davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
4 SituatIon Wanted.

A citizen OF Albany has received the
following letter from a resident of Ports
mouth. Ohio:
DEAR SIR: Please give me the ad-
dress of any family whom you might
think needs the services of an exP@r-
fenced person To keep mp the family
supplies and see to the general safety and
order of the household, as grandfather
might do. The following cases might
be enumerated for such a need: Disin-
clination 10 attend to snch things; want
OF experience; pressure of business; alb
sence of one or more of the family, say
on trip to Europe; having town and
country house, &c. ] give the following
that yon may form an idea of the place
] might fill: Age, 6fty-six years; small.
weight. los pounds; been out of business
over five years; would have had enough
to keep me but for circumstances beyond
my control, il having wasted away; not
strong enough now 10 bLild up busi-
ness entirely on credit, as did when
younger; don't want to depend on my
boys for support; married thIrty-two
years; have had seven sons and six
daughters; planned nav own dwelling
and its appurtenances, including large
garden, in which we lived the most of
Onr married life. My wife being sell
dom we'll, the purchase of everything
from pins or carpets to sugar fell main
ly on me. When yonng / Travelled a
great deal. have lodged and eat in
the shanties of our Western settlers.
have been in the cabins of the poor
whites of the South, and sat at the ia
bles of the planters, and travelled thou
sands of miles on the Western steam
boats. Later / have crossed the ocean
on two of the Cunard steamers. In fact
have seen life in almost all shapes.
NV attention being from necessity drawn
to the varied wants of family, curios-
ity led me to note them, and it is sur
prising how regular they are. II is
probable that, with the exception of ice,
could estimate very closely the re-
quirements of a steamer from New
York TO Liverpool. / would reed for
my services a comfortable bedroom,
seat at the table, and say So or 81 per
week for pocket money. Reference Civ
en- to solid men If required.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

How To FEED.--As general rule,
too much food t. given, and too NJ nch OF
this is hay. Ten pounds Of hay and
twelve pounds of oats constitute good
days fodder for a working horse, wheth-
er the work be fast or slow. Herbert's
advice in regard to feeding horses is, to
give lock OF hay and half pail OF
water the FIRST thing in the morning.
After grooming, give the other half pail
Of water, and. If he is not going out,
four quarts of oats, after eating which
he may have four or five pounds Of hay
IL going ont early, feed six quarts oi
oats and no hay. If to be put 20 work
in the afternoon, they should be again
waiered and have fonr quarts of oats
and the remainder OF their hay. Hall
bushel Of washed carrots n week, Civ
en- at time. will improve the coat and
be beneficial to the stomach. This feed
ing is ample to keep n horse in good
working order.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

And after that everything seems blur
red and hazy. like an ugly dream. The
trees and the rocks and the sky seemed
20 go round and ronnd in whirl. and
old Seth stood up as tall as steeple.
and great black things came out of the
bushes and made faces at me; and then
was sitting under the old tree in the
ehurchv ard at home, and heard my old
mothers voice twho's been dead this
Eve and twenty years) as plain as print;
till all at once there were mems voices
all around Hs, and felt somebody lift
ing my head and ponring something
into my mouth and then tainted right
off.
We had been picked mp by party
coming back from the mines, and they
carried us down with them 10 Area:
and when we got round again We went
hack and ding up the gold, and gave
Jumping lot of it TO the wives and chill
drt-n Of the poor fellows that had died
for ns.
But when 7 got back after that last
weeks work my hair was quite gray
as gray as yon see il now. And that's all
the story
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

Over ten years ago, negro called up
on Claim Agent at Detroit, and filed
a claim against the Government for
bounty and back pay for services in the
Navy during the rebellion. The papers
in the case were duly made out and sent
to Washington, and favorable answer
was received, but the man vanished mys-
teriously, and was not heard Of till last
Saturday, when he walked into the Office
of the Claim Agent and surprised him
by inqniring, ais You got dat money
y-l2'' He explained matters by stating
that shortly after leaving Detroit, ten
years ago, he was arrested in Toronto
for highway robbery, and has been
confined in Kingston Peni,enliary ever
since
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

There il a remarkable family now
living at Woodstown, New Jersey. The
brick house in which they live ia one
hundred and thirteen years old. The
family take their meals regularly of q
centennial table, while the matron ofthe
family, who il in her eightieth year,
bakes the buckwheat cakes on nn old
fashioned bake iron. such as was used 10
fre-places in olden timea. rests herself in
rocking chair her mother died in, puts
her foot on a stool made for her father,
while she readA the old Centennial fam
lily Bible containing piece Of original
handwriting thHt j. kept in il in regard
to her aDcestry, that dates az far hack aa
the year 1861, or peruses an old cipher
ing book which was once used by her
grandfather; stirs her tea with spoon
that was her grandmother, and sleeps
on a bed the tick Of which was spun and
made by her mother.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
An Ill. Word for Potatoes.

Mrs. Adolph Leue delivered the first
of proposed course of three lectures
at College Hall in Cincinnati, Monday
night. Her subject was ''The Potato:
Its History and Influence upon Civiliza-
tion." After giving an account of the
discovery of the potato and the history
of its introduction in different countries.
she spoke of its influence on the charac-
ter of the people where it is used almost
exclusively for food. For instance, in
Ireland, where it il the chief article of
food, she said, the people are disposed to
be lazy and of spirit ill-calculated to
shake off the slavery resting on them.
1t might be asked: Why didn't they
emigrate? but they hadn't the courage
to emigrate. The potato was the cheap
est food which could be raised in abund-
ance there, and yet the Irishman earned
only cheap wages and proved himself to
be worthy only of such. Temperance
people and societies, the lecturer said
were saying much and trying hard to
abolish the use of strong drink, but
they would accomplish more by intro
ducing more nOurshing food among the
the people most addicted to drunkenness.
Whisky and potatoes were necessary
twin evils so long as there was nothing
provided as food to supply an appetite
for stimulant. People may fatten them
selves aa cattle and only as tile on po-
tatoes, though they are very good if
mixed with meat and eggs. It was
mistake to suppose that while there
might be produced greater bulk, more
nourishment in the way of potatoes than
ofcorn could be produced from the same
space OF land. Some physicians had stat
ed that scrofnla was produced by a
steady diet of potatoes, at least this dis
ease appeared in certain countries after
the Introduction of potatoes. The lee
ture was illustrated with drawings.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

Readers Of Wilkie Collins novel of
Poor Miss Finch" will be interested to
learn that there is man, an inmate of
an asylum IN Wisconsin, whose skin, al
though he ~ white man, is ~ black aa
a negro's. This was caused BY dose %
nitrate Of silver, which he swallowed BY
accident. The acid coming through tha
pores Of the skin was turned black By
the light Of the sun, and remains 90. He
is crazy. however, and subject 10 fis.
during which he often falls and euis
himself The wounds heal mp with new
and very white skin, thus leaving the
white scars all over hia face and head,
which look still whittier on account Of the
blaekness Of the skin.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
MISCELLANY.
Murder Epidemic.
From the Pittiburgh Telegraph

From the Pittiburgh Telegraph
There is somsthing positively alarm
ing in the accounts of murder in differ
.ent degrees which are reported from all
points of the compass. One ought to be
slow in adopting the conclusion that
such reports indicate greater increase
of crime than may be fairly accounted
for by mere increase of population.
There seems. however, no room for
doubt about it: we are at present in this
country passing through a season of
homicide, assassination, slaughter, a
''bloody year." Some one may be prompt
ed by such a statement to remind us of
Buckles statistics, or to cite Quefelet's
conclusion, that year for year and month
for month about the same number of
crimes, whether of violence or of villain
ly, is committed by the same number of
population in any given country. We
retort by an appeal to the remarkable
paper read few weeks ago before the
Social Science Congress in Brighton.
England by Lord Aberiare. In it his
lordship shows very satisfactorily that
crimes like diseases become epidemical
in certain years, at least in Great Britain,
and we can think of no good reason why
we may not accept Lord Aberdare's
statements as applicable to this country.
We may add that conditions exception
ally adapted to instigate sanguinary Of
fenses have existed for some time among
us. In the FIRST place, the corrupting
influence of our great civil war had not
been exhausted when, in the second
place, business depression and hard
times came upon us. The dangerous
classes have been multiplied, classes
habitually disdainfui Of human lie and
under the pressure of evil fortune or
their own improvidence, men not predis-
posed to acts of bloodshed grow desper-
ate, and under sudden impulses identify
themselves with those who systematical-
ly wage war upon society and their
kind
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
ApOplexy.

Statistics of apoplexy show that of SO
cases analyzed with reference to premon-
itory symptoms by Rocheaux, they were
present in only 9, less than Is per cent.
of the whole number. The liability to
an attack increases progressively from
the age of twenty years and upward. oc-
curing most frequently after sixty
years of age, which is due to the in
creased weakness of the coats of the
blood-vessels in old age, and hence their
liability to rupture. Il is generally
supposed that an attack is usually pre-
ceded by strong mental excitement or
violent physical exertion. This does
not seem to be the case. Although at
tacks sometimes follow severe muscular
exercise or mental excitement, in the
large proportion of cases, the affection is
not induced by any obvious exciting
canse. Gendrin analysed 176 cases, and
found that 81 lover 55 per cent.) occur
red during sleep, and large share OF
the others when the patients were COM
paratively quiet.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

ScANDAL-Ihes story is told of a wo-
man who freely used her tongue to the
scandal of others, and made confession
to the priest of what she had done. He
gave her a ripe thistle top and told her
to go out in various directions end scat
ter the seed one by one. Wondering al
the penance, she obeyed, and then re-
turned and told her confessor. To her
amazement he bade her go back and
gather the scattered seeds; and wnen she
objected that it would be impossible he
replied that il would be still more diff
cult to gather up and destroy all evil re-
ports which she had circulated about
others. Amy thonghiiess, careless child
can scatter handful Of thistle seeds be.
fore the wind in a moment, but the
strongest and wisest men cannot gather
them again.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

There il said to be disciplinarian at
Ipswich, Massachusetts,, who ia bound
not to be burned alive. He lives in a
house with only one pair of stairs, and
and every Tuesday night, according to
local paper. at IL o'clock, he cries
FIRE" at which his wife and children
quickly rise and dress. He then takes
out window sash. puts n rope around
his wife and lowers her TO the ground,
then throws Into her arms one child at a
time. He puts his furniture into the
street and removes it 10 place Of safety.
The whole time occupied is less than
fifteen minutes, and he hopes TO do il in
ten.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

After getting his face all covered with
soap and water John Henry discovered
that there wern't any towels on the rack,
and sent his wife's maid after some.
"And. Fanny, bring mp the morning pa
per with you" After stamping round
in a paroxysm Of rage fer fifteen minu-
tee, John descended TO the kitchen and
found Fapny sitting by the stove, por-
ing over the newspaper.
BLANK yOnr blank TO blankety-blank. =
vociferAted the irate John; "why didn'l
you bring up those towels2"
"Yer, sir, please sir. ] entirely forgot
every earthly thing about il, sir. I'm
very much mortified, sir and do you
really think, sir, that they'll uy Mr.
Beecher over again, sir7"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

An expressman named William Alden
murdered his wife with harheir la
Cleveland, Saturday m0rnipE, infficting
terrible wounds. He shen drove his
horse to the house of Mr.. Benton,
where a step-daughter was living. carry
ing the bloody hatehet with him. Mrs.
Benton and his step-danghter. Hattie
Alden. were sftting at the breakfast ia +
bic. He walked in, locking the door af-
ter hiw, and commenced his bloody
work. When the two women were dis-
covered afterward, Hattie was lying on
the floor. with three wounds on the head.
from which the brain was oozing, and
two or three cuts on the shoulders and a
broken jaw. Mrs. Benton had two cut
on the head which had broken the skull
and several on the shoulders. II is suppos-
ed Alden attacked his step-daughier, and
Mrs. Benton interfered, and was also at
tackled. Alden and his wife had trouble,
and the daughter left home. The mur-
derer was arrested.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

The EFFICACY on PRAyER.-AiieF
"Uncle Daniel Drew" had subscribed
100000 toward founding new Meth
odist College. he remarked to friend
one day: "weIl, sir, didnt know
where ihe money was cominE from. ]
was worried over Il, and 70 madu i q
subject OF prayer. Amer fasting and
praying over the matter foF one day, !
went down on Wall street. and in less
than twenty-fonr hours ] skinned those
fellows out ofs2O0, 00O.-Cineinnad En-
quirer.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

FAST TIME ON A RAILRoAD.-on
Wednesday evening, says the Lexing-
ton (Ky.,) Dispatch, while the Louia-
vile Short Line train was polling along
toward Lexington. passenger stopped
the brakeman NJ he was going through
and asked: GLOW fast does this train
goa mile an hour?p "lt goes fast
enough to suit us. II you don't like
the rate Of speed get out and walk" was
the reioinder. - would" replied the
disgnsted passenger, settling back in
the corner Of his seat. "but my friends
won't come TO meet me until the train
gets in, and don't want TO be waiting
around the depot for two or three hours '
The brakeman passed on.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17


The following anecdote Of Chief JUS
tice Chase is told by the Toledo Com
mercial: "Soon after Chief Justice
Chase assumed the Gnbernatorial chair
in Ohio he issued his proclamation APP
pointing Thanksgiving Day. To
make sure of being orthodox, the Gov
ernor composed his proclamation almost
entirely OF passages from the Bible,
which he did not designate ns quotations,
presuming that every one would recog-
nize them and admire the fitness Of che
words as we'll as his taste in their Felec-
tion. The proclamation nesting the
eye of a Democratic editor, he pounced
at once npen il, and declared that be
had read il beGOre-cOnldn't exactly say
where-bnt he wonld take his oath that
il was a downright plagiarism from be-
ginning to end. That would have been
pretty fair joke; but the next day q
Republican editor came out valiantly IN
defense Of the Governor, pronounced
the charge libelous, and challenged any
man living to produce one single line
Of the proclamation that had appeared
in print before"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

reported iha. several well-knovn
nautical men Of New York city have
determined TO make an expedition 70
the Arctic regions early next spring IN
search Of the records hidden by Sir John
Franklin. A vessel has been chartered,
and the services Of the weli-known e.
quimaux "Jee" secured. The eHpedi-
tion will be under the lead Of Captain
B. s. Osborn, and only practical naviga-
tors will be allowed 70 join, each Of
whom ~ TO pay his own expenses.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
A Rat story.

Whilst Mr. Joseph Terrell was sitting
in his back porch about dusk, the other
evening, he saw two rata coming from
under some wood cl,ise by. Noticing
something peculiar about them. he paid
close attention, and discovered that they
had straws in their mouths, one rat at
each end. The rats went down to a lit
tie pond in the yard. laid the straw down,
took drink Of water, picked up the
straws and marched back in the same
way they went down. Just befoe reach !.
ing the wood, Mr.. Terrell killed them
both, and npnn examination found the
largest and Oldest rat to have been to-
tally blind. Mr.. Terrell says the old rat
was very fat, il satisfied that the other
rats have been e., ding hun on young
chickens and turkey. as well as watering
him. Ballard tKy.) News.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

A caae of general average. "Aiuh
yon rather old 10 ride for half priest
said Charleston car cuuductor TO ths
elder Of two boys ridiag yesterday.
"well," remarked the youth, u am IN
der fourteen aud this hey with me is on
ly six. That don't make twenty, and
you'll take two boys under ten for hall
urico enchS--and he took them.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

A darkey who was STOPPING TO wash
his hands in a creek, didn't notice the
peculiar actions Of goat just behind
him, SO when he scrambled out Of the
water and was asked how it happened.
he answered. 81 dunno 'zactly; but
'peared as eff de shore kind h'isted and
frowed me-"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
raefnl Recipes.


rheumatism boil some potatoes and
bathe IN the water.
For Burns.-white lead and haEseed
oil. Mix together and rub on.
Piles and Sores. Fry parripy in fresh
butter and grease the parts affected.
A Cure for Sore Tincture Of
landanum Is drops; sulphate Of zinc 10
grains; acetate Of lead s grains.
Poison. Take two spoonsful Of
ground mustard, stir into little warm
water, and drink while milk warm.
Bnrns and Cuts.-Take inside bark Of
elder and fry in fresh butter or mutton
tallow and a little beeswax.
Flux.-one tablespoonful Of cawphoF
and one tablespoonful Of molasses. Mix,
and take on an empty stomach.
Measles.---Take some oats, put them
in vessel. poor boiling water over
them. and let them stand awhile, and
drink very warm.
Ringworm.-Put some corn on an AZ,
put a hot smoothing iron on Il, letting
it remain until it burns the corn slight
Iy, then take the sweat of the iron and
apply.
Cough Medicine.--Pour warm water
(not boiIinR,) over Iceland NOES; drink
about one-half teacupfui four or Eve
times day. Make il strong enough %
be slightly bitter.
Lacerations Of the Flesh.-Boii the
bark Of dogwood, sassafras and iron
wood. Make a poultice, adding rye
meal or bran. For an injury from a
pitchfork or other Injurious metal,
poultice Of peach-tfee leaves.
Another for oison.-Stir into glass
Of water a spoonful each Of salt and
ground mustard, and drink immediate
ly; one or more doses will empty and
clease the s'omach. To overcome she
effects, swallow the whites OF two
eggs, and drink a cup or two Of strong
coffee. Sweet oil taken freely is excel
lent in case Of poisoning.
Catarrh.-Into a gill Of milk warm
water pnt one tea.poonfnl Of salt; snuff
it mp your nose and then throw the top
Of your head downward until the briny
water penetrates we'll; continue once or
twice a Day. In fonr or Eve houra pat
in about one-fonrth Of a teaspoonfnl Of
alum. finely pnlverized- land apply. Wet
the head in cold water 10 prevent taking
cold.
Cronp.--Take flannel clothes and
double them, and then pour boiling VA.
ter over them. Sqaeezs them a little,
and apply very warm to the throat and
chest. Another--Shave. or CRATE off in
small particles, . teaapoonful Of alnm,
mix il with about twice it, quantity Of
sugar to make it palatabIe, and admin
isier as quick as possible. Ita effects
will be truly magical. Almost instant
relief will be afforded.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17

A Gray horse, which in a lifetime OF
twenty eight years had travelled with a
circus, been mortgaged four times served
in the rebellion, and been less gloriously
useful in his old age at farm work, died
recently at Oconto, Wisconsin. His
name was Robinson Crusoe, and he was
called Bob for short by familiar ac-
quaintances. His owner hal a csffin
made Of black walnut, handsomely fin
irhed. and hearing plate inscribed
with the name and age. The funeral was
attended by two hundred villagers. Az
ter speech laudatory of the dead horse,
a procession was formed like this:
Band OF MusIc
Coffin on -Trnck drawn by Six
IIoraes.
Bob's Mate, Heavily Draped with
Grape.
Mourners Afoot.
The ronte 10 the grave was through
the main street Of the village. A halt
was made TO allow photographer TO
make picture of the pageant. At the
e4-as,a fhars -li--o-..---fUH 70 wfTe-
ther the coffin, which was shaped to
hold the animal with his Iegr naturally
extended, should be buried on the side
or standing up edgewise. Some argued
that the horse should lie on his back,
jnst like human corpse; others that he
should be left in standing attitude, az
in life; and third party held that he
ought to repOse on his side. The own
er, who had intended no burIesque, de-
cided to bury his favorite in the latter
way; and so this strange funeral rite
ended decoronsly.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
CHAPTER II.

H One afternoon, when we'd got we'll
down among the lower ranges, we were
just looking ahead for some place to
camp (for the Spaniard who had got
hurt was beginning to give np). when
one Of the niggsrs aaid suddenly:
The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-14
A MIDNIGHT BLAZE.
Loss Seven Thousand Dollars.

Last night about FIVE minutes Of 12 o'clock
4 fire broke out in q grocery store at the
corner of Enghien and Victory streets,
owned and occupied by Mr.. John Schol,
which was entirely consumed.
The stock OF groceries was insured in the
Hibernia Insurance Company, for twelve hun
bred dollars. The flames thence spread to
the adjoining houses on Victory street, occu-
pied by Mr.. Williams and Mr.. G. Butler,
which were also destroyed; owned by Mr..
:tSchol.
The furniture and household effects in
the two last named residences were entirely
consumed No insurance. The buildings
we're insured, but in what company and for
what amount could not be ascertained.
Total loss about $1,000.
The alarm of fire was turned in by a
citizen, from box No. 254, engine-house Of
fire company No s. The cause Of the fire
Is supposed to have been the work of an in
eoendiary.