davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
The Tan of a Hammer.

The annals of photography afford
many examples of the delirious extent
to which book-fancying can go. In May.
1912, the library of the Duke of Roxbo-
rough was sold The collection con-
tanned a copv of Boccaccio, published at
Venice in 1471. Among the distin-
guished company which attended the,
sale, were the Duke. of Devonshire, Easl
Spencer and the Duke of Marlborough,
then Marquis of Blandford. The bid
stood at 500 guineas. GA thousand
guineas," said Earl Spencer. "And
ten," added the Marquis. You might
have heard pin drop. All eyes were
bent on the bidders. Now they talked
apart, now ate a biscuit, but without
the least thought of yielding one to
another. The contest proceeded until
the Marquis said: "Two thousand
pounds. Then Earl Spencer bethought
him of waste of powder, when Lord
Althorp came to his side as if to bring
his father fresh lance to renew the
fight. Father and son whispered to-
gether, and Earl Spencer exclaimed Z:
1.-TWO thousand two hundred and fifty
pounds p An electric shock went
through the assembly. "And ten, -
quietly added the Marquis. There
ended the strife.
The spectators stood dumb when the
hammer fell The stroke Of its fall
sounded on the farthest shores of Italy
The tap of that hammer was heard in
the libraries at Rome, Milan and Venice
Boccaccio stirred in his sleep of hundreds
of years, and M. Van Praet groped in
vain among the Royal alcoves in Paris,
to detect copy of the famed Valdarfer
Roccaccio
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
Tree Growth and the Flint Lock,

! A correspondent in the Chicago Inter-
Ocean says: I see it stated that the
growth of a young tree never gets any
higher from the ground, but think I
can cite two positive facts to the con-
!rary.
/. Some person put circular flat stone
about two and a half inches broad and
one and half inches thick, tapering to a
round edge, between forty Or fifty years
ago, into the crotch of an apple tree, and
when it was put there the top of the stone
was about level with the crotch of the
tree, and now on one side or edge of the
stone the wood is five or six inches higher
than the stone, and on the other side of
the stone seven or eight inches higher
g. Forty-six or forty-seven years ago
my brother hung about six inches of a
deer's horn in the crotch of a beech tree,
and the tree was cut down last winter,
and the horn was imbedded in solid
wood which had united eight or nine
inches above the horn, so that if another
horn had been hung in the same place it
would have hung eight or nine inches
above the first.
A few words in regard to the flow of
sap in the maple tree: !
When maple tree is cut into to get
the sap, in order to make sugar, the sap
will flow up and down until the warm
weather will stop the flow. The flow may
be checked in the upper part of the tree
first, because it will be effected by the
heat first. After the sap has done flow
ing in the spring there will be no per-
ceptible flow up or down until the tree is
frozen again. The leaves of the tree
don't put out until after the sap has done
flowing perceptibly.
Now little in regard to the old flint
lock. When was boy used to play
with flint and jack knife, with which I
produced sparks, the largest of which
would fall perhaps two feet from the flint.
Now if these sparks had been caused
by burning gas, think they would have
gone up instead of down. Our theory
for the sparks going down, is the flint
pares off small particles of steel, which
are heated by friction. Now if the atmos-
phere of the earth and sun are so dense
as to cause such tremendous repressive
force the moon having to pass through the
atmosphere of one or the other would be
retarded in its motion. As far as we are
able to observe, the earth's atmosphere
has tendency to retard the motion of
anything passing through it.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
Black Birch for Furniture.

Black birch is rapidly coming into
favor. Black birch is close-grained,
handsome wood, and can be easily
stained to resemble walnut exactly. II
is just as easy to work, and is suitable
for nearly, if not all, the purposes to
which walnut is at present applied.
but the latter wood is now scarce, and
consequently dear. It is with difficulty
that cherry wood can be obtained at $50
a thousand feet, while birch wood can
be purchased at any saw-mill for 81 per
thousand feet. When properly stained
it is almost impossible to distinguish the
difference between it and walnut. as it is
susceptible of beautiful polish, equal
to any wood now used in the manufac-
ture of furniture.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17

IT Is asserted by NJ. Emile de Lave
leye that the worlds available supply of
the so-called precious metals is rapidly
diminishing, and, while it may not soon
become exhausted, the time cannot be
far hence when it must become inade-
quate to meet all demands upon it. 1t
can hardly be hoped that the lack can
be filled by new discoveries for any ex-
tended period, as the quantities existing
at the earth's surface can at best be but
very limited, although vast masses prob
ably exist in the inaccessible interior of
the globe. 1t is computed that the world
is five times as heavy as an equal vol
ume of water, while the rocks of the
earth's surface only average two and
one-half times the weight of water. 1t
follows from this that the still molten
center must contain q great amount of
very heavy substances. With water as
unit, the specific gravity, or compare
tive weight of gold is about 10, plati-
mum 21, and iridium %, silver teing but
10 and iron g. When the globe was in a
liquid state these metals would have had
tendency to gravitate toward the GEN.
ter, and those of exteme density now
found by us owe their appearance near
the surface to volcanic agencies. The
great bulk must yet remain near the
center
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
How to Lift a Thousand Pounds.

Dumb-bells weighing not over five
pounds each are recommended, which
should be used regularly every morning
an evening for half an hour for a year.
By this time it will be found that the
muscles of the arms, legs and body will
have increased very much and become
exceedingly firm and hard. When this
condition has been acquired, then, and
not till then, can a man think of lifting
heavy weights for if he cannot get his
muscles and nerves in this healthy con-
dition he can never become LITTER, even
with years of practice, as it takes
strength as well as slight to lift heavy
weight. Some very good authorities
recommended lifting at the commence
ment, adding that "you must not lift
too much" But how can inexperienced
hands tell what is too much before they
find themselves permanently injured?
After the years exercise with dumb
bells or otherwise, as previously sug-
gested, then a man who is not ruptured
or otherwise injured can commence n
systematic course of lifting, starting with
not over one hundred pounds, which he
can lift as many times a day as he is
disposed to do for one month. He can
then add another fifty pounds to the
weight to be lifted during the second
months exercise, and so on, adding an
addi ional fifty-pounds weight each
month for twenty months, then he will
be able to lift the great 1000 pounds
without any danger of iniuring himself.
This is general rule, and a result any
man with a sound body can reach if he
only follows the prescribed course. and
never tries to overd the thing. II the
weight will not come mp without too
much strain, stop, for it is too heavy
for Won at that point of your training.
To lift correctly and without danger
person must stand erect, the heels on the
same line, the tows turned ont, the shonl
ders thrown back and the body resting
squarely on the hips-the arms hanging
down by the sides. The legs should
then be bent merely enough to enable
the hands to grasp the handles or rings
OF what you are to lift; then lift by
merely Strengthening the legs. and not
by the arms or body. If you have to
strain, and the weight does not come MP
freely, then YOU are attempting too much.
and should try lighter load When
you have become strong enough to lift
one thousand pounds you are in reality
a strong man. and should be perfectly
satisfied to let well enough alone. for
| of all who attempt to exceed that point
| there is not one man in one hundred who,
at some time or other, does not injure
him self for life. Some few do not, but
they are rare exceptions - Exchange.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17

genuity more nearly exhausted its re-
sources than In the numerous contr1v-
ances for performing the various COM
plex operations of the farm And these
ingenious contrivances, and this deli
cate machinery is not made to op-
crate in well protected factories,
but to endure the rough, heavy
work of the field. Every year brings
the impression that the possibilities of
further improvements are exhausted, yet
each year produces its novelties. Are
the resources of inventive genius mex
haustible? This machinery is not only the
work of great intellectual strength and ac-
tivity, but those who use it are not ig-
norant slaves or thoughtless Doors, and
the readiness with which it is sold is
high compliment to the intelligence
of farming community. Farmers
not only understand an improve
ment in farm tool. but they pretty
accurately measure its importance, and
soon become expert in the use of
it. If farmer gets new imple-
ment with which a hand can do
double the amount of work in q day that
he could with the old one. the proprie-
tor can afford to divide the profits with
the laDorer, anu Dotn De Denenteu- IL
is misnomer to call our improved
implements "labor-saving machines. !"
They render labor more productive but
labor is as much in demand as before.
Indeed, it is the rule that where farm
tools are clumsy and poor and labor is un-
productive. there it is but poorly paid
and but little IN demand. AS implements
improve, labor becomes more productive,
and being worth more, higher wages are
paid. This rational solution of the labor
and wages problem is wholly misunder-
stood in Europe where the implements
are resisted by the laboring classes.
Where a man will reap all day for twenty
cents, a self binding reaper is not neces-
sary; but the proprietor can better
afford to pay the man who operates the
binder 81 day than the man with the
sickle, twenty cents.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
A Sioux Bill Of Fare.

One of the peculiarities of the latest
United States style of feeding the noble
red man is the fact that he is given
government rations, and at the same
time appropriations are made which are
supposed to maintain him.
Sometimes a wild Indian who don't
know much about groceries and how to
prepare them for food, comes in and
draws his regular soldier ration in this
way. For Instance, up in the Sitting
Bull country, an Indian came in from
the warpath who had never seen any of
the pale-face style Of food, and drew his
rations.
He made alight meal of green unground
coffee the first day, and as he overate,
and the coffee swelled on him, he had
difficulty in buttoning his pants around
the pain that he had on hand.
He felt very unhappy for a day or two,
but laid it to the fact that he hadn't
exercised much, and the consequent
ennui and indigestion resulting there
from.
As soon as he had succeeded in getting
the interior department. quieted down a
little, he tackled his ration of candles.
These he decided to parboil, in order to
avoid trouble from indigestion. The
| dish was not so much of a glittering snc-
cess as he had anticipated, and as he re-
morsefully picked the candle vic king
| out of his teeth with tent pin, he made
some remarks that grated harshly O the
aesthetic ears of those who stood near.
He then tried meal of yeast powder
with vinegar He ate the yeast powder
and then took pint of extremely potent
vinegar to wash it down.
At first there was a feeling of glad
surprise in his stomach, which rapidly
gave place to unavailiLg remorse.
A can of yeast powder in an indiana
midst don't seem to be prepared for a
pint of vinegar, and the result of such an
unfortunate combination is not CRAFTY
ing.
Every little while a look Of pain VIZ uld
come over the features OF the noble child
of the forest. and then he would Jump
about seventeen feet and try to Ii tx a
cloud out of the sky. Then he W. >uld
sit down and think over his past life
It took about @ week for him to get
back to where he dared to get up an
other meal for himself. Then he
fricaseed couple of pounds of laundry
soap and ate that.
The earnest and occupied look, ti,e
troubled expression of the countenauce.
followed by the quick, nervous twitchine
of the muscles of the face and then the
swelling up of the body, the bursting OF
the suspender button, the deep drawn
sigh and the smothered cuss word, all
betoken the gastric agitatian going Oh
within.
An Indian prefers a link of bologna
sausage and two-year- old dog to the
high-priced groceries SO common to ou1
modern civilization. - L0riaaie City
Boomerang.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
The DISCHARGED Convict.

In places where they have convicts
who serve out their sentences it really is
puzzle to know what to do with them.
In the crude theory of the law they have
"paid the penalty" of their crime, and
have atoned to society for the injury
done. In the quite as crude theory of
the philanthropist they have reformed,
wholly or partially, and have parted with
the moral twist that made them crimin
ais. Under either theory society ought
to start fresh with them; but society
does nothing of the kind Nor is society
much to be blamed The fact that a
man has been found so dangerous to the
welfare of the community as to require
enforced seclusion is not an encouraging
one to those who are seeking honest,
faithful service. Philanthropy some
times says, "give the poor fellow a
chance" though self-interest says,
"better not risk it." And philanthropy
has so often been i'll repaid for giving
| chances that self-interest is less inclined
than ever to "risk it."
Yet something must he done with the
released prisoner. He must live, and
| if he is not permitted to earn his living,
society must support him. There are
cases, no doubt-many of them, We fear
where the discharged convict, hon
estly intending to lead better life, has
.een prevented by the distrust of society
and the consequent liability to earn an
honest living.
A convict was released from Sing Sing
after serving sentence of fourteen
wears. He lett prison with IS in his
| rocket, and when he reached New York
he had 81 left. He sought work at
various quarters, but everywhere the
story of his fourteen years imprison-
ment was against him. Nobody wanted
to employ discharged convict SO long
as other help could be procured. Fin
ally he went to the office of the New
| York Prison Association and asked for
relief. The agent knew him, and knew
that he was discharged convict, one of
the class for the relief of which the
association was organized. He had neg
lected, however, one of tine preliminaries
He had not, while in prison, enrolled his
name as one of those who wished to be
| helped at the expiration of his term.
He thought then that he would need no
help, being abled- bodied and having n
told him also that he was starving. He
begged not to be sent away and that he
might be helped to the opportunity to
earn an honest living. But the agent
was powerless. The rule of the associa-
ton was inf xible aud SO he was sent
away. The next day he forged check
and was arrested while trying to pass it.
He was promptly tried and convicted
and is now back in Sing Sing under
sentence for four years and six months.
It may be that there is no feasible
method of dealing with such cases !; but
unless it is absolutely certain, no effort
should be spared in devising one. The
present method is very costly to society
and quite as unsatisfactory from the
humane as from the pecuniary point Of
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
Soldiers and Sailors Homesteads.

The first requirement is that the per-
son has served for ninety days in the
army, navy, or marine corps of the
United States during the rebellion, has
remained loyal to the government, and
has been honorably discharged. The
next privilege such soldier or sailor has
is, "such homestead settler shall be
allowed six months after locating his
homestead, and filing his declaratory
statement, within which to make his en-
try, and commence his settlement and
improvement. The time the settler has
seaved in the army, navy, or marine
corps shall be deducted from the time
heretofore required to perfect title or if
discharged on account of wounds re-
ceived or disability incurred in the line
of duty, then the term of enlistment
shall be deducted from the time hereto
fore required to perfect title, without
reference to the length of time he may
have served: "But no patent shall
issue to any homestead settler who has
not resided.upon, improved, and cultivat-
ed his homestead for n period of at least
one year after he shall have commenced
his improvements. No matter what
persons say who solicit the privilege of
locating homesteads in the name of SOL:
diers and sailors, at considerable expense,
when there is no prospect of settling on
the land selected soldiers and sailors
will observe the important requirement of
at least one gears actual bona ytfde resi-
dence and cultivation of the homestead
Respecting the ive-year homestead,
the homestead law says: By making
an entry an inceptive right is vested in
the settler, and his final title depends on
hsresidence upon, and cultivation of, the
land embraced in his claim. This resi-
dence and cultivation must continue five
years, unless he was soldier or sailor
in the late war or if he prefers to pay
for his land, or at private entry, he may
after six months settlement and cultiva-:
tom make the necessary proof. This
early payment is called committing
homestead entry. Such homestead set
tier IAN ex-soldier or sailor) shall be al
lowed six months after locating his home
stead, and fling his declaratory state
ment, within which to make his entry
and commence his settlement and inn
provement. Another point is covered
by rulings of the department, as follows
After soldier has resided on his home
stead long enough to make his military
service five years, further residence is
unnecessary to secure patent
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
TUE MARKETS,

HG w ia WGN6 ~
rfoHs1Fsney G5nelFmas s. ao@7 seTTSs s.; famy
patent, s. sOGs so. Rye -four, s. 5o@6 90. Buck, @
red, by sample, 81 40; Mediterranean 81 41@A =;
amber, 81 SIS. Corn-No. white, &c, on traSk;
No. 2 mixed, es@ss14e:;, No 3 mixed' 5s@oocaS ;ss
45sl@4se. RyeMNo. 2, 81 05; No. 8, 81 Of. Barley
fall s. se@a r. 90 extra a1;ms MG osei o Hs;
SIS 5o@1s 90. Hemp-Rough Kentucky, $l25@
1so per ton s H@gGm%pSn 81 so@S so pshns psim
Chickens, s. oo@2 Is per doz.; ducks, 81 so@2 40
Per doz TURKEYS S6 per ab clear
SEEDS Timothy g g; clover s1z@@s5e asss spsa!
standard s9S .sans' ioatS Tallow, re hsEy'
81 0s. Wool Unwashed fine merino, 22@2se;
fleece washed, s5@sec FRUIT AND yEGETABlEs;. s;..
Northern 81 1898 rs; cranberries, s. oo@3 so per
BUSH Potatoes, 81 oe@l o5 per bush for Burbank M
choice e,i Eastern. Turnips, 81 5o@2 90 per brl.
NEW YORK.-Flour-Commo to good Western
and State s. oo@5 7s good good to @ choice 50 so9s 90;
Ungraded winter red, 81 2o@l 49, No 9 red,
81 $50; No red, new and old, 81 40@1 42133 No
white, s. s7@1 s7ss; No. / white, s. 5S1a@l Al.
7s314c.; low mixed, zoe: oats-White Western, 4s
| @54c Mess pork. ST so. Lard, 1114@11.279c.
| CHICAGO.-Flour-Co to fancy Minnesota
| spring wheats, S. 25@7 rs; fair to choice winter
Sc % Chicago fHsy DiRasT sprns s. s.
| do, 81 1s1S. Corn, 5s7sc Oats-No. mixed,
4s5zc. Reno: 2, s412e. Barley.No, spring, ng
fardwPrime L dOI, M, steam, 1o.s5c whisky, 81 Il.
tang, nGglSs 3 75ss ootsos; IS
| white, 7oc.; No. mixed, Csc. oats-No. white,
gar-cured hams, 13s49l4c. Whisky, 81 os
| fancy 81 so: Minnesota patents IS 259S so; win
ter wheat patents, s. 1898 80 Rye -four, $ 62Ag
Ge sse oassNo 5 c. Mess porf
SIS 90. Smoked hams, 1s1a914c.
NEW ORLEANs.-Flour-Dou IS 75@
saases ss xhss oas
Mess pork, SIS 90. Lard, l2s121ac.
| BALTIMORE.-Wheat-N 2 winter red, 81 3s1
Mess pork, sl7 IS. Whisky, 81 II.
ToLEDo.-wheat-No 2 red, 81 351a. Corn
High-mixed, 61s4c; No. mixed, 6oc' oats-No
| mixed, 1876.
| INDIANAPoLIs.-Whc 81 SO. Corn, 57@5Sc
for new. Oats 42945Hc.
LIVE STOCK.
CINCINNATI.-CArrLE-C Common, 81 1872 so
fair to medium, 81 1913 %; good to choice butch
stockers and feeders, 50 25@4 90 Hoss.seleete
paeker ena s @ eo@mon a s
stock hogs, s4 ooa4 5o common Light & pigs, sS 5oa
| 4 90. SHEEP-Common to fair, u 2593 50, an
| good to choice, "a 0094 Co.
4 CHICAGO.-Cattle- - Good to choice shippin
\ steers IS 60@6 so; common to medium 81 00M5 25
half breeds and native steers, So 9o@4 60. Hogs
| Light or bacons, s5 G0@6 90; common to goo
4 mixed packing IS 50d6 05; good to choice heav
shipping or packing, Sc 2o@6 60; culls and grasser
/ 50 60@5 20.
4 ST. LOUIS Cattle = Native butcher steer
s. 25@4 Is; grass fed Texans, 81 5Og4 25. Hogs
| Very light shipping, IS 00a5 40; Workers an
4 Baltimores s5 76@5 s.; common to good mike
1 packing grades, IS 35@6 90.
l LIS.-Cattle-Shipping cattle, SO
4 @6 90: butchers, 81 25@4 10; stockers and feet
/ ers, e. 5O@4 90. Hogs-Packing and shippin
| IS 40@6 20. Sheep-Common to choice, &3 0094 I
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
The Unreasonable Hen.

A hen is most inconsiderate and
unaccountable creature. Now that she
can lay eggs worth three cents apiece,
she takes q vacation and refuses to have
anything at all to do with business. By
and-by, when chicken seed are down to
fifteen cents n dozen, she will put on
extra help, and even work nights to flood
the market The hen is no fnancier.-
Springfield Union.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17
ALLOWANCE OF SUPPLIES FOR AN ENTER


TAINMENT.
Allow one quart of oysters to every
three persons present. Five chickens,
Tor what is better ten pound turkey
boiled and minced) and fifteen heads OF
celery, are enough for chicken salad for
fifty guests one gallon of ice cream
tc every twenty guests; one hundred
and thirty sandwiches for one hundred
guests, and six to ten quarts of jellies
for each one hundred guests. For q
company Of twenty, allow three chickens
for salad; one hundred picked oysters |;
two molds of charlotte russo; one gallon
of cream and four dozen biscuits.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17

PRoF. RAoUL PIoTET, of Geneva, is
engaged in working out n problem in
marine architecture, the proper solution
of which he believes will effect revolu-
tion in ship building. His object of
study has been the construction of
keel which shall cause the ship to glide
over the water instead of pushing Its
way through. The resistance of the
water to the passage of vessel is in
this way reduced to minimum. He is
now experimenting with keel upon this
principle.
The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-17

A CERTAIN peculiar plant is known in
New South Wales as the ''shoeblack
plant. The flowers contain large pro-
portion of a mucilaginous juice, which
forms an excellent substitute for shoe
backing, producing a brilliant polish
This juice is used by Chinese ladies' for
dyeing the hair, and it is said that in
Java the flowers are really used for
blackirz slaoes.