smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

the officers responsible to the people. for an
efficient administration of the service. with
respect to the school teachers at all events
the public will regard with suspicion every
change which tends TO remove them from the au-
tbority of n pon-partisan Board OF Education and
remit them to the politicians. We remember
TOO well what the schools were when Tam
many used them for patronage ana pun
der aud rewarded the strikers ana corner
orators by fat appointments in the schoolroon ior
themselves and heir friends. There s certain
class of politicians who have long been schemhg ior
n return to the old era Of abuse; and when
they have provided that the salary OF every
teacher shall be fixed by political body
which has no special responsibility for the schools
they have made long step toward their object. Let
the Board of Education divide its own allowances
among the teachers according to its knowledge OF
what the schools require. That is the commOn-sense
principle.


Every few days we read sensational dispatch
from Rome in some of the London papers to the
effect that the authorities of the Vatican are con-
cealing the facts of tho Popes alarming Illness His
Holiness aids the deception by getting out OF oed 10
give audiences and marching sturdily up and down
the long room while all the strength OF his remark
able will is required to refrain from howls OF an
gnish. But as soon as he returns to his chamber,
Plus succrrbs and spends several hours IN fright-
full paroxysms, which the prelates and cardinals
keep strictly secret. The enterprsing English re-
porter by whom these scenes of agony are dlvuiged
is supposed to have been hidden all the while under
the pontcal bed.


The typical Democratic editor at the North gets
ma,der and madder every day. He threatens now
TO burst up all the Presidential plans and combna-
TONS abolish tho army smash the suppcsititous new
party, and cut Mr.. Evarts, unless the enforcement
laws are Immediately repealed,-his anger being IN
tensely aggravated by the fact that the South re-
fuses to get mad at all. To borrow the language Oh
the Younger Evergreen, "This gentleman seems to
have been bitten by Spltz cat"


We trust that President Hayes will stand hrm In
his determination to make no appointments IN the
civil service except on the ground of fitness and
merit We hope so for his sake as well as for the
good of the country; if he begins now to buy the
support of politicians with patronage he invites his
ruin When man has been compelled to vacate
foreign appointment disgrace. it il not civil SER
vice reform 10 give him another place at home.
Year: 1877

Secretary Sherman has undoubtedly done
wise thing in directing that In future the
sessions of the CustOm-hOuse Commission Ior
the examination of witnesses shall be held IN
public. There may ne some question as 10
whether more information could be eilcited
by an open investigation which would stlnu-
late public discussion and reveal many things
which might otherwise remain hidden, than by
a secret investigation which would give no
warming to delinouents whose doings were the
subject of inquiry but there can be none as
to the sOunGness of the general policy wnhch
would make all Investigations public. Secre'
investigations are not healthy things. They
breed bad precedents that return i'll time to
plague us. The doors are best open.


While the figures given elsewhere from Super
intendent Ellis's forthcoming report OIL the
savings banks of the State are evidently I'M
perfect, owing probably to defective book
keeping on the part of the banks, such infer
ences as can safely be made from them arc
not Of an encouraging nature. The number OF
accounts opened during the year is 1IOOO
short of the number opened during the year
before. and while the number of accounts closed
makes a favorable showing in comparison with
that of the year before, the excess OF the total
Withdrawals over the total deposits, exclusive OF
credits of interest. is too large to be reassnrlng.
When it is remembered, however, what series OF
bank crashes in quick succession has marked
the past two years, popular confidence III the
savings banks has stood the shock better than
perhaps there WIS any reason to expect. buc
whatever loss there has been is likely to be
made up when the depositor class realize that
the number of weak banks has been greatly
reduced by this Involuntary weeding-out pro-
cess. and that the banks which remain are by
so much the stronger.
Year: 1877

Mr.. Hayes is evidently badly frightened
about the coming Congressional attack Oh his
policy. He settles himself comfortably in his
chair and says he would really like very much
to hear the subject discussed. This is the
calmness of desperation.
Year: 1877

A fire in Montreal has resulted in n cruel
waste of life, simply because the authorities
neeected their plain duty, which was to con-
denim building unfit for use by reason of It's
f1imsy construction. The person who should
have performed this duty condemned The
building most emphaticaly the mischief
had been done. The incident may have its
lesson for other cities
Year: 1877

Seeing there is no possible way of
keeping Tilden and Hendricks out of the
Presidency and Vice Presidency to which
they are undoubtedly elected, Grant and
his followers are urging the proposition
Of Withholding the counting of the votes
by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives until after the Fourth of March and
then to so into new election in Novem-
Der. This will not do. The Demo-
Gratis carried the election under the
promise Of Retrenchment aid Reform,
and the people are impatient to escape
from under the heel of the thieves who
have been robbing the Government for
the past ten or twelve years.
Year: 1877

A telegram to the New York Herald
says the Republicans in Louisiana are
daily enrolling militia, and General Long
street will be placed in command. An
executive order has been issued forbid.
ding the State Treasury to pay any more
money out of the interest, school and
general funds, all present funds being
held subject to order for defensive pur-
poses There will be no forcible opposi-
ton to the Inauguration of Nichols, but
the State officers will be defended from
ny attempt to taLS possession of them.
Year: 1877

At the June meeting of the Board OF
Education that body as is their custom,
ordered canvass of the city in order to
get the enumeration of the youth of the
several sub school districts. In obedience
10 the order Messrs. }. G. HERvEY
and j. M TODD undertook
the task and after = months
canvass finished the work. Their OUT
side work WAS completed last Saturday,
bu. the enumeration IS not yet tabulsted
in such a form ss to show the number Of
youths to escn district, yet It is in such
shape that we can present to our read
ers this morning. the population OF this
city.


Their labor shows the following result:
Year: 1877

ERIE, Pa, August IA freight con
ductor on the Philadelphia and Erie road
way discharged yesterday iOr refusing 10
add another car to his train, which the
conductor claimed was already t. heavy.
In consequence of his discharge several
others declined taking out trains. This
morning complaint was made against
four OF them Tor attempting TO lnclte
y strike and they were promptly
arrested by the police and committed
to Jail in default OF the $1,000 bail
required of each. An unsuccessful al
Tempt was made to bring them before
.Jukge GalbraIth this afternoon on writ
of hajeaS corpus. They will have hear
ing Tomorrow About twenty employees
are out on n strike whose places have
been filled by new men. Al. trains have
been run regularly The strikers assert
that the alleged Cause OF the freight con-
ductors discharge is not the real one, but
that he WAS discharged because Of his
prominence in the late strike.
Year: 1877

CREATING THE PUNCH" is what they
call II in New York, when conductor
takes his little punch pick" new m
vention Just discovered on the ID Avenue
line, and spplies it to the punch in Sucn
, way that he regulates the dihereEce
between the salary the company pays
him since tho last reduction, and what 1t
ought to pay him in order to keep his
family. Thus it will always be. They
brand man y thief. pull down his
wages below what t costs him 10 hve'
snd then expect him TO De honest.
Year: 1877

The principal feature Of interest In the money mar
Kct has been tho first appearance OF any strngency
The causes wero the application OF some New York
banks for new national currency and the continued
shipments to the South. Money on call lent at 8 a 7
per cent with exceptional rates, as high as 1872 and
low as per cent The majority Of the business
was, however, done at per cent. Prime commercial
paper is quoted at per cent, but the usual rate s
nearer per cent. The foreign exchanges have becn
quiet, and thero has been no change Of Importance
the demand being only moderate. The following wero
the latest quotations.


Szty Days Three Days
Year: 1877

Gold opened strong and advanced the belief that
Congress would bo likely to pass some bill favoring
tho demonstration OF silver Later In the week, how.
ever tho foar Of any united action by Congress be-


came less, and gold fell on IN spite OF tho report OF
the committee that has favored tho payment Of tho
bonds in silver. The following shows the fluctuations
Year: 1877

Those who have only seen the
king of beasts immured in cage,
says an English sportsman, after
years of harassing and emaeiating
crptivity, and half paralyzed by con-
finement and want of exercise, can
form no conception of his majestic
appearance as he bounds along in
his own native wilds conscious of his
own strength and prowess. There
he is indeed monarch, for, dreaded
by all, he has nothing to fear from
any living creature, save when by
chance some solitary hunter, aided
by his death dealing arms, wages
unequal war against him. have
lived in his domains for months for
and months together, and have en-
countered him at all times and un-
der all circumstances; and the more |
have studied his character and his
habits, when in state of nature, the
more am | convinced of his right to
royal precedence among beasts. His
strength is unsurpassed by any ami
NAL in creation, not even excepting
the tiger, and l have know him to
break the spine of an OK with a sin
gle blow of his tremendous fore-paw,
have seen him stop horse in its
full career, and throw him back on
his launches; | have witnessed the
skull of a living man crushed to
pieces as if it were an egg shell, by a
lion already in its deaththroes: and
at night l have heard marauder
cap over the wall of cattlekraal,
seven feet high, taking with him a
bullock, which he carried off as east
! ly as a cat would a mouse. Add
to this terrible strength, the fearful
grippe ofhis fesh-rending fangs; and
his peculiar faculty of being able tC
see in the dark; the noiselessness with
which he is enabled TO approach, and
the distance from which he car
spring upon his prey; and it must be
confessed that in the darker hours Of
night hunter, however experienced
and well-armed he may be, stand:


but poor chance against such for.


midable antagonist In the dayligh
the chances of the contest are all il
favor of the man the lions superior
powers of attack vanish his facul-
ties become dead ened; his self-pos
session at times leaves him, and hi
gigantic strength is of no avail a
= against the deadlygrooved bore of tn,


hunter.
Year: 1877

TENNEssRE's UNHAPPY CREDI-
ToRs.-Tennessee is driving a hard
bargain with her unfortunate credi-
tors. The compromise, as originally
proposed, on so per cent, of the prin-
clpal with reduced interest at i per
cent, was an extremely liberal offer.
\ State more punctilious and sensi-
tive than Tennessee would not have
haggled with terms so liberal. But
majority of the Legislature were
determined to reject this proposition
and have forced the creditors to come
down to 30 per cent, and it is bv no
means certain that they will confirm
even this scaling of the debt. And
if they do, We cannot tell how soon
the State will want to repudlate OF
''readjust" again. a leading mem
Der Of the Legislature, in declaring
himself ready to vote for the reduced
figure, said that if the State did not
find it convenient to pay the new


bands the holders would doubles.


accept fresh compromise.
Year: 1877

A very ingenious swindle was lately perpetrated on prominent Boston dry goods house by finely dressed lady who appeared in the shawl department, and after a careful examination, selected camel's hair shawl costing about $1OO, for which she rendered in payment a $S1 ,000 bill, which was carefully scru- tinized by the cashier, who, doubling his own power of discrimination, dis patched messenger to the bank to as- certain the genrlineness of the bill. In a short time the messenger returned and announced in an audible tone that the cashier of the bank said that the bill was good. The lady upon hearing this waxed exceedingly wroth, and demanded to know "whether he thought that she would attempt to pass counterfeit bill were of no avail she refused to purchase the shawl, demanded her money, and de- parted from the store the very embodi- ment of righteous indignation. A couple of hours afterward she returned consid- erably modified, and confessed that she was pleased with the shawl, and that her inability to find one which she liked as well was the only reason why she re- turned, and she concluded to take it. The obliging salesman delightedly wrapped up the shawl, while the courteous cash fer, disdaining to entertain a suspicion against such a lady, proceeded to count out the $900 change, with which and her shawl the lady departed The feelings of that storekeeper can be better imag- ined than described when he awoke to Q realizing sense of the fact that his lady customer had, after all his precaution, succeeded in passing upon him coun- terfeit $1, ,0OO bill.
Year: 1877

A grand and singularly beautiful mete- oric display was witnessed from Jackson vile, III. The meteor first came in view away to the west, and about thirty de- grees above the horizon it passed seem- ingly but short distance north of the city, and was finally lost to sight away to the eastward. When first seen it seemed a blazing, burning ball nearly as large as the full moon, and appeared to be moving directly toward this city. As it swept along with it's fiery tail, some twenty de- grees in length, and some ten to twenty blazing fragments following it, it pre- sented sight of surpassing magniticence and beauty. When this great ball of fire reached point considerably east of north it burst into ten or twenty frag- ments not unlike in appearance tho bursting of rocket, and these fragments seemed to finally disappear in bank of clouds which hung near the eastern horizon. The meteor was of such sur7. passing brilliancy that the whole earth and heavens were lighted up so brightly that persons could be distinguished at distance in the streets almost as plainly as in the daylight. The light was such that it gave subdued green coloring to the earth, trees, buildings, and every ob- ject. From the time the meteor was first seen in the west till lost sight of in the east full twenty seconds must have elapsed. A singular feature of the phen- omenon was that, instead of passing in its flight earthward, its path from west to east seemed in an exact horizontal di- rection. Nothing of the kind of such grandeur, brilliancy and beauty was ever before witnessed here. Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana were favored with sight of the same meteor.
Year: 1877

A few years ago, gentleman living ill the suburbs of New York, anxious to have large pear trees that would bear soon, contracted with a tree agent for some Bartletts, the price of which was fixed at ten dollars apiece. The trees came i'll due time and were set out. In two years from the time of planting, they bore small round russet pear, that hung on the trees until late in October. About this time the very same agent made his appearance, and being remind ed of the contract to furnish Bartletts, he asked to be allowed to examine the trees and fruit, the latter still hanging on the trees. He examined both care fully, and, turning suddenly toward his victim, said, with 9 stern expression "Well, when I sold you those trees, I supposed you were a well read, lntelli- gent man; but now I am of different opinion" This very singular remark brought forth the query "Why ?" from the owner. "Why p was the response from the agent, "to think of man of culture at this day and age, who does not know the fact, that Bartlett tree never bears Bartlett pears the first year." Tho gentleman admitted his ignorance, and the pcddler left, master of the situation. Some weeks after, the victim made inquiry of a neighbor to know if he was aware of this strange phenomenon in horticulture. Since then, this tree agent has not made his appearance in that section of the coun- try,
Year: 1877

The New York Herold says There is no getting over the fact that there does seem to be singular fatality attending places of amusement that have been built on sites previously occupied by churches or chapels. It gives long list of such theaters, ending with the Brooklyn, and shows that if the buildings were not destroyed by fire they brought financial ruin upon all who had any interest in them. It also relates this theatrical incident, told by one who knew about it. Then, again, there is the Old Bowery Theater that has been burned three or four times. I don't know that there was ever a church there ; but something a great deal worse was there many years ago. Worse than the theater, mean. It was the home and headquarters of a very wicked old fortune teller.

 He used to make boast of having sold himself, body and soul, to the devil. Everybody beleived him, for he was very wicked. He always had plenty of money, and lived on this spot for a long time All of sudden he disappeared, and no one ever knew how or where. His body was never found or heard of. It was generally believed that the devil came for him and he had to go. It was also be- ieved that he left curse upon this spot, and many attributed to that the frequent burning of the theater. Only the other day heard an old woman, as she passed up Third avenue, say: "The Bowery theater can never prosper ; it will bum, and burn forever"
Year: 1877

The Pull MdU Gd5ctte says editorially If peace or war depends upon the ac- ceptance of proposal to garrison the European provinces of Turkey with Belgian or any other foreign soldiers, at the orders of foreign State, there will be no peace. Our conviction is that the sultan will refuse even to discuss the scheme. There are abundant reasons for believing that the Porte means to make stand at any proposal of occupa- tion whatever, under any disguise what ever "Come and take what you ask for will be the Turks reply to the Rus sian. We ourselves, it is to be hoped, would not hesitate moment in such Q situation. Why should we suppose that a determination which would seem natural to us is out of the question with warlike and fanatical race like the MussulmansP The whole idea is de- fusion, as time, we fear, will but too shortly show, We have no doubt that even if England formally withdrew all support from Turkey, yet if foreign occupation is put forward as an ultimatum the Turks will fight.
Year: 1877

A correspondent says: had an inter- esting conversation with Gen. Crook re- garding his plans He said: This is tentative campaign on my part. One can't fight Indians until he finds them to fight, and when an Indian doesn't want to be found it is usually matter of some difficulty to find him. think am war ranted in making that assertion both from my own and others experience. It becomes doubly difficult matter in country like this. This is a big country. It is just as hard to conquer a few In dians as it is @ great many, all things being equal, and do not anticipate ob- tanning any great success for the balance of this campaign, measured by tangible results. But I do expect to so annoy and worry the hostiles as to make it evi- dent to them that they are having the hot end of the poker and it does not pay to remain inimical to us. It may be brought home to them this winter, and it may take another campaign to do it, but it will be so eventually. do not expect to surprise them, as the recent destruction of the Cheyenne village has put them on the alert, and I believe they know more of our movements than we do of theirs. But intend to place my command in the heart of their country, and it's mere pres ence will result in the breaking up of their winter homes, and thus generate feeling of uneasiness and discontent. Of course, if I see q chance to strike them, I will avail myself of it. The country I am going to is the winter quarters of the hostiles, and has hitherto been exempt from attack during that season. When they see that it makes no difference to us, and that we will be after them in all sea- sons, they will begin to appreciate their status. The campaign will be necessarily short Our animals cannot get along without forage, and the supply is limited, with no means of replacing it. We are too far from railroad. Without animals it is impossible to campaign in this country, as the Indians have ten ponies to our one, and can go where they please, and we cannot catch them. But, for the time being, we can keep them going, and that will not please them. cannot make the march I did last summer, for the horses would give out. There is no grass, little water, and less wood. The same holds good as to coming ill to Red Cloud by way of the south of the Black Hills. That IS impossible