davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
Given Zoo Mans orportunltle..

81 tell you," he said emphatically,
something has got TO be done, or the
so called business men Of this age viii
wreck the country. It's an outrage, sir,
an outrage upon honest men that the
scamps should be given the opportunity
that they are given under the present
system"
whats the matter now?7 the excited
man was asked.
matter, sir, matterw he exclaimed.
''Why, you can't tell whom you can
trust. You find a man in a responsible
position, respected and looked up to by
society. and before you have time to say
to yourself. He's all right. he's cheated
YOU in horse trade or skipped out with
some trust funds. You can't trust any
one, sir. They're all looking for a
chance to get the best of you, and they
don't care how they do it. Look at the
case of the 'Steenth Street bank. Solid
as rock yesterday and today its doors
are closed. It's a swindle, sir-a down.
right swindle, and I'll wager that If the
truth were known it would be found
that the officers have been speculating
with the funds or something of that
sort
"Did you have any money in the bank.'
''Well, ! should say did! Every cent
that l put in my wife's name before l
failed the last time was in that bank. =
Detroit Free Press.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
A True GENTLEMAN.
George william Curtis Treatment Of an
Ambitious Young Reporter.

Ambitious Young Reporter.
Some sixteen or seventeen years ago I
was a reporter on one OF the Chicago
papers. Ihad only been little while in
the business. and was both green aud
ambitious. Now 1t happened that a
part Of my work was to visit the various
hotels every evening II the search for
personal items, the arrival CT well
known people and the ike. Il was not
work Of the highest order. but / pat my
heart IN II and really think that I did it
well. One evening was standing in the
Office Of a certain hotel, which for the
purposes Of this story need not be pre-
cisely identified, when l observed g
handsome, distinguished looking gentle
man enter, walk up to the desk and
register.
As he turned TO say a word or two to
the clerk I stepped up behind him and
saw what he had written on the register.
1t was George William Curtis, New
York" 1 knew that Mr.. Curtis was
advertised 10 lecture on the following
evening, and it occurred TO me that II
would be a good thing if I could get an
interview for my paper with such dis
tinguished man. You see what an
ardent beginner In newspaper work !
was. In fact, was full OF western en-
thusiasln, and / was not lacking in
cheek. So when Mr.. Curtis turned
away from the desk summoned up all
my courage-andit it did require consider
ahIa-ar1 arcoefpd him
s'Mr. Curtis" said [, i am a reporter
for The -, and thought that perhaps
you might have something TO say that
would be Of interest TO the people Of
Chicago
He turned and looked at me in the
kindliest way. I shall never forget the
geniality and good nature that beamed
upon me from his eyes and his whole
face nor the answer which he made TO
my suggestion.
''Ah, said he with the most beauti-
ful smile that ever saw, ''then you and
belong 10 the same profession"
What could have been more thought
ful and c0nsiderate to the raw young re-
porter? 1t has always seemed TO me that
there could not have been anything said
better calculated to relieve my embar-
rassment and make me feel at home. At
the same time I never could get nd Of
the impression that my answer was al
most as good as his remark.
"Yes," said I, "Mr. Curtis, you are at
one end Of 1t and am at the other"
OF course he laughed right heartily at
my sally, and instantly we seemed on
the best Of terms. Wei, al he had to
tell me was that he was on a lecture
tour and that he would speak in Chicago
the next evening. He was very willing
TO tell me where he, was going-I sup
pose he saw no objection to advertising
himself in that way-and after a few
minutes pleasant chat 1 took my leave,
Mr.. Curtis giving me a most gracious
''good night" The result was about a
stickful IL The - the next morning.
That was the only time I ever saw
George William Curtis in my life. It is
a matter Of deep regret TO me, now that
he is gone, that l never went to hear
him lecture.-New York Tribune.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

/ am acquainted with a gentleman
who has conceived the idea that the
best all around gun is one weighing
seven and half pounds, with right bar
rel perfect cylinder and left barrel full
choked. So convinced was he that such
gun was the best for general game
shooting that he ordered a Colt gun
built thus for the present seasons shoot
ing.
This gentleman claimed that by the
use of the cylinder barrel he could shoot
wOOdcock in the brush, also ruffed
grouse, and have the left barrel for long
shot, such as plover, snipe or duck.
1t Is now several weeks since the shore
bird season opened, and considerable
shooting has been done with this gun.
Almost every day this gun has been used
4 long shot-between forty and sixty
yards-has been taken and bird killed.
''Ahr the gunner would exclaim, There
is nothing like a full choked gun to
reach bird at long ranger Then, as
he opened the gun to insert fresh car
fridge, would be heard these words:
'-Great Scott! I've shot the cylinder in
stead Of the choked barrelr' The sports
man still argues that the full choked
gun Is the proper gun for shots beyond
twenty-five yards, but almost daily
when shooting he accidentally fires tn.
wrong barrel and kills birds clean at
forty yards and sometimes at a longer
demonstrating and Fishing.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
: rh. ninnar nonr IN Hi.,orr.


Il Is believed BIZ some that the word
dinner springs from q corruption Of the
word dixheures, indicating the time at
which in the old Norman days this
meal was taken The mere idea of hay
ing dinner at tho barbarOus hour Of 10
o'clock IN the morning would. in all
probability, send modern chef into q
fit, yet it was at this early time that per-
tons Of quality, both in this country. .Gnd
France, partook Of the meal FrOissart
mentions waiting upon the Dukeof Ian
caster at 8 In The afternoon, after he had
Eupped. and during the reigns Of Francis
and Louis XII Of France fashionable
people dined from 10;5O and supped at
the latest at 6 IN heevening. And again,
from a Northumberland household book,
bearing date 1912, we learn that the
family rose at G, brsakfasted at Z, dined
at 10, supped at 1, and shut the gates at
9p. m.
Speaking generally, though the dinner
hour then, as now, was later IN this
country than in France, Louis XIV did
not dine till 70, while his contempora-
ries, Cromwell and Charles II, took the
meal at l. In 100 the hour was ad-
vanced to 2, aud in 175l we find that the
Duchess Of Somerset's dinner time was
3. In 1850 Cowper speaks Of 4 o'clock
as the then fashionable time. After the
battle Of Waterloo p. IN. was the time
ct which the bean monde took their sub
stantial meal, while at the present day
many Of the nobility do not dine until 8
or Q. so we see through 400 years the
dinner hour has gradually moved
through twelve hours of the day-from
9 a. N. to 0 9p. m. When the dinner hour
was so early often no previous meal was
taken.-Chambers Journal.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
Live 1t Down.

The young clerks eyes flashed as he
read an article in the morning papers.
II was an outrageous attack upon the
gentleman at the head Of his department
for a course of action which was repre-
sented as both base and cowardly. All
the correspondence relating to the affair
had passed through the young mans
hands, so he knew that the published
statements were false and most damag-
ing TO the reputation of his beloved chief.
Carrying the paper to the gentleman
assailed he asked if he might write a re-
ply. The elder man read the paragraphs
calmly, smiled and shook his head.
"What will you do:' the clerk asked.
"Live it down." was the reply, las l
have done so many other calumnies.
Talking back is the most futile and un-
dignifed exertion in the world. If you
succeed in cutting up one falsehood
each part will begin TO wriggle against
you. Let it alone and it viii die of
starvation. Youths Companion.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
Burned His Barn to Kin a SNAKE

Some time ago, when Choulef's men
agerie passed through Crawford county.
a boa constructor of medium size escaped
from its cage. AS time passed the Incl
dent was forgotten. Early on Wednes-
day J. ID. Doolittle entered his barn and
saw the monster in the hayloft. Doolit-
tie had los: several shoats, of which he
could find no clew. Their disappearance
was explained by the presence of the
snake. Seeing the reptile Mr.. Doolittle
retreated, and after releasing his horses
from the barn he applied match and
burned the structure and contents to the
ground. The NOW was full Of new hay.
After the fire had spent its force the
RIBS Of the reptile were found in the
ashes. and they were nearly as large as
the ribs of q i00-pound hog. Mr.. Doc.
little says that he feels worse from the
effect which the snakes vicious ewes had
upon him than ho does over the loss of
his barn and contents. The contents of
the barn were the principal loss, as the
structure was an old one and was soon
10 be replaced. Milwaukee Wisconsin.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
Attacked by Birds.

Bailey Hoover, young man employed
ON the Curtis ranch, reports a strange
experience with birds. He was driving
a single horse buggy from the Fair
ranch, when about two miles from
Knights Landing he was suddenly
startled out of a doze by myriads of
birds, which swarmed down upon him.
screaming angrily and flying at him.
The air was literally black with them,
and they viciously attacked the horse,
which was frightened into a frantic
effort to run away.
The young man was scared beyond
his powers of description. He fought
the birds off with his whip, and direct
ing the horse as best he could was soon
beyond their pursuit.
Hoover entertains a superstitious fear
that the incident portends evil for him,
and is sure something bad is going to
happen to him before long. He said
they were nearly all blackbirds, al
though there appeared to be other
species among the army of his winged
enemies.-Woodlan Mail.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
A Mistake a. the Church.

A Lovejoy young man started home
from church the other night with q
beauty who had come to preaching with
another fellow. The mistake was not
discovered until the young man began
his courting where he had left off with
the other girl, and when she said, IL
don't understand you, SIR" it dawned
upon them both that they had exchanged
partners while coming ont Of the church
door. The other couple were near by
enjoying the joke, and in order to re-
heve the embarrassment then existing
came to the rescue, and each young lady
armed her original escort and the court
ing proceeded, being thoroughly under
stood this time by all parties.-Coving-
ton (ky.) Enterprise.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
a bright Scotch Lad.

Some year or two ago 1 was staying
near Grief, and visited the village
school, where saw Lad poring over
Homer. The schoolmaster told me that
in the course Of the last shooting season
he carried the game bags for a party
over the moOrs. This he did with other
odd jobs to enable him to continue his
education.
In the party were a nobleman (whose
name was given me, but which l have
now forgotien) and an Oxford tutor. Ii
the course of luncheon one day there
was dispute between these as to the
exact wording Of some phrase from a
Greek drama and the author. Seeing
some intelligence IN the lads face, they
were led to ask him if he knew any
thing about the matter, when the lad
was able to tell them they were both
wrong, quoting the phrase Alright and
irving the name of the author.-Cor.
Pail Mall Gazette.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
Rn.hfulpe.. and Il. Causes.

The first chief cause of bashfulness
consists in mans attention being 0i-
rected to himself. The man who Is
quite at ease in his office-bashfulness
is most often an attribute of the male
sex-becomes self conscious in the draw
ing room and very shy. Although ca
pable of joining III tine conversation, his
witty remark is forestalled because he
is too slow in giving utterance to it or
too timid to hear his own voice. The
ordinary action Of his brain is inhibited
by his self consciousness. The second
cause Is emotion. The extreme bash
fulness of many men when they are in
love is proverbial, and the surprisingly
few married men who suffer from bash
fulness Is noteworthy.
These causes are, however, usually In
sufficient to produce bashfulness, but
there must be some further necessary
condition. Many conditions predispose
to it-e. e., a highly nervous tempera-
ment, deficient moral courage, with
which is associated lack Of self assertion.
These may be regarded as constitutional
causes.
Another predisposing cause is defect
i've education. The general education
may have been neglected, or the want
of opportunities of acquiring self conf
dence in society may have been expert
enced.-Casselrs.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
The orIrIn Of the nrant Goo.e.

Cambrensus, who wrote n great work
on the "Topograhy Of Ireland" tells
what he knows about the wonderful
barnacle or brant goose, as follows:
They are like marsh geese, but some
what smaller, and are produced from
fir timber tossed along the seashore. At
first they are ike gum; afterward they
hang down by their beaks as from a sea-
weed attached to the timber. Having
in the course of time been clothed with
a goodly coat Of feathers, they either
fall into the water or fly freely away
into the air. have frequently seen with
my own eyes more than a thousand Of
these small bodies Of birds hanging down
on the seashore from a piece Of timber,
each inclosed in shells already formed.
They do not breed and lay eggs ike
other birds do, nor do they ever hatch
any eggs, nor do they build nests in any
corner Of the earth. For this reason
fasting bishops and priests eat them be
cause they are not flesh nor born Of
flesh" Taken all in all the above Is one
Of the most remarkable ornith0logical
opinions ever entertained.-St Louis
Reuuhlic
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
HuII's Town Fool.

; Poor Billy, the town fool of Hull.
ties up the gates of the village cemetery
with odd bits Of rope and string and
blocks the entrances with stones 10 keep
his mother from going out. The village
story is that she died after having taken
care Of Billy for nearly sixty years,
and that the poor fellow. feeling his
ioss and yet not understanding its sig
nifcance, believes that with stones and
strings he can prevent her from going
farther from him.-Boston Journal.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
The American Az Helve.

All the world admires and wonders at
the American ak helve. The American
ak fitted with that ingeniously curved
and gracefully fashioned handle Is q
marvelously effective weapon, vastly
more apt for its purposes than the
straight handled headsman's ak with
which the Italian fells trees, or the
broad faced hatchet used for the same
purpose in France. The American AK
helve Is just what might have been ex-
pected of an inventive people laden with
the duty of conquering and civilizing a
forest clad continent. The world had
been using the AK since prehistoric times.
but it remained for the American pioneer
to fashion the ideal ak handle, at once
light, strong and elastic. The ak such
as Is familiar to all Americans is rare in
Europe, and it sells in all the British
colonies as the American ax.-New York
Sun
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

/ was too young to understand the
temper of the French where their
rulers were concerned, and though at
the time of my writing these notes l had
lived for fifty years among them, 1 doubt
whether I could give a successful psy-
Geological account Of their mental at
iitude toward their succeeding regimes,
except by borrowing the words Of one of
their cleyerest country women, Nine.
Emile de Girardin: when Marshal
Soult is in the opposition he is acknowl-
edged to have won the battle Of Tou-
louse; when he belongs TO the govern
ment he is accused Of having lost II"
Since then the Americans have coined a
word for that state of mind-''cussed-
ness n-HAn Englishrnan in Paris"
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

81 know he isn't handsome. Caroline, /"
urged the mother, but he is a worthy
man, and wish you could look upon
his suit with a little more favor, for
your fathers sake and mine. Joshua
Thornbuckle once saved your father
from bankruptcy. And friend in need
is a friend indeed"
'Yes, mamma" answered Miss Caro-
line hstlessly, .'but he isn't inkneed.
Hes bowlegged. Chicago Tribune.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

a youth in one of the Sunday schools
connected with one of the city missions,
without meaning to be sacrilegious, but
with visions of his own misdoings that
had received deserved punishment, to
the question, why was our Saviour
sent to this earthg7-answer,. "To save
sinners''-answered, 'Oh! 1 suppose we
acted so bad they had TO send him. -
New York Tribune.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
An Experience Like rnoeh Arden's.
KiIIed br I.IrhtnInr NYhlIe prnrinr.

Mr.. John Kearney, a well TO do farmer,
whose farm Is few miles south Of Hast
ings, Ont, was struck by lighting and
killed recently. Mr.. Kearney and las
family were kneeling at their evening
prayers when the crash came. The elec-
tric guid came in through an open win
dow up stairs, passed down through the
fioOC and struck Mr.. Kearney, who was
kneeling below. The shock extinguished
the light, and by the next fash Mrs. Kear-
ney saw her husband lying dead across
the chair at which he was kneeling.
The lightning did not leave the slightest
mark on its victim.-Cor. Toronto EN-
rira
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

Sue Deering-I am afraid papa was
angry when you asked him for me,
wasn't ne, Jack, love?
Jack Hilow-Not at all. He asked if
knew any more respectable young men
who would 5e likely to marry your five
sisters if properly coaxed.-Har2er's
Bazar.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

a young man named NJ. ". Smisa
arrived at the mining town Of Cripple
Greek, Colo, with thirty three dollars
IN his pocket. He commenced peddling
oeanuts and popcorn and in sixty days
cleared 4, Gov.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

A barrister tormented 4 poor German
witness SO much with questions that the
old man declared he was so exhausted
that he must have a drank 0f water be
fore he could say another word. Upon
lhis the judge remarked, ! think, sir,
you must have done with the witness
now, for you have pumped him dry
Exchange.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
some ,Ien Nerer en- ne serIeu..

Dunn Brown should like TO feel
when l die leave the world better than
found it.
Jackson-My dear fellow, l am quite
sure the world VIII be better when you
are gone.-Exchange.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

It is not unusual for colds contracted
in the fall to hang on all winter. In
sueh cases catarrh or chronic bronchitis
are almost sure to result. A fifty-cent
bottle Of ChamberlAin's Cough Remedy
will cure any cold. Can you afford to
risk 50 much for so small an amount? !?
This remedy is intended especially for
bad colds and Group and can always be
depended upon. For sale by
]. n. SNYDER, Druggist.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26
How Did He Know

This from one OF our San Francisco
telephone girls: 81 don't think that 1 am
any more vain than other girls. but l
am good looking and know it, and take
a good deal Of pride in my beauty. One
day was called to the telephone, and
being angry over something that had
happened in the Office l snapped back at
the party at the other end of the wire,
We'll, what is it? in very short man.
ner. He replied with low drawn whis-
lie, 'Whe-e-e-e-w, but you must be good
looking can remember yet how my
face burned. San Francisco Argonaut.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26

BiIliugs-Wilson Is a very smart man.
Witherton-What makes you think
Fos
Billings-He knows as much as h-s
son.
Witherton with emotionl-How old
is his soni
Billings-Just twenty-one.
Witherton (removing his hatl-What
paragon Of wisdom inEst tina; parent
be,-Kate Fields Washington.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-10-26


I've been abroad since last NoTem-
Der" said a woman who landed In New
York a few days ago, "and my expert
ence has been one Of peryersities. To
begin with in sunny Italy last winter
we almost froze to death. shall never
forget the desolation and chilly discom-
fort Of those Roman and FlOrentine
lodgings. In May we went to London,
because that is the month we were told
to enjoy that metropolis. It rained all
the time that it was not so cold we were
perishing. We did the cathedral towns
in uninterrupted rain and mist Ny
idea Of English cathedrals Is set in
cloud of gray moisture.
I'VE drove out 10 Rosalind castle
from Edinburgh in the most pitiless
rainstorm l ever experienced, so that
historic place has also a wet blanket
thrown over it for all time in my mind.
Go to Devonshire in July for cool
weather. we We're told. We did and
sweltered. The traditional green
English lanes We're brown and dry. 1t
wasn't much better on the continent
At one place after in the afternoon a
chill mist always settled that pene-
trated ones very bones; at others sud
den drenching showers were daily oc-
currences.
i should think Europeans who come
over here must marvel at our monot-
ony Of glorious sunny days, with our
charming summer twilights fading slow
ly into radiant starlit nights, when one
can be abroad till midnight without
risk. As we sailed up the bay last week
under sky more brilliantly blue than
any / saw in Italy and through an at
mosphere that would have made a Lon
doner think the millennium had come,
if he should ever see one so clear, and !
realized that this was just a common
New York day, that nobody noticed ex-
cept rejoicing prodigals ike ourselves,
my heart swelled with delight that /
was American born and home again. -
Her Point of View in New York Times
An Experience Like Enoch Arden's.
Seventeen years ago a sailor in Provi-
dence named Charles Whitten left his
MAS anu NAlAN Aot q Hea Wy age nAiCt
which time the only report heard Of him
was that he had died and was buried at
sea. The report was confirmed by the
sailors trunk, which was sent to Mrs.
Whitten, and which contained all his
personal effects. Years after Mrs Whit
ten married Elmer F. Dearborn, an en-
ployee Of the Old Colony Railroad com
pany, and removed to Dedham, where
she now resides. Last Wednesday a man
whom she at once recognized as her first
husband called to see her, but when he
found that she was happily situated
said that he should 60 away and never
retuTn.-Boston Transcript.