davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
Forests and Water Courses.

Concerning the relations of forests to
the regular flow and permanence of wa
ter courses, we extract from the Eclectic
Ruralist a remarkable illustration af-
forded in the island of Santa Cruz, oil
the influence of trees upon rain and the
general moisture of the atmosphere. A
friend of the writer who spent the
months Of February, March and April
last upon the island, informed him that
when he was there twenty years ago the
island was garden of freshness, beauty
and fertility; woods covered the hills,
trees were everywhere abundant, and
rains were profnse and frequent. The
memory Of its loveliness called him
there at the beginning Of the year, when
to his astOnishment he found about one.
third of the island, which is in the
neighborhood Of twenty Eve miles long,
an utter desert. Houses and beautiful
pantations have been abandoned, and
the people watch the advance Of desola-
tiOn, unable TO arrest it. The whole H.
land seems doomed to become desert.
The inhabitants believed, and the in
formant was disposed TO confirm their
opinion, that this sad result il due tn
the destruction of the trees upon the is.
land some years ago.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
The Colonial Settlements.

As matter of special interest for
these days of centennials, we give re-
sume of the order in which the Colonial
settlements we're made in the old Thir-
teen States. Twelve years-1607 to
1619-says LOSING, were spent by Eng
lish adventures in efforts to plant a
permanent settlement in Virginia. For
fourteen years-1609 to 1623-Dutcll
traders were trafficking on the Hudson
river before a permanent settlement was
established in New York. Fourteen
years-16O6 to 1620-were necessary to
effect permanent settlement in Nassa-
chusetts; and for nine years-1622 to
1631--adventurers struggled for foot
hold in New Hampshire. The Roman
Catholics were or ly one year-1634-5---
in laying the foundation of the Mary
land colony. Seven years-1632 to 1885
were employed in efecting permanent
settlements in Connecticut, seven years
1896 to 1643-in organizing colonial
Government in Rhode Island and abeut
fifty years-163I to 1692-elapsed from
the landing of the Swedes on South riv
er, before Delaware, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania presented colonial features
Almost sixty years-1622 to 1682-pass
ed by before the first settlements of th'
Carolinas became fully developed colon
les. But Georgia, the youngest of th'
thirteen States, had the foundation o
its colonial Government laid whel
Oglethorpe, with the first company o
settlers, began to build Savannah, in tn
winter of 1888.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
The Mountain Meadow Massacre.

The trials of Lee and Dame, charged
with being implicated in the Mountain
Meadow Massacre, were set for the 18th
inst, at Beaver, Utah, the prosecution to
elect which one shall be tried first.
Judge Boreman il determined to have
the cases disposed of without nnnecessa-
ry delay. Some very important wit
nesses for the prosecution, who it was
thought could not be found, are in town,
md the principal witness, Klingen
Smith, will be here tomorrow in charge
nf a marshal. A later dispatch an
nounces that John D. Lee has turned
States evidence, and will be a witness
for the prosecution and make state
ment of all ne knows of the massacre.
The cause is said to be that he belle yes
he was to be sacrificed to appease the
wrath of the Government and shield
more guilty parties by perjury, if nee
essary. There is a strong feeling in fa-
vor of Dame on the part of the people
from Southern Utah, who are here as
witnesses and to be present at the time
Many of them were concerned in the
massacre, and they evince great animos
ity toward Lee. Bishop Hoyt and Spi.
'er, counsel for Lee, have advised him
to tell the whole story. They believe il
to be the only way to save their client Al
we'll as TO give to the world the whole
particulars of this bloody affair. 1t il
said by those most closely connected
With the trial that there are plenty o
witnesses here to corroborate all of Lee
statement, which will convict w. II
Dame, many other high Mormon author
itics, and explain fully everything con
aected with the massacre. The witnes
-es are some who actually took part in i
and some who attended a meeting of th'
participants after their return from III,
field of slaughter. The officers have haC
the greatest difficulty in getting the wit
nesses for the defense. Quite a numbe
have positively refused and de6ed thu
| Marshal, while all those in Danes be
half are present, which is attributed t,
the fact that Dame is a Mormon in full
fellowship, and Lee is not.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
A Man Who Ran The Gauntlet.

Near Bowling Green, Kentucky, re-
sides the Hon. Joseph R. Underwood,
a man whose history differs in one re-
spect from that of any other man now
living. II will be remembered that in
pioneer days one of the amusements Of
the savages when they had taken a pris-
oner was to make him run the gauntlet.
that is, to run between lines Of blood
thirsty braves, who endeavored to ter
inmate his career a. he ran. To this de
cidedly unpleasant experience Mr.. Un
derwood was subjected many years ago
at what is now the town Of Fort Wayne,
Indiana, and he still carriesa bullet in
his back as a souvenir of the interesting
occasion. The fact that Mr.. Under
wood is now over eighty years old, but
actively engaged in the practice of the
law, illustrates the excellent stuff the
pioneers were made Of. Heis the father
Of the present nominee for Lieutenant
Governor of the State, and capable Of do
ing good work for his son in the cam,
paign. Men who run the gauntlet rare.
ly survived even to tell the story, and
the fact that one who accomlished the
J feat now lives is certainly remarkable
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
Heaven and He'll.

1t is commonly taught and believed
that heaven and hell are two regions Of
the universe, widely and forever separ-
ated from each other by external barriers,
into which human beings are to be dis
tributed hereafter, after death; and hav-
ing once entered either of which, in that
they are to remain forever. Now,
think all these positions to be unfound- :
ed. I do not believe that hs aven and
hell are widely separated in space, but
that they are often close to each other
SO that persons in hell can converse with
those in heaven, and vice versa, as
Father Abraham and Dives conversed
in the parable. Nor do / believe that
we are to wait until We reach another
world before we enter heaven or hell.
think We may, and do often, go into
heaven and hell now. Nor, finally, do
| admit at all the pure assumption of
theology that those who go into heaven
or into hell are never to come out again.
| believe that 'e whole gospel assumes,
by all its teachings and blessed invita-
go up into heaven; and it also assumes,
by all its solemn warnings, that we may
sink back out of heaven into hell. For
what is hell, and what is heaven? Els
sentially, and in themselves, what are
they? Primarily and essentially, they
are inward states, conditions of the soul;
secondly, they are the external results
of those states. Heaven is love knowl-
edge, power combined-generous love
guided by wise insight, and made effec-
tual by unfaltering energy. Wherever
this exists. the essence Of heaven exists,
for this state of soul ia the image and
reflection of God, in whom love, wisdom
heaven, for it ia In continued commun-
ion with God. Such soul makes hea-
ven around it. wherever it is, for in in
fluenceR other open souls inevitably and
necessarily. And what is hell, but the
presence of the opposite spirit-willful
hard, selfish. stubborn; willfulness an.
stead of energy, stupid prejudice instead
of insight, hard sel6shness instead ot
generosity? From a mean, cold, cruel
soul, hell is radiated; the blackness o.
darkness goes out from it. The brutal
man carries an atmosphere of brutality
around him, and creates like state O
mind in others.-J. F. Clark.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
Mellow Soil Around Trees.

Unless the surface of the ground is
mulched around young trees over an
area of six to ten feet in diameter, the
ground shall be kept clean and mellow.
Every farmer knows that hill of corn
or potatoes will not amount to much un-
less cultivated and yet there are many
who will neglect to give the same care to
a tree which is worth hundred hills of
either of the former. In rich soils trees
may grow rapidly without cultivation,
and no amount of grass or weeds will re-
tard them; but there are other things
besides growth TO be looked after. II
the weeds and grass are permitted to
grow up around the stems of apple, peach
or ounce trees, the bark will become soft
near the base by being shaded, and there.
by be in suitable condition for the recep.
tion of eggs which will eventually be.
come peach or apple borers. Take any
dozen apple trees in sections where the
apple-borer is abundant, allow q portion
to be choked with weeds and the remain
der well cultivated. and then watch the
result. From our own experience, We
believe that the chances are nine to one
in favor of those cultivated being ex.
empt from the pest National Agri
culturist.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23


The New York Sun says new Know
Nothing movement has been set on foot.
II is called the American League, and
was FIRST organized in 1871. The Sun
claims to have been told that it has 49,.
600 members in the State of New York,
and will run a complete ticket for State
officers in the election Of November. Its
great principle is that none but Ameri-
cans born in this country and of Amer
lean parents shall be eligible to Office;
and il proposes that the naturalization
laws shall be amended accordingly. II
also lays down the doctrine of absolute
non interference in religious subjects
though it holds the law of the land su.
preme above any church or sect. 1t is q
secret society, made up of lodges, with
pass words. signals. and oaths.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
MISCELLANY.
He Read the Papers.
From the Indianapolis SUM-

Farmer Jones took his weekly paper
for political refreahment, for family
reading and for general intelligence. He
read therein a great many slips how to
conduct his farming pursuits, and fol-
lowed them out with more zeal than sue
cess Domestic recipes were found, and
all kinds of unheard of and unPalaiable
dishes resulted. Health regulations,
etc., were read and practiced with faith
and patience truly remarkable. One
evening he read the following, that has
passed the press rounds, within a few
weeks, and reading, he believed: "If you
cut the back legs of your chairs two
inches shorter than the front ones, the
fatigue Of sitting will be greatly reliev-
ed and the spine placed in better posi-
ton" Now he had often felt weary
with prolonged sitting, and indeed,
though he hadn't thought ef il before,
he now felt convinced that his spine did
not feel just right. So he directed John
10 bring the saw at once, and the chair
was soon made "two inches shorter" be-
hind. Beaming with satisfaction he sat
down again, took up his paper, and
commenced reading. The experiment
was success; he felt much more COM
Portable; he was sure that his spine
would soon be sound, and that the editor
was q wonderfully smart man. For sev-
eral minutes he enjoyed the situation,
and decided that, next day, all the chairs
in the h ,use should be similarly treated,
as he was determined TO have no weak
spines in his family. So he braeed back
his portly form and rapidly mending
the paper, crossed his legs, and.
There was a scene that caused his ire
weren't son, John, to almost burst with
laughter. Over went the model chair,
Squire and all, his head and shoulders
iammed into the slop-bucket, filed,
ready for the pigs, while his heels vi
| brated irregularly through the air, up
setting the wash tub that stood on the
bench, pouring its contents over him,
and the tub itself covering him COM
pietely. A struggle of a few minutes
duration, some emphatic utterances in
consistent with the discipline of the
class-meeting, 4 little assistance from
the young hopeful whose merriment
couldn't have been suppressed without
breaking his neck, which the squire pro-
posed to do, and the old gentleman was
finally Strengthened up with a mixture
of dish water and sour milk and other
ingredients, trickling down his portly
form. That chair went buzzing over
he yard fence TO the dismay and injnry
of the old family mare, the paper wa'
left unread, was stopped next day, and
ever since no one can persuade farmer
Jones to take or read a newspaper.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
Henry Clay's Friends.

The Boston Journal says: "When
Henry Clay, stepping into Lexington
bank one day, found that his debts,
which had 30 long troubled him, had all
been mysteriously paid, he exclaimed
with emotion: Good heavens! did ever
n man have such friends and such enc
mics as Henry Clay?'" Commenting
on this the Washington Chronicle says:
"We believe the incident referred to, as
regards Mr.. Clay, is strictly true. Itis
well known that in Philadelphia, the
really great manufacturing city of this
country, Mr.. Clay had hosts of admirers
and staunch friends. These, if we
mistake not, learning of the pecuniary
difficulties of their favorite statesman,
raised the nlonay in small sums, by sub
scription, and quietly forwarded the
amount necessary for hqnidating the
debt, to the Lexington Bank. Mr.. Clay
when presenting himself at the Lexing.
ton Bank counter, desiring to lift an in
stallment of the paper against him. was
utterly confounded and completely over
whelmed with emotion when the truth
dawned upon him that friends true
kind, loving and considerate friends
had relieved him of fearfully drag.
ging financial weight. The transaction
was accomplished secretly, efectually
and with remarkable delicacy"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
Remarkable Preservation.

Recently the sexton, in removing n
coffin to Green Lawn cemetery, discover.
ed wonderful freak Of natnre's own
embalming. The coffin contained la
dy and her twin babes, who had died six
years ago. Not feature of their faces
had changed. The little infants lay on
each eide Of their mother just as they
were laid there six years ago. Their
little waxen fingers we're AZ white, and
the delicate purple tint under their fin
ger nails was as plain az it was when
they were enshrouded. Their little feet
peeped out from under the white drap-
cry as natural as if they were sleeping.
A floral wreath around the mothers
neck, and encircling the twin babOs. was
as fresh as the day when loving hanfs
placed it there, while beautiful red ros G,
clasped in the tiny hands Of one of the
infants. was as bright and unwithered
a. If it had just been plucked from it,
parent stern. 1t almost staggers human
belief that decay should be shut ont for
six years, but its true, nevertheless
Portsmouth Times.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
Old HIckOry's Way ont Of a Dilemma.

Mr.. Nathan Sargent. a gentleman who
began political life With John Quincy
Adams administration, and down con-
tinued to be Wing, and is a W hig yet,
has just published two volumes Of polit-
ical remiciscencesc covering these periods.
In one Of the volomes he relates the fol-
lowing bit Of history, in the form Of an
anecdnte, concerning John Mclean,
VINO had been Postmaster General for
many years. and was afterward celebra.
ted as Judge of the Supreme Court.
As Mr.. Mclean had always refused to
make appointments and removals
on the ground of party afinities, and had
strongly condemned such practice, the
inquiry was naturally made, III Gen.
Jackson adopts the policy, what will Mr..
Mclean do? Will he carry it out or
refuse?" This question was so often put,
and so emphatically answered by his
nearest friends, the General deemed
il proper to come to an understanding
with. and sent for, Mr.. Mclean, to
whom he stated that he should adopt the
policy of removing from Office such per-
sons as had, during the canvass for Pres
ident, taken an active part in politics,
and asked whether he had any objections
10 this line of action. To this Mr.. Nc
Lean replied in the negative; "but,"
said he, "if this rule should be adopted,
it will operate as well against yorr
friends as those of Mr.. Adams, az it
must be impartially executed" To this
General jackson made no reply, but,
after walking up and down the room
several times, as if negotiating with
himself, he said: "Mr. Mclean will
you accept seat upon the Bench Of the
Supreme Court?" This was answered
in the affirmative, and he was in due
time nominated.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
An Extraordinary Specimen Oi
American Iron.

Tie Collier Guardian of June 18th
saws: There is now being shown in the
Birmingham district an extraordinary
specimen of iron making in the United
States. 1t is a portion of sheet of
very thin iron, so thin that though its
surface dimensions are inches by 81
inches, yet its weiaht is only 81 grains,
apothecaries' weight Tie breath of the
nostrils will drive il away almost as if il
were the einder of burned paper. The
thinness is itself very surpri ing. but the
extraordinary part of the matte is that
the iron has been made from what the
Americans term q "muck bar"-obtain-
ed for a Danks padding furnace at
Pittsburgh, without being reworked.
Thus, an extreme thinness of iron,
which it is almost impossible to secure
from the very best materials, worked
reworked many times over in the usual
way, has been got from iron in the state
of crudeness in which it was found upon
leaving a mechanical pudding furnace.
Il it assumed in this country that the
iron has been made from the ordinary
district pigs, and the specimen has an
important commercial as well as a scien-
tiic significance. There Is to the iron
makers here the disagreeable inference
that, If crude iron can be worked to
such foil as is described, then that sheets
of greater thickness, but still of thin
ness that brings them to the narrowest
gauge embraced in the sheets generally
make in this country, and which realize
very high prices, should be produced by
United States iron masters at figures so
much below those at which alone latens
and button iron, for instance, can be
made in this country, that the Americans
must be in a position to compete success
fully with the British iron master for
those kinds in his home market. Men in
the trade who have seen the specimen
are expressing the belief that the Amer
ican should be able to compete with the
English maker in the AntipOdean, Col
onial, the Russian and the Chinese mar
kets, whittier large consignments of
British sheet-iron are constantly going
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
The Greatest Rlrer IN be World.


The Amazon is the most volumi-
nous of rivers. AT the narrows Of
Obydos, six hundred miles from the
sea, half million of cubic feet of
water pass any given point every
second. Born in Lake Lauric0cha,
among the Andes Of Peru, the main
trunk runs northerly for five hun
dred miles in a continuous series of
rapids, and then from the frontier
Of Ecuador it flows easterly twenty
five hundred miles across the equa-
torial plain Of the continent. The
average current of the great river
in its passage through Brazil is three
miles an hour. At Tabotinga, two
thousand miles from its mouth, the
width is a mile and half, with a
depth of eleven fathoms. At the
entrance of the Madeira, it is three
miles wide, and below Santaren It is
ten. The tributaries are in keeping
with this colossal trunk.
In fact, the Amazon is a great
river-system, rather than one river.
1t has twelve affiuents over a thous-
and miles long--the largest (the
Madeira) equaling the Arkansas,
entering the Amazon nine hundred
miles from its mouth. Besides these
and a host Of minor tributaries,
there is a wonderful network Of nat
ural canals alongside of the main
river and joining the tributaries
called "igarapes," ''paranas, and
"furos." These bypaths are Of inn
mense advantage tor inter-commu-
nication. They are characteristics
of the country, and are so numer-
Gus that Amazonia is truly a cluster
of islands.
Altogether this inland or fresh
water sea drains a territory Of two
million square miles, reaching from
the Andes to the Atlantic, and
throwing out its arms to the Orino-
co and Paraguay. On the lower
Amazon the annual rise reaches its
maximum about the middle Of
June, and its minimum in Decem-
ber, the difference of level being
about three feet. No other river
runs in SO deep a channel to so great
a distance. No other river can
furnish five thousand miles Of con-
tinuous navigation for large vessels.
For two thousand miles from its
mouth the main stream has not less
than seven fathoms of water; and
not fall Interrupts navigation for
two thousand five hundred miles.
The Pongo de Maneriche is the
western limit to navigation for the
Amazon proper. While the cur
rent is ever east, there is a constant
trade-wind westward, so that navi-
cation up or down has always some
thing in its favor. In August and
September a strong breeze sweeps
over the lower part of the main
trunk. so that schooners often go
from Para to Obydos in ten days,
or one-third of the ordinary time
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
The Baby's Petition.
[From the Leon On. " Republ an.


A girl baby, apparently about two
weeks old, was left upon the porch of
the house of Mr.. Richard Kellogg, who
lives in the north part of the town, on
the night of June 2. Accompanying
the child was the following note:
"Is there room for me?- have come
to the door of this honse that the Lord
hath blessed, in the hopes Of finding it
open. My little wings are weary seeking
the crevices in the mountains, and for
saken by my father and mother, ! am a
little wandeker, a tiny baby girl, and,
like the dear Jusus, no place to lay my
head So, as not sparrow falls to the
ground without the Fathers notice,
have been directed here. Take me, love
me, protect me, and hear the gentle
Shepherd: Hungry and ye fed me,
thirsty and ye gave me drink, naked
and ye clothed me, a stranger and ye
took me in.' 'Inasmuch az ye have
done it unto the leaat Of these, ye have
done it unto me- Then, o turn Inc not
away, but let me nestle close TO your
bosom, and, when covered by your love,
! shall ceaseto be no body's child. You
can keep me: my parents cannot. Parent
age respectable, healthy, and not low in
moral character.
The child was well dressed, and with
it was good supply of infants clothing
The child has been adopted by Mr.. and
Mrs. Kellogg, who are well pleased with
the unexpected present.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-23
GRANeERs AS ExpoRrERs.-T

GRANGERs AS ExPoRrERs.-The
Grangers of California have gone into
the business of transportation Rystemati-
cally, and with more vim than has been
exhibited by any similar organization
on this eide the Rocky Mountains. The
crop this year, il is said, will be scarce
ly half as large as in former seasons;
but the farmers are in good spirits, most
Of them being in good financial condi.
tion. Arrangements are being made for
the direct shipment of grain to Europe
which was interrupted BY the failure OF
E. E. Morgan & Sons. An agent from
the Grangers' Business Association has
been dispatched to Liverpool wish in
structions to charter such vessels as may
be necessary, and arrange for the receip
and sale Of the products. Communica
tion will be maintained with headquar
! tsrs by telegraph in cipher.