smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

| passed night once away from home.
What 1 learned that night would fill a
very large barrel. I had retired and
was endeavoring to tangle myself up in
sleep, when most indescribable bouquet
of sounds stole into my room and en-
twined itself about my ears. 1t was
the first strains of cat fight. l got out
of bed and opened my mouth and
dropped "ScatH out of the window.
The yowling increased. added pair
of ten dollar boots to the affair; boot
jack followed the boots, but the noise
continued with more zeal, if possible,
than ever. My contribution was not
the only one; from other windows a
continuous fire was kept up; bottles,
shoes, slippers and every available article
that could be reached was SHE'D into the
darkness at the noise. Occasionally a
more terrific yell would seem to indicate
that the objective point had been
reached, but still the yelling continued
with unabating ardor.


At last | bethought me of q dark
lantern | had, and lighting it, | turned
the light down into the backyard, in
the direction of the noise. What l saw
| can tell about, but how | felt and
looked would need larger pen than
mine to describe. To say that my hair
stood up would be very tame. 1t not
only stood up, but it fairly lifted me
from the floor. | saw hanging from the
clothesline a couple of Tom cats, tied
together by the tails, and engaged with
all their might in tearing each other
apart, while in the yard was a man with
a bag, into which he was putting my
boots, boot-jack, and other contributions
making for him fair nights work, and
gathering up all the spoils, as he un
slung the cats from the line and placed
them in the bag and scaled the fence, il
dawned upon me that l had been sold
l blew out my light and crept into bed
wondering if my angel grandfather wa
not smiling from beyond the clouds a
his grandchild.
Year: 1877

OK the recently-robbed Union Pacific
railroad train there were silver bars of
nearly ten tons weight, but the bars
were so heavy that the thieves could not
carry them, and the whole shipment was
left untouched. 1t must have been a
severe trial to the road-agents to be COM
pelled to drive away and leave whole
carload of the material for the dollars
of their daddies, but there was no help
for it. They had not even time to smash
up bar or two and line their pockets
with the fragments.
Year: 1877

In is proposed in Brooklyn to put the
tramp to earn his bread in warehouses
specially erected for his accommodation.
That would be cheaper than to feed him
without equivalent, to imprison him as
a vagrant, or to be knocked down and
have your pocket picked or your throat
cut by him on some cold winter night.
Year: 1877

GAMBErTA put out one of his own
eyes, when n child, in fit of rage. He
was placed by his parents in the keeping
of some people who had ill-treated him,
and he wrote to his father that if he did
not take him back home he would put
out one Of his eyes. No attention was
paid TO the childish threat, but he kept
his word and tore out an eye.
Year: 1877

In second conference with the Indians
at Washington, there were present Presi-
dent Hayes, members of the Cabinet Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, Gen. Crook,
and others. The Indians were in full cos
tune. The President said he was ready to
hear the Chiefs if they wished to speak fur
ther. After pause Spotted Tail spoke,
urging that the lands now occupied by his
people be secured to them, and Swift Bear,
Red Bear, Touch-the-Cloud, and White Tail
applauded his words, and Red Cloud said:
lhe foot of the hills is good place to put
my agency, and did not come here to beg
anything. The Black Hills were mine, and
gave them to the Commissioner. Isuppose
You are going to decide what you are going
to give us for the Hills, and l have come to
get it." Other Indians having spoken, Gen.
Crook advocated their claims, and the
President was presented with pipe of
peace.


The President, in reply, said: "Your sup
ylies have been carried to the Missouri River,
and there they are now, according to our
promise. You say you do not like to go to
the Missouri River, but your supplies can
not be taken to any other place before your
people will need them, and before the cold
days of the winter come, and if you do not go
near the place where your supplies are your
people will be hungry, and | shall not be
able to give them food. desire to do all for
| you can, and therefore want you to be in
| the place this winter where my helping
hand can reach you. But do moi mean that
you and your people shall stay near the Mis-
souri, River always. You shall stay there
only this winter When spring comes
you shall select for your permanent abode
such land on your reservation as you like
best. My agent will aid you in making the
selection"


The President further said he desired
them to have schools to educate their
children, like the white people, and to learn
to till the soil, and to educate themselves
for work, SO that they might take care of
themselves, and not depend for their sup
port upon the Great Father of this Nation.


During the address the Indians smiled
broadly when the President said they ought
to be better educated, so as to know how to
work and gain their own living by raising
cattle, tilling the SOIL etc.
Year: 1877

SOME London papers seem to be de-
lighted to declare that ait is not only
in India that the horrors of famine are
being suffered" and they parade before
their readers the fact that starvation
prevails in district in Brazil In the
absence of any direct news from Rio
Janeiro, it is hard to tell the amount of
truth which there may be in the reports
relative to the Brazilian district of Cara !;
but it is consoling to notice that the
famine there can not have killed, as it
has already done in India, more than
half million of human beings.
Year: 1877

The Pittsburg Post claims to have ex-
amined with great care the actual losses
by the great railroad riot in that city,
and asserts that the final awards will
not vary far from the following:
Year: 1877

THE Secretary of the Interior has
given decision that when homestead
claimants land has become valueless for
farming purposes by reason of overflow
or back water of a river, he will be
allowed to make another entry, with
credit for fees and commissions. In the
event of a new homestead entry, he will
be required to show compliance with the
law, as though he had made no previous
antrv
Year: 1877

THE Sterling Iron Works, in the south
western part of Orange County, New
York, founded by Lord Sterling, about
twenty-five years before the Revolution,
are still in active operation. The first
anchors ever made in America were
forged at these ancient works in 1852.
The great chain which was stretched
across the Hudson River to obstruct the
passage of the British feet, was made at
the Sterling Works in 1777. The chain
weighed one hundred and eighty-six
tons, and it took six weeks to make it.
1t was transported in links to West
Point in carts drawn by oxen. Each
link weighed one hundred and fifty
pounds.
Year: 1877

Many parents who have sons and
daughters growing up are anxious for
them to get into good sooiety. This IS
an honorable anxiety, if it interpets
good society after some lofty fashion.


Parents. your daughter is in good So
ciety when she is with girls who are
sweet and pure and rue-hearted; who
are not vain and frivolous; who think
of something besides dress, or flirting,
or marriage; between whom and their
parents there is confidence who are
useful as well as ornamental in the
house who cultivate their minds, and
train their hands to skillful workmau-
snip. II society of this sort is not to
be had. then none at all is preferable to
the worthless article. See to it that you
impress this upon your children, and,
above all, that you do not encourage
them to think that good society is a
matter of fine clothes, or wealth, or
boasting to be somebody. As you value
your child's soul, guard her against these
miserable counterfeits +; and impress upon
her that intelligence, and simplicity, and
modesty, and goodness, are the only
legal coin.


The same rule holds for boys as we'll
as for girls. You would have these enter
into good society. Do not imagine that
you have accomplished it when you have
got them in with set of boys whose
parents are wealthier than you, who
dress better than your boy can afford to,
and who pride themselves upon their
social position. Good society for a boy
is the society of boys who are honest and
straightforward, who have no bad habits,
who are earnest and ambitious. They
are not in hurry to be men. They are
not ambitious for the company of shall
low, heartless women, old enough to be
their mothers, and are not envious of
their young friends who fancy there is
something grand in dulling all the edge
of their hearts hope upon such jaded
favorites.


There is nothing sadder than to see
either young men or women priding
themselves upon the society which they
enjoy, when verify it is Dead Sea ap-
pie that will choke them with its dust,
when they need some generous, juicy
fruit to cool their lips and stay the hun
ger of their souls i Christian Register.
Year: 1877

A gentleman, residing in a neat, mod
est cottage in the suburbs, caught a
tramp prowling about his back yard,
evidently trying to steal something.
"Why don't you come to the front door
if you want anything 2" lnoiguently
reared the proprietor. "That's what [
was looking for was the impudent
reply. Didn't you see it on the other
side Of the house o. retorted the gentle
man. "How was l to know that was the
front door ? No silver door-plate, no bell,
no telephone, no statuary, no servant to
take your hat and cane. Tell your boss
there is gentleman out here who IS
waiting for his breakfast" When the
gentleman got back with his shotgun,
the tramp was not there any more
Year: 1877

DoNE.-A man who looked like a
countryman was lately walking in the
street with packet in his hand, sealed
and addressed, with a memorandum
that it contained a thousand dollars
in bank notes. AS the bearer appeared
to be at loss, he was accosted by man
who asked him what he was looking for.
The simple countryman placed the pack
ct in the inquirer's hands, and requested
that he would read the address, as he
was unable to do so, and had forgotten
it. The reply was made as with agree
able surprise, "Why this letter is for
me have been expecting it for long
while" The messenger upon this de-
manded dollar for the carriage of the
packet, which was readily repaid. The
new possessor of the packet fastened to
an obscure corner to examine his prize
but, on breaking the seal, he found
nothing but few sheets of paper, on
which was written the simple word
''Done p
Year: 1877

A Pastor in Macon, Ga, was recently
called upon to make few remarks on
the character of colored class-leader
who had visited brothers hen roost,
fallen unexpectedly, and broken his
neck. The pastor made rather bung-
ling lob of it: "There are circumstances
connected with his death that are per-
picking. If, after he fell and before ne
struck the ground, he repented of his
sins, there can be no question but that
he is now in glory; but there was mighty
little time for him to think about it"
Year: 1877

The burning of the Southern Hotel at
St. Louis, with all its heart-rending hor-
rors, again suggests the question, sis
our civilization failure ?" Here was
building which contained 700 rooms,
and cost nearly million of dollars, liza
bic to take fire at any moment, and yet
so constructed as not to afford any means
of escape for those in occupancy of the
upper floors in case of any accident
which should start confagration in the
lower rooms. The hotel was completed
in 1862. Elevators had recently been
introduced, and to this cause alone is at
tributed the sudden spread of the flames
to all parts of the building and the aw-
full destruction of human life that fol
lowed. The great fire in Boston, which
occurred four years ago last November,
gained its uncomfortable headway thro'
the faulty construction of the elevator
in the building where the fire originated.
which being made of combustible mate
rials, carried the flames in an instant
beyond the control of the most powerful
engines for their subsection. 1t is plain
to see that the governments of our cities
have duty to perform in regard to the
public which they should no longer ig-
more, for there is not city in the coun-
try where similar calamities are not la
bic to occur, unless there is more rigid
supervision of the construction of all
buildings of this kind. Instead of being
cased with wood all elevators should be
made absolutely fire-proof, and every
building of unusual height should be
provided with some sort of apparatus in
every room by which the inmates would
be able, in case that all other means oi
egress should prove unavailing, to lei
themselves down from the windows and
save their lives.-Boston Herald.
Year: 1877

OF as thy thoughts are overproud and gay
With pomps Of Life, and gories of the World,
Or Sorrows knotted serpents round thee curl'd
Fetter thine arms, and eat thy heart away.
Turn back and look upon the solemn Past;
Think thou what all hath been, what all shall be,
Those pale gray hues Of our Mortality
Are joys that faded, woes that could not last
Stand thor on Memory's peak at set OF Day.
And in the dusky air 'twixt Noon and Night
Which is the funeral torch, and which the light
That goes before the bride. canst thou say?
As moon-lit gardens with their alleys gray
Invite more lovers than the glorious Morn;
As the bright Champaign with its waved corn
Into soft seas of azure dies away.


As Mountains with their pinnacles Of ice.
As barren crags lit with fame Of Even
Look beautiful and stars come forth in Heaven
When Day no longer dazzles in the skies.
As unsee1 violets yield their rarest balm,
As trumpet notes wax sweet upon the wind,
As lovely colOrs float before the blind


As torrent waters from afar look calm.
So Joy grows tender. Sorrows self is mild,
Forgotten voices sweet as music seem,
And stormy troubles quiet as a dream,


And Good and III old foes, seem reconciled.
Year: 1877

BY EARL MARBLE.
Along the bright horizon-line,


Dividing earth from orient skies
We look more northward for the sign
or light each morn as darkness des
Yon wood toward which the sun slow creeps.
VIII soon resound with chirping song
Throughout its still and solemn deeps,-
The days are growing long.
A week ago, the sunrise blaze


Len far TO shadowy north yon spire
This Sunday morn, the first bright rays
Its belfry lights with gleam of fire,
That. shining through its window, seems
An eye prophetic of the throng
or joys with which the vision teens
When days are growing long.
Lies day lie growing long We scan
With curious. hopeful. awe-struck gaze.
LIES dim horizon-lIne, that man
Must pass ere treading heavenly WAYS.
Our sun each day the zenith nears,
We sit in memorys realm OF song;
Like diamonds soon will geam earth's tears
Life's day is growing long.
Year: 1877

A CASH TRANsAcTIoN.--As Detroit
man hired a boy to walk home beside
him and carry bundle, having first
agreed to pay the lad fifteen cents.
Reaching the house, the man found he
had no smaller change than quarter,
and he said


"lf you will call at my Office at two
o'clock I'll have the change"


"But it was to be cash down." pro-
tested the boy.


80 it was; but | havn't the change,
you see. You'll have to call at my
Office"


"I'll CALL" growled the boy, as he
turned away; ''but | know just how 1t
will work When knock on the door
a cross-eYed clerk will yank it open, ask
me what l want, and when | tell him
he will yell out: That man went into
bankruptcy last September, and now you
gitp That's the way they always play
it on me, sir, and l druther lose the fif-
teen cents than to call the clerk dodo
and have to dodge coal-scuttles all the
way down stairs


The gentleman walked with him to the
nearest grocery and made change.



Ex-Governor Fenton of New York,
who has made tour of observation thro'
the South, may fairly be supposed to
have some correct understanding of the
Southern question, and what he says is
Therefore worth listening to. What most
of our politicians who have not been
south think about it is not of the slight
est consequence. Speaking of the whites
of the South, Gov. Fenton says that they
have found at last that .'their peace and
prosperity are intimately connected with
the people of the North, and that their
interests must be. in the nature of things,
common interests" This is an impor-
tant advance. and is only second to an
other which Gov. Fenton notes. He says
the evidence of feeling against the COL
ored race is now restricted almost Who'll
ly to what is generally known as the
poor whites, between whom there has al
ways been more or less conflict" This
leaves no reason to doubt that as educa-
tion and good government advance, this
violence of feeling will die out.
Year: 1877

The selection of Spotted Tail for his
present somewhat delicate mission was
an excellent one. He is Sioux chief
of great influence among his people, and
also possesses the confidence of. the
whites, being one of the very few In
dian chiefs who are trusted by both
races. His band consists of perhaps
seven thousand Indians. He was ap-
pointed chief by the white mans au-
thority at the same time that Red
Cloud received like dignity, but he
has far more influence than the latter
and is much better and more trust
worthy man. He in fact is generally
regarded the most intelligent and the
best man in the Sioux tribe. He is ex-
tremely desirous that his people should
be civilized. With this in view he con-
stantly solicits the agents and commits
sioners who visit the country to send
saw-mills, plows, horses, ETC., to his
band, and missionaries and preachers
that schools may be established. He ap-
pears to realize in remarkable degree
that the existence of his race depends
upon a radical change being effected in
their habits and mode of life. 1t is said
that Spotted Tail has declared he will
take the field with all his band and join
Crook against the hostile Sioux if Crazy
Horse refuses to come in at his solicita-
tiOn
Year: 1877

A pretty picture is healthy looking
and well cared for baby. By the use of
DR.. RulPs Baby Syrup you can keep the
health Of yonr baby in splendid condi-
ton twenty-five cents bottle
Year: 1877

The following graphic passage is from
the description OF scene witnessed by
a Mr. Campbell and his party, in the
north of Norway, from cliff one thou
sand feet above the sea: The scene
stretched away in silent Yastness at our
feet; the sound of it5 waves scarcely
reached our airy lookout; away in the
north the huge cid sun hung low along
the horizon, like the slow beat of the
pendulum in the tall clock OF our grand
fathers parlor corner. We all stood 81
lent, locking at our watches. When
both hands came together at twelve,
midnight, the full round orb hung
triumphantly before the waves; bridge
of gold running due north spanned the
water between us and him. There he
shone in silent majesty which knew no
setting. We involuntarily took off our
hats. No word was said. Combine, if
you can, the most brilliant sunrise and
sunset you ever saw, and its beauties will
pale before the gorgeous coloring which
now lit up The ocean, heaven, and noun.
tain. In hal an hour the sun had swung
up perceptibly on its beat. The colors
changed to those OF morning; fresh
breeze rippled over the food. One song
ster after another piped up in the
grove behind us. We had slid into an.
other day.
Year: 1877

The Boss has tan bath every day at
four O'Clock, administered at the order
of his physician, DIR. Shurmer. These
baths consists of putting a quantity of
German tan bark or extract of bark into
a shallow tub of very hot water, which is
made hotter from time to time, until the
patient sweats himself almost dry. To
give more material for perspiration, the
victim drinks nearly quart of tan water,
which tastes like one of Adams old shoes
that he tramped out of the Garden of
Eden with, soaked six thousand years in
rainwater. The bath consumes from one
hour to one hour and half, and is a
cogent sweat, exceeding any Turkish or
Russian steaming. At the end bucket
of goldfish water is ladled over the weak
subjects head, and he is left to dry
slowly,
Year: 1877

Chatting idly with the druggist, my |
attention was attracted to girl who |
hesitated moment at the door, and
then came in with rush, as if desirous
of entering before she could change her
mind. Going to the dark end of the
shop, she beckoned the druggist to move
toward her, and then carried on with him
an animated conversation in whispers.
What she asked he evidently at first re-
fused to give; then, though she tried to
conceal he, face, it could be seen that she
was pleading with him explaining,
promising; then, with apparent reluc-
tance and many injuncticns, he made up
and gave her little package of powder,
which, after paying for, she thrust into
her bosom. Then she hurried out, still
averting her face, which was curiously
red and pale by turns. "That girl
wanted arsenic" said the druggist, in
explanation of the singular scene,
(Which of course l did net give her.
She wants it to poison rats with, she
says. Couldn't understand why she
should be refused it without doctors
order, and wouldn't give her name and
address. Finally, on her promising to
bevery careful in using it, and not let it
fall in the way of any human beings, l
gave her what she believes to be arsenic.
When she takes it she will become dread
fully sick; she will Immediately repeLt
and want to live, and she will live and
not try suicide again. l see twoor three
women of that sort every week. If l
didn't give them something they would
go on and find some of the idiots abound
ing in our business who would be more
credulous or less conscientious. All she
needs is the lesson that severe fright
will give her. Woman shrinks from
physical pain, and if she takes poison it
is usually in a moment of passion or de-
spair, and in the majority of instances


no sooner has she swallowed it than the


love of life reasserts ITSELF"
Year: 1877

A simple sentence is this, to be sure,
and yet it may be considered as one of
the most insidious enemies with which
people have to deal. 1t is very pleasant
to buy all the little commodities offered
for sale in the market, and it is some
times hard to deny ones self of the same
when they can be obtained by saying,
"charge it." But this habit of getting
articles, however small the charge may
be, without paying for them, leaves
ones funds in a low state most of the
time.


"Ihave no money to-day, but should
like the article very much," says a
young man who happened to go into a
store and sees something which strikes
his fancy.


"Never mind" says the gentlemanly
clerk, "you are good for it.'


And SO it is that little accounts are
opened at one place and another, till the
young man is surprised at his liabilities
which, though small in detail, are suffi
GENTLY large in the aggregate to reduce
his cash materially when settling-day
comes.


In many instances, if the cash were re
quired, the purchase would not be made
even had the person the money by him
but to some, getting an article charged
does not seem like parting with al
equivalent.


Still, when pay day comes, as alway
it does, this illusion vanishes, and feel
ing is experienced of parting witk none.
and receiving nothing in return.


If there is an actual necessity O
making purchase, and the means ar
not at hand, there is a reasonable excus
for obtaining the same on credit; bu
when the article can be dispensed wit
until payment can be made, it is mucl
to the advantage of the purchaser t
| do sO