davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Street Criess In Minor Key.

Street cries are nearly always in
the minor key says the Paris Jour
nal des Debats. And an English COM
mentator AYERS that this key is main
tanned in our own street cries-such
as Sweet Lavender" And he thinks
the explanation Is that the minor key
involves less strain ON the throat that
has to emit the same cry all day long.
But London cries are few of them in
the minor key of the Partisan boy
who heralds the evening on the boule-
wards with "Volla lie Soir." Our own
newspaper boy has cultivated the rau-
cous monotone that collects politics
and murders into one simple yell.
There is nothing of the minor key
about the milkman's announcement
And perhaps the least musical of all
cries is that of the man who hawks
coal about the street He does not
shout Coal" No stranger would sus-
pect him of coal. He emits only a
single below, repeated at short inter-
walls, below without form or comeli
ness it is the least common denomi-
nator of the street cry.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
HORTICULTURAL
Sc -.. as9s NOTES

Prepare land for small fruit plan
tation next spring
Thorough and constant spraying Is
the price OF good fruit.
In Michigan the apple barrel is still
the most popular package for this
fruit.
DO you know that sifted coal ashes
are good soil lighteners? Save them
for this purpose and apply to heavy
soil.
Are there any old apple trees III
your orchard bearing desirable fruit?
Easy to graft good varieties upon
them.
Give plenty of sunshine these days
Curtains do not belong to windows
where plants are kept Roll up the
shades; wash the glass.
Get ready to do some grating. TOT
work that old seeding apple tree
The cherry comes first, then plum
apple, ounce and pear.
Fruit trees should be planted il
regular rows In the orchard, or fruit
garden, so thorough culture can be
given both ways of the orchard.
General farming, planting a variety
of crops and keeping variety OF ami
mails, Is the safe way and withal the
most successful for insuring a steady
income.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Wonderful Island.

New Zealand has one of the most
marvellous and phenomenal islands in
the world. 1t Is situated in the Bay
of Plenty and is called White Island,
and consists mainly of sulphur mixed
with gypsum and few other minerals.
Over the island, which is about three
miles in circumference, and rises over
800 feet above the sea, there contin-
ually floats an immense cloud of va
por, often attaining an altitude of
10000 feet In the center Is boiling
lake of acid-charged water. covering
so acres and surrounded with blow
holes from which steam and sulphur
GUS fumes are emit ed with great
force and noise. With Gaze boat
caa be nn:'.-9'od or tie lake
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Public Taste.

"Now," the manager complained,
here is an interesting play; the star
Is young, beautiful, and splendid
actress; the company is capable,
well-balanced one, and the production
is excellent in every respect-yet 1t
is a failure. The people simply will
not become interested in it, How do
you account for it,"
Il don't account for it," replied the
man with the high brow and the
wrinkles which indicated that he was
in the habit of thinking. 81 have
made a rather careful study of the
public during the last few years, and
If you think talent, worthiness and
general excellence are to be relied
upon for success in any art or profess
sion which is compelled to depend
upon public patronage it will be q
waste of time to do any accounting
for the failure you mention"
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
W-HEADED ORCHARD TREES
Three Feet ls Common Height for
Apple, While With Peach and
Plum 1t Is Much Lower.

Commercial orchards Of apples and
pears are nowadays headed much
lower than formerly, three feet being
a very common height for starting
the head Of these trees, while with
the peach and plum the head is
started even lower, eighteen to TWEEN
ty inches being a common height.
The reason for this is that IN GER
tain localities. where windstorms are
frequent, the w-headed trees are
less likely TO be broken, lose a
smaller proportion Of their fruit. and
are less subject to injury from sun
scald as the low heads Of the trees
serve to certain extent as a shade
for the body
The cost OF harvesting the fruit
from low headed trees Is much less
than that OF gathering from tall trees.
With the low-headed trees a consid-
cradle portion OF the crop can be
gathered by the picker standing upon
the ground, while with high-headed
trees the major part OF the work
must be done from ladders, which
greatly extends the time required 10
do the picking and consequently, in
creases its cost Pruning, spraying,
trimming. as we'll as harvesting, will
be found to be more convenient on
low than high-headed trees
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
is LATEST MAN ON EARTH
ees-Farine Man Discovers Him In
Person of Chief of the Solomon
islands.

In all probability the LATEST man on
earth has been discovered by sea.
faring men who had occasion to stop
at the Solomon Islands of the East
Indies not long ago. Those islands are
inhabited by tribes of black men
known to the sailors as Kanakas
The ruler over the islands of Chois.
enc and Caristoval is one of these
Kanakas, known as Chief Sonoa The
Kanakas are almost invariably short
and very heavily built, but Chief Sonoa
Is the shortest and latest one of the
bunch, weighing in the neighborhood
of 1855 pounds He is not only the
blacklist, latest and LATEST, but he
has more wives than any other chief
In that neighborhood.
One of the sailors who visited these
islands said that Ibis majesty would
lie in the sands of the beach while his
favorite wife would sit beside him and
smoke. She would draw a mouth full
Of the smoke into her lungs. The chief
would open his mouth, the favorite
would blow the smoke into 1t and he
would inhale 1t into his lungs, after
which he would let it pass out his
nose. Time after time would the wife
chosen for this job blow the smoke
into her chiefs mouth, and time after
time he would take 1t into his lungs to
let it pass out of his nose. The to
bacco used was the strongest that
could be had, and with it was rolled
some kind of leaf that would bring on
sleep. A truly luxurious being Is this
dusky king"
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Handling Liquid Manure.

gas pipe and the plunger was an iron
rod with cone-shaped leather valve
on the lower end This valve when
lowered allows the liquid to freely
pass same, but when the plunger Is
raised 1t is pressed out to the sides
of the pipe by the weight of the H.
quid- A box tank was used for haul
ing the liquid, arranged as shown. The
liquid was first pumped In through
the top and when spraying same over
the clover or berries the liquid was
allowed to escape through a pipe in
the rear end of the tank as shown at
r. A lever arrangement controlled
the flow by closing or opening the
pipe, F, with q wooden plug In the
illustration B is the manure pit, II,
the drain tile, the pump, D the pipe
leading from pump to tank. e con-
trolling handle TO lever, A the tank,
F the outlet pipe from tank, G tho
distributing box bored full of small
holes, and the manhole to tank. 1t
is claimed for the arrangement that
the liquid manure Is much better than
solids for grass, berries, etc, and that
by using same the solid manure is
saved for other crops.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
GARDEN dno
FAPM NOTES

Have sharp steel cutter on the
blow.
Oats do not make as good q nurse
crop for alfalfa as barley.
Provide the tomatoes with a support
If some kind-trellis or stakes
One of the best kinds Of green
'ood for winter use is clover or alfalfa
hay.
Good time to get the manure pile
out of sight and spread 1t over the
1elds.
Wheat responds to the use Of fer
:ilizers more rapidly than most farm
crops.
There are many crops which may be
sown in the spring and make excel
,ent pastures.
Good soil, good seed, good cultiva-
lion are essential points In growing
good potatoes.
To retain soil moisture a loose
mulch OF between two or three
inches is necessary.
Wod ashes may be applied at the
rate of % to 90 bushels per 1000 or
1000 pounds to the acre.
Fall plowed ground can be planted
fully ten days earlier than ground
that is plowed In the spring
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
CLEAN SEED BEFORE SOWING
Vaiue Of Tanning MIL Cannot Be
Over-Estimated Where Wild Dat
lie Practically Only Weed.

(By F. L. KENNARD. Assistant Agrono-
mist. Idaho Experiment Station
Plan now to own or rent a good
tanning mill and clean and grade all
seed grain before sowing next spring.
In section of the country where wild
oat Is practically the only weed Of
moment the value of tanning mill
cannot be oYer-estimated. Stop seed
ing wild oat with the seed grain and
the problem will be much more easily
solved.
A mill of the gravity" type is far
superior to the old form where the
separating is done principally by the
screens. Do not understand that the
screens are not essential, for they are.
What is meant Is a combined form.
The screens to sort and separate az
to size. the blast to further separate
as to specific gravity. The ideal seed
grain Is that which Is free from foul
matter and which has been graded to
kernels of uniform size and weight.
This can be accomplished only by tho
use of mill Of the type mentioned
above.
In grading, adjust the screens SO
as to remove the largest and smallest
kernels, retaining only the medium
sized ones. And you will note how
surprisingly uniform they are as to
size. They are not, however, uniform
as to weight. and If you have had
wild oat on your farm, some will be
found here. Adjust the blast so as to
remove any chaff and light grains and
most of the wild oat will also be re-
moved. The result will be seed grain,
the kernels OF which are strikingly
similar as to size and weight, free
from chaff and dust and almost If not
entirely free from wild oat
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
GAUDY FUNERALS IN BURMAH
With Ballet and Band the Rich Bur-
mese Are Paraded to Their
Tombs.

They have gorgeous funerals in
Rangoon, the capital of Burmah. India.
When a rich Buman is buried, for in
stance. the funeral procession might be
compared to the street parade of some
circus. First comes kind of ballet
OF Burmese in bright colored silks,
dancing the widest kinds of contor-
lions, anything but graceful. Next
there is the hearse, drawn by several
black horses. Oddly enough, In some
cases 1t will be huge black English
hearse with attendants In black and
white girdles, instead of the usual
gaudy Burmese hearse, with Its mod
els of d. ucers and race horses. Fol-
lowing this brass band will blare out
some lively tune, to which the ballet
can dance, the whole being about as
appropriate to the solemnities OF such
an occasion as would be dirge to en-
liven q bridge-whist party.
Stringing along after the band will
be a mile. more or less. of ox-carts
with quaint tops of colored mating,
each crowded with gay mourners'
who are provided with no end Of re-
freshments. A big Burman Ia brilliant
pink silk and carrying large fan u.s.
ually plays the part of master of cere-
monies, his chief duty being to see
that all are happy. AS companion he
will have q muscular chap bearing a
huge case of bottles containing drinks
for the whole party. Luckily, since
dead men tell no tales; 1t is also true
that they find no fault; and SO these
grotesque funerals are never inter
rupted by the box occupants In whose
honor the spectacles are arranged
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Austrian Critic Declares No Formula
Can Define Young Lady
From America.

Alice Schalek, Viennese traveller
and writer, has provided the Vossiche
Zeitung OF Berlin with description
OF the manner wherein American
women on tour differ from all others
The fact ls," she says, you cannot
class them (American women); they
won't fit into any accepted formula.
You can tell a Frenchwoman i'm.
mediately, and be dead sure she's nc
prude, but light-hearted flirt. II you
meet an English woman you must wait
10 make her acquaintance until she
drops her typical English reserve.
"A German woman wants to be ask.
cd about her husband and his profess
sion, titles and their babies. An Aus.
trian woman will be smart and a
good fellow But If you meet A
woman who won't fit any of these cat.
egories and doesn't correspond to any
particular type, you can be dead sure
she is an American
There Is a 17-year-old whose ia
ther mother and elder sister are
along, travelling In cabins de luxe.
She ftirts day and night on deck, and
all so naturally that she retains her
social position in circumstances no
other nationality could survive. What
has 1t got to do with you?' she seems
to ask, and there's an end of it.
Here are some pictures from nv
gallery of American girls abroad, Just
to show their differences. A girl who
petted white rats aud snakes in Kyoto;
young Y. w. c. A. apostle in Corea,
who was as pious as the day Is long.
but who fiirted to her hearts content
with young English missionary; an
energetic middle-aged American fe-
male, who was missionary for some
obscure Partisan reincarnation Of
Buddha.
There were other less pleasant
pictures, but each sticks in my mind
with an individuality which no Euro
pean woman ever achieved Yet per-
haps there is one feature common to
all these Americans-each of them
cherished some eecentricity, but,
whatever 1t was. she carried 1t out
with unwavering determination.
Il believe we can learn much from
these American women"
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Movable Fodder Rack.

distant from each corner Between
these are two stub 2x4's coming up to
the space left for the cattle to feed
through.
My hunks have six cross 2x4's on
each side, four below the feeding
space and two above. These hunks
are light and two boys can move them
easily. They do this by simply upset
ting them. There are no bottoms in
the hunks.
Every day or two they are turned
over once or twice to a fresh place,
and the stalks left and CLEANED over
by the hogs, and serve as bedding for
the steers until they are worked up
and ready to be hauled to the field as
manure.
l notice in the above description
that have neglected to mention that
there should be one or two 2x4 9
across the top as brace to stand the
strain when they are upset, and the
rubbing and pushing OF the cattle.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Forte.

1t was the most exciting moment of
one of those midnight rehearsals. Try
as he would, Donald Brian, the actor,
could not induce the orchestra to play
sufficiently loud for a smashing finale.
Finally in desperation he called out
to the orchestra conductor: Swell!
Wears, SWELL" Whereat the phleg-
matte, unruffled English conductor
stopped the band, turned smilingly to
Mr.. Brian and said: Thank you,
dir -
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
RATS CAUSE WATER FAMINE
Thirsty Rodents Gnaw Lead Pipe and
Ships Supply of Drinking Wa
ter Is Lost.

1t Is a very serious thing to be wa
recently to the bark Sapphire, bound
from South American ports to Puget
sound, but the water famine was Meth
er the result of carelessness, drought
or protracted voyage. When half
the journey had been accomplished the
400-gallon tank suddenly went dry. AS
1t happened over night and the tank
had no hole in 1t the calamity was
mystery, and some superstitious
members Of the crew Immediately
ascribed 1t to a supernatural agency.
But the second mate, a hard-headed
Yankee, investigated and found that
section of the lead pipe leading from
the tank had been almost gnawed in
two by the army of rats that infested
the ship. There was no water on
board except that In the tank, which
was closely covered, and the creatures,
half mad with thirst, had evidently at
tackled the pipe In body. The stream
Of escaping water must have drowned
many Of them, as there was great
decrease in their numbers. There were
about hundred cases of mineral water
In the cargo, and these were preached
to supply the crew until some port
could be reached to refill the tank.
An ingenious sailor also rugged up a
condenser from the primitive materials
at hand, but this furnished only about
quart of fresh water day. which
was used for cooking When the
Sapphire reached Seattle the captain
had the water tank fitted with an iron
attacks.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
HOW ARAB PRIZES HIS MARE
"FoundatIon Of Wealth 10 a Mare;
Bring Forth a Mare" ls One
of Their Sayings.

The Arabs regard for his mare is
often expressed in sayings that are
short and very much to the point, as
for instance: THE foundations OF
wealth is a mare; bring forth mare"
THE greatest blessings are wise
wife and fruitful mare"
AS the Arabs themselves are divid-
ed into tribes and sub-tribes, the same
system Is adopted in regard to the
strain OF their horses breed In fact,
the breeding is carried on in the same
manner as laid down in the Koran for
the Mohametan marriages. This is
one OF the chief factors giving rise to
the high quality of the pure bred
Arab horse.
Thoroughbred mares are never
sold under any conditions, and In.
stances have been known" says
Pierre Ponafidine in Life In the Mos.
lem East" when five and six and ten
thousand pounds have been refused;
for often such mares that are too old
for riding are still kept for breeding
purposes"
In olden times stealing a mare was
punishable by death. Sheikhs own one
or more pure bred mares, according
to their position and me ms, but it is
often the case that among the less
we'll to do people a mare Is owned by
several, the shares being clearly de-
fined and division of colts made &C.
cording to detailed and often compli.
Gated laws. Sometimes one family
owns zone leg" while a richer man
claims "two legs" etc.
The system of owning a mare In
shares Is found among certain Arabs
in Turkish Arabia and sometimes In
the city Of Bagdad itself, If any one
Is fortunate enough to get hold of q
half-bred mare.-Tit-Bits.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Colds May be Avoided.

By those who are fortunate enough
to always breathe pure air, and never
get run down by overwork or exposure.
Even these lucky people do not always
escape the contagious colds which at
certain seasons prevail to such an ex-
tent as to be almost epidemic. 1t is
wise to be prepared for troubles of
this nature in our climate, and the
one all-important thing is to have at
hand a safe, efficient and reliable rem
sdy to ward off the trouble and danger
Of such an attack.
For sixty years, IL. F. Atwood s
medicine has been a household remedy
for emergencies OF this kind. It starts
up the liver and bowels, prevents con
gestion. and restores the functions &c
their normal condition. If you have
1ever used it. get bottle from your
1ealer. or write for a free sample to
he Il. F" Medicine Co., Portland,
Ne.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
MOVABLE RACKS FOR FODDER
Description and Illustration Is Given
of Device That 10 inexpensive
and Easy to Construct.

A response to a query for a rack
to feed corn fodder to cattle and colts
is given by writer IN the Wallace's
Farmer and Is as follows:
The drawing herewith Will give an
idea of the construction. The four cor
ner posts are 4x4s. The sides and
ends are made OF 2x4's and space OF
two feet wide Is left for the cattle to
feed through. The 2x4's are spiked
or bolted onto the 4x4's. Two upright
pieces OF 2x4's are on each side, equi-
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
EFFICIENCY
How Many Men Know How to Keep
1t at Par.

Thousands; yes tens of thousands of
men grow old 10 years too soon.
If you are a man and realize that
your efficiency is on the wane and that
you are loosing money and happiness
In consequence, get SO cent box of
MI-O-NA stomach tablets today and
take two after or with each meal for
three days; then take one with each
meal regularly until you feel well and
vigorous.
MI-O-NA stomach tablets disinfect.
tone up, restore elasticity to the
stomach and intestinal canal and end
indigestion. They do more; they in
crease the nutrition of the body and in
case of nerve exhaustion, sleepless-
ness, night sweats, bad dreams or any
condition that requires restorative
they act with astonishing rapidity.
They can be found at G. r. Fogg's
and helpful druggists the world over.
81
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01

as shown in Fig. 2, having the alter
nate holes opposite. Fig. shows the
machine In position to lift heavy logs
or weights of any kind. A stout brace
Is placed to hold the device solid. The
lever works on iron pins, Y, running
through the planks. The lever is first
applied at the bottom and gradually
worked upward, moving the pins as
you proceed, and raising the weight,
which Is attached to the lever by q
chain or rope, z. This is a practical
device and should be given trial.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
TO HANDLE LIQUID MANURE
Claimed for the Arrangement That II
10 Better Than Solids for Grass,
Small Fruits, Etc.

A Missouri farmer who some three
years ago installed the manure pit
shown In the illustration, claims to
have worked wonders with the same,
says the Homestead. This farmer
raises several acres of berries, also
some clover. AS illustrated, a cement
pit was made In which all liquid
manure was drained through the pipe,
H. The pit was covered over with a
two-lnch board top and a pump in
stalled as shown at c. This pump
was made from a piece of three-inch
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
ONE-MAN DERRICK is HANDY
Plan is Given for Making Practical Do
vice for Lifting Heavy Logs or
Weights OF Any Kind.

A plan for making a device for lift
ing logs or weights of any kind is
given by q writer in the Farm and
Home and is as follows:
Get two planks eight feet long, as
in Fig. l, and bore alternate holes
near each edge six inches apart.
Make lever, as shown In Fig. 8. Bolt
the two planks together at each end,
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01
Attand the Instltuta.

Do not fail to attend the institute
held in your community. The insti-
tutes are for you. The men who speak
at these institutes are practical
farmers who have succeeded While
you know better than anyone else
how to run your own farm, finding
out how other people do things will
do you no harm. and you may hear
something that Will mean additional
profits and pleasure to you.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01

Dcpartures-500 a. m, $40 a. m, 1901 .. m.
and 2,31 p IN. for Boston, Portland and all
points west OF WaterViIle. The 30 D. III.
train Via Augusta only. At 300 a. m, B.lO a.
IN, 10 p. III. for Bangor and stations East
Of HaterSille. At l2.0l p. IN. for Burnham,
plitaneld, Newport, Bangor, ArOostook
county, Washington County, II. John and
Halifax. sundays at s. 20 a. m and 2 90 p IN.
l5f BOSTON and Portland via Augusta and
lsr Bangor and way stations.
2rriFais-1.4j a. IN. from Augusta and
HaterSllle. l0.21 a. IN. from Portland. OAK
iaHd5 augusta, Bangor and Waterville Al
T. m. and 30 Z. H.. from all points. sun
day .a.lu a. m. from Portland aud Bangor.
10 J.. III from Boston and Portland via 4 u
sUsta and from Bangor.
The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-01

Sedentary habits, lack of outdoor
exercise, insufficient mastication of
food, constipation, torpid liver
worry and anxiety, are the most com
mon causes of stomach troubles. Cor
rect your habits and take Chamber
lain's Stomach and Liver Tablets and
you will soon be we'll again For sale
by G. r. Fogg.