davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25
THE SHARPEST TRICK YET.
How A Texas Bank was SWindled
Out Of $4,000 The Game Three
Telegraph Operators Played.

Mr.. Phil. F. Chappell, who has just
reIurnsd from business trip to Texas.
related LEA us an instance If sharp prac-
tice ON the part Of trio Of thieves,
which We think is entitled to pre-emi-
nence in the line. Immediately over
one of the banks in Dallas Is the Iele-
graph Office, and few days ago two Of
the OPERATORS applied for their discharge,
following, a well dressed, bu-ines~ APP
P airing man appeared at the bank with
check for $4,000 on a well known
banking house, Of New York, and 1esir-
ed it carhed. He brought with him
numerous recommendations from par
ties with whom the hank had business
trans actions, and, 30 far as surface indi-
cations went, everything was all right.
But $4,000 waa a considerable sum to
pay ont, even on the very hest documents
of recommendation, and the bank Off
GERS hesitated, wavered, and finally de
clined To cash the check. Bnt the
stranger was impOrtunste. "Grntlr-
men," said he, IL came to Texas to in
vest this money in cott"n. 1t il very
necessary that this check should be
cashed, or will be- greatly inconvrn
fenced. Snppore you telegraph to New
York. TO this banking houre? AK them
about me; will pay all expenses"
Nothing could be- more plnu,ible than
this: nothing sounded more honest. SO
dispatch was sent, asking about the
stranger and the check. and In shnrI
time came the answer, 10 the
effect that il was all right. and the Dali
las bank would confer a favor on thu
New York firm by accommodating their
cotton Specializing frirhd and cashing
bis check. Still the bank officers were
not satisfied. and the dispatch to New
York WAS Duplicated. Again the an
swer was Of similar tenor, OILY proba-
bly, little more emphasis was added {"
il. This was satisfactory, and the check
was duly onshrd.
IL seems to be The practice of opera
tors f0 GO over Ihtir DAYS work at night
briefly, Icy asking different points to
which disPatch's have bern sent wherh-
er they had beeD received or not. On
inquiring of the New York operaIor
whether dispatches IL and IA had been
received a negative answer was returned.
No such dispatches had been received
and consequently no answers could have
been sent. 1t was evident that the hank
was the mystery. The dispatches had
been regularly received; they had come
from somewhere, but where from could
hot be known. The cotton Speculator
had disappeared with the funds. and the
bank officials were at their wits ends.
In day or two the mystery was solved.
The two telegraph operators. referred To
above. had gone few miles out of Dal-
Las, taken possession of an old shanty by
the roadside, attached a battery To the
wires, and taken the dispatches intend
ed for New York of. They had then
sent pre- arranged answers. The three
were cOnfederates, and the operators
knew about the time the bogus specula-
tor would enter the bank, and when 10
attach their instruments. II was an
adrnit scheme. and successfully carried
out. The bank has no clue to the
swiudlars hrf haa Iaarnad a valua HE
lesson and paid high price for tuition.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25
showing the COmanches Pictures.

To day I have heen hu<y showing the
Alphabetical Object Teacher" kaleid
o=cope, and microscopic views. ] have
been much surprised. as we'll as amused,
At the effect produced hy the exhibition
of the latter. A. body, the Indians Of
this country who have never heen East.
and, as a consequence. have seen hut few
white pc"ple. are disposed 10 disbelieve
their numbers. magnitude Of their towns
and cities, and the extent of the country
they occupy. They believe that their
own people who have been East have
been dipped by some kind of sorcery, or.
as they would say, "mrdicine." They
also think il is impossible to make an
imaginary picture. Hence a picture is
to them proof positive" Of the existence
of an original. Consequently. my ex-
hibitinR towns, buildings, rural scenes,
and soldiers, has had a most convincing
effect. This was much heightened by
having some mountain scenes from Col
orado, familiar 10 them, and which they
recognized at once. This was, in fact,
the strongest adducihle evidence that
the accounts they had received were 80
far from being exaggeraIions that the
half had not been told them. One mid
dle-aged nan who has always treated
these reports with the utmost Skrpiicism,
was particularly strnck With them. He
could not sufficiently expresr his sur
prise, hut beat upon his mouth in utter
aStonishment. Sun Boy. who had often
fold him what he saw in the East, wnnld
saw to him in Kiowa. What you think
now? You think all lie now? You think
all chiefs whe have been to Washington
fools now?" Again and again would he
look them "ver. with his hand upon his
month, dumb with amazement. After
he mad looked them over several times,
heinR a war chief. he called in his war
riors, and exhibited the piciurps To them
talking to them all the time ] could
understand but part, yet would gather
sneh expressions as these: "L"nk, see
what mighty powerful people they
are!" meaning white people. We are
fool! We don't know anything! We
just like wolves running wild on the
plains" Such an effect on the warchIrfs
and warriors Cannot but lie very aaInta-
ry, and must coRdHce much toward de-
terring them from going on the war path
against snch a mighty powerful peo-
ple." / could but wish that a good
stereoscope. with suitable pictures, could
be exhibited in every Indian camp in
the land, and properly explained to the
people.-1A Quaker Among the Indiana
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25
The Doctors Questions.

The Rsy. DIR. Richie, of Edinbnrg
though very clever man, has met with
his match. When examining n student
a. to the clAs-rs he hal attended, he
said, "and you attended the class for
mathematics?"
"Yes."
"How many sides has circle?"
Two" said the student.
"What are they?"
What a laugh IN the class the stu
dents answer produced. when be said,
IAN inside and an outside"
But this was nothing compared with
what followed. The doctor having said
to this student. "And you attended the
philosophy class also?"
"Yes."
swell, you would hear lectures on
various subjects. Did you ever hear one
on cause and eGect7"
ayes"
"Does AN effect ever go before a
cause?"
ayes"
"Give me an instance"
"A man wheeling barrow"
The doctor then sat down and Propos-
ed no more questions.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

We have-in the State of Ohio, accord
ing TO the asressors' returns, over $50, 900
acres of apple orchards; and the average
Weld of fruit il but little over 80 bush
els per acre, or not more than one full
grown healthy tree has often produced.
Fully three .fourths of these orchards
are from forty to seventy years old, and,
as usual with old orchards. they are on
ly able 10 bear a crop every alternate
year. and most of the fruit is deficient in
size and quality. Hence in the fruitful
years the markets are glutsed with acc.
ond-rate fruit and the price is 40 low ms
hardly to pay for marketing; and in the
alternate years the orchardists have no
fruit to sell, but the markets in the old
settled parts Of the State have 20 be sup-
piled from the thrifty orchards Of the
northwestern section, which is newly
settled, and the orchards being young
and on rich soil bear uniform crops OF
good fruit. The old orchards are much
more infested with the collinR-moih
and other insect pests than the younger
ones, and this constitutes largely 20 their
unproftnbleness.-lCountry Gentleman,
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25
The Mission Of the Hebrew Race.

The Hebrew race are supposed 10
number from 6.O0O, 600 to 1000, 900, hut
the Hebrew Leader tells us if we bear
in mind the old prophecy that rhe de-
scendants OF Abraham shall become az
numerous a. the stara Of the heavens
and the sands Of the sea, il opines the
dimensions of Palestine would be fnnnd
rather too limited and hardly answering
all requirements. II doubts, however,
whether that land will ever become the
home of Israel, despite tradition, for the
very reason that the Jews have strength.
ened in desperation, and grown under the
favorable Auspicies Of civilization to be.
come one of the most important and fav
orable people on the face of ihe
globe, preserving distinctive individu
ality, held together under the most try
ing and adverse circumstances by a
faith frmer than Sinai's mount, from
which il was promulgated.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25
The Pc DpIo Want Proof

There il no medicine prescribed BY
physicians, or cold by DFuRgiste, hat
carries such evidence of Ice RucceHa nnd
superior virtue a. BoscHEE's tiERNAN
SYRUP for severe Coughs, Colds settled
on the Breast, Consumption, OF any dis
eAse Of the Throat and Lungs. a proof
of that fact u that any person afflicted ,
can get Sample Bottle for 10 cents and
try iis superior effect before buying The
regular siAe At 75 cents. u has lately
been introduced in this country from
Germany, and is wonderful cures are
astonishing everyone that use H. Three
doses will relieve any ease. Try a.
Sold by SKINNEH a BRo. sOmerset o.
83yl
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

A gentleman once reported to the gov
eminent tax collector that his income
for the previous year had amounted to
two thousand dollars. A meddling
neixhbor was surprised at the largeness
of the snm, and when he met his pror-
porous friend he said To him:
"You have returned an income Of
two thousand dollars for the past yearr''
"Yes, SIR" answered the other.
"Well, how did you MAKE 20 much? i
don't ace now you could do It,"
"WelI, sir, made one thousand dol
lars clean cash by attending to my own
business, and made another thousand
dollars by letting other folks business
alone"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25
The Seven Wise Men.

Most people have nrard of the Seven
wise MN of Greece" but very few
know who they were or how they came
10 be call.d 80. Here H. the story If
Them. and tie moral of il IL worth re-
membering IL their names are not:
The seven wise men Of Greece are sup
posed 10 have lived in the fifth cen ury
before Christ. Their names are Pitta
Gus, Bias. Scion. Thales. Chilnn. Cleo
bulus, and Preiander. The reason Of
their being called wise" H. given dilf..r-
emily by different anthOrs, but the most
approved accounts state that Ms some
Coans were fishing, certain strangers
from Miletus bought whatever should be
in the nets without seeing it, When the
nets were drawn in they were found TO
contain a golden tripod which Helen.
as she sailed from Troy, is supposed to
have thrown in there.
A dispute arose between the fishermen
and the strangers as 10 whom il belong
ed, and as they could not agree they
took it to the temple Of Apollo, and
consulted the priestess as to what should
be d"ne with it
She said il must he given to the wispst
man in Greece, and it was accordingly
sent TO Thales, who declared that Bias
was wiser, and sent IL 10 him.
Bias sent it TO another one, and 80 on
until il had passed through the hands Of
all the men, afterwards distinguished by
the title Of the "Seven Wise Men," and
as each one claimed that some one was
wiser than he, il finally was sent to the
Temple Of Appollo, where, according to
some writers, il still remains, TO teach
the lesson that the wisert are the most
diStrustful of their wisdom.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

The building of the Propy&a occupied
FIVE years, B. G.. 432-437, and coat 2,0l2
talents, or little over 2.I36,O0O of our
money. The Capitol was one of the
most imposing buildings a, Rome, and
was adorned a. befitted the majesty of
the king of ;he gods. The gates were of
bronze, and the ceiling and tiles were
gilt. The gliding alone cost Dominican
1000 talents. or $l2, ,6S3,520. Volumes
have been written on the cossly buildings
at Ephesus. Delphi. Constantinople, and
elsewhere-houses of worship dedicated
to the gods. In modern times we have
81. Peters ST. Paul's, Westminster Abb
hey, and the Cathedral ct Cologne.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

COOP BREEDINa.-It is remarked by
some writer that excess of cermony
shows want Of good breeding. This il
true. There is nothing so troublesome
as overdone politeness. A truly we'll
bred man makes every person around
him feel at ease; he does not throw civil
tiles about him with a shovel, nor toss
compliments in bundle as he would
hay with pitchfork. There is no evil
under the sun more intolerable than ul-
ira politeness.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25
An Infant 1900 Feet Under Ground.
From the Virginia City CNev.) Enterprise.l

From the Virginia City (Nev.) Enterprise.l
Bessie, little daughter Of F. F. O=bis-
ton, Superintendent of the Savage Mine,
night before last took such journey as
was probably never taken before in the
worlds history BY n child of her age
She has time and again begged her-fath-
er, whose business takes him to the mine
daily, to allow her 20 accompany him in
to the wonderful regions of the under
ground world. Sopersistent and earnest
has she been in the matter that her faith
er finally concluded to take her down
into the lower levels and allow her To
see the things abont which her iInagina-
tion seemed to be so much excited. Ac
cordinRly, night before last he took her.
The frat part of the little experts" jour
ney WAS vertical plunge by cage toward
the earth's centre of 800 feet; she then
took passage on the tank giraffe" run
ming on the incline, and descended at an
angle of forty five degrers until she was
landed 2.200 feet below the surface Of
the earth. Bessie will be four years OF
age next munth, and, there is little
dOnbt. can truthfully say she has stood
further below the light of day than any
one of her years since the creation of the
world. The infant expert was led
through the drifts of the 220o feet level
and was delighted with all she saw. On
"bserving the tiny creature led along
the drifts toward them. the picks f II
fn,m the hands Of ~nme of the miners,
and they stared and Razed with starting
eyes and relaxed jaw, believing that at
last one of the fairies of the mine, about
which they had heard 40 much, had
actually been captured by their sagacious
sCperIntendent,
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

SHOULD LIVE TIL One HuNDRED.
1t is stated that men ought 10 live .
century, as il seems 10 be general Law
in the animal creation that life should
extend to Eve times the period required
for growth. Many Of the inseet tribes
mature and fruclify in an hour and die
before the close Of day. A dog grows
for two years and lives eight an OK
grows for four years and lives sixteen; a
horse grows for five years and lives
twenty FIVE; a camel grows for eight
years and lives forty; a man grows TWEEN q.
~ years and should live 10 one hundred.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

A gallant gentleman Of the old school,
in crowded waiting room at railway
station the other day, gave his seat to =
lady, who failed to make the proper &C
acknowledgement. Standing awhile, he
stopped over as to listen, aud said TO
her. What did you say, madami"
"Noihing. sir" was the reply Of the
startled lady.
"Oh" said he "exeuSe me; ] thought
you said, Thank YOU"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

Kit Carson's remains have lain since
1868 in . coyote patch. under ths shade
Of couple of cotton woods by the road
side on the Arkansas (Southern Colora-
do), without even n piece Of picket rail-
ing to protect the grave from the wolves
or pencil mark on shingle for head.
stone, TO tell the traveller that Kit Carson
sleeps beneath IL.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

Aprofane young person describing the
looks ofa newly arrived NJ. C. from the
Far West, as he appeared at Washington
depot, says: He looked NJ If he had
come all the way across ,he continent on
Ihe hurricane deck Of . mule"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

In ScribBer for March foil. illusirut.
ed description is given Of the new bnild-
inga Of Trinity College. now in course Of
erection at Hartford. These mark q
''new departure" in the college architec-
ture of the country. DR.. Edward Egg
Rleston publishes q popular description
Of FToebel's principles and methods in
an article ON the Child-GLrden. The
text is accompanied by portrait Of
Froebel. numerous diagrams etc. "Truro
Parish" il short paper which gives
roIne amusing legends in connection
with the Old Pohick Church and its
rectora. This ia one Of the churches
which Washington has incidentally i'm
morialized. Albert Rhodes sketches the
career and character Of Balzac, and tells
n number Of Characteristic anecdotes Of
the famous writer. Dorsey Gardner
writes about the struggles and successes
Of the celebrated orniihologiat, Wilson.
Another instAllment Of Revolutionary
Letters" is given in this number Rev.
Mr.. Twichell Of Hartford has here a
paper Concerning CharlaS Lamb,
which gives the result Of a pilgrimage
among memorials and relics Of Ella.
Five chapters of Bret Harte's Gabriel
Conroy" are published; and two chap
terS of Edward Everett Hale's story,
Phillip Nolan's Friends." There are
short stories ny Edward Bellamy and
George w. Cable.
In Topics Of the Time, DR.. Holland
discusses Literary Virility," "The
Common Schools. and 'sPublic Halls."
The Old Cabinet has something about
"Bannscheidt versus Buncombe," eThe
Defects in Works Of Geniu., ""OriRinal-
itv and limitations" and other matters.
A new feature appears in Home and
Society, namely, number Of paragraphs
ON rural topics by Mr.. p. T. Quinn, the
well-known agricultural writer, IN which
specific directions are given Tor she lay
ing oni of small places. In Brio.h-Brac
may he found little poem by the late
Professor More, hitherto unpublished.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

In dreams we are true pOets; we Gre
ate the persons of the drama; we give
them appropriate figures, faces, and cos
tune; they are perfect IN their organs.
attitude, manners; moreover, they speak
after their own characters, not our; they
speak 10 ia and we listen with surprise
to what they say. Indeed, doubt IL
the hest poet has yet written any Eve act
play that can compare in thoroughnes"
of inventioB with this unwriiten play
in fifty acts, composed by the dullest
snorer on the floor Of the watch-house.
hoard;n0 0amtahliahn,ont-m carnen-
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

A negro was scalded TO death from a
boiler explosion in New Orleans last
week, and on his tombstone they chisell-
ed deeply, "Sacred to the memory of our
'steamed friend.n
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

A ReolofiSt says that he never heard
Of secondary formations without pleas-
ure--the ladies being the secondary for
nations, for they were formed after the
men.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

A boarding establishment-a carPen-
ter's shop.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-25

Won might have him in welcome. Oh
Mabel Mabel ~ she added, her voice
changing to one of pleading, with start
ling rapidity, shave pity on your friendl
have mercy on mel do not kill my child
Stacy has whispered of love to her for
years past. She has twined her affec-
tions around him, until, to lose him
now, frail, weak girl that she is, would
be her death blow. Oh! Mabel give
him up; send him from you, and he
will return to Laura. Be just, be
generous, and Heaven will reward the
| deedV
She knelt to me-she, that white
haired mother-wrirging her hands in
agony, and / listened with stolid, stony
composure.
"If Laura were only stronger; if she
were able to bear the shock of his faith
lessness-but she must never know how
nearly her happiness was wrecked; the
knowledge would bring her to the grave
Give him back TO her, Mabel; tickle, dis.
honorable as ne IL, her lille depends on
her belief in his truth. He Taught her tc
love him, to trust in him. She had nc
thought of the future apart from him
Mabel, will you kill your friend2"
She looked up al me. her features con
torted and agonized, and with power
ful effort / shook myself free from th'
cold stupor that seemed to paralyze my
whole being.
"Is it true, Mrs. Wilton?" ] asked
in a voice whose sharp, metallic RIM
startled me. "Is Stacy Percival pledges
to Laura? Had he ever asked her to b
his wife2"
"Yes, yes, it is true, and she believe
him faithful. They were to be marrie'
few months hence, but you"
Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-05-19

there didn't happen to be any au-
dience. The lights had been turned
down and the keepers were preDar-
ing to turn in, when a fendiSh noise
in the building set every one on the
lookout, and it wasn't long before
we found that the "Happy Family"
were having as Jolly rev as you
ever saw. | don't knowwhat it was
about, unless it was to get possess
ion of cozy corner in the cage.
Anyhow, they fought it out to the
bitter end, and didn't stop for whips
or sharp-pointed irons, or any other
means we could use. The cage is
twenty feet long and filed with rab
bits, rats, dogs, cats, opossulns, rae
coOns, large number Of monkeys
and several parrots and other birds.
Among the animals is an iehneumon
and gavah. The fight began be-
tween the ichneumon, who wants to
be regarded as the boss of the family,
and very large monkey. The ant
eater is a long-nose, long body and
long-tall animal and generally slow
mover, but he swept about that cage
lively, knocking the two combatants
off their pins and half soaring them
to death. The monkey skirmished
around lively, and several times tried
to take his enemy by flank move
ment, but the ichneumon- would re-
verse his column on a double quick.
Meantime the parrots were scream
ing for help, until the entire family
were engaged in the uprosr. The
terrible racket reused the lions and
tigers in another part of the building
and set them roaring, and then the
elephants came in on the double bass
with their believing. We poked and
whipped the combataut;, but they
seemed to think that we were urg-
ing them, and SO fought the harder.
After a while the other monkeys,
who had been sitting on the perches
looking on and chatting, leaped down
and the melee became general, do
nestle animals, like the cat, dog and
rabbit, running hither and thither
out of the way. The gavah took big
leaps over the fighting crowd, and
showed his long rows of white teeth
whenever the monkeys attempted to
give him aleft-hander. lie evident
| ~ was an able ally of the ant-eater,
and, by distracting the attention of
the monkeys, gave, the ichneumon a
chance to get bis wind now and then.
There didn't seem to be any tire out
to any of them. The fight lasted
over half an hour, and, though saw
age enough, the queer tactics of the
family kept US roaring with laugh
ter. 1t was only by a vigorous use
of whips and long pole l succeeded
in breaking up the fight, but the
ant-eater was really master of the
situation. Then we gathered up the
dead and wounded. Among the
former was an old monkey of large
size, two young monkeys, a Rocky
| Mountain rat and one or two Older
minor animals, while we placed in
our hospital coon with bunged.
up eye, several monkeys who had
been badly clawed about their faces
and a rabbit with both ears pierced
They were a sick-looKing party
Some of the parrots had their feath-
ers pulled out by the skirmishIne
monkeys" Sunday Msrc1rry.