davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02
~ MRS. SARAH A. wRIeLEY.

After George Rogers Clark reported
on the wonderful resources OF the
great west. an epidemic broke out in
Carolina and Virginia, which threaten
edto decimate the population. 1t was
called the western fever" Whole
families we're carried off and young
men Wed with each other in their ef-
forts to reach this colorado.
A fringe of small settlements was
formed on the Ohio river, and from
these points immigration advanced
northward taking advantage of river
courses; otherwise the country was
inaccessible except on "Shank's mare. y
One pioneer cut the buttons from
his coat and traded them to an In
dian for bag of parched corn and
dried venison to sustain him during
a journey into the wilderness. He
carried flint-lock musket and ak.
With this equipment and guided by the
north star. he toiled through the for
est, leaving a blazed trail behind him.
He selected suitable spot for cabin,
near a never-failing spring of clear
water. This was important, because
the surface water caused malaria fe-
yer. He began at once to cut down
the trees and cut logs in suitable
lCuetuo III . NoOlA. AO
brush was burned to clear the ground.
Returns to Settlement.
AS winter approached our immf-
grant returned to the settlement, seek
ing employment by which he could
secure rifle, powder and lead. Each
man moulded his own bullets. 1t re-
quired only ladle with long handle
and spout in which to melt the
lead and a bullet mould which mould
ed a single bullet. Every scrap of
lead was preserved. When an ami
NAL was shot it was examined in order
to recover the bullet.
In the spring. provided with bag
of corn meal corn and beans for seed.
a horse. dog and a brave woman,
who consented to share his home in
the wilderness. he was prepared for
his return journey.
Other immigrants joined him and
assisted in building his cabin. At
first there was no other floor but that
provided by nature. An opening in
the east side for entrance was covered
by a wolf skin. as no tools were
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

Betty expected to remain with her
friends for an indefinite period
On the return trip the cart was
loaded with the necessaries of life,
among other things Betty sent a sup.
ply of wool. pair Of cards and a
small spinning wheel.
During the winter Betty's friends
aided her to make warm garments and
bedding. She procured yarn and knit
hose for John and herself, and often
wondered how John succeeded with
the cooking, and if he were lonely, but
he had the horse and dog for com.
pany.
John was very busy, for an army
OF squirrels came down on his corn
field and contended with him for his
harvest. Tige did his best to disperse
them, but John had to set a number of
traps and wasted some precious balls
and powder on them before they were
forced to retreat. Even then he was
not rid of them, several of the cunning
ones invaded his attic and stored the
corn in the angles of the roof.
Harvest over John turned his at.
tention to making a clapboard door.
This was hung on wooden hinges, and
when closed was fastened with a
strong wooden bar. 1t also had a
wooden latch that was lifted by a
string passed through a hole in the
door. This completed, he began to lay
the floor in the cabin. He dressed the
puncheons with his adj, sawed them
the proper length, bored holes for the
wooden pegs that would hold them
firmly in place. He took great care
in making this as smooth as possible
thinking how surprised and pleased
Betty would be on her return. He
made table of puncheons, with strong
legs, and three-legged stools.
Until John tried it, he had no idea
how much time it required to keep up
the wood fire, cook three meals day
and make the bed. However, he
found time to make frequent excur
sions into the forest to secure food
and pelts. On one of these trips. he
killed two fawns. Their fur was beau.
tifully mottled. buff and brown. These
skins he scraped carefully and oiled
them as they dried until they were
soft and pliable, but l must not tell
you what use John intended to make OF
them.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02
Early Pioneers Lived Long;
Physicians Seldom Needed

don't know much of anything after
all, and that "eugenics" is not a SCI
ence and stands discredited with ev-
cry one except those theorists whose
business it is to suppress facts.
Early Family Doctors.
And now we come to the early doc
tor who lived among these long-lived
people. In the early lives of these old
persons the family doctor" was all
there was between them and death. He
was not specialist. He was a gen.
eral practitioner" He "practiced" med
icine the same as the young girl prac-
tees on the keys of the piano. She
often strikes the wrong key and pro-
duces discord. The doctor practised
on the human body and quite as often
struck the wrong key. But he had to
learn from practical experience. Med
ical works were few. A certain sue.
cessful physician of early days had
only half dozen medical books in his
library when he died. But many of
these early doctors were gifted with a
keen observation, logical mind and a
retentive memory. In medicine, as in
mechanics and engineering, expert
ence and practical skill are of the
highest Importance, and practical
education is most essential.
/ am far from saying that recorded
experience has no value. 1t saves
blunders. Recorded knowledge is the
result of many centuries of expert.
ence derived from the labors of thous-
ands OF men. But sheepskin on the
office wall does not make doctor any
more than college professorship
makes an able president. The modern
general who would conduct his cam
paign upon his knowledge of the tao
tics of Julius Caesar, Hannibal or
Scipio Africanus, or upon his reading
of the Punic or Gallo wars, would be
no more ridiculous than the doctor
who would come to the bedside with
the theories of an age before the dis.
covery of the circulation of the blood
Great generals like Napoleon, Grant
and Won Hindenberg cast old theories
to the wind and learned from hard,
practical conditions.
Learns From Experience.
So the early doctor had to learn
from his own experience. In his work
sunshine and rain, daylight and dark
ness, storms and fair weather, snow
billiards. and floods, were all alike to
him. He must go. He must save life.
He must ride ten miles on the dark
est nights, over swamps and mud
roads, in fierce storms, to give some
old granny dose of calomel or to see
a child in spasms. He was present at
every birth; he attended every funer
al, and stood by the grave to console
the family. He sat with the minister
at every death bed and put his name
with the lawyer to every will. He was
both doctor and apothecary. His sad
die bag was the only drug store with
in forty miles. Every spring the blood
must be purified, the bowels purged.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

available for making a door. A forked
limb from a tree was used to break up
the ground for planting corn. The
rich alluvial soil was easily cultivated
The housewife was provided with an
iron pot and a long-handled spider for
frying meat. This had an iron lid
and was used for baking bread and
parching corn, used as substitute for
coffee. Small animals were suspend.
ed before the blazing fire and turned
from time to time until thoroughly
roasted. and our pioneers have now
entered on a life of toll and hard
ship.
Housewives Worries.
The man continued to cut down the
timber and clear the ground for cult
walton, while the wife made the best
home she could from her slender re-
sources. Instead of yielding to nerv-
GUS prostration she lived to rear a
family of ten or twelve sons and
daughters:
John Long was a quiet, resolute
character. He attacked the forest Wig.
orously, determined to recover as
much land as he could cultivate.
When the corn was planted, Tige, the
dog was kept busy barking at the
crows that came down in flocks to dig
up the corn. At night the raccoons
stole in for the same purpose, and
Tige had many a battle with them.
The horse was a great help when
piling heavy logs for burning. He
had rawhide harness, which was at
tached to the end of a log, and it
was quickly added to the log heap
fire. Many of the logs were too
heavy for man to move even with a
lever
Betty was confronted with the prob.
lem Of furnishing three meals a day
from the bag of corn meal and the wild
meat brought in from the forest. The
deer had good deal of curiosity
which brought them to the open,
where they fell an easy victim to the
pioneers rifle. Thus an abundant
supply Of venison was secured, and
the skins were dried, But when they
grew tired of venison. John mounted
his horse and rode into the forest on
moonlight night to kill fat pos.
sum. Occasionally he shot turkey
hen OF came upon nest of eggs,
which were great treat.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

Betty discovered the early sprouts
of the jokeweed. which she cooked for
green's; later in the season wild straw
berries and raspberries were added to
their bill of fare. The 'possum fat
was almost as good as lard for frying
purposes or shortening the cornbread.
When bear was shot Betty asked
John to fit up an ash-hopper to fur
nish her I've to make soap of the bear
fat. This was boiled in the open, US
ing the only kettle she possessed. She
was at loss for a recepticle in which
to preserve her soap, but John made
a wooden trough, which answered the
purpose. The soap was quite an &C
QUESTION, for now the clothes could
be washed and dried quickly. For
merly garment was suspended from
the limb of tree and left in the
running water of a river until the
current washed it clean.
John found in the edge of the for
est a log which the bees had filled
with honey and then deserted. This
lasted them long time, and took the
place of their scanty supply of sugar,
which had long since been exhausted.
The beeswax was carefully preserved.
1t was in constant demand in the set
Elements. John made a trading post
of his cabin and the immigrants came
for many miles, bringing pelts, bees
wax and gensing to exchange for
clothing, implements and food. Two
or three times year voyagers came
up to the post with canoe loaded
with articles needed by the settlers.
John secured an adj, a saw and an
auger. Betty's tableware consisted of
two tincups, two knives and forks, two
spoons and two plates. She was eBx-
ious to have some bowls, cups and
saucers; also coffee-pot. John was
pleased to crafty her reasonable re-
quest.
Rides in Rude Cart.
One of Johns neighbors had con.
structed a rude cart The wheels had
been sawed from a round log, and the
bed was woven from hickory widths
He proposed to take load of pelts
to the settlement. John furnished the
horse for the trip and secured for Bet.
ty a seat in the cart. John was to
remain at home to guard the cabin
and gather his crop of corn and beans.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02
~ EDGAR ILiFF.

Mr.. John T. Plummer, in his Rem
iniscences of Richmond" published in
1857, gives a list of twenty-six early
settlers with their ages. They all
lived beyond the scriptural limits of
three score and ten. One, woman.
died at 104. Their ages ran "a, SO. 81,
IS, 80. etc. Their combined ages made
up the sum of 217O years.
have made collection Of portraits
of old people with their ages. They are
all Hoosiers, some of Wayne County,
others of adjoining counties. l was so
interested in Ellie Metchnikoff's book
on The Prolongation Of Life" that
illustrated it with these local portraits
and records. No pretension Is here
made to scientific accuracy but the
following sketch is offered in feeble
attempt to throw some light upon
heredity and human longevity.
OF the thirty-one records and por-
traits collected twenty-four are women
and seven are men. The combined age
Of the thirty-one is 3O59 years. The
average age is d little over 80 years. a
most remarkable age for this latitude
and country.
How Ages Run.
The respective ages in this list run
116. 10S, 1O4, IS, etc. The youngest is
IS. All of them raised large families.
One woman, who lived to be 10S. had
ten children. twenty-five grandchil-
dren, forty-siX great-grandchildren and
thirty great-great- grandchildren in all
Ill. Another woman, who passed the
century milestone, claimed the gift of
prophecy and declared that the United
States would have a great war with
hn Acio h,,f vv0,,1d ha vict0ri0l1c
in the end. Some are experts with the
needle, some read without glasses and
read history and novels, some prefer
walking to riding, and nearly all of
them love the society OF young per-
sons. One man is an inveterate user OF
tobacco and another has imbibed liq-
uor all his life. A number of them use
coffee three times day. One woman,
aged 1O4, says her rule in life was to
retire early, rise with the sun, eat
plain food, use no stimulants and be
ceeerful," and further. don't wear a
corset, high collar, tight shoes, or
tight clothes, and beware of too much
fresh air and drafts"
One woman was the mother of nine
sons and one daughter. Her oldest son
married and became the father of nine
daughters and one son. There is a
case of ''reversion" in heredity. Jo-
ham Gregor Mendel. Catholic monk
of Bohemia. has made some valuable
and interesting experiments in "rever-
sion" and crossing" in plant life. In
the garden of his monastery he cross
ed tall and dwarf peas. The offsprings
were all tall. even taller than the tall
parents The next crossing brought
all dwarfs, even shorter than the orig
inal dwarf parents. All experiments
in heredity have so far shown that we
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

no; believe in long engagements Lit
tie Jackie-.-She doesn't know
cause all her engagements have been
short"
For the making of billiard balls
five hundred elephants are needed ev-
cry year." said a famous big-game
hunter in a lecture on India. How
strange" said one lady to another.
that people can teach such great
beasts to do such delicate work"
Mistress-"From your references I
see you've had four places in the last
month. Servant-"Yes'm: that shows
how much in demand ! am"
eY ANN Isle.
Maiden Meditations-
When a man gets what he wants,
he grows tired: when a woman gets
what she wants-she wakes up.
Efficiency has taught us so many
ways OF saving our energy that won.
der IL hadn't taken up the idea OF let
ting the thunder do our growing for
US, since the thunder has had charge
of that job ever since the world began
and won't charge and individual q cent
extra.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

Gunpowder was used by the Chinese
in the year 80, and paper 22O b. c.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

Pointed finger tips are said to BIZ
indicative OF poetical instinct.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

There were more than $500 battles
and skirmishes during the Civil war.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

Eagles and vultures have beel
known to live for more than 100 years
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

The candle power of the sun is rep.
resented by string of figures begin.
ming with eighteen. and followed by
twenty-seven noughts.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02
Do You Know
That

1t was Carlyle who originated the
phrase, the unspeakable Turk"
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

Neither King George nor Queen
Mary has the least liking for cards.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

Mr.. De Cosmos, a member of the
legislature of British Columbia, once
made a speech which lasted for
twenty-six hours.
The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-10-02

During the siege of Paris long-taiIed
rats were sold at 3 shillings a pound
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25
ANIMALS THAT COME INTO
BLOOM QUICKLY.
~ N. .. DUNCAN.

II was the hrst Of June before we
arrived at our summer home.
wanted a flower garden, though the
flower books and seed catalogues were
frankly discounging. Remarks such
as Sow asters and calendua in No
vember'' made the idea rather hope
less. sill, every true enthusiast likes
10 see seeds sprouttng even n nc
flowers mature so I attacked with
my trowel the very stony dirt in all
the promising flower bed locations
around the house. Then dug UP
from the woods plenty Of leaf mold
and mixed II IN well, III my new
flower beds looked csrable Of enter
tanning even 25 cent packets.
II was the seventh Of June before
the seeds really went IN: bach elor {.
buttons and sweet scabious on each
side OF the steps. phlox. corenpsts
ss'ht8uthus and shirley peoples in a
long hed beside 4 gravel walk, long,
but NOT nearly long enough q parket
looks very big when your epace IA
limited). Another bed had cafenduls,
godetfa and pinkr.
The weather did It's part beautifully
and so did | with the watering pot. a
ponderous galvanized sfYsir meant for
an able bodied day laturer. The bach
rlor's buttons were the first 10 show
themselves above ground and the reSt
were quick TO follow The w~edt
thruve and multiplied apace TOO. Al
that forest leaf mold had been x~ner-
Otisly slowed for wears back with trees
shrubs and flowers. l believe. Thers
were MANY crops Of them. but dc
not allow them to get ahead Of mo
Hopn tho rows Of my seedlfngD wery
crowded. and I wNs reluctant to thin
them ont, However. fcars. Of thed1
growing spindly" anu refusing tr
bloom drove mo to It. could NO,
bear I" throw away all the good plantr
l pulled up, no ! dug up sumo nov
spots and transplanted them.
on the third OF August the rnoe fol
the first flower was won by the hache.
lors button. Once begun they mad,
q brave showing. Every day l picked
q handful Of flowers for the table
white with blue centres, deep purple
vivid blue and some dainty pink and
white blooms. They were a reproacb
to tho adjoining plantation of sweet
scabious. These put all their efforts
into leaves, which they produced lux
urlanuy. Very soon the Shirley pop
pies began 20 lift their fuzzy. wh,m-
sically curvfng stems and furry buds.
They were tho most charming flowers
had. and kept we'll for two days IN
water. tried putting tho stems int o
hot water Immediately. but this treat :
ment showed no advantage over or
binary cold water.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25

In quick succession and long con
tinuance bloomed the schiza .
purple sprayed plant that l had never
seen before; yellow and deep orange
calendulas; velvety crimson coreopss,
unfolding from incredibly tiny brown
balls that were buds. Godetia doomed
well. with wide open flowers OF pink
and white. My annual phlox set at
naught the garden books gloomy pre-
dictions of lateness Of bloom. The
colors were pink white. dark red and
lavender Closing the procession were
some deep red single pinks. which
bloomed on the day Of our departure
FOR the city in September.
Il was all great fun-from the
visions inspired by rows OF tiny green
seedlings just above ground, to the
fulfiment in tho gathered flower.
There are many other annuais which
one could have, such as nasturtiums
and morning glories both OF them
charming IN the named kinds. The
great thing is not to be disco dragged
the calendulas ictU bloom before No
vember, and the peoples can be trans
planted Have a garden, even II you
must start late.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25

the trench method, the seeds are sown
In deep trenches, and as the plants
attain growth soil L. filled In from
time to time, thus keeping the roots
well covered.
The ideal soil for growing sweet
peas Is that made from compost
Of good loan which has been MANFRED
and grown a crop the year before.
Sweet peas are nitrogen gatherers
and this element IL not furnished.
but good supply Of potash and phos-
phOrus is indispensable to secure
robust vines and perfect blooms. To
the loan add about one-third Of wei
rOtted horse manure and II the soil
is lacking in potash add about a
quart measure of some good fertilizer
containing a relatively high per cent
Of potash and phosphoric acid to each
buShel Of soil. Bone meal Is likewise
excellent. and many growers use II
and add a spr1nkling Of muriate Of
potash later on. by working 1t into
the soil around the plants.
My own manner Of preparing the
soil 10 to lAy out trenches two feet
wide ana some eighteen inches deep,
spading the soil we'll In the bottom
of the trenches place a layer OF broken
stones or gravel, and on this place a
layer OF good rich soil about six inches
deep. This provides splendid drainage,
and the seeds are planted In double
rows six inches apart and about four
inches apart in the rows The seeds
should not be covered but merely
pressed into the soil by laying a board
over them and standing on the board.
Place a row Of brush or poultry net
ting in the centre OF the double row,
and when the plants are we'll up be-
gin cultivation. When the vines at
tain height OF six inches All in
around them. pudding with water 10
settle the soil well about the roots.
Frequent and thorough cultivation Is
needed 20 keep the soil loose. for II
1t is allowed to bake the growth of
the vines will be checked. Shallow
cultivation will give the best results
deep cultivation will injure the vines
and neither should the soil be worked
Immediately after rainfall. In very
dry weather n mulch Of freshly cut
grass dawn clippings) will keep the
moisture In the soil. or siO inch
layer OF straw or hay will serve to
keep the soil from drying out
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25
VARIETIES OF PEACHES SUITED
TO DIFFERENT LOCALITIES.
The adap,abllity Of different varieties

The adaptabIlity Of different varieties
Of peaches to individual, conditions
calls for much consideration on the
part Of the prospective grower 1t Is
true that there are doubtless a good
many more varieties OF peaches that
will develop under wider range OF
conditions than is the case with any
other kinds OF fruit, but II Is Of the ut
most importance that a variety be Sc
lected which will rpen when tho mar
kets are not already overstocked. This
In fact may be said 20 be tho real
problem.
In the further extension OF the
peach industry the selecting OF loca-
tons with reference to this factor is
likely to contribute more 10 the inan-
cial success Of the enterprise than the
mere choosing of varieties that do
we'll but without regard to the time
when they ripep in comparison with
the peach season Of other districts.
Thus peach grower in New Jersey
may know that the Greensboro peach
does we'll under his conditions but
that he cannot market II TO advan-
tage when there is a good crop Of FL
teEld pehtUtS III NHVukH II ~
profitable in seasons OF light crops In
Georgia. Similarly the Salway peach
was formerly a profitable variety to
grow in some parts OF California, but
in certain sections Of that State II can
not now compete to advantage with
the liberia peach from Colorado. Ac-
cordlngly the Salway peach Is not
found in many OF the younger orch
ards In certain districts Of California
in which II was formerly variety
Of considerable prominence.
In order to collect Information the
United States Department OF Agricul-
ture invited q large number OF grow.
ers in many representative districts
To report as nearly as possible the va
rieties which had proved most success
full with them. giving the average date
when the rlpeninE season for each va
riety began.