davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
A Monster Woman.

The Covington (Kentucky) Record
old negro woman by the name of Brown
living about nine miles south of Gov
ington, on the farm of Mr.. Pullen, had
daughter about twelve or thirteen
years of age, who had for long time
been bed ridden with a hopeless attack
of paralysis. Her mother, an incarnate
Gend growing weary of the constant
care and trouble which the afflicted
daughter required at her hands, determ-
ined to put her out of the way, and Sc
lected the most cruel and torturing
method that debased ingenuity could
uggest-burning- to conceal
her crime under the guise of an accident.
Having perfected her diabolical plans
about two weeks ago she set about putt
ing them in execution. Placing the
child on a chair by the fireplace, and
tying rope around her neck, she began
by saturating the head and clothing OF
the almost helpless child from a bottle
of turpentine that she had procured for
the purpose. The child struggled with
what power of motion it could command
knocked the bottle from the hand of its
mother and broke it, saturating the
mothers clothing with the inhammable
fluid. In the struggle, the mothers
clothing took fire from the fireplace, and
she abandoned her terrible crime to save
her own life. She ran and threw her
self into branch near by, and exiting
uIshed the flames, but not until she was
fatally burned. The clothing of the
child also took fire, and it was very Sc
vererely burned. At the time it wal
supposed to be an accident, but th'
monster woman subsequently, when il
the agnnies of death from her burning
revealed the fact as above detailed.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
Farm and Fireside.

HALF HARDY TREES AND WIND
SHELTER.-Every once in while we
come across a statement that this tree or
that is not hardy. There is no doubt
that so far as temperature is concerned:
the trees referred to will stand all the
cold they are likely to meet with in the
regions referred to, but still the trees
die.
1t may be as well to remind our
friends who lose their trees, that it is
not so much frost as wind which de-
stroys them. Death is the result of the
whipping out of the juices of the tree,
and not by the freezing of its cells. And
it is no proof that because a tree dies in
an exposed windy place, that dit is not
hardy" in the deponent's latitude. That
trees die under different circumstances,
where they we're thought hardy, is no
wonder to those who are familiar with
trees. Indeed, it is rather wonder that
so many live that do.
Generally it is the tree nature to be
gregarious. They grow up the in forests
thousands together, and by mutual pro-
lection hardly known what wind is. The
falling leaves protect the young plants,
so that in the severest winters days,
one may go into a dense wood and
hardly find frost an inch below the sur
face. So that trees growing in woods
have double chance. They are kept
from severe waste of their juices by
their mutual protection from wind; and
the roots, without much hindrance
from frosty ground, draw in moisture all
the winter through, and thus easily sup
ply what little waste there may be.
How different is this from a trees
usual fate. Set out alone, to battle
with the winds unalded, and with the
frost encasing every root, so that all the
moisture they can take up has to be first
thawed by their own internal heat frcm
the frozen ground, why should not large
numbers perish? 1t is not in the nature
of things to be otherwise, and it shows
rather a limited acquaintance with
plant life when the loss occasions any
surprise.
But there is not a place in the whole
country but might do we'll. The coldest
place on the bleakest Western prairie,
by thick planting of the valuable trees,
and planting of shelter belts of larches
or other wind proof trees. might have
everything we have-everything we call
half hardy-eyerything in fact that any
reasonable horticulturist could wish.
To be sure, much has been in this di-
rection in the West. The agricultural
papers and agricultural writers have
written over and over again as to the
necessity of shelter belts before much
can be done: but when we read; as we
continually do, OF experiments with
these trees or those, and the conclusions
come to, that "they are not hardy
West" when we know it is all matter
of wind and not of frost, We see how
much more is to be done in pushing a
knowledge of the shelter idea, before
those regions can half enjoy the full
pleasure of Horticulture; and it is in
the hope of reinforcing our Western
friends, who have labored so long in this
field, that we have been moved to per
this article.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
Wheat and Physical VigOr.

Nothing is more sure in the chemistry
of life than that the great bread-eaters
are the great thinkers, or that the Phos-
phorus which wheat contains in the
outer kernel, Immediately beneath the
outer husk. IS the feeder of brains, and
the material substance which provokse
thought, study, reason. and all the forms
of nervous energy.
There are PSYCHOLOGISTS who attribute
the remarkable success of States like
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, TO the boun-
ty and and perfection of the wheat crop,
and the intellectual stimulous, or ra-
ther food, which it affords the brain.
Certainly no commonwealth in the world
has evinced higher sense of law and
order, or more rapidly devoted social
system which has hardly an equal in
the world. The Constitution of Indiana,
for kinstance, the very centre of the
wheat zone, is beyond comparison the
best in the Union, produces the highest
results in our civilization.
There is a southern wheat belt, which
includes Australia and part of South
America, where civilization equal to
that Of the central north of the United
States is growing up. But the full val
ue Of wheat as civilizer will never
be realized until wheat meal takes the
place of holted -four, and the people
learn to make bread without yeast ol
risings. Good bread is emphatically
the "staff of life," but the commercial
article is the way of dyspepsia, and pre-
mature death.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
How the Spider Builds.

Having first decided upon the gener-
al location of her net, the spider proba-
bly, takes position head downward upon
the "leeward'' side of a twIg or small
branch, or upon its top, and then, turn
ing her abdomen outward, expresses
from her spinners drop of gum, which
instantly dries so as to form fine end
of a silkeu thread. This is taken by
the wind land careful experiments have
proved that a current of air is absolutely
necessary to the extension of the line)
and waited outward, waving from side
to side, and usually tending upward
from its extreme lightness until at last
it touches some other branch at great
er or less distance from the first. When
this stoppage is perceived by the spider
she turns aboat and pulls in the slack
line, until she is sure that the other end
it fast. If it yields, she tries again and
again. until successful. If it holds, she
attaches her end firmly by pressing her
spinners upon the wood, so as to include
the line. The first and most important
step in the construction of all geometri-
cal nets has now been taken, and the
spider can meet with no serious difficult
ty in completing her task.--[ Popular
Science Monthly.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
Marrying for Money.

Jennie June ventured some pungent
criticisms on curious case that was tried
in New York court the other day. It
appears that young lady of eighteen
married widower with grown daugh-
ters, reputed rich, and according to his
own statement, worth property amount
ing to S15O,OOO. This property, just be-
fore his marriage, he surreptitiousEy con-
veyed to his daughters, thus depriving
his prospective wife of any right or til
tie to her share of it. Discovering this
soon after her marriage, the young wife
Immediately sued for her right of dow
er, alleging fraud npon her and marriage
under false pretenses, he having pressed
his claims on his standing and his pos
sessions, and she having married an ell
derly man with family, as she frankly
admits, because of his money. The
statement of the case created good deal
of interest-the defendant admitting the
principal charge, but rather tamely de-
claring that he did it in consequence o.
promise to his dead wife to provide fol
her daughters in that way, in case he
should marry again. This statement
had less weight, however, since he seems
to have carefully avoided the mention
of such a promise during his courtship
The judge was puzzled and reserved hi
decision, but the female scribe shrug
her shoulders and declares that had sh,
been in the judges place she would hav'
granted the young wife's petition with
out much hesitation. The fact that tn
mean old scamp conveyed the propert.
stealthily way, shows that he was per
feet aware of what the girl was marry
ing him for, and it also shows that
was all of him worth marrying. A gin
is to be pittied who marries for money
bus she certainly deserves the poor dro'
for which she barters herself.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
Life on the Texas Border.


On the 31st ultimo, Capt. Goodman,
while working in has field, on the east
prong Of the Nueces, WIS fred at by
seven Comanches. After night set in
he informed his neighbors, and, by ten
O'Clock, raised squad Of eleven men,
badly armed and worse mounted, the
Indians, having stolen all their best
horses. II being very dark, they made
small progress in the pursuit at once,
but the next morning, at day-break,
struck the Indian trail. They moved
in a steady trot all day, and night oveF-
took them supperless and without water
still the next morning they pushed to.
ward the headwaters Of DEVILS river,
which they reached about eleven a. M,
on February 3, hungry and famishing
Three Of their number turned back the
day before, so that only eight remained.
Near where they halted. they discovered
fifty or sixty horses grazing in a little
valley near a dense thicket, when
murmer Of joy escaped them. They
staked their horses in a mountain gorge
and crawled cautiously up TO the thicket
where they discovered Eve Indians
grouped around FIRE. A volley from
the scout soon warned the Indians Of
their danger. Several were wounded,
but ali succeeded in making good their
escape amid the. dense thicket. All their
equipage and arms were left in camp.
Shields, beautifully adorned with long,
golden hair. worked with cOlored feath-
ers, beaded moccasins, lances, bows, ar
rows and and saddles were among the
trophies.
But of more importance still they
captured forty-four stolen horses. While
the Americans were gathering up the
horses two Indians came up TO the thicket
with two mules loaded with buff0la
meat. Mr.. Goodman gave chase, killed
the Indians and took their mules and
meat, the latter being what they especial
ly needed, as they started with no pro-
visions and dared not shoot on the trail
for fear Of alarming the Indians. They
reached home safely after six days out,
with forty-three head Of the stolen hor-
ses, which we're soon restored 10 their
proper owners. This was a glorious
achievement. Two hundred such men
would afford ample protection for ouI
whole line Of exposed frontier.-[ Austin
| Statesman.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
A Horse Palace on Wheels.

That palace car for horses with
which Budd Doble is soon coming
East, illustrates how much better
than men those pampered sons and
daughters of luxury, the animals of
the turf, are coming to be consider
ed. The car is so feet in length,
with the Pennsylvania railroad pas
senger trucks, the Westinghouse air
brakes, ETC., being especially adapt
ed for the use and comfort of race
horses. Underneath the car is car
ried portable bridge for shipping
or transhipping horses at a moments
notice, without danger or trouble.
On the inside, there are four portals
or stalls for hOTses-two near each
end of the car. When it is neces-
sary to lieover a day or two for rest,
these single stalls can be converted
into roomy box-stalls; their sides are
also cushioned, to prevent accident.
Every aperture, in the way of win
dows, ETC., has wire screens, 20 pre-
vent cinders from entering the car;
the arrangements for preventing
flies from troubling horses are also
very ingenious and useful. Over
head are conveniences for packing
away sulkies. In one corner of the
car a stove is carried, for heating
water for horses feet, as well as for
cooking, when necessary; also re-
frigerator and numerous conven-
fences that show much ingenuity in
their construction. In the center
of the car Doble has a perfect gem
a of boudoir, fitted up in the most su-
perb manner, with frescoed walls
and ceilings, Brussels carpet, table,
chairs, lounges, mirror, lace cur
tains, silver lamps; also a fine side
board filed with elegant cut-glass
and well stocked with the choicest
of wines. A bell is salso at hand, to
call his help when required. The
cost was about SO 500. Occident
and st. James will probably be the
only horse occupants Of this horse
palace in the coming trip. The
object in leaving so early is to get
acclimated and prepare him for the
spring meetings, which commence
about May. Occident will proba-
bly, return in the fall and participate
in some of the California races ere
this season closes.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
How Rich Men Begin Life.
New York Sun. I

Cornelius Vanderbilt began life with
an old pirouge, running between Stat
en- Island and New York City, carrying
garden stuff to market. With two or
three thousand dollars raised from that
source he entered upon steadily increas-
ing enterprises, until heamassed the en-
ormous sum of S50.OOO,OOO.
A. T. Steward first bought a few Ia
ces at auction, and opened his way to
success in a dingy little shop in Broad
way, near the side of his wholesale es-
tablishment. Years of rigid honesty,
shrewd management and wisdom in
things both great and small, have made
him the monumental merchant of the
nineteenth century.
Daniel Drew, in his early life, was a
cattle driver, at the munifcent rate OF
rs cents a day, and he has now driven
himself into an estate valued at from
S25, 100000 to $3O,Oo0,O 900.
George Law, at 45 years of age, was a
common day laborer On the docks, and
at present counts his fortune at some
thing like S10,OOO,OOO.
Robert L. and Alexander Stuart, the
sugar refners, in their young days sold
molasses candy, which their widowed
mother had made, at a cent a stick, and
to-day they are worth probably S5,0OO,-
900 to S6,OOO,OOO apiece.
Marshall o. Roberts is possessor a
100000 or $4,000, 900; and yet until
he was twenty-five he did not have SIOC
he could call his own.
II. B. Clafin, the eminent dry good,
merchant, worth, it is estimated, from
$lo,0OO,ooo to S15,ooo,0QO, commenced
the world with nothing but energy, de.
termination and hope; and zee how
magnifcently he has invested them.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09

DR.. Mark Hopkins evidently does not
think it the highest mark of wisdom for
a man never to change his opinions. In
n recent lecture at Vassar College he
said: 81 would at this point correct my
teaching in "The Law Of Love" to the
effect that home is peculiarly the sphere
of woman, and civil government that Of
man. now regard the home as the
joint sphere of man and woman, and
the sphere of civil government more OF
an open question as between the two
1t is however, to be lamented that the
present agitation concerning the rights
of woman is so much a matter of rights
rather than Of Duties as the reform oi
the latter would involve tie former
Which sounds very sensible in him, and
reads like some oft-repeated doctrines o
the Springfield Republican.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
The Apples of SOdOm.

In "Murray's Hand Book for Syria
and Palestine" we find the following
most interesting description of the zap
pies of Sodom," figure frequently in
troduced into descriptive writing. Mr..
Murray says:
"On the plain of Engedi the traveller
will be able to illustrate for himself
remarkable passage of Josephus relative
to the fruit called apples of Sodom. AT
ter speaking of the conAagration Of the
plain, and the remaining marks of the
fire from heaven, he adds: "There are
still to be seen ashes reproduced in
fruits, which resemble eatable fruit in
color, but on being plucked with the
hands are desolved into smoke and ashes
-(B. ]. iv:9, f. Here beside the rivu-
let tree still grows with a singular
kind of fruit Its Arab name is 'Osher,
and the botanists call it Asclepias gigan-
tea. The stem is six or eight inches in
diameter, and the hight of the tree Is
from ten to fifteen feet. 1t has a rayish
cork-like bark, and long, oval leaves,
which, when broken off, discharge
milky fluid. The fruit resembles a large
smooth apple, hangs in clusters OF two
or three, and has a fresh, blooming ap-
pearance; when ripe it is rich yellow
color, sufficiently tempting to the thirsty
traveller. But on being pressed or struck
it explodes like a puff-ball, leaving not
thing in the hand except the shreds OF
the rind and a few dry ibres. 1t Is
chiefly filled with air. In the centre
slender pod runs through it from the
stem, and is connected by delicate fla
ments with the rind. The pod con-
tains a small quantity Of fine silk, with
seeds. The Arabs collect the silk and
twist it into matches for their guns, pre-
ferring it to the common match because
it burns freely without sulphur"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
NUMBER 81.
One of the saddest Incidents.
From the Galaxy for APRIL

Mrs. Moulton, whatever the value Of
her evidence, as TO which we say moth
ing, proved TO be a model witness. Mr.
Moulton won praise by his coolness,
self-possession, precision and good tone;
but Mrs. Moulton was a "high toneder
man" than he. Her modest manner
and her clear head were exceptionally
admirable; and in cross-examination she
was a match even for 10 eminent a law
yer as Mr.. Evarts. How she would
have come off if Mr.. Fullerton had been
on the other side is possibly not SO GER
tain. But her cross-examination brought
out a painful fact. She was asked if
she had ever kissed Mr.. Beecher. With
perfect frankness, she said that she once
had done so. As he lay upon her sofa,
overwhelmed with woe-from whatever
cause-she, who had been giving him
some goad counsel, thinking that per
haps she might never see him again.
with the impulse of womanly-done,
tenderness that must raise her in the es-
timation of every man, bent over and
kissed him on the forehead. It was
most womaniy done, and it is to her
eternal honor. But how came it about
that the counsel for the defense knew Of
this gracious act, which it seems that the
harsh duties of their profession requir-
ed them to subject to misconstruction?
She did not tell theny and we may be
sure that her husband, to whom she
mentioned it as soon afterward as she
saw him, did not reveal it. There was
but one other person present, the man
who had told this woman, in his pecu-
liar phraseology, that she was always
like ga slice of the day Of Judgment" I"
but to whom she then behaved like a
consoling angel. If he put that fact in
to the hands Of his counsel to be nsed as
weapon against her, he will find that
he himself had the sword by the blade.
This is one of the saddest incidents of
this sad affair.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09
Edible Birds Nests.

\ report, says The Academy, recently
sent TO the Colonial Office, from Labuan
gives a curious account OF the edible
birds nests, which are included among
the "articles imported for the export
trade to Singapore" These nests, we
are told, are found on the walls of cav
erns in limestone and sandstone hills all
along the coast; but by far the greater
part of the supplies received at Labuah
are brought from Sandakan Bay and the
Kina Batangan river, on the east coast
of Borneo. The devourers of these
dainties, it seems, distinguish three
qualities of them-knowna as white, red,
and black. They are produced by two
kinds of small swallow. The black
nests are by far the most common and
are of much inferior value, one especial
draw back being that they are "much
mixed with dirt and feathers"
OF the finest quality are the white
nests, which are without admixture of
refuse matter and of a semi transparent
white substance, resembling isinglass or
gelatine The red nests are of INTERIM
ediate appearance between the white
and black, and are supposed to be made
| by the bird which constructs the white
nests, but at different season of thl
year. There is n marked distinction in
the price of these delicacies. The white
nests sell for 45s. The "catty," the red
for 20s; the black for A., I'd. Another
article of food esteemed by the Chinese
as economical and nourishing is the
trepaing, or dried sea-slug, which Ii
collected in abundance among the reef
islands, and bays of the east coast o
Sooloo Seas and of Palawau. Pearl
are also largely dealt in at Labuan. tn
smaller kinds are exported to India ant
China, for the purpose, it is said. of be
ing used in medicine and burned int
lime for the rajahs TO chew with thei
betel aud sirih leaf.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09

COLORADO Potato BEETLE.-They
will be on hand early in the spring, as
soon as the potatoes are up-not to eat
the young stalks but to deposit their
eggs, each one about a million. The
best way is to pick the old ones off by
hand. When the young ones get too
thick for comfort, give them a dose of
Paris green; mix enough with water
to make it dark green. Apply with
common watering pot with a fine nose.
Do not handle them if you have sore
or cut on your face or hands. When burn
ing, the smoke from them is poisonous.
Eastern farmers who have not received
a call from them yet should be prepared
for them, for they will surely call on
you. Kill the first one you see and
keep on killing. Commence in time;
don't let them run two or three years,
as we did. They did not injure the
crop at first, and thought they would
leave in few years; but they same to
stay. We have got them thinned out a
little.-[R Rural New Yorker.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-09

Justiano Roxas, the California cent
enarian, died at Santa Cruz in that
State, two weeks ago, at the age Of one
hundred and twenty-five years. In his
latter days be became almost hideous to
look upon, being very like living
skeleton. His eyes were sunk deep into
their sockets, and his hands had shrige-
led and shrunken away until they re-
sembled the claws Of a hawk. For ma
ny months previous to his death the old
man slept upon hearth, keeping him
self warm by a wood Ere, which was
never allow to go out. A special feat
ure Of his case was that has age was we'll
authenticated, as, eighty-six years ago,
he was pabtized in the Mission Church
at Santa Cruz, and the record shows him
to have been thirty-siI years Of age ai
that time.