davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23
Much addicted to That HABIT.

The Rev. Mr.. Bum is remarkably
eloquent and witty member of one OF the
New England Conferences of the Metho
dist Episcopal Church. He has peculiar
drnwl, which adds much to the mirth
provoking character of his sayings. He
is withal, exceedingly bald and much
addicted to smoking. When he preached
Blank the young men of his acquaint-
ance used to chat him great deal for the
sake of drawing him out. One day he
was asked how it happened that some
men grew very bald at SO early an age,
while others were well covered.
"Well, said he, "some peoples heads
run to air and some to brains"
At the Nortbport camp meeting one
day brother was walking about in the
woods, meditating upon sermon, when
he saw smoke curling up from the roots
of large tree that had been leveled by
a storm. Mounting the trunk, he crebt
cautiously along and peeped over the end.
There sat Bro. B., pulling away at I. ID.
pibe. The good brother was very much
shocked, and hailed him with, "Hello,
Brother Bunn Are you offering incense
to the devi!2"
Bro. Bum slowly lifted his eyes to the
intruder's face, settled bat into his old
positi n, and drawied out, "Ya.as. But
| didn't know he was so near"
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23

John Atkinson welded Lucy Abbott In
Ohio and went to the war. Letters grew
scarce, finally ceased altoge her, and Lucy
gave up John as dead. Then John Geven
married her; they had three children and
Gsveu died. Mrs. Atkinson Geven's mex
husband was John Collins, n bad one, and
Mrs. Adkinson-Geven. Collins returned TO
her mothers home. Receatly she received
a letter from her first husband, NV living
GU. on the frontier, and for whom she has
kept reserve of affection. At the close
at the war be heard that she was dead,
and at once enlisted In the regular army.
where he has remained. Hearing Of her ex-
is,ence and vlcissitudes, he wishes to re-
sumo. She IL willing. All the men she
has married have been named John, and
It IL understood that she r. marks that In
the matrimonial game she has held three
Jacks.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23
A Chance for Big Foot.

He was hollow-eyed and seedy, with the
general appearance of Giving dead man "
His gait was queer and hating, and as he
paused near street corner IN Boston and
leaned up against friendly lamp-post, a
spasm of pain crossed his weather-beaten
features, and he groaned aloud. 1t was
then noticed that he had on a pair Of new
shoes.
Gagged stranger" remarked a svmpath
etic observer, "you appear troubled"
'Is 1t troubled ann" replied the old
man. "Be-gorra, an I'm kilt entirely.
Sure, an it's the wust job | liver shtruck. j"
"And what is your employment" asked
the philanthropis..
"My implement, /, ilp Sure an I've
joost TUX the job ter break in shoes fur a
fust- lass shoe shtore, an its takin the
sowl out Nv me iDtirely. ARA musha!
but its tough"
So say ing, he groaned deeply, glanced
ruefully at his feet and limbed painfully
away.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23
He Got or

els your name White?" asked the court
of an old man who hmptd out with u cane
which had lately been cut in the woods.
"Hey?"
"ls your name WhiteP"
"Hcy?"
s.Seems to he deaf" observed Bjah.
81 gcess he is. Shout in his ear. p"
Bliah got his mouth close down to the
old mans ear and shoulad:
"Ship ahoy!'
"Don't you insult mel" cried the pris-
oner as he jumped back and fiourished his
stick. "If you come near me again Ill
knock your head Off
"You got drunk !" shouted his honor,
"H-y2"
"You-got drunk y
"ColJ day Yes, SO it is p
"Bijah, you may take him to the DIOR
and let him go. The law doesn't demand
that yell my lungs out TO question q
deaf prisoner. Give him to understand
that he had better leave town as soon as
possible.
Bijah led him to the corridor door anC
began to motion.
"Was sent up?" asked the old maA
Bljah motioued some more.
~ was, chi Well its an outage tC
send me to prison!"
Bijah IN ,tioned for him to skip.
"Aud you are glad on it, Ell! Well III
take that grin off your face before go
Take that! Ano that"
And the old man whscked bin sound.
with his stick and pulled the door opel
and skipped down the street like a rabbi
against time.-DetrOn Free Press.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23
A Saics,,sam's Optsstos.

We sell lots Of pocket mirrors to men.
No matter how they look-they want u
pocket. mirror oil the same. They retire
eyery hour or so to =, me secret place 10
admire themselves. Talk III the vanity vt
women, indeed 1t pales, sir; II fade
away Into insignihcanc" b, c"mparis n
with the admiration the majority OF men
have for their own mus. Why, there
are some half.a-dozen who, entertaining =
great respect for my critical judgment OF
physical beauty, step 10 here every day to
inquire how they are looking. Then II Is,
Am pale to-day, JimP' or DO you think
my color Is too high, Jimr or, That left
eyebrow Is growing u tribe heavy; don't
you think I'd better have 1t trimmed Oh a
bit1 If / say, Your color il too high,
my friend Is of to the BARRIERS for dab
Of powder or--but ;hls l. IA dead secret
we accommodate him in his shop II he
Is too pale we Iiuge him ny It's w'ndrr-
full, positively wonderful, slr!' "BuC
there are different degrees oi va ,lty among
these male beauties, are there notf mo,
sir there Is bu one degree, and that Is
the superlative, but there are din rent de-
grees of candor. Some are modest, aud
will declare hat their nustaches or beard
are always getting tangled Now, there's
good looking blonde railroad agent on
-streei, who bought small mirror
from me the other day, which he keeps in
his breast pocket. He is a glutton about
his personal beauty, he is; but real
estate man, fair. stout young person,
whose office is near him, has foun out
that he has this glass, and brgs the loan
of it dozen times day. The percentage
of those who carry pocket mirrors Is smal
amoug ladies, but ely II out of every dozen
men have one in tn vest pocket"
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23
Death of Vanderbilt.


William II. Vanderbilt WIS stricken
with anoplcxv Tuesday afternoon the sth
inst. and died almost instantly. lie was
in TN, library ef his Residence in Fifth
aNruuc M rho time. and WAS sitting in his
eaSv chsir and converSinr with Mr.. Ro-
hort Garrett President of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railway. and M to the very
moment of the attack was apparently in
his nsnal health and spirits Not n hint
or a nomrnt's warning did either he or
hi, family have that his health was in So
prccarions condition. He was stretched
dead ON the floor at his guests feet al
most ms suddenly as though his brain had
been pierced by a rifle bnllet
Since 1851, when he suffered a shock of
PARALYSIS. not long after the sale of 250.-
900 shares ofNcw York Central. his health
had been a matter of almost constant
solicitude with his family. but for several
months recently he had been better and
brighter, He frequently spoke of the inn
movement himself, and was often CON
graduated upon his hearty appearance.
lie chung tenaciously to life. and often
said of late that by the time he was 50 he
wonld be reiuvenated and set out on AN
other long life lie was "a when he died.
DIR. McI.ane. his medical adviser said
that tnr eanSr of Mr. Nanderbilts death
was clearly apopleNy. He had never be-
fore manifested any symptoms of an apo
plectic tendency. however, and the attack
was complete surprise to the Doctor. II
merely showed. he said that the blood
vessel, of the brain had become brittle.
and under the stimulus of hearty meal
and OF animated conversation one Of them
had broken.
Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt died
Jan. l. ISL. lie had been sick for year.
and his death had been so long expected
that it caused no shock in the financial
world. Long before he died it had been
known that The railroad lines under his
control would he kept intact after his
death. and that VIM. IL, Vanderbilt: would
be at their head. The roads. with their
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23
CLIPPINGS.

"Bromley, I'm in an awful humor this
morning. l had bad quarrel with my
wife" "I'm sorry to hear you say that,
Mr.. Darripgtr. But 1t can be remsdied,
don't you think? You have only to offer
the pipe of peace, you know" "Oh, hang
your pipe, Bromley The whole trouble
was about a pipe 81 did Mt know you
smoked" 81 don't. 1t was the stove
pipe that smoked"
"No; l never could RENE mber anec-
dotes," said busy merchant TO man of
leisure who called on him at his Office;
give too many other thugs TO think Of
"That's queer; why could sit right down
and tell you stories for week, without
stopping" "Indeed! Will yon excuse
me, as l am going out now2' "When will
you be back?" "In about a week. Good
day!"
The boundary between Massachusetts,
and New HAMPSHIRE has been In disputn
100 years. No strictly legal line exists. lie
l74l The Kin. of England directed repre-
sentatives of both provinces to jointly
make map, in accord with some general
directions, but Massachusetts did not
obey, and New Hampshire did the work
al me. A strip OF Merrimac va Hey ls the
doubtful ground.
The center of population is moving
rapidly westward. 1t is now little to
the south of Cincinnati, having long since
crossed the Alleghenles- The movement
has been about A 2 miles west for every
mile south. In 1890 the movement wesl-
ward will probably be even greater, and,
so rapid has been the settlement of the
Northwest, that the center of population
will be farther north than 1t present.
One of the neatest retorts ever made 10
Cambridge, Mass.,-not a bad soil fr
good things,-was brief response lately
given BY young lady to An undergraduate
who offer d ner, with some hesitation, his
seat 10 thu borse-car. She got 10 with
an elder companion. The Car was crowd
ed, and Two Joung men eat nesr. One
gave bis seat 1T once to the elder lady.
The Other kept his place. His friend ask
Ct: Misunderstanding it, however. 10 Ger.
man-why be did not give bis place 10 the
young lady. He answered, In the same
language, because she Ia not pretty
enough" After a little reflection, how.
ever, be, too, rose, aud surrendered bis
seat. The young lady took II, and thank
Cd him-in German.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23
an optical Illusion.

Remarking upon the apparent phenom-
enon of the unusual large size of the sun
and moon, in rising or setting, Stroobant
points out the common error that Inter-
veniDg objects enable an observer to
better estimate the real size of the heaven
ly bodies, In that the same effect il visible
at sea, aud indicates the fallacy Of several
other theories There are, he asserts, two
real causes of the phenomenon IN question,
both purely physiological-one, the great
er sensitiveness OF the eye to angular
magnitudes near the horizon; the other,
direct feet of the feebler light IL the
enlargement of the pupil, which, it would
seem tends to magnify objects, even when
artifcially produced. Thus it is shown
by experiments that the distance between
two luminous points within room suffers
the same apparent change as In the con-
stellations, when, without altering the
distance from the eye, the altitude is
gradually increased.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-12-23

The captain wss . very religious man.
Tho cabin boy was ordered up to be
whipped for some misdemeanor. Little
jack went crying sad trembling. and said
70 the captsin: 'sPisass, cir, will you wait
till say my prayefss~ EYES," was the
stern reply. "Wsll, then" replied Jack,
looking up and amlling tRiuDphantly, I'm
~ thsq Whea 81 ashoee.s
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-12
WORK OF THE COURTS.

4 Hog Thief Sent Up for Twelve Months
How Rebecca Mcqueen Got Rid of
Her Husband.
On Feb. 81 last a trio of negroes, among
them Simon Brown, stole hog from VIM.
Terrell, in the western part of the cOun-
ty. Brown was arrested and committed
for trial on a warrant charging him with
simple larceny. The other negroes were
not apprehended. The trial of the case
against Brown took place in the Superior
Court Yesterday, and the jury found the
prisoner guilty and recommended him to
the mercy of the court. He was SEN
fenced to u months Imprisonment, with
hard labor on the chain-gang.
On Feb. a negro named Nanny Bee
got into an alteration with an old cOlored
man on the Ogeechee named Charles
Davidson, and it was alleged made an
attack upon him with knife. Bee was
arrested on warrant charging him with
an assault with intent to murder, and at
the trial, which took place in the Superior
Court yesterday, the jury returned YER
dict finding the prisoner guilty only of an
assault. He was sentenced to 10 months
WITH hard labor on the chain gang.
On Aug. 4, 1881, Rebecca ii. Mcqueen
and George Haywood, both cOlOred, were
married in this county. Not long ago
Rebecca discovered that her husband, at
the time of his marriage to her, had a wife
living. She thereupOn brought suit in
equity to have the second marriage set
aside. The case was tried yesterday, and
the jury, after being out but few min
utes, returned verdict in favor of the
plaintiff, and annulling the contract.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-12

value to the officers OF the county who
are charged with the collection of taxes,
and will assist them to add large sum
to the annual revenue of the county.
The application of John B. Smith, Ed.
BanBou. B. Wilson, Mrs. Magdeline VIII
ham, John Meyer aad 7. Remge for license
to retail liquor, were granted.
The application of the st. Joseph's mir
mary for an appropriation for the year
1885 was granted.
The communication from the Commits
sioners of Ungranted Lands relative TO
the making of a survey and preparing
map of Chatham county was referred 10
Commissioners LawtOn and DOrsett.
The petition of A. L. Hartridge and
n. hers. requesting that the private road
leading from the rear of Beaulieu to the
pOfnt where that road intersects with the
bubble road leading from Montgomery be
made a public road, was referred tn Com
missiOneis Estill and DOrsett to examine
and report, and with authority to employ
the County Surveyor to assist them IN the
matter.
The report of G. Bourquin and others
with reference to the petition requesting
the Board Of County Commissioners TO
reopen the old road commencing at toe
end of the Telfair road and leading to the
city, was referred back for additional in
Us ~ tue ll1IA VI h6f
The applications of Mrs. Sauls, Madi-
son L. Jones and Harriet Dallas for coun-
ty aid was granted. That of Catharine
Counts was referred TO Commissioner
Estill.
The general presentnent Of the grand
jury of the Superior Court for the Decem-
Der term was referred to Commissioner
Casey, Dorset and LawtOn.
An election for Jail physician was or
dered to be held on April s, 1885.
The Clerk was authorized to draw his
warrant on the County Treasurer In favor
OF John Williamson, Esq, the Treasurer
Of the Board of Public Education, for the
sum of $1,000 on account of the public
school fund for the year 1884. He was
also authorized to draw his warrant on
the County Treasurer for the sum of $500
on account Of the county poor for the
month of April, 1885. Accounts amount
ing TO $14,4 l5 - were passed for payment
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-12

VIM. b. Adams, Esq, was Yesterday
re-appcinted Notary Public by Judge
Adams.
Hon. j. E. Dart, of Glynn county, was
in the city yesterday, en- route to Wash
ington.
John Dawson has been elected a direc-
tor of the Central Railroad in place of K.
B. Reppard, resigned.
Henry TAYLOR, President of the Planters
Rice Mill Company, was elected a men,
Der of the Board of Trade yesterday.
Hon. John Reilly, a prominent New
York politician, accompanied by his wife
and niece, is stopping at the Pulaski.
Judge Speer called at the Superior
Court room yesterday afternoon, and was
invited by Judge Adams to a seat with
him on the bench.
Among the arrivals at the Pulaski
House yesterday were: GeOrgeJ. Barlow
and wife, Mrs. Lancaster and Miss DE
COe, New York; Mrs. j. &. Buchanan,
Cincinnati; Mrs. n. G. Mylette, Salem,
Mass; Mr.. and Mrs. Ed. Avery, Mass. (;
Mr.. and Mrs. John Bi0ran, Philadelphia;
John b. Bunce and wife, Hartford; Mrs.
DIR. GRAY, Washington, ID. G. At the
Marshall House were &. G. ESty, Farm
ingham, Mass; John III. Brown and wife,
New Hampshire; A. B. Vail, Mrs. &. Il.
V. Ladd, Vermont; DR.. and Mrs. Brown
ing, Philadelphia; j. p. Collins, Mobile;
q. b. French and daughter, Philadelphia,
William II. Wright, Hopkintra, Mass; j.
r. Carter and wife. New Jersey; Mrs. A.
III. Craig, South Carolina; G. b. Pratt,
Boston, Mass. At the Screyen House
were Charles Fl. Wier, Mrs. and Miss
Pennington, Baltimore; Louis Benjamin,
New Orleans; J. 5. Lightsey and wife,
Waycross; X. G. johnson and wife, Wash
ingtOn, ID. c.; Mrs. and Miss Robinson,
Philadelphia; Miss Abby Howell, James
Flanagan and family, c.. II. Tenney,
Mrs. Kingshead and daughter, New York;
George IL. Poor and wife, Warren Shaw
and wife, Massachusetts,; CaptC H. Colt
and family, Hartford, Conn.
---...,,. = ~ To,.., .-o-.L g.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-12
). q. EWERY, SCI. 5. q. [. 5


Toe Catholic Knights Of America VIII
meet at their hail tonight.
Zerubbabel Lodge, Free and Accepted
Masans. viii meet tonight.
The grand jury Of the City Court will
meet tomorrow afternoon at / O'Clock.
There are now Il prisoners confined in
the county Jail and ll6 in the chain-gang.
The savannah Mutual Loan AssOcia-
lion viii bold its fOTty-nint1 regular
meeting az Metropolitan Hall tonight.
Tho handsome horn chair rallied last
night AZ George Schwarz's was tie be-
tween ~. r. Watts and L. ID. Millen on a
throw Of 40
TIE steam barge Cumberland, from
Norfolk bound South, put into Taggarts
wharf Yesterday for the purpose OF coal
ing. after which sic will proceed on her
voyage.
The condition Of W. +. Smith. who was
seriously. and. it was feared, fatally
injured bv a fall at Mrs. Ives boarding
house on sunday night, was unexpectedly
favorable last evening.
A letter written on March Q has been
received by the Ordinary informing MIN
that negro named Edward Brown, who
was committed TO The lunatic asvlum
from this county had died from the effects
- chronic dysentery.
The Merchants and Mechanics Loan
Association met last night and loaned
$1,000 as follows: $4,000 st 40 per ceLt.,
5000 az 4Ols per cent, 81, 600 at Al per
cent. and $1,000 at 4 per cent. The Pu-
Iaski Loan Association loaned 81, 600 at
.3It per cent, $1,000 at 81 per cent. and
81. 900 at 30 per cent.
The County Commissioners yesterday
declined tOagree TO the mol pressing Of the
case against Sluman and Daniels, the eX-
superintendent and an ex-guard OF the
convicts, who are under arrest for assault
ing one Of the guards at the camp.
A negro yard hand, while switching an
engine on the Ocean Steamship wharf
yesterday afternoon, met with a serious
accident the wheels of the locomotive
passing across the calf Of his LEG, COM
pletely sayering his foot. The unfOrtu-
nate man was conveyed to the Georgia
Inhrmary, where he was given surgical
attention.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-12
MASON POUND GUILTY.

An Ex-Deputy Marshal Fined $1,000
and Sentenced to Six Months In Jail.
At the sitting OF the United States Dis
trict and Circuit Courts yesterday, the
sase or BENJAMIN +. Mason, charged with
demanding and receiving money under
threat Of informing for violation of the
internal revenue laws, was called for
trial. The NEWS has already referred to
The case. Mason was formerly Marshal
al Miileu, where he lived. some
time last year he obtained an appoint
lnent as Deputy United States
Marshal. which he held for a
short time before bis commission
was revoked. About a month after his
removal from Office he went TO Augusta
looking I'D technical violations Of the iu-
ternal revenue laws and in obtaining
hush money from such parties as he
could catch under threats OF informing
against them. lie succeeded in his efforts
IN that direction on Washington Ander-
son and a Mrs. Beechner, Of Augusta.
Amer both Anderson and Mrs. Beechner
had Maid him the money they
reported the matter 10 U. ,.
Commissioner Levy and the District At
fornev. who instituted a prosecution
against Mason and an alleged cOnieder-
ate named Collins Cochran. Mason was
indicted under the statutes for falsely
representing himself as a revenue officer,
and frauduIentlv eXtOrting money as
such. upon which he was tried at the
last term Of the Circuit Court and ae-
quilted. the witnesses for the government
having testified that Mason represented
himself to be United States detective,
and that he did not say he
was a revenue officer. The District At
tornev had. however, fled an information
against him under another section OF the
statute which make it crime to obtain
money under a threat Of informing, and
on this he was convicted at the trial yes
rerday. The prisoner was sentenced to
six months Imprisonment in Chatham
county jail and to pay fine Of $1,000 and
the costs Of the prosecution. TIE SEN
1ence Of the court was One-half of the
maximum penalty provided by the statnte.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-12
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The Business Disposed of at the Semi
Monthly Mestin

The Business Disposed or at the semi
Monthly Nesting.
The regular monthly meeting of the
Board Of County Commission was held
Yesterday at the court house, with Chair
man Il. ID. Walker presiding, and Com
missIoners LawtOn, Casey, Estill and
Dorset IN attendance.
Commissioner Casey, who was elected
Vice Chairman Of the Board ut the previ-
Gus meeting. when the organization was
perfected begged leave to resign the office
and DR.. W. 5. Lawt0n was elected Vice
Chairman.
The reports Of the County Treasurer
and Of the officials in charge OF the respec-
tive departments Of the convict camp
were received as information.
4 resolution adopted by the Commits
siOners OF Drainage on the part Of the
City Council at meeting held on Feb. p
was referred to Il special committee of the
board with instructions to confer with the
Commissioners of Drainage.
a communication from Isaac Beckett,
ESQ.,. offering to classify the various
tracts of land in the city and county
whereby the Commissioners will be
enabled to ascertain what real estate in
the county is subject to taxation, etc.,
was referred to Commissioners kstill and
Dorset. Mr.. Beckett has for
a number of years been making
an examination and review
Of abstracts of title to all the lands in
the county, and in the prosecution OF the
work has classified the contents OF nearly
10000 pages Of the public records. In
this way he has become familiar with
great deal of the property subject to tax
alton. His proposition to the board will
enable them to ascertain what real estate
Is subject to taxation, and what parties
holding or owning such lands are re-
sponsible for the payment of the taxes at
this time. To make the work complete
necessarily entails great deal OF labor,
but the result will be Of incalculable
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-12
Saw President Cleveland.

A telegram was received by gentle
man in Savannah yesterday from New
York that caused considerable stir in
business circles. While it was of conf
dental nature, we got a good enough
glance at 1t to learn that Mr.. Ben. Il.
Levy, of the leading clothing house of B.
II. Levy Il Bro, 1879, 19l and 1913 Con-
gress street, witnessed President Cleve-
lands Inauguration and got fine view OF
the future ruler of Democratic destiny.
From Washington Mr.. Levy went to
New York, where he is now selecting a
Spring Stock of Gents, Youths and Boys
Clothing that will just about crowd out
anything ever shown in Savannah. During
the seniors absence some amazing
bargains are being given to clear out the
balance of Messrs. B. H. Levy & Bro
Winter Stock of Suits, OvercOats,
Furnishing Goods. etc. Call and put
your own price on whatever you may
Adj,