davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
Tha AauarIun1.
Taftville

Ono of the most interesting public buildings in this country, if not in the work, is the Aquarium in New York city.
 The Aquarium is a round building situated at the Battery at the terminal of all elevated railway lines. No ad- mission is charged and thousands visit the place each day.
 around the entire building, and there are two floors. They are supplied with running salt and fresh watur and con- tain many thousands of gorgeous col ored and curious fishes, many of which live together in perfect harmony.
 Each tank has a placard bearing the name of the fish within, where it is found. something about it's habits and how long specimens have lived in cap- tivity.
 There are deep sea bass and curious sunfish. There are Jew fish with faces like Hebrews nose; there are ribbon fish, green in color and several feet In length, but no thicker than a sheet of paper. There are (said.. .. .. =. of paper. Then there are scabbard fish and angel fish and various species of perch.
 Most interesting of all are the little sea horses. which resemble a turned about question mark. They have a head like a horse and have little fins on their body which is about two or three inches long. They can twiEt their tails into all sorts of curves. and are continually winding them around the aquatic plants that grow in their tank.
 In the center of the building there are gigantic tanks where the visitor can see wicked looking alligators, and turtles so large that 1t would take several men to turn one of them over. Then there are several small aquaria which contain different kinds of crabs and other shellfish.
 The main attraction of the Aquarium is the large sea lion who lives in a massive tank not far from that occu- pied by the afligators- There is always a large crowd gathered about this tank watching him swim and dive. Some times he comes out on a raft which floats on the surface
 All about the building are mounted fishes varying, in size from sharks to goldfish. There are also thousands of framed pictures of fishes furnished by the government.
 One can spend a day most prof1talb1y in the Aquarium.
 ETHEL ABERG, Age 13
 Taftville.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
lmoeriaI Jokinn.

The Car Nicholas I. of Russia. was an incorrigible joker. On one of his journeys it is said he came to an out of-the-way post station, and learned that because of the bad roads 1t would take several hours to travel by coach to the next station. They told him, however, that a footpath led through the forests. and that if he car ed to walk he could reach his destina- ton sooner than by coach.
 The Czar and his adjutant decided to walk. and set out through the for ests. Presently they came to riv- CT. The bridge had broken down. and they were considering how they should get over. when a peasant came along.
 The Czar asked him. if there was no other way of getting across.
 NO. sire" said the peasant.
 How are you going to cross 2"
 How about your pack. Can you car ry that
 Surely, on my shoulders"
 "M\ man. you shall have ten rubles if you will carry me to the other bank"
 The peasant agreed, took the Car on his back and carried him over.
 "Now bring my companion over for ten more rubles," said Nicholas.
 The peasant recrossed the stream, picked up the adjutant, and was in the middle of the river when the Czar called out:
 "rll give you twenty rubles if you throw him off"
 The peasant found himself in an embarrassing position.
 You shall have fifty if you take me across" said the adjutant rervously
 Sixty" called the Car. from the other side. If you pitch him in!"
 The peasant accepted this last of fer. But the adiutant called out one hundred rubles. if you carry me to the other side.
 So he took him over to the Czar.
 After breakfast the adjutant wrote in his account book: For breakfa st ten rJbIes. for transporting his maj esty over the river, ten rubles. for transporting the adjutant over the river under highly amusing circum- stances, one hundred rubes."
 LEO POLIGUIN. Age 13.
 Versailles.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
present sl5.ooo.Ooo. with prospee,' of

present s15.O00.O00. with puepee.s 1f SJO OO0. 900 during the year.
 Figures of world prYdu..i01 or t.e various Cerea ls indicate fuaf tHe r.- stitution of petroleum fed power mag chimes for the grain fed horse DrHf also materially increase in other r1ur- tries the area availahle fIr prod of food for man. The area deelt.i ta the production Of oats. chiefly food fr horses. aggregates for 1I 0FaH.r for which figures arc available. a.HHs 140 million acres wheat -.I u....N corn ITO millions, rice l49 millions. ITa 100 millions. World production n r1r- maj years. ls. in very round 'er0 oats approximately I-t rurHa.=. wheat { billions. corn 2 hl-Gpre. r.re billions rye 2 billions. and nr 1 1-2 billions. Tn the fuI'na -fHf where Ots and wheat grow rl" side on lands capable or IrHa either grain. the area devoted t0 oatE was in 1915. the banner crop gear. fA million acres a ndto wheat co u.Ii1n acres. suggesting that thc Gradual F'a- stitution of the petroleum faI road ster and farm implement Cor tHe # fed horse, as the present generation of horses passes out pf nrirten might largely increase the wheat proc ducing area. while % simi rl.Hf.fH- tion might follow iu other parHH rf -Ia worl as whole, iu which tae area devoted to the production 0f pafH -H about one-half as great aH -Hat 1n- voted to wheat
 Meantime world production af trnf substitute for horse power 1u roads and farms. petroleum ia iuereafi1F with remarkable speed, tna total Worlf production of p@ roleum having ErDwn from 150 million barrels iu 1900 tD t millions in 1910. and 80 millions iH 1915
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
My School.
Jewett City

My school is large building on School street. with a lot of rooms. The school room I attend. is on the second floor. It is big room with six win dows and a door. Tn front there is a book case full of odd and curious things. There are thirty five chil- dren in our room and four hundred and sixty seven in the building
 On the third floor is the gymnasium. After school the children of the differ ent rooms have turns going up. There are many nice things for the boys and girls. The girls have Q horse which they jump over and dumb bells and the boys have ladders, basketball and many other things.
 Friday afternoons. after the small children go home we go up in the hall and have exercises. Each room has turn entertaining. We usually have singing, speaking, reading, and some times selection on the piano. The principal speaks afterwards.
 The children are earning money to get a victrola. We hope 10 have it soon.
 CHRISTINE BURDICK, Age 10.
 Jewett City.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
Food Saving by Substitution of Motors
 For HorSes

The announcement that grains suit abel for human food will no longer be fed to horses in Great Britain calls attention to the possibilities of grad ually enlarging the production of the worlds food supplies by utilizing for that purpose the vast areas now de- voted to producing grain for horses, for which the world is rapidly substi- tuting power driven vehicles and cul- tivators.
 compilation by the National City Bank of New York shows that this process of substituting the motor for the horse on highways and farms has already made rapid progress in the United States. The number of horses on farms in the United States in 1917 is no greater than in 1910, while pop ulation has meantime increased l3 per cent, and those changes do not in- clude the horses in cities where the substitution of power driven vehicles for those drawn by horses is even greater than on the farm. The total number of horses in the entire United States in 1917, including farms and cities, is probably less than in 1910, while population to be fed has in- creased l3 per cent.
 Meantime the transfer of production from oats, chiefly used as food for horses, to that of wheat as food for man, seems to have made even more rapid progress. The number of acres devoted to the production of oats in 1916 showed an increase Of less than II per cent over that of 1910. while the acreage devoted to wheat in 1916 showed an increase of 27 per cent over that of 1910, corn also showing an increase. though not as great as that of wheat
 During the 1910-1917 period in which the horses in the country show ed a slight decline, and the acreage devoted to the production of their food showed a less gain than that of food for man. the production of petro- farm machinery taking the place of horses shows an enormous increase. The quantity of petroleum produced in the United States was in 1910 S,S01, 900, 900 gallons, and in 1916 12,- 64,000,000 gallons, an increase of ap- proximateiy 50 per cent.
 Meantime there has been an enor- nous growth in the number of power driven road and farm vehicles and tractors. the Census of 1915 showing over $500 000, 900 worth of automobiles produced in 1914 against a. production of less than $200,000,0 900 worth shown by the Census of 1910. On farm trac- tors the statistics while incomplete are sufficient to show plainly that they are now performing much service for which the farmer was formerly de- pendent upon the grain consuming horses. A recent statement by the Department of Agriculture shows as a partial census of tractors in the Uni ted States 34,371 actually in commits sion. and representing every state of the Union. Very recent reports indi- cate large numbers of farming trac- tors being purchased for community uses and a single manufacturing con cern in Ohio reports contracts for agricultural tractors aggregating at
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
UNCLE JED'S TALK TO WIDE
 AWAkES.

I believe we will talk a little more about toads- I did not tell you what an economical creature a toad is, for while snakes and other creatures cast their skins and leave them, the toad never leaves his skin around, but sits and bIinks while he eats his old clothes just as he does when feasting upon the fattest of flies.
 But there Is a toad which is oftener heard than seen for he can hide in minute but he makes a noise like a bird. This is the tree toad and when he is heard you are told 1t Is going to rain. and many people think this toad can tell when there is to be a shower before there are any signs of one in the heavens.
 These toads are called Hylas because in very old times there was a Greek boy by that name who was a sweet singer If the story is true no other boy in all the ages ever sung as sweet ly as this boy sang, so these are real " singing toads.
 These singing toads are smooth, not warty and look funny because they have little round disks at the ends of their toes so they can walk on the underside of a. limb or a leaf just like a fly and when they jump on a leaf or the trunk of the tree they become the color of the object they are sitting on immediately.
 This sudden changing of color has puzzled people since the beginning of time. but finally the microscope show cd the skin was covered with photo spheres or little globes that would i'm tensely reflect color and there is no real color on them any more than there is on a piece of looking glass which reflects color
 They are not the only creatures that enjoy color protection for the plumage Of birds and of butterflies enables them to conceal themselves in won derfuI ways.
 Do you know one of these little sing ing toads once jumped upon a natur- alists hat and sung "P-r-e-e-p! P-r-e-e-pi" and the naturalist was greatly puzzled to find the creature that was making this shrill sound so close tp him. When he removed his hat to mop his sweating brow he dis covered the little rogue.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
Trees.

We should hesitate a long time be- fore we cut down a tree. It takes many years for great tree to grow its full growth. The axe of the woodcutter can cut a huge tree in an hour. For my own part, it always fills me with sadness to see a monarch of the woods go crashing down like a half stricken giant, tearing through other wood and lying on the ground. If we must cut trees for f1rewood and timber, why not leave some to make the landscape beautiful?
 When we destroy trees we destroy the homes of the birds. If there were no trees we would have no birds, be- cause birds live in trees.
 The large trees Of a nearby forest protect the fruit trees in the orchard.
 It is beautiful to see a grove of tall trees standing like sentinels to catch the fierce winds and hold them back from the growing crops from smaller trees.
 Let us remember that trees have useful purposes and are not to be de- stroyed without due thought. They add to the beauty of the landscape, they harbor the birds, they protect the orchards and crops, they furnish lum- Der, fuel, food and medicine. and their leaves are rich in vegetable mold. Therefore, let us take care of the trees.
 IDA LEVESQUE, Age II.
 Plainfield
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
Our Lost Ducklinq.

One day last summer I was look ing for our cows by the river. walk ed quite long ways up the river and l saw the cows through the bush es. climbed up the steep bank and on the side of the bank. there I saw a birds nest. supported by a small tree. In the nest were four spotted white eggs. I just looked in the nest then l went away.
 I found all the cows and I went home the same way. All at once some thing jumped out of the bushes near the path. l was so frightened I a1- most fell backwards. Then I thought I'd better see what lived there. There under the bushes somebody had cut down, was 3, nest made of twigs and mud, lined with black feathers. There were a dozen greenish white eggs in the nest. I felt them and they were very warm. I picked five up and eut them in my hat and took them home When I got home the cows were al- ready there, so l went into the house.
 told my mother about the eggs and l asked her if she had a setting hen.
 She said. There are four or five that Pm not going to set.''
 So I took one of them and set her on the eggs The ducks matched in about two weeks. So I had four ducks from the five eggs.
 The color of them were black, with green spots on their wings and tails They had short, black legs and feet They were very lively and they would stray away from our white ducks.
 One day they and some of the white ducks went across the road and found their way to the water We could hardly catch them again. At last we succeeded and we watched them so they shouldn't go there again. Some thing happened to three of them and they were unable to walk. think they were too young to go in the cold water. Only one was left. It was quite big and used to go along with the white ducks. When we let our ducks on the water it used to go with them and come home every night
 One evening when our ducks came home the wild duck was not there We thought we should never see it again. Late in the evening my mother went to see if 1t was by the coop and there by the door cuddled up was the wild duck.
 We were very glad to see it again. Mother tried to Keep it home because she was afraid it would never come back again if she let it go But it wouldn't eat anything without the other ducks So she let it go with them Two three times it came home with the other ducks and then again 1t went away and never came back. suppose tt met some wild ducks and went to live with them.
 We all felt very sorry on account of it leaving us-
 PELAGIA KURTz, Age 1s.
 Yantic
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
HOW TO MAKE AN
 icELEss REFRIGERATOR
Cooling by Evaporation the Principle of This Homemade Storage Cooler.

Refrigerators can be made to do their part in conserving food this summer. Preserving milk, butter, and other supplies and keeping left overs and unused portions until they are needed will be their service. If ice is not obtainable, an iceless refrigerator cooled by evaporation, can be easily constructed. Women demonstrators in extension work, south, of the U. s. Department of Agriculture, tell how to make such a cooler al small cost
 This refrigerator consists of @ wood en frame covered with Canton flannel. burlap or heavy duck. It Is desirable that the frame be screened although this is not necessary. Wicks, made of the same material al the covering, resting in a pan of water on top of the cooler, conduct the water over the sides and ends of the pan and allow it to seep down the sides of the box. The evaporation from this moistened covering causes a lower temperature inside. On dry, hot days a tempera- ture of 50 degrees has been known to be obtained in the cooler This is the way to build it:
 Make a screened case 1-2 feet high with the other dimensions 12 by 15 inches. If solid top is used, sim ply place the water pan on this. 9th erwise fit the pan closely into the opening of the top frame and support
  side of the frame. Place two nov able shelves in the frame. 12 to 15 in- ches apart. Use a biscuit pan 12 by IA inches on the top to hold the water. and where the refrigerator is to be used indoors have the whole thing standing in a large pan to catch any drip. The pans and case may be painted white, allowed to dry. and then enameled. 4 covering of white Canton flannel should be made to fit the frame. Have the smooth side out and button the covering on the frame with buggy or automobile curtain hooks and eyes, arranged so that the door may be opened without unfast- ening these hooks. This can easily be done by putting one row of hooks on the edge of the door near the latch and the other just oposite the opening with the hem on each side extended far enough to cover the crack at the edge of the door. so to keep out the warm, outside air and retain the cooled air. This dress or covering vii have to be hooked around the top edge also. Two double strings one half the width of each side should be sewed on the top of each side cover ing, and allowed to extend over about ? 1-2 or 3 inches~in the pan of water. 1 The bottom of the covering should be extended into the lower pan.
 Place the refrigerator in a shady place where air will circulate around it freely. If buttons and buttonholes are used on the Canton flannel instead of buggy hooks, the cost will be re- duced.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
A Toy Carved by a Soldier.

One stormy day as a wounded sol oier lay in his bed in the hospital, he began to weep, for in his hand he held a picture of his little daughter, Mary. He suddenly thougIt that her birth day would be the eighth of July. She will be six years old," he sighed. 'I wonder if the nurse will be kind enough to help me make present for her." he said
 70 yes, will be glad to- she said, when he asked her.
 Then the nurse told the doctor, who agreed to help. It was to be a wooden doll
 The nurse had a bunch of hair in her hair receiver. "So," she said, ''the dosl will be like a real one"
 The soldier worked about an hour every day on it. After four weeks of hard work all but the face was carved. The nurse made a curly wig for it which she glued on.
 But, alas! A day or two later he was called to duty. But he was not kept long because he was not strong enough. So he went back to the hos pital where he could finish the toy.
 When 1t was ready to send off the nurse put in a dollar. He sent it home.
 Soon he received a letter. saying, Mary received the present. The moth CT write, Mary danced for joy"
 MISS MIRA A. HARRINGTON.
 Taftvile.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
The GirIs Saw a Bear.

Once two girls set out to gather flowers in the woods. They brought some lunch with them and sat down to eat it. Then they began to gather flowers again. They did not think they were il. the woods long when in sud- denly began to grow dark They heard the bushes moving and looking around saw a bear They ran. but the bear did not. and when they had go quite far from the bear they got up into a tree and stayed there until morning. Then they saw men coming and when they got near they noticed it was no one but their fathers.
 ANNIE HOPKINS. Age 10.
 JeWett City
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
STORIES WRITTEN BY WIDE
 AWAkES.
A pisastrous Fire.

A 1fSGSrFOu$ FfFSs
 It was g. cold. winter night Every one was asleep and all was quiet l. was about midnight when the fire alarm was heard by the people. Soon al. were running back and forth, try Ing to save things that were valuable. fremen. It was about ten minutes before they could hear the bells and whistles of the fire engine. All the people were screaming Tire"
 The sky was crimson, the school house was in the midst of the blaze. everywhere were crowds of people. There was a dense smoke and there were many engines trying to put out the fire.
 Everyone was excited. all were look ing at the burning house, when what should they sect A boy standing in the window of the schoolhouse. Tn his hand were some books. As he was standing in the window he was over come by smoke and heat and fell backward.
 When the people saw this they shouted for help. A man rushed for ward, ran to the building, climbed In through the window by a ladder and ran over to where the boy was lay ing. He picked him up, called for a man to come to the window and help him. He picked the boy up, lifted him could reach the boy and then climbed out himself. The boy had been res cued by his own father. His father was badly burned and so was the boy.
 The people had been so interested in the boy and his rescuer that for more than an hour they did not look towards the building. When they did look they saw their beloved home fall ing to pieces. All at once they heard a crash-the roof had fallen down. Their home was lost and they were homeless. The people lost many val uable things on account of the fire:
 ANNIE SHEBTTZ, Age 1S.
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
ALITTLEPATRIOT A

I, Sybil Hortense Converse, am the daughter of Dr. H. H. Converse, who fought in the rebellion os '61-'65 and received a bad wound in the leg while in battle in front of Petersburg, Va. As soon as he recovered he joined his regiment, the old Twenty seventh Massachusetts Volunteers.
 In a short time the regiment was engaged in battle at Kingston. N. C., and was overpowered, he being made a prisoner of war; and in Libby prison when Lee surrendered.
 AS was reading the history of my papa's regiment I asked him 'How he could have done it ?''
 He answered me, saying: Tt was to make and preserve a free country. and free schools for me and for others" He then said The same patriotic blood flows through his veins as did when he was a soldier boy.
 I am only a lass of twelve summers but the same current flows through
Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-17
Fitchville.
Norwich,

Norwich, at the head of navigation on the Thames, is a prosperous man. ufacturing city. The Yantic and She tucI1et rivers which unite at this point to form the Thames. are swiftly flow ius streams which furnish abundant water power. The chief manufactur- CTS are cotton textiles.
 Norwich has a beautiful memorial library and art gallery, also an Acade- my and Y. M. c. A.. which is a large building.
 On the river, below the city, is a state hospital for the insane. Norwich f.S a population of more than 2S,12S.
 l. like to go to Norwich very much and go nearly every Saturday. GERTRUDE E. BLATHERWICK,
 Age 15.