davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
NUMBER 22.
m,oh. H.v. Changed History.

Here is the story Of an averted tag-
edy which, II It had not been averted,
might have changed the whole course
Of modern history In Europe. The time
was about three weeks after Sadowa-
The place was the little village Of Pirs-
dorf, about thirty miles from Vienna.
King william of Prussia and Bismarck
were there, and they sat down on ter
race outside a small cafe to drink beer.
Kern, an Austrian forester, saw them.
He regarded them as the deadly enc
mics Of his country. He was an excel
lent marksman, and he had bis double
barreled gun with him. Taking aim
from behind cover, he was about to
fire when his wife, seeing what he was
after and fearing the consequences,
clutched him by the coattails. He turn
ed to argue with her, and before the
argument was finished the king and
his chancellor had disappeared. 30
nothing happened. But II Kern had
been allowed to fire there might have
been no German empire.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

Make q hangman's moose In tho end
Of the rope.'
fee out O. the lazaretv' sang out the
captain.
They found the loose rope. tautened
It, hooked the blight into an open
sheave in the stanchion and listlessly
walked forward with II. When they
had hoIsted the unconscious Tom to the
ganf Swarth ordered. Delay. coil up
the fall and go forrarI.''
They obeyed. listlessly as ever.
Captain Swarth looked ut the square
rugged ship, now on the port quarter,
an III defined blur to his imperfect
vision. Fine chance we'd have had"
he muttered, It that happened to be a
bulldog. Angel" he said as the mate
drew near. ''hot coffee is good for
moon blindness, taken externally, as a
blistering agent a counter irritant We
have no fly blisters In the medicine
chest, but smoking hot grease must
be Just as good. If not better than
either. Have the cook heat up a pot.
full, and you get me out nice small
paint brush
Forty-eight hours later. when the last
Weakening vision among the twenty
men had taken cognizance Of the girls.
ly object aloft, the body OF Tom Plate
was dropped into the sea.
Then when Captain Swarth's eyes
permitted he took an observation or
two and shaped his course for Bar
bados island to take up the burden
Of his battle with fate, to scheme and
to plan. to dare and to do. to war and
to destroy, against the inevitable COM
ing Of the time when fate should prove
the stronger. when he would lose In q
game where one must always win or
die.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
Real Democracy.

Before Denmark consented to sell
the Danish West Indies to the United
States a plebiscite was held, and the
electorate voted upon the question.
The people Of the United States, how
ever, We're never consulted as to wheth
er they desired to make the purchase.
The people Of England vote directly
on national questions whenever parlia'
ment is dissolved, and the government
goes to the country" on nearly every
matter Of really vital import.
Many Americans fondly imagine that
the United States is the only real de-
mocracy in the world. AS a matter Of
fact, in Switzerland, Australia and
New Zealand government is more di.
rectly responsible to the people than In
the United States; Canada's govern
ment is at least equally representative
as ours, while England, although nomi.
nally a constitutional monarchy, prob
ably Is more democratic than the Unit
ed States.-St. Paul Dispatch.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
All In the Dialect.

A New Zealand man vouches for the
truth Of the following story:
Dick Seddon was Of Lancashire orr
gin, and when he died the Lancastrian
society in New Zealand sent wreath
with the following inscription: II have
gone whoam." The journalist who re-
ported thc funeral evidently did not
come from Lancashire and consequent
ly was somewhat puzzled by the word
Ing and, after thinking hard, conclud-
ed that some one had blundered. His
report read:
"The Lancastrian society sent a
beautiful wreath bearing the inscrip-
lion: I have gone. Who am II"
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

....
Art. is the revelation Of man, and
not merely that but likewise the reve-.
lation Of nature speaking through man.
Art pre-exists In nature, and nature Is
reproduced in art. As vapors from
the ocean floating landward and dis
solved in rain are carried back In rtv,
ers to the ocean, so thoughts and the
semblances Of things that fall upon the
soul of man In showers flow out again
In living streams Of art and lose them.
selves In the great ocean, which u ma
ture. Art and nature are not, then,
discordant, but ever harmoniously
working In each other.-Lonsfsllow's
Hyperion" ,.,.sa SIS )
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

MAKE a hangman's knot In the end
Of the roper thundered the captain,
bis pistol at Toms ear. Trembling. he
lied the knot
~Pass it round your neck and draw
It tight"
Hoarse, inarticulate screams burst
from the throat Of the man. ended BY
4 blow on the side Of his face by the
captains iron hard dst He fell and
lay insensible. while Swarth himself
adjusted the moose. The men forward.
aroused by the screams, heard Swarth's
roar, Lay aft here the watch"
They came, feeling their way.
~Clap on to that CANT line at the
main fife rail and lift this bag OF cor
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

whv not start crusade, againse sne
49, NJ veal? You ask. "Why should
sa ~ssn And We answer, Yankee fashion,
We. ..l,ne another question: "Do you
syo~ ~ vby meat, butter, milk and leather n.ss
rs, hish: or that there arc 6.00o,0O0
s.o ~. ~ covs in the United States than there
e. .ess ' Is veers ago, and $4,000, 900 more
W. sno,.. and do You realize the osu:er'
RESI." Rsvp, = but ono answer: The slsugheer
Lne. .ss, oslvss. and after you think II
c,sr - let us kuow II you are ready 70 On
,,.t. M n not. drafting may come iatS,, 10.
~,sb the rapid decrease, there VIII MOI
long be veal to eat.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

and soon sounded from the companion
way: "I'm blind. I'm blind, capt'n. l
can't see. l Lit the lantern and burn
ed my fingers, but can't see the light
I'm blind" The stewards voice end
ed In q howl.
@Shut up, you blasted foolr' answer:
ed Captain Swarth. "Get down there
and light up."
"where's that nghtT' came the
mates voice in a yell from amidships.
''shank painters jammed, Bill. Can't
do a thing without light"
"Come aft here and get 1t! Stewards
drunk" Shouts came from forward,
borne on the gale, as the men groped
aft and climbed the poop steps.
sWe're stone blind, cappeng they
walled. I'VE Lit the fo'c'sle lamp, an
It don't show>pp. We're all blind"
"Come down here. BILL" called the
mate from below.
As Captain swarth felt his way
down the stairs a sudden shock sdlled
the vibrations caused by the dragging
anchor, and he knew that the chain
had parted.
!. .Stand BY on deck, Angel; we're
adrift," he said. "Its darker than
ten thousand black cats. WHATS the
matter with your"
"Can you. see the light, Bfllf ] can't
I'm blind a. the steward. or I'm
drunker.e
aNo. Is. it iiti whsrei The men
say they're blind too"
"Here, forrard end O the table
The captain reached this end. search.
ed with his hands and burned them
on the hot glass Of q lantern. he re-
moved the bowl and singed the hair on
his wrists. The smell cane to his
nostrils.
srm blind. toor' he groaned. AN
gel, It's the moon. We're moonstruck
moon blind. And we're adrift IN .
squall. !
eth only last . few days, boys"
ssid the captain bravely. we
shouldn't have slept In the moonlight
IN these ATTITUDES. Drop the lead over.
one Of you-weather side. The devil
knows where we're drifting. and the
snaIl anchor won't hold now. Wen
|esye T.. 0ne naA M9A ~ ~
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
The
TradeWind
The Strange Tale
OF a Helpless Ship
And a Blind CrelD

"HE orgy was finished. The last
sea song had resounded over
the smooth waters Of the bay;
the last drunken shout, oath
and challenge were voiced; the last
fight ended in helplessness and maud
lin amity, and the red shirted men
were sprawled around on the moonlit
deck, snoring.
Though the barrel Of rum broached
on the main hatch was but slightly
lowered. their sleep was heavy.
Scurvy tainted men at the end Of a
Cape Horn passage may not drink
long or deeply. Some lay as they fell.
face upward; others on their sides for
awhile, then to roll over on their backs
and SO remain until the sleep was
done, for in no other position may the
human body rest easy on a hard bed
with no pillow. And as they slept
through the tropic night the full moon
in the east rose higher and higher.
passed overhead and disappeared be-
hind thickening haze In the western
sky, but before 1t had crossed the me-
ridian its cold, chemical rays had
worked disastrously on the eyes Of the
sleeping men.
Captain Swarth, dominator Of the
lawless crew. prone upon the poop
deck. was the first to waken. There
was pain In his head, pain in his eyes,
which were swollen, and whistling
tumult Of sound in his ears coming
from the Plutonian darkness sur
rounding him. while a jarring vibra.
ton Of the deck beneath him apprised
his awakening brain that the anchor
was dragging. As he staggered to his
feet violent pressure Of wind hurled
him against the wheel, to which he
clung.
"All hands, therew he roared. up
with you all! Go forward and pay out
on the chainP'
Shouts, oaths and growls answered
him, and he heard the nasal voice Of
his mate repeating his order. "Angel,"
he called, "get the other anchor over
and give her all Of both chains"
AYE, aye. sir" answered the mate.
"Send a lantern ferrard, Bill. Can't
see our noses"
Steward" yelled the captain.
where are you? Light up a deck
lantern and the binnacle!"
He heard the stewards voice close
to him and the sound Of the pinnacle
lights being removed from their places,
then the opening and closing Of the
cabin companionway. He could see
nothing. but knew that the steward
had gone below to his storeroom. In
q minute more shrek came from the
cabin. It rang out again and again
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
lasfroxind an Idol.

"Charley, DEAR" said young Mrs. Tor
kins, you can say anything you like
nowadays about George Washington,
can't your
"Yes. The lid seems to be off,"
"Well, I never liked to mention 1t be-
fore, but have my doubts about his
being incapable Of an effort to deceive.
His pictures look to me as II the old
gentleman wore a wig."-Washington
Star.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

Blessings on the man who whistlee at
his worki He may not be highly edu-
Gated nor versed In the ways OF society.
but be 10 worth's dozen sulky say-noth-
ine fellows who 60 about with long
gloomy faces which give one spell OF she
6lusa Just to look at. When you hear 2
fsilov whistling st his work you know
he 4 in love With H. and you feel sure
FRAT be will do his best. So here's TO
~ man Who whistles - ~ works.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

PRACTICAL. HEAL1'H HINT.


In an article on Tanning the I
, LIVER Worlds Work says that 4
the daily meal Of the average 4
; business man consisting Of meat
, and potatoes and white bread is
ideal for inducing constipation.
, Most Of us should not eat more 4
than once q day. Eat the shells 4
, Of your baked potatoes and eat 4
B whole wheat bread or graham 4
, for the help that what we call 4
, 'roughage" has in stimulating
, bowel action. And see to It that
; you take liberal portions Of at
B least two kinds Of vegetables at
= both luncheon and dinner. such
, vegetables as peas, beans. let
, tuce, parsnips, carrots, turnips,
, celery. oyster plant cabbage,
, Brussels sptouts, tomatoes, salsi-
. fy, Spanish onions, asparagus
, and spinach. II you dislike these
, you will be able to substitute
3 fruits that you do Ike. Eat the
, right things. get sun,cient exer.
. else and rest and you win have
. NJ need for habit forming lara.
, dives which eventually may do
= you much harm.
=
- A. 49, hypyvSH
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

his influence could be felt, acted a. q
foil to the irascible. faultflnding Tom
Plate, the forecastle lawyer, the man
who had been at the lead line at Bar
bados.
Tom marked himself for future at.
tention by insolent and disappearing
comments on the orders Of his su-
periors and a habit Of moving swiftly
to another part of the deck directly
he had spoken, which prevented the
angry captain from finding him.
Dim as must have been the light Of
day through the pelting rain and storm
cloud, it caused increased pain in their
eyes. and they bound them with their
neckerchiefs, applying meanwhile such
remedies as forecastle lore could sug.
gest. The captain derided these RENE
dies, but frankly confessed bis ignor-
ance Of anything but time as means
Of cure. And so they existed and sui.
fered through three days damp gale
and fourth days dead calm. when
the brig rolled scuppers under with all
sail set, ready for the next breeze. It
came, cool, dry and faint at first, then
brisker-the unmistakable trade wind.
They boxed the brig about and brac.
ed sharp on the starboard tack, steer
ing again by the feel Of the wind and
the rafting Of shaking leeches aloft
They took occasional deep sea sound
ings with the brig shaking in the wind,
but found no bottom, and at the end
Of fifteen days q longer heave to the
ground swell was evidence to Captain
Swarth's mind that he was passing
Cape st. Rogue, and the soundings
were discontinued
mo use bothering about St Paul
rocks or the Rocas, Angel" said he.
"They rise out O. the deep sea, and II
we're to hit, soundings won't warn us
in time"
One day Yank Tate appeared at the
captains elbow and suggested in a
low voice that he examine the treas
ure chests in the tween deck. II was
down slowing away some oaKum, ne
said, IAN l was sure heard the Lid
close, but nobody answered me, an ]
couldn't feel anybody"
Captain Swarth descended to his cab
In and found his keys missing; then
he and the carpenter visited the chests.
They were locked tight and as heavy
as ever.
"Some one has the keys, Yank, and
has very likely raided the diamonds.
We can't do anything but wait he
can't get away. Keep still about It."
The air became cooler as they sailed
on, and, judging that the trade wind
was blowing more from the south than
he had allowed for. the captain brought
the wind squarely abeam. and the brig
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
whv americas Crops Count.


The United States produces:
Thrse-fourtbs Of the worlds corn
crop.
One-fourth of the oat crop.
One. eighth Of the barley crop.
One-fiftieth of the rye crop.
One-sixteeuth of the potato crop.
Three.fifths of the oottor crop.
Ons.fourth of the fax seed crop.
One. third Of the tobacco crop.
One-fourth Of the bop.
One-tenth of tho sugar crop.
The United States ranks first In pro-
duction Of corn, wheat, oats, cotton, 70,
bscco and hops; second 10 barley ana
fiax; fourth in sugar, and ffth In rye
and potatoes. ,
But since the European war stsrteo'
notwithstanding the incfeased exports,
the United States has consumed about
99 Der cent q much - It has produced
of foodstuiIs, that ID, It has imported sl-
most q much % u has exported. BE.
fore the war It consumed more than y
taking into confederation ootn
exports and imports, based on wholesale
vaiue.-Wisconsin Press Bulletin.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

Happiness rarely is absent 1t is that
we know not Of its presence. The
greatest felicity avails us nothing II
we know not that we are happy.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
Luxury and Labor,

Alexander the Great, rejecting on his
friends degenerating into sloth and
luxury, told them that It was a most
slavish thing to luxuriate and most
royal thing to labor.-Barrow.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

Foot Ropes and Gaskets.
sailed faster. Still, It was too cool Tor
the latitude, and it puzzled him until
q man came aft and groaned that he
had lifted his bandage to bathe his
eyes and had unmistakably seen the
sun four points of the port quarter,
but his eyes were worse now, and he
could not do It again.
"Four points OFF, exclaimed Swarth.
-Four o'clock In the afternoon! That's
Just about where the sun ought to be
heading due east and far enough south
O. the Hne to bring this cool weather.
We're not far from Ascension. Never
knew the sou-east trade to act like this
before. Must ha' been blowing out o
the sou-west half the time"
A week later they were hove to on
the port tack, with a cold gale OF
wind screaming through the rigging.
It was the first break in the friendly
trade wind, and Swarth confessed to
himself that he was out Of his reckon
ing, but one thing he was sure Of
that this was cyclone with danger.
GUS center.
The brig labored heavily during the
lulls as the seas rose. Captain Swarth
went below and smashed the glass OF
an aneroid barometer, which might
tell him roughly Of the air density.
Feeling of the indictor and judging BY
the angle It made with the center,
marked by ring at the top, he found
a measurement which startled him.
Setting the adjustable hand over the
Indicator for future reference, he re-
turned to the deck. Ill at ease. A FUR.
ther lowering Of the barometer induc'
ed him to furl topsails and foretop-
mast staysail and allow the brig to
ride under storm spanker.
"Angel," said the captain, shouting
into the mates ear. there's only one
thing to account for this. We're on
the right tack for the southern ocean.
but the storm center is overtaking Us
faster than we can drift away from It
We must scud out Of its way"
With the best two helmsmen at the
wheel they sped before the tempest
for four hours.
"Keep the wind as much on the port
quarter as you dare" ordered swarth-
"We're simply sailing around the CEN
ter and perhaps in with the vortex"
In a few hours more there was less
fury in the blast and slight rise In
the barometer.
II was right" said the captain. 'The
center will pass Us now. We're our OF
its way" 81 =.
They brought the brig around amid
crashing of seas and pinned her
again on the port tack with the tai.
paulin. But a few hours Of It brought
an increase Of wind and fall OF the
barometer.
"What In thunder does it mean.
AneelY' cried the captain desperately.
.sBy all laws Of storms we ought to
drift away from the CENTER"
A voice out Of the night above tho
shrieking wind answered him.
sYos an fred fool don't yow h"oso
| ony moro thox to heove to N the osH
streomi" M
Then there was the faintest disturb
ance In the sounds Of the sea, indicat-
ine the rushing BY Of q large craft
Swhatr" roared swarth. 'The gulf
streami rye lost my reckoning.
Where am II Ship ahoyl Where am
Ir' There was no answer.
Draw q bucket Of water one %
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29

H.rrovipg we'll 10 fine; but unless We
- .ssd that 10 the very best We csn
- kssp the cultivator going and tne
weeds eli hosd down. we To- ~. s''s
vnntnGD q . good beGSsans'
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
As TO HELP PROBLEM

The principal objection to this style
of intensive farming is that 1t involves
the hiring of too much LABOR. II 10
pointed out that labor is high-priced and
often not worth what 1t costs, and for
that reason it will not pay to put 90
much work into 1t. This objection Is,
of course, based upon habit farmers
have gotten into of thinking they must 5.
have a certain amount of land whether
thew can farm It efficiently or not: MY
contention Is that, from the standpoint
of production, it does not pay farmer
to have any more land than he can work
thoroughly, which means inteos,sJ,y ,,"hI.
n dairy farmer has the help available
to keep but twenty cows, 1t will pay nlm
better to keep those twenty COWS on
forty acres than On eighty acres. am
of the opinion that forty to eighty acres
of good farming land is enough .or n,ot,s oSs
family any way, and that greater prom.
can usually he realized from farms OF
his size than from the larger.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
NOTICE.

NOTICE.
has 49, subscriber hereby gives notice that he
sststs ~ uuiy appointed sdminissrator Of the
IN sbs csAkLE KIMBALL, lats Of Paris.
bend. sSo1nty Of Oxford, deceassd, and given
nands - s sae aw directs. All persons having de-
IN ,tssd ,sd % present tie ssms for se&sjement. snd
nsnt INN .nereto are requested to make pay
SsA' 1911. ALTON @. wHEELER.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPnEp rHH PLow.~

C9rfespondence on practical agricultural topic
- soncited. Address al communications IN
sTIauoa Ior this department. 70 HnN3Y d
ocrAs. Paris. Ne. -''''
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29


With this system of crop raising as a
basis of his feed supply, the intensive
dairy farmer gets the best cows that he
can to convert these feeds into milk. How
ever, in producing these cows, bis pur-
pose Is not alone to get pure-bred ami.
mails, because he knows that pure-bred
COW is not necessarily q good producer.
Therefore, be produces foundation stock
that has q good record behind 1t, as well
as a pedigree. His herd bulls are all
backed by ancestry of distinct dairy tend
encies.
BE keeps record of the production of
each COW in his herd so that the Dest
ones may be retained and the least profit-
able discarded, and he cares for his whole
herd In such q way that each COW 10 al
vsys at her best. In this manner the in
tensive dairy farmer makes his cows an
exceedingly efficient lot OF machines that
extract the largest possible amount OF
milk out of the raw material which ne
provides for that purpose.
INTENSIVE DAIRYING IMPROVES SOIL
One of the most valuable features OF
intensive dairy farming Is that 1t fur'
nishes the cheapest and best known way
TO Improve the fertility of the soil.
Barpyard manure is waste material on
dairy farm, though 1t is invaluable a. q
fertilizer. The periodical growth OF le-
guminous crops is also an important
source of soil fertility and for the latter
purpose does not cost the farmer cent.
This line of farming, therefore, carries
within itself the means for increasing
the output from the farm. since more fer
tjlity means more crops; more crops,
more cows, more money, and more fer
tility, and so on.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
MAKE EVERYTHING COUNT
RAISE MILK MAKING FEEDS

To make these crops yield the greatest
food value, the grower must direct his
attention not 30 much to quantity as to
the quality of the feeds produced. The
real value of any feed consists of the nu-
triton which animals may extract there
from. 1t does not do much good to pro-
ducs large bulk of feed which, on ac-
count of the cost of production or be-
cause it lacks digestibility, can not be
fed to an animal at profit. The skill
full dsiryman aims to produce not tons
or bushels, so much as food units for
making milk, and to this end be raises
alfalfa or clover and ccrn as frequently
as be can get these crops into bis rota-
tion.
To get the greater number of food
units out of these crops, he cuts the al
falfa or clover at the right stage of its
growth and cures it In cocks, and he
grows the right kind of corn in the right
way and puts most of 1t into silo.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-29
NOTICE.

Aas 80 subscriber hereby gives notice that he
nm seI duly appointed executor Of the last
n ,hs SDkEW NOEW J. DALEY, late of Canton,
booSs Sounsy Of Oxford, deceased. and given
dens,SSs - me law directs. All persons having
dssIrsS against the estate Of said deceased are
an i,Saho ~ present the same for settlement. and
nent tiso iTrs ss thereto are requested TO make pay
nay ah, 1917. JOHN q. MACOMBER.