smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

YESTERDAY morning a col0red


woman named CARMEL went to the


Postoffice and asked for a letter
which she knew was in the general


delivery for her, containing money.


She was gruffiy put off by the man


in charge of this department, who


refused to look over the letters, tell


ing her there was nothing for her.


She was asked how much money


she expected, and when she informed


the clerk, who thinks he is undoubt-


edly ga bigger man than Grant"


that 81 was the amount, he grabbed


the letters, and, sure enough, there


were three letters for her, one of


which had been lying in the Office
for nearly a week. This one the


clerk rudely tore open, and, taking
the contents out, counted the money
and threw it to the woman. Now,
the aggravating part of this affair is
simply this: The woman referred to
is poor negro washerwoman, and
over a week ago she wrote to niece
in Venice requesting the loan of
this money. She went to the Office
regularly every day last week, and
was as regularly put off with the !
answer, Nothing here" without |
even look to see. The woman |
naturally became anxious in regard |
to her money, and on Saturday she I
walked all the way to Venice, a |
distance of nine miles, and there /
ascertained from her niece that the
money had been sent the early part /
of the week. She Immediately |
"hoofed" it back, walking eighteen
miles, and reached Hamilton too
late to visit the POstoffice, and ON
morning she again came
up town, asked for her letter, with
the same result. This is not the
first time complaints have come
from this quarter, and 1t Is about
time citizens, be they white or
black, were being treated with at
least common politeness and a little
accommodation by the men whom
they, as part of the United States
are feeding and cloth
ing. INDIGNANT.
= Correspondence of Cincinnati En-
qatirer.


Now, what a hard case it is for
the Republican party that this Post
office clerk is a Northern man and a
The campaigners are
on the lookout again for "Southern
Outrages" and Oppressed colored
and it would have come
in delightfully."-. Well, what's the
difference? They need only wait
week and republish the thing with
names and places changed, and the
clerk may be one of Keys APP
pointees, and then it is all right.
Year: 1878

THEPhiladelphia Times speaks to
the point when referring to the
Postmaster-GeneraFs manifesto:


There seems to be no real provo
cation for Postmaster-General Keys
open letter on the Potter resolution,
unless it be found in the reports that
the straight-out Republicans are
begging the President to give them
the "erring brothers." head in q
charger as pledge of reconciliation.
1t does not Iook well TO see a mem-
her of the Cabinet showing such ex-
treme sensitiveness to this inquiry,
and Mr.. Key is the second who has
rushed into print upon the subject.
His letter may save his portfolio,
for it shows that the President has
no more devoted adherent, but it is
folly to suppose that it will have
any effect Whatever upon the class
of persons to whom it is addressed,
for it is the simple truth that no
man in public life, who claims to
be Democrat, has less hold upon
the confidence of the south than the
POstmaster-Gene
Year: 1878




THE PRACTICE OF SMOKING.


In Spain, France, and Germany,
in Holland, Sweden, Denmark, and
Russia, the practice of smoking to-
baccO prevails among the rich and
poor, the learned and the gay. In
this country smoking is often carried
to an injurious excess. If we pass
to the East, we find the practice al
most universal. In Turkey the
pipe is perpetually in the mouth,
and the most solemn conferences
are generally concluded with a
friendly pipe, employed like the
calumet of peace among the Indi-
ans. In the East Indies not merely
all classes, but both sexes inhale the
fragrant steam the only distinction
among them consisting in the shape
of the instrument employed and the
species of the herb smoked. In
China the habit equally prevails
and a modern traveller in that
country Borrow states that every
Chinese female, from the age of 8 or
8 years, wears as an appendage to
her dress a small silken purse or
pocket to hold tobacco and a pipe
with the use of which many of them
are not unacquainted at this tender
age. This prevalence of the prac-
tice at an early period among the
Chinese is appealed to by Mr.. Pallos
as an evidence that Sin Asia, and
especially in China, the use of to-
bacco for smoking is more ancient
than the discovery of the New
World" He adds: "AmOng the
Mongol tribes who had the most in
tercOurse with them, the custom of
is so general, so frequent,
and has become so indispensable a
luXury-the tobacco purse affixed
to their belt so necessary as an ar
ticle of dress-the form of the pipes,
from which the Dutch seem to have
taken the model of theirs, so Origi-
nal-and lastly, the preparation of
the yellow leaves, which are merely
rubbed to pieces and then put into
the pipe, so peculiar, that they
could not possibly derive all this
from America by way Of Europe,
as India, where the prac-
tice of smoking is not so general,
intervenes between Persia and
China" This however, is a very
doubtful proposition. 1t seems
sufficiently established that the to-
bacco plant was first brought from
Central America, and it is most
probable tAat it was thence carried
to Siam, China, and other eastern
The names given to it
in all the languages Of the East
are obviously of European, or
rather American, origin, a fact
which seems completelyt to negative
the idea that of its being indigenous
to the East.
Year: 1878

Not foreseeing that it could be
made out Of Connecticut seed-leaf
by their defendants, the austere
founders of Connecticut adopted the
following stringent regulations for
the use Of tobacco:


"No person under twenty years
of age, or any other person who has
not already accustomed himself to
the use of 1t, shall take any tobacco
until he has obtained a certificate
from under the hand of an APP
proved physician that it is useful to
him, and until he has also obtained
q license from the court. All others
who have addicted themselves to
the use of it are prohibited from
taking it in any company, or at
their labors, or in travelling, unless
ten miles at least from any company,
and, though not in company, not
more than once a day, upon pain of
a fine of six-pence for every such
offense."
Year: 1878

The acreage is reported large and
but little damaged from rust. The
winter oats are promising, especially
in the Southern parts of the State.
l still think there will be full
average crop.
Year: 1878

The seasOnable weather in a ma
jority of the counties in the State
and an absence of dry weather in
all, has been most propitious for the
grasses. Clover is very luXuriant
where sown upon good soil and a
stand secured. Timothy and herds
grass are unusually promising and
a large yield of hay is anticipated.
Year: 1878

THE Cincinnati Commercial
says: We are not assuming to run
the Republican party. We have to
say, however, that II the Republic
can party has nothing better to
propose than that the country
should flee to Grant for protection,
the sooner it passes awuy the bet
ter for Republicanism.


WE have rarely seen as much
wisdom condensed into small
space as in the foregoing from a
leading Repub lican journal. The
only man who has stood between
Gen. Grant and the good will of all
his countrymen is himself. They
would forgive much to the brusque
soldier who had bad the benefit of
no civilian training. All he would
have needed to have been petted
over the length aud breadth of the
United States, Notwithstanding
the scandalous record OF his admin
lStratl0n, was TO nave announcer
that he did not think himself bet
ter or wiser than Washington or
jefferson, and had never enter
tanned the idea of Il thirm term.
He did not care to say this. They
did, which makes the great differ
ence between them and Grant.
There was another and minor dif-
ference, viz, either Washington or
Jefferson could have had third
term If they had desired it while
Grant couldn't and can't. The Re
publican party may com2let te its
wreck with Grant as its candidate.
That is about all tn ere is to it.
Year: 1878

The money market was quiet and easy during the
week and call loans were made at per cent with
few exceptional loans at lower rates Foreign ex-
change was quiet and lower during tho carly part of
the week. but later on sterling advanced fractonally
10 4.s1 and 4s6 for bankers long and short bills


The weekly statement of the New York banks
shows increase of lie5 800 in total reserve and
by Of the decrease Of s4705 in deposit liza
bties. an increase In the surplus reserve OF
e2,3ii.95O The surplus reserve is now si2.s44 400
GGAinst Ss.s1s.675 during the corresponding week
Year: 1878

Never cast ASIDE your friends if by
any possibility you can retain them.
We are the weakest Of spepdthrifts if
we let one drop off, through inatten-
ton. or let one push away another. or
if We hold aloof from one through
petty Jealousy or needless slight OF
roughuess. Would you throw a@ev
a diamond because it pricked you ?
One good friend is not to be weighed
against the jewels of the earth. II
there is coolness or unkindness be-
tween Us let us come face to face and
have it out. Quick. before the love
grows cold! Life is 100 short tD
Gnsrre. in, or TO carry black thoughts
of friends II is easy to lose friend.
but new one will not come for CAL
ling, nor ,nase up for the old one.
Year: 1878

The spirit Of self-sacriiSe is one Of
the great beauties Of holiness. Hus-
band yielding to wife, wife 20 husband;
brother to brother; sister to sister
friend to friend in great things, but
in small, especially. First aud FORE
most, see that the spirit is with you
at home then carry it abroad into tho
world. 1t is spirit TINT will sweet
en- happiness aud brighten troubles.
and when the soul is ready to wing its
flight TO its eternal home. it will have
the uuspeakable consolation Of know
ing that it has not lived to itself; that
it has left the world happier and bet
ter iu some degree than it found il;
that it has been faithful to its earthly
mission So will it listen with unut-
terable bliss to the sentence: well
done, thou good and faithful servant;
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord II
-,lrgOsy.
Year: 1878

among clippings made by poor
Bell we find the following. What a
pity that be did not try harder to live
up to its sentiments, which he seems
to have endorsed:


TIE more quietly and pcaceably We
get on the better-the better for our
ncighbors. In nine cases out of ten
the wisest policy is, If man chests
you. quit dealing with him if be is
abusive, quit his company; if be
ISLANDERS you, take care to live so that
nobody will believe him no matter
who he is. or how be misuses you. the
wisest way is to let him alone /; for
there is nothing better than this cool:
calm, quiet way Of dealing with the
wrong we meet With.
Year: 1878

BILL for the protection attorneys doing business b


fore the Patent Office and the other bureaus and denar


merts of the Government.


BE II enacted 5 the Senate and House Of H4pyesentt;ge
of ne United States of Agaerica IN Conqress asae,5s6
That ection four hundred and eighty of the Re-
ysed Statutes be repealed from and after the passage Of
this act.


SEC All proceedings for the suspension and dsbar
ment OF any attorney patent agent from practice before
any bureau or department. of the Government shall he
commenced or determined before the Attorney enera If
the United States according to the usual rules of law and
judicial proceedings prevailing and observed before
the courts of record and similar judicial tribunals in tbe
United States, for the suspension and dsbarment of NJ
toeys from practice before such courts and judicial t
bunals. -


SEC - All proceedings for the suspension or disbar
ment OF patent agents attorneys from practice before
any department or bureau thereof shall be commenced nv
the head Of such department in the manner prescribed ~
section two of this act -


SEC. A. ANY head of department. or any head of a
bureau thereof or any other officer employee of the
Government, who shall suspend disbar any attorney
from practice before such department bureau or who
shall attempt to do So who shall in any way obstruct
or thwart any attorney patent agent the prosecution
OF his duties when the attorney patent agent shall
have special authority TO act in any case shall be fined
for each and every such oense less one thousand
Year: 1878

BILL to furnish additional tusses soldiers who were


rupred while in the line of their duty during the war


for the suppression of the rebellion.


BE a. enacted By the Senate and House Of Representatives
0f the United States Of A0lertca Congress assembled
That every soldier of the Union Army who was uptured
while in the line Of his duty during the for the sup
preston OF the rebellion and who has received or shall
receive from the War Department since the twenty eighth
day OF May, ammo Domin eighteen hundred and seventy
two, single double truss shall be entitled to receive


new single double Truss every five years after such
receipt under such regulations have been or NAV be-
prescribed by the SuTgeonGeneral of the Army
Year: 1878




BILL in relation to claims against the United States
BE enacted 5y the Senate House Of Representatives.
Of the United Sates Of Agorca an Congress assembled
That no claim against the United States for damages for
property taken used, injured DESTROYED by the mill
tay forces of the United States in the OF military
operations in time of war; and for which the Government
is not liable according to the laws of war shall ever be
allowed paid.


SEC. 2. After January first, eighteen hundred and
eighty claim against the United States shall be audit
ed, allowed or paid by any authority under the United
years after the claimant had the right to present the
same
Year: 1878

Girls, said worthy old lady to her granddaughters
whenever fellow pops the question: don't blush and
stare at your foot just throw your around his neck
look him full in the face and commence talking about the
furniture Young fellows are mighty nervous sometimes.


lost several chances before caught your fond dear
gIandfaheg by putting on airs but learnt how do it
after a while"


The Boston Journal says is only within year that
northern man has been able TO feel socially at home in the
South
Year: 1878

The differences character never more distinctly
than in times when surrounded by difficult
ties and mlstortunes There are who when dsap-
pointed by the failure of an undertaking from which they
had expected great things, make up their minds at once
TO exert themselves longer against what they call fate
if thereby they could avenge themselves upon fate
others grow despondng and hopeless but third class
of men will arouse themselves just at such moments and
say themselves The more difficult it is to attain NV
ends the honorable will be;' and this is maxim
which every one should impress upon himself as law
Some OF those who guided by prosecute their plans
with obstnacy, and perish others if they are more
practical men, if they have failed in way will try an
other.
Year: 1878

WASHINGTON, March AFTER full
consideration and consultation with
members of both Houses OF Congress,
the Secretary Of the Treasury has deter
mined that the first silver dollars TO be
Issued will be used only in exchange st
par for. gold coin or Tor the purchase OF
silver bullion at the market price. He
does not feel at liberty to use them TO
pay for the current expenses till
the amount coined is sufficient
to furnish all alike, without dlscrinina-
tion, nor does he deem it expedient
at present TO exchange them for
United States notes or to use them in
payment of interest on the public debt
until the amount coined is sufficient to
enable him to do SO lmpartisliy. They
will, therefore, at present be used for the
purchase OF bullion at the market rate.


The silver certificates will soon be
ready for issue, and are of the form of
bank notes, engraved in the best man.
ner al d printed on bank note fibre paper.
Year: 1878

1t is learned that the delay in taking
up the bill to repeal the Resumption Act
is IT. the instance of some of Its friends,
who are csnvaseing the Senate to learn
if it can be passed over veto. Some OF
them believe that two.thirds vote can
be had for modified bill, which shall re.
peal the date clause and leave q bare de.
clsrstion in favor OF resumption; and
others are urging that if the bill can not
be passed over q veto i. had better not &c
pressed al all, as its defeat by veto
would simply injure the cause without
any good.
Year: 1878

Ii isunderstood that in his message 10 !
the legislature, Governor Porter win re-
commend the compromise of the State
debt at sixty cents on the dollar at four
per cent interest. or fifty cents on the dol
lar at six per cent. interest. Abiding 10
this the Memphis LEDGER says;


Neither proposition is likely TO be ae-
cepted. II the bondholders would offer
totake fifty cents on the dollar, longtime
bonds at three per cent. interest for the
first five years, and four per cent. for the
remainder Of the time, the legislature
might pass such an act, provided, howev-
er, that 1t be submitted to a popular vote.
The longer a settlement is deferred the
greater the chances for reputation. The
bondholders had better come down to
something like an equitable settlement at
once, if they expect TO get anything.


The LEDGER is one Of the most conser-
vative of the so-cAlled "low-taX" papers in
the State and represents the "highest"
class of ''low-tax" politicians. 1t will be
seen at a glance that the wishes of the
bondholders are to be wholly disregarded
in any adjustment of the debt The 'low-
tax people do not intend TO consult them.
They profess to be in favor Of an equitable
adjustment, but they intend to be the sole
Judges of what is equitable. A majority
of the element of whom we are speaking
will favor any policy that they may defer
q settlement, hoping and believing that
such delay will result in what they most
desire-absolute repudiation.- Knoxville
Chronicle.


The bondholders have so long dis
regarded the necessities, the suffering
and the misfortunes of the people that
the masses have become prejudiced,
indifferent, if not inimical toward the
bOndholders. The funding bill was
hastily passed through before its true
nature and effects were understood by
the people. The reaction came, as We
predicted it would, and now there il
real danger that the default in pay
ment of interest will continue fol
years to come. This is a mild form O
reputation. We are anxious Il
see the question settled AM
taken out of politics before mat
ters grow any worse. If the bond
holders will pursue a moderate
reasonable course, we believe tina
an equitable adjustment would be ap
proved by the people tthe ballOt-bOz
We have no desire to array classe
against each other, and no intention t
appeal to popular prejudices, but {
course our sympathies are with tn
producing and working classes WI
are so seldom consulted in the cret
tion of public debts.
Year: 1878

Washington Cor. Utica Herald.


An important place the speakers
room is. Possibly not half of those
familiar with the capitol know where
it is. Not the speakers room down in
the guide books, a big, tile-hoored,
well-windowea reception room just
back of the chamber in which the
house sits. That room is currently
known as the speakers room, but the
speaker never wants to see any one
there whom he wants to see. 1t is too
open and accessible by half. The con-
ferences which the speaker has at
which anything is done are not held
in this marble walled saloon. 1t is a
little closet in dark entry below the
hall. 1t is hard bya private staircase.
The glazed door is screened by green
baize There is not the sign of a name
or note on the door, and it is one of
the few doors unmarked in the capitol.
The corridor has no light, and on a
cloudy day is dark. Once inside you
see a room partly covered by carpet
partly ragged. The window-there is
only one-is screened in some cheap
way. There is room for a struggling
table, one lounge and three chairs,
There is room for nothing else. If
you know him you have got in without
card. If you do not know him you
have not got in at all. And in such a
room you find the third officer of the
government hard at work. 1t is sig
ni6cant of the publicity of public life
when it is unfenced by class-rank,
that it is only in some such coal-hOle
that he can get time to work, Unless
he hides himself, so many people have
right to see HIM that his whole time
runs to waste. 1t is in this little hole
in the wall that three speakers, Colfax,


Blaine and Randall, have done the


real work Of legislation. Speaking


guardedly, | fancy more of the bust


ness of governing is done in that room


than in any other one room in Wash
! ington.
Year: 1878

The friends of Miss Fancher, the
extraordinary young woman in Brook
lyn, who hasn eaten any food in ever
so many years, and who can see every
thing with her eyes shut and all her
senses asleep, don't like the
test proposed by DR.. Hammond to
find out whether Miss Fancher is a
humbug or not. The doctor offers to
write check for one thousand dollars,
and seal it up in an envelope, and if
Miss Fancher can describe the check
accurately, without opening the en-
velope, she can have the money her
self. The point of this test lies in the
fact that Miss Fancher's friends claim
that she can read and tell the contents
of an envelope by merely looking at
the outside. DR.. Hammond believes
she cannot and is willing to back up
his opinion with one thousand dollars.
AS yet there is no sign Of an accept
ance of his challenge, and the chances
are that there won't be any, though
the one thousand dollars would, per-
haps, be very useful in the remarkable
young woman's family. There are
lots of people in Brooklyn, though,
who believe everything that is said
about Miss Fancher's supernatural
power, and who would probably believe
ten times as much if it were told.


There are physicians, even, who won't
admit that there is any humbug about
the performances, though they can t
explain them or even formulate a re-
spectacle theory of cause and effect in
this particular case. One of Miss


Fancher's champions comes back at


DR.. Hammond with a proposition that


the doctor himself shall look at a seal
ed envelope and tell what is in it. AS


DR.. Hammond does not pretend to


have gone into the clairvoyant bust


ness, this challenge does not seem to


have much bearing on the question he


wants to solve. But it is the sort Of


argument that many persons use when


they find themselves in a corner with


not much chance to get out
Year: 1878

Cheyenne SUM-


For several days past Byron has
been making love" to grass
widow" whose husband is a soldier at
Fort Russell, She lives in the north
eastern portion Of the city with her
two children; she is looking, and
somewhat stage struck Byron,
with his usual adroitness and smooth
tongue, succeeded in securing prom
Use from her to accompany him to San
Francisco. He said he woHld put her
on the stage, where she would be able
to readily rise in the profession, and
become a star" Of the first magni-
tude. Pinched by poverty, vain Of
her beauty and fond Of fame, the poor
woman eagerly grasped at the glitter
ing bauble held out by the great
tragedian and nephew of his uncle.
Yesterday was the time set for their
departure. Byron took the woman
her two children and the trunks
containing her worldly effects tt
the depot, and at once entered int
negotiations with the conductor of the
emigrant train. He wanted to soak
the trunks for the passage Of four per
sons to Laramie City, where he ex
pected to "get some money from
| friend" While the conductor wa
listening to his offer, the porter Of on
of our prominent hotels stepped il
and said the tragedian owed


board bill which must be paid befor


he would be allowed to depart in tn


direction of the setting sun. The un


fortunate and misguided woman ha,


her trunks carted home, and the cur


tain dropped upon the scene. Byro


was playing it fine in order to max


his passage to Laramie Oity-that wa


all.