davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
Marriage Under Difficulties.

The Utah Herald tells the following
story: A respectable business man resid-
ing in Cortland county. was engaged to
be married to young lady who resides
at Olean, Cattaraugus county. The
wedding day was fixed, and the guests
were ssembling at the house of the la
dy's parents. The groom was delayed
while enroute TO Olean. but he telegraph
ed TO the family to retain the guests un-
til his arrival, about three hours later
than the appointed time. This was the
basis for the disgraceful scene that fol-
bwed. 1t appears that a number of
young men of Olean were envious of the
Cortland man, and did not like the idea
of a stranger carrying his bride away
from them. Upon hearing of the delay
upon the railroad, they went to the de-
pot at the hour for the arrival of the
train, met the expectant groom, took
him to saloon or drinking place, in
duced him to drink drugged liquor, and
when he had become sufficiently intox-
icated to suit their vile purpose he was
taken to the house of his af1ianced and
presented to the bride, her parents and
the guests. The despieable trick work
ed Just as the authors had intended it
should. The brides parents ordered the
groom from the house, and the wedding
festival was broken up. Not content
with what they had done, the conspira-
tors employed five or six negroes to pre-
pare a coat of tar and feathers and give
the groom ride upon rail. The vic
tim was taken back to the saloon, more
liquor was poured into him, and while
the orgies were going on the negroes ap-
peared, hustled the insensible Cortland
man out of doors, applied tar and feath-
ers to his hair, face, and whiskers, and
then rode him on a rail. When the
scoundrels had finished this fendish
game the stranger was left to himself.
The facts were subsequently made
known to the young lady and her par
ents, and the arrangements for the we'd
ding were re-arranged and the couple
were made happy as soon as the Cort-
land man had recovered from the effects
of the dastardly outrage that had been
committed upon him."
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
Auacaote of Two Veterans.

While General Taylor lay with his
army at Point Isabel, just north of the
mouth of the Rio Grande, Commodore
Conner had assumed command of the
Gulf Squadron Conner was a veteran
of the last war Iwith England, bearing
honorable wounds, and with record
which any officer might envy He was
by no means a martinez, but he was
strict, and in the matter of dress he was
elegantly precise. Reared and educated
in Philadelphia he had imbibed the
nice tastes of the nicer class of her peo-
pie. At muster and parade, and when
on official visits, it was his custom to ap
pear in full uniform of the most elabor-
ate and dazzling description. He liked
it,
IL this matter of dress / doubt if there
could have been found in either army
of the service a greater contrast to Com
modore Conner than was afforded by
General Zach. Taylor. His sobriquet
of Rough and Ready" was entirely leg
itimate. He disliked pomp, and never
wore anything like regulation uniform
when he could possiblysnvoid it.
On a certain day Com. Conner anchor
ed his fleet off the Point, and sent word
to Gen. Taylor that he would do him
self tue honor of paying him a visit.
This put old Rough and Ready into a
furry. In the midst of hard camp-life
following severe fighting he was not in
the mood for ceremonious etiquette
Had the proposing visitor been an old
sea-dog, like Stewart or Hull, he would
not have cared; but he knew all about
Connor's exceeding nicely, and the draft
upon his nerves was severe. He would
rather have charged an enemy's battery
ten times. Still the old hero resol-
we'd to do his best towards honoring his
guest, and, through him, doing honor
to the navy. Meantime Com. Conner
was considering how best he might
please Gen. Taylor. Knowing the pc
culiarities of that officer, he had resolved
that his visit should be without pomp.
% lie OECSSSO HllASSII III SuAh Vi pam
white linen duck, without official in
sigma of any kind, and went on shore
unattended by any of his staff.
| When word had been brought to Tay-
/ lor that Com. Conner had landed, he
quickly abandoned the camp work he
was at the time experimenting, and
made hasty strides for his tent, where he
plunged into the chest and dragged out
his best uniform. He donned it qickly
-donned it dusty, wrinkled, and awry
and in his haste the coat was buttoned
two buttons higher on one side than the
other, while one of the epaulettes was
bsoken from its strap. He had just ac-
complised this comfortable metamor-
phosis when Commodore Conner was an
nounced.
With free and easy step. and all alone,
Com Conner entered the Generals tent.
The two heroes shook hands warmly,
and it was very evident that each was
greatly surprised at the personal appear
ance of the otherl But the discomfort
was not for long. Both comprehended
the situation at glance, and a hearty
laugh was the result.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
A Texan Duel.

Manning and Molett, rival physicians
in Giddings, Texas, quarreled, as most
rival physicians do They agreed to
settle their difficulty with knives in a
quiet place in the woods just out of town.
There were no seconds or spectators, and
each of the physicians took along lint
and bandages to dress his wounds.
Their accounts of the fight are alike,
and as follows:
The weapons were long bowie knives.
They strippedsto the waist, and at the
first onslaught got such a firm hold of
each other that the weapons could not
be used. After a long struggle they
separated and stood warily watching for
a chance. As they at length rushed to-
gether Manning received slight stf
in the neck and Molett a more serious
cut across the arm. They stopped long
enough for each to dress his own wound
and then faced for another round.
With great caution, and many feints
and lodges they spent what they say
seemed like half an hour without COM
ing together. Finally Molett caught
Manning's head under his arm, and
while for an instant he was able-to hold
him in that position, stabbed him twice
in the breast; but Manning, with his
arm free, was able at the same time tC
plunge his knife into Mollett's back
These serious stabs ended the fight.
4NMolett was able to reach his surgica
appliances and attend to his wound
Manning tainted, and fell insensible anC
bleeding. After attending to his owl
hurt, Molett says he was about to g.
away and leave his adversary to bleed Il
death, but his better nature dominated
and with considerable effort he save
Manning's life. Assistance soon came
and they were taken to their homes
where they will be confined long tim
by their iniuries.-[Sun, Dec. 30.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
A Colorado Pioneer.

This brief sketch of Western char
acter is from the Denver News. "From
Indian Agent Thompson, who recently
returned from the Snake River country,
We learn that the old frontiersman and
mountaineer, Capt. Jim Baker, is living
there quietly and comfortably. He has
a good ranch, seventy or eighty head of
cattle, fine band of horses and snug
quarters. The name of Capt. Jim.
Baker is so closely identified with the
first explorations and early history of
the mention of his name awakens gen
eral interest. For more than forty years
Capt. Jim has roamed through our
mountains, exposed often to great peril
and privation: sometimes living on
friendly terms with the Indians, and at
other times engaged in open warfare
against them Not tribe exists between
the Missouri River and the Pacific, or
old Mexico and the British Possessions,
that does not know of Capt. Jim, and
with whom he has not had "discussions"
with Hawkins rifle. He has been en-
phatically child of the woods and the
wilderness, stunning at all times fanil-
lar contact with civilization, and court
ing the solitude and silence of the great
mountains. Like all old mountaineers
he is credited with occasional Mum
chausenisms, but despite this he can re-
count many strange and perilous ad-
venture by flood and field against
which no rebutting evidence can be
brought"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
Mistaken Advertising

The Denver (Col.) Herald, in late
number, expresses the opinion that the
public can be better reached through
the columns of Newspaper Of fair
circulation "than through all other me-
dinms, costly circulars, cards, posters,
give-aways and jimeracks put together.
The old established weekly newspaper is
after all, the only general, judicious me
dunn for advantageous advertising. A
thousand doors are opened TO welcome II;
a thousand messengers are weekly seek
.ing the post-office to receive il; a thou
sand families look for its coming, and
ten thousand read it when IL does come,
advertisements and ALL" There il much
truth in this. The thousands Of dollars
wasted annually upon expensive alman-
acs, circulars and other questionable
methods Of advertising, which in comp
any with patent Office reports, find their
way to the junk shop, would render very
material aid toward the support Of mum
bers of deserving local papers, and also
return something in the way of profit to
the advertiser.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
ATMY MOTHERS GRAVE.
BY GEORGE d. PRENTICE.

The trembling dew-drops fall
Upon the shutting flowers; like souls at rest,
The stars shine glorlously, an all
Save me is biest-
Mother, love thy gravel
The violet witt its blossom blue and mild,
Waves over thy head-when shall 1t waV
Above thy child?
'Tis a bright flower, vet must
Its bright leaves to the coming tempest bow;
Dear mother! tits thine eInblem-dust
Is on thy brow
And could love t. die,
To leave untasted Iifes dark, bitter streams
By thee as erst in childhood, lie,
And share thy dreams
And must Iinger here,
To stain the plumage of my sinless years,
And mourn the hopes TO childhood dear,
With bitter tears.
Ave, must Ilinger here,
A lonely branch upon a blasted tree,
Whose last frail leaf, untimely sere,
Went down with thee?
Oft from nfe's withered bower,
In still communion with the past turn,
And muse on thee, the only flower
In menory's urn.
And when the evening pale
Bows like mourner on the dim blue wave,
| stray to hear the night winds wall.
Around thy grave.
Where is thv spirit flown?
/ gaze above-thy look is imaged therei
1 listen, and thy gentle tone
Is on the air.
OH come, while here press
NV brow upon thy grave-and in those mild
And thrilling tones of tenderness
Bless, bless thy child
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
2.
MISCELLANY.
Spiritual Manifestations.

Some weeks ago a young man, well
known about town, whose name we sup
press for obvious reasons, spent the ev--
ening with several of his companions,
and in the course of conversation refer
ence was made TO strange silence OF
friend who had gone to St. Louis, and
whose whereabouts could not be ascer-
tained by letter or inquiry. Going home
that night, our hero's thoughts natural
ly turned to his absent friend, and while
dwelling on the question, "What had
become Of him2" hand tapped his
shoulder, and his absent friends voice
sounded in his ear.
why, George, old boy, how are
you?"
Heavens! my old friend, where did
you come from?" was the reply, and both
shook hands heartily.
''Well, just dropped down, knowing
you were thinking of ME, and as | could
mt stay long, thought I'd walk home
with you"
"We were talking about you tonight,
and some of the boys thought you had
been killed, as nothing could be learned
of you," said George.
swell, George, the truth is l was
drowned in the Mississippi four weeks
ago and my body was caught in an eddy
on the Illinois shore, and it's mighty un-
comfortable, cause I can't get out and
come to the surface, you see," and the
dead man smiled in his astonished
friends face and took his arm.
George looked puzzled, and remarked
even while he shivered, "Well, old boy,
you are a remarkably healthy looking
dead body, and hope you won't vanish
before can get you home and give you
a toddy"
The ghastly joke was kept up with
disagreeable pertinacity, the friend in
sisting on the unpleasant situation his
corporeal remains occupied, while
George, with considerable effort, tried to
turn the subject until his residence was
reached, and, dropping his friends arm,
he remarked, "Come in and take some
thing to warm you up. A chap that's
been lying at the bottom of the Missis-
sippi four weeks ought to feel chilled?'
He looked around and his friend had
disappeared. Startled for the moment,
he called and his voice sounded loud and
distinct on the still air. There was no
hiding place, no nook where one could
conceal himself, and he looked in vain
He ran up and down the square, but nc
form, no football met his eye or sounded
on his ear. He entered the house, feel
ing very queer, but inclined to think his
friend had played a joke upon him. He
turned up the gas and mixed two toddies
in the belief that his friend would return
and accept his hospitality. After wait
ing half an hour he was compelled to
take his "night-cap" alone, and, puzzled
and halfindignant, retired without awak.
ing his wife.
Next morning he arose and dressed
himself, and, to his dismay, found that his
watch was missing. A close search prov.
ed unsuccessful. He .recited his even
ing's experience to his wife and failed to
convince her that he had seen this FRIEND
who has never been heard of since. Hi,
friends look serious when he confident
tally relates his story, but his wife, wo
man-like, absurdly remarks:
George, you ought to quit drinking.
I-TLouisville Commercial.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29

A CUTE LITTLE GIRL-A New
Hampshire newspaper tells about lit
tie six year old girl in a country town
in the State who went into store where
her father was lounging, the other day,
and slyly approaching hum, said "Pa-
pa, won't you buy me a new dressP
"What, buy you n new dress, Susy?"
eyes, papa, won't your" "Well, I'll
-ee. I'll speak to your mother about
it, Elongation to an alarming extent
rapidly spread over the little face, but
a thought suddenly struck her, with q
smile she looked up into her fathers
face and said, "Well, papa, If you do
speak to mamma about it, touch her
easy, or she may want the new dress her
self !" The father at once saw the point
and the new dress was purchased with
out consultation.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
REMEMBERED.

Have you forgotten 1t? 1 never canl
One blessed night in June,
How bright the sky, how pale your face
In the wan light of the moon.
Do you remember it? for oh, l do
The scent of flowers therel
Was it the buds upon the trees,
Or the great rose in your hair?
Have you forgotten it? never can.
Something risked that night;
/ scarcely dared to speak,
Though my heart said I was right.
DO you remember it? for oh, do.-
The first, the sweetest kiss?
Lift up your face, look In my eyes,
1t was such as this-and this.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29

The Live Stock Journal has a cores
pondent who found his cattle given to
the habit of eating wood, chewing bones,
etc. They became thin in flesh, refused
to eat hay, and presented a sickly ap-
pearance. He had no impression that
their food lacked the Constituent for
making bone; and his neighbors use
bone meal, without noticing any good
results whatever. At last he put about
four bushels of leached ashes in his barn
yard and threw out to then about a
shovelful each day. They ate with
evident relish. After turning them out
to pasture, he put one peck of dry ashes
per week on the ground in the pasture.
They ate it all, and gnawed off the grass
where it had been lying. The cattle
began to improve, gaining flesh and
looking better than they had done fol-
several years. He says this morbid ap'
pearance was unnoticed years ago, from
the fact that the ground was new and
ashy from the burning of the woods and
land clearings. Since this discovery ht
gives one quart of ashes mixed with one
quart of sale to twelve head of cattle
above once a week.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29

While "tramp" was trudging along
near Mansfield, he met a man going in
the opposite direction. They compared
notes. 1t was a meeting of Box and
Cox, jour, printer and jour, tailor. Both
were "Aat broke" and were foraging on
the farm houses. The tailor asked the
printer if he had ever heard of knights
of the Road,"-a fraternity among en-
forced peripatetics. The printer had
not, whereupon the tailor proposed to
initiate him; and going into the woods
near by, the printer was duly "obligat-
ed" 1t seems that each member carries
a hard piece of red chalk, and when he
gets food at house he makes a cross on
the gate, to signify that it is the house of
the "good man." II he fails to get food
an 0 is made on the gate. BY these
signs other members are directed; and
the is understood TO mean that MEM
bers may, if their necessities require it,
use force or fraud to make the stingy
man come down. His corn6eld or chick
en-roost is not sacred 10 the fraternity, II
they can come at it.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29

One Of our Ohio State Senators, Bur
ton, of Hamilton, has just received
land warrant for a section, and a thous-
aud dollars in Texas bonds, in recogni-
tion of the service he rendered that
State before it was a part of the Union.
He was an Adjutant General on Hamil-
tons staff, during the Presidency Of Sam
Houston, and in 1886, having fallen in
to the hands of the Mexicans, was SEN
fenced to be shot. A woman who be-
came interested in him and his chief Sc
cured a postponement Of their execution,
and on the night before they we're to be
shot procured them the countorsign and
enabled them to escape.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
LEANDER BUCHANAN, Sec.

A minister going TO visit one of his
sick parishioners, asked him how he
rested during the night "Oh, wonder
ously i'll, sir" he replied, "for mine eyes
have not come together these three
nights" "What is the reason Of THAR"
said the other. "Alas! sir, said he, "be-
cause my nose was betwixt them"
A Harrisburg paper informs its read
ers that "when a gentleman and lady are
walking upon the street, the lady should
walk inside Of the gentleman" How
the lady is 10 do il is not stated.-[ Phil
adelphia Ledger. Why, she's supposed
to "walk into his affections" before they
start for their promenade.--[New York
World.
It's deep mystery-the way the
heart of a man turns to one woman out
of all the rest he's seen in the world, and
makes il easier for him to work seven
years for her, like Jacob did for Rachel,
sooner than have any other woman for
the asking. ! often think OF those words
"And Jacob served seven years for Raeh-
el; and they seemed but few days, for
the love he had to her."-[George Eliot
Three Chicago girls are about open
ing BARRIERS shop in that city. One is
to do the lathering, another the shaving
while the third, beautiful blonde, is &c
sit on n sort of throne and play on .
harp and sing. The outfit Of this estab
lishment, il ia said, will cost twelve
thousand dollars.
Charles W. Plummer, n Newark New
Jersey, society duck, had to pay Mis-
Grace Z. Plummer, belle Of the Sam'
city, for "hugging her on the parlor so
IA, kissing her every time they met, ane
going to sleep ON her shoulder" the ne
sum Of S5,00Oi but, nv this sort o
thing went on for sixteen months tn
bill was not excessive.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
Changed Her Mind.

Without making any graceful remarks
about the historic cup and the lip, it
may be permitted to relate, for the bene-
fit of bachelors, the experience of be-
trothed pair in England. They recent
ly accumulated, in the way of begin
ming towards housekeeping, two pitchers,
a sofa, glass globe, and an ACCORDION.
All these beautiful and comfortable ar
ticles were deposited by the young man,
in frantic fit ofconfdence, in the house
of his mother -law-to-be, to remain in
that sacred domicile until the marriage
should take place. Unfortunately the
young lady changed her mind and wrote
a letter to the youth to say so, ending
melodiously thus:
$50 farewell, ard long farewell to
you forever. So farewell for us both" I"
But not word did she say about the
furniture. Reminders were in vain;
so the young man tried magistrate,
whereupon he got the articles with the
exception of the ACCORDION, the judge
ruling that the defendant must have it,
as she alone could play it, which was
so curious a decision that it we'll deserves
the respectful mention hereby given.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-01-29
The Old Adam.
IFrom the Davenport Gazette-l

the DAh Eoit oaNSNNt-l
Certain parties in this city have been
enioying a little incident that transpired
in a meeting of the officials of an ortho-
dox church that was held in this city
one evening since the middle of Decem-
Der. This deponent has not privilege
to enter into details, but the fact is, the
brethren had been considering case of
delinquencies that had been called TO
their notice-a brother had been where
he ought not to have been, and sister
or two had been present at a social cir
Gle, the majority of the members of which
danced in quadrille, or something of
the quadrille degree of moral turpitude
and the brother in question had taken
a partner in one set, also. Some other
facts may have been considered in the
rumored laxity of the parties under con-
sideration; but the seriousness of the
charges was no deeper than the matter
above cited-only this and nothing
more.
But it so happens that for several
years one of the brethren-a good, hon
est, strict believer in faith, who is cir
cumspeet in all things-has had habit
of referring to ST. Paul as authority for
all his decisions on the questions of
character that came before the council.
And on this occasion, when announcing
his vote as to the guilt of the parties
charged, he opened his testament and
read from St. Paurs writings to prove
his pure, scriptural authority for his de-
cisions. One of the council, straight
forward, blunt man in his business rela-
tions-as many of our readers know
got tired of his reference to St. Paul af-
ter the tenth infiction; he wanted the
proceedings to end so that he could go
home, and his motions had been voted
down two or three times, and he was
pretty mad. So a question came up.
The simon pure brothers name was call
ed. Said he:
"Now, let us look at St. Paul's opin-"
Roared the impatien brother, his old
Adam getting the better of him:
"St. Paul be id! What's he got
to do with"
Pastor and council jumped to their
feel The profane brother kept his seat;
a second thought came to him-said he;
"I-I-I meant Brother be
d-dr'
The horror was still prevalent. After
few moment more the pastor ad-
vised that the meeting odjourn, and the
advice was followed. All the brethren
left the room except the pastor and the
blunt exponent of St. Paul-and the re-
suit of the conference between the two
has not been made known. But it is
certain that the profane brother is still
a member of the church. His friends
of the council are very much afraid this
story will get out on him, though. We
trust not.