davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
Claims Part of Millions


Mrs. Virginia G. Norton, a sales
woman in an Oakland, Cal, candy
shop. is claimant for portion of
the millions which were paid to the
United States government as indemni-
ty for the destruction of American
merchant vessels by French privateers
in 1899. Mrs. Norton is half-couSin
of Madame Lillian Nordica, the grand
opera diva, who. as relative of lcha-
bod Norton, the continental ship own
er who lost through the energy of the
French privateersmen, recently filed
claim in Washington through Thomas
b. Reed.
But Mrs. Norton of Oakland who
has retained an attorney to press her
demands, declares that she is of closer
relationship to Ichabod Norton than is
the celebrated singer.
1t was through the publicity given
to Madame Nordica's move upon the
French spoliation indemnity that Mrs.
Norton decided to begin fight for a
share CT the millions
Woven about this old story of con-
tlnental days is an interesting narra-
tive, replete with romance of the sea.
and the preservation for more than
hundred years of the record which, it
Is hoped by the Oakland candy girl,
will reap fortune for her.
lchabpd Norton was one of the
many ship owners of New England
who suffered from the activity of the
tricolor privateersmen during the
troubles between France and the new
republic following the Revolution
When France in 1903 paid over to the
United States some $4,000, 900 in set
tlement of numerous claims a number
of the sufferers received compensation
Ship Owner Norton was heavy loser,
but the record shows he did not bene-
fit by the indemnity.
His grandnephew, Thomas B. Nor
ton OF Plainsburg, MERGED County, who
is now more than Sc years old learned
Of Madame Nordica's move and decid-
ed to follow suit. The diva is a
grandniece of Ichabod Norton.
On account of his years the Cali
fornian claimant has assigned all Of
his interests to his daughter-in- law,
Mrs. Norton of this city. The trans
fer was made to-day, and the prepare
ton Of the papers to be filed with the
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
THE "MASTER CLOCK"
An Important Timepiece in the Naval
observatory at Washington.

In the course Of an article in St.
Nicholas on "How We Set Our
Watches by Star" W. $. HARDWOOD
tells about the Master Clock at Wash
ington.
The great clock in the Naval Obscr,
vatory is called the Master Clock. BY
means Of the repeating-apparatuS the
time is repeated over eighteen different
circuits TO the various parts Of til"
country. New York City automatically
repeats the time to all points East and
North; Chicago and Cincinnati repent
to I'LL points West and Southwest;
Richmond, Augusta and Atlanta to all
points South. If you should happen
to be in some large telegraph office at
the moment the time signal is being
operators at their keys take out their
watches a few seconds before the time
is due, open them, put tiny piece OF
tissue paper twisted into thread be-
tween the spokeS of one of the little
wheels in their watches, holding back
the movement to the instant the signal
is given, then releasing the wheel so
that the watch shall fall into the exact
beat of the Master Clock in Washing
ton.
or course the same care must be
taken whether the operators are to
connect their instruments with a time
ball or Il control-clock. The time, ball
is an interesting feature Of the service.
1t is round ball large enough to
he seen from the street where, sup
ported by its appliances, it rests on
the top of some building. 1t is attached
by wire to the circuit from Washing
ton in such Il manner that, at the in
slant the Master Clock in Washington
ticks the stroke of twelve, the delicate
ly poised ball will fall, released by the
same beat of the clock that announces
the time to the rest of the country.
Anyone who watches one of these
time balls just before the stroke of
twelve, timepiece in hand, may easily
determine whether his watch is slow,
fast. or on time.
Throughout the East these time-bnlls
are dropped every day at noon, save
on Sundays, at New York City, Boston,
Newport (Rhode IslandD. Woods Holl
(Massachusetts), Philadelphia, Balti-
more, Washington. Hampton Roads,
Savannah. and Fortress Monroe. The
tick of the Master Clock that drops
these time-balls also releases others.
some of them many hundreds, indeed,
thousands of miles away. For in
stance, by cable arrangement, time
ball is dropped every day in the city of
Havana, and another in San Francisco.
5000 miles distant So Incompetent
sibly swift is the speed of the electric
current that, if the repeating instru-
ments and the wires are in perfect CON
dition, there Is no appreciable differ
ence in the time of the dropping of
the ball in New York City and the
dropping of the ball in San Francisco.
each one released by the same tick
of the Master Clock in the Naval Oh.
scrvatory in Washington.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
ROOsevelts Grandfather.

A. Maynard Lyon of New York city
was in Washington, and wanted to
call on President Roosevelt to pay
his respects, says the New York Sun,
but feared he might be intluding, and
did not.
Il knew the Presidents grandfather
quite WELL" said Mr.. Lyon, "but |
have never met the President. His
grandfather was Cornelius V. s.
Roosevelt, and his grandson favors
him in appearance"
Mr. Lyon is SO years of age, although
he looks scarcely 60. He is in pos
session of all his faculties, and is in
active business as stock under
derwriter.
THE Presidents grandfather" he
continued, was one of the three men
who controlled the Chemical National
Bank many years ago. Another was
Robert Goelet, and the third was also
Of Knickerbocker stock. | have been
about the stock exchange for half a
century and have seen the property
which Cornelius Roosevelt owned dou-
BILE and quadruple in value. He laid
the foundation of the Roosevelt for
tune, of which the President has a
part. | do not think there are many
men in New York who can say they
knew the Presidents grandfather"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01


"Polly's all right-all right
With the entire roof of its mouth
cut away and with its cheek held to-
Rcther only by stitches OF a surgeon $
9eedle--all the result of delicate sur
pical operation performed upon 1t to
remove a tumor--a green Cuban par
rot feebly articulated these words in
the animal hospital at Lincoln park.
They were the first he had uttered for
over a week. The tumor had been
growing until three days ago when it
filed the parrots throat so that 1t
could hardly breathe and could not
swallow food
The operation was performed by Cy
neVry, head animal keeper, and Dr.
Evans, the official veterinarian OF the
park zoo. When the surgeon was
ready with his instruments Derry
took the bird out of It's cage AMI
wrapped a towel around its body to
bind the legs fast and prevent a strug-
gle He held the parrot on its back
and forcing open the beak as wide as
possible inserted wooden wedge.
Then the surgeons knife was thrust
into the aperture and the abnormal
growth was cut away. To accomplish
this it was necessary to split the par.
rot's cheek and throat so that nine
stitches had to be taken. The opera
ton occupied less than half an hour.
1.-THE parrot belongs to Mrs. Mary
DeVoe, who lives in Bissell street"
said Derry. at was considered re-
markably fine talker and Is valuable
on that account as well as for being
great pet of Mrs. DeVoe's. Chicago
Daily News.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01

1t was believed by Lyell, the geolo-
gist, and other followers of Hutton,
that the earth was kind of perpetual
motion machine, that is to say, would
go on forever as it is, and has been,
illuminated by the sun and habita
ton for plants and animals, race upon
race.
But Lord Kelvin showed, in his doc
trine of the "Dissipation of Energy"
that the solar system was running
down like clock and that within a
finite period of time past the earth
must have been, and within a finite
period time time to come must again
be, unfit for the habitation OF man, as
at present constituted, unless opera
tions have been and are to be per-
formed which are impossible under the
laws governing the known operations
going on at present in the material
world. '-London Globe.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
task before the rice

this unnecessary task before the rice
was due again.
But in spite of their united efforts,
they did not succeed, ana one evening,
as the widow stood fastening The haSp
on To the new door, she fancied some
thing touched her foot. But she was
too absorbed in her task TO really no.
tlce it. 50 she Went on with her labors,
her mind occupied meanwhile with Il
beautiful dream of the golden future
they We're preparing to reap, sud
denly something tapped against her
toes for the second time, and before
Chum Paw could look down she felt
the same thing again, and then the
taps came with such rapidity that she
was obliged to thrown down her 10 DlS
and see what was the matter Round
her feet and all about the door rolled
fine fat grains of rice. while from the
direction of the fields she could see
more approaching, like II regular army
marching upon the little village.
The widow was SO disappointed that
she never paused to think what she
was doing; her daughters We're EN-.
ployed upon another part of the build,
Ing, SO they could not check their
mothers hasty and ill-advised action,
as with Il cry of veXatiOn she raised
her foot and kicked the nearest grain
far away from her.
What Il nuisance you are" she cried
in her Indignation. How dare you
come before we are ready to receive
you: You should have waited on your
stalks in the fields until the proper
time had arrived. You have no right
to bother me now, when you are not
wanted. 1t is too bad. Get out of
my sight, do
When the widow struck at the rice
with her foot, her temper had so mas.
tered her that she hit ii with sufficient
force to break in into Il thousand frag.
ments. each of which hurried away
to tell the Rice Queen about the cruel
treatment that had been melted out
When this fairy heard their state
mcnts-whch, though they We're furl.
ouSly angry, they managed to keep per-
fectly accurate--She was exceedingly
indignant, and, raising her hands three
times above her head she uttered the
following malediction:
Never shall the rice, which for ages
past has ripcned on its stalks solely for
the Use Of human beings roll up to the
village again or enter their granarics.
In the days to come let these greedy,
ungrateful people seek us out with
toll and labor. And as they pluck the
grain, which shall henceforth be small
and difficult for the aged to see, may
they recall, with bitter pain and re.
gret, the time of plenty which they,
through their own wrongdoing, drove
away forever
And thus it is to this day The pros.
perity of the people began to wane;
rarely, even by their most unflagging
efforts. can they succeed in storing
enough in their granaries to last them
until the next harvest. and as they
drudge, with bent backs and aching
limbs, do they shake their heads and
cry one to another: Alas! had Widow
Chum Paw only remained satisfied
with what she had, we should not he
working here so hard today. Let us
remember, and make our children II.
member, too, that contentment with
little is better that possessing Il super.
fluffy, and that Il greedy nature often ,
loses that which it hath.'-Thc Culver
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
HUMAN HANDS MADE IT LEAN.


william ", Goodyear Teils Result of His
Measurements Of lower at lisa.
William II. Goodyear, curator OF fine
arts Of the Brooklyn institute Museums,
presented a paper at the meeting OF
the Archaeoogica Institute Of Amer.
ica, held at Columbia University. His
subject was New Observations on
Architectural Rclnements in Italian
churches and New Facts About the
Leaning Tower oil Pisa Last June
subscription Of $500 was made by Mrs,
August Lewis of this city for this sur
ycy, Which was conducted last sum-
mcr.
1t was the general purpose of the
survey to examine such irregularities
Of medieval building as were inten-
tionally constructed either for the pur-
lose Of producing optical or architec-
tural refnements or Of avoiding fo:.
malism or GOODNESS OF architectural
effect.
The major part of the paper dis.
cusses the long debated problem
whether the inclination of the Leaning
Tower of Pisa was accidental or con
structive. 1t was observed by Panieri
Grassi about 1880 that the interior
silerably higher on the side of the
lean than ON the opposite side and
this was supposed by Grassi to indi.
cate an intentional construction.
Grassi gave no measurements to sup.
port his assertion, and Mr.. Goodyear
last summer took the measurements
and proved Grassi's observation. Mr.,
Goodyear says
THE purpose of constructing lean
ing towers mas been debated by the
poet Goethe and by others. They
probably represent hatred of formal
ISM adventurous spirit and an effort
to show that masonic science could set
at defiance at least the appearances
il not the actual facts of physical
laws. The centre OF gravity of the.
leaning tower is actually inside the
limits of safety, although the contrary
appears
Another result of the work was the
taking of photographs of the horizon
tai curves in the cloister of the Celes-
tines at Bologna. These photographs
prove. the paper asserts. that sys-
TEN of curves which appears in the
second court of the Egyptian temple
of Mcdinet Habou of the 18th century,
r. c.. survived in the Middle Ages
down to the 18th century.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
az: :.s's eyed. ~ a.s Thompsen's Eye Water


appeal especially to the fathers of
bad" boys, for | know from expert
ence how a little interest on their part
aids and helps a lad to success. Al,
il you only knew how eagerly your
boys would await your homecoming,
il they could count on even half
hour of your time in the evening. Re
member that your boys have been at
school all day laboring over their
studies as you have labored over your
work. and if they could only look for
ward to aid and sympathy in their
homecoming. there would be no fas-
cination in the street for them.
Boys cannot be driven, neither can
men. Mothers should know this. The
boy wants help in his work, in his
play, and in his troubles; he needs
some one older than himself to be in
terested in all that he does. Girls say.
That Is my mamma" Boys usually
say. THAT is only my mother"
Here is just where the influence Of
the father should como in. The father
should be everything to his SON.
Mre NJ. f. r. Aiger, New York City
Truant officer, in Good Housekeeping.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01

Here is what a veteran sea captain
says as to how seasickness affects
women: They suffer more generally
than men. but they don't make such a
fuss about 1t. A man goes to bed
where he passes the time groaning
and swearing until he is able to come
on deck again. A woman fights the
malady until she can fight no longer.
Then she becomes quickly maudlin
and pathetic. Almost invariably she
asks three questions: DO people die
of seasickness? How far are we from
shore?' How long before we shall
land?' When a man is good and sick
he doesn't care when he is going to
land-rather hopes that the ship will
go down, in fact"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
Biggest Movable bridge,

Chicago has now the largest H.
bridge in the world spanning the Oh,
cago river. The movable part OF II
is 275 feet long, ~ feet longer than tn,
great Tower bridge across the rNamc.
in London. which has been cousjd
cred a marvel Of engineering skill, am
the bridge itself is +AO feet long trun
end to end, II Is built wholly OF steel
Each OF the two moving leaves
weighs 100000 pounds Besides haN
ing the largest span OF amy moyabl,
bridge ever built it Is remarkable be-
cause II is constructed Tor the heaviest
railroad service. There are double
tracks across.
The bridge is designed for a load
or 10000 pounds per lineal foot. in al
dition to concentrated load OF loU,uuu
pounds Al any point On the tpor OF
the structure THIS gives II exactly
twice the carrying capacity of H."
Tower bridge. Ii has cost Sliu,uOO
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01

Loving Them.

A smart perambulator stood outside
a small shop. In it slept a pretty.
dimpled baby, and beside it lay fat
drowsy pug puppy, its nose almost
touching the baby's cheek.
Beside them stood a little ragged
waif, whose tattered garments barely
covered her with decency. In turn
she stroked the baby and the puppy.
A lady passing, noticed the strange
picture-the beautifully dressed baby,
the pug puppy, and the ragged child
The babys mother was in the shop.
Are you looking after them?" she
inquired of the waif
In a moment the child's face was
glorfed by heavenly smile.
mo, ma am" said she, Il am only
loving them Home Notes.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01

United States Court OF Gains has been
commenced.
The Norton claim now amounts to
about $1,000, 900. Mrs Norton is Il
widow, and since her husbands death
has been a saleswoman in Standeford's
candy store. lchabod Norton figures
as her great granduncle-n-la
Il have placed all OF the papers in
my attorneys hands she said, land
have no doubt that We shall be ALE
to establish the proof, We are in a
direct line of descent from the orig
inal claimant.
Fortune? Well | am going to stay
right here until something develops"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
SEALSKINS IN SUMMER,
People Who Know Nothing about Flower,
fIla. II LINN

II Is no Use praising the odor of roses to
a Grcenklndcr. Flowers mean nothing 70
II fellow who wears scnlskinS IN the SUM
mer time. definitions don't como from
dictionaries and schOolmastrrS, they come
from exp rieu"r. People who never had u
n pain or IN ache in joints or muscles, what
is the Use If talking 10 Mm about the
n.Sonlcs of rheumatism OF rheumatic govt (!
None, of course. But 10 the Tremendous
company men, women, undalns! children
too, who are rackcd, twisted aud tortured
10y rheumatism, To them l commend what
Mrs. Mary Scott, of Burlington, ILL.,, says:
''My son. II young man of invent y.tiye took
Cnlcuru.SolNrnt, 'he He,r medicine iisruv-
cred by Dr. David Kennedy, Of Kingston.
n. y, for his disease and in short
time it cleared all the rheumatism out OF
his system and left him wholly free from
it," This common and abommable COM
PLANT arises from pul~unS in the blood,
bred by fer nentation vi the stomach; the
original cnU~e being indigestion VI dys-
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
ToIstoI Rumors Explained.

A St. Petersburg correspondent Of
the London Mail explains that the fire.
quent circulation of reports of Toll
stoi's death is due to the widespread
belief that when the great Russian
shall die the censors will keep the
news from the public as long as pos
cannot accord Christian burial to him,
as they have recently denounced him
as hereto, and the refusal to allow
the performance Of the rites Of the
church at the grave is sure to provoke
an outburst Of indignation all over
Russia.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01


born, life was very different in Siam
and Farther India from what it is
now.
All things seemed to be better then
The earth was not so old nor so worn
out. neither was she so Saddpned
through having to watch day and night
the deccitS and petty avaricps that
were practiccd among the men and
women she tcnderly nurtured. In the
time of which write peace had cast
her mantle over all things. and human
beings lived happily together in pros
pcrity and contentmcnt.
The men enjoyed such n reputation
for bravery and might that their enc
mics had not the courage to attack
them; the women, who were both
good and beautiful, never lacked lovers
and husbands, while, after they were
married, their welded life seemed to
be composed of one continual dream
of bliss. Whatever the season of the
year might be, the people did not
suffer for want of food the fruits of
the trees that grew around their dwell
ng-placcs were larger and sweptcr.
and, in every way, superior TO those
which we now eat and think perfect:
while the rice, which formed the prin-
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
CAPTAIN SCHOEFFEL A HERO.

Leader Hurt in Sannr Only Man That
whipped All Foes In West Point.
Washington, Dec. 30.-Military men
in Washington take especial interest
in the reports from Manila because of
their high regard for Captain Francis
H. Schoe!fel, who was wounded recent
ly in the desperate fight of eighteen
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
500 Reward. 500.

The readers Of this paper will be pleased to
learn that there is at least one dreaded dis
case that science has been able to cure in all
Its stages, and that is Catarrh Halls Catarrh
Cure Is the only positive cure now known to
the medical fraternity. Catarrh being con
stitutional disease, requires Il constitutional
treatment Halls CatarrhCure is taken inter-
pally, acting directly upon the blood and mu-
cous surfaces Of the system, thereby destroy
Ing the foundation of the disease, and giving
the patient strength by building up the con-
stitution and assisting nature in doing its
work. The proprietors have SO much faith in
Its curative powers that they offer One Hun
Send for list Of testimonials. Address
F. J. CHENEY & Co., Toledo, o.
Sold by Druggists, Use.
Halls Family Pills are the best.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01

lepsin, Mandy one person in dozen
escapes indigestion in some form. Here
are II small bundle Of the signs You may
know il by: A sinking, all-gone feeling, MS
II You were about 10 drcp and faint away;
u srn~c Of worry andveNation in everything;
n feeling of being nervous, upset and id-
getty; II bad taste III the mouth and no al-
petite; u gnawiug feeling at the pit Of the
stomach, rs ii some minute living animal
had taken up his abode there tiullueSs
Of the brain aud melancholy; and u
general low.tonrd condition This is the
state of things that Dr. k,nncdy's "Huc
medicine" tal"ur,-Sulytnt. cures. II the
testimony OF all Rrproplo who can testify
to this were printed IN this paper there
would Ice small room for news and editor
i,l~. Il, Furthermore, there i u medicine
that is worthy the abused name "sprrihc,"
probably II is talcura. Solvent. II SOME
how contains tie secret ot healing the
thing men have been chasing after ever
since the age of miracles died ont How
DIR. Kennedy got hold of the principle of il
he has never told Us. And it makes No diff
ference. Get the medicine of your druggist.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
Sold by Druggists, 75c.
Halls Family Pills are the best.


The COnsO' alton Prize.
Louise-Alice has quit giving bridal
presents.
Ethel-How queer! What is her
reason?
Louise-Well, she says when a we'd
ding invitation comes she feels hap
pier If she takes some money and buy 5
herself new book.-Detroit Free
Press.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
The Place Hunter.

Once upon Il time a professional poll.
tician called on the President for Il
certain. Though told that there
was no vacant office, he called again
and again, insisting that his application
should he granted.
Finally he called with very strong
written Endorsements, one of them
bearing the names of two Senators;
but alas. the names had been forged
Then the man was indicted, found
guilty of forgery, and was sent to the
penitentiary for five years.
Neutrality-suspicious. will find place
where the tenure is not uncertain
New York Herald.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-01
California;,

Year round Excursions three times per week
without change from Washington. u. c, to
Los Angeles aud San Francisco. Personally
conducted. Berth - %.
q. c. DASlEls, New England Passenger
Agent 22S Washington ST. Boston.
L.. Il. CuRRiEn New England Agent, 40
Washington ST.. Boston.