davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1878-02-08
A Shut-up Hat.

Peter Lamb was convinced some time
ago that he could invent good-lookipg
high hat, the crown of which would shut
together with spring, so that when the
owner went to church or to concert, he
could mash it fiat and sit ON it, and then
straighten it out as good as ever when
he wanted to go home. So Lamb had a
hat constructed on this principle, and
the crown was kept erect by strong
spring, the action of which was reversed
by moving a small lever whenever Lamb
desired to shut the hat up. The theory
seemed to be good enough, but somehow
it wouldn't work exactly right in prac-
tice. While walking along the streets
with his thoughts, perhaps, upon better
world, the hat would shut together with
such force AS nearly to brain him. He
would take it off and open it, and half All
hour later, while talking with friend,
it would jam down on his head with ter
rible force. Then he would prop it open
with a stick, and after bit it would
come to again with slam, and poke the
stick down past his ear ond into his
shoulder in an exceedingly painful man
ner. Then he would conclude that per-
haps it would be safer TO let it stay shut,
and he would walk around looking as il
he had black bombazine pie-plate on
his head. But in an hour or two that
spring would get twisted around some
how, and while Lamb would be purchas-
ing peanuts from an apple-woman, for
instance, the crown would suddenly open
with bang, which would induce the
woman to believe that he had gunpowder
in his hat. Then he would shut it up
again, for fear it would shut itself, and
10 few moments the spring would fly
up with jerk and whirl Lambs hat into
the gutter.
On warm days the spring seemed 10
have unusual strength, and at last one
morning, the crown jumped up with such
force that it went about fifteen feet into
the air, where the trade.wind struck il
one hundred and eighteen feet farther, So
that it lit on the lightning-rod on the
Baptist church steeple, where it stayed
and there it is yet. And one of the most
interesting things that we show visitors
to our town is Peter Lambs hat opening
and shutting, and throbbing like thing
Of life, on the top Of that steepIe, when
ever it is agitaed by breeze. Peter
has now made up his mind that a soft
felt hat is the only hat that combines
comfort with safety.-Mdr Adeyer.
, 1878-02-08

AN AFFEcTIoSATE HoG.-Though the
hog is not usually classed among the af.
fectionate animals, yet an exchange re.
ports one instance of his display of love
Henry Turner, age nine, died in Mays,
vile, Ky, last week, and WAS buried at
Orangeburg, some seven miles distant
When the funeral procession left Mays
vile, small hog, which the child had
fed and petted, got behind the hearse,
and, despite repeated efforts to drive 1t
back, followed the procession all the way
to the burying ground. There it attempt.
ed to enter the ground, but fence pre-
vented it doing so.
, 1878-02-08

EaoTIsM OF YOUTH. - All healthy
youth Is necessarily egotistical; vet moi
all egotistical youth is selfish. The new.
ness OF life and the physical force of sen.
satlon; the want of an outside register by
which to measure the relative depth OF
feeling between itself and Others; the uni.
versal belief when We are young that
never since the world began has anyone
suffered, loved, enjoyed as have, because
am to myself the whole world, the CEN
ter of all e,and know nothing superior to
or different from my own state; the very
need OF aliment demanded by this strong
vitality, this almost aggressive and pre-.
dominating individuality; all this make.
young people intensely egotiStical, Just
as it makes them easily amused and as
easily depressed, Aud even when be-
longing to that class known as simpatica
which, by the way, is not sympathetic
go much as magnetic, and does not give
so much as it attracts-even then we find
the same egotism, the same self. center.
ing individualism, though by no mean.
necessarily either selfishness or want Of
generosity.
, 1878-02-08

LET US never be afraid of changing
our opinions, not our knowledge. That
is form of pride which hunts the more
powerful---the unwilIingness to go back
from ones declared opinions; but it is
not found in great childlike geniuses.-
Charles Kingsley.
, 1878-02-08

ONE of the new financial fancies of
Paris is company for INSURANCE
Against Female Celibacy." Holders OF
policies begin to derive benefit from the
insurance in the shape of annuity if they
remain unmarried after the age of thirty
In other words, on the receipt Of an an
nual premium the company guarantees
to insure ladies against celibacy, by
placing them in communication with
eligible parts, and, if they do not succeed
in securing husband before the age of
thirty, undertakes to pay them an annui-
ty or lump sum down. Widows are
excluded from insurance.
, 1878-02-08

AFTER the death of Boerhaave, the
most celebrated physician of the cigh-
teenth century, there was found among
his books volume sumptuousIy bound, in
which were written down, he used to say,
all the secrets of physic. All the pages
were blank, except the frontispiece, on
which he had written in his best hand
this sentence; keep the head cool, the
feet warm, and the bowels Open"
, 1878-02-08

A MINISTER'S PREsENT.-Two lauieS
were engaged in earnest conversation on
Jefferson avenue car recently, and one
was heard to say:
"Now you are all right, but VIVA. j.. ,s
poor me to do2 | want to make 0u,
minister present, but I'm afraid ~
strike on the very thing that forty, o'nsr ~,
ladies will. Can you suggest anythlTs
Lets see," mused the other. NOV,
if you want to get him something tna'
no one else will ever dream OF, you 80
lect dressing gown. No one ever gly1TI
one to a minister, and Ill warrant'it Will
please him." 49,.
Just the thing" exclaimed the otnei, s
"I'll go home and cut one out. '-Ds''""
F'res Press.
, 1878-02-08

A ROME belle says this may be an of
year, but she had an offer.
, 1878-02-08

NOT one ~ lawyer in the New Hamp
shire Senate.
, 1878-02-08
African Sassa- Wood Ordeal.

Yet another terrible institution of be-
deviled Western Africa is the sassa- wood
ordeal. If any one is sick or in great
trouble in native town, then it is clear
that some one has bewitched him. And
now, to find out who has done the dread
full deed the devil-man is summoned.
AS soon as his approach is heralded, the
women flee for their lives to cover. The
Satanic representative begins his howl
ings, goes through his incantations, and
at length fixes the dread odium on some
doomed fellow. If he denies the crime
and protests his innocence, almost the
only way in which he can clear himself
is by passing through the poisonous or
deal. The devil.doctor prepares the cal
abash or gourd of sdssa wood decoct!on,
whose poisonous intensity will be gradua.
ted according to the intensity of the doc
tors feelings. All things being ready, the
accuser and thcaccused, and pretty much
the whole town, repair to some cleared
spot of the neighb0rhood. AT the center
of the ring the victim confesses his gen.
eral sins, but protests his innocence in
this particular matter; and having in
voked the demons to destroy him if he
is guilty, to deliver him if he is innocent,
takes the bowl and drinks the draught
A short time of intense interest now en-.
sues. Every eye is fixed on the accused
If he becomes only sick, and throws off
the contents but does not fall PROSTATE,
then his innocence is established. His
friends burst forth around him and bear
him of in triumph; while woe be to the
devi-man that accused the unfortunate !;
for he must now pay heavy fine to the
intended victim, or pass through the or.
deal himself. But on the other hand,
should the poison take deadly effect, and
the accused reel and fall, then the guilt
is made patent, and the whole infurated
crowd, running, rushing, and bowling,
seize hold upon the friendless wretch and
drag him over field and fence, rock and
river, until he is torn, limb by limb, to
death.-Ndti0ndI Repository.
, 1878-02-08

CAN anything that is baleful be a o'e''
ipg2 Yes, a bale-ful Of cotton.
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
THE VIRGINIA DEBT.

VICTORY OF THE MODERATE MEN-FEAns or
VIOLENT PROPOSITIONS AT AN END-REPuDI-
ALTON DEFEATED.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
RICHMOND. Feb. q, 1878.
After prolonged and exciting debate tho Senate
by vote OF 20 to 49, has ordered to engrossment as
solution OF the public debt question, bill
Offering TO bondholdcrs the privilege OF refund
ing in four per cent bonds OF tho
character those held by them. This a victory
Of tho moderae men, for the majority of the oppo.
nep,s this only proposed to pay por
and wished to deprive bondholders Of the tax
ceivability feature OF their coupons II s scarcely
likely that this bill will pass the House. but tho
triumph tho assurance that any extreme
lent proposition coming from tho House to tho Senate
will be defeated.
STATUS OF THE Ex-coNFEDERATE GENERALS
All OF tho SIX ex-Concderate Generals IN the Legs.
lature III the party cassed .debt payers" Ono
Of them 10 W. II. H. Lee, OF RoDert Il. Lee the
House. William writ Henry. a grandson OF Patrick
Henry, has been among the very foremost advocates
OF tar dealing with the creditors
Tho prospects arc tnat this Legislature viii ad.
Journ without setting tho deDt question, or II t
adopts any scheme IL will not bo savorng Of
reputation.
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
MOB DEMONSTRATION.

QuEBFC, Feb 9, 1878.
The policy OF the Provincial government on certain
questions. particularly that Of RAILWAYS, bciag un.
popular to portion OF the community, some
six thousand people OF ST. Rochs, n suburb
OF the city, assembled at Jacques Cor.er Market this
evening and marched to tue Parliament buildings
headed by n band OF music Thoy carried several
hundred torches and Illuminated inscriptions reflect
ing on tho government Their arrival caused n
slight scene in the House. Tho govern
mcnt police guarded the doors TO prevent
the mob from entering tho building. An
efgy OF Mr.. Angers, Solicitor General was burned Ia
front OF the building At nine o'clock the mon loft TO
parade in the CITY. lew minutes later 100 me OF
battery appeared upon the scene aud are now on
guard. twenty mounted huzzsrs are parading the
city. Al ten O'Clock tho crowd had dispersed and ali
was quiet. The citizens generally condemn tho ac-
tion OF the mob.
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 6, 1878.
The morning hour having expired the Senate re-
sumed consideration OF the Silver bill.
SPEECH or THURMAN t---s.
Mr. THURMAN, (dcm.) OF Ohio, said ho would appeal
TO passions, to prejudices He would attack no
class OF men. He would assaii no ones mo-
tives, neither would he waste time In defending his
own. He would endeavor to answer the promiuen
objections made to this bill and TO give OF the
reasons why he gave II his support Ho would speak
plainly aud he feared hc would be dull pipestem,
for he had ambition to make great speech on this
subject He argued that silver and GOLD had becn the
metallic money Of the world for thousands of
years. They wore also the money OF the con-
stituton. They were the metallic money of
tho colonies, ana afterward OF the United states
from tho declaration OF independence until silver
was dcmonctzed by mistake, and without knowledge
Of tho people Congress- by the OF the Re-
vsed Statutes In 1874 Both metals are suited to per-
form the functions Of money, and silver does perform
that function among large majority OF tho human
THE EXPULSION or GOLD
lis argued that II this bill pass silver will bo less
valuable currency than gold and will expel gold from
tho country In accordance with what is called Gresn
ANS law--namey, that the least valuable currency
drives out the more valuabs-and hence several
amendments have been offered 10 increase the mum.
Der Of grains IN the silver dollar so as TO maks
IL equivalent, as II Is said, Of tho gold dollar
This objection to tho bill rests upon tho assump on
that the silver dollar OF 42K grans made iu legal
tender will bc OF less value than tho gold dollar
But Is this assumption trucf Tho relative value OF
silver and gold the silver dollar OF 4l2 grams bo
coined and the gold dollar remain nj rs 10 grains
will DC Is 9sl00 standard silver Tor Of standard
gold. But D France and other States of the Latin
Union the relative value Is 15H OF sill.
to ! OF gold, so that as comparcd
with those States we undervauo silver; and vet
the silver nvefranc piece equal In value tho gold
hvo-franc piece, anu thero rs moro gold IN France
than in England and Germany together, though Eng.
land has long snco dcnonetized silver, except as
subsidiary coin, and Germany has decrced It's demon
etzaion though she has not fully executed her decree
know that II rs said that the reason why silver coins
and gold coius are at par In France and the other
States Of the Latin Union Dccause they have ceased
TO coin silver, but they have n STOCK silver coins
That we cannot Tor ycars acqucthat Is It will take
years Tor acquire amount equal 10 theirs and
" they can now MAINTAIN n par between silver and
gold atthc fatfo OF 16f TO why cannot maintain
such u par at a ratio ot,l5 9sl0c :o1Y Nothing Is
more certain than thai Toe depreciation In tho
sINarj<et vatus ,ssfi HIvsr bullion s tho result
OF the decentralization Of silver by Ger.
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
NEW JERSEYS CAPITAL.

AN EXCITING SESSION IN THE AssEMBLY-THE
PRIvILEGEs OF INVESTIGATING CoMMITTEEs.
TRENTON, Feb. 9, 1873.
An exciting debate occurred IN the House to-day
over resolutions authorizing two investigating CON-
mees 20 outside OF the state search iniorma-
tion. Ono was offered by Major Harris, Of Hudson
county, which was adopted vipa II read 0l-
lows
Resolved That the Committee on CORPORATION, arc
authorized to hold sessions In the city Of New York and
ough investigation la regard to the alleged coal combina
tons
Soon aiterward Mr.. Mathews arose aud said that In
Wow OF the passage Of tho resolution authorizing that
the committee to New York he thought 1t only iair
that another ttee should be accorded tho same
privilege He therefore offered tho following, which,
alter some discussion, was adopted -
Resolved uhe senate concurrng. That tho special
mites appointed to nyessss charges asan'. state
such testimony as may DO Drought to the attention OF tho
committee.
Mr.. Speaker Egan's bill, providing the changing
OF the lines OF tue yards In Elizabeth, met with
est and combined opposition from the republicans.
and alter lively nynt II WAS ordered 10 thlrd
reading.
bill providing for the taxation Of church property
was reported adversely by the Judiciary Committee.
and the report was sustained by vote OF 43 To IL
TO THE RESCUE Ex.uSIoS SOLDIER.
Mr.. Kennel, OF Passaic county, offered tho follow.
Ing
Whereas Il. oMeaghor Condor "a captain In the late
Union Is ncarcerated In England under sentence Tor
felony in having eonspred lioernte certain fenan ps
don eultless Of toe crime charged agns him. and
new trial would bo a"le to establish beyond question the
Resolved une senate concurrng). That the United
an investigation to be made in tne premises and
take s1 a,ses o s s may TO SAID coadon
legged crimes by speedy lair and impartial tnal and
by tie Secretary Of state to the secrsa Of The
United states and also 70 each Of The aud Repre-
sentatives la Congress from this state.
Adoptod without opposition.
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
A SENSATION SPOILED.
[Bx TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. G, 1878
There was rumor on Third street to-day which
agitacd the brokers for little WHILE Ii was to tho
effect that Peter Herdc, the great wiliamsport ium
Dor merchant, and president OF tho Boom Company,
had Jailed for large amount Subsequent investga.
tion showed that the story was based nothing
moro than ms allowing HIS notes 70 go to protest
Confidence was NJ once restored, as II Is SAID
to be ono OF the mllionnalrc's cccontrlctics
TO allow his paper to DO protested Said a
prominent brokcr:-''Pcter Hcrdc's notes have bocn
gong to protest for years, and he thinks nothing Of
H. know Of broker the street with whom Nr.
Hedic has been dong business who looks for hin reg
ulary the day alter tho notes protested 10
aud plank down suifciont money TO cover thcm.
Sometimes they will 30 high as $4,000 $l2 600.
No sur, Peter Herdic can't fail. As long the city
OF Wiliamsport Is solvent he will be So; and
II amuses mo TO hear man ask the question yoc
did" AZ this the broker burst into "a loud laugh.
"rei you what I've secn2 Hc has stood at the
ter OF broker aud received the announcement .oi
notes going 10 protest as coolly as though ne had
made big stake, and the next minute he has ncgo
tated for tho purchase OF thousands OF dollars worth
OF LUMBER l always thought he liked 10 see he
notes go to protest for the Satisfaction OF taking
Lhem M next dAv.v
The New York herald., 1878-02-07

tines had sushorissd nag Of truce to confer With the
cuban insurgents. The war 10 be prosecuted vgor-
ousiy. and the spanmh government thinks It viii end
this winter
THE rEsr1so OF BOILER PLATE.
The Board Of Supervising Steam Engineers, at
their recent annaal session here, decided upon
modification OF rule No. Z which is important 10
boiler plate manufacturers The present ruling will
admit OF the testing Of the tensile strength Of boiler
plate iron By two methods, so a. 10 allow OF the
correct restamping OF the plates after the second
trial instead OF eondsmning and rejecting shem,
bsrstofor after they had failed prove OF the ten
sils strength with which they were Hrst marked.
II the Steamboat bill now uader consideration
passes the Senate the Board Of Supervising Engineers
will be YeconvsnedL
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
LETTER FROM THE OWNERS.
NEw YORK, Feb. 8, 1874

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
viii you kindly give space IN your columns to the
accompanying let,or from Captain james Parker, Sec
retary ofthe Record Of American aud Foreign Ship
ping, relative to tho steamship Metropolis. We have
refrancd heretofore from making any reply to the
various reports to tho unscaworthy condition OF tho
Metropolis. preierring to have thom coniradicted by
the inspectors ship carpenters and others who had
actual knowledge o hcr condition. This having been
done wo can only add that from our
thoroughly seaworthy and fitted for tho voyage for
which shc was chartered. No ono can moro deeply
disaster than ourselves yet we do not feel thai such
loss occasioned by hny uusound and unseawortby
condl!ion OF the ship but from having encountered
q long period.
We desire contradict report that has been pub
lished, purporting TO have manatcd from Captain
Thomas Ellis former commander OF the ship to tho
effect that he had been offered the command for her
voyage to Brazil but refused II in consequence OF his
considering tho ship unseaworthy. We do not credit
that Captain Ellis mace such statement but II he
did We declare II utterly false Ho was not offered the
command nor had wo tho slightest conversation with
him relative 10 his takingi LUNT BROTHERS.
The following is the letter referred 70 by Mossrs.
Lunt:-
New YORK, Feb. s, 1873.
The clamor that has been raised and tho
cruel charges made against yourselves and
vessel make II proper that wo should say
that the vessel was thoroughly opened inside
and outside In September, 1875, and re-
pared, under inspection OF surveyors, by
Messrs C. & X. PoiIIon the well known shipbulldcrs
and that when said repairs were petsd the vessel
was, in our judgment entirely sound and scaworthy
Sho again examined ana released by In March,
1871 just prior TO her departure hence TO load at
Philadephi she was docked aud her metal stripped,
and the vessel calked. We desire also TO add that
VIC have been familiar with tho vessel since she
rebuilt under our inspection In 1871, and have nt all
times found you not only willing but anxious
TO mako all repairs and 40 all that In
the judgment OF the inspectors was necessary
To keep the vessel In good seagoing order and IRON
all the knowledge wo have OF her we nave no hcsta-
tion In saying that she such order at tho
she sailed Her leak must have been from some
cause that cannot 10 explained and occurring, u
did, about the stern post, was probably owing TO
strain there that no foresight could provide against.
Yours, respectfully. JAMES PARKER, Secretary.
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
ANOTHER BILL TO BIZ INTRODUCED
Republican Politicians Looking to
the Fall Campaign.
SPEECH OF SENATOR THURMAN.
The Question Of Enforced Retire
ment from the Army.
WASHINGTON SPECIAL DISPATCHES.

wAsHIxcros, Feb. 9, 1878
THE BLAND BILL TO BE IN THE HANDS OF
THE PRESIDENT NEXT wEEK-REPuBLIcAN
TACTICS FOLLOWING THE VETO.
senator Thurman got down on the wrong side Of the
fence to-day. Senator Herman made brief but thor
sughIy practical speech against the BILL showing that
t would nhict great losses the country and utterly
fail to give The relief expected Senator Christianoy
also spoke. Senator Blame has tho hoor for TO
row. and will oppose the Bland bil but favor Issue
Of silver dollars worth dollar
The silver bill will probably vote this
II will then 70 back the House, whero the intention
isto suffer debate, ana tho silver mean to accent
the Senate amendments, unless these should be such
10 set them against the bill, which not probable.
The bill ought therefore, TO be in the Presidents
hands BY the middle OF next week or before He will
veto IL and the attempt 70 pass IL over the veto
viii almost certainly fail This, least is the sxpsc-
tation OF leading republicans mean thercupou to
bring In at silver bill, which the President
will be expected to sign. This bill. which
ID now preparing, will provide for largo and
I'm issue OF silver dollars Of greater weight
than 4l2k grains each and will make them legal
tender for future transactions for considerable
amount, perhaps go high $1,000, and certainly Tor
ever $100
The calculation OF the republican leaders is that in
bhs way they Will set themselves right with all seo-
lions OF the country pleasing tho East by suffering
The defeat Of the Bland bill, and the West and South
BY ordering an Issue OF silver And thus the fall
campaign, they think. Will be ''covored" Ut all
points 1t is believed that while the President will
undoubtedly veto the Bland bill and any bill which
Affects tho debt and interest any past transactions
he 10 inclined to sign silver bill and almost any bill
which viii bring silver dollars into circulation II ts
said that the reports which navo been repeatedly cir
culated here. with great posvenass. that he would
not veto the Bland bll-reports which are undoubt-
edy talse-have been put forth by persons who knew
that he was favorable TO silver. and who wrongly
jumped the CONCLUSION thar he would sign any bill
which osme before him. nf.
The republicans are averse to going into the tall
campaign q the opponents OF silver. They believe
that they do not pass bill authorizing issue Of
silver they will lose tho whole West and Northwest
but they believe that II the Bland bill 10 defeated by
tho veto they lay the blame OF that the Presi.
dent, and BY putting forward silver bill .
publican the 1a elections for them
selves. They have but fear of this strategy and
that II that the Bland men may be and re-.
ssntful enough 70 defeat their bill turn The demo.
cratic plan, II there 10 any, is not known
The New York herald., 1878-02-07
A WORD FROM THE PunsEn.

NEW I 0KK, FoD. D, 1878.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Upon my return to the city this morning my attcn-
ton called to statement purporting have been
made by relative TO the condition Of tho steamer
Metropolis. recently wrecked on Currituck Bcacn-
viz, "rhe vessel was rotten she washed ashore
in sphntors small enough for kindng wood. picked
up Two pieces to verify statement IL Is like rotten
punk" nc. ! characterize this statement To bo an
utter fabrca:on no such statement having boon
by me- and TO the best OF belief tho
ship was sound ana scaworthy.
II. r. BARrLET Pursct