davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
A Very Big Leaf and Flower.

I suppose thousands of my young
friends read in the December number of
st. Nicholas an account of the Talipat
Palm. Well, very knowing bird has
been telling me some interesting facts
about the Talipat. He says a single
leaf of this wonderful tree sometimes
measures forty feet around the edge.
Think Of that! He insisted that on the
Malabar coast, where storms are fierce
and sudden, one may often see ten or fif-
teen men finding shelter in boat, over
which is spread single palm leaf, that
efectually protects them all from wind
and rain. And when the storm is over,
the precious leaf can be folded up like
lady's fan, and is so light as to be east
ly carried by a man under one arm. The
tree often reaches the height of two
hundred feet. 1t lives from eighty to a
hundred years, but blossoms only once
during the whole period of its existence
The flower, thirty feet in length. burst
at maturity, with loud explosion that
may be heard miles away, and in dying
scatters the seeds that are to produce the
next generation of trees. Jack DOM
ask you to believe this without looking
into the matter. The books do say that
it is true, but the best way is to go and
measure this big flower for yourselves
but you needn't bring it back for Jack
= II &C T~,nL
in-the- Pulpit" in 81. Nicholas for March
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27

About mile and half of wire is used
in con ection with the machine.
The apparatus received its finishing
touches yesterday, and has been thor
oughly tested. 1t has recorded COM
pletely and legibly Willie c. Shelton's
most rapid impro-isations, which were
afterwards copied and played again from
the notes.
Musieians-as the writer truly says
have long wished for some contrivance
by which the music which slipped from
:heir fingers in inspired moments could
be taught and retained. There is prob
cbiy no composer who can write as de-
.ig iful melodies and as beautiful har-
monies as he often brings from his in
s:rument il moments of special inspira-
ton. This want seems now to be met
by this simple machine.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
General Notes.

Sprinfeld, VT, has chief detecting
society.
Ypsilanti, Mich, can be spelled TWEEN
ty-fonr ways.
A Huntingdon, Tenn, negro claims to
be the father of si1ty-five children.
Why is a person who never lays q
wager as bad as a regular gambler? Be
cause he is no better.
Iowa claims to have built 1,246 new
pchool houses during the past two years.
The water of the fountain of perpet-
ual youth, according to . French seient-
ist, is buttermilk.
A Kentucky grange has had its little
romance. Recently a young brother
and sister of the order walked to the
front of the Master and we're united ir
marriage.
Tolif Gleson, who claims to have
been the first white settler in Olmstee
county, Minnesota, is still living.
Sam Foster, of Washington county
New York, threshed by hand ninet,
bushels of oats in thirteen hours. San
should get out a patent for himself i'm
mediately.
About year ago Mrs. George Skel
don. of Ansonia, Conn, eiOped, takinI
her child with her. Subsequently he
husband obtained divorce. Now sh
has returned, and is surprised at tn
action of her husband, who won't TAX
her back to his home again, because h
has married another wife.
For having struck his dog, CaPtai
Mackenzie, of the Ross-shire Scotland
} militia, recently punished boy in
: ineeniously cruel manner. The braV
militia man enticed the boy into h
house in Dingwall, and, with caustic {
, iodine, marked the word "dog" upon h
, forhead. Afterwards he deftly sketche
: whiskers and moustaches upon d
r Youths face, and finally held him befol
{ a FIRE until the caustic had sunk into b
:. skin. A truly caustic revenge.
att will be strictly moral until twel'
O'clock" was the ambiguous remark
t an Alexandria editor concerning q
+ Pioneer (colored) Club ball to come
J in that city. He was waited on At on
' by COMMITTEE Of Gemmen" TO KIND
J. .''wot dat meant" He explained that
i understood dancing wouldn't commen
till midnight.
Il A Thompson, Connecticut, clock Co
I, Pany has shipped a curious clock
2an Francisco, to be placed in the TOW
:, Of the greatest bOtel on the contine
where it will furnish the time for
hundred diAls, which are to be opera
A. by compressed air carried in pipes
mr. over ahe building. The building
ht ave hnndred rooms, and there is to
q Aial In every room.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
Was Napoleon a BOOr?

A writer in Lippincott'e Magazine says
the household manners of Napoleon
were those of boor. "When the es-
tablished hour for dining at Malmaison
was six O'Clock, and, though etiquette
forbade any one to approach the table
before the announcement of the head of
the house, he often failed to appear be-
fore seven, eight, or even ten o'clock. A
chicken or some other article was placed
on the spit every fifteen minutes by or
der of the cook, who knew well the
habits of the Emperor. The table man.
ners of Napoleon may have been those
of the hero; they were certainly any
thing but those of the gentleman. He
completed the process of cramming-it
could scarcely be called eating-in six
or seven minutes as rule. Ignoring
the use of knives and forks as regarded
his own plate, he did not stop there, bu
helped himself with his fingers from the
dishes nearest him, and dipped hi
bread in the gravy"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27

OF all the distinctively Southern
States Tennessee would appear to be
making the most thorough and rapid
progress in the essential elements of en-
during prosperity and greatness. 1t has
the best school system of all the South
ern States, and provision is made where
by every child between and Is years
of age can have at least five months
schooling every year, while the educa-
tional advantages for all are much bet
ter than they were for white children be-
fore the war The foundations of Van
derbilt's institution have already been
laid at Nashville; and the State is erect
ing capacious and comfortable asylums
for the blind and dumb. Further than
this, the commonwealth has cancelled
81, 100000 of her bonds within very
short time, and about S., 800, 900 are now
due from solvent railroads.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
YARTRTTRa.


Breech Of Good manners-EoF ruin 60
stare you in the face.
A little girl in Des Moines wants to
know why there is no he dolls.
Love is an sgotism Of two. The first
sigh of love Is the last Of wisdom.
There are over $4,000 idiots In this
country, who are acknowledged a. such.
II a saloOn-kesper gets rich &c L. be-
cause he makes many good bargains.
A German divine Ia spending tan
days in this country 70 write a book %
it.
QaestiOnable-Whsn . man mnTrissa
Poetess, does he take her for better or Cor
werne?
The Patrons of Husbandry in Wiacon-
sin have started q newpaper entitlsa cans
Moving Machine.
Cardinal Antonelli is laid up with
the gout, brought on by a life Of ab-
stiaence and self-denial.
The editor Of the Panama Star apol-
ogi1Ss for the appearance Of his pa
per by saying that he had to haul Of 70
dig buekshot out Of his legs.
A man boanted that he had been mar
ried twenty years and had never given
his wife cross word. Those who know
him say he don't dare TO.
Are bIacksmiths, who make living
by forging, or carpenters, who do littla
counter fitting. any worse than men who
sell and steel for a livingf
An old edition Of Morne's geography
says: Albany has 400 dwelling hou-
ses, and 2,4oO inhabianta, all standing
with their gable-ends to the street"
The Green Briar (Miss.) Herald, in
suspending, sayE "Hang this town.
Hang all men in it--throw the rest Ia
she river, and plant the town site in eu-
cumbers"
Square beggaTy. An exchange aavt;
Our wants.-A pencil to correct proof
with, scissors TO clip our exchanges
with, pens to write with, and ink to uss
in mailing our papers.
Two Irishmen who were in prison
one for stealing COW, and the other for
stealing a watch. "Hullo, Nike, and
sure what o'clock is it2' said the COW
stealer, "I've no time piece handy, but
suppose ia just about milking time.
The golden moments in the stream Of
life rush past us, and we see nothing
but sand; the angels come and visit uH,
and we only know them when they are
gone.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
Gen. Washington and David Burns.

During the winters of 1790-91 Wash
ington was busily engaged with the four
planters who lived on the left bank of
the Potomac, settling the terms on which
they would consent that their planta-
tions should become the site of the future
capital 1t would seem as if no great
exertion would be required to induce
these gentlemen to agree to exchange
their boundless acres of forest and half
titled plantation for the crowded and
valuable squares of what was expected
to be the largest city on the continent.
But David Burns,-"that obstinate Mr..
Burns" as Washington called him.
who owned the whole of the west end
of Washington, was for some time op-
posed to the arrangement. For three
generations, he and his ancestry had
lived on that spot and had acquired a
wealth that old Scotland had denied
them. The place was originally laid
out as a plantation of six hundred acres;
and so small did that amount of land
then seem that it bore the name of the
Widows Mite. But by degrees the
place grew and enlarged till it stretched
from Georgetown to where the Capitol
now stands. In 1890, its owner was the
Justice of the peace for the whole neigh
borhood and somewhat choleric withal
And tradition relates that when the
President was one day telling him OF
the great advantages of the proposed
plan, old Burns gruffly burst out-"I sup
pose, Mr.. Washington, you think peo
pie here are going to take every girls
from you as pure grain; but what would
you have been, if you hadn't married
the widow Custis?"- William r. Hooper
in "Ihe Heiress Of Washington" Serb
ner's for March.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
Labor.

How few realize what good thing
work is-how much better it is, as Mrs.
Browning has said or sung, than any
thing we work to get There is no more
unhappy man than your retired merchant
the man who has always been active
in business, quick to see and take his
chances, interested the world over in
thousand outgoings and incomings of
nations, ships, and men. To have this
all at once cut of, to find himself strand
ed, as it were, high and dry to be sure,
but out Of sight and out of hearing Of all
that had made up existence only brief
while before,-it is not pleasurable; it is
not the enjoyment he looked forward 10.
He is, like Rip Van Wrinkle, in
strange, new land, with strange, new peo-
pie, whose habits he is not accustomed
10 and which do not agree with him; ev-
ervbody is busy but himself@and he
must fall back on kettle-drums, sewing
circles, or some chronic idler for society.
His womenkind are astonished; the
bright, genial, pleasant, good-natured
husband and father, who was 10 have
been always ready to take them to ride,
visit, or attend places of public enter
taiament, has become the grabbed, mo-
rose old curmudgeon, or a swapping,
snarling animal whom they are glad to
let alone or get out of the wa Of
Instead of going to bed with regulari-
tv and enjoying sleep unbroken only
by his own sonorous breathings, he takes
maps in the middle of the day and kicks
around all nigot. His wife begins to
doubt his sanity, and his relatives tell of
some mysterious and hitherto unknown
progenitor, who fell heir to fortune
and committed suicide Immediately az
terwards. Steady, exacting work is the
moral security of most men, and idle
ness, just as surely, physical, mental,
and moral deterioration.
Nor can men be trusted when or how
they shall bestow their labor. 1t is
among the infinite blessings that circum-
stances decide this for US, and exact pa
tient, steady, unremitting toll and rou-
tine as the price of success Nor is there
much reason to anticipate long and
compulsory inactivity as the close of an
active and well-spent life. Where all
the faculties have been kept in exercise,
yet none subject to violent abuse, the
close of life usually comes with the ces-
sation of work; the human life going out
| like the sun after having run its course,
and its last efforts being not infrequent-
| ly its brightest and best.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
NUMBE E 46.


N. Simons Of Oren, France, connec-
ted with Department Of Agriculture and
Commerce of that country, in a letter
written to Mr.. J. J. Parker Of West
Chester, Pennsylvania, states that the
:-ue Percheron horse is now very scarce,
that those who raise horsea for sale as
Percherons in the neighborhOod Of
Chartes-the center Of the Percheron
horse trade, purchase foals in Belgium,
Flanders, and other places, and after
feeding them until old enough, sell them
as Percherons. But these are far from
being the true race. This is but an
Arab, with all The good qualities, the
soLndness and endurance Of the origin
al race from which he springs. HIS
color is gray, white, or silver gray. He
must be kept under nearly TIE same
condition of climate as in the PercheT to
do well. Being gentle, he must have
gentle trea inert. He mus be we'll fed.
HIS -ations ere IL pounds Of straw, %
pounds of hay, and 20 quarts Of oats
These remarks, which we know to be
well founded, are worthy of Notice by
those purchasing heavy, coarse-boned,
large footed, lymphatic, and neces~ri-
~ unsound dark gray horses, which are
called NOrmans or Percaerons, at high
prices, w.:h the certainty of fE.ure dis
appointment. Not long ago we saw an
importat:t of several so-cailed Perche-
rons, of which only :wo could justly
CLAIM the title, and tie difference be-
tween the .rUe and the false Percherons
was abund1ntly clear. For the i'm
provement of ou- native races, we mus
have animals fpure breeds, or we make
failu-e.-AmericOn Agrieulturdlist.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
FireIess Locomotives.

Fireless locomotives continue to give
great satisfaction in New Orleans. They
run on portion of the road three miles
in length, and make a round trip of six
miles in less time and at less cost than
horses or mules. One dummy" is
equal in power to about nine mules, and
a calculation OF the running expenses oi
the road makes them, with these en-
gines, one-fourth of the expenses fol
equal conveyance of mules. The en-
CINE is driven by steam stored in felt
bound receiver, and Gen. Beauregard,
the President of the Carrolton Railroad
says that on his road the Locomotives
start with 125 pounds of steam pressure
and return with from forty to fifty
pounds. In the trial of the engine il
Philadelphia the car was taken from tn
Fifth and Sixth street Railroad depot Il
Frankfort and return.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27

About seventeen years ago, young
boy, residing in Wood county, O., took
black cat-skin, from which the origin
al tail of the cat had been removed and
a mink's tail nicely sewed on instead,
and sold it to a certain buyer of furs,
not far from Grand Rapids, for $1,25.-
1t was done as practical joke, but the
boy kept the money, grew to be a pros
porous business man, and joined the
church; but his conscience upbraided
him so much that few days ago the ex-
fur dealer received note inclosing
So 70, principal and interest. The joke
is now on the fur dealer, as he put the
cat-skin among a lot of mink-skins
and sold it for three dollars. AS he
cannot now find the purchaser, he pro-
poses to contribute the money to some
benevolent purpose.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
A Shocking Punishment.

Mr.. Brain is IN fa7or of substituting
electrical shocks in place Of the COM
mon pUnisnments employed in pr son
discipline. By such shocks ana eu=-
rents, SAYS he, any amount of torture
might be inflicted, and the graduation
might be made with scientific precision.
The punishment would be less revolving
to the spectator and the general public
than foggings, while it would not be
less awful to the criminal himself; the
mystery of it would haunt the imagina-
tion, and there would be no conceivable
attitude of allevIating endurance. The
terrific power exercised by an operator
through the slightest inger-touch would
make more deeply felt the humiliatine
p-ost-ation of the victim. If capita
punishments are to be permanently
maintained much could be said for dis
carding strangulation and substituting
electric shock.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27

The Mobile Register says As a
strong evidence Of the effect Of time in
healing old animosities, we note the re-
ceipt by Admiral r. Semmes Of an in
vitation from a post Of the Grand Army
of the Republic at Rome, New York.
to deliver lecture at that place this
winter, for the benefit Of the 'gravestone
fund The letter says: The cruise Of
the Alabama or anything that in your
Judgment would be Of interest," would
be acceptable, and that the people Of
Central New York would extend 10 you
a cordial Welcome"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
Literally Ablaze with Diamonds.

Mrs. Astor, the wife of the hundred
millionaire of New York, appeared at
party which she gave at her Fifth avenue
residence one evening last week, IN a
style which would justify any reporter
in saying .hat she literally blazed all
over with diamonds" Her hair was set
very thickly with diamonds, and her
head seemed afame with them. There
was a diamond bandau upon her brow
She rad diamonds earrings, and dia-
mond necklace of, magnificent proportions
Upon the two sides of her chest, were
two circles of diamonds, about the size
of the palm of the hand. F.om them
depended lines and curves of diamonds
reaching to her waist, round which she
wore diamond girdle. On the skirts
of her dress in front, were two large pea
cocks wrought Of lines of diamonds
There were rosetts of diamonds on her
slippers. There were diamonds large or
small, but in every variety of form, all
over her dress and person, wherever
they could be artistically placed. She
presented an extraordinary and dazzling
spectacle, as she moved languidly
through the dance, among her friends
One of the ladies present, a eonnoisseatr
in precious stones, who kept cool enough
to take practical observation, says the
diamonds she wore could not have cost
less than a 81, ,000, 900, and must have rep
resented her husbands income for at
least a quarter of year. This same Ia
dy who is familiar with Court life in
Europe, says that the largest collection
of diamonds in possession of any Euro
pean Empress or Queen, belongs 10 the
present German Empress, but she adds
that even Augusta herself could not
make diamond show which would be-
gin to compare with that made by Mrs
Astor on Thursday evening of last week
In these hard times, the Astors are occa'
sionally liberal in their benefactions.-
For instance, there was a banquet fol
twenty-four given at the Astof mansion
the other day; and, in front of each la
dy's plate. there was gift for her of ;
costly bonbonniere, exquisitely wrough
with precious stones, and about the siz,
of an ordinary snuff box; and each lad,
was also presented with bouquet, got
ten up in fashion not to be described
The New York Times has for SOM
months past been trying to make fus
over the fact that Astor manages t.
evade the payment of large proportio
of the taxes ON his vast property by
method which is known as the "vacatio
of assessments" According to the Time
this system, is regularly practiced by tn
richest men of New York. On tn
evening of which the diamond displa
here described was made in the Fift
Avenue mansion, the..starving masses il
the wretched quarters of the city wer
swarming around some two OF three hur
dred soup-houses and charity places
while between eight and nine thousan
homeless men and women were huddle
for the night in station-houses or sti
more miserable free resorts, and not
few tried to keep warm by crawlin
into ash barrels or Sinking into are
ways. The money of the Astors is the
own, and the sufferings of these miser;
BILE wretches are their own.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
Scandal.

The story is told of a woman who
freely used her tongue to the scandal of
others and made a confession to the
priest of what she had done. He gave
her ripe thistle top, and told her to go
out in various directions and scatter the
seeds one by one. Wondering at the
penance, she obeyed, and then returned
and told her confessor. To her amaze
ment, he bade her go back and gather
the scattered seeds, and when she objec-
ted that it would be impossible, he re-
piled that it would be still more difficult
to gather up and destroy all the evil re-
ports which she had circulated about
others. Any thoughtless, careless child
can scatter handful of thistle seed be-
fore the wind in moment, but the stron'
gest and wisest man can not gather them
again
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27

The New Haven Union well says
The truth is just here: there is not an
intelligent man living that believes la
Dor is properly adjusted. Every man
knows in his heart that a system of So
cial or political economy which puts the
wealth of a country into the hands of a
few, and allows that few to rob labor and
create paupers, is contrary to the teach
ings of divine law and the genius of our
Government. Every human being en-
dowed with a conscience is aware that
something is wrong.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27
POETRY
FOLLOWING FOOTSTEPS.

Dewy droops the green sweet-brier.
Dewy hangs the rose,
AsI follow where her footstepi
Lightly printed, goes.
sun. that cometh up to meet me,
Was there aught to see
Down beneath that gray horizon
Half fair rs she?
Dawn this path she careless wandered
.,'hsre the lilies dropped;
i 20 hsr garment brushed the dew on
as she, gathering stopped
Here she turned and paused, uncertain
All hear it now
over stones the full brook singing
Family, far below!
Leading on 20 greet the roses
Run the footsteps free;
Red, and white, and pink she gathered
Dropping one for me.
Then 20 where the honeysuekle
Climbs to scent the air
No, she stopped and left in climbing,
Turning otherwhere-
Where then? oh, adown this pathway,
Where Der heIiotrope
Makes the air with perfume heavy,
PurpIing all the slope
Sun, that maketh shadows shorter
As follow stiIl,
Where were you at early dawning
When she climbed the hill?
Shall she climb to wait your coming,
She, my own, my sweet,
When her gracious presence only
Makes your day complete?
Here she left her blossoms lying
In a hawthorn's care,
And the dewy steps go springing
Up the rocks % bare.
Higher, higher ever leading,
Follow I and Hepe-
Sunny hair 1T up with sunshine-
Ali my heliotropei
-Aana C. BracEen; in Sri5ner's for March.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27

A. T. Stewart worsh:ps system. His
clerks have special duties, and shey do
not exceed them. / have known one OF
his employees who met customer on the
street; the latter had purchased some
goods at Stewards, and had the bill with
him. Being in haste, he could not go
up to the store to make payment, and re-
quested the man to take it and receipt
the bill. The latter refused with the
remark. "If / should take that money
and carry it to the store, should be dis
charged. 1t is not my business, and
hence dare not do it."-Neuc Yark Let
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-27

Justice Brooks, of Vicksbure, possess
es remarkable humanitarian ideas. A
fellow wasrecently brought up before him
for selling spoiled bacon. The Judge
lectnred the culprit severely. "You,
sir" said ne, "have been guilty of a
crime which endangers the lives of your
fellow beings. That meat, sir, would
kill any man, and 1 know &, and you
know At. Now sir, it is ordered by this
Court that all this meat before us, and
all similar meat in your possession, be
forfeited by you, and that it be sent tc
the county poor-hOuse."