davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
Some of Foote's JeSts.

/
A writer in Temple Bar, who has
retold the story of the life of Foote, a
comic actor of Garrick's time, gives
the following anecdotes in illustration
of the wag's character and wit: -.
"Well, FoOte, here | am, ready, as
I usual, to swallow all your good things,
said the Duke of. Cumberland one
night in the greehroom Of Che Hay
| market.
"Really, your royal highness must
have an excellent digestion" replied
| the wit, j" for you never bring anytup
again." =
A Scotch peer, notoriously thrifty,
served his wine in very small glasses,
and descanted eloquently Oh its age
and excellence. at is very little of its
age" observed Foote. Sometimes this
humor amounted to insolence, as, for
instance, after dining at nobleman's
house, not to his satisfaction, and, find
ing the servants ranged in the hall
when he was. departing. he inquired
for the cook and butler, and, upon their
stepping forward; said to- the first,
Here's haH'-a crown for my eating;"
and to the other, "Here's five shillings
for my wine but, by, never had
SO had dinner for the money in my
life" Dining with Lord Townsend
after duel, he suggested that his lord
ship might have got rid of his antag-
enist in more deadly way.
"How?" inquired his host.
l. 20 10
this, and poisoning him." was the reply.
The duke of Norfolk, who was rather
too fond of the bottle, asked him in
what new character he should go to a
masquerade. '"Go SOBER" answered
Foote. Being taken into Whites one
day, nobleman remarked to him that
his handkerchief was hanging out Of
his pocket. "Thank you, my lord"
he replied, )" thank you; you know the
company better than l do"
A rich: contractor was holding forth
upon the instability of the world.
"Can you account for it, sir?" he
aske,i, turning to FOote.
"Well, not crv clearly" he respond
ed, 6" unless we supis> it was built by
contract"
"Why are you forever humn~- ii
that air." he asked of gentleman
who had no idea of time.
Because it haunts me-"
"No wonder, for you are forever
. numbering it."
. Garrick, of whose great fame he was
undoubtedly envious, was constant
butt for his sarcasms and yet Garrlck,
whether from fear or friendship it
would be difficult to determine, did him
many kindnesses. Garrick's notorious
meanness, however, furnished him with
MANY a witticism. At one of Foote's
dinner-parties an announcement was
made of the arrival of Mr.. Garrick's
servants. "Oh, let them wait" he re-
piled to his footman, "but be sure you
lock up the pantry!" One day a gen.
tleman, while conversing with Foote,
was speaking of Garrick having re-
fected upon some persons parslmony,
and ending by observing:
"Why did he not take the beam out
of his own eye before attacking the
mote in other people's?"
Because" retOrted Foote, che is
not sure, ofselling the timber"
:, "Where on earth can it be gomez
said Foote, when Garrick dropped
guinea at the Bedford one night, and
was searching for it in vain.
"To the devil, think, answered
the actor, irritably.
"Let you alone, David, for making
a guinea 90 farther than any one else, "
was the reply:
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
Egypt and Abyssinia.

The great ..Egyptologist, Herr
Brugsch, has contributed a letter to
the Cologne Gazette on the subject OF
the present complications between
Egypt and Abyssinia. Herr Brugsch
endeavors to prove that the Abys,
siniaIfs are altogether in the wrong,
and that the khedive has shown them
unparalleled. .,forbearance. King Jo-
hannes has, according to his account,
openly violated almost every agree
ment made after the late war. The
writer goes on to. narrate the we'll
known progress .of friction between
the two countries, from the rupture of
commercial intercourse and the con-
centratioh of small CORPS of observa-
ton on both sides. of the frontier to
the outbreak of open war, -eading, for
the present, in Egyptian defeat. He
then considers the present condition
of the Abyssinians as a people, and
disposes very sunimarfy oftheir claim
to European protection On: the GROUND
that they are Ghristiafis:. The trtith
is they are not 4thfistisls: at all, bua
pagans with some eGhrstianised SUI
.Perstitions. They may haVes been
Christians once, bat for centuries past
they have, underthe guidance Of dis
reputable set of monks, given way to
drink and other vices. aud degeherrted
50 as to afford iIf the present 'tlay.a
truly pitiable picture of what Christ
ians may sink to be. !. Long. habitual
indulgence in vice has afflicted them
with one of the emos.>athsome diseases,
and altogether they are the last people
to whom one would attribute the char
acter of Christians The present war
between Egypt and Abyssinia is-not a
war between Islamism and Christianity,
but between Egyptian civilization and
Abyssinian barbarism. MISSIONARIES
who have lived in Abyssinia give most
repulsive descriptions of their nominal
fellow-Christians, among whom, being
of higher type of Christianity, they
have found themselves scarcely toIer-
ated. Herr Brugsch concludes witlia
thrust ut the supposed instigators of the
present war, which readers will be slow
To understand unless they bear in mind
the abuse which was i,eaped upon Eng
land dtIrIng the Franco-German war
under the misconception, general in
Germany, that Remington rifles are of
English manufacture. "The saying
goes" says Herr Brugsch, "that the
majority Of Abyssmians are armed
with Remingtons and commanded by
an English military man Of the name
of Cochrane. / do no more than state
this fact, which requires no further
comment"
AN indianapolis witness testified the
other day that he kept fire burning in
his stove all night to save matches.
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
=
The. Origin of the Diamond.

Some philosophers have supposed
that diamonds are, in all probability, a
cosmic product-chips of original
creation, so TO speak-which the
earth has picked up in the course of
her travels through space-in short,
they are of meteoric origin. To the
popular mind there must be something
plausible in the suggestion. : Indeed,
what could be more plausible to those
whose knowledge of the diamond is
embraced by the one word-carbon-
and whose acquaintance with it is inn
tied to some little familiarity with the
appearance OF the cut gem? How
pure, how hard, how brilliant What
filter product could there be of the
heavenly spaces?
But facts are earthly and very
stubborn-prone ever to take the shine
out of splendid theories 1t. is true
that the diamond is a puzzle even to
chemists that the mode of its forma-
tion is mystery: even its place in the
order of nature is "a matter of doubt.
like amber, it is found among miner
ais. Amber is known to be n vegetable
product; and the diamond is thought
by some to show strong evidence of a
similar origin. As surely as flies in
amber prove the presence of animal
life during some stage in the forma-
ton of that singular substance, the
vegetable organisms found i'm diamonds
are proof that these gems were formed
amid surroundings not consistent with
the presence of vegetation, perhaps
in water-a supposition that finds
support not only in the fact of their
inclusion of organic matter, but still
more in the presence of dendrites, such
as form on minerals of aquatic origin.
Crystals of gold, iron, and other
materials, have also been found inside
of diamonds Still other diamonds
are specifically impressed by sand
and crystals (which leads some to
believe them to. ..haxe been originally
soft, But it is quite as probable that
these foreign substances may have in
terlered in some way with perfect
development of the Diamond crystals,
forcing them to grow around or partly
around-the Instructions. Though
supremely beautiful in its best estate,
the diamond appears to be put an
earthly product after all subject, like
every thing else-even theories
earthly impcrlections. There may he
IA diamond factory up in the 81 y some-
where, but the evidence of it Is not
strong.
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
The Virginia Earthquake,

The Richmond engineer of the
James River improvement, Mr.. H. ID.
Whitcomb, makes curious statement
concerning. the earthquake on the 22d
of December, ,iehying that it produced
any lfndulations. IN. the surface of the
river. He says. 1.-The United States
engineer in charge of the Improvement
has two registering tide-guages-dne at
the Chesapeake and Ohio wharves, and
the other at Dutch Gap. These guages
show the height of tide ut every mo-
ment in the twenty-four hours, and to
Il fraction of I'm inch. They register
the waves made by passing steamers,
even the smallest tug, and the height
Of such waves may he ascertaincd
Neither OF these guagcs showed the
slightest disturbance of the water-leveI
at or near the time of the shock or on
that night The curve of the line, is as
smooth and uniform Us it ever is by day
or night. | may say remarkably 80.
Nevertheless, our machines boon above
and below this wharf was affected by
the shock"
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
TIE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

Could we but know
Ihe Land that ends our dark, uncertain
travel,
where lies those happier hills and mead.
ows low ~
An, Ii beyond the spirits inmost cayIl
Ansnt OF That country could we surely
know, 'S
Who would not gos
Might We but herr
ihe hovering angels high imagined chorus
Or catch, hetimes, With wakefnI ewes anj
clear, '''' """
''He ne Iauianf vista of the realm before us
I'M oot rapt moment given to see and
hear,
All. who would fear?
Were we quite sure
10 hnd the peerless friend who left us lonely
Or there. by some celestial stream as pure
o gaze IN eyes that here were lovelit ONLY
his weary mortal coil, were we quite
sure,
Who would endure?
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
Does Drumming Pay?

The Boston Traveller insists that one
great drawback to the dry goods trade
of that city has been the enormous ex-
penses incurred in conducting the busi-
ness, and it instances the following:
s'At a recent meeting of the creditors
of one Of the largest dry goods job
bing houses in this city, the following
expenses were reported: Rents, s17,-
900; salaries of salesmen. book-keepers,
ETC., 1000; travelling expenses, s15,-
600; a total of $4,000, or about ten
per cent. of the gross amount of sales.
II is from such items as these, and-the
personal expenses of members of firms,
that the remarkable deficiencies come,
and here.is where the reform must set
.irf. In the older and more prosperous
'days al ourjobbing trade, the partners.
with rare exceptions, were the sales
men, and when clerk had proved
himself capable and useful he was
given subordinate position in the
firm. Now in our larger houses each
department has head man, at Il sad
ary. in some instances equal to that
of cabinet minister, and with as
manv attendants, at his command; a
miniature nabob in his way, while his
ilI-paid and hard-worked underlings
bear the.burtlen of the labor. There
are exceptions, it is true, but this. I
the rule. One of the greatest eeils
that has grown aP-df-laees Yikh. 7upfff
large oblfeg: houses is .the1absrdt ejis.
tom of sending ont dfuli3efs: We
have the testimony ot.ons1atpe ;cetr
Germ that itrdoes mot pay ~hor never
has paid, and the abolishipg Of it
would be of immense benefit to-. the
trade. A few more revelations like
the one we have alluded to must inevi-
tably result in a radical .eform.*
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

OF thfrty-fiye feet-into the water. He
struck piece of timber and disfgured
his face so fearfulIy that the captain
could not recognize him. The lad,
howeser. being asked how he came by
his injuries, replied, with the usual sa-
lutte, that he had "a whack on the
head, and 50 went on helping his com
pai1io.ls out of the water.-N. y. Euen-
inq Post
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

clean side of the cork is now treated
with two coats of the india-rubber; and
linen or cotton fabric, after subjection
to the same profess, Is laid upon it, the
coated surfaces coming together. The
compound sheet is then submitted to
heavy, pressure between rollers, or
under d stamPer,. or press, until it is
in effect simple Substance, having
strength, durability and fexibility.
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
Cannon Balls.

lnere are rev Sclentlhc instruments
so beautiful in their action as that now
used for ascertaining the rapidity with
which cannon ball is set moving.
For some years past we have been able
to calculate with the utmost nicely the
velocity of projectile as it flies to its
destination, and to say within a yard
or two how many hundred feet it COW
ers in a second Of time, but it is only
recently that We have got to know
what actually goes on inside a gun,
and how long the shot takes to attain
its maximum speed. To find out this
is what we are doing Just nbw with The
monster S1-ton'grn that Still lies be-
fore the proofbutt in the Woolwich
marshes, aid the results of the trial
will tell us far more about the capabili-
ties of the weapon than any other test.
to which it could be subjected. Our
readers may like TO know how such an
apparently inso1uble problem as that of
discovering the speed of a projectile
inside she gun can be determined, for
the discharge of q fire-ar1n is popularity
supposed to be instantaneous. 1t is
very simple matter, however, when it
comes to- be explained. The instru-
ment employed is termed chrome
graph, and is the invention of an artil-
'lery officer, Captain Noble, F. r. S.
1t consist'of. number of wheels, or
rather disks, revolving at high speed
ali on the same axis, and these wheels
are covered, with coating of SCOT or
lampblack. Connected with. each of
the wheels, which are, say half dozen
in n1rmber, is an insulated wire, and:
these wires lead to six rings inserted in
the tube of the gun at certain intervals
or stations. THE gun is loaded in the
ordinary Smanner, and when fired the
HsR5cctfle passes on its way to the mlz-
,.Hls 4hrough@ these rings one after the
:atheH and i'm so doing presses them
down, and in each case cuts through
the electric wires with which they
are .severaf1y connected. If we sup
pose now that there is an electric
.eurteift passing along these wires
at the time, this sudden cutting
by the rings will instantly have the
effect of :-seiiding an electric spark
along the wires. to |fafl upon the rap
idly-revolving wheels, the place where
the spark touches the blackened sur
face being shown by tiny clean spot.
Thus, if We stopped he'apparatus, we
should find six Of these little marks
upon the six different wheels, and the IN
ervals between the spots would show the
interval oftime that the shot was passing
from one station to another. The dc
termination Of this interval is merely a
matter for calculation, but, obviously,
if it is shown that the shot increases
gradually in speed and does not attain
its maximum velocity at once, then there
has been comparatively little strain
imposed upon the gun. And the aim
of those charged with the care of the
Woodwich gun is to secure just this
result by choosing the most suitable
kind:of gunpowdcr for the purpose.
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
The CrHefties Of Fashion.

Baroness Burdett Coutts wrote as fol
lows recently to an English farmers
club which was trying to put a stop to
cruelty to trapped game and small
birds "Tfat,me should be charged
with plucking the wings and feathers of
,the most harmless of Gods creatures
while stsIl alive would seem incredible
ut tho present day5 buras 1t appears
the destination of these. feathers is for
the adormnenf oT ladies'. attire, it is
nearly time thcsense of Englishwomen
were quickened to the enornrity. Of the
crime. have already conntttfieated
with many of the leaders of fashion IN
this -coup1xx.yn the subject, and by a
syrnnathttica}etter which I had from
Mms LOUISE I regret to learn that, re-
pugnant as is the present fashion, there
is still a gsssing:,lemand for ii. Eng
lish ladies will therefore incur a serious
and an unenviable rcpu-
tation for hcartlessness unless they dis
cnEd practice wlEichis attended with
so much torture 10 its innocent victims
as this is now shown to be-"
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

SUBsTrruTEFOR LEATHER sub
stitute- for. leather, Of English manu-
facture, was displayed at the recent
maritime. exhibition in Paris, and re-
ceived with much favor. 1t was com
posed of II layer. Of cork between two
layers Of textile fabric, the whole be-
ing gummed with india-rubber and
welded together. The process by
which it is manufactured is as follows: /:
Thin sheets of cork are painted upon
one side with two successive coats OF
india-ruhbcr .Japanncd cloth-canva~
Il; treated in the same manner, and
when dry its gummed surface is ap-
piled to- that of the cork-shcets. The
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
CANTON, MISSISSIPPI, FEBRUAR 5, 1876

two large brilliant cut drop-shape dia-
monds, silver settings; a single-stone
brilliant, the ''Potachin" diamond"
The price .is runored to have teen
atuut six lah Ks ofrnpees, or $500, 900.
This will make the Maharajah collect
ion OF jewels one of the finest In India,
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

= EUGENIE's JEwELs.-Thc Mahara-
jah of Putiatka has purchased the ele-
CANT jewels which were lately the prop
crty of the Empress Eugene. They
c6nsist..of brilliant cut diamond neck
lace, silver settings, composed of eight
cen large brilliant-shape diamonds and
eleven small ones; also, eleven bril-
liant cut drop-shape diamonds; pair
of large brilliant cut diamond ear
rings, composed Of two large brilliant
shape diamonds, two small ones, and
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05
THE FAILURES OF 1875.
increase OF Q ~. 900 900 Com pared with
1Bs. "a

YDe PfeV"ns he"T
A circular Of, failures during the
year just closed, with comparisons of
previous years failures, has just been
Issued. Tne following tables are of
interest:
Number of failures in Tennessee for
the years named:
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

MY SON." said Il stern parent 10 Il
scvcn-ycar-old' hopeful, II must dis
ciplnc you; your teacher says that
you are the worst boy in school.
We'll, papa, only yesterday she said
was just like my father" was the
reply.
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

SERENADING young men may take
some interest in Darwin's assertion that
male grasshoppers Use their hind legs
To fiddle on the edge of their wings,
and that the best fiddler always wins
the affections of the female first. .
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

a scIIooIMAsTER said " | am like
II hone-'-l sharpen number of blades,
but wear myself cut in doing it,"
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

Amount involved In Tennessee fail
tfes ior-tbe same periOd:
The Canton mail., 1876-02-05

AN indianapolis witness testified the
other day that he kept fire burning in
his stove all night to save matches.
The Morning herald., 1876-08-19
THE sTRATEGIsT CAMERON.

The Secretary Of War has trusted the
resolution of the House of Representatives,
intended for condemnation oflawlessness
and a demand for the enforcement Of the
civil authorities in the Southern States,
into that of lawless military usurpation.
The new Secretary is a great strategist.
A more brilliant piece Of strategy was
never known. than that of constituting a
resolution against the bayonet rules, as an
order for tile employment Of the govern
ment troops to carry the election of Hayes.
The Secretary, like General Purvis who
has already sent box of improved rifles
and cartridges to arm the negroes while the
Democratic Convention meets in Columbia,
South Carolina, intends to have troops
placed in time where they can do mot
good in controlling elections.
The Morning herald., 1876-08-19

A Pennsylvania Tragedy,

A correspondent of the of the New York
Sun, writing from Hamburg, Pa, states
that on Sunday night last terrible tragedy
occurred in the hilly region in York county,
which was participated in by band called
the "lorty thieves" who had been driven
from Lancaster county, and taken up their
habitation in q cave in the hills. During a
drunken carousal on Sunday last, one of
the men, Big Mike, accused the chief Bill
Pratt, of uDfairness in the division of plum
der that had been stolen the night before.
This led to a fight between them, eventual
ly involving nearly the entire party. At
the close of the atfray, which was only
stopped because of sheer exhaustion upon
the part Of some of the participants, three
Of the men had been stabbed to death. They
were known as Patsie Burns, Dutchman
Green and Greasy Bob. Big Mike, the
chief. and two women were severely
wounded, and Big Mike died on Monday.
The murdered men were buried where they
lay and preparations have been made for
the capture of the murderers, who are sup
posed to have gone into the Cumberland
Valley, with the hope of escaping into
Maryland Or West Virginia. K !.
The Morning herald., 1876-08-19
MORE STRIFE IN MEXICO,

Costina's bringing trouble to the border
counties on both sides of the Rio Grande
river. The Mexican war trumpets, after
a short season Of repose, are again sound
ing. The revolutionists are again in the
field, and although the revolution may not
become general throughout Mexico, Serdo
will have to take hold of the revolt with a
vigorous hand, or it may become danger
GUS. The revolutionists now occupy several
towns in the vicinity of the Rio Grande,
and are threatening Camargo. Cortina is an
able revolutionary chief and can command
the services of all the floating element
along and near the Rio Grande.
The Morning herald., 1876-08-19
pOr1TICs IN LoUIsIAHA.

{ II il said that prominent men Of both
parties in New Orleans are trying to form
] new party and to nominate an indepen-
dent ticket representing the better class OF
the community, and then to ask the Re-
publicans to adopt the ticket id place Of a
regular Republican ticket. The project
will not be likely to succeed, and unless
the Republicans can adopt such ticket IN
the place Of the Republican ticket the
Democrats will carry the State. There
seems to be good reason to believe that the
negro vote which controls the State, and
which has always been cast for the Repub'
licans, will not all be given to that party.
The Republican officials have been SO dis
honest as to disgust the coiored men, a
p6rtion of whom will vote with the Demo
Gratis. Ifthe Democratic ticket should get
a part Of the colored vote it will be sue
cessful, but the generality Of the colored
men in Louisiana are extremely ] ignorant,
and they can easily be made to believe that
a failure on their part to vote the Repub-
|lican ticket would cause them to lose their
present situations. It is thought, how
ever, that they will not all vote as they
have done, and efforts are being made
throughout the country parishes to secure
them for the Democratic ticket.
The Morning herald., 1876-08-19
THE NEW YORK DEMOCRACY.

It is believed that both the Tammany
and anti -Tammany leaders in New York
are anxious to agree on basis Of consoli-
dation. A meeting Of the Tammany Hall
committee will meet tonight for the pur-
pose Of considering the question Of writing
the different factions Of the Democratic
party Of that city upon one delegation to
the Saratoga convention on the 30th inst,
and consequently upon one ticket at the
coming November election. A similar
meeting Of the Executive Committee Of
the anti -Tammany organization will be
held at Irving Hall at the same time to
discuss the same subject. 1t is evident
that the leaders of both factions are anxions
for union, and there is no doubt about
their agreeing on basis of consolidation