smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1859

EL ALEMETo, Sept 2ith, ls59

 EDITOR or THE ARHoNno :.--I promised to write from time to time, whenever auythnr of interest occurred and although without news, supposing you would like to know where had determined to locate, drop you line from my new ranche, the "El Alemeto:" nm now busy building house for myself, and to accom-. mOdate my friends This rauche is situated between the Conoa Ranche and 1ucson-about the middle of the Thirty-Mile Desert as it is called by those who can see no land of any value for farming or grazing purposes in this section. Some persons insist that it never rains in this country ani that this is all a desert but that can assure you is false, for have over two hundred head of castle in the middle of one of those wonderful places that people die for want of water and food, and my cattle are fat and doing as well as in any other part of the country. Mcxicans have travelled this country from the Conoa to Tucsc,, for the past hundred years, without water and called l1 " jojuado,' where now have blooming ranehe, with plenty of water and on album dance to eat Water can be had from 1ulac to the Gila rye1 by digging from six to d1y feet. There is plenty Of good land in this country, notwithstanding a few, blinded by pre-. jaiice and disappointment have no eyes to see. or the honesty to acknowledge it

 w. B RooDs
Year: 1859

DlsCovERIEs.-It is mortifying
truth, and ought to teach the wisest of
us humility, that many os the most val
uat.lc discoveries have been the result
Of chance, rather than of contemplation
and Of accident rather than design
Co7few.


A BEE TREE.-That rare article in
California, Bee Tree, was discovered
last week in Calaveras county. It con-
tanned fine swarm of bees. in good
working order. 1t is supposed to be a
swarm that escaped from its owner last
season..
Year: 1859

We have passed over churning aud learning
the catechsm, because wo are fearful of ma
king this article too long, although we might
have talked of butter that would not be persua-
ded to come, and perpIexties OF literary turn
of mind, and head TINS measured seven aud
quarter when asked what the chief end of man
was. Boyhood is green passage IN mans eX-
perlence in more senses than one. 1t is a
pleasant thing to think over and laugh about
now, thou oh it was serious enough then. Many
of our present trials are as ridiculous as those
which now touch the risbles in the rccollec-
ton, and when we get to the other world and
look upon this. aud upon the Inancy Of the soul
through which we passed here. eve have no
doubt that we shall grin over the trials which
we experienced when we lost our fortunes,
when Four mills were swept away or burned,
and when we didn't get elected to the Lcglsla-
lure. Men arc but boys Of larger growth.
Year: 1859

We have hitherto supposed the day long
since passed for chronicling big snake
fight in the vicinity of the Central City,
but such it appears is not the case, from
a scene which recently transpired within
a short drive from the Court House. -
Some Of the older residents will remem-
Der building which formerly stood on
Prospect Hill, about six miles distant
from Peoria, and which was DESTROYED
some seven or eight years since. During
the past season another house was erect
ed near the same location, and all that
has remained as relics of the old hotel
was a partially filed excavation for a
cellar and two well preserved brick els
terms which had been kept covered up.
Last week tue proprietor of the place,
while busy with his wife in preparing their
Summer flower z .rden, found himself in
want OF few bricks for the edge of the
walks. Remembering the eisterns henn-
covered one Of them, and finding it dry
at the bottom, and only about six feet in
depth, he jumped in and commenced
throwing out some Of the best brick be
could pick from the walls. It seems there
was a piece Of plank with one end par
TALLY imbeded in he earth; seizing il
with some exertion be pulled it out and
threw it to the top. What was his hor-
ror and surprise at the next moment tc
find that he had unearthed an enormou,
rattlesnake, and himself without a weap.
on in his hand.


AS the cistern was round and only
about five feet in diameter, he could moi
jump out, aud the snake bristling will
anger and rattling defiance was ready iol
battle. His screams brought his wife Il
the scene, but she was SO overcome with
fright thai she became powerless TO rer.
der any assistance. The snake, ia tie
meantime, had commenced the fght, ma.
king repeated springs at him, but foriu.
nately he managed on each occasion 4
hit him on the head with his boot. with.
out receiving a bite, the snake all th,

time becoming more defiant and enraged
During the whole scene, which lasted sey
eral minutes, the man did not lose hii
presence Of mind,bui watching bis ehanc'
made several frantic efforts to jump bod
lily from his seemingly pit Of destruction
Al The last trial be fortunately grasped =
brick which gave say with him and re
manned 10 his hand Is be again stood con
Year: 1859

nrSC tlIne, nor yet, as soon as tne SEED is S0Wn.
And while time, and labor, and cultivation are
required in the spiritual as well as the natural
world, the final result is just as certain. 1t is
even more so; for crop may fail, but we
have the promise of God that his word shall
not return to him void. E.,. r-aI


Not long after the organization of our soci-
ETY., two conversions were reported among our
German population, in connection with its la
bors Others have been found ready to talk
about the welfare of their souls, and incidents
of much interest have been met with by some
of the visitors in their monthly rounds. We
have only room to say, as shadowing forth the
possible power of so weak an instrument as
mere tract, that in one case that has come
within our knowledge, man who was brought
| to his dying bed (not religious man, we be-
lieve,) called for the tracts that had been left
at his house by one of the visitors Hewish-
ed to see them for some purpose. Probably
the solemnity of the hour brought out in full
relief the impression they had made upon his
mind and who knows but then and there
they may have pointed him to a Redeemer
equal to his extremity! Again, and in the
same connection, We will relate an incident
| that occurred at one of our monthly Tract
prayer meetings The meeting was small, the



also, probably attracted some of our members
away. After most of those present had Ia
ken part in the exercises of the meeting, the
leader invited any one present who had any
| thing to say. for our encouragement, to be free
to state it. Soon q young man, q German,
unknown to all present, rose up to speak
We give his language, as nearly as it can be
recalled, its simplicity only adding to its force.


He said my friends. am not used to talk
ing in meeting, but i teel as if Icould hardly
keep still to night. lam shoemaker Some
| time ago when was working at my bench in
Chicago, q lady camesin and gave me e,of
these tracts. laid it down on my bench and
| did not mind it. But one, day wheE was
hunting something I picked itlup and read a
few. lines. Il read on further and became
more interested. / found it condemed me-
Then I did not. want to read it, because it
Year: 1859

to the modification of that young lady,


who flung herself into corner and did her


utmost to conceal herself from view, lest


any one should recognize her with such a


companion. They could not approach the
| lodging very closely in the carriage but


Mr.. Frizeil, nothing daunted by the mar


row street, or dirty staircase, resolutely


drew on his reluctant daughter; and the


child of wealth and luxury-the gay, the


elegant, the fashionable Louisa Frizell-


for the first time stood face to face with


the wan and wasted sufferers of want and
disease


Never could she forget the thrill with
which she glanced around the miserable


home, and eyed the feeble sufferer stretch
ed upon that bed. Poverty till then
she had moi knoTn what it was, and yet
this was poverty in its least repulsive
shape; for though bare and desolate, the
room was clean; and though feeble and
emanciated, the invalid was It'd , in her
person whilst the beautiful boy who sat
beside her. bending his dark pensive eye
on the visitors, as if to question their OBJ
Ject, gave degree of grace and elegance
to the group. When Louisa saw the
gratitude with which her fathers purchases
were acknowledged, and the satisfaction
with which the sum of only twenty shilI-
ings was received, she began to understand
a little the value of money But the
glow Of still deeper feeling which the res
toration of the wedding ring occasioned
was so touching, that she felt for the mo
ment that she would willingly sacrifice
h:c:lf her trinkets to be the author or re-
.oiver o. such glance as that.


Ham was this encounter for the two
poor widows, End it was evidently a far
happier one for Louisa / :-'zell herself
They were materially sslo'ed i'll their diff
ficulties, and in fact, raised fro,n a ''tua-
tion of most depressing and heart breaklng
poverty to degree of comfort, which IL
their moderate wishes. SCENE like affiu-
ence-But she was aroused from far
more lamen able state-from poverty of
feeling, a dearth of compassion want of
kindly charity to her neig ighbors, which, but |
for some such lesson as this, might have
starved and destroyed some amiabIe senti-
ment in her nature But the lesson was
etfectual and the once thoughtless Louisa
Fiizell now sets an example to her Young
companions, both of consideration for those
trades people she employs, and Of modera-
ton and self denial in the use of the orna
ments and expenses which her station in
life appears to justify and require.
Year: 1859

How Men AND SPIDERS MAKE BRIDGEs.-
Insects as well as man, have their way
of doing things. RoBELIN, the architect
of the Suspension Bridge, by flying a kite
over the immense chasm at Niagara, first
got small string across then by increas-
ing the size finally to a rope, and from
that to the mammoth structure that now
spans the abyss, as monument to his gen
ius. Some of the most distinguished nat
uralists in the world believe that spiders
have the art of crossing streams of water
on bridges of their own making. Mr.
SPENCER relates the following curious fact
Having placed large full grown spider
on cane planted upright in the midst OF
stream of water, he saw it descend the
cane several times, and remount when it
had arrived at the surface Of the water
Suddenly he lost sight of it wholly, but a
few minutes afterwards, to his great aston
ishment, he perceived it quietly pursuing
its way on the other side of the stream
Having spun two threads along the cane,


it had cut one of them, which, carried by
the wind, had become attached to some
Object on the bank, and so served the spider
as a bridge across the water.
Year: 1859

The following letter was received bv
worthy friend of ours, who is Receiver
for detunct Insurance Company. Wheth-
er the Receiver will accept this in pay
ment OF that "premium note is quite
questionable. That the letter is worth
two dollars, besides postage, none of our
readers we apprehend, will deny.


BRowNsETTLEMENr, alias BROWNSVILLE,


January 16, A ID. 1856.


DEAR Mr. SAVAGE: Your printed LET
ter of Nov. 1, 1859, I got this morning
before | changed my shirt, in which you
say the Supreme Court have ordered YOU
to collect note-a "premium note' Of
81.


Now sir, if you have got suth note
against me, you will, in my humble judg-
ment, before you collect it, come to the
conclusion that it is discount note, instead
of "premium note" and seriously ap-
prehend that you will be brought into con
tempt of the Court before YOU obey that
" order" "a premium note.' That
ms. Go broke down, | am informed. on
more than sap trough full of Just such
premium notes. and all the Courts this
side Of Kilkenny can't raise the rags to
the dignity Of a premium.


| had my farm insured in Rvder's Tnsu
rance Company q. G. when | had one, I
but [ never gave the straight-haired agent
my note for it. paid him down at the
time, in sausages, potatoes and n E. Rum.
lie cum to my house in the cussedest snow
storm you ever saw, and stayed week
and made a pretty heavy bill with me for
grog and such things, and said he had not
got any money, hut would ensure my farm
for pay, and the old woman, rather than
let the lousy cuss 90 off without paying
up, let him ensure my interest in a lease
lot, which the landlord took away from
me in less than six months after that.
D-d pretty insurance that for "pre-
MUM note" " This premium note business
reminds me of good old Jacksonian cur
rency, when everybody would be rich on
a crib full of shin pasters; !" but never
thought that any court would ever enter
tain an opinion gravely that they would be
collected. What has become of RYDER?
| wish | could see the crtter again, he
will drink more Rum than any man ever
saw, besides he informed me that he was
connected with Mr.. Pierce and John Tyler
and was an agent Of government.


| have got all your private letters here
yet. do not take the newspapers"
and anything further that you may send
me will be thankfully received-they come
so handy for the children to read.


You may say to the Supreme Court that
you can't collect Che note, for the reason
lst never made any such note, 2I, if |
had it is regular discount note.


Tell Ryder if he will get back my farm
as good as it was when lie insured it, it
will be all right, but if he don't do that, |
want him to come back and pay up his
rum bill.
Year: 1859

and we beg the press generally to unite
with us in warning the whole people
against another rush to these gold mines,
as i'll advised as that of last spring-a rush
sure to be followed like that by stampede,
but one far more destructive of property
and life. Respectfully,


HORACE GREELEY,


A. ID. RICHARDSON,


HENRY WILLARD.
Year: 1859

Mlsfortu3es never come singly, it is said.
III luck is always supposed to be married
article, and whereverit goes, to take its
vile brood along with it, Good fortune, by
the way, is very much an article of the
same character Ifyou will observe atten-
lively, you will discover that one stroke of
success is usually followed up by variety of
Others, perhaps lesser ones, apparently dis
connected from the first one; yet really
possessing toward it the relationship of a
natural sequence. Their original up is
the slide in the affairs of men" which has
been taken at ''the food" and what fol-
lows is the incidental movement of that
flood which "leads to fortune" 1t never
rains but it pours, in both cases hence it
is the part of wisdom, when the shower
comes whether for our injury or advantage,
to remember that the greater the food the
sooner it must exhaust itself; and prepare
for reverse accordingly. Good luck can
not last forever neither can bad luck
which is a comfort to the afflicted.
Year: 1859

Oh! bark, my gay friends, to the molanc holy


sound


Deaths arrows relentless are flying around,
Aud one Of your number-a youth in his bloom
Was taken by death and laid low in the tomb.
Though when he was hero he was blooming and


gay,


And now he is called for and taken away,
How little he thought to be summoned 50 soon,
Or that his bright sun would be darken'de'cr noon
Although he is dead he is speaking to you
Ills Baggage Is this: bid your iollies adieu,
Sock God and prepare for the last dreadful strife
That you may be savea in the regions Of life.
Though he is dead he will soon be forgot
His friends aud relations remember him not
Their sighs will be hushed and their tears wiped


away,


While here lies his poor body moldering to clay,
Now here he must lie till the resurrection morn,
When an immortal body his soul will adorn;
Ills dust is roposing beneath the cold 50 d.,
Ills spirit seems whispering Prepare to meet


GOd.n


lie is gone from this world and invites you to
come
Go read the inscri ption engraved on his tomb;
Go down to the gH ve-yard-go learn you with


care,


Important tho lesson--"I too must be there"
Year: 1859

A day or two ago, little boy lost his pocket
book in front of our office, and was of course
in somewhat of stew" about it. COM
rade told him to spit on the back of his hand
and strike it with the fore-fnger of the other,
saying that the spit would fly in whatever di-
rection the lost book lay. The little boy took
his advice, and the spit flying up the street, he
walked few PAGES in that direction, and, sure
enough, found the lost treasure. The young
philosopher, on seeing him pick up the book,
CALCULATED II told you so =" Of course, they
will believe in the infaIibilily of the rule here
after.
Year: 1859

FODDER SPoILED.-We learn from the farm
ers that the rainy murky warm weather of last
week has finished the destruction commenced
upon the fodder by the first edition of the equi-
noxtial gale. The tops and blades saved be-
fore the storm were thought to be safe, and
would have been. but for the protracted spell of
rain and moisture which penetrated every
where, and has not only mildewed the blades
in the shock but even the lunches of tops in
The field-a circumstance almost before un-
known. They have, it is said. turned quite
black. and have an offensive smell. The loss
will fall heavily upon those who raised no hay.
and depend mainly upon fodder for proyioder.
Year: 1859

THE Registry Law in Michigan goes into
operation at the coming election. None but
the registered are allowed TO vote, and all the
challenging must be done before the Board of
Registry.
Year: 1859

Mr.. EVERETT spoke the whole of his grafton
upon Webster (extracts Of which may be found
on our first page) without reference to notes.
The Providence Journal says: The wonder
full exertion of memory is not without prece-
dent; but such power of memory, combined
with such other great power. may challenge
comparison with anything in the history Of ora
tory"
Year: 1859

If young man wants to engage in a
business that will insure him, ia middle
life the greatest amount of leis>re time
there is nothing more sure taan forming.
If he has an independent turn oe mind,
let him be farmer If ne wants to en-
gage in healthy occupation, let him till
the land. In short # he would be indie
pendent, let him get spot of earth;
keep within his means to shun the law
yers; be temperate to avoid tn, doctors;
be honest to have a clear concience, i'm
prove the soil 50 as to leave the world
better than he found it; and then if he
cannot live happily and die content there
is no hope for him.
Year: 1859

We are informed by an eastern journal
that the Chinese constructed some extern
sive suspension bridges more than fifteen
hundred years ago. At that time they
were called flying bridges, and were wide
enough for four horsemen to ride abreast
across them.
Year: 1859

Upon the whole, this new tangled, con structive per diem, Hindman, Helena, pro- scnptlve, bullying democracy, is a new thing for old Lawrence, and with the excep- ton of few old fogies that are worn out in the public service of the dear people. and even at that, have never made their mark ana have now enlisted, during the war under the Hindman banner and are working so faithfully in the cause. say with that exception, old Lawrence is just as she always was in the good old cause of democracy, and the general election of 1860 wlii agaln test the question. She will then confirm the descision made in the Congress of 1858 between the two, and my prediction is, by that time, the opposition Will be seeking some other place of refuge, ana the few that may be scattered around about will scorn to hear the name of their new leader mentioned.

 l will also take this occasion to refute some gross charges made by some anony- nous scrlbbler against the sheriff of our county. Said scribbler appearsein your paper of April ?, in an article headed how Ike Ferguson paddled our Sheriff, The whole production of which is intended for some revengeful malicious design, and I have great doubts of its containing one word of truth, as to Thomas c. Steadman. the sheriff of Lawrence county. AU know hsm, and it would be in me the heiphth of presumption to give the general character Of this gentleman. I will only say that have been living in Lawrence county for ten years, and have been personally acquainted with him during that period, and he has ever been full up to the mark of a gentle man of the first order, in every respect, as we'll as fully and faithfully discharging his duties as sheriff at all times, irrespective of parties, persons or friends, and if the writer of the article referred to wishes to sustain his assertions, as to the cowardice of Mr. Steadman, his proper course will be to put hls theory into practice, and by doing so, l wouldn't be afraid to hazard dog knife, by the time he wrote the next article he would be of a different opinion.

 JUSTICE.
Year: 1859

DEAR DIcK.-IIaving few leisure mo- ments 1 imagine l could not spend my time more pleasantly any other way than to give you notice of few of the tricks and traps of old Lawrence. By the way the great constructive per diem question which seems to be the great topic not only in political circles, but among the hard listed yeomanry, is one sided gaane in old Lawrence, Hind man & Co.,, to the contrary, notwithstand- ing, though it is true our members all par took of the forbidden fruit, except Mar shall, and he voted for the adoption of the report of the judiciary committee, which report sustained the per diem during the re- cess, but afterwards voted against the reso- lutions, requiring the president to certify to these accounts for the same There must have been panic among the grave sena- tors after they saw fixed determination in Judge Fletcher not to certify, even if the resolution requiring him to do so had passed. There is inconsistency here, and the cause is only to be coniectured.

 The course of Governor Conway, as well as the position you have assumed in the True Democrat upon that question, will be fully sustained by nine tenths of the free men of old Lawrence, and it is the case every where else that I can hear from, al though the Hindman clique will endeavor to sustain the per diem, but when the trial test comes the per diem, and all the allied forces, together with the Little Giant at their head, will vanish like mist before the sun.