smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1859

For want Of q better subject the
press is moving to some extent for
geological survey of the State. We
have the same opinion we have hith-
r erto given touching the proposition.
A. thorough scientific survey by a
competent geologist would enlarge
The boundaries of scientific knowledge
ahd be worth to the world if not to
the State, all that it would cost. 1t
may well be questioned. if, as a mat
ter of dollars and cents, an explora-
tion of eur territory by geologist
would pay, even by the most eminent
one living. But States should not be
governed always by money consid-
erations. A government but lily full
fills its highest objects, which does
not assist to increase the sum of hu-
man knowledge and consequently,
human happiness. Governments
are instituted for the benefit of the
governed"-says the Declaration of
Independence. No one will presume
to debate the question. which is the
greater benefit. cents in the pocket
or sense in the head.


We would emphatically favor q
geological survey of the State by a
competent person we're we satisfied
not dollar Of the expense would ev-
er be returned in money. 1t is due
TO science. perhaps, that the survey
i. be made. But what is the prospect
of obtaining the services of first rate
geologisti No other do we want or
should have. We must confess the
chances of securing the services of
the needed savan are few and rare.
Select the man, and If of known COM
potency, or can be proven SO, We are
decidedly and enthusiastically in fa-
vor of his employment. But, leave
him to the choice of the Legislature 7
or the Governor l-never. Why,
the political functionaries of the State
perhaps, we may say, the Union
are but slaves of party. and fear the
lashing of the party press. Is not the
democratic press to-day in paroxysms
because of the appointment of Re-
publican-a qualified person and a
gentlemen. none will deny-to act
with tive Democrats as a House of
Refuge commissioners : Nay, loco
foco editors growl and gnash their
teeth if by rare accident an opponent
obtains the appointment of Notary
Public, whose gross receipts for a
year would not in the hour and aIti-
ticle of death save him from burial at
public expense,


While this party servitude remains
the hope of services. valuable and
commensurate with the pay, is slight.
Give the selection of men to the Gov
ernor, and ten to one that Col. Z. j.
Lewis Esq. or some other noodle is
& chosen. Let the Legislature assume

authority, and merit which is always
modest. will be overlooked for the
claims Of some brazen bull of the par
ty whose ignorance of the duties re-
quired of him. is only exceeded by
his impudenee.
Year: 1859

Mr.. Crow in Church.-Several
years since on warm Sabbath
morning, while the Rev. D. B,
of well-known fishing town in Mas
sachusetts, was holding forth tame
crow, which had been taught to utter
one expression only, and that wick
ed one, flew into the church, and
alighting on the pulpit, saluted the
minister with "G-d d-n ye;''
whereupon. the frightened as we'll as
horror stricken parson "drew off" and
gave the gentleman in black" win
der that sent him to the floor. Moth
ing daunted by this, however, the
crow was soon On his "pegs," and
looking up at the reverend gentle
man repeated his salutation with such
an emphasis that he took to his heels,
and together with his congregation
who were as much frightened as
their minister-scampered from the
sacred edifice in double quick time.
One little old woman, whose seat was
in a corner, did not see fit to follow
the example of the shepherd or his
flock, but firmly kept her positions:
upon seeing which, the crow advance
cd to her, and hopping on to the seat
in front of her, again gave vent to
his favorite expression. The old
woman, not little astonished at his
impudence, and evidently taking him
fol- an evil spirit in the form of bird,
yelled forth at him; Cd d-n you
tool What you Cd d-n me for?
Il don't belong to the church,"


And giving him a wipe with her
umbrella, she cleared the coast, leav-
ing the church to silence and the
crow.
Year: 1859

Sons of Malta.-"Jeems" was re.
Gently initiated into the Order of the
Sons of Malta. and graphically de-
scribes his Introduction into the "vale
of mystery" as follows


You are first grabbed and thrown
into tub of cold water, and forth-
with'several large men begin to stick
pins into yous Hauling you out of
the tub Of water, they rush you into
another department, and now new
men make lunge after you, dressed
in disguise. and Immediately cem-
mence pouring hot molasses into your
hair and boots. Meanwhile stream
of cold water is flooded on to you,
and a man dressed in black thrusts a
snuff box in front Of your nose, and
all at once you begin to sneeze vo-
ciferously, and the eager crowd be-
gin to laugh and hurrah. Showing
you further along, the chief men and
bottle washers grab you by the nose,
hair and coat tail, and in this way
rip every bit of dry goods from your
person, and again the crowd roars
with tumultuous laughter at your
nude state, with FIVE or six men hold
ing on to your hair and toes, forcing
you up a soaped pole with pins and
sharp sticks. Younow begin to think
you are forsaken by all Gods people,
and that the devil has certainly got
possession of you, knocking you on
the head so that you see stars as nu-
merous as they are in the milky way.
You are handled in this kind of tan
talizing way for two hours, when the
officers give you dose of hverwort
and tar, and then let you go.
Year: 1859

Michael Kelly, an Irish porter house keeper in
New York, went home drunk on Wednesday after
noon, and his wife reproved him for being in such
a state. He beat her with iron shovel till she
insensibe and apparently dead. He then went
to the CRATE and with his shovel took out the live
Goals and heaped them upon the body of his wife
When the officers and neighbors came in he was
sitting by the body, with his hands and clothing
bloody, apparently enjoying the spectacle. Some
life was still in the woman and physician was
sent for, but she will probably die.
Year: 1859

Another attempt is shortly to be made to remove
the great Red river raft which has obstructed nav-
cation in that stream for the last ten or fifteen
years. Its location is in Arkansas, short distance
above Shreveport, La.
Year: 1859

The sale of the Parker Library was continued in
New York Wednesday afternoon. The prices real
lzed were, generally speaking, extravagantly high
mere being great many bidders from private col
lections and from the leading public libraries In
many instances modern publications fetched third
more than they could be bought at retail
Year: 1859

From KANsAs.-The ST. Joseph correspondent of
the st. Louis Republiedn, under date of the 9th
brings information that Day and his son, who were
confined the charge of running off negroes were
forciby taken from the Jail last night by mob of
three hundred men and hung. The reason assigned
is, that the Court would acquit the prisoners on
the ground that it was not the proper district to
try them in.


st. Joseph papers of the 2Sth ult. and lst inst.
are received but they contain nothing in reference
to the hanging of Day and his son at Platte City BY
hoax,
Year: 1859

THE Boar FROZEN RIvERs.-The La Crosse
Republican of Feb. 90 announces the arrival there
of the newly invented e-boat, which is intended
to run on the ice in the water The Republican
says she looked like thing of ife as she laid nose
to the shore, with her walking apparatus exposed,
and clawing away if weary OF the long delay
The captain was in fine spirits. and says the great
experiment is triumphant success Her running
time from Prairie du Chen was four days, being
heavily loaded with freight, &C., for northwestern
points. After remaining at the levee 80 minutes,
she made break for up-river, and as she left it
reminded us of microscopic view we once had of
huge land turtle. Three loud cheers were given
by the multitude as she departed and all seemed
highly pleased. -i


The Chicago Press and Tribune, in a recent no.


tice of the invention, says that its Importance to
the Northwest can scarcely be over estimated as
from the time the ice is formed in November or
December, the boat will have an uninterrupted
navigation for four five months, from Prairie du
CHEN or La Crosse up the Mississippi and Mime
| sofa to Big Some Lake, thence down the Red
River and up the Saskatchewan to the base of the
| Rocky Mountains
Year: 1859

The New York Times, of April 5th has
the followingin reference to the case Of Mo-
lony VS.. Dows, arising out of the expulsion of
Molony from San Francisco by the Vigilance
Committee, of which the defendant was a
member. The Judge of the Court in which
the case was tried decided that he had no
iursnction:


The case of Molony VS. Dows, which has
been in progress here for some days, sud
denly terminated yesterday by its being flung
out of Court-virtually another case of ex-
pulsion. The ground for this was want of
jurisdiction.


1t will be seen by card published else
where from Molony, that he has determined
to appeal from this decision and carry it to
another Court.


1t is no part of our duty to advise in this
matter, though were we called upon to do
SO we should recommend him to cry quits
and let the matter rest.


The whole difficulty grew out of state
of affairs which are not likely to occur soon,
if ever again, and whatever might have been
his particular case, or the acts of the Vigil
ance Committee toward him, he probably
will not deny that the action toward many
of those with whom he was at the time as
sociated, was just. Such, at least, is the
judgment of the world, and whether such
conclusion is arrived at through a want Of
information, the force of prejudice or some
thing else, that judgment stands, and is not
likely to be reversed by any Court in the
country. Hence it is that we suggest to Mr..
Molony to let the subject rest, to save his
time and money, forget the wrongs he fan
cies have been done to him, and by course
of life, the propriety of which cannot be
questioned, convince the world that he is,
what he meant to prove himself before our
courts, to be, worthy and good citizen.
This will be to him a higher and a safer rec
ord than any which could be awarded him
by any Court of law, and if prejudice wrong
fully exist it is the true way to dissipate it.
Year: 1859

But now the wealthy and temperate must
pay for nearly all the mischief liquor does,


Yet we license some men to sell liquor,
and thus to destroy men, human beings IN
som and body, for time and eternity If
man woald set up shop to sell poison,
and so polscn our commuHity, every one
would rise up against him. Now liquor is
really poison to well man, to ointoxicate
and kill. The man who buys it, drinks,
suffers and dies, pitied and blamed; but
the seller goes free. Christ the author of
life is crucifed, but Barabbas the murder
er is set free. But you may say the seller
has license to do this yes, and men
have had license to sell indulgences, to give
people liberty, to do what ? To commit
sin? Yes and to be indulged therein
And now the seller has license not only
to give men the liberty, to commit sin, bnt
to force them to commit sin not only to
kill drunkards, but what is far worse, tomake
droaisards not only to deprive them and
theirs of enjoyment in this life, ,.te.. also in
the life to come not only to bar heaven,
but also to open the gates of hell. And


iNoo "oo luCli HUHOtT III Tue Ill0e OF
Isaiah the Prophet, land their number is
greater now,) that there was not room in
hell and it had to be made larger; for the
Prophet says, Is 5: l4.) Therefore hell
hetth enlarged herself and opened her mouth
'c'thoaI measure; and their glory, and
he that rejoiceth shall descend into it.


Oh ye who license men thus to do, and
OH ye too who do thus, 'take heed and
beware" Will ye employ men to make
you ''tenfold more the child of hell" and
your children with you, emphatically 'the
children of the devil, generation of Vi
pers," and of the old serpent and when
your cup of iniquity is thus prematurely
full, to cut you off ere mid day and send
you, one and all, quick to hell, to crowd
its portals And ye licensed men, will We
be agents in such work If he who is
instrumental in saving many souls shall
have them as stars in his crown of reioic-
ing forever, aOhat shall become of the IL
quor dealer who has been instrumental in
the ruin of many Why did the ricn
man want bis tongue cooled and why so
anxious that his five brethren should not
come theref . S. RIB.
Year: 1859

I then went back to the road, got on my
horse and rode away.
When / came to the place where the
school house path leaves the main faa9, /
turned my horses head in that direction.
The old path did not seem to have been
used in long time; for trunks of trees
and brush obstructed it in many places, SO
4 that it was almost impossible to proceed
without turning frequently aside.


I found the old logs of the school.house
all overgrown with moss and ivy, and the
shutters broken and otherwise mutilated
The acorns were falling in the yard, and
the dry leaves were drifting and rustling
close up to the doorway / pushed open
the door and went in. The same benches
and desks were still there, and the inside
would have looked naturally enoushI but
sas that the s Logs G IN zone one ess o0rnsr bad
weight of those above. The path that led
to the play ground had grown up with
grass and weeds; and the soft breeze was
causing the leaves to chase one another
down the silent hill


And there in the old doorway I sat
down, and the olden time memories came
up thickly and fast While / sat in my
reverie, | thought Of the many happy faces
that used to greet me there. There was
rough little Ben Smith, as we used to call
him; and bis curly head came up before
my eyes as true and life-like as it did in
days of yore. Ben was rude and gruf, but
we loved the blunt, out-spoken spirit of in
dependence of the boy. Then came Bet
tie Gray, with her deep blue eyes and fax
en- hair and then host of others of
whom we have not time to tell.


Years have flown away, one after am
other-and the old log walls echo back the
joyous laugh and loud hurrah of that youth
ful band no more. They are scattered wi
der than the leaves of the oaks on the
mountains. Some are sleeping in the
church-yard by the hills-others have lain
their weary bones in far off lands-and the
remnant of the survivors are podding on
to that same goal, 10 which you and I must
sooner or later come.


"Rough Ben Smith" is now hale, hear.
ty farmer, characterized by the same good
natured bluntness that marked his early
years. He had long since ceased to think
"loye naughty fellow" for when the days
labor is over, and he comes homo and sits
by his fre-side, half dozen iair-haired
children are clinging and climbing around
his chair.


Little Jim Jones' has kept well up to
his resolution, never to have anything to
do with him : for he is a staunch old
bachelor to this day.


How long Isat musing, | do not know !;
but when | awoke from my reverie, the
pouring Its rays IN uetse fsouu- upc,1.
snow white clouds which were piled up in
the western sky.


The stiffness and sad aspect of the place
had depressed my spirits; and [ rode
slowly down to the highway and on to the
village. AsI passed the grave yard | saw
white little monument of marble in the
corner of the church yard, which was near
est the road, close by the place where
Harry Graham lay. Having rode up to
the wall, leaned over in my saddle and
read the inscription, Anna May, Etat 2S.'
Under it was carved pale while lily with
broken stem and on the opposite side
was written-"THE Scar LEAF"
Year: 1859




Yes, dear gentle Annie May was ma
MAC. Yet on that pale, sweet face, there
glarcd no look of demon hate or beastly
wildness but serene and calm expression,
more of resignation than of despair, beams
ed in the deep blue of her eyes. The
blood was never washed from that beauti-
full, white dress; and people said, that often
in the darkness of the night, a white,
ghostly creature was seen to glide along
the dark road, by the ravine where Harry
lay; and sad, heart-broken lullabys were
heard, moaning along the hills. She used
to sit beside her mother, in the long even
ing twilight, and sing in low, plaintiye
tone; and when Nature had clothed the
forest in her mantle of yellow and red, she
would HE away to the old church-ya
and sit by Harry's grave. There she would
weave ganands of bright crimson leaves
and twine them around the cold marble
of the grave stones. Then again, she
would declare that he only slept, and woule
put her lips close to the mound, and cal
mournfully for him to wake.


How passed the time Of Anna after
left the village of P, do not know
but. Harry slept on. And over his tomb
the flowers have bloomed and been with
cred again and again, for many, man,
years; and Harry Graham is sleeping still
Year: 1859

The grey evening twilight had come
down over the mountains and entered noise
lessly into the parlor of the cottage Of the
cedars. Anna was standing in the recess
Of a window, half hid by the heavy Grim
son curtains. She was not looking at the
feecy clouds which were piled up in the
eastern sky; she was not looking at the
earth beneath, though the mountains were
grey beow-not at the west, though the
sunset pageant was beautiful to behold {;
but far away down the dusty road toward
the city. She was srrayed in a beautiful
dress.-the one he always admired-and
she stood there, so airy and elegant in all
her motions, with her lace scarf enveloping
her like a mist. She looked a graceful
creature, and the glow of evening lit up
her golden hair, and flushed her cheek
with kind of unearthly radiance.


BY and by, her mother came in, and lit
the lamps; but still she moved not from
her reverie. Mrs. May looked upon her
daughter with fond look Of motherly af-
lection and pride, and lett her still standing
there.


Every blessed Saturday evening, all
through that glad springtime, she had stood
at that window and watched for the coming
of her lover from the city but now, she
waited more anxiously for the sound of his
horses feet than ever before for tomorrow
they we're to be married


Presently the sound of galloping steed
was borne upon the wind. 1t was he!-
She knew the sound of his horses gallop
On he came. Now he went down in tht
valley, and then upon the next hill. Anc
still she heard the sharp, hasty click 0
4 iron hoofs coming nearer and nearer. Sud
denly all was still. Probably he had de


scended into the rayine, which the roaC


crossed half-a-mile away. Thus she though
, and listened to catch the sound of hi
horses feet again. Then she turned i'm


patiently to the glass, arraigned stra


curl, and went back to her place by tn


window. AT that moment, a sense of dar


ger and a strange shrinking from the darl
!; ness without, flashed across her soul. Sh
a bent forward to listen, but all was calm an
S STILL. Then a faint cry came upon tt
a wind, so full of pain and agony, that
e made the blood flow back to her hear
y with fearful throb. Again! Oh heaven
n it was her name!
Year: 1859

A minute longer, and she was gone from
the parlor away down through the grove,
to the road. Fear gave her wings; and
she few along the lane into the woods,
scarcely knowing how, till she came to the
dark ravine, which divides the two hills.


Just beyond, ON little mat of grass at
the road side, Harry lay, with his horse
standing by. She did not scream or faint,
but strangely calm she knelt down on the
grass at his side. He had swooned away,
but presently he opened his eyes and moan
ed family


'Oh, Anna have you Gomez I called
you, for | felt that | could not die without
seeing you once more. Selim fell on me !;
and my breast is all crushed in. It feels
as if it were fast filling with blood


Then it was that she poured forth all
those sweet, fond words of love. which she
bid stored up III her MIMI tofcheer hlnl
when he should be sad and dreary, amid
the troubles of coming years. She called
him her husband-hcr life'-and whis>
pered thousand endearing epithets in his
ear. And when she would have called for
assistance, he said =


No, dearest, take my head in your arms
and let me die alone with you! Thus, I
have yet strength to die


And she sat down upon the grass, and
pillowed that pale head upon her bosom.


There, kiss me again. All the stars
seem to have rushed together, and formed
one great, central mass--a world of light,
to which | rise =


She kissed his pale, trembling lips again
and again. He opened his eyes and look
ed up into her face. Oh that last look
of dying love! His bosom heaved, and
the blood gushed in flood, from his nos
trils. One gasp-one mighty struggle, and
all was over .-......


Hitherto, some faint hope, or has danger,
bad buoyed her up and steeled her nerves !;
but now, clasping his head to her heart,
she sent up one long wild scream of agony
after another, which rung out upon the still
night air and echoed back along the noun
tain road to the cottage of the cedars.


Soon lights came flashing down the road,
and tender hands unlocked her arms from
their hold, and bore the body away.


4


The summer passed slowly away; and
the grass grew green above the grave
where they laid Harry of the FORGE
Anna did not see him buried, for it was
long time before she could leave her bed.
A fever settled on her brain and when it
went away it left only the wreck of what
had been once so lovely.