davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23

that this was usual and committees ALWAYS
had refreshments. We were left with GA
cents to spend on the pouch However,
we found that we could get very good
pouches for 30 cents each wanted TO
get black ono and Alexander wanted
brown. So we decided not to buy either
yet, but to take the votes of the whole
committee on It, We spent the odd IA
cents on white Java mouse We felt sure
Uncle William would like 1t. The man In
the store said that people often came I'm
Offering as much as 20 cents each for mice
of that particular kind When we rot
back-the mouse Travelled in Alcxander's
pocket-we at once held another commit.
teo meeting
Dorothea said that II Alexander and
had refreshments the rest of the committee
ought to have them also So we had
chocolatcs-l0 cents worth We agreed to
purchase the black pouch. Fred suggest.
ed that there was just a possibility that
Unclo William would not care about tho
mouse Alexander said that he would tel.
cgraph about 1t, and did This was tho
telegram:
UNCLE wrLLIAa-Do you like whito Java
mousef Tame. Eats anything.
ALEXANDER
III uDoub 8n nOur inc answer Cafne back;
Most certainly not.
This caused us some conservation IL
was thought better TO go to town again on
the morrow and see II the man in the store
would take back the mouse. In tho mean.
time Frcd's pocket was unpicked and tho
entire fund handed over to Alexander In
order that he might reimburse himself
Alexander said that he would keep ac-
counts, and II there was anything over he
would get some very cheap present-per-
haps card. The pouch was. OF course,
now impossible
He and l went together as before While
wo were having refreshments at the sta
tion he did his accounts.
They don't come out very WELL" he
said rather dolefully, but perhaps we
shall be taking the mouse back just when
some one is wanting to give quarter for
n real .Java one "
He felt in his coat pocket as no spoke,
and then he looked more doleful still The
mouse had escaped during the journey.
. ,r,,Ns. 81
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23

When bilious or costive, eat Cas-
caret, candy catharic, cure guaranteed
ioc, csc. Al
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23

WE SPENT THE ODD FOURTEEN CENTS on
WHITE JAVA MOUSE.
businesslike-and we deputed him to an.
ewer Uncle william S letter, He did so.
lie replied that tho l6 cents was tho sum
spent in excess Of the sum subscribed by
Alexander, Fred, Norah and Dorothea for
the purpose of giving Uncle William
Christmas present. Then Uncle William
wanted to know how, II this was the case,
1t happened he never got the Christmas
present from us. Alexander said that he
did not feel inclined to go into any further
details. He sent Uncle william back the
hill properly rocoipted and u little note to
say that the correspondence on this subject
must now terminate.
Perhaps the thing does seem little
strange, but the explanation is perfectly
simple, and l give it, l am Norah, and
Alexander and are twins. The other two
arc quito young 1t was l who first had
the notion that we ought to give Uncle
William Christmas present When any
Of us has a notion, she or no calls meet
ing of the others That was what did
/ said that Uncle William was always
giving us presents and yet we never gave
him anything 1t was true that he had
said nothing about it, but was sure that
he must have felt it, Christmas was now
near, and it would be good opportunity
for us
This was agreed. Alexander and each
contributed 30 cents-l0 cents moro than
Fred or Dorothea. Thus the total sum was
ST. for which n very good present might
have been bought - something which
would have shown uncle every time he
looked at 1t that his nephews and nieces
thought about him good deal and tried
TO please him, even at some personal sac
rifce to themselves. We did not decide
what the present was to bo at once be-
cause Alexander said that would have been
grossly irregular. We were to have com.
mittee meetings every day about it ana
discuss 1t thoroughly. Fred was appoint
cd treasurer of the fund He put 1t all In,
~aistcoat pocket and got me to sew the
pocket up for him in case Of accidents.
At the next meeting Dorothea suggest
ed that we should buy chocolates (French)
IN box 1t was objected that Uncle
William never ate chocolates "No, said
Dorothca "he doesn't, but he sometimes
gives them away Then next time he
wanted to give anybody any he wouldn't
have to buy them" f" Fred thought that it
would be dishonorable to give chocolates
and we agreed with him. We then decid-
ed TO buy tobacco pouch, which certain
ly would have been o suitable present
There are very few shops In our village, SO
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23
ADMINISTRATORS NOTICE.

Estate or Vim. Rohrbach, late or FraUklin TOP,
deceased.
Notice Is hereby gfren that letters or adIntnfs-
ration on the estate or VIM. RolTbdch, late or
FRANKLIN tOl0ashtD, deceased, hare been granted
TO the undersigned administrator, TO a1hOnl all
persons Indebted TO said estate are requested 10
make payments, and those haUfIig claims or de-
nldilds tcW make kno,1n the same icfthout delay
TO L. d. ROHRBA CHI,
snyder Atty. Admir-
1l-25-6ts
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23
CHRISTIAN F. KNAPP.
FIRE INSURANCE,
BLOOMSBURY. PA

Home, of N. Y; Merchants of Newark.
N. j.; Clinton, N. Y; ;Peoples', NY; Read.
ing, Pa German American Ins. Co. Nee
york; Greenwich Insurance Co., New YORK,
Jersey City Fire ms Co., Jersey City, n, !,
These old corporations are well seasoaed
by age and fire tested, and have never yca
had loss settled by any court of law. Thei,
assets are all invested in solid securities. ana
liable to the hazard of fire only.
Losses promptly and honestly adjusted and
paid as soon as determined, by Christian u,
burg, Pa.
The people of Columbia county shouId
patronize the agency where losses if snv.
are settled and paid by one of their own
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23
UNCLE WILLIS GIFT.
TRUE STORY RELATED BY HIS NEPHEW.

On Christmas day Uncle william re-
ceivcd card inscribed rs follows:
william Bunting, ESQ.,. debtor TO his
nephews Alexander and Fred and to his
nieces Norah and Dorothca. for money
expended in his behalf ..................s so l6
Uncle william paid tho money ut once,
hut he wrote to say that he should like to
know how it happened that ho owed us l6
cents 1t was Alexander who had sent tho
bill in--for boy of IL he really is most
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23
The Homeliest Man in Bloomsbury

As well as the handsomest, and others
are invited to call on any druggist and
get FREE trial bottle of Kemp's Bal
sam for the Throat and Lungs, rem
edy that is guaranteed to cure and re-
lieve all Chronic and Acute Coughs,
Asthma, Bronchitis and Consumption.
Price asc. and soc. III 4td
The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-23
ELECTION NOTICE.

The annual election by the stockholders of
the Farmers National Bank, OF Bloomsbury,
Pa, TO choose Board OF Directors for the en-
suing year. will be held at the Bank on Tuesday,
January llth, 1898, between the hours OF Two
and four oclock In the ternoon.
A. ii. BLOOM,
l2-9-3t. cashier.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05
Saved Again.t Hln WI.

Another " G. of my acquaintance
he is anything but Il doctor-once saved
a trooper whose horse had been killed
His argument was rather original. The
man was on foot, and the enemy-Zulus
this time, and they are beautiful fight
ers-were coming down at a run, and
he said very decently that he did not
see his way to periljng his officers life
by double weighing the only horse
there was.
To this his officer answered. IF you
don I get up behind me, I'll get off and
I'll give you such licking as you We
never had in your life. The man was
more afraid of fists than assegais, and
the good horse pulled them both out of
the sorape Now, by the regulations an
officer who insults or threatens with
violence subordinate of his service is
liable to lose his commission and to be
declared incapable of serving the
queen in any capacity" but for some
reason or other the trooper never report
ed his superior, -Rudyard Kipling in
Youths Companion.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05

According to the following anecdote,
from The Sacred Heart Review, people
who do right as we'll as those who dc
wrong sometimes resolve never to do ii
again:
A gentleman heard that young girl
whose mother was in poor circum'
stances was convalescing from a dan
gerous sickness. Forthwith he went to
a fruiterer's and secured some choice
punches of Hamburg grapes at 81 or
thereabout pound.
He carried them, not without some
self satisfaction, to the house of the in
valid and left them with her mother,
who received them in dubious kind Of
manner that did not evince, as he
thought, much gratitude.
This did not trouble him greatly,
however, but the next day when he
called he received blow which almost
made him resolve never again to be
generous to strangers.
"How did your daughter like the
grapes?" he said to the grim and I'M
demonstrative matron.
"Oh, pretty we'll, " was tho reluctant
answer.
Did she eat them all?' was the next
query.
Yes, she got away with them, s." was
the reply. but she is good deal like
me She likes something nice and tasty
like canned corn,
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05
COUNTING APPLE SEEDS.

Beside tho hearth one winter night,
Made rosy by the great log light,
That, flaming up the chimney lark,
Hit every Granny, every nook.
Upon the rug little maid
Sat curled in pose demure and staid
In pensive mood, with dreamy eyes,
She sits, while up the chimney flies
A thought with every fiery spark,
Giinting and flashing through the dark,
Till with n sigh profound and deep
She moves IA one moves in her sleep.
A rosy apple in her hand
A weight Of thought seems to demand
She taps it with finger light,
Then carefully she takes "A bite,
Another bite, now one. now two,
The core Il thus exposed to view.
Another sigh What can II be-,
My little maid, that aiieth thee9
All What Is thisf Some Incarnation,
Muttered with such reiteration2
Hark As each seed her bright eyes SEQ,
These are the words that come to me:
lone l love. two l love,
Three love, l say
EouF loFe Win III my h'dTA
Five | east away.
Here tear rolls brightly down.
What the secret she has Wou7
Who can say But just behind
Sounds "A voice So soft and kind:
Look again, Thou must indeed
Find for me another seed"
Roster her bright checks grow
In the freight ruddy glow.
Sure enough culprit seed
Finds she IN thu core indeed.
"From thy lips fam would hear
What tho sixth one means, my dear"
six he loves, she murmured low.
And the archght'- pickering glow
Two happy faees now disclose,
With checks glowing like the rose.
But hcre we II let the curtain fall
For the end - best of all.
Sacramento Union.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05
CUNNING OF THE LEFT HAND
Some of the Advantages That Are Pos.

Some of the Advantages That Are Pos
sessed by the Am bidextrous.
Ambidextr0us men and women, or
those who can use either right or left
hand with equal facility, are not near
ly so fftqu, htly met with as might at
first be supposed-in fact, they are quite
rare. This double faculty is, however,
much more frequently met with among
butchers and sailors than in any other
walks Of life. Left handed butchers are
numerous, as "a walk through any of
our large market houses will quickly
demonstrate, but it Is very interest
ing study to watch one of them who
will cut, chop, saw and handle his
meat without once changing 1T from
one side to the other ON the block or
changing his own position.
In view of the many advantages de-
rived from the ability to use both hands
equally we'll many people have often
expressed surprise at the action of edu-
cational authorities i'll insisting ON the
use of only the right hand instead Of
trying to develop an equal skill i'll the
other. They all stick to tho right hand
ed idea, however, and an old resident
of Frankfort noted for his ambidex-
trousness, is still mourning the loss Of
"a prize ut school through the use of his
left hand i'll writing, although he was
equally skillful as penman with his
right.
The benefits derived from the use OF
both hands were excellently illustrated
i'll the experience of two carpenters who
lived in frankfort some years ago.
Their names were Cross and Walton,
and the former was right handed, the
latter left handed. As one was also
very tall and the other very short, they
made curious couple, but they always
worked together laying floors and put
ting up joners' work in buildings.
They could take jobs of this charao-
ter cheaper than any other, because
they could work from either end toward
each other so handily. Cross would
square floor board at one end and
Walton would scribe and cut it off
to fit at the other end and then nail
down. working together from opposite
ends
Left handed machinists are always
at a disadvantage, as machinery is in
variably adapted to people who work
right handed, but the ambidextrous
man or woman is always ut home in
whatever work is undertaken. -Phila-
delphia Record.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05

Brahms was hearty eater and par
ticularly fond of Italian cookery. One
day he and DR.. Billroth, the eminent
Austrian surgeon. visited Herr Wich-
mann in Rome and were invited to a
breakfast ALA romano. The host s cook,
Mora, did her prettiest, and the wine
supplemented her efforts. That's the
wine that Horace drank, " said Dr. Bill
roth enthusiastically. Brahms thoughts
were on the viands he had just enjoyed.
In jovial humor he raised the question
whether it was not his duty to take
back with him to Germany wife who
could provide SO admirable meal as
Mora. Finally Wiohmann, with mock
seriousness, presented himself to Mora
AZ sutton for her hand in behalf of q
great German artist. Moreover, he Is
musician" he explained, land you
surely are fond Of music, for you sing
about the house all day, What say your"
Morals answer was classic. She looked
at Wichmann, then at Brahms from top
to toe, and, with an energetic gesture,
replied, "Sono romano, nata al Ponte
Rotto, dove sta il TEMPO di Vesta, non
sposero mai un barbara. - am a
Roman, born near the Ponte Rotto,
where the temple of Vesta stands l
never will marry a barbarian. "O-San
Francisco Argonaut.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05
The Deception of Distance.

ITS very deceptive to judge Of the
size or capacity of all object which is 30
feet OF more in the air, >" said an arohi-
teot to the writer as we were passing
the royal courts Of justice a few days
ago.
Now, look at that clock" pointing
to the law courts clock. which hangs
about 10 feet above the pavement. ut
looks very small, doesn't it? Hardly
big enough to hold a man. Yet party
of us breakfasted in the case before the
works were put in. "
Every body knows how deceptive is
the appearance of the Westminster clock.
Looking at the dial from the embank-
ment or from Great George street it
seems as if a man of medium size could
easily stretch across the dial with both
arms Yet it would take four pairs Of
outstretched arms to cross it. The min
ute hand, which looks like an ordinary
walking stick, is longer than the two
tallest soldiers in the life guards. The
figures on the dial are logger than a
3-year-3d child, and the second dot,
are as big as dinner plate
Equally deceptive are the tunnels of
the Atlantic steamers. The tunnels Of
the Umbria and Etruria are Is feet in
diameter, while the tunnels of the grey
hounds of the Cunard line, the Lucanis
and Campania, are 2 feet across.
Each funnel from the top to its juno
tion with the furnace is 1870 feet in
length. Bets are frequently made by
passengers as to the diameter of these
ocean chimneys, and many laugh has
been raised y ben passenger has esti-
mated their diameter at the seemingly
extravagant figure of 10 feet London
Standard
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05
The uncle replied:
Identical Motives.

When the Indian football team from
Carlisle, Pa, came to Chicago to wipe
up the gridirou with their paleface
brethren from Wisconsin university, the
copper colored visitors received a great
deal of attention at the hands Of the
young women students of DIR. Harper g
school.
A group of the girls surrounded on,
of the swarthy att letes, and, having
taken him prisoner. began to cross ques-
tion him.
Tell me-" remarked one gushing,
radiant creature, why do you red peo-
pie paint your faces when you go on the
warpath?"
For the same reason, | presume,
that you white ladies powder your faces
when you go upon the warpath in So
ciety," quietly replied the Indian. -
Chicago Times Herald.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05
The Peacock at Home.

The real home of the peacock or pea
fowl is in India. There they were and
are hunted, and their flesh Is used for
food. AS the birds live in the same re
gion as the tiger, peacock hunting is a
very dangerous sport. The long train of
the peacock is not its tail, as many sup
pose, but is composed of feathers which
grow out just above the tail and are
called the tail coverts Pcacocks have
been known for many hundred years
They are mentioned in the Bible. job
mentions them, andfhey are mentioned,
too, in | Kings x. Hundreds of years
ago in Rome many thousand peacoCks
were killed for the great feasts which
the emperors made. The brains of the
peacock were considered great treat,
and many had to be killed for a single
feast. st. Nicholas.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05

Two centuries ago it wasn't rs easy a
matter to keep accounts as it il now.
Not only were many people ignorant of
writing and arithmetic, but paper and
account books were scarce and rare For
this reason merchants, doctors. lawyers
and even the government of Great Brit
ain kept their accounts by making
notches on willow sticks, very much as
boy would tally runs in Il game of
ball.
Small notches represented pence,
larger ones shillings and still larger
ones pounds sterling. When the account
was all notched out, the stick was split
down its length so that the notches
would show on both pieces. One half
was given to the buyer and one half was
retained by the seller. When the ac-
count was paid, these tally sticks were
joined together and laid away. One can
imagine how much work and trouble
such system would make in these days
Of great business enterprises. Chicago
Record
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05

1t is reported from the Connecticut
state station that during the season Of
1895 cottonseed meal vas the cheapest
source of available Nitrogen Expert
ments indicate that it is as rapidly and
fully available as the best forms of ami
nal matter 1t has been extensively used
in home mixC&l fertilizers and has given
perfect satisfaction. Castor pomace is an
expensive form of organic nitrogen and
used chiefly by certain tobacco growers,
who still prefer it to oottonseed meal
The Poquonock experiments indicate
that cottonseed meal in equivalent
quantity yielded tobacco of the same
quality in all respects AZ castor pomace,
and at much lower cost for fertilizers.
In acid rock phosphate available phos-
phorie acid has cost on the average very
considerably less than in dissolved bone
black. Those who have tried the acid
phosphate in home mixed fertilizers re-
port very favorably, finding. little or no
trouble from caking or setting" after
mixing. Potash i'll the sulphates, both
high and low grade has cost about
cent more per pound than in the muri-
ates. The experiment of the Connect
cut farmers as reported at the station was
favorable to the home mixtures as re
CARDS both effectiveness and economy.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05

DR.. Norman Moore, whose enormous
experience in the post mortem room
gives weight to his words expressed in
recent address the general desire of
Psychologists to find some law of correla-
ton between defects of different parts
of the body, but he had abandoned the
hope, for it was only exceptionally that
abnormalities of one organ were associ-
ated with those of others. Movements
of an unusual character, odd gestures
or antics may certainly be accompanied
by mental qualities of very high order
An example of which may be noted in
DIR. johnson. So. again. large ears are
not necessary signs of mental defect, for
they may be observed in individuals Of
great mental capacity, and the repeated
series of movements on which such
stress has been laid should be regarded
merely as habits. London Letter In
New York Medical Record.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-08-05
Literary Notes.

The Fiction Number of Scrihner' 5
Magazine has had wonderful record for
a decade. 1t has made the regulations
of many new writer's aud increased the
esteem in which he old onrs are beld.
This issue sustaius the well-earnM re-
puCaton. 1t contains six complete short
stories by Rudyard Kpliug, kenne h
Grahame, Frank K. stockton, Blanche
Willis Howard, Molly Elliott Seawell,
and it appeals TO many kinds Of taste.
for they are. respectively. a railroad
story, "a story of childhood, a farcial
tale, a pathetic story, a fighting story,
and new. journalism story.
Washington Irving was not only our
first great literary man,-he was also
one OF the first important American his
torians. His services TO American his
tory find intelligent and enthusiastic
recognition in valuable article upon
the same by Richard Burton in the
August number of the New England
Magazine,--an article fully illustrated
by portraits and pictures. 1t is followed
by poem AT Sunny side by Minna
Irving, accompanied by fine view of
the great writer's home. "Old DAYS
and New in Northfield," by Aun Maria
Mitchell, is an article which will have
especially vide reading AT this time,
when the Northfield conferences are
drawing so many hundreds of people TO
the old town on the Connecticut.
The editor of the American Monthly
Review of Reviews, in his department
entitled THE Progress of the World, -
discusses harvest and trade prospects,
the new tariff, the coal strike. American
annexation policies, our diplomacy on
the seal question, Japan and Hawaii,
British interests in Canada, European
politics, and many other timely topics.
In connection with matter on the
Klondyke gold fields an excellent map of
Alaska is published. la the same de-
partment appear interesting views of
important British colonial capitals
The August McCiure's is issued as a
special Midsummer Fiction Number, and
without ignoring serious interests, it
justfies its title in an eminent and most
entertaining degree. A complete novel;
cite by Rudyard kipling, dealing with
school life in England and army life in
India, and obviously written straight
and hot from the authors own personal
experience, would alone, especially with
its admirable illustrations, make the
number distinguished. But there are
four or five short stories-stories by
Conan Doyle, Robert Barr, kendrick
Bangs, and others.
The features of the midsummer Har-
per's are The Inauguration, com
panon article to The COronation,' by
Richard Harding Davis, illustrated by c.
ID. Gibson and L. de Thulstrup; "The
Hungarian Millennium by F. Hopkin-
son Smith, illustrated by the author
"White Mans Africa, Part n, British
and Boer Government by Poultney
Bigelow, Illustrated by K. Cation Wood
Vile; The Century's Progress in
Physics, Part II, the Ether and Ponder
able Matter" by Henry Smith Williams,
NJ. d. land "A State in Arms against a
Caterpillar" by Fletcher Osgood, Illus
trated by Edwin B. Child, and from
photographs.