davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
Mrs. CObleigh's Hot Potato.

Mr.. Cobleigh had just gone down to
breakfast. He was standing up to the
stove with his hands clasped behind him,
as is his custom, contemplating the at
tractively-set table. A large platter of
broiled ham with fried eggs, was the
central feature, and Mr.. Cobleigh is very
fond of ham and eggs. The family cat
was lying under the table, purring softly
to herself. 1t was a strongly marked
domestic scene, and Mr.. CObleigh felt
his eyes moisten as he surveyed it. Mrs.
Cobleigh was taking up the potatoes.
She had the last one pierced with the
fork, and was about to deposit it with
the rest, when she espied the upturned
palm of her husbands hand. What
possessed her she cannot tell, but she
dropped the steaming vegetable straight
into his unconscious hand. He didn't
ask her what she was doing; he didn't
even look around he simply emitted an
awful scream and sprung madly into the
air. On the descent he struck the table
with his knees with such force as to
completely overturn it, and, with the
contents, he went to the floor with an
awful crash. Five dollars worth of
crockery was smashed, and a carpet,
coat, and pair of pants were ruined by
ham gravy and butter. 1t is probable
Mr.. Cobleigh would have tainted dead
away from the effect of the shock, had
not the cat, across whose erected back he
fell as he was darting away from the aw-
full calamity, turned around and fastened
both claws and teeth into his thigh with
dreadful ferOcity. That revived him.
The house is now shut up. Mrs. Cob
leigh is visiting her mother in Brookfeld,
and Mr.. Cobleigh has taken jaunt to
Boston on business. We understand she
thinks Mr.. Cobleigh is to blame in the
matter, for, she properly reasons, had he
not jumped 80 like an ALFRED fool, there
would have been no damage DONE
Ddnbry Ne,cs.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
A CuriOus Coin.

Some three or four years ago there was
dug up from deep in the earth in the CEN
.tral part Of Illinois, small coin that
has 30 far baffled the students to explain
its figures and inscriptions. On one
side it has grotesque figure of man
belaboring another man who is lying on
his back. The characters both resemble
the Indian more than any other race.
Surrounding these central tracings are a
series of characters that are guessed to be
letters, but of what language nobody
can tell. On the other side of the coin
is large figure of an Indian bead-very
indistinct. No one has been able to ex-
plain the specimen, but it acquires re-
newed interest from story of the early
life of the Spaniards in this country. It
seems that in bartering with the Indians,
these people offered them Spanish coins.
These were to the red men only pieces OF
metal with inscriptions which were
wholly meaningless to them, or, because
they represented white men, were detest.
able. They looked upon the coins as
valueless. BY az ingenious thought, il
is said, the Spaniards then made coins
bearing Indian marks and figures, and
suggesting the idea of war, and they
were Immediately priced and passed
current.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13

you want it peeled. So the chief he
opened all the blades of the knife and
laid it down, and then the ostrich came
up and swollered it and smiled and
licked its bill, like it said, wot a delishOus
kanifel And the chief felt almoce as if
he cud taste it hisself.
DON'T GIVE UP, BUT TRY.-A gentle
man travelling in the northern part of
Ireland heard the voices of children, and
stopped to listen.
Finding the sound came from small
building used as school-house, he drew
near; as the door was open, he went in,
and listened to the words the boys were
spelling.
One little fellow stood apart, looking
very sad.
"Why does that boy stand there ~
asked the gentleman.
"Oh, he is good for nothingp replied
the teacher. "There's nothing in him.
He is the most stupid boy in school,"
The gentleman was surprised at this
answer. He saw that the teacher was 20
stern and rough that the younger and
more timid were nearly crushed. After
few words to them, placing his hands
on the noble brow Of the little fellow
who stood apart, he said:
Zone of these days you may be a fine
scholar; don't give it up; try, my boy,
try"
The boys soul was aroused. His sleep
ing mind awoke. A new purpose was
formed. From that hour he became
anxious to excel. And he did become a
fine scholar, and the author of we'll
known commentary on the Bible; a great
and good man, beloved and hOnOred. 1t
was DIR. Adam Clarke.
The secret of his success Is worth know
ing: "Den't give up; but try, my boy,
try"
ONE BONE NOT COUNTED.-A New
Hampshire schoolteacher, lately, was
questioning one of his classes on the
anatomy Of the human body and, stand
ing upon one foot and swinging the other
foot and limb, he inquired how many
bones he was using. Several incorrect
answers were given at first, but after it
had been answered correctly, the question
was asked if any of the scholars thought
differently. A little fellow, not yet in
his teens, raised his hand Immediately,
signifying that he disagreed with his
schOolmates, and the teacher repeating
the question, "How many bones was /
movingT was astOnished to hear the lit
tie chap increase the proper number by
one, in the same breath giving as his rea-
son: "You were moving your jaw-bone,
foo
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
The Horse Trade.

An Oatlander, tenant of Squire Bull,
as sharp as razor, once rode away down
East on the back of horse that had wall
eyes, switch tail, shambling gait, and
marvellous spindle shanks. There was
hair enough on his fetlocks to stuff sofa,
and you might have counted his ribs at
the distance of half league had they not
been covered with coat of matted hair
that entirely prevented this disgrace.
Our adventurer went on at a miserable
pace till he came in sight of a neat-looking
tavern, when he clapped spurs to his
steed, which, with most desperate effort,
trotted up to the place in a truly gallant
manner.
At the gate of the stable yard stood a
raw -boned, long sided, rosy checked,
light-haired lad, who seemed gaping
about as if he had Just thrust his nose
into the world. He wore light blue
linsey-woolsey coatee, no waistcoat, and
pair of tow-linen trowsers, that, by
reason of his having outgrown them,
reached just below the calf OF his leg; but
what they lacked in length they made
up in breadth, being of that individual
sort known by sailors as cannon mouthed.
But what most particularly fixed the
strangers attention was a white hat,
which, on account of its having been
often caught in the rain, had lost its orig
inal outline, and marvelously resembled
a hay-stack in shape and color.
This figure was leaning over a gate,
with one hand scratching his head, and
supporting his chin with the other, in
the true style of listlessness and simplici-
ty. Our adventurer marked him for his
prey; and after some conversation, find
ing he had horse, offered to swap with
him. The youth, after the fashion of
down East, first asked him what was his
name, wfat cOuntryman he was, where
he came from, and where he was going,
together with other questions equally
necessary.
Having received satisfaction on these
points, they fell to work, and our Oat-
lander never had a tougher job in his life.
At last, however, bargain was struck,
and he went on his way, chuckling at
having taken in the clodhopper. All at
once, however, his horse insisted on lying
down, and his mirth came to the ground
with him. While he was standing over
his steed, endeavoring to persuade him
to rise by the vigourous application of
kicks and cuffs, who should come along
but the lad with the haystack hat, who
assured him that his horse would infal-
IDLY get up when he was tired of lying
down; that he did not care to rest him
self in this manner above eight or ten
times day, and was, in other respects,
so good beast that, if he would give
him twenty dollars to boot, he would
swap back again. Our luckless traveller
was fain to agree; so, mounting his for
mer resurrection of dry bones, he made
the best Of his way out of the neighbor.
hood, and not one Of his countrymen has
ever since returned to settle in those
parts or drive bargain with down
Easter.-Jds. X. Pautdinq.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
Curious HallucinatlOn.

Rousseau once wrote: eff it were only
necessary for you to hold out your thumb
in order to cause the death.of an i'm
mensely wealthy mandarin in China,
whose heir you would be, are you sure
that you would not extend your thumbT
This passage one day attracted tho
attention of Henri de Lacrois, young
Frenchman of excellent family, but
whose brain was little. affected by the
loss of his fortune. He thought, il
could stretch out my thumb and that
would be enough to kill my uncle and
cousin, should become very rich." In
q sort of hallucination he extended mis-
arm toward the photographs of his rcla-
tives and said, "Let them die, so that. /
may inherit" Fifteen days later his
uncle and cousin were carried off by
typhoid fever. Within the last six
months remorse preyed upon Lacrois'
enfeebled intellect, and he imagined
that his spell caused the death of his
relatives. Heheard voices from all sides
of his room calling, "Thou hast killed
usl Thou hast killed us" He deIiv-
cred himself up to the police and asked
to be executed. He died q few days ago
in an insane asylum.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
Lynch Law.

To the Editor of The Cincinnati Commercial:
Your paper few days ago contained
the following: "In the Lynchburg (Va.)
Neus there is an obituary notice of Mr..
Charles Henry Lynch, the originator of
the famous Lynch law The old tree
is still standing in the yard Of the family
homestead from which Judge Lynch's
victims were suspended. This statement
is confirmed by the authority of Web
ster, who says the term is derived from a
Virginia farmer named Lynch, who thus
took the law into his own hands,"
Since the subject is up, it may be we'll
to state the facts more fully. Howe's
Historical Collections of Virginia" has
the following notice: "Colonel George
Lynch, brother of the founder of
Lynchburg, was an officer of the Ameri-
can Revolution. His residence was on
the Staunton river, in the southwest
part of Campbell county, now the seat of
his grandson, Charles Henry Lynch,
Esq. At that time the country was very
thinly settled, and infested by lawless
band of tories and desperadoes. The ne
cessity of the case involved desperate
measures, and Colonel Lynch, then a
leading Whig, apprehended and had
them punished without any superfluous
legal ceremony. Hence the origin of the
term lynch law At the battle of
Guilford Court House a regiment OF
riAemen, raised in this part of the State,
under command of Colonel Lynch, be-
haved with much gallantry. The Col
onel died soon after the close of the war.
Charles Lynch, Governor of Louisiana,
was his son."
This account of Mr.. Howe corresponds
with the traditions of the Lynch family.
1t is an interesting fact that Colonel
Lynch was a member of the Society oi
Friends, and man of great bencvolence
and humanity. He remained connected
with the Society until he became sol.
dier, when he either withdrew or was
disowned. Thus the system of jurispru.
dence, which has been the most brutal in
its results, had its origin, as at present
designated, in patriotism and the neces
sity Of selfprotection, and he from whom
it derived name was man of humane
disposition, and of respectable and con
servative surroundings, and had beer
educated in the tenets of the society
which above all others tanght On earth
peace, good will toward men,"
r. w. G.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
Lecture on Natural Science.

Lucifer matches are generally made
of stick. They are not good to eat. If
you strike them, they bear 1t with Chris
tian fortitude, and don't try to hit back.
The chief use of lucifer matches is to
light candles, and fires, and burn houses
down. They are nice toys for children,
and have been known to disagree with
them when sucked. Butter is made of a
good many things. In this city, the only
Ingredient which is seldom known to
enter into it's composition is cream. The
butter of commerce is largely used to
grease the wheels of railway carriages
when 1t agrees with them better than IL
does with the human beings who eat IT,.
Glass is dismissed.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
TRUTHS AND TRIPLES.

IT really seems as if the backbone of
winter was broken.
MAINE has new town called Skatcha-
watchiekatchie.
A MANS belief gains infinitely the
moment he can convince another mind
thereof 80.
A Missouri paper says that the Digger
Indians are never known to smile. They
must be grave diggers.
IT is we'll enough for children to be
like lambs, but it is not desirable to have
them grow up sheepish. j..
WHILE ordering the arrangements in
front of your house, bear in mind that
man is often judged by his gaitI
CONFINEMENT may be better than
wealth, but. personally, we are willing to
take our chances with the latter.
AN old angler says, that no one by
merely cOnversing with a fish ever sue
ceeded in drawing him out.
WIDOWS have been compared to green
wood, which, while it is burning on one
side, is weeping on the other.
Mrs. M. ii. BURNHAM's notion of
spring hat is remarkably seasonable. She
says: "It won't make much difference,
this weather, whether one has nice
spring hat or poor one. A little flannel
hood lined with camphOr and trimmed
about the ears with roasted onions for the
ear-ache, and rugged with American
mustard-leaves for face trimmings, will
suit our neuralgia condition best"
AN elopement in Millbury, Mass, had
no novel feature, but it called attention
to a strangely complicated family. The
wife who eloped was twenty-one years
old, having been married seven years,
and the husband whom she left was
sixty-seven. The husbands two soDs by
a previous wife are married to his recre-
ant wife's two older sisters, and her
brother is the husband of her husbands
daughter.
"WHEN 1 was travelling in Massachu-
sets, some twenty years ago." said
traveller, Z" had a seat with the driver,
who, on stopping at the postoffice, saluted
an ill-looking fellow on the step with
Good morning, Judge Saunders; hope
you're we'll, sirp After leaving the Office
I asked the driver if the man he spoke
to was really judge. Certainly, SIR
he replied; we had a cock,fght last
week, and he was made a judge on that
occasion =" 80.
IT is common to say that liar will not
be believed, although he speak the truth.
The converse of this proposition isequally
true, but more Northumberland man
who has gained reputation for yeracity
will not be discredited though he utter
what is false. But he that would make
use of reputation for veracity to es-
tablish lie, would set fire to the temple
of truth with fagot stolen from her
altar.
HERE In my poets book see
The flowers your sweet hand plucked for me.
turn the leaves; each page Is fraught
With gentle flowers Of fragrant thought;
All loveliest things there, deem,
That haunt the poets waking dream.
turn the leaves: your flowers dear faces
CLEAN, book-marks OF the sweetest places
Yet neer sweeter thought Tread
Than those the mute flowers know, indeed).
And evermore they seem to look, :.
Whene'er open their prisoning book,
And. cheated take-a moment's spact-
Their jailor's for their angels face
Then, sere and whitening only miss, -.f,r
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
A French Story.

All the people in Paris house were
startled one night by a tremendous
noise made in an upper apartment.
Rushing to the doors they saw man
coming down four steps at time. He
was arrested, half dead with fear. He
was thief, had made his way in with a
false key, and, feeling his way about the
apartments from room to room to find
valuables, had come upon some strange,
soft, movable, upright thing in the mid
die Of room. He felt of 1t, passed his
hand higher and higher, and felt a face
he could not find his way to the door,
and in his fight upset every article OF
furniture In the apartment. Then they
all went up stairs, and found the tenant
of the fourth floor hanged in his room.
GARBAGE and buckwheat are natives
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
EXAMINER divine of the Old scho

EXAMINER Divine of the Old School)
Name an instance of benevolence and
design united in the native produ ction
of specified soil. Candidate-The
growth of Spain and Portugal Of the
cork-tree, coincident with that of the
vines yielding port and sherry. Ex-
aminer-very good indeed, sir. l trust
you will live 10 be Bishop. candidate
passes with flying colors.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
THE YOUNG FOLKS.
shut the Door.

shut tho Door.
Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore
No doubt you have heard the name before
Was boy who would never shut the door.
The wind might whistle, and the wind might
roar,
And teeth be aching, and throats be sore,
But still he never would shut the door.
His father would beg, his mother implore'
Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore,
We really do wish you would shut the door"
Their hands they wrung. their hair they tore,
But Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore
Was deaf as buoy out at the More.
When he walked forth the folks would roar:
"G0dfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore,
Why don't you think TO shut the door3'
They rgged out shutter with sail and oar,
And threatened to pack off Gustavus Gore
On voyage Of penance to Singapore.
But he begged for mercy and said, "No more!
Pray do not send me to Singapore
On shutter, and then will shut the door,"
"will you" said the parents; +" then keep on
shore,
But mind you dol For the plague IL sore
OF fellow that will never shut the door
Godfrey Gordon Gustavus Gore"
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
THE FOLLOWER.
ny r. II. sroDDARD.

We have youngster In the house,
A little man Of ten,
Who dearest TO his mother Is
OF all Gods little men.
Indoors and out he clings to her;
He follows up and down;
He steals his slender hand In hers;
He plucks her by the gown.
Why do you cling to me so, child?
You track me everywhere;
You never let me be alone"
And he with serious air
Answered, as closer still he drew,
My feet were made to follow YOU"
Two years before the boy was born
Another child, Of seven,
Whom Heaven had lent TO us q while,
Went back again to Heaven.
He came to fill his brothers place,
And bless eur failing years.
The good God sent him down In love
To dry our useless tears.
j think so, mother, for / hear
In what the child has said
meaning that he knows not OF,
A message from the dead.
He answered wiser than he knew,
MY feet were made to follow you"
Come here, my child, and sit with me,
Your head upon my breast
You are the last of all my sons,
And you must be the best.
How much / love you, you may guess
When, grown man like me,
You sit as am sitting now,
Your child upon your knee.
Think OF me then, and what said
And practiced when could,
"'Tis something TO be wise and great,
IT'S better to be geod.
Oh, say to all things good and true,
My feet were made to follow youp
Come here, my wife, and sit by me,
And place your hand in mine
And yours, my child; while have you
IT'S wicked to repine.
We've had our share of sorrows, love-
We've had our graves to fill;
But thank the God overhead
We have each other still
We've nothing In the world besides,
For We are only three
Mother and child, my wife and child,
How dear you are to me!
know-iadeed, / always knew
My feet were made to follow you!
-Hdrper's Mdgazine.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13

A SMART young Bostonian offers to
wage a considerable amount on his
spelling. He says you may give him any
word in the English language, in COM
mon use, or obsolete, technical, or other
wise, and he will spell it correctly the
frst time. Almost any smart New
Yorker can do the same. It" is not a
difficult word to tackle ortbographically.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13

IT is charged by experienced farmers
that they can not raise wheat with profit
after timothy. That it exhausts the
soil, leaving heavy soils too compact, and
generating the wire-worm. These are
grave charges, and If true, prove that
timothy is not worthy of a high place in
the farmers rotation.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13

exchange says that the manufacture
of caoutchouc from milk weed (osciepias)
has been undertaken by company in
Canada, with capital Of 500, 900. The
milky juice yields about four per cent.
of caOutchOuc.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13

Our farming would be improved by
giving larger space to clover, and con-
tracting our timothy meadows.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13

KEY LARGO, Florida, raised $4,000
fine pineapples last year.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13

CABBAeE and buckwheat are natives
Of Siberia.
The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-05-13
GENERAL NOTES.

The opinion of farmers that farm
yard manure tends to produce or increase
the potato disease is confirmed by the
scientific study of this affection. The
parasite which causes the destruction of
the potato is supposed to pass part of its
life on some other plant, and it is thought
that both clover and straw may harbOr
~