smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1869

RITES for the dead vary somewhat in
different parts of the country. In some
places, while the body is on the ground
and the souls are departing, a Tauist
priest is employed to chant portions OF
their ritual, accompanied with the beating
of gongs and drums, and the explosion OF
powder-crackers The noise of drums,
gongs, and crackers is for the purpose OF
frightening away evil spirits. The firing
of guns and crackers, however, is not
common amongst the Cantonese at their
funerals, we are told.


After death, articles of food are placed
near the body; abundant or meagre ac-
cording to the ability of the friends. These
are supposed to be for the supply of the
departed spirit Some of the provisions
are presented to the mouth OF the deceased
by the oldest son, or, if there is no son
present, then by some other near relative
or friend, who kneels beside the body
while feeding the spirit


Large sums are often expended in
dressing the body for its journey to the
world of spirits. The best suit Is put on,
or new garments are provided throughout,
and of costly materials where there is sui.
ficient means to meet the expense; and
where there are no means, cheaper mate
rials are used, and even garments OF paper
have been employed, which may be put
together in such way as to resemble
clothing very closely.


Much solicitude is expended on the sub
ject of the longevity boards" or coffin
the desire being to procure that which i:
most durable. In China the aged otter
provide coffins for themselves beforehand
or sons make presents of this article tt
their parents, thus furnishing q proof 0
filial regard, and putting to rest any soil
ci I'D Of the parent lest when dead Their
might not be funds sufficient to procur'
the longevity boards" and furnish then
y becoming burial.


When the body Is washed, dressed, al
Year: 1869

A NAN residing on tlIe< banks of the
Hudson one day went to a bay on the
river to shoot ducks OF geese. When he
came to the river he saw six geese beyond
shot. He determined to wait for them to
approach the shore. While sitting there
he saw a fox coming down to the shore,
and stand some time to observe the geese.
At length he turned and went into the
woods, and came out with very large
bunch of moss in his mouth He then en-
tered the water very silently, sank himself,
and then keeping the moss above the
water-himself concealed-he floated
among the geese Suddenly one of them
was drawn under the water, and the fox
soon appeared on the shore with the goose
on his back


He assembled the bank, and found q hole
made 10y the tearing up of tree. This
hole he cleared, placed in the goose, and
covered it with great care, strewing leaves
over 1T. The fox then left; and while he
was away the hunter unburied the goose
and closed the hole, and then he resolved
to await the ISSUE


In about half an hour the fox returned
with another fox in company They went
directly to the place where the goose had
been buried, and threw out the earth. The
goose could not be found They stood re.
garding each other for some time, when
suddenly, the second fox attacked the
other furiously, as if offended by the trick
of friend. During the battle he shot
them bOth.-l4urrdys Creation
Year: 1869

IT is a pleasant thing to make soap
bubbles, if for no better reason than that
We can hdve fainbows about us at any
time. But there is an art about making
these short-lived toys as in everything
else. The best way to make them is to
take three-quarteTs of a pint of water
that has been boiled and become cold, and
put into it quarter of an ounce of Cas-
tile soap, cut up fine. Put this into a
pint bottle and set in hot water in a
saucepan, on the fife there let 1t remain
an hour of so; now and then. giving it a
good shaking; till tile soap is dissolved
Eet the fluid stand quiet for few hours
for the impurities and coloring matter OF
the soap to settle; then pour off the fluid
and add to it four ounces of glycerine, and
your soap-bubble solution is ready


In an ordinary way you may blow the
bubbles easily with a clean tobacco pipe,
but if you wish to obtain scientific per
fection, you had better employ glass pipe
or tube. BY adding larger quantity OF
glyceTine you iiidy fraRe these bubbles 80
strong that you can play with them by
knocking them about. You may, of
course, make soap bubbles in an easier
way, but they will not be so brilliant as
by the above process-Erchdnge.
Year: 1869

New York Guly 9O) Correspondence Of the Mobile


Register.


THINK remarked in my last letter that
l once met a Chicago laNyer who warmly
advocated marriage, and who explained to
me his reason for SO doing. For such q
man to advocate such thing was, to say
the least, surprising; and l listened with
breathless interest while he gave me o
brief history of his experience during the
first ten years of his residence in that eel
ebrated city.


Said he: "I first came to Chicago fif
teen years ago. Then was young and In.
nocent which It is hardly necessary for me
20 say that ain not at present I had a
friend living here, whom / had known
while he resided in New Y0fh, and con-
Quoted himself like civilized man in q
civilized Community. As he had written
to me to visit himself and his wife, when
came to Chicago, remembered the invita-
ton when did visit that city, and imIiie-
diately on my arrival proceeded to his
house He was not at home at the moment
and so / asked to see his wife, whom 1 had
known only year before in New York
In answer to my inquiry for Mrs. De Worse
pretty, black-eyed girl came into the
drawing room, and received me quite
warmly.


"Well, we chatted very pleasantly to-
gether until my friend came in, and really
felt myself beginning to experience a very
affectionate impulse toward her; supposing
of course that she was his niece, or cousin
or uncle, or something of that sort. But
in the course of the evening asked hin
whether his wife was at home, and If 81
when he proposed to let me see her?


"Tomy astonishment, he replied, 'Thi!
lady is Mrs. De Vorse! 1 thought yor
were already aware of the fact


"Of course blushed and felt horribly
uncomfortable, and said that was no
aware that he had lost poor Emily.


"O,' said he, Emily is very well, ant
has married partner of mine. We wer'
divorced, you know, about six months age
and married my present wife only las
week


swell, I didn't feel quite so affectionat'
toward her after that, for l had beer
warmly attached to Emily; but we sait
NO mofe about the matter, and ] wen
j away, vowisg never to get myself int
Year: 1869

In 1888, family by the name of Van
Sickler moved into the town of Towanda,
Pa, and took up as residence place for
merly occupied as a hotel On the premises
was deep well, originally dug by, or for,
of building or stoning up the well, a stone
lord about ten feet down for the purpose
of depositing in cool place butter, beef,
and such other articles as might be consid-
cred necessary to its preservation. The
newcomers on the place-the Van Sick
lers-soon detected, or thought they did,
the presence of decaying wood in the wa
ter, and it was decided to have the well
cleared out Accordingly two old patriots
were detailed for that service. Their COM
bined efforts, after few hours labor, re-
suited in fishing up butter firkin tightly
sealed but black with age, and its old
slaves nearly rotten through. Mr.. Means,
the old landlord, long since retired from
business, and then residing short dis
tance from the place, was sent for and
came down, white-haired and venerable,
bearing on his cane. After looking at it a
moment, the old man said he could explain
the whole matter. The tub had been let
down on the stone shelf long years ago
when he kept the hotel. As
near as he could remember, it
was over thirty years previously. The
tub had disappeared in the night, and it
was supposed that it has been stolen. The
well had never been cleared out before to
his knowledge. The tub was now opened
in the presence of the little crowd that had
gathered. The lid was removed, the
white linen cloth taken up, and there was
the butter, yellow as gold, and, as it
proved on tasting, sweet as if made but
yesterday, although thirty-one years had
elapsed since it first went to the bottom of
the well where it was now found, like
Truth, unimpaired by its long residence.
The old man claimed the prize and carried
it off rejoicing. Witnesses are still liv-
ing who were present at the time, who
will, with our informant, make affidavit
to the truth, in every particular, of this
true butter story. In those days butter
was only worth from six to twelve cents
per pound; now see the diference-sixty
fiTe 70 eighty cents, and not the best at
that.-ErchdnJ6:
Year: 1869

We do not remember ever to have heard
of more remarkable exhibition of equine
intelligence than was communicated to us
few days since by Mr.. Allen, of this
place. The circumstances, as they were
related to us, were as follows:


Mr.. A. has had for a considerable time
span of sprightly little horses that he
has never separated. In the stable, in the
field, in the harness, they have always
beef t5sether This has caused a strong
attachment to grow ry between them. A
few days ago he went with Tier, out to
Lake MinnetOnka on a fishing excuf-
sion Taking them out of the carriage
he led them down to the lake and tied
them with stout ropes, several rods
apart on a strip of grass that grew
upon The sliUfe; and left them, to feed. Re-
turning to the shanty lie tlifew himself
upon the floor tc await the return of the
party who had repaired to the lake to
fish. Not much time had elapsed before
the sound of an approaching horses feet
attracted his attention, and a moment al
ter one of his span appeared at the door.
The animal put his head In, and, giving
one neigh, turned, and at slow gallOp,
vet iirider evident excitement, returned to
the spot where but d few minutes before
he and his companion had been fastened.
Surprised TO find his horse loose, and
struck with his singular conduct, Mr.. A.
Immediately followed and found the other
lying in the water entang1ed III the rope,
and struggling to keep his head from be-
ing submerged.


While Nj. 4. proceeded to disengage
the unfortunate horse his ii6t,e henefactOr
stood by manifesting the utmost solicltude
and sympathy, and when his mate was ex-
tricated from its perilous situation and
again upon its feet the generous creature
exhibited the most unquestionable signs
Of satisfaction and Joy.


That this intelligent animal should have
noticed the misfortune of his mate, that he
should know where to apply for rescue,
and in his efforts should sunder three
fourths of an inch rope, and, finally, that
he should exhibit so high an appreciation
of the event, are circumstances to astonish
us and commend themselves to the thought
full consideration of those who would limit
the power of reasoning to the genus homo.
st. Anthonys (lNinn.) Express.
Year: 1869

WHEN bouquet is received, l at once
sprinkle it lightly with fresh water, and
then put it in vessel containing soap suds.
This will keep the flowers as freshly as il
just gathered. Then every morning take
the bouquet out of the suds, and lay il
sideways-the stock entering first-into
clean water, replace it in the soap suds
and it will bloom as fresh as when frs,
gathered. The soap suds needs changing
every three or four days By observing
these rules, bouquet may be kept bright
and beautiful for at least a month, and
will last still longer in a passable state
Exchange
Year: 1869

habit without injurious effect


| A HORRIBLE report comes from Ger
MANY of a so-called scientific experiment.
| A Berlin physician experimental on q
Young woman who was supposed to be
diving of consumption, and actually sub
iected the wretched, helpless creature to
hideous experiment which must have in
| fiicted terrible torture on her at the very
time when she needed tenderness and
| sympathy to lessen the natural agonies Of
approaching dissolution. She died an hour
afternard;, and the surgeon then was able
| to satisfy himself by a post-aOrtem exami-
nation of the effect he had produced and
| the case is reported as q matter of scien-
tific interest in the Prussian medical jour
nails.


| A MAN has appeared in a country district
of Poland who pretends to be Our Savior,
come again for the salvation of the world.
He has selected twelve followers, who go
about the country with him as apostles,
and he pretends, in the usual manner of
such people, to work miracles. He devotes
himself particularly to the healing of the
sick. All this has had great effect upon
the Polish peasantry; the would be
prophet and his followers have been every
where received by them with open arms.
He is now turning his success into political
capital He denounces the peasantry for
their indifference to the rising of 1858, calls
upon them to repent and prepare for new
efforts, and prophecies the speedy re-
establishment of the old Polish Kingdom.
DURING recent balloon ascension at
Memphis some interesting phenomena
were noted. The highest altitude at
tained was 1850 feet, at which elevation
the temperature was 50 degrees Fab. The
balloon in ascending always assumed .
whirling motion from right to left, while


descending it turned from left to right


-Four good English lever watches were


taken up, two Of which stopped at the


height of two miles. Avery delicate pocket


compass was completely depolarized, and


though it has since been gradually regain


ing its polarity, it's still worthless. The


acrona II was confirmed dyspeptic before


he began ballooning. but several voyages
have effected . yadica cure
Year: 1869

II the patient bs a female. the approach
OF the menses is looked FOR with anxiety.
as the first symptom in which Nature is
TO show her saving power iu dnusing the
circulation aud Wishing the cheek with
the bloom OF health. Aiasl increase OF
appetite has grown by what it lod on She
energ os Of the system are prostraieds ana
the whole economy is deranged The
beautiful and wonderful period Ono which
body and mind undergo so fascinating
change from child 10 woman, IS looked
for In vain; the parents heart bieods in
for tts victim.
Year: 1869

GRAND STAND EPSON, May 26.-
To day is the second day Of the Sum.
mer meeting. The great feature is
the renewal of the Derby stakes OF
fifty sovereigns each. The second
horse will receive three hundred SOW
ereigns, and the third one hundred
and fifty. There is a tremendous
throng on the grounds. The Prince
Of Wales and other notables are pres
ent. The weather is fine and unusu-
ally warm. The result will be
promptly forwarded.
Year: 1869

The first California wheat brought in
any considerable quantity to Philadelphia
came to US two years ago. 1t was a nov
city that our millers admired, but were
reluctant to take hold of The grains
were beautiful to look at-yellOw in
husk-but within, white as the powder of
oriental pearls. 1t was finty in consist
ence, and the millers found that the burr
stones set for Pennsylvania and Ohio
wheat, failed to reduce it to the condition
essential to the production of superfne
-four. One firm of Philadelphia inilers.
celebrated for making a superior article of
family flour. had used small lot of it six
or seven years previous, and understood
the nature of the grain and the manner of
grinding it, and also knew how handsome
an article of -four could be made from it.
They at once bought heavily, and the flour
make from that wheat became celebrated
throughout the city. Their success caused
others to try the wheat, which is now
looked on as indispensable for making su-
perior flour. 1t is curious circumstance
that every one who has been in the habit
of eating the bread made from it cannot
with any satisfaction relish bread made
from any other kind Of wheat. The bread
has peculiar rich golden white hue, is
moist in its nature, and with such richness
of flavor that it is difficult to persuade
those who eat it that sugar has not been
used in making up the bread.


When this wheat first arrived here the
northern ports were so bare of good white
wheat, and even good winter red, that it
was impossible for our fancy millers to
make superior barrel of flour. Prime
red wheat cannot be had, and white wheat
is equally scarce, and no miller, unless he
uses California wheat, can turn out an
article so satisfactory as that in which
there is an admixture of the California
product At first it was so difficult tC
find any miller who could properly GRIND
this, that the offer of an intelligent jersey
miller to undertake the task was gratefully
accepted. Messrs. Detweier & Hartrauft
of the Quaker City Mills, in Kensington
took it up, and since then have ground NJ
other grain. A cargo of 10000 bushels
was lately taken by Mr.. VIM. B. Thomas
Year: 1869

SCIENTIFIC NOTEs-A novel and in
every respect highly successful series of
experiments made in the Bay of New York,
off Fort Hamilton, recently, the appliances
tested being a complete set of marine life
saving apparatus, invented quite lately by
a gentleman of this city. The articles
comprised a lifeboat, constructed upon new
principles of buoyancy and ballasting, and
: waterproof suit of clothing capable Of
resisting cold and maintaining a human
being in an erect floating position for any
length Of time desired, enabling the wearer
to eat, drink, smoke, read, &c, while
so buoyed, with comparative comfort. The
main feature of the lifeboat consists in its
being furnished with air cylinders under
the seats, and the method of ballasting,
which is a modification of aud improve
ment upon the system of ships ballasting,
by lever and weight. These combined
render it impossible to completely over
turn the boat in the water, and should she


fill the air cylinders will easily keep her
ahoat. A party of gentlemen in the re-
cent experiment tried every means of
capsizing the vessel, but without avail, and
only succeeded in filling her. The life
saving costume is rubber suit made In
one piece with an opening at the neck to
admit of its being put on, and openings at
the wrists. \ cork jacket is first put on
over the ordinary clothing and the life
saving suit envelopes the whole person and
apparel excepting the shoes. A series of
tubular bands around the head and neck
gave buoyancy also to the upper part of
the body, and the feet are shod with leaden
shoes or sandals, weighing FIVE pounds each,
to keep the ths@ body erect in the water


a propelling Instrument or paddle attatch-
ed by cords to each wrist may be used by
the hands, and is made somewhat on the
principle of the feathering blade to a
paddle-wheel, the flaps holding when forced
in one direction through the water, and
opening so as to create resistance when
pressed in the opposite direction. The
suit will buoy the wearer up so as TO re-
tain the head and the shoulders as far down
as the armpits clear above water. Several
gentlemen applied these dresses to their
persons and then leaped overheard from
the Steamer into the Narrows remaining
in the water some hours. Finally, as dusk
of evening came on the steamer left them
and passed from sight, when the swimmers
made their position known by crimson
lights and rockets taken from tender,
with which they are furnished, and were
picked up by the lifeboat. Their clothing
was quite dry and the bosoms of their
shirts not even rufled.-N. Y Herald.
Year: 1869

A soldier who lost his scalp with Custar
at Washita tells how it felt. First an In
dian clubbed him as he lay wounded. Then
a squaw squatted on his breast, and pulled
his hair out by handfuls as she screeched
his death song or something else; and f.
nally this was the process =" The Indian
stepped one foot on my chest, and with his
hand gathered up the hair near the crown
of my head He wasn't very tender about
it, but jerked my head this way and that,
and pinched like Satan. My eyes were
partially open, and could see the bead
work trimmings on his leggings. Sud
denly. felt the awfulest biting, cutting
seemed to me just as if nay whole he'll f''ff hEf
been ierked clean off. | never felt such
pain in all my life; why it was like pull
ing your brains out. [ didn't know any
more for two or three days. and then
| came to find that L had the sorest head
of any human that ever lived. was
shipped down to Laramie after bit, and
all the nursing [ got hain't madathe hair
grow out on this spo. yet"
Year: 1869

AGRICULTURAL FRUITs OF MIssIoNs.-
The American missionaries at Harpoot, in
Eastern Turkey. saw that there was
waste in the primitive way of winnowing
practiced by the natives of that country.
They therefore sent home for an Ameri-
can tanning mill. which did the work SO
beautifully that after awhile an enterprising
native sent to America for tanning mill.
Since that time other orders have followed,
until a short time ago an order for four
teen was filed BY a house in Western New
York. In South Africa one of the Zulu
tribes have sixty American plows, and
the chief of the tribe, who calls himself Iver
Artimus, has an American sugar mill for
grinding his cane. Those who think that
civilization is necessary to pave the way for
missions, will hardly be able to bring an ex-
ample of equal success by their favorite
policy.
Year: 1869

who is now making the whole of it into
-four


The product of the grain is very beauti-
full. 1t is as white as a-rowroot, while
chemical analysis of the farina shows that
Immediately beneath its hull is a rich
deposit of phosphate matter, in which our
own wheat is said to be deteriorating year
by year. With large supply of wheat
from California our own wheat lands may
perhaps be permitted to rest until, by
iudicious rotation Of crops. the fertilizing
qualities of virgin soil may in some manner
be restored to them.
Year: 1869

A COOP story is told of preacher in
Nebraska who had dined with friend just
before the afternoon services. As it hap>
pened, this friend occasionally luxuriated in
a smile of the ardent, and sometimes carried
a morocco covered flask in his overcoat pock-
et By mistake the minister took the friends
overcoat on his departure, aud walking into
the pulpit, began the exercises without dol"
fng the garment, it being rather chilly IN
the room. Looking very ministerialiy over
his congregation from behind his speetacies,
he began drawing from his pocket, as he
supposed, his hymn book, with the introdue.
tory remark that the congregation would
sing from particular page, which he had
selected beforehand. The minister held the
supposed book up in full sight OF the con-
gregation, and attempted to open it Sideways
but it was no go. The situation was Jeal-
lied in a moment, bat alas too late. LIS
reverence was dumbfounded, the audience
eiqeled and the whole scene was made lu-
dicrous BY fellow in the back part Of the
congregation, not altogether too sober, who
draWled out: Say, mister, kin We all (hic)
line in that ar hymn =
Year: 1869

VINO is the more prsisewOrthy, be who
Gigs the gold from the mine, puri6es and
Stamps upon it its true value or he who
only passes it from hand to hand There
Ne miners in the moral as we'll as the patu-
"a world.
Year: 1869

II YOU have friend who loves you, who
has studied your interest and happiness, be
sure to sustain him IN adversely het nun
feel that his former kindness is appreciated
and that his love was not thrown away