smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

By the advice of the Executive Council, do here
by appoint Thursday, the twenty-ninth day
of November, instant, as a day of Public
Thanksgiving and Praise to our Father in Heaven.
for his great goodness to the people of this State in
the year that is closing While uniting with our
fellow countrymen upon that day, at the invitation
of the Presden of the United States, in solemn a
knowledgment ofthe Divine favorwherewith our land
has been best, let the peace and pros perity and
exemption from every i'll which, our Statehas enjoyed
in marked degree. be specially remembered before
Him with reverent thanks and gladness. May the
hearts of all be moved to make this customary ser
vice earnest offering of gratitude and devotion,
and an occasion for befriending those who are in
need.


Given at the Council Chamber, at Augusta, this
eighth day of November, in the year OF our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven,
and of the independence OF the United States OF
America the one hundred and second.


SELDEN CONNOR.
By the Governor:


S. J. CHADBoURNE, Secretary of State.
Year: 1877

MAINE was sound on the resumption re-
peal bill, not a representative from this State


voting for repeal. The reason is that allsour
representatives are Republicans. A solid Re-
publican delegation is our only safe reliance.
Year: 1877

Liberal Advances made on Personal Property
to any amount and for any time desired on very
rea sOnable terms.


Also, Goods sold on Commission.


large stock OF Goods on hand, (new and sec
ond.hand,) sold very low for cash. ja6-tf
Year: 1877

their brethren who run factory or otEf-
er stationary engines. Whenever any
bill requiring the railroad companies
to employ only competent men has
been likely to pass Legislature the
railroad lobbyists have defeated it.
You will find no statute in this coun-
try to prevent the railroads from put
ting i'll charge Of the train you intruss
yoGr life to the veriest botch or drunk
ard that can be found. If the news
papers want to do a good work, let
them demand and secure the passage
Of such a statute as will oblige the
companies to employ at least this sim
pie requisite to safety"


do not the best managed roads
now find it pays best to employ good
competent men"


"Some Of the companies are begin
ming to find it out, but the majority Of
them take on all the men they can pick
up who will work cheaper than skill.
ed engineer"


"Is not travelling at night always
more dangerous than by daylight"


NOG dlWdyS' -OHueT some CITCum-
stances l suppose it might be. But 1
would rather take my engine over the
road at night. l have run night ex-
press for years and prefer it to any
thing else. An engine always works
better at night, for some reason. They
say it is so with all machinery. Iknow
it is always so with locomotive. An
engineer who is familiar with his road
knows just as we'll where he is at night
as when he can see. I can tell by the
sound Of the wheels on the track about
where | am Oh the road. | can see
danger signal further off at night than
in daylight. l tell you, sir, there is
always danger in our business. and
there ought to be law forbidding the
companies employing any man to run
an engine who has not passed an ex
animation and received license. The
newspapers can make 'cm apd they
ought to do it,
Year: 1877

A little band of struggling, needy
patriots, half clad, poorly fed, with
only a few dollars in the national
treasury. To-day the sun of one
hundred and one years breaks upon
the land-wherever it isn't storm
ing-and where do we stand? A
billion dollars in debt.


The Fourth of July was invented
by a man whose name is dear to all
American hearts-George Washing
ton. BY an ingenious arrange
ment the Fourth OF July was so
contriyed by the inventor that it
would always fall on rainy day.
1t has missed it only once in the
past twelve hundred years, and on
that once it hailed all day. The
Fourth of July was not the only
Invention Of this great and good
man. He invented name that
will fit two-thirds OF the boys OF
every generation in America. A
grateful people never forget the
fact, and Washington, when at the
zenith Of his power, was nominated
by acclamation for the capital oI
the United States. Washington
was once discovered praying al
Valley Forge, and from the great
stress laid upon the incident by all
historians, it is judged that it was
the only time anybody ever caught
him praying. He was a brave
good man, but he dressed too much
like member of a base ball clut
to be elected President in these
DAYS.
Year: 1877

A Masonic lodge in Indiana was
presided over by a master who had


an exaggerated notion Of discipline.
One night he met his lodge in
called meeting mot a member ab-


sent) 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 bloke his neck.
Picked up next morning, he was
buried decently, but not Mason
came to the funeral. More strange
still, not a Mason appeared any
more in that village. 1t was mex
Year: 1877

An English farmer has recently been
compelled to pay the costs of practical
joke. He was sitting in the barroom of
the Greyhound inn one night and taking
his usual tankard of ale, when his eye
CHANGED to fall on the sleeping form of a
man with long beard. He went to the
fire, and, Lighting piece of paper,
deliberately applied it to the sleeping
mans beard. There was bright, rush
ing flame for second OF two; the man
sprang to his feet in agony; the joke
was complete, and the farmer roared in
ecstacy. The unfortunate sufferer, who
happened to be the village tailor, knew
that the farmer was a man of substan-
tial means, and acted accordingly. He
brought an action for $3.50 damages in
the Malmesbury county court in due
course. According to the plaintiff S
evidence, his beard was eighteen inches
long when he laid down, after having
some ale. The next thing he remember
ed was his face being on fire, while a
man helped to put out the flame. The
defendant sat in his seat roaring with
laughter, and did not offer any assist
ance nor did he tender any apology for
what he had done. His lips were burned
severely, his face was blistered, his
beard, eyebrows, and eyelashes were
burned to the skin, and one eye and one
ear were scorched. The magistrate
awarded him $3.50 and costs.
Year: 1877

There are some human tongues which
have two sides, like that of certain
quadrupeds, one smooth, the other very
rough.


The passing years drink portion of
the light from our eyes, and leave their
traces on our cheeks, as birds that drink
at lakes leave their footprints on the
margin.


He who writes against the abuses of
the age in which he lives, must depend
on the generosity Of the few for his
bread, and the malice of the many for his
fame.


Benevolence does not measure it's
charities too nicely. The clouds never
send down to ask the grass and plants
below how much they need; they rain
for the relief of their own full bosoms.


If the spring puts forth no blossoms,
in summer there will be no beauty, and
in autumn no fruit. So if youth be
trified away without improvement, ripper
years will be contemplate, and old age
miserable.


A young girl, scarcely yet awake to
the mysteries OF her hature, and t1utter-
ing over the first demonstrations of love.
is like child sporting ON the ripping
strand of the sea, when high tide is
about coming in.


He who goes through a land, and
scatters blown roses, may be tracked
next day by their withered petels that
strew the ground; but he who goes
through it, and scatters rose seed, a
hundred years after leaves behind him a
land full of fragrance and beauty for his
monument, and as heritage for his
daughters and sons.


AS there are some faults that have
been termed faults on the right side, SO
there are some errors that might be
denominated errors on the safe side.
Thus, we seldom regret having been too
mild, too cautious, or too humble but
we often repent having been too violent,
too precipitate, or too proud.
Year: 1877

A marriage was arranged between two
young people living some distance apart,
near Bengal, India, but who had never
seen one another. The bridegroom duly
arrived at the brides village, and the
ceremonies had actually begun, wht n a
report reached the bride and her mother
that the intended husband was an incur
able cripple. They both declared that
they would commit suicide rather than
complete the ceremony, and as it was a
fact that the would-be bridegroom was a
cripple, he was dismissed. But, accord
ing to the prevailing superstition, eter-
nal disgrace would have attended the
bride if she had not been married ON that
day when matters had progressed so far.
So, another bridegroom had to besought,
and after searching the highways and by
ways boy was captured and duly mar
ried in the place of the cripple. The
latter being in the same plight, had also
to provide himself with bride before
the day closed, and thus there we're two
marriages instead of one.
Year: 1877

One of our most excellent city physi-
clans, says the st Joseph (Mo.) Herald,
has the popularity of being exceedingly
absent-minded. The other morning,
when dressing himself, he discovered
something unusually heavy in his vest
pocket. Upon examination it proved to
be a valuable gold watch. He not
being the owner of such an expensive
article, it puzzled him to know how it
came there. After few moments re-
Election he remembered attending
lady patient the day before, and for
timing her pulse, had asked the use of
her watch. He returned in haste and
delivered it to the owner, who had been
alarmed, believing it to have been stolen.
One of the hottest days of the season
his wife laid out clean vest for him to
change before he went out. In few
minutes he was ready to go, and put
the clean vest on, went to his Office, and
remarked to friend that it was exceed
ingly hot. His friend agreed with him,
but wanted to know how many vests he
was in the habit of wearing at
time. He had on two.
Year: 1877

My loving bride no jewels hath


Save one plain ring she wears,
Few roses strew her daily path


OF humble household cares;
To deck her head with gorgeous plumes
No bird of beauty mourns,
No wondrous weft of cunning looms
Her graceful form adorns;
But she's the bright breast jewel of
My busy, toiling life,
Whose wish is but to live and love
As helpmeet and as wife.
White Is her gown at morn-a fair,
Soft robe at evenings hour,
And, if aught she wear in her dark hair,
'Tis simple wildwood flower;
But, oh the kiss that bids me forth,
Light-hearted, to my work,
Surpasseth all the flowers of earth
That in the greenwood lurk,
And the glance that lights me home at last,
When the days long task is through,
Is sweeter then is sunward cast


From violets dashed with dew.
From her soft arms our baby spreads
Its chubby hands, and crows,
The glancing freight round their heads
Its sanity halo throws;
And sometimes, when see them SO,
Or in the doorway stand,
Touched by the sunsets rosy glow,


With peace on every hand,
My thoughts revert, with reverent love,
Unto the picture mild
That Raphael wrought so purely of
Madonna and her child.
Few are the hours We snatch from toll,
Bread-winners in the strife
We've little of the corn and oil,


And all the cares of life;
Yet whiffs we have of country air


Sometimes on afternoons,
With the birds and flowers, in park and square
That are such grateful boons;
And we envy not the rich and proud,
Whose teams and coaches gay
We yet may watch, and swell the crowd
That lines their flashing way.
And, best of all, We never NOPE


Apart in grief-alone;
When heart to heart speaks comfort, hope
Ne'cr quite deserts her throne.
Hard times upon us often press,


We've bread, and little more,
But whatever cup of bitterness


May be for me in store,
know my wife will drain her part,


Though it mantles dark and high,
And know the love that brims her heart
Will never. never die!
Year: 1877

The musical critic of one of the New
York papers, having been compelled to
leave town suddenly on the eve of con-
cert by The Philharmonic Society, con-
frere on the sporting department kindly
volunteered to take his place for the even
ing. His work, whatever his shortcomings
in artistic sense, certainly lacked nothing
in originality, and we commend his style to
some of the musical critics. Hear him:
'Frime was called exactly at eight o'clock
and about fifty bugles, flies and fiddles en-
tered for the contest. The fiddles won
the toss and took the inside, with the chan
deliers right in their eyes. The umpire
with q small club acted as starter. just
before the start he took up cheese box
with small lunch counter before him, and
shook his stick at the entries to keep them
down. The contestants first socked it to
Landlice Hochzeit, by Goldsmith, Op. %.
They got off nearly even, one of the sor-
rel fiddles gently leading. The man with
the French Horn tried to call them back,
but they settled down ITO a sogging gait,
with the big roam fiddle bringing up the
rear. At the first quarter the little black
but the iiddIes' left kept weII U0geth5r aiIu
struck up a rattling gate. At the half pole
the man with the straight horn showed
signs of fatigue. There was a bobtailed
flute which wressled sadly with the sorrel
bugle at the half mile, but he was wind
broken and wheezed. The galoot with the
big fat bugle, kept calling whoa all the
time, but he seemed to keep up with the
rest until the end of the race. They all
came under the string in good order, but
the Judge on the cheese box seemed to re-
serve his opinion. He seemed tired and
the contestants went out to find the bottle
holders, and get ready for the Beethoven
handicap. It was a nice exhibition, but
little tiresome to the observers. All bets
are off.-Newark Courier.
Year: 1877

A rather sensational story comes from
Russia. The greatest poet of the Empire
of the Cars (and there is a good deal of
poetry both in Russian life and Russian lit
erature) was q man of the name of Poush-
kline. His wife was not very faithful to
him, and one evening, while Frenehman
of the name Of Dantez, whom he suspected,
was at his house, he put out the lamp, as
If by accident. and kissed his wife, asking
her pardon for the mishap. Taking advan-
tage of the darkness, he had quickly black
ened his lips with charcoal before kissing
her, and then went out of the room with
the lamp to light it again. When he came
back Dantez had his lips all black. The
next morning duel took place, in which
the poet was killed. Dantez was banished
from Russia, while the widow, after a few
years repentance, married the son of the
Minister, Count Lanskoy, by whom she had
daughter This daughter married GEM
eral Hartung, who recently shot himself in
consequence of a verdict of guilty returned
in a criminal suit brought against him by


r +
the wife of "a money lender of ths name of
Sanftleben. It appears that the General
had borrowed large sums of money from
the Jewish capitalist at the moderate rate
of 200 per cent. per annum. In consequence
of these amiable transactions an intimate
friendship sprang up between the creditor
and the debtor, and the former appointed
the latter executor of his will. at Sanftle-
ben's death Gen. Hartung took possession
of all his papers, and destl Dyed all the bills
bearing his own signature. When it be-
came known to the deceased's widow she
brought an action against him. Count
Lanskoy, the Generals father. in-law, was
also indicted, but the jury acquitted him,
returning a verdict of guilty against the
General, who blew his brains out in the
very court room as soon as the verdict was
returned, and before the Judge had time to
pronounce sentence.-N. Z. Sun.
Year: 1877




Woodchucks is very curious animal
It is made of hair and eyes, and las two
front teeth, and can see man with gun
when it's eyes are shut and bolted. / have
seen dog shake woodehuck till both
were black in the face. A woodchuck can
snivel up his nose, and show his teeth, and
look as homely as can without trying.
They sit on one end and eat with the
other. A woodchuck can get home faster
than gun can shoot He is round all over
except his feet, which are black. When
eaten they retain the favor of their nests,
and seem to have been cooked without be-
ing pared. A fat woodchuck, when eaten
properly, is no laughin' matter. They
come under the head of domestic ami
mals,'' and think there amt no place like
home when dog goes for one of 'em.
Year: 1877

A BRAVE OFEIcER. one of the re-
cent skirmishes near Plevna, a young Rus
sian officer was seen standing just behind
one of the batteries waving his sword and
boldly encouraging his men to stand their
ground. Over and over again he rallied
the troops who were pouring out of the
trench, but it was no use; the fire was too
heavy for any human being to stay and
live, and at last he stood for more than a
minute absolutely alone, save for the dying
and dead piled in heaps around. It could
only end one way amid the storm of bullets
which were raining around him thick as
hail; one at last found its way to that noble
heart, and he fell dead. AS the Turks
swept over the parapet and dashed past the
spot where lie lay, the colonel struck by
the boys extraordinary courage and deYo-
tion, gave orders that he shoaid be decent
y buried. In the evening he reported to
the commanner-in-chief that the body was


:; -+7sx
that of a girl f.e ag
Year: 1877

An adjourned meeting OF the Direct United States
Cable Company will l,c held on Monday next. The
decision yesterday OF the Master of the Rolls docs
not contain any opinion or dictum on any other
point than that regarding the counting OF the
rejected votes. The Master said he would
express no opinion rs TO the probable
effect of the resolution and amendment lie would
merely decide that the amendment was lost ana tho
resolution carried and restrain the defendants from
doing anything contrary TO, or In any manner ncon-
sisent wih the Instructions 10 the directors CON
tanned in the resolution until some other resolution
shoul be come TO. This leaves The question Of
the legality Of the attempted fusion stlll open.


The Dduy Ne,rS, in It's financial article Gays
amalgamation cannot be carried out until the Di.
rect United States Cable Company goes into liqui.
dation, and the consent Of thrcc.fourths OF its
stockholders Is necessary TO ltquidatc.
Year: 1877

When a Russian merchant becomes
rich, he builds for himself fine house
or buys and thoroughly repairs the house
of some ruined noble, and spends money
freely on inlaid floors, gigantic mirrors
malachite tables, grand pianos by the
best makers, and other articles of furni-
ture made of the most costly material.
Occasionally-especially on the occasion
of marriage or death in the family
he will give magnificent banquets, and
expend enormous sums On gigantic ster-
lets, choice surgeons, foreign fruits,
costly delicacies. But all this lavish,
ostentatious expenditure does not affect
the ordinary current of his daily life.
AS you enter those gaudily- furnished
rooms you can perceive at a glance that
they are not for ordinary use. You no
tice rigid symmetry and an indescriba-
BILE baroness which inevitably suggests
that the original arrangements of the
upholsterer have never been modified or
supplemented. The truth is that by far
the greater part of the house is used only
on state occasions. The host and his
family live down stairs in small. dirty
reoHss, furnished in a very different, and
for them more comfortable style. At
ordinary times the fine rooms are closed,
and the fine furniture carefully covered.
If you make giSite de pOLitesSe after an
entertainment at which you have been
present, you will probably have some
difficulty in gaining admission by the
front door. When you have knocked or
rung several times, some one will preba-
bly, come round from the back regions
and ask you what you want. Then fol-
lows another long pause, and at last foot
steps are heard approaching from within.
The bolts are drawn, the door is opened,
and you are led up to spacious drawing
room. AT the wall opposite the win
dOws there is sure to be sofa, and before
it an oval table. At each end of the
table, and at right angles to the sofa,
there will be a row of three arm-chairs.
The other chairs will be symmetrically
arranged round the room. In a few
minutes the host will appear, in his long
double-breasted black coat and well pol
ished long boots. His hair is parted in
the middle, and his beard shows no trace
of scissors or razor. After the customary
greetings have been exchanged, glasses
of tea, with slices of lemon and preserves,
or perhaps a bottle of champagne, are
brought in by way of refreshment. The
female members of the family you must
not expect to see, unless you are an in
innate friend; for the merchants still
retain something of that female seclusion
which was in vogue among the upper
classes before the time OF Peter the
Great. The host himself will probably
be an intelligent but totally uneducated
and decidedly taciturn man. About the
weather and the crops he may talk
huently enough, but he will not show
much inclination to go beyond these
topics.-From Russia, By D. Mackenzie
Wdldce.
Year: 1877

There is no Turkish home-life. BY


home-life, / understand the frequent


gathering together-under the same roof,


and in the same room, of the members


of family, and all the influences and


attendant circumstances which such fire.


quent gatherings imply. The Turkish


house consists of two parts, one for men
called the selamlik, and the other for


women called the haremlik These are


usually the two wings of the house, and


are commonly altogether separated from
each other by a central hall. Thus the


men have their part of the house and the


woman theirs. Neither is allowed, with
out permission to enter the territory of
the other. In Turkish house, the men
and women do not take their meals to-
gether do not sit around a table, and
can hardly be said to feed decently. 1t
is quite possible for men and women
who do not know the use of fork TO be
very clean about their food, but the use
of fork is a great step toward cleanli-
ness in eating. A Turk holding con-
siderable position in the state will take
handful of boiled rice from the common
dish, and after having squeezed all the
water out by working it well in his hand,
will put the lump into the mouth of a
RuesJ as mdIk Vi peCulldI ldNOI. lueIo
is a slovenliness about Turks at their
meals which is probably due to the fact
that men and womenI do not take their
meals together. The object of the meal
is solely to eat. Small tables, usually
without cloths, the dishes ready for
every ones fingers, and the absence of
score of small conveniences which
every European tables furnishes, could
only be tolerated by people who get
their meals anyhow. What is said of
breakfast applies equally to the other
meals during the day. The civilizing
effect upon household of requiring all
the members to meet together, the atten-
ton which has to be given to dress, and
to certain proprieties of life, the conver-
sation which takes place, are all so
many influences which the Turkish house
is entirely without. The truth is that
the separation of the women from tho
men absolutely destroys every thing
worth speaking Of as home life, and
causes the life Of Turk in his own
house to be utterly wearisOme and stupid.
Cor. London Times