davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
A Tax on Bachelors.

The crusty old bachelor or the wO-
man who is out of the running mar
riage question is assuming some rather
amusing phases in foreign countries,
says Harper's Bazaar. The Diet of
Hesse has introduced tax on unmar-
ried men, they being compelled to pay
25 per cent more taxes than their mar
ried brethren, and it is said that the
effect of this resolution by the govern
ment is being watched with great in
terest by the maidens of Hesse, who
are anticipating an epidemic of pro-
posals.
While in India that overcoming
question of the remarriage Of widows
has again popped up, the Eastern faith
ers suddenly realizing that by giving
the widows a second chance, the OPP
portunities Of getting rid of their un-
married daughters is being considera-
bly narrowed. English statistics show
that one out of every five widows seizes
the opportunity To q second time stand
before the altar of Hymen. 1t is said
that in the United States the female
population is very little larger than the
male, for the surplus of women of New
England are balanced by the men of
the mining communities Of the far
West.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
Southern Fried Chicken.

At this season, when poultry of all
kinds is approaching the high tide of
excellence, it is well to recall the de-
lights Of Southern fried chicken. In
the first place, select a young and ten
der chicken, cut it up as if for fricassee,
and season each piece with salt and
pepper, and dredge it very lightly with
-four. Melt two tablespoonfuls of but
ter in hot fryingpan and lay in pieces
of chicken enough to cover the bottom.
Cover the chicken and let il fry until il
is rich golden brown on one side. 1t
will take five or six minutes, or even
longer. Then turn it, add more butter
if necessary, and let the chicken fry on
the other side. When the chicken is
cooked, lay it in low, somewhat py-
ramidal heap on hot platter and stir
a heaping spoonful of flour in the but
ter left in the fryingpan. Add two
cups of rich milk or cream to the fry
ingpan, and when it boils up strain this
sauce into a saucepan into which ta-
blespOOnful of minced parsley has been
put. Let the sauce boil up once more
and turn it around the chicken on the
platter, or serve it in a boat with the
chicken. The latter is the old-fashion-
ed way of serving cream sauce and fri
ed chicken, and in some ways the most
satisfactory.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
The Checks Came Back.

Jones Brown had just been married.
Like other benediets, he discovered
early in his eonnubial career that Mrs.
Jones Browns methods of distributing
his hard-earned pelf were most I'M
business-like and wasteful. So he
opened an account for her in a nearby
bank and brought the little lady a
check book.
With all of his patience, six weeks of
his valuable time and some Il large
sized check books, Mrs. Jones-BrowD
at length succeeded in making out a
check which the careful bank clerks
were willing to honor.
Mrs. Jones' Brown was elated at her
success. So delighted WIS she that she
spent an entire afternoon with her
check book. To her unbonded joy the
bank cashed every check she had
written.
About that time Mr.. Jones-Brown
was called away from town on business.
On his return he asked his little spouse
how she was getting on with her check
book.
"Splendidly, Harry" said she, en-
Enthusiastically. "The bank was awful.
ly kind. They eashed all my checks,
and, what do you think? They sent
them back to mel The checks were q
bit torn and ragged, so wrote them all
out fresh and used them again. It's
gloriousw
Mrs. JOnes-Brown now receives her
weekly money in cash. Harper's
Bazaar.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
The Cultivation of Nut Trees.

The planting and cultivation Of va
rious kinds of nuts will sooner or later
be given more attention by nursery
men and landowners than at present.
The hybridization of nuts has already
begun, and il can be safely predicted
that many new hybrids will be pro-
duced in the near future. A nut Of this
sort has been obtained by crossing two
distinct varieties, the black walnut and
California walnut, and has been given
the name Royal" Mr.. Luther Bur
bank, the originator of various new
hybrids in fruits, is the successful ex-
perimenter.
On almost every farm there is more
or less space which could be utilized
and converted into a nut grove at very
little expense or trouble-the steep
sides of a swale or gully, hillsides that
are too steep to cultivate, a row of nut
trees planted in fields used as perma-
nent pasture; if not planted too thickly,
would add to the value Of pasture land
by the delightful shade given.
Nature seems to have distributed the
various kinds of nuts in soils and
localities best suited to their growth.
For instance, the chestnut is always
found growing on a sandy soil, while a
hickory is rarely found growing in
sandy localities, yet would thrive in
sand if planted there. The chestnut
will thrive if planted in almost any
deep rich soil where there is good
drainage. | have often heard it said
that chestnut tree if planted on any
but sandy soil would not live, and
| have also heard il asserted that it can
not be transplanted successfully; but l
have proved to my own satisfaction
that both of these can be done quite
successfully. The chances Of success
can be made greater by introducing
little of the soil natural to the tree into
the hole in which it is to be planted.
The writer transplanted some ten or
fifteen sweet chestnut trees last spring.
Digging good sized holes, we carefully
placed the trees in them and then filed
them nearly full ofsand. After pressing
down the sand we covered the latter
with about or inches Of clay loan
to prevent their drying out. All but
one or two of these trees are alive and
will be grated the coming spring with
improved varieties.
Not long since / read an article on
chestnut culture by Jacob Dingee, of
Pennsylvania. Mr.. Dingee's method
was to cut off the old trees or any young
ones that were too old to graft down to
to the ground. They would then end
up a new growth of sprouts. These
were thinned out the next year to
few more than were needed. At each
stump or root the sprouts were grated
when two or three years old. They
were afterward again thinned out to a
suitable distance apart Correspond
ent in the Country Gentleman.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
The Home Of the Potato.

Peru is the birthplace of the potato,
which was used as an article Of food by
the Ineas and exported to Europe by
the Spaniards when they took over
quinine bark and named it in honor
of the Countess of ChiReon. whose
husband at that time was VicerOy.
The Indians had used the bark for
medicinal purposes as long as any one
could remember, but this noble lady
was the first European to test its effica-
cy, and it proved so excellent 4 cure
for the malaria which saturates the at
mOsphere of Lima that she induced
the Jesuit fathers to recommend it TO
the medicos of the Old World. These
wise old chaps sent it to Spain and
Italy, and it is said that one of the first
doses of quinine that was ever adInia-
istered in Europe ws.s swallowed by
the Pope. The unregenerate potato,
which is still found in a Wild state
among the mountains of Peru, is del
ieate vine which bears a fruit about the
size of a plum and as yellow as an
orange. Cultivation has increased its
size and improved its havOr.-COrres-
pOndenee Chicago Record.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
Cavalry Horses in Battle.

A veteran cavalry horse psrtakes of
the hopes and fears Of battle just the
same as his rider. As the column
swings into line and waits, the horse
grows nervous over waiting. If the
wait is spun out, he will tremble and
sweat, and grow apprehensive.
If he has been six months in service
he knows every bugle call. As the call
comes to advance, the rider can feel
him working at the bit to get it be-
tween his teeth. As he moves out he
will either seek to go on faster or bolt.
He can not bolt, however. The lines
will carry him forward, and after a
minute he will grip, lay back his ears,
aud one can feel his sudden resolve TO
brave the worst, and have done with il
as soon as possible.
a man seldom cries out when hit in
the turmoil Of battle. II is the same
with horse. Five troopers out of six,
when struck with bullet, are out Of
their saddles within minute. II hit
in the breast or shoulder, up go their
hands, and they get heavy fall; if in
the leg, or foot, or arm, they fall for
ward and roll off. Even with foot
cut Off by a jagged piece of shell, a
horse will not drop. 1t is only when
shot through the head or heart that he
comes down. He may be fatally
wounded, but he hobbies out of the
fight to the right or left, and stands
with dropping head until the loss Of
blood brings him down.
The horse that loses his rider and is
unwounded himself will continue to
run with his set OF fours until some
movement throws him out. Then he
goes galloping here and there, neigh
ing with fear
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
Home Of the Edam cheese.

While the Edam cheese is a familiar
visitor on the table not every one
knows whence II comes nor how its
cannon bail proportions and gay col
Oring have been achieved The north
ern part OF Holland Is the seat OF the
Edam cheese industry, and the cOnse-
quent cleanliness Of the relish is there
fore doubly assured
In making II the fresh cows milk Is
carefully strained and the rennet add
ed AS soon as the milk curtiles the
whey is drawn OF. and the curd. thor
oughly kneadcd. is pressed into molds.
This process is repeated until the whey
has all been extracted and the curd Is
comparatively dry. It is then wrapped
In a linen cloth and kept for 10 or Il
days until quite solid. Then the cloth
Is removed and the cheese put into
salt lye. Af,erward a little more dry
salt IS sprinkled on the cheese until
the maker thinks 1t Is salt enough TO
insure It's keeping.
{; Is next put into a vessel and wash
Cd with whey and scraped 10 remove
Tire white crust. II Is next carried in
20 a cool room and laid on shelves.
where Il is frequently turned The
ripenins process lasts from two 10
three months. the round balls grow
inS the fine yellow or reddish color
peculiar to Edam cheese The checses
intended TO be exported 10 this eoun-
try are rendered still more brilliant By
dyeinS the rind with n vegetable dye
New York Tribune.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
CIDER MAKING TIME.


Iney are gathering the apples in the orchard
on the hill,
They are carrying the baskets to the hum
ming cider mill:
The breezeis blowing sweetly and the autumn
days are fair.
The happy farmer whistles as he works away,
out there,
And the smoke is curling upward as II used
10. long ago,
When the winds that made our noses rather
moist began 10 blow
Down the erunbled leaves are dancing from
the branches overhead,
And the doves are softly cooling ON the
weather-beaten shed
The ground is strewn with pumpkins where
the corn is cut away,
And the slopes beyond the valley lie in some
thing gsof a gray,
While sort OF eamy music issues from the
humming mill
Aud the wind is blowing softly through the
orchard en- the hill
They are gathering the apples that the winds
have shaken down.
And the child Is fun OF wonder who is visiting
froin town.
o an amber stream Of something Mt for gods
Is flowing out,
While q daring yellowjacket sips serenely
from the spout!
All the mill is humming gaily as the golden
apples fall,
Aud the frugal farmers busy grinding up the
worms and all
Chicago Times-HeraId.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
A verx useie.. Insect.

A writer In the Philadelphia Times
who has been looking up the record OF
the mosquito in natural history has
come to the conclusion that II is very
useless insect Here Is the result OF
his Investigation:
s51st why the mosquito bites people
is not yet known II is not to furnish
II food, for IL IS an established fact
that mosquito. after gorging him
self with human blood, dies within
few hours. whereas mosquitoes that
have never tasted blood have been
known TO live very comfortably. even
tarOugh the entire winter and into the
next season. The adult mosquito does
not need food During its larvae stage
IL has stored up enough nourishment 10
last all its life. aud Il is a normal state
for II to 90 without food for the rest
OF its existence. All that it needs is
moist air, adult mosquitoes being
known TO pass the winter In damp eel-
lars. living on nothing but the mOis-
ture
The fact that II is estimated that
only one out OF 10000 ever tastes hu-
man blood also proves that IL Is not
necessary. Why II persists In tOrtur-
ing mankind. therefore. has not yet
been found out. and scientists can on
Is swear softly with the rest OF man
kind and make the general statement
that the mosquito is born With vitiat-
ed appetite for human gore, an appetite
that causes the death OF the indulger." f"
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
Remarkable Rescue.

Mrs. Michael Curtain, Plaintield, ILL.,,
makes the statement, that she caught
cold, which settled on her lungs; she
was treated for month by her family
physician, but grew worse. He told
her she was hopeless victim of con-
sumption and that no medicine could
cure her. Her druggist suggested DR..
Kings New Discovery for Consump-
ton; she bought bottle and to her de-
light found herself benefited from first
dose. She continued its use and after
taking six bottles, found herself sound
and well; now does her own house
work, and is as well as she ever was.
Free trial bottles Of this Great Discov-
cry at ]. n. Snyder's Drug Store,
Somerset, Pa, and at G. w. Bral-
lier's Drug Store, Berlin, Pa; large
bottles so cents aud 81 90.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04

The little son OF an English gentle
man. IN miSchievOusly playing with a
v1se. managed. after several attempts
. get his hand through the narrow
neck. and was then unable TO extricate
II. For half an hour or more the whole
family and one or two friends did
their best 10 withdraw the fist OF the
young offender. but in vain. Il was
a very valuable vase, and the father
was loath 10 break IL, but the existing
state of affairs could not continue for
ever. At length, after a final attempt
TO draw forth the hand Of the victim,
the father gave up his efforts in de-
spair. but tried last suggestion.
open your handT' he commanded
the fearful young captive. "and then
draw il forth"
u can't open it. father" declared the
boy.
"Can'tg' demanded his father.
"Why?"
Eve got my penny in my hand"
came the astounding reply.
why. you young rascal" thundered
his father. drop It at Oncer'
The penny ratified In the bottom OF
the vase and out came the hand.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
Picking Apples.

The practice of leaving apples on the
trees until they are easily picked off is
not a cOmmendable one, as when left
20 longs heavy wind coming up will
shake great many Of them down and
reduce their value to that of cider
stock.
The best time to pick apples is just
when they have arrived at perfection,
and no standard rule as to time can be
given, for the different varieties mature
at different times.
Each tree should be picked when its
fruit is ready to be harvested, and every
apple should be carefully picked, 50 as
to prevent bruises or diseolOratiOn Of
the skin.
If apples are left on the tree until
entirely ripe they will not keep as well
as they would had they been picked
little before fully ripe and allowed to
ripen in pile. When ripened off the
tree they lose little in juieiness, but
this loss is so slight that it does not be-
gin to make up for the advantage of
the better keeping quality that comes
with early picking.
As general rule, apples should be
picked before the leaves are off the
trees. This means before a killing
frost has touched them. If picked
early and piled up in the orchard and
covered with straw they go through 8
sweat similar to that Of stacked grain
and cure out 50 they will keep firm and
solid for a long time. Even late fall
apples that are picked just before they
are ripe and ripened in pile will keep
until Christmas in perfect condition.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
Story of a Slave.

To be bound hand and foot for years
by the chains of disease is the worst
form of slavery. George ID. Williams,
of Manchester, Mich, tells how such
a slave was made free. He says: "My
wife has been so helpless for five years
that she could not turn over in bed
alone. After using two bottles of Elec-
tric Biiters, she is wonderfully improv-
ed and able to do her own work" This
supreme remedy for female diseases
quickly cures nervousness, sleepless-
ness, melancholy, headache, baekacbe,
fainting and dizzy spells. This mira
cle-working medicine is godsend TO
weak, siekly, run down people. Every
bottle guaranteed. Only so cents. Sold
at ]. n. Snyder's Drug Store, Somerset,
Pa, and G. w. Brallier's Drug Store,
Berlin, Pa
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
He Didn't Bite.

81 never can tell a story and have it
come out all right" said little wo-
man plaintively the other day. Il
thought / had such a good one not
long ago. i was walking along and
heard one street boy say to another ::
oh, you go buy 10 cents worth of
potash What for?' says No. ,.
For 10 cents yelled the other aud ran
off giggling.
II thought it was pretty good, and
I'd try it on Charlie at supper. But
when 1 told him to 60 buy 10 cents
worth of potash he never said word,
and l knew another joke had fallen
flat and kept still. But the worst was
later. He put on his hat and vanish-
ed after supper, coming back in min
ute with a little parcel that he handed
10 me.
"'What's that ?" asked /.
"'Why, the potash you said you
wanted, answered he, and nearly had
Mysteries on the spot. Did you ever
hear anything so perfectly awful? /
won't ever try to get of anything fun
ny again"
And the little woman sighed as she
walked away. Plain Dealer
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04
Good storis. Told of Robert Bonner.

There are more forms Ofhigh art than
appear on canvas, in marble or on a
craven page. The late Robert Bonner,
for instance, was master of many.
To be sure, he could not painta picture
nor could he carve a marble faun. But
he could shoe horse, and as an adj
vertiser he had no equal. Besides this,
he could set type with machine-like
rapidity aud precision and decision,
aud could tell a paying story at
glance. Also, he never owed "A cent
longer than it took TO pay it. All Of
which is more or less arr.
In 1874 Mr. Bonner came to New
York. He brought with him $40 to
cent. He put it in bank, and one day
the cashier wrote down in red ink in
his bank book, "S."
at was my interest, +" said Mr.. Bon
ner. IL had to ask him what it meant.
He told me, and was overwhelmed
with astonishment. told him /
hadn't made the money. No but your
money did, he answered.
That settled il. learned that day
that money makes money, and that to
be rich you must save. 80 / have
saved"
The only time in his life that Mr..
Bonner ever made a bet was when he
was a typesetter on the Hartford Cour-
ant. A Jour of the name of John
Hand came down the line with the
advance reputation of being the swift
est composition on earth.
Maybe said the COurant men;
"but you haven't tried Bonner yet"
"Huhr said the jour 'I'll try
him for SO a side"
al never bet, " said Mr. Bonner.
"You better not" laughed the chal-
lenger.
MIR. Bonner changed his mind. He
put up $40, got down to work, and BE-
sides consuming two pieces of eustard
pie, set =, 900 ems of solid minion type
in y hours and y minutes. The feat
has never been equaled, says the New
York Journal.
Although Mr.. bonner spent in his
lifetime about S65O,OOO for troiting
horses, lie never raced one or allowed
one to be raced for money. His first
horse was bought in July, 1886. At
that time there had been just nineteen
horses in the world dead and live that
had trOtted a mile in 2.30. To-day
there are 5000 on the list. To Mr.
Bonner is due much of this. He was
the first to show what might be ae-
! complished by intelligent shoeing, and
without doubt no man alive has ever
understood the foot of the horse as
definitely as he learned it.
This was effectively displayed some
time ago at a sale of Balo Alto trOtters.
Mr.. Bonner looked them over and
picked out Ansel Chief as the best of
the lot. But every other high horse
man in America had discarded the
animal as unsOund. The day the colt
came to New York he was lame, but
that made no difference to Mr.. Bon
ner. He sent his brother to buy Ansel
Chief, and set limit at 81 500. In
virtue of his lameness, Ansel Chief
was knocked down at 500.
Mr.. BOuner grinned with delight,
He took the colt to Tarrytown and
pared down its toes. In a few days it
was as sound as a dollar, moving
squarely and fast, and at the age of
four went the mile in 2l5l.
"You see" explained Mr.. Bonner,
"the toe OF its hOof was so long that ii
stretched the SuspensOry ligament.
just had it pared down and relieved .he
strain. 1t cost about two cents labor
and saved me thousand dollars"
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04

A farm manager at FOdderty, Ding
wall, Scotland. watching a mole catch
er at work. saw sea gulls lowering
over and occasionally alighting upon
turnip field in which the observer and
others were at work. A particularly
large and handsome bird attracted his
attention by the graceful way IL float
ed slowly over the drills. intently
scanning the surface OF the ground
Suddenly. steadying itself a moment.
1t dropped, dug its bin into the heay-
ing ground and rose with a mole for
its prey. Resting a few minutes, IL
gracefully began again a further
search for prey. In a few minutes a
second mole was unearthed.
The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-10-04

The keeper Of the public cemetery
OF a small Bohemian town near Prague
excavated the older parts of the grave
yard. and sold all the old bones he
could find for Industrial purposes. as
he found that certain manufacturers
paid more for human bones than for
those OF animals.
He had been earning money In this
way for several years before he was
detected and suspended from his post