smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1859

Inc Lafayette CotTaeT says:
The Grand Jury of this county, at the
last term of the Circuit Court returned in
dictments against the various keepers of
billiard tables in our city, under the statute
making it felony, and punishable by i'm
prisonment in the State Prison or county
Jail, to keep any gaming apparatus for the
purpose of winning or gaining any articles
of value which indictment came up fsr
discussion this morning upon motion to
squash.


The Court, his honor Judge Test presid-
ing, held that the statute referred to had
been repealed by implication-by a statute
passed ten days later, which provides that
* every person who shall be the keeper or
exhibitor of any gaming table, roulette, shut
fle-boards, faro bank, nine pin or ten pin
alley, or billiard table, for the purpose of
wagering any article of value thereon, shall
be fined not exceeding $1,000, to which
may be added imprisonment not exceeding
six months" which reduces the felony mn
der the former to thegrade of a misdemeanor,
of which the Circnit9 Court has no jurisdic-
ton. |


The motion to squash was sustained, and
the defendants discharged.
Year: 1859

WHEN THE BANKS ARE KICKED Our."-
The Memphis Avalanche, the peculiar or
gan of Gov. Harris upon the currency
question, advocates industriously total
extinction of banks, and in answer to an
enquiry from the Enquirer as to how ex-
change is to be obtained, says:


The Enquirer wishes to know who is to
furnish the exchange when the banks are
blotted out of existence. There will be
found those who will do it, and that, too,
At less rates than the banks have been in
the habit Of charging. When monopolies
are abolished-when the banks are kick
ed out of existence-the regularity OF the
exchanges will no longer be disturbed,
and then will be found sufficient num-
Der of enterprising individuals to excite
fair and reasonable competition, to engage
in furnishing them. In our opinion nei-
ther the Union, Planters nor State Banks
have ever been Of any advantage to the
people of Tennessee, either in the busi-
ness of furnishing exchanges or any 9th
er. 1t was but a short time ago that they
were making us pay from to 8per cent,
premium for them, and it was not until
they were forced into it that they COM
menced doing better. For this improve
ment we owe them no thanks, and we are
still Of the opinion that the country can
not get clear of them too soon for its own
good. Is,


That is very satisfactory answer
"There will be found those who will do
it." The people are asked to "blot out
of existence" their banks upon such a
fimsy promise as this. Will they do it 2
We imagine not.
Year: 1859

DSs- If you are afflicted, go 70 work for
other men. In your hours of rest you
may shed Is many tears as you please,-


God never grudges q tear, and i Christ
were with YOU. He would weep with you
too, but don't let your weeping prevent
your working. y
Year: 1859

KrLE, but NOT CURE The position of
Gov Harris and the Democratic party in
regard to banks, is compared by Col. Meth
erland to that of man who. because the
miller sent him bad -four on one occasion,
sought to burn the mill down, and not
only one, but all the mills in the State.
The Opposition are in favor of correcting
the defects in the mills. and letting them
continue to supply the country with flour.
Which is the most sensible?
Year: 1859

SG- Van Amburgh's elephant tried to
swim the Appomattox on his way to Peters
burg the other day. A bull dog chased
him midway of the stream. The elephant
quietly submerged the dog with his trunk
and then tossed him ashore.
Year: 1859

SALE OF TIE COLLINS STEAMERs.-We are
sure it was with deep regret, if not some
sense Of shame, that the public read on Sat
urday Of the sale of the Collins Ocean Steam
ers to the Pacific Mail Company. Thus
goes out all hope of sustaining the Collins
or any other proper line of American steam
ers between this country and Europe. The
whole business is now given up to foreign
companies, principal among which is the
Cunard: Congress by refusing aid to the
Collins line, has efectually huniliated the
country in the minds of people at home and
abroad, by compelling the Abandonment of
business, which, encouraged by our Govern
ment as Great Britain encourages her lines,
would have enabled the American steamers
70 cope with competition. With all our boas-
ung vain gloriousness, we abandon the great
held of steam freight and passenger traffic
between the New and Old Worlds. We
turn over to foreign capitalists and foreign
control that which we should, from national
pride and interest, hold ourselves
Year: 1859

FARMERS, TAKE HINT.-It Is very sur
prislng to see how slow men are to take a
hint. The frost destroys about half the bloom
on the fruit trees; everybody prognOsticates
the los of fruit, instead of that, the half that
remains is larger, fairer, and higher favored
thas usual, and the trees instead Of being ex-
bausted, are ready for another crop the next
gear. Why don't the owner take the hint,
and thin out his fruit every bearing year
But no, the next season sees his orchard over
loaded, fruit small, and not well formed; yet
he always boasts of that aforementioned crop,
without profting by the lesson it teaches.


We have heard a man saying, 1.-THE best
crop of celery ever saw, was raised by old
JOIN -, on a spot of ground where the
wash from the barn yard ran into it after
every hard shower Did he take the hint.
and convey such liquid manure in trenches
TO his garden Not at all; he Dragged about
that wonderful crop of celery, but would not
take the hint.


We know case where farmer subsoiled
field and raised crops in conseq quence which
were the admiration OF the neighborhood;
and for years the field showed the advantage
of deep handling. But We could not learn
that single farmer in the neigh borhood took
tnS nluI. 1ne man WHO dcUeu tuus "lselJ,
sold his farm, and his successor pursued the
old way of surface scratching.


A staunch farmer complained to us of his
soil as too loose and light; we mentioned
ashes as worth trying; "well, now you men
tion it, believe it will do good. | bought
part of my farm from a man who was a
wonderful person to save up ashes, and around
his cabin it lay in heaps. | took away the
house and ordered the ashes to be scattered,
and to this day noticed that when the plow
runs along through that spot the ground
Turns up moist and close-grained. 1t is
strange that he never took the hint There
are thousands of bushels of ashes lying not
far from his farm, about an old soap and
candle factory, with which he might have
dressed his whole farm.-Frmt, F20loers ana


F1rniinQ
Year: 1859

nor his superior physical strength are of any
avail.


Not only can the sword -bayonet give thrust
for thrust with the older weapon, but while
it thrusts, or withdraws after delivering it, it
sewers the tendons of the arm or leg of the
opponent, thus completely disabling him
prior to the last death blow.


Moreover, the French soldier i. taught to
WELD his weapon by poising 1t like quarter
staff horizontally as high as the head of his
adversary. and by slight movement IN the
segment of a circle, the sharp blade is swept
across the neck, chest or face of three men
opposed to him in line.


This novel mode of attack cannot be met
by the old musket and bayonet; hence the
Austrian soldier has, in despair, resorted to
the butt of his musket. in endeavoring to
crush his enemy, who, agile, skilful of fence,
and rendered confident by the superiority of
his new arm, can deliver three wounds with
his sword bayonet while his adversary is
swinging his club.
Year: 1859

letter was mailed, from Norwich to Kill
lingly, Conn. containing Sl60, short time
since. which failed to reach its destination,
and the money had to be sent a second time.
The department was notified of the loss, and
the special detective Holbrook sent to inves-
tigate the matter but before hls arrival the
letter was found in the overcoat pocket Of
neighbor of the man TO whom it was address
ed, where it had laid undisturbed. He had
probably taken it from the Office and fnrgot-
ten to deliver it, though he does not recollect
the circumstance.
Year: 1859

mourn no more my vanished years
Beneath tender rain,
An April rain Of smiles and tears,


Ny heart is young again.
Tie west winds blow, and. singing low,
hear the glad streams run;
The windows Of my soul throw


Wide open to the sun.
No longer forward nor behind


look in hope and fear;
But. grateful, take the good ! find,


The best Of now and here.
plough no more a desert land,


To harvest weed and tare;
The mama dropping from Gods hand
Rebukes my painful care.
break my pilgrim staff, l lay


Aside the toiing oar;
The angel sought so faraway


welcome at my door.
The al rs Of Spring may never play
Among the ripening corn,
Nor freshness Of the flowers Of May
Blow through the Autumn morn;
Yet shall the blue-eyed gentian look
Through fringed lids to heaven.
And the pale aster in the brook
Shall see its image given
The woods shall wear their robes Of praise,
The south wind softly sigh,
And sweet, calm days IN golden haze
Melt down the amber sky.
Not less shall manly deed and word
RebGke an age Of wrong;
The craven flowers that wreath the sword,
Make not the blade less strong.
But shifting hands shall learn to heal,
To build as to destroy;
Nor less my heart for othe-s feel
That I the moro enjoy.
All as God wills. who wisely heeds
To give or 10 withhold,
And knoweth more OF all my reeds
Than all my prayers have told
Enough that blessings Gndeservcd
Have marked my erring track
That whereso'er nv feet have swerved
His Christening turned me back
That more and more Providee
OF love is understood,
Making the springs of time and sense
Sweet with eternal good
That death seems but covered way
Which opens into light,
Wherein no blinded child can stray
Beyond the Fathers sight
That care and trial seem at last,
Through Memory's sunset air,
Like mountain-ranges over past,
In purple distance fair
That all the jarring notes Of life
Seem blendil in psalm,
And all the angles Of its strife
Slow rounding into calm.
And so the shadows fall apart,
And 3, the west winds play;
And sll the windows of my heart
l open TO the day.


Atlantic Monthly for August.
Year: 1859

The commercial men of New Orleans have
in consideration ship canal miles m iengso
"a connect the river with the ocean, u
noint on the coast above the sand bars En.
riueers say it can DO done at cost OF aoous
q million aud half, and will give q permsa'
snt channel.
Year: 1859




SALrAsD ASHES Foa Cows.--On turn
ing my cows TO pasture, in the Spring !
provided several small tubs and fix them
firmly in the soil to prevent them from be-
ing overturned, put into each tub one quart
of salt and three quarts of sifted wood ash
es, previously well mixed by stirring
The cows pariaks freely of this mixture
1t prevents injury from the sudden changs
from dry TO green food, and besides most
effect upon the general system.
Some asserts that salt should be given only
as often rs once a week, as its more fire.
quent use would be injurious. But when
applied in this way, no apprehension need
be entertained. ..f
Year: 1859

To everything beneath the sun there.
come last day, and Of all futurity ,hi, is


the only portion of time that can, in all cases
be inlallibility predicted Let the sanguina
take warning, and the disheartened take
courage; for to every joy and every sOr-,
row, every hope and every fear, will come
last day; and man ought SO to live BY


foresight that, while he learns in every
state to be content, he shall in each be pre-
pared for snother, whatever that other may
be. When we set an acorn we expect il
Will produce an oak, whsn we plant viva
we calculate upon gathering grapes; BIZ,
when we lay plan for years 70 come, we
may wish and we can do no more excep.
pray that it may be accomplished; for We
know not what even the morrow will bring
forth. All that we. do know beforehand
of any thing, isttat to every ,hing beneath
the sun there come last day-prompting
to immediate and inspiring self-sxamina-
ton. From this there is nothing to fear
from the neglect Of it, every thing; for.
however alarming the discoveries Of evil
unsuspeeted or perils unknown may be such,
discoveries had better be made now whila
escape is before US, than in that day when
the secrets Of all hearts shall be revealed
and escape win be impossible--that day
which of all others is most enphaticalIy
called Tho Last Day. Montgomery.
Year: 1859

DoN'r CoUsr YouR ENEMiEs.-No man
or woman living, who is good Tor anything,
or who has the smallest particle Of that
most desirable outfit for fe-individualily
ever escaped enemies. The more per-
son has Of these stinging insects about him tie
more we are always inclined to believe that
he is worth cultivating-has some charae-
istcs sui generis, and out Of or above the
common order.


1t is not bad thing, for this and other
reasons, 10 have enemies. If you have them
you will learn your own faults, which you
never would from friends. Keep straight
on and don't mind them; and above all don't
stop TO count them. Make up your mind
10 encounter the odds, whatever it may be.
and to come off victorious, or else TO pursue
your way as it they did not exist; and he
louder they yell at your heels, the more
straightforward both course and gaze, and
il does not matter in the least how many
they are. They will not harm you, save
temporarily; and when you get to the end
Of your life you will not be sorry that you
have not paused to count them, or even to
contend with them.


Il is said that the secret Of the success
Of the greatest Of generals, lay in ::the
fact that he never couuied his eneMies.-
He determined 10 defeat them by battle or
strategy, no matter how numerous they
were, and he alrays did I'm. Y. Week
l,y
Year: 1859

THE SHADOW OF Cons WINe.-Lord,
let my soul aeefrom the scorching thoughts
Of the world, under the covert Of thy wings
that being refreshed by the moderation Of
thy shadow, she may sing merrily.. In,
peace will lay me down and rest.
Year: 1859

slanderer bitches of dilemmas, such as no
sophistry could overleep. and no stretch of
ingenuity evade; and thus having, as one
might say, impoundel his victim, and girt
about him like a scorpion in circle of fire,
he stripped himself to the work of massacre.
Then it was a vision both glorious and
dreadful, to behold the orator. His action,
before graceful as the wave of golden bill
low in the breeze, now grew impetuous as
the motion of an oak in hurricane. His
voice became trumpet, filled with wild
whirlpools, deafening the ear with the crash
es OF its power, and yet intermingled all the
while with sweet under-song of softened
cadence. His face was red as a drunkard's, S,
his forehead glowed like heated furnace,
hts countenance was haggard like that of q
maniac, and ever and anon he flung his long
and bony arms on high, as if grasping after
thunderbolts.
He drew picture of murder in such ap-
paH3ng colcss, that in eompsrk "a, sheil e.
self might be considered beautiful. He
painted the slanderer so black that the sun
seemed dark at MONDAY. when shining on
that accurscd monster; and then, Fl king both
portraits on the shrinking Hopkins, he fas-
tened them there forever. The agitation of





All at once the speaker descended from the
perilous height. His voice walled out for
the murdered dead and for the living-the
beautiful Mary, more beautiful every mo-
ment as her tears flowed faster-till men
wept and women sobbed like children.


He closed by a strange exhortation to the
jury, and through them to the bystanders.
He advised the panel after they should bring
in verdict for the plaintiff not to offer vio-
lence to the defendant, however richly he
might deserve it; in other words, not to
lynch the villain, but leave his punishment
with God.


This was the most artfui trick of all. and
the best calculated to ensure vengeance.


The jury returned verdict of fifty thous-
and dollars; and the night after, Hopkins
was taken out of his bed by lynchers and
beaten nearly to death


AS the court adjourned the stranger made
known his name. and called the attention
OF the people to the announcement-"Joh ohm
Taylor will preach here this evening at car
ly candle light


The crowd all turned out, and Tavlor's
sermon equaled, if it did not surpass the
splendor OF his forensic effort This is not
exaggeration. | have listened to Webster.
Clay and Calhoun-to Dewey, Tying, and
Bascom-but never heard anything in the
form OF sublime words. even remotely ap-
pro ximating to the eloquence of John Tav-
lor-masslve as a mountain, and wildly
rushing as a cataract of fire. And this is
the opinion of all who have heard this ma
vellous man
Year: 1859

l take it, will, or ought to be the great CEN
tral route for q railroad to the Pacific Ocean


81 am not ignorant Of the fact that the
city Of Memphis, though standing ON or
near the S5th parallel of north latitude, has,
up to this time, manifested Il strange AMI
unaccountablc Indifference to the great adj
vantages Of this work.


=" The report of Whipple, and the explo-
rations Of Bealle and others, establish tho
superiority of this route over all others. It
is nearer, the character Of the country bet
ter, and is more abundaatly supplied with
wood and water than the extreme southern
route, which is understood to be the favorite
route OF portion of the people of Mem
phis. II


1t has always been a mystery to me
why the public press and leading men Of
your city should studiously ignore the rou...
on the Both parallel Of latitude and jealous
ly advocate the purely sectional route on the
32d parallel


sells will for the future control the leading
minds and public pSss of your city.
g But, sir, suppose the great national
railroad to the Pacific is not built upon or
near the 35th parallel of latitude, still the
city Of Memphis is deeply interested in the
extension of railroad to the western bor-
der Of Arkansas. This road will pass UP the
valley of the Arkansas river, through a le-
gion of great fertility and resources, and
destined at an early day 20 be continuous
cotton field to the Indian line and then
Immediately west Of us we have the fcrtil.
and productive country occupied by the
Cherokee, Choctaw and Creek Indians.
which country, when fully developed as it
must be at no distant day, will possass
wealth and resources second to no country
Of similar extent west Of the Mississippi.


90 a railroad, then, penetrating this re-
gion would pour millions Of wealth into
the lap of Memphis, and ought to enlist all
the energy and zeal of her people and
press.


"John King, Esq, of Fort Smith, Will
visit your city in few days. He is au-
thorised to confer with you on the subject
matter of this communication Have the
goodness to let us hear from you.


"Ncry respectfully


JESSE TURNER.
President of the company Of the Little


Rock and Fort Smith branch Of the {


and +. railroad.


" To John Robertson, President Of tho Lit


tie Rock and Memphis railroad
Year: 1859

Another Christian quarrel has occurred al
Jerusalem a little piece Of the marble
pavement of the Church of the Nativity had
been broken off and taken away. The que'-
ton was whether the Latin or the Greek
worshippers should repair the loss, and both
got their bit of marble ready, and began to
quarrel about the mendng. The La.ns,
with the aid and assistance of the French
Consul and the Mussulman authority, man
aged 10 mend the pavement first; then came
the Greeks who undid their work and wan
ted To mend if for themselves. Violence
would have succeeded on both sides, tut the
advice was at last resorted to Of getting the
Turks u make the necessary repairs. So
ths was done, and the believers were res
tored TO peace by the happy Intervention Of
tie IntiNeln
Year: 1859

position sought to enslaye it-sought and shared
the tolls of freedoms cause-drew the sword for
the free-dashed down the seabbard, never 10
sheath it again until liberty perched upon the
standard he bore"


Here We have the genius of American Lib
erty typed in an Eagle, which is so far, well
enough but the eagle was, strange to say,
not hUSbed to rest amid the fragrance Of roses
nor robed in the gaudy attire of palaces;
neither was the eagle educated by the
wealth of royalty or matured amid the
smiles of affluence or plenty" II was spnrned
from its mothers bosom, attained the stature
Of man, and finally upon the banner which
he (it0 bore, liberty perchedI That is to
say, the eagle held the banner while the bird
of liberty Perchca upon It'll If this be not
the meaning of the wordy entanglement
will some one do us the favor to tell us what
is?


One more extract, and we are done. The
orator says;


3" Ind pb8e I noul9 not pluck one huyel from
the Jg0,D Of the Gbeyty-t0Sinq herO Of '76-no,
peacc to their sacred memories-yet, | would al
ude to another cause to which and from which is
attributable much of the success that has crowned
our efforts in assuming our position among the
nations Of the earth There is a Just and right-
eoas G0l that superintends and directs the affairs
Of human life, that buldeth up and teareth
down; aud that nation blessed of the Lord is in
deed blessed and If it be the will of God that
vice should be hurled from its high post of usur-
patton that virtue be extended to the pinnacle Of
honor, that the barrier to civil freedom shall be
pulled down, and man be permitted to graduate
to the highest perfection in moral worth and
Christian virtue, then that God will surely give
efficiency and success to ai} anil egery agent
VIII ch, under the Divine blessing shall perfectly
consummate so desirable result"


He apologies, to the heroes of '76, for the
liberty which he takes of ascribing a small
need of praise to ALMIGHTY COP for the sue
cess which crowned the Revolution God"
he adds, evil surely give efficiency and sue
cess to all and erery agent, &C." The term
cyery AGENT is grammatical, but all agent, by
no means


We do not come to period in this very
hasty review, on account of any lack of fur
ther errors and defects, absurdities and peu-
rilites in the document before us, but simply
for want of space. We have written the
foregoing with no unkind feelings towards
the author, but from a sense of duty. The
Grafton in question has been deliberately pub
lished as an effort of a high intellectual char
acter, and was so endorsed by many at the
time of its delivery. 1t is therefore fair
subject Of criticism, and, if tie brief notice
which we have given it shall have no other
effect than to counteract the possible impress
sion in the mind of any young man of un
formed literary tastes that such peurilities as
these constitute fine writing or speaking, or
that production so crammed with inaccu
racies is a model of grammar and rhetoric, we
shall be satisfied. AS to our right to criticize |
the document, no man who understands eth
er the customs of the press or its true PROV
ince, will make question of it for moment