smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1863

SWEARING ALoNE-A gentleman
heard a lahoring man swearing dreadfully
in the presence of companions. He told
him that it was cowardly thing to
swear in company with others, when he
dare not do it by himself The man said
he was not afraid to swear at any time
or place.


"Fll give you ten dollars" said the
gentleman, elf you will go to the village
graveyard at IL o'clock tonight, and
swear the same oaths you have uttered
mere, when you are alone with God"
Agreed said the man, sits an easy
way of earning ten dollals."


"Well, you come to me tomorrow and
say you have done it and the money is
yours.


The time passed on; midnight came
The man went to the grave yard. Ir was
ia night of pitchy darkness. AS he en-
tered the grave yard, not sound was
heard all wa still as death. Then the
gentleman's words, "Alone with God, !"
came over him with wonderful power
The thought of the wickedness of what
he had been doing and what he had come
there to do; darted across his mind like
a fash OF lightning. He trembled at his
folly Afraid to take another step, be
fell upon his knees, and instead of the
dreadful oaths he came to utter. the ear
nest cry went up-''God be meroiful to
NE a sinner -
The naxt day be went to the gentle
man and thanked him for what he had
done, and said be had resolved not to
swear another oath as long as he lived.
Year: 1863

ALONE IN LIFE.-What can be more
discouragin2 than the feeling that in our
struggles through life, in our trials and
disappointmeuts, there ore none to SYM
pathize with and care for US? No man
can 90 far with strength. courage, and
cheer, if he goes alone. We are made to
be happier and better by each others
notice, appreciation, help and praise ;
and the hearts that are debarred from
these Influences, invariably wither, hard
en-, or break Here and there are found
persons who from pride, perverseness, or
often their sensitiveness, (Which they
seek to hide) affect to be altogether in-
dependent Of the notice, or regard. of
their fellow beings; but it is very safe
assertion to make, that never yet was
there human heart that did not, at some
time, long for the sympathy Of other
hearts. And there Is a nobility in this
feeling.
Year: 1863

There is more real evil in particle of
corruptioa than in an ocean of tribulation.
In suffering, the offence is offered to us !;
in SHINING the offence is committed
against God. In suffering, there is an
infringement of map's liberty in SHINING
there is denial of Gods authority. The
evil of suffering is transient but the evil
of sin is permanent In suffering, we
lose the favor OF men but in SHINING, We
hazard the favor of God. s.
Year: 1863

"My DEAR" said an anxious father to a
bashful daughter, 81 intend that you
shall be married, but do not intend that
you shall throw yourself away to any of
the wild, worthless boys of the present
day. You must marry a man of sober
and mature age-one that can charm you
with personal attraction. What do you
think of a fine, intelligent, mature hus-
band of fifty ?" The timid, meek, blue
eyed little daughter looked in the mans
face, and with the slightest possible touch
of interest in her voice, answered, 81
think two of twenty-five would be better,
papa"
Year: 1863

Cloves are produced by tree which
is native of the Molucca Island, and
were, like nutmegs, a long time under


the exclusive control of the Dutch Gov
ernment, which for many years would
not allow the tree to grow upon any
except the island Of Amboyus, whence
the highest priced cloves come from
The tree is from fifteen to thirty feet
high, with large aromatic leaves and
bunches Of very fragrant flowers. The
spice is the unopened flower buds, which
are beaten off by means Of rods, and
then dried. The little bali at the top
Of the Glove is the unexpanded petals


by softening the Glove in hot water
these can be carefully laid open by


means of a pin. The main portion of
the Glove is what would be the fruit if
it was allowed 10 go On and riped. Our
word Glove comes from the French clop,
nail that being the name by which
the French call them on account of their
resemblance to little nail. They con-


tain good deal of volatile oil, upon
which their value depends. The oil is
sometimes extracted in part, and the
clovos afterwards sold. These can be


told by their lighter color, and by hav-
ing the buttons or rounded portions


broken off. Cloves readily absorb a.
considerable amount Of moisture, and il
is the custom Of large dealers to keep
them in rather damp place, in order
to make them weigh heavily and look
fresh and plump. 1t is bad economy
to buy cloves or any other spice in the
ground state, as, aside from adulteration,
the oil is sabsorbed by the paper in which
they are put.
Year: 1863

Some farmers sell or slaughter their
best stock of mares, COWS, ewes or sows,
and thus cut off all hopes Of any i'm
proyement at one blow. Does a heifer
show disposition to fatten easily p
She is encouraged to feed until fat and
is thus sold and eaten, while her fellows,
who belong to the same breed with
Pharoah's lean kline, are kept for milk
or rearing calves, because they are not
and cannot be made fat for the butcher
Has farmer sow pig which becomes
fat upon the feed on which the rest Of
the pigs are starving! He gives her
over to the butchers knife, and propa-
gates from Gland shads" and corn cribs.


Has he fine, round, bright eyed
eve? She will be fat about the time
his half-flled pork barrels are empty,
and she is stripped of her fair skin and
fair proportions simply because she is
worth the trouble Of killing; and thus
many or our farmers perpetuate breed
Of cattle that are disgrace to the coun-
try. They seem uneasy while they pos
sess an animal that will draw the atten-
ton of their neighbor or the butchers,
and woe be to it if it puts on better
appearance than its fellows, for from that
time its doom is sealed.


To improve the breed Of animals, it
is by no means necessary to incur great
expense in bringing animals from a dis
tance. If farmer will mount his
horse and ride across the country some
fine day, and view the live stock of his
neighbors, he will soon perceive that
there are abundant means Of better
ing his circumstances by cross or ex-
change, at a slight cost, and he by this
plan is improving his judgment by com
parison, and hording up experience for
a future day that will be Of more val
ue to him than the expense Of so many
excursions improvements once begun
and persisted in for a short time will
produce such corresponding improve
ment in mind and circumstances of the
farmer as will insure its continuation,
and richly reward all his labor and out
lay.


Many Of our farmers destroy the hope
of improving their stock BY system Of
false economy in the selection of the
males from which they breed irstock;
many do not keep male from which
to breed their horses or horned stock,
nor is it necessary, as one will do for
a neighborhood but this one should be
the best and in order to keepa good one,
a good price must and should be charg
ed for his serviees.--Eechange.
Year: 1863

While war is abroad in the land, com
pelling us to the most gigantic endeavors
in defiance Of our national existance, it
may seem idle, if not even unpatriotic,
to expect any large measures of serious
attention to the ordinary affairs of
the schools A mandate of Divine Provi-
dence has ordered us to the front rank
Of contending nations, and engaged
US in a conflict which aborsorbs into its
own terrible channels almost the entire
currents of our industries and our ideas.
A generation thus called upon to strug-
gle for its life and liberties, might well
be excused if forgetful, for time, Of
the generation coming afterit


But the grand march of humanity
stops not in It's course even for war
From the cradle to the coffin, the crowd
through the successive stages of life
Children connot halt in its progress fol
returning peace to afford leisure for edu-
cation. On into the years-to man
hood, to citizenship, to destiny-it rush
es, whether learning lights its path and
guides its steps or Ignorance involves il
in error and conducts it headlong into
vice. And if in peace the school is
needful to rear our children to an intel
ligent and virtuous manhood, how much
greater the need in war, which with its
inseparable barbarisms, is drifting the
nation from its onward course Of peace
full civilization back to the old realms Of
darkness and of brute force.


The high and heroic aims of this con-
1ict will doubtless mitigate the evils
which necessarily attend an appeal to
arms. To say nothing of the physical
health and prowess that camp life and
military disipline will develope, the love
of country and love Of liberty will rise
again from mere holiday sentiments to
the grandure and power Of national
passions, and the Union, made doubly
precious by the blood which its main
tenance will cost, will attain strength
which no mortal force can shake or dis
troy. History will grow heroic again
and humanity itself will be inspired anc
glorifed by this fresh vindication Of its
God-given rights and duties in this in
carnation and triumph Of the principles
of constitutional and republican liberty
The too absorbing love of money which
has hitherto characterized US, has loos
ened, somewhat, its clutch, and beer
won to acts of genuine benevolence, al
the sight Of an imperiled country and
the fiery demon of party sinks away
abashed before the reused patriotism
which lays life itself on the altar of lib.
erty.


But with all this the barbarisms ot
war are too palpable and terrific to be
forgotten or disregarded, and the wise
and patriotic statesman will find in then
more urgent reason for fostering those
ciyilizing agencies which nourish The
growing intelligence and virtue of the
civilized people. Against the ideas anc
vices engendered in the camps, anc
amidst the battle fields, we must raise
still higher the bulwarks of v;rtuou
habits and beliefs, in the children ye
at home. We shall need the utmos
stretch of home and school influence t.
save society and the State from the ter
rible domination Of military ideas anc
military forces, always SO dangerous t,
civil liberty and free government
Hon. J. NJ, GREGORY, Michigaa
| School Report.
Year: 1863

A correspondent of the Chicago Jour
nal gives the following description of the
mammoth clam bake on one of the is
lands in Portland harbor, giving in hon
or Of the Chicago Board of Trade ex-
cursionists


"Upon the ground, in space of eight
feet in width by forty five in length,
were placed smooth, round stones, about
the size of a persons head, and not very
near together. Upon these, early in the
morning, had been kindled a fire of
three cords of wood. This had burned
down to a coal, and the stones were hiss
ing hot. Over these are placed a six
inch layer of rockweed, just from the
water, and dripping wet. Then on the
top of this was placed sixty bushels of
soft shelled CLANS, ten bushels of oysters,
one hundred Holsters, sixty dozen of
eggs, one hundred pounds of Goldfish,
| three barrels of potatoes, and three bar
rels of green corn. A sail was then
laid over the whole, and about six
inches of rockweed was placed On top
of it, Then the steam began to come
through in dense, continuous volume.
After three-quarters of an hour, the sail
was rolled back sidewise, and there was
the whole bake cooked admirably, and
as clean as could be- And now the fun
commenced; each one running with a
plate to dip into the winrow of clans
piping hot, the steam coming up in a
great volume, and hiding those on the
opposite side Of the pile from view
Some darted into the hot fog and came
out with a plate of clans, others with a
lsingle oyster, another with corn, another
with potatoes and lobster"
Year: 1863

A pleasant country village in Ohio
some years since possessed that which
is often denied to places Of more conse-
quence-a court which really dispensed
justice, It's chief was justice of the
peace, whose common sense and honesty
Of purpose counterbalanced his want OF
legal lore and in consequence of its
straightforward decisions the Clutch
Court, as it was commonly called, be-
came great terror to evil -doers.


Once upon 9 time case was brought
before his honor arising out of an infrac-
ton Of the "liquor law Of the state
which then provided for the punishment
by fine of any individual who sold in.
to1icating beverages to persons under
sixteen years Of age, or by less guam
tity than quart. Upon one of those
grand occasions when general muster
Of the militia gave delight to numerou:
officers in gay uniforms, and to large
masses of the good people Of the coun-
try, an unlucky wight sought to avail
himself of the GLORIOUS opportunity
to turn an honest penny Providing
himself with small lot of ginger cakes
and disproportionately large quantity
of "lightning whiskey," he located upor
an eligible site near the field. Know
ing the penalty Of the law against his
little enterprise, the vender of the Gar
dent hit upon the happy expedient te
evade It's provisions, of selling to HI:
customers ginger cake and then throw
ing drink into the bargain


Justice was not so bliad as to fail tc
notice "this artful dodge and the next
morning found the delinquent citizen in
the very jaws Of the Clutch Court, -
The testimony was short and conclusive
to the effect that he had sold boy q
cake and then had given him 'shorn 2
and the defendants lawyer put in the
defense that his client sold, on the oc-
casion under consideration, not liquo,
but ginger cakes, well knowing at the
same time that salt wo 'dnt save him.
As he anticipated, the court pronounced
verdict of guilty, but, to the surprise
OF the defence, put at fifteen dollars in
stead of the legal penalty Of FIVE.
Year: 1863

Mr. r. Eiswood, Of this town, will start
on tour through some of the Eastern
states during the coming week, for the
purpose of visiting some of those large
manufactures established there within a
few years for the conversion of flax, and
with the purpose of inaugurating the cul-
ture OF fax on a large scale among our
neighbcriDg farmers by establishing ID
this place a large steam manuiactory
which shall make a market Tor all The
fax straw that our farmers can raise. he
expects to procure machinery that Will
tax. the fax as it GENES from the held
and thrash it. He will then pay stipu
a,ed nrice for seed and straw, and by the
machinery that he proposes to put in ope-
ration, will convert the straw, without ret
tins into the flax of commerce. There Is
NO doubt that if farmers can thus find a
GOOD market for both straw and seed, the
culture of flax will prove a highly remu.
nerative crop in this locality. Indeed
many of CUR farmers have done very well
bv raising 1t for the seeo alone 1t has
paid them much better profits than wheat.
we hope then that his project will NEE,
with the hearty encouragement and CO
operation of our agricuturalists, and that
tha large outlay which Mr.. E is Obliged
to make will be made profitable to himself
as we are confident it will be to the fax
growers.
Year: 1863

ARTIFICIAL "SIANEsE Twins. "A curious
and interesting experiment was lately
made at Straburg 10 effect the union OF
two animals, so that they might, TO Il GER
tain degree have lie in common it
was, indeed, producing artiicially what
nature produced spontaneously IN those
extraordinary phenomena, the "Siamese
Twins" 1who white rats, of the Albino
species, were selected 70: the experiment,
probably as being more manageable than
their darker brethren. An incis:on was
made on the r ght side of one and on the
left side of the other, engaging the skin
and the cellular tissues under it, The sur
faces of the two wounds Were kept closely
together by su:ures and bandages until
the sixth day. when union by the first in
tuntion was found TO have taken place
They then walked side by side, being
united by feshy sand. An attempt &c
poison both by the mouth CT the one did
not succeed tut an injection thrown into
the jugular rein of one animal vas found
to have entered the superficial femoral
veins of the other, showing clearly that an
intimate vascular uaion had already taken
place between them This Interesting eX
pertinent may have n most important
bearing Oh restorative surgery
Year: 1863

An Irishman. who had just landed, said
"The first bit of meat he ever ate in this
country was roasted potatoe-boiled yes
terday. And if ye don't believe me, |
can show it to you for have it in my
rocket
Year: 1863

Brick Pomeroy winds up an article in
his paper Of the 2lst, in the following
style:


We came here 10 engage /. the business
of publishing and editing this pap-r We
took the oSice when its business did not
pay two-thirds its eqpenses, and made it
pay profit We were last year one of
the three printers, now we ara the sole
owner and editor of this paper. Our Office
is as bare of printing material rs some of
our enemies hearts are of honor or honesty,
bui the paper--the d--u hated paper
.tiii comes on; III time! The sheriff has
moved out aud locked up Tor US three
presses-and the type, bat il makes no
difference with the publication OF the pa
perl We came here to print, and We in
tend TO do il if we have nothing but shoe
shoe pegs and cheese press Please
make a note OF il. There are not enemies
enough in Wisconsin 10 drive Us out OF
town or 10 scare Us one bit, and II It comes
10 a row, we hare just muscle enough to
clean out ten acre lot OF them.


:" For the present we are under ohliga-
ticns to the noble hearted Leonard Lott
ridge, of the Repu oiicar, "a political and
business opponent ior the Use of his press
and type wherewith TO issue our paper, till
our new office comes on, which will be
better than the one Sheriff Stanley has
locked up down town somewhere
Year: 1863

amusing to see the eagerness with which the
negroes took their position near houses, each
man at charge bayonet and eagerly watching,
as II he expected rebel to show his head,
and was ready to charge upon him. Col.
Montgomery Immediately took charge of the
pickets and guarded the outskirts of the city.
He Is very likely to do the rebels mischief, if
they do not keep out of his way.


The delicate sensibilities Of the ladies are
most terribly shocked that Yankee Abolition
lists should presume To bring negro soldiers
upon their sacred soil. / assure you / have
had most convincing evidence of Southern
civilization and refinement, from the ladies of
Jacksonville, in the venom vented upon the
negroes-such remarks as, "All / want of a
Niger is to do my work, II would kill al mig
ger as soon as / would snake" and as one
passed, she hissed between her teeth, "Oh! if
L only had dagger, how quick / would mur-
der the brutev These are only specimens of
what have heard to-day; and from ladies of
apparent wealth and education, and supposed
refinement, Most wonderful is the ignorance
they display In regard to the history Of this
war. They even have the impudence to claim
that they have won almost every battle since
the war begun.


The negroes display every quality that goes
to make a good soldier. In discipline and
courage they are not wanting. / have not
seen single man shrink from any place they
have been ordered into, since we have started;
on the contrary, it is with difficulty that they
are restrained from going into the most dan
gerous places. Well may the insolent South
ron tremble at meeting his freed bondman on
equal terms: for they have fearful wrongs TO
redress, and they will surely redress them
when opportunity offers in the field.


OF all measures Government has yet adopt
ed, this is to prove the most effectual in sup
pressing the rebellion; for wherever the con-
traband troops go, they carry mortal fear to
the hearts of our enemies.


The city is in a most destitute condition.
Flour sells for $50 barrel; green coffee at 81
a pound; boots and shoes command enormous
prices; and nearly everything in like proper
tion. But for all this, the hatred of the North
is as intense In certain quarters as at the out
break of the war, aud rather In creases than d.
minishes.


The contrabands report force of three or
four companies miles from the city. will
endeavor to report anything that may occur
Of interest TO you, as soon as circumstances
will allow. CYCLoPs.


NoTE.-An account of the gallant repulse
of a rebel attack upon these troops on We'd
nesday, 11th instant, was received from this
correspondent last Monday and published in
the Press next morning.-ED.
Year: 1863

After I've hundred names had been drawn recess
was taken FOR an hour, AFTER which the draft


nued with great animation till about four O'Clock, whom
the announcement made that the draft for the T
teenth ward was complete.


Provost Marshal Farr then stated that he had received
orders from Colonel Nugent TO complete the DRAFT OF each
ward in day therefore, the Sixteenth ward, for
which the drawing would be made tho following day,
contained large number Of names he would direct that
the draft commence at nine O'Clock this morning.


The Provost Marshal present throughout tho day
and did all in his power to accommodate the members Of
The press and to facilitate the proceedne 10 the last
hour everything Proresssa n ,ha zsme orderly
as on the previous day In iact the day
curiosity relaxed. The in which tho draft took
place WIS marveousy thnned Of spectators. and there
remained scarcely any people the sidewalks than
mn ordnnPv orraaiona
Year: 1863

During the progress Of the dra yesterday in the Sixth
district, tho Sixteenth ward which is in the immediate
vicinity, remained in perfect sta Of quiescence
on the preceding day. There was not the sgh,est
ebulon Of hostile character, and The population Of all
grades and conditions orderly the most law
abiding individual could wish. Tho drafting for this
ward will commence this morning, and will, from all
appearances, be carried in the most temperate
nAr 49,