smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1867

SURFACE MANURING. I believe in il.
l cherish the belief that surface manurjps
is the way to manure. Every farmer aims
to enrich his farm. Let me tell him in .
few plain words how to do it, and then,
after reading this plan, let him think over
his past experience in farming and see if


Apply manure chiefly to your tillags
lands while in grass. by so doing you
produce strong, stiff sward, filled with
grass roots. Ifthese roots are of clover.
so much the better. If you succeed id
growing good crop Of grass Gu poor
soil you have done two thinys-lnade your
land much better and gained good crop.
AS soon, or before the soil begins to show
signs of failure, plow or manure again. II
YOU plow, you have wealth of grass roots
decaying for the food of growing crops
Re seed before the land gets exhausted.
and do it bountifully. If you scrimp and
starve elsewhere, don't do it when seed
ing to grass. Aim to havea sward as early
as possible. To accomplish this YOU should
seed literally. When the sward is formed
you have another crop Of manure to plow
under In seeding land it is better not to
be confined to one kind of grass. In this
manner lands may be managed for centur-
les without material deterioration.


As a farther argument in favor ofsurfacs
manuring l mention that it is Natures
way. The soil is on the top of the earth.
irrigation deposits its fertilizing elements
on the surface, Manure applied to the
surface is acted upon by the light, heat and
rains-ts elements are much more slowly
evolved in the earth than ON the surface.
Every farmer should investigate this sub


ect for himself and make his own conclu-
sions.- Western RUrat.
Year: 1867

The proverb, "The gray mare is the
better horse. " as applied to known cases
of wife governlncnt, is said to have origin
ated in the following occurrence


A gentleman who had seen the world,
one day gave his eldest son span of
horses, chariot and basket of eggs
DO you, said he to the boy. travel up
on the high road until you come to the
first house in which is "a married couple.
II you find that the husband is the master
there, give him one of the horses. If, on
the contrary, the wife is the ruler, give
her an egg. Return at once if YOU part
with Il horse, but do not come back so
long as you keep beth horses and there is
an egg remaining.


Away went the boy. full of his mission
and just beyond the borders Of his fathers
estate 10 . IA modest cottage. He aiighted
from his chariot and knocked at the door
The good wife opened it for him aud cour,
t syed.


is your husband at home ,


NO; but she could call him from the
hay y-icld.


In he came, wiping his hrows. The
young man told hul his GRAND.


why, says the vie, bridling and roll
liiS Tue corner Vi Hcr apron. Il always 40
as John wants me to do he is my master:
amt you, John J!


Then. said the boy, Il am to give you
horse which will YOU take


Il think, said John, 'as how that bay
gclding seems to be the one as would suit
me the best.


If we have choice. husband, said
the wife, i think the gray mare will suit
us best.


M, replied John, the bay horse for
me he is the more square i'll front, and
his legs are better.
We'll, sand the wife, \ don't think so
the gray mare is the better horse, and
shall never be contented unless | get that
one,


We'll said John, if your mind is set
ON it I'll give up; We'll take the gray
mare.


Thank you seid the boy, allow me to
give you an egg from this basket it is nice
fresh one, and you can boil it hard or soft,
as your wife will allow.


The rest of the story you can imagine
the young man came home with both
horses, but not an egg remaining in the
basket.
Year: 1867

We take pleasure in lying before readers cut of
the GREATEST LABOR SAVING MACHINES in
use upon the Farm. D. M. DUNHAM, has spent


much time and money in perlectng these


hoes, and he spares time


money in making them
He thousand and sold them last year, and the demad
increasing every year. in fact afford to be without
Year: 1867

Nor VALID.-After the passage of the Louisiana secession ordinance. and while the Government was unable to protect its interests, over one million dollars were paid by the mercantile firms of the city of New Orleans to the rebel authorities as duty on goods in tho bonded warehouse there prior to secession. The records of the whole transaction, with description of the goods and the names of the parties in- terested, have come into the possession of the Government, and the Treasury Department has recently sent an agent to that city with instructions to collect the import duties in question for the benefit of the United States-the pay ment to the rebel authorities being iu- valid. It is stated that one firm will have over one hundred thousand dol lars to pay.
Year: 1867

We learn with no small degree oi pleasure that the prejudice existing in various portions of the county against the establishment of District Court at this place is giving away. The peo. pie, looking at this matter considerate. ly. can easily see that it is for the good of the whole county. The country ir and around Des Arc is well settled, and that, too, with class of people who have much business at the variou, courts. To be as inaccessible as they arc now is great Inconvenience, which can alone be remedied by this court We have spoken of it's advantages be. fore, and again take occasion 10 say that this measure will not at all inter. fere with the hopes or wishes of those in extreme portions of the county while it will be a convenience and ben eft to those on this side of the prairie The election will be holden on the 9th of July next, and every voter in the county should divcst himself of preju- dice and vote for this measure, which cannot possibly do hurt to anybody, and will, to say the least, do much for the county
Year: 1867

Ar THEIR WoRK.-Thc Brandon Miss, Republican is informed th.sst the Radicals in Rankin conn..y warn the negroes, if they d3 not register and vote the Blea Republican ticket, they will not be permitted to live in the county; that squad of soldiers would be sent to hunt them up, who would run their bayonets through all such as refused to follow their course. The same scoundrels tell the ignorant blacks that Congress Is going to cut up the large plantations into small ones, giv- ing each Freedman farm. If that is not sufficient induccment to vote the Radical ticket, the poor devils are to be driven from inc country at the point of the bayonet.- Memphis Ledger,
Year: 1867

Political excitement seems to be at low figure in the older States. Eve rything is quiet save in Tennessee, where Etheridge is bombarding Brownlow with the same artillery that the preacher politician used on Prync years ago. Elsewhere the people are busily engaged in making bread and meat, and have no time for political disturbances.
Year: 1867

The people of Arkansas are proving their wisdom in the field not upon the field of battle, but in the field where honest labor and firm perseverance never goes unrequited. For years they have bowed before the throne of king cotton and acknowledged his su- premacy. But now they are awaken ing, they see the extremes to which this allegiance to cotton has carried the people, and are determined to break the spell that has bound them and serve this cruel master no longer. Let us look upon his work for few years past and sec what he has done for us. He has demanded our constant atten- tion in the field, has eaten up our sub stance by compelling us in our fidelity to him to eschcw corn, and hence buy meat and bread, for which our lands in many cases, and our crops in more, had to mortgaged in advance; has reduced ns from honest independence to entire dependence-made us dependent upon tho merchant for our meat and bread at the merchants price, and upon the buyer to price our cotton at his pleas ure. These things could not always last; the people of Arkansas arc fast learning that cotton is the most despot- ic of all monarchs, and everywhere are giving indications that they will not longer be ruled by him. Hundreds of acres of the best land in the State that last year were planted in cotton, are now covered with corn; and we hear from many quarters of farmers regret ting that they planted any cotton at all. The people see that their policy is to raise corn, make at home their meat and bread. and thus raise themselves above that dependence to which cotton has subjected them. The power of cotton is waning fast in this section and more than once have we heard the prediction that in less than ten years Prairie county will not raise fifty bales of cotton. It is as it should be, corn is triumphing, and under his reign pros- perity will smile upon us and we will be permitted to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

 <
Year: 1867

In accordance with an old and time honored custom there will be no paper issued from this office next week. The printers claim one week during the year in which the season will admit their taking little recreation, in fish ing, hunting, or some otheramusement that will vary the monotony of the composing room.
Year: 1867

The Registers have closed their work at this point and gone to other pre- cincts in the county. Everything at this place passed off quietly, there be- ing 22l persons registering, 7S ofwhom were colored. Now when we consider that the voting white population of White River township is considerably more than the whole number regis tered, the inquiry very naturally sug- gcsts itself, why did not all register that could. Many men have persua- ded themselves that all has been done that can be done, and any effort that they may make to secure citizenship or save the State from extreme radical of persons we honestly differ, to us it was and is clearly the duty of every man to register and secure the voice of one man, at least, when we arc called upon at the ballot box to test the questions which, in a short while, will be submitted to us. The question, or more properly the electlon, Which will first follow registration, is one of vast importance to every individual citizen ofthe State of Arkansas. Whether or not we will have n convention to ac- cept the conditions of the reconstruc- ton bill is grave question, and should be seriously studied by every citizen, A convention to reject is convention for no purpose. The question with us is, shall we by our voice accept that which we have so long rejected, or shall we remain as we are. We have sufficient confidence in the people of Arkansas 10 believe that we write the sentiment of the whole State when we say, no convention for us.
Year: 1867

In New England an entcrprising citizen has invented and patented a knitting machine, said to be the most perfect yet brought before the public. It will knit fifty pair of stockings in a day, and is so simple that a child can work it.
Year: 1867

course, checked; but so short was the
interval, 80 great had been the impetus
that it seemed almost impossible to pre-
vent the whole train from geing over in
to the chasm- Had the rails been I'm the
least degroe slippery, any Of the brakes
out of order, or the driver less deter
mined, there would then have occurred
the most fearful railway accident ever
known in England; but by dint of quick
decision and cool courage the danger
was averted.; the train was brought to
standstill when the buffers of the engine
absolutely and literally hung over the
chasm. Three wards more. and differ
ent result might have had to he chron-
icled.


''Some of my readers may remember
an incident in railway history which
dates hack TO our first great exhibition


| mention if here for lis singulariiy, and
for my having known the driver whose
GOODNESS was so marked In ascending
a very long gradient, the hindermost car
riages Of the train snapped their coup
hngs when at the top; the engine ratified
on with the remainder, while these ran
down the slope, which was several miles
in length, with velocity which of course
increased every mun,lil- To make mat
tiers wOrse, the tram next un the same
line was comparatively close behind,
and, in fact, shortly came in sight. The
driver of this second train, = watchful
and experienced hand, SAW the carriages
rushing towards him, and OWNED that
they were on the same line. Ii he con-
tlnued steaming on, Of course, in a oou-
pie of minutes he would come in direct
collision with them, while, on the other
hand. if he ran hack, the carriages would
probably Gather such WAY, that they
would leap from the hank 10, with
great presence of mind. and wonderful
lud dgment OF speed, lac ran hack AT pace
not quite as fast as the carriages were
approaching, so that eventually they oy-
ertook him, and struck his moving ell
gine with blow thai was scarcely more
peroeptible than The jar usually commu-
nicated by coupling On a fresh carriage


When this WAS done, all the rest WAS
easy; he resumed his down Journey, and
pushed ihe frightened passengers safely
before him until they reached their des-
tination, where the officials, rs max
readily be supposed, were in stale OF
frantic despair at the loss OF half the
train.


"These anecdotes could he multiplied
to almost any extent. as could the gloomy
Vet STRANGELY fascinating record of aeci-
dents 20 the men.'
Year: 1867

o the weary, solemn silence
OF house without the children:
OF the strange. oppressive stiffness


Where the children come no more;
All. the longing of the sleepless
For the soft arms of the children,
All. the longing for the faces


Peeping though the opening door
Faces gone for evermOre.
Strange it is to wake at midnight
And not hear the children breathing,
Nothing but the old clock ticking.


Ticking, ticking by the door;
Strange to see the little dresses
hanging up there all the morning;
And the gaiters-ah. their patter.


We will hear it nevermore


On our mirth-fOrsaken floor!
What is home without the children:
'Tis the earth without the verdure.
And the sky without the sunshine;


Life is withered to the core,
SO we'll leave this weary desert.
And we'll follow the Good Shepherd
TO the greener pastures vernal.


Where the lambs have gone before
With the Shepherd evermore.
y the weary. solemn silence
OF house without the children.
. the strange, oppressive stiffness


Where the children come no more,
All. the longing of the sleepless
For the soft arms of the children;
.ih. the longing for the faces


Peeping through the opening door
Faces gone for evermOre.
Year: 1867

dresi would be very large and rather nconveniepI to
explain.


Overcrowding the Omnibuses.


on this hackneyed subject ssR writes US a long COM
municaton Touching the complaint he says
1T abomnable that the police do compel drivers
TO conne the NUMBER OF passengers TO ts proper limit
If a stage than its legal complement let the po-


lice arrest the driver and send homo the omnibus This
would soon stop the evil"


Pawnbroixerss Extorli0ns.


Clarke calls attention to the abuses which he AYERS
pactised on the poor by tha pawnbrokers He
says:"Thousands in this city suffer daily by their ra.
pacous acts and the perpetrators allowed TO 20
punished because their victims would consider it dis
grace to have 1t become publicly known that they had
10 resort to pawnshop for relief Pawnbrokers al
lowed by the city ordinance to take at the rate of
twenty-five per cent per annum they actually de-
inand and take Tor exact) from their victims seldom
The rate Of less than five hundred per cent interest
ana In most cases interest at the rate of ten
thousand per cent He then instances where q
poor widow lady compelled pawn her silk dress
every Monday morning, redeeming It the following
Saturday. On IL she received two dollars and half,
Tor the use OF which she compelled TO pay the
weekly sum o. twenty nine cents He wants the au-
thores TO compel the pawnbrokers to comply with the
city ordinance respecting the rate Of interest they
ceive. fH43al.F


The Algiers Foundry nj South Boston.


Our special Psburg correspondent in closing his letter
descriptive Of the Fort Pitt Foundry, time since
sad:-'The only other foundries in the United States
where ordnance is manufactured the Agsr Foundry
at South Boston, the Scott Foundry at Reading and the
West Point Foundry at Cold Spring n Y The first men
toned casts only light pieces for field use AT Reading
but little is beng done, and the West Point Foundry is
almost exclusively engaged in producing small guns of
the Parrott pattern The proprietors OF the Algiers
Foundry desire to correct this statement They say:


For thirty years have made nearly all classes of
ordnance used by the United states government from
sixpounder smooth bore to six hundred-pounder rifle
that the first heavy Columbiad the first eleven inch
Dahlgren gun made in this country cast at
our works in Boston. The hunared and fve-p0und lf-
teen inch Rodman gun made at works has lately
been fired at Fortress Monroe by General Rodman to test
the endurance Of this class OF ordnance and has made
an excellent record.'
Year: 1867

A correspondent Of the Indianapolis Jour
mai says: AT Pennsylvaniaburg, Ripley
county, Indiana, met Q most remarkable
case Of one-armed ingenuity. Robert Lewis,
. young man without home or kindred, who
had to earn his bread by hard, daily labor,
early in the var, and at the minimum age
entered the service N q private in Gen.
Spooner,s regiment, the SSd Indiana At
the battle Of Chickasaw Blaff, Robert lost
his arm ut the shoulder. After much suffer
ing be returned to his former home. The
loss Of an arm only seemed 70 impress him
with the idea that greater energy would be
required If be would make IN honorable
living.


He began to study At night and every
leisure moment. Soon be qualified himself
for teaching. About this time he did what
would usually be, under similar circum-
stances, q very foolish thing-he got mar
ried. But his wife accepted the situation,
and was willing TO laugh at poverty and help
her husband to earn hls bread.


He taught school in the winter, and in the
summer began to build q house. was
through his house day or two ago. IL has
six rooms, is Of the gothic style Of arehitec-
ture, and is neat and substantial throughout.
From foundation to roof, all the work was
done By this one-armed man, except that his
wife and mother assisted in raising it. Not
being able to procure joists 70 suit him, he
sawed them out Of wide two inch plank.


He LAID the foundations, built the chin
ntys, made the door and sash-in short, no
sound. of hammer or any tool was heard
about the building Of that house except those
that were welded by his arm. Let any one
try to start . ten-penny nail with only one
hand, and he will doubt this story but
strange as II may appear. 1t Is in every
respect use.


IL would pay one for Q trip to Ripley
coaaty TO see the ingenious devices Of Rob
ert Lewis 60 make The difficult work for a
two armed man easy Of accomplishment BY
. one-aImed soldier. At the time | was
there he was completing n baby wagon,
which weald compare wi;h the neatsst ol
those sold IN the market
Year: 1867

THE EMPRESS VISITING THE COLORADO


CHERBoURG, July 2S.-Her Imperial Majesty
he Empress Eugonie yesterday visited Che United
States steamer Colorado, lying in this harbor'
and was received with all the honors behttihg her
exalted rank. At her approach salutes were fired
and the yards were manned. The vessel was gally
Gcckcd with colOrs from stem to stern. The other
vessels of the American squadron, and all the trench
men-Of-war and the shipping ia the mar
Dor were also profusely decorated with bunt-
ing The Empress received by the Captain
of the Colorado and his officers, and was conducted
through various parts of the ship At the cOnclu-
sion of the inspection, Her Imperial Majesty gra-
ciously expressed herself highly pleased with the
appearance of the ship and grated with the warmth
of her reception and departed for the shore amid the
enthusiastic cheers of the Sailors who manned the
yards and with parting salute from the great guns
Of the Colorado.


RECEPTION OF ADMIRAL FARRAGUT


On Saturday evening Admiral FaTragut was re-
eeived at a State dinner by His Imperial Majesty
the Emperor Napoleon The dinner was especially
given by the Emperor in honor Of the American Ad
miral The French Minister of the Marine, and other
members of the Imperial Cabinet, and the Embassa-
dor of the United States, Gen. Dix were among the
invited guests.
Year: 1867

that resists them [Appause Political parties must be
governed IN the South elsewhere by principles and
old time pfejudices must be abandoned. Great
events have taken place Slavery has gone the way OF
all the earth Come forward then. sensible men, and
look TO your own interests not only but those OF your
chudren. Aequiesce in what you cannot prevent and
strive to make glad the waste places Of your State


plainly Let me eXhort you again then, that when you
make up your political associations you stand with
those whe in favor OF reconstruction Is offered 10
you. Treat the coored people kindly. They are free
men nOw and Will go with you to the same ballot-boX,
vote when yon vote, and have voice in making the
laws by which yOu alike TO be governed Aud 10 the
cOOred men, do not say vote for your old masters but
for those who helped To free YOU LAppause
Year: 1867

and the forum We'd with each other in respon-
ding to a great and growing sentiment that
an example should be had by which faith
lessness or incompetency should be promp-
tly dealt with. May | not now say with
truth that it was my misfortune to be charged
and tried at this-to ne-most lnopportune
of periods? ~ az &.


believe it is safe to say that much of the
evidence adduced against me upon the trial
would, in the light of the present full infor-
nation upon the vital, and at that time
| necessarily disputed points, be either entire
| ly changed or materially modified. Evil
dence of the most important character to
meet at that time, totally inaccessible TO either
the court or myself is now to be readily OBJ
tanned. and in form and under circumstan-
ces brought together that admit of no dis
| pute Competent and disinterested persons,
including many of those who deemed my
| trial and condemnation just, now concur in
the completeness ofthe vindication which this


unconscious testimony" has given me- &


Relying on the justice of my government,
feeling assured that with the return OF peace


calm feelings would prevail, and knowing


that from the very nature of the case, and


the surroundings, time would however slowly
to my impatient honor, prove the best arbi-
| ter, nave D0rne IN silence anu WitHout COM
plant the burden of that sentence


have taken the liberty of incloslng here


with certain documents from able and intel
ligent writer's, which bear upon my case.
1t is ussless to say any more than that they


bear unsolicited contribution so far as


they go; and believe the time is at hand


when it is my duty to appeal to my govern


ment for revision of my case, however


nearly such q revision comes home to me
and all hold most sacred in my life.


1t is duty l owe also to my honored
officers who bore testimony in my behalf


to my brave command, whose history has
been imperishably written, and to my coun
, try, and no stain of injustice should be re
. corded againsther.


My appeal is to your excellency to appoint


a court for the purpose of reconsidering the
proceedings in my case, composed, as
trust it may be, of the best talent and most
approved patriotism in the army.


| have every reason to believe that, with


such a court now instituted, and with the
full testimony now to be obtained, | can OBJ
: tain the full and honorable acquittal know
, deserve, and which / shall ever seek al


the hands of my country. With high re


spect, i am your obedient servant,


FITz JOHN PORTER.