smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

around the point, and listening tC
the autumn winds performing ar
anthem in the great trees till every
leaf thrilled with 8 note in it, and
had forgotten the legend in listen


ing TO the melody!


The moon was giving a beautiful
light, but the thick foliage just lei
enough of the simmer in to sec
things Immediately around you
Suddenly my horse gave a loud
snort and plunge. There in the
middle Of the road stood the head
less man! Ugh! / was so neal
him that l almost fell out of my
saddle as l suddenly threw my
horse back on his hauches by vio-
lent pull of the brtdle Oh! the
horrible sight! The cold shivers
ran over me and my blood seemed
turned to ice water. | gasped for
breath. | tried to scream, but my
voice was dumb and my tongue
cleaved to the roof of my mouth as
| gazed in woful terror upon the
hidious monster. He looked fully
eight feet high! and with only a
stump above the coat collar. We
stood there confronting each other
in the middle of that dark and lone
ly road Cold beads of perspira-
tion fell from my brow and death
seemed entering at every pore. l
was dumb with fear and with hor-
rorl l did not swoon or lose my
senses, but felt and kraew if reac-
tion did not come soon l should
fall from my horse dead 1t did
come. l drew my revolver, and as
the click fell upon the ear of the
ghost he sprang with the agility of
a panther behind small tree near
at hand! 1t was a good omen, and
l felt braver. My tongue was
loosened, but my voice sounded
strange and husky as 1 said, "Get
to the road and keep before me or l
will shoot your


The words were magical! and the
headless spirit double quicked it
into the road, but outwitted me in
jumping the first fence he came to
and going with the speed of Dex-
ter across the grass! l called after
him: 81 say, Lube! the next time
you go out playing ghost don't wear
your dads overcoat! it is too well
known in this neIghborhood, and
besides he don't want it befouled
with blood and bullet holes, now
the cold weather is coming~


No answer came back from the
headless man, nor did he pause to
listen as he ran, lighted by bright
moon across the stubDle field to-
wards the dark woods


The next day | rode to my neigh
boris to talk over with Lube the ter
rible fright and tell him 'the hor-
rors were over" inasmuch as we
were both scared almost to death
He looked at me in dumb amaze
mcnt! Neither he oil his brother
had been off the place for several
days or nights, and Lube is an hon
orable boy and a truthful one.


l was more troubled than l cared
to acknowledge, and with one voice
it was asked, "Who could it have
beenT and echo answers, "WhoP'


/ rode slowly back to "The Hills"
making and passing resolutions.
with myself, that would have star
tied a man with a head on his
shoulders, could he have heard
them, much less a Aead1ess one, who
attemps to play ghost in my path
way again "Ver6um sat sapienti."
Year: 1878




The Whitehall Times didn't half
finish the story about the trout in
gentleman's trout pond, saving
the life of little girl who was ac-
customed to feed them, and who
had accidentally fallen into the pond,
by forming themselves into solid
body and supporting her in the wa
ter. We have later advices about
it. The trout not onl Y raised her
to the surface, but they floated her
ashore, after which they took her
on their shoulders and carried her
up to the house, over half mile,
across lots, being compelled to take
down several fences in order to do
II. When the father Of the little
Girl came To the door in answer TO
the bell (rung by one of the trout he
discovered a lot of trout rolling the
child on an old salt barrel to get
the water out of her. When she
was finally resuscitated the trout
united in giving three cheers, and
declining TO step iatO the house and
take suthin', they trotted back to
the pond. Why don't you finish a
story when you begin it?-t Cincin-
natl Saturday Night
Year: 1878

Don't live in hope with your arms
folded. Fortune smiles on those
who roll up their sleeves and put
their shoulder to the wheel that pro-
pels them on to wealth and happi-
ness. Cut this out and carry it
about with you in your vest pocket.
ye who idle in bar-rooms or at the
corner of the streets.
Year: 1878

"Profanity never did any man the
the least good. No man is richer
or wiser for it. 1t commends no
one to society; it is disgusting to
the refined, and abominable to the
good" Yes; that's all very fine.
But what's a fellow to do when a
tooth brush bursts in his mouth?
Year: 1878

The pencil marks you SEC around this
paragraph <thus) mean that your sub
scription is out or unpaid, and that You
are requested to pay up at once. We
would take great pleasure in extending
credit to our friends and patrons, butt
cash alone win yay our expenses, and
we are forced 70 adhere to a strict cash
rule. We hope you will comprehend
and appreciate the necessity OF such a
course, and renew your su scription
without delay. We solicit your favor


~ We enter no new names on our
books without.the money in advance.
Year: 1878

Great men are said to become so
by aiming high and wasting no time
on small things, but although man
may be way up in the hay loft of
fame, there are times, generally just
before rain, when he tenderlS re-
members the first little corn he ever
hoI
Year: 1878

We have never doubted, do not
doubt, and never will doubt that
there are honest men in the repub
lican party. We respect them for
their integrity, and we give them
our hearty sympathy, because they
are so lonely.
Year: 1878

An ingenious locksmith in this
city has invented a new front door
lock which by clockwork arrange
ment becomes deaf to the entreat-
les of a latch key after twelve
o'clock at night. Whenever you
pass house at , a. NJ, and see a
man sleeping on the fence you may
know that his wife has purchased
one on the sly.
Year: 1878

A good, honest laugh at a good,
honest joke or bit of sarcasm rubs
out the gathering wrinkles of care
but an ill-tempered joke is like a
poisoned arrow, which makes a
wound and leaves its poison after it
has been withdrawn.
Year: 1878

A contemporary quantity remarks
that it is fact to be jotted down
in your memory and acted upon in
your dealings with your fellows,
that if man is conspicuously gift
ed in making first class excuses, he
is seldom gifted in any other direc-
ton. Nature can't afford to lavish
all her gifts on any one man.
Year: 1878

Some people do not understand
how newspapers manage 20 print
pictures OF murderers 80 soon after
the murder takes place Although
it is a secret Of the business, we
must be generous TO our readers,
and say that all the cuts Of proprio-
tors of patent medicines that come
into n newspaper Office are saved.
Year: 1878

Courier Journal: And now that
the jig is up, let Us hear no more
of this Greenback danphoolism
which came so near upsetting the
Democratic hay-cart in so many
Congressional districts. When
things settle down into a regular
groove once more, and get to run
ming smoothly again, which they
must do now very speedily if the
people will but have patience and
repose confidence in the earnest de-
termination of a Democratic Con-
gress to do the best for them that it
is possible to be done. IL will be
found that money is far more abun-
dant than it is now generally sup
posed to be, and we shall see a re
turn of that prosperity which had
just begun to dawn upon us when
knocked into kindling wood by that
legitimate offspring of Radical ras-
cality and misrule, the panic of '73.
Let the leaders of the Greenback
guerrillas. the Butler banditti, the
Duncan greasers and the Dennis
Kearney Sans Culottes all disband
their shirtless cankers of a calm
world and long peace, and tell
them to go to work and drive from
their fresides that famine their po
litical bummeriDg has sent to pray
upon their wives and children, and
they will soon have less cause to
complain of hard times.
Year: 1878

Why those tears upon thy ehoek, love,


Why turn from me, why seom so cold
Cheer my heart with ono bright smile, love
Smile on me sweetly as of old.
Have done aught thus to grIovo thee


have caused you TO regret
That your smiles my heaIt did gladden.


Then teach, oh teach me to forget
Year: 1878




Herald Hundreds of preachers
in New York and it's vicinity will
60 into their pulpit to-day with SER
mons which, in point of proportion.
diction and other literary graces,
have been carefully prepared
There is another quality, however,
which every conscientious minister
will admit is necessary in sermon
it is that of moral and spiritual
effectiveness. To be effective a
thing must be strong. Strength is
not inconsistent with grace and ele-
gance, but without it the latter are
useless. But how can q sermon be
strong when its subject matter is
diluted to the very verge of destruc-
tlon with words? Soups and broths
are very well as portions of meal,
but of themselves alone they are
very unsatisfying food. A valua-
BILE idea is as practically impercep-
tible in a mass of virbiage as su-
gar and salt are in the fluids from
which they are obtained. Like
these the sermon should be boiled
down until its essential quality is
visible and of the greatest possible
strength. 1t is mournful and en-
raging task to reduce any artistic
work to its merest elements; but if
a preacher has not the rare faculty
of combining elegance and force
the important nature of his work
should reconcile him to personal
loss that the gain of his hearers
may be increased. 1t may be pos
sible that in rare cases the boiling
down process may be continued
until nothing whatever remains,
but in such event the fault is not
of our advice. 1t is to be traced
directly to the utter worthlessness
of the sermon as it originally stood.
Year: 1878

Darkness had evertaken me fully
half an hour before | reached the
walk of the fearful apparition. The
legend ran that the Nspecter never
appeared to two people. That he
is an eXclusionist in his manners,
and only aired himself on the road
when one at q time was passing"


1 had passed this road several
times in the night, but always be-
fore this in company, and had once
been bewildered and dazzed with
the dance of thousand will-o' the
wisps that were nearly equal in bril-
liancy to an hundred, rosy, calcium
lights! and surprising any pyro-
technics that ever originated in the
brain of man.


Certainly a sight never equaled in
my memory before, and one worth
riding hundreds of miles to witness !
though / could scarcely retain a
seat in the saddle while passing
through this army of will-o' the
wisps, marching, counter marching,
and as the saying is, trying to lead
one astray! Sometimes they would
flash together, melt into one huge
moving ball of fire, pass over the
horses head, down under his feet,
maddenlng him with fright up
again into the air lighting up the
road, the hill and the ravine in one
grand illumination


But on the night of the 1st of
November was to pass the road
Glone-perhaps to encounter the
headless mani The legend is well
known in the neighborhood, and
few indeed of the colored race will
pass the road alone after night


1t was dark half an hour before l
reached the place, and my horse
lame from having lost shoe, | was
indulging him III Il leisurely gait
Year: 1878

| had started early in the morn
ing from "The Hills to look for
seed wheat of q choice kind that l
desired to plant, owing to the late
ness of the season.


1t was the first day of November.
and the frost looked like a snow
mantling the earth in the early
dawn. l rode the seven miles very
quickly, reaching Mr.. BIS early,
where, l was assured by two young
friends, that I would find the finest
wheat they had ever seen and of the
kind wanted.


These two friends are a pair of
rollicking young farmers with a
great love of practical jokes, and
often indulge in the fun(?) at the
expense of their friends.


was too late, by one day, to get
the wheat, and was told at Mr.. B. g
that Mr.. s., six miles further on,
had a very fine lot of the same kind
for sale.


To lind Mr.. SIS, in my ignorance
of that part of the country, l was
given one of those peculiar direc
tiOns that serve to misleitd rather
than to lead, and it was this, "To
pass through large gate swung to
walnut tree at the back of the
plantation, turn down to the right,
pass an old mill on the left, hill to
the right a quarter of mile further
on with a still-house i'll the bottom;
on the rise would see four fodder
stacks, bear of and leave them to
the left, turning down a pathway to
be followed for a mile, then turn to
the right (there l forgot which was
my right hand and which my leftD,
passing a large 'simmon tree"
Well, long before 1 reached the
'simmon" tree / was lost! thanks
to the lucid directions. l wandered
around for a long while, but finally
reached the place, to find the gen
tleman absent, "but would be back
presently" The presently" went
into hours, and my watch warned
me l had no time to spare if would
reach "The Hills" before dark, then
thirteen miles away! 1t was
peril-zested pleasure, that swift ride
through the gay and many tinted
leaves that rustled in my pathway,
but the very elixir of life to the
mental invalid


To outride the coming darkness
proved HOPELESS task; and the last
part of my road going to "The
Hills" run round the base of tall
wooded hill, with a deep, dark ra-
vine below the road-dark and
gloomy even in sunlight-and this
part of the road, by the knowing
ones l remembered, was said to be
the beat of
Year: 1878

A S this is the time of the year ut which
a most persons subscribe for their Pa
pers and Magazines, | respectfully call
your attention to the fact that you can get
any Paper or Magazine published, from
me at the PUBLISHERS price. Don't send
your money away from your own town
when you can get just what you want and
at the same prices you have to pay else
where. Hoping you will favor me, and
thus encourage home institution, am


Yours, &c,


JAMES Z. BARNHA ART.
January 8, 1878. u
Year: 1878

AS usual, the croaker has commenced
his tune about crops, failure, wet harvest
etc we do not think there are sufficient
grounds for fear yet. The largest amount
of grain ever raised IN Dakota may be the
result u
Year: 1878

For Tilden and Hayes the people care
but little, the great question being the
conspiracy against the people by which
their verdict was nullifed and the man
against whom they voted placed in the
chair to which another had been chosen


tits contest of the people on one side
and conspiracy and fraud on the other.
Year: 1878

special correspondence OF the JOURNAL.


BALTIMORE, Nov. q, 1873.


To-day is as disagreeable as could
wei, be imagined; constantly pour
ing rain has interfered with travel;
the streets are muddy and the cars
crowded. Last Sunday was just such
day when the Fifth Maryland Regi-
ment marched out to Greenmount to
decorate the grave of Col. S. S. Mills,
one Of their number who died a year
ago Just on the eve of his appearance
in the House of Delegates to which
he had been elected. The men had
rough time of it with the mud and
slippery clay, but carried with them
some very handsome floral tributes
with which to commemorate the death
and burial of their former comrade.


Mr.. Moody is one of the chief at
fractions in the city at present and
will be during the winter; he has had
a consultation with the Protestant
ministers who are in favor with him
as to the advisability of building him
a tabernacle in some convenient part
of the city and large enough to ac-
Commodate the immense crowds desir-
ing admittance to his meetings. 1t
was decided to let Moody continue to
hold forth in the churches and not in
cur the expense of erecting large
building especially for him, which
would afterward be comparatively
useless. He announced when he
came here that he would make no en-
gagements to preach as he desired the
time to rest and prepare new sermons,
and now he breaches twice every day
and four times on Sunday. The
tickets, which it is necessary to pro-
cure, are very hard to get on account
of the number desiring them and
the fact that they are only given out
once week to be good for every
meeting during that week. On every
Monday morning the tickets have
been given out at 10 or IL o'clock,
but the ladies come in such strong
forces and took up all the tickets
with such vim that Mr.. Moody ap-
pointed an earlier hour, thinking that
the gentlemen would stop on their
way down town and the ladies would
not be able to leave their houses so
early in the morning. But Mr..
Moody has not yet become acquainted
with the fact of what excellent house
keepers the ladies of Baltimore can
be when necessary, and how soon their
morning duties can be attended to :;
he discovered his mistake, however,
WIN the ladies came trooping up to
the church about seven in the morn
ing in perhaps larger numbers than
ever before. There was crowd of
about five thousand people to get
three thousand tickets, and when the
doors We're opened the rush may be
imagined. o, the skirts they ripped
and the feathers they flew as the fair
ones rushed up the aisle entirely dis.
Year: 1878

Many things we prize and treasure
That Gail used to own,
For our hearts grew sad and lonely
After we were left alone.
OH how often wn have heard her
Singing low a childish air
Sitting with her little dolly


In her little Rocking Chair.
So we love and prize and cherish
Everything she left behind.
First we found Calls picture;-
What precious thing 1t was to findD
Then we gathered up her playthings,
And the clothes she used to wear;
But among the things most cherished
Is her little Rocking Chair.
Little hands are softly folded;


Little feet forever still;-
Heavenly Father, help US bear it;
Bid us love thy holy will
Bid US learn from Calls accents,
Lisping low her evening prayer,
With her little hands all folded
Rneeling by her little Rocking Chair.
How the picture of our darling


Gently bids US weep no more;
How the brown eyes seem looking
Brightly towards "the other shore"
Thus we see her, and the ringlets
OF her shining brown hair,
Seem but moving in the twilight
In her little Rocking Chair.
So We love it, and wo keepit


In its old accustomed place,
And we fancy that she knows it
Aud tilat sunshine lights Aol lace.
Are you waiting, angel Gail


Waiting in our mansion fair?
"Will you meet us at the river"


When we leave your little Rocking


Chairp
Year: 1878

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
TREASURY. Secretary Sherman avows
his belief in the effectiveness of the
measures taken for resumption an,
of his powers under the law to main
tain it, and says that he will make
full use of these powers unless other
wise directed by Congress. He does
not think that further legislation is
needed to enable him to receive legal
tenders for customs after January l,
and says that resumption at New
York means resumption all over the
country. Heis preparing greenbacks
of large denomination to take the
place of gold certificates, which will
be issued after January L. As the
-.W nc" stands he will use his option
to redeem United States notes in
either gold or silver at the New
York sub-treasury, but he states firm
ly and positively that the silver ques-
tion is not in satisfactory state. He
advises either to limit the coinage of
silver dollars, or coin such dollar as
will be equal in value to the gold dol
lar. At present the coinage of silver
dollars is too small to affect values,
but the time must come, if the present
law stands, when, if the coinage goes
on, the country will be reduced to &C.
cept the silver standard. The secre.
tary opposes making trade dollars a
legal tender, saying that the persons
who put this token bullion in circula-
tion east of the Rocky mountains did
so with full knowledge that it was
neither legal tender nor money in any
sense which the government is bound
to redeem or care for. II they should
now be made legal tender large num-
bers of them in circulation or hoard
ed in China would be thrown upon
our hands.
Year: 1878

JUSTICE.
Cut it down! Cut 1t down


Spare not the fruitless tree =
1t spreads harmful shade around;
1t spoils what else were useful ground;
No fruit for years on it I've found
Cut it down! Out it down.
One year more! One year more!
Oh, spare the fruitless tree
Behold Its branches broad and green;
Its spreading leaves have hopeful been;
Some fruit thereon may yet be seen
One year more One year more


JUSTICE.
Cut it down Cut it down


And burn the worthless tree
For other use the soil prepare;
Some other tree will flourish there,
And in my vineyard must fruit bear
Cut it down! Gu ii down!


NJ lICY.


One year more One year morel
For mercy, spare the tree
Another year Of care bestow;
On its fair form some fruit may grow;
If not then, lay the cumb'rer low
One year more! One year more
Still it stands Still it stands T.


A fair but fruitless tree
The Master, seeking fruit thereon,
Has come, but griev'd at finding none,
Now speaks to Justice, Mercy flown,
Cut it down Cut it down
Year: 1878

tancing the gentlemen The evange.
list would rather the men should come
to hear him as he regards them as
more needful of religious advice than
the women, and the latter could take
that as compliment and stay away
but whether they differ from Mr..
Moody, or are go infatuated that they
must go, is not known at any rate
they attend by hundreds.


Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day and
the attractions in the way of churches
in the morning and theatres and pro-
cessions in the afternoon are quite
numerous. The day will be very
quiet as are all holidays now in the
city. The officials have reduced every
thing to such a science that they will
have no noises whatever on gala-days
and everything is as quiet as the
grave. On Fourth of July no fire.
crackers are allowed and the effort is
now being made to abolish the tin
horn on Christmas. Just because
their are some old fogies in town who
like to keep quiet and now take no
pleasure in observances, the whole
city must be made quiet and the small
boy must suffer. PIcKENs.
Year: 1878

The notorious Dr. Lambert, convicted
of perjury last week, when called up for
sentence yesterday managed to create a
scene which is quite unusual on such
occasions. He stood up aud made a


aunty speech Of two hours at Judge
Brady, in which he tried to procure a
mild sentence by the hopeful method OF
brazenly denying his guilt and abusing
the jury, the witnesses, the Judge him
self, ard especially the press Of the city,
which had commented on his case with
deserved severity. To Lambert's TRADE
against the press Judge Brady replied
that the press of the city had simply done
its duty in holding up this swindler as a
warning. Said the Judge "You have
also denounced and stigmatized the press.
The press was justly interested in your
conviction. The very instant you were
convicted the community had a right to
know that you had received the penalty
of your crime, and the press, as embody-
ing the collective voice of the country,
was quite JUSTIFIED in commenting with
great severity upon the evidence on
which ysu have been proven guilty, and
do not mean to express any other than
decided appreciation OF the views the press
has taken on this subject"


To-day this swindler and perjurer will
leave his temporary lodgings In the
Tombs for a SOLDERING five years residence
at Sing Sing. Y. Herald.
Year: 1878

Michael Angelo Hayes, the well known artist, and
who formerly City Marshal OF Dublin has met his
death In city under extraordinary circumstances


He had gone the roof Of his house TO investigate
stoppage in u cistern. II Is supposed that he
was seized with fit, during which he tell into Tho
cstern suno:ated IN less cha foot OF water