davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1876-07-30
TIE CENTENNIAL IN MyDsUS1s5rR

It is q relief to learn through that yer,
exact channel Of news, the Associated Press
that the weather in Philadelphia has essum
ed more benignant countcnance. The re
ports TINT have reached Us during the montl
OF July, and until within very few DAYS
have been so burdcned with lamentation a
the excessive bent thet our souls have beer
moved to the very depths Of philanthropie
comnlseration for the unfortunntes who
have been condemned to daily tortures in
the Main Building and Machinery Hall. Il
might be proper in this connection for ou1
ministerial friends to inquire whnt distinc.
tive sins have been committed by Phila-
dolphin that such Il fiery dispensation
Of Providence should have been visited upon
that municipality. No doubt the police cal
endar would furnish as admirable an orrav of
crimes as would the records of New York or
Chicago To our mind, however, if these
pranks Of the thermometer are due to any
human Or superhuman agency, they would
be chargeable rather to the little peccadilloes
of the inhabitants, as shown in their extra
rates for lodging md eating, rather than to
any vast iniquities. Of course. it is not for
us, who are not professional expounders of
the moral law, to say that such is the case.
Indeed, from this far distance we can gage
upon these triaing wickednesses with as
much composure as the Gcnethliacans, or as
ZoEoBApE1 or PHEREcyDEs, exhibited in
making observations on the Pleiades.
At any rate, it WINS hot weather. 4 yery
graphic and terse correspondent Of an East
ern paper, after describing the miseries
which the animal creation underwent
summed up tie whole matter by ESTIMATING
that during the week succeeding the Fourth
Of July the average number of deaths from
heat was nine and one-haIf men to one
horse. What became Of the other half man
he, singularly enough, neglected to relate.
Taking the statement as it stands. however.
without any qualms of disbelief, one is i'm
pressed with the very much greater cndur-
ance shown by the horse than by the man.
again the question of Divine in
reference; since it is evident that there
would be no justice in visiting the sins of
The people upon their domestic animals.I
In regard to the Exhibition, it can onlv be
said that the heat has been most unfortn-
aate drawback. Men and women like to see
things. They can admire the
luaint character~peintinss of TEx1ERs, marvel
1t the Vatican tapestries OF .GonE11y. laugh
It the Japanese 6 i1ncracks from, Tokio, study
he repousse ware from Birmingham and
Moscow, reyeI in. the clash of +l,o r..
ooms from LVons.-but not in hot weather
, 1876-07-30

| The proposition OF the City Gas-Light
| Company, whose territory includes the North
and South Divisions (Which was enormously
| attributed yesterday to tile West Side Com
pany), will enable tho Council to achieve the
full amount Of retrcachment which reasona-
| bic people have expected from it. and all that
can be undertaken without injury to the best
interests Of the city. This proposition is to
reduce the price Of gas to the city so
cents per 1000 feet, to light the lamps
later at night and extinguish them much
sooner in the morning. and to substitute g.
feet burners in the street-lamps instead of
the 5-feet burners now III use The West
Side Gas Company will scarcely dare to hold
out against the force Of public opinion, now
that the Company controlling the other two
Divisions Of the city hnve, of their own mo-
ton, offered this concession to the city. The
city will then pay So per thousand,
instead of $3.50 per thousand, which it has
been paying, and there will be reduction of
two-hfths in the amount of gas consumed, in
addition to the saving by the new schedule
for lighting and extinguishing the lamps
Thus 80 per cent of the expenditures for gas
will be saved, or as much as if one-half the
lamps had been e1tinguished, but in more
satisfactory way. The City Gas Company is
entitled to the credit of making the offer.
The reports from the various departments
in which the reduction Of salaries is ordered
are to the effect that the situation will be &C.
cepted as inevitable by the employees, who
will submit to it without any effort at resist
ance. Indeed, resistance would be useless,
since the law-oficers agree that the action is
entirely legal, and since it is only in this way
that the various departments can be sus-
tanned and the employees paid at a1l In the
Police and Fire Departments there will be
the same system Of curtailment as
that suggested by the Council for
tie police force; that is, a saving
Of about 10 per cent will be made by reduc-
ing the number of men. and Is per cent will
be taken from the pay Of those who remain,
giving them then as much compensation as they
received at the higher rates before the panic,
when 81 900 could not buy rs much as $3.50 |
will buy now. The work of cutting down in
the Board Of Public Works will be harder. in !
so far Us twice the reduction is provided for
there as in the Police or Fire Department;
but it will be the easier, on the other hand, |
because it does not oil come from q reduction |
in the number of employees and their pay. 4 |
, 1876-07-30

The darley's description Of his 'coon-trap
applies exactly to the Democratic State
ticket of Illinois as contrived in Springfield.
He said: ''lt's got spring at bofe ends, end
can kotch de coon a-gwine or a-con1in'."
, 1876-07-30

mere sticks and stones; men, living, earnest,
competent men, are demanded, and both
parties should labor to serve the city, and to
serve their own interests, by sending that
kind Of men to the Legislature. Better
have no Representatives there than to have
men ignorant Of the public wants, and ill.,
competent by word or influence to aid the
eitv
, 1876-07-30

SOCIETY MEETINGS.

ORIENTAL CoSs1sroRY, S. r. r. s.-spcctal
assembly On Tursday evening. Aug. ut ConststoEfa
Hail! :: Monroe-sr- Work on alst degree pr III. ID
special meetings drill prior the excursion to Phil
adtphla the evening" of Anf : !: >; and II: ~
qucsied to attend these drill meetings. " order Of
GIL II. BARNARD. 33d,
Commander IN thief.
JAMES A. T. BIRD. ed. Grand Secretary.
, 1876-07-30

When prick1y heat begins to crawl down
ones back, and the moist drops to roll down
ones shirt-col1ar, then Art begins to weaken
and the Beautiful to fail in power Of
inspiration. Over the gate of Mars ut
Rheims are inscribed the words ''Sta,
viator!" But what traveller, however senti-
mental, would be persuaded to stand in the
middle Of the road when the thermometer
| marked los in the shade? Thus it has hap
| pened TINT during the past month the vast
| aisles of the Exhibition have been compara-
| lively deserted. An attendance Of $4,000
persons is not sufficient to produce a visual
effect Of iveliness, aud, considering the large
space over which that number are scattered,
cannot be said to rise to the dignity of
crowd In the beginning, the projectors of
the enterprise dreamed Of wonderful re-
suits. Haying been associated day and
week for several years with the Exhi-
bi:ion in erecting the buildings cad
securing Government aid, they naturally had
acquired en- interest in its success TINT was
personal, and, therefore, extraordinary.
From their standpoint no one in the United
States could afford to miss the opportunity
of seeing the show, and they felt confident
that nearly everybody outside the abject
classes would make it visit. In estimating
the probable attendance, their figures run
crazy. Members of the Board Of Finance
openly stated that the average attendance
would probably be about 100. 900 daily. How
far from-the result were those conjecturcs !!
Except on the opening day Of the Exhibition,
there hns never been an attendance greater
than $4,000, and the average is scarcely more
than 10000.
AL this, however, does not prove, nor is it
intended as proof, that the Exhibition is
undeserving. On the contrary, it is pro-
nounced by experts to be the graudest Worlds |
Fair that has ever been hell Within its |
boundaries all things may be learned of art |
and industry. One may not prove by it that |
at Zarifa the frogs do not croak; that at Reg
gio, in Calabria, the crickets do not sing; that
the boars are mute in 11acedonia; that there
aro many rabbits at 11ajorca; or that the
horses die at Ithaca; but one may
see by using his eyes properly how the tiny
minute repeater is made in Switzerland
how chocolate is mixed at Toulon; where
Eho feet Of Russia is strong and that Of Ger
many weak; why the silk-wora dies in
5welve days at rio Jeneiro and vast
amount Of information that is Invaluable, be-
,ause it can be obtained III no other way,
Tor at any other place. It is therefore pleas
mt to learn that since the weather has be-
:ome cooler there is Oh increase in the at
en1nncn
, 1876-07-30
SUNDAY, JULY 30, 1876.

At the New York Gold Exchange on Satur-
day the ragometer indicated s94 to s93 cents
On the dollar.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
A Funny New York COurtship.'

A savings bank cashier of New York
city is now happy husband. Only a
few months ago he was the engaged
of fascinating widow ihis present
wife), who is well known in literary
circles, and an attendant of the Sorosis
reunions. During the engagement, an
event occurred which made it necessary
for the widow to change the investment
of some of her funds. Naturally, she
sought the advice of her intended hus-
band. He has always had horror Of
seeming to marry a woman for her
money, and frankly said to her on this
occasion that, as they were shortly to be
married and he had sufficient money
for both, she had better expend her
funds in any way that might please her.
She disclaimed any desire to do SO, and
told him that the money had been left
to her by her first husband, and sho did
not care to expend it foolishly. At last
happy thoughtoccurred to the cashier,
and he mentioned it to the widow. As
the money came from her first husband,
why not expond it in erecting hand
some monument to his memory. She
eagerly adopted the suggestion, and to-
gether they began to plan how it should
be done. The next day several marble
workers were requested to send in de-
signs for monument. The cashier
actually wrote the epitaph, praising the
virtues of tho deceased. The intention
was to have the monument completed
before the marriage, but unforeseen de-
lays prevented. The cashier has taken
entire charge of the work, and doubtless
the wife loves him all the more for his
disinterestedness.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
A Rereayed Mothers Petition.

AS the train bound east stopped for
supper at Sedalia, Mo-, says a local
paper, we noticed young woman at
tired in deep mourning alight from one
of the passenger coaches and walk down
the platform, attended by gentleman.
She held handkerchief to her eyes,
and, with her head resting upon the
shoulder of her escort, her body quivered
with emotion, as the hot tears ran down
her face. We did not suspect. the
cause of her grief until she passed the
baggagemaster leaning against his car.
As she did SO, she lifted up her head,
and with the tears still streaming down
her pale face, she said, in q tremulous
voice: "Please do not pile anything
on my little ones !" and then giving up
afresh to the intensest grief, she sunk
her head on the shoulder of the gentle
men, and passed back to the coach from
which she came.
AS soon as she was gone from sight,
We stepped up to the baggageman and
inquired the cause of the lady's action.
He thereupon told us that only three
weeks ago she had passed up the road
with family of three little children.
She and they we're, at the time, enjoy.
ing good health, and were happy in one
another's love. They were beautiful
children and the mother idolized them.
Having reached their point of destina-
ton in the western portion of Kansas,
they were suddenly taken sick, and the
three little ones died within a few days
of one another, and there was nothing
left to the mother but to bear their
corpses back to her home in the East,
and so they were in the car.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
Wanting TO Have an Understanding.

A night or two since chap about
thirty. five years old, looking as if he
had crawled out Of cave to commence
life anew, entered one of the Detroit
hotels, and, waiting at the counter until
the clerk was at liberty, he asked: "Is
this hotels"
eyes, SIR" was the reply.
"Good living, good beds, and the
most courteous attention?"
"Yes, sir"
SWELL" said the stranger, after a
long look at railroad timetable, "I
suppose you don't trust?"
"No, SIR"
"Wouldn't let man stay here four
or five days until something turned upa"
"No, SIR"
"That's what I wanted to know. 1
always like to have an understanding
about such things, for if anything makes
me mad it is to have a great big hotel
clerk Jump in on me and kick me down
stairs on account of my Strengthened
finances"
"You had better find some other
place." suggested the clerk.
"Oh I SHALL" replied the stranger.
"The outside of this hotel seemed to
smile welcome at me, but as I said be-
fore, my present policy is to get along
without being kicked. I've got mental
feelings as well as anybody else, and I'm
getting so worn in flesh that mere COM
mon grand bounce from healthy hotel
clerk upsets me a whole day. Farewell,
young man don't bile any extra taters
for me-"
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
Accidental Gold Strikes.

Two-thirds of the rich "strikes in
California, says an old miner, were
purely accidental. A man in Columbia,
out Of luck for years, strollcd out OF
town one day in state of utter despair.
Seating himself under the shade of a
tree, he began poking, in an aimless
way, at a black bowlder before him. Its
weight attracted his attention. Improved
to be lump Of gold worth ten thousand
dollars.
Another man was travelling one hot
summers day on the trail leading from
Mariposa to Tuolumne county. He sat
down on a white rock to eat his dinner,
and after having eaten, and while smok
ing the postprandial pipe and wondering
how many more years must elapse before
he could make pile which should
guarantee him an honorable reception
by his Eastern relatives, his experienced
eye was attracted by the dull yellow
color of goldin the rock about him. He
was sitting on his fortune, one Of the
richest quartz leads in the country.
The history of Indian Bar on the Tuo
lumne is another illustration. Indian
Bar was supposed to be worked out.
All save half dozen miners left. Pat
Gibbons and his gang remained. These
four men were content to work for
" grub and whisky money" They
gathered up the gleanings. One day
Sam Jones commenced picking at thin
streak of gravel left by the Point Com
pany in bank thirty feet above the
river. A painful yielded three cents.
He dug in little further. 1t panned
out ten cents. That was better. The
gravel streak increased in thickness, and
the bed rock pitched away from the
river and into the mountain. Pat Glib
bons and his crew immediately took up
their claims for several hundred feet. |
They had now three and four dollars
per day diggings. This was wealth.
drunken wealth. They worked as little
and drank as much as possible. Two
days labor by the gang would furnish
The means for weeks dissipation.
John Sanborn, a prudent
man from Massachusetts, biding pa
tiently his time, approached one mem
Der after another of this reckless gang
md bought their claims for sums rang
ing from 81 900 to $500. When he had
secured nearly the whole frontage, he
went to work systematically, and the re-
,ult was sometimes a yield of forty
ounces per day. In two years time he
ook out near $500, Pat Gibbons
rev could not bear prosperity. Two
,oon drank themselves to death. Pat
.ick killed his wife. Jones survived it
Ill, and is probably to-day shaking his
'ocker in some forgotten gulch, making
evcnt5 -fiv. cents or dollar day.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
A Printers Dream.

A printer sat in his Office chair, his
boots were patched and his coat thread
bare, while his face looked weary and
worn with care, while sadly thinking of
business debt, old Morpheus slowly
round him crept, and before he knew it
he soundly slept; and, sleeping, he
dreamed that he was dead, from trouble
and toll his spirit had fed, and that not
even a COW bell tolled, for the peaceful
rest of his COW hide sole. AS he wan
dered among the shades, that smoke and
scorch in lower Hades, he shortly OBJ
served an iron door, that creakingly
swung on hinges ajar, but the entrance
was closed by d red.hot bar, and Satan
himself stood peeping out, and watch
ing for travellers thereabout, and thus
to the passing printer spoke, and with
growing voice the echoes woke: "Come
in, my dear, it shall cost you nothing
and never fear; this is the place where I
cook the ones who never pay their SUBJ
scription sums, for though in life they
may escape, they will find when dead 1t
is too late; 1 will show the place where
I melt them thin, with red-hot chains
and scraps of tin, and also where l comb
their heads with broken glass and melted
lead, and if of refreshments they only
thine, there's boiling water for them to
drink; there's the red-hot grindstone to
grind down bis nose, and red-hot rings
to wear on his toes, and if they mention
they don't like fire, I'll sew up their
mouths with red-hot wire; and then,
dear sir, you should see them squirm
while I roll them over and cook to
turn." With these last words the
printer awoke. and thought it all a prac-
5ical joke; but still OF times so real did
it seem, that he cannot believe it was all
\ dream; and often he thinks with a
,huckle and grin, of the fate of those
who save their tin, and never pay the
printer.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
Publishers Notice.

ORpIsARY ADVERTISEMENTS taken at the rate OF
81 60 per square one insertion and twenty-five cents
each subsequent insertion. Ono inch space IL o
square.
srKoIAL CONTRACTS made with yearly advertisers
on appli0tion.
OBITUARY NOTICES including poetry hvo cents
per line.
EproRIAL NOTICES in reading columns ten cents
Per line.
Advertisers who have contracted fora years space
must pay transient rates in order to have their
advertisements discontinued before the expiration
Of the time.
All orders for advertising from strange Advcrtis-
ing Firms must be accompanied with tho cash in
order TO receive attention.
Advertisements, or changes for advertisements,
must be handed in M early as "wednesday morning.
All arrearagcs must be paid by subscribers desir-
ing to discontinue this paper. In case they are not
paid the discontnuance will he optionai with tho
publisher The nnsncisl responsibility Of tho party
duly considered.
LEGAL NOTICES inserted at statute rates.
All bills duo the OPISIoS Office for advertising
must be paid quarterly, the irst days OF January
April, July and October.
Transient advertising must be Invariably paid for
in advance.
All Job Work must be paid for on delivery.
Address all communications to
BEN. +. STANTON,
Publisher OPINION. Bradford. Vermont.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
Centennial Notes of Interest.

Saturday is evidently destined to b.
| q favorite day with Centennial sight
seers. On each Saturday the visitors tt
the Exhibition were largely in excess ol
other days during the week.
Commissioner Meeker, of Colorado,
will try the Western system of irriga
tion upon piece OF ground assigned fol
the purpose, by surface application oi
water from q running stream.
A monstrosity has beon placed in q
passage in the Art annex, which ought
to be removed forthwith. It is q group
of wax figures of "Cleopat, ar and Her
Family" in a large and cumbersome
glass case.
The panoramic view from tho south
western tower of the Main building is de-
scribed as one of the most beautiful and
extensive in the United States, taking
in the valley of the Delaware down to
Chester: The elevator car will accom-
modate forty persons.
A gentleman who lunched at restau.
rant near the United States building was
so struck by his bill that he has pub
lished it as follows: Bread, twenty four
cents: two cupfuls of coffee, fifty cents (;
omelette, thirty cents services, thirty
cents /; total, one dollar and thirty-four
cents.
The silk banner presented by the
ladies of the State of New York to the
Women's department is twelve feet by
seventeen feet. Fourteen young women
have been embroiderine it for the last
two months. 1t is the largest piece of
silk embroidery ever done in this
country.
Gentlemen in the Pay department., who
are best qualified to give an estimate,
say that the daily cost OF running the
Exhibition is about $500. This in
cludes the pay of 500 men engaged in
completing the large amount of un.
finished work of oil sorts, of between
1000 and l, 100 guards, 175 firemen and
a small army of sweepers.
The colored people who desired to
erect monument in honor of Bishop
Allen, the founder of their church, have
abandoned the enterprise, as there have
been restrictions placed upon its erec-
tion, to which they will not submit.
They have concluded to place the statue,
when completed, in the Bethel church
yard attached to the church on Lom-
bard street.
The field trials in the Agricultural
will take place as follows /:
Moving machines, tedders and hay
rakes, June 15 to 80; reaping machines,
July 8 to Is. The exhibition of live
stock on the following dates Horses,
september l to IA; dogs, September l
10 8 neat cattle, Septemper 21 to Oc-
5ober 4; swine, October 10 to 18; sheep,
October 10 to 18; ;poultry, October 27 to
November 6.
The dedication Of the Catholic tenn
oerance fountain, which will be one of
;he imposing features of the fourth of
July celebration, will be ever memorable
m the most brilliant temperance de-
nonstration ever made in Philadelphia.
All the we'll known advocates of the
, ,use will be present, and the clergy
md the leading societies of the Catholic
,hurch will take active parts in the
ceremonies.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
A Plague of Mice.

A plague of mice has appeared on sew
eral farms of Teviotdale. The farmers
club of the district lately appointed
committee to investigate the matter. On
some farms the mice have eaten thirty
per cent. of the grass which should be
ready for the ewes, and in consequence
of the want of keep the ewes are in poor
condition, aud the lambs are perishing.
The mice, which are in millions, do not
in all respects resemble the house or the
ordinary field mouse; they are from
three to four inches long, with short,
stumpy tail, have bright piercing eyes,
and large ears almost level with the fur;
are brown colored on the back and ash
colored on the belly; and the stomachs
of the few that were captured contained
vegetable matter only. The importance
of weasels and birds of prey is suggested
by the Scotsman as the best remedy for
the plague-which has been coming on
for the last FIVE years-even though the
game should to some extent suffer.
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-10
The ROuauet Season.

The Burlington HaDkeye has the
following paragraph: 1t is coming time
for the newspapers of the republic to
TEEN with paragraphs containing the
ELUSIVE thanks of the editor to some
lady for beautiful bouquet which sheds
its grateful aroma through his dreary
sanctum, lighting it up with bright
memories of the past that come and 60
like tho changing lights and shadows of
a phantasmagoria. Everybody knows it
is all a lie, and in eighty-nine years ex-
perience we never saw but one bouquet
in an editorial room, and it YVES couple
of prize turnips lying in the wood box,
but the bouquet paragraph is always
good to fill up with and it is always
especially with callow editors.