davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
Wonderful Memories.

Pliny s2ys that Cyrus had a memory
so prodiginus that he conld name every
officer and soldier in his armies; and
that Lucius Scipio knew every Roman
ed more than two hundred thousand
capable of bearing arms. Seneca speaks
of friend, Pontius Latro, who could
repeat rerbdtiA all the speeches he had
heard declaimed by the Roman orators.
1t is said that Joseph Scaliger commit
ted to memory both the Iliad ard the
Odyssey in twenty one days. Sir Will
liam Hamilton tells us of young Cor
sican of good family who had gone to
Padua to study civil law, in which he
soon distinguished himself. "He was a
frequent visitor at the house and gar
deps of Muretus, who, having heard
that he possessed remarkable art or
faculty of memory, though incredulous
in regard to reports, took occasion to re-
quest from him a specimen of his power.
He at once agreed; and. having adjourn
ed with considerable party of distin-
guished auditors into a saloon. Muretus
began to dictate words, Latin, Greek,
barbareus, significant and non-signifi-
cant, disjointed and connected, until he
wearied himself, the young man who
wrote them down, and the audience who
were present;-'we were ALL he says,
'marvelously tired. The Corsican alone
was the one of the whole company alert
and fresh, and continually desired Mu-
retus for more words, who declared he
would be more than satisfied il he could
repeat the half Of what he had taken
down, and at length he ceased. The
young man, with his gaze fixed upon
the ground, stood silent for brief sea-
son; and then says Muretus, 'Vidi faci-
nus mirificissimnm. Having begun TO
speak, he absolutely repeated the whole
words in the same order in which they
had been delivered, without the slight
est hesitation; then, commencing from
the last, he repeated them backward till
he came to the first. Then, again, so
that he spoke the FIRST, the third. the
fifth, ami so on: did this in any order
that was asked, and all without the
smallest error. Having subsequently
become familiarly acquainted with him.
Ihave had other and frequent expert
ence of his power. He assured me land
he had nothing of the boaster in him }
that he could recite in the manner
have mentioned TO the amount of thirty
six thousand words. And what is more
wonderful. they all so adhered to the
mind. that after years interval he
could repeat them without trouble. /
know, from having tried him, he could
do so after considerable time ~ f. S.
Drone; Scribner for November.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
After Jones.

The other day when citizen inquir-
ed Of a negro deck-hand, whom he met
on the levee, if a negro by the name Oi
Jones worked on a certain boat, the
black asked:
docs you mean Lightning Jones?"
"NU, guess not"
"P'raps you mean Buffalo Jones?"
"No he isn't the one"
"Well does you mean Big Foot Jones?'
"No it must be another"
"Can't be Glass-Eye Jones can it?"
"No, this Jones has no such name. "El
"Is IL Turtle-SOup Jones, then?"
"No, that isn't the one"
"Is it Will Jones, Small Jones, Dicl
Jones, Sam Jones, or Peaceful Jones2'
mo, none of them"
"Well, dat's all de Joneses on da
steamboat, and IL rome Of dem haint d,
chap ye1l hev to look furder. ."-[Vicks
burgh Herald.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
NUMBER 90.
The Hard woods Of YIrgInIa.

II is said that nearly one-half Of the
surplus hard woods Of the country are
to be found in Western Virginia. How
long this will last is a doubtful question.
Taxing the one item Of railroad ties,
and we find that the country requires
for its annual supply 94,53O,O 900 cubic
feet, equal to 77s,5l5 cords Of solid tim
Der, TO secure which at least 10000
cords of standing timber have been cut
down. The average product per acre of
the forest Of Virginia IL given by NJ. +.
Maury at from 40 to so cords per acre;
so that, taking the maximum yield, onr
railroad ties alone destroyed annually
10000 acres of woodland. The annual
consumption Of the country for fuel is
estimated at over 100000 cords Of
wood, of which three fifths may be as
sumed to be good standing timber cut
expressly for fuel. This gives an an
nual clearing of 600 900 acres. The
iron foundries consumed in 1870, $685.
900 tons of charcoal. and furnace that
makes six or seven tons of iron day
will use mp 200 acres Of woodland in
wear. The annual product Of charcoal
iron is now about 100000 tons, using up
5000 acres year. The pine lands of
Michigan, the bes; in the country, yield
10000 feet 10 the acre, board measure.
The annual consumption Of the country
in manufactured lumber is 10000, ,000,-
600 feet representing an annual clearing
Of 1000, 900 acres. The fencing Of the
country required 25 OOO, 1000 acres to be
cleared in order to make il, and the an
nual repairs to fencing destroy 100000
acres Of forest. Our shipping tonnage
represents $4,000 acres Of oak forest de-
stroyed, and demands for repairs 1000
acres a year. The hard and turned
wood manufacturers Of the country use
mp an annual average Of 100000 acres of
timber. Taking all these items fogeth-
er, we have an aggregate annual con-
sumption of 100000 acres OF forest.
As our total forest lands amount to $780,
100000, they will last at this rate only
seventy years. A certain percentage Of
forest destroyed Is allowed to renew it,
self, and a. in seventy years a pine
woods can be cnt over twice, this renew
al amounts to a very considerable fig
ure, but it is scarcely sufficient to Offset
the increasing demand for timber for
every purpose to keep pace with in
creasing population and exigent indus-
tries in the same period. In other
words with our present system of hus-
bandry and our present growth Of popu-
iation, seventy years marks the maxi
mum period that onr forests may be ex-
pected to hold QUIT World.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
The Balloon Spider.

Tn recent address before the Smith
sonian Institute DIR. Lincecune gives the
following interesting report of the cur
ious little balloon spider and its work:
al once observed one of those spiders
at work in the upper corner of an open
outside door-shutter. She was spinning
gossamer, of which she was forming a
balloon and clinging to her thorax was
a cluster of minute yonng spiders. She
finished up the body of the balloon ard
threw out the long bow-lines, which were
Tapping and Auttering in the now gent
ly increasing breeze. Several minutes
before she got ready for the ascension
she seemed to he fixing the bottom and
winding her hammock shaped ballooni
and now, the breeze being suitable, she
moved to the cable in the stern, severed
il, and her craft bounded upward, and
soaring Northward was soon beyond the
scope of observation. ."- Exchange.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
A COzy Home.
From the vicksburg Herald.

=
A Vicksburg wife informed her hus-
band, the other morning, that Ahe was
working herself into the grave, for the
want of hired girl, and. az he went
out, she leaned back, and fell 10 weep
ing. The children were making a noise
in the hall as he passed out, and he call
ed ont:
"You want to stop this racket Your
mother won't live week, and when you
get step-mother here next spring, she
won't put up with any such fooling!"
When he came home to dinner, his
wife met him with smile. and said:
"lsn't ours a cozy home, Richard,
with only our own little family TO look
after?-'
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
Mr.. George Grants Farm of 576, 900
Acres-ThOusands OF Sheep and
Cows.

From the st. Louis Republican.
Among the prominent visitors at the
fair is Mr.. George Grant, of Victoria
Colony, Kansas, the owner of the largest
farm in the world, with the exception,
perhaps, of that of the Duke of Suther-
land, whose broad acres consist largely
of hill and heather. Mr.. Grants domain
covers 5000 acres in the head of Kansas
about 290 miles west of Kansas City to
Fort HAYS, the center of the tract. His
effort is to establish model farm, for
which great credit is due him, as well as
his successful efforts in introducing inn
ported stock, and showing the results in
crossing imported with native stock, and
also the best methods of sheltefing and
going back to Europe in about five weeks
TO arrange for the bringing ont of more
people, and large portion OF high bred
stock, which he will exhibit at the Cen
tennial, with the intention ultimately of
shipping it to Victoria. Mr.. Grant states
that one herd of eighty-one short-horns
of the Booth strain sold five weeks ago
at the sale of the late Mr.. Torr' proper
ty, in England, at an average price from
young to old of $1,000. They were of
the same family that he has at Victoria
and many of the animals were bought
for America.
Mr.. Grants colony has largely swell
ed this season BY immigrants, and anoth-
er English company has just bought
1000 acres adjoiding the Victoria col
ony. One of 5000 acres, and Mr.. Dick
inson of ST. Lonis has bought two square
miles, and is out there now making ar
rangements for putting upa house. Mr..
| Grant saws he is more than satisfied
with the produce of his crops this sea-
son.
The rains have been abundant, but
last year the grasshoppers swept every
thing. One field of eighty acres OF
Hungarian grass on his farm has pro-
duced 776 tons of fodder, and 5,114
bushels of seed, giving a profit Of SOC
per cent. on the cost of putting in the
seed. He put in 300 acres of alfalfa, 9
kind of fodder much used in California
The land will grow three crops of thii
grass in year, Mt the rate of six tons tC
the acre, but it affects deep dry soil
Mr.. Grant has increased his flock o
sheep to 10000, and has 900 cows. IL
less than FIVE years he expects TO increas'
his sheep to 100000. His wool alon'
this season brought Sl1, 200 in Boston a
thirty-three cents per pound. Sheel
farming il evidently destined to be
profitable business in Kansas.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29

Do EVERYTHING WELL.-It is the
result Of practical, everyday experience
that steady attention to matters of de-
tail lies at the root of human progress,
and that diligence, above all, is tho
mother of good luck. Accuracy also is
of as much importance, and as invari-
BILE mark of good training in a man;
accuracy in observation, accuracy in
speech, accuracy in the transaction Of
affairs What is done inSbusiness must
be done we'll, for tits better to accom-
plish perfectly small amount of work
than to half do ten times as much. Yet,
in business affair.", it is the manner in
which even small matters are transacted
that often decides men for or against
you. With virtue, capacity, and good
conduct in other respects, the person
who is habitually> inaccurate cannot be
trusted; his work has to be gone over
again, and he thus causes annoyance
yexation, and trouble.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
How the California Fields are PlOw-
ed.

The fields are plowed with what are
called gang plows, which are simply
four, six or eight plow shares fastened
to stout frame of wood. On the light
er soil, eight horses draw a seven gang
plow, and one such team is counted on
to put six hundred and forty acres OF
wheat in the sowing season; or from
eight to ten acres a day. Captain Gray,
near Merced, has put in this season -four
thousand acres with Eve such teams
his own land and his own teams. A
seed sower is fastened in front of the
pillow. The plow has no handles, and
the plowman is, in fact, only driver;
he guides the team; the plows do theii
own work. 1t is easy work, and a smart
hoy, if his legs are equal to the walk, is
as good plowman as anybody-for the
team tnrns the corners. and the pillow i,
not handled at all. On the heavier soil
the process Is somewhat different Al
eight horse team moves four ganI
plow, and gets over about six acres 1
day. The seed Ia then aown by a ma
chine which scattess 1t forty feet, ans
sows from seventy ave TO one hundre.
acres day, and the ground Is then har
J rowed and across narrowed.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
Artificial Wants.

Bulwer says that poverty is only an
idea, in nine cases out Of ten. some
men, with ten thousand a yehF, suffer
more from want Of means than others
with three hundred. The reason h, the
richer man has artificial wants. His
income is ten thousand, and he suffers
enough, from being dunned for unpaid
debts, 10 kill sensitive man. A man
who earns dollar day aud does not
run in debt Is the happier Of the two.
Very few people who bave never been
rich will believe this; but Il is o. true ~
God's Word. There are thousands upon
thousands with priucely incomes who
never know n moments peace, because
they live beyond their means. There Il
really more happiness in the world
among working people than among
those who are called rich.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29


Tn the city Of New York af the pres
snt day resides Captain Frederick
Lahrbush, formerly OF the British army,
said to be aged 100 years. and enjoying
good health. A gentleman Of the most
engaging manners and natural refine
ment, he receives large number Of
visitors, and relates history Of roman
tic interest. He resides in Third Ave
nue., and almost every Sabbath, At the
Church Of the Ascension ON Fihh Ave
nne, the childish treble Of his worn out
voice may be heard above the worship
ofthe congregation. He rises before FIVE
in the morning, and retires shortly after
sexen in the evening. He is abstemiOns in
his habits though in the daily practice Of
eating opium, to which drug, IL Is be-
lieved. he attributes his long life. Cap
tain Lahrbush claims to have fought
nnder Wellington in the Peninsula,
and 10 have witnessed the signing Of
the famous Treaty Of Tilsit, which took
place in 1907 ION a raft moored in the
River Niemenl between Napoleon, Al
exander Of Russia, and the King Of
Prussia. It is but fair 10 add in regard
TO this case Of longevity that Mr..
Thomas has written across its record
with an unrelenting hand, and with a
pen OF iron, and those curious about
snch matters are referred TO his work /,
Longevity Of Mani Eugene Thorn
son; Scribner for November.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
A Fair Game, but Not Equal.
MERIDIAN Homestead

MERIDIAN homestead
During the war Georgian started to
Marietta with some chickens for sale.
He met a squad Of soldiers, and they
bought all his chickens but one rooster.
He insisted they should take him. but
they were out Of money, and eouldns
buy.
The old man said he hated 10 go on
to town with only one chicken, and was
greatly puzzled about it.
At last one Of the soldiers said:
"Old man, I'll play you a game Of
seven up for him."
agreed" says the old man.
They played long and spirited
game At last the soldier won. TIE
old man wrung the rooster's neck aud
tossed him at the soldiers's feet, and
mounted his swabtailed pony and start
ed home. After getting some two hun
dred yards he suddenly stopped turned
and rode back and said:
"You played a fair game, and won
the rooster fairly, but I'd like 10 know
what in the h-ll you put up agin that
rooster"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
A Silly Performance.
The Cincinnati Commercial correctly

The Cincinnati Commercial correctly
says
1t il amazing that the Californians,
even to crafty an ambition to outdO the
world at the Centennial Exhibition,
should have permitted workmen TO cut
down one of the mammoth trees in the
Mariposa District to get section to
exhibit in Philadelphia, or allowed the
digging up of the great Mission grape
vine, whose prodigious size and fruitage
have made it famous throughout the
world The age of the tree. estimated
by the yearly rings, was over 2,250 years
possibly $500, for the outer rings were
so fine that they conld not be accurately
counted, and it might possibly have
lasted another two or three thousand
years, for when cut down there was no
evidence of decay in trunk or branches
Thinx of sacrificing such a monarch of
the forest, more venerable than the
cedars of Lebanon, and a young sprig of
tree when Solomon was apostrophizing
their ancestors, merely to CRAFTY curios-
ity and enable couple Of spectators to
put money in their purse. There could
hardly be a greater outrage. And the
Mission vine-the only consolation for
the loss of which is that a thrifty scion
remains to fill its place some time in the
futnre-what compensation for it's de-
struction can be offered in a World =
Fair? Were such tree and vine to be
found in any civilized country in Eu-
rope, the people would 90 to war for
their preservation, were any one to be
found SO reckless as 10 propose their de-
struction.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
Romantic Reality.
New York SUM-

The fortunes or misfortunes Of a GER
tain Kentucky family might form the
plot of French novel. Many yenrs
since, the wife of wealthy and dis
tinguished man, in a ft Of insanity,
threw her two little sons out Of lofty
window Of her beautiful home. One died
the other was unharmed. The mother
was committed to a lunatic asylum,
where she remained many years without
recovering. BY his wealth and political
influence the husbrnd procured an act Of
the legislature by which he became d.
vorced from his Hnfortunare wife. In
the meanwhile, the son whom bis moth
er had thrown from the window had
become afianced TO lovely girl; but
shejilted him, and married his father.
who gave her most Of his vast estate.
Finally the father died, the irst wife re-
covered and sued the second wife for the
property, assisted by her son, whose
early love for his stePmother was turned
to gall by her unfaithfulness, and trans
ferred TO the mother who attempted 70
deprive him OF life.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29

LIME AND APPLEs.-A Mr.. Miller re-
ferz to the effects of lime on his orchard,
and says: 81 have found nothing better
than lime in producing good apples; we
have lime and gravel soil Newton
Pippins planted in 1853; in twelve or
fifteen years the apples got scabbed, and
| threw lime under some trees, and the
apples growing on those trees are to-day
as fine as any apples have ever seen. ]
scatter bnshel of lime nGder a tree in
the spring; some other varieties do not
require so much. The apples are Rs
good as twenty years ago when used
lime. My trees had deieriorated and
usd lime. and they are as good to-day A'
ever. / always keep plenty Of hogr IN
my orchard; they pick up the insects
Barn yard manure tends to INTRODUCES
insects, and make them breed moro rap
Idly, and hence should not be used"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29

According TO the ruling Of the Post
offi"e Department, anything whatever.
except the address, printed or written
upon the side Of postal card intended
for the address renders such card unmail-
able, and the same cannot he legally for
warded unless prepaid at the letter rate
three cents. But If by inadvertence il
reaches It's destination without such pre-
payment IL is chargeahle with double
the letter rates, under the provision Of
the Postal laws
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29

WIcKs OF KEROSENE LANPs.-The
unsatisfactory light frequently given by
kerosene lamps l. often lue to the wick.
The filtering Of several quarts of oil
through n wick, which stops every par
ticle of dust in II. must necessarily
gradually obstruct the pores Of the
wick. Consequently, although wick
may be long enough to last some time,
ia conducting power may be 40 impair
ed that good light cannot be obtained
Il -rScientific American.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
Brigham YOung's Personal Appear
ance.

[salt Lake Correspondence Boston Traveller. ]
Brigham Young is shrewd Yankee.
br1n in Vermont rs years ago, and
brought up, like Joseph Of old, to a
carpenters trade. In person he is rath-
er commanding and striking in appear
ance. He stands nearly six feet high,
broad-shouldered and stocky, with the
general physical aspect Of a human
bull His head is of moderate size,
strong developments of the basic and
posterior regions Of the Uranium, and il
is by no means lacking in anterior
breadth. His hair is chestnut il not
colOred, abundant in growth, and comb
ed in pedantic style into foretop ia
the right side, with somewhat of the
lop of sick roOster's comb. The i'm.
preston received from the care bestow-
ed on his hair ia that of an over ween
ing vanity and desire to appear young
Hrs face is entirely unlike that descrip-
tiOn Of Christ alleged to have come
down to us from some Roman writer
Benigniiy and the highest type Of hu-
manity were the marks upon that cOun
tenanee Indicative of the sublime soul "a
sweetly reposinR within. In Brigham
Young the lowest type of humanity i
depicted in his gorilIa-like projecting
lower jaw, avarice in his pinched mouth
harshness and ungodliness in every
lineament of his revolving face; and still
have heard many Mormon woman
say. "What beautiful and benevolent
face he has," To nry eye it is among the
worst faces have ever seen. II expresses
greatness of peculiar cast, but it i
that of the grossest ignorance which
have ever seen depicted in person pro
Tossing such a high position or so much
ecclesiasticaI, civil and political renown
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
POETRY.



There comes a month in the weary year
month Of leisure and healthfui rest
When the ripe leaves fall and the air IS clear
October, the brown, the crisp, the blest.
Nv life has little enough Of bliss;
drag the days Of the odd eleven,
Counting the time that shall lead to this
The month that opens the hunters heaven
And Oh for the morning. crisp and whites
With the sweep of the hounds upon the track;
The bark-roofed cabin, the eamp-fTes light,
The break of the deer and the rifles crack
Do you call this tri1ing? tell you friend,
A life in the forest Is past all praise
Give me dozen such months on end
You may take my balance Of years and days
For bricks and mortar breed filth and crime.
A pulser0f evil that throhs 6nd beats;
And men grow withered before their prime
With the curse paved in on the lanes and
streets;
And lungs are ehoked and shoulders are bowed,
In the snAothering reek Of mill and niue;
And death stalks in on the struggling crowd,
But he shuns the shadow of oak and pine.
And of all 20 which the memory clingss
There is naught 50 sweet as the sunny spots
Where our sbanties stood by the crystal springs,
The vanished hounds and the lucky shots
The ALDINE.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29

The chief of the Hudson police re-
ceived the following message from John
Van Vechten Of Catskill; "Please to go
to Frank Paine's and get my vile and
send her home on the day boat down.
she win not come home, send her up FOR
six months; but II she win come home
let her go. She has short black hair and
dark eyes.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29

The natural result OF an equal COM
mingling Of the sexes In Wyoming
jury was recently eHempii6ed in case
wherein Eve days and nights Of deiiber-
alton led-not to . verdict, Of oourHo-
but 10 fve sIopements, and there would
undoubtedly have been ak II the re-
naming jurywomcn hadut been a ma
ture nother-in-law.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-29
VOLUME 8.

regiment, gives it, as it were, claim
upon as"
"The CoIonel's daughter will need hut
little introduction" remarked Maurice
Dart, quietly.