smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

tribution to human liberty-in a
casket Of mulberry wood from the
tree that Shakespeare planted. We
were under the impression that this
apocryphal mulberry tree, like
George WashingtOn's body servant.
was comparatively extinct; vet we
suppose that very small casket
would hold all the freedom that
Grant cared to have, and he would
have been content to take the rest
in money. Perhaps it may have
occurred to the naughty Briton
that, inasmuch as Grant only speaks
Illinois, as contradistinguished from
English, and very little of that, his
claim to the common heritage !"
was one to question; they therefore
wished to give him an oppor-
tunity to sit in Shakspeare's
chair, in the hope that he might be
able to take in by capillary absorp-
tion some Of the gift of language
for which "the divine William" was
so distinguished. But the wood of
which Grants head is composed is
so much harder and thicker than
the seat of Shakspeare's chair we
doubt very much the possibility
that any exchange of ligneous cere-
bratiOn could take place by the pro-
cess of endosmosis. Yet now that
Grant has "set on" Shakespeare, we
suppose he will be clasSed by Sena-
tor Simon Cameron as "one of the
dam literary fellers," and will
henceforth be under suspicion as
unfit for practical politics." No
man who has SO far committed him
self to literature as to sit on Shaks-
peare's chair could ever be trusted
again to run a San Domingo Job,
or whisky ring, or Indian agency,
or real estate pool, or any of those
other feats of engineering" for
which Grants administration was
SO distinguished. He becomes, as
his friend Shakespeare might gay,
"sicklied Ger with the pale cast of
thought" And when he comes
back to this country he will find
that he has fallen from the front
rank of reform within the party" "
and lies as pavement to the abject
rear.
Year: 1877

Character.


New York Times.


For several years past there has
resided in Brooklyn man by the
name of Thomas Connors, who has
attracted considerable local atten-
tion by his eccentricities, and who
had come to be familiarly known to
the frequenters of the city hall as
the "Twelye o'clock man." Every
day, as regularly as the sun rose,
summer and winter, Connors was
in the habit Of coming to the city
hall, between nine and ten o'clock
in the morning, and taking up a
position on the sidewalk, on the
Fulton street side cf the building,
he would remain leaning up against
the iron railing until the large
clock in the tower of the city hall
struck the hour of twelve o'clock,
noon, and as the last stroke of the
hammer ceased, without uttering a
word or pausing to look behind
him, the man would walk slowly
away, and soon disappear up Fulton
avenue on his way homeward. He
kept that up for years, always
standing in the same spot and lean
ing against the fence in precisely
the same attitude until his coat
would be worn to rags where it
had come in contact with the iron
railing; then he would appear
with a patch to cover up the hole.
Finally he became sick and
enieebled by constant exposure
to all sorts of weather, and
about a year ago he forsook
his accustomed place on the
sidewalk, and took up a position
inside the building, and up one
fight of stairs, where he stood for
two or three hours each day, lean
ing up against a post which stands
in the corridor just opposite the en-
trance to the Office of the commits
sioner Of public works. There he
was always to be found during the
last half of the forenoon, and from
there he would never move until
the last stroke of the twelve o'clock
bell had been sounded, when he
would walk quietly and sadly down
the stairs, with a look of stolid
disappointmenton his countenance.
He always dressed very shabbily,
and looked very disconsol4te and
woe-begone, as though he had not
a friend in the world. He never
spoke TO any one unless he was
spoken to, and then he would re-
ply only in monosylables, in a crab
bed manner, which soon gave peo-
pie TO understand that he did not
desire to prolong the conversation.
lie often used to excite the sympa-
thy Of those who used to watch bis
daily yigils, and one day a benevo-
lent gentleman, who thought that
perhaps he might be in want of
pecuniary assistance, offered him
some money, but he spurned the
offer with Indignation, and gave the
gentleman frankly to understand
that he was no beggar. Sometimes
he would mntter incoherent sem
tences to himself, as though brood
ing over some disappointment, and
as the hour of moon approached, they
would increase perceptibly until the
clock struck the hour, when, with
a heavy sigh. he would assume his
wonted appearance of calm despair,
and walk silently away.
Year: 1877

An Ola story PIausib,y Revived.
New York WOrld.l


A monument is erecting in Scho-
harie county to record the virtues
and exalted patriotism of David
Williams, one of the three
men who arrested Major Andre in
the year 1880, as he was going to
New York with papers from Gen.
Benedict Arnold to Gen. Clinton,
who was then in command of the
British forces. From that day to
this Williams, Paplding and Van
Vert have had the credit of acting
solely from lofty motives; they
spurned the offers of money which
were made to them by Major Andre
to permit him to escape; they loved
their country more than gold, and
yet there are stories told about
them which place their action in
an entirely different light from
this. 1t may be true that our his
torians have not dealt Justly with
them, and that, like many other
monuments which tell the glories
of dead men, the monument which
stands to their memory at Tarry-
town and the one which is rising
in Schoharip to David Williams do
not adherie strictly to the truth.
The word tramp" has but lately
come into use in America, but old
men who live in Sphoharie county
and know "Daye" Williams by
tradition say that he at least of the
three lannon's patriots was in effect
neither more nor less than a tramp,
and the story runs that his two
companions in arms were as bad as
he. This is very sad to think of,
and if it be true we will not be in
olined to think better of tramps
therefor any more than our ap,
probation Of the moral and intel.
lectual condition of geese is hight
ened by the remembrance that once
by their cackling they saved the
lofty city Of Rome,
Year: 1877

The Turkish Minister Furnishes n


Flattering Sketch OF the Victor


Of PlevnR.


The Turkish minister to the
United States furnishes the follow
ing: "0sman Pasha began his
studies under the care of his broth.
er, the late Hussein Effendi, pro-
fessor of Arabic in the preparatory
school at Constantinople, whittier
Osman Pasha came from Tokat at
his brothers suggestion, and who
shortly after had him admitted to
the same school. When sufficiently
prepared by his relative, Young
Osman entered the military school,
which, after brilliant examination,
he left with the rank of lieuten-
ant. Intelligent and laborious,
he was always foremost in his
class while in the military schools.
His commission as lieutenant
says that he come out first in
the final examinations. Osman's
entrance to the army took place in
1852, and coincided with the begin
ming of the Crimean war. He had
scarcely donned his uniform when.
with some of his associates, he was
appointed on the staff and sent to
Shumla. On the battlefield as well
as at the school desk 0sman Effendi
was remarked by his chiefs for his
GOODNESS and military capacities,
which began to prove SO eminent
that the rank of captain, and soon
after adjutant, was conferred upon
him. The campaign over, Osman
Pasha returned to Constantinoplc
and entered, with his rank of cap
tain, into the Imperial Guard. Be-
fore long he obtained the rank Of
commandant of a battalion of the
Imperial Guard, with which he
was sent to Crete during the
insurrection of that island. From
the first to the last moment he was
present in every movement Of the
campaign against the insurgents.
Peace being restored in Crete he
came back to Constantinople, this
time with the epaulets of colonel,
won after two years of constant
fighting. During his stay at the
capital Osman Pasha was connected
with various military duties, and
intrusted with several missions
which obtained for him a promo
ton to the grade of brigadier gene
raj, and, lastly, an appointment on
the staff of the Fifth army corps as
general of division. In that posi-
ton, as in the previous ones, Os-
man Pasha's activity did not relax,
and his services became daily more
important and valuable. 1t was at
the time when he was chief of staff
Of the Fourth army corps that he
was placed in command of the di-
vision at Widdin. After his gal
liant conduct before Zaitchar and in
reward for his gallant conduct in
the war against Servia an trade from
the Sultan raised him to the rank
of muchir (marshaD. 0sman Pasha
is still young. Well educated and
brave, his victories at Plevna are
the rewards of a life of labor and
devotion for his county and his SOW
ereign. His imperial majesty, who
fully appreciates him, has given him
the most hattering evidence of his
high satisfaction"
Year: 1877

This new story Of an ancient
deed is that as Paulding, Williams
and VanWert were one day sitting
under tree, near Tarrytown, en-
joying a game at cards, they saw a
well dressed gentleman riding along
the road, and were struck with the
happy thought that as the place was
lonely it would be profitable to rob
the solitary horseman. They at
once unhorsed him, took him into
the woods and proceeded to rob
him. In his stockings they found
not the desired money, but impor-
tant papers, which they saw it would
be to their advantage to transmit
to the government. They did not,
as they should have done, take their
prisoner at once to superior Off
Ger as one who had failed to give a
satisfactory account of himself; it
was only when they discovered that
his watch and the money about him
were Of less value than their living
prize would be should they turn
him over to the authorities that
they became patriotic. According
to this account they were therefore
mere freebooters. Their inestim-
able services to the country had their
source, SO far as the authors are
concerned, in sheer rascality. Good
came from their evil it is true, but
the moral quality OF their action is
not such as to entitle them to mon
uments and praise.
Year: 1877

the long slcepless nights passed by
this man in his more than three
years occupancy of a Jail cell. An
attempt was made three weeks ago
to have the Court of Criminal Cor,
rectiOn issue an order for his remo-
val to a hospital, but there was no
legal means of accomplishing the
change.
Year: 1877

HARVEST is about to commence, and on
all sides we hear apprehensions expressed OF
a great scarcity of harvest hands. The Indian
war has taken off large number OF men
who would otherwise have been available
forthework of the harvest, and to thatextent
cripples our farmers, 1t is hoped, however,
that a force viii be found sufficient TO harvest
all the grain.
Year: 1877

THE SNAKE RIVER DISTRICT. - Those
who have visited the north side of the Snake
river and are familiar with the character Of
the soil anI til number Of acres OF land
that can be brought under cultivation, est
mate that n two yeaTsfrom da;e that distric'
viii send more gram to market than the
whole Willamette valley. This development
would have occurred sooner, hut the Indian
war has set back the settlement Of the coun-
try at least one year, and hence 1t viii re-
qGire the time named to show tie fall capaci
ty of the district.
Year: 1877

GRANGER LEGISLATION. convention OF
Grangers has recently been in session at San
Francisco, at which a series Of resolutions
were adopted looking to prospective legisla-
ton. The resolutions contain demand for
revision of the state constitution; sue


gestion for the taxation of national bank
stock resolution upon national finance !;
denunciation of the tax on growing crops F;
aud demand for the regulation of freights and
fares. We notice that the Grangers every
Where favor the restoration OF the silver dol
lar to its old position as legal tender, The
action of the Supreme Court in relation to
the regulation of freights and fares has
strengthened the feeling in that direction,
and it now seems probable that in all the
states and territories they Will pass laws
fixing the maximum for railroad charges
Year: 1877

The Scientific american gives some
OF the circumstances which lead to the
explosion of Kerosene lamps, the philo-
sophy of all Of them being that the
fame may pass down tAe wick and
Ignite the vapor which aeeumulates in
the upper portion of the lamp. This
Vapor IS not an explosive as the term
is ordinarily understood, but when it
is confined so that the gases resulting
from its combustion can not escape
freely into the opeu air, the vessel con-
fning it will be shattered This isni-
ton of the vapor may be brought
about as follows:


l. A lamp may be standing on a
table or mantle, and slight puff Of
air from the open window may cause
an explosion.


2. A lamp may be taken up
quickly from a table or mantle. and
instantly exploded.


3, A lamp is taken out into the
entry where there is draft, or out of
doors, and an explosion ensues.


4. A lighted lamp is taken up a
flight of stairs, or is raised quickly to
place it on the mantle, resulting in an
explosion. In these cases the mischief
is done by the air either
by suddenly checking tas draft, or
forcing air Down the chimney against
the flame


5. Blowing down the: chimney to
extinguish the light is a frequent
cause Of explosion.


6. Lamp explosions have been
caused by using chimney broken off
at the top, or one that has piece
broken out where by the, draft is yari-
able and the fame unsteady


I. Sometimes thong ghtless person
puts small wick into a. large burner.
thus leaving considerable space along
the edges of the wick. An old burner
with It's air draft cloggsd up, which
rightfully should be thrown away, Is
sometimes continued muse, and the
final result is an explosion.


The question how to avoid explo-
sions is now in order, and one good
preeaution to take is to keep the lamp
as nearly full as possible to prevent
much gas collecting, for want of room
Year: 1877

Since the appointment of Mr.. schurz
in the Cabinet all those who knew bis
wife, who died last year in New York,
think Of her loss with renewed regret,
| often think how happy his prefer
ment would have made her had she
lived to witness it. She was a very
happy wife and mother, and was at all
times enthusiastic in her admiration of
her husbands talents. She invariably
spoke of him with the fervor with
which a young girl sounds the praises
Of her lover. Years Of married life
had seemed to strengthen her affection
for her husband without DESTROYING
aught of the halo sf romance with
which she had surrounded him in her
youth, She always went to hear him
speak, and told me once that he said
she was his severest critic, II was
easy to understand that this severity
arose from her overwhelming desire to
see him surpass all others. Just after
he had made one of his most fam
ous speeches in the Senate, she said to
me, "As | sat IN tie gallery listening
to Carl to-day, [ thought of bow his
prophecy, made soon after our arrival
in this country, had been fulfilled.


We were very poor then. He came
to Washington and some one invited
him into the Senate. [ was in Phila-
delphia and be wrote TO me- "As [ sat
on the floor Of the Senate and looked
up at the ladies in the gallery, I felt
sure that one day [ should stand in
that chamber speaking, and you would
sit in tho gallery listening to me-
When 1 read that letter Continued
the wife) | felt sad. I was afraid he
was building his hopes too high and
would be disappointed; said, oh, Carl,
how can you, who now have not money
enough to buy pair of gloves, expect
one day to be a Senator p" Mrs.
Schurz also said to me, on the same
occasion, that it seemed to her since
the birth of their little son, who was
'hen an lR1ant, that she and her hus-
band had nothing lacking to make
them happy. "We had always Ionged
for son," she said. Their first two
children being daughters, and the
youngest of them being over IL years
when the son was born, it had seemed
as if the desires of their loving parents
were not to be gratiied. | never saw
happier family, nor one where intel
lectual culture was SO large an element
IN the enjoyment of home Secretary
Schurz is an accomplished musician,
and his eldest daughter has great talent
for drawing and painting, as we'll as
tor singing. The second girl was very
thoroughly educated in Germany,
where she remained several years.
Washington Cor ~. Y. Graphic.
Year: 1877

BOYS, guess we had better unpaek
and not to go to the Slope Read
what a California paper says:


10 the young man with his hair
parted in the middle who is about to put
his college learning and his sole-leather
trunk on California bound train. we
say-stop! To the clever artisan and
the honest mechanic who thinks he
will fly from hard times in the East to
imaginary well-paid employment in
the Golden City, we also say-stop!
To the adventurous rustic who wishes
to leave hoeing the turnips of a New
York farm to delve for gold To- the
mountains of this land of the pioneers,
we emphatically repeat-stay where
you are! We would we inhabited the
earthly elysium the Alto and such
vague sheets say we do, but wa are
afraid we don't From the bottom of
our hearts We should be glad to think
that there was plenty and prosperity
for every one who seeks to settle
among us-but all the same there
isn't. We. do possess something Of an
approach to the eternal summer, and
the gi igantlc strawberries the East is so
tired of hearing us brag about, but
that is about all Sooth TO say.
double-eagles do not grow upon trees
in Frisco, al! the new eager arrivals
TO the contrary Notwithstanding. In
plain English, the paper that speaks Of
the magnificent opportunities this
State presents to the newcomer lies,
and hes in very gratuitously criminal
way indeed. The unvarnished truth
is that our labor market is stocked to
ovarhowing, and every fresh arriving
train but adds to the miserable multi
tade in our midst that waits, suffers,
starves and finally fights its desperate
way back East again.
Year: 1877

lhuloal6u lhaU weed was to descend
into row, boat, In which he quickly
embarked. and crossed to the jersey
side. There he was met by another
vehicle IN waiting for him on the shore
road, when he was driven off into the
region beyond the river aud Palisades
in a direction and to a termination
where he had never been before, and
could not now ascertain or indicate.
At an old farmhouse Tweed was
received by another of his new-found
friends, and IN this refuge, disguised,
he continued from December 4 until
the first week in March always under
control of two men who had managed
his escape and contracted for his
safety. he did implicitly what they
directed, aud they held him in hand
like trainers. He slept, he rose, be
walked, he rode, ate add drank only as
they instructed him, and it may be
remarked here that this discipline and
relation were maintained until he
closed his engagement with them salts
factorily in Florida On March 5,
Tweed left Jersey City and took up
his temporary abode on Staten Island,
about halt a mile from Fort Wads-
worth, at the Narrows, in fsAerman's
hut, with his two companions. Here
the party staid two weeks, making
preparations. Mr. Tweed not only
lived at this shad mans hut for two
weeks, but even made visit across
the channel and stopped night in
Brooklyn.


During his stay on Staten Island, a
light and fast-sailing little schooner
was fitted out and manned by himself
and two companions, with negro boy.
lie started at last from pier in front
of the tort in a row boat in the night,
and slipped away upon pleasant
breeze.


In due course. and without anything
noticeable, they reached the lagoons on
the coast of Florida. At one of the
lighthouse stations they made definite
stoppage again, Tweed taking board
with the keeper Of the light as John
Secor, an invalid gentleman, seeking
restoration of health and the recrea-
tions of fishing and hunting. Here he
parted with his guides from New
York, closing his contract with them
at that place.


Here Tweed was Joined by person
who is known as Hunt in the reports
of his subsequent arrest. This man
was Florida guide, and with him
Tweed spent long time in the inter-
ior, camping out, hunting and fishing.
Subsequently he returned to St. Au-
gustine, which place he left in fish
ing smack tor Cuba, and he and his
companion, Hunt, landed ten miles
outside the harborof Santiago de Cuba
The remainder OF the story is de-
voted to an account of Tweed's adven-
lures in Cuba, his subsequent sailing
for Spain, the arrest at Vigo and the
return to the United States.


Appended to the story is his letter
of December 6, 1876, to Charles
} bO'Conor, which is now published for
the first time. In it he states that he
surrenders Internationally, and is
ready to make all possible restitution
and reparation, surrendering all the
property now in his possession, and
azreeing a to detail the disposition here
tofore made of his effects.
Year: 1877

TwEEDs 5 MANSION While William
NJ. Tweed occupies his stoue quarters
in Ludlow street Jail, his family dwell
in 81 elegant mansion at Greenwich
The place is superb in its appointing nts
and location The estate lies on the
Sound, on slope Of land. with about
three acres of land closely shaved and
walled in with hands me stone fence.
The entrance is through massive iron
gates. on which are embossed the mono
gram +. The house is castellated, and
the tall tower is conspicuous OH the land
and on the sea The house Is occupied
by Mrs. Tweed, married daughter.
and her husband, and two unmarried
girls The family maintain no special
retirement They live like any weil-to-
do household The girls are very pop
ular in the neighborhoo1. and are
spoken OF as being talented and very
noble young women They generally
attend the Episcopal service although
they are often seen ia the Congregation
al church. The famed Am,ricus club
huus. is now a hotel.
Year: 1877

given II heed. But the. sequel teaches that
heretofore in nine cases out Of ten those
who have gone South ~ men and citizens,
and have insisted upon the rights of pcliti-
cal opinion and action, unless they were In
accord with the Democrats, have come to
grief in some way. II has been the custom
there to induce Radicals, as they are called,
to come South, invest their capital, settle
with their families, and set out on the race
of life under the impression that they are
to have fair chance. When their
interests are well located, their capt.
tai invested, and their families seek social
relations and comforts, then, If their poll
tics are not in accord with the controlling
powers of the locality, their troubles begin.
They arc ostracised socially and otherwise,
and it only becomes question of time how
long endurance and patience can stand the
strain before yielding to tho impending sac
riflce Of property, and they give up and go
away in comparative poverty and deep de-
spair. This is the reason why Northern
people who have capital and position shrink


from Southern venture