davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
A Tremendous spider story.

\ correspondent writes from
PIainyiew to the Chicago Inter
Occ1R:
The following facts trarspired on
the farm OF an honest old farmer,
about two miles from the town Of
Plainview: Last Monday morning,
on entering his barn, the farmer
found, to his great surprise, his pet
bulldog and old eat and her kittens
suspended from the cross-beams in
his barn. On examination he found
them to be suspended there by a
cord about the size Of common wrap
ping cord. the fiber Of which much
rcsembled silk, but proved. however,
to bc a spiders web. at first he
thought the kittens, which We're on
the hay Just above the beams, had
accidentally dropped into the web,
and the old eat, following the in
stinct OF her matornalnature and en-
deavoring to rescue them. had her
self become entangled. As to the
situation of the bulldog. he thought
he had been trying to get at the cat
while in her trouble, and had him
self to succumb to the same fate as
the cats, but he atterward came 10
the conclusion that they had been
picked up by the spiders as they
wentabout seeking whom they might
devour.
The farmer went out to call in
some neighbors 10 witness the mar
velous scene, but imagine ms sur
prise when, on his return, he found
a sucking colt ascending to the web,
having been encirclcd by two differ
ent fibers, one just before his hind.
and the other Just behind bis foge
LEGS, he was being drawn up by the
spiders. When the colt had been
drawn up five or six feet, q spider,
apparently well yersed in physiolo-
", came down one Of the fibers and
began boring for the spinal cord,
Just between the atlas and the axis,
as ] have seen small ones do with
flies. but the farmer was unwilling
to sacrifice the colt for the benefit of
scientific investigation, and so he
was rescued.
The spiders were then taken from
the dovecote and killed. One meas
ured three and one-half inches in
length, and weighed one-half pound.
They are Of a dark brown color,
with a light stripe down their backs,
strong, active and ferocious. Sever
al men of good repute in this section
are willing to testify to the above
facts.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21

Ali you do not know how much
courage a. woman needs who makes
UP her mind to be always plainly
dressed: you do not know what IN
Vulnerable and irresistible tempta-
tons she is obliged to resist every
moment. To be wise with regard
to dress Is TO besublimc. Topass by
an attractive shop and to see hung
in the window a fascinating toilet
that excites your admiration to
devour this charming prey with your
ewes to build all kinds of castles-in-
Spain with regard to it; to dress
yourself, in your mind, with It's CO
quettish laces, its gay ribbons, and
TO say to yourself;
Il viii put two rosettes in my
hair; the white ribbon will serve for
the scarf, and | viii use the lace for
the waist and the sleeves"
And then suddenly to tear your
self violently away from such culpa-
bic thoughts, to reproach yourself
about them, as though you had been
committing a crime, and then to
fly courageously and heart-broken
away from the temptation, without
even stopping to ask its price This
requires more strength of soul than
to wage in terrible combats. A re-
mark which we heard the eother day,
made with tone Of stoical resigna-
ton and noble humility, seemed to
us to equal the egrandest words of the
antique Spartan and Roman hero
ines. 4 woman was going to ball,
to magnificent fete, and she was
busy selecting materials forher dress
from quantity of soft, shimmering
silky stufis, which her eyes were de-
vouring with delight. She asked
the price of them it was very high.
Then pushing them sadlyaway with
the tips of her fingers, she said with
sigh:
Its too dear-I viii wear my
old dress"
Ny old dressi Do YOU feel how
much sad resignation lies under
those words ? 1t is enough to bring
tears to ones eyes.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
i nest Of Ra,tlesnakcs.

Zebulon Martin and his son Char
les discovered nest Of rattlcsnakes
near Hcnry's Bend, SIX miles from
Oil CITY, q short time ago. They
were removing a large pile Of stones
under which the reptiles were con-
cealed. There were nearly sixty Of
them, all coiled up together. They
resemblcd az first large ball Of
black rope. After the stones had
been removed. the sun shining upon
them revived them. They were
covered with whitish slime. which
had exuded from their bodies. Mar
tin poked the mass with q long pole,
when thev became thoroughly
aroused. and lashing their tails in
fury, glided over each other with
surprising agility, their mouths
wide open and their forked tongues
protruding. After considerable cx-
ertion, the snakes were killed with
stones. The largest had seventeen
rattles, which were cut of by the
father and taken home as trophy.
Thereare several other piles Of stones
in the vicinity which will be over
hauled, as it is supposed more rep
tiles will be unearthed.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
WHOLE NO. l5l5.
Brcad-sialzins in spain.

The bread in thc south o; Spain
is delicious it is Us white Is snow,
close as cake, aud vet very light ;
the flour is most admirable, ior the
wheat Is good and pure, and the
bread well kncajed. The way they
make this bread is rs follows :
From large. long panniers filed
with wheat. they take out q handful
at time, sorting it most carefully
and cxpeditiously, and throwing
every defective grain into another
basket. This done, the wheat Is
ground between two circular stones,
as it was ground in Egypt two
thousand years ago, the requisite
rotary motion being givenby a blind
folded mule, which passes around
and around with untiring patience,
q bell being attached 10 his neck,
which, as long as he Is movement,
tinkics on and when it stops he IS
urged to his duty by the shout Of
"arra mUla' from some one within
hearing. When ground, the wheat
is sittcd through three serves, the
last of these being so fine that only
the pure flower can pass through it ;
this is Of q pale apricot color The
bread IS made in the evening. 1t Is
mixed with sufficient water with q
little salt in it. TO make into dough ;
q very small quantity OF lcayen or
yeast in one batch of household
bread as in Spain, would last a week
for the six or eight donkey loads of
bread they send every day from their
oven. The dough made, it Is put
into sacks and carried ON the donkeys'
backs to the oven in the centre Of
the village, to bake it Immediately
after kneading. On arriving there
the dough is divided into portions
weighing three pounds each. Two
long. narrow wooden tables on tres
ties are then placed down the room,
and q curious sight may be seen.
About twenty men, bakers, come in
and range themselves ON one side OF
the table. 4 lump Of dough is
handed to the nearest, winch he
begins kneadingand knocking about
with all his might for about three
or four minutes, and then passes it
ON to his ne!ehbor, who does the
same, and So on successfully until
all have kncaded It. whcnit becomes
rs soft as new putty and -aiy for
the oven. OF course. as soon as the
first baker has handed the first lump
to his nciehbor, another lump is
given to him, and $50 or until the
whole quantity of dou.l IS kucaded
by them all The baE wives and
daughters shape the 5aves tor the
oven, and some of them are very
small. They are baked imu -diate-
lv.-Col0rody fumo.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21

Admiral Porter is Il man OF the
quietest habits. He never goes to
the Navy Department, and really
does little toward the actual COM
mand Of the navy. He Is, of course,
Inspector-General of the Navy, and
has q board of officers who inspect
every ship when she goes out or
comes in. Examining the reports
of his officers and giving orders con-
stitute the larger share OF his work
He has Il secretary and a staff Off
Ger, who come every day to his Of
flee, and their duties, no doubt, are
quite onerous. The admiral is not
one Of your early risers lie IS
much like all other good people who
live long, except in the matter OF
early rising. He generally tnrns
out chow easy it is TO become nauti-
cal , about eight or half-past eight,
and by nine or ten he Is in his of
flee. The latter part ofthe day he
is less busy. and he viii smoke Il ci-
gar with friend in his free and
easy office with entire freedom. He
sticks close to his house. and is rare
" seen in the streets. Ho owns
GOOD horses. but when he is out he
is as likely to be in his daughters
pony phaton as in the dignified fam
ilv carriage He entertains hand
somely, but mostly at dinners. He
goes out only enough to keep him in
the circle of society. Inappearance
Admiral Porter has not Il military
air, and he looks no more like an
old salt than any business man. He
is about five feet nine inches high,
with a figure well knit and straight
and Just stout enough. He weighs
about $50 pounds His full trained
whiskers are turning gray slowly /;
his hair is full and black, with d
few hairs (too many) turning gray
here and there. He is not 4 particu-
lar striking man, butif youtalk with
him YOU viii find that he reads and
thinks, and that his ideas are nearly
as right as they can be. He is now
sixty-fve years old, but he looks 10
years younger. He has been engaged
for several years in writing a his
tory of the navy during the war.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
raE HUT on THE vAcaxrLor.


We live IN hut on "a vacant lot.
Father, and mother aud 7;
lis away up town, aud dre.,ry sp1;,
With old stone quaTics close by.
Father Is lazy, and mother She drinks,
And am ragged and thin;
And look like thief f3r rs hari 10 b
pure,
When circlci around with sin.
'Fis desperate place, sliis vacant lo.-
\ resion Of famine and woe;
The la5orers found q st.slnsled child
IN the quarry, not long ago
And father is sometimes ont all day.
Ard comes staggering home At night,
Wish money and things thathehidcsawar,
For he never came by them right.
Mother IS always at me to steal,
And ugsiag her plea with curse:
She tells me to sneak through the eig
crowds,
And pocket a watch o- parse;
And father beats me because Lsay
That Ia rather any day die;
/ never have robbed, ana never VIII rob
and TH tell you the reason why,
There came to our hoyel, thrcc years ago.
\ man, with swe,t uild face,
.tad be held a holy bool, in his hand,
That nc tried to read in our place
But mother she sworcat the mild-faced man,
And drove him out of our den,
And told him never, as long as he lived,
To darlcn her door again.
But something made me follow the uan-
think lac bccsoncd 10 me
And ne led me down to quarFy's cleft
Where none of my people could see;
And he read me things from the holy book,
That never had heard before
Aad somehow a peace came over my heart,
And it didn't feel half SO sore.
They may curse and hea: nae as much Is
they like,
know what they don't know
/ know that things in the cad caa, rzht.
For those that suffer below.
No matter how ragged and hungry I am.
With 30 one 20 Ike or TO love,
know there's a vacant lot fo- m2.
IN the beautiful land above.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21

utive departments in placing the
civil service on a better basis. Ex-
perience has proved that with our
frequent changes Of administration
no system of reform can be made ef-
tectiye and permanent without the
aid of legislation.
Appointments to the military and
naval service are so regulated by the
law or custom as to leave but little
ground for complaint. It may not
be wise to make similar regulations
by law for the civil service, but with
out invading the authority or neces-
sary discretion Of the executive, Con-
gress should devise a method that
will determine the tenure Of office
and greatly reduce the uncertainty
which makes that service so uncer-
tain and unsatisfactory. Without
depriving any officer Of his rights as
Il citizen, the government should re-
quire him to discharge all his official
duties with intelligence. efficiency
and faithfulncss.
To select wisely from our vast pop
ulation those who are best fitted for
the many offices to be filed requires
an acquaintance far beyond the
range OF any one man. The cxecu-
tive should, therefore, seek and re
ceiye the information and assistance
Of those whose knowledge of the
communities in which the duties are
to be performed best qualified them
to aid in making the wisest choice
The doctrines announced by the
Chicago convention are not the tenn
porary devices of a party to attract
votes and carry an election. They
are deliberate convictions, resulting
from a careful study of the spirit of
our institutions, the events Of our
history and the best impulses OF our
people. In my judgment, these prin-
ciples should control the legislation
and administration of the govern
mcnt In any event, they will
guide my conduct until experience
points out a better way. If elected,
it viii bc my purpose to enforce
strict obedience to the Constitution
and the laws, and to promote as best
| may the interests and honor of the
whole country, relying for support
upon the wisdom of Congress, the
intelligence and patriotism Of the
people, and the favor Of God.
With great respect, / am very
truly yours. J. 4. GARFIELD.
To Hon. Geo. F. Ioar, Chairman
of the committee.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
Heat on Building-Ssonc.

The powers Of the various kinds
Of huilding-st0nc to resist pressure
and atmospheric influences are well
known, but there scarcely ever oc-
ours an extensive fire which does
not emphasize the need OF better In
formation as TO the effect Of heat up
on stone. This need Hiram 4. Cut
ting, State Geologist Of Vermont,
has undertaken to supply by q SER
les of experiments, the first result of
which Is to confirm and give exact
ness 70 the general impression That
granite is a poor heat-registcr, and
the second 90 show that there is
wide choice-even in granite-iu
this respect. He tested twenty-five
specimens of the best known quar-
rics. and found that while an were
unaffected bv the JOO' of heat. damn
age usually began at 600. was serious
and frequent at 500, and at 1,0UO',
al the specimens were ruined, the
stone from Mount Desert standing
the test perhaps better than any
other He gives it rs his opinion
that the effect Of water on heated
granite is rather apparent than real.
The importance Of this information
is very great, especially 60 builders
and insurers. In spite Of these hints.
this favorite stone viii probably con-
tinuc to be used in "iirc-Prooi
buildings, and possibly without SER
ious danger, if it is only used iu
very solid walls, but to use it In
buildings supportingcolumus. cspcc-
iallv within the walls, is only 10 in-
vite the cutting of the whole interior
Of the building is fire should break
fut
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
Teach The Reformed Man n Use His
VIII.

Undoubtedly the wills OF men do
become weakened by vice. But q
VIII that has become weak Is only
strengthened by using it, and YOU
do not encourage q man to use his
will by telling him that he has no
viii to use. Everything ought to
be done that can bedone 10 strength
/ his self-respect and his sense ofman-
liness. lie must be made to feel
that he Is not simply a helpless pas
senger drifting upon currents that
he can neither stem nor cross, but
that he is on deck, and that his hand
IS on the helm, and that it IS for
him to chose which way nc VIII 90.
Undoubtedly he win need the di-
vine help after hc has made his
choice but the divine help pcomes in,
not as a substitute for his choice,
but to supplement his power And
we have a perfect right to say to the
most degraded man that if he viii
only use what manhood he has
left God viii help him to overcome
temptation, and that he never need
go back to evil ways.
OF course there is need, also, that
such men should be surrounded by
good influences. and shielded from
temptation as far as this can be done,
but it is quite impossible wholly TO
guard men from temptation, and q
method which relies on this must
always fail. A vast amount oflabor
that has gone to the building of de
fenses to keep temptation away
from men. might better have been
employed in Strengthening the man
hood of men 10 meet temptation.
Both kinds Of work must be done /;
but we think that the right
proportion has often been missed,
and that the effect of much of the
current teaching has been too debili-
tate rather thaninvieorate the moral
energies ot the fallen
OF course this has been done with
purest intent, by men and women
who have proved their sincerity by
ardUous labors and painful sacrifices ;
by men and women whose earnest
| ness and purity have won our APP
plause. Their only fault Is cxaggera-
ton Of an important truth. Fallen
men are weak, and ought TO be
/ CONSIDERABLY dealt with but you
can overstate the truth in such q
way as to do them great injury.
The error must if possible be avoid
ed. They must be taught that they
have moral power, and that they
| are responsible for the use ofwhat
they have, and that Gods grace Is
waiting to make up all their dcficien-
cies. They must be taught that a
return 10 the ways of vice Is not
unfortunate but wicked that the
man who has resisted temptation
for five Years, or one year, or one
month, las proved himself TO have
the power to resist il for q longer
period and that therefore his fall
is a s ~ Of guilt as well as weakness.
4 And instead Of the gospel of imbccil-
itv they must hear every day the
stirring call Of the prophet Of Che
( lord; SHOW yourselves men
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
NapOicon's Watch.

The watch which the Prince I'M
perial wore when he was killed, and
which is nov in the hands Of the
Zulus was worn by the first Napo-
leon through most of his campaigns,
and afterward to the end of his life.
1t kept very Indifferent time, but
the great emperor would never wear
any other than this, which he pur-
chased at Marseilles when he was
but poor lieutenant of artillery.
Napoleon III. wore this watch from
the day he was named Prince Presi-
dent until the day Of his death at
Chiselhurst; and it is picturesquely
related that in 1870, Just when he
was about to put himself at the
head of his troops, the watch sud-
denly stopped. He was supersti-
tious, and this incident served to de
press him for days. Afterhis death,
his widow gave The watch to her
son
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
Don't Interrupt, a statesman.

When q statesman is at work pre-
pairing ana inipromptu speech be
doesn't like to be disturbed, but the
other day an orator who lives in the
rural districts had a hard time OF It.
He had Just sat down to write an
oration. when his wife came in and
told him the hogs were loose, roofing
up the front ward OF course g
statesman couldn't 20 on; and hut
them MP, So hc said
Wen, whcn the hired man comes
IN tell him Co take care OF them
His wife went out as one door and
as he picked up his pen his daughter
looked in at another door and sand:
Papa, the hogs are in the front
yard.
1Yes, ! know It" said ne. never
mind, and she left.
The cook came In and said
Mister, the hogs IS out and rais-
ing the mischief.
He was tired of hearing this news,
and wanted togoon with his speech,
and he replied
Don't YOU mind thc hogs, girl
90 To the kitchen.
She went. and his mother-;n-law
entered and said
Those hogs are out tn the yard
and they look love.vth thera
This quite ear1 a.m. and ae
cried
~What the devil can I DO with
those hogs
Shut 'cm up ~
Woman, If you think im going
90 stop writing an appeal for honest
government, to go and chase hogs,
you'rc mistaken. Leave mci
And she wentotf muttcriUg
~IIorrid brute
Once more the tormeuted states
man turned to his speech audwrotc
three words, when his son burst I'm
and cried
~Oh, dad. the hogs Is loosc
This was tO0much. The eur1ecd
man got q barrel stayo and the sound
of It's falling could be easily heard
above the sighings Of the unhappy
lad who was eventually sent To bed.
Once more the speech was resumed.
when % neichb0r entered and re-
marked
Squire, l thought I'd come and
tel You your hogs are out.
DO YOU own property liableto be
damaged by these swinet
No. sir.
Then begone and learn TO med-
dlcnot with your ueighhor's at
fairs.
Sir, / didnt come here to be IN
suited.
~Gct out, and the neiehbor re-
tired in advance of a pocket pistol.
Then the statesman discovered
that he hadn't time Co commit the
piece 20 memory. but must run for
the meeting, and when he arrived
there he asccrtaincd that % man
when writing is apt to put down
what some person was saving tohim
as his own thoughts, for hc read
from his notes these opening words;
Friends and fellow hogs.
And after hc had announced that
the country was in danger because
he wasn't going 90 chase hogs and
chat his mother-in-law was q witch.
and that the cause OF liberty de-
mands a government OF hogs the
crowd began to hiss and his friends
took him home and put him To- bed
as drunk, and the next G3v he cAIs-
ed local editor an over town lor
publishing the sDeCch.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
Tire White Ho-se.

Perhaps the biggest horse In Che
world IS the white Horse. Of Bcrk-
shire. England. tis0nehUndredand
seventy wards long 10 the end OF
the tlil. II Is figure cut IN the
side ola hilL 4 long way OFF il
looks as though drawn I'm chalS
lines. but the outlines are really deep
ditchcs cut IN the soil, and kept
clean and free from grass BY the
people, who take pride in it. lie
bitches are SIX yards wide, and two
feet deep. The eve of the hors IS
four feet across. and the ear is fifteen
wards long. 1t can be seen for
sixteen miles. When the tme
comes TO clear out the bitches. the
people make a sort of picnic OF it.
pIay all sorts of rustic games anc
have fine times. Who made the
White Horse, or what for, IS not
known. It is very old.-N C. Aes-
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21

~ r, q ) WEEK in your own town, anG no cap
" 4. itGi risked. You can give the business q
AHsl ltriai without expense. The best Oppor-
fnftt ftunity ever offered for those wiling tc
Y " work You should try nothing else untii
yuu see ior yourself what yoa can 90 at the busi-
ness we offer. No room 20 explain here. 1ou can
cevote all your time or only your spare time TO the
hasiness and make great pay for every hour that
YOU work. Women make as much as men. Semi
Tor special private terms anil particulars, whchwe
inasi free IS Outfit free. DOn't complain OF hard
times vhile you have such a chance.
Address II. HALLETr, Portland, Maine.
June II.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
EyXECUToR's NOTICE.

Fstate Il Tobias shaTer, late or Somerset Twp.
deceased.
Letters tcstamcn:ary on the above estate having
been granted 10 the undersigned by the proper au-
thorty, notice IS hereb given to all persons in
dchtcd 10 said estate 20 make immediate pay
ment and those having claims against II TO pre-
sent the same az the ONCE OF Jas Il. Pugh. Som
crset Pa on or before Saturday. July IL, 1880.
JAS. l.. PUGH.
Executor.
CAROLINE TIBBY,
iune , Exeeuirix-
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-21
4 Search Warrant.

allows an officer 70 60 through your house from
cellar 70 garret, and LinGsev'S Blood
Searcner is warranted 10 20 through your sys
top to toe and drive out all blood diseases
It's cures are wonderful and certified 10 by doctors,
preachers and people. ScrofUla, MercGrial Dis
eases, Erysipelas, letter, Ulcers IN the Lungs or
on the Skin Boils Pimples, &c, we warrant II 10
cure. II is n purely Vegetable Compound and
Powerful Tonic. For sale by all Druggists See
that our name Is on the bottom OF the wrapper
K. Z. SELLERS s. CO., Prop'rs, Pittsburgh, Pa
C. n. BOYD, hgeat Somerset Pa.
Sept p, ls7o 1y.