smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1869

From the st. Louis Dispatch, 5th,l


In the winter OF 1862 or 1853, j. Wilkes
Booth, the assassin, was playing a star
engagement at Mr.. Ben DeBar's Opera
House in this city. Coming down one
morning to rehearsal, he had occasion tc
enter picture-gallery and artist empo.
rum for the purpose of procuring some
paint or face dye, either for himself or
some other of the actors.


After purchasing what he wanted, be
was retiring from the store, when bis eye
caught plaster bust of President Lin =
coin, which was being exhibited for sale.
The sight Of it appeared to arouse his in.
dignation, and to stir him up to a high
degree of rage, 80 much so, indeed, that
he cursed both it and its original in the
most violent strains. He worked himself
into such passion that, walking over to
the bust, he struck it a violent blow in the
face, knocking off piece from over its
eyes, and so severely injuring his own
hand that it bled profusely, and he was
obliged to wrap ahandkerchiefaroun it.


No notice was taken Of the act. and
Booth left the store for the theater, the
owner of the bust picking up the frag-
ment which had been knocked off and
gluing it on so dexterously that the in
jury done it could not be detected.


Years passed on, and one morning in
April the country was shaken to its CEN
ter as no other piece of intelligence had
ever shaken it before-that the President
had been shot in Ford's theater in Wash
ington by J. Wilkes Booth. The nation
went into mourning for its Chief Magis-
trate, and, wherever his remains could
not be actually honored, mock funerals
were held. Such funeral was kept in
St. Louis the city went into mourning
and the courthouse was draped with black.
A bust of the President was placed in the
courthouse, and it was observed that
from over one Of the eyes piece of the
material had been broken off. This bust
was the same one which Booth had mu-
tilated, and the piece which was at the
same time replaced was afterward re.
moved where the same hand which struck
it off struck down its original.


We do not know into whose possession
the bust has passed, but doubtless who
ever owns it would not now part with it
for any consideration. The above anec-
dote in reference to il was recently re-
lated to US BY well known gentleman of
this city, who was present when Booth
struck the image, and as we do not think it
has ever been told before, we publish it on
his authority.
Year: 1869

The Brownsville Ranchero says that
one of those barbarous .acts, the execu-
tior of witches, was recently consum-
mated in the town of Ahsultecco, dis
trict of Matamoras, State of Puebls, a
woman was hung and burned, said to be
a witch; another woman was hogged
most cruelty for the same offense, the son
of the latter figuring among those who
hogged her. The mere anuunciation of
this deed needs no comment, filling with
shame and sorrow and covering with
dread the defenders and perpetrators of
the crime. The following are the ver-
siops of the affair: Regarding the 6rst,
which was communicated to the press,
the missing of an OK was the cause of the
tragedy. A woman who professed to be
q witch, was asked to reveal the where
abouts Of the animal, which she failed to
do; she was taken and hung to the tree,
shot at, and then plunged into the flames
until she expired. The body was buried
in the cemetery, but on the following
day was exumed by order of the curate of
the town, who protested against having
the remains of witch inferred
in consecrated ground. The husband of
the unfortunate woman hid himself, fear
ing that be might be made to share the
same fate. The Mayor of the city had
not only authorized this proceeding, but
had also been the principal perpetrator.
According to the second narrative, which
emanates from the Governor of Puebls,
man by the name of Manuel Bojan,
anxious to know if Maria Clara Austasis
was a witch, took her out to the outskirts
of the town and beat her severely Here
he was Joined by four other individuals,
and to make the unfortunate woman con-
fess her supposed crime, they hung her
to tree, at first by the arms and then by
the neck. Being thus tortured, Maria
Clara admitted that she was witch, and
denounced two other women as her ac-
complies, after which she soon expired.
The perpetrators weht in search of the
other two women. but one of them was
bravely defended by her husband. The
other was taken out and hogged by the
party, and among the number was her
own son, Manuel Rojsn. The Governor
of Puebla has taken the necessary meas
ures to have the perpetrators of this hor.
rible crime punished.
Year: 1869

From the Detroit Free Press.l


1t is a marvel to considerate men how
the administration is 10 stem the current
of disapprobation that is flowing in upon
it from every quarter. No other one that
has ever been inaugurated has, in so short
time, created such degree of distrust
and condemnation among its party
friends. Turn which way you may, the
voice of condemnation comes up from
the leaders of the party that made Grant
President of the United States They
more or less denounee most of his ap-
pointments as unfit 10 be made, while
they do not spare the man who has made
them. Their dispeasure is expressed in
words neither mild nor polite. That
Grant, as Executive, is worse than q
failure, they admit. There are those
whose wishes he has regarded in making
appointments, who yet speak in his praise,
but they are few in number and OF
little influence. The clamor of condem-
nation rises above the faint words OF
praise. General Grant has neither the
nerve nor the ability Of Andrew Johnson,
and hence cannot carry on an admins.
tration without party. He cannot stand
up and meet the force OF condemnation
which his own party friends are bringing
to bear against him. BE must either be-
come the abject, plant tool of the Radi-
cal leaders, or else continue to blunder
as he has blundered from the beginning,
and finally be elected from office through
an impeachment, not fiasc6, One OF
the other he has got to submit to. Had
he taken a sensible, conservative and
judicious course in the beginning, the
Democracy of the country might have
defended him in the proper discharge Of
his duties, but vbet party cannot touch
his gift enterprise management or his
shameful nepotism. he must stand or
fall with his party, and then pass into that
obseurity from which he will never be
recalled, leaving to history an admins
trativs record remarkable only for its
imbecility and pusillanimity, as well as
an utter want of purpose.
Year: 1869

rangements. Such conduct cannot be too
severely condemned. Certainly COM
mon courtesy demands in all such cases,
without exception, that the parties inte-
rested should be consulted before they
are announced as active participants in
any popular meeting, and the appropria-
ton of any ones name, without giving
him q chance to accept or decline the
honor, is, to use the mildest language,
simply impertinent It lis time that pub
lie opinion should frown down all such
acts of kleptomania, which are the more
annoying because they are not within the
reach of the law. If the real friends of
Cuban independence wish to benefit their
cause in this locality they must keep it
out of the hands of designing politicians
of the Radical persuasion, who eagerly
seize upon such occasions to grind their
own axes, and never lose sight of their
own interests in their pretended zeal for
the cause of humanity and truth.
Year: 1869

Musical news naturally grsvitates
toward the London Orchestra, the
leading authority in music in England.
Two or three correspondents of that
journal tell some stories of singing
mice. One writes:


1.-THE existence of these little animals,
especially in domestic dwellings, is by
most people regarded as mythical, though
they are spoken of by writer's on Nat
urai History. Last night, however, |
had an auracular evidence Of the fact.
About eleven o'clock was called down
to the basement floor OF my house to hear
a singing mouse From the corner of one
of the kitchens, where there was mouse
hole came a song such as one would hear
from q we'll trained canary bird, though
in greatly subdued tones. They were
soft and sweet beyond description, and
the notes perfect and continuous, not a
discord among them, and often accom-
panied by delicious trilling. For full
ten minutes my daughters and | stood
listening to the music with absolute
astonishment and delight, so clear and
exquisite was it. How much longer it
might have continued to sing, we know
not, for we left it while yet warbling."


Another says:


About twelve months since we had
singing mouse in my house at South Nor
wood, and evening after evening be used
TO amuse Us with his delicate little
whistling in different parts Of the house.
| set a trap in one of his hsunts, and
caught him early one evening. He was
allowed to remain there, and continued
singing in the trap for upward of an
hour. On examining him found him of
a slightly different color to the common
mouse, being more inclined to brown
ish fawn color, and the skin soft and
silky; the nose was short, and the eyes
brilliantly black and bead-like."


And here is the explanation, from cor
respondent No. g.:


1.-THE most Trustworthy explanation of
the singing mouse phenomenon is that
the supposed gifted little musician is in
reality the victim to disease caused by
tke presence OF a worm, probably eysfi-
eercus .fdsciotdris, inhabiting its liver.
The irritation caused by the presence Of
this parasite brings on repeated attacks
Of coughing, the sound of which, through
the tiny trachea of a mouse, closely re-
sembles chirping or whistling."
Year: 1869

The Newark Press contains the fol-
lowing exposition of what Mark Twain
terms "a Wicked Fraud" perpetrated
on him during his recent lecturing visit
to this city: or rNe .DR


1t is seldom pleasant to tell on ones
self, but sometimes it is SORT Of relief to
man to make sad confession. wish
to unburden my mind now, and yet | al
most believe that am moved to do it
more because l love to bring censure up
on another man than because / desire to
pour balm upon my wounded heart.
don't know what balm is, but believe it
is the correct expression to use in this
connection, never having seen any balm.
You may remember that | lectured in
Newark lately for the young gentlemen
of the Clayonian Society? / did at any
rate. During the afternoon of that day
/ was talking with one of the young gen.
tlemen just referred to, ar he said he
had an uncle who, for s,ome cause or
other, seemed to have grown permanent
ly bereft of all emotion. And with tears
in his eyes, this young man said:


"Oh, if / could only see him laugh
once more Oh, if could only see him
weepW


/ was touched. l could Rever with
stand distress. said


Bring him to my lecture. I'll start
him for you"


"Oh, if You could but do it, If you
could but do it, all ur family would bless
you forevermore-fo for be is very dear to
me. Oh, my benefactor, can you make
him laugh Carr you bring soothing
to those parched orbs p


/ was profoundly moved. / said:


My son, bring me the old party
around. l have got some jokes in that
lecture that will make him laugh if there
ia any laugh in him, and if they miss fire
have got some others that'll make him
cry or kill him, one or the other"


Then the young man blessed me, and
wept upon my neck, and blew his nose
upon my coat tail, and went after his
uncle. He placed him in full view, in
the second row of benches that night,
and l began on him. / tried him with
mild jokes, then with severe ones; |
dosed him with bad jokes and riddled
him with good ones; fred old stale
jokes into him, and peppered him fore
and aft with red hot new ones; / warmed
up to my work, and assaulted him on the
right and left, in front and behind; /
fumed and sweated, and charged and
rsnted, till / was hoarse and sick, frantic
and fnrious-but never moved him once,
never started smile or tear Never
a ghost of smile, and never suspicion
of moisture | was sstounded. | closed
the lecture at last with one despairing
shriek-with one wild burst of humor-
and hurled a joke of supernatural atrocity
full at him. 1t never phased him Then
sat down bewildered aud exhausted.


The president of the society came up
and bathed my head in cold water, and
said: What made you carry on so
toward the last ?"


said II was trying to make that con-
founded old fool laugh in the second
row."


And he said: swell, you were wasting
your time-because he is deaf and dumb,
and as blind as badger"


Now was that any way for that old
mans nephew to impose on a stranger
and an orphan like me2 / simply ask
you, as q man and brother, if that was
any way for him to do?


MARX TWAIN.
Year: 1869

the morning until noon. This announce
ment is posted up in all conspicuous
places about the headquarters, and it is
understood to be inflexible and of gen.
eral application. When these rules
are broken it is usually done in the case
of some prominent officer or citizen who
supposes that rules and regulations were
never intended to control his or her
movements, and who insist on being an
nounced with such lofty disregard of
regulations, saying, 81 think he the
General will see me" that nothing less
than downright incivility would suffice to
turn an applicant away unsatisfied.
When once broken, the rule limiting the
hours for visitors gradually falls out Of
practice until renewed. This order, the
General has explained, is meant for
everybody, so the morning viii be de-
voted to talking and the afternoon to
writing Wash Cor. New YorkHvaM.
Year: 1869

LONG CREEK, Sept. 18th, 1869.


Dear .Joacrnol Taking a sensible inter
est in the agricultural welfare of thiA Sec
ton, propose in this communication to
fully describe a plant-the spontaneous
production of this conntry-an of great
utility in the improvement of poor and
exhausted land. / shall describe it as the
maggotty bean. In Maryland and Virginia
they SOW pint of the beans with every
bushel of oats. The oats ripen and are
cut in July, at time when the young
beans are small end escape the injury of
the scythe. The beans flower in August
and September. In October the leaves fall
off, the seeds ripen, and the pod opens
with such elasticity as to scatter the beans
some distance around. The year follow
beans, which sprout early, are all destroyed
with the plough or hoe, but the more nu-
merous part not making their appearance
above ground until the corn is laid by,
spring up unhurt by the instruments of
agriculture, and furnish seed for the en-
suing year, when the field is again sOwed
in oats The ground is alternately oulti-
vated with corn and oats annually, and in
the course of eight or ten years 30 greatly
improved that without any other manure
than the mouldered leaves and stalks of
the beans falling on it, the produce Will
be three barrels to the acre, in such land
as prior to this management would not
have produced moro than one. This oc-
ours from the quick monldering of the
leaves and stalks of the bean plant, and its
aptitude to mingle and unite with the
earth, without undergoing fermentation.
Thus the soil is yearly and gradually en-
riched by this easy process of nature with
out the labor and expense Of accommodating
animal and vegetable matters, to undergo
the tedions operations of fermentation and
putrefaction, by which the dissolution of
these substances is effected, and they fitted
for manure in the usual way.


am clearly of opinion that our COM
mon corn field pea will prove equally us
useful. Every farmer who leaves his pen
vines in tho ground and does not in the
accustomed manner pull them up for fod
der, must have observed that they quickly
moulder and fall to pieces; furnishing a
covering to the ground, which readily
unites and blends with it in the manner
mentioned of the bean.


If piece of exhausted land, sufficiently
level to prevent its washing away with the
rain, be annuity cultivated in peas. leaving
the stalks and leaves to moulder and
crumble to pieces upon it, the ground will
improve beyond expectation, the crop Of
peas increasing every year, and the soil
becoming richer and richer without any
other manure Poor ground might, by
this management alone, be made rich
enough to produce good tobacco.


"GLAUCUs."
Year: 1869

Through the courtesy of the proprietors
OF the New York Commercial and Finan-
cial Chronicle, we received last evening
advance sheets of the issue of that journal
for Saturday, September 18, containing its
annual statement of the cotton crop. The
Chronicle, we are satisfied, has now more
extended and complete facilities for gather
ing prompt and accurate commercial sta
tics than are enjoyed by any paper in
America; and as its tables arc invariably
prepared with great fairness and care, we
arc inclined in this instance to place more
confidence in its figures than in those of
any othor authority. Below we give the
main points of the Chronicles statement,
which, it will be seen, differs in several
important particulars from the estimates
that have already been given:
Year: 1869

The months CT July and August are the
best in the year in which to look for or
purchase a farm. At this season one can
Judge whether the land can, or does, pro-
duce good crops, for, If it is rich, the
waving grain will show the fact, and, if
there is an abundance of choice frnit, it
can be seen at this time to the best adj
vantage. The low lands will show whether
they are really dry enough for pastures in
summer, and the upland its capacity for
withstanding drouth.


Summer is also very good time to view
the never failing spring and the trout pond
near by, and a draught from one and a
lunch from the other are attractions which
those who possess them seldom fail to be
stow upon those who are likely to become
purchasers. Even the weeds on II farm will
assist man in determining its value, for,
if nothing but stunted rag weed and five
finger are to be seen, then the land may be
put down as poor indeed but if burdocks
and catnip abound in it, it shows strength
to produce crops of higher order.


The pasture and meadow. orchard and
garden, oil show what they are and what
may be expected Of them, in these months
but, earlier or later, the aapcct mny
change. In tho spring the trees have not
shown leaves, flowers or fruit the roads
arc muddy, if ever, and the distance from
the railroad station to the farm appears
much greater than it actually is, especially
to stranger In autumn the leaves are
turning yellow, the grain has been gather
ed, and the dry stubbIe is oil that remains,
and the fruits are nearly gone; still the
air is fresh and landscape glowing with
autumn tints--but the valuable products
OF q farm are mainly ont OF sight, being
stored in the barn or in the proprietor'a a
pocket. Eg
Year: 1869

pounds per day, which is worth from one
to one and half dollars per pound. This
shows that enterprise and ingenuity can
extract gold from the hitherto worthless
Sassafras stumps of our old fields


GaEChprv
Year: 1869

has been remarkably favorable to the of the
movement, but one church having cast majority of
votes against its adoption, while in one other only
was there tie. The only church in this city which
has voted upon the question is Nazareth on
Thirteenth street, below Vine which held an election
Monday evening, resulting in 40 votes in favor to
32 against. On Friday evening elections will be held
in several other churches in different parts of the
city. The following is a general summary OF the
vote in all the churches throughout the country
which have thus far voted upon the question:
Year: 1869

PoLITIcs AND NEwsPAPERs.-Th
Shasta Courier comes to the conclusion
that the people of that county are tired of
politics, as over third of the registered
voters did take interest enough in the cleo
ton to go to the polls and VOTE This be-
ing the case, it proposes to devote its col
umns to such local and general subjects as
the public take an interest it. This is a
sensible conclusion. Ifparty organs de-
vote less of their space to politics, the
papers would be more sought and read by
the public. Subjects that people talk
about, in ordinary conversation are the
subjects they like to read about in papers
and as not one-twentieth of ordinary con-
versation is on the subject of politics, it
follows that one-twentieth of the reading
matter of a newspaper can be devoted to
politics without injuring its circulation.


Nevada Gazette.
Year: 1869

SUMNER FREIGHr ARRANGEMENT,-Yeste


day the summer freight arrangement on, the


Grand Trunk road went into effect, by which


no freight cars will be allowed to stand ON
Commercial street and unload, although they
may be switched down on to the wharves.
This is owing to the number of extra passenger
trains passing over the street during the sea-
son. When the rush of summer travel is over
the old arrangement will come in force again.
Year: 1869

Stick a piece of bread about
as large as your finger into the
butter, when til put on the
table, and not a fly will touch
the butter, though they may
crawl around on the bread
After a few minutes they will
leave the butter altogether,
Now tell us why, ye phileso,
pliers. lll ~
Year: 1869

NEVER Intentionally wound
the Feelings of anybody. q The
good opinion of the world is
the very best kind you Ican
have, and the mcre the better.
The man or woman d who says
he OF she doesn't care a pin
what thecworld thinks or says,
gives utterance to what they
know is absolutely falsec I'VE
do care, and it is we'll we do;
and those are gravely mistaken
who say they do not. sS yirsIq
Year: 1869

A GERMAN gardner in New
Jersey puts a tub partly filled
with potash water, or very
strong soap suds, under his
plum trees. On the water floats
a small candle fastened to a
block. The light is near the
water, and as the insects fly
near it, many of them dip
their wings and are drowned.
Year: 1869

Two citizens of Jackson,
Mississippi, having gone on a
fishing expedition on the Pearl
river, found themselves at tho
end Of the second day at Madi.
sOnville, without money. In.
curing for the Sheriff of the
county, they told him that they
had escaped from the pcniten.
tiary at Jackson; thatthey had
nothing to eat and that they
had come to him to give them>
selves up The Sheriff, think
ing that he would be rewarded,
took them back to Jackson,
and went to the keeper of The
prison and told him how he
came by the prisoners. His
scorn and indignation may be
imagined at finding himself
the victim of a practical joke.
Year: 1869

If we bury thermometer fifty feet
below the surface of the earth the
mercury will remain at the same point
the year round, in winter and summer,
showing that the influence of the sun
does not reach below that depth. If
we carry the thermometer fifty feet
lower, the mercury will rise one de-
gre, and will rise in the same ratio for
every fifty feet we go down. 1t can
be easily calculated at what depth all
known substances will melt. This
would not exceed fifty miles. 1t will
thus be seen that the crust, or solid
part, of the earth is very thin in pro-
portion to the diameter; not so thick
as an egg shell in proportion to the size
of the egg. With crust SO thin, con-
stantly cooling. and producing pres
sure upon the internal masses, it is not
strange that the beds of oceans should
be elevated and form dry land, and
continents should sink and form the
beds of oceans. Large mountains have
been elevated in a single day, and
whose cities have been sunk in the same
space of time. The side of volcanic
mountain once broke away, and the
livid masses flowed out, forming river
twelve miles wide, which in its course
melted down six hills six hundred feet
high, filling up valleys six hundred
feet deep, and spreading over sur
face of eleven hundred square miles
DR.. Poynton.
Year: 1869




FELoNs ON THE FINGER.-Many per-
sons are liable to extreme suffering
from felons on the finger. These af-
flictions are not only very painful, but
not unfrequently occasion permanent
Gripping of the member affected. The
following simple concoctiou is recon-
mended as sure cure for the distress
ing ailment: Take common rock salt,
such as is used for sailing down pork
and beef, dry it in an oven, then pound
it fne and mix it with spirits of tur-
pentine in equal parts. Put it on a
rag, wrap it around the. thumb, and as
it gets dry put on some more, and in
twenty-four hours, we are assured, the
felon will be dead.