smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

The political ''quacks,' having by
their charlatanism produced the
present terribly calamitous state of
affairs, are hard at work now trying
to account for it. One of their argu.
ments is that the workingmen of the
cities must all go to farming. If this
were done vho wouLd the farmers sell
their productions to2


A writer in the Minneapolis Tribune
makes another reply to this shallow
proposition:


One of your correspondents in your
issue of July 30th advises the labor.
ers and mechanics that are now seek.
ing sufficient remuneration for the
sweat of their brow to s.go and till
the SOIL Thus in manner echoing
the advice of the late lamented II.
g., Young man go west.' Yes,
'sgo till the soil, is very good advice,
Mr.. Rollins, but will you be kind
enough to inform us how that very
desirable solution to the great prob.
lem is to be carried out! Where they
are to go you can no doubt answer.
but there are few troublesome inter.
rogatories that am sorely afraid you
cannot answer. They are easily
summed up:


First-How are they to get there
Second-What are they to do when
they get there


Third-How will they obtain the
necessaries of life during the first
twelve months. or until their crops
are ready for the market!
Fourth-HoW will they get theil
crops to the market


Does your correspondent know how
much capital is required to undertake
to till the soil !! Is he aware that
horses or oxen, cattle, good farming


wagon, farming utensils. house tt
live in, and food for the family is no,
to be had for the asking! No, Mr.


Rollins. Although your argument


bears the stamp OF truth, you do no


seem to recognize the fact that ther,
are not more than two or three pei


centum of the laborers and mechanic:


of the country that are able to under
Wake the conducting of a farm.
Year: 1877

All through the West this year the
the platforms of both parties are likely
to be bad on the financial question.
The people seem to have lost the fac
ulty of calm judgement on this subject.
and are looking no deeper than the
fact that times are hard. That this is
not due to Il scarcity of money. but to
over-production. is a distinction they
do not make. Accordingly they has
ten to the conclusion that the trouble
comes from the government policy.
and hence their platforms contain a
demand for silver and the repeal of the
resumption act. This is unfortunate
Year: 1877

The Chicago Times, hard-money
hireling, is worried because the peo-
pie begin to think that the terrible
times are due to the financial policy
now in vogue. 1t says:


The inflationists are making what
capital they can out of the railroad
riots. ''Contraction, they assert, lis
at the bottom of all the troubles.
This resumption act must be repeal
ed. and silver must be remOnetiZed.
Then the country will prosper wages
will go up, and there will be work
enough for all, and good pay for the


work. Some Of the advocates of


'smoney equal to the wants Of trade:
are urging President Hayes to call
congress together in extra session as
soon as possible, for the sole purpose
of adopting their pet measures of


relief.


In the present excited state of the


public mind, this sort of talk is likely


to produce some effect. Men have an


impression that something is wrong
somewhere, and they are ready to be-
lieve the first doctor who makes a
confident diagnosis and prescription.


no matter how absurd both may be.


Men who find their wages cut down
almost to the starvation point. and
who see others ready and even anx-
ious to accept the pay with which
they are dissatisfied naturally seek re-
dress in the first instance from their
employers, and afterward, when they
come to see that others are in worse
condition than themselves. thev are
prepared to believe anybody who bold
~ assigns cause of the prevailing
troubles. without stopping to inquire
! whether the cause assigned is the
true one or not. And imitation theO-
ries at such time are specially mis-


chevious because they are advanced
by men who are supposed to be intelli-
gent-physicians, ministers, business
men, who because they have know
ledge in their respective spheres are
popularity supposed to know all about
a difficult science they have never
studied. The merchant would not


have the presumption to prescribe for
the sick. and yet the doctor who
Year: 1877

that the issue was not between hard
money and paper-mOney, but between
paper-money and no-money.


And where are the multitudinous
fools who one year ago cheered hard
money Hayes or hard-money Tilden,
and held their sides with laughter at
the exquisite jokes about the rag
baby They are holding their empty
bellies now, and would be glad to get
hold Of the greasiest shin-plaster that
ever came out Of the dirty pouch of
a beggar. ''Where be their jokes
now that were won't to set the table
in roar -
Year: 1877

knows as little of political economy
as the merchant does of medicine does
not hesitate to prescribe imitation us a
sovereign remedy for low wages and
hard times.


That is cool This editor sets him.
self up to know more than all the
lawyers, doctors, ministers and bust
ness men in the community! Where
did he get this special knowledge!
Was it by reading his exchanges !
The blind leading the blind and both
falling into the pit together.


He adds:


The facts happen to be all against
the inf1atiOnists. To begin with, there
is as much complaint of hard times in
countries where there has been no
contraction. or where there has been
imitation, us there is in this country.
In Canada times are as hard as they
are here. and yet the currency of
Canada has not been disturbed for
many years. The like is true of
Great Britain. In Germany times are
hard. although the currency of that
country was inflated Il few years ago
by the eXaction of thousand millions
of dollars from France. The French
are to-day the most prosperous people
in Europe. If not in the world although
their currency has been contracted
far more than ours. In Hayti and the
Argentine Confederation the currency
has been deluted until it is scarcely
worth five cents on the dollar, and yet
those countries are not SO prosperous
as ours. The truth is that the whole
world is in a state of industrial and
commercial collapse. and those coun-
tries that use deprecated paper
currency are in quite as bad condi-
ton as other countries.


The answer to this stuff is simply
that no other country in the world is
afflicted to the degree that the United
States is. No other civilizd land is
called upon to-day to suppress universal
riots of it's laboring population.


But let us look little farther into
this speciOus plea:--


Canada is simply IN outlying PROV
ince OF England and is affected by the
condition OF the mother country: and
England is suffering from hard times
because she demonetiZed silver. there
by reducing her currency one-half
and making every dollar of capital
invested in bonds or mortgages worth
twice what it was before. The same
IS true of Germany, and her own
statesmen trace her financial embar-
rassment to the same cause. France
has not demonetized silver, and has
not contracted her currency. and the
result is she is prosperous.


The reference to half-civilized
| Hayti and the Argentine Confedera.
tion is simply ridiculous. There are
savage tribes that have no currency OF
any kind and yet have Il rude happi
ness and plenty to eat. Does that
| prove that we would be prosperous il
all our currency was contracted out OF
existence.


| And this is the kind of b0sh that is
served up as craftsmanship by the


hirelings Of the capitalists! And they
are indignant at finding that the busi


ness men. lawyers, doctors and min


listers are beginning to think fol


themselves and and to reach other
| cOnclnSionS
Year: 1877

Clara Morris thus tells how she be-
came an actress : did not go on the
stage" she said because | had the fe-
ver | was never stage struck, and
never had the feeling that kwas acting
because | must. Perhaps the best proof
of this is that l hardly ever go to the
theatre excepting to act. Most actors
are like fish out of water when they are
away from the theatre, and when they
are not acting they go to see others act
whenever they can. But | seldom do
[ have not seen Smike;' | did not see
the Danicheffs but once, when [ had
friends at my house who wished to see
it, and have not seen any OF the Fifth
avenue plays. But when | was very
young | loved to go to theatres, and i'll
that way it happened that without any
desire to act | began acting. When
was at school one of my intimate friends
was an actress, and one day she said to
me-I was only fourteen Clara, come
to the theatre and go on in the ballet
You will have chance to be behind the
scenes and see all you want to of the
play, and you'll find it very jolly. ]
was pleased with the idea, and her moth
er coaxed my mother to consent, saying
that there was no harm in it, and that
would enjoy it greatly. So l went, and
once there | stayed. After while ]
came to be cast in small parts, and con
tinued playing, still without really in
tending to make profession of acting
But one night, when | was not expect.
ing it, | got round of applause, and
that settled it at once"
Year: 1877

II. Robinson in Appleton's Journal for July.


A somewhat amusing illustration Of
the universal passion for dress, which
forms a distinguishing characteristic
of the Blackfeet, equally with other In
dians, occurs in these trades. The fash
ionable costume Of the red man is not
generally regulated by the variable
moods of the mercurial Partisan; indeed,
it has undergone but little change since
the memory of men. Certain interest
ing specimens of the race are said to
have been attired in even less than the
vaunted Mexican costume--a shirt col


lar and a pair of spurs. | myself re-
member to have seen one chastely ap
pareled in stove-pipe hat. But it fre


quently occurs, during the trades, that
some doughty chieftain elects to appear
in more than regal magniticence before
his tribe; and for his benefit, and those
of similar tastes, the company annually
import certain ancient costumes preva-
lent in England some half century since.
The tall, stove-pipe hat, with round,
narrow brim; the snuff brown or bright
blue coat with high collar climbing over
the neck, the sleeves tightly fitting, the
waist narrow-this is the Blackfeets
ideal of perfection in dress and the no.
Bile brave who can array himself in this
antique garb struts out from the fort,
the envy and admiration of all behold
ers Often the high hat is ornamented
with decayed ostrich plume, dropping
like the shadow of great sorrow, that
has figured in the turban Of some dowa-
ger of the British Isles long years since
While the presence of trousers is con
sldered by no means essential to the
perfect finish of the costume, the addi-
ton of narrow band Of gold lace about
the coat is regarded as imparting an air
Of tone to the general effect not to be
obtained in any other way For such a
costume the Blackfeet brave will barter
his deer-skin shirt beaded, quilted, OF
namented with the raven locks Of his
enemies; his head-band of beautiful
feathers and shells; and the soft tanned
and flowing robe of buffalo skin-a dress
which adds kingly dignity to his ath-
letic form for one which Pantolooa
would scorn to wear Fortunately, the
new dress does not long survive Little
by little it is found unsuited to the wild
life which its owners leads, and. al
though never losing the originally high
estimate placed upon it. is discarded at
length by reason of the many inoolven-
fences arising from running buffalo in a
plug hat, and fighting in a swallow-tail
coat against the Greeks
Year: 1877

A Masonic lodge in Indiana was pre-
sided over by master who had an ex-
aggerated notion of discipline. One
night he met his lodge in called meeting
(not member absent) to instruct them
in the work. Teaching them the use of
the gavel, he had just called them up
with three knocks, when he leaned too
far back, fell through to the ground four
stories and broke his neck. Picked up
next morning, he was buried decently,
but not Mason came to the funeral.
More strange still, not Mason appear
ed any more in the village. 1t was mex
plicable Forty women left widows, two
hundred and twenty children left orph-
ans, eighty-four merchants left in the
lurch with unpaid bills. Twenty years
after that somebody went up to the
fourth story, broke open the door and
beheld the lodge lodge of skeletons!
Strange but true, they had strictly obey
ed the orders of the NJ. W., and waiting
for the knock to seat them, had starved
to death. Each was standing in an atti-
tude of respectful silence each was
standing in a sort of respectful atten-
ton, looking to the east, and had not
pitying citizens taken them down they
would have been standing there still,
Such is life.
Year: 1877

Captain Gunson, of the ship Patter.
dale, relates a thrilling story of the
escape of one of his ships boys from the
NAV Of shark. The ship was in the
tropics, with wind enough to keep the
sails from Topping, and one of the ap-
prentices was over the weather side,
cleaning of. The Captain, standing on
the poop deck, noticed that the boy was
careless, and warned him to look out
for himself and not tumble overheard.
The ship was going about three knots an
hour, and the sea almost as calm as a
mill. pond. The lad, in a moment OF
carelessness, lost his balance, and fell
from the platform slung over the side.
him a ladder, which the boy grasped
and clambered up on the rounds as the
ship left him astern.


No sooner had the boy settled himsel!
on the ladder than brace of large blue
sharks ranged up along aside, and ac-
tually reared their heads out of the
water in their eagerness 10 get taste OF
the young sailor. The boy screamed
Justify and grew half frantic from terror.
The ship was hove to and boat was
lowered. Still the boy hung on the lad
der, trying to keep his legs free from the
swapping of the vicious sharks, which
seemed actually to jump out of the
water to get at him. After some twenty
five minutes of horrible suspense boat
was lowered and he got into it. As soon
as the boy found himself safe he tainted.
1t was fearfully narrow escape.
Year: 1877

ABOUT fety years ago family named
Bubier went into the Maine forest, north
of Lewiston, and cut themselves of COM
pletely from civilization. Recently they
were discovered by correspondent Of
the Boston Globe. Their novels were scat
tered about in the patches of cleared
land which they had made. The vagrant
family had multiplied into several
families, including over fifty persons, and
was dwelling in poverty, ignorance and
sloth. The log houses were unprovided
with any thing that could contribute
to human comfort. There was no furni-
ture except blocks and pieces Of log But
one person could read, and he wouldn't.
Not book or scrap of printed paper was
to be found in the place. None Of the
younger generation had ever been to the
nearest town. All were profoundly
ignorant of the world, and devoid of
either religion or morality. They OBJ
tanned precarious subsistence from such
scanty crops as their lazy habits prompted
them to obtain, and from the game of
the forest and the fish of Dead River. In
short, the Bubiers, under the influence
of nature and solitude, had relapsed into
a barbarism more depressing than that of
the savages that dwelt in those woods
three centuries ago.
Year: 1877

A curious experiment was tried re-
Gently on the son of Sir Benjamin Brodie.
The lad had contrived to break needle
in the calf of his leg. He was taken to
the Royal Institution, London, and a
powerful electro-magnet was used to de-
tect the position of the needle, and posi-
bility of moving it. The exact position
was indicated by The disturbance of a
magnetized needle, but no change could
be produced in its position. After the
experiment, however, the limb could be
moved about, the pain having ceased,
and finally the broken needle having
shifted to the other side of the leg, as
was shown by the index attached to the
magnet, it came sufficiently near the sur
face to be extracted. The experiment,
though giving negative result 30 far as
drawing the needle was concerned, was
30 far satisfactory that 1t enabled the
lad to use his leg without pain.
Year: 1877

An examination of the cables of the
Niagara Suspension Bridge has been
made, and some of the weak points of the
structure have been revealed. The cables
at each end of the bridge, before they are
anchored in the pit, are divided into
seven strands, each strand numbering
five hundred and twenty wires, and ter
minating in collar" which is fastened
to the anchor-bar. On examining those
strands it was found that nine of the
wires on the under side Of the collar "
had corroded and parted. These, it is
said can easily be replaced by splicing.
One piece of the corroded wire, about
three feet in length, has teen removed,
and it was found capable of sustaining
one thousand three hundred and fifty
pounds, and drew down to half its size
before parting. None of the wires on the
bridge have as yet shown any tendency
to elongation, and when a weight is re-
moved from the bridge return to their
normal condition with the natural
spring.
Year: 1877

PUBLIC indignation has been excited
in England by the treatment that a
patient with hydrophobia received in
the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. A dog was
purposely put where he could see 1t, SO
that the surgeons might watch the effect,
which was TO throw him into violent con.
vulsions. His horror of water was in
tense, yet they poured water from one
vessel to another in his hearing, and
sprinkled his face. On recovering from
the ensuing spasms he protested against
the cruelty; but they continued their
experiments by tanning him and blow
ing in his face, which made him incoher-
ent and maniacal. The Lancet says that
no new knowledge of the disease could
be learned by these things, 90 that 1t was
no excuse for them. The surgeons are
likely to be prosecuted.
Year: 1877

Are you hurt?" she asked. Chow
terrible r'


"My dear madame" he found power
to say, "it is for the good of the pro-
fession. / fancy have broken all my
bones," and then he tainted.


When he came to himself two elderly
surgeons were beside him, and Miss
Squills stood at the head of the couch
on which he lay, with handkerchief to
her eyes. He found on inquiry that he
had broken leg and rib, and was not
to be moved on any account.


~ shall be great nuisance" he said, !,
looking at Miss Squills, but she replied !:


i shall be very glad to do all l can
for you and so will old Maggie; we are
both telerable nurses"


Waverly's case was dangerous enough
to demand much of the doctors
time, but yet there were many hours in
which the young lady ministered to his
comfort. As he grew better, she read
to him and sang to him. A very deli
cate and charming girl she seemed.


Much against his will, Waverly fell in
love with her; go much in love, that
even the remembrance of their first three
interviews could not chill him. Besides,
there was a lurking suspicion in his
mind that there was a mystery about the
affair which he had not fathOmed.


At last, growing cOnvalescent enough
to think of travelling homeward once
more, he found himself, perhaps for the
last time, tete-a-tete with his hostess,
and out came this abrupt remark:


If we could only undo the past,
how glad we should be sometimes"


I" Yes, indeed" said Miss Squills.


For instance, should never write
the resignation of your hand again."
said Waverly.


"And I would not play my farce over
again." said Miss Squills. "Well, at
least. l can confess the truth: lam no
doctor. l wanted to disgust you, and
Maggie was in my secret. was 80 afraid
you wouldn't refuse me, / wanted to
make myself as dreadful as possible"


I" And now am afraid you will refuse
me-" said Waverly.


Then both sat very quiet for awhile.
At last he arose and went to the sofa
where she sat and took seat beside
her.


think our mothers were the most
sensible people in the world when they
betrothed us. They knew just how l
should love you."


II think they were foolish" said
she; for how could they guess that l
should"


She paused. He kissed her. And
had Mrs. Wickerly been clairvoyant,
she would have seen at that moment
that her romantic hope would certainly
be fulfilled.
Year: 1877

POPULAR suffrage has been put to
novel test in village of Ava, Japan,
which was harassed by midnight rob
ber, whom nobody could detect. The
head of the hamlet summoned the entire
male populstion under his charge and
directed every man to write the name OF
the person whom he suspected and to de-
posit the ticket in box. Fifteen ballets
bore the name of Abe Taniher, the rest
being blanks. The distrusted man was
30 overcome with astonishment that he
made full confession and went to prison.
Year: 1877

The question arising in a Sunday
school as to why God created all the
animals of the field and sea and air be-
fore man, no one gave a solution TO 1t
until little boy said: "I know; it's
because he didn't want the man hanging
around while he was making EN-"
Year: 1877

Policeman (stopping hack-driver):
"LOok here, now, DOM you know
there's an ordinance requiring every
carriage to have lantern at night Z
Hack driver: "An' sure, what made
have l of lantern at all, at all? Can
ye not see fur yourself, sir, that me
horse is bloindY


He was taken sick in the night,
and in her youthful ignorance she
made two mustard plasters and put
one on his chest and one between his
shoulders, and then, horrid sarcasm |!
she asked him how he felt. But he
was a well-bred man, and merely
said that he realized with a tenders
ness he had never known before the
true position of sandwich in the
community,


He was a singularly grave man
even for a sexton. For nearly half
century he had been a public func-
tionary-had performed the conspic-
uous duties af a sexton; yet no one
had ever seen him smile Occasion-
ally he joked, but he did it in such
a funeral manner that no one could
accuse him Of levity, One day he
was standing on the church steps
wiping his melancholy features with
red bandanna. A hearse stood
near, and three or four carriages were
Year: 1877

ODoR FROM PERsPIRATIoN.-Th
unpleasant odor produced by perspira-
tion is frequently the source of vexa-
ton to persons who are subject to 1t.
n othing is simpler than TO remove
this odor much more effectually than
by the application of such ingredients
aud perfumes as are i'm use. 1t is only
necessary TO procure some OF the COM
pound spirits of ammonia and place
two tablespoonfuls in basin of water.
Washing the face. hands and arms
with this leaves the skin as clean and
fresh as any one could wish. The
wash is perfectly harmless and very
CHEAP. 1t is recommended on the au-
thority of an experienced physician
EJ
Year: 1877

A letter from Fort Fetterman tells
the story of young hero who, alone
and single handed kept a band of In
dians at bay for two days in sort Of
natural redoubt of stone. When found.
he was dead, and on his body were
thirteen wounds. The photograph Of
a handsome young lady was found on
his person with the name mamie"
written at the bottom. Attached TO
it was lock of hair tied with a bit OF
ribbon. There was no clue to the
young mans name or place of resi-
drnce, but the picture of the lady was
taken in Chicago. The soldier who
found the body buried it in a nameless
grave and carved on tree near by,
"Mamie's Friend, May 20, lS77n