davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

AN OPTICAL DELUsIoN.-The follow
ing'is an optical delusion, which is none
the less interesting for being very easily
explained. Let person, standing be-
fore looking glass, look attentively at
the reflection of the pupil of one of his
eyes, and then at that of the other-let
him look at different parts of the eye,
and from one to the other, first at one
and. then at the other. Knowing that
thus, in changing the direction of his
gaze, his eyes must move about IN their
sockets, he will expect to see that they
do so in the glass. As fact, they will
appear perfectly still. If he looks
at the eyes of another person trying the
experiment, the peculiar fxedness of his
own will be still more striking, when he
looks at them again. will not spoil
the riddle by giving the answer at the
end
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25
"MOst Lovely" Savages.

The author of "The wonderland of
the Antipodes" writes "The Sanoans
are the most lovely race of savages with
whom it has been my fortune to meet.
They have not the fat noses, thick lips,
frizzled hair of the negro type, but have
distinctly European features and a very
pleasing expression. The color of their
skin is a rich golden; their whole cost
ume is limited to light fringe of grass
around the waist, and the women confine
themselves in the way of tattooing to a
couple of thin blue lines across the lips.
The men are of great physical strength
and enormous structure they have a
great disdain for us whites, and say that
we employ brute force, Armstrong guns,
&C., like bull, they have the reason
and intellect of the child who runs
away from the bull. They live happy,
graceful life ; the earth, unasked, pro-
duces her treasures in abundance they
have no need to dig when all is ready &c
their hand"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

NATIONAL ARBrTRATIoN.-Wh
two individuals disagree, it is deemed
honorable to refer the matters of differ
ence to arbitration. Why should not
the same course be pursued by awo ma
tions? When Napoleon threatened war
with Prussia, would it not have been n
noble reply for King William of Prus-
sia to have said: ave will leave the
matter to arbitration. We will each APP
point two representatives, and the four
ambassadors or referees shall appoint n
fifth. Let them report measures honor
able to both nations" Or, on a grander
scale, why should there not be Con-
gress of nations, body Of honorable
men like the judges of our Supreme
Court. Let each nation that consents to
the arrangement appoint awo members
Of this international Congress Then
matters like our Alabama claim could
be referred to this body. Vast aimies
could be disbanded. Peace and brother
hood would take the place Of contention.
After many thousands have been killed,
then negotiation must follow and trea-
ties be made. Why not begin with
peaceable measures, and save the vast
outlay of treasure and human life?-
| [Granville.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25
scrIbner's Monthly for January.

The January number Of Scribner is
not without a Christmas hayor-con-
tanning, as it does, a Christmas sketch
by L. Clarke Davis, entitled, "My
Night in a Stage-Coach," "Christmas
Suggestion" and "A Christmas Sleigh
ride" the latter by F. r. Stockton In
this number begins DR.. Hollands new
serial, ''The Story of Sevenoaks," with
an illustration by Sol. Eytinge. The
FIRST chapter tells about Seyenoks and
"How Miss Butterworth passed one of
her evenings - in the second chapter
"Mr. Belcher carries his point at the
Town Meeting, and the reader isintro-
duced to Jim Fenton." The first in
stallment of Major Powell's account of
his daring descent of the Colorado is
here given, with striking illustrations by
T. Moran and w. l.. Sheppard also
the beginning Of series of "Old Let
ters," written from London in the time
of William ~, and now for the first
time published. The present INSTALL
ment is accompanied by an original
portrait sketch of Rogers, the poet.
travels in South America" The open
ing article Of the Monthly" is efec-
lively illustrated and interesting.
Besides these contributions we have
"a Bouquet of japanese Verses" by
Charles A. DeKay "A New Solution
of an Old Puzzle" by Francis Gerry
Fairfield "Bazaine's Prison" by Maud
Christiani Hereditary Foes" by Miss
Osgood, illustrated by Miss Hallock
combinations Of SAKE Holm's "My
Tourmaline," and Jules Verne's "Mys-
terious Island :" and poems by R. IL.
Stoddard, Z. G. Stedman, John Hay;
In Topics of the Time" DIR. Holland
writes about "National Politics, I" Groom
at the Top" and "Ritualism." "The
Cabinet" contains "The Sublime and
the Ridiculous" "Salvini as a Dutch
man." and other matters. In "Home
and Society" is a timely "Plea for
Handles"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25
A Nice Little Game.
TFrom the Omaha Bee.l

rom Ine OHlAnd Dee
A. Kuhn, commercial traveller for a
Philadelphia wholesale liquor house,
arrived here on Wednesday from Cali
fornia, whittier he had been to purchase
wines. Soon after starting homeward
he formed a chance acquaintance with
fair blonde on the train, who was travel
ing alone. He noticed the lady was
handsome, and he determined to get ac-
quainted. So he threw out his bait in
the shape of Olive Logan's book, "We
Met by Chance" and sent it to her
through the medium of the train boy.
She graciously condescended to permit
him to come and sit by her side, and
they had fine time.
He wore a diamond ring, valued at
5000, and when she expressed a desire
to wear it little while, he took it right
off and placed it on the finger of his
charmer. When thcv arrived here, she
still wore the ring.
They crossed the river together, and
took seats in the Chicago train. Then
she remembered she had left her book
in the transfer car, and he went back to
find it. When he returned, she had
gone, and so had his diamond ring, and
his pocket-b book, containing about $500,
in cash and valuable papers, which she
had managed to pick from his pocket a
few minutes before, probably while they
were seated in the Chicago train at Spoon
Lake. He couldn't find her, and he
hasn't since been able to get the least
clue of where she went to. Kuhn went
East yesterday morning, but not until
he had told his story, as above narrated,
to Deputy Sheriff, Dave Burley, who
gave it to the newspapers.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25
An Awful Liar.

He didn't look like liar. He had,
in fact, George Washington sort of
face, and his enunciation was loudly
honest and decidedly nasal. He sat
roasting his alternate sides in front Of a
red-hot saloon stove, amid party of
bummers who were trying to outlie each
other.
"Talk' about lightnin'," said he, ~
reckon none o. you lazzaroni was ever
struck, was You? No Well, was.
You see was out shootin' prairie
chickens in Elinoy, last August, and
there came up the awfulest thunder
storm l ever see in the whole course of
my life. 1t rained cats and dogs, and
the thunder rolled and the forked light
MIN darted all over the sky like fiery
tongues. got behind haystack that
sort o leaned over to the south, and the
first thing knowed the lightnin' struck
that and set it aire. Then l moved to a
walnut tree that stood near, and doub-
le-j'inted bolt ripped that into splinters.
| moved to another tree and the light
min struck it. Then began to think
it meant me, and so 1 jest walked out,
bumped myself up, and took three or
four Of the d-dest claps ever heard
1t shuk me up right peart but beyond
rippin' the coat often my back and
splittin' one of my boots from top to toe,
didn't do me no particular damage. But
you don't find old Jim around huntin'
a row of that kind agin."
The discomftted bummers looked
curiously into each others faces a mo.
ment, and then, one by one, silently rose
and sneaked out, leaving Truthful
James master of the field.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

A grocer on Gratiot street keeps "a
little brown jug" near his cider barrel,
and when he wants to do the fair thing
by customer he mingles some Of the
contents of the aforesaid jug with the
cider. lie made mingle yesterday for
an old farmer, but got in good deal Of
whiskey and very little cider. About
an hour after drinking the farmer was
observed leaning against a fence, and
was heard to soliloquize :-"It's too late
for sunstroke and too early to freeze to
death, and guess it's touch Of the
shakin' ager.p
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

Among the humors Of Worcester's
(Mass.) election was the fact that in
Ward a husband and his wife were the
opposing candidates for the School Com
mittee, Mr.. Rogers having been nomi-
mated by the "Citizens," and Mrs. Rog-
ers on the Independent ticket. The wife
proved stronger candidate than the
husbard, and received twice as many
votes, or thereabout. The Spy says
1--WE have not heard of any domestic
quarrel arising from this domestic rival
ry, and we trust there will be none, but
the experiment seems to be needlessly
hazardous. ."-[ Boston Globe.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

From Florida comes the romantic
story of Della Jones, a full-blooded me-
gro aged 40 She fell desperately in
love with young white man, a earpen-
ter, and realizing the fact that he could
never be anything to her she turned her
property into cash (s7, ,250), left it to
him by will, and then went and drown
ed herself
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

DIR. Samuel w. Francis says that the
liquid injected hypodermically by the
mosquito contains the principle of qui-
nine, and was sent by Providence as an
antidote to the fever which arises from
marshy and mosquito-infested districts.
The doctor may be right, but since
quinine is abundant, why can't the mos
quito be Withdrawn?
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

The libel suit of Mr.. Ross, father Of
the missing boy, against the reading
(Pa.) Eagle, was finally decided on Sat
urday, the court sentencing the proprie-
tors of the paper to pay a fine Of 81, 900,
Their plea was ignoragce of the libell-
Gus article, but the court, in pronouncing
judgment, said: If, because it cannot be
proven that an editor or publisher did
not actually write an article that is Ii
belious, he is TO go scot free, this is TO
establish a very dangerous principle.
What man does by another he does
by himself, and if he were permitted to
fold his hands and say, 81 did not do it
but my agent did" no family in the
community would be safe.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

One of those Vermont ghosts speaks
up and calls DIR. Beard an ass. If the
ghost would only stay materialized long
enough il could be accommodated with
a libel suit.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

General Viele, civil engineer, who
owns n tract of land on the line travers-
ed by the recent shocks of earthquake
near New York, expresses the opinion
that they were caused by magnetic
shock running along n vein of iron ore
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

Peppermint is now cultivated exten-
sively in Wayne and Ontario counties,
New York, and in some parts Of Michi-
Qnn
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

An Arkansas grocer has been sent 10
the penitentiary for ten years for shoot
ing a man who "kept helping himself TO
the crackorss."
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

We don't::want to..encourage burglary:
but it would be nice to have few more
of 'em break into the Van Brunt Man
sion.-[ Boston Post.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

Blondin is going to stretch a rope from
the top of the pyramid Of Cheops TO that
of Kephron, and walk il.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

A tree was sawed into lumber in SOM
erset county, Pa, recently, yielding g.
500 feet.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

A mother-in-law in the house isS
well-spring Of javy.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

see me now.
We reached Louisville in time-at
least the neighborhood of it. We stuck
hard and fast on the rocks in the mid
dWrof the river and lay there four days.
l was now beginning to feel strong
sense of being part of the boats fami-
ly sort of infant son to the captain and
younger brother to the officers. There
is no estimating the pride took in this
grandeur, or the affection that began to
grow and swell in me for these people l
could not know how the lordly steam
boatman scorns that sort of presump-
ton in a mere landsman. / particular
ly longed to acquire the least trifle of
notice from the big, stormy mate, and I
was on the alert for an opportunity to
do him service to that end. 1t came
at last. The riotous powwow of setting
spar was going on down on the forcas-
tie, and 1 went down there and stood
around in the way-or mostly skipping
out of it'll the mate suddenly roared
out a general order for somebody tc
bring him capstan bar. / sprang tt
his side and said: "TeH me where i
is-I'll fetch itl''
If rag-picker had offered to do {
diplomatic service for the Emporer o
Russia, the monarch could not have beer
more astounded than the mate was. III
even stopped swearing. He stood anC
stared down at me. It took him tel
minutes to scrape his disjointed remain
together again. Then be said impres
sively; "Well, if this don't beat hell!
, and turned to his work with the air @
: man who had been confronted with
} problem too abstruse for solution.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25

sCRIBNER a Co,
No. 654 Broadway, New York
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19
IMPERCEPrIBLE PRESENCE.

The moment we cross the threshold
of dwelling, we find the housewife
represented by her mode of housekeep-
ing. While we sit in the parlor wait
ing the presence of the mistress, we
study the outlines of her character
even in this limited portion of her do
minion.
Not alone in the parlor can we esti-
mate justly her inferior, or superior,
talent for home thriftiness. Kitchen
and pantry, closet and cupboard, alike
manifest her aptuess or incapacity for
the position of mistress. Above all,
we quickly note the individuality of
person by an independence in the ar
rangement of room. Chairs and
sofas are never placed by rule, if a
lady has an original mind.
If all the arrangements about her
home are complete; if they exhibit
order, taste and elegance; if thought has
wrought out the aspirations of the
heart in the pictures that suggest re-
fnement; if vines training from dainty
vases tempt the imagination to perpet-
ual summer; if CLEANS of sunshine
falling here and there on the softly
tinted carpet, intimate warmth of feel
ing-we drop into an easy arm chair
and a restfulness creeps over us.
The plain cottage with its low cell
ings and diminutive windows, may be
a very ideal of poetic fancy. Indeed
the rich have all the appurtenances of
wealth to make creation with, while
the humble housewife in littlecottage
must create and carry out her designs
unaided. Rugged exteriors must be
toned down to beautiful conceptions,
and then poets will sing of love in a
cottage, and tried votaries of style will
sigh for the love, if not for the cottage.
Rural Home.
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19
How 10 Get Rid of Ants.

MAJ. WALL: Some of your gentle
readers have no doubt, often expressed
a desire to know how to get rid Of ants.
These little busy-bodies are often a
source of great annoyance to neat
housekeepers, and whilst | doubt the
propriety of a wholesale slaughter Of
these patterns of industry, still it some
times becomes necessary to get rid of
them, when they infest the closet
where the "gude wife" has her jams
and preserves stored away for winter
use, or the dairy where the milk and
butter is kept.
Like men, they are fond Of some
thing to stimulate them (what pity
all men are not like them in point Of
Industry, and like children too, they
are particularly fond of sugar (yOu
will begin to think | am covering a
great deal of ground to tell so simple
a story; but, now to the gist Of the
subject:
Well, it is nothing more than this
Dissolve a small quantity of corrosive
sublimate, which by the way is
deadly poison, in alcohol (anOther
fatal POISON, sweeten with sugar,
place where they infest, and my word
for it, you will soon find them lying
dead in heaps.
1t can be put in any shallow vessel,
or cloth well saturated with the tine
ture, and some of it sprihkled in the
infested places will answer.
Persons using it should be very care
full to put it where there is no danger
of any one getting it, as corrosive sub
Innate is a deadly poison.
The above was given me by ven
cradle brother of our Order, now near
ly tour-score years of age, but with
all the vim Of man of forty, who earns
his daily bread by the sweat of his brow,
and who, by the way, makes nearly every
thing he eats at home, and always has
some to sell, and who pays the cash for
what he does buy. Pardon this digres-
sion. B.
A., 10 1874
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19
0Jhe Sfiresidt.
WORK AND WAIT.

A husbandman who many years
Had plowed his fields and sown in tears,
Grew weary with his doubts and fears.
y / toll in vain These rocks and sands
Will yield no harvest to my hands;
The best seeds rot in barren lands.
My dropping vine is whitening;
No promised grapes its blossoms bring;
No birds among its branches sing.
1My flock is dying on the plain,
The heavens are brass they yield no rain
The earth is iron-I toll in vainp
While yet he spake breath had stirred
His dropping vine, like wing of bird
And from its leaves q voice he heard:
1.-THE germs and fruits OF life must be
Forever hid in mystery,
Yet none can toll in vain for Me.
= A mightier hand, more skilled than thine,
Must hang the clusters on the vine,
And make the fields with harvest shine.
Man can but work; God can create;
But they who work, and watch and wait
Have their reward, though it come late.
Look up to heaven behold and hear
The clouds and thunderings in thy ear
Ananswer to thy doubts and fear"
He looked, and lol cloud draped car,
With trailing smoke and flames afar,
Was rushing from a distant star.
And every thirsty flock and plain
Was rising up to meet the rain
That came to clothe the fields with grain.
And on the clouds he saw again
The covenant of God with men,
Rewritten with His rainbow pen.
"Seed time and harvest shall not fail
And though the gates Of hell assail,
Ny truth and promise shall prevail
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19
from the Waverly Magazine.l
REMEMBER THE POOR.

Does the mizer who sits in his cold dark
room,
His eager hands seeking and grasping for
for more,
Give heed to the cry, that oft rings through
our land,
"Oh, remember, remember the poor2"
Does the woman of fashion, who rides out
in state,
Ever think, as she goes from her door,
of the child half starved, who plaintively
asks,
please remember, remember the poor2"
But the misers chest may groan with his
wealth,
And the woman of fashion spend more,
But He who looks down on this cold, cold
world
Remembers, remembers the poor.
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19

BY PANsIE PERT.

Picture to yourself a grand old for
est, with sombre shadows lighted by
the mellow radiance Of the sunbeams,
glancing through the maple boughs
and irradiating, in golden riffs, the
brown old earth, carpeted so richly by
old Dame Natures loving touch--with
dropping grasses, velvety MOSES, the
sweet, shy violets and light, graceful
lIfns, in prodigal profusion. It
was indeed, beautiful spot, and
seemed, almost involuntarily, to bring
to mind a line Of Bryanps grand old
Forest Hymn"
"The groves were Gods first temples
On a projecting shelf of huge,
moss-covered rock, sat, or rather re-
clined, a young girl; a volume of
Whittier's poems-a tiny gem in blue
and gold-was by her side, and she
had fallen asleep lulled by the sweet
notes of feathered songsters and the
murmurs Of the summers zephyrs, as
they gently lifted the maple leaves
the fairest flower in all that wilderness
of bloom.
Hank footsteps are approaching;
nearer and nearer they advance, until
they pause at the opposite end Of the
rock; let us take peep at the new
corners, ourselves unseen.
Two young men, tall and stalwart,
meet our inquiring gaze; one, a young
exquisite of the first quality, evidently,
who would not be bad look ing, we
should judge, if selfconceit were not
so apparent in every feature; his hair
and eyes were dark and handsome, and
ga love of a mustache, that could only
be obtained by months of assiduous
coaxing, adorned his manly lip; his
soft white hands carried an elegant
cane, while, on his equally soft head
rested an uncomfortable looking bea-
yer. Oh, yes, quite fashionable,
heart breaking "young man of the pc
Rod" His companion looked every
inch the gentleman, and noble, earn
est, thoughtful man.
Our two men acquaintance seated
themselves, and chatted on Indifferent
topics few moments, when our young
exquisite inquired,-
81 say, Harry, who was that pretty
little witch who sang SO enchantingly
last Sabbath? Come, tell me about
her; | saw you exchange bows at the
door"
81 presume you refer to Miss Oracle
Clifton, was gravely replied.
"Gracie Clifton, Ell? Not a bad
name. By Jove? she's little beauty;
give me an introduction, old fellow, |
and Ill have a glorious Irritation with
the owner of those celestial orbs; she
is only little, unsophisticated country
girl, and | can play the smitten lover
to perfection, as many dainty city
miss knows full well when ALI Burn.
ham is around;" and he stroked his
with all the compIacency
imaginable. "Don't look SO disguised,
Hall Tell me, is she rich, or any
chance of being so? If l ever offer
my most noble self to one of these
feminine angels, it will only be on ac-
count of her pocket-book."
"Alfred Burnham, you conceited
puppy How dare you talk in this
way of triAing with young girls afec-
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19

and was carried home more dead than
alive.
For seven long days Joshua was con-
fined to his bed. When health re-
turned, he stole away to foreign land,
purchased farm, and devoted the
remnant of his life to the herding Of
cattle.
Moral:-If you are bashful, never
attempt to turn music for your sweet.
heart in crowded parlor
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19
WORTH PRESERVING.

The following compilation of bust
ness maxims is worth careful preser-
walton:
Notes bear interest only when it is so
stated.
Principals are responsible for the acts
of their agents.
Each individual in a partnership is
responsible for acts of their agents.
Ignorance of the law excuses no
persons.
The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-19
May II, 1874.

THERE is a quiet "tidal wave" of
temperance overlooking Mississippi at
present. There is no hurrah made, no
crusading, no mass meetings in bar
rooms, no public praying on the side
walks and street corners. Good men
and women are quietly at work, how
ever, not secretly, but steadily advanc.
ing the temperance cause. Temper
ance societies are being organized in
every county where they do rot al
ready exist, and those already in exist
ence are being built up and strengthen
ed. And license petitions are being
and when the licenses now
existing expire, at least fOur.fifths of
the bar rooms will be closed EXCHANGE.
The New York herald., 1874-11-23

A UCTION SALE.-POSTTIvELY THIS
n (Monday) morning. at l0is O'Clock
the property Of private family.
the private residence l03 West Twenyeighth street
Sixth Over rs lots useful Household Fur.
Marie Antonette style Parlor Suits satin bocael and
Tables, turkish Furniture. Paintings Works Of Art
wood and walnut Chamber suits Pressing Cases. Eed.
Bureaus, Mattresses Library and sitting Room
suits; Dining and servants Furniture J; kKALMnR
sbe in attendance to cart and pack goods ior pur
phnsn