davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
CuriOsities of Lunacy,

There are cases where blows on the
head have benefited the brain and pro-
duced extraordinary changes for the
better. Mabilon was almost an idiot
till, at the age of 26, he fell down o stone
staircase, fractured his scull, and was
trepanned. From that moment he be-
came a genius. DIR. Ptichard mentions
case of three brothers who were nearly
all idiots. One of them was injured on
the head, and from that time he bright
ened up, and is now successful bar
rister. Wallenstein, too, they say, was q
mere fool till he fell out of window,
and awoke with enlarged capabilities.
A patient in an insane asylum was the
victim of many delusions. He was pay
ing off the national debt, going into part
nership with Baron Rothschild, and
forming a lodge of female freemasons
One day an epileptic patient, irratated
at being perpetually asked to buy i'm
aginary shares, gave him tremendous
blow on the bridge of the nose. From
that time he improved rapidly, and he
acknowledged that the blow had sober
ing effect, and had quite knocked the
nonsense out of him. There is no
doubt that this was the secret of that
cruel old remedy for madness, the cir
culating swing, mentioned favorably by
physicians of the last century This
horrible swing was a small box fixed
upon a pivot, and worked by n windlass.
The "infexible" maniac, or the maniac
expectinga paroxysm, was firmly strap
ped in sitting or recumbent posture.
The box was then whirled round at the
average velocity of a hundred revolutions
a minute, and its beneficial effect was sup
posed to be heightened by reversing the
motion every six or eight minutes, and
by stopping it occasionally with a sud-
den jerk. The results of this swing
(Which occasionally brought on concus-
sion of the brain) were profound and
protracted sleep, intense perspiration,
mental exhaustion, and a not unnatural
horror of any recurrence to the same
remedy, which left moral impression
that acted as a permanent restraint.
That the results were often beneficial
we have indisputable evidence.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
Pith and Point.

HARD pressed-A bale of cotton.
A BAD wind-up of the week-Reeling
home on Saturday night.
The most popular of the "fall open
ings" are confined to the oyster trade.
DOES ball-player engagein the naval
stores business when he goes IN to
pitch
SUSAN b. ANTHoNYs former betrothed
resides in Dubuque. He is glad he let
Susan be Anthony.
A LADY wishes to know why, since the
invention of the needle-gun, women
can't fight as well as men.
A New YORK editor says sugar has
gone up so high as to produce slight
increase in the price OF sand
How DID Robinson Crusoe know that
he was on an inhabited island? Be-
cause he saw great swell pitching into
little cove.
In late severe gale a lady asked
neighbor if he was not afraid his house
would blow away. "Oh, no" was the
answer, the mortgage on it is so heavy
as to make that impossible"
THE near-sighted hen that ate saw
dust, supposing it to be corn meal, then
went and laid nest full of bureau
knobs, sat on them three weeks, and
Matched out complete set of parlor
furniture, was pretty fair hen.
A QUAINT old clergyman once took as
q foundation for few remarks: " The
world, the flesh, and the devil" By
way of preface he said, q shall touch
| lightly on the world, speak briefly of
the flesh, and hasten on to the devil.
ANY one who visits Cbilwald, Eng,
can read in the cemetery the following
epitaph
g Here lies me and my three daughters,
Brought here by using Seidlitz waters.
III we had stuck TO Epson salts,
We wouldn't have been in these here vdults."
"WHAT is it, Katy % said the teacher.
"I want to know how TO spell tunkan,"
said the little girl. Explain" said
the teacher. "Why, want to write,
L love my teacher more than tunkan
tongue cam tell, said the child. That
child understood photography.
A PEORIA naturalist, in attempting to
warm the ears of a frozen wasp over a
gas Jet, discovered that the tail of the
insect thawed out first, and worked with
rapidity that was as astonishing as
the hideous profanity of the naturalist,
who held the insect by thu tail while
thus experimenting.
AN Irishman was once taken to see
the wonders of Niagara Falls. He did
not seem to think it tremendous after
all. His friend asded him : Don't
you think it is wonderful thing ?"
why is it wonderful thing p asked
the lrishman. Don't you see," said
rolling down this precipice !" Says he:
"What's to hinder it 20
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
TWENTY YEARS AGO.

I've wandered in the village, Tom-Iye sat beneath
the tree
Upon the school-house playing ground which shell
tered you and me
But none we're there TO greet me, Tom, and few were
left 20 know,
That played with us ppon the green some twenty
years ago.
The grass is just green, Tom-barefooted boys
at play, 40 ,-,.-
Where sporting Just as we did then, with spirits
But the master sleeps upon the hll which, coated
over with show,
Afforded as sliding place just twenty years ago.
The old school-house is altered now-the benches
are replaced
by new Ones very like sle same our penkniyes have
defaced; .
But the same id bricks are in the walls, the bell
It's music just the same, dear Tom, as twenty years
ago.
The river is running just still, the willows by its
side,
Are larger than they were, dear Tom, the stream
appears less wide,
The grapevine swing is ruined now, where once We
played the beau,
and swung our sweetheart, pretty girls, just twenty
years ago.
The spring that dubbed meath the hill, close by the
spreading beach,
Is very low-'twas once so high that could almost
reach:
And lneeling down TO get drink dear Tom,
started SO,
To see how much that had changed since twenty
years ago.
Near by the spring, upon the elm, you know cut
your name
Your sweethearts just beneath it, Tom, and you did
mine the same
Some hoartless wretch has peeled the bark-'twas
dying sure but slow,
Just Gs the whose name we cut died twenty
years ago.
My eyes had been dry, Tom, but tears came in my
eyes.
thought of her I loved so well-those early broken
ties
l visited the old church-yard and took some fiowors
to strew
Upon the graves of those we loved some twenty
years ago.
Some are in the church-yards laid-some sleep be
meath the
But few left OF old class excepting you and
me.
And When time shall come, Tom, and we are
called to 60.
hope they'll lay us where we played just twenty
years ago.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
Brutal Hangnen,

An Irish execution during the last
century was q CHASTITY sight, an element
of reckless bufioonery blending with its
cruelty and horrors. When man was
condemned to death, his relatives I'M
usually sent him his coffin, as a mark of
remembrance and kind feeling. The
man on whom the pathetic and fine old
song OF The night before Larry aoas
stretched' was composed, was Grip
pied outcast named Lambert. He spent
the last night of his life playing cards
and drinking on his own coffin. Although
cowardly, he was ferocious, and had al
ways urged the murder of those whom
he helped to rob. On his way to the
gibbet, he screamed and fought, and
had to be dragged by the cord about his
neck to the gallows. The great desire
of condemned man was TO get his
friends to promise to have the surgeons
open his jugular vein, in hopes Of re-
covering aim, because a celebrated
Dublin murderer had once been resus-
citated. The hangman with execrable
taste) was always disguised in fantastic
manner He wore a grotesque mask on
his face, and on his back an enormous
hump, formed by a concealed wooden
bowl, on which he received the shower
of stones that poured on him, and re-
bounded from him the moment the cart
drew from under the murderer's feet
Tom Calvin, the hangman, was a no.
toriety in his day. Persons used to
visit him in his old age to see the rope
with which he had hung many of his
own nearest relations. The favorite
practical joke of this wretch was to
suddenly and slyly slip the rope round
visitors neck, and give it sudden
chuck, SO as to nearly strangle him. If
criminal was respited, the old man
would curse and grumble at any one
talking the bread out of the mouth of
poor old man." He was always impa-
tient and testy if the criminal on the
ladder took up too long time with his
prayers. " Long life to you," he used
to say; make haste wild your prayers
the people is getting tired under the
swing-swong.
The most barbarous execution, how
ever, recorded in Ireland was an anna
teur one, when lieutenant in the Wick
low militia, tall, robust man, named
Hepenstal, finding no tree to hang q
"Croppy on, actually killed the rebel
by swinging him over his shoulder with
n drum cord
In 1893, gang of robbers was cap
tured near Bruff One of them was q
woman named Farrell, who had, it APP
peared, always been expected to find
cord for persons condemned to death by
the gang. She had been known to take
off her petticoat, and twist the torn
strips into rope, the strength OF which
she would sit down and complacently
! test.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
Interesting.

A scientific writer has recently col
lected group of facts illustrative of
the effect of oscillation on powerful
bodies when not unfrequently broken by
vibration. In crossing large suspen-
sion bridges it is esteemed necessary
that professions shoull break step in
order to insure safety and it is told,
in illustration, that when the first sus-
pension bridge was building in England,
a fiddler offered to demolish it with his
fiddle. Striking one note after an
other, he eventually hit the vibrating
note, or fundamental tone, and threw
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
SOLD AGAIN

We had fingered out the season,
Far into the cooler days,
And the votariea Of Fashion
All had fown their different wayr.
Ours had been no light hirtation,
Such as watering-places know,
But an earnest love-crea1ion,
Laying every barrier low.
had felt my pulses beating
Al the warm touch Of her hand;
had followed in her footsteps
Dreamed was in fairy-land.
She had hung upon my accents,
With her lovely violet eyes
Glist'ning at the words whispered,
Beanling with glad surprise.
We had wandered down the sea-beach
With the moonlight DER us straying;
Listened 10 the night winds whisper,
Wondered what the waves were saying
And again we stood together
Near tho oceans ebb and flowing,
While the bushes of the sunset
On the waves were redly glowing.
dearest" said she, hesitating,
"Ah too long we both have tarried;
Tomorrow we must pant forever;
For, my darling, am-married !"
{" Married :" exclaimed, upstarting;
" Married ~ she murmured with sigh.
"Then is this indeed parting,
For-my darling--so am L u
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12

MEASURING LANDAU Iowa farmer
recommends the following device for
measuring land
Take two Stats about six feet long,
sharpen one end of each, lay them upon
the floor like pair of open compasses,
so that the points shall be five feet six
inches apart, now nail the other two
ends together, and piece across the
middle, so that it will look like the let
ter A and the measure is finished.
To measure land, place one point at the
starting place, and the other also upon
the ground in straight line for the
destination. Stand alongside the ma
chine, with one hand on the top of it ;
take one step forward, tie up the point
that is behind, swing it around Qrom
YOU on the other point, and set in a
line also.
A person in this manner can measure
correctly as fast rs lie can walk-three
spaces make rod. Walk straight
without stopping, count the spaces, di-
vide this by three, and you have the
rods.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
General Notes.


The population of Cuba is 1900, 900.
CUBA is about 700 miles long and 100
miles wide.
The Pope pays less than $500 year
for clothing.
CUBA yields Spain a yearly revenue of
S26, 900, 900.
A. II. STEWART pays his head book
keeper $50, 900 year.
CLAFLIN & Co., of New York, recent
ly sold $500,000 worth of dry goods in
one day.
The cultivation of almonds has been
begun in California under favorable
auspices.
THE deficit in the balance sheet of the
Vienna Exposition, it is said, will be
about 10000, 900 forms.
The aggregate wages of Government
officials amount to 81, 900, 600 a month,
exclusive of perquisites.
A NEVADA Postmaster has written TO
Washington to know if he can rent part
of the Office for faro bank.
A BEAR caught in trap at Eden, Vt,
one day last week, chewed off his i'm
prisoned leg and walked away on the
other three.
A WESTERN man feels aggrieved be-
cause his bull at a New York hotel for
one day amounted to the value of eight
cen bushels of corn.
GEN. FRANCIS WALKER, in his census
report, gives the probable wealth of the
country in 1860 at SIC, 900, 900, 900, and
in 1878 at $50, 900, 900, 900.
The herring catch in England this
year represents money value of u
million and half sterling anG total of
700, 900, 900 individual herring.
WHEAT is cheaper than wood in Walia
Walla, w. L. Flour sells at 81 pei
barrel, and cottonwood, the poorest
kind of stuff to burn, sells at So cord.
GREAT BRITAIN reports this wear
1864, $40 cattle, SO, 437, 635 sheep, and
$500, $50 pigs; also 3,490, 1872 acres OF
wheat, 1886, O2O of barley, and 2,67G,
234 of oats.
GEN. FREMONT has cancer of the
stomach, but has, until lately, kept the
matter a secret from family and friends.
His physician says that he cannot live @
year.-Ne,o York Express.
The whole number of new buildings
in the burned district of Boston is 365
about 65 per cent. of the SOC that GOV.
cred it before the fire, and the cost
about $l5, 600, 900, or a million and s
half more than the valuation of THEN
predecessors.
Four hundred and sixty thousand
immigrants arrived i'll the United States
for the year ending in June last. This
shows an increase of 60, 900 over any
previous year. OF these 1000 were
from Ireland, $1,000 from England, ant
$50, 600 from Germany.
The budget of the French Minister o.
Finance shows that the expenses in
Cured during the war, together will
the losses ON the taxes for 1871 and 1872
amount to $747, S63, 800, which, with the
81 600, 900, 600 paid to Germany, make
total of 81, TAI, 1853. 500.
LIE Original OqueerS, OF Dickens
Dotheboys Hall, died of chagrin ant
shame at the revelations in " Nicholas
Nickleby." There is still strong feel
ing in Yorkshire against Dickens, who
no doubt ruined poor Shaw, as the PEG
pie aver that the schools, though baC
enough, were not as bad as Dickens
made them. Like Louis XVI, Shaw
suffered not so much for his own sins a
for those of his ancestors.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
structure into extraordinary vibra-

the structure into extraordinary vibra-
ton.
Only recently bridge went down in
France under the tread of regiment of
infantry who neglected to break step on
entering it. Three hundred persons
were drowned.
The experiment of breaking tumbler
or other small glass vessel, by frequent
repetitions of some particular note of
the human voice, belongs to the same
class of phenomena.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12

MUscLE.-The muscular fiber of wo-
man is smaller than that OF man it is
therefore bettersupplied with blood, and
consequently can bear continued labor
with less exhaustion. This is easily
proved by the fatigue produced when a
man tries to nurse a child. The large
size of the muscular fiber in man con-
tributes to his strength, but not to con-
tinued minor efforts.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12

A YOUNG Jonathan took it into his
head one day to geta wife. He accord
ingly looked about him, and very soon
made such selection as suited him, and
was not long in striking bargain and
settling the preliminaries. He then APP
piled to a clergyman, stranger, to per-
form the ceremony.
"But are you prepared for such an
important change in life? 2" seriously in
CURED the reverend gentleman.
II guess / be" said Jonathan, "for
I've got my land paid for, and own a
yoke of steers and cow"
Very WELL" said the clergyman,
with long breath and a sober face,
call these may be proper in their place,
to be sure but have you ever thought
of salvation ?"
Sal Walton !" says Jonathan, who
under the sun is she? | don't want her
for a wife. L want Nell Baker"
The minister explained his meaning.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
The Centennial Building,

The Philadelphia Press says that the
"area of ground appropriated at Fair
mount Park for the Centennial EXPOSE
ton is $50 acres, and is bounded by the
Schuylkill river on the east, Girard
avenue on the southeast, Elm avenue on
the south, and Fifty-second street on
the west-so that Girard avenue, when
graded and paved, as is contemplated,
will be the main approach to the build
ings. Elm avenue and Fortieth and
Forty-frst streets will also lead to the
park, and steps have been taken by
Councils looking to the improvement Of
these thoroughfares, in order that they
may be made available before the open
ing of the Exposition. The ground
plans, as approved by the Commission,
provide for the erection of machinery
hall, agricultural hall, conservatory, art
gallery, and the main Exposition build
ing. All of these will be so located as
to be within easy reach of each other,
and upon the most beautiful portion of
the park. The grand pavilion, or main
Exposition building, will have front
age of 2,075 feet on Elm avenue, or, in
other words, will extend from Forty
hISu street, on VIC etSI, W DelluonU
avenue, and will have a depth of LOCO
feet. Immediately north. and near to
the Lansdowne drive, it is designed to
erect the art gallery. West of the Ex-
position building will be the machinery
and agricultural halls--the former to be
2,275 feet long, and the latter 1,420
feet. These are to be connected with
the main buildings by n covered pas
sage-way, and will also be upon Elm
avenue. A better idea of the immensely
of the work to be performed, and of the
ground to be occupied, will be had when
it is stated that the grand pavilion will
cover an area of 36.5 acres, which can
be increased to AZ acres. Machinery
Hall will occupy 9.5 acres, and Agricul-
tural Hall f. 5 acres. "
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
Coffee with Brick.

Chiccory is said to contain properties
positively injurious to the health. Yet
ground coffee, as sold by grocers, is
often adulterated with this substance,
and many persons insist that it improves
the flavor of the coffee. We are in
formed in a recent work on coffee, that
the coffee-dealer adulterates his coffee
with chhccory, to increase his profits /;
the chiccory dealer adulterates his
chiccory with Venetian red to please
the eye of the coffee-dealer and lastly,
the Venetian red manufacturer grinds
up his color with brick-dust, that by its
greater cheapness, and the variety OF
shades he offers, he may secure the
patronage of the trade in chiccory.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12
A Servant for Every Guest.

A writer in the Chicago Tribune says:
"The first-cass hotels of the day are
forced to keep one servant for every
guest they entertain. We have ascer-
tanned that the lowest number of SER
wants kept by the Pacific Hotel in this
city at any time since it was opened was
273, and the highest number 325. Dur
ing this time the average number of
guests was 80 persons, SO that there is
required an average of more than one
servant to every guest. The same pro-
portion holds in the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, the st. Nicholas, the new Wind
sor, and all the other large frst-class
hotels in New York City. This item
shows that it is not the hotel keepers,
but the extravagant demands of the
people, which render the high prices
necessary. The fact is that the low
priced hotels make money more rapidly
than the grand hotels. We know of an
instance of comparison in the ante-fre
times. A second-class house was
opened, with an investment OF IS, 900,
and charges of $3.50 day. In ten
years its profits had been $1,000 or
nearly 100 per cent. year on the capt.
tai. A frst-class hotel, which had been
furnished at cost of 500, 900, made
$500, 900 in ten years, or less than 80
per cent on the capital invested. The
difference is still greater now, when the
extravagant tastes OF those who patron
ize the first-class hotels have increased.
There must be change, nevertheless.
The Sherman House, in this city, has
reverted to the owners, who will con-
duct it. The fremont found no takers
among hotel men, and will be run by
the Couch estate. Still others of the
large and gorgeous houses of the city
will be affected in one way or another.
The American people, in one word,
must cultivate simple tastes in hotel
life as we'll as elsewhere. ="
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-12

WANTED "'TATER. At one of the
hotels yesterday was family travelling
West from Vermont. The wife was
continually badgering the husband for
his method of doing this and that, evil
IDENTIFY supposing that everybody else
was noticing his unaristocratic ways.
AT the table she passed him the pota-
toes, and he took off small mountain,
and in three minutes held his plate for
more. She winked at him, but he was
determined, and he shouted " Eliza
beth Jones, you may wink and blink all
day. but TIM going to have some more
'tater or bust the bank" He got some.-
Detroit Free Press.