davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
A Section Of n Big California Tree for
the Philadelphia Centennial.

ST. LOUIS. October 13.-A section cf
one Of the big trees of California arriv-
ed here to-day, en- route for Philadelphia,
where it will be exhibited at the Cen
tennial 1t is sixteen feet long, with a
diameter of twenty feet II was taken
from a tree two hundred and seventy six
feet high, with diameter at the base
of twenty six feet, and. as indicated by
yearly rings, 2.12O years old. The Sec
tion here is followed out, leaving cyl
inder about two feet thick, including
bark, which will be converted into a ciI-
cular house and elegantly fitted mp.
The Directors and general officers of
the Baltimore and Ohio and Ohio and
Mississippi Railroads will meet at Gin
cinnati to morrow, when the latter road
will formally be placed under the man
agement of the Baltimore and Ohio, and
thereafter both roads will be run as one
limo
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
The Murder of Miss Langmade.

CONCORD, y. H., October s.-The
excitement over the Pembroke murder
case has been revived to-day. At an
early hour Josiah Carpenter, of Pitts
Geld, went to Suncook and informed
Officer Hildreth of some facts which, if
true, Will have an important bearing on
the case. He reports that Miss Lake,
whe taught school three years since at
Pembroke, boarding at LOngniahe's,
and who has since corresponded with
deceased, arrived at her home at Chich
ester the day following the murder, and
when informed of it, at once exclaimed,
bill Drew did il" giving as the reason
that Josie Langmade told her, that Drew
had several times grossly iIIsulted her,
and threatened If she told her father to
kill and cut her into inch pieces. Officer
Iiildreth visited Miss Lake. and she
will testify before the Coroner's inquest,
to morrow. Drew still protests his in
nocence, and does not manifest the least
anxiety or nervousness at his position
4 pair Of stockings were found to-day
near the scene of the murder, evidently
worn and cast aside, that may add some
thing tn the case. 1t Is also said that
Drew had carried about his person a
sharp dirk knife for wears, which l. not
10 he found now II is reported that
strange, wild looking man was seen to-
day, prowling ahont the woods, and
search Is heing made. Never hefnre has
the community been so thoroughly
aroused, and the determination is uni
versal to ferret this horror 10 the bot
tom.
CONCORD, October IA crowd esti
mated at 5000 persons was at the lOcali-
tv of the Langmade murder Yesterday.
Nothing has heen discovered to remove
he evidence against Drew. An aunt of
the deceased girl will testify before the
Coroner that Josie stood in fear of Drew.
There are rumors of finding bloody over
alls hut this lacks confirmation
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
A Touching Incident.

The struggle to keep up appearances
any way, and it has added mournfulness
when the child is :he actor in the usnal-
ly hopeless endeavor Just before the
close of last session: of the public schools
in ST. Louis, an incident took place
which, as an illustration, il more than
touching. At one of the schools num-
bers of the pupils were in the habit of
bringing a luncheon with them, which
at noon they ate together.
Among those who did not go home for
dinner, the teacher in a particular room
noticed little girl who always sat look
ing wistfully at her playmates when
they went out with their luncheon. but
who never brought any herself. The
child was always neatly but plainly clad
and one of the closest of students in
school hours. This odd action of the
child's lasted some time, when one day
had apparently brought her dinner with
her.
The noon hour came and the children
took their lunch as usual and went out
to eat it, the little girl referred to alone
remaining in the room with her. dinner
wrapped mp in the paper on the desk.
The teacher advanced to the child and
asked her why she didn't go out to eat
with the rest, at the same time putting
out her hand toward the package on the
desk. Qnick as thought, the girl clasp
ed her hands over 1t and exclaimed Sob
bing:
"Don't touch it, teacher; and DOM
tell, please! It's only blocksw
Al d that was the fact Having no
dinner to bring, and being too proud to
reveal the poverty Of her family, the
child had carefully wrapped up a num-
her ofsmall blocks in paper, and brought
the package, TO present the appearance
of lunch. 1t was nothing, mere rid
iculouS incident in school life; but it
was sufficient to make one who heard
the story feel badly.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
The Changes in Our Postage.

In 1892 the first Postage act was pass
ed in this country. Every separate
sheet of paper. large or small, without
reference to weight. was considered u
letter. and two or three small pieces in
one envelope paid double or treble post
age. The lowest rate was six cents to
places within thirty miles, eight cents
to places within sixty miles, ten to places
within one hundred miles. and so on up
to places within four hundred and fifty
miles, the postage then being twenty
FIVE cents. In 1889 a new law was pass
ed changing the rates.
The lowest rate was eight cents. and
the lowest distance was forty miles. In
1916 the minimum rates were again re-
duced to six cents and the distance to
thirty miles. only i've rates being estah-
lished. Eighteen and one half cents
carried four handred miles, and for a
longer distance twenty-five cents were
charged These rates continued until
lS45 when the first material reduction
took place i've cents became the postage
Of letters carried distance of less than
three hundred miles and ten cents for a
greater distance At the same time the
drop-letter system was introduced, the
postage ON such being fixed at two cents.
In 1S45 the half Onnce weight was made
the standard instead Of the number OF
sheets. In 1851 the single rate was
made three cents for all distances under
three thousand miles, and six cents for
greater distances, if prepaid, this being
the frst inducement held out to prepay
postage Unpaid letters were charged
FIVE and ten cents according to distance.
In 1855 prepayment was required. the
rate as to distance remaining the came.
1868 the present rate of three cents,
prepaid for all distances. was established.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
Contest Between Mind-Readers.

Brown, the miud-reader, whom east
ern regions have almost forgotten, has
had a campaign ont west, and the other
day he had competitive contest with
in her own parlor. The LADY is os mid
die age, and, says western reporter
''the daughter of high official in the
court circle of Davenport" which must
be fine thing. Browns method, it is
we'll known, to place the hand of the
mind he means to read on his forehead
and go like streak of lightning to any
hidden article Mrs. Peters needs to
have the ends of the fingers placed on
the region of the lunar plexus. immet-
lately between the eyes. in, order to do
ments. which were successful in each
case, were not so interesting as the joint
test. Both the lady and the young man
left the room, while a piece of hagroot
was put under a champagne glass revers-
ed on a plate and covered with napkin.
1t was resolved that Brown should re-
move the napkin, Mrs. Peters lift the
glass, Brown take the fagroot and Mrs.
Peters the plate. Recalled to the room
the two jninted hands, the operator took
hand of Brown, placed his fingers on
the brow of Mrs. Peters, and, simultan-
onsly, without a moments hesitation,
the two advanced and carried out the
programme TO lhe letter. After this.
they were placed one at each end of the
long drawing-room, an alphabet hang
| ing on a wire before each. A person in
the middle Of the room opened a Bible
at random, fixed his thought on name
meanwhile holding copper wire con
neciing with Brown asd extending his
other hand toward Mrs. Peters. I'm
mediately, as if moved by machinery
the two mind readers began to spell the
word on their alphabets, striking each
letter at the same moment. These tests
we are told, were continued for some
time without failure, being certainly a
remarkable illustration of this power
which is not, however, as has been prov.
en-, a very rare one.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15

Nothing is more trying to the mistress
of house in any grade of life than to
be compelled to "wait dinner" for the
convenience oftardy guests, to say moth
ing of the discom fort inflicted on other
visitors. The busy people Of the world
are the punctual people; the man whose
every moment is worth money to him
self and to others always manages to be
in time. II is hard that such persons as
these should be compelled to waste a
long time in waiting dinner for the ar
rival Of some man or woman whose un-
punctuality is merely the result of an
impertinent want of forethought. The
proper mode of treating such persons
would be to ignore them altogether. II,
when the dinner hour arrived, dinner
were served; and the dawlers were com
PEELED by their late arrival either TO GO
without dinner or to SIT down in the
middle of the feast-no bringing back
OF earlier dishes allowed-this evil OF
careless lateness wonld soon be remedied.
$50 sorry to be late" ought to be met
by, $50 sorry we couldn't wait. but glad
to have you join us at this stage" If
ladies would take this matter into their
own hands this habit Of late arrival,
which Is q positive social nuisance,
would be cured.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15


The "Calfornia Agricultural" says
there two mill ion bee hives in the Un-
tied States, each hive yielding a little
over twenty two pounds OF honey in a
year. The average price at which honey
ia sold is estimated at twenty-five cents
pound, from which it appears that bees,
after paying their owr board, present MS
with a revenue of about S8.000,O0 a
year. Or, it may be said, that they give
a pound of pure honey to every man;
woman and child in the United States.
The "Agricnlturist" estimates the profits
on the scale of surplus honey at from
fifty to two hundred per cent, on the
capital invested. But all bees are not
as we'll educated as these of California.
The honey that come to us from Colifor-
MIA, when not cut up and bottled, is
contained in little square wooden frames,
probably six by six incnes, in which the
bees deposit it ready for transportation.
The upper side of the otherwise fat
frame is made of thin piece of wood
shaped like V. The bees begin builds
ing on the lower point Of the V, and are
thus made to keep their wax structure
in the middle of the frame. After the
honey has been deposited the frames
may be packed closely together, and each
layer is kept separate from the others by
the projecting sides of the frame. Cali
fornia honey usually reaches Eastern
markets in this way but FOR retail sale
is taken from the frames and packed in
glass bottles or jars.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15

Mr.. Schredecker, of Cleveland, is a
milk peddler, and accommodating enough
profit from the sale of lacteal fluid 10
pay visit to Michigan. Before going
he placed $125 in the parlor stove, so
that his wife would have the money to
use in his absence in case of emergency.
The emergency came. On account OF
the recent cold Mrs. s. builta fire in the
stove, and just as she thought of the
1925 the last smoke of the scrip was be-
ing waited over the fair Forest City.
The $125 had been entirely consumed.
II Is not reported just the kind Of ex-
clamatlon made BY Mrs. s. when she
made the discovery.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
Small Kingdoms.

There are six European Kingdoms,
ruled by crowned monarchs, which have
each a smaller population than the
State of New York, the last census Of
which shows it to be on the verge of FIVE
millions. These kingdoms are Holland.
Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Bavaria
and Greece. New York State is just
about equal in population with Belgium
and with Bavaria; it is a million above
Holland, two millions above Portugal,
three millions above Denmark, and three
and a half millions above Greece. Its
population is nearly twice that of the
republic of Switzerland. It is up to
that Of the Persian empire, though we
should say there were only estimates for
Persian. 1t has twice the population Of
the republic of Peru, and half that of
the empire of Brazil. The two cities of
New York and Brooklyn have by Them
selves population greater than the
kingdom Of Denmark, and New York
City alone is almost as populous as the
kingdom Of Greece.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
Wonderful Telegraphle Inventions.

One of the most remarkable invPn-
tions in the way of telegraphy, was re-
Gently exhibited at the office of the
Dominion Telegraph Company, at Brad
ford, Ontario 1t consist of an appar
atus bv which musical sounds can he
transmitted over telegraphic wires, and
every word and note be az distinctly
heard at the end of the wires as at the
place where the music originates. In
short, when the invention is in working
order. it is held that concert given at
San Francisco can be as plainly heard
in New York as at that place. second
improvement, soon to be exhibited, is
that of sending messages already written
out, without the usual telegraph opera
tiona, and pictures as we'll. The plan
ia 10 have the message written Oh shellac
paper, then placed into a machine made
for the purpose. 1t is received at the
other terminus upon piece of shellac
paper from like machine, plainly writ
ten. like copper plate. Pictures, the
inventor says, can be perfectly copied
by the same process. All this work can
be done by boys, and if put into opera
tion will do away with telegraph opera
tors altogether. Still another discovery,
which it is claimed can be put into use,
is that toftransmitting over single wire
any amount of messages, to the same
point, and at the same time. This plan
is to have corresponding number of
instruments at each terminus Of the wire,
and one of each of those tuned to cor
respond with one at the other end. By
this arrangement the entire number of
machines can he operated simultaneous
lv, and each will sound the one tuned to
the corresponding pitch at the other end
without any one interfering with anoth-
er.-[N York Bulletin.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
A Pigeon Post Between Europe and
America.


[Fronl London Live Stock Journal
An Ocean fIoming Bird, of great do
cility. intelligence and spirit, has been
found in Iceland, which flies at a meteor
like speed of $50 miles an honr, and is
able to find its home over sea and land,
from any part of the habitable world.
pair of these birds. a few days ago,
brought dispatches from Paris to lone
Iy spot. congpnial to their nature, in
wild and rocky part of Kent, within ten
miles of London, in one and half
hours. Press carrier pigeons took the
dispatches on to the city, the whole dis
tanee from Paris to London. by actual
parcel mode of conveyance, being done
within one and half hoursl If the ex-
periments at present being made in
training and educating them continue
successful, it is hoped by next summer
to establish daily miniature ocean mail
between America and Europe. the whole
distance to he traversed between sunrise
in one hemisphere and sunset in the
other
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
A City Romance.

In busy street Of London there stands
a house containing a room which has
been closed for more than forty years.
The shutters are up, and they are cover
ed thickly with dust; while through the
chinks can be seen the blinds, also thick
with dust, and mouldering away with
age. OF course it has a history: MANY
years ago certain nobleman was en-
gagged to be married; the day was fixed,
the wedding morning arrived, the break
fast was laid out in that spacious and
handsome room, the bridegroom was
ready to proceed to church, when il was
discovered that the bride was missing;
note in her handwriting was found ad-
dressed to the bridegroom, briefly in
forming him that she had eloped that
morning with his best man, gay cap
tain of Dragons. The disappointed
bridegroom quietly went alone TO the
room in which the wedding breakfast
was laid out, with his own hands pnt
up his shutters and drew the blinds,
locked the door and took the key. He
gave orders that the door should be nail
ed up and barred with padlocked bars,
and no one should enter the room again.
When the house was let, it was stipula
ted that the room in question should re-
main untouched. The nobleman died
some years afterward, but the room has
never been entered since he closed it,
and there are the wedding meats" moul-
dering silently away, and the ornaments
crumbling into dust in the funereal
gloom.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
A Maryland ParsOn Struck Speech
less.

TFrom the Dorchester Democrat and News.l
Some years ago the Rev. Isaac Collins
was preaching at Spedden's Church.
Neck District, and was very much an
noyed at his congregation turning in
their seats to look at every new arrival.
At last he could stand it no longer, and
exclaimed: ''There is one special re-
quest desire of this congregation, and
that is that they will turn all the seats
around so as to face the door before ]
preach here again." HIS request was
attended to. and next Sunday, when the
Rev. Mr.. Collins walked up to the pull
pit, he looked around at the backs of
his audience, and was so overcome with
emotion that he just took his seat and
spoke not one word that beautiful Sab
bath evening
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15

Politicians never worked more
zealously or untiringly than they
did throughout the remarkable cam
paign just closed in this State
Both sides entered the field early,
and both promptly and earnestly
commenced work, and as time ad-
vanced, their efforts became more
determined and widespread. In
nowise did either side relax in en-
deavors to rally the people to its sup
port. until midnight preceding the
day of election. During Tuesday,
detailed workers were steadfastly at
the posts assigned them, and not un-
til the hour of six p. m. arrived did
either side abate in the least any eff
fort for success. That the re-
suit was awaited with intense anxi-
ETY. was but natural.
That the contest will be long re-
membered, is evidenced in the fact
twas such relentless one, and that
the issues involved init were of such
moment as to call forth constant
comments upon them from newspa-
pers and magazines in every State
In the Union. Whether the result
viii be sufficient to ''settle," in q
measure, the vexed question of e.
nances, 50 far as prominent prin-
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15

During a dry season every country
resident should secure several barrels of
road dust. Those who keep poultry
may secure by its use valuable fertili
zer, nearly as strong as guano, with none
of it's disagreeable odor. Place an inch
or two of road dust IN the bottom of a
barrel; then, as the poultry house is reg
ularly cleaned, deposit layer an inch
thick of the cIeanings, and so on, alter
nately layers of each till the barrel is
full The thinner each layer is, the
more perfect will be the intermixture of
the ingredients. If the soil of which
the road dust is made is clayey, the lay
ers of each may be of equal thickness;
if sandy, the dust should be at least
twice as thick as the laver of droppings.
Old barrels of any kind may be used for
this purpose. but if previously soaked
with crude petroleum or coated with
gas tar, they will last many years. If
the contents nre pounded on the floor
into fine powder before applying, the
fertilizer may be sown from a drill.
Road dust is one of the most perfect
deodorizers'of vaults-converting their
contents also into rich mannre. Place
barrel or box of it in the closet, with
a small dipper, and throw down a pint
into the vault each time it is occupied,
and there will be no offensive odor
whatever. This is simpler, cheaper,
and better than water-closet, and never
. freezes or gets ont of order Mixing
the road dust with equal bulk Of coal
ashes is an improvement, making the
fertilizer more friable.-[Country Gen
tIeman
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15

The eastern papers seem to be
buoyant in the belief that general
revival of business throughout the
country is imminent, and instance
in support of their opinions the
statements of leading wholesale
firms to the effect that their sales
have largely and steadily increased
for weeks past, and their customers
from all sections of the country rep
resent general Improvement in the
condition of affairs. A revival of
this kind will be hailed as bless
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15

A remarkable instance of death -ded
repentance has just occurred in Butler
county, Kentucky. A man who was
very i'll, confident that his last hour
was fast approaching, sent for a magis-
trate, and made confession that in the
year 1870 he had murdered a man NAM
ed Charles Mitchell, on Green river.
His story was that during the war he
and Mitchell had robbed q man named
Davenport in Warren county, and that
in division of the spoils Mitchell had
taken more than his share In revenge,
the self confessed murderer watched his
victim for ten years with the purpose of
killing him, and at last, when favora-
BILE opportunity presented itself, he shot
him through the heart. Mitchell when
shot was standing on barge, and his
body fell into the river. 1t was never
found, and though suspicious of foul
play were entertained, there was no
proof of his death. The man who fired
the fatal shot, having eased his consci-
ence by confession, Immediately began to
get better, and now promises to regain
his health entirely. In the meantime
the officers of the law are preparing to
arrest and prosecute him whenever he
has recovered sufficiently TO be safely re-
moved from his bed.