davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

The negro is not so we'll known as
Dne might expect, considering that geog-
raphy is widely and often excellently
taught in our primary schools. The
ideas most frequently expressed CON
corning him are that he is black and a
foreigner,
Here are some of the definitions: "A
black man who lives in India. " "A
dark man who comes from America. "
IA negro is slave we read of them in
Uncle Tom Cabin. - IA gentleman
who lives in a foreign country"
The country children are even more
lively in their descriptions than the
town children: "A negro is a foreign
man with black skin all over him with
thick lips and curly black hair he goes
naked.
"A negro is man and they live in a
very hot country and they have little
huts to live ill.," "A negro is black
man who acts in circus. y
IA negro is man whose skin is al
ways black, they are strong and they
live in huts and do not wear clothes
and they shoot with a bow. " IA negro
is man what eats missionarys. The
sunday school missionary stories and
the travelling circus color the village
children ideas on negI oes. -Nationa!
Review.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
Carlyle stiences IA Waterman.

After several visits in Scotland dur
ing the summer of 1885, Carlyle went
home again to Sootsbrig. writes Charles
7. Copeland in The Atlantic. On his
return thence he spent a few days Ill
Manchester with Mrs. Hanning. He
had been put to sleep in an old bed.
which he remembered in his fathers
house, 3" II was just closing my senses
in sweet oblivion 3" wrote he, "when
the Waterman, with voice like the
deepest groan of the highland bagpipe
or what an ostrich corncraik might ut
ter, groaned out 'Groo- o-o-o' close under
BE and set me all in gallop again.
'Groo-o- o-op for there was no articulate
announcement at all in it, that | could
gather 'Groo-o .o-ol' repeated again and
again at various distances dying out
and then growing loud again for an
hour or more.
Il grew impatient, bolted out of bed,
flung up the window. 'Groo- o-o-or
There he was, advancing, lantern i'll
hand, a few yards off me. Can't you give
up that nose?' l hastily addressed him
You are keeping person awake. What
good is it to go bowling and groaning
all night and deprive people of their
sleepf He ceased from that time-at
least | heard no more of him. No
Waterman, think, has been more as
tonished for some time back.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
French VS.. American Figures.

La Figaro of Paris asserts that French
dressmakers are seriously determined to
adopt the American figure for their
model and as a standard
New York corset makers, who are
largely responsible for the American
figure are curious to know what Paris
considers to be the American figure.
The subject was discussed by New
York young woman, who gets an album
dant salary because she is an expert cor
set filter and will Improve" woman
until she is modelled on strictly orthodox
lines and destined TO deceive all but the
eyes of her dearest enemy.
perhaps, to begin with, you don t
know, she said "that there are no two
women in the world who measure just
alike. Corset makers have always been
familiar with the premises on which
the Bertillon system is founded. IL the
20 years in which this house has been fit
ting women to corsets it has never found
two figures with precisely the same
measurements Fashion establishes "a
general standard and we fix the exact
measurements to which WON IN must
conform. After that is done we do the
rest.
so ! don't see what Paris dressmak
ers can have in mind unless it is the
improved average American figure
Averaging measurements by the hun
dred and comparing them with French
women in similar number, we know
the American woman generally has a
longer underarm or trunk measure.
1.-THE average measure decreed for
this season in this country is 81 inches
waist, 36 inches bust, Al inches hip
and inches under the arm, with "a
back l5l9 inches long. Last year the
waist measure was 20 inches, because
the large sleeve made it possible to OBJ.
tain the effect of small waist without
compression. Tighter sleeves have
brought the smaller waist and longer
back.
I'VE have customers all over both
American continents especially III Gu
ba, but the Cuban women simply de-
cline to adopt this year 5 measurements.
They want short waists and low fronts,
such as Frenchwomen have. but they
haven't the slender French waist meas
ure by any means. The Cuban beauties
are very independent about their cor
sets.
"Ninety-nine of every hundred of
our regular customers are improved. >
Don't say padded They don't like that.
Even veIy fleshy woman may require
and usually does need some Of our art
in the shape of hustle. Very probably,
if there is any disposition tc adopt an
American figure, it is this improved
one, but don't believe Partisan won
en- will use it longer than this year. -
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
Seeing the Paint.

The following story Is told of Phil.
Adelphia millionaire who has been dead
some years: A young man came TO him
one day and asked peouniary aid to
start him in business.
do you drink" ssked the million.
ARE.
"Once in awhile"
"Stopit. Stop it for year, and then
some and see me-. The young man
broke off the habit at once, and at tho
end of the year came to see the million
sire again.
"Do you smoker" asked the success
full man.
NOW and then"
"Stop it. Stop it for year, and then
come and see me again. :"
The young man went home and broke
away from this habit 1t took him
some time, but finally he worried
again.
"Do you chew" asked the philan-
thropist.
Eyes do y was the desperate reply.
Stop it. Stop it for year and then
come and see me again. " The young
man stopped chewing, but he never
went back again. When asked by his
anxious FRIENDS why he never called on
the millionaire again, he replied that
he knew exactly what the man was
driving at. He'd have told me that
now that l have stopped drinking and
smoking and chewing must have
saved enough to start myself in bust
ness-and / have. youths Oompan-
tor
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
Complicated Case.

as Slippy good pay?"
"Well, if he is, Tanker, the dentist,
is the meanest man on earth. "
"How's that"
81 was in Yankers office when Slip
Ply came to have tooth pulled. Jaw
all swollen out of shape. Awful look
ing face. Fairly howled with pain. But
Tanker wouldn't pull the tooth with
out being paid in advance.
Pretty tough on Slippy, wasn't it?"
"Oh, | don't knowl He's man of
wonderful self command. Instead of
kicking up a row he pulled out check
for 50, received 81 in change and smil-
ingly ordered the doctor to go ahead
with the torture. "
"But was the check worth anythingf"
GOOD as gold when it was given,
but Slippy reached the bank first and
drew out his balance. Now he's telling
around that Tanker pulled the wrong
tooth and insinuates that there may be
suit for malpractice.
"Yanker will sue, of course?"
"Not he. The truth is that the dem
fist in his excitement drew two teeth
at one haul, the extra one being marked
by Zig gold filling. Slippy misses that
one, but what puzzles him is that his
jaw is getting we'll and that he has no
toothache The dentist that filled his
tooth was never paid, and the chances
are that Slippy will drop the case as
being too complicated. - Brooklyn
Citizen
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

81 have been amused many time, I"
said clerk in a drug store, "to note
the way women consult the directory.
They never turn swiftly to a name like
man. skipping down through the al
phabetical subclassification, but pore
over it by sections. as if it were a novel.
If man doesn't find name exactly
where it ought to be, he stops instantly
and walks off, but a woman will exam
inc everything under that letter before
she gives up. Moreover, she is sure to
be reminded of other people in the
course of the search and never fails to
look them up also.
"A lady came in one morning, sat
down and opened the book. She would
linger over one part for awhile and then
turn to another, keeping the places
with her fingers aud bent apparently on
reading the whole thing. Meanwhile at
least half dozen men collected behind
her. all waiting impatiently to get a
chance at the volume. AT last she turned
around and was startled to see the
crowd. Are you quit through, madam
asked one of the men. ooh, yes, she re-
piled, Il was just running through it to
see who was there. It's an everyday
occurrence for women to come in to
wait for car and get so interested III
the directory that they miss IA dozen or
so. The book seems to have weird fas-
cination for the sex. New Orleans
Times Democrat.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
Man, Dislike of Cosmetics.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox in The Woman 8
Home Companion discusses Mans
Limitations" when he attempts to dis
course on the secrets of beauty. She
says:
ITO the average man the word COS
metics has the effect of "a red rag shaken
in the face of bull Yet the word does
not mean paint or pigment. Trace it
back, and you will find it signifies a
preparation to restore harmony. This is
the age of specialists In days gone by
whatever evil befell the human body
the family physician was expected to re-
lieve. Now we have the dentist, the
surgeon, the oculst, the aurist, the
pedicure and still others skilled in the
treatment of scalp and skin. \ good
complexion is the background of a wo-
mans beauty Natures most beautiful
grouping of feature is ruined if the back
ground loses its tone or becomes scanned
or spotted To avoid such disaster with
the flight of years requires knowledge
and patience. There are specialists In
this line who are just as expert as the
dentist or the oculist. No man is indig-
nant or disgusted if his wife cOnsults
the dentist. He does not tell her that IA
cheerful disposition will preserve her
teeth. The complexion feels the raw
ages of Indigestion, time and inherit.
auce quite as much as the teeth or eyes
and needs quite as skillful treatment,
yet the majority of ladies must keep
their methods "A secret because of the in
tolerance and unreason of man upon this
subject.
If woman goes abroad with visible
rouge on her cheeks, powder on her nose
or pencil marks under her eyes, a man
has a right to utter protest and voice
his disgust. But he never stops at that.
He Immediately proceeds to air his an
cient theories about a cheerful DISPOSE
ton and soap and water as the only cos
metic proper for respectable woman to
use. Meantime the deadly scented soap
cake has ravaged more compilations than
any pigment on the market.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
GIycerin and REORGANIZATION.

A glycerin man in conversation with
reporter the other day said that the
majority Of those who are engaged in
the business of shooting wells believe
i'll REORGANIZATION. II think that man
will not die till his time comes, " he
said "A man is liable to die at any
calling, no matter how safe it may be
considered. He will pass through all
kinds of dangers and never sustain the
slightest injury. Then he is knocked
out of existence when he least expects it.
"Glycerin men have to be quite
nervy, but there is not one of them who
does not feel that he is in no great dan
ger. They think they will live out their
allotted time and will not be blown up
until the predestined event is due. We
are handling death every day and know
it, but by the exercise of caution and
common sense there are but few of us
comparatively that are killed. The rail
road men are much more liable to acct
dental death than glycerin men are. -
Bradford (Pa.) Era.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

The Municipal Affairs Magazine has
devoted much space to the work accom-
pliShed by women in city Improvement,
1t is a noticeable fact that in all the in
stances mentioned the good has come
through organized effort The clubwo-
men of Washington induced congress
to give more attention to street improve.
ment and the sanitation of Stun dis
tricts The Boston clubs Joined forces
with men for the lettering Of poo~
houses, prisons, tenement houses and
hospitals New York and Philadelphia
possess health and GIVE leagues that
have waged successful war on bad
smells dirty streets and public nui-
sanCes generally.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

ans inability 10 keep still she il ugu-
ally cba.terbox-if not # the ram
bling, vague, wearisome Fort. Of the
alert, clipper, repperboX yariety-but
even when she II not talker she j. "a
fuss, bundle If nergee. energy and
restlessnes-. and this IN the era Il Dol
sarte, outdoor spGrts and iced shower
baths Her idea e resting II character
istic. She exploits il unc0nsciousiy in
the pretty parlgrs aud writing rooms
fitted up for customers IN the big shops.
Perhaps hhe is elegantly dressed, larg-
melted, yelled, faultlessly gl9yed and
shod, armed with "a card case for her af-
terno9n round # visits. She has prom
Used 10 meet Mrs Blank AT thl- snoy at
and frpu frDu Of silken skirts 70 wait
in the empire parlor. She has been in
this empire parlor dozens # TIMES be
fore. She knows every picture Oh the
wall, and ehe Is perfectly familiar with
the frescoes On those mantel vases and
the design Of the chandelier, but she
finds II impossible to sit still. she wan
ders around the room, gazing iuteutly
at the pictures. anxIously examining
the details Of the fireplace and even
opening the little writing desk to zee
the pigeonholes inside She walks up
and down, Der skirts brushing the ends
Of tne rug ap as she goes. When she
wslk- back, she stands for second 70
push the rolled up end IN place with the
tipo her patent leather boot. She sinks
into big chair and watches the women
who pass in and out Of the room She
sighs, gets up again, looks toward the
elevator, and when she sees Mrs. Blank
coming does not wait for her, but sweeps
off to meet her New York CONNER
cial Advertiser.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
THEY WANT TO TELL
These Grateful Women Who Have
Boon Helped by Mrs. Pinkham.

Women who have suffered severely
and been relieved of their Ills by Mrs.
Pinkhams advice and medicine are
constantly urging publication Of their
statements for the benefit Of other wo-
men. Here are two such letters:
Mrs. LIZZIE BEVERLY, 25s Merrimac
ST., Lowell, Mass, writes:
alt affords me great pleasure to tell
all suffering women of the benefit have
received from taking Lydia f. Pink
hams Vcgetab Compound. can hard
ly find words toexpress my gratitude for
what She has done for me. MY trouble
was liberation Of the womb. Twas un-
der the doctors care. Upon examina-
ton he found fifteen very large ulcers,
but he failed to do me good. / took sew
eral bottles of Lydia +. Pinkham Nege-
table Compound, also used the Sanative
Wash, and am cured. Mrs. Pinkham' 5
medicine saved my life, and | would
recommend it to all suffering women
Mrs. AMOS TRoMBLEAY, Edinburgh
Ctr, N. Y. writes:
/ took cold at the time my baby
was born, causing me to have milk
legs, and was sick in bed for eight
weeks. Doctors did me no good.
surely thought | would die. / was al
SO troubled with falling of the womb.
l could not eat, had faint spells as
often as ten times a day. One day a
lady came TO see me and told me of the
benefit she had derived from taking
Lydia E. Pinkham's medicine, and ad-
vised me to try it. / did SO, and had
taken only half a bottle before I was
able to sit in chair. After taking
three bottles l could do my own work.
am now in perfect health
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
POrpOise OIL.

Oils, animal, vegeta BILE and mineral
are second in Importance to but few do
mestio articles of commerce. Already
incidentally invaluable in the bygone
ages of hand labor, lubricants have be-
come almost a condition of existence in
this century of machinery, and of all
oils porpoise oil is the finest the most
difficult to obtain, almost the most cost
Iy. The difficulty, be it incidentally re-
marked, lies not in expressing the oil
from the porpoise, but in catching the
porpoise itself. These cetaceans, like the
fish they prey on, are most uncertain in
their movements at one time playing
by the week in our very harbors, at 9th
ers staying whole month far from the
coast An economic and reliable method
of obtaining regular supply of por-
poises from our seas would be worth a
fortune.
At present their capture is no more
than accidental. Porpoises are known to
venture into salmon estuaries during
spring food tides returning to salt wa
ter with the ebb, and, as an improve
ment on the present casual supply sys-
tenn, strong rope nets might be cast at
the mouths Of these estuaries to inter
cept the invaders as they leave. Prob
ably, however, the ultimate solution
will be found in the rife and some par
ticular cartridge, prefera bly, fronted with
soft, hollow lead to fiatten in the orea-
ture's ribs. 1t may be that even with a
fatal bullet the difficulty is not ended,
for it has not yet been shown whether,
when fatally hit, the porpoise sinks or
floats. London Spectator.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
A Noble Critic

When Pope was first introduced to
Lord Halifax, to read his "Iliad, " the
noble critic generously criticised this
passage and that word a, frequent inter
walls. The poet was stnng with vexation.
for the parts that most pleased him were
the ones most criticised. As he returned
home with Sir Samuel Garth, he reveal
ed his displeasure
"Oh," said Garth, you are not &C
quainted with his lordship; he must
oritioise. At the next visit, read him
the same passages and tell him you
reoollected his criticisms. - Pope made
use of this stratagem. Lord Halifax was
delighted and exclaimed, Pope, they
are now inimitable -
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

Some years ago, according to the Lon
don Ladies' Kennel journal, Sir Henry
Irving had dog he called Midsummer
Nights Dream. He thought 1t was a
bull terrier and made a present of it to
G.. w. Childs The animal was exhibit.
cd In Philadelphia exhibition, where
it attracted considerable attention. This
reused the ire of the other exhibitors,
and they declared that Midsummer
Nights Dream was not bull terrier,
but half bred bulldog one of them
wrote on a piece of paper, which was
attached 20 the dog's kennel, Henry
Irving may know a great doal about
Shakespeare, but he knows nothing
about bull terriers "
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

An ex-sea captain, now living i'll sgd
ney, many years ago was i'll charge of a
ship carrying some convicts. The con-
victs mutinied, murdered the crew and
ordered the captain to navigate them to
the islands and, being prudent man,
he did so. When satisfied as to their
course the convicts deliberated decid Il
that he had behaved himself we'll and
put him ashore on the first large island
they came to. He was musician and
took his violin with him. A threatening
crowd of savages greeted his arrival,
but Orpheus played to them till they
thought him god. brought him unlim.
tied pigs and yams and bowed in adora
ton. Finally he married the chief 5
daughter, succeeded him and ruled the
island for years, till a ship called in and
he sailed away.-Sydney Bulletin.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

The motive power department of a
railway keeps an accurate double entry
account with every locomotive and
every car, go that the manager or mas
ter mechanic can tell in an instant now
much it has cost to maintain and repair
it, how many miles it has travelled and
A similar account is kept with every
freight and passenger car. The Pullman
company, for example, can tell you any
morning the exact earnings of every
sleeper or parlor car in service, how
much each cost originally and how
much has been expended in equipment,
maintenance and repairs. - Chicago
Record
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

The greatest toy producing districts
are the Thuringia mountains. sometimes
called the Thuringia forests the an
cient city Of Nuremberg, in Bavaria.
nnd the region of the Erzgeberg noun
tains The most interesting of these 10
calities is the Thuringia mountain dis
trict Situated III upper Saxony. its
time and industry are entirely given up
to the production of pIaythings in pa
pier mache, china, glass, wool. wood
and fur Baltimore Herald
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

The writer of book of travels, tell
ing of the insect pests encountered i'll
British Guiana, makes a statement of
which the best that can be said is that
is is probably not so bad as it sounds.
zone lady that knew, while busy at
her toilet, felt something crawling on
her shoulder. She screamed and called
her husband, and he had just time to
knock the centiped off before biting
her in the neck
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12

Mime. Rosa Bonheur has declared her
intention of painting one more large
picture and has predicted that she feels
that it Will be her last, rs she is over 20
years of age. 1t Will he picture Of a
large liouess and her cubs.
Two young ladies from Boston called
upon Rosa Bonheur a few days ago
while in Paris, she received them in
her garden, where she was leading y
lion cub by a chain and was affection
ately regarding an immense tiger which
roared in cage near by
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
SHERIFF'S SALE.

SOMERSET SIS. December 70 lssS.
Taken on execution against LeauGer NJ.
Morse, now Of Skowhegau, formerly Of 81.
Alhsns, in the county e. Somerset, and viii De
sold at public auction TO the highest bidder. At
the Post Office in ST. Adams aforesaid, on sat
urday the fourth day OF February 4. d, 1899, st
two OF the CLOCK in tie afternoon, the lew
ing described real estate situate in =. Adams
Village in said county, To wit: Rounded on the
north BY land now occupied by Charles Pstten,
formerly owned by F K. Weber on the east
by Indian stream, SO called on the south by
the public road leading westerly from the
lower bridge in said village ana west by the
public road running northerly and southerly
by the Town House in said village, containing
one bali acre more or less; and being the same
premises occupied snd controlled by said
Morse more than forty years now last past.
Terms cash ST time Of sale. SWS2
Z. : MLLLIAMN. DenMtN SherLh.
The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-01-12
Pussy In a Mirror Maze.

A strange cat strayed into the Crystal
Maze the other night. Walking around
between the mirrors, she saw her own
reflection on all sides She was not
pleased. Her tail started to swell, and
she rushed at the nearest cat, which ad
vanoed to meet her at the same rate of
speed With shrek of defiance they
met, and the ugly tempered feline fell
back from fearful bump against a
mirror
Up she jumped and looked around,
only to see an array of abused cats star
ing at her When she moved, 1876 9th
ers moved also With mighty howl of
disgust she turned and fed. Groups of
cats greeted her everywhere as she dash
ed into mirrors and tried to climb the
slippery surface Of the glasses In the
course of few minutes the animal ran
through the exit Of the Crystal Maze as
if shot from oatapult. With two
jumps she rushed to the street and dis
appeared in one Of the adjacent houses,
very badly "rattled" oat.-Jackson-
vile Times Union.