davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
Snow Bucking.

The description of a turn of snow
working which the writer took an
active part in a few winters ago, APP
plies. SAYS Angus St. Clair in the
american Machnist, with some mod
ificatiOns, to all operations of this
kind as usually pursued on North
western railroads. \ division was
badly showed up, and two engines
started out with a large plow to
work toward others similarity en-
gagged. We took along car accom-
m0dations for a gang of shovelers
and a supply of coal for three en-
pines. The first serious obstacle we
reached was a cutting about a quar-
ter of a mile long, filled with snow
to the top of the snow fences, the
average depth being about ten or
twelve feet The shovelers were put
to work cutting a straight face on
the snow bank for the plOw to strike
upon. and deep trenches were cut
on the surface Of the snow at right
angles to the track. We then back
ed with the two engines about a
mile. to take good run. In run
ming at the bank the engines are
worked to reach their highest pos
sible speed. Just before striking
the snow the links are dropped to
full gear so that the engines will ex-
ert their full tractive force in advan-
cling among the snow. Plunging
into solid looking snow bank that
reaches nearly to the top of the
smokestack, tries the nerve of an en-
gineer. But tits like jumping into
a cold bath . hesltating on the brink
is the uncomfortable part. So soon
as the plow touches the snow bank
a dense cloud envelopes the engine,
which makes the cab as dark as the
heart of a tunnel. In doing his
work the engineer must now depend
entirely upon his hearing, unawed
by the tunult of noise that accom-
pany the engines entrance among
the frozen masses. Lumps Of ice
and huge cakes OF snow thunder on
top and sides of the cab steam bliss
es and crackles from the hot sur
faces being hugged by the dense
packed snow a whirl of slipping
wheels makes every joint of the ell
gine groan and clattsr, but the engi-
neer must first grasp the throttle un-
disturbed by the dismal uprear
He must not be appalled, by vio-
lent slipping, or attempt to check it
unless the engine Is working water
in a way TO endanger the cylinders.
This his trained ear can detect
amidst the other noises. By the
exhaust he can tell the moment the
engine has ceased to move ahead,
and ne Immediately reverses and
tries to back out. Sometimes snow
is packed so firmly oyer the motion
that the engine can not be reversed
til it is shoveled out.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
Not for Hennery.

How would you like to have
some fun?' asked the groceryman
of tn, bad boy; Il have got a big
pile of potatoes in the cellar, and.
they are beginning to sprOut. Lets
you and l 20 down cellar and pull
off our coat sand just have a glorious
old time picking those potatoes over
ard pulling off the sprouts. Hur-
rah Come on, and the groceryman
laughed and run his thumb into
the boys ribs and started for the
cellar
mo, not any fun for Hennery,
said the boy, as he looked out TO SEE
if his pa was in sight. Il think too
much fun is not good for boys. If
you want your potatoes looked over
you will have to hire somebody to
do it. Sprouting potatoes is work,
and you can't make it pass for fun,
unless Won strike some fool boy that
don't know you are playing it on
him. You old hypocrite think boys
are fools. Ever since | turned
grindstone for a man once all the
afternoon for fun, and got so tir-
ed | couldn't walk, | have decid-
ed to pick my own fun. When
man unfolds scheme to me to have
fun, and | see it is put up job to
get me to work for nothing and call
it fun, pass" and the boy went out
to see il his pa had got off the car
Peck's Sun.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
Creating a Run on the Bank.

A private banker in a town in
Wisconsin, received a ell few days
ago from a stranger, who deposited
ten dollars, and then turned around
and asked the banker for lone OF
fifty dollars.
why, sir, | can't lend you any
money" replied the banker.
IL think YOU can. Please take time
for reflection"
Il don't want to reflect upon the
subject, si:."
Would a run on this bank dam
age you fifty dollars worth?'
There will be no run here"
Suppose there was?'
1T is too absurd to suppose
Good day, sirl'
The stranger walked outdoors,
and the bank closed for the day.
He entered a grocery and stated that
he was depositor, and asked if the
bank was sound. He entered a
dry-goods store and inquired if the
hard times might not pinch the
bank. He entered drugstore and
offered his certificate OF deposit for
ten dollars. He met a lawyer and
inquired if receiver had been APP
pointed to look out for the interest
of depositers. Next morning he
was at the door of the bank, gesticu-
lating and lamenting, and behind
him were seventy-tive or eighty citi
zens. Before noon the bank was
cleaned out and its doors closed, and
an ex-private banker was skipping
out to avoid being lynched.-WGH
Stree NclUs.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
Cigarette Smoking.

There has been introduced into
the New York Assembly bill which
prohibits the sale of cigarettes or to-
bacco to minors under IS years of
age. a law to that effect already
exists in New Jersey, and its exam
pie might advantageously be follow
ed in other States.
In regard to the results of cigar
cite smoking, physicians say it af-
fects seriously the functions Of the
stomach, especially in the young.
Il has a tendency to increase the ac-
ton of the heart, causing palpita-
ton. 1t is fruitful source of indi-
gestion. 1t has a decided tendency
to produce catarrh in the head. This
it is said, arises from the fact that a
cigarette being much shorter than q
cigar, more of the smoke finds its
way into the mouth and nasal or
gans, a verv much larger percentage
of smoke being inhaled by the smoke
from cigarette than from a cigar.
Cigarette smoking it is averred, has
also decided tendency to produce
asthma, and renders the system
more liable to the attacks of pneu-
monia and bronchitis Inl effects
upon the nervous system cigarette
smoking is said to be in the highest
degree pernicious, both directly and
indirectly. 1t destroys healthy ap-
petite for solid food, and by the
constant expectoration it produces,
leads to a morbid craving for drink.
Ini Try or destruction of the nerves
of the eyes, it is alleged, has been in
hundreds of instances produced by
cigarette smoking.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
Natural ana Acquired Fertility.

\ soil which is naturally fertile is
much more valuable to the farmer
than one which is fertile only by the
help of manure. The natural fertil
ity of the soil, comparatively speak
ing, is permanent quality, and can
only be injured by the continuance
OF an exhaustive system of cropping
for a long time Acquired fertility
is quite n different matter it is due
to the accumulation of manurial in
gradients in the soil, which may be
reduced OF entirely withdrawn by
cropping in a short time.
Continued cropping without ma
nuring results in reduction of the
stock of available fertility in every
soil A soil. however, which is soon
exhausted for one sort of crop may
still contain an abundant food sup
ply for crop of another kind.
Hence the wisdom of a rotation of
crops which long defers the period
of exhaustion.
the more available substances
are, of course, the first to become ex
hausted; a poor soil will wear out
sooner than a rich one; shallow
one becomes exhausted sooner than
a deep one, and a light soil sooner
than stiff one
All soils have more or less store of
plant food in a dormant condition
capable OF gradual development. AS
cropping removes available plant
food from the soil it is replaced more
or less rapidly ty the agencies of the
weather, the action of earth worms,
&c. The processes of natural soil
renovation is greatly accelerated by
artificial means, such as tillage,
drainage and the application of ma
nures. With a judicious system of
rotation of crops and fertilizing, the
active fertility in the soil NAV be
made to reproduce itself year after
year, instead of becoming exhausted
as is too often the case, after long
period of mismanagement.
Mr.. Lawes, of Rothamsted, Eng
land, gives TO the public the results
of an experiment extending through
twelve years. The two crops grown
each year were wheat. The soils
were similar and in the same field, /
the management the same in so far
as culture was concerned, and the
seed used the same The only diff |
ference was that in one ease nature
had been unassisted by manure, and
in the other the soil each year re- I
ceived the fertilizers which were /
found to be most suitable to the crop I
The result of the latter treatment .
was a return of three times the
weight of grain ard four times the
weight of straw, for an expenditure
of manure which left profit of 100
per cent. on its cost.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
WHOLE NO. l7OS.
National Gambling.

Gambling has become large
part of American commercial life.
The bread and meat we eat, the corn
we feed our stock, the clothes with
which we cover ourselves as well as
the investments we make are atfec-
ted by the wholesale gambling that
permeates every part of this nation.
One great reason why England has
developed the wheat production in
India, Australia and New Iceland
to the extent she has is to be found
in the American manipulation OF
the price of grain and the corners
which take advantage of every unto
ward circumstance to speculate upon
the necessities of the people. The
grain corners of 1882, which sent
wheat up to s1.35 in Chicago, drove
the shipping away from New York
and led English importers to seek
cargoes elsewhere, and whoever will
watch the markets closely will see
that the operations of the bulls and
bears of Chicago daily affect the ex
port of grain.
Cotton speculation in the South
is what wheat speculation is in the
West. Fortunately, however foreign
trade in cotton IS simply deferred
by corners, and is not permanently
lost as in the case with wheat. Yet
so disastrous to our manufacturing
interests were the cotton corners Of
1882 that many mills had to close
or work on part time, and although
machinery was as perfect and wages
as low in this country as in Man
chester, exports of cotton cloth for
that year showed an actual falling
off.
Petroleum speculation Is always
like in Pennsylvania and its ada
cent States, the pipe line certificates
acting as the efficient medium of ex-
change. The rapidity with which
old districts cease to yield and new
districts are discovered. make oil
one of the choicest of speculative
commodities. and the sales often
amount to many times the actual
production.
The stock market Is a peculiar
field for speculation, but So com
pletely are stocks controlled by a
few strong operators, that when
Gould and Vanderbilt are quiet small
spectators are periorced idle, aud
prefer to seek other and more huc-
tuatjng markets
The love ofspeculation Is confined
to no one class of persons the coun-
try vies with the city; the farmer
and the bank cashier have their
margins Jumped in the same depos-
it. and the doors OF the bucket shops
are wide open to those who must
have their little deals on the way to
and from meals. The Italian ex-
hausts his mania for gambling on
government lotteries. IL America
we try to suppress the lotteries which
simply take money from the fool
and give il to the sharper, but We
are powerless to reach the gambling
which is destructive alike of private
morals and national progress
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
\ Wedding Ring.

The other day, when a young man
had pulled off two big mittens from
his hands and stuck one into each
pocket and backed up to the coal
stove in "a woodward avenue jewelry
store. he had still sufficient strength
to ask if they kept fpger rings there.
The jeweler might just as well have
replied that he did not, but that fin
ger rings could bo found at any boot
and shoe store; yet he wanted to
make a sale, and he answered:
"We do. What sort of a ring do
you want?"
at is for a wedding"
"Ah Will you have a single dia-
mond or cluster ?''
Il s'pose you'd want two or three
dollars for a real diamond ring ?" re-
marked the lover, as he advanced to
the tray
He was carefully and tenderly in
formed that diamonds had gone up
considerably since they were used
III hls baby rattle-box, and then he
commenced to explain;
Pm kinder down on all such
nonsense as wedding rings. When
a fellow has to get whole suit of
clothes, pay the preacher, come to
town, and ride on the street ears and
all that, it's expense 'nuff. | s'pose,
though, III have to get one
about what price"
On. fifty cents or six shillings or
around there. its kinder gilded
up to last for two weeks, that'll do.
1t hadn't or,er turn rusty under
three or four days, anyhow, as she'll
want to show it off on the street cars.
and all the girls will be handling
it. I'll look at the fifty-cent ones
first.
The jeweler went into a decline.
He declined to admit that he ever
had such a thing in his store. He
further said that ne could hardly be
lieve that there was a young man on
earth who would buy fifty cent
ring to put on TIE finger of his
bride.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
women at a Horse Show.

"The women, bless their little
hearts," said Mr.. Drew, of the Van
Ness House, "the women can be Just
as sharp in trade as the men. One
winter | went up to Richford to buy
a horse. | found it all right, but at
the time | was making trade with
the man who owned it his wife kept
raising an awful fuss about selling
it at the figure / offered. If the
horse was sold. she said, how would
the poor children get to school, she
would like to know they wouldn't
have the horse to carry them, and
it was too far to walk. Finally, how
ever, we made q trade, and | hitch
the horse into the sleigh, but the
horse wouldn't start. / touched him
with the whip, but he merely turned
around and fixed a sad, inquiring
gaze upon me. | touched him again
with the same result. Then / hit
him little harder, and what do you
think he did? He jumped several
feet into the air. / thought / was
going up in balloon. And when
he struck the ground he started off
at regular Maud S. gait. The fact
was, you see, the horse had never
been hitched single before in his
life. And there was that woman
taking on so about selling him be
cause the children would have te
walk to school! 0, she was a sharp
one."
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
A Modern Fable.

A dog, on a warm summer day.
lay down in the shade, and soon fell
asleep. He was awakened by the
noise of huge bull approaching his
shady resting-place.
Get up" said the bull, "and let
me lie down there !"
No." replied the dog, ''you have
no right to the place; was here
first"
Well" said the bull, looking in
nocently at the dog, but with a fe-
rocious twinkle in his left eye, which
made the dogs spinal column run
cold and his lower jaw give way,
" let US toss up for it.
Thank you," said the dog po-
litely, " | never gamble" and he
walked away.
Moral-Virtue has its own re-
ward.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
Cunning niIce.

Up in the garret in our house there
used to be lots of mice. But they
never were any trouble until one
day papa put some corn there to dry
so that he could use it to plant in
the spring. When he went to look
at it, not long after, he found that
much of it had been carried off by
the mice.
So he told me that he would give
me a penny for every mouse | would
catch. was delighted, and imme-
diately got our OlG trap, put some
cheese in it and placed it on the
garret.
The trap lad but two holes, and
so could catch but two mice at
time. But | thought that a great
many, when for three mornings |
had found the trap full, and had
been paid six cents for the mice. /
thought how rich | should be if !
found two mice in the trap on every
morning for a year. But it did
not happen so, unfortunately for
me.
One morning when | went to look
at my trap | found it sprung and
the cheese all gone, but there was no
mouse. | set the trap again. and the
next morning it was the same way
tray sprung, but no mice ..and no
cheese. | told papa about it, and he
was so much surprised that he said
he would watch for the mice the
next night and find out how they
did it.
Well, he went up to the garret
long after had gone to sleep. First
he heard little squeak, then in the
bright moonlight he saw little gray
mouse, with large ears and bright
eyes, looking out from behind a
barrel. Then the little fellow came
out, looked around to see that there
was no danger, and then gave anoth-
er little squeak, when three or four
more came out, and all welt to the
trap, peeked inte it, and saw that
there was m ore supper for them.
But they did not any of them put
their heads in to eat it. The largest
mouse put his tail into the holes,
and, hitting the cheese, sprung the
trap; then he pulled out his tail
got the cheese and shared it with the
others.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
An Example for Us.

The evil from which France suf.
fered in the seventeenth century
our country is enduring to-day, and
it will require prompt measures to
correct it. Our apparently limitless
territory, studded over with forests,
has made US prohigate even to waste
fulness, and we have been in danger
of entirely destroying the greatest Vi
our heritages.
In Prussia and Germany the laws
relating to forestry exhibit the wisest
forethought on the part of the gov
ernmelt, and the people sustain ii
in every effort to preserve what 9th
er generations had well-nigh de
prived them of. These nations set
us an example which it would be
wise to consider. Their laws have
given rise to large system of tree
planting, thinning and preserving,
and also to an enormous literature
regarding arbori-culture and cognate
subjects. Millions oftrees are annu-
ally set out, examined and trans
planted, and great rainfalls and
droughts are obviated, while malaria
from both causes is greatly dimin-
ished. The i'll results of the old, de-
nuding process are rapidly disap-
pearing, showing that Natures cap
ilIary clothing must be respected,
for utilitarian as well as sentimental
reasons.
In the United States the general
fashion of extravaganza prevailing
in respect to forests is largely due to
ignorance. Only lately mas the sci
entitic man impressed upon him of
average intelligence the necessity OF
tree preservation, and the desirabili-
ty of using other materials than lum-
Der for many purposes In which
wood was formerly considered indis-
pensable. The wakening anxiety in
regard to forestry eliminated, Il lit
tie more than a year ago, in the for
nation of what was denominated a
forestry congress, of which Professor
Loring, of the agricultural depart
ment, was elected chairman. Fol
lowing their interesting sessions
were the dissemination Of much in
formation in regard to arbsriculture
in the United States, and the incep-
ton of village and country societies
for the purpose of tree planting
Manhattan.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
DON'T YOU TELL.

IF YOU have cherished secret,
Don't you tell.
Not your friend-for his tympanuu
Is a bell,
With its echoes. wide rebounding.
Multiplied and far resounding,
Don't you tell.
If yourself you cannot keep it,
Then, who can?
Could you more expect of any
Oother man?
Yet you pat him, if he tells it
II he gives away or sells it
Under ban.
Sell your gems to any buyer
In the mar;
OF your wealth to feed the hungry
Spare part.
Blessings on the open pocket,
But your secret-keep it, lock it
In your heart.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

What's become of Pettytog that
uster live here ?" asked a visitor
of Glipin at the store Saturday night
"Ol he's located in a Western
town, practicing law
"How does he get along? Is he
successful ?"
Not very. He has never won
suit yet"
"Whatl Not a suit y
mo. That is. not a whole one
He won q hat on Ohio last fall and
a pair of boots on New York. But
that's as near a suit as he ever got.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

Halls Hair Renewer renews,
cleanses, brightens and invigorates
the hair. and restores faded or gray
hair to its youthful color and lustre.
People with gray hair prefer to use
the Renewer, rather than proclaim
to the world, through their bleached
locks. that they are becoming aged,
and passing on to decay.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

For fifteen years / was annoyed
with severe pain in nv head and
discharges into my throat from Ca
tarrh. My sense of smell was much
impaired. Bv the use of Ely's
Cream Balm | have overcome these
troubles. B. Case, st. Dennis Ho-
tel. New York.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

An indianapolis man, who claims
to know, says that an iron girder
will lose its stiffness under heat
which would not ignite an oak
beam.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09
ANTIpoTE TO MALARIA.

HE FEELS LIKE A NLy MAN.
o. have had Dyspepsia, with Consiipa-
tiou. two years, and have tried ten different
Kinds OF pills, and TUFTS are the first
that have done me any good. They have
cleaned me out nicely. Ny appetite is
splendid, food Gigcsts readily, and now
have natural passages. ! feel like n new
man." W. ID. EDWARDS, Palmyra, %.
odd araryvgIarr nc. DfFiaa. a Murray s. y Y.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

1t is peculiarly the duty of the
white man to be cleanly-he shows
dirt so easily.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

There are 22S submarine tele-
graph cables. all told, some of them
merely connecting islands with the
main shore.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

Character that needs the law to
mend it is hardly worth the tinker
ing.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

Never be above your calling nor
ashamed to dress according to
your means.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

A man should not indulge in Bit
ter speech.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

A striking Iikeness-portrait of a
prize fighter.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

Gentleness and kindness are not
weak but noble and manly traits.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

Il play lone hand" says the one
armed man.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

A ST. Louis physician says the
American race is in danger of total
extinction from cigarette smoking.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-09

Green corn-A young bunion.
Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-11-28

TOTAL 145, 497 1885
Cleveland's majority, 6.lH
St. John aud Butler each got small
vote. which has not yet been tabulated,
and therefore cannot be here given.