smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1862

tation. The loss of New Orleans stuns
them, and the prospects of the capture of
Mobile, Richmond and other important
places fills them with dismay. Here are
the editorial comments of the Montgom-
cry (AlabhnN) Advertiser of April 90:


''THE QUESTION OF COTTON,


GAS the Yankees hyae succeeded in
their purpose of making demonstration
up the Mississippi river, it is not at all
unlikely that they may before very long
make similar attempt on Mobile with a
view of the capture of that city and the
ascent of the Alabama river, and in the
event OF their success in passing the de-
fences below Mobile they may venture. us
far up the Alabama river as it is nnyiga-
BILE for their gunbOats.


"Our authorities have doubtless done
all they could to render Mobile and the
months of the river secure against attack,
but as at New Orleans and other points
the Notifications were not sufficient to OBJ
struct their passage, it is not impossible
that the Yankees may succeed in forcing
their way past the defences. Should they
do this, unless the river is so obstructed
that they cannot navigate it, they would
be quite likely to push on to Mont
gOmery.


1--WE hope they may never be able to
penetrate so far in the interior of our
state, but the possibility of their doing SO
is one which should be unhinchingly con
templated, and preparations made to meet
the emergency There is here, as is we'll
I known, a considerable amount Of cotton,
which the enemy are greatly interested
in throwing on the market We have a
deeper interest, however, in yreventing
them from getting it, and flour people
land the authorities do their duty they
\ Twill never obtain one bale of it. Not one
ounce should be suffered to 20 abroad,
upon any pretext. and if measures to Sc.
cure the prompt destruction of the whole
amount if in danger of falling into the
hands of the enemy have not already been
adopted, they should be at once We
have understood that IN agent Of the
French government is in this city, author.
lied to purchase an indefinite amount Of
cotton.


| 1.-THE designs are evidently this: The
Eagent is to purchase a large supply Of cot
TOM and then in case of threatened YAM
kee occupation of the city, he would hoist
the French flag over it to prevent it from
being destroyed by our authorities and the
citizens. With Montgomery and the Ala
bama river 'tn' the hands of the Yankees,
and the cotton in the hands of the French
agent, it could be at once shipped to Eu-
rope, and the necessities of the mauulac.
fturers there relieved. The Yankees would
not, Of course, object to such a cute scheme
seeing at once, that Witha supply of cotton
sufficient TO meet their requirement, Eng.
land and France would lose all their inter.
tests in the American question, and Lin.
eoln would no longer be troubled with featg
of foreign intervention.


4 EEIt is dOuhtless n very .nica arranUarneDI
Year: 1862

DCMFoUNDIEG a DANDY.-On board the
Steamer Magnolia, live Yankee and Dam
dv sat opposite each other at the table
The dandy threw himself back on his dig
nifty and called out in q pompous tone to
the waiter"


You waitah! bwing me the sUpportah of a
young female hen, fresh egg and sab, rub
the bottom of my plate with a specimen of
fruit vulgarly called an onion which will
give my dinnah a delicious havah."


The yankee quietly threw himself back
in imitation of his neighbor, and in a nasal
tone called out:


Yeon all fired dod blasted dead rabbetted /,
pesky look.n, little trained black niggar!
fotch me peck of corn and bundle of fod-
der, and rub me down with a brick bat,
while l feed"


N en- ceased to think of masticating willis
an upror0us yell fairly shook tho cabin
during which the dandy was seen streaking
out the door with finger in each ear.
Year: 1862

kTAn old minister up town the other
dav asked woman what cond be done to
induce her husband to attend church. L
don't know she replsl, "unless you were
to put pipe and jug of whisky in the
Year: 1862

To undertake to reason girl out Of love
is as absurd as would be the attempt to ex-
tnguish Vesuvus with syringe. The onlv
thing that will break a love I'll is hard work
and mutton chops. Good advice and indo-
lence only make things worse.
Year: 1862

In the voyage Of life men profess to be In
search of heaven, but generally take care
not to venture SO far in their approximations
to it as entirely to lose sight of the earth.


The calf of thief's leg IS an appropriate
place for dogs teeth to hold a meeting.


Gould the apostles, in their old world at.
tire, enter a fashionable church, the sexton,
with big look would wave them from th
pews.


Pedagogue. We'll sir what does h If
spell?'


Bov.-'Dont know


Ped.-'What have you got on your head?


Boy.-I guess it's a slzeeter bite, it itches
like thunder,


A gentlomen was recently reused up at
night and told that his wife dead
He turned round, drew the coverlet closer,
pullei down his nightcap and muttered as
he went to sleep again, oh, how grieved
shall be in the mornng!'


Don't you like back gammo on. said a lady
on steamboat to a Hoosier.' Il don't know
marm, | never ate any, was the reply.
Year: 1862

Among the astounding discoveries oi
modern science is that of the immense
periods that have passed in the gradual
formation of the earth. So vast were the
cycles of time preceding even the appear
ance of man on the surface of our globe,
that our own periods seem as yesterday
when compared with the epochs that
have gone before it. Had We only the
evidence of the dePosite of rocks heaped
above one another in regular strata by
the slow accumulation of materials, they
alone would convince US of long and slow
maturing of Gods work on earth; but
when we add to these the successive pop
ulations of whose life this world has been
the theater, and whose remains are hid
den in the rocks into which the mud or
sand or soil of whatever kind on which
they lived has hardened in the course of
time-or the enormous chains of mount
aims whose upheaval divided these periods
of quiet accumulation by great convul-
sions- or the changes of different ma
ture in the configurations of our globe, as
the sinking of lands beneath the ocean,
or the gradual rising of continents and
islands above; or the slow growth of the


coral reefs, those wonderful sea walks,
raised by the little ocean architects who. g
own bodies furnish both the building
stones and the cement that binds them
together, and who have worked so busily


during the long centuries that there are
extensive countries, mountain chains, is
lands, and long lines of coasts consisting
solely of their remains, or the countless
forests that have grown up, fiourished,
died and decayed to fill the store house
of coal that feeds the fires of the human
race. If we consider all these records of
the past, the intellect fails to grasp chro-
nology of which our experience furnishes
no data, and time that lies behind seems
as much an eternity TO our conception as
the future that stretches indefinitely be-
fore us.-AgaSsi.. .-.
Year: 1862

SocIETY.-The pleasure of society de-
pends more upon females than any other.
Gentlemen expect to entertained. Chill
dren are out of the question, and there
fore it rests upon woman what society
shall be-. The pleasure of an evenings
entertainment is graduated by the capae-
ity of the hostess to interest her visitors
in each other, and make them forget
that their own identity is to be lost in ef-
forts to make every one at ease. That
is the great secret of true enjoyment
Some ladies will enter the the drawing
room or social circle, where every persons
neighbor appears like an iceberg, and
the whole atmosphere is chilly and con-
strained, and by their genial, well-timed
playfulnes, throw sunshine and warmth
all over the room, till all mingle in that
easy yet dignifed cordiality that ever
characterizes true geniality. As a lady
aptly expressed it, the hostess is a key
note, and upon her depends the concord
of sweet sounds and the sweetness of the
melody. .... ...
Year: 1862

hope, friend, you and are not too
proud to ask for our daily bread and to
be thankful for getting it. II Is
thought to me awful and beautiful, that
of the myriads of fellow-men uttering it,
in care and in sickness. in doubt and in
poverty, in health and in wealth. All
over the world, what an endless chorus Is
singing of love and thanks and prayer,
Day tells to day the wondrous story. and
night recounts it to night. How do
come to think of a sunrise which | wit
messed twenty years ago on the Nile, when
the river and sky flushed and glowed with
the downing light, and as the luminary
appeared, the boatmen knelt on the rosy
deck and adored Allah!


So, as your sun rises. friend, over the
humble house tops round about your
home, shall you wake many and many
day to duty and labor. May the task
have been honestly done when the night
comes, and the steward deal kindly with
the laborer. .-Tackerdy.
Year: 1862

No human being can be isolated and
selEsustained. The strongest and brav-
est and most hopeful have yet acknowl-
edged or unacknowledged. to themselves
moments of hungry soul-yeaInings for
companionship and sympathy. For the
want of this, what wrecks of humanity lie
strown about us. Youth wasted for the
mockins semUlance of friendship. Adriit
at the mercy of chance, for the grasp of
true firm hand, and a kindly loving heart,
TO counsel 1t is affecting to see how
strong is this yearning, so fatal to its pos
SCISSOR, if not guided rightly, such life
anchor if safely placed. "Friendless p
What tragedy may be hidden in that
one little word None to labor for; none
to weep or smile with none to care whe-
ther we lose or win in life's struggle. A
kind word or a smile. coming TO such an
one Unexpectedly ut some such crisis OF
life, how often has it been the plank to
the drowning man. lacking which we
must surely, have perished. These, sure
Iv we NAV bestow as we pass those less
favored than ourselves, whose souls are
waiting for our sympathetic recognition.


Fanny Fern.
Year: 1862

Henry had not been slain upon the
field of Monmouth; but, severely wound
ed. almost beyond the-hope of life, he
had been made a prisoner and carried
away by the retreating foe. Weeks he
had fingered, unable to be removed, and
months waned away ere he regained suf-
ficient strength to walk, and then. among
other prisoners he was kept till the end
of the war, when he was released and ar
rived home Just in time to be present at
the First and Last Thanksgiving of his
mother
Year: 1862

An army correspondent says: '.You wonder


whether the regiments fire regularly in volley


or whether each man loads and fires as fast as
he can. This depends on circumstances, but
usually, except when the enemy is near ut hand,
the regiments fire only at the command of their
officers. You hear drop, drop. drop, as a
few of the skirmisbers fire, followed by rattle
and a roll which sounds like the falling of
bull ling, Just as some of you have heard the
brick walls tumble at a great fire Sometimes,
when body of the enemy's cavalry are sweep
ing down upon regiment to cht it to pieces,
the men form into a square with the officers
and Musicians in the centre. The front rank
stands with bayonets charged, while the second
rank fires as fast as it can. Sometimes they
form in four ranks deep-the two front ones
kneeling with bayonets charged, SO that if the
enemy should come upon them they woaid run
against picket fence Of hayonets. When they
form in this way, tho other two ranks load and
fire as fast as they can. Then the roar is ter
rife, and many horse and his riler goes down
before the terrible storm Of bullets"
Year: 1862

HARRIsBURG, Oct. 2l.-The Governor has
issued the following proclamation:


In the name and by the authority Of the
commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Andrew q.
Curtin, Governor of the said Commonwealth.


A PROCLAMATION. f vs
Whereas, it is good thing to,render thanks
unto God for all his mercy and loving kindness;
therefore,


/, Andrew G. Curtin, Governor of the COM
monwealth of Pennsylvania, do recommend that
Thursday, the 9th day of November next, be
set apart by the people Of this Commonwealth
as day OF solemn Prayer and Thanksgiving to
the Almighty-giving Him humble thanks that
He has been graciously pleased to protect our
free institutions and Government, and to keep
us from sickness and pestilence-and to cause
the earth to bring forth her increase, SO that
our garners are choked with the harvest and to
look SO fayoraby on the toll of His children,
that industry has thriyen among US and labor
has its reward; and also that He has delivered
us from the hands of our enemies and filled
our officers and men in the field with loyal
and intrepid spirit, and given them victory
and that He has poured out upon us albeit un-
worthy other great and manifold blessings.


Beseeching Him to help and govern US in His
steadfast fear and love, and to put into our
minds good desires, SO that by his continual help
we may have right judgment in all things
and especially praying him to give to Christian
Churches grace to hate the thing which is evil,
and to utter the teachings of truth AMI right
eousness, declaring openly the whole council of
God and most heartily entreating him to be-
stow upon our civil rulers wisdom IN a earnest
ness and counsel, and upon our military leaders
zeal and vigor in action that the fires, Of rebel-
lion may be quenched-that we, being armed
with his defence, may be preserved from all per-
ills and that hereafter our people living in peace
and quietness, may, from generation to genera
ton, reap the abundant fruits of His mercy,
and with JOY and thankfulncss praise and mag
nifty His holy name.


Given under my hand and the great seal of the
State, at Harrisburg, this twentieth day of
October. in the year of our Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of the
Commonwealth the eighty-seventh.


ANDREW G. CURTIN.
BY the Governor.


Ell SLIFER,


Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Year: 1862

A fellow remarked that he would like to
know what there is about mush and milk to
bloat man up SO soon. lie said that he
could never eat more than three or four
quarts without feeling considerably swollen.
Quite astonishing.
Year: 1862

~ The Patriot will observe that We
did not deny voting against w. w.
Guthrie in the State Convention. bot We
said he did not positively know the fact.
We never deny such acts. But as we
voted for good Republican. - was our
perfect right. We think the Patriot Is very
foolish to get up an issue on the subject.
And inasmuch as we cordially support
Mr.. Guthrie. with the balance Of the
ticket. we cannot see what the Patriot ex-
pecls to accomplish BY this ado. as il We
had committed some great offence against
the party. We do not telieve Mr.. Guthrie
himself will approve Of this extra zeal.
Year: 1862

that he sent the message unpaid. He submit
TED, however, that the allegations contained
IN 1t were true, that he was justified in making
them, and that if in so doing the plaintiff did
any act which he was not obliged to do, such
as paying for the telegram, he could not be
held responsible. The judge thought the de-
fence set up was no justification and gave
Judgment for the plaintiff for So cents, the
dolefnl countenance of the defendant indica-
ting that he considered himself an l-used in
dividual. Toronto Leader.
Year: 1862

A shrewd, intelligent man of the world-and
one, too, who had been entirely successful; for
from small beginning, he had risen 10 the
highest place in the department to which he
had been attached, and made the fortune of his
whole family, brothers, sons, and nephews, as
well as his own, once said to me, "The longer
live the more am convinced that over-sen-
sitiveness is great mistake in public man.
He might have said in all men who desire to
succeed in life. Now, ! wish to be understood
that what is here expressed by the word over
sensitiveness, does not signify over-scrupu-
lousness. Be as scrupulous as you will, but
do not be over-senstive on the score of pride,
or vanity, or dominant egotism. Every sue
cessful man, you may be sure, has had much
to mortify him in the course of his career. He
has borne many rebufis; he has sustained
many failures. What if men do not under
stand you, are not inclined to encourage, and
exercise the privilege of age, or superior posi-
tion-bear with it all. Juvenis, your time will
come; you may take your chance out of the
world when you are a little older. Bah how
does it hurt you? "Hard words break no
bones,' saith the proverb. And they break no
spirit that is not the feeblest. The world may
laugh at your failures-what then? Try
again, and perhaps they will not laugh. Try
laugh. "He who wins may laugh" saith
another proverb. II you have the right stuff
in you you will not be put down. If we have
the right stuff in us, these failures at the out
set are grand materials of success. To the
feeble they are, Of course, stumbling blocks.
The wretched weakling goes no further; he
lags behind, and subsidies into life of failure.
And SO by this great winnowing process, the
number of athletes in the great Olympic of life
is restricted to few, and there is clear space
in the arena. There is scarcely an old man
amongst us-an old and successful man-who
will not willingly admit that he was made by
his failures, and that what he once thought his
hard fate was, in reality, his good fortune
And thou, my bright-witted child, who think
est that thou canst carry Parnassus by storm,
learn to possess thy soul in patience. Ii sue
cess were to crown thy efforts now, where
would be thy great success hereafter? at is
the brave resolution to "do better next time"
that lays the substrata of real greatness
Many promising reputation has been de-
stroyed by early success. The good sap runs
out from the trunk into feeble offshoots of
suckers. The hard discipline of the knife is
wanted. / repeat that it is not pleasant; but
when thou feelest the sharpness of the edge,
think that all who have come before thee have
been lacerated in like manner.
Year: 1862

Whithersoever We 60 we meet with the
sniveller- He stops US at the corner of the


streets to intrust US with his opinion. He
fears that the morals and intelligence of
the people are destroyed by the election Of
some rogue to Office. He tells US just be-
fore church. that the last sermon of some
transoendental preacher has given death
blow to religion, and that the wave of athe-
ism and pantheism are to deluge and dark
81 all the land In the time of general
Year: 1862

An INsATIABLE SoUTHERNER =" Meath
raggad Palmetto, Southerner set, a.
twisting the band Of his Panama hat, and
trying to tighten his mind of load, by
humming the words of the following ode
oh for darkey, oh for a whip, oh
for cocktail, and Oh for nip; oh for
a shot at old Greely and Beecher. oh for
crack at a Yankee school teachar. oh
fer a Captain, and oh for a ship, oh for
a cargo Of darkies each trip. And SO be
ching for what he had not, content with
owing for all that bed got.
Year: 1862

Iy How many men would love to 60
to sleep beggars and wake up Rothschilds
or Astors? How many would faln to 90
to bed ounces aad be wakened up Solo
mons? You reap what you have sovn-
Those who have sown Ounce seed, vice
seed, lazness seed, usually get a crop
They that SOW to the wind reap whirl-
wind A man of mere g capacity unde-
yeloped," " is only an organized day dream
with skin on it, A flint and a genius
that will not strike fire ale no better than
wet punk wood. We have scripture for it
that g living dog is better than dead
lion" If YOU would go up, go--if you
would be seen shine.
Year: 1862

and he had been known to shoulder readi-
ly cannon weighing eleven hundred
pounds. He could carry man of 100
pounds on his right arm, and lit him up
and down in the air, as ordinary people
sport with children. His wife was wo-
man of medium size, but he could easily
bear her about the room at arms length,
and could carry her up and down stairs or
one arm. He would lift barrel of cider
by the chimes, and take long draughts
from the bung without any apparent exer-
ton; but it must not be supposed from
this latter feat that he was an intemperate
man; on the contrary, he was universally
respected for his abstemious and frugal
habits Although uneducatcd, he was
person of strong natural sense, and of
kind, amiable disposition-itis is said that his
strength was never used to the injury of
any one except for self defence, or fer the
protection of others. lie died in 1886,
and was buried in the public burying
ground at Richmond with military honors
Year: 1862

The present century has known many
men of extraordinary physical strength,
among whom we may cite WilIam Thomp-
son of Chicago, who lately won prize of
$500 for lifting no less a weight than 2106
pounds; Dr. Winship, who can shoulder
219 pound barrel of -four; Prof Day, of
Florida, once fined $500 by the circuit
court of Lauderdale county, for throwing
a Mustang pony and his rider over ten
rail fence; and Thomas Topham, said to
be the strongest man in modern England


The latter has performed, in public, fcats
evincing an almost superhuman siren 9Th !;
such as rolling up pewter dish of seven
pounds as a man rolls up sheet of paper;
holding n pewter quart 1T arms length,
and squeezing the sides together like an
eggshell; and lifting two hundred weight
with his little finger, and moving it gently
over his head On one occasion he broke
a rope fastened to the floor, that would sus-
tain twenty hundred weight, and lifted an
oak table six feet long with his teeth,
though half hundred weight was attach
ed to it. He also struck round bar of
iron, one inch in diameter, against his ma
ked arm, and at one stroke, bent it like a
bow; and his head being placed on one
chair and his feet on another, he held
upon his body four heavy men whom he
heaved at pleasure.


None of these modern Simpsons, howev-
er, have earned so extended a fame as that
giant of the Western Hemisphere, Peter
Francisco. Having lived in the stormy
days of the Revolution, and performed
deeds of extraordinary valor as soldier,
he has been looked upon by many as a
hero, and his name used as synonym for
| bodily vigor and manly endurance.


He was born in Portugal, subsequently
taken to ireland, and while yet boy
brought by sea captain to this country.
On the breaking out of the Revolution, he
| Joined the army and was in active service
during the whole contest.


Such was his strength and personal
bravery that no enemy could resist him. =
He welded sword, the blade of which
was five feet in length as though it had
been feather, and every one who came
in contact with him paid the forfeit of his
life. At Stony Point he was one of the
forlorR hope which was advanced to cut
away the abattis, and next to Major Gibbon
was the first man to enter the works. Al
Brandywine and Monmouth he exhibited
the most fearless bravery, and nothing but
his inability to write prevented his promo
tion to a commission Transferred to th'
South, he took part in most Of the engage
ments in that section, and more than onc'
exhibited, in striking manner, his re
markable self-confdence and courage.


! On one occasion he defended himsel
successfully, by strategy aud prowess
against nine British troopers; and durin


an attack upon dwelling near which h


was resting, he killed two assailants, so


dier and mounted dragoon, who cam
suddenly upon him.


Francisco possessed finely develops


frame. He was six feet one inch in heigh
Year: 1862

There's music in the air,


When the infant morn is nigh,
And faint its blush is seen


On the bright and laughing sky.
Many harp's ecstatic sound,
Wlthits thrill of Joy profound,
Whilst we list enchanted there
To the music in the air.
There's music in the air,


When the noontide's sultry beam
Reflects q golden light


ON the distant mountain stream
When beneath some grateful shade,
Sorrows aching head is laid
Sweetly to the spirit there
Comes the music in tho mir.
There's music in the air,


When the twihght's gentle sigh,
Is lost on evenings breast,


As its pensiYe beauties die.
Then, o then the loved ones gone,
Wake the pure celestial song
Angel voices greet us there
In the music of the air.