smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1859

<AN AAM YEA 4AN 4 DNG2Gx0N$


In the report Of the decision Of the Peoria
Circuit Court in tue case Of Olofr johnson rs.
County Of Stark; copied into the Press AND
TRIBUNE yesterday from the Peoria transcript,
1t is stated that tue case was decided upon a
recent decision Of tile Supreme Court. The
decision alluded to Of the latter Court, was on
petition Of the Peoria oquawka Railroad
Company to compel the Beard Of Supervisors
Of the County Of Tazegell to issue to said
Company the bonds Of the County for :::s25, 900,
in accordance with the vote OF a majority Of
the legal voters Of tho County at an election
held for that purpose in September 1853; and
was to the two following points:


q l. That the financial officers OF q county ar
city have no power to Issue bonds the princ:-
pal or interest Of which, is mado payable in
New York, Or in any other place than at tho
treasury Of The county or city, except in cascs
where the Legislature has specially conferred
the authority to do SO.


2. That in cases where a majority of the
legal voters Of county OF city have voted in
favor Of specific subscription to the stock Of
any Railroad Company, tue financial officers Of
Aaid county or city are rested with discretion
arg powers as to whether the subscription
shall bo made in Whole, or in part, or not at
an. except in cases where tho duty to do 80 is
made compulsory By legislative enactment;
and in the absence Of such Legislative enact
ment the Courts will not oatcrtain an appli-
Cation for mandamus to compel tho eubscrip-
ton ind the delivery Of county or city bonds.
This is highly important decision; and it will
doubtless lead to speedy and earncst inves-
tigat'on on the part Of the holders Of Illinois
county and city bonds, with tue view Of asccr-
tal1ing whether or not tlcE are legally worth
any more than so much blank paper.
Year: 1859

We have no belief in the honesty Of those
southern gentlemen in OF out Of Congress,
who are proclaiming their intention to effect
the disunlon Of the States. But il this disunion
question is to be tried before the people Of the
country, VIC know Of no time more favorable
Tor the struggle than this. If in the pursuit OF
what is coustltullona1ly their right the Repub-
1can party encounter that ug-bear; let the
encounter come and, if it must come, the
sooner the better!


Let, then, no Northern Representative turn
a hairs breadth ont Of the course prescribed By
his duty to his country and his God, by
the clamorous threats with which, the ears of
all are assailcd They may ho assured That
tho heart Of the South is with them; that Us
soon as the representatives Of the South with
draw, and tile Governors Of the Southern
States call their respective conventions for tix~
lng the basis Of . new confederation, the
heart Of the South will 10 reached also; and
that there will come mp from every Congress
sional District in tho Republic, voice that
will drive the disuniouists Of each extreme into
retirement and Disgrace.


Stand fast tlen. every man, and continue to
Insist with the dccency that belongs to earnest
aud conscientious men, and with the devotion
born Of patriotism, upon the. right. The conse-
qucnccs can be trusted to that Power that has
guided the Republic in darker day than this
Voc be to the traitor who throws down his
arms or deserts to opposition in tic Gsltl
Year: 1859

There is neighbor s.. He's content with
his farm, and believes that draining is
too costly to be practiced, and sheds will
not pay as protection to stock. He
leaves dilapidated fence in front of the
dwelling. backed by row of scraggy
peach trees. His wood yard is the space
in front Of his house, consisting Of an un-
slightly pile Of green logs. to be cut up
as occasion requires. His barn! the roof
decayed and ragged, with the boards here
and there missing from the sides; an open
barn yard, where all winter herd Of
lowing cattle may be seen, pinched with
cold, tramping their fodder under their
feet. His farming implements they are
few and simple. Go into the road, and
there by the fence--where they are care
fully placed when not in use--you will see
them. An old wagon with an older box
stands there ready to drop to pieces by
its own weight, three cornered drag
rests confdingly against it, while little
way off is the'"plow, which by the wear
and tea, it is subj ected to might be refer
red to any age since Methusaleh. S.


believes that one plow will answer for all
purposes and all soils, and thinks new in.
ventions in this line hum bugs. In the
spring. he yokes a pair ofpoor starved OK
en-, that have lain out 10 freeze in his
open yard all winter, bitches them to his
plow, and proceeds to spring g-plowing.--
He usually gets into his field by letting
down the fence, an easy task by the way,
and that till he cannot easily make it worse
usually begins in wet weather, as his team
is too light to plow when it is dry. He
plows shallow, for his team is not strong
enough to plow deep. He don't subsoil,
it would take another team. When har.
vest comes, he wonders why his fields
yield but half a crop.
Year: 1859

Behold you splendid and resplendent round
Of whale.bone, covering ten square feet Of


ground; s..
As down the street the dry goods p han tom


swims,


Gas some gay galleon over the pillows skim s J
How grandly on her sweeping course.she go es,
Turning aside for neither friends nor foes!
Who would not brave the deepest mud on earth,
To give those hoops the widest kind Of berthl
Year: 1859

~The Ncks5uy Sun of the l4th,
inst, informs us that runaway negro
was caught at Black Hawk, few day,
ago with the hand ola white man in his
pocket. It is said the negro confessed
that he had exhumed the body, and Gu


the hand off the dead mans arm,to act a.
a sharm in keeping the dogs from follow


ing his track. and on the strength Of bis
confession he was hung. A white silk
glove was on the hand when it was found.
Year: 1859

H'The negroes over in Canada ara
said to be very insolent and overbearing
to the White Canadians, whom they
doubtless deem an inferior Grace" At
Windsor, the other day. aparty Of blacks
jostled couple of gentlemen from tho
side walk, and when one Of the latter
gently demonstrated, the leader of the ne.
groes drew knife and stabbed him. Tho
gentleman was not dangerously injured.
but the negro fed and no arrest was made.
Year: 1859

CATTLE KILLED BY EATING SoRaHuM.-
The independence Iowa) Guardian gives
an account OF the destruction Of seven
head Of cattle from eating the refuse Chi
nese sugar cane, after it had been CON-
pressed in the mill. The outer coating Of
the stalks is of very viterous character;
when thus broken up and taken in on the
stomach, it operates like broken glass. cut
ting, and in some cases penetrating entire
ly through the coats Of that organ, pro-
cling violent infamtion. A post mortem
examination in this case revealed this as
the cause Of death. This important fact
should be made known to every farmers as
it may be the means Of preventing Sc
rious destruction of their stock. a
Year: 1859

Our parson is one of the kind who gives the people the worth of their money, 50 he gets up pretty extensive sermons for such hot days.- Last Sunday sat till he got to llthly, and, by that time, got dry as contribution box so stepped out to get drink at the pump. The meeting house is on the corner, and the horses are hitched along on both sides.

 As went out, l saw something was on foot among the uags most of them had their ears back, and were showing their teeth, and stam- ping in any thing but religious mood. When I got my fluid down, stopped to investigate the disturbance among the horses, and as l knew horsc-latin, sat down on the steps to take notes. All were outside the rails and hitch- ing post in paved gutter, each beating a tattoo with quartette of iron hoofs, which l at first thought would be more profitable for the blacksmith and farrier, than for the own CT but as the owners were mostly rich, it was none of my business.

 The little Black reached his head over to the little Chestnut and whispered something /; when the Chestnut moved that the meeting be organized, by calling the Big Bay to the caair. This motion was carried, and the chairman proceeded to state the object of the meeting as follows:

 FELLOW HORSES We have now organized ourselves into a convention for the purpose o peaceably discussing our grievances, in accor dance with the republican character of our in alienable rights. We are brought from oul stables and pastures every Sunday, to be tiet up here, in this hot weather. upon a pavement
Year: 1859

PLEASURES FOR A CH1lD-BIessed be the hand that prepares pleasure for child, for there is no saying when and where it may bloom forth. Does not almost everybody re. member some kind hearted man who showed aim kindness in the day of his childhood :? The writer Of this recollects himself at this moment as barefooted lad, standing at the wooden fence of poor little garden in his native yil- lage with longing eyes he gazed on the flow CTS which were blooming there quietly on the brightness of a Sunday morning. The posses. sor came forth from his little cottage he was wood-cutter by trade, and spent the whole week at work in the woods. He had como into the garden to gather flowers to stick into his coat when he went to church. He saw the boy, and breaking off one of the most beautiful Of his carnations which was streaked with red and white, he gave it to him. Neither the giver nor receiver spoke word, and with bounding steps the boy ran home and now. here at distance from that home. after SO many events, after 50 many years, the feeling of gratitude which agitated the breast of that boy expresses itself oil paper. The carnation has long since withered, but it now blooms afresh .-Douglas JerroM.
Year: 1859

GENUINE COLUMBIAN COAL

 OIL. WY ARRANTED to give the best and cheapest W light of any Oil in use and Ten per cent. cheaper than Kerosene. Consumers of Coal Oil are invited to give it d trial, at
Year: 1859

are pleasant and good, and the gutturals
true tones, and as pleasant as such tones
can be. We are not sufficiently versed in
musical terms to tell what his lowest note
is, but it is the lowest note in the piano,
arranged upon the musical scale, or triple
G, as he calls it. His chest tones are excel
lent, and although Carl Formes may have
more power, his quality is no better, while
in lower notes hesgoes down out of sight"
of Carl Formes altogether We can give
no idea of his voice by any comparison,
for we have never heard voice with
which to compare it.


Of courses with such voice as this, the
owner is tempted to try tricks. The most
interesting of these was the application of
it to several purposes He began by sing
ing in delicate soprano the first lines of
+" Oft in the Silly night )" then, as he pro-
ceeded, he slid into alto, then into tenor,
then into base and then into the double
base," an octave below This finished the
tune, when he arose, and turning his back
to the audience, executed some excellent
feats of ventriloquism, and wound off by
initiating an old-fashioned spinning g-wheel
so perfectly that the assembly was thrown
into roars of laughter. He usually accom-
panies himself with melodeon, to which
he has added swell Of his own invention
that produces all the effects of the swell in
the organ. One of the most delightful of
his performances was solo on the cornet,
he playing it with one hand and accompa-
nying himself on the piano with the other.
Upon this instrument, and in this way, he
played few airs with great sweetness and
taste, and executed some very difficult va
riations The instrument itself has been
the subject of his improving hand, but in
what respect do not know Added to
all this, he plays the guitar and other in
struments, and is leader and teacher of
bands He seemed to take great deal
of interest in explaining his steam engine
to the company, and to be thoroughly
versed in mechanical matters.


This mans name is w. A. earns. He
was born, we think, in one of the Western
States, and has lived where he could get
chance He is of medium height, thick
set, modest in demeanor, interesting in
conversation, and has received an educa-
ton in some asylum for the blind, for
which he appears unboundedly grateful


He is now engaged in the invention of
some means by which the blind may be
enabled to have their regular newspapers,
and if anybody can accomplish SO benevo-
| lent result, he will do it.
Year: 1859

The "Springfeld Republican gives the
annexed interesting account of the remark
able achievements of blind genius now
living in Ludlow:


He is young man, twenty-four years
of age, who has been blind since he was
two years old, and who does not remem-
Der that he ever saw. The circumstances
which attended the loss of his vision are
almost too horrible for belief, yet we have
no reason to doubt them as they have been
related to us. His widowed mother mar
ried drunkard, and his step-father, con-
ceiving dislike against the child, under
took, when intoxicated, to put his eyes out.
Going farther in his diabolical purpose, he
was about to thrust a red-hot poker down
his throat, when the frightened but despe-
rate mother interfered and prevented it,
The child was then thrown down cellar,
where he lay all night, taking cold, which
so far aggravated the succeeding infam-
nation of the eyes, that the sclerotic coat
of each was burnt. OF all this he has no
memory, and blessed thing it is for him.
At nine years of age, he lost his mother,
and in that loss became perfectly friend
less. From that day to this, he has main
ly taken care of himself, and now, although
cheated by rascally agents, and laboring
under every possible disadvantage, has
money at interest


Now let us see what this man has
done. He is mechanic, and knows every
part of a steam engine as well as if he
could see. He is an engineer, and has not
only had charge of stationary engines, but
has run as an engineer on the Mad River
Railroad, in Ohio. OF course he ran with
a lookout, and between this lookout and
himself he had arranged series of abbre-
viations of language, SO that he could learn
from him the position of any object on the
track instantaneously. He was engineer,
let it be remembered, of passenger train
What is more remarkable than all is that
he has made beautiful little steam engine
with his own hands, so small that he can
carry the whole of it in his pocket, and get
up steam at pleasure. This might well
be considered accomplishment enough for
one blind man, but this is but begin
ming


He has a great genius for music, and
possesses voice which, in many charac-
teristics, is without doubt the most wonder
full voice in the world. On Tuesday eve
ming of the present week, he was invited
to aprivate house in this city to give an
exhibition Of his musical abilities, and a
few musical men and women were invited
in to hear him, all of whom will bear testi
mony to their astonishment and delight
We suppose that all musical people will
shrug their shoulders with incredulity
when we tell them that his voice has the
compass of FIVE octaves, yet such is the
fact that he demonstrated to this company
Of course the lowest notes are cultural, anc
the highest falsetto but the falsetto notes
Year: 1859

l might have slept some four or five
hours, and dreamless, unsatisfying sleep
it was but certain it is, let socialists say
what they will, and skeptics throw doubts
by handfuls on the assertions of metaphy-
sicians, that before l awoke, in my dream
less slumber, | had visible perception of
peril-a consciousness of the lowering
presence of death How to describe nv
feeling, know not but as we have all
read and heard that if the eyes of a watch
er be steadily fixed on the countenance of
a sleeper a certain length of time, the
slumberer will be sure to start up, weak
ened by the mysterious magnetism of re-
condite principle of lclairvoyance, so it
was that, with shut eyes and drowsed-up
senses, an inward ability was conferred
upon me to detect the living presence of
danger near me-to see through sleep
blind the formless shape of mysterious
horror crouching beside me and, as if the
peril that was my nightmare was of ma
ture to be quickened into fatal activity by
any motion on my part, felt in my very
stupor the critical necessity of lying quite
oeIAI- 30 IHdI Wucu l. dL ldSL dWOKe, ana
felt that, as lay with my face towards the
roof, a thick, heavy, cold, creeping thing
on my chest, stirred not, nor uttered a
word of panic.


Danger and fear may occasionally dull
the senses and paralyse the faculties, but
they more frequently sharpen both and
ere l could twice wink my eyes, I was
broad awake, and aware that, coiling itself
in circle of twists, an enormous serpent
was on my breast. When / tell you that
the whole of my chest and even the pit Of
my stomach was covered with the cold
scaly proportions of the reptile, you will
own that it must have been one of consid.
erable size. What my thoughts were, SC
much made up of adherence, dread and
speedy expectation may, assurance Of
speedy death that must follow any move
ment on my part-I can never hope to tel
in language sufficiently distinct and vivid
to convey full force. 1t was evident thai
the loathsome creature had at last settled
itself to sleep, and I felt thankful that, at
Year: 1859

What though the homespun suit he wears
Best suit to the sons of toll
What though no coarser food he fares,


And tends the loom, or tills the soil;
What though no gold-leaf gilds the tongue,
Devoted to congenial chat
fright prevails, and not the wrong


The man is none the worse for that.
What though within the humble cot,


No costly ornament is seen;
What though the wife possesses not


Her satin gowns of black and green;
What though the merry household band
Half naked fly to ball and bat
If conscience guide the head and heart,
The man is none the worse for that.
Truth is not a thing of dress


OF splendor, wealth, or classic lore;
Would that these trappings were loved less,
And honest worth was clung to more
Though pride may spurn the toiling crowd,
The tattered garb, the crownless hat,
Yet God and Nature cry aloud,


The man is none the worse for that.
Year: 1859

We can remember the time when we
imagined that ministers were invariably
distinguished by gravity of countenance
as immovable as the stony lineaments Of
the Egyptian Sphynx, or the brazen fea-
lures of the Colossus of Rhodes. But we
have long since learned that they are men
of like infrmities with others, and that
their subsection to the weakness of human
nature sometimes leads them into difficult
ty. We have heard the anecdote of the
minister whose gravity was overcome at
the sight of the ludicrous antics of the
man who had fallen asleep on the church
door, and had been upset by pugnacious
ram, who mistook his nodding for signal
of defiance, and charged upon him accord
ingly. The minister beheld the scene
through the open church door, and burst
into laughter in the midst of his sermon,
much to the astonishment of his hearers,
who could not understand the cause of his
mirth His modification was so great at
this untoward incident that he would nev-
ersagain enter the plupit.


In the Recollections of a Life Time,"
by S. G. Goodrich, we find related a circum-
stance of somewhat similar nature, which
he gives as follows


Once upon time there was a clergy
man, the Rev. DR.. IT,, a man of high char
acter, and distinguished for his dignity of
manner But it was remarked that fire.
quently, when ascending the pulpit stairs,
he would smile, and sometimes almost tit
ter, as if beset by an almost uncomfortable
desire to laugh. This excited remark, and
at last scandal finally, it was thought ne
cessary for some of his clerical friends, at
a meeting of the association, to bring up
the matter for consideration.


The case was stated, the Rev. DIR. t. be-
ing present. "Well, gentlemen" said he,
the fact charged against me is true, but /
beg you to permit me to offer an explana-
ton. A few months after / was licensed
to preach, was in a country town, and on
a Sabbath morning was about to enter up
on the service of the church. Back Of the
pulpit was a window, which looked upon
a field of clover, then in full bloom, for it
was Summer AS ] rose to commence the
reading of the Scripture, 1 cast a glance
into the field, and there saw man per-
forming the most extraordinary evolutions,
jumping, whirling, slapping in every di-
rection, and with ferocious agony of ex-
ertion. At first / thought he was mad
but suddenly the truth burst upon me
he had 6ssttoned up q humble bee as has
aautaloonse! / am constitutionally nerv-
Gus, gentlemen, and the shock of this scene
upon my risable sensibilities was SO great
that l could hardly get through the SER
vice. Several times was on the point of
bursting into laugh. Even to this day,
the remembrance of this scene-through
the temptation Of the devil-often comes
upon me as / am ascending the pulpit.
This, | admit, is a weakness, but trust it
will excite your sympathy and prayers
rather than your reproaches."


The idea of the situation of man hav-
ing humble bee in his pantaloons, al
though, doubtless, somewhat unpleasant to
the unfortunate sufferer, is SO intensely lu-
dicrous to an unconcerned observer that
we do not wonder that the gravity of the
good doctor was overcome by tn Y.
J Chronicle.
Year: 1859

Being adrift in Valparaiso, many years
ago, l heard Of an old brig that wanted
hands. called upon the captain, and was
received without question or delay.


On going on board, | discovered, after
some research, that she was called the Bio
Bio. The natives called her BlancO, be-
cause she was entirely black. | found on
board this old vessel one seaman, who had
been boatswain in the Chilian service,
and had made himself scarce without per-
mission from headquarters. There was
also mate, pretty tough knot, who did
not care for trifes. These two, with my
self, constituted the whole executive de-
partment. Both vessel and rigging were
very old and rotten, and Notwithstanding
his great desire to leave the port, the said
boatswain left us on the day after ship
ped. / heard soon afterward, that he was
unwilling to risk his life in the old vessel


The Bio Bio was bound to Talcahuana
port which lay few hundred miles tc
the south of us.


That the Bio Bio should put to sea with
only one seaman, the mate, and captain
was hardly to be expected. Accordingly,
while we were riding out norther, five OF
six cholarS or natives were brought on
board. | soon found that they were total
ly Ignorant of seamanship, pretty sure
prognostic that / should belong to two
watches at once. Accordingly, during the
passage, was called up at night whenever
it was necessary to shorten sail; not even
top-gallant sail could be hauled without
me.


At length we reached Talcahuaua, where
we discharged our cargo, and took in a load
of wheat in bulk, the bottom and sides of
the vessel being lined with mats. We al
so had some lumber on deck. This
brought the old brig down very low in the
water.


Before we sailed, the native cholars were
discharged, and several Englishmen were
taken on board who wished to work their
way to Valparaiso.


About the time of sailing, | had also OBJ
served negro sauntering about the decks.
ne was exceedingly black, with broad,
pony face, and very strongly knit
frame.


We had no sooner put to sea than the
wind freshened The seas broke over the
torecastle continually, and running down
the skuttle, rendered the fore part of the
vessel untenantable. The captain accord
lngly gave us quarters in his cabin, though
the water sometimes flowed in there and
washed US from one side to the other in
our sleep. Before we had made half the
passage, regular gale came on. We
were Obliged to take in every rag of sail