smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1868

Ancient mythology has no more beautiful or
poetic conception than the Lethean stream and
it's potency to hide the memories of the past.
The modern managers of our municipal affairs,
if they will go on in the way they do, if they
will insist in every possible way to cheat the
public, and if they will allow contractors to do
the same, should devise some practical method
of hiding their misdeeds from the public. But
they do not do this; they could not do it if
they would the fact is patent to everybody.
Their misdeeds rise up in perpetual judgment
against them-are visible in every Corporation
job. All their power centralizes in filling their
pockets from the city treasury, in corruption,
in robbery of our overburdened taxpayers and
in protracting the robbery to the utmost limit
of possibility.


In no work connected with our uptown i'm
provements does this fact of corrupt jobbing
and objectionable and outrageous delay more
palpably, more glaringly and more audaciously
show itself than in the present condition of
Madison avenue above Fifty-ninth street.
The fault Of the delay is wholly chargeable
to the Common Council and the contractors





having the work in charge. The street should
have been finished long ago. Large sums
have been drawn from the city treasury for
the ostensible completion of the work but it
dfags on its slow length-so slow, indeed, as
scarcely to be visible to the naked eye.
Between Fifty-ninth street and its upper ter
minus the street is in precisely the same
condition it has been for months past An
occasional cart and an occasional solitary
laborer may be seen going through the mys-
terious motions of manual labor on the street,
and that is ala show that something is being
done-this and nothing more. Excavations
almost as difficult and dangerous to pass as the
gorges of mountain range meet the eye at
frequent intervals, huge piles of paving and
curbstones are scattered all along, and at
every step and turn show not to do il" is most
beautifully and impressively revealed. This
state of things should not be allowed to con-
t;nue. The public want the street completed.
1t is urgently needed as relief to travel on
the other uptown avenues. Public patience is
exhausting ITSELF
Year: 1868

has always been democratic in his politics,
except upon the slavery question. He was
educated democrat and was prominent
member Of the organization. In 1910 he sepa-
rated from bis party on the anti-slavery issue
and supported Harrison for President On
the death of Harrison he became the leader of
the abolition or liberty party in Ohio, fighting
both the democrats and the old line wings on
the free soil and free men issue, but on all
others adhering firmly to his democratic prin-
oiples He never affiliated with the wings and
Year: 1868

election, and for the reason that their votes
may be needed to secure General Grant
This Southern balance of power is an item,
then, to be considered II may be secured by
the opposition with the nomination of Mr..
Chase. His name and reputation among the
Southern blacks as their friend win break the
power of the carpet-baggers and bring over
the black voters in large bodies to fusion
with the mass of the whites, and thus large
majority of the electoral vote of the South, if
not the whole vote of that section, may be
gained. With the nomination of the Chief JUS
tice as the democratic candidate all fears
among the Southern blacks of the restoration
of slavery with the success of the democratic
ticket will be dispelled, and all apprehen-
sions that the suffrage may be wrested
from them will be set at rest A fusion
with the whites upon the mutual interests of
the two races will follow, and upon this basis
law and order and industry and confidence
black vote will thus become bond of har-
mony as between whites and blacks and a
balance of power against Northern aggressions
upon Southern interests. On the other hand,
if the present division of the Southern people,
with the white mans party and the black
mans party, be continued even few years
longer, it must inevitably result In a war of
races, unless held in check by regular stand
ing army.


Mr.. Chase, then, is the man for the new
democracy. They seem to understand it.
They are beginning to realize the real issues
and necessities of the crisis. They want
man who will bring them heavy reinforcements
from the great Union party of the war; man
whose nomination will be the signal for new
departure and new national party movement
of the highest promise man whose name
will fuse all the opposition elements Of the
North against radicalism and at the same
time abolish the white mans party and the
black mans party of the South man who
can be elected with or without the restoration
of the outside Southern States and Chief JUS
tice Chase is the man.
Year: 1868

One Of the most unmitigated and unpardon-
able Of the nuisances on our thoroughfares is
the dlling Of the roadway, whenever house is
about to be erected or repaired, with immense
beds OF mortar, piles Of debris and pyramids Of
brick. The temporary obstruction of an ave-
nue. cannot, perhaps, at all times be avoided;
but these interferences should not, to the
inconvenience Of the public, be continued for
weeks and often for months at a time. It is
not necessary, because builder is about to put
up three story house, that he should appro-
pirate half block of the street to his con-
venience, and to the injury, in many ways, Of
those who happen to live or have stores or
Offices in the vicinity. Except when necessi-
tated to cart to or away from place on which
building is in course of erection or repair
materials for the proper progress of the work,
no such distractions as we complain of should
be countenanced by those whose business it is
to keep the great thoroughfares open to the
public. In the upper districts of the city there
are unimproved lots near every new structure
which can be used to dump brick, lime, sand
and timber upon; and in the more densely
built sections the cellars may be made the
scene for the mixing of mortar and the storing
of brick quite as well as the pavement, 80
necessary to commerce. The Street Commits
sioner is by ordinance amply clothed with
power to keep the avenues of the city clear
of unnecessary distractions, and he ought to
use it in behalf of the citizens
Year: 1868

vallandishaa on the Presidency and Chlsl


Justice Chase.


We give elsewhere some expression of the
sentiments of Mr.. Clement L. Vsllandigham ON
the Presidency, the prospects Of the demo-
cracy, their candidate, platform. &c. It will
be seen that this gentleman adheres as tena-
ciously as ever to the ideas of that uncom-
promising opposition Of which he has become
the accepted representative in popular opinion;
at the same time he Is evidently quite ready
to accept Chase as the Presidential candidate
of his party. That this exponent of the ex-
treme views of the extreme democracy should
be disposed to support Chase without abating
a jot of his principles is the most noteworthy
fact that has yet come out in the movement
in favor of the Chief Justice. It is one of the
strongest points also, indicating how readily
men of every view will agree on champion
devoted to the common constitutional rights
of all. Pendleton is, of course, Vallandigham's
first choice; but he holds that all points of
preference in regard to men will be held only
as subordinate to the right policy to assure
success, and that Pendeton's supporters will
not 'be found pertinacious. Next to Pendle-
ton he seems to regard the ''broad, deep and
sagacious" Chase. Chase is acceptable as
statesman-a man of great ability; above all
as civilian. His position on reconstruction
is satisfactory. Only two points are against
him-his opinions on suffrage and his financial
ideas; and these are, perhaps, not insurmount-
able. He, for instance, may hold-as any man
may-the conviction that negroes ought to
vote, and this has little to do with the
policy of the party, all the less that suffrage is
thing belonging exclusively to the States and
with which the President can scarcely have
any relation. As to the finances Chase is even
easier there. He is generally supposed to
favor the payment of the bonds in gold. But
Vallandigham has seen nothing that absolutely
defines his position in that way; while on every
greenback he reads ''this note is legal tender
for all debts, public and private" &C., which
words were written by Chase, and were, of
course, deeply weighed when written. The
Chief Justice, therefore, is acceptable to the
peace democrats; and this indicates how abso-
lutely he represents the main idea in the
thoughts of the whole people that they are
ready to lay aside peculiar differences in his
favor, or themselves supply the arguments to
get over those differences.
Year: 1868

THE OPPOSITION TO CHASE. The opposi-
tion to the nomination of Chief Justice Chase
by the national party comes principally from
the rankest of the radical organs. The demo-
cratic and conservative papers all over the
country are gradually declaring in favor of the
movement, and the wisest of the opposition
leaders are yielding to the popular pressure
and making haste to announce themselves as
favorable to Chase's nomination. Every SEN
sible democrat ought to know that the mortal
terror evinced by the radicals at the idea Of
Chase as the candidate of the national party
is convincing proof that they consider the
nomination of the Chief Justice equivalent TO
his election.
Year: 1868

In May last a star blazed forth in the
northern crown, and was Of the second
magnitude. The astronomers gave II
immediate scientific observation, and re-
corded the result in technical terms.
which need not be repeated


There can be but little doubt that.
from a cause unknown to Us, it must
have been the subject of terrible catas-
trOphe at period perhaps distant; for
it must be borne in mind that, owing to
its immense distance, we may be only
witnessing the calamity of the past age.
From the sudden blazing forth of this
star, and then its rapid fading away,
Mr.. Huging and Dr. Miller have sug-
gested that in consequence of a great in
ternal CONFUSION probably large guam
tity Of hydrogen and other gases were
emitted from it.


During a discussion Of this star at a
meeting of the Royal Astronomical
Society, on June Sth, the astronomer
royal expressed his firm belief that the
wonderful object was actually in flames.


If we were inclined to speculate on this
unique astronomical phenomena, or the
probable consequence arising from such
a sudden outburst of fiery gas, what an
extensive subject for contemplation is
open to us Astronomically we have
known this minute star for years without
suspicion it has been classified with
others Of similar magnitude it has
been one Of many millions of such /:
while now it will be remembered by all
future generations as one of the most
remarkable stars of the universe. Or,
let our speculation be carried a little
further, and let US reasonbly suppose
this small and hitherto nearly invisible
object to be an immense globe like our
own sun, and surrounded probably with
planets and satellites depending upon
their center for light and heat what
would be the effect of this sudden con
hagration on them? 1t makes one al
most shudder at the idea Of q system Of
worlds being annihiated at once without
warning, but such mast doubtless be the
fact We, however, in this quiet world
of ours can scarcely, perhaps, realize
such a catastrophe, but were our sun,
which is only star, analogous to those
in the heavens around US, to be suddenly
ignited in a similar manner to this dis
tant and unknown sun, all its attendant
planets and satellites, the earth included,
would be destroyed.
Year: 1868

The following account of an event
more awful and sublime than the most
vivid imagination can fully conceive, is
given by Edwin DunkiD, of the royal
Observatory, England. 1t is only one
Of the several similar cases on record,
Year: 1868

A Coon JoKE.-An amusing incident
occurred in Court one day last week. One
of those pesky law suits which seemingly
have no termination, was before the Court,
and tired Jury had sat for days to hear
most uninteresting testimony and less in-
teresting speeches Of the lawyers. We may
here remark that after Ii jury has once be-
come tired of a case, the speech of law
yer is as the wind that is waited to drow-
sy mortal Oh midsummer day--it has the
effect of lulling him to sleep. So it hap
pened with one of the Jurors in the case
tried on that particular occasion Our
story would not have been reported had it
not been for the fact that our Juror friend
fell into such snoring slumber that no
was heard all about the court room. Judge
McGlathery directed the Sheriff to awaken
the peaceful sumberer, which he did,
when the disturbed sleeper arose and ad-
dressed the Court, ,emarking that as he
had listened an entire week to the speeches
of the lawyers they might listen one hour
to him. This broug down the Court and
Jury.--Elkader journal.
Year: 1868

" The circulation of the SPECTATOR is
about as great as the combined circulation
of both the other papers published in this
place, and has as many subscribers in this
county alone as are contained in the whole
list of either of the other papers. ss
Year: 1868

! SELF DENIAL-It is the great pivot of our
moral being 1.-THE dividing line between a great
man and bad man. A man need not go from
home to be heroic; he need not go from him
self to be greater than he who taketh a city,"


He need not seek any other theatre of conquest
than himself He has here enough to ,do.-a
thousand battle fields and, if he will, can ac-
quire fame in heaven and sgofy everlasting"
Year: 1868

The DAILY Cross. difficulty in religion
is the taking up of the cross daily. rather than
the taking 1t up on some set occasion, and W..
der extraordinary circumstances The serving
God in little things; the carrying of religious
principles into all the minutim of discipline of
our ternpers, the regulation of our speech, the
domestic Christianity, the momentary sacrifices,
the secret and unobserved self-denial; who that
knows anything of the difficulty Of piety does
not know that there is greater danger of his
failing In these than in trials of far greater cost
and sterner endurance? 1t is not, comparative


ly, hard to put the armor on, when the trumpet
sounds, butit is to keep the arnlor on, when
there is no alarm of battle And the warfare
With our spiritual enemies is not warfare in a
series of pitched battles with intervals for rest


ing and recreation it is rather daily, hourly.
momentary fighting this is the driving out
by little, ~ to which the Almighty promises
"the reward Of the inheritance. ~ fN'
Year: 1868

The CHAPEL IN THE HEART. In your heart
make frequent colloquies, or short discoursing.
with God and thy own soul Every return of
the heart in these intercourses is a going to
him, an appearing in his presence, and in re-
presenting him present to thy spirit and to thy
necessity. This was long since called by spir-
itual person "a building to God chapel in our
heart. 1t reconciles Marthas employment
with Mary's devotion, charity and religio1n.
the necessities of our calling and the employment
of devotion for thus, in the midst Of the works
of your trade, you may retire into your chapel
the heart-and converse with God by frequent
addresses and returns.
Year: 1868

The London Revie,o devotes its
leading article for the new. year
to retrospect and a confession.
The confession is certainly can
did: -


AT this time there is no coun-
try, no matter how embarrassed
or how poor, in which there is 80
much pressing and painful power
ty, so much vice, so much misery,
as in England. We have failed
with our lower classes to such an
extent that in the country we find
some of them working like cattle,
fed and housed worse than cattle,
while in the towns We do not
know what to do with them until
they are ripe for dropping into
the seething pool Of vice and
crime. With ell our wealth, and
England is a wealthy country, we
have not succeeded in distributing
happiness or content in the pro
portion of which we could be
proud. ) We find massed against
US a gloomy and threatening
spirit Of insubordination, and q
gathering Of ominous elements,
from which voices are heard, that
having broken DOWN in our, task
we should give it up to those who
will change all things. Criticism
is nolonger a function limited to
one class. :. Our future masters be-
gin to take stock and value Of Us.
/ 'In= that social life in which
most of us are concerned, which
may be placed above the reach of
sordid wants, can we congratulate
ourselves upon distinct advanced
Around us on all sides we learn Of
families living upon fictitious in
comes, we find q rate Of increase
in the taste for luxuries SO incom-
Hensurase with the means fer get
ting them. honestly, that people
satisfy the craving with a reck,
lessness which brings ruin upon
them. Comfort is a word the
meaning Of which is beginning to
disappear. Every one desires to
be rich. and those who are not
rich keep up the pretenee until
the wolf is at the door, Z
Year: 1868

The editor of the Nashville
Banner has seen a corn cob,
shaped like a human forearm,
with a perfect human hand and
fingers at the small of the cob.
The thumb and fingers of the
hand are complete. Even the
veins of the wrist and the finger
nails are visible, and the simili-
tude is so striking that he could
almost imagine the veins and
sinews instinct WITH human life.
May it not, inquiries the Banner,
be warning hand upraised, tell.
ing US to abandon the culture OF
cotton, and give our undivided at
tention to corn {?
Year: 1868

The Early County News is
down:on Florida as heavy as eyer.
Abiding to the offer made BY the
Florida Railroad Company to give
lands to actual settlers. Bro
Grouby says it is like Offering a
fellow thousand dollars to take a
front seat in hell, Well, if he
don't want to 60, to either place,
we reckon he can stay where ha
is for. a while. The people Of
Florida certainly don't want him,
if those are his sentiments, and
the inhabitants Of the other place
well, we stop right here fog
the present.
Year: 1868

She drew forth the letters from him which she
had carefully treasured up, and, as she glanced
over their contents one by one, she felt that there
was not that warmth and earnestness and devotion
which she should have found there. They were
full of expressions of admiration, and of respectful
compliment and homage but she found not what
she sought ...-L


She laid them carefully by, with a sad face and
an aching heart into which doubt and misgiving
had found their way. That hour is sad one for
woman in which doubt of her lovers constancy
and devotion begins its struggle with her simple
faith in his fidelity. - --......- -.,s;...s :.


She went to her table and wrote Her brow
throbbed and her heart ached, yet she Sat like q
cold statue, fearless, and with sad smile upon her
lips. There was strength in her feminine nature,
and q self control which but few, even among men,
possess; yet when her work was done and laid
aside, ready for the hands of Brack, when he
should come, she threw herself upon lounge. and,
pressing her fingers upon her aching eyes, lay
like statue, while her tears flowed silently but
bitterly. .. .-.'
Year: 1868

excuse himself, without exposing the gossip
OF the congregation.


" Did not dare to call on my sister, the wild
ow OF General Finch !"-and tinge of con-
tempt mingled with the look of surprise and
indignation with which he contemplated the
abashed and crest fallen young preacher


After reaching his sister S residence, he ques-
toned her in regard to the matter but here
he was again baff1ed She could only tell him
that since her residence in the place, she had
been . let alone, in the full acceptance of the
term. Determined to understand the wherefore
OF such proceeding, he again demanded an
explanation of the minister, who was finally
compelled to admit that he had supposed
from the gossip of his church members, that
the woman was a very out-cast from society,
and that there had been talk of driving her
from the place


She will not care to remain" said the pro-
fessor; but before she goes [ shall sift this
matter thoroughly" and so he did, gather
ing up, link by link, the whole chain of scan
dal until he came to Mrs Lawrence But this
the latter utterly denied, and Mrs. Thomas
was at last obliged to confess that Mrs. Law
renee had merely shrugged her shoulders and
curled her lip, when asked her opinion of her
new neighbor


"Ah, indeed!" was Mrs. Lawrence's re-
jOinder. remember Of thinking she could
| not be much OF lady, as she wore q
faded deaine, and did her own washing!"


And there the matter rested. Mrs. Law
renee, with look and a shrug of the shoulders
and Mrs. Thomas, by her jealous surmise, had
caused sorrow and pain to an innocent person
they had, in fact, stolen the good name OF
one who had never injured them; and but for
the timely appearance of her brother, the con
sequences might have still been more serious


The professor preached the following Sunday
and at the conclusion of the discourse he re-
peated the tale of wrong, adding, " Had this
woman really been poor and friendless, as sup
posed what would the end have been? De
prived of her good name and, in consequence
of all means OF earning livelihood, she wOul,
doubtless have become discouraged and des
pondent, and sunk down to the grave a victim
to the scandal of those falsely calling them
selves Christians; and you in the sight of God
would not only have been classed among liars
hut murderers "
Year: 1868

Nothing in all the eventful life of Adah
lsaacs Menken became her half so we'll as her
leaving it, and baqueathing as her legacy to the
world the little collection of poems which have
now been published in Paris and London under
the unhappy title of Infelicia" That this
woman-a danseuse, an actress of the naked
drama, and a woman of Samaria, of whom it
was generally true to say, Thou hast had five
husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not
thy husband, whose popularity as an actress
had been won by appeals not to the intelligence
but to the sensuaty of the public, and whose
dramatic genius, if she possessed any at all,
had been expended only upon the invention of
costumes which should conceal nothing and
pOstures in which even a veiled nun would ap-
pear lewd-whose public life was supposed to
be even less scandalous than her private
amOurs, and Of whom even those whom she
even supposed to be her friends spoke either
with a sneer or with pitying condemnation that
this woman, after her death, should be discOv-
cred to have possessed soul full of tenderness
and of pure and holy thoughts, and power OF
pOetical expression immeasurably greater than
that of Walt Whitman or any others of the
spasmodic schoOl-that all this should be true
is one of the most surprising things in this age
of wonders. That Miss Menken occasionally
wrote verses had long been known to some OF
her friends; but that the divine aff1 ltus had
descended upon her and the spirit of poetry
really dwelt in her turbulent bosom, no one had
suspected, and it was not dreamed that it wa.
possible for her to write such lines as some OF
those in the poems contained in this poSthu
nous volume These poems are full of fault,
and blemishes, but they are also full of beau
ties. No one can read them without pathetic


interest, or without sorrOwing over the charac
ter which they DISCLOSE woman seeing ant
approaching the good, but embracing the evil


and loathing it as she embraced it.


The literary taste of this unhappy wOmal


was not pure, and was scarcely at all cultivated


she was NOSE familiar with the turgid meta


phor and lavish rhetoric of modern melO drama
than with the ancient or modern classics
But il none of her poems is there an lmpur
thought, or the suggestion of an idea which
saint should blush to hear The offensive pc
culiarities of her model are wholly absent fror
her verse. But her muse sings always in
strain of painful sadness and regret, or of bi
! ter although unavailing remOnstrance and rt
. volt.