davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19
The Painless Death.

Professor Tyndall, in a recent Holiday
lecture at the Royal Institution, speaks
thus of the painless death by electricity:
"Franklin was twice struck senseless
by the shock. He afterwards sent the
discharge of two large jars through six
robust men; they fell to the ground and
got up again without knowing what had
happened; they neither heard not felt
the discharge. Priestly, who made
many valuable contributions to electric
ity received the discharge of two jars,
but did not find it painful.
This experience agrees with mine. In
the Theatre of the Royal Institution
and in the presence of an audience,
once received the discharge of battery
of fifteen Leyden jars. Unlike Frank.
Inns six men, l did not fall, but like
them I felt nothing. was simply ex
tinguished for sensible interval.
"This may be regarded as An expert
mental proof that people killed by light
ming suffer no pain"
The measured velocity of electricity i
many rhonsAsnd times greater fhan TN
measured velocity of sensation in tn
nerves. Hence the electrical conclusion
reaches the centre of life, without an,
possible announcement by the eye o
ear or sense of feeling. There is abun
dant evidence that death by rifle bal
traversing the brain is for the same rea
son entirely without consciousness Q
pain. But rifle ball is a tortoise CON
pared with the electrical fash.
The Ruhmkof coil places artifcis
lightning in our hands. If society mu.
kill its members, let this instantaneor
doom be substituted for the slow to-
ture and brute violence of the gallow
, Il Providence Journal.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19
Crowded to Death.

He was a middle-aged man when in
1888 he settled near where Portland,
Ore, now is. He had tried civilization
and was wearied with it. He had sold
his little property in the East, and with
a few horses, cows and dogs had thread
ed the dangerous way from the Missouri
River to Oregon, and there, under the
shadow of the Cascades and besides the
beautiful Willamette, paused at last !
and said to himself. "I shall have no |
more trouble; l can stay here with my
dogs, my rifle and my own soul for COM
pany, and none will modest me-" For
awhile he was entirely happy, but at
length one stranger after another made
his appearance, and one morning the
man who had journeyed SO far to be
alone woke up to find that town was
being laid out near his cabin. He called
his dogs, and, remembering beautiful
spot that he passed over on his journey
West, he retraced his steps, threaded the
mighty canyon of the Columbia, and
built another cabin where The Dalles
now is. Here he felt secure. The dis
turbers who broke up his home on the
Willamette had reached him from the
eas. He said now to himself. at will
be years and years before they find me
here" For good many years he enjoy
ed his dream. Game was plenty, the
scenery was glorious, the soil was rich,
and the man, now grown old, was happy.
But one morning as he sat in his hut a
strange sound broke the stiffness, and,
going to the door, lol in the great river
a steamboat was putting against the cur
rent, and in few days another town
was in course of construction around
him. Again he moved, and this time
did not pause until be reached the
| Umpqua country. This was an uttel
wilderness, and he told his dogs that a
: last they were safe. He built another
e cabin and settled down for life. For
) year or two he was undisturbed, but on,
: day some strange men, with strange in
s struments, crossed his ground, stopping
: every few rods, looking through thei
f instruments and taking notes. 1t dis
= turbed the old man little, but at last b
said they were but Government survey
It ors-he should see them no more 70
!. years. But before many weeks a gan
o of workmen came right across his favor
o lite field; they threw up an evenly-grad
j. ed road, and within fort night loco
Is motive came screaming by. Then tn
j, old man gave up. His dogs, too, SCENE
le to understand that there was no more us
N in trying. One after the other died; th
Sc game was driven away, and one mornin
J. as the cabin door of the old man W;
is pushed open he was found dead, and Q
IN the smoky wall, written with charcos
" was found this sentence: "They crow,
to ed me to death" This coast is full
these men. They tried at first the fel
H. competitions of business and failed, ar
IS. then, turning to nature as their on
Is. friend, tried to hide from mankind. V
IF. presume that all new lands are full
of such histories of gentle, kindly iv,
h. which, wearying of and chafng at t
by attritions of civilized life, at last stc
ce away, to live alone for little while al
he then go to sleep.-[Virginia New E
by terprise.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19
Horses. and Mules Eating Dirt.

correspondent of the New York,
Tribune, asks why horses and mules eat
dirt when turned out of close stables, to
which Prof. Low replies:
Most commonly the habit is an indi.
cation of acidity of the stomach, and to
be corrected by improving the digestive
functions. Horses are at special dis
advantage in the matter of stomach
complaints. inasmuch as they cannot
rid themselves by vomiting if anything
that disagrees, and are unable even to
belch up accumulated gas. Then the
stomach is much too small to allow OF
heavy feeding or the formation of much
gas without injurious overdistension;
hence, of all domestic animals the soli-
peds should be fed with the greatest
care and judgment. Like human be-
ings, they have their periods of acidity
or heartburn, and having no opportunity
of taking soda or magnesia, they lick
the lime from their walls or the earth
from their pathway. For temporary re-
lief piece of chalk may be kept in the
manger, but We should seek to remove
the radical evil by giving better tone
to the stomach Feed sound grain and
hay in moderrte amount and at regular
intervals, and don't drive or work hare
for an hour after each meal, lest diges
tion should be impaired.
Give few carrots, turnips, or othe
roots, if available; water regularly, anc
never just after a meal, and put al
ounce of common salt in the food or wa
ter daily. Any existing weakness of di
gestion should be corrected by cours
of tonics such as: oxide of iron, 2 ounces
calcined magnesia, 2 ounces; powdere,
nux vomica, II drams; powdered femme
seed, 2 ounces; mix. Divide into pow
ders, and give one morning and nigh
The habit has been sometimes caused b
deficiency of mineral matters in th
, food grown on very poor soils, but tn
, may be corrected by similar treatmen
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

upon bed of sickness among strangers,
apparently neglected, and near death s
door, By the kind attentions and un-
firing watchfulness of fond mother he
was restored to health and to his below
ed home.
From that time forward the farmer
appreciated the value of, and always took
a newspaper, and paid for it, and con-
sidefed the two dollars which he thus
paid yearly the most valuable invest
ment made of his money.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

The new Sultan has fixed at the fol-
lowing figures the monthly allowance to
be paid to the families of his predeces-
sors: The family of the late Abdul
Aziz to receive in the aggregate an av-
erage of 235, 900 piasters, and that of the
ex-sultan Murad 100000 piasters. A
Turkish plaster is equal to four and one
third cents.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

A correspondent of the Country Gen
tleman writes: II am decided advo.
cate for milking cows up to calving; i.
the milk gets thick, throw it away, but
milk the COW. Always give her to un
derstand that giving milk is her busi
ness, and keep her at it late and early
If she should, by any possible means
lose her life by giving too much milk
she will have lost it in good cause. ant
saved her throat from the butcher
knife"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

A correspondent of the N. Y. World
asks for information as to the origin OF
the phrase the "Blue Hens Chickens" ,"
applied to the Delaware troops during
the Revolution. 1t originated, we be-
lieve, with the cock-f fighting peculiari.
ties of brave Delaware officer, Captain
Caldwell, who firmly maintained that 8
blue hens chickens made the best game
cocks in the world, and whose cavalry
men were admitted to be the best fight
ers among the Continental horse.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

Some fresh recollections of Stonewall
Jackson are contributed to the New
Orleans Picayune: "There was no sham
about him. He hated his foes as he
hated the devil. Both, to his view, were
in the way Of Gods work. When in.
formed ofa charge made by the Federal
cavalry on the Confederate rear, retreat
ing down the valley, SO gallantly done
that the officer narrating the exploi
said he hated to kill them, Jackson re
piled: "No, shoot them ALL do no
wish them to be brave"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

"The English and Americans, says
the Spectator, "are great peoples, with a
genius for mechanical invented, but
they cannot build theatre 80 tha,
spectators can get out of it, or railway
train SO that it can be patrolled from the
outside, or a street so that it shall be at
once silent and safe for horses"
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

A heroic statue in bronze of Captain
Cook, thirteen feet IN height, is to be
erected on thirty-six feet high pedest-
al in Hyde Park, Sydney, where it may
be seen by all the ships which enter the
harbor, in commemoration of the coun-
! try's discoverer.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

: Credit one to the family cat. He lives
at South Carver, Mass, his name is Asa
and the other day, in quest of mice, he
yanked out of an obscure corner an old
etocking half full Of silver coin.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

When a Quaker sends a challenge to
fight duel he says: "If thou wilt eat
twelve unripe apples before breakfast
will do the same, and we shall see who
survives" A
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

An extraordinary report appeared
few days ago IN the British papers of an
explosion and sudden disappearance of
an unknown vessel off Portland. A cor
respondent of the Dorset County Chron-
icle states that when on the lookout at
Portland Hill on the morning when the
alleged explosion occurred, he. saw what
at first appeared long, low, dismasted
ship, with short stumpy jury masts,
about one mile south southwest off
Portland. She looked like a vessel
broken backed, as her stem and stern
were we'll out Of water, and something
like steam or smoke was rising up in
midships. To his surprise, on looking
through telescope, he saw it was a
"monster fish, with head and tail rising
above the swell Of the sea, and the back
nearly down to the level of the water
and what appeared at first to be smoke
or steam was large jets of water, thrown
up like a big whale blowing. The
stumpy masts were immense long fins
All at once, with a tremendous bound
at least thirty or forty feet high, anc
down again almost like lightning, tn,
huge monster disappeared" This state
ment, it is said, is confirmed by Capt
Cosens Gibbs and Mace, who went ou
in search of the crew or fragments of tn,
supposed vessel. They saw can i'm
mense monster of the deep" throwing vi
jets of water and making itself painful,
conspicuous by its eccentric proceed
inPs
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19
Equality of Poets.

Nothing is more foolish than to ask
whether one poet is greaterithan anoth
er. Flame Is fame, and its weight is
not to be determined BY pound and
ounce. Only stupid huekster would
bring his miserable cheeA scales and
try to measure genius by them.
Not only the ancients, buI many mod
erns, have written poems In which the
fame of poetry burns justas brightly as
in the master. work ks of Shakespeare,
Ceramics and Goethe. But these names
hold together as if by secret bond. A
kindred spirit beams from their crea-
tions; an immortal serenity pervades
them like the breath of God; in them
shines the modesty of nature. Goethe
reminds one constantly of Cervantes al
of Shakespeare, and he is like Cervante
even in the peculiarIties ofhis style; il
that easy prose which is tinged with th'
sweetest and most innocent irony. Ever
in their defects, Cervantes and Goeth
resemble each other in prolixity of die
tion, in those long sentences we some
times find in them, and which may b
likened to procession of royal equip
ages. Not seldom only single though
sits in the long extended sentence
which solemnly advances Ee gil
court-coach with six pllmed horse
But that one thought is always of hig
rank, if not the sovereign himself.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19

The favorite plan adopted by lion
hunters in Algiers for Turing their prey
is to select favorable plot of level
ground below a commanding eminence,
where the hunters, armed with rifles,
conceal themselves. A stake is driven
into the centre of the plot, to which a
kid is tethered. 1t is about two in the
morning, and the moon full and bright
About twenty minutes delay, and the
heavy silence of the place is broken by
an ominous sound in the distance. Tits
not quite howl, but greatly magni.
fed imitation of that long wailing cry
of lonesome cat in the dead of night
Then the moon reveals dark objec
among the heavy grasses andshrubbery
and then the form of the king of beasts
whipping his launches with his tufty
tail, and leisurely following the scent
The piteous bleating of the doomed kit
accelerates his pace, and when within
few feet of his victim he crouches dow
to gloat over the prospective meal. H
advances, and with a stroke of his pa,
nearly dispatches the kid. Almos
dead, it attempts to crawl away. The
the lions feline instincts are apparen
He plays with the dying kid as n ca
does with half-dead mouse. While b
10 thus engaged the hunters take stead
aim at point near one of the fore shou
ders or behind his ear. He sends up
terrific yell, and rolls over dead.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-19
Boys are Wanted.

Men are wanted. So they are. But
Boys are also wanted honest, noble,
manly boys. Such boys will make the
desired men. Some one has declared,
and truely, that these boys should pos
sess ten points, which are thus given:
l. Honest. 2. Pure. 3. Intelligent.
4. Active. 5. Industrious. 6. Obedi-
ent. 7. Steady. Obliging. 9. Polite.
10. Neat. One thousand first rate
places are open for one thousand boys
who come up to the standard. Each
boy can suit his taste as to the kind OF
business he would prefer. The places
are ready in every kind of occupation
Many of them are already filed by boys
who lack some of the most important
points, but they will soon be vacant.
Some situations will soop be vacant
because the boys have been poisoned BY
reading bad books, such as they would
not dare to show to their fathers, ant
would be ashamed to have their mothe
see. The impure thoughts suggested
by these books will lead to vicious acts
the boys will be ruined, and their place
must be filled. Who will be ready fo
one of these vacancies? Distinguishe,
lawyers, useful ministers, skillful physi
clans, successful merchants, must al
soon leave their places for somebod
else to fill. One by one they are re
moved by death. Mind your ten point
boys; they will prepare you to step int
vacancies in the front rank. Every ma
who is worthy to employ boy is loot
ing for you, if you have the points. D
mot fear that you will be overlooked.
young person having these qualities wi
. shine as plainly as a star at night.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-04
ReyerieS of Josh Billings.

For ages past the philosophers hav
been crying aloud on the street korners
and hous-tops, but the phools hav alwuss
run the world and alwuss will.
The only spiritualism that haz suck
most fraud in it.
Dandys are quick study; after yu
nav lookt one over, yu hay got the size
Of the whole lot.
After man gets to be 50 years old he
kant form emmy nu habits much; the best
he can do is to steer hiz old ones.
1t IL time enuf for man to laff at hiz
own wit after others git thru.
There liz great deal ov speculashun
that spends its time trieing to untwist
the untwistable; this is like setting down
in wash tub, and trieing to lift the I'M
Efta Bile.
Heaven governs all mankind with 10
short and simple laws, and yet mankind
kant run base bail klub, without at
least 20 ediks, and a perlice offiser to en-
force them.
II IL eazy enuff to play munkey, but to
play it good IL the most difikult ov all
professions.
If you expekt to hav yure opinyuns
respekted mulch among men, you must
keep them backed up with, at least a
quarter Of millyun.
Children who are very remarkable for
what they kno at ten years old, are gen.
orally more remarkable for what they
don't kno at twenty-five.
After man has passed the age ov 70,
about all he kan find to talk about, or
brag on, IL that he haz got more rumatiz
to the squar inch than emmy man in the
naiborhood.
The great mistake that menny make
they seem to think they waz made be-
fore the world waz, instead of since.
The dog that will follow everybody
amt worth cuss.
Thoze people who are trieing to get to
heaven on their kreed will find out at
last that they didn't hav a thru ticket.
Natur seldom makes phool; she
simply furnishes the raw materials, and
lets the fellow finish the job to suit HIM
self. aat H
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-04
Something in the Bed.

Judge Pitman has habit of slipping
his watch under his pillow when he goes
to bed. The other night somehow it
slipped down, and as the Judge was rest
less, it gradually worked it's way down.
ward toward the foot of the bed. After
a bit, while he was lying awake; his foot
touched it, and, as it felt very cold, he
was surprised and scared, and, jumping
from his bed, he said:
By gracious, Maria. there's a toad or
a snake or something under the covers
[ touched it with my FOOT
Mrs. Pitman gave loud scream, and
was out on the floor in an instant.
CHOW, don't go to hollering and
waking up the neighbors," said the
Judge. "You go and get the broom or
something, and We'll fix this thing
mighty quick"
Mrs. Pitman got the broom and gave
it to the Judge, with the remark that
she felt as if snakes were creeping all up
and down her legs and back
90, nonsense, Maria Now you turn
down the covers slowly, while I hold the
broom and bang it. Put a bucket of
water alongside the bed, too, SOS we can
shove it in and drown it."
Mrs. Pitman fixed the bucket and gen
thy removed the covers. The Judge held
the broom uplifted, and, as soon as the
black ribbon Of the watch was revealed,
he cracked away three or four times
with his broom. Then he pushed the
thing off into the bucket. Then they
took the bucket to the light to investi-
gate the matter. When the Judge saw
what it was, he said:
I might have known that! Just like
you women, to go screening and making
a fuss about nothing! Who's going to
pay me for that watch? It's utterly
ruined"
1T was you made the fuss, not me-"
said Mrs. Pitman. "You needn't try
to put the blame off on me-"
90, hush up and go to bed! Pm tired
of hearing your blather. Pears to me
you can't keep your tongue still min
ute. Blame me if [ amt going to get a
divorce and emigrate."
And the Judge turned in and growled
at Maria until he fell asleep.-Mar
Adeler, IN Nea0 York Weekly.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-04
Leatherett.

A substance of comparatively recent
origin, termed leatherett, on account of
its resemblance to morocco leather in
many respects, is to all accounts destined
to assume position of some importance
as a rival of real leather for bottom
Innings of light shoes and slippers. A
corporation is already organized to manu-
facture the article on large scale some
where in New England, and the secretary
has made overtures for proper machinery
in Europe The Shoe and Leather Re
porter says: "Leatherett is composed OF
a strong, fbrous felt, naturally grained,
and is finished in diced work, pebble or
straight grain, patent leather, or IN tact,
any other finish, and any color to re-
semble morocco, and is used for book
binding, belts, boxes, pocket-Doooks or
hat Innings. For bottom Innings Tor slip,
pers, leatherett is coming into use, and
answers the purpose very we'll IN hight
work, and is at least fifty per cent.
cheaper than any other material. The
price, all gummed for shoe bottoms, is
sixteen cents for sheet containing four
and one-sixth feet, or say four cents a
foot The colored stock, not gummed, is
sold at Is cents foot"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-04
An Arrow in a Deer's Heart.
Humboldt Times.

Yesterday great curiosity was placed
on our table-a deer's heart containing
the flint barb Of an arrow. Last Sun
day Mr.. E. Sharp, Of Arcata, was out on
Boynton's prairie on a deer hunt. He
saw large five-point buck, and brought
it down with his rife. Taking off the
hide and securing the heart and other
rare bits, he started home. On arriving
there Mrs. Sharp boiled the heart, and
when the meal was ready placed it on the
table In attempting to cut the heart
the knife struck against something hard
The lady split the heart open, and in the
flesh part the flint barb of an arrow was
found. It must have been there long
time, as the flesh was calloused all
around it, and the scar, where the barb
entered, is plain to be seen. This isquite
a curiosity, as only few such instances
are known to be on record.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-04
BEER MILLIONAIRES.
Tremendous Growth of the Lager Reer
EnduStry---Facfs for Drinkers.


It is only about thirty years since
lager beer came into use in the United
States. The first brewery was estab-
lished in Philadelphia in 1916. Two
years later f. and M. Schaefer intro
duced the business in New York. 1t is
now one Of the most important indus
tries in the city. There are thirty-seven
lager beer breweries in the city and
suburbs, and they turn out over 1,0OO,-
900 barrels in the course OF the year.
The beer made by George Ehret is con-
sidered the best; at all events there is
more demand for it than for any other.
Ehret sold 1921 barrels in 1876; Rup-
pert ranks next as an extensive manu-
facturer, his product the same year being
$4,000 barrels. The Schaefers. who in
PRODUCED the business, sold 45, 900 barrels.
1t is hardly necessary to say that all the
lager beer brewers are Germans. Some
have become very rich, and only a few
have failed in the business. The capital
invested in it is very large. Ehret's cap
ital is about 100000. When he
started, eleven years ago, he had to bor-
row money to carry him over the first
few months. RUPERT has over $3.50, 900
in his breweries, horses, wagons, etc.
He started in the same year, retired on
fortune a few years ago, and his partner
continues the business on a capital of
100000. Altogether the money invest
ed in the brewing of beer in and around
New York is probably not less than
$S,OOO,OOO.
The men employed in the business
earn from S68 to $75 per month, and
have all the beer they want to drink.
Their hours are long, averaging Is out
OF the "A. An employe who doesn't
drink more than twenty glasses a day
IS considered economical. Many 90 up
to fifty or sixty, and there are some who
boast OF capacity for 100. Rupper's
men drank 800 barrels last year at the
expense of the firm. Nearly all the
beer manufactured nowadays is doctor
ed-that is, drugs are used to color it
and tone it up. The business of sup
plying drugs to the beer men has be-
come quite large. Brewers admit the
use OF drugs, but maintain the beer is
improved by them rather than injured.
The different kinds of beer are so well
known that any steady imbiber can tell
at sip whose beer he is drinking
whether it is Ehret's, Ruppert's, Doel-
gers, Claussen's or some other. Some
OF the brewers use Croton water, paying
an immense tax for it yearly, and others
get water from artesian wells. One
firm has a well of this kind yielding
over 100000 gallons daily.