Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1881 — German Oddities. [ARTICLE]

German Oddities.

German brick layers do not carry the bricks up in a hod. They are generally thrown up. One man stands at the pile in the street, and one man is placed on each staging to throw to the man above through a hole in the scaffolding. By this succession of relays bricks are thrown up five stories. I have never seen a ‘‘muff” made, but I usually watched the game from the other side of the street. Another custom connected with house-building is for the owner to give an entertainment to the workmen when the walls are up. The fact is advertised to the community by a great crown of flowers placed upon the top of the building, with numerous flags and decorations. Work is suspended for the day, and the workmen meet the owner and the invited guests around the festive board, and afterward dance with their wives and daughters. It is well known that the Germans have as many holidays as possible.

Cited by the Washington (Ind.) Gazette is the fact that the colts in that locality have a sort of lameness in the joints. J. F. Myers cured his by anointing it with St. Jacobs Oil. The latest adulterant of Swiss cheese is made of potato starch and is now considerably used in France, where oleomargarine originated. As starch and oil belong to the class of non-nitro-genous food, it is claimed the one may be substituted for the other without detriment to the nutritive element of the cheese, or in any way affecting its diLydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound has done thousands of women more good than the medicine of many doctors. A story is told of one of the old-time inhabitants of Rhode Island, Austin by name, who, long before the spirit of abolition had been raised, finding himself the owner of a slave—his sole inheritance—freed the man and sought w vrk on a farm. Men and women that pursue sedentary occupations need to take Kidney-Wort. It may be right occasionally to take a bull by the horns, but it is always well to keep in mind that the horns belong to the bull.