smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

THERE are many modes Of getting out Of
this world. Most suicides are committed
by means of whisky, and now and then a
fellow eats to s.Upefaction and swills and
fattens, and finally, there not being room
enough down stairs, his blood rushes to his
head and he is knocked up by apoplexy.
Morphine plays a prominent part in the
drams, and now aud then chloroform and
fumes of charcoal diffuse baleful OdoIs and
hapless wretches iuhale and die These
modes of shuffling off this mortal coil are
commonplace aud il was left for negro inge-
nuity 10 devise mode OF exit from life
wholly original. He lived near Sherman,
his name Bill, his color coal black, his eyes
prominent, lips thick, and feet needed evils
ceratiOn. HIS skull was thick and matted
over with tough wool. He was ehdued
with confidence in the protection that ma
ture gave his Uranium and therefore he tied
himself about the neck to a quiet horses
tail and then frightened the horse. The
animal would have killed himself and the
negro come off scot free, if the frightened
flying steed had not crossed the railroad.
The iron was too hard for Cuffee's bounding,
bouncing bullet head. The skull was
cracked, the wool was sadly peeled off and
when the horse was captured the African
was dead. The case should be recorded.
The originality or the selection of the mode
of exit from life deserves Immortality.
Year: 1874

The Southeastern Indez, published at Con
zales, has a report of meeting in that
place upon the subject of building the
Short Line Pacific. From this we gather
that the people of Gonzales are willing to
enter into the enterprise in earnest. One
of the resolutions unanimously passed by
the meeting was as follows:


ResOlced, That the people of Gonzales
look with favor upon the project of con-
structing the Austin and Pacific Short Line
Railroad, and will use every effort to secure
its completion.


''This road, it is estimated, shortens the
distance across the continent by 1900 miles.
While it is 5000 miles by rail from the At
lantic to the Pacific Ocean, by this route
from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific it is
but 1900 miles. Heavy freiRhts will always
seek the nearest water transportation be-
cause of its cheapness.


We have but little doubt that the people
of all the section to be Immediately bene-
flied will feel and express themselves in a
similar manner to those of Gonzales.
While this activity is shown elsewhere, we
hope the citizens of Austin will leave no
stone unturned which may give activity to
the movement. II they will fully conclude
that the Short Line Pacific shall be built,
this determination will be met more than
half way by all the section interested.
Year: 1874

Charles Morgan has purchased one hun
dred and fifty thousand more of Texas
bonds, to be taken on the first day Of jan
uary. This will enable the Governor to
pay off the balance Of the indebtedness to
Williams & GuiOn, and leave a surplus to
be transmitted to the State Treasury. Be
sides this complete settlement Of the viii
liams & Guion debt, sufficient money TO
pay of all the interest aecruing upon the
State debt will be in New York on the
same day, to be used for this purpose. All
this Is certainly very creditable to the State
of Texas, and ought to rapidly bring
her pledges up TO par. All the money OBJ
tanned from bonds sold during the past few
months in New York has been used to pay
of the debts piled upon the State by the
Davis administration. This shows the good
faith of our present Democratic govern
ment, and places Texas far above the sus-
plcion of capitalists. Hereafter, Texas
credit, in all money markets Of the world,
should stand as high as that of any other
State or nation. The proud stand which
our State is thus taking should be main
tained and sacredly preserved by all of her
Year: 1874

The chief political editorial writer for
the New York Herald went out of the World


Office. He shows in the Herald the advan-


tages of his proper training. The Herald
states the question very fairly when it says
that the trouble in New Orleans in refer
ence to the attempt to force colored lads
into the high school only illustrates the
agitation that now and then dlsturbs the


Southern communities. The High School
of New Orleans is a city institution, and


has heretofore been attended by children of
white citizens. There is, perhaps, no legal
and nomoral reason why negroes should not
be admitted to the advantages of this school !;
but it violates the traditions and customs of
the community, and imposes upon the white
lads, for instance, a necessity of sitting on
a school bench by the side of colored lads
who have been their slaves. This is to COM
pei recognition of race equality which is
not sincere, and is therefore insulting. It
intrudes into education questions of poll
tics that should not be permitted in schools.
1t is an unnecessary issue, and those who
press it do an absurd and wicked thing.
The political point is that both white boys
and black shall be educated. If there is
any reason why education would be imper-
feet by reason of white children attending
black schools or blacks attending white
schools, then arrange the matter in the only


sensible way-let the blacks stay together
and the whites together. So they receive
education and become fitted for useful mem
bership in society, it is Of little consequence
whether they study in one building to two.
Year: 1874




Some time ago Georgia repealed the
usury laws, and then came the financial col
lapse and Federal and State and local taxa
ton; the first, invisible; the latter, intolera-
bic. Both made property valueless as basis
forloans, and for the simple reason that prop
erty could not be made to produce enough
to pay taxes and tariffs. 1t was in the
midst of this state Of facts that Georgia
tests the operation of free trade in money.
OF course usurious rates are extraordinarily
high in Georgia, as in Texas and elsewhere,
and some of the Georgia papers sscribe the
high price of money to this repeal of the
old code restricting rates of interest.
Whether this be properly asserted or not, it
is not our province to determine. We only
know that the Augusta Chronicle hits the
nail on the head when it says:


If every man will determine to live
within his means; if he will cut off every
unnecessary expenditure; If the farmers
will keep their smoke houses and barns on
the plantation instead of in the West, there
will be plenty of money and cheap money.
Year: 1874

Why don't the pretty girls and older
danes of Austin celebrate the birthday of
Beethoven as is done in other cities2 The
people here are passionately fond of music.
In every house almost there is grand
piano and popular taste Is cultivated with
tireless patience. Yet Bethoven's name and
memory are not properly honored. In a
climate like this and IN such country there
Is melody in the very winds that sweep
over Verdure clad plains, and the shimmering
sunbeams even in winter months have
the warmth and tenderness and delightful
movements of the sweetest strains of Betho-
ven's mstchless music.
Year: 1874

IT is said by correspondent, to whom,
in this behalf, We can hardly give credence,
that the Colorado Citizen wishes to subdi-
vide the State. For what purpose? 1t
would only bring a multiplication of office
holders and duplication of public burdens.
practically small enough. Therefore let US
build railroads rather than mutilate Texas
When the road is built which we have been
talking about, Eastern Texas will exchange
pine lumber for cattle of the western coun-
ties and the East will be profted as well as
the West, and the whole empire of Texas
aggrandized.
Year: 1874

THE incapacity to distinguish wit from
scurrulity, and to know whether sentence
Be designed to wound vanity or offend honor,
has destroyed many q newspaper. Excess
sive sensltiveness is often an affectation
developed by extreme coarseness and dull
ness. The stupidest ass that mounts the
tripod is first to kick vehemently, braying
meanwhile most coarsely. He is always
fancying that somebody is polSing fun into
the midst Of his short ribs and resents spite
fully even that which was never intended
To wound
Year: 1874

THE Katie KING delusion is at last fully
exposed. Katie was a stupendous fraud,
managing to get in and out of wardrobe
through sliding panels IN wall In mod
ern times there has been no rational evil
dence that dead people ever revisit this
mundane sphere, and all the real develop
ments of so-called spiritualism are simply
magnetic or sympathetic forces much the
same and quite as respectable as those of
lampreYs which electrify, paralyze and
devOur animals crossing pools along the
marshes of the Gulf coast.
Year: 1874

THE reason for electing delegates from
the State at large is plain enough. There
are great men in Texas whose names are
familiar in every household. These should
be chosen to frame the States organic law.
Three or four such men, by accident, may
live in the same district or county, and yet
the county, selecting its local politicians,
would fail to choose even statesmen, pre-
ferring the petty whippers-in of the party.
To assure tho election of the greatest men
in the State, there must be candidates at
large, designated by the press or by con
ventions of the people.
Year: 1874

There was never such story written in
books of romance as this we have all been
reading in all American newspapers for five
months past, about poor Charlie Ross, the
stolen child of Philadelphia. The interest
in the fate of the hapless boy excites just
now more interest than ever before. The
death of two burglars, one confessing when
dying that he and his associate in crime
were Charley's abductors, arouses strong
hopes of Charley's restoration to his home.
Meanwhile the story comes thEt it was
Charley's dead body that was found, some
time ago, floating in New York harbor,
and again it is stated that Charley has
been seen in Indiana and his identity ascer-
tanned indubitably by photographs. Charley
has become member of every newspaper
reading household in all this broad land,
and every mother, when she kisses the lips
of her own child and leads its footsteps to-
wards Gods throne, makes the lisping son
or daughter pray for the safety of poor lost
Charlie Ross and for his restoration to those
who love him SO tenderly and are broken
hearted because of his long, strange alb
Year: 1874

THE negroes are going to sue VIM. Cullen
Bryant, Peter Cooper and several other
good people who suffered their names to be
used as -eOrporators Of the Freedmen's
Bank That is all right enough, but it
would be a gross wrong to fasten this loss
upon the public treasury.
Year: 1874

In the recent annual ball at the Lunatic
Asylum, twenty couples took the floor,
ranged in two lines, facing each other, and
stood still in profound silence, waiting the
music. In this party the stranoeness of
the performers was most apparent. The
men wore look upon their faces of such
resolution as one would expect on that of
a brave man brought face to face with
some terrible danger. The women were
more wandering in their glanees but
near ~ all were serious too. The music
burst forth and simultaneous movement
followed; allesorts of movements. some
cultivated steps, but for the most part
mere violent shutting exercise. Directly
they all seemed to have forgotten they had
partners, and settled down into dancing.
There was some popularity about every
individual. but in every one was observa-
bic sort OF ecstacy. One girl. with wild,
dark eyes, and her black hair hanging
loosely around her neck. would OCCASION
ally pause, as If trying to recollect where
she had acted such part in other scenes.
but, glancing at the company all engaged
around her, she would resume her mo-
tions. Some of them kept their gaze fixed
on the ceiling, turning neither to the right
nor to the left; others kept watch upon
their feet, which, to their bewildered
minds, We're perhaps going sadly astray.
very soon the organization lost shape; the
original partners had wandered hopelessIy
away from each other. But with instinct
i've gallantry on the one side and gentle
acquiescence on the other, the men swung
and twirled whichever lady happened to
be within reach at the moment when they
thought the music indicated ssswing your
partner.-New Hagee REGISTER.
Year: 1874

Horace Greeley used to affirm that
newspaper men were the most patient
people, as q class, on earth, and he was
not far from right, though there are
times when patience ceases to be q
virtue with the most enduring


Nearly everybody in the western
part of the State knows Burr, who
used to start q newspaper about once
month the year round, generally
bringing them out in Grand Rapids,
but sometimes making flying trip to
other points.


Burr could stand to be told that he
lied about his circulation, was on the
fence as politician, and that he didn't
know anything about publishing q
newspaper, and when men threatened
to sue or thrash him he only smiled a
sad smile and wished that mankind
wouldn't get excited.


During a religious revival in Grand
Rapids, Burr was converted, and il
frequently happened that religious
people called at his office to talk with
him. ss- s.tHF9 EFEf
One day q minister came in, and az
ter talking for while he proposed
prayer.


He was in the act of kneeling when
his foot struck oneof the outside forms,
which was leaning against leg Of the
stone, ready TO be lifted up, and over
it went, making half a bushel of ''Pi.h
Barr looked at the ruin wrought,
thought of the two weeks of OverwOrk,
and he commenced taking oil his coat,
saying.


'Tm trying to be Christian, and
set q good example, but rat my but
tons IL can't lick you in just two
minutes 20 s.


The clergyman backed down stairs
in no time, dodging the lye-brush on
the way, and Burr baekslid at once
and sent down for q pint of stimulant.
Year: 1874

fore it must often be largely ideal in
It's character, and frequently in adj


vance OF the general conduct of those
SUBJECT toit, that it may be an instruc-
tor and elevator IS We'll as a source of


restriction and punishment To a
law committing the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts to q public acknoyyl-
edgement that the sale OF Intoxicating


liquors as n beverage is necessary and


desirable, l can not on my cOnscieuee


give assent IL seems to me that the


only safe and sound position for a
Christian community to take in re-
gard to this matter IS that Of absolute
and unqualified opposition to the traf-
fie.


When think of the victims to the
use OF intoxicating liquors in every
village of the Commonwealth, when
| study the great field over which our
Board Of State Charities has SUPER
vision, when consider our almshouses
aud hospitals, and homes for the fall
len and friendless, when look into
our jails, and work houses, and houses
OF correction, and the State prison,
and when l try TO compute the IOss
and charges upon all our industries by
reason OF imperfect labor, and the tax
es for the support Of these institutions
for reformation and punishment my
Judgment unquslifiedly condemns,
and my heart and my manhood rebel
against any system that would per-
NIT the great source OF all wrong, and
misery, and crime TO exist by authori-
ty OF the Commonwealth. Ny con-
victiOns sgains the policy of such q
system are too solemn and Tesistless
for me TO hesitate in doing the duty
laid upon me- 1 therefore return the
bill entitled, San act regulating the
sale OF spirituous or Intoxicating
liquor" to the House Of Representa-
tives, in which it originated, without
Executive sanction.
Year: 1874

DR.. Liyiugtone Is said to have ex-
pressed the utmost contempt for lions
''You talk about the majesty OF tbs
lion,D said be, chatting one night at 8
party in London with Sir Edmund
Landseer, shut you do not know the
beast. There Is no more majesty
about him in the forest than there Is
about that poodle 1t is all poetry.
They are arrant cowards-cowardly,
sneaking beasts. You can hardly
tell q lion from q donkey when you
come upon him in the forest; and II
you come upon n lion suddenly, his
first impulse IS to tuck bis tAii
between his legs and bOiI- He
will spring upon you IL he comes
upon you unawares, and can have
time to crouch; but II man has the
courage 70 look the lion in the face,
you need not even cock your rifle.
Year: 1874

some respects L think is less stringent
than that was. The notorious eva
sions Of that law, aud the open way
in which all intOxicants were then
sold under the protection of innhOld-
ers and victualers' licenses, demon
strated the pOWerlessness of such en-
actments to protect the community
against the evils of intemperance.
And the pending bill seems to me
simply a prohibitory measure with
exceptions that totally destroy its
moral force as an instrument for the
promotion OF temperance and tie
well being of our people.


It is objected to our present liquor
law that the enforcement Of it is ir-
regular and unequal. Admitting this
to be true, for the sake OF argument,
what assurance have we that IL
cehse law would be more thoroughly
enforced? Are the penalties imposed
any more severe? Are the penalties
any greater incentives to officers or
citizens to do their duty? The pro-
hibitory legislation Of 1856 had its or
igin in the deep-settled conviction
that the license law of that period
was virtually q dead letter. The law
Vi 1000 was NADldlcu win FuCl OpEu
and reckless impunity that it became
a mockery in the eyes Of the people.
In our sister Statss where the license
system now prevails, there Is daily
burden OF complaint that its penal
ties are defied, and its provisions eva
ded on every hand. Where Is the
proof that the local police and Magis-
trates, who refrain from efforts to eh-
force the prohibitory law, would
| faithfully and energetieally and per-
sistently enforce license law? II is
not furnished by our experience, nor
by the experience Of any other com
monWealth.


Nor is the argument at all eonelu-
siYe to my mind that we should not
retain upon our ststute books a law
that is in advance Of public opinion
on this subject. Law is in one sense
guide board pointing out the course
of conduct, which, If followed, will Sc
cure the greatest degree Of good, and
| happiness, and safety for sll There
Year: 1874

Rise with the lark. That In during
cold weather a. soon as the lark rises.
wsken your wife and tell her that il
IL time tn huild the fire. If she makes
any objections you can refer her To a
dozen works ON the benefit Of early
risinR. Any man who cares a cent
for his wifp's health will take pride
In hearing her around the house At
daylight OF a winters morning. get
ting up r-d-hot stove and warming
hia sncks and boots.
Year: 1874

Love thy neighbor as thyself Bor.
row his plnw. hoe or horse whenever
you can, hut IL he wants To borrow
yours tell him that you are very snF-
~. but you were just going to use
them yourself.
Year: 1874

The following good sleeping-car joke is
going about A gentleman occupied an
upper berth in a certain section, aud a
lady the lower. In that dim, uncertain
daylight which dawns ON travellers in
heavily curtained "sleepers" the gen
tleman above referred to tried to find his
boots, but nowhere about his narrow
bed could he see more than one OF them.
Looking downward he thought he saw
another ON the berth below him so
reaching down he tried to lift il up
Strangeto say, itlifted to a certain height
and then it fell from his hand. lie tried
again with the same result, and yet
again with no better luck, when sudden
ly the boot apparently became endued
with life and evaded his grasp. Then
the situation flashed upon him and he be-
came contrite. Contrition is a good
thing, but it may also become nuisance,
for fancy the gentleman in the upper
berth apologizing to the lady in the low
er for mistaking her boot on her own
foot for his own.
Year: 1874

that his journey may have a prosper


Gus issue, is so ancient and so cJm-


mon, that we only mention 1t here to


remind intending throwers that the
shoe should belong to the left foot


there is no virtue in its fellow; and


that the harder the recipient is hit,
the happier will be the result. Old
shoes are within everybOdy's reach,


but a friend is not always at hand to
perform the ceremony. However,
that scarcely matters much, since we
have lately learned success is not to
be retrieved, whether it be deserved
or not, by simply pOeketing a bit of
coal. There Is no reason why black
diamonds should not be so efficacious
as any other luek-bringers; still, belief
must halt somewhere, and ours halts
at coal, although ready to coneede
that ineredulity would be lessened il
the eoal-earriers Limited their faith to
genuine Wallsend.
Year: 1874

The manner in which the small pOx
was conveyed to Olmstead is a COM
mentsry on the lack of sense or care
lessness Of some one. A man named
Neil, who lived in Olmstead came t0
Cleveland and stopped with a friend
here who had lately lost child by
small pOx. 1t is said that he was as
signed the very bed in which the
child had died and that on going
home he was attacked in a few days
with sickness. No one knew what
was the matter with him and he was
cared for and visited by friends. A
physician was called in who pro-
nouneed it case of small pox, but
not until a number of people had
been exposed, some of whom are at
present suffering with the disease.
Olmstead is suffering at present there
fore, by the inexcusable esrelessness
Of some One.-Le0oler.
Year: 1874

We clip from an old paper the fol-


lowing account Of trial for breach of
promise OF marriage, in which the
judge laid down a new doctrine


which we should not be sorry to see
adopted:


A case was recently tried in Rut-


land, Vermont, in which Miss Mum
son recovered 81 ,425 of a Mr.. Hast
ings for breach of marriage con-
tract. The curiosity of the thing is
this: The Vermont Judge charged
the jury that no explicit promise was
necessary to bind the parties to


marriage contract, but that lOpg-eon-
tinued attentions or intimacy with a
female was as good evidence of in
tended matrimony as special con-
tract. The principle of the case un-
doubtedly is, that if Hastings did not
promise, he ought to have done So
the law holds him responsible for the
non-performance of his duty. a
most excellent decision; a most right
eous judge, compared with whom
Daniel would appear but q common
Squire! We have no idea of young
fellows dangling about after girls for
q year or two, and then going of,
leaving their sweethearts half court
ed we hate this everlasting nibbling
and never a bite, this beating the
bush and never starting the game
it is one of the crying sins of the age.
There is not one girl in twenty can
tell whether she is eourted or not.
No wonder that when Betsey Sim
ple's cousin asked IL Billy Doubtful
courted her, she replied, "I don't ex.
~OSiJ hnOw-h0'S sOrLer cOurtini
and a sorter not courttn'U We nave
no doubt that this Hastings is one of
these 'isorter not courtin'" fellows,
and most heartily do we rejoice that
the judge has brought him to book
with 81, ,425 verdict. The judge says
that lOng-continued attentions or inti-
macy is just as good as a regular
promise. Now, we donot know what
would pass for intimacy according to
the laws Of Vermont, but suppose at
tentions to consist of visiting a girl
twice a week, and estimating the
time wasted by Miss Munson at each
visit to be worth dollar (which is
too cheap Mr.. Hastings has been
making a fool of himself fourteen
years and some odd weeks. This de-
cision marks new era in the law of
love, and we think no doubt will
tend to the promotion of matrimony
and morality.