smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

\ correspondent of the Boston Tran
script writes as follows from Michigan
Since [ left New York, the one question
that has preyed upon my mind is this;
What has become of the hens?' [ have
not seen an egg on any hotel table or in
any hotel larder or in any of those outrages
on the human stomach which, with bit
ter irony, are styled Railroad Refresh
ment Rooms 1t is very doubtful if even
Agassiz himself could now find an egg
west of the Alleghanies. The hens are
evidently all dead and it is melancholy
to think that, on the Darwinian theory, so
useful an animal should have succumbed
in the western struggle for existence
Year: 1868

AFRICAN WoMEN-Mr. Du Chaillu, in
his work on the gorilla, thus writes of the
African Women


| shall never forget the kindness of those
native women to me while [ was sick.
Poor souls, they are sadly abused by their
taskmasters. They are the merest slaves.
They have to do all the drudgery. They
receive blows and i'll usage. And yet at
the sight OF suffering their hearts soften,
Just as women's hearts soften in our own
more civilized lands. No sooner did sick
ness attack me than these kind souls came
to nurse and take care of me. They sat
by me to fan me; they brought more mats
for my bed; they bathed my burning
head with cold water; they got me refresh
ing fruits from the woods At night when
awoke from feverish dream, [ used TO
hear their voices, as they sat around in
the darkness, pitying me and contriving
ways to cure me- When | think of these
things cannot help thanking God for them
that wherever | have gone He has made
human hearts tender and kind to me; that
even under the black skin of the benighted
and savage African, He has implanted
something of His own compassionate love.
Year: 1868

Three negroes were admitted to the bar
of South Carolina on the Odd inst.-one
from Michigan, one from Massachusetts,,
and one from Pennsylvania. The mem
hers of the Supreme Court who admitted
them are from New York and Ohio,
Year: 1868

lis Policies are exempt from attachment.


BY the Charter it is enacted, "That any pol
icy taken out in favor of wife, child, relative
or other persons having an interest in the life Of
the insured shall not be liable to seizure by the
creditors of the person SO insured"
Year: 1868

The following snake story from
Cassell's Magazine, is enough to
make ones chignon stand On end


In speaking of snakes. I am
reminded of an anecdote heard
of an India railway officials
wife who was trimming with a
large knife some plants which
formed a border to flower bed.
She was cutting the tops off, and
while SO engaged she was scared
by seeing the coils Of one of the
most deadly serpents of the coun-
try among the leaves. With a
loud shrek she dropped the knife
and plants, and a man employed
in the garden ran to her assistance.
On hearing the cause of her alarm,
he sought to kill the snake with
bis hoe; the reptile was plainly to
be seen wringing about; but al
though struck, it made no effort
to escape or turn on its assailant.
At last it lay motionless, and the
gardener ventured to pick it up,
when he found it headless. To
the horror of the lady, the head
was discovered among the leaves
she had thrown down; on seeing
the snake she had grasped it un-
consciously among the tops of the
plants, and with her garden knife
had severed its head from the body.
The bite of that species of snake
was usually fatal in six hours.
Year: 1868

In Cincinnati recently, a man
quarreled with his family and
threatened suicide. They politely
requested him not to commit it in
the house, as it would be disagree
able; and he as politely complied
with their request, and going out
of doors blew out his brains.
Year: 1868

An officer from the West tells
the following story of ball given
on the prairies by some United
States Army officers stationed
there. The ladies all wore Mack.
inaw shawls and overshoes; and
at the close of every dance would
run to the fire and warm their no.
ses. The supper was served in a
tent, and all hands turned in at
midnight. In the morning, holes
were cut in the ice in the river
that the ladies might wash their
faces.
Year: 1868

The Minnesota Legislature has
lately passed a law providing that
.juries in that State may hence
forth consign a homicide to the
gallows or State prison for life, as
they see fit. This law is model
led after that of Illinois, passed a
year ago.
Year: 1868

A singular accident took place
in Paris recently. A gentleman,
while washing his feet in wash
basin, attempted to reach a towel
and In doing SO broke the basin,
which cut an artery. He bled to
death.
Year: 1868

The Virginia Enterprise Of November 9th
has the following:


We were yesterday shown BY Gen. J. L.


Van Bokkeleu, Of this city, most wonderful
nut, The product Of a tree in Sonora, Mexico.
The nut is called the Semper Vivia-ever.
living-or spiritual NUT" though the latter
name is the invention Of the General him.
self, we believe. This little nut would set
the Spiritualists Of Boston wild-their "plan.
cbette" is a very slow coach compared to it,
The nut is Of a triangular shape, and its bulk
is that Of small hazel nut; it is one of three
similar puts found in the .ame husk, which
doubtless accounts for ito peculiar shape.
The singuIarty Of The nut, however,
is not in its shape, but 10 its actions. 1t
behaves exactly as though alive. When
placed in the palm Of the hand, upon desk
or 10 pate-1n fact in any place 90 that it


is not confiued-it begins crawling and hop
Of jerks Of greater or less force, which appear
to be owing to sort of throbbing OF the
whole nut, and these throbs can often be
felt 10 the palm Of the hand when they are
not strong enough to move the thing itself.
The General informs US that he has seen this
same nut leap clean out Of quite deep soup
plate, but yesterday ts biggest jumps we're
not over an inch in length, though it several
times made a series Of shorter leaps in com.
ical haste. Unlike the planchstte, this spr.
itua joker refuses to work for no one, though
when it has been kept confined for few
days it appears to become somewhat torpid,
and when exhibited will not begin it's conf.
cal hopping for some minutes. The more it
is exercised the more lively it becomes. Had
the General not solemnly assured us that
the little joker was nut, and nothing but
nut, we should have sworn it was somekind
Of dried bug or some chemical preparation.
1t is said that there is but one tree known Of
the species that bears these nuts, and that
the nuts will not grow or even sprout. We
do not know how true this may be. but any
person doubling what we have said above,
can be satisfied that we have told nothing
but the truth about the specimen nut in this
city, by calling upon General Van BokkeIen.
A gentleman 10 this city who has travelled
much in Mexico, to whom We applied for
some light in regard to this curious nut, in-
formed US that 10 Mexico be heard the peo
pie say that there was a tree somewhere bear
ing such nut, but that he put down all their
stories in regard TO it as humbug. A Sec
ond nut, the mate to the one 10 this city, is
in the possession Of gentleman in San fran-
cisco.
Year: 1868

Rufus SWEET the prisoner under indict'
mept for murder in the first degree, for kill
ing DR.. J. b. Gray, escaped from the county
Jail on Wednesday night and was at large
at last accounts. The prisoner was locked
up in one Of the iron cells as usual on We'd
nesday evening, and on visiting the Jail on
Thursday morning be was found missing.
The cell door was open, hole found cut
through the east wall, showing the manner OF
exit out Of the Jail after leaving his cell, and
articles used in scaling the outer wall were
lying about the yard. The cell door was un


locked by working the same up and down
on its hinges, which aloxed play of an inch
or two. After opening the cell door SWEET
blow into an instrument for digging
through the brick wall. The prisoner work.
ed hole in the wall large enough to crawl
through, which let him ont into the Jail. yard,
surrounded by wall fifteen feet in hight.
Having been so far successful. SWEET made
preparations for scaling the wall There was a
lead water pipe running along the rear Of the
Jail, which he first took up, with the evident
intention Of making it assist his escape. The
P'Po ""o 'ou"u uouOicu up Nuu Au ouIu a
condition as to lead to the presumption that
Swett threw it over the wall expecting that
it would assist him in sealing; but it was
abandoned for better plan. The prisoner
then commenced to cut away the mortar be.
tween the bricks, and after it was sufficiently
excavated, be took the slaves Of a water
bucket and showed them between the bricks,
thus making very substantial steps.


In the meantime be had taken broom
handle, and by driving tail through the
end, improvised an instrument which aided
him in ascending the wall when high enough
to reach the top with the hook formed by
the broom handle and nail. Swett thus pas.
sed the last barrier between confinement and
liberty, and from the wall passed to the rear
Of the ground by stepping upon the wooden
kitchen ard woodshed of the adjoining house,
owned by J. II. Gassaway. Swett's tracks
were plainly identified where he jumped to
the ground. as be had on a pair of moe
casins.-NarysuiUe Appeal
Year: 1868

Ladies, do you remember how hard it was
for you TO become accustomed to wearing
big .hesIed shoss-bow they threw you for
ward squeezing your poor toes down to the
extreme ends OF your shoes, making them
ache horribly, and insuring you good crop
Of corpsi Don't you remember tbs after
YOU had worn them an hour or two the cords
Of your legs felt as though they were stretch
cd to their utmost tension, aud there was
such trembling weakness in the saal' OF
your back you could hardly stand-tbat there
was fain.ness felt, a sort Of AZ "alI-gone.
ness," At the pit Of the stomach, and, last,
but not least, . reeking headache
Did you attribute all these most distress
sing symptoms to the wearing ofhigh-beeled
sboesl dare affirm you did notl These
symptoms wore off after a while; you became
accustomed TO the shoes and now they don't
burt you at all.


They DON'T You are greatly mistaken,
nv dear friends. The evil is there just the
same, but Nature has ceased her efforts to
teach you the error Of your ways, Your
toes have grown numb and insensble to
piuching. The muscles are stretched out
SO they are no longer painfu|, but are, never.
theIess, unnatural; and should the high heels
90 out Of STYLE you would find it equally
hard to wear shoes without heels, because
Nature must then make an effort to resume
her normal condition.


Just consider for a moment the absurdity
Of the thing. The foot is so constructed as
to touch tho floor from toe TO heel, except
narrow strip from the inner side of it. 10.
stead Of making a shoe to fit the foot we
make a shoe that compels the foot to fit itself
to it, at a fearful cost of good temper-and
even health itself They are dangerous, too.
Have you ever noticed how apt you are to
trip 1t sligat obstructions. and how easily
your ankle is turosd aud spraiusd-how fre'
quently the heel OF your foot is caught in the
stair carpet, and you are in imminent peril
Of falling from the top to the bottom Of the
stairsi All these msbaps are clearly attrib'
utable to high.heeIed shoes.


am quite willing you should make mar
tyrs Of yourselves, if you choose; but pro
test against the cruelty and wickedness of
putting them upon your children, even upon
babes Of six months. and compelling them to
learn to walk in them. The muscles of their
little legs are never properly developed. thus
tempting girls to resort to the pi,itul cheat
Of false calves Jennie I. Hazen, in West
srn Rural.
Year: 1868

Assuming that It is duty, let us consider
the manner Of performing it, Like all
Christian practices. there should be uniform,
ity in the manner:


First-It is an improper manner in per-
forming this duty to nod, and for the plain
reason that it attracts too much attention.
We are every ywbere taught to avoid ostenta'
tious display in our whole worship. The
Pharisees were condemned for praying at
the corners of the street, that they might b
seen of men. On the same principle the
noddDg worshiper is making too public .
display OF his devotions.


Second--Nor s it proper to snore in the
performance Of this du,y--partly for the fore,
going reason; but mainly because it is a di.
rect iulracton Of the golden rule. Suppose
for instance that your next neigbbor is asleep;
by your snoring be will be disturbed, probs.
bly awakened. This is not doing unto others
as you would thsy.should do unto you.


Thrd--It is wrong 10 injure ones bealth
while Offering worship; and all physicians 3D.
NIT that to sleep with the head thrown back
and mouth wide open is liable to produce
sore throat and hoarseness. Besides, flies
sometimes get into the mouth on snoh occa
sions, and by their injurious explorations
tickle the delicate membranes and causes
horrible strenutatons and coughing, which
is very injurious to health.


Fourth-To sleep with the head resting
upon the arms Of the wofshippsr and the
face buried in the coat cuffs, is the most i'm.
proper way Of offering sleep worship. First,
because it is 80 injurious to health, and main
ly because it is direct violation Of the
Scriptures, which oommandssus to let our
light so shine that men may profit BY our ex.
ample In this case it is impossible to know
whether the Christian worsbipper is asIsep
or awake. 1t is positive case OF lukswarm-
uess-neither the one thing nor the other.
Year: 1868

The annexed items are from the Tribune
Of November 7th:


On Tuesday evening about nine o'clock,
90 Irishman named Lyons, who was under
the influence Of liquor, got into dispute with
. man named Jones, and bard names passed
between them. Finally Lyons drew his re-
volver and began firing into the crowd. A
coIored man named Henry, in the employ Of
w. B. Campbell, who was standing near at
tho time, received one Of the balls in his right
thigh, and passing through it, lodged in his
left, but fortunately breaking no bones, caus.
ing very painful wound. Another ball
struck young man named Augustus Mari,
on the end Of the fore finger Of the right
hand, and ranging crusbed~ his thumb badly
and lodged in bis coat. After dischargng
bis pistol Lyons seized Jones and began beat
ing him over the head With the butt Of bis
revolver, and succeeded in cracking his skull
before any one could interfere to separate
them. DR.. Weed was summoned and dres-
.sd tho wounds Of the injured men. lie says
they are getting along as we'll as could be
expected.


Three men were found dear the summit
yesterday morning frozen to death. 1t is
thought that they must have been under the
influence of liquor, as they were but short
distance from shelter. They were brought
to this place yesterday on the afternoon train
We have been unable to learn their names


A difficulty occurred at Gusendorfer and
Brickelrs mill Thursday, between Watson,
The foreman Of the mill, and apother man
named Snyder, in which the former was stab
bed twice. Neither Of the wounds are con
sidsred dangerous, and it is thought that he
will be all right in few days.


The Railroad Company are engaged ia
building a large boarding house on Cold
stream, this side Of the summit. They in
tend to quarter 400 men at the point men
toned, who shall have no other duty thar
shovel snow and keep the road in that vicin
ity open. They are determined to keep the
cars running over tho summit this season nt
matter to how great depth The snow ma,
fall.
Year: 1868

UNION Pacific RAILRoAD.-Ths Salt Lake
Reporter Of October 3Oth says:


The rapid approach of the Union Pacific
Railroad towards Salt Lake Valley has awak.
sned lively interest among those who pur,
pose to make an early real estate investment
in the great central city of the future."-
Where is it to be, now that the road is actu.
ally being built north OF the Lakel Some
where between the mouth Of Weber canyon
and the northwest point Of the Lake, at the
most convenient spot for staging and freight.
ing to Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Wash.
ipgton, is to be city Of permanent impor.
tancs. That part of the valley between Bear
River and the Weber, though 10 great ex-
tent unsettled, is fertile and with little irrga.
ton will produce all the fruits and grains Of
the temperate zone. Timber can be brought
there by either stream. Ditchiug for water
purposes can be DONE n moderate expense,
and both valley and mountain holows
abound in the finest pastures. Within a
distance Of ten miles there are as many fa'
vorable sites. Where will it be?


The News Of October 20 has this:


We understand that on Monday the track
laying Of the Union Pacific Railroad vas
twenty miles this side of Bryan. This would
bring it nearly opposite Bridgsr, from which
point to Bear river is little over thirty
miles. 1t was proposed to lay eight miles Of
track in that day, but if four miles day are
laid, and the weather keeps open, the ter
minus will be at Bear river in few days.
Year: 1868

A RECIPE.-If you want strange lady to
speak to you, tread on her dress. Nine
chances in ten she will enter into conver
satiop that will not ou y entertain your head
but Jingle your ears.
Year: 1868

RATHER HAD HIM.-In Cincinnati there occur
red recently scene at the door of the
chapel, in which the prime actor came off con-
siderably the @ worse for wear" young man
who believed he knew as much as any other
man, had been paying his attentions to young
lady who, among her other attractions, possess
ed very luxuriant growth of red hair. The
young could not induce the young lady to
think him better than other men, and she finally
gave him the mitten. One evening after this,
thinking his time to get even had arrived, he
stationed himself in the aisle near the chapel
door, and seeing the young lady coming, thew
up his hands, pretending fright, and exclaimed ::


q Stand aside, boys, you will take fire !
Here comes -'' (naming the LADY,


She walked very eisurely to where the young
man was standing, stopped and looked him in
the face, saying:


@ You need not be alarmed, Mr.. -, you are
entirely too green to burn p


The of laughter that greeted the young
mans ears was more than he could relish, and
he beat a hasty retreat
Year: 1868

BUTLER.-A Washington correspondent says
of Ben Butler go His method is wonderful. He
has more Congressional business brought to him
from outside parties, and from all parts of the
country, than any other five men in Congress
All this is carefully classified and recorded to
be referred to at a moments notice, and his
speech recently was the work in detail of proba-
bly, twenty or thirty men, each carting up some
fact or inference, while he, like confident arch
itect put it together and hewcd it into shape.
Here in Washington he is surrounded with al
most full company of adherents They bring
him news search out records and authorities for
him, do copying and errand-running, carrying
threats and inducements, and, in short, increase
his power by virtue of that law which Ben.
Wade quoted the other day The more you kick
that breed of hounds the more they cling to
vou'"
Year: 1868

AN UNEXPECTED REcRUIT.-We find the fol-
lowing paragraph in the editorial columns of the
late Senator from Oregon, is among the many
Democrats who have avowed their intention to
support General Grant for President"
Year: 1868

About o clock last evening an old gen.
tlemaL named David Knapp, a merchant
OF Milwaukee, who has been stopping in
the city for few days past, was passing
through Lock street when he was accosted
BY man who seemed to be familiar with
his name. Mr.. Knapp turned around to
see who addressed him. when he was sud
denly knocked down and robbed of a good
watch and hair chain.


The daring deed was but the work of a
moment, as Mr.. Knapp is some seventy
years OF age, and was not capable of offer
ing much resistance, but quick as it was
done, the movement did not pass unobserv-
ed. Patrolman Fravley happened to be in
sight and gave chase across Erie street,
calling. stop that man." Superintend
ant Reynolds, who chanced to be on the
corner OF Franklin and Seneca streets, also
took after the rascal, who showed a clean
pair OF heels and stood a good chance of
escaping, when officer Frawely, who was
within pistol shot, sent leaden messeng-
er from his revolver at the scamp. The
bullet passed only near enough to convince
the robber that unless he halted, which he
did by dropping suddenly to the ground.
the next shot, which the officer threatened
to Dire, would be likely to take effect, as
they were then only few rods apart, and
he deemed it best to surrender.


He was soon in Station House No. l,
and recognized as desperate who, passing
under the name of John Clark, has for
some time past been hanging around the
lower portion of the CITY,
Year: 1868

psn. The spring trade in New York be-
gins to exhibit evidences of life. After a
period of cautious survey Of the market,
buyers from the interior cities appear to
have come to the conclusion that there is
no probability of such an over supply of
goods as las depressed the market during
late seasons; and they have therefore
begun to buy with more spirit than was
anticipated In the domestic cotton goods
trade, the jobbers have had the courage to
advance their prices about ten per cent on
leading fabrics, while the manufacturers
were holding their goods at old prices, and
this action bad the significant result of
inducing general demand for goods
Year: 1868

BaT "A prominent Boston merchant, a
leading member of one of the principal city
churches, was found few days since, with
his right ear nailed to the door post of a
fashionable young ladies Seminary on
Pemberton Square. The pilloried victim
declining to make any explanation in re-
gard TO the matter, the gossips of the Hub
are lett in the dark as to whether the Chris
tian gentleman was doing voluntary pen
ance for caves dropping and peeping, or
whether he was made to expate. at the
hands of private vengeance, the guilt of a
darker crime.
Year: 1868

STATE CONvENTION.-I Democratic
State Convention was held at Madison last
Wednesday, for the purpose of nominating
two justices of the Supreme Court in the
places of Dixon and PAINE, and to select
presidential electors for the state, and to
appoint delegates to the Democratic Ma
tional Convention. There will be feeling
IN the convention favoring an expression
in behalf Of some presidential candidate.
Year: 1868

Ea- In the House of Commons on the
l4th, Earl Mayo asked leave to bring in a
bill to suspend the operation of the writ of
habeas corpus for short period from the
lst Of March. He said the Fenian leaders
had shown an utter disregard of their
oaths of allegiance to the crown. and stated
that of two hundred and sixty eight Fen
ians who had been arrested, ninety eight
were Americans.