smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1859

OF A Glass of Brandy can't hurt any
body. Why, know person, yonder he
is, now, on high change, specimen of
manly beauty, portly six-footer. He
has the bearing of prince, for he is one
of our merchant princes. His face wears
the hue of health, and now, at the age of
forty odd, he has the quick, elastic step of
our young men of twenty five, and none
more full of mirth and wit than he, and |
know he never dimes without brandy and
water, and he never goes to bed without
terrapin or oyster supper, with plenty of
champagne; and more than that, he new
er was known to be drunk. So here is a
living example and disproof of the tenn
perance twaddle about the dangerous ma
ture of an occasional glass, and the des-
tructive effect of temperate use of good
liquors.


Now it so happened that this specimen
of safe brandy drinking was a relation of
ours. He died in year or two after that,
of chronic diarrhea, common end of those
who are never drunk nor never out of
liquor. He left his six children, and he
had ships on every sea, and credit at every
counter, which he never had occasion to
use.


For months before he died-he was a
year in dying-he could eat or drink
nothing without distress, and at his death,
the whole alimentary canal was a mass
of disease in the midst of millions, be
died of inanition. That is not the half
reader. He has been steady drinker, a
daily drinker, for twenty tight years. He
left legacy to his children, which we did
not mention. Scrofula has eaten up one
daughter of fifteen years another is ii
the mad house the third and fourth, o.
unearthly beauty; there was kind o
grandeur in that beauty, but they blight
ed, and paled, and faded into heaven, W,
trust, in their sweetest teens. Another il
tottering on the verge of the grave, ant
only one of them is left with all tn,
senses, and each of them as weak as wa
ter. Why, we came from the dissectinI
room and made a note of it, it was SO hor
rible.-Ralps Journal of Health.
Year: 1859

I think sympathetically of the worthy
father Of DR.. Chalmers. When he re-
ceived his weekly or fortnightly letter
from his distinguished son, he carefully
locked it up By the time little store
had accumulated, his SON came to pay a
visit and then he broke all the seals and
got the writer of the letters to read them.
-FfazeT's Magazine.
Year: 1859

Elizur Wright, of Boston, is stopping a
few days in Cleveland. The Plaii1dealer
has the following humorous notice of the
eccentric individual


He used to edit very " sassy" paper a
Boston called the Chronotype. This


CHro''otgpe was a source of constant an
noyance to very many highly respectable
persons in Boston. Beacon street called it
low sheet, and State street did not hesi-
tate to say that it was far from the thing.
But Wright kept right on, pitching into
everything that didn't suit him and every
body who he thought deserved it He was
rather crazy on the niger question, but he
was honest and wrote his opinions on that
as on all other subjects, without consul
ting anybody but E. Wright gentle
man he seemed to have the most unboun-
ded confidence in. He was as free and
fearless as the winds, and the Chronotype
of course died. That sort of papers have
a way of dying Like systematically
bright children. whom the gods are sup
posed to love, they are not to live. Mr..
Wright was raised" in Tallmadge, Sum-
NIT County, in this State He was edu-
ted at Yale College and was once Professor
at the Western Reserve College. He is a
thoroughly educated man, powerful
writer, and one of the notables of the land
Year: 1859

why have you never been married,
May?"


This question was asked by gentleman
some thirty-fve or six years of age, who
had been for nearly twenty minutes close
ly watching the motions of a lady who sat
near him at a workable.


The gentleman was fine, noble looking
man, with frank, well formed features and
pleasant expression. He was handsomely
dressed, and to judge by the looks of his
hair, you might have said that he had a
wife, had he looked IN other respects like a
married man-which he did not.


The room in which tho two were sitting
betokened wealth and taste. Its occu-
pants were evidently in the upper ranks of
life


The lady addressed was person of fair,
interesting face and graceful form. She
certainly did look remarkably well, as she
bent her head with its abundant and
shining hair, and piled her white hands in
the task which employed her sight and ap-
parently her whole thoughts.


Probably conviction of her attractive
ness and worth had caused the question
which her companion put in such a hearty
abrupt tone, that May started and dropped
the red worsted work upon which she had
been intent


"What question" she cried with a
light laugh-'.just as if 1 cared about be-
ing married.


"Why should you not care. May? Sure
ly it is the best and happiest state for a
man or woman


Granted with proviso,' said May:
"but Mr.. Rossiter, if you think SO, why
have you never married.?


"YOu are a true Yankee. May. and an
swer question by asking another; but tell
me, now, why you are, at thirty years of
age, still single?"


"HOw dare you say l am thirty years
old? Upon my word, if you were not broth
er to my sister-in-law, I'd not speak to you
again for week.
May pretended to pOut; and the pOut
was quite becoming to her full arched lips.


Didn't you yourself tell me your age,
and that only the day before yesterday?
Your memory seems very short, Miss Ben
ton"


We'll, l didn't expect you were going
to throw it up to me that / was an old
Year: 1859

BOSTON.


This city is the capital of the free States
east of the Connecticut line. 1t is famous
in its history as the city in which the Dec
laration of Independence was declared.
This unfortunate event alienated Boston
from southern and western states-which
still refuse to abandon their dependence
upon colorsd slave labor. What shock
ing outrage this is to the heart of an Eng
hshman, who regards all persons as upon
an equality. Boston is hilly city, sur
rounded by swamps, and remarkable for
its aquatic productions.


The amusements of the people of Boston
consist in attending lectures, temperance
meetings, and fugitive slave law conven-
tions, and at these they become, at times,
very much excited. Their lecturers are
generally schoolmasters and professors, (the
people arc nearly all professOrs.) Among
them heard a Mr. Longfellow, who wrote
a poem about a German castle on the Rhine.
They have wit among them by the name
of Oliver Wendell Holmes; but as far as l
could judge of the man, from having once
met him in the street, 1 should not be in
clined to think he had much brilliancy
about him. He is-entirely local in the
character of his mind, and, like the rest of
his townsmen, is always talking of BostOnl
This city holds the same position in INTEL
lectual and moral greatness to the rest of
the Union, that Neweastle-upon-Ty Tyne does
in the United Kingdom to the Empire of
Great Britain. There is one Individual in
Boston who seems to stand very high as
writer. His name ia Emerson-I have
had an opportunity of reading one of his
volumes, and l confess my entire inability
to understand the point at which he is
aiming. He is at the head of a sect here
called Spiritual Rappers / had often
heard of Boston Rappers,' but never had
the good fortune to meet one until my in
to Emerson. Heis very NOR
al and innocent man, but, like the rest of
his townsmen, thinks Boston the greatest
city in the world.
Year: 1859

Said I, MY pretty miss.
Let me have little kiss
And revel'd in the bliss,


Rich and nlelier;
"Just help yourself to more
Sand she, tripping o'er the floor.
And backing toward the door


Of the cellar.
never saw the trap
Till fell through kerslap.
And you should have seen me drap


Through the hole;
Full twenty feet fell
How 1 struck 1 cannot tell
But sent up sueh yell,


On my soul.
That the girl thought | was dying.
And at once set up crying
For the old man who was trying,


No. far off.
To mend broken pump.
He turned, and with jump
Cleared sled, and tumbled plump


Into trough
But what has this to do
With the story, which is true
As the gospel, old or new? ?


With hop.
He cams up. inquired the matter
Whence the screaming and the elatter p
He had half mind TO rap her


On the top
OF her head. She meekly pointed
Down the steps, where l, lay disjointed,
Lay, with grease and mud annointed.


On the floor.
blizzard" up those stairs was carried
Quite month there blizzard" tarried-
In two months was Blizzard married


Nothing more.
Year: 1859

Discussion WITH AN ILLUSTRATORS


els the sense Of smelling more pleas.
ing than the sense Of tasting ?" was the
subject up before western debating
club in a bar room. Uncle Joe was the
last to speak upon the negative, and all
were ANXIOUS to hear him deliver him
self. Walking up to the bar-keeper.
he called for hot whiskey punch, and
drank it off with great gusto; then tur-
ming to his opponent, he handed the
empty glass to the leading disputant
and Numbered out-"NoU smell 1t, you
varmint - It is needless to add that
Uncle Joe drought down the house, d
and also the decision for the negative.
Year: 1859

REAL AND IMAGINARY WANTS.
Very few, we presume, will acknowl-
edge how few real wants we have, and
how little it takes to give us genuine
happiness. If we could get rid of our
artificial, senseless, and expensive way
Of living, we should find ourselves bet
ter off in purse, in prospect, and in
heart. Let every one who has any am
bition to go ahead in life try the exper-
iment this year, and see how much vir-
tue there is in economy. Make your
expenses less than your income, and see
how much you will have gained, not
only in money but in feeling.
Year: 1859

FALsIEYING.-The habit of falsify,
ing supplies those who are addicted to
it with a plausible apology for every
crime, and with supposed shelter from
every punishment. It tempts them to
rush into danger from the mere expec-
tasion of impunity, and when practiced
with frequent success, it teaches them
to confound the gradations Of guilt,
from the effects of which there is in
their Imagination at least one sure and
common protection. It corrupts the
early simplicity Of youth, it blasts the
fairest blossoms of genius, and will
most assuredly counteract every effort
by which we may hope to improve the
talents and mature the virtues Of those
whom it infects.
Year: 1859

~ During the summer q party
made sea excursion, and finding the
day delightful, cool and pleasant, one
of the ladies remarked to the captain
that, while the weather continued SO
hot, she would like 10 be captain her
self very well. He replied in a most
gentlemanly manner, that he would not
object to becoming the captains mate.
The young lady took him at his word
and has since accepted the post
Year: 1859

SUCH A FooL.-We were once lis
tening to an eloquent divine, who, in
the course Of his sermon, was compar-
ing the state Of the unconverted sinner
to that Of man in q boat away from
land with only one oar. He was sud-
denly brought up with a severe round
by an old sailor, who jumped up and
asked: "Cou-dn't the Id fool
scull?"
Year: 1859




group of living serpents brought from North
Carolina were secured for scientific purposes and
have been handed over to Professor FOOte of the
Medical College, for safe keeping. They consist of
two rattlesnakes, two bull snakes one spreading
adder one black racer, and one Joint snake Tbey
are all very fine specimens. Professor Foote in
tends to test the newly discovered remedies for the
blte OF venomous serpents, of which accounts have
oeen published. As these serpents nearly all eat
and drink freely they may be expected TO live many
years ana attain the maximum size of their Species
The bull snakes and racer are over five and a hal
feet in length. ~ -''


The first named are beautiful reptiles-if ANYTHING
SO generally repugnant to the descendants of Mothe
Eve may be classed beautiful They are called
'tbull snakes" the vulgar name-because of the
peculiar noise they make. Their ewes are bright
skin of buff color, with black spots and rings and
under the magnetic touch of Professor Christv arc
as gentle kittens; indeed they seem to delight in
having him wrap them around his arms They
may be considered ornaments to the North State.


Not so with the black racer, which designs to re-
pose in the same cage with the bull snakes only
through compulsion. With his head elevated, and
neck magnifcently curved, you behold the monarch
OF American snakes. He receives the fondipgs of
Prof. Christy with disdain, darts forth his black
arrowy tongue, and shakes his tail as warrior of
old would his spear, warning to mankind not to
presume too much ON friendship.


The Joint snake is the wonder Of the collection.
1t is now shedding its skin and is torpid so much
so as to admit of being handled at pleasure We
lelt OF lts Dody and 1t appeared cold and hard
polished stick of wood. 1t lives chiefly in holes in
the ground when at home and is called ''ioint
snake because of the structure Of its tail by means
OF the joints of which it can throw itself several
feet. i .' .-.I- ''.I .-...H. .. .....


The horrid looking rattlesnakes and the spreading
adder occupy separate apartments in the same box,
which is covered with glass-a thin partition-be-
tween life and death There are holes through the
partitions to admit of circulation of air, and
through one of these we found that the adder had
succeeded in drawing about foot of his body into
the apartment of his neigbbor, the largest rattle
snake, but was unable to get either forward or
back. Fortunately, the apartments are too close
to admit of a combat
Year: 1859

SoRELY DBAProNrGD.-Ay young English Lord
arrived by the Overland route, lately. At Sac
ramento they rushed to see him, and were disap-
pointed to find that he was nothing but very
plainly dressed young man.
Year: 1859

WHAT A SERMON SHOULD Bit should DO
brief if lengthy it will steep our heart in apa-
thy our eyes in sleep the dull will yawn, the
chapel lounger dose, attention flag, aud memo
ry's portals close
Year: 1859

died at Middletown, N. Y, about month ago
lie had been pastor Of the First Presbyterian
Chreh at that place for thirty years, and during
that time took Il lively part in every reform and
educational movement. lie was loved by all,
and his death cast gloom over the community TO
which he had muotercd for more than aquartcr
Of century.
Year: 1859

Also, have few Of these celebrated Machines.
They just what every Farmer wants The COM
the great simplicity Of It's constructions the strength
and durability OF its workmanship, the small amount
of power It takes TO it, together with its effective
operation in threshing and cleaning at least much
grain of any kind any other four or six horse ma
chine now in use, combine 10 Justify us In believing
that cannot fail, Il becomes known, to be the most
useful and popular machine in the country. The CYL
inders Of the above machines are from eighteen to
twenty four inches in length Each OF the Ohio Ma
chimes have Trucks, Horse Power, Levers and the
usual amount OF extras.


We safely recommend our presentlot Of Thresh-
ing Machines being the best that have ever been i'm
ported, they were all made TO order. Give US
call before buying.


THOS. OGG SHAW,
Year: 1859

Tell them that when every remedy has failed when
they have been doctorcd to death with Mercury,
Sarsaparilla and other popular dcusions when, from
whatever cause they become lank langud and ailing
to try most blessed Herbal ConcOction,
Year: 1859

1. is impossible at present to estimate 1''r
number vet to be packed this season: but VIC
are u judge from the number OF cattle coming
forward, the falls packing will not full lar short
Of last years. Some Of tho principal packing
house, however. state that they are nearly closed
for the season.
Year: 1859

CS A gentleman having engaged brick.
layer to make some repairs in his cellar. or
dered the ale to be removed before the brick.
layer commenced his work ooh. lam not
afraid of barrel of ale, sir" said the man.


u presume not" retorted the gentleman.
but think barrel of ale would run at
your approach"
Year: 1859

CB An Irish tailor, making a gentleman's
coat and vest too small, was ordered to take
them home and let them out. Some davs
after, the gentleman was told that his oar.
ments happening to fit a countryman of his.
he had let them out at shilling a week
Year: 1859

At last, we have from Southern Representative
q manly reputation and rebuke of that programme
of Treason and Disunion which the Democratic
spokesmen in Congress have for the past fortnight
unanimously expounded, to the disgust and indig-
nation of all patriotic citizens, yet of which our
Union-Sayng meeting in New-York was but an
echo The Hon. Joshua Hill Of Georgia, an Amer
can in his party connections, SAID yesterday in the
House Of Representatives, with great significance
of manner, that he would never, so help him God,
"consent to destroy tho structure under which we
Give, merely because a man with Objectionable
political principles should be elected to the PreSi-
"dency."


This is a declaration to which all patriotic and
sensible men everywhere will, with one heart, sub
scribe When the right of the majority to govern,
under the Constitution, is asSailed as it is now
assaed by the corrupt, disorganzed, and seditious
party of the Administration, it is high time for all
real friends of the Union and Constitution to speak
out. The country will honor Mr.. Hill for this
timely utterance.
Year: 1859

Perhaps it would be as well for the dry goods and
lquOrdealers, and other parties, who, in the late
meeting at the Academy of Music, avouched their
devotion to Slavery, to hold another 30 manifest
their fidelity to the Union and their respect for
ONE other class Of white men beside the slave.
holders. The proceedings Of Monday night were,
in effect an indOrsement by vast number of the
commercial men of New-York, of the great Dis
union conspiracy now boldly developed and pro-
claimed by the Democratic leaders in Congress and
at the South But do the merchants of New-YOrk
imagine that becoming morally accessory 10 treason
is profitable mode Of commencing their shops and
their wares to the custom of the great body Of the
people If they do, we think they are mistaken
Differing political opinions are matters about which
little care is taken in trades but when men boldly
announce their sympathy in an atrociOus scheme to
overthrow the Government and bring civil warupOn
the country, the case becomes changed. You have
held your meeting in justification of the spread Of
human bondage and of DisuniOn, gentlemen When
will you hold one in favor of maintaining ths Con-
stution and preserving the integrity of the Repub
Iicl What do you say, Mr.. A. T. Stewart What
do you say, Mr. Joshua j. Henry
Year: 1859

The Judges recently elected in this City
were all very anxious to get their Offices at
the present salary-so anxious, indeed, that
they were willing to pay handsome sums
into the treasury of Tammany Hall, and
some of them into that Of Mozart Hall also,
in consideration Of being nominated. The
present movement to raise their salaries is substan.
tally proposition to refund what they have con-
trbuted to one or the other, or both of those pot-
ical establishments. Better leave things as they
are. The burdens of the City sufficient already
without voting any more money than is necessary
for the support of the two Democratic factoas'
Year: 1859

Mr.. Shdel. apparently fearful that the Slavery
agitation would die out unless he should add new
uel to the fame, yesterday came to the rescue of
his Helper confederates in the House, and intro
duced q bill for the acquisition OF Cuba.


There ia no man in the world who knows better
than Mr. Shdell that there is not the shadow of an
opportunity, BY any means whatever, to advance
Year: 1859

FAsHIoxABLE CHIr-CHAr.-The bOarders in
one If the fashionable houses in Boston were
assembled in the public parlOr one stormy
evening, when a rather antiquated maiden lady,
who never seems to have any employment but
almiring her jewelry and dresses. isped out the
remark that she loved n rainy day, and always
avsiled herself of il To arrange her drawers
So do L. grOwled an. old sea captain, Il
overhaul my drawers and shirts too some times,
and sew on button or string where il is
wanted" Msdemoiselle did not faint, hut
there was an angry rustic of silks as she swept
oft Of the room, leaving all to exchange a sup
pressed litter for good hearty laugh
Year: 1859

DR.. BOYNToN, the lecturer, personal friend Of
the late Mr.. Thurston, has given the following
hypothesis as TO the manner in which the balloon
ist lest his life He thinks the balloon never rose
high. but scudded along over the open country
until il came To the forest where Thurston's re-
mains have since been found. He supposes then
that Thurston, having no means to manage his bal
loon. or to ascend or descend, carried against
the limb Of the tree, and he being suddenly
stopped, the momentum would carry the rest Of
the balloon along, creating the exact tear i'm the
silk three-qusrters around the valveboard Just as
ii afterwards found when the balloon was
discovered at st. Clair flats The valve-bOard be-
ing thus partially torn away would leave no sup
port for Thurston, who must of course have fallen
to the foot OF the tree, where his remains were
lately found. The probability is that he was car
ried with such force against the tree that he was
stunned, and could not CATCH limb, and that he
may have lain at the trees foot many hours, even
DAYS, before death released him from his suffer
ings. DIR. BOyntOn also said that ThurstOn had
frequently related to him that he feared
thing except when abreast of a forest that then
the fOrked trees seemed TO be rushing towards
hun, having tendency to confuse and bewilder
him.
Year: 1859

THREE MsN SAVED FROM GOING OVER MAG
day. Just above the rapids when a high wind
caused the boat to capsize. Niagara boastman,
named sullivan, Immediately went to the rescue
of the men, who were slowly drifting towards
the rapids He contrived TO get two of the men
into his boat; the third was towed behind, and
made for the shore, which ne touched at point
quite low down, barely escaping the swift current
next the American shore. The boat in which the
men had been went over the Falls.
Year: 1859

he stopped, cast most withering look at
the Baron and with the words 1--WE shall
meet again." trembling upon his lips he
moved on and was soon far from the scene
Of his late disaster.
Year: 1859

There is no greater sign of a mean
and sordid man, than to dote upon riches;
nor is anything more magnificent, than to
lay them out freely in acts Of bounty and
liberality.---[ Cicero.