davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
TORPEDO IS COSTLY
Every One Fired Costs Uncle
Sam $1,000.
on Land, Machine Gun ls Most EN.
penslVe, Eating Up st2 Every
Minute II ls In Action.

A few years ago theatergoers were
much interested I'M u production in
which the hero had to get rid of mill
lion dollars In a year or lose a larger
estate.
Figures just compiled by Uncle
Sans ordnance officers show that If
the hero had declared a little war and
II had lasted few weeks he would
have experienced no difficulty In rid
ding himself of his wealth.
The figures show that each time
Uncle Sam fires Il torpedo 1t costs ST.
000
Ordnance expenses in time Of war
range from a maximum OF SIOOO
for each torpedo to 2 cents for each
bullet fired from a revolver.
If the dreadnaught Arizona gets
into action and fires broadslde from
its 12 14-inch guns and auxiliary can
non it will cost just $4,000 for each
Of these performances.
On land the machine gun has about
the most expensive appetite of any
of Uncle Sans weapons. The ma
chine gun fires between 800 and 600
bullets of 80 callber a minute, which
makes 1t cost $12 for each 60 seconds
of activity.
Every bullet fred from a rifle by an
infantryman or cavalryman costs 8
cents, while the pistol shots fired by
cavalrymen, officers and non-commis-
stoned officers cost cents apiece. The
shells and shrapnel used by field artil-
lery cost about $50 each, while pro-
jectile for q 14-lnch land gun costs
5000.
The torpedo, however, is not only
the most expensive means of destruc-
tlOn used in American warfare, but 1t
is tho most delicately constructed
weapon at Uncle Sans command. 1t
is virtually a launch, being equipped
with two screw propellers moving in
opposite directions and being 1S or 20
feet long. 1t will continue to plOw the
sea until its motors run down or 1t hits
the mark.
Nitroglycerlne and copper contribute
most heavily to the expense Of tor
pedOes. Expert workmanship ranks
next as an item of cost, for the deli
cate parts Of a torpedo must be accu-
rate in their construction to One-five-
thousandths of an inch. A thickness
or thinness Of more or less than one
five thousandth Of an inch in any part
Of the mechanism would prevent ii
FROM working properly.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

little of the available land has been
surveyed, but that work is now In
progress. one may locate on unsur-
veyed land, file a claim, and establish
lines by metes and bounds, but he can
not secure n title until a survey has
been made by an authorized surveyor
and the survey approved. If the sur
vey Is made In advance of that made
by the government, il is done mt the
expense of the homesteaders, and that
is heavy.
In n recently published report show
ing the results of the governments ex-
perimental work, and the agricultural
progress in Alaska, we find the follow
ing:
The most favorable season for farm
ing known In Alaska for many years
occurred throughout the territory in
1915, according 10 the annual report
Of the four Alaska agricultural exper-
iment stations for that year. Grain,
of all the varieties grown, ripened and
maurcd unusually early, while vege-
tables and berries produced abundant
crops.
An agricultural reconnaissance of
Matanuska valley, through which the
projected government railway is to
pass, and to which many settlers have
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

An aviation school is about to be
bpened by the Chinese government
Waste molasses is now used in Ha-
waii as fuel for furnaces that produce
steam power.
An English inventors interlocking
concrete piling is said to be stronger
than sheet piling made of wood.
The production of apples in the
United States equals a bushel and
half for every man, woman and child
In the country.
A newly contrived kitchen cabinet
contains a rare combination, that of
an electric range and a refrigerator,
both of which are hidden from view
by convenient doors when not in use.
San Antonio was founded more than
zoo years ago by the Franciscan monks.
Coming up from Mexico they claimed
the country for Spain, laboring to con-
vert the native Indians to Christianity.
The German parties in the reichstag
consist Of Social Democrats, 80; Cen
ter party. 81; National Liberals, As;
Conservative, A; German party, %;
Social Democratic Labor union, lS;
Independent. 20.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

areas of the states of Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Con
necticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and
New Hampshire, and 1t should be ca.
pable of supporting a population near.
iy equal to that supported by the agri.
cultural products Of those states.
The circular contains a special re-
port on the agricultural possibilities of
the valley of the Matanuska river
through which the government rail-
road is now being constructed and
where, as a result, settlement has re-
Gently been rapid The great problem
here, as elsewhere in Alaska, is the
clearing of the generally heavily-wooda
ed land. The soil and climate have
been found favorable to general farm.
ing, the experience Of the past few
years hav'lg shown that consider
able variety of field crops, vegetables,
and fruits can be produced.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
Short Paragraphs of Interest

A Spanish bell bearing the date l247
is still in use in Oakland, Cal.
The electric railways of the United
States are valued at the enormous sum
of $73O,OOO,OO0
In national factories and establish
ments controlled by England, 100000
women are now employed.
German breweries are manufacture
ing form of yeast to be mixed with
stock foods to increase their nOurish-
ing qualities.
An electrically charged net, mount
ed on wagon for removal to where
it may be needed, has been invented
in Argentina for wholesale destruc-
ton of insects.
An English chemist has invented a
synthetic milk that can be condensed
or dried that is made from peanuts,
soy beans, sugar water and mineral
salts from genuine milk.
According to a French scientist
birthmarks in families not now of good
social position indicate that they are
of knightly descent, the marks being
due to the fact that their possessOrs'
ancestors wore armor.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
Island Possession Buys About 95 Pei
Cent of Its Merchandise From
United States.

Porto Rico promises an enlarged
market for the products of the fac
tories and farms Of the United States.
Reports from that island indicate that
the sugar crop will be the largest in
the history of the island, and, at the
present high prices, will add greatly
to its purchasing power. A compila-
tion by the foreign trade department
of the National City bank of New York
shows that the trade between the Unit
cd States and Porto Rico was $780,
100000 in 1916 as against about S75,-
100000 in 1915, $65OO0,OO in 1914, $685.
100000 in the fiscal year 1910, $780,
100000 in 1905 and $7,5OO,OOO in 1899'
the year of annexation. Merchandise
sent from the United States to the
island in 1916 aggregated about S4O,-
100000 value against $32,O0O,OOO in
1914, S27 100000 in 1910, $14,OOO,OOO in
1905, and $4OOO,O"0 in 1899. The value
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
STARTS NEW MARKET SERVICE
Uncle Sam Believes System Will Aid in
Stabilizing Live Stock and
Meat Prices.

Uncle Sam has established new
market news service on meats, supply.
ing telegraphic reports of conditions in
three representative eastern meat-COn-
suming centers. These reports are
now available daily to the trade and to
consumers in New York, Boston, Phlla-
delphia, Chicago, Kansas City and
Omaha. They are intended to place at
the disposal of the meat producer and
of the wholesale and retail trade use
full information in regard to supplies
on hand, the demand for the various.
kinds and grades of meat and other
factors influencing the trade.
New York, Boston and Philadelphia,
where the conditions are representa-
tive Of those in other large consuming
centers, government agents obtain early
each morning all available information
and send it by wire to Washington and
to the eastern and western local offices
of the Office Of markets and rural Or
ganization. There it is placed early in
the business day at the disposal Of all
interested persons.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
Sun Now Never Sets On
The United States FIaq.

Great Britain is no longer the
only nation that can say that the
sun never sets on its territory.
Since the United States acquired
the Danish West Indies it can
make the same boast, says
Youths Companion.
Hitherto the little island Of
Culebra, which is virtually a part
of Porto Rico, has been our most
easterly point of land, and the
island Of Balabac in the Philip
pines our most westerly point.
The distance between them is
just little less than $50 de-
grees, or half the circumference
Of the earth. st. CrOix, in the
Danish West Indies, is 3S miles
farther east than Culebra-
enough to bridge the gap. Just
as the sun is rising on st. CrOix
1t is setting on Balabac.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
VALUABLE LANC fCR
CAl2NJ:NG;NALASKA
ed at the Rampant station about 70

somed at the Rampant station about 70
miles south of the Arctic circle.
Promising results have been OBJ.
talned In breeding more prolific early
varieties OF grains. Especial success
has been had with spring wheats and
but little with winter varieties OF the
grain.
During the year work was resumed
at the Kodiak island experiment sta
! ton, A recommendation was made
for provision for the crossing of Hol-
stein-Friesian cattle with the hardy
Galloway beef cattle. The report
states that It has, been demonstrated
beyond question that sheep do well on
natural pastures throughout the island
and coastal regions In the vicinity OF
the station, and that in normal win.
ters these animals can maintain them
selves with little feed
For the development Of satlsfac-
tory beef animal for central Alaska
the report recommends anew the Inn
portation of yaks from Asia for cross
ing with hardy cattle. 1t Is recon-
mended that horse breeding be taken
up at the Kodiak station, since at
present none are bred In Alaska, while
many are imported at great expense
from the States.
A circular for the use Of those who
are thinking of settling in Alaska has
just been issued by the Department Of
Agriculture as Circular No. ! of the
Alaska Experiment Stations, under the
title of Information for Prospective
Settlers in Alaska" This circular is
designed to answer questions as to the
climate and agricultural areas Of
Alaska, the best places to locate, the
ways Of obtaining a farm, the means
and cost O1 transportation, cost Of liv-
ing, what crops can be grown, pOssi-
bil.tles o. I've stock production, labor
conditions, school facilities, game laws,
etc, etc. The publication is intended
primarily for the benefit of homestead
ers. It is stated that the agricultural
area of Alaska (mainly in the interior
valleys) is as large as the combined
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
UNCLE SAM AIDS HOUSEWIVES
Plans to Assist in Solving Servant
Problem by Raising to New Dig
nifty Work of Domestics.

Uncle Sam plans to enlist the CO.
operation of housewives to solve the
servant problem and raise to a new
dignity the work of domestics.
immigration Commissioner Caminet-
tt, who has charge Of the employment
service, said:
"By developing the consideration of
this work throughout the country, by
endeavOring to standardize the vari-
Gus kinds of work in households, by
truly dignifying household work, field
will be opened to thousands of women
and girls who hitherto have stayed
away from it,"
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

already been attracted, is reported. 1t
is stated that the region is well adapt
ed to general farming and stock rails
ing aud that the prospects for success
full farming probably are as favorable
there as anywhere in Alaska.
Promising results were attained dur
ing the year in the development of
hybrid strawberries combining the
hardy characteristics of the native
stock and the quality Of fruit of sorts
cultivated in the States. The hybrids,
most Of which were developed at the
Sitka station in southeastern Alaska,
have not been distributed because Of
the belief that something still better
will be produced in the near future.
Success has been achieved in growing
certain varieties of apples in the coast
country, and what is believed to be
the first apple tree to bloom in cen
traI Alaska-a Siberian crab-blOs-
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
ILLITERACY IS ON
DECREASE IN U. S.
Lowered In Twenty Years From
1873 to TT Per Cent of
Population.
RISES AMONG FOREIGN-DORN
Big Improvement ls Shown Among
Native Whites and Negroes-DIs.
trlet Of Columbia Leads In
Ten.Year Period.

Decrease in illlteracy was greater
in the District of Columbia during the
period from 1890 to 1910 than in any
state in the Union, according to sta
tlstics just published by Uncle Sans
bureau of education.
nliteracy In the district decreased 62
per cent during this time, while the
nearest competitor to the district was
Kansas, with a decrease Of 60 per cent.
Maryland showed decrease Of 54 per
cent and Virginia 90. New York re-
mained stationary, while Oklahoma
showed an increase of per cent and
Connecticut an increase of 13 per cent.
Percentages Of IIllteracy.
The percentage Of illiteracy in the
District of Columbia in 1910 was 40
per cent, this ratio being higher than
the percentage Of illiterates in the pop
ulatlon of Iowa, Nebraska, Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, Kansas, Utah,
South Dakota, Minnesota, Indiana,
North Dakota, Michigan, Ohio, Wiscon-
sin, Wyoming, California, Colorado,
Illinois, Vermont, Maine, Missouri,
New Hampshire and Montana. The
percentage of illiteracy in the District
of Columbia was less than in Massa-
chusetts, New York, New Jersey,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Connecticut,
Nevada, Maryland, Rhode Island, Del
aware, West Virginia, Texas, Ken
lucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida,
Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico,
Georgia, Arizona, Mississippi, Ala
bama, South Carolina and Louisiana.
The percentage of illiteracy in the
United States has been lowered dur
ing 20 years from 1873 per cent in 1890
TO 10.7 per cent in 1900 and II per
cent in 1910; but the number Of illit-
crates has decreased less than 10 per
cent and the number of foreign-born
illiterates has Increased 43 per cent.
Forelgr-Born IlIiterstes.
Since 1880 the percentage of native
whites to total population has In
creased and the percentage Of Hitter
acy among them has diminished. The
percentage of foreign-born to total pop
ulation has increased as well as their
percentage of illiteracy. The per cent
of negroes to total population has de-
creased, and the decrease in percentage
of illiteracy among them is marked.
Every class of illiterates has de-
creased except the fOreign-bOrn illit-
crates; their increase has unbalanced
the whole decrease Of all other classes
combined-native whites, negroes, In
dians, Chinese, Japanese-during the
last 80 years.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
Kanaaroo skln ,mporta.

The latest government statistics
show that there were 1912, ,494 pounds
of kangaroo skins imported during the
Il months ending May 81, 1915, as COM
pared with 672339 pounds in 1915 and
1,225,679 pounds in 1911 for the
same period. The imports last year
were valued at $633;3O1, or an average
of about SO cents pound. There are
less of these skins received than Of
any other variety used in making shoe
leather but genuine kangaroo skins
make excellent leather and large guam
tiles would be tanned if the skins
were available.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
TRADE TRAINING is LACKING
Uncle Sans Chief Foreign Commerce
Booster Says Facilities Are
Not Sufficient.

DR.. Edward Ewing Pratt, chief of
Uncle Sans bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce, declares that the
United States lacks facilities for pre-.
pairing men for a career in foreign
trade.
"The great demonstration for foreign
trade in this country" he says, "began
literally before the echoes of the first
guns in Europe died away. 1t was
really ten months later, however, be-
fore we began to get our bearings and
before the business men of our cOuh.
try actually get down to brass tacks
in this foreign-trade business-some Of
them have not got there yet. But In
spite of all this noise, backed up as 1t
has been recently by a considerable
amount of real solid activity, the uni.
versities and colleges have not yet
awakened either to the need in the
everyday business world or the oppOr-
tunity for practical service that lies
before them.
at is not sufficient for the profes.
sors to point to few language courses,
many Of which do not really teach the
languages; and to a general course of
commercial geography; nor to a course
on the history of South America; nor
even to a general course on foreign
trade. Foreign trade has a technique
of it's own. No doubt many of the
courses in the ordinary school are ex.
cellent as leading to foreign trade
But the mere assembling of a few pa.
per courses under a denomination
which will attract students interested
in the subject is not sufficient.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
Porto Rico Is Good Market

of the merchandise passing out of the
island in the calendar year 1918
amounted to S75,OOO,OOO against $42,-
100000 in 1914, $38,OOOOOO in 1910 and
$10,OO0,00O in 1S99 About 80 per cent
Of the merchandise passing out of the
island is sent to the United States and
about 95 per cent Of the merchandise
entering the island is composed of do
nestle products of this country, being
chiefly cotton goods, boots and shoes,
machinery, manufactures of iron and
steel, flour, meats, rice and fertilizers.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
TAKEN FROM EXCHANGES

Apparatus invented by an ohioan
for setting broken legs permits a pa
lient to move an injured limb slight
~ without displacing the fractured
bones.
When powder plant stacks accumu'
late enough SCOT to hinder the draft
they can be cleaned by shooting the
stack" with a gun made for the pur-
pose. This is nothing more than a
wooden cannon, made Of piece OF
Ehaftlng IA inches long.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
Larnest Coal STORAGE Pit.

A huge pit, $50 by 800 feet in plan
and 25 feet 6 inches deep, with side
slopes. will provide the Duquesne
Light company of Pittsburgh with safe
storage space of a 100,OOO-tOn pile of
coal, says the Engineering Record.
The danger Of spontaneous combus-
ton will be prevented by submerging
the coal in water up to the top of the
pit, which is located near the COM
pany's main generating plant on Bru-
nOts' island.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
Not a Personal AIIusIon.

In youth We long for maturity, and
in maturity we yearn for the happy
days of childhood. Whatever is be-
yond reach seems somehow to be just
the thing most desirable. You have
noticed the donkey leave his own grass
to hang his head over the fence, with
dropping ears and drooling mouth, and
look longingly upon the next field,
where the grass, though precisely like
his own, seems to him ever so much
sweeter? Wen, the extra sweetness is
all In the fence. And not all donkeys
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
An Easy Job.

In an Irish courthouse recently an
old man was called into the witness
box, and being inflrm and just little
nearsighted, he went too far in more
than one sense. Instead Of going up
the stairs that led to the box he
mounted those that led to the bench.
The judge, gOOd-humoredly, said:
rs it a judge you want to be, my
man?'
"Ah, sure, your honor" was the re-
ply, I'm an old man now, an mebbe
it's all Pm fit for ' The judge raised
his spectacles.-New York Mail.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

dropped soak while he untwsed
pulled of the
held Then he let the outside
them OF
wetng process
junkmen their license numbers
the unkmen compelled to these
Notwithstanding the vigilance
turning tricks
the floor of the
of poured into the unkmans boat
until he caught a and the practice stopped.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

hall
are o be
But the big task which the jury has itself
"Frenh" gallery hail.
artist of which originals exist Nearly all
ROsenha of
Versailles Of
Vouchers file the city hail. reached after
show
little than u Ronha sold
the O.
denying
which
ink sketches his
this the sketches
a Versailles
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
drooling over fences stand on four legs
Christian Herald.
copper In Ancient naua.

Copper, among the ancient Hebrews,
was used in making helmets, spears
and other implements of war. The ex-
preston "bOw Of Steel" found in lob,
should be rendered "bow Of copper
Copper could not have been applied to
these uses without the artisans pos
sessing some forgotten secret for rem.
derlng the metal harder and more elias
tic than we can make It today.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

Out Of total world production Of
1915 of 10000 tons Of rubber, Bra
I'll contributed $4,000 tons, or about
% per cent.
At Ann Arbor, Mich, workmen re-
Gently repaired the outside stairs Of
old University hall. The building was
constructed in the seventies, and COM
plant was made at that time that the
stairway was too narrow to permit the
cO-eds to pass comfortably, as the era
of the hoopsl1lrts was on them. The
stairway, though rebuilt, is as narrow
az the original passageway.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

man was the best have seen lately.
"He had a fine lot Of old hawsers
and ropes piled in his boat. This is
the day of prosperity with the junk
man, and even old hawsers sell for five
cents a pound. But this fellow didn't
seem to think his ropes weighed
enough. Leastwise, he performed a
remarkable operation on them.
ITO begin with, he untwisted all
the strands on a rope and then insert
ed bits of wood between them. He did
this until he got q bunch fixed up and,
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

plainly
and are carved In careful imitation of nature There full and
lower The plate Of the made gold with
Of waus while the entire
effort being
Tiny platinum
the set belonging the Father of His Country contained rather
pins The two Joined by gold spring closely wired The idea
comfort have entered their naturally
that Washington only
young republic
them the banquets
the Of which they
of
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30
TroiIlte.

Troilite, which is a very common
constituent of meteorites, is generally
considered to be the simple sulphide of
irOn.. though the exact chemical COM
position is in doubt. This is usually In
the form of nodules, plates or rods,
and, decomposing readily during flight,
leaves the remaining mass with unique
markings.
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

keeper, gave a sort of farewell party
to Bunch in the afternoon, when his
friends gathered for their weekly talk
fest ia the playhouse. AS he held up
Bunch by his long ears he explained
that he was, so far as he knew, the
only fighting rabbit in existence and
that his banishment had been finally
and reluctantly decided upon only
after Bunch had nearly killed a cham
pion and valuable gamecock.
When the rabbit started first upon
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

bully small animals
dangerous should be
confined where he could do harm.
of friendsBils
much his attentions One of Buchs
the rabbits hind legs is
time rest Bunch tried desperately
plain be that but
superior would attacked Bill
with great
The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-30

Ihese teeth are the work or DIR. John
Greenwood OF New York, who was the
first American dentist. They were pre-
sented to the Baltimore College of Den
tai Surgery by Doctor Greenwood and
are the set worn by Washington at the
time his portrait was painted by
James Sharpless In 1895. The artl-
fetal teeth account for the "calm and
benign" expression which he wears in
the portrait.
The set is a complicated affair,