smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1869

There is something Instructive as
well as amusing in the following story


which is told by correspondent Of


German reformed Messenger, Of the
impression made upon a European
traveller, by witnessing the eagsfHess
of Americans for newspapers


''He hastily approached me with
eyes cleaning with delight and adj
miratiOn. What wonderful race the
American people are, was his OuF6uRst
Every man with his neWspabePf
See the drayman there, sitting on his,
dray reading his newspaper: and that
hackman, on his perch, With his whip
on his knee, diving into his newspaper;
and yOnder, that labOrer stopping OF
the corner to buy his newspaper; and
see that paver, repairing the levee,
with q newspaper sticking out Of his
pocket, where he has just stuck e for
further reading at his leisure. So I
have seen it In every American town
and city. There is nothing HE it In
Europe. NOOther people, through all
its ranks, can be so Yersed In the cur
rent Information of the country and
the world Wonderful people, these
American peOpleVi was his pointed
summing up, as If to hint st the pro-
found prophecy embodied In his pop
ular phrase and fact. This expression
brings up to view the vast educational
value and effect Of the newspapers,
secular or religious, in American
society, touching our social, civil, or
individual Understanding and
national, social or political
character.
Year: 1869

n1LLoDAAAE1g JuAy &Og AOOOs
Editor Of tie Nebraska AdveTtiser


The subject of the duties and re-
spodsibilities of School Officers and
others having charge of the youth of
of our country, is one Of stupendi-
GUS proportions, and upon which a
volume might and ought to be writ
written, but in the absence of any
suchRolume, a few suggestions from
one who takes much interest in pub
lie schools, may not be untimely.


To begin with school officers, let us
first look at the County Superinten-
dent of common schools, and consider
his duties to the public. He should
be selected from among the practical
teachers of the county, and should be
known to be a ''progressiven man !;
that is, one who is ready and willing
to use every effort to improve the
mode of teaching according to. the
latest revelations Of science, and not
one OF those who claim that the ''old
system" is best, because he does not
understand the new, and Is perhaps
too much prgHdieed against new
things to take the pains toinform him.
self. In other words, he should be a
'live" man.


In regard to hisse1eetfon ofteachers,
he ahouId be thoroughly cOnversant
with the qualifications of q teacher,
and should have a standard by which
to be guided, and make it an unfailing
criterion in his examinations, and
from which he should never swerve,
except when solicited by district on
GERS.


He should haze time TO attend to the
duties Of his Office, and no one should
be selected for the position who is en-
gagged I'm other business, to such an
extent THAT his own affairs must suffer
from his neglect or that of the public,
for in ninety-nine cases out of one
hundred his ogCH will be attended to,
though the interest of the public suf-
fer ever so much by his neglect.


The law compels him to grade certi-
ficates in q prescribed manner, but a
teacher Of a6iIity should receive such
recommendation and encouragement
by the Superintendent as viii Place
him in his proper position before the
public, who are not generarty quail
fed to select teachers.


Next after the SupeTintendent, We
come to speak Of the District OncerS.
Year: 1869

The Governor, a few evenings ago,
delivered an address to the citizens of
PaWnee on railroad matters. He was
pleased that the citizens Of this county
would have an opportunity to offer
bonds in aid OfrailTOads to come thrO'
the county. He gave his hearers q
good deal of information on railroad
matters that was new 90 them. He
said there was no road west of the Mis-
sissippi river, except the Chicago and
North western. that was paying any
dividend, or ever had paid any, not
withstanding they had all received
aid from the counties through which
they had passed. No eastern company
would build any road here, or any
where else through the State, except
when in connection with some cas-
tern or through road. If the people
Of this county voted the 800, 600 bonds
under the call of the commissioners, it
would sound well for the energy and
intelligence of our citizens, and would
benefit the county even If it failed TO
bring q road. But, he said, we would
never get q road for less than 800, 900,
and we might think ourselves fortu-
nate If we got one for that amount
PGa1Ies 1Fibssae.
Year: 1869

NOVEL. WAY or FIGIrrING FIRE. -
During the great fire at Hunters Point,
Long Island, on Wednesday, thousands
o. gallons of burning oil were spread up
on the surfa &c of the water, the flames
extending up Newton creek, and as the
tide was setting in new bridge was ell
dangered by the rapidly advancing wave
Of fire. Thousands of people were on the
banks witnessing the spectacle, and
though the danger was apparent, there
seemed to be no possible way OF saving
the bridge. BY chance bystander threw
Il stone into the flaming creek, when it
was noticed that the agitation of the wa
ter caused by the falling stone broke the
sheet OF fire, and as the circle of agitation
extended, clear space of two or three
yards in diameter was made. The idea
was at once seized by hundreds Of those
present that here was u way of checking
the progress Of the fire and saving the
bridge. Lines were at once formed to {
brick yard near by, and in a very shor
time several thousand bricks had been
thrown into the creek with the effect d
speedily checking, and, before long, ell,
tireIy extinguishing the flames.
Year: 1869

Our office was burglariously entered last (Thursdayl night. by some one. evidently of Democratic instincts. We can only account for it on the ground that we had delayed publication one day to put our selves on an equality with the Sentinel in respect to the "last word;" and that "somebody" was anxious to see what could be seen in our office while its legiti- mate occupants were asleep. We hope they are satisfied with the result.

 We would respectfully insist that the Sentinel is indebted to us for one bottle of ink split. we won't by any means say by them, putin their interest.
Year: 1869

NoTE.-Under the regulations Of the Department
as heretofore and ow existing no payment can be
made for advertising procismatieps except to such
publishers as specially authorized. ss5-Sl3t
Year: 1869

GEoRGIA.-The Senate Judiciary Committee
had another session yesterday on Georgia. A
bill was agreed upon for carrying out the sup-
gestions in the Presidents message. Gov. Bull
lock was before the committee and made state
ments relative to the condition of affairs in that
State, which he represented to be little better
than it was during the war, that is, SO far a.
Union men are concerned The bill will be re-
ported next week.
Year: 1869

The TENURE OF OFFIC BILL.-The Judiciary
Committee OF the House has instructed its chair
man to report favorably on Gen. Buffers bin to
repeal the tenure OF office act. Should the COM
mittee be called next week the bill will be
reported, and it is thought pass in the House
without opposition, though it may be again
defeated in the Senate, as it was last session.
Year: 1869

As | look from the isle DER lis bilows Of green,
To the bilows Of form-crcstcd blue,
Yon bark that afar in the distance is seen,


Halfdreaming my eyes will pursue;
Now dark in the shadow she sca,ters Tho spray


As the chaff in the stroke Of the fail;
Now white as the sea-gull, she fics on her way,
The sun cleaning bright on her sail.
Yet her pilot is thinking of dangers to shun (;


OF breakers that whiten and roar;
How little he cares il in shadow or sun


They see him who gaze from the shore,
lie looks to the beacon that looms from the reef


To the rock that is under his lee,
As he drifts on the blast, like wind-wafted leaf,
Ger the gulfs of the desolate sea-
Thus drifting afar to the dim-vautcd caves
! Where life and its ventures are laid
The dreamers who gaze while battle the waves
May see us in sunshine or shade;
Yet true to our course, though our shadow grew


dark,


Wen trim our broad sail as before,
And stand by the rudder that governs our bark


Nor ask how we look from the shore.
Year: 1869

How FAR DOWN A DIVER MAY Co.


The greatest depth to which a diver can
descend, with the greatest appliances of
safety, is about 100 feet, and for this a
bunch of hundred-weights must be dis
posed about the person. The average
depth at which he can work comfortably
is about 80 feet, which was near the depth
at which the operations upon the Royal
George were conducted. In the water,
from 60 to 70 feet deep, the men can work
for two hours at time, coming up for ten
minutes rest, and doing days work in
six or seven hours. An English diver, in
cased in one of Siebe's dressers, went down
in the5Mediterranean to a depth of l65 feet,
and remained there for twenty-five min
utes; and we have heard that Green, the
American diver, inspected a wreck in one
of the Canadian lakes at a depth of 40
feet: but his experience was enough to con-
vince him that he could not work on 1t
without danger of life. At this depth the
pressure of water on the hands is so great
as TO force the blood to the head and bring
on fainting fits, while the requisite volume
of air inside the dress to resist the out
ward pressure of the water is so great that
it would speedily suffOcate. Means have
been tried to Obviate these difficulties, but
for the present a limit has been set TO the
extent to which men may penetrate the
secrets of the deep. An ingenious Italian
workman has brought to England sort
of armor dress which would resist the
pressure of water; but our submarine engi-
neers think this would not obviate the
difficulties arising from the limits placed
to human endurance.
Year: 1869

The New York Farmers Club spec
uIates upon the causes of Indian Sum-
mpr in this wise: The warm, smoky
spell known as Indian Summer, which
is perhaps more peculiar to the North
eastern States of America than any
other portion Of the globe, always oc-
ours after the first killing frost, not
the first white frost, but one which is
severe enough to bring down nearly
all forest leaves and kill the herbace-
Gus plants. The bulk of vegetation
thus destroyed is almost inceiculable.
In its decay this is unGrrgoing slow
combustion. VIZ can calculate the
amount of smoke aud heat given off,
or wF..ac effect this must produce upon
ne atmosphere, or tell whether that
is not the true cause of Indian sum-
ner. In support Of this theory, the
fact is patent that when frosts were
much more extensive, the Indian
summer was longer, warmer and more
smoky than at present.
Year: 1869

the Lives Of His Family by


His Presence Of Mind.


On Sunday afternoon, the Fort
Wayne railroad company sent con-
structiOn train up the road prepara-
tory to the commencement Of work on
Monday morning, as is the usual Gus
tom. The engineer. anxious Of course
to make his Sunday work as short as
possible, rushed the train out Of the
depot and around the curve to the
bridge ut the top Of its speed. Upon
arriving at the bridge, however, he
saw that which caused him to reverse
the engine and apply the brakes with
all his force. A man with his wife
and two children were on the narrow
portion of the bridge, where it is JUS:
wide enough for a train to pass, about
midway of its length Of six hundred
eet. Neither end could be reached
by the imperiled family before the
train would rush upon them; bat the
father and husband was equal to the
emergency. Catching up the children
in his arms, he told his wife he would
see to them and bade her run toward
the end of the bridge, until the train
should reach her and then jump into
the water. She must run for her life,
as her safety depended upon her get
ting near enough to shore to find shall
low water before being Overtaken by
the train. She did as directed, and
when she felt the hot breath of the
iron monster she jumped from the
bridge, fortunately alighting in not
more than two feet of water and
weeds, and the train passed her in
safety. But what of the father and
little ones? He could not run with
them, and while almost distracted
with fears for his wife's safety, he was
bound to fad some escape for them.
Taking the little ones in his arms he
cOolly and steadily, in the face Of the
approaching train, lowered himself
with them to brace beneath the bed
.timbers, and there held fast within Il
few feet of the water, while the train
came laundering over them. About
the time the engine reached the cen
tre of the bridge the exertiOns Of the
engineer and brakeman effected the
.stoppage of the train, and their assis-
tance was rendered to extricate the
frightened family from their yet peril
Gus position, and they went on their
way thankful for their deliverance.
Year: 1869

A chap from the country, stopping
at one of the hotels in the city Of New
York, being asked by the waiter
whether he would have green or black
tea, said he did MT care a darn what
color it was, if it had plenty Of sweet
enin' in it.
Year: 1869

SOUND ADvICE.-Keep your rame,
business and location constantly be-
fore the people, and when anything
in your line is wanted, your name
will be familiar and your place first
visited for the article.
Year: 1869

A very beautiful idea was that advanced
bv one of the Methodist brethren in Con-
ference, who said "IIe was poor tripping
mortal, but he always managed to STUN
bic towards the cross
Year: 1869

The following graphic passage Is
from the description of a Mr.. Camp
bell and his party, in the north Of
Norway, from a cliff 900 feet above
the sea The ocean stretched away
in silent vastness at our feet; the
sound of its waves scarcely reached
our airy lookout; away in the north
the huge old sun swung low along the
horizon, like the slow beat of the PEN
dulum in the tall clock Of our grand
fathers parIor corner. We all stood
silent, looking at our watches. When
both hands came together at twelve
midnight, the full round orb hung
triumphantly above the waves-a
bridge of gold running due north
spanned the water between US and
him. There he shOne in silent maj
esty, which knew no setting. We in
voluntarily took off our hats no word
was said. Combine if you can, the
most brilliant sunrise and sunset you
ever saw, and its beauties will pale b.
fore the gorgeous coIoring which nOw
lit up the ocean, heaven and noun


tains. In half an hour the sun had
swung up perceptibly on his beat, the
colors changed to those of morning. a
fresh breeze rippled over the food, Que
songster after another piped up in the
grove behind us-we had slid into an
other day.
Year: 1869

P. 81 have written this in great
haste, and without exercising judg-
ment as to the propriety of writing it,
but submit it to yours. U S. &.


Nothing prevents this letter from
being thoroughly admirable save the
fact that there was no occasion for it.
The insinuatiOn that the President
was in collusion with the Gold Gam
.blers never had d fact to lift it above
the level of audacious calumny, or a
motive save the coarsest sensational
ism or clumsy maIignity. There was
a combination to put gold up When
it assumed dangerous proportions,
General Grant interfered and crushed
it. Thereupon he is charged with
having been a member Of 1t.


The country knows its President TO
be incapable of such conduct. If it
did not, it would still be able, in so
plain a case, to reason that men are
not secretly seeking that which they
openly, determinedly, and effectively
destroy. "By their fruits ye shall
know them."-CN. Y. Tribune.
Year: 1869

Grant and the Gold Gamblers.


During the excitement following the
defeat of the late conspiracy in Wall
street to put up the price of gold, and
at a time when very vague insinua-
tions were thrown out in irresponsible
quarters concerning the alleged com.
plicity Of some member of the Ad
ministration, Mr.. Robert Bonner wrote
to General Grant, asking him to make
a "brief denial over his own sigma
ture of all fOreknowledge of the gold
combination, in order to relieve him
self entirely from all responsibility for
their acts" Mr.. Bonner added that
those who knew General Grant per-
sonalIy required no disclaimer; but
the great public, whose minds were
liable to be warped by the determined
and persistent effort to injure him,
would be at once satisfied and quieted
by such q statement. The President
replied in the following letter, which
is published with the one that drew
it out) in this weeks number of the
Ledger:


WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 13, '69.


ROBERT BONNER, E5q-DeaT Sir!
Your favor of the 11th inst. is received.
have never thought of contradict
ing statements or insinuatiOns made
against me by irresponsible parties as
those who are alluded to in your paper
but as you have written to me on the
subject in so kind a spirit, I will say
that l had no more to do with the late
gold excitement in New York City
than yourself or any other innocent
party, except that I ordered the sale
of gold to break the ring, engaged as
1 thought, in a very disreputable
transaction. If the spectators had
been successful you would never have
heard of any one connected with the
Administration as being connected
with the transaction.
Year: 1869

As this is the season Of contagious dis
eases, a remark of caution to those visiting
sick rooms may not be out of place. It is
a simple matter to preserve health, pro-
yided VIC understand the plain principles
Of nature. In these hot days, many of US.
when called to visit sick friend, are apt
to rush to the chamber with imprudeHt
haste, and consequently enter it in a yio-
lent perspiration. This should be partieu
larly avoided, for if the body is heated
when you enter the room filed with the
unwholesoue odors of disease, the moment
it becomes cold it is most likely to alb
sorb the infection, thus adding to the
spread of the contagion. Consult prudence
when you visit the sick chamber, and enter
it only when the system, mental and ply
seal, is free from unnatural excitement.
And remember, that q. person laboring un-
der any contagious complaint should not
be visited with an empty stomach, for at
sach tiros there is an exhaustion about
the physical nature which contributes 20
the more ready absorption Of disease. Il
you stand between fire and diseas.d
person, the danger is greater than under
other circumstances, because the heat Of
the Ere draws the infectious vapor in that
direction, and the system, from the force Of
concentration, becomes more easily i'm
pregnated with it. These directions are
simple, and their observance may prove
highly beneficial to those who are art to
act with imprudeuce, because they give
but little if any thought to the question
that 50 nearly affects them
Year: 1869

i want 4 paper that has long stories in
it, said young lady; and she added, Il
don't want a paper for anything else. !"
Poor girl much to be pitiedi and pitifsl
appearance she will make through life, at
the present rate. She wants nothing seri-
Gus, no acquaintance with the history Of her
times, nothing Intellectual; nothing but
newspaper novels


Empty heads they must &c that can find
room every week for some ten columns of a
sham story Yet these are the heads for
which the weekly press tolls and groans,
throwing off by the ten thousands its sheets
of shallow, insipid, and disgusting fiction;
and for this an amount of money is paid
which a sound literature utterly fails to com
mand. Fathers and mothers buy this vile
trash for their sons and daughters, and so
ministers to their ignorance and destitution
Of all good taste and fitness for hfe's duties


Doubtless the periodical press does more
than any other one instrumentality TO de
eide tie opinions, habits of thought, and
general character Of the age, A family will
very soon begin to show sympathy with
its weekly paper, and parent and children
viii soon begin assimilating to it in sentiment
and feeling; and as families are, so is the
community at large Blind and stupid,
therefore, yea, worse, are those who toler-
ate in their houses a class of papers which
are made up of the writings of silly, igno-
rant scribblers, who would be ''at the foot
in the town school Of good morals. Such
are teachers Of half of the generation.
Year: 1869

Russell writes to the Boston TsareHr
that when in New Orleans recently be went
to see the canals and drains which General
Butler ordered dug when he kept the pesti
lential yellow fever out Of the city. He
says


We found them partially filed with filthy
mud, while the TOP Of the black water was
covered with a thick scum Of yellow blue
color. The stencil from them was nearly
sufocating, and we made haste to get on
the windward side, to avoid a retreat toward
the city. The city is on marsh that is
lower than the river. and stagnant water
would stand herezt any time Of the year,
making it sickly if there were no other ag-
gravatiug causes. But when the oifal and
filth Of the city is carelessly thrown into
these fever breeding sloughs and left to de-
compose, the effect is terrible. One Of the
most rabid rebels We have met in the South
went with US to visit the suburbs, and al
though he said all the bad things and told
all the lies be could get into the hour we
we're with him, about General Butler, yet
when we asked why the city was not kept
as neat, and those drains as clean as they
were during the military rule of General
Butler, he expressed his idea of the incom.
potency Of the city government in very
strong terms.


j heartily wish lie vas hack here, - said
he, to pull these city officials over the
Goals. Why, the only healthy year this city
ever saw was when he was here to make
these lazy fellows toe the mark As much
as ! hate him wish he was back, and would
vote for him IN a minute


Il hardly think be would run well for
Mayor, said we, iokiDgIy.


Yes, he would, though, said he The
people would all vote for him just to spite
the present iucompetents


Later 10 the day, after we had returned to
the Saint Charles Hotel, we had some con
versation with another hater Of Butler, and
when We referred to the recent action of the
Legislature in licensing gambling houses
lottery schemes, and such places, he ex-
claimed


Well, after all is said, Butler did one
good thing for the city in suppressing crime.
Iou may not believe 1t, sir, but he renoya,
ted this city, aud a rowdy dared not stay
here. Really wish he could be in COM
mand here long enough to clean out these
gambling dens.


So it was eEeryRLea We went. Men
cursed Butler, wished him all manner Of
evil; wanted to fight US for refusing to see it
in tha. Eght yet each admitted that he
wished the General was back to summarily
carc soma evil they hated. Bat no tTo
agreed on the same thing.
Year: 1869

We have often thoughtit remarkable that
business men could be so blind to their own
interests as to fail to use the commonest and
most ordinary means for the advancement
Of their different pursuits. OF course we
refer to newspaper advertising. This is no
new idea, born of our connection with the
press, and selfish in its nature, We enter
tanned precisely the same view years ago,
aud regarded that policy as narrow minded
in the extreme which refused to invest a
few dollars that hundreds might be real
lied, or higgle at the price Of an advertise
ment and conclude that the expense might
be avoided. No sane man now a-days pre-
tends to deny the utility and advantage Of
newspaper advertising. all experience and
observation proves that, almost without ex-
eeption, the mon who have largely realized
money and become wealthy through trade
and business, are the men who advertised
the most. 1t is unnecessary 10 cite IN
stances. You can scarcely put your finger
upon the name Of successful merchant or
or man Of business in the United States,
who is not a living illustration Of this fact.
We know that many Of our business men
here regard it as useless to advertise in a
community Ike this It's mistaken idea
however. The necessity is just as great in
proportion here as anywhere else. It viii
be found that the most liberal advertisers
here are most successful in business, ard
realize the greatest profits.