The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-18
A Saving Tail-hOld.

The Stanford (Ky.) Journal thus tells
how farmer foiled battering ram !:
Early on Sunday morning gentleman
walked out, probably for the purpose of
sailing his sheep After few vigorous
calls the flock collected around him and
clamored as usual for their allowance
One old black ram, however, seemed to
have something on his mind and stood
aloof. The owner, seeking to conciliate
him approached and laid his hand upon
his head This the ram resented with a
furious charge which was repeated until
abe owner took to fight. But he was
too far from the fence and the enemy
literally hung upon his rear with per-
severing obstinancy. A change of front
was resolved upon and Immediately eff
fected, but still the battery was played
with undiminished fervor Soon the
parties clinched and after a vigorous
scuffie they came to the ground. The
ram could now do nothing but his fleece
protected his ribs from the furious blows
of his adversary. Both seemed now
pretty fairly exhausted. The man was
on top, and seizing a stone which lay
near commenced pounding the head of
the sheep. OF course the rock was soon
reduced TO fragments but the man hav-
ing formerly driven hogs, thought of
the expedient of throwing dust in the
eyes of the recusant, and in continently
filled his optics with clay, rubbing it in.
He then arose to enjoy the success of his
ruse but the ram "riz," too, and paus-
ing single moment, applied knee to
each eye and renewed the combat And
now the fight was more desperate than
before, and victory seemed to perch
above the sheep. But as he put all his
power into one final blow, his almost
fainting antagonist succeeded in avoid
ing the shock and catching the ram by
the tail and now the tide of victory
turned A succession of furious kicks,
administered posteriori, decided the
contest The ram cried foul play but
the adversary fought for conquest. At
length the "tail hold" slipped and both
parties fed in opposite directions,
American Woodlands.-Ir discussing
the distribution of American woodlands,
Professor Brewer said that though
Maine is the great source of pine and
spruce lumber, the hard wood species
predominant in that State. The wood
ed area of New England is not dimin-
ishing, but the amount of sawed lumber
is lessening-an indication that the trees
are cut younger In the Middle States
the wooded area is sensibly and rapidly
becoming smaller. The New England
and Middle States furnish hard wood
trees: in the Southern States, from Vir-
ginia to Florida, is a belt of timber
which supplies the hard and yellow
pine; and the northwestern region con-
tains immense areas of common pine.
From the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic
Ocean stretches treeless area three hun
dred and fifty miles wide in its narrow
est part, and eight hundred and fifty
miles wide on our northern boundry-
West of this region is the narrow wood
ed Rocky Mountain region, and west of
this is the barren region of the Great Ba-
sin. On the Pacific coast are some of
the noblest regions of the world; and
official Government reports say that the
forests in some parts of Washington
Territory are heavy enough to "cover
the entire surface with cord-woOd ten
feet in height" 80. Scientific Miscellany"
in the GALAXY for Nouember.