davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Reading and Writing.

There is a large class of readers, who
should be very careful about what they
read; namely, readers who are also wri-
tiers. We have heard of man who de-
clared that he never read anything but
the very best of literature-except the
very worst. There is safety in extremes
AS the man said who stood in the mid
die of the burning bridge. For a wri-
ter, nothing is 80 dangerous as to he in
innate with mediocritv. A friend of
ours, who is now in mid career of a suc-
cessful business life,-a business life
whose successes have been greatly due,
by the way, to what may be called ap.
piled imagination, this friend of ours, in
talking one day about literary style,
confessed that, in his youth. after read
ing a lot of " Paradise Lost" he went to
work and wrote page after page of blank
verse that he would be hanged if you
could tell it from Millions. If he had
hia poetry by him at the time, he would
probably have found that he was mis-
taken as TO the supposed cloae resem-
blance of style; hut. in principle. he
was not SO far out after all Milton,
himself, would not have had such an
excellent Literary style," if he had not
read some very good poetry written be-
| fore his day.
We have heard an artist say in look
| ing over the sketches of Michael Angelo
and Raphael-that it seemed possible to
do that; there was a simplicity. an ease
in the work which gave encouragement
and hope-as we'll as inspiration. The
workmanship of other great, though in
fsrior masters, seemed more unattaina-
| Bile. 1t is not mere conceir that makes
the young writer feel, when he reads
SHAKESPEARE. and Dante, and Milton, and
Wordsworth, thai here is something that
he can do. The time will come when
his limitations will close down upon
him; but his fight has been farther and
higher by reason of this daring. yet rev.
erent, sense of mastery and companion
ship.-[The Old Cabinet; Scribner for
| June
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Hannah Collin.

Here in the graveyard of the old
Swedes' Church, PHILADELPHIA is buried
an obscure woman who made no bruit
in her life and, as far as we know, was
gifted with neither brilliant intellect,
nor fortune, nor beauty, who yet comes
closer to us and lays upon us a, more
human hand than all the generations of
the dead. She was Hannah, the wife of
Wilson's friend, Nicholas Collin, the
last of the Swedish missionaries, who for
forty-six years served his Master zeal
ously in this parish, through great
straits of poverty, disease, and sore
tribulations Of body and soul. She Is
buried just below the little altar where
he knelt every Sunday, and the old man,
who, il is said, was undemonstrative and
of but dull speech in his daily life,
wrote over her, in his anguish of soul,
how that the stone was placed there by
her husband "In Memory of her piety,
neatness and economy, and of the gen
tleness Of the Affection with which she
sustained him through many irving
Years; and of his Grief for her, which
shall not cease until he shall meet hel
in the land Of the living ."--[ Mrs. r. H
Davis; Scribner for June.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Ridiculous Patents.

Among the applications for patents,
many are ridicnlons in the extreme.
One man applied for patent for meth
cd of rendering spirits visible. He said
that the only reason why spirits DO not
make themselves visible to those they
love is that the currents and disturbances
of the air annoy and bother them. In
order To overcome this objection. he pro
posed to apply snction pump to a room,
snck the air all out. and thus form
perfect vacuum. The spirits then be-
ing troubled no longer, would become
visible. As those who are 10 see the
spirits, after they do become Visible,
cannot live in a room in which there j.
no air, and as the pressure OF the at
mosphere would crush in any substance
which is transparent enough to admit
light and be seen through, even snppos
ing that the theory il true, how is il
possible 10 get sight Of the spirits?
Another asked for a patent for the
generation of steam by boring a hole
down TO the center of the earth where
everything il in a rcd hot or molten
condition. Among the advantages
claimed for this unique method is that
there will be no danger of an explosion,
and no expense for fuel or engineers. A
professor once gave the following ques-
tion TO his class, each one Of thu scholars
TO think il over and give him an answer
on the following day: "Snppose n hole
were bored through the centre of the
earth down TO China, and a cannon ball
was dropped into the hole, where would
the ball finally come TO resi?" Next
day he asked the first boy If he had
thought about the question, snd the
boy replied: Il can't say that have
given much thought to the main ques-
tion. but | have given a good deal TO a
subsidiary one. How are yon going TO
get that hole through TO China?" So in
regard to this invention. 1t is not the
expense or trouble after you have the
steam, but how is the hole to he dug 80
deep?-[ Washington Republican.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Scribner for June.

In Scrihner for June Mrs. Rpbecca
Harding DAVIS description of SOME
"Old Landmarks in Philadelphia" il
accompanied by over thirty illustrations.
"How America wss Named" is another
illustrated historical paper. in which is
shown the origin Of the false claims put
forth in behalf of Nespucci. Clarence
Cooks fifth paper on furniture and dec
oratiOn is illustrated with pictures OF
dinning-tables. the last sweet thing in
corners" chairs, candelabra., etc, etc
Charles Barnard describes a number of
recent Experiments in Corporation" !"
chiefly manufactures and stores. I'm
ion College" is the one selected from the
educational series this month, Harvard
being announced for July. The serials
are continued, and there il story BY
g. p. Lathrop entitled "The Love of
Hundred Years;'' "PiIgrimz and Puri-
tans," BY Tryon Edwards, 1.-TWO Poems
of Collins" by +. s. NadaI, and
Charlotte Cushmnn." 10y John d.
Stockton, complete the list of prose.
There are poetical contributions from
Kate Putnam Osgood, Elizabeth Stuart
Phelps. II. II /, and several others. In.
the Editorial Departments, DIR. Holland
writes OF "Advertising Shame" "The
Literary Glass" and "a New Depart
ure"; "The Old Cabinet" deals with
Reading and Writing" and the "Acade-
my Exhibition; Home and Society"
contains some suggestions to strangers
about "TIow TO See New York" and
Mr.. Quinn's timely "Rural Topics;
and "Bric-a-Brac'' has among other at
fractions some clever dialect by Irwin
Russell entitled "Nebuchadnezzar"
An index has just been prepared for
the ten first volumes of Scribner'r
Monthly. It is stated in the preface
that the illustrations of these ten vol
umes have cost the magazine nearly one
hundred thousand dollars, and that
very much larger sum has be, n paid for
itetdiS CoHtil"itibil- aHi thlioIidi
work. More than one hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars were ,,aid
to the printers, and nearly a quarter Of
million for paper. These volumes
contain two Thousand. seven hundred
and forty-fve engravinRs, or an average
of $50 per annum. One hundred and
thirty-thrre stories. long and short, have
appeared; and from these, and from es-
says and other material. have already
been published fifteen books, while 9TH
ers are in conrSe OF preparation.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
The Longing for Fresh Air.

The Virginia City Nevada Enter
prise says: "It is curious fact that
the one constant wish of an old "forty-
miner or any man who has lived much
in the wilds. once he becomes seriously
i'll, is TO be taken ont inIo the open air.
1t being mentioned an evening OF two
since that sick Pioneer was constant
ly hegRinR 10 be carried 10 the noun
taina and left under tree wrapped in
his blankets several first settlers pres
ent gave their experience. and all agreed
that it was the most natural feeling in
the world. The moment they were ia
ken i'll they hogan 10 think of the wilds
where they rambled in the days of their
youth and strength. Several instances
of the beneficial effects of a removal to
the open air were given. One gentle
man said that year or two since he
was taken seriously i'll. and at once be-
gan to pine for the mountains. He said
he could not get we'll unless he laid on
the ground nfder a pine, high up in the
Sierras. He physician sent him to San
Francisco, TO San Jose, TO Santa Bar
bara, and to all manner of places to
which he did not want to go, and where
he was lodged in honses and tenderlv
cared for as a sick man. He gained no
strength, and finally took the matter in
his own hand- and went mp into the
mountain and camped ont by the side oi
a big rock at the head of American riv-
er. In two weeks he was running, gun
in hand, all over the mountains. An
other man who had long been i'll in this
city had himself carried TO Lake Takoe
Arrived there, he sought out big pine
tree on the shore of the lake, and under
this he lay from morning till night
every day for over a week, doing moth
ing hut listening to the wind sigh
through the leaves overhead, and each
day fat accumulated on his ribs One
of the old miners of the davs of forty
nine is almost we'll when you tell him
that you will take him into the noun
tains where he may camp by a spring
and sleep on the ground in his blankets
every night"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
How Girls Are Made Pretty.
From Home and School for May.l

The Hindoo girls are graceful and ex-
quisitely formed. From their earliest
childhood they are accustomed TO carry
burdens on their heads. The water for
family use is always brought by the
girls in earthen jars, carefully poised in
this way. The exercise is said to
strengthen the mucles of the back, while
the chest is thrown forward. No crook
ed backs in Hindostan. DIR. Henry Sprv,
one of the company's medical officers
says that "this exercise of carrying
small vessels of water on the head might
he advantageously introduced into our
boarding-schools and private families,
and that it might entirely superaede the
present machinery of dumb bells, back
boards, skipping ropes, etc. The young
lady ought to be taught to carry the jar,
as these little Hindoo women do, with
ont ever touching it with her hand"
The same practice of carrying water
leads to precisely the same results in
the souih of Spain and in the south of
Italy as in India. A Neapolitan female
peasant will carry on her head q vessel
full of water to the very brim over a
rough road and not spill drop of it,
and the acquisition of this art or knack
gives her the same erect and elastic gait
and the same expanded chest and we'll
formed back and shoulders.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26

A produce merchant Of Montreal gives
the Canadian Farmer what IL considered
the best method Of packing butter,
which may furnish useful hints to but
ter makers elsewhere. lie says:
offer the following directions TO my
friends. which, If fully complied with
will enable them to realize the highest
market quotations for their butter, in
stead Of the lowest, as isinost generally
the case, which is not generally the
fault of the consiRnee. There IL moth
ing 80 unstable as badly packed butter;
but on the contrary, il packed nicely, it
sells readily, and generally for from two
to five cents per pound more than the
same quality packed solid in frkins.
Use none but the best new barrels, and
he sure they are not burnt or dirty in.
side. The end you intend FOR the head
you should turn down, and take out the
bottom head, and cut a piece Of ins
white muslin, the gize Of the head ofthe
barrel (Which will be the head when
open) Commence IN pack your finest
and smallest rolls first. being cure TO
pack each roll on its smallest end. Be
careful to select rolls that will pack
snug. 20 there will be no space for the
rolls To shake about Continue packing
in this way until the barrel il almost
full, then shake the barrel we'll ito settle
the rullsl, and then FIJI it "A snng Az pos
rible. In packing the last one Of the
layers. pack all the rolls on their ends
bnt if there il no room, it will not mat
ter IL they are packed on their sides, IL
they will pack snug and make a full
barrel. The object Is to have the rolls
close and tight 30 they will not shake
and break. Each roll should he wrap
ped in a piece Of white muslin or cheese
Gaping; he sure and have il large
enough to cover the roll entirely. The
muslin should be soaked IN strong brine
before using it. and put on the roll wet.
II is impossible 20 send rolls to market
in good order without wrapping them
in muslin, and no matter what the mus
lin will coat, il will more than repay the
outlay in the incr ased price the rolls
thus packed will bring. Before heading
up the barrel, pour on tWo quarts Of
strong pickle. Cover the last layer with
piece Of muslin in the same manneras
you did the head. Nail up the barrel.
Be sure to drive three nails in each
hoop. Then turn the barrel two or
three times, 30 as to let the brine you
have poured in work between the rolls
Mark the top in plain letters, "roll but
ter" also the gross weight together
with the tare Of the barrel, address Of
the party to whom yon send il and the
initials OF the shipper. Rolls should
he made in the oblung shape, and OF
weigh over three or four pouuds.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Franklin in Philadelphia.

The advent OF Franklin into the city
on the day when, shabby lad Of seven
teen, he walked up High street MUNICH
ing his roll. really marks the date of the
birth of intellectual life of PhilAdel
phia. There is not an effort for her im-
provement, mental or practical, which
cannot be traced to its origin in the
teeming brain of the energetic printer.
Schools, universities, free churches. pub
lie Libraries, drainage, Ere and military
companies, street lamps and street sweep
ing-every reform, from the broad poll
cy of the Statesman 10 the smallest de-
tail, bears somewhere the bold scrawl /,
Fi'arakiin teeis The wisdom and scholar
ship of that day were wholly drawn
from books. Franklin dealt directly
with the great natural forces. ph7sical
and human; out of the unlikely mater
ial of his feIlow-apprentices he made
the philosophic Junto; with the petty
politics of the drowsy town, he studied
rLAteGrdll, n Altc anu a k6S hiiIrT HIr
keen eyes told the secret of the light
nings which had been kept for ages.
Nothing was too lnsignifcant for the
life giving glance of these keen eyes.
He sees a seed adhering to the straws on
his wife's besom, plants, tends it, and
gives TO the country the before unknown
broom.corn and a new source of indus
try. He observes a green twiR on a
basket lying on the wharf. thrown from
an Amsterdam brig, plants and tends
that, and presently Pollard willows grow
wild by every stream. He il the fore
most ty pical American in our history;
moral rather than religious; domestic
man; faithful to his wife. yet cultivat-
ing Platonic friendships with other wo-
men; never losing his cool self-control
vet with n keen, fine sense of fun; test
ing one minute a high metaphysical
problem, and the next a counterfeit dol
lar; always master of the present mo-
ment, whether it demanded the making
of cases, rollers and ink, which he had
no money to buy, or the construction oi
a new government from the ruins of the
old Rebecca Harding Davis; Serb
ner for June.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26

4 beautiful and bashful young wo-
man of about nineteen summers called
at the Office of life assurance agent
last week. and asked: "How long will
a man of siIty-seven, and that eats peas
with his knife, liye?" According TO
our table, madam" replied the agent,
"he should. on the average, survive ii
years, 3 months, and 16 days." THAT"
said his visitor, "would be till the lat
of August, 1882" Precisely, madam"
"And how much could insure his life
for?" "Oh, for any amount, say for
S5O,000," he answered, taking up a
blank form of application. "WelI. said
the young woman, 81 think, then, that
I'll marry him" "Insure him, you
mean?" replied the agent. mo, marry
him; you insure him. You see," she
added, with n burFt of confidence, 81
love Herbert, and Mr.. Dawkins is old
enough to be my grandfather. But
Herbert is poor. and just worship the
corner lots that Mr.. Dawkins builds on.
And Herbert is very patient, and says
that if I will only fx n day, no mstter
how long he may have TO wait. he will
be happy. Now, you sav Mr.. Dawkins
will die by the lat of Angnsi, 1887. and.
as il wouldn'i be decent to marry again
till I've been year in mourning, II sr-
range TO marry Herbert on the I'd OF
August. 1885. ."-[ Chicago Tribune.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Health und Longevity.

IL would seem, from the -inu-Iirs
gathered by medical men. thnt inraIid-
are more likely toattaina g,cat age than
are the healthy md rpun.' and that
life-assurancc coupnnip4 wouid br ui-e
TO accept them 81 patrons, instead Of o.
ieciing them, ~ II nov tie custom. lu
a recent lecture by DR.. X. Southey, il IL
DECLARED that "IIeal;h aud longevity
are not synonymous; neither are health
aud great nuscnlaUily. The most mns-
cular men, great prize lighters. mes who
could fell an OK with their fists, have
been known tu be- always aiiinR, and
complaining about Themselves. The
state Of perfect training, regarded by
those who know little of il NJ condi-
tion Of most perfect health, il rather one
Of morbid Imminrnce. Longevity, like
height, il rnce-attribulc, bat il docs
not signify health. The three oldest
people ever knew--women who reach
ed respectively 80, 9s, and 10o-were
valeludinarians, and had been no nearly
all their lives"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Veraeity.

There is no place in the United States
in which veracity is so strictly cultivated
as Danbury, Connecticut. 1t would be
impossible to hire any Of its citizens to
tell anything but the truth, and, there
lore, the Danburian can be relied on tells
the following story ofa narrc W escape he
had from a terrible death. lie was
crossing long railroad bridge on foot
when he WAS surprised 20 see a locomo-
tive coming around 4 curve and tearing
toward him at terrific speed. The
bridge was too narrow TO allow OF escape
at either side. and be did not dare 10
jump into the yawning abyss below. in
fash he took in the situation and
formed his plan of action. He started
on a swift run toward the on-coming To-
comotive, and when within few feet oi
il he concentrated all his nerve and mus.
Gle and leaped straight up in the air
The fearful monster shot under him,
and he came down on the bridge, saved
from death but seriously shaken up by
the descent.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
NUMBER 7.
An AstOnished German-"A Hun.
dred Thousand People and Not
One Peasant"

Those who are least acquainted with
American ways and American charac-
ter. writes Philadelphia correspondent
of the New York Times on the day fol-
lowing the Centennial Exposisinn open
ing, were particularly impressed with
the marked respeciability Of the crowd
that came together yesterday. Standing
in the diplomatic ssciion Of the grand
stand, and looking out upon the vast sea
of well-dressed men and women who
listened with rapt attention, and what
was better, with evident enjoyment and
appreciation to the performance Of the
Thomas orchestra and the grand chorns.
a member Gf the German Commission,
who has only been a few week in Amer
ica, said To me. in amazemenf: "But in
my life | have never seen 20 many Of the
better classes assembled at one time.
We have very mistaken notions of you
Americans" Then after a moments
pause he continued: "One thing / won
der at, however. You talk 80 much
about yonr liherality to all classes, why
have you to-day excluded all the poor
people? In this crowd see nothing hut
the rich and very well dressed" ! as
rured him-as was the fact-that men
and women from all classes were well
represented in the throng. This was,
indeed, the truth. The multitude was
made mp ofall kinds of people Rich men
and women there were in plenty, bur
there were also workmrn and working
women; carpenters, shOemakPrs and
blacksmiths, clerks and salesmen, law
yers and ministers, bricklayera and
lager-beer saloon keepers. farmers and
manufacturers, were all mingled togpth
er in The good American fashion. When
this became clear to my German ac
qnaintancp he was almost beside himself
with astonishment. what" he said
"those well-drpssrd women are not all
rich ladies; and among those men all
| with cloths there are many farmers,
stonemasons and cobblers? But Jfein
herr, where are your common people
your Peasants?" 1--WE are all common
people" ] replied, "and we have M
peasants?" Aga n the gentleman looked
a; that American crowd, ana continued
to do so, shaking his head in amazenIan
and muitering at intervals, "Der Hebe.
Hi'amei what a country! A hundred
thousand people in n crowd and NOT ON,
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Geographical Exploration in Africa.

Africa il, however, now the great
point of assault by geographical explor-
ers. and there comes the most wonderful
revelations regarding the fertility and
beauty of various of it's extensive re-
Rions, with curious descriptions of its
government and peoples. DIR. Nactigal.
describing Wadai. in Northeast Africa:
Fixes the population of the country
at about two and a half millions, and
says that the surface elevation of the
land is from west to east, with an eleva-
tion of from l 900 to ]. 800 feet a hove the
sea-level. Numerous small streams
flow from the eastern heights, falling in
to the two principal rivers, the Kafa and
Peaka. The country ia divided into
seven provinces; the religion is Moham-
medan, and the King, whose power is
arbitrary, is looked upon as a sort of
divinity. The Kings harem consist of
about 500 wives, and all his sons, ex-
cept the heir TO the throne, are blinded
with hot irons, a duty performed by the
king of the smiths, who is also the sur
geon of the harem. The people are
akillful workers in iron, but given to the
drinking of an intoxicating beer, a
practice which great efforts are made to
suppress. Spies are extensively employ
ed for that purpose, and any man upon
whose premises forbidden liquor is found
ia punished by having his wife's head
shaved. The King has an army of 40,-
900 infantry and 5000 cavalry, and the
country is heavily taxed for the support
of the King and his expensive Govern
ment"-[Popular Science Monthly for
Nav
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
Curious Letters.

Speaking Of old times--curious letter
sheets the ancient Romans used to have.
1t wasn't paper at all, I'm told. but a
pair Of ivory leaves, held together with
hinges, like the states some Of you
school hoy s carry. The inside WAS thin
ly coated with WAX, and the letter was
written with some sharp implement.
One could write letter on the wax. tie
IL up, seal il, and send il TO friend
When il WAS read, the writing could be
rubbed ont with n knife, or any smooth,
fat thing, and then il was ready to use
again. | fancy people didn't write
many letters in those dAvs.--[''JAck-in,
the Pulpit" ST. Nicholas for June.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-26
sensible ADVICE.

You are nsked every day through the
columns of newspaper and by your
Druggist to use someihinE for Dyrpepsih
and Liver Complaint that you know
nothing about, you get discouraged
spending money with but little success.
Now to give yon satisfactory proof that
GREENS AU0UsT FLOWER will cure
you of Dyspepsia and Liver Complaint
with all its effects, such ~ Sour Stom
ach, Sick Headache. Hnhitnal Costiva-
meas. palpitation " The Heart. Heart
burn. Water-hrash. coming mp Of food
er eating, low spirits &c, We ak you
20 20 90 your DruRgiste SKiNHER a
Of GREENS AUoUsT FLOWER for 10
cents and try Il, or a Regular Size for 90
cents, two doaes will relieve you