davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
How Mules Came Into Fashion.

Few of the farmers of this country are
aware what depth of gratitude they
owe to George Washington for the in
PRODUCTION of mules into general use for
farm purposes.
Previous to 1888 there were very few,
and those of such an inferior order as to
prejudice farmers against them as unfit
to compete with horses in work upon
the road or farm. Consequently there
were no jacks, and no disposition to in
crease the stock; but Washington be-
came convinced that the introduction of
mules generally among Southern plan
ter would prove to them great bless
ing. as they are less liable to disease,
and longer lived, and work upon shorter
feed, and are much less liable to be in
iured than horses by careless driving.
As soon as it became known abroad
that the illustrious Washington desired
to stock his Mt. Vernon estate with
mules. the King of Spain sent him
jack and two jennets, from the royal sta
bles, and Lafayette sent another jack
and two jennets from the Island of
| Malta.
The irat was gray color, eighteen
hands high, heavily made, and of slug
gish nature. He was named the Royal
Gift. The other was called the knight
of Malta; be was about as high, litne,
fiery, even to ferocity.
The two different sets of animals gave
him the most favorable opportunity Of
making Improvements by cross breeding,
the result of which was the favorite
jack Compound, because he partook of
the best points in both to original. The
General bred his blooded mares to these
jacks, even taken those from his family
coach for that purpose, and produced
, such superb mules that the country was
: all agog TO produce some of the same
(. sort, and they soon became quite COM
. mon. This was the origin of improved
mules in the United States. There are
some of the third and fourth generation
J. of knights of Malta and Royal Gift te
8 be found in Virginia, and the great ben
e efits arising from their introduction tt
: the country are to be seen upon tvery
# cultivated acre in the Southern States.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
Singular Mathematical Fact.

Any number of figures you may wish
to multiply by 5 will give the same re-
suit if divided by 2 much quicker op-
Grafton; but you must remember to an
mex a cipher to the answer, whenever
there is no remainder, and when there
is remainder, whatever it may be, an
mex five to the answer. Multiply 464
by five and the answer will be 1920;
dividing the same number by 2and you
have 232. and, as there is no remainder,
you add a cipher. Now take 357, and
multiply by there is 1,7S5. Divide the
same number by 2, and you have 17S
and remainder, you therefore place 5
at the end of the line, and the result is
again 1,7S5.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
Discovery Of an Ancient Indian Vii.
lage.

The Phoebe, Nevada, Record says that
parties in from that region report the
existence of an ancient Indian village
at Paragoonah, U. T., distance about
200 miles from here. The houses, now
covered with trees and brush, were ar
ranged in uniform rows, and were about
8 by 8 feet. They were all two-story,
built of adobe, the lower one neatly
paved and the upper one supported BY
pillars OF sandstone rock. The only en-
trance discoverable was sort of man.
hole in the top. Bone needles, rude ap-
pliances for grinding corn and other
relics were found in several Of the
honses. There is tradition among the
Indians of that region that long year.
ago the tribe that inhabited those houses
were almost exterminated in fercs
fight with the Navajoes; that the re
mainder Of the tribe fed to the othel
side of the Colorado, and there bull
their habitations in the mountain
where the Navajoes could not reael
them, and now live there secluded. Gu
Informant says the structure and arrange
ment Of the houses give evidence Of
rude system of civilization on the par
OF the builders that no longer exist
among the .aboriginals now living 1
that section.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
Missouri Railway Train Robbers
Sentenced to the Penitentiary.

ST. LOUIS, November 19.-What has
long been known as the Hogan mountain
gang of railroad train thieves, who have
eperated very extensively along the St.
Louis, Iron Muuntain and Southern
Railway, between here and the Arkansas
line, has been effectually broken up, and
nine of their number, including three
women, have just been sentenced by the
Iron Mountain Circuit Court to from
FIVE to eleven years in the penitentiary.
There are also about thirty indictments
standing against others of the gang
These parties are among the most des.
perate characters in the State, and the
breaking up of their operations is a
matter of congratulation to all classes Of
law abiding citizens.
William H. Byers, detective of the
St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern
Railway, has been mainly instrumental
in ferretinR out these lawless men ant
bringing them to justice, and deserves
great credit for his skill and bravery, hi
life being frequently in great peril.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
Singular Chance.

A Pennsylvania paper relates the fol
lowing: "a week or two since a gentle
man who resides in this vicinity went 10
Philadelphia and put up at hotel, and
while resting after tea in the reception
room. overheard two gentlemen convers
ing in regard to a trial then IN progress
before one Of the Courts in that city.
Our neighbor learned from this conver
sstion that man had obtained money
on his wife's property, the wife giving
q mortgage. The money was spent in
dissipation, the wife became q raving
maniac, and was confined in the asylum,
where she now is; the husband died, and
the children Of this unfortunate couple
were furnished with a guardian by the
court, who was maintaining the suit
then being tried, against the holder oi
the mortgage, on the ground that the
wife was not Of legal age when instru
msnt was executed. The gentleman
knew that niece Of his, who left thi
vicinity when q child, had married
man Of the same name as the one men
toned as having squandered his wife
patrimopy, and concluded to investigate
He made HIS way TO the court. house th
following morning, and TO his intens
surprise and qualification was the yer
person needed 70 establish to certsint
the age of,the unfortunate woman, an
10 save to her worse than orphane,
chilnrep property valued at ~, 500.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
Bread Making.

I hearda man say, not long ago that
making good bread runs in families.
People may ssily think 80 when they see
the heavy, unwholesome stuff, which
some housekeepers babitually produce,
which IL 10 @ slander to call bread. ]
give my way Of making the genuine ar
ticle: At night take luke-warm water,
according 70 the quantities Of bread re-
quired, and stir in -four until il is about
right for pan. cakes, then stir teacup
Of lively yeast, cover il and get it in
moderately warm place, TO rise. In the
morning il will be light. Then mix up
hard, kneading il we'll. Return the
bread TO the pan and let it rise; when
light mould it down, repeating this
three times. Then make into loaves and
when sufficiently light, bake carefully.
Good dough may be spoiled in the oven
by too hot or too slack fire. The mold
ing-down process may seem like too much
trouble, but IL is not in practice. The
addition OF some warm milk, when the
bread II mixed up hard. makes the bread
whittier, and more tender, but il also driel
up sooner. The season makes some diff
ference about the trouble of making
bread, as in winter it is harder TO keel
the sponge Of the right temperature
One Of the best bread-makers / know
uses small tin pail to mix her spong
in, and then hangs the pail from wir
over the stove, which keeps 1t warm an
makes the rising speedy. In very coll
weather IL is best TO mix sponge in tn
morning, unless one has house tina
keeps moderately warm through tn
nisht.-tFarmer's Wife, in Rural Ne
Yorker.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
No Fear Of Death in the Dying.

A striking fact in connection with the
dying is that they are not afraid of
death. You notice this even in execu-
tions. The majority of men who are
hanged are reported to have died "game.'
Death following disease or injury is sell
dom accompanied with fear. Disease
dulls the intelligence SO that the situa-
ton may not be fully compreh ended; or,
there may be pain and death is looked
upon as a relief. Nature, by kindly
provision, seems to prepare for the fight
of the spirit. As the hold upon life
grows weaker, SO does the desire for life
grow less and in scarcely a single in
stance within my experience, or within
that of my professional brethren with
whom ] have conversed npon this point,
has not the dying man relinquished life
at the last without seeming reluctance or
fear.
The several phenomena which accom-
pany the act of dying vary considerably
In the early stages with the causes which
produce death There is much similar
ity in the latter steps. Death offers
then, q physiognomy which, once wit
messed, is not hard TO recognize again.
Among the more constant signs are
the failing pulse. which gradually be-
comes imperceptible first at the wrist
and lastly at the breast itself; the e1-
tremitles grow cold; the countenance
changes as the venous blood courses the
arteries; the skin grows clammy as the
vessels relax; the eye glazes; the jaw
drops; the fluids accumulate in the
windpipe, causing the death rattle" SC
called, as the air passes through, the
breath comes short and finally ceases.
AS the red blood leaves the brain th,
judgment becomes obscured and th'
cenaes deficient. Speech is incoherent
Many times "last words" are imagined
by affection to mean more than intend
} ed, if there was any intention At all. 81
. grows dark" or more light" are com
\ mon sayings as the optic nerve loses i,
stimulus, or strange sights may be see
and sounds heard, as occurs sometime
in the still twilight. The differentiation
Of the dying may be often explaine
}, upon natural causes.-[ Philadelphi
y Dispatch.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
NUMBER 80.
He Wanted Full Weight.

From the Atlanta (Ga.) Heral1.l
A sharp-nosed darkey entered an office
in the James Black and inquired:
"Is dis heah one OBJ de magistration
courts!"
YES" replied the occupant.
Den likes fur ter git me out pos
sessment warrint, eff yer pleeze, sah!"
What do you want to possess on, old
MANI"
"De off-hine legs OBJ dis heah white
mans mule up hyaE at de cole yahd."
"How is that"
"Well, sab, you kno' 1 bought load
oh cole up dar dis mornin'?"
Yes"
"Well, dey loads up de cole and
weighs it on dere hyar ondergroun' skeel,
yards?"
YES, of course"
"Well, pusson buys de full weight
don't he?"
Certainly"
Den, dat'side case. When he way
dat cole fer me de off-hine leg Oh da'
mule was on de skeelyards' flo an | los,
'honnt forty poun's OBJ cole, 'ceptin'
kin take da, hins leg on de persessmen
warrint."
| You can't do that"
q can't; den what l gwine to do
'Kase, locke heah, boss, dis heah TIM
mus stop somewhar, else DAT dar sibi
rites bill is go,ter be fotch up in Kon
griss again!" and he went off chock full
of Indignation and cussin'.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24

There Ia one marked distinction be-
tween the 100-ton gun now, as one of
our correspondents describes, under trial
at Spezzia. and our own monster weapon
at Shoeburyness. Although very SINH
lar, indeed, as regards their construction,
both having been built up Of wrought
iron coils, which surround a steel tube,
the shot in the case of our SO-ton cannon
is fitted with brass studs, while the
Italian Armstrong gun fires perfectly
smooth projectIle. This is matter of
no little moment. If both weapons are
found to possess the same amount of
precision, it stands to reason that there
is less friction, and consequently less
wear and tear, involved in the employ
ment of smooth shot or shell. Our
gun is scored with deep grooves into
which the studs of the elongated bolt
fit, and the turn or twist made by these
grooves in the bore impart to the pro-
iectile the spin necessary to keep it in
the straight path. The 100-ton weapon
which Sir William Armstrong & Co., of
Elswick, have forwarded to the Medi-
terranean, for the use of the Italian navy,
is, on the other hand, rihed very much
after the fashion of the old Armstrong
gun-that is, with a vast number of
small grooves. The stout cylinder shot
in this case is made to act precisely in
the same way as lead bullet does in an
ordinary rife; cavity under the pro-
.jectile allows its base to be expanded by
the force of the explosion, and this ex-
pansion, while preventing the escape Of
gas, or so much energy, compels also the
shot to follow the twist of the rifling.
The base of the shot to which we refer
is made of stout copper, for it is neces-
sary, Of course that the metal composing
it should be tough and yielding, and il
is in artillery psrlance termed a gas
check 1t is true that in this country
we alao have availed ourselves of sc
valuable an adjunct to our projectiles tt
prevent "windage," and 20 to economic
the explosive charge, but we do not, al
we have just silewn. employ the appen
, dage for imparting spin to the shot
The performance Of the gun against thu
composite target Of Marel on Saturday
= which our correspondents at Spezzia mar
3 rates, gives conclusives proof of its tire
mendous powers of destruction.-[ Lon
don News, November 2.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
A Dangerous Playing.

On Wednesday little son of Mrr
James Hodge, residing in Auburn
Maine found a pretty little copper
cylinder, which he concluded to uie az
head to his lead pencil. He showed it
to his mother and solicited her aid in
the job of making it ready. Mrs. Hodge
took up the little copper cylinder, and,
with pair of scissors. began to punch
hole into it with view of digging out
some substance which appeared to be
within. She had not been long engaged
in this work when it exploded with a
tremendous concussion and blew of Mrs
Hodges forefnger and part Of the thumt
Of her left hand. The lad was hit in the
face and slightly wounded. Il was 9
dynamite cartridge.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
Floors of a Sacramento 0pera-HOuSe
Give Away-Oyer One Thousand
Persons Carried Down Among
the Crashing Timbers.

SAN FRAEcIsCo, November ia
Sacramento dispatch says that last night,
during a performance at Moore's OPP
era-house, the floor gave way, killing
seven and wounding about one hundred
spectators. The Opera-house was situat-
ed over a large livery stable on Second
street. between X and L, and was form
erly used as the State armory. 1t had re-
Gently been converted into theater by
putting up gallery and tier of boxes,
making the hall capable of seating
thousand persons. The floor was un-
supported, except by the usual beams
A vaudeville troupe had engaged the
theater, and it being the opening of the
establishment the house was crowded.
Soon after tie performance commenced
a sudden sinking of the floor was noticed,
accompanied by the cracking of beams,
and directly the entire auditorium, car
rying with it the stage and gallery, was
precIpitated into the stable beneath
The rear portion was partly supported
by the stalls beneath, and the audience
were thrown forward toward the stage.
The lights were extingnished by the con
cussion, and scene of fearful confusion
ensued. The FIRE alarm was struck, and
in few moments the department were
or the ground, and with Ii: assistance
of the police proceeded to rescue the
wounded and remove the dead.
A great crowd in the meantime as
sembled, and the excitement was intense
Hundreds crawled from the ruins unas
sisted ond uninjured. On clearing ava,
the debris, the following were foune
dead: S. w. Perry, janitor Courthouse
Frank Meyer and w. J. Forster, com
positors in Record Union office; Henr,
Vacar, Ezra Woolson, formerly Count,
Treasurer; Michael Fernan, and two un
known.
The performers escaped with som
bruises-E Eddie Peak, of the Swiss Bel
Ringers, and Mrs. Wilson, variety per
former, being most injured, but neithe
seriously.
Manv of the wounded taken from tn
ruins are in critical condition, and
number will probably die.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
The Boy with the Straw Hat.
[From the Detroit Free Press

1t doesn't make any difference wheth-
er he was the son of Duke on only
curbstone orphan. He came down town
yesterday morning with straw hat on
his head and half concealed expression
of villainy on his face and he at once
made for one ofthe chestnut stand along
Wood ward avenue. There were roasted
chestnuts and chestnuts in the raw, and
the salesman was happy until the boy
with the straw hat walked up and boldly
inquired:
Anything inside of these chest
nuts?"
''Of course; the nut is inslde," was the
reply.
"Yes, l know, but what is inside the
nut?"
Nothing"
"There isn't eh? ! shall now demon
strate that there is. / shall demonstrate
that three out of every FIVE of these
chestnuts are -"'
You keep your paws off the stand or
| III hurt youw exclaimed the man.
Touched tender spot, didn't ! sneer-
ed the boy. "Ho~ever, ! can demon
strate the point in another way. Now it
is estimated by naturalists that only one
chestnut out of every three comes to
maturity. The balance are stricken
down in their young days and are seen
no more. Now again"
" iol clear GU" shouted the dealer,
who saw crowd collecting.
"Figgers are fggers," resumed the
boy. "Now, only two out of every five
matured chestnuts are perfectly sound
The other three contain-"
"Ill have you arrested" yelled the old
man, looking around for an officer.
I've got solemn right to cast up
figures on the street," retorted the boy
w've given this matter good deal oi
thought, and I'm going to demonstrate
that the boy who buys five cents worth
of them chestnuts gets at least ten oil
eleven"
"Call sssoffcer call an officer =
whooped the old man, trying to hit tn.
boy with stick.
81 shall now proceed to 60 into ortho
graphy and spell the name of what all
the respectable minority.of them chest
nuts" continued the boy. "Stand bacl
till have a spelling school! Now theI
An officer camesup just. then and or
dered the crowd to disperse, and the bo.
with the straw hat moved across tn
street and yelled back: I-n, in, sex
rNcEy apd dop't vor, forrot ;tiD
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24

The Khedive's Beauties.

Hasten to the Shoobra, and for two !
hour. or more drive up and down one Of
the straDeest avenues under the sun.
The Shoobra roads leads from Cairo TO |
the village Of Shoobra, about four miles
distant. II Is as straight as an arrow.
and is bordered by sycamore, fe, and
seacis trees. The dense boughs are in
tsrlocksd above il. Palaces and villas
are scattered here and there, and upon
each side you look off upon great mead
ows. dotted with ibises and sprinkled
with palms. and see in the horizon the
summit Of the pyramids. All that is
lovely and unlovely in Cairo finds its
way 10 the Shoobrs; the beauties and the
beasts, the princes, the beggars, the
idols Of the harem, donkey boys, for
eieners, camel trains and the odds, and
ends Of humanity. You drive up one
side OF the way and down the other,
ogling and being ogled to your hearts
content. The fat gentleman in Euro
pean costume, with q tarboosh and
half dozen mounted attendants, is the
Khedivr. In that clore carriage under
the protection Of eunuch on splen-
did horse are two OF his favorite wives,
milk-whiie Circassian beauties with
their faces swathed in snowy folds Of
gauze; the exquisite carmine lips, even
the faint rose-tint Of the cheek, are Wis
sible through this coquettish mask;
high-srched eyebrows and eyes as black
as night are busy..with the world they
know so little o. Lovely beyond de-
scripiion are these slaves, but spite Of
this dazzling loveliness you can see that
IL 10 chiefly artificial. The eyebrows
are painted; the eyelids are tipped with
hohl, and n dark line extending from
the outer corners Of the eyes makes
them much larger than they are. That
white skin is softeped and made whittier
with powder; the Aush OF the cheek and
the glow Of the lips have been height
ened for the occasion, and all that gauze
that covers the head like q turban, and
the lower part Of the face ike trans
parent mask, adds immensely TO the
brilliancy Of these feminine charms.
White camel's hair shawls, covered
with rich geld embroidery, lemon-col-
ored kids, a Partisan fan, the light Of
the harem is suffered to blaze upon the
world for n brief hour, but she must
stop within her prison like gorgeous
tropical flower under glass, or that light
will be put outl Two, three, q hall
dozen carriages, and some Of them hav-
ing three or four veiled beauties in
them, wheel slowly by; a eunuch tr
each, and n brutal looking thing he is:
and then you have some OF the more
favored Of the wives at the mercy oi
your eyes. You may look az earnestly
as you choose and you will not outstars
them; smile even and the chances ar,
that they will hide a smile in their FAM
va Mahometl Is your harem stored
with Aeshpots such as these? Lool
we'll, for you cannot look long; the car
riage rolls away, you are dazed for I
moment, but for a moment only, for il
the muffled rumble Of those wheels yol
are delivered from the stare of splen
did eyes!-I Letter in San Francisc'
Chronicle.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-11-24
Scribner for December.

T. Robinson Warren's ebay Shoot
ing" in Scribner for December, the Sec
ond of the series of papers on American
Sports, is in a somewhat lighter vein
than Mr.. Wilkinson's "Salmon-Fish
ing" As the spirited outline illustra-
tions suggest, it is full of fun and anec-
dote, but the hard work of coast shoot
ing is not therefore slighted. Other
humorous papers are "Mr. Quatty's
Great Speech" by VIM. M. Baker with
a tempting picture); and James T.
Fields's clever sketch of Cyrus ]. Much
more who is appropriately described as
"a Peculiar Case" Charles Barnard
writes with interest of "Toad Lane,
Rochdale" and its cooperative stores.
Donald 6. Mitchell describes the at
tractive and growing institution, "La-
fayette College" in well-illustrated pa.
per- Mrs. Herrick writes a popular
science paper about "Single-celled
| Plants" drawing her own wood -cuts on
the block. IAN American in Turkistan"
is the title of an article from Eugene
Schnylcr's new book, portraying with
pen and pencil the life of the little-vis
tied tribes of Western Asia. The Turco-
Russian difficulties give stirnely inter-
est to this paper, and also to Charles
Dudley Warmers "Saunterings about
Constantinople, IA few pages farther on.
"Our Diplomates and Consnls." by AL.
bert Rhodes contains some wise sugges-
tions worth the attention of Civil Ser.
vice reformers Mr.. Hale's serial
"Philip Nolan's Friends" ia completed
and THAT Lass O. Lowrie's" is continu
ed, "Owd Sammy Craddock" meeting
with severe lo-s. This number alst
contains the first ins.allment of DIR. Hol
lands new story. Nicholas Minturn,
in which Nicholas Is presented to th'
reader and also to Miss Larkin. Their
are aigns of love and danger ahead.
The poetry ofthe number is by Anni
, R. Amman IA poem of rare beauty. enti
tied "Maidenhood"), Rose Terry Cooke
+. Mary E. Bradley, and Ellen NJ. H
Gates (author of "Your Mission").
, In "Topics of the Time" DR.. Hollan
pays tribute to the late DIR. George F
Bacon, andi writes of "Mr. Huxley
Visit" "The Better Times" and 9TH
|. Interest of Fiction" "The Old Cab
net" has a stanza under the title {
"Mystic," and discusses the "Philistine
"Egotism. Reform -" 'Doniel Deror
do as Vindication of Bohemianism
;. "The Best Society,"" etc. "Bric-a-Brac
contains variety Of amusing verse an
" sketches. In the other depsrtm ents in
:. portant topics are ably and suggestivel
handled