davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
"If / Had Leisure" i"

eff had leisure would repair that
weak place in my fence" said farmer
He had none, however, and while
drinking cider, with a neighbor, the
COWS broke in and injured prime piece
of corn. He had leisure then to repair
his fence, but it did not bring back his
corn.
"If l had leisure" said a wheel
wright last winter, 81 would alter my
stovepipe, for 1 know it is not safe -
But he did not find time, and when the
shop caught fire and burned down he
found leisure to build another.
off l had leisure" said mechanic,
"I should have my work done in season" Z"
The man thinks his time has been
all occupied, but he was not at work till
after sunrise he quit work at five o'clock
smoked a cigar after dinner, and spent
two hours on the street talking nonsense
with an idler.
aft / had leisure" said a merchant, az
would pay more attention to my accounts
and try to collect my bills more prompt
ly." The chance is, my friend, if you
had leisure you would probably pay less
attention to the matter than you do now.
The thing lacking with hundreds OF
farmers who till the soil is not more
leisure but more resolution-the spirit
to do il now. If the farmer who sees
his fence in poor condition would only
act at once, how much might be saved
1t would prevent breechy cattle from
creating quarrels among neighbors that
in many cases terminate in lawsuits
which take nearly all they are both
worth to pay the lawyers.
The fact is, farmers and mechanics
have more leisure than they are aware
of for study and improvement of theil
minds. They have the long evenings o.
winter in which they can post themsel
yes upon all Improvements Of the day
if they will only take ably conducted
journals and read them with care. Tn,
farmer who fails TO study his business
and then gets shaved, has nobody bu
| himself to blame.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Importance Of the Transit Of Venus
Expedition.

The question may be asked why so
much pains should be taken to measure
the distance of the sun, and whether it
makes any difference to mankind what
orbit Venus describes. Scientific inves-
tigators never inquire of what use knowl-
edge is; they leave its practical applica-
tion to others. But very little consid-
Grafton will show that astronomy has,
in a merely utilitarian way, paid the
world manifold for all the labor spent
in learning it. Did it never occur to
the reader that it is to Kepler, Newton,
and their successors that we owe the
means of navigating the ocean in safety?
When a ship is out of sight of land
there is no way Of determining her pos
itiOn except by observations of the
heavenly bodies. But observations
could not be used for this purpose un-
less the laws of motion of these bodies
had been discovered and taught by
mathematicians and astronomers. A
striking example of this is fresh in the
memory of all. A year and half ago
the splendid steamer City Of Washington
sailed on her usual voyage across the
ocean, but constant cloudy weather pre-
vented observations to determine her
position. In consequence, she was
wrecked on the cost of Nova Scotia, and
the loss of more property than would
pay for all the expense of observing the
transit of Venus paid the forfeit for fail
ure to make the necessary observations.
A large portion of the labor of astrono-
mers is devoted TO fixing the positions
and motions of the stars and planets
with continually increasing accuracy,
and the observations we have been de-
scribing are one step in this work.
Prof Simon Newcomb, in Harper's
Magazine for December.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Sunset in the North.

Major Butler, in his "Wild North
Land" gives the following picture OF
sunset in the north land: "He who
rides for months through the vast soli-
tudes sees during the hours of his daily
travel an unbroken panorama of dis
lance. The seasons come and 90; grass
grows and flowers die; the fire leaps
with tiger bounds along the earth; the
snow lies still and quiet over hill and
lake; the rivers rise and fall; but the rig
id features Of the wilderness rest un-
changed. Lonely, silent and impassive;
needless of man, season or time, the
might of the Infinite seems to brood
over it, and only in the hours of day and
night moment comes when this i'm
pressive veil is drawn from its features,
and the eye of the wanderer catches a
glimpse of the sunken soul of the will
derness-it is the moment which follows
the sunset. Then deep stiffness steals
over the earth; colors of wendrous hue
rise and spread along the western hori-
zon. In deep sea of emerald and a
range of fifty shades, mingled and inter
woven together, rose colored isles float,
anchored to great golden threads, while
far away seemingly above and beyond
all, one broad fash of crimson light,
the parting suns last gift, reddens up
ward to the zenith"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Burning Brick.

To make perfect brick" the first
thing to be done, after it is ascertained
that the material out Of which the brick
is to be made is of the right quality, is
to dig and cast up loose in the fall Of
the year, as much stuff as il is intended
to make into bricks the following sea-
son, in order that the rain, snow, frost,
thaw and atmospheric air may decom-
pose and mature every particle possible,
and prepare it, ready for the tempering
machine in the coming spring.
Bricks, whether of clay or clay loan,
prepared in this manner and burnt with
petroleum, are vastly superior, as to
quality, beauty and durability, TO bricks
made of immature, raw material. There
being neither smoke, dust nor SCOT en-
tering the kiln, during the process Of
burning, the bricks when taken from
the kiln, have the appearance of newly
planed small blocks of wood.
This method of burning bricks and 9th
er clay articles is most certainly destin.
ed to revolutionize the whole system Of
burning clay, throughout the whole OF
the United States.-[ Scientific Ameri-
can.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
A Maniac Money Maker.

A correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga
zette, referring to the death of an inmate
Of the Bloomingdale Asylum, says:
He was man of slender build, but
mental disease had reduced him to ex-
treme emaciation. He had not lived
much more than forty years, and yet he
was the image of idiotic old age. Such
was the last scene in the life of one who
was once highly gifted and eminently
successful. When irst knew him he
was fine built young man, with bril-.
liant countenance and easy manner. He
hired a loft in a warehouse and began
trade on capital which could not ex.
coed $500. But from that beginning
sprang one Of the greatest houses in thii
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Obituary.

Last week we wrote an item about two
pears and noted their weight as Ii
pounds 1t got into the paper 13t
pounds.
His name was Hunter who set the
item, and he would have been an orna-
ment to the profession in due time. He
possessed all the noble qualities of mind
and heart that tend to make the COM
positor of the day beloved and esteemed
by good penmen. He could, when at
his best, take the pathos out of an obit-
uary, the point off joke, the sentiment
out of matrimonial puff, or the piety
out of Sunday school convention re-
port, with the ease and grace that would
have set old Job on the ragged edge.
He was, too, promoter of the cause of
religion. In that line he had no equal.
No man could be around him fifteen
minutes without realizing the necessity
of some plan of salvation, some refuge
far away from this sinful world, where
all was purity and the inhabitants wash
ed their feet. And he was no monopo-
list either. He set his face squarely
against anything having the appearance
of monopoly. The sacrifice of comfort
that he underwent to keep the other
hands from monopolizing their lunch
stamped him as resister of the iron
heel of oppression worthy of imitation.
But his greatest attribute was patience.
We cannot do him justice in that re-
spect. When We contemplate that vir-
tue we almost regret that we killed him.
He would listen to the invectives of the
chief, the profane remonstrances of the
reporters, the indignant protests of out
ragged contributors, the maledictions OF
proof-readers, and the bloodthirsty
threats of poets unmoved, beg their last
chew of tobacco, and comment on the
quality thereof. In his last moments,
after he had been hit with a mallet, a
newspaper form pitched into his abb
domen, and run twice through the cyl
inder press, his only complaint was that
we might have waited until after dinner
His situation is vacant. Although
we despair of every completely filling
his place, ambitious young men should
not feel discouraged. We can't all be
perfect. Apply at this Office, inclosing
paid up accident policy. Our feet are
nearly kicked off now.-[Canton (Ill.)
Register.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Table-Telegraphing.

First-Drawing napkin or handker-
chief through the hand-I desire to con-
verse (by signaD with you.
Second-Unfolding and holding it BY
corner-Is il agreeable? =?
Third---PIaying. with fork and hold
ing forefnger Of the left hand on left ear
Il have something to tell You private
ly.
Fourth-Holding mp knife and fork
in each hand-When can see you?
Fifh-Laying knife and fork togeth-
er on left of plate-After the meal.
This signal will suffice for a query or
answer).
sixth-Clenched right hand on the
table-To-night.
Seventh-The napkin or handkerchief
held with three fngers-Yes.
Eighth-Held with two fingers show
ing-No.
Ninth-holding napkin to chin with
forefnger over mouth-Cease Signaling.
Notwithstanding the knife and fork
thus (A)-Can | meet your
Eleventh-Laying knife and fork thus
(X)-I am angry or displeased.
Notwithstanding fork on edge Of
cup-.-Are you engaged, tonight
Thirteenth---Folding napkin triangu-
larly (laying it down ---Have you went
ont since last meal
misunderstanding knife through
prongs of fork---I shall remain At home,
tonight.
misunderstanding fork with knife
shall 90 out, tonight.
sixteenth---BalAncing fork on knife
Meet me, or Gf by gentleman), Can ]
meet your
Seventeenth Placing knife over the
glass---Will you be alone
Eighteenth---Balancing spoon on edge
of cup---I have an engagement
Nineteenth---Stirring.the spoon lineup
slowly---Will you be latef
Twentieth---H Holding the spoon over
cup and gazing meditatingly on tive
are suspected, or, we are discovered.
Twenty nty-first---Slapping the ear, as #
brushing away a fiy---I do not under
stand.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
MISCELLANY.
Ladies And Vinegar.

Taken in moderation, there is no
doubt that vinegar is beneficial, but in
excess it impa;rs the digestive organs.
Experiments on artificial digestion
show that if the quantity of acid be di-
minished, digestion is retarded if in
creased beyond a certain point digestion
is arrested. There is reason therefore,
in the vulgar notion-unhappily too Of
ten relied on-that vinegar helps to
keep down any alarming adiposity, and
that ladies who dread the disappearance
of their graceful Outlines in curves of
plumpness expanding into "fat' may
arrest so dreadful result by liberal po-
tations of vinegar, but they can only ar
rest it at the far more dreadful expense
of their health. The amount of acid
which will keep them thin will destroy
their digestive powers. Portal gives a
case which should be warning "a few
years ago a young lady in easy circum-
stances enjoyed good health she was
very plump, had a good appetite
and complexion blooming with roses
and lilies. She began to look upon her
plumpness with suspicion, for her moth
er was very fat, and she was afraid Of be-
coming like her. Accordingly, she con-
suited woman who advised her to
drink glass of vinegar daily. The
young lady followed the advice, and
her plumpness diminished. She was
delighted with the success of the exper-
iment, and continued it for more than a
month. She began to have cough il
was dry at its commencement, and was
considered as a slight cold, which would
go off. Meantime, from dry it became
moist slow fever came on, and diff
guilty of breathing; her body became
lean and wasted away, night sweats
swelling of the feet and legs succeeded
and diarrhea terminated her life
Therefore, young ladies, be boldly fat
Never pine for graceful slimness and
romantic pallor but if Nature means
you to be ruddy ard rotund, accept il
with laughing grace. which will cap
| tivate more hearts thanssa ssall the palenesi
of circulating library.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
The ROckIng-ChaIr In Smyrna.

Throughout the whole wide Orient,
the MussuIman idea Of the proper prov
ince of woman, and the immodesty Of
offering her unveiled face to the stare Of
the stranger, is carried out, even among
the Greek Christians subject to the Porte.
In fact, with them the exclusion Of the
women from all public places, and their
strict separation faom all male society,
abroad or at home, are almost as abso-
lutte as with the Mussulman. So that
most attractive feature Of the European
garden is lacking at Smyrna. But pass-
ing from the cafes into the streets, and
looking through windows jealousy bar
red with iron gratings, we may descry
any quantity Of Greek or Levantine
women; either squat.ed on the floor, or
lazily swinging backward in American
rocking chairs, which have become quite
an article Of importation in consequence
Of their adaptability to the indolent hab-
its Of the female population. The rock
ing-chair exactly suits the fair Smyr-
Mote combining gentle exercise with lit
tie or no exertion, and giving movement
without fatigue. :Laziness put into action
peculiarly fits their constitution and
habits; and hence the rocking-chair is
the great american Institution" most
cordially approved Of and patronized in
"Giaour Ismir."-[ Temple Bar.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
NUMBER 81.

city. His course was one Of wonderful
success; but it taxed his system beyond
his strength. He was 50 excited that he
could not sleep. He became delirious
on the subject OF making money. 1t
was the whole theme of his conversation,
and at last it was feared that his talk
was but form OF insanity. He would
call on his friends to show them chow to
make money" And this, with other va
garies, compelled his friends to place
him in the asylum. Here he became a
lunatIc money maker. He would spend
the day IN calculation, and at night tell
how many millions he had made. At
last his brain wore out, and he sank into
idiocy, which only terminated with his
life. The concern which he built up is
one of great wealth, and he left his fam
lily half million, but it was a small
price for which to sell his reason.
An Ohio woman worked at odd times
for nine years to piece bed quilt con-
tanning even 50 many thousand pieces,
and then her husband seized it to blank
it his mule, and said it saved him pay
ing six shillings for an army blanket.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Fireworks.

A popular belief exists that the pyro-
technic art is due to the ingenuity of the
Chinese, but unfortunately, this theory
will not bear examination, for although
the Chinese have gone on popping
trumpery little crackers and aquatic fire
works for thousands of years they have
never improved upon these primitive
contrivances, of which they explode al
home and export to America a vast
quantity. The East doubtless produced
wise men in its time, but that time is
long since over, and the youth of Asia
are at this day the pupils of Western
philosophers. Indian Brahmins, learn
chess out of the famous Handbuch, and
the Chinese, when they want really good
fireworks send to London for them
All the Year Round.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04

half an hour later, having in view the
necessity of bringing him Unexpectedly
upon his wife at the very moment when
she should be sewing away at the top of
her ability.
Once upon time kept an extraord-
mary bug that had captured, under q
glass tumbler, for days, to see the change
by which it would become something
else. 1t effected the change one night
when l could not see it, and was left
very little wiser than before. And I
know not much more about the meeting
between Harry Lee and his wife, over
the sewing that evening before
Christmas; as (confound it y I felt my
self obliged to leave them alone together
just at the interesting moment, and they
had made it all, up before thought it
proper to return
However, had my revenge. Mr.. Lee
II wish to be understood and believed
on this point never ffirted any more
with me, however mildly-"never no
more" He went to Europe, but a little
later, and took his wife, leaving his lit
tie son with his notable New England
of him though she might not permit
him to romp too hilariously. They were
kind enough to believe that had been
of service to them and was the recipi-
ent of certain rings, one of which Harry
| Lee gave me with what thought was
rather conscious look, and the other of
which Oracle Lee gave me with no
shamefacedness and a hearty kiss.
l saw them together, and at home
again, in pretty new home over which
taught by some mistakes in the past, the
wife was sole mistress, apparently very
happy, the next Christmas and think
that Mrs. Lee, under some sort of idea
that she owed the recovery of her hus-
band to her sewing looked up-
on that useful article as a species of good
fairy, d her at it as place of refuge,
and always was to be found sewing when
things went at all crooked in the house
/ hold.
My after-acquaintanee with them, at
all events showed that the indolent, use
less, and self-willed wife had become the
busy, useful, and gentle one, and that
the husband, who had begun by misun-
derstanding her. had come fully back to
his sense, and grown much wiser as to
the quality of the woman with whom he
had been intrusted. And something Of
this, if not all of it, was the result of a
little Irritation nipped in the bud, and of
My Christmas Revenge.-[F From The
Aldine for December.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
Fallen Majesty.

Eagles are subject to diseases-he flesh,
bone and blood-just like the veriest
poultry that die Of Group and consump-
tion on the dunghill before the barn door.
Sickness blinds the eye that God made
to pierce the sun, and weakens the wing
that dailies with the tempest. The eagle
feels how vain is the divine right Of
kings. He is hawked at by the mouaing
owl, whose instinct instructs him that
these talons have lost their grasp and
their pinions their death blow. The ca
gle lies for weeks, famishing in the eyrie
and hunger-drIven over the ledge, leaves
it to ascend no more. lie is dethroned
and wasted 10 mere bones-a bunch Of
feathers. His flight is now slower than
that of the buzzard. He floats himself
along now with difficulty from knoll 10
knoll, pursued by the striking magpiea
bufeted by the corbie, and laying on his
back, like recreant, before the beak Of
a raven, who, a month ago, was terrified
to hop around the carcass till the king
Of the air was satiated and gave bis per-
mission TO croakIng sooty to dig into
the bowels he himself had scorned. Yet
he is a noble aim to the fowler still you
break a wing or leg, and fear to touch
him with your hand your dog feels the
iron clutch of his talons, CONSTRUCTED in
the death pang, and holding him up,
you wonder that such anatomy-for his
weight is not more than three pounds
could drive his claws through that
shaggy hide till blood sprung to the
biow
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04

How TO PULL TEETH.-A peculiar
dental operation has just come under
our observation. A certain citizen had
an upper tooth which was loose and
troublesome, so he resolved to extract it
by fastening a string to it; but after a
trial, finding the operation painful, be
hadn't the grit to grin and bear it. He
thought if the tooth could be extracted
by some sudden mode, the pain would
be but transient; and after mature delib-
Grafton he hit upon an ingenious plan
to jerk it out in jiffy. Procuring a
heavy fatiron he tied it to the other
end of the cord attached to his tooth,
then shutting both eyes he let the iron
drop, which descended plump center on
his pet corn. After hopping about the
room, wildly on one foot, groaning for
very anguish of spirit, and reciting
choice passages from profane history,
he finally calmed down sufficiently &c
hurl the fiatiron over the fence, and
swathe his sore toe in camphor and cot.
ton. But he pulled the tooth, and with
il n piece of gum. And the man lived
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
An Editors Misfortune.

A few days ago a Journalist came TO
Detroit on business, and in some way
was induced to leave the straight and
narrow path and take more liquor than
he could carry. He fell among bad Peo-
pie and was robbed Of his all, and was
found in an alley next morning by b
policeman. As he was reused up he
looked around him, got his bearinga, and
started on.
"Here, where are you goingY" shout
cd the officer.
"Honie," shouted the editor, as he
halted.
"But You haven't a cent in your Pock-
ct. You'd better 60 round 20 some OF
your friends and raise something."
"Friends be hAnredT replied the edi-
tor. "It's only sixty miles, good going,
and three days before my paper comes
out"
And he started of At a pace which
made the dust jump up i'm little clouds
and Goat over the ienees.- Detroit FFes
Press
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-04
In the forthcoming Ohio Agricultural

In the forthcoming Ohio Agricultural
Report, among the premium crops OF
last year is reported the following:
A. c. Fuller, Trumbull county-3S6
bushels white corn upon two acres-193
bushels to the acre
Upon this most extraordinary crop
Secretary Klippart remarks:
It is much to be regretted that no clue
is given of the number of pounds to
the bushel, or the season of the year
when it was weighed. A practice pre-
walls in some portions of the State to
estimate three half bushels of ears ofcorn
as equivalent to one bushel of shelleo
corn; by this estimate the above croT
would be 1929 bushels Of shelled corn
per acre. Even at this estimate il ex.
ceeds any crop ever grown in the Miami
or Scioto Valleys of which we have any
record.