smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

The WEArHER.-Thc rapid and remarkable
development Of the depression from the south
west is the main feature Of the meteorological
conditions observable in the United States.
This disturbance gave certain indications of its
approach on the 14th, VIXEN it was duly an
nounced BY the HERALD as among the proba-
bities for this week. Since that date it has
been gradually extending III, n northeastcry
direction into the Mississippi and Ohio
valleys, and now influences the weather
from BuffJr to Galveston and from the
Allegheny Mountains westward to Colorado
The areas Of high pressure. which were united
in advance of the depression, have been scpa-
rated BY it on the line indicated by the HER,IL,
of Wednesday. The northern zone of high
pressure now extends over Canada, the
upper lakes ard the regions west OF the Mis-
souri, River, while the southern zone pre-
sents q great pocket on its northern
margin. in which the depression is moving
eastward Hence the advance Of the rain
area attendant on the storm is likely to bring it
over the Middle and South Atlantic States, and
when il reaches tie ocean it will move rapidly
northeastward toward Newfoundland, where it
will unite with that of the depression passing
eastward from that locality. The heaviest rains
have fallen in the Lower Mississippi Valley and
on the Texas coast. West Of the Misss-
sippi the temperature has fallen quite low,
converting the rain ut Cheyenne into snow yes
tcr,lay morning. Eastward from the great river
the temperature rises toward the Aleghanies,
whence it falls again to the ocean. Except in
the Northwest and West the winds are modcr-
ate the atmospheric inflow being generally to-
ward the depression in tho Lower Mississippi
Valley. The weather in New York and it's
vicinity to-day will be warm and cloudy, with
rain.
Year: 1877

The particulars of q very sad and distress
ing suicide printed in our news columns
this morning. Mrs. Leroy, the unfortunate
lady whose body was found on Wednesday
in one of the lakes at Central Park, belonged


to that class OF society in which self-de-
struction is one Of those crimes to be read


about in the pages Of romance or in the
vulgar records Of criminal life. There was
no reason on earth why she should have
left it in the way she did, and the mystery


of her ending will, in all probability, never
be explained. The only reasonable theory
of the deed is that she took the fatal plunge
while temporarily insane. Trouble and


misfortune had come to her recently. Her


husband had been unfortunate in business,


and there was, in measure, loss OF that
social prestige to which she had been ac-
customed. But still there remained to her
a Fifth avenue home and o stainless name
and the love of children and affectionate
kindred. These were certainly strong
reasons which should have hold her back
from tho awful step she took; but as the
result shows they we're not sufficiently
powerful to influence mind temporarily
weak and unsettled. 1t seems the deceased
lady had been in the habit of taking long and
lonely walks, and few evenings ago she
strayed to Central Park. The surroundings
were all calculated to strengthen the resolu-
tion she appears to have formed before she
set out, and the rest is known. At first it
was supposed that sho had been murdered,
that another horrible crime had been COM
Year: 1877

nobody so far. The more he pressed them
to what the Methodist brethren call ''con-
viction" the more they replied that they
were already saints-who had been serving
the devil for while; to be sure. but had
after all cheated him in the Lords interest
all the time. did he mean to reform the
civil service? Oh, yes; but it was already
''the best civil service on the planet" cried
the general chorus. and in the sacred name
of liberty they all protested against being
disturbed. And now, after all, he is slowly
routing them out. and, whether he likes it
or not, must face the music which he
evokes.


The republican leaders felt very comfort
able under the last administration. They
they had at their command the Southern
question, with the help of which they We're
always confident of "hring the Northern
heart" and carrying enough States for their
purposes. They have not by any means
given up this question their President has
put it aside, but they mean to revive it if
they can. They know how to play upon
that one string, and they are furious with
the President for Offering to deprive them
of it, OF what use is it tor him to talk to
these men of new questions, new policies,
new ways? They do not want them the
old clothes suit them best. lie is entirely
right when he tells them that the future Of
the party demands that it shall drop the
old and stale issues and take up
new and live questions. But he ought to
see, and he will be forced to see by and by,
that they nre not the men to lead their party
into the new paths. They cannot dol it; they
ara too old-.too used to the old ruts. We
sincerely wish him success in his efforts at
his party but we say frankly
he needs new men to- work with. He must
be strong enough to impose new leaders on
the party; he must know how to call the
young men, the fresh men, the men un-
trammelled by old policies and unconnected
with the old machinery, to the front. He
has scarcely begun to do this, and yet he
stands on the brink of the great battle of
his administration. Does he know it? He
stands now where General Grant stood in
the first month Of his administration-an
where General Grant broke down and failed.
Will President Hayes win the battle which
President Grant lost? We hope SO, for it is
for the countrys good that he should; but
we must say it is at least uncertain.
Year: 1877




The. Tammany County Convention yester-
day wisely followed the advice rendered by
the HERALD and indorsed the republican
and anti-Tammany nomination of Judge
Brady for the Supreme Court, thus taking
this important judicial Office out OF poll
tics Judge Pratt, in Kings county, has
received similar Endorsement at the hands
of both parties. This disposition to keep
good judges on the bench cannot be too
highly commended. But why should not
the example be followed in regard to all
offices that are not Of q political character
when the nominee is fully acceptable to the
people? The fight made over such offices
as Sheriff, County Clerk and Register, in
the city, or over the subordinate State
offices, is one simply for the spoils.
1t is struggle for the patronage
that pertains to those positions. The most
direct and surest road to civil service re-
form would be to ignore politics and make
unanimous nominations whenever a civil
officer is to be chosen whose position has no
association with the political principles OF
opposing parties, leaving the person elected
to dispense his patronage with view SIM
ply to the proper discharge OF the public
business and without reference to the
dividing party line. }es
OF course this happy and harmonious ar
Year: 1877

BUSINESS MEN GENERALLY will find in the
deliberations of the Tanners Convention some
valuable ideas and suggestions. The necessity
Of foreign markets seems to be particularly felt
by this important branch Of trade, and we know
that similar want is experienced by other
heavy manufacturing interests conference
Of the different industries affected in this way
might aid in securing whatever legislation is
needed
Year: 1877

mitted; but all the facts in the case go to
show that this supposition is untrue ana
that it was pure selfdestruction. The whoie
story is the saddest we have been called on
to print in a long time.
Year: 1877

A CURIOUS CHARLEY Ross story comes from
Richmond. Two gypses who stole the adopted
child Of wealthy Quaker declared, when cap
tured in Southern Ohio. that they believed the
boy 10 be Ross, and had been in correspondence
with his father on the subject for long time
Their representations are probably false.
Year: 1877

The Kanawha Chronicle complains be.
cause many of the acts of the Legisls
ture are made 10 take effect from their
passage, contrary to the intention OF the
Constitution, and hence, in the very ma
ture of things, the people cannot know
the provisions OF the laws they are ex-
pected to obey for q long time after
they have gone into force. 1t thinks
that no public good is subserved by the
suspension of the constitutional rule
which requires ninety days to intervene
before the taking Of effect of an act, and
that the rule was frequently suspended
from the force OF habit rather than
from calculation. To show how firmly
the habit of moving that "The act take
effect from its passage" had become en-
grated in the mind Of the average legis-
lator last winter, the Gazette relates this
story.


"During the last days of the session
of the Legislature, for some reason, it
was deemed proper BY the people of
Wheeling to insugurate temperance
movement. This was carried on SO ex-
tensely that day and night meetings
were held in different parts of the city.
OF course there were present at these
meetings members of the Legislature,
and some of these who had not previous
ly done SO were induced to
come forward and sign the pledge.
On one occasion after very
earnest appeal, gentleman occupying
leading position in one branch of the
Legislature, to the surprise and gratifica-
tion of his friends, went forward and
signed the pledge. His action was the
occasion of much applause, but he had
not left the stand before another member
of the same branch of the Legislature
arose, and in loud voice said, "Mr.
Chairman, l move that act take effect
from its psssagev' As this was un-
doubtedIy an exceptional case it was, OF
course, proper that the motion should
prevail, and it did.
Year: 1877

BosroS, March 3l.-Lsst night son
OF Alfred Cox, of West BowdoIn, Maine
aged fourteen years, killed his father q:
he was returning from church. The
fathe. and son were at church, and the
boy making a slight disturbance, the
father told him to go forward and occupy
another seat. The boy took his hat al q
left the church. Going directly home
he took gun snd, meeting his father
entering The yard, shot him dead. The
hay i said to be insane
Year: 1877

HARRISBURG, Pa March Sl.-The
State Bank OF this city has gone into
liquidation. Twenty per cent of all the
claims will be paid as they mature, and
the balance as soon n the bank can real
ize on their assets, which are declare to
be ample to satisfy all claims.
Year: 1877

The suit of the Emma Silver Mining Company
against Trcnor W Park and others was resumed yes
terday morning before Judge Wallace, In the United
States Circuit Court. The question hrst before the
Court the motion made tho previous day to dis.
miss the complaint great deal OF was felt
as to the result Of the motion. This was, however.
set at rest. as Immediately after Judge Wallace


took his seat he informed counsel that the motion to
dismiss was denied. The defence was then entered
upon Mr.. Phelps addressing the Court in tho opening
by counsel for tho defence. Mr.. Phelps proceeded to
detail all tho circumstances attendant on the defendant
Parks purchase OF the mine He stated that Park
won't TO London, place where mining and all spccua-
lions OF tho kind are more clearly understood than
In any other country in the world. He bocamc there
associated IN his undertaking with Senator Stewart
and Professor Silliman II would be formidable un-
dcaknr counsel said. TO believe that these men with
Year: 1877

On this popular subject, just now,
the Philadelphia Times says:


She new spring hat worn by the
ladies Is just too big for anything, and
happily we shall probably be rid Of
the monotoDy of hearing this femi-
nine decoration called sweet Hats
that started some years ago no larger
than an acorn have grown to such
size as to cast q shadow half across
Chestnut street, aud couple Of them
would save the prOmenaders on two
blocks from sunstroke. No husband
or father need fear that he will not
get the worth Of his money when in
vested in hats for wife or daughter.
They've are talking about the
hats-sre so large that 3 mort
gage even will not cover them,
and 1t is probable the really fashiona-
ble hat will have to be worn in the
country for want of room elsewhere.
They will be q death-bloW TO the trade
in psrssols and umbrellas two or
three OF them in theatre will make
the place look crowded, and clergy
men who have 10 stand in q pulpit
above q few of the newest hats will
feel as If they were preaching to 8 lot
of gaily-decOrated but greatly over
grown circus tents. II the amuse-
ment season were not virtually over
there might be q sensation Ia hats,
but that will now be left to the camp
meeting, where the real utility of the
new style will be developed.
Year: 1877

The superintendent of the United
States Naval Observatory at Wash
ingtOn has concluded an arrange
ment with the Western Union Pele-
graph Company by which the stan
dard time as determined daily by the
Naval Observatory will be telegraph
ed throughout the country. It Is pro-
posed to extend the arrangement for
controlling public clocks in the large
cities, and also for distributing the
noon signal to the various cities hsv-
ing more than u, ,OO0 inhabitants.
The plan as determined upon in New


York is to drop the large time
ball on the Western Union Com
pany's building at exact noon,
according to Washington time, the
difference in time being noted In cor
reeting clocks and watches. The ball
being st q very high point in the city
can be seen for miles around, and
time-pieces may be regulated accOr-
dinEy. In addition to this public
notice OF the correct time, the tele-
graph company Is prepared to extend
wires about the cities into businss
houses, offices, factories, and houses,
ana Dy tue use OF simple automatic
instrument the exact time can be
given every day. As for instance,
in this city, when It is noon at the
Washington Observatory it is 11;4l.
So that, reckoning in that way, the
exact time can be had daily. No
notification has been, as yet, received
by the manager Of the Western Union
Office In this city to put up the time
hall, but 1t will probably be done.
The price at which the company will
deliver for one year the Washington
noon signal to the principal Office
is $4,000, or for q weekly sig
nal, ..S25. This charge is to be
divided among the subscribers in the
city, pro rata. The expense Of hav-
ing an Office or factory connected
with the principal Office will be
agreed upon, the expense being met
in the form OF an annual rental Of the
necessary wire, etc. Each subscriber
will therefore pay the rental Of the
wire, and his prOportiOnate share Of
the general expense. The value Of
this arrangement will at once COM
mend itself to public attentiOR.
QeUelaHd Herald.
Year: 1877

Some men move through life as O
hand of music moves down the street,
fiinging out pleasure on every side
through the air to every one, far and
near, that can listen. Some men fill
the air with their presence and sweet
ness, as orchards i'm October days fill
the air with the perfume of ripe fruit,
Some women cling to their own
houses, like the honeysuckle over the
door, yet, like it, sweeten all the re-
gion with the subtle fragrance of THEN
goodness. There are trees of right
eousness, which are ever dropping
precious fruit around them. There
are lives that shine like star-beams,
or charm the heart like. songs sung
upon holy day.


How great q bounty and blessing
it is to hold the royal gifts of the
soul, so that they shall be music to
some, and fragrance to others, and
life to all! 1t would be no unworthy
thing to live for, to make the power
which we have within US the breath o1
other mems joys to scatter sunshine
where only clouds and shadows reign
to fill the atmosphere where earth's
weary .toilers must stand with bright.
ness which they cannot create fol
themselves, and which they long for
enjoy and appreciate.
Year: 1877

Several years ago man In Canada
attempted to hang himself, and to
make the operation doubly sure he
used a chain instead Of a rope. A
neighbor happened in the barn just at
the most interesting part of the affair,
and seizing an ak, hacked the chain
in two, thereby saving the mans life.
The man never tried hanging again,
but he sued the other party for the
price of an AK aud chain.


The Canadians naturally feel proud
of this incident, and have long locke d
upon the half hanged person as the
champion mean man of America.
However, a United States corporation
is now entitled to the badge of honor
in this line of business. The Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad has just sent
to the War Department a bill foi
transporting the United States sol.
diers over their line to quell the riot
ers. The business of the Baltimore
and Ohio road, like the man afore.
mentioned, was suspended, and now
that Uncle Sam has burst the chair
that bound it, the company wish hin
to pay for the privilege of saving it
4 life.
Year: 1877

One hundred years ago not a pond of coal nor cubic foot of Illuminating gas had been burned in the country No iron stoves were used, and no con trivances for economizing heat were employed until Dr. Franklin invented the iron-framed fireplace which still bears his name. All the cooking and warming in town and country were done by the aid of fire kindled on the brick oven. Pineknots or tallow can dies furnished the light for the long Winter nights, and sanded floors SUD- piled the place of rugs and carpets. The water used for household purposes was drawn from deep wells by the sweep. No form of pump was used in this country until after the commence ment of the present century. There were no friction matches in those early be easily kindled and if there fire went out upon the hearth over night, and the finder was damp so that the spark would not catch, the alternative re- mained of wading through the snow a mile or so to borrow brand of a neigh Dor. Only one room in any house was warm unless one of the family was i'll in all the rest the temperature was at zero during many nights in the Winter. The men and women of hundred years ago undressed and went to their beds in a temperature colder than that of our modern barns and woodsheds, and they never complained.
Year: 1877

Science gives us interesting details about what the human eye has been and what it may become. The Vedas of India, which are the most ancient writ ten documents, attest that in time the most remote, but still recorded in his tory, only two colors were known, black and red. A very long time elapsed be- fore the eye arrived at the perception of the color yellow, and still longer time before green was distinguished; and it is remarkable that in the most ancient languages the terms which designated yellow insensible passed to the significa- tion of green. The Greeks had, accord ing to the received opinion now, the perception of colors very well devel- oped and yet authors of more recent data assures us that in the time of Alexander, Greek painters had for fun damental colors only white, black, red and yellow. The words to designate blue and violet were wanting to the Greeks in the most ancient times of their history; they called these colors gray and black. It is thus that the colors of the rainbow were only distin- guished gradually, and the great Aristotle only knew four of them. It is a we'll known fact that when the colors of the prism are photographed there remains outside the limit of the blue and violet in the spectrum dis tinct impression, which our eyes do not

 recognize as color. According to phy- siologists, a time will come when the

 human eye will be perfect, so as to dis

 cern this color as well as the others.
Year: 1877

Everybody makes mistakes. Things will not always come out just as we want them, because some little wrong thing is done, or something that needs to be done is overlooked.

 We'll, what then? Shall we get dls- couraged, and let things go as they will? Some people do; but such peo- pie have hard life of it. They think themselves very unlucky, and com- plain of their hard fate.

 The little fellow who is at work on his example in multiplication finds he has made a mistake. What does he do Drop his slate and go off fretting, and wishing there were no such things as bothers ome figures? No: he is puz- zled, but he knows there is a mistake somewhere, and he means to find 1t. "Try again." is his motto. He will be- gin again and go slowly and carefully through all the work. If he does not find the mistake then. he will do the same again, running through the lines of the multiplication table in his mind or making them by additions on his slate. He will hit upon the wrong and get the right, you may be sure. ....
Year: 1877

Birds are not the only animals which migrate. The journeys of the salmon are as regular and remarkable as those of birds. The salmon lays its eggs in small shallow streams of fresh water, often a thousand miles from the ocean. These eggs are left to hatch by them selves; yet, when the little fish reach the proper age, they abandon the small streams where they were born, and begin their long trips to the ocean.

 When they reach the salt water they find abundance of food, and grow very rapidly. They remain in the ocean until the time comes for them to lay their eggs. Then in the same wonder full way, they find the mouth of the river by which they reached the ocean, and travel up it, through lakes and over rapids, falls and mill dams, some- times leaping over Instructions which are more than ten feet high.

 Having reached the shallow streams where they were born, they lay their eggs, and then return to the sea, but so thin and haggard that the fishermen at the mouths of the salmon rivers call them by different name, and it is hard to believe that they are of the same species with those which are caught while ascending the rivers. Once in the ocean, again, they quickly recover their lost strength.

 The great migrations of insects are so we'll known that we need say little about them. We all remember the army of lOcusts told about in the Bible. Within few years we have learned that our country is not free from danger of the same kind, for in the Western States swarms of grasshoppers may come before the wind, and sweep over the country, changing green fields into a brown desert, and leaving no green thing behind them. These insect mi grations, like those of the wild pigeons do not occur at any particular season, and are caused by lack of food.

 It is not generally known that our gray squirrels sometimes assemble in great troops and migrate to better country. This does not occur very often; but occasionally, when the squirrels are very abundant in region where food is scarce, they band to- gether and move straightforward, through forest and fields, until they find place where food is abundant. These, and the journeys of many other animals, show that the tendency to mi grate is not confined to birds.
Year: 1877

Wind at nights as near the same hour as possible, as you are thus less liable to forget it. Clean your key out often, as it gathers in dust and dirt in the pocket, which in winding falls into the watch in fact, this is almost the only way dust or dirt can get in. Hang watch up at night in preference to laying it down.

 No matter how well your watch runs, have it cleaned at least once in two years, not so much to get the dirt out as to get fresh oil in. The very best watch oil will dry up in less than that time, and after that the friction on the delicate parts is wearing your watch out fast. No one would let steam engine or other machinery run even a few days without fresh oil, yet many let their watches run night and day for years without drop of oil, and all at once they find they are worn out and good for nothing.

 Never let magnet come near a watch, it will ruin it quicker than fire or water-if the steel parts of a watch are once magnetized, its value as time keeper is at an an end, and no watch maker can restore it.

 To make watch run fast, move the regulator toward the F; to make it run slow, towards the $. If watch gains or loses an hour or two a day it is caused by the hairspring being thrown out of place, (which is usually caused by some sudden knock or jar;) this is easily remedied, and any one who understands it can push the spring in or out, as the case may be, with the point of a pin; any matchmaker will do it in a moment and without charge.- Waltham Watchtop.