davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30
A Sword to Be Restored.

An ex-confederate officer has written
a letter to R. B. Hoover, of Marietta,
Ohio, secretary Of the Soldiers Reunion,
in which he says:
81, as major in command of a Texas
regiment of infantry, on the Sd day of
October, 1864, at place called Tilton
Station, Georgia, captured from gal
liant Union officer there (whose rank and
name are not remembered) a splendid
infantry sword. He informed me he was
attached to The sword, told me it's cost,
ETC., but / was the first in the block
house, or fort, so he gave it up 10 me,
and after asking me my rank took off his
swordb belt and presented it to me.
have the sword and belt, and am desir
GUS that the gallant officer who present
ed it to me should receive it back un
tarnished. The gentleman will remem-
her, several days after the surrender, of
selling me his overcoat, as he was going
south and / was going north. He de-
clared he wonld not take 'all the confed
crate money in the South for his over
coat, and SO ! scraped around and got his
price in greenbacks. This officer was
either from your State or Missouri, /
forget which. If you can in any way
ascertain who he is, or who are his re-
representatives. (wiihout using my name at
presently, will. on the occasion Of the
reunion, present, through the hands of
General F. NJ. Cockrell (who was wit
ness to what l have related), to him. or
them, the sword, with IA we'll written a
tribute to the officers worth and gallan-
try as can write"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

The grasses of the fields and meadows
if gathered in their bloom, tied up in
bundles and hung up in lunches in q
dark closet to dry, heads downward, will
retain their natural color and make a
lovely addition to winter bouquets No
summer vase or bouquet is complete
without their airy, fairy grace. When
the ferns and flowers are we'll pressed
make them into lovely transparencies by
pasting them with starch upon coarse
cape lace, covering them with another
piece of lace, and then putting them be-
tween tiny frames Of cardboard; bind
the edges with green ribbon; you can
suspend them from your windows.
Lamp shades can also be made in the
same manner. and bouquets can be form
ed upon paper and framed under gloss
which will closely resemble water color
ed paintings.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

A Boston maiden wrote to the Fifth
Maryland Regiment, recently in Boston,
"Will you now permit n Northern Rirl,
and an extremely patriotic one, 10 ez-
press n very small part of the admira-
tion she feels for your gallant regiment" !"
etc, closing with the words, 81 am no
strong. minded advocate Of womdn's
rights. and my nearest approach TO Il u
at present, when think would like TO
belong to the Fifth Maryland Ragimen." }"
The letter was read az = recent met ting
Of the regiment, and the Boston maiden
was Immediately elected an honorary
member.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30
A New Way to Measure Grain.

A good story is told Of Tioga county
IN. ", merchant who agreed to take
farmers oats at forty cents busheI il
the latter would let him tramp the meas
ure when filled. The farmer agreed TO
it. The buyer paid for sixty bushels
and the next day went after them. The
farmer filled the half bushel, and then
the merchant got in and tramped them
down, whereupon the farmer poured the
oats so compressed into the bag. The
merchant protested, and demanded that
the measure be filed up after tramping.
The armer informed him there was no
agreement Of that sort, but that he might
tramp down the oats to his hearts con-
tent after they were measured.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30
Flavor OF Eggs.

There is a vast difference in the favor
ofeggs. Hens kept on clean grass run
give much finer favored eggs than hens
that have access to stable manure heaps
and eat all kinds Of filthy food. Hens
feeding on fish and onions flavor their
eggs accordingly, the same as COWS eat
ing onions or drinking offensive water,
imparis bad taste TO the milk and but
ter. The richer the food the higher the
color Of the eggs. Wheat and corn give
eggs the best color, while feeding ON
buckwheat makes them colorless, render
ing them unfit for some confectionery
nnrnnscs
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30
About the Use Of Soap.

Without giving any receipt for max
worked farmers wives how much labor
they may save by not using such vast
quantities of this article. For nearly
five years / have used soap only for
washing clothes. In all that time l have
not used one pound of soap for washing
dishes and other kitchen purposes. My
family has ranged from three to twenty
FIVE. ] have used cistern water COM
posed of other ingredients besides lime,
and with all these my plan works equal
ly we'll. 1t is this: Have your water
quite hot and add a very little milk to
it. This softens the water, gives the
dishes fine gloss and preserves the
hands; removes the grease, even that
from beef, and yet no grease is ever
found floating on the water, as when
soap is used. The stone vessels / al
ways set on the stove, with little water
in them; thus they are hot when ] am
ready to wash them, and the grease is
easily removed.
just try my plan, you who toll day
after day, every spring, to make that
barrel of soap, and let US hear how it
succeeds with you. like the great bar
rel of soap on washing day, but am glad
to be able to dispense with Its aid on all
other occasions. find that all my tin
ware keeps bright longer cleansed in this
way than by using soap or securing.
The habit so many of us acquired of
securing tins is n wasteful policy; the
present style of tinware will not bear it.
The tin is soon washed away and vessel
that is fit tor nothing left on our hands;
but if washed in the way have de-
scribed, the tin is preserved, and is al
ways bright and clean.-[ Rural New
Yorker.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

To PREVENT KEROSENE ExPLoD-
INo.-A great many accidents are hap
pening every day from the use Of kero-
sene. ! will tell you method by which
they can be TO a great extent prevented,
and ! hope you will publish IL for tho
benefit OF poor people who are obliged
to buy cheap oils. If the body Of the
lamp is filled with cotton, snch as jewel
ers use to wrap their articles in, after L
ia stuffed lightly, il will receive one-half
the quantity Of oil which IL wOnld II the
cotton we've not put in. Ifnny accident
happens the oil can not spill or gov
about, but ia as il were stopped up" in
the cotton, which burns like a fagot, bnt
all in one place.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

Abraham Lincoln Is credited with a
number Of "smart things" the basis
however Of which did norrcst upon fact.
When told ofthem, he laughed and said;
"The papers make me smarter than ]
am; I have sAid none Of these things
with one exception. ] did say. when ]
had the smallpox, 'Now let the Office
seekers come, for at last ] have some
thing can give TO all Of them"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

Children are children, as kittens are
kittens. A sober, sensible old cat. that
sits purring before the fire, does not
trouble herself because her kitten is
hurrying and dashing here and there, in
a fever Of excitement TO catch its own
tail. She siis till aud purs ON. People
should do the same with children. One
of the difficulties of home education is
the impossibiIity of making parents
keep still; il is with them. ont Of their
affection, all watch and worry.-[ Memoir
of C.. w Dixie.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

Agitation Of the Bible-in-the schools
question has wrought fellow-oitiron mp
to the highest patriotic pitch. "Is this
a free oountry7" he says. II shall End
out. / shall Immediately purchase a
Bible, and / should like 10 see somebody
stop my reading it. BY ihe way, what
kind Of work is Il. and where can buy
oreP"-I Rochester Democrat.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

Whoever has had occasion TO find ont
what high prices are charged by dentists
in Paris will appreciate this story; A
lady went to one Of the fraternity to
have a tooth extracted. He did the work
in moment, and she gave him ten
francs. He looked at II in diaguat. "IS
this for my servant2" he said. "No, sir, /"
she answered, cit is for both Of youl"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

careless treatment; and there is little
doubt that the sc, 600, 900 bushels ofcorn
annually grown in Missouri could be
raised on half the area and with less
cost if a more effective method of cul-
tivation were practiced.-[St. Louis Re
nnhlinnn
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

At Atlanta, Ga, last autumn, a negro
built coop, six feet by seven, into
which he put dozen partridges, the
ground being first covered with grass.
During the winter they ihrived, in the
spring they mated, laid eggs and hatch
ed out several broods of young, and the
negro now has about sixty young par
tridges, all doing well. They are tame.
healthy, and seem TO be eontented.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

Burglars are commoH in Atlanta-too
common. when = family man goes
home At night he has 20 hide behind the
gate post and bawl OUT "It's me my
dearest" at the top Of his voice. in order
to keep from being shot. Some Of them
are already getting hoarse.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

A man was indignantly exclaiming
that his knife had been stolen, when -
last one Of his neighborr, whose garden
had been robbed a short time previous,
said TO him; 81 found youF knife among
my oabbagos; how came ~ theFeg' The
man was struck dumb
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

One exceedingly warm day last week
a neighbor met an old man, and remark
ed that il was very hot. "Yes," said
Joe; "if il wasn't for one thing should
say we were going to have thaw."
what is THAR" inquired the friend.
There's nothing frnze," said Joe.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

II is said that blaek-eyed ladies are
most apt to be passionate and jealous.
Blue-eyed-sonlful. truthful, affection
ate and confding. Grey -eyed-philo-
sophical, literary, resolute and cold
hearted. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
and tickle. Green-eyed-jealous.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

A Western physician has just dis.
charged a case of conAuent small pox
without pit. He painted the face of
his patient with collodion and ivory
black, applied as often as necessary to
keep up complete mask.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30

Why does the washing come home on
Saturday. Because it's the close (clothes)
Of the week.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30
MOUNTAIN MEADOW MASSACRE.

The Horrible Mystery Unraveled-
The Trial Mt Beaver. Utah-a
Mormon Bishop Tells the
Whole StOry-Details of
the hatchery of Men,
Women and Chill
dren.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22
Facts Worth Remembering.

The following was gathered by OBJ
servation and inquiry while building
my house the past summer, which /
willingly give for the benefit of those
designing to build.
One thousand shingles laid four
inches to the weather win cover one
hundred square feet of surface, and Ave
pounds of shingle nails will fasten
them on.
One-fifth more siding and flooring is
needed than the number of square feet
of surface to be covered, because Of the
lap in the siding and the matching of
the floor:
One thousand lath win cover seventy
yards OF surface, and eleven pounds OF
lath nails will nail them on.
Eight bushels of good lime, sixteen
bushels of sand, and one bushel of hair
will make enough of good mortar to
plaster one hundred square yards.
A cord of stone, three bushels of
lime, and cubic yard of sand win lay
one hundred cubic feet of wall.
Five courses of brick will lay one
foot in height on chimney, six bricks
in course viii make fine four inches
wide and twelve inches long, and eight
bricks in course will make, nue.
eight inches wide and sixteen incnes
long.-W. II. Green, sn fT0sTse
Farmer.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22
4 Dying Man-The Latest Detroit
DAh0e.


Wednesday morning last stranger
entered dry goods store on Woodward
avenue and inquired for the proprietor,
whose feelings are herewith respected
and his name suppressed. The stranger
introduced himself Ss Fiske, and said
that q man who lay dying at a certain
boarding-hou on Larned street west
had something to say to the merchant
before he passed away. Thinking il
very singular, the merchant put on his
overcoat and went down to the house in
company with the stranger. On bed
up stairs he found the dying man. The
merchant expected to find pale,
emaciated patient, but instead he found
a pretty healthy looking fellow, who
was, however, snugly covered up in
bed, and whose voice was away down in
his throat.
"You wished to see me, did you P''
asked the merchant as he sat down.
ct did," answered the patient.
'' The doctor says that L will not live
twenty-four hours, and want to con-
fess crime and ask your forgiveness.
You don't know me, hut know You.
You were keeping store in st. Joseph
in 1857"
eyes," answered the merchant.
Well, continued the man, 's hap
pened to be In st. Joseph that year, and
one day while you were at dinner and
your clerk busy stole pair of boots
and q cap, amounting in value to per-
haps six dollars. It is the only theft I
ever committed, and it has caused me
endless anxiety. Now, before die, ]
wish to ask your forgiveness and to re-
store the value of the goods"
The merchant could not remember
anything about the affair, nor of the
man, who said his name was jefferson,
and he replied that it was all right, and
that he didn't care for compensation.
But both men pressed him TO take al
least fifteen dollars for the amount
stolen so long ago, and he reluctantly
consented. The dying man pulled out
roll of bills, all OF the denomination
of 800, and the merchant handed back
ffty-four dollars, all the money he ha6,
and told the well man to come to the
store after the rest. He shook hands
with the patient, hoped that death
might he arrested and returned to the
store alone having the 800 bill in his
vest pocket. The stranger had not
called up to 2 p. m., and the merchant
finally took a closer look at the bill.
His hair began to raise up, and he
started for bank.
Best counterfeit I've seen for q
year." remarked the cashier as he
handed the bill back.
The merchant then secured the SER
vices of detective and they hastened
to the boarding-house to find that the
men had departed before noon. They
came there the evening previous, paid
for two days board, and the landlady
did not know anything about them, but
supposed the merchant knew then
both. One at least must have known
something of the merchants former
history, as he referred to facts, and al
though they did not get the stake they
played for, they nevertheless made {
good enough thing of it. Ever sincs
| Wednesday a detective has been looking
for the men, and the greatest care hal
been taken that the reporters shouldn'
get hold of the item.-Detroit Fire,
/ RreSs
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22

A rich hoax wa succeaafuily perpetsated as rne
sinner OF the Boston Press Club, on Saturday
from dseuisSed indvicnSisp SaSns tSs 20
o0e from BretfHaFte. with two s ninclosing char
Chinee" would, We think, be almost willing to
claim aA tne1ted. H. not BY himself, certainly BY
the epIstls or the vezses came from Rret Harts With
jumped e the fsilacious conclusion: and 20 have
fact, wr1tten over the Initials b. T a." by = i.
Soeevsr GOODWIN, and all viii agree that he was far
more than pArodist, and excuse the iocoae cheat
Here sshe Brett Harts poem of the occasion !:
PREss-RooM BILL.
Bill was cuss;
Slept all night on pne Of stock
But what'd he osrei He'd NO friends
That would make mus
II he slept In the streets.
So he sends
For pot Of beer, and bite to eat
Where, With jes' room
To stretch out straight,
He'd wait
Till the boys got round in the upper re1iona:
And BY legions
He fed the sneet. TO the hungry mAws
And iron jaws
OF the press.
~ You can guess
How he loved the machine and his work.
He shirkS
When he gave his word
That settled 1t sure. Whatever II was
You could be poz
That ned do q he said, Il 1t took leg.
Would he move, Whatever he saw or heard
To break promise
Yves farthest from his
Thoughts o9 what waA the duty Of man,
One night the boss
(Aember OF Congress now, they sAys)
Came down stairs
Putting on airs
(His usual way1.
Pretty soon ne came across
Bili, who was putting the forms in place.
want copy brought mp to me
For Ileave at Eve
So look alive:
"Or"-hete his IaAguage became profane-
Fou1l do it, Bm9"
Says Bfll. " wM"
That night at just about half-past one
The bells begun
The awful clangor that tells Of IRE.
Twas our old place
That WAS being burnt.
When Bill learnt
The fact by his linen coat tails' blaze,
The room was getting about red hot
There was just one spot
And the press stood there.
Bill wasn't crier,
And when he saw
: There WAS NO use trying to save Q thing
Out Of the fiery dragons maw.
For the stock there wasn't an atom left,
Bill says the heft
OF his heart, when he found there wasn't one
Identical sheet that he could use,
In his two hours anooxe
He hadn't taken his garment of.
They came of now.
That is he stripped, If for q row.
Down to the bur.
Let draw the veil.
: - And end this tale
Witha scene that morning sharp at four.
Bill knocked at the door
Of the boss's house, and out he came
Not knowing the place all ahame;
= Got the paper :" Says Bill, you're right,
The - ol1 office burnt down to night,
There wasn't no one hurt
And got you copy Here he gave
The boss, VINO was just beginning to rave
An impression struck of on his shirt
P. 8. Twas Bill's shirt, not the bosses
tell you Bill was one of the hosses.
NOVEMBER 5, 1874.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22

BURNT AND GROUND CoFFEE.-Are
you fond Of your coffee ? An official
investigation has just been made in
Paris a. to the materials of which this
ss delicious beverage" is made. There
are five principal compounds
1. Burned bread and coffee grounds :
2. Powdered chiccory, sand and
brick dust.
8, Chiccoxy and burned bones.
4. Ohiccory burned, mixed with but
ter and coloFed with Prusian red.
5. Burned cabbage roet and boiled
horse liver. =
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22
DUEL1NG IN ILLINOIS.

The History OF the Code Ina the Sucker
St3te-Remarkable Duels OF Remarka.
bae PersOns-The Meeting Between
Abraham Lincoln and Cen. shields
The Many Other Affairs which Grew
Out OF 1t.
lFrom the Chicago Inter-ocean.l
In no other State in the American
Union, and perhaps in no other place
In all the world, are there so stringent
and SO efficient laws against dueling as
in Illinois. To be either principal or
second In an affair of honor; even to
write or bear challenge, though no
shot should be exchanged, is an infam-
ous crime. and renders the parties for
ever disqualified from holding any of
fee of trust. honor or profit within the
State Before any officer, elected or
appointed, can enter upon the discharge
of his duties, he is required to make
oath that he has not been engaged in
any duel in the State, either as princi-
pal or second, and that he has not
Isince 16461 left the State for the pur-
pose of engaging in any affair of that
kind, elsewhere. This stringent pro-
vision has had a very cooling effect
upon the sanguinary temperaments of
those ambitious partisans among whom,
under ordinary circumstances, the pistol
has been frequent arbiter. Compelled
to choose between disfranchisement or
q fight, without much hesitation they
forego the latter, and other methods of
satisfaction are devised or the affront
meekly borne.
Previous to the Constitution of 1S48,
bel1igerent parties who sought to settle
their affairs by the ba-barous code had
only to cross the State line, and for bat
ties fought on the soil of another State
they could not be held to am account by
Al 4. e. oG 4.
of dueEng among our citizens, there
fore, the statute was comparative fail.
ure but in the Constitution of 1848 a
PROVISION was inserted requiring the adj
ministration, to every State officer, and
to every voter whose ballot was received
under challenge, solemn asseveration
that the party had never been engaged in
any4due1 in this State since 1S48, nor
had-ever left the State for the purpose
of engaging IN any elsewhere.
HOW THIS PROVISION WAS ADOPTED.
The circumstances under which the
last clause of the oath was adopted
were peculiar and interesting. Among
the members of the Convention of 1S48
were MIR. O.. G. Pratt and Thomas
Campbell. both of 10 Daviess county.
During the sittines of the convention,
the question of alien suffrage came up
for discussion, and Mr. Pratt opposed
the granting Of the elective franchise to
foreigners before they were naturalized.
To this Mr.. Campbell replied, favoring
the broaaesE extension of the franchise,
and in the course Of his speech &aunted
Pratt with having obtained his election
by pIedging the foreigners in his dis
trict that he would support their cause
in the convention. Mr.. Pratt denied
the charge Indignantly, and attributed
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22

THE Binghamton Times prints copy
of an original letter of President Lin
coin, now In the possession of Hon.
Henry 3. Mygatt, Of Oxford, to whom
it was given by the confidential clerk of
the Secretary of War, soon after it was
written. ft reads as follows:
Executive MANSION, WASHINGTON, Nov II.
1661.-HoN. SECRETARY OF WAR.-My Dear
Sir: personally wish Jacob 3. Freer, Of
New Jersey, to be appointed . Colonel for q
colored regiment, and this regardless Of
whether he can tell the exact shade OF Julius
Cesar's hair. Yours truly, A LINCOLN.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22

THE railroad casualties for October
in the United States, that have been
reported, amount to eighty-one in all,
making an average Of about three acci-
dents per day during the month. There
has been also during the same time
about one person killed in every two
days, and two injured every day. Dur
ing the year ending November /, there
were about 1000 accidents, over 200
killed and over 700 injured. Tt is q
fact we'll known to railroad men that
not nearly all the casualties on the
lines are reported to the general public
or the statisticians. IF they were, the
averages In the tables of accidents,
deaths and injuries on railroads would
be materially increased.
The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-22

THE CENTER OF POPULATION. North
and South, the center of population
steadily clihgs to the thirty-ninth
parallel, along which are situated Balti-
more, Washington and Cincinnati. AT
no time from 1890 to 1870 has the center
of population departed north or south
of this line more than twenty-six miles.
It has marched westward 39o miles in
that period, the greatest leap beinQ 3
from 1850 to 1860 (eighty-onee miles,
when the transfer of a small popula-
tion to the Pacific coast gave O sudden
elongation to the Western arm Of tha
lever and necessitated the moving Of
the fulcrum quite q distance. IL Is
now forty-eight miles east of Cincin-
natl, and in 1889 viii nearly coincide
with that city.