smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

A few days ago the water from Ottawa
lake, in Monroe county, Michigan, all at


once disappeared The Cotd,cater Gazette
states that the water had begun to subsde
for some days, and the teamsters who car
ried stone from the lake noticed that the
holes at which they watered their cattle
were crowded with fish They increased in
numbers, both large and small, the former
having their mouths wide open, and so ex-
hausted that the people caught them with
their hands. The work of auarrying and
hauling stones was soon abandoned, and in a
short time scores of teams and hundreds of
men might be seen on and around the lake.


The men with their handspikes, crowbars,
and axes were busily engaged in cutting and
raising huge pieces of ice, and then stoop-
ing down and lifting the fish, some of which
were dead, some alive, and some frozen fast
in the ice, for the water having departed
from the lake by some subterranean passage,
the vast sheet of ice lay on the bottom
For three days immense quantities of fish
were carried away, principally piekerel and
bass. while vast quantities were left to rot
on the ice and in the mud-for mud and ice
are all that are left of Ottawa Lake. Nu-
merous pieces of ice are left standing on
edge, like SO many grave stones. The lake,
or rather its bed, or graveyard, presents
novel scene Some say the water will soon
return by the same source by which it de-
parted, bringing fresh supply of fish with
it-for Lake Erie is supposed to be its head
quarters. Meantime the farmers in the vi
cnty greatly feel the loss of the departed
waters. About seven years ago this lake
departed in the same way, and old men say
1t departs and returns periodically.
Year: 1868

them in the woods. Haburack stepped
forth from the bushes and bid the coachman
halt"


The horses stopped, the Prince drew forth
his pistols But Haburack, without heed
ing his threatening mein, rode close up to
the carriage door and said:


I'VE yesterday sacrificed our comfort that
the rest of this lady might not be disturbed
Now | will see if it is worth the trouble


With these words he lifted the veil which
hung down from the lady's bonnet, and look
ed for an instant into her face. The lady
blushed and he said:


''She is really very pretty"


He turned round, plucked a wild rose
from bush close at hand, and offered it to
the lady with these words:


Accept this rose kindly, as keepsake
from the poor robber Haburack and if
you some time hear that he has been hang
ed, pray an Ave Maria for his SOUL


The lady took the rose and the robber
vanished.


Two years later, the newspapers related
that the robber Haburack had beeh caught,
that he had been tried at the assizes in Tor
ma, convicted of dissertion and highway rob-
berry and hanged
Year: 1868

AMERICAN SILVER IN CANADA.-There
is such glut of American silver in Canada
that the government of the Dominion has
been memorialized to withdraw from circu-
cent, and issue in its place one million dol
lars of Canadian silver, the remainder of the
currency to be made up of paper money, in
bills of not less than one dollar. We should
be well pleased to see our silver come back
from Canada. There is said to be now about
$1,000, 900 worth of American silver in Can
ada and duty of fifteenpe cent. has been
imposed upon the importation of such silver
coin into the province.
Year: 1868

There's not green blade yet
Whereupon breese could play,
The bare brown earth is wet
With the rain of yesterday;
But on the apple bough
A sound more sweet than rain
Hark to the overflow


Robins come again,
Snow on the mountain side,
Never leaf on tree,
Never a spray to hide


A nook where q nest may be;
Only hint, tits true,


That hope is not in vain,
sky more soft and blue


Robins come again.
o. Robin, he can sing


Where not a flower can thrive,
Musician of the spring,
The blithest thing alive;
The March winds sOftlier blow
Over the dreary plain,
A sunny day or so.


Robins come again.
The while he caroleth,
Our hearts are lighter grown,
We almost feel the breath
Of violets new blown;
He sings the songs we knew,
The earliest, glsddest strain,
All, old friends are the trne-


Robins come again.
Year: 1868

In the billiard-rooms of Wizards Hotel,
at Washington, boozy individual made a
bet that he could swallow billiard ball
The bet was accepted, and the boozy indi-
vidual undertook the task The ball was
oiled and with some effort got it through his
teeth and into his mouth; and there it
out until Dr. NJ. was sent for, who after
half an hours hard work ,removedit it. Up to
the present time, hawever, three score OF
men have mt been able to get his teeth to-
gether as they were before.
Year: 1868

An old and popular Irish clergyman had
a disagreement with one of his Pensioners
who was an extremely refractory character
of great wealth but of low origin, vulgar
habits and abusive tongue. Upon hearing
from third party that his ancestry had been
spoken of disparagingiy by this rich boor,
the old parson, borrowing Seriptural met
flock This remark reached the ears of
the nabob, who Immediately repaired to
the clergyman and demanded an apology.
The good old man listened patiently to the
rawlings of his parishoner, and closed the
discussion with the remark did really
say that my father would not have set you
with his dogs? Twas wrong, sir; 1 beliere
he aoould
Year: 1868

A BIG SUCKER. The Reading Eagle
thus describes the capacity of Lancaster
county drinker: "a fellow residing beyond
Fritztown, near the Berks and Lancaster
line-in the latter named county, we believe
can beat it ali hollow We saw him
swallow six large glasses-two of porter and
four of water-in eight minutes, One day
he met porter wagon on the highway, and
bought two dozen bottles, drank their con-
tents and gave the empty bottles back to
the driver, all in about twenty minutes
time. We saw this individual in this city
several times during the last year. He IS
about six feet in height and full sixty years
of age, and says he drinks bucket of wa
ter regular every night. If we knew the
mans name we would state it, as he seemed
to be quite proud of his capacity to carry
more liquid than any other man.


Many a woman thinks she can do nothing
Year: 1868

The radicals now tell us the negro
suffrage question is side issue They
probably mean that the people have set
that issue aside by voting it down. But,
aide issue or no side issue, the people
will not let it rest until it is efectually,
finally and forever disposed Of Yhey
knowthat the radicals will force negro suf-
frage upon them wherever they have the
power. A radical Congress forced negro
suffrage upon the District of Colum-
bia, and the radical party recently
attempted to force it upon the people
Of Ohio. We say to our Democratic
friends that this black snake is only
scotched, not killed" II the Radicals
are now really tired, disgusted with
negro suffrage, why don't they COM
pei their Radical Congress to abolish it,
wine it out, in the District of Colum-
biaP Why don't they tell their Radi-
cal Congress TO withdraw it as condi-
ton upon which the Southern States
shall be restored to the Union. It's all
yery we'll for Radical politicians to pre-
tend that IL is q "side issue" But 1t
would be betterif they would abandon 1t
as an issue at all. As long as a negro is
permitted to vote anywhere in this coun-
try, the Radicals will be forced to meet
the issue--not as " side issue" nor an
outside issue-but as q direct and promi.,
nent issue between the two political
parties.-Hlinois State Register.
Year: 1868

The second election of the Presiden-
tial campaign occurs in Connecticut the
9Th Of April. Since the announcement
OF the result Of the election in New
Hampshire the interest in the Connec,i-
cut election has greatly increased, and
the probabilities are being already freely
canvassed, That our readers may be
able to have correct data upon which TO
base their opinions, we publish the fol.
lowing table Of the vote Of the several
elections in the State for the last ten
years. From this table it will be seen
that with the exception Of the election
in 1857, the Democrats have not carried
the State since 1856. II will also be
seen that the fluctuations in the vote
from year to year have been so great
that any reliable calculation based upon
these figures now is almost impossible.
Year: 1868

The dd interim farce still lags super
huous on the stage at Washington.


Outer-rim Thomas was present at the
regular Cabinet meeting Friday. A


number Of army officers have advised


Thomas to resign the appointment Of
Secretary in order to save his Office oi
Adjutant General, there being proba
bility that Congress will legislate him
out Of the latter. The old gentleman
sent word to Stanton Saturday that he
had better abandon his "cold victuals y
diet, and board at home hereafter, as
there was no intention to attempt the
forcible capture of the War Department.
Year: 1868

A NUMBER ofleadihg citizens of New
Haven, Conn, have united to put check
upon illegal voting at the coming election.
They give notice that all frauds will be
dealt with in the future according to law.
Year: 1868

A WRITER in the Scientific American
asserts that onions eaten during an epi-
demic aid in spreading the disease, but
that they are good disinfectant if sliced
and exposed in the sick room.
Year: 1868

Here We see that Lincoln, with popu-
lar majority of million against him.
swept the college by rousing majority !;
that Douglas, though he got two-thirds of
LineOln's popular vote, got oniy one ff-
tecnth OF his electoral vote that Brecken-
ridge, who fell 50O,0OO votes behind
Douglas, received six times as many votes
in the electoral college; that Bell, who
fell nearly 500 900 votes behind Douglas.
received three times as many votes in the
college. Indeed, the disproportious are
50 ludicrous that without further arsu.
ment, the table may be left to stand as
glaring example of the actual occurrence
of what we have hitherto exposed only as
clear possibility, namely: majority can
didate before the people being minority
candidate before the electoral college.


In the presence of such historic facts, it
becomes fair question whether the de-
vice of the electoral college should not be
abolished, leaving the president to be di-
rectly chosen by the people. Ordinarily,
it would be regarded by the disinterested
student as a safe proposition that, above all
other officers, the president of the United
States should be, as nearly as practicable
the immediate choice Of the people of the
republic. One political school will reply
however. that thi, is not SO; that the
foun' ers Of the federation designed the
president to be chosen not by the whole
electoral people, but By the people of the
several states as such and not, therefore
to be president Of the people but the pres
idcnt Of the states. This doctrine is sur.
ported by political facts. For the states
may choose the presidential electors as
they ike, through their legislatures, as in
South Carolina, or with any sort of prop
erty or other qualifications they may
please to impose upou the elective fran.
chisc, they may suffer men only six feet
tall to vote for president.


But We may fairly suppose that it never
was the design of the founders of the sys-
tenn to produce the sort of results which
have Just been set forth. Times have
changed, and laws may well change with
them. Domestic politics in America have
been metamorphossd since the infancy Of
the republic. The nominating convention
Year: 1868

Respectfully, that is, if you respect my
rights but | shall have a life long quarrel
even with you, if you spread before the
public anything which l myself have not
given to the public | have really very
strong opinions on that point; and, not
withstanding its commouness, | consider
no crime more radically heinous than the
violation of privacy. You must have suf-
fercd from it too severely yourself to be
surprised at any adherence of it on my
part | most heartily wish you could find
it in your plan to leave me out in the
cold. Of course, if you judge from my
writings that | am woman, you can say
what you please about that woman, that
writer, and [ have neither the wish nor
the right to say you nay. SO much of the
woman as appears in an authors writings
is public property by her own free will.
All the rest belongs to her reserved rights.
l pray you to speak, if speak you must,
so wisely as to make this clear! Launch
Year: 1868

now cryStaIlZeS party arOunu nau---lV
provides a single colorbearer for all who
wefr the same party name, and ordinarily
you accept him or throw your vote away.
The constitutional device of the electoral
college was invented for vastly different
system of party organization. The theory
then way (as De Tocquevil.e tcrsely puts
it), that " it rarely happens that an indi-
vdual can receive at the first trial ma
jority of the suffrages of I great people ;
and this difficulty is enhanced in a repub-
lie of confederate states, where local in
fuences are far more developed and more
powerful" Hence it was proposed "to
delegate the electoral powers of the ma
tion to body which should present it,
because this mode of election rendered q
majority tnore probable"


That was the theory of the electoral
college, and early practice sustained it;
since the first body of the Kind, that of
1889, found no less than eleven candidates
fer vice president before it the ore which
elected John Adams had twelve other can
didates for president and vice president; !;
and the next one could not elect anybody
at all (in spite OF De Tocqueville's die
tum). but threw the election over to a
third body, namely, congress.


On the other hand, FIR the last thirty
years, i. e.: since 1910, there have never
been (save in the highly exceptional
election of 1860, when the democratic
party was disruptcd), more than three
candidates for president and three for
vice president; in all but one election
Chat of 1856, if Fillmore be Indeed an
exception, there were substantially but
two candidates, as the third polcd but a
handful Of votes, carrying not single
state; while the most recent electi ons,
those of 1864 and 1868, show but one can
didate on each side, rallying into two
great parties every party in the land.
Clearly enough we can never return to
the state Of politics under which the elect
oral college was framed, because the teu-
dency is the other way.


But, merely to abolish The electoral col
lege-thc course which first suggests it.
sclf-would not radically cure the errors
here pointed out. The effect of this abo.
lition would obviously be merely to i'm
pose on state governor or ether officer
the duty Of casting the votes now thrown
by the electors Of that state. Or, should
we resort to counting the popular vote,
that device would now be utterly unscien-
tfc and incxpedieiIt, because OF the DIFF
ferences IN the elective franchise in differ
ent states.


What, then, is the true remedy? It is
TO abandon the idea that the president
being the president Of state, aud make
him tae president Of the people; to create
an uniform qualification for voters at the
presidential election throughout the land
and to incorporate this provision for d
new national elective franchise, with its
qualifications there defined, in the same
constitutional amendment which Shall
abolish the electoral college.
Year: 1868

The subscriber, for the past ten years engaged
as cutter at Mr.. Cones Merchant Tailoring Es-
tablishment, would inform his friends and the
citizens of Rock Island and vicinity, that he has
opened New Merchant Tailoring Establishment
for the purpose of manufacturing to order first
class 6ne custom work TO those that have been in
the habit of getting their garments cut by us,
while at Mr. Cones. We would extend an invita-
tion to call ON at our new establishment, and
TO those that cannot get suited in Rock Islsnd
and in the habit of sending east for their gar
Kents we would invite them TO call and give US q
trial. feeling confident that suit them in
every respect. We have q handsome assortment
of fine Cloths, Cassimeres and Vestings, together
with large variety of splendid French Coatings
and Tricots in different shades and colors for fine
business suits. Also fine Beavers in different
coiors, for overcoats,-all of which we will make
TO order in the best and most fashionable manner
at lower rates than the same class of goods be
obtained on either side of the river. Call and
examine our styles, and compare our goods and
prices with those engaged in the same business.
THOMAS MCCULLOUGH,
North side of Third Street, the Post Office,
s - Davenport, Iowa.


Formerly cutter at Cones.


N. B. The cutting department is under our
own supervision. nov29dIy.
Year: 1868

Outbreaks mt Observation-Disclosures State


Of tho Finances-Heavy Rains.


GUAYAQUIL, March q, 1868


Several outbreaks of q local character have taken
place in the province Of Chmb0razo, but after a
short struggle resulting in the killing OF few
people, the military have succeeded in reestablish-
ing order The cause of these revols, the most Sc
rious Of which took place at GuanO.on Ash Wednes-
day. when the Bishop in person had to interfere, is
the heavy taxation and the fear OF the new law of
conscrptOn, which will come into operation on the
1st Of June, and probably give rise to some more
disturbances


The finances Of the country are In deplorable
state and commerce Is completely ruined. The WISE
in the last Congress refused to admit the notes
of the Bank Of Ecuador In the public treasures, In
consequence OF which the bank refused to carry out
former agreement, according to which that insti
tuition was to have loaned to the government half
million Of dollars at nine per cent, for the purpose
OF redeeming the paper money. The same stupidity
OF the legislators shown In the Senate, the ma
jOrty of which august body rejected bill passed by
the House OF Representatives for the settlement Of
the claims of English bOndh0lders.


The affair at AmbatO continues to be the topic OF
angry newspaper discussion and the subject OF o
prOtracted judicial investigation.


Very heavy rains have fallen within the last few
days. The sanitary condition OF this place and the
districts Is still very unsatisfactory.
IL Is hoped that the yellow fever will disappear after
the change into the dry season, which takes place
shortly after the equinox.
Year: 1868

If we knew when walking thou ghtless,
Through the crowded dusty way,
That some pearl of wondrous whiteness
Close beside our pathway lay,
We would pause where now we hasten,
We would oftner look around,
Lest our careless feet should trample


Some rare jewels in the ground.
If we knew what forms were fainting


For the shade which we should fling
If we knew what lips are parching


For the water we should bring.
We would haste with eager footsteps,
We would work with willing hands,
Bearing cooling cups of water,


Planting rows Of standing palms.
If we knew where feet were weary,


Climbing up the hills of pain,
By the world cast out as evil


Poor repentant Magdalenes-S
We no more would dare to scorn them
With our Pharisaic pride,
Wrapping close our robes around us,


Passing to the other side.
If we knew when friends around,


Closely press to say Good-by,"
Which among the lips that kiss US


First beneath the flowers should lie,
When like rain upon their faces


Fall our bitter binding tears,
Tender words of love eternal


We would whisper in their ears.
Holy Father in the Heavens!


Nearer to the perfect day,
Through the shining track of duty,


Wilt thou guide US on our way.
When these walls of clay shall crumble,
When this mortal breath shall cease,
Wilt Thou crown us in Thy Kingdom.
With Thine own "unending peace:"
Year: 1868

ANDhEW CACASONs


In personal appearance be Was tall,
spare, slender and muscular. There
was rot an ounce of surplus flesh upon
his whole body. He possessed more
than ordinary physical strength, but it
consisted more in activity and endur-
ance, and i prompt, resolute and fear
less energy, than in What you are accus-
toned to call brute strength. 1t was
not the strength of giant, but that of
high soued, fearless hero, who would
confront legion of giants if necessary
to defend the weak or to succor the op-
pressed He had lofty, commanding
head, and highly intellectual forehead
But his whole soul was visible in his
dark gray eye. | never saw such an
eye in any other human head 1t was
kind and gentle, resolute and intellect
ual. 1t was as tender at times as the
eye of woman-as piercing as the eye
of an eagle-and there were times in
Andrew Jacbson's life, when that dark
gray eye was as terrible as the eye of
the reused lion No danger, moral or
physical, could make it quail Then it
was thorough honest eye. 1t loved
and respected truth and justice, and
hated and despised fraud and falsehood,
and every kind of dishonorable action
An rev Jackson was born hero, and
every man who appreciated him had to
recognize him as such, that is, as man
formed by nature to be the leader of
his fellow men, in any great human
emergency.


WEBSTER


Daniel Webster was a man of entirely
different type He was Lot so tall as
Al drew jackson, but slow and thought
full rather than active, and more reso
lutte and fearless In fact, the whole
man seemed to have been cast in solid,
massive, powerful mould. Everything
about him, even to bis manner of walk
ing and falling. indicated power, posi-
tive power, solid power, power that
would neither seek nor shun exertion,
but which, if once reused into full ez
ertion, might become almost irresistible
Bu; how shall | des ribe his head! p! |
have never seen such another head upon
a human body; never expect to see
such another human head again. In
size, weight, magnitude and capacity it
Was absolute. stupendous, and though
finely shaped, it would have appeared
perfectly enormous had it not had
proportiouably powerful body to support
it. But the column seemed to have
been made expressly to uphold the ma
jestic capital. His forehead Was in har-
Year: 1868

LUDIcRoUs IScfDExT-We are reliably informed that recently, at Bowers Agua Frio Ranch, couple of McCormckites, who were travelling around, hunting up proxies for their convention" pulled out bottle of whisky, gave it to black man who was standing close by and told him to Set into it." He was not slow to take hold of it, and as any sensible negro would have done, "lct a portion of it run into him. The bottle was passed around to the white men, who all re- fused to partake, and the McCormickites had the whisky to themselves.