smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1860




Through deep gorge that merges into the
valley through which runs the sBrandywine,
n single pedestrian might have been seen
vending his way. Ever and anon, he would
stop and gaze around him, as If he were look
ing about to see some person who might have
an engagement with him. The bright full
moon was shining beautifully upon the green
verdurc the bright stream, the rocks and hills
that rose up like huge giants, almost as far as
the eye could see. First, he would cast his
eye along one of the paths that wound their
way through the bushes and vines that grew
with rich luxuriance, and then he would push
ahead, throwing aside the underbush, until he
aimed at the entrance of the cave of Peggy
Drew. BY this time :he moon was sinking
behind the high hills, and casting her length
ening shadows along the deep valley. He
looked at the entrance for moment as if
doubling whether he had better enter or not
and then STOPPING down he stealthly crawled
out of sight One moment more and he re-
turned to the open air. His appearance was
more like that of lunatc than sane man.
He selected clear spot, where he could see all
around, and folding his hands took survey of
the heavens.


The moon had now sank behind the hills,
but bright silvery light seemed to bathe
with silver the beautiful blue above him. lie
stood and jgazed upon the sky and the hill
tops, as if he would draw inspiration from the
delightful solitude. His heart beat with fear
and delight, as his imagination drank in the
wtchery of that hour. As his eye swept the
tops of the long range of hills that swell above
the Brandywine, he fancied he saw upon the
very verge of the light clouds a human being.
He stood awe stricken and spell bound. The
woman-for woman it.was-stood out in bold
relief from the fleecy clouds. He did not only
see the outlines of that figure, but her whole
form was perfectly visible to his keen eye
Motlonless as the rocks upon the hill side, she
seemed more n picture in a dooramer than any
thing human. But Augusta knew too well the
appearance of Peggy Drew to be mistaken in
the figure he saw in the distance. She was n
long distance from where he stood, but he
could see in the statue like figure, the being
Mnoiu he souBht' He BaAeu ihohehs ~ o.
lence and then the hills rang with loud hal
10. Echoe caught up the sound, and from
many valley the deep full toned volume
bounded back again. Immovable the spectre
stood she appeared like some dim figure gra-
ven upon the beautiful sky. While yet he gazed
she held forth her right hand towards the set
ting moon. Still he gazed, and still the hand
pointed to the receeding moon, but not mo-
tion indicated that the phantom was thing of
life. Again the hills rang with the loud halo,
Year: 1860

CHAOS COME AGAIS.-The popular Hotel in
San Francisco known as Woodward's What
Cheer House, underwent partial dsiembowcl-
ling process on the 22d and 23d inst portion
of the building stood upon ground leased for
seven years on certain conditions. A conflict of
title arose and other parties obtained the ground
from the original lessons. Woodward could
make no satisfactory arrangement with the new
owners, and was ordered by the Sheriff to clear
tho lot which he did with the exception of the
walls in few hours. The What Cheer House
is not an extinct institution, however Travel
ers will be obliged eat elsewhere for the pres
ent, but in all the other comforts of home will
not end the House deficient
Year: 1860

Failure OF THE CoTToN AND Corn CROP
A correspondent of the New York Times
writing from Montgomery, Ala, after pass
ing through South Carolina and Georgia.
says the cotton and corn crop bas been
greatly injured this year from the drouth,
and that little more than a half crop will
be gathered. The liability of a failure of
the corn crop induces the planters in those
States to keep over large quantities of old
corn. A run is already made upon the old
stores. The same correspondent, who seems
to be collecting agent from the North, re-
ports that there is no money in the South
to pay their little bills.


Without money and without provisions,
what a sorry spectacle the secession States
would make going out of the Union, and
detaching themselves from the crib that
feeds theml South Carolina may produce
cotton, but the Times correspondent says
the cotton lands are poor in soil. Probably
not many years will elapse ere the State
will furnish its quota of worn out slave
lands to matsh those of Virginia. 1t is nc
wonder that anticipating the time when the
earth shall refuse to produce cotton in Souta
Carolina, the shareholders arr struggling tt
found an inalienable right to the virgin sol
of the Territories whittier to remove tneil
ebony idols when the day of necessit.
Year: 1860

Holy RAFFLE.-A rattle comes of at Placer
vile on the 22d of February, for a gold watch
and chain to be devoted to the erection of a
belfry for new bell of cast-steel recently pur-
chased by the church of St. Patrick


How long will it be before we are allowed to
"brck at Monte or have tug at "Pharaoh
for tie good of souls
Year: 1860

There are few blue ruin fellows among
us who begin harping about Pacific Re-
public. Examine them and they will be
found of the same stripe as those insane
disunionists who are kicking up dust in
South Carolina. They are agitators and
nullifiers every one of them. They are of
that kind who would attach California to a
Southern Coufederacy if they could but
knowing the paucity of their numbers and
the hopelessness of their first wishes, they
are SO short sighted as to suppose they can
fool portion of the people born in free
States, with the project of an independent
Republic


The idea will be secuted by nineteen.
twentieths of the people of the State. Who
so stupid as not to know that we are taxed
almost beyond the power of endurance al
ready? What would we do if called upon
to support another government, nine-tenths
of the expenses of which must of necessity
be thrown upon California ? We want for
tifcations VIC will want navy; We will
need at least small army in the field The
Indians must be taken care of or extermi-
mated. A Capitol must be built, embassa-
dors sent to foreign courts, and their ex-
penses paid. All these will require money,
and large amounts of it too. Where is it
to come fromf Create another debt?


The General Government has paid mill
ion of dollars for our Indian Wars. She
has expended millions in coast surveys and
fortiications, and yet millions more are
requisite to put the State in good plight
for defense Shall we shoulder all these
responsibilities only for the sake of be,
coming one of the contemptibly small pow
ers of the earth, with no national import
ance-no national character q? 1t is absurd.
He is madman, fool or traitor who
would propose the suicidal act.


California needs railroad to the Atlantic
Ocean. She'must have the cooperation of
her sister States to build it, To cut loose
from the Union would destroy her hopes
forever. She knows how intimately all her
interests are blended with those of the COM
mercial and progressive States. Her hopes
are centered in closer connection with the
hives Of industry in the East She Will not
blast those hopes. Disrupt the Union, let
the putrid matter collected at the South
slough off-Californa will cling to the por-
ton to which she is allied by every tie of
affection and interest. Any other course
is inevitable DEATH
Year: 1860

CRIME AND ITS CoSsEoUENCEs.-Some time
ago the wife of n wealthy farmer in Ohio elopcd
with farm laborcr. The deserted husband
obtained a divorce and plodded on alone. Az
ter while the sister of the recreant wife living
on an adjoining farm, slowly drew his regard,
and eventually they were married. The other
day knock was heard at the door, and the
farmer opening it beheld, wan, pale and ragged,
his truant former wife. Her father had turned
his back on her, her paramour had fallen into
drunkenness, and, hopeless, homeless, she a
last resort turned to her former happy homc.- =
The farmer called his wife; she would not see
her sister, but tear glistcned in the farmer
eye. He supplied her present wants, and then
built her cabin on the extreme end of his farm
where by his bounty she is living out the rem
nant of her days in rcmorse at her crime and
folly.
Year: 1860

WAR OF RAcEs.-A dog of Emerson Cain on
countersd q fox near Coyoteyille on Monday. A
fight ensued, and the dog came off victorious.
killing the fox. Strange to say, the wild canine
considered himself fully equal to bis tame an
tagonst of the same race, and instead of run
ming accepted tight. The fox weighed twenty
three pounds.
Year: 1860

The BULLETIN complains that Briggs has no
limit to the number of tickets in his lottery
If the number of 307,5O0 tickets is not limit
enough, we are much mistaken. 1t would have
been laughablc if Briggs had said he would sell
no more than that number. Nature set the
pass the barrier will be vain.
Year: 1860

JouS CoNSEss is talked Of for United States
Senator, The bulkhead and libel bills have
given him considerable prominence in his party,
and it wouldn't be at all surprising, if like the
odium of bribing the Supreme Court, they help
was undoubtedly assisted by the charge against
him in, 1879
Year: 1860

LADY FRASKLIS lately visited the Ladies Lii
brary in New York in company with Mrs. Grin
nell, at the request of the manager, who in the
most delicate and feeling manner expressed her
whose history must one day adorn the shelves
of the Library. While at the Library rooms
the ladies crowded around the heroic woman
with feeling akin to reverence, and counted
themselves happy to press the hand of one
whose heroism, patience, constaucy and dcvo-
ton will forever honor her sex.


Jane Franklin, with her neice, Miss Craig
head, will shortly arrive in California to pass
unfayorabe to her health.
Year: 1860

IT A certainty that Lincoln has come out
ahead of the hounds in this state taken the cleo
toral vote with him. The Democrat admits it is
a fact and even Gen Allen daros to risk his rep
utation for high neutrality by allowing the ro
suit to go unquestioned. Take all these facts
together, and who is there but is astonishcd?
Year: 1860

WENT DowS.-The bridge across Feather
river near Marysville, fell with a crash a few
days since. Two or three teams and COW and
calf were the bridge at the time of the fall,
but no life was lost. A new bridge is in course
Of construction.
Year: 1860

The UNION sagely remarks that Lincoln re-
ceivcd less than one third of the popular vote of
the state, and odds: The popular will Of the
people can hardly be said to be expressed by
Would ono third express it?
Year: 1860

RoAps-The passion of this section OF
the State is for new roads and better old
ones. During the year that is passing away
great improvements have been made in our
road,, and many new ones projected. One
turnpike company has constructed an ex-
cellent road from San Juan through Sierra
county to the silver region at the eastern
base of our mountains. Another company
has built as fine mountain road as can be
found anywhere, from our city to the same
argentiferous region. Another is surveyed
through Placer county terminating at the
same spot Coming down to shorter roads,
one is projected and will soon be completed
from Dutch Flat to Little York, which will
bring us into close communication with the
eastern portion of Placer county. Aud an
other project is on foot for turnpike from
Nevada to Rough l. Ready running down
the banks of Deer creek and avoiding the
circuitous route by Grass Valley.


These enterprises are all of the highest
Importance to this section Of the State
Those roads which radiate from this place
are destined to add much to Nevada as q
commercial point, while all the enterprises
we mention will be beneficial to the county
in O greater or less degree, I'd with the as
sistance of q railroad terminating here, all
these avenues must make their debouchure
iuto Nevada As there seems to be consid-
orable interest taken at present in railroads
by some of the prominent men of the State,
as well as by the capitalists of the East, it
Ia within the range of probabilities that q
railroad connecting our goodly mountain
city with the navigable waters of the State
may be early undertaken. The excitement
Of politics wearing away, our citizens Will
begin to take an interest in those projects
likely to advance the interests of the Sec
ton. We shall endeavor to lay before them
such facts in relation to roads as past ex-
rerience in such enterprises have devel-
loped, with view to hasten the time when
our comparative isolation from the moving
world shall be overcome. May the auspi-
cious moment quickly arrive.
Year: 1860

A SUBTERRANEAN ToRRENT.-Last Fri day evening, says The Pittburg Chronicle, just as the men had ceased drilling for the day. at Kissick Pryson's well, on the Ma honing river, ouc-toUth of mile above Ed inburg, they heard d rubbing in the bowels of the earth, and in an instant afterward tor rent of mud and water rushed forth, covering the floor and shed erected over the work to the depth of foot or more. The workmen left in hurry, and one of them returning a short time atterward with lighted candle, to see the extent of the damage done, the gas from the well ignited, setting fire to the del- rigks and other wood work in an instant, and was only cxtinguished after a good deal of hard labor and considerable loss to the pro- Irietors So far as we have learned, no one was injured
Year: 1860

A good deal has of late been preached rathe than practiced upon the subject of ruling the un ruly member, and much more might perhaps b' said, and with a grace and propriety that should have some practical effect

 The evil speaking of the tongue has been : proper topic of discourse from theearly times o contentious christians, through all ages of tho world, down to the present.

 But it takes man whose personal uprightnes; and evident suitability of character is above sus picion or doubt, to enforce these important pre- cepts, and give directness and force to the discourse, which shall send home the truths ol what he utters to the conviction of his hearers and to the direct benefit of the community.

 A man in the community thoroughly honest upright, and whole-souled, stands above and is protected from the slanderer's claw, and never receives lasting detrimcnt from all assaults O the reviler, the hypocrite, the malevolent and the mean.

 But the terrible malice of the slander anc the blackguard Lit would scorch and scathe the character it assails, tho it were pure as all angel and spotless as saints. It would rob the defenceless of his honor his purity, his nobleness and his truth it would besmear and bedaub an unoffending man, and with its venomous slime would corrode his character, and revile his name it would seek out histories of the past, and find food for it's malevolence in predictions of the future it would ruin where it could, and chuckle with fendish~ satisfaction over the wreck it leaves.

 From such defamers, deliver us!

 But geatleman can never be a blackguard The terms are contradictory, and opposite as light and darkness, and whether with loud mouthed denunciations, or sly, sinuous, slimy islanders, a creature is found so low who stoops to this, his character stands confessed, and all the suayity and hypocrisy and selfapproval in the world, will not conceal the venomous slime that covers that character all over as with gar ment of poisonous leprosy.

 Ithis coat fits any of us, let us put it on, though 1t burns as the shirt of Nemesis, remembering always, that blacken it as you will, cover it all over with the filth of foul calumny and hate, the character of an upright, conscientious, pure and spotless gentleman, will stand forth confcssedly brighter and more shining still, after the slander CT and his islanders, the ibeller and. his bes, the liar and his lies shall have been long buried ir obloquy, and despisedly forgotten.
Year: 1860

"Well, there is a kind of woman who is 6 fisher of men. She manages with all the cun ming, skill and dexterity of the angler for fish only ocSasionly her victims are of little more consequence than gudgeon or salmon, and some times feel the pain of the hook more keenly thar the little piscatorial victims that wrggle and struggle for a minute and die. These female fishers of men are known by the technical names of coquettes. There are many varieties of them flor example, the coquette malicious, who takes an evil pleasure in torturing the hearts she wins; the cOQuette innocent who is half unconscious of the mischief she is doing; the coquette of cir cumstances, who firts because she must have Some occupation, and hasn't got anything else to do, and the coquette who firts because she sees others doing it, and having an exalted re spect Tor Fashion, bows at that great lady s shrine Tn this particular, as in all others.

 Of last kind was Maggie Stratford."

 We give the above as a specimen of the sub- lime, sickly nonsense which is frequently foisted on long suffering and credulous humanity.

 Very plausible and pithy in it's a,yunsentums dd hominum; every" smart in it's verbiage and illustration very pretty twaddle to frighten young men of weak minds.

 Written by woman of course of women. H may be, that the sex are generally "co- quettish" by reason of circumstances, malice Or innocence ;" but we very much doubt wheth. er the vinegar blue stocking authoress of the above, was ever very successful in her attempts on susceptible masculinity. We don't know how it may be with others, but as for us, our rest was never disturbed, nor our victuals rendered unpalatable by one of these foolish fishers The boots might very well be fitted to larger feet and for the credit of the "softer" sex, we doub whether there is half so much Irritation O coquettishness" as with the harder However 1t may be, there is nothing ,ce so like to encoun ter as one of the artful, coquettish, dear design ing creatures" If a man is fshy enough to b caught by them, he must be a shad oh!

 Of course we need not inform our readers tha the extract is taken from the Ne,c Fork Ledge where it may be found, continued" in harrow ing tale of woman's perfdy and mans frailty.
Year: 1860

FAMILIARITY WITH THE BlBLE.-Hc
who is 40 familiar with the Bible that
each chapter, open where he will, teen.
with household words, may draw thence
the theme of many pleasant and pa.
thetic song. For is not all human nature
and human life shadowcd forth in those
pages ? But the soul to sing well from
the Bible must be imbued with religion
as the flower is alternately imbucd with
the sunshine. The study of the Book
must have begun in the simplicity Of
childhood, when it was felt indeed to be
divine, and carried on through all those
silent intervals on which the soul of
manhood is restored, during the din Of
life, to the purity and peace Of its early
being. lie who begins the study of the
Bible late in life must indeed devote
himself to it night and day, with an
humble aud contrite heart, as we'll as an
awakened and soaring spirit, ere he can
hope to understand what hs feels
thoughts and feelings breathing upon
him, like spiritual sounds and scenes, as
If from region hanging in its mystery
between heaven and earth. wilson
Year: 1860

After the most exciting canvass ever
held in Philadelphia, the Democracy Of
that city suffered an ignominious defeat
at the municipal election on Teusday
last. The Peoples candidate, Mayor
Henry, was reelected by a majority Of
SIG, and the whole of the Peoples city
ticket, except Comptroller, was elected
by about the same majority. The same
party also elected majority of the Coun-
ell
Year: 1860

The latest Irish bull We read Of is
the case of an Irish gentleman who, in
order to raise the wind whereby to re-
lieye himself from p,cuniary enbarrass-
mept, got his life insured for large
amount and then drowned himself
Year: 1860

The discovery Of cheap substitute
for cotton has long been desired. 1t is
not impossible that method may yet bs
foun1 for reducing the fiber of some of
the soft woods to sufficient fexibility, for
spinning. In Russia experiments have
been made with a wild plant, which
grows there in great abundance, and also
in Canada. which promises to be as uss-
full a. fax and is prepared for spinning
with less trouble The inventor Of the
process for its preparation has obtained
an exclusive right in Russia for ten
wears.
Year: 1860

that Brown was strong and wise as well a.
brave, aud we believe that when the irritation
Of the South has subsided, and posthumous
justice Is done to Browns character, it will DO
seen that he was a worthy foe; aud If wrong
headed, at least right hearted. Upon Browns
act for which he suffered THE is not the time TO
pass judgment-but it is not good TO keep ST.
lence when an honest man dies for an unselish
idea. There is something in this spectacle
which will ever stir the pulses Of men. The
end OF titled and p0mpuus egotism may attIa,t
the vacant glare Of the fool or the praise Of the
hiTeling scribe; but the bier Of the brave, how
ever humble who die for othep, brings the thTob
to the heart and the tear to the eye; and many
who here glance unheedingly ct PAL e and tow
er, will descry with interest that distant Virgin
lsn scaffold which to day becomes one Of the
historic sights of the world
Year: 1860

SHEEP RAISING IN TExAs.-The San Anto-
Mo (TeXas,) Herald, says that gentleman in
that state, took charge of flock of sheep in
1885, valued at four thousand dollars, and by
diligence and good fortune has made that
stock worth forty thousand dollars The
Herald does not give this as an example oi
the average profit of sheep raising; but as an
extraordinary case. STILL it says that where
the largest locks of sheep cost nothing for
food. and where the animals are thrifty and
prolific in degree almost unknown else
where that sheep raising is exceedingly re-
munerative.
Year: 1860

STATE INSANE ASYLUM -Speaking Of this
institution. the Storkton Argus says


I've are informed that the statement which
has gained currency concerning the number
OF inmates of the Asylum whose insanity IN.
been cau.el hy Spiritualism, has been much
exaggerated There are but four insane per
sons nov in the institution from that cause
one Of whom is female.