction on ac-
count of the visitation, for
in scores of instances the
animals have appeared in
immense bodies, and in
some cases, without any
The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-10-22

NCLE SANS scientists have had
more than one good word to say
for the toad. Several govern
ment publications have been is
sued, am told. telling about the
toad and its good work. There
Is no department in nature which
is overlooked by the scientists of
Secretary of Agriculture James
Wilson's department. If it is be-
lieved by the experts that any
The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., 1910-10-29

plenty of phosphoric acid Is doubtless. needed
and the nitrogen should be mainly used after the
fruit Is off SO that strong crowns tend to make
the fruit soft for shipping. Hence / would fer
tilize heavier in summer after the fruit is gath
cred than at any other time and would, in your
section, use only acid phosphate In spring.
WINTER PASTURE.-On land In peas now
our friend will SOW oats late in October and wants
TO SOW vetch or rape with the oats. How soon,
he asks, hogs and sheep be turned on It?
Late october will be too late to rape, and
vetch sown at that time will not be ready for the
stock till late March April Crimson clover
can be sown in Craven County. n. c., late In Oc-
tober with fair prospect OF success, and II will be
little earlier in spring than the vetch. But as
you want to put the land in after cutting
the oats and legume or pasturing them, you will
have little pasture, except the oats, perhaps, be-
fore March. Better a mixture OF crimson
clover and vetch and leave out the oats and turn
all under for the corn, as you admit that the
land is not rich
The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., 1910-10-29
HOW ABOUT THE HOME
ORCHARD?

WHAT are you doing about a home
orchard ? No farm should be with
out an abundant supply Of both small
and orchard fruits, and where these are
lacking the reflection upon the farmers
industry and business sense Is obvious.
He must show why he Is without them,
or stand convicted of neglect.
Right now Is the time to be thinking of
the home orchard and fruit gorden-and
not only thinking of them, but prepor-
ing for them, getting the land ready, or
dering the trees and plants, etc.
This Southland of ours should be a
land of overfiowine fruiJulness. The
traveller through our farming sections
should never get entirely away from the
beauty of blossoming orchards In the
spring time, of laden trees in the ou-
tunn. The children on our farms should
repei in fruit from the years beginning
to its end.
To try to get along without orchards
and vineyards and berry patches Is the
poorest sort of policy. 1t means q poor
er living at a higher cost
Let no reader of ours try 1t any long
er. Plant a few fruit trees this very
fail, and some grapes and small fruits.
Few things will pay you better.
The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., 1910-10-29

II every farmer in the Cotton Belt farmed In a
good three-year rotation. the biggest sort of n
crop could be grown one-third the land now
used, and the remainder would be getting ready
In profitable crops OF other sorts to make more
and more cotton per acre. The cotton farmers of
the South have cinch on cotton and there is no
more profitable crop that can be grown In the
south, provided the land is farmed instead OF
merely planted In cotton year after year
The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., 1910-10-29

harrow and seeded to oats. Peas sown after the
oats and made into hay and red clover sown on
the stubble in September. Glover pastured the
next summer and the following spring turned for
again If your idea is to put the whole 20
in pasture permanently, l would seed 1T to
grass this fall, sowing 10 pounds of tall meadow
fescue 10 pounds of tall meadow oats grass,
and pounds of alske clover. Never turn cattle
clover pasture when hungry, or you will have
some boated, but turn after they have been
we'll fed and at first for a short time and they
will not gorge themselves.
STRAWBERRIES-AL Louisiana correspondent
is bothered about fertilizers for strawberries and
wants to know about the formula / have given
Others The stations down in that part of the
Mississippi Valley have decided that potash Is
not needed there. Hence, the low per cent potash
in the formula / gave may not be needed. But
The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., 1910-10-29

deal to do With their Keeping.
Potatoes grown from cuttings
Of the vines set in July will
keep far easier than those from
spring plants. AS soon as frost
has nipped the vines, get the
vines off at once, for they will
communicate disease to the
roots if left on. Dig on a dry
sunny day, and do not throw
the potatoes in heaps and
bruise them, but let them lie
The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., 1910-10-29
Professor Massey's
Editorial Page.
What Farmers Want to Know.

A CELLAR THAT has heretofore kept sweet
n potatoes well, now rots them. do not think
x a it the fault of the cellar then, but that you
are storing the potatoes with black rot them.
The digging and handling of the roots has great
The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., 1910-10-29

along the rows and sun during the day. Haul to
the cellar carefully in basket or crates. Do not
store any cut potatoes any with brown blotch-
es on the skin, for that shows the back-rot dis
sease. Then when all n if possible heat the
cellar up to 80 degrees till the potatoes have
dried OF from the sweat they always go through
After that temperature Of As degrees in winter
Is warm enough, and the cellar should be well
ventilated in good weather. 1t is far better to
have potato house made for the purpose as
have heretofore described.
WHEAT AFTER COTTON-As rule do not
advise sowing wheat after cotton as it is usually
too late But If the cotton is off early, you can
go over with disk harrow both ways and chop
the stalks up Keep going till all are chopped
and the surface made fine. The more you har-
row and tramp the soil the better the crop will be-
SEED CORN.-Taking the lower ear of corn for
seed will tend to prevent the ears getting higher
on the stalks and in my experience, also tends
to make ears above it. If l had corn already of
ideal stature, would select the best ear on the
stalks for seed without regard to where it grew
Where the corn makes it's too high from the
ground, a constant taking of the ear next the
ground will bring it to better shape
LATE SOWN OATS.-Winter oats should have
been sown In September for the best results. But
l have known fine crops made from later sowing
The point Of Importance is to get the surface three
inches, made as fine possible by narrowing, and
then to drill the seed at rate of two bushels an
acre. The regular wheat drill is the best thing
for sowing oats If the ground has been properly
narrowed and tramped firm. Winter-killing re-
suits from loose preparation of the soil.
DISTANCE TO SET FRUIT TREES-Wants to
plant home orchard and wants to know when
10 plant | assume that the orchard is to be Of
dinerent fruits. Apples should be set 80 to 35
Ieet apart each way; peaches 20 feet: pears of
standard size, rs feet dwarf pears 10 to Is feet;
piums 16 feet each way. Plant in the South all
trees IN the fall The best place to get the trees
Will be the nearest reliable nursery
ROTATION OF PASTURE CROPS-Twenty-
nVe acres OF bottom land of good quality one
tnird now In corn and two-thirds in peas after
oats. Wants to feed some beef cattle II it is
proposed to rotate the rs in crops, I would
not use any grass, but would make a three-year
rotatlon or corn, with peas among it. Corn cut
anu peas harvested and land prepared with disk
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-08-20

the battle Of Busaco, where the allied
British Portuguese and Spanish troops
defeated the French army OF invasion.
An imposing ceremony has been or
ganised. which win Include ! great
review Of Portuguese troops and 9TH
er brilliant functions. The press pro-
Tess to b able to confirm report
that King Manuel has invited King
George to assist IN the celebration fes.
tivities. and the King OF spain has al.
50 been invited to participate.
1t IS added that King George may
profit by the occasion to converse
with King Manuel on matters OF i'm.
portance to both countries.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-08-20

the Old Settlers picnic at Center
Vile yesterday.
Miss Lillian Baker entertained at
tea Thursday evening Mr.. and Mrs.
Clark Reece Of New Castle, Mr.. and
Mrs. Frank Shockley OF Straughn, and
Dawson Bonslog of Straughn.
The Hall family reunion was held
Thursday at South Salem, north OF
Straughn. One hundred and fifty
representatives OF the family were in
attendance. The morning was spent
in a pleasant social manner. After
the dinner. which was spread in the
grove. the company repaired to the
United Brethren church where a
short business session was held. the
election of officers resulting as fol-
lows: Chairman, Guy Hall, of
Straughn; secretary. Willard Hall. OF
Richmond; treasurer. Lewellyn Hall.
of Salem. A portion Of the afternoon
was given over to Renaissance. B. F.
Parker, of New Castle, gave An inter
esting account Of the history of the
family. finishing with one of his own
poems, "Old Friends" This was fol-
lowed by a number of Rotations. in
terspersed with music Ice cream
and cake were served late in the at
ternoon. The next reunion will be
held the third Wednesday in August,
1911, at the same place.