smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1869

The news this morning from Spain indicates
the approach Of the storm which Is but the
natural result OF the liberal movement In that
country. Up to the present time the several
parties have been marshalling their forces for
the fight The Church party, unwilling to
strike until well prepared, has quietly waited
for the proper moment, when telling blow
might be dealt for the restoration Of the mon
archy. Every day that the existing state Of
things continues is advantageous to the clerical
faction, for it indicates that the liberal move
ment is at standstill. No republican effort
can succeed In Spain without being progress
sive, and we may say that for the last
month the revolution has been retrograde.
The republicans now attack the Ministry for
their monarchical tendencies and demand the
destitution Of Montpensier from his grade Of
marshal. The Minister Of Marine retorts by
declaring that throne with Montpensier upon
it is preferable to . republic. The ball is
opened, and the next few days may bring US
news Of radical division of parties which can
alone unite again in peace after destructive
civil war;
Year: 1869

ANOTHER PHASE OF THE WOMAN MoyR-
MENT-THE FAIR SEX IN THE PRIZE RNa.-In


Boston letter elsewhere we give the latest
news from that Athens of America that self
boasted centre of all the refinement, culture
and morality of the country that capital Of
Puritanical severity in all the proprieties of
life. Never was there witnessed a more dis
graceful, degrading and brutal spectacle than
the event thus chronicled as occurring in the
capital of New England. Much has been heard
of the degradation of the vile of this city-the
prize fighters and gougers and dog fighters and
rufians Of every stamp--but absolute Vice has
not yet gotten here so far down as TO match
two wretched women to such an encounter as
that to which our rufians pit their dogs. This
acme of human disgrace was reserved for
Boston and the land of isms and progress and
woman's rights. In future chronicles of the
great women of Massachusetts, we must not
forget Sally Chapman and Molly Jones and
their game encounter of an hour and u quarter.
Year: 1869

THE New HAMPSHIRE ELECTION.
republicans have gained victory over the
democratic candidate for Governor In New
Hampshire once more by 9 large majority.
They also carry the State for Congressional
delegates and the State Legislature. II is
evident that the New Hampshire people have
taken Grants inaugural as political creed
and endorse the common sense views it con-
tains. This indicates that Grant may depend
upon the people to back him up in all his
efforts to restore the government to its proper
poise and deal destruction to the rings OF plum
derers who are trying to control the country
Year: 1869

LRNrENT JUSTICE. was suspended
in the General Sessions the other day in the
case Of . culprit who was up for his first
offence, and at the door Of the court room two
officers were waiting to take the culprit on
other charges.
Year: 1869

THE TENURE or OFFICE BnL.-The House
Of Representatives have gloriously met the
desire Of the people in the repeal Of this bill
Let the Senate follow, in spite of all the fuss
made by the dying radical faction, which
groans at the thought of seeing the power slip
from their fingers.
Year: 1869

The SUPPRESSION OF GAMBLING. a.-There is
some virtue in public place. The authorities,
for instance. make magnificent efforts to sup
press that most horrible and demoralizing
vice, gambling. Two audacious gamblers
were taken in Brooklyn the other day, aged
respectively ten years and twelve years. They
were captured without resistance. The officer
did not secure their gambling Implements, for
there were only two or three little pieces Of
broken crockery or buttons and hole in the
ground. He could not take possession of the
hole in the ground, and, therefore, left the
crockery. Judge Bosworth asked the officer
if it was considered an offence over in Brook
lyn for little boys to pitch buttons into hole ?"
but we hope such question will not allay the
ardor of that guardian of the public morality
The officers name is Carrougher. Too much
praise cannot be given to the activity Of the
police against the gamblers.
Year: 1869

MORE OBSTRUCTION. authorities have
cleared away one of the distractions that de-
prived the public of the use Of the space at
the junction of Park row and Broadway.
The little nuisance Of house is gone; but
when will these authorities give their attention
to the car companies that use the space as
depot and obstruct it with half dozen cars
at time?
Year: 1869

THE SPIRIT OF THE SoUTH-The Selma
(Ala.) Times Of the 9Th inst makes the follow
ing announcement :-ssWe write amid the dis
charge of cannon and the shouts of the multitude
which greet the announcement Of the inaugu-
ration of the first man of the nation as Presi-
dent thereof" The ''first man Of the nation"
will not do now that which he never did during
tho war-namely, desert the South when
there was danger ahead.
Year: 1869

Horace Greely's opinion about
newspapers is worth that of all crea-
tion besides. He sometimes gives it
for those who imagine they can do
without such auxileries. The Tribune
is as much the friend of provincial
Journals as it is the reflex of national
opinion. The following baekhanded
slap he gives in the face Of those who
imagine local papers worthless, and
will be read and copied with eagerness
by the entire press Ofthe country: (:


Nothing is more common than to
hear people talk of what they pay
newspapers for advertising, ETC., as so
much given in charity. Newspapers
by enhancing the value Of property in
their neighbOrhoOd and giving the
localities in which they are published
reputation abroad, benefit all such,
particularly II they are merchant or
real estate owners, thrice the amount
yearly Ofthemeagres esumpayed for their
support. Besides every public spirit
ed citizen has q laudable pride in hav-
ing a paper Of which he is not asham-
ed, even though he should pick IL up
in New York. A good looking thriv-
ing sheet helps property, gives char
acter to the locality, and in many in
stances, is a desirable public cOnven-
ienee. If from any cause the matter
in the local or editorial columns should
not be your standard, do not cast it
aside and pronounce it good for moth.
ing, until satisfied that there has been
no more labor bestowed upon it than
is paid for. If you want a good reads


bic paper it must be supported. II
must not be supported in q spirit o.
charity either, but because you feel il
a necessity to support it. The lOea
press is the power that the peO
| pie.
Year: 1869

The Sums Evil Intentions To-


word the Earth


From the Buffalo Express, November1O


The suns atmosphere, say the scien-
tific men, is in highly excited cOndi-
ton. A column of magnetic light Is
shooting out further, from the solar
sphere, and is now stretching out
forty-five millions Of miles. In other
words, it has accomplished half the
distance between US and the sun. The
interesting question, and one which,
perhaps, we donot wish any more light
of this character, is, how long will it
be before it finishes the rest of the
distance, and bridges the gigantic
chasm between the earth and sun ?
Is it a messenger sent out to snatch us
up as food for the insatiate monster
that keeps himself warm by deyOur-
ing plannets, and whose fre-eating
prOpensities this whole earth, would
satisfy for few days only II SO,
how long will this emissary be in
reaching US, and carrying the globe
away as if we were a gigantic lump of
coal for a roaring furnace? This col
umn of light at Intervals indicates its
approach by fieshing and cOrruscating
with fresh brilliancy. So decided are
its effects, that two astronomers, one
at London, the other at Oxford, and
neither knowing the experience of the
other, supposed that the dark glass of
their telescopes had been broken or
put out of range, so strong was the
flash of golden light upon the vision.
It is predicted that before the end of
next year, this magnetic light will
have got near enough to us to make its
immediate and actual influence upon
the earth distinctly felt. It's annOun-
ced that in consequence we may eX-
pect to see phenomena that have new
er been seen or known before by the
human race. If any of our readers
are, therefore, yet disposed to complain
of the weather and the earthquakes,
let them remember that by this time
next year, they may have an entire
new line of experiences to explain and
endure, in comparison with the fitful
winter and rough rude autumn of to-
day may seem like June morning in
paradise, and the earthquakes shock,
and lightning's storm, placid rock
ing in the cradle, with pleasant lul-
Iaby of thunder.
Year: 1869

The Deposit IN. W Courier is re-
sponsible for the following marvellous
story: i


In the vicinity of Spoon river, ILL.,,
is q child that was born and has lived
five years without a head. Mrs.,
the mother, is the widow of soldier,
formerly living in Marshall county,
who enlisted in the Goth or Scotch
regiment, and was killed in the battle
of Lexington, Mo-. She was standing
beside her husband during the engage
ment, when a cannon ball carried his
head completely away, his body fall
ing into her arms and covering her
with blood. The shock affected her
greatly. When her child was born
there was not a semblance of head
about it. The limbs are perfectly de-
veloped, and the shoulders where the
head and neck should be is smoothly
round off.


But the most surprising thing of all
| is that the face is situated in the breast.
| OF course there being no neck the pow
er of turning the head is wanting, ex-
| cept as the whole body is moved but
| this difficulty is overcome by the sim
ulaF faculty it possesses of turning Its
ewes in their sockets, enabling it to see
quite as well on either side of those
more perfectly formed. The upper
portion of its body is. white as the
purest Caucasian; from the waist
| downward is blood red. The strange
creature, now an active boy of five
years old, as if to compensate for his
deformity, possesses the most clear anC
bird-Hke tones ever listened to, sing


ing with singular correctness every


thing it may hear, and its voice a
this early age accOmplishes two Oc


taves easily.
Year: 1869

ORCHARD GRAss.-A correspondent
of the Country Gentleman says he
seeded a field last year with equal pOr-
tiOns Of orchard grass, red-tOp and
timothy. The seed took well, and the
field was designed for pasturing as
soon as the orchard grass began to
head out. The cattle were turned in.
The red-tOp and timothy were some
two weeks behind. The field afforded
a fine growth Of feed. He also seeded
about an acre for moving, with equal
quantities of orchard grass and timO-
thy. July 10th this grass was cut :
the orchard grass dead ripe, the red
top in full blossom. From this eX-
perience it is evident orchard grass is
good for fields designed for permanent
pasturage, as it viii affo-d an early
and continued growth; but twill not
do for meadows mixed with other
grasses, as it does not. mature with
them, and is too ripe for profit when
other grasses are just right to cut.
Year: 1869

Fanny Fern thinks "there is no man
who would not rather be shaved by a
woman than to have a great lumber
ing man paving about his juglar vein
and pOkiDg him in the ribs to get up
when another mans turn came.
Don't say how his wife might like it,
but am very sure he would, and as
to his wife, why-she could shave some
other man couldn't she ?''
Year: 1869

A single handful of manure pa5
into hill of corn will often make tho
difference between four or fvo little
'nubbins,'' and six or eight great
plump ears that will she'll their bulk
of sound corn. A thousand handfuls
count up hohvily in the autumn corn
crib. How many handfuls Of manure
are daily lost in your stock-yara that
might be saved in nico order by a lit
tie care in heaping up, and covering
from washing rain : These handfuls
Of manure are moro valuable to the
oultivator than the separate grains of
gold that the miner. with careful toll,
gathers and washes from tho earth and
sand bank. He hunts, gathers, and
saves them all, and thus accumulatoa
his pile. Philosophical, suceesoful
oultivators can see the glittor Of gold
even in the manure heap; they oniy
wait little longor than the minor for
the pure gold to be washed out by tho
growing process, instead Of In tbe
wash pan.


GA word to tho wiao is sufficient"
Year: 1869

THE greatest depth To which diver can
descend, with the greatest appliances of
safety, is about one hundred and sixty
feet, and for this bunch of hundred
weights must be disposed about his per
son. The average depth at which he can
work comfortably is about ninety feet,
which was near the depth at which the
operations upon the Royal George were
conducted. In the water, from sixty To
seventy feet deep, the men can work for
two hours ut "a time, coming up for ten
minutes rest, and doing days work OF
six or seven hours An English diver,
encased in one of Siebe's dresses, went
down i'll the Mediterranean to depth of
one hundred and sixty five feet, and re-
manned there for twenty five minutes; and
we have heard that Green, the American
diver, inspected Il wreck in the Canadian


lakes at the depth of one hundred and
seventy feet; but his experience was
enough to convince him that he could not
work on it without danger of life. Al
this depth the pressure of water on the
hands is so great rs TO force the blood Ia
the head and bring on fainting fits, while
the requisite volume of air inside the dress
To resist the outward pressure of the water
is 50 great that it would speedily sutiocate
Means have been tried to Obviate these
difficulties, but for the present a limit has
been set to the extent to which man may
penetrate the secrets of the deep. An in
genious Italian workman has brought to
England sort of armor dress which
would resist the pressure of water; but
our submarine engineers think that this
would not obviate the difficulties arising
from the limits placed to human endurance
-Erch1Doe
Year: 1869

In many of his articles i'm broken Eng
lish Josh Billings" surpasses all who
have tried that class of writing. But To
fully appreciate him, you must see and
know him. He is about forty eight years
old, and is the quaintest specimen of hu-
manity with which we have ever met


Five years ago he was an auctioneer i'm
POughkeepsie, n. Y. He has since moved
to New York city, where he keeps board
ing house amused by his irrepressible od-
dities AS he passes down Broadway he
cannot escape observation. His broad,
bent form, his immense hat, and his large,
eagle-like features, are always noticeable


His weakness is for chewing tobacco and
telling stories. Such quaint, laughable
yarns as he can spin are not easily put i'm
print. When the lecture season is at hand
he sends out a humorous prospectus. He
makes from three to four thousand dollars
a year from his lecturing, and as much
more from his newspaper work Always
cheerful and genial, always witty and yet
kind, he is liked exceedingly by his circle
of friends Perhaps some of our readers
will remember the publicity that was
given little time ago to the marriage OF
one of his daughters, whose beauty had
become notorious She was as handsome
| as he was ugly.-!St. Paul Dispatch
Year: 1869

The Shanghai Netcs Letter says the fol-
lowing story has obtained large credence
among the Chinese recently, and is inter


esting as showing the ease with which the
Chinese mind grasps superstition


''It appears that sometime since a man
and his wife, who together opened bean
shop in the city of Tai-tsan, some forty
miles distant from Shanghai, had do
mestic imbrOglio, which resulted at
length in the death of the husband by suf-
location, which the wife by combination
Of means effected The body was con-
cealed for a long time, II coffin provided,
and at suitable hour in the night, was
placed on board boat and sent To a Ger
tain place in the canal and sunk, a large
milestone from their bean shop being
used for the purpose. A few nights after
the city magistrate was awakened from
his slumbers by fearful noise, as of some
one beating on the Distress Drum at
the entrance of his Yamen. Next morn-
ing inquiries were made, but no one
seemed to have heard the alarms but him
self The night after it was heard again,
but no person was seen. The third night
watchman was stationed to observe
what took place. The noise came again,
but on being questioned by the mag
istrate, the watchman said it was the
,cind. Go and arrest the wind, then, he
said, and forthwith issued warrant for
the apprehension of the dsturber. The
man charged Herewith protested his in
ability to accomplish such task, how
ever, but departed on his rambles and
allowed the wind to snatch his warrant
from him and dash it into the canal Fol
lowing close after, he secured it again,
and bore il all wet to the mandarin and
told him that the wind had taken refuge
in the water IVheres exclaimed the ex-
| cited button !; go forthwith, and dig him
out Away went the man again, armed
and equipped for contest, this time with
both the tunD (wind) and Shui (water).
He prObed and exerted himself but Il
short while, before discovering its refuge
twas curious something, but on being
hauled up to light was found to be coffin,
containing a dead man and weighted
down by q mill ll-stone The mandarin came
and held ali inquest; no marks Of violence
were discovered, but all the circumstances
were SO suspicious that the mandarin at
once, taking the mill-stO as an index,
| ordered u search for the perpetrators. A
| bean shop was soon found, and woman
i'm mourning for her husband, and as the
| other stone of the pair was wanting in its
| place in the mill, and no satisfactory ac-
count could be given of it, comparison
was instituted by producing the one found
attached to the coffin No evasion could
satisfy the officer that she was not the per
petrator Of the foul deed, SO mysteriOusly
communicated To him i'm the watches of the
night by the spirit of the departed She
was arrested and dragged to prison, there
To await sentence, which, according to
Chinese law, is decapitation. The above
has recently traspired, and obtains large
crcdence among the ignorant Chinese Ii


is on such slender threads that the great
superstition .fung shui hangs, and not un-
frequently by such reports that mandarin
succeeds in bringing himself into nOtoriety
and securing promotion"
Year: 1869

slightly pushed from behind so as to near
ly cover his forehead. This is SO adroitly
accomplished by the thief as to throw the
passenger aforesaid off his guard He
puts his hand up to adjust his tile, and at
the same moment the scientific "knuck !"
relieves him of his pocket-book, or other
valuables, which he hands to pal" who
gets off and disappears.


The hat-tipping business is quite ia
vorite practice, although it is not always
attended with success Persons who meet
with such an event, either in getting on
railroad cars, or while waiting at ticket
offices in depots or at places of amuse-
ment, should remember these words of
caution: In case any one should feel his
hat move from behind, i'm the manner
above stated, whether on crowded plat
form or any other place, as already indi-
Gated. let that person Immediately turn
around to the one behind him, and say,
I'm on that myself" After that he may
feel perfectly secure from further annoy
ance on that Observation-Disclosures Bul-
laan
Year: 1869

For more than ten years past the most
scientific astronomers of the world have
told us, through publication in the maga-
zines and otherwise that during the months
of July, August and September, this year
(lS69), the most wonderful comet the world
has ever known would re-appear They
have also assured us that il would ap-
pr0acb nearer the earth than any comet
ever did before, and that either the earth
or the comet would have To change its
course, or a collision would be inevitable.
AS this comet is said To be many thousand
times larger than the earth, and as il is a
solid mass of fire, with tail of fire that
would reach around the earth more than n
hundred times, ii is not at all unlikely that
collision with it would prove as disas-
trous to the earth as the late accident on
the Erie Railroad did to some of the more
unfortunate passengers According 10 as


tronomers, il was this comet that immedi-
atcly preceded the terrible civil wars i'm
Greece, and was Immediately followed BY
a t rrible contagion in Persia and other
Eastern countries, most dreadful plague
that in few weeks swept from the face OF
Year: 1869

the earth more than one half the people Of
the countries visited by it. Some years
after this comet appeared again, and was
preceded by most terrific civil war i'm
Rome, and followed by a plague, or scOurge
that piled the dead up in heaps in the
streets of that proud but corrupt city, until
there were scarcely enough persons left
alive to bury the dead This comet is now
visible, having made its appearance on
time, thus verifying the prediction of the
astronomers, without postponement on az
count of weather. 1t may bc seen with
the naked eye, in any clear night in the
northern part of the heavens, at from II
to II o'clock and from that time till day
light, or till the morning star rises. The
late heavy rains have not had the effects
to delay its appearance and progress, or TO
dim its brilliancy, though it will grow
brighter and brighter as it approaches the
earth.-ErcltdnQe
Year: 1869




He left large property" was the closing
sentence Of a recent obituary. How many
reflections it suggests What pity he was
obliged to leave il He was taking great
delight iu collecting it. 1t was all the fruit
Of his own energy, industry and good judg-
ment he had to leave it, and he went out Of
the world as poor as he came in. He might
have taken it with him--or rather he might
have sent it forward in advance. Every dol
lar given in humble faith TO scatter the glad
tidings of salvation, every cup Of water given
to "a disciple every tearof pous sympathy for
the suffering, every gift Of his kindly charity
to the needy, would have been treasured-laid
up in Heaven. How much more blessed to
go to, than to leave, a large property!


John Wesley always preferred the middling
and lower classes to the wealthy. He said
If | might choose, | should still do as
have done hitherto, preach the gospel to the
poor" Preaching in Monktown church, a
large, old, ruinous building, he says
suppose it has scarce had such congregation
during this century. Many of them were
gay, genteel people, so spoke on the first
clements Of the Gospel but | was still out
Of their depth. o how hard it is to be shall
low enough for polite audience -


Some churchman has accurately computed
that if ten families consecrate one-tenth of
their income to pious uses the result will
maintain an eleventh family, viz the pastor
Any church of ten families is therefore de-
monstrably self-supporting.


"God always hears when we scrape the
bottom of the flour barrel" So said the
child of poor widow to his mother, one
morning, after she had prayed as only the
needy can" Give us this day our daily
bread" Beautiful faith of childhood. Why
may it not be ours God always hears the
prayers Of His children, and lie knows when
to answer Our spiritual as well as our tenn
poral wants are known to Him, and every
sincere cry for help enters His compassionate
ear. When we feel entirely our dependence
on Him when our stock of pride and self
confidence is exhausted when earthly friends
and earthly comforts fail us then the hum
6le cry of 90, my Father" the oitenest
brings the speedy answer, Here, my child"


God always hears when we have reached
the depths of need and cry to Him for help.


Beecher compares a text to a gate opening
in the Lords garden, and says that many
ministers, instead of unlatching the gate and
leading their hearers in topluck the fruit and
flowers, content themselves by getting upon it
and swinging to and fro.