smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

One of the most remarkable features
of uncivilized life is the power savages
show of tracking men and beasts over
immense distances. Many travellers
have spoken of this as something al
most miraculous, yet it is only the re-
suit of careful observation of certain
well-known signs; and we have here
before as a collection of very common
sense hints on the subject. In coun-
tries like ours every trace of footprint
or wheel-track ON roads and paths is
soon obliterated or hopelessly confused;
but it is otherwise in the wilderness,
where neither man nor beast can con.
ceal his track. In Kaffirland when
cattle are stolen, if their footprints
are traced to a village, the herdman is
held responsible for them, unless he
can show the same track going out
A wagon track In a new country is
practically indelible. " More espe-
cially, SAYS our author, " this is the
case if a fire sweeps over the plain inn
mediateiy after, or if wagon passes
during or after a prairie fire. We
have known a fellow-traveler reeog-
nize in this manner the tracks his
wagon had made seven years before,
the lines of charred stumps crushed
short down remaining to indicate the
passage of the wheels, though all other
impressions had been obliterated by
the rank annual growth Of grass fully
twelve feet high. Sometimes the
original soil being disturbed, new
vegetation will spring up along the
wagon track, and thus mark out the
road for miles. Even on hard rock a
mans bare foot will leave the dust
caked together by perspiration, so
that a practiced eye will see it and
even if there is no track, stone will
be disturbed here and there, the side
of the pebble which has long laid next
the ground being turned up.-ChaD'-
ber's Journal.
Year: 1877

Reading, Pennsylvania, has a doctor
who is terror to robbers. DR.. VIM.
Harris keeps drug store and he and
his wife live over the store. The other
night he woke and saw a man in his
room. He asked the intruder what
he wanted. IntrHder replied Your
money or your life the old style of
bull-dozing. Mrs. Harris screamed
and the robber said if she didn't shut
up" he would kill her instantly. Mrs.
Harris shut up and then the doctor got
in his work very handsomely. He
grappled with the robber, and while
they were at it the robber fired two
shots into the ceiling. AT length the
doctor knocked the robber down with
rocking chair, and as he didn't show
any more fight the victor picked his
adversary up and flung him out of the
window, to which he had assembled by
ladder. The doctor simply threw
down the ladder and quietly addressed
himself again to sleep with his wife
He got a comfortable nights rest after
all.
Year: 1877

Always in your darkest hour strive to rememb
our brightest. p. RicAter.
Sing me a song of summer.


For my heart is wintry sad,
That glorious bright newcomer,


Who makes all nature glad
Sing me a song of summer,


That the dark from the bright may borrow,
And the part in the radiant whole OF things
May drown its little sorrow.
Sing me song of summer,


When God walks forth in light,
And spreads his glowing mantle
Ger the blank and the grey of night
And where he comes, his quickening touch
Revives the insensate dead,
And the numbed and frozen pulse OF things
Beats music to his tread.
Sing me song of summer,


With his banners OF golden bloom,
That glorious bright newcomer,
Who bears bleak winters doom,
With banners of gold aud of silver,
And wings OF rosy display,
And verdous power in his path,
When he comes with the pride of the May;
When he comes with his genial sweep
Ger the barren and bare of the scene,
And makes the stiff earth TO wave
With an ocean of unduleDt green;
With flourish of leafy expansion,
And boast of luXuriant bloom,
And the reyel of life as il triumphs
Ger the dust and decay of the tomb.
Sing me song of summer,
q God what r glorious thing
ls the march OF the mighty newcomer,
When he qufckens the fsWlse Of creation,
And maketh all feebleness strong,
Till il spread into blossom of beauty,
And burst into pseans of song
Sing me song OF summeri
Though my heart be wintry and sad,
The thought of this blessed newcomer
Shall foster the germ of the glad.
Meath the veil of my grief let me cherish
The Joy that shall rush into day,
When the bane of the winter shall perish
In the pride and the power of the May.


Prot BLackie
Year: 1877

The Car wanted to buy 10000 horses
for the Russian cavalry service, and had
made arrangements to purchase them IN
Germany, but the Emperor William
can't see his way clear to sparing that
MANY animals, and will issue a decree
prohibiting the expectation of horses
from the empire. II is said that TINS
precaution is taken wholly on the ground
of internal economy, but it tisnot unlikely
that the possibility that Germany may
have need of all her horses has something
TO do with it.
Year: 1877

PoPULAR SUPRA oE has been put to 8
singular test in the village of Ava,
Japan. The neighborhood was harassed
by a midnight robber, whom nobody
could detect. The head of the hamlet
summoned the entire male population
under his control, and directed every
man to write the name of the person
whom he suspected, and TO deposit the
ticket in box. Fifteen ballots bore the
name of Abe Tanihei, the rest being
blanks. The man whom everybody sus-
pected was so overcome with astonish-
ment that he made full confession and
went to prison.
Year: 1877

Mile Zenaide Oukounof a young
Russian lady, has obtained a doctors
diploma from the Paris faculty of medi-
cine. The subject of her thesis was the
effects of ether in subcutaneous injec-
tions, and its employment, instead of the
TRANSMISSION of blood. In taking her
place in the examination hall on the
opening day, DIR. Broca publicly con-
graduated her on her hospital studies,
and the presiding Prof. Verneuil on her
clinical notebook, which he said entitled
her to the highest rank among the pupils
who had come up to be examined. On
the degree day, Prof. Verneuil was,
moreover of opinion that her thesis
would have done honor TO some of the
most eminent men of the faculty Of
medicine. He could not speak too highly
of the patient spirit of investigation of
which there was full evidence in her
thesis; of her great scientific knowledge,
her facility of conception and soundness
of judgment. If she pursued as she had
begun, the questions she had 80 ably
dealt with in her thesis, it would suffice
to attach celebrity to her name. Mile.
Oukounoff belongs to good family, the
head of which is in the diplomatic
service.
Year: 1877

But madam made herself even with him
when she rejoined, with quite as much
quickness: " Well, we read of only one
such man, and from the fuss that's made
about him it's plain they're scarce"
Year: 1877

A singular drowning accident occurred
at Grand Lake, Nova Scotia, recently
An English girl named Emmett, aged
twelve, sat on a log at the shore of the
lake to bathe her feet, and getting into
day dream, did not notice that the log
had foated out into the lake. Suddenly
realizing her position, she lost presence
of mind and sprang into the water.
Strange to say, this is the sixth child
her parents have lost by drowning.
Year: 1877

WILL give to any clergyman in San
Francisco 81, 900 in gold to substantiate
that the death of Voltaire was not as
peaceful as the coming of the dawn.
They say Tom Payne died in fear, in
agony, hearing devils rattle chains in the
other room, and that the Infinite God
went to work to frighten a dying man.
[ will give reward of 81 900 in gold to
anybody who will substantiate the truth
of that story Bob IagersoH.
Year: 1877

TWEED was before the investigating
committee of aldermen in New York
on Wednesday, and in reply to ques-
tion as to how much he was worth,
said: 81 am not to-day the owner of
any money or property of any kind
whatever from which $1,000 could be
realized
Year: 1877

Tvs Age takes the Houston police to
task for getting under the influence of
liquor An officer Of the law is the
last person in the world that should in
dnlge in the use Of ardent spirits. and
were there less drinking among them,
there would be great deal Of tronbl 9
saved. while the laws would Ger tainly
be more fully carried out.
Year: 1877

Rev. Fred. Bell told his audience in the
Brooklyn Academy, the other Sunday


evening, that they ought to thank Co..
for their ignorance of the future. for if


they knew all the trials in store for them


the knowledge might crush them.
Year: 1877

not, indeed, top-heavy, but generally
dissolved and soaked. Appearing to
see the necessity of getting under GOV.
er, he entered a hotel in the Bowery--
for thus far on his journey had he
come hoozily registered his name,
and then was shown to his room. He
did not 60 to bed, but snoozed in his
chair all night. In the morning he
went at once to drinking the worst
gin he could get, and presently entered
a pawnbroker's shop, where he put up
his watch and overcoat; so out again,
and in a second hand clothing store he
bought the cheapest of all possible
cheap suits, rolled his good clothes in.
to'e bundle, pawned them at another
shop, and SO, fully at ease, he went on
his way.


The story told by the detective of
his subsequent career speaks of how
the tramp ended up iu Baxter street,
and was robbed while dead drunk. 1t
was noticeable that at about that time
the detective wore a swell watch and
chain, and came out brightly with a
diamond cluster. for which he long had
yearned. AS for the two extravaganI
truth-seekers, they had their expense
for their pains.
Year: 1877

do not well see bow such chain Of
probabilities can be readily set aside,
suppefted as they are in the possibili-
ty of their occurrence by geological
science, and in the actual details Of
the case by evidence as trustworthy in
many cases as that received in our
courts of law"


When we remember how few fish or
other inhabitants of the sea are ever
seen compared with the countless
millions which exist, that not one
specimen Of some tribes will be seen
for many years in succession, ana that
some tribes are only known to exit
because single specimen or even
single skeleton has been obtained, we
may well believe that in the sea, as
in heaven and earth, there are more
things than are known in our philoso-
ply. Horper's Weekly.
Year: 1877

Some time ago, while a lawyer was
attending court in an interior county,
he was applied to by singular speci-
men of humanity, charged with grand
larceny, to defend him. The lawyer
very naturally inquired what crime he
was accused of. The accused replied
that somebody had been mean enough
to charge him with stealing $3.50 in
bills and got him indicted.


"Are you guilty ?" asked the law
yer,


"That's mono of your business" re-
piled the accused. "They say that
makes no difference with you, wheth-
er man is guilty or not, you will
contrive to dig him out some way. So,
don't talk any more about guilt till
you hear what the jury says.


"Well, what about the pay?" said
the lawyer.


"You just hold on till the trial is
over; give K-(the complainant)
fits on the cross examination and that
other fellow he has got to back him
up, and you'll have no more trouble
a,out the pay"


The trial commenced, and proved
to be a somewhat protracted one. The
District Attorney, proved that the
money in question was composed of
two fifty dollar bills on a certain bank,
and the remainder all in ten dollar
bills, all of which were wrapped up in
peice of oiled silk. The jury after
listening to the counsel in the case
and receiving the charge of the judge,
retired, aud soon returned with a YER
dict of not guilty. The accused, who
was greatly elated over the result Of
the trial and the effort Of his counsel,
invited the latter iuto one Of the va
cant iury-rooms. AS soon as they
were alone he slapped his counsel on
the shoulder and exclaimed f:


Free as water, aintI? What's the
use of trying a man for stealing when
you are around? Now ! suppose you
want your pay"


"Yes, have you got anything to pay
with ?'' said the lawyer.


"Lend me your knife and We'll see
about that"


The lawyer, slightly startled at such
proposition, rather reluctantly com.
piled. The accused Immediately com
menced ripping and cutting away at
the waistbaud of his pantaloons, and
soon produced the roll of bills for the
stealing of which he had just been
tried, wrapped up in the identical
piece of oiled silk described by the
witness for the prosecution, and throw.
ing it down on the table before the
astonished lawyer, exclaimed:


"There take your pay out of that
guess there is enough there to pay you
tolerably we'll,


"What, you villain you stole that
money after ALL" said the lawyer
"Do you expect me to take any Of
that stolen money ?"


"Stole that moAey! Why, what
are you talking about! Didn't them
twelve men up stairs just say didn't
steal it? What's the use Of your try
ing to raise a question of conscience
after twelve respectable men have Civ
en- their opinion on the subject? TAKE
your pay out of that and ask no ques
tions. Don't be modest in taking ;,
got it easy enough, and you've work
ed hard enough for it,"


The chap didn't have much chang'
left after the lawyer had satisfied hi
conscience in the premises.
Year: 1877

Chinese and Siam aristocrats invariably
wear long finger nails. The Disagreement
is supposed to add to the importance of the
individual, as it is evident that the
wearer cannot do any work, and must,
therefore, be person of elegant leisure


backed by fortune corresponding to the
length Of his nails. The hand of an Anna
mite dandy has nails fouf or five inches in
length. The thumb-nail has characters
tic shape, and that of the first finger is cut
short to enable the person to pick up small
objects. Without this slight alteration
the hands would be nearly useless. Nails
of still greater enormity may be seen.
They are said to have attained the extraor-
dinary length of thirteen inches and in this
instance the nail of the first finger Is not
entirely cut off.
Year: 1877

In the centre Of the amphitheatre a
mound has been raised on which ring
has been formed by banking up the earth
to the height of few inches. Two grave
looking elderly men, apparently the judges,
now seat themselves upon mats on the
mound, and, unfurling their paper um-
brellas, light their pipes, and commence
smoking in digni6ed composure, while the
two wrestlers doff their kiminos (robes)
and enter the ring perfectly naked but for
q cloth around the loins. They are very
far removed from our idea of what an
athlete ought 10 be, for, though muscular,
they have an ungainly heaviness of figure.
Weight is, indeed, thought of such impor-
tance in these contests that men are fat
tened for them like prize cattle, under the
mistaken belief that such size is an advan-
tage to the fortunate possessorl A tedi-
GUS preliminary performance has to be
gone through before the actual business Of
wrestling commences. Each man comes
to the centre Of the ring, and squatting
down in front Of his antagonist, raises each
leg in turn, and then brings it down
heavily on the ground, at the same time
striking his thigh smartly with his open
hand. suppose this is meant as sort
Of challenge, but it has an extremely lu-
dicrous effect, at least to foreigners, to see
two very fat men so employing themselves.
Both men now quit the ring and take
draft Of water and pinch Of salt, while
they rub their hands and arms with mud,
in order that they may get better hold
Of cath others naked body. At length
they re-enter the ring, and the real strug-
gle now begins. They squat in front Of
each other like two huge frogs, and strike
their hands together, at the same time ut
tering curious Kissing noise, which gets
louder aud louder, till they suddenly fly at
each other like angry cats. Heavy blows
and slaps are exchanged freely in the ef-
fort to close, but umpires are behind each,
shouting out cautions at any attempted
Infringement Of the rules on either eide
When they have fairly got hold Of each
other, many cunning feint and twist is
shown, and the struggling bodies and limbs
entwine so rapidly that the pair look like
one gigantic octopus. AT length the bout
is concluded BY one man being hurled
bodily out Of the ring into the crowd out
side, and the cheering from the excited
spectators is absolutely defening. The
victor stalks about the ring for some time
in great dignity, receiving the congratu-
latioas Of his friends, and then repeats his
former challege, striking his thighs heavily
and growing like bantam cock. Another
wrestler, nothing daunted, at once comes
forward to try his fortune; while the van
qnished combatant, who has picked him
self up amid running FIRE of chaff from
the unsympathizing crowd, resumes his
kimono with an assumed air Of indiffer-
cnce and vanishes behind the spectators.
Chambers Journal
Year: 1877




There is nice little public square which
lies on the water side Of Bay street and
fronts the public buildings which are the
court-houses, house Of assembly, bank, and
other similar places of resort. Whenever
we would go-Ou pleasant morning, af-
ternoon or evening-to this square, to sit
by the stone boat-stairs, or to stand on the
sea-wall and view the lovely water with its
changing hues of green, its yachts, its
ships, aud all its busy smaller craft, and
sniff with delight the cool salt breeze that
blows so gaily over the narrow back of
Hog Island, there would certainly come
running to us two, three, or a dozen little
black boys, with the entreaty :--a Please,
boss, give us a small dive" i'll happen
ed to have any change, and wished to see
some funny work in the water, / put my
hand in my pocket, and instantly every
little black boy jerked of his shirt. 1t Is
no trouble for the negro children to un.
dress in Nassau. The very little ones wear
only small shirt and straw hat Some
times there is not much muslin in this
shirt, but they are always particular to
have it come down low enough to cover
the breast bone. If / find penny / toss II
into the water, and instantly every darkey
boy, clad in nothing but bis scanty trow-
sers, plunges in after it. Sometimes
spry little fellow catches the coin before il
reaches the bottom, and it is never long
before some fellow comes up with the
money in his mouth. Sometimes when
coin is not readily found, it is curious to
look down through the clear water and see
the young rascals moving their legs and
arms about down at the bottom like a lot
Of enormous brown frogs.--lScribners
Maanriae.
Year: 1877

Sc,IJner for December Ia the article
"From the Atlantic to the Andes has ths
following Marrow paths lead from tho
hut through the thick undeFbrush 10 The
solitary trunks Of the India rubber trees;
and as soon as the dry season allows, the
woodman goes into the seringal with d
hatchet in order TO cut small holes in the
bark, or rather in the wood Of the caout.
chouc tree, from which milky white sap
begins to flow through an earthenwafe
spout fastened te the wound Below. is
piece Of bamboo which is cut into the shape
Of bucket. In this way he goes from tree
to tree unit upon his return, In order 10
carry the material more conveniently. he
begins to empty the bamboo buckets into
a large calabash. The contents Of this are
poured into one Of those great turtle shells
which on the Amazons are used for every
kind Of purpose. he at once sets to work
on the smoking process, since, if left to
stand long, the gummy particles separate,
and the quality of the India rubber il
hurt. This consists in subjecting the SAP,
when spread out thin, to the smoke from
nuts Of the Urucury Or Uauassa palm,
which, strange TO say is the only thing
that win turn il solid at once. An earth
enware "bowl without bottom" whose
neck has been drawn together like that Of
bottle, forms kind OF chimney when
placed over a heap Of dry red-hot nuts 90
that the white smoke escapes from the top
in thick clouds. The workman pours d
small quantity Of Che white rich milk-like
liquid over a kind Of light wooden shovel
which he turns with quickness, in order to
separate the sap as much as possible.
Then he passes it quickly through the
dense smoke above the little chimney, turus
it about several times and at once per-
ceiyes the milk take on a grayish yellow
color and turn solid. In this way he lays
on skin after skin until the India rubber
on each side is two or three centimeters
thick and he considers the plancla done.
It is then cut upon one side, peeled of
the shovel and hung up to dry, since much
water has got in between the layers, which
should drysout if possible. The color Of
the planeha, which is at first bright silver
gray, becomes more and more yellow and
at last turns into the brown Of caoutchouc
as il is known in commerce. A good
workman can finish in this way Eve or six
pounds an hour The thicker, the more
even, and the freer from bubbles the whole
mass is, so much the better is its quality
and higher the price.
Year: 1877

OF Gen. Augur, or to stand out OF the
way and allow the people of the State
to take care OF their own concerns. The
decision which he has made between
these alternatives Is in harmony with
the principles of American republican
ism, and commends itself to the instinc-
tive approval of the American people.
We have always believed that his policy
would be vindicated by the event; we
hardly expected the vindication to come,
as it has come, In the very act of execu-
tion.


It is gratifying that the settlement
has been obtained without any direct
action on the part Of the Federal gov
ernment. The Presidents determine
tion not to act brought the conflict to a
close. He has not decided between the
claims of Nichols and Packard. He
has refused to set himself up as tribu-
nal OF appeal from State authorities {;
and in resolving that forced construc-
tion of the statute in relation to the
suppression OF domestic violence shall
no longer make of the Federal army a
partisan arbiter in local political dis
putes he has saved the country from a
great danger and restored peace to the
long harassed South. It rests now with
Messrs. Nichols, Hampton. and
their associates to complete the
labor of rehabilitation by a just
use of the authority that has fallen into
their hands. They must remember that
the adjustment of the relations Of Lou
isiana and South Carolina to the gene
raj government is not a triumph for
them personally, and it is far from be-
ing verdict of approval upon the
means by which they obtained power /;
1t Is simply the establishment of a con-
stitutional principle, the limitation Of
the Federal power to it's proper func-
tions. 1t depends upon the Southern
Democracy now whether the old con-
servative Interpretation of the constitu-
tion shall continue to prevail, or dis
order and injustice impel the people to
demand once more the dangerous policy
Of the haYOnet