smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

The Acadians have tradition that God
enjOined perpetual silence and desolaiiOn on


Labrador and AnticOsti when he gave them
to Cain for heritage. However that may


be, it is certain that, while other wilds of
the earth yield TO mans conquest, these


vast wastes remain ever void and empty.
The Indians called the Island Natiscotte-
the country of wailing-and under the
modern corruption of Anticosti it has added
to its terrible renOwn Its whole history,
from the day it was discovered by jacques
Cartier, in 1884, to the present, is a record
Of human suffering. Here and there, how
ever, there is tale of heroism worthy of
a nobler scene. In August, 1869, the family
of Edward Pope, keeper of the Ellis Bay


l.ight-hous was stricken down by typhoid
fever, and, to add to his misfortunes, the
revolving apparatus of his light broke. The
government steamer had gone; and Pope
had no means of communicating with the
marine department at Quebec or elsewhere.
The light revolved or flashed, as the tech
nical phrase is, every minute and a half
and if il flashed no more it would probably
be mistaken by passing vessels in that region
Of fog for the stationary light at the west
point of the island. and thus lead to dire
loss of life. Pope found that with little
exertion he could turn it and make il flash,
and at once determined to nil the place of
the automatic gear. Accordingly, this
humble hero sat in the turret, with his watch
by his side. turning the light regularly at
the allotted time every night. from ! Il. VI.
until \. NJ. from the middle of August
until the first of December. and from the
first Of April until the end of June, when
the Government steamer came to his relief
with a new apparatus. All through the
first season Pope. daughter and grandchil-
dren were i'll unto death, with nobody save
him to nurse them. He waited on them
tenderly through the day, but as night fell
on the iron bound coast he fastened TO his
vigil in the turret, doing his duty to the
Canadian Government and to humanity with
unflinching devotion. In the second season
his daughter, vino had lived through the
fever. took turns with him in the lighr-room.
This may have saved thousand lives. He
died in 1872, and his deed has never until
this DAY been chronicled, for of the heroes
of Anticosti, as of the long roll of her vic
Tins, the world knows nothing.
Year: 1879

II two person are to occupy bedroom
during a night, let them step upon weigh
ing scales as they retire and then again in
the morning. and they will find their actual
weight is at least a pound less in the morn
ing. Frequently there will be a loss of two
or more pounds, and the average loss
throughout tine year will be more than one
pound-that is, during the night there is
loss of a pound of matter which has gone off
from their bodies, partly from the lungs
and partly through the pores of the skin.
The escaped material is carbonic acid, and
decayed animal matter or poisonous exhala-
tions, This is diffused through the air in
part and in part absorbed by the bed clothes.
If a single ounce of wool or cotton be burned
in a room, it will so completely saturate the
air with smoke that one can hardly breathe
though there can only be an ounce OF Tor
eign matter in the air IL an ounce of cot
ton be burned every half hour during the
night, the air will be kept continually satur-
aied with the smoke unless there be an open
door OF window for it to escape. Now the
sixteen ounces of smoke thus formed is far
less poisonous than the sixteen ounces OF
exhalations from the lungs and bodies OF the
two persons who have lost pound in weight
during the eight hours of sleeping, for while
the dry smoke is mainly taken into the lungs
the damp odors from the body are absorbed
into the lungs and into the pores of the whole
body. Need more be said to show the i'm
portance of having bedrooms well ventilated
and thoroughly airing the sheets, coverlets
and mattresses in the morning, before pack
ing them up in the form of a neatly made
bedf
Year: 1879

.HaDtDiering is the result of a function


al disorder of that part of the brain which


presides over the faculty of speech, accord


ing to an article by DR., Hammond on the


Voice This is proved, he says, by the


fact that all stammerers can at times speak


as well as other persons. ''There is no de-
feet with the organs of speech, no paralysis
of the tongue or lips; but there is a condI-
ton present which, at times, especially


when the subject is excited or interested,
or specially tries TO do his best, prevents the
normal systematic articulation of certain
syllables. And this appears to be due to
an impossibility of co-ordinatin;. the mus
cles by which speech is effected-of bring
ing them into harmonious and system attic
action" DIR. Hammond was a stammerer
at nineteen, but entirely cured himself,
mainly by the performance of some slight
muscular action spontaneously with the
# the difficult syllables. "With
each troub ESQ ne word, he explains, ''es-
pecially with one beginning a sentence,
made some slight motion with the hand or
foot, OF even with single finger, and found
that this plan enabled me to get the word
out without stammering. In this procedure
the attention is diverted from the effort to
speak to the performance of the muscular
action mentioned, and hence the speech
becomes more automatic than it is with
stammerers generally, And this is the
whole system of cure In consists in efforts
to render the speech automatic" He oc-
cupied two years in curing himself.
Year: 1879

1 Mr.. Henry Faucet, of Dilworthtown,
Chester county, at one time purchased a
pair of wild geese from which he has raised
flock of seven. These geese have become
very tame and more readily caught and
handled than his dpmestic ones, but still
they have a strong desire to to migrate, and
to prevent this he has been compelled to
clip their wings. On Sunday morning he
was surprised to find his flock had increased
TO eleven, and were quietly feeding in his
barnyard. They have since remained there
and in the immediate vicinity, evidently
endeavoring to persuade MIR. Faucet S
geese to accompany them. They keep in
the immediate vicinity, at no time going
more than n mile distant, when they will
alight in some wheat field and again return.
They disappear at night, and notwithstand-
ing Mr. Faucet has made strenuous efforts
to discover their roosting place, for the pur-
pose of capturing them, he has been unable
to do so. On Wednesday morning they
returned with an additional number max
ing the flock eighteen. They fly very close
to the ground, at no time soaring higher
than the house top. When they alight they
keep the same position as when flying show
ing that they hold themselves in readiness
for any alarm that may be given Another
singular circumstance is given of heir move
ments, which is that each bird has his place
in the procession when flying which was
shown by the shooting of one next to the
leader. Since then that place is vacant and
the following one keeps his station in the
line as he did before his predecessor was
shot
Year: 1879

Two negroes recently executed IN Nir-
ginia made a request that they be permitted
to take their last meal on the scaffold. The
sheriff consented to this whim, and the exc
cution was delayed somewhat on this ac-
count. The prisoners said they only wanted
coffee, cornbread and molasses, but they
wanted good deal of it, such as it is was.
Accordingly a woman in the neighborhood
went to work and prepared the meal. In
the meantime the murierers sat composed
ly, the observed of all observers. About
twelve o'clock the repast WAS ready. \
rickety old table and two chairs were loaned
for the occasion. These were placed on
the scaifold, and on the table were pot of
steaming coffee, two pOnes Of cornbread,
mug of sorghum, plates, spoons. &c. Smith
took his coffee without cream, but Christian
called for some Of the tactical fluid The
cook had forgotten to send any, and after a
little delay it was brought. Then the men
began their meal 1t tool; them nearly one
hour to eat it. They laughed great deal.
and when they had cleared the dishes they
remarked: The old woman gets up first
rate dinner Then they each smoked a
segar, and at one O'Clock they arose on the
scaiTold. and confessed the crime for which
they were condemned, and said they would
90 straight to glory. At the close, and Just
before the ropes were tied, they requested
the crowd to sing the hymn, peace, peace,
on the golden shore. Christian had fine
tenor voice, and Smith sung pretty fair
bass. and after the tune had been raised
they both joined in with good will. All
of the spectators sang; and altogether it
was a musical feature of the show that
might have been enjoyed by disinterested
spectators had not the occasion been such a
serious one. At LIS o'clock all was ready.
Smith and Christian said, Farewell in a
loud voice, the prop was knocked from un
der them, and the sentence of the law was
carried to its completion.
Year: 1879

Seth Green, who has wide fame as n fly
fisher as well as tishculturist, gives the
following hints 10 anglers, which are timely,
rs the trout season is now open: Il am
asked a great many times. What is the Sc
cret of fly-casting, or how is it that | take
the prize when throw There are three
principles: First, quick out of water; sec
ond, give the line time TO straighten behind
you; third, throw. | will explain these
principles more definitely. Raise your rod
TO an angle of about forty-five degrees, back
of you; then make quick stroke forward;
make the stroke without carrying your rod
forward. When YOU take the line from the
water it should be done with a quick jerk !;
then give your line time TO straighten be
hind; then give it the same stroke forward
that you did to get ii out of the water. Why
so many fail in fiy-casting is, they throw
the rod backward too near the ground be-
hind them, and when they make the for
ward stroke, when the line gets Strengthened
out, it is some distance above the water and
kinks back, and when it ia Is upon the water
it lies crooked and is some distance short Of
what it would have been if il had struck the
water as soon as il was Strengthened out. II
a fish should strike at your flies at this time,
you are pretty sure 10 miss him. BY never
throwing your rod back more than on an
angle of forty-five degrees, and making the
stroke forward, your line goes straight out
and the flies go to the point you desire.
Great care should be taken when you have
thrown the line behind you that the line is
given time to straighten before making the
stroke forward | have thrown seventy
feet of line against strong wind, first by
giving my rod quick, strong back stroke,
carrying my rod not farther back than an
angle of forty-five degrees, and giving the
line time to straighten behind me, and
making the same stroke forward that | did
to get it back of me. / nearly forgot to
mention that it is more important to have
your line fit your rod than than it is to have
your coat tit your back, unless you are a
fop, and if you are, my advice is to not go
a-fishing You may think it strange that |
should tell you three or four times over in
the same article that in order to do good fly
casting you must not throw your rod back
only Just so far, and then wait for your line
to straighten behind you, and when your
rod is up to make quick stroke forward,
without carrying your rod forward even a
little, before you deliver the line.
Year: 1879

The best of all rules for successful house
keeping and making both ends meet is TO
''pay as you CO. Beyond all countries in
the world, ours is the one in which credit is
the most used and abused. Passbooks are
the bane and pest of domestic economy, a
perpetual plague, vexation and swindle.
Abuse by servants at the store and the house
disputed constantly by houskeepers and
dealers they are temptations to both parties
to do wrong.


81 never had that"


''Wc neglected to enter this.


81 forgot to bring thu book.


'sNever mind, we'll make a note of it,
and so it goes.


But the worst of it is that housekeepers
are tempted to order what they have not
the means to pay for, and when the month
or quarter comes for settlement they are
Strengthened.


A family can live respectfully on very
moderate income if they always take the
cash in hand, and buy where they can buy
to the best advantage. Then they will be
careful first to get what is necessary. Extra
comforts will be had as they can afford
them. But it is bad policy to buy on credit.
No wise dealer sells 50 cheaply on credit as
for cash
Year: 1879

One of the most singular mechanical
operations imaginable is the making of gold
wire for what is known as gold lace. The
refiner first prepares solid rod of silver
about an inch in thickness; he heats this
rod, applies upon the surface sheet Of
gold leaf, Furnishes this dOwn-and so on,
until the gold is about one-hundredth part
the thickness of the silver. The rod is then
subjected to train of processes which
brings il down to the state OF fine wire,
when it is passed through holes in a steel
plate lessening step by step in diameter.
The gold never deserts the silver, but ad-
heres closely to it, and shares all its muta-
tions; it is one-hundredth part the thick
ness of the silver at the beginning, and ii
maintains the same ratio to the end. Asto
the thinness to which the gold-cOated rod Of
silver can be brought, the limit depends on
the delicacy of human skill. II has been
calculated, however, that the gold actually
placed on the very finest silver wire for gold
lace is not more than one-third of one-mil-
lionth of an inch in thickness; that is, not
above one-tenth the thickness of ordinary
gold leaf,
Year: 1879

Two hours ride on Lake Lucerre, south
east from the city, brings us to the
Rigi, an isolated peak, and one of the most
remarkable of the whole Swiss Alps; not
on account of its altitude SO much as its
position and character commanding as it
does the view of more than twenty lakes,
nearly dozen cities and villages, and
mountain peaks innumerable on every side


Its northern escarpment looks sheer down
six thousand feet on Lake Zug, into which
person standing upon the brink seems al
most able to hurl a stone. The summit is
reached by railway, which is mastery
piece of civil engineering. Judging by the
eye, the incline ranges from thirty to fifty
degrees from horizontal: ami the car,
holding sixty passengers, is propelled by the
engine which puffs and labors in the rear.
and masters the incline, not by bite of its
wheels, but by third and cogged rail in
the centre between the other two; the mo
tion of the piston axle is gearei down TO
slow movement of the driving pinion, so as
TO give the engine increased power: and
the car moves about rs fast as a good brisk
walker would travel on a level road Every
thing connected with the road is constructed
upon the most scientific principles, and with
a view to absolute safety. \ few of the
arrangements will readily illustrate this fact
and they are as follows: The car, being pro-
PEELED, cannot run away if the coupling
should break. as the engine is behind it 90
ing up, and before il in coming down the
car moves at so slow rate that it can be
brought to a dead halt in a second of time
powerful brakes are attached both TO the
engine and the car, and bind upon the cog
ged wheel shaft, and not upon the smooth
track wheels: but above all is the fact that
the brakes are not used AT all, except for
auxiliary restraints, as the steam in the de-
scent is let into the cylinders on the reverse
side of the piston head, and thus becomes a
resisting, instead of propeliing power. OF
course, any unscientiiic mind can readily
comprehend the fact that if the steam has
power to push the car up, the same steam
in the reverse order can prevent its coming
down. Even the old lady who dreaded to
embark upon the canalboat, fearing accident
need not hesitate to scale the Rigi, and en-
joy the magnificent panorama, not presented
20 many in lifetime. The day was cloudy
Is i; often is. when we were there; but
when about to return in the last car down
the fog lifted for half an hour, and presented
a landscape lit up by the rays Of a setting
sun. never to Ge forgotten by those who
were witnesses 10 its glories.
Year: 1879

gazing iE;ently at nothing. Suddenly he
darted away and was never again seen in
the guise of beggar


Many years after this the young man had
business in town, and strolling through the
city, he entered booksellers shop To pur-
chase book that had called forth consider
able criticism. Three or four young men
were busily engaged, while stout, well-ap-
pearing young man, was giving orders, with
the air of proprietorship.


His face was very familiar to the new
conner, but il was not until he spoke that
Anthony and the bookseller were discovered
to be identical. The recognition was
mutual. Anthony grasped the young mans
hand and led him back into a well-furnished
parlor, and then gave him his history, from
the time they parted at the barrier.


He said he had followed the strangers
advice, bought RACES with the crown, and
was prosperous. He finally became the
partner of paper manufacturer, and mar
ried his daughter, and could now count his
ten thousand a wear
Year: 1879




In certain police court witness re-
Gently appeared whs had refused TO
obey a subpoena, and who was accord
ingly brought to terms with the aid of
an attachment. When the police JUS
tice asked him what excuse he had TO
offer for his contempt OF court, ne re-
piled at the time they wanted him In
court he was standing at the altar git
tin married.


May it please your Honor hurried
ly interposed bachelor lawyer who
had overheard the apology, Il respect
fully suggest that the man is already
sufficiently punished, and beg the
court to deal with him mercifully in
view of his recent affliction."


'Ahr replied his Honor, so it strikes
me. You can 60. You are discharg-
ed, sir, and may heaven have mercy on
you.'
Year: 1879

| call upon all Of you who are true soldiers


to give up the names of his assassins.
Twice he made the appeal, and silence


was the only answer. Espartero then or
dered the regiment to be numbered off from
the right, and every twentieth nan to be


brought To the front and be prepared for
immediate execution. At this Il sergeant


stepped forward and named ten men as the


actual murderers of Escalera- These were


marched and placed in line with their


backs TO a broken wall, one only protesting


his innocence as he was dragged to the end
Of the line. Before the fatal volley was
fired he darted nimbly round the corner of
the wall and ran along the front of the
troops, but was recaptured, and taken back
to his allotted place. A voice from the
ranks cried out that they had the wrong
man, the real criminal being a soldier of the
same name in a hospital at Burgos. Espar-
tero ordered the man to be removed. while
the rest received their deserts. Upon in
quiry being made at Burgos, the guilty one
was found there, taken from the hospital
and shot, his namesake of course being set
free.


A snake once prevented thief commit
ting something worse than theft. \ woman
of Dude and her daughter once alighted at
the station of Hurdee, and hired a convey
ance to take them to their village. When
they had gone half a dozen miles on their
way, the driver pulling up in lonely spot,
demanded their jewelry; and upon their
demurring tied the pair to the vehicle and |
seized the trinkets. Then bethinking him I
self that the dead woman could tell no tales, /
the ruffian drew out his knife; but slipping
from his grasp, it fell into a ditch. He
plunged his hand in the water to recover I.
the knife; and as he clutched il black .
snake fixed its fangs in the would-be-mur /
derer's hand. He succumbed to the poison,
and in ten minutes was past hurting any
body. The women were discovered by .
some villagers, and released; but the corpse .
of the driver was left alone until the police /
coming ON the scene, removed the body to
the police station.
Year: 1879

MRS. FRIKMAH DYING OF RKNoRsH.-It WA
announced this morning that Mrs. Freeman
was dying, and Investigation shows that the
prOoabiltt1eS are she win live short time only.
She Is weeping and starving herself to death.
although abe does not seek 70 commit suicide.
confined alone In the cell on the upper moor OF
the barn-nke building, she has, since the INST
SUNDAY after the killing OF Edith, wept con-
stantly day and night She has tried TO eat,
believing that It was her duty to do 50, but In
the ten days OF her imprisonment she has eaten
less than would make an ordinary meal.
When the Sunday passed and her little
girl was not resufrected, as she firmly be-
neved she would be, Mrs. Freeman at once
admitted that she and her husband had made
an awful mistake, and with this acknowledg-
meht the maternal instinct that pleaded so
strongly In prayer that her child might be
spared has returned. The seraphic look that
was on her face when she was brought before
the justice Is gone. Her face has wasted, leav-
ing her cheek bones prominent, and both are
bright with hectic flush which indicates fever


Her otherwise white face and bloodless lips, and
her great eyes that are red with weeping, her
tottertng step, and her inability to eat or Sleep


are regarded as indications that very soon the
reserve nervous strength will be exhausted and
that she win rapidly decline. Her love for the
baby and her remorSe have overshadowed her
religious faith.-l Barnstable Special TO n. y. Sun
Year: 1879

WAGEs.-A mass meeting of the bricklayers of
the city was held last evening In Mllliman's
hall, at Ith avenue and Goth street. The Ques.
tion OF wages was discussed on motion Of the
previous meeting to demand an increase of
wages from $3.50 to s. per day. 1t was said that
q majority OF the boss masons of the city were
aWillingness to pay So IL the demand was unani-
nous. A few were named who were already
paying that amount but 1t was feared that
they would make reduction II there was not
that now was the best time to make the de-
mand, for contractors who had employed green
hands, especially on the New York Elevated
Railroad foundations, had been compelled to
overhaul their work and rebuild. On a vote, it
was unanimously decided that demand for So
per day should be made, to take effect on Mon
day neXt.-[N. Y. Sun, 18th.
Year: 1879

A runaway horse attached to a
buggy was found ten days after
ward in u swamp near Montgem-
cry, Alabama, so wedged in among
trees that ii could not stir. AL
though it had remained during all
that time without food or water, it
was sufficiently strong to be driven
home without being taken from
the buggy.
Year: 1879

It's q curious fact in the history OF
Stewart that, eminent as he was as a
merchant, he had no record as a clerk.
In fact he stepped from his duties as
teacher into the little shop which he
opened on Broadway. His natural
taste was sufficient to supply the place
Of experience. 1t may also be noticed
how strangely history is marked by
strong antthetical points. First there
is the poor emigrant whose sole
capital is his education. Then we
see tho struggling shop man, and at
last the merchant prince, but the
scene closes with the rihed tomb
Think of the man who welded q
capital of thirty millions carried off at
night in sack ! How much arc we
reminded that "a living dog is better
than dead lion" The widow also
has record marked by similar con-
trasts. There is Cornelia Clinch, the
poor girl, who weds the incipient
merchant next is old age decked in
velvet and diamonds. Soon the tran
slent glory of life gives place to the
exclusion of widowhood, and now all
that is left is a shattered torm-the
mistress Of u palace which, in reality,
is but hospital devoted to but one
patient These things show us thet
there are two sides to the history of
the rich. These lessons Of the satirlst
Young are worth a reference in such
connection:


"a decent competence we fully taste,


1t st likes our sense and gives constant feast,
Can wealth give happiness' Look round and see
What gilded pain-what splendid misery"


-2r0y Times.