smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

A Joint resolution was introduced yester-
day by Mr.. Bayard and referred to the
Finance Committee of the Senate declaring
that from the date of its passage United
States notes shall not be legal tender
except in payment Of debts due to the
government. We think it is not from any
want of courage that Mr.. Bayard prefers a
measure of this restricted character to
the broader proposition Of the President.
Since the assembling of Congress it has
become too evident that large majority
is decidedly opposed to any legislation
looking to the absolute withdrawal Of
the greenbacks from circulation, and it is
therefore wiser to attempt what may be
practicable than to make bootless effort
to accomplish what would be best. Mr..
Bayard is prudent in selecting for his bat
tie ground the position upon which he can
secure the greatest number OF allies, and
he will need oil the allies he can get to
have any chance of carrying the lesser
measure. 81 do not prescribe the best
medicine / know" said wise physician,
"but the best I can get my patient to
take"


We have no doubt that simple repeal of
the legal tender capacity OF the notes
would lead to their ultimate retirement,
though by slower process than payment
and cancellation. About one-fourth of the
legal tender notes are held by the national
banks in the form Of reserves, and as
soon as the legal tender function is
repealed the banks will send these
notes to the Treasury for redemption.
This would dispose of that portion of them
which is held as bank reserves, leaving
about two hundred and fifty millions of the
notes in circulation. The part offered for
redemption by the national banks would
not be paid out again by the Treasury un-
less the revenues of the government should
fall short of its expenditures contingency
not likely to happen. The residue OF two
hundred and fifty millions remaining in
circulation would not disappear SO
rapidly. Portions of them would con-
stantly be paid into the Treasury
Year: 1879

AT THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION in Cambridge
Mass, on Tuesday, Father O'Brien a Catholic
priest, was elected a member of the school
committee by huge majority upon the distinct
ground that he is u supporter of the free public
school system and rigid opponent of the course
of Father Sculy, the priest who has made all
the recent rumpus Oh the subject. An appeal in
behalf of Father O'Bricns election was circu
lated throughout the city, headed by the Rev.
A. =. Peabody, the preacher to Harvard Uni
yersity.
Year: 1879

The ADvIsABILITY of teaching sewing in the
public schools is to be considered by our Board
of Education. If any one of the domestic arts
is to be taught at the public expense the others
must gradually follow, so that the children of
commissioners and trustees may yet learn how
to warm and veDtilate rooms, after which they
can turn around and repay the public by teach
ing their fathers something that those worthy
gentlemen greatly need to understand.
Year: 1879

The fair In aid Of the building fund OF the Church
of st. Agnes will open this evening in the basement
of the church In East Forty third street. The ladies'
OF the congregation have been most assduous in
making preparations for the display and II is conf
Call
Year: 1879

WALL STREET YEsTERDAY.-There was a fur
ther decrease in the volume of business at the
Stock Exchange, but the market was stronger
and closed generally at an advance on the open
ing figures. Money was plentiful on call ut 5
to g per cent Government securities were
firm, States dull and railway bonds rather dull,
but stronger Foreign exchange was advanced.
Year: 1879

OUR BRITISH FRIENDS have had quite good
slaying season through the summer, both in
Afghanistan and Zululand, and now they seem
to have all the necessaries for an early enjoy
ment Of the winter sleighing season.
Year: 1879




of New York adopted the following amend
ment of their constitution


No law shall authorize the construction or opera
ton OF street railroad except upon the condition
that the consent Of the owners of one-haf in value
OF the property bounded on and the consent also Of
the local authorities having the control Of that
tion of street or highway upon which it is pro-
posed to construct or operate such railroad, be rst
obtained.


In case of inability to obtain the consent
of the property owners provision was added
forapplication to the Supreme Court for COM
missioners. In defiance Of this constitu-
tional restriction the Board of Aldermen
have lust undertaken to license q crosstown
surface railroad through Chambers and
Duane streets, between East River and North
River ferries, without any preliminary
consent of property owners or application
to the Supreme Court. The majority by
which they have done this consists of three
fourths of the Board, and is more than suf-
ficient to overrule veto. But, supposing
the license to have been vetoed by the
will it amount in the eye of the law to any,
thing more than the consent of the local
authorities" which, without the consent
of property owners also or the approval Of
commissioners judicially appointed must
be wholly unavailing? 1t may create some
confusion and litigation, but the constitu-
tion in the end will be found to protect
the people against the jobbery of their un-
faithful servants.


Perhaps this audacious license is q
blessing in disguise if it sets the
people to Watching very closely the pro-
ceedings of these unscrupulous Alder
men throughout the remainder of this
month, with the expiration of which their
terms will close, and in illustration of
the need of such watching particular notice
should be taken of some other features of
the job besides its plain defiance of the
constitution. In the frst place. il author
izes the corporators to exact fare for the
short transit across the lower part OF the
city equal to that which is charged by the
railroads for the entire route from the Post
Office or Fulton ferry to Harlem. An
amendment to reduce this fare to three
cents was defeated by the same vote of Is
to s by which the resolutions were after
ward passed. In the second place, it
reserves to the city in compensation for this
enormous franchise only three per cent of
the receipts of the road-an amount so
inadequate that it would be ludicrous were
it not sad, swindling and disgusting.
In Mayor Coopers first message to this
very Board OF Aldermen last January he
advised them that 'sthe revenues of the city
should be more efficiently collected, and
no lease, privilege or franchise should be
granted without an adequate return to the
city treasury" We trust that he will en-
force this advice with emphasis in the veto
which we assume will be forthcoming.


Chambers street railroad jobbery is not
Year: 1879

It was nominally breakfast at which
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes was entertained
in Boston yesterday, and from pas
sage in the pleasant address of the
presiding officer we infer that it was
very temperate breakfast, inasmuch
as the guest was invited to drink
the health Of the Atlantic Monthly magazine
in cup of tea. But Dr. Holmes, although
he has dated some of his best known COM
positions from the morning meal, is pre-
eminently poet of the dinner table. No
American poet has crowned the wine cup
with sweeter roses, and if tea in
deed was the only beverage which was
served on the occasion from morn till
dewy eve, we can conceive of bill of fare
which we slyly believe might have been
more grateful.


This peculiar request to the Doctor to
drink the Atlantic Monthly's health, instead
of inviting the assembly to drink the
Doctors, provokes another comment. The
atlantic Monthly is an excellent magazine.
DR.. Holmes gave it its name, and has been
constant contributor to its pages, and the
celebration of his SEVENTEEN birthday was
conducted by its enterprising publishers.
But really, in addition to these legitimate
claims of the periodical upon public atten-
ton in connection with DR.. Holmes, there
was flavor in the otherwise interesting pro-
ceedings Of the festival that strikes folks
in this cosmopolitan neighborhood as in
questionable taste. Reading some of the
passages which we report in special de-
spatch we are little bewildered whether
it was the Doctor or the vehicle through
which he communicated with the public
that was most glorifed. If DIR. Holmes
lives ten years longer (and everybody
heartily wishes him at least the term of his
deacons ''one-horse shay" which was q
century, he must come on to New York for
the celebration of his eightieth birthday,
and then we will show Boston village how
the SEVENTEEN should have been managed.
Year: 1879

The CELEDRATIoN OF LENr.-It is
curious to note the gradual modi-
fications effected in the celebration
of these two universal festival
Lent and Easter-the season of
sorrow and the birthday of glad>
moss and immortal hcpe. The as
signment of definite term of forty
days to the spring or Lenten aea.
son took place long subsequent to
the rise of Christianity. The early
Church did not attach much inn
portance to the practice of fasting,
and in the times Of Turtulliun and
lrenBus the fast before Easter was
of forty hours, not forty days. It
was extended to thirty six days by
the Council of Nicea, and to forty
days not earlier than Gregory the
Great, in the eighth century. The
Greek Church still has another fast
of equal duration-namely, the forty
days before Christmas. 1t is thus
evident that while Lent depends
chronologically upon Easter its
modern significance as a season of
fasting has no connection with the
Saxon and Teutonic Lenten Tide,
and only an arbitrary connection
with the great festival of the resur
rection. The two commemorations
belong to different cycles of re-
ligious sentiment and practice, yet
thore is an appropriateness in their
conjunction which will secure it's
perpetuity.-N Y. Herald.


HoRAT1o SEYMOUR ON PoLIT1orANs.
II always liked politics, and, what
is more, I like politicians. They are
q much-abused class. It is the
| fashion to sneer at them, but
think they o @ better men az a rule
than merchants and bankers and
other representatives of what is CALI
cd responsibility. They make more
sacrifices and do more unselfsh work
for others than business men ever
think of doing. They cultivate q
certain chivalric sense of honor.
Even some wlo are naturally cor>
rupt will refuse the most tempting
bribes when the integrity of their
party is involved. I have seen
enough Of political life to satisfy me
that it's influence is elevating and
not Go grading. I would much ratb~
or be tried by q jury of my political
opponents who were acknowledged
politicians, than by a jury of respoc~
table business men who said that
they took no particular interest III
politics, but ususally voted the Re-
publican ticket. From them
should expect gross injustice and
prejudice ten times rs intense az my
avowed political opponents would
display. The man who serves a
cause, if it is not a positively bad
cause, is tn1obled by the service. He
learns to look at men, us well as
doctrines, from higher standpoint
than mere personal selfshness,
Year: 1879

CLAIMS OF THE INVENTOR IN APPLYING FOR 4


FRENCH PATENT.


After an elaborate technical specification Of his in-
venton and of all its details Mr. Edison up his
claims in making application for French patent to
protect his electric light inventions in France. 40
follows:-


claim my invention-frst, the combination
with electric light of thermal circuit regu-
lator to lessen the electr action in the light when
the maximum intensity has been attained, sub
stantially set forth: secondly, the combination
with the electric light of circuit closing lever.
operated by heat from the electric current from
the light. and shunt short circuit to
divert the current a portion thereof from tho
light. substantially set forth; third. the ccmbina-
with the electric light and resistance of cir
cult closer operated by heat. and serving to place
moro or less resistance in the circuit Of
the electric light, substantially forth;
fourth. the combination with electric light OF
diaphragm operated by the expansion of gas or
hud In proportion to the temperature OF the light
regulate the electric current. substantially set
forth: ffth the combination with vibrating
body similar to a tuning fork of mechanism for
maintaining the vibration. and magnets. cores and
helices. whereby secondary current is set up so
to convert mechanical motion into electric
force, the reverse. substantially as set forth;
sixth. the combination with electric lights. sub
stantially such described of means for regulating
the electric current to the Same i'll proportion to the
heat evolved in the light so as To prevent injury "a
the apparatus substantially as set forth.
Year: 1879

IT makes the average Greenbac ker's
heart sink far down into his breeches
who has been talking volubly about
the augmentation of the volume OF cur
rency, to cure evils incident to re-
strictei currency, to read paragraphs
like this from the latest semi-annual
report of the Mercantile Agency. In
their circular for the first half of 1878,
they say:


These figures of increase in failures
and liabilities are of very grave i'm
port, for never before in an equal Pc
riod in the history of the country have
business misfortunes been so numer-
GUS, or aggregate an amount of loss by
bad debts so great. To-day, in con-
tradlstlnction to this gloomy picture,
it is our great good fortune to say that
never before in our experience in the
compilation of these statistics has the
decrease in mercantile caiualties been
30 marked; in no previous period has
the comparison of losses by bad debts
been SO favorable, as at the present
hour.
Year: 1879

NORTHERN newspapers have been
most generous in urging Southern peo-
pie to clean their towns. But it hap
pens that the reckless New York Her.
aid devotes three columns to descrip.
ton of the supreme filthiness of that
city. 1t makes one shudder and hold
his nose even to read the disgusting
recital. There are streets in New York
that stink more loudly than the un-
severed alleyway back of the hotels on
Congress Avenue in this city and worse
than the pits and sinks on the east side
of market house hill. If cholera or
yellow fever should enter the cou uutry's
great metropolis" there would be no.
body left to tell the tale of woe. The
New York papers have been extremely
liberal in their advice to Southern
cities to ''clean up" They evidently
Reed to whoop up their own people.
Year: 1879

THE San Antonio EzPress thinks the
fraudulent debtor act is needed in this
State, that CREDITORS may at least have
those punished that defraud them.
Were such an act in force there would
be fewer rascslly failures than there are
end honest men would have a fairer
show of success 10 business. Would it
not be wiser to restrict the credit sys-
TEN to the greatest possible extent.
Let Cne msn trust another at his peril
and never look to the law to remedy his
own folly. Then honor and truth
would rise in value and men would
learn the snpIeme value of truthful
ness and he who was known never to
lie would have illimitable credit and
i1oys wOuId be reaIvu HUN ChifdAoOta
impressed with the conviction that
mans fortune consists in his stainless
character. Does not the credit system
and its courts that protect it proffer q
premium to knsvery and cummings No
where in no State does any man pay,
since there is no imprisonment for
debt, who does not choose to pay. 1t
is rare indeed that the law compels
payment, and If the cash system were
absolute and men were only trusted
whose fame gave value to promises the
condition of society would be none the
worse and the people of Texas would
save twice or thrice as much in sums
paid sheriffs, coRstables, couIts and at
torneys, each year, as these courts now
collect and pay oyer to plaintiffs. In
other words civil courts cost more
than they come to and should be abol-
ished save fof purposes of adjusting &C.
counts and disposing of decedents'
estates.
Year: 1879

THE day is not distant when all the
water supplied by the Colorado and
other tivsrs of this portion of Texas
will be used for purposes OF irrigation.
The cost of their diversion over grain
and cotton fields will be triiling, and
then these rich valleys will produce
two and three crops each year, and
farms now held at So will be sold for
$3.50 and 5000 per acre.
Year: 1879

IT does not follow because the
masses of the people have been i'm.
poverished and reduced to poverty by
contraction that now, when the pur-
pose OF contraction is accomplished,
we should reverse the process and again
flood the country with paper money.
Year: 1879

DRoUTH meyer lnterferes with the
wool crop and sheep produce food
and clothing aud q crop of sheep is
therefore to be preferred to one of cot
ton.' When grain and cotton fields are
parched to emptiness by brazen skies
and hot winds, the shepherd is still
blest in his h0cks and rich in his in
dependence.
Year: 1879

THIRTY-FIvE civilians have been
made second lieutenants, three only
from the South. 1t is said that the
President declared he was afraid that
another rebellion might occur and he
feared Southern men in command of
the army. If Hayes said this and be-
lieved it he is simply insane.
Year: 1879

REFoRMED.-At q recent Gospel Tenn
perance meeting in New Haven, Conn,
in connection with the Moody and San
key meetings, Rev. 4. J. Gordon gave
gratifying testimony to the steadfastness
of the twenty-five reformed men, who
united with the Clarendon Street Church
in Boston a year ago. He said that sign
ing the pledge, without seeking Gods
help, seemed to him of little avail
What IS wanted he added, is not
something for us to keep, but some one to
keep US.


In this connection we may add the tes-
timony of reformed man given recently
in the Mission Chapel in Water Street,
New York:


MY Christian friends, do thank God
from the bottom Of my heart that ever
came into this mission. was drunk
when came in here about thirteen months
ago. but / went out at the end Of the
meeting a sober and happy man, and
there wasn't horse car in Brooklyn that
went fast enough to carry me nome. got
out and ran so as to hurry to tell my
poor wife, who supposed | was in some
rum shop, | had found a Saviour tried
for years to save myself, and had friends
who spent hundreds of dollars to save me
from drunkenness. But couldn do It.
And they couldn't do it. Nobody but
Jesus can save a drunkard or any other
sinner; and if there IS any man, such as
| was, in here tonight who wants to get
away from sin Of every kind, just come to
Jesus, and be honest about it, and get
down on your knees and ask him TO save
you; and if YOU want him to, he will do
it. do praise his holy name every day
for saving me-
Year: 1879

A lady who lives on Olive street, says


the St Louis Times, relates the follow


ing A few days ago there fell in front


of her window from tree 'chippy,


or ground bird, such as chatter about the


parks and streets 1t seemed wearicd and
crippled. She picked it up, carried 1t


into the house, fed it from her own mouth.
and at night placed it in the cage with
her canary. The canary at once bestowed
upon the new conner all the attention of
a mother, and nestled beside the little
stranger during the night. In the morn
ing the lady placed the chippy in the
window so that it might have the priv
lege of regaining its freedom. Itplumcd
its tiny wings and went away. The can
airy mourned during the day as if he had
lost his mate. In the evening the chippy
came back and perched upon the win
dow The sash was raised and it few in
and nestled upon the cage; the canary at
once struck up his iveliest notes and
seemed gratifed. This was repeated two
or three days, the chippy going each
morning and returning in the evening.
One day it went away and did not come
back. The canary dropped, and the next
day fell dead from his perch in the sun
shine that played over the gilded cage in
the window. That night the chippy
returned, and during the evening it
mouned over its dead companion. In
the morning it clung to the cage until it
was turned out. For "a few days the emp
ty cage was hung in the window, and on
each succeeding evening the chippy re-
turned and chirped as if it was grief
stricken. One day it brought worm in
its bill, dropped it in the cage, flew away
and came back no more.
Year: 1879

And again the spring seemed to bubble
up softly, He has come! he has come :"


And the old lady, and the young lady,
too, sobbed and laughed, and kissed the
returned warriSs, till the good mother,
with the bit of willow still in her hand,
knelt down in the shade of the memorial
tree, to pour out her thankfulness to Him
who had made her prosperity to grow
with its growth, from the day when she
sprang from her weary pony to plant it.
Year: 1879

In the early days of California it was
the custom of miners who desired to
make remittance" through the express,
to receive from the express company
coined gold in exchange for nuggets
and "dust." This business was done on
Saturday evenings in a little ,hanty, near
which unfortunately, there was almost
always another devoted to gambling,
where many an unlucky miner lost his
all. One Saturday evening dark-vis-
aged, morose man sat in one of the offices
of the express company, looking as if he
had not only lost all his money, but every
friend he eve had The door suddenly
opened, and in walked hardy looking
young miner, wearing pleasant, cheer
ful face and with 4 brisk and business
like manner. Stepping to the plank
which formed the counter, he deposited
his dust took his coin, and was about
to go, when, turning again to the clerk.
he said, Il think you made mistake in
settling with me last week


mo, | didn't, answered the clerk,
sharply; sits all right"


"Well, perhaps it is retorted the
miner, but know that you gave me
forty dollars too much, and" he added,
tossing out a couple of double eagles,
"here's your money


The morose man, who had been an at
tentiye listener, rose slowly, moved
toward the honest young miner, laid his
hand kindly upon his shoulder, and look
ing into his face, said, young man, don t
you feel awful lonesome in this country
Year: 1879

The coolest man is a resident OF
Paris, and he is the hero of the following
anecdote: A gentleman walking with his
boy on the banks of the Seine, the child
slipped over the bank into the water and
would certainly have been drowned, but
for the courage of man who was fish
ing. who jumped in and saved the boy.
The father thanked him cordially, but
asked him if he would add to the obliga-
ton, as he was already wet through, BY
swimming out for his sons cap.
Year: 1879

FAIR WARNING.-Nextw week we shall
transcribe the subscription lists OF ths
WEEKLY TRINITY JOURNAL, and shall
take occasion to drop from said lists the
names of many deinquents who have
failed to respond to our several calls for
settlcment. While we should be pleased
TO continue past relations with those who
have been constant readers of the JOUR
MAI. for several years, circumstances
compel us to adopt different course in
the future, and we shall hereafter mail
the JOURNAL only to those who manifest
a disposition to pay for it. We cannot
aiford to print u paper and give it away
and shall not do it, To those who have
satcly received polite invitations to settle
we will say that the next time they hear
from us it will DO in the way Of an en-
forced collection.
Year: 1879

LOOK OUT For HIM Late San Fran
cisco dispatches say that Dennis Kearney
will soon start out to organize the Work


ingmon in those counties in California
WHO arc not now organized. These are
twevs in number and Trinity is ono of
them, So we may expect the great agi
tator to pay US visit before many days.
Thus far our workingmen have manifest
ID but little love for the Kearney meve-
mont, bat what effect the ChieCtains Wis
II may have remains to be discovered.