smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1869

An old road supervisor, who has had
years of practical experience in repair.
ling roads, says it ought to be made a
statutory offence to put shovel full OF
dirt upon the highway after the first OF
June, except where the ground has been
viewed by the County Commissioners
and the work ordered for the public
safety. In general, all the repairing that


Is done should be finished three weeks
earlier than that. The true theory of
road making is that the new earth should
be added i'll the spring, while the frost is
coming out of the ground, so that new


land old shall settle down together for


the summer. When this is done, the


additionis incorporated bodily, and new


Ter heard from afterwards. Ii is the only


way i'll which hard, firm roads can be


obtained. On the other hand, when. as
generally at present. the repairing is put
oil till after harvesting, we have bad
'roads all the fall, execrable roads all win
ter except where tic ground is deeply
covered with snow; and. come spring.
the passage 10 and from even the nearest
localities, becomes a matter To be seri-
ously considered, well prepared for if
or altogether avoided, if dis
can be done.
Year: 1869

An old man in Chicago attempted to kill one Or two
OF bis daughters the other day with revolver He
wanted to kill them because he didn't know whether,
they were his daughters Or not In that city a man
has a right to doubt thing of that sort, certainly.
But the lives of his wifes children ought to be sacred
to him nevertheless
Year: 1869

There have been eighteen Presidents Of the United
States before Grant The names of nine Of these end
ed with the letter En-" OF the nne the names of six
ended with the letters on and Of the SIX Eve end
ed with son. Of the six, neither had son.
Year: 1869

The Book BUSINEss-But few persons
have any proper comprehension of how vast
is the book business in this country. Take
one item for instance, as illustrative; Mat
thew Hale Smiths Sunshine and Shadow in
New York. which is the exciting work of
the day, has already reached the enormous
sale of $4,000 copies within thirty days.
The publishers q. B. Burr & Co., Of Hart
ford, Conn use two tons of paper a day,
and run six large roller presses constantly to
supply the current demand. This is doing
a wholesale business with one book alone.
This is large work too, it must be remem-
bered, between seven and eight hundred
pages royal octave; and yet it is said to rival
in rapidity of sale Uncle Toms Cabin of
old. Think of the countlessness of the small
ones published. Surely ours is a reading
country.
Year: 1869

LAPLAND has but one art, one object Of
art-the cradle 1T is a charming object,


says ludy who has visited those regions I;
elegant and graceful, like pretty shoe lined
with the soft fur of the white hare, more
delicate than the feathers of the swan.
Around the hood. where the infants head is
completely protected, warmly and softly shel


tered, are hung festoons of colored pearls,
and tiny chains of copper or silver which
cluk incessantly, and whose jingling makes
the young Lapander laugh o wonder of
maternity Through its Influence the rndest
woman becomes artistic, tenderly\ heedful.
But the female is always heroic. 1t is one
the most affecting spectacles to see the bird
of the eider-the elder duck-plucking the
down from its breast for a couch and cover
ing for its young. And if man steals the
nest, the mother still continues upon herself
the cruel operation. When she has stripped
off every feather, when there is nothing more
to despoil but the flesh and blood, the father
takes his turn so that the little one is cloth
ed of themselves and their substances, by
their devotion and their suffering. Mon.
taigne, speaking of cloak which had served
his father, and which he loves to wear in
remembrance OF him, makes use of tender
phrase, which this poor nest recalls to my
mind-I wrapped myself up in my father
Year: 1869

The following amusing burlesque Of the
style Of journalism prevalent in the far west
were copied recently into an English paper,
says the San Francisco Cal, with severe
comments upon the shocking condition Of
the American barbarian Of the Plains:


A little bit Of romance has transpired to
relieve the monotony of our metropolitan
life. Old Sam Ckoggins, whom the editor
Of this paper has so often publicly thrashed,
has returned from Mud Springs with a
young wife. He is said to be very fond OF
her, and the way he came to get her was
this Some time ago we courted her, but
finding she was on the make, threw her of.
after shooting her brother aud two cousins.
She vowed revenge, and promised to marry
any man who would horsewhip us. This
Sam agreed to undertake, and she married
him on that promise. We shall call on Sam
tomorrow with our new shotgun, and pre-
sent or congratulations in our usual FORM
Hdngto1n GiJ6et.


A stranger, wearing stoycpipe hat and
a boiled shirt, arrived in town yesterday,
and put up at the Nugget House. The
boys are having good time with that hat
this morning. The funeral will take place
at two o'clock. Dog Rancho is unhealthy
for swells Dag Rancho Weekly Hotcl.


A painful accident occurred in Frog Gulch
which has cast wet blanket Of gloom over
a hitherto joyous, whisky loving community.
Dave Sprigger, or, as he is familiarly called,
Murderer Dave, got drunk at his usual hour
yesterday, and as is his custom, took down
his gun and started after the fellow who
went home with his girl the night before.
He found him at breakfast with his wife and
thirteen children. After killing them he
started out to return, but being weary STUN
bled and broke his leg. DIR. Bill found him
in that condition, aud having no wagon at
hand to convey him to town, shot him TO put
him out of his misery Dave was dearly
loved by all who knew him and his loss was
democratic gain He never disagreed with
any but democrats, and would have materi-
ally reduced the vote of that party had be
not been SO untimely cut off.-SiskiyOu
Knock Dopn.


A child of Whisky Ben had an alteration
with the Methodist preacher over at Michi
gan Gully last Sunday, and ended the dis
cussion by caving in lis abolition head The
boy was presented with a new revolver by
the Cumberland Presbyterians.-Stars and
Stripes.


Four babies who had been put into the
cage at He'll Shaft, yesterday, while their
mothers played game of draw, climbed over
the side. We did learn who won the pot
Niger Hill Patriot.


There is person iu town who claims to
be the man who killed Sheriff White some
months ago. We consider him an impostor,
seeking admission into society above his lev>
Ell, and hope people will stop inviting him to
their houses.-FrOg Spring Herald
Year: 1869

A FARMER who had employed a green
Eweralder, ordered him to give the mule
some corn in the ear. On his coming in,
the farmer asked, Well, Pat, did you give
the mule the corn? To be sure did. And
how did you give it9 And shure as you
told me-in the ear. How much did you
did you giveH "Well, ye see, the craytber
wouldn't stand still, and kept switching his
ears about so l cOuldO't get but fist full in
both ears.
Year: 1869

QUADRILLE.-A sailor, ybie explaining
the third figure of quadrille to his mess
mate, thus described it You first heave
ahead, said he, and pass your adversary's
yardarm, regain your berth on the other tack
in the same ordep take your station with
your partner in lice, back and Gill;, and then
fall.on your keel, and bring up with your
partner; she then maueuvres ahead, of
alongside of you then make sail in cOmpa.
ny with her until nearly astern of the other
line, make q stern board, cast her of to
shift for herself, regain your place the best
way you can, and let 60 your anchor.
Year: 1869

WOULD LIKE To HEAR SOME Music
About the best thing we have seen on the
modern style Of piano music we clip from an
exchange, as follows: An old farmer 70.
siding 10 one Of the rural fdistricts Of the
west, having occasion to transact business in
city about twenty miles distant, took With
him one Of his daughters as a companion
Tor the trip, and also to show her little Of
the world. Upon bis arrival 10 the city. NOT
hnding the lawyer of whom he was in quest.
at his otice, he went to bis residence a few
blocks distant. The lady of the house yery
Kindly offered 10 take charge Of and ,enter.
tain the daughter during the temporary ab-
sence OF the father with her husband. The
young ladys curiosity was thoroughly
aroused BY the tasteful and rich appoint,
ments Of the house, she having been sccus.
toned all her life to the plainest kind Of
household fxins." She went from one
article to another, expressing great pleas
ure IN viewing the elegance and beauty of
the furniture. Suddenly stopping, before
the pia:o, she exclaimed What's that
thingY A piano forte said the lady. What
do you do with it? play upon it. And
what's them things pointing to the key.
board; Those are the keys said the lady.
Keys what do you DO with themy They
are the keys of the instrument do you want
to hear me play? The girl noddedsher head
IN affirmation, and the lady sat down aud
executed very brilliant operatic piece.
When she had concluded, she wheeled
around on the music-stool, expecting to see
countenance radiant with admiration and
delight; Instead of which she met one that
betrayed only impatience and irritation.
What DO you think of that? she asked.
Think, blurted out the rustic damsel, al
think that you've been fooling with Them
Keys long enough. l wish that you'd hurry
and unlock the daggoned thing l want to
hear some music.
Year: 1869

THERE is no country in the world says a
contemporary, where the people are so addictN
ed to the medicine eating propensity as the
United States. 1t has grown to be perfect
mania-a disease Of ITSELF The fact is,
Nature never designed the human body to
be'such receptacle of medicine. If men
would but study the laws Of nature, diet pro-
uerly instead Of excessively, be regular In
their habits, instead of regular in their doses,
use common sense and cold water freely, and
the doctor as little as possible, they would
live longer, suffer less, and pay little for the
privilege.
Year: 1869

THE COMING GIRL.-She will vote will
be cf some use in.the world, will cook her
own food, will earn her own living and will
not die an old maid The coming girl will
not wear the Grecian bend, dance the Ger.
man ignore all possibilities of knowing how
to work, will not endeavor to break the
hearts of unsopbistcsted young men, will
spell correctly, understand English before
she affects French, will preside with equal
grace at the piano or wash tub, will spin
more yarn for the house than for the street,
will not despise her plainly clad mother, her
poor relations, or the hand of an honest
worker; will wear bonnet; speak good,
plain English; will darn her own stockings;
will know how to make doughputs and light
bread, and will not read the Ledger oftener
than she does her Bible.


The coming girl will walk FIVE miles
day if need be, to keep her cheeks in glow,
and will mind her health, her physical de
velopment and her mother will adopt cos.
tune both sensible and conducive to comfort
and health will not cOhfound bypocricy
with politeness will not place trying to
please above frankness will have courage to
cut an unwelcome acquaintance will not
think refinement is French dupliCity; that
the assumed hospitality, where hate dwells
in the heart, is better than condemnation
will not confound grace of government with
silly affectation will not regard the end of
her being to have beau.


The coming girl will not look to Paris,
but to reason, for her fashions will not fol-
low foolish fashion because milliners and
dressmakers decreed it; will not torture her
body, shrivel her soul with puerilties, or.
ruin it with wine and pleasure. In short,
the coming girl will seek to glOrify her Ma
ker, and to enjoy mentally his works Duty
will be her aim, and life living reality.
Year: 1869

John G. Green, OF Buffalo had the rem.
tatlon of being the best diver on the lakes
and there are few sailors who have not heard
OF him, and his feats. A few days since be
committed suicide, and the Buffalo Erpress


relates an incident in his life as follows:


John G. Green, the diver whose unhap-
py death by bis own hands we chronicled
Yesterday, was 10 bis time the principal actor
10 little drama, the story Of which is an
illustration Of the fact that we uuconsciousy
tread every day on the graves of past gems
erations, so We daily meet in every walk of
life those whose hearts are the living tombs
Of buried hopes. Early in life be became
deeply attached to young lady in Chelsea,
Massachusetts,, the beautiful and accomplish


ed daughter Of wealthy citizen. The at.
taohment was reciprocated, and although
while the father of the lady looked with no
favorable eye upon what he considered an
unequal engagement be wisely forbore from
active opposition. 10 return Green pledged
himself never to claim the hand of his
athanced until he had accumulated sufficient
to enable him to retire from a vocation SO
full of peril in its nature and uncertain in
its results. Lighted on by the star of hope
he became the most daring and enterprising
submarine operator of bis time, now plugging
down among the weird yet strange caves
OF the tropical seas, which held the wrecked
galleons of Spain, and then exploring the
bottom of Lake Erie for the sunken treasures
OF our inland commerce. Such enterprise
brought its reward, and he was enabled to
look upon the consummation of his hopes as
very near at hand. When he undertook to
rescue the treasure from the sunken steamer
Atlantic he meant that it should be his last
job of diving, and he communicated this fact
with radient face to the few friends who
shared the cherished secret of his life He
entered enthusiastically upon the task, and
this very impatience proved his ruin. Dur
ing the progress Of his work he imprudently
insisted on descending while warm against
the remonstrance of his comrades. The re-
suit is well known. He was seized with paral>
ysis and dragged to the surface more dead
than alive. From that attack he never re
covered. He dragged out the miserable rem
nant of his life a melancholy wreck in health
and hopes. Moody and disconsolate he
sought in the intoxicating glass temporary
relief from the sorrow which oppressed him.
AT length he rashly ended his misery and
life altogether, and found in the suicides
grave the peace he vainly sought elsewhere"
Year: 1869

Some adequate conception OF the
great disaster may be formed from the
fact that in the village or town of
Avondale only five heads of families
are left, including MIR. Conrad, the
superintendent.


From the New York World of the lIth.
Year: 1869

succeeded in Jumping on the train as il
was moving out Of the station. He was
a great deal surprised, to see, however,
upon placing his overcoat on the back Of
q seat that 1t was not his own, but much
better and more expensive one, although
similar in color, There was now no way
/ by which the mistake could be Fectifled
until he arrived home, and 80 dismissing
the subject from his mind as tri6e of no
moment, save to the owner Of the coat, he
went TO sleep, and dreamed of the expect
ed rise in Merchants Union Express stock,
and golden future Of ease and enjoyment
as the result of his visit to the metropolis.
Arrived home, his first duty was to tele.
graph to the manager Of the theater, and
to inclose In letter the missing check
which he had subsequently found. But
neither telegraph nor letter was answered
and SO the matter was again dismissed
from his mind as Of no consequence, and
only alluded to occasionally when com
plimented upon his good taste and judg-
ment In the selection of an overcoat. ..-


But now we come to the result of this
trihe, which can be stated in the few fol-
lowing words:


Inc OWnef OF JnlB OVeTCOaJ refused TO DC
comforted by the cloak.room attendant,
appealed to the manager of the theater,
who could do no less, he thought, than
discharge his unfortunate employe. Thus
discharged in the winter, he sought long
and faithfully for employment, but could
not find it, his money gone turned from
his boarding house; starvation fairly star
ing him in the face; dissolute companions
at last prevailed upon him to become a
member Of their gang, and he was soon
arrested and sentenced to Sing Sing prison
for a term of years-to be afterwards, with
a party of fellow;convicts, transferred to
the prison at this place. And all this
mans disgrace, suffering and moral death,
was the result of a trifle that has not
caused its author the loss of moments s
sleep or the variation of single beat to
his calm and healthy pulse. Had he
known what was to have been the result
of that nights haste and carelessness, he
would have willingly made pilgrimage
from here to New York, to have saved that
poor fellow from the trouble his careless.
ness produced. Now he can only regret
his hssty act, when he shall learn, for the
first time, that his tritle was another's ruin.
Auburn { ~ Y) NetoS. ....'0...|
Year: 1869

A MAN who was up to thing or two
once offered to bet that he could prove
that this side Of the river was the other
side His challenge was soon accepted,
and bet Of ten dollars made; when,
pointing to the opposite shore Of the river,
he shreWdly asked; .FN Hif


" Is not that one side Of the river"


" Yes, was the Immediate answer.


"Agreed," said the man I" and is not
this the other side?n


Yes = said the other.


Then" said the man, "pay me the ten
dollars, for by your own confession have
proved that his side Of the river is the
other side M


The dumbfoLnded antagonist, overcome
BY this profound logic, immediately paid
the money. l7 K
Year: 1869

The BATrLEFIELDs or SAVAGE STATION ANU
FORT HAERIsoy.-We take the following extract
from recent letter Of a correspondent Of the Bcs
ton T'rareiler who is visiting in succession The
battlefelds Of Virginia
Year: 1869

money ought to command was limited by
the rate of increase of the national
wealth. That was all that labor could af-
ford to pay. A higher rate gave capital
more than its due, and labor less. In the
course of 70 years, as statistics showed,
the wealth of the nation had increased at
the rate Of 81 per cent. per annum COM
pounded. Interest, then, ought not to
exceed per cent.


But how to make lenders willing to
take per cent. would seem to be the in-
superable obstacle to the operation of this
scheme. General Carey surmounts that
difficulty in this ingenious manner:


He would have the Government issue
Treasury certificates not as promises to
pay, but as absolute money. They should
take the place Of all the present forms
greenbacks, national bank notes, gold, sill
yer, nickel, and all. After all Of these
present forms were substituted, the vol
ume Of certificates would still be nsufi-
cient to bring down interest to 3 per cent.
Government should then issue more in re-
decming its bonds as fast as redeemable,
and so paying so much of the national
debt and in all its outlays Government
should go on issuing, until money had
cheapened down to that rate; and the
reaching of that rate would be proof of
sufhciency of volume of currency. And.
at that volume and rate, this new money
should be maintained. But how? Gov
ernment should also prepare new bonds
bearing interest at the rate of 3 per cent.
When any portion of the money cannot
easily get 3 per cent. in the business mar
ket, it Immediately seeks Investment in
the 3 per cent. bonds. On the other hand,
when the certifeatessare wanted at lit
tie more than 3 per cent. in business, the
bonds are sold back to Government; the
volume is thus contracted and expanded
exactly to suit the needs Of the country,
by the law Of supply aud demand.


The great objection with which this rad
ically new scheme will be met is the una
voidable arrangement of all business re-
lations. The creditor class would be ter
rible sufferers. Rents, prices of all COM
modities, contracts, foreign exchange -all
things-would be thrown into worse than
Babel confusion, for a time. Still, the
scheme is well worth pondering; and it
will no doubt, gain a wide hearing, and
produce profounder impression than any
thing hitherto heard on the subject Of fin
ance. The objection above mentioned, as
! conceive, lies against the gulf which
would have to be passed to get from the
old monetary system to the new, and not
against the new system itself. His land
views are unassailable on any ground. Il.
Year: 1869

The r. r. wheel has at last commenced
rolling in Morristown, and every one is
inclined to catch hold and give lift


This is right and it is glorious. Keep
the good work moving and raise our share
before it is too late. Let every town re-
spond frankly and freely, for within six
weeks of the writing of this the matter
must be decided. Shall we loose it and
give the road to some other quarter? We
cannot afford to lose it, for if we lose it
now, it is lost to the county for more than
this generation. Spunky Lamoille will be
shut out of the business world, without
any communication or line of trafic-will
have to get up at four o'clock and be
dragged in the dark to Waterbury to find
the outer door of this county. That is,
we must pay our long tariffs for freight,
and when we go out into the world, we
must drive away down to Waterbury to
reach the cars. This is an interesting
thought for spunky Lamoille, Her young
men will all leave her, and they ought to,
yes, we will all leave, but we don't want
to. We want to take hold, all of us
young men, and lift all we can with our
shoulders at the wheel. IF the old men
Year: 1869

There is no death The stars 60 down
To rise upon some faireg ahpre
And bright in Hoayen's jeweled crown
They shine forevermors.
There is no death The dust we tread
Shall change beneath the summer shower
To golden grain Of mellow fruit,


Or rainbow tinted flowers.
The granite rocks disorganizc.


To feed the hungry moss they bear
The forest leaves drink daily life


From out the viewless air.
There is no death ! The leaves may fall,
The flowers may fade and pass away
They only wait through wintry hours,
The coming of the May.
There is no death An angel form


Walks o'er the earth with silent tread
He bears our best loved things away,
And then we call them "dead."
He leaves our heart all desolate,


He plucks our fairest, sweetest flowers
Transplanted into bliss, they now


Adorn immortal bowers.
The bird-like voice, whose joyous tones
Made glad these scones of sin and strife,
Sings now an everlasting song


Amid the tree Of life.
And where he sees smile too bright,


Or heart to pure for taint and vice,
He bears it to that world of light,


To dwell in Paradise,
Born unto that undying life,


They leave us but to come again
With joy we welcome them--the same,
Except in sin and pain.
And ever near us, though unseen,


The dear immortal spirits tread
For all the boundless Universe


Is life--there are no dead.
Year: 1869




EMBLEMs OF PURTTy.-I have always
noticed that wherever you find flowers, no
matter whether in garret or in palace,
it was a pretty sure sign that there was
an inner refinement of which the world
was not cognizant. l have seen flowers
cultivated and cherished by some of the
lowest and most degraded Of our people /;
even in the dens of vice you will some
times find them. Where these emblems
Of purity are found, you may rest assured
that they represent hope, and speak
Of a goodness Of heart not to be found
where they are absent.-Dr J, E, Snod-
grass.
Year: 1869

IMPATIENT LovERs.-Ono afternoon
last week a young couple presented them
selves at The City Clark's office, at just
ten minutes before four O'clock stating
that they must have amarriage certificate
in hurry, as they wished to be married
and leave town on the four o'clock train
for Providence. Friend Smith did his
best for them and started them in search
OF minister, with just siv MINUTES in which
to get the knot tied and reach the cars


Fortunately they found a minister en- Or
ange street, just leaving his house, and
with "we want to be married in one min
ute, "walk right in there, the party were
made one, and by violating the city ordin-
ance in regard to fast driving, their hack
man landed them in depot with just one
minute to spare. We trust they may
never find leisure in which to repent this
so hasty mirriagc.-WorceSter Spg.