smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

1t was plain enough to all the other
passengers on the ferry boat that the
two were in love and engaged, yet the
girl seemed to doubt his fervor Just a
little. Therefore, as the boat reached
mid-stream, she leaned over and tender
ly said:


Johnnie, I am going to test your love,
I am going to jump overheard, and if
you really love me, l know you'll jump
after me and save me-


yes, I'll jump after you,' he slowly
replied, but, but


But what, Johnnie p


But if l were you, I'd take off my
shoes first. Just the minute they haul
you out Of the water, every woman in
this crowd will rush to see whether you
wear No. 2's or No. SIS, and if you are
in your stocking feet they can't got the
size.'


The girl drew her feet in under the
chair, and sighed once or twice, and did
not regain her old enthusiasm until the
boy camo along with peanuts.
Year: 1879

No tramps here said I, and shut the
door in his face. The wind blew so
could hardly do it, and the sleet was
beating on the panes and the bare trees
were moaning and groaning as if they
suffered in the storm. No tramps here;
am lone woman, and Pm afraid Of
them"


Then the man hadn't seen yet, for
the dark, went away from the door.
Champ, champ, champ, came the man
back again and knocked at the door
knocked not half SO loud as he did be-
fore-and opened it, hot and angry.
This time saw his face, pale ghostly
face, with yellow-brown hair, cropped
close, and great staring blue eyes, and
he put his hand against the door and
held it open.


ILow near is the next house, madam p
said he.


Three miles or more, SAID j,


No. said I, mo drinks to be gotten
there. 1t is Miss Mitten's, and she is as
set against tramps as l am


Il do not want drink, said the man;
though do not want food. You need
not be afraid to let me in. / have been
wounded and am not able to walk far,
and my clothes are thin, and it is bitter
cold. have been trying to get to my
parents at Greenbank, where l can rest
till | am bettey and all my money was
stolen from me three days ago You
need not be afraid, let Inc lie just before
the fire, and only give mo g crust, to
keep me from starving, and the Lord
will bless you for it,


And then he looked at mo with his
mild blue eyes in a way that would have
made me do it if hadn't seen so much
Of these impostors. The war was just
over, and every beggar that came along
said he was a soldier travelling home,
and had been wounded and robbed.
One that l had been fool enough to help
limped away out of sight as he thought,
and then-fOr | was at the garret Win
dow-shouldercd his crutches and walk
cd with the strongest


No doubt your pocket is full of mon
ey,' said |, and you only want a chance
to rob and murder me. Go away with
YOU


Drusilla, that's my niece, was making
cakes in the kitchen. just then she
came to the door and motioned with her
mouth to me, DO let him stay, auntie,'
and if l hadn't had good sense | might,
but | knew better than a chick of six
teen.


Go away with you,' says l, louder
than before. 4 won't have this any
longer


And he gave kind fgroan, and took
his hand from the latch, and went
champ, champ through the frozen snow
again, and thought him gone, when
there was once more, hardly with u
knock at ALA feint touch like child's
now.


And when | opened the door again,
he came quite in; and stood leaning on
his cane, as pale as a ghost, his eyes
bigger than ever.


We'll, of all the impudence,' said I,


He looked at me and said:


Madam, have a mother at Greeu-
bank. l want to live to see her. l shall
not if try to so any further tonight


They all want to see their mother
and Just then it came to my mind that |
hoped that my son Charlie, who had
been real soldier, an officer he had
come to be, mind you, wanted to see
his, and would soon.


Il have been wounded, as you see,' he
said.


Don't 90 showing me your hurts
said /. They buy 'em, 50 they told me,
to 60 begging with now. read the pa
pers, tell you, and Tm priucipled, and
so is our Clergyman against giving away
Year: 1879

A gentleman being asked whether he
was seriously injured when a steam
boiler exploded, is said to have replied
that he was SO used to being blown up
by his wife that mere steam no longer
had any effect on him.
Year: 1879

tAn unloved wife, who ought to know
of that which she speaks, because she
has so much experience, says that the
reason the ladies look SO much to money
in the matter Of marriage, is that now
a-days they so seldom find anything else
in a man worth having.
Year: 1879

This is tco good to keep. Although
happening sometime since, it will bear
repeating even at this late day. A
schoolmistress in neighboring parish,
who had long been annoyed by the
perverstes of a male pupil of nineteen,
on one Of the closing days Of the last
term, kept him in and tried to 'quaran-
tinc' him. He, however, disarmed her,
and returned five kisses for each blow.
The schoolmistress, unable to forgive
this breach of discipline, looking at him
and shaking her finger in a menacing
yet appetizing manner, said:


William, l will give you precisely
fifteen minutes to stop hugging and
kissing me, and if you dare disobey me
l will punish you severely
Year: 1879

At a legal investigation of liquor
seizure, the judge asked an unwilling
witness:


what was in tho barref that you
had p


The reply was:


well, your honor, it. was marked
whisky on one end of the barrel and
Pat Duffey' on the other end, so that
can't say whether it was whisky Or Pat
Dulfey was in the barrel, being as an
on my oath
Year: 1879

HAVING JUST COMPLETED OUR ANNUAL STOCK
USUAL CUSTOM, MADE STILL FURTHER REDUC-
TIONs IN THE PRICES OF ALL sEAsoNABLE AR.
TICLLs. BEING OBLIGED TO EFFECT SALES AT
ANY SACRIFICE TO MAKE ROOM FOR OUR
WILL HAVE CAUSE TO REPROACH THEM
SELVES SHOULD THEY FAIL TO PAY VISIT
TO OUR ESTABLISHMENT AND MAKE THE
TOUR OF OUR THIRTY DEPARTMENTS, IN
OF SEAsONABLE AND FIRST CLASS GOODS,
NOT TO BE BOUGHT ELSEWHERE AT DOUBLE
THE PRICES CHARGED BY U.s.


IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF
Year: 1879

"Get aboard, old limpy," said pert
Conductor to an aged, plainly dressed
lame man, standing on the platform
Waiting for the signal to depart; 'get
aboard, old limpy, or you will be left. "


At the signal the old gentleman
quietly stepped aboard and took seat
by himself When the conductor, 10
taking up his ticket, came to him and
demanded his fare he replied:


II do not pay fare on this road"


"Then will put you off at the next
station"


The conductor passed on, and pas
ssnger who had seen the transaction
said TO him:


did you know that old gentleman


No. | did not"


"Well. it is Mr. -, the president
of this road


The conductor changed color and
bit his lips, but went on and finished
taking up the tickets. As soon as he
had doue so he returned to odd limpy
and said:


"Sir, 1 resign my position as con
ductor."


"Sit down here, young man. l dc
not wish to harm you; but we run this
road for profit, and to accommodate the
public, and we make it an invariable
rule to treat every person with perfect
civility whatever garb he wears, oil
whatever infirmity be suffers. Thi;
rule is imperious upon every one o.
our employees. shall not remove you
for what you have done, but it mus
not be repeated"


That conductor afterward never saw
among his passengers another "olc
limpy.n
Year: 1879

off the Democrats party are wise,
and especially the Southern wing of
it, they certainly caa not fail to see
what appears to US 10 be not only a
golden opportunity, but a patriotic du
ty, to settle finally aud forever the
most annoying and troublesome of all
questions in American politics, viz:
the negro question. La our opinion,
not only the party 8: good, but that of
the country, will be greatly promoted
by encouraging the negro exodus by
all fair and reasonable means. Now,
while tie eyes of the whole of Europe
are turned to our shores, let US eucour-
age the colored men to move to States
where they can avaia themselves of all
the rights and benefits to be derived
from Republican rule, and supply their
places in the Southern States with ca
pable and intelligent foreigners, who,
by the way, have neVer been in very
great favor with tho Republican party
Then each section tgill be better suited
with the character Of its labor; aud we
assure our Democratic friends that
however much they NAV cry peace
there will be no peace just, so long AZ
the colored people remain South oil
Mason and Dixon's line.


The Republicans have cluug with
desperation to the negro vote and tc
the policy of promoting a spirit of en-
nifty between the white aud black ra
ces in the South, caring not how many
Southern whites and blacks were kill.
ed, so that they we're able to keep the
outrage mill grinding for the purpose
of keeping themselves in Office.


I'VE repeat the true policy Of the
Democratic party il to encourage 'he
negro vote to go North, and to supply
/ his place with white labor from foreign
| countries. With the settlement OF thi,
question sectionalism in politics would
disappear, and the party could ther
take by the throat the rapidly growing
monster of Federalism, which will Ger
tainly strangle the life out of the Re
public if not arrested 10 time"
Year: 1879

and the cheapest. Let the public be
come convinced of this fact, and these
schools will be established. If we have
not the nerve and ability to lead in
these matters, we shall see our places
filed by teachers who have. A few
moments reflection will convince any
man that private primary schools are
much more costly than public schools.
That Fulton county already pays
enough money to private schools to
establish much better system than
We have, if it was used in a united ef
fort to build up the public school sys-
tenn. | say little ref ection will show
anyone that all the children in the
country could be educated under a
perfect working system for less money
than one third can possibly be educst
ed under our present plan. The great
effort made by the people to sustain
private schools proves that they are
interested in educational matters
What we lack is uoanimity of action.
Let teachers go to work energetically,
determine to be leaders and not mere
followers, aud we may expect to ac-
complish something.
Year: 1879

While vessel was being loaded
with barley at a wharf at Bowmanville,
Ont, on October 9Th, some boys went
up to the third st5ry of the elevator
and amused themselves by jumping
into the pin, from which the grain was
running by means of spout down to
the ground floor. One boy about,
eleven years of age, named Terry,
jumped into the shollow formed over
the hole of the spout, and being una
BILE to climb out vas drawn under the
grain aud smotheted. Attempts were
made to rescue him, but this was founu
to be impossible, land several hundred
bushels had to b$ run out on the floor
before he could be reached, taking
about two hours and a half. The pin
is about twenty FIVE feet deep, and the
boy was about ten feet under the grsiin
and standing upright when found
Life was quite extinct.
Year: 1879

A Methodist minister when preach
ing on his circuit was accustomed to
opening his meetings by singing the
hymn beginning with the words: "Not
one foot of land do l possess One
day wealthy aRd benevolent member
of his congregation, having decided to
make him present, gave him a deed
to forty acres of land, which the old
gentleman accepted. At his next meet
ing he began singing his favorite
hymn, "Not one foot of land do I pos
sess." AT this point be stopped aud
remarked TO his congregation, mo,
can't sing that hymn now" He then
gave out another hymn. and services
proceeded. The next day he went to
the gentleman who had given him the
lard and told him that he must take
back his gift, as be would rather sing
his hymn than own the land. To>day
the city of indianapolis stands on
those forty acres.
Year: 1879

The people of the South have paid
their debts, and are accumulTing
money. The individual deposits in he
Bank of Alabama are larger to day
than at any time siHce the close of the
war in 1865 The prosperity of the
South contributes to the prosperity of
the nation The South has money to
spend, and Northern manufacturers
and merchants are following and sup
porting the political leaders whose
gospel is one of hate to the South, and
whose stock in trade is defamation OF
the people of the South The city OF
Cincinnati has spent 100000 to
build a railroad to the South, aud its
Republican papers are filled day after
day with malignant falsehoods about
the Southern people-thus inviting
commercial association with bulldozers
and assassins! The Commercial and
the Gazette annually cost the business
men of Cincinnati as much as 1t ha:
cost to build the railroad to Chatta
nooga.
Year: 1879

There has never been a period in the
history of this country when suicide
was more prevalent than it has been
during the past few years. Time was
when such an act was a sensation and
nine days wonder, now il seems to
be taken as a matter of course. and
dismissed with a paragraph. The
causes that are leading to the spread
of the too prevalent crime. might af-
ford study for humanitarians. 1t is
time for public opinion to bestir itself,
and see if they cannot be rooted out
Public opinion, which can make the
memory of suicide disgraceful. can
do much if it will only make itself
felt.
Year: 1879

This fraud was so glaring that it
could not possibly escape judicial in
vestigation, and Gov. ackburn, who
says this dog case cost the State of
Kentucky a considerable amount of
money, is determined that the officers
engaged in the robbery shall be dealt
with according to law But it is i'm
possible for the Auditor to know when
claims are fraudulent where they come
indorsed by the Judge of the court
who allows the claims and otherwise
strictly in accordance with the forms
of law.
Year: 1879

For the GAZETTE.


C.P. JOHNSON, ESQ.,, EDITOR OF The
GAZETTE. Dear Sir Il am impressed
with the Importance of the city OF vii
mington being provided with record OF
births and marriages. The city chsrte',
[ think gives Council authority 10 estab-
lish by ordinance, registrar Of BIZ tbs
and marriages. Many cities Of the size,
and smaller than Wilmington have such
registrars. am satisfied such records
should at once be provided for. 1t is
very important in many instances to es-
tablish marriage or birth. People who
possess the intelligence, that is to be
found In this city should not allow mat
ters Of such importance to remain un-
provided for. 1t is duty We owe to our
children to have their births properly
registered. The old family Bible can
not belong to more than one person and
MANY times it is not taken care Of and
is lost. Where the family is large the
los, of the record may prove 10 be very
serious and cause long lawsuit. Many
p-rsons are put to trouble and expense
to prove marriage, and oftentimes fail
to give such p oof as is required by the
pension deI artment, thereby failing TO
establish their right to a pension. l
would suggest thaI an ordinance be pass
ell to axe effect ON the first of January,
1880, require,ng all persons who may
marry after Il at date to produce their
certificates of marriage to the registrar,
who shall enter it in book kept for
that purpose and endorse on the back Of
said certificate the fact 1t /, recorded,
the place and date ard attest his sigma
ture to it. Any person failing to have
their marriage registered within ten days
after such marriage shall forte t and pay
a fine Of ten dollars and cost, TO be re-
covered before tie Mayor, the fine for
the use If the city, and let 1t be the duty Of
the registrar to prosecute persons viOlat-
,ng the ordinance. The fee to said reg
istIar, for entering the marriage on said
book kept for that purpose and certifying
to the same on the back OF the certificate
of marriage, to be fifty cents, no other
fee or salary to be pad him. This will
not cost the city anything, and in all in
st ,nces a man about to get married has
a spare half dollar, and feels very i'm
portant parsonage, and will not violate
the law. In regard to births ! am of the
opiu,on that it should be managed about
the same as the registrar of deaths is at
present a"d there should be no charge


made for the registration. This can be
done by the Clerk of Council and will moi


be much cost to the city except for blan


books, &c. That in addition to his sala


ry say fifty dollars for registrar Of births
and only the fee OF fifty cents for mar


rIages to be paid by the party applying


for the registration. think it would bt


we'll for some of our prominent citizens
to give their views upon this important


subject. Yours, ..Ie


| A WELL WIsHKR OF WILMINGTON.
Year: 1879

a merchant, wishing to celebrate his
daughters wedding, collected a party
Of her young companions; they circled
around her wishing much happiness TO
the youthful bride ana her chosen one.
Her father gazed proudly on his favor
cd child, and hoped that as bright pro-
spects for the future might open for the
rest Of his children who were playing
among the guests.


Passing through the hall of the base
ment he met a servant who was carry
ing Il lighted candle in her hand with
out the candlestick. lie blamed her
FOR such conduct, and went into the
kitchen to see about the supper. The
girl returned, but without the candle.
The merchant Immediately recollected
that several barrels Of gunpowder had
been placed in the cellar during the
day, and that one had been opened.


"Where is your candle?" he inquired
In the utmost alarm.


~ couldn't bring it up with me, for
my arms were full Of wood" SAID the
girl.


where did You put it?"


"Well, I'd no candlestick, so | stuck
it in some black sand that's In the sand
barrel.


Her master dashed down the stairs /;
the passage was long and dark-his
knees threatened 10 give away under
him--his breath was choked--his flesh
seemed dry and parched, as if he alrca-
dy felt the sulOcating blast of death.
At the end of the cellar, under the very
room where his children and theil
friends were reycling in felicity, he saw
the open barrel of powder, full to the
top, the candle stuck loosely ia the
grains, with long red snuff Of burnt
wick. The sight seemed to wither all
his power. The laughter of the comp
any struck his ear like the knell Of
death. lie stood moment unable to
move. The music commenced above
the feet of dancers responded with vi
vacity; the floor shook and the loose
bottles in the cellar jingled with the
motion. He fancied the candle moving
was falling. With desperate energy
he sprans forward-but how to remove
it. The slightest touch would cause
the red hot wick TO fall into the powd-
er. With uLequalled presence Of mind,
he placed hand on each side of the
candle, pointed towards the object of
his care, which, as his hands met, was
secured in the clasp of his fingers and
safely moved away from its dangerous
position. When he reached the head of
the stairs he smiled at his previous
alarm--but the reaction was too power
full, and he fell in fits of the most vio-
lent laughter. He was conveyed to his
bed senseless and many weeks elapsed
ere his system recovered sufficient tone
to allow him to resume his business.
Year: 1879

night, were unbound, and fell like the
mantle of death over her fair bosom.
Frozen teardrOps clung 10 the silken
lashes Of her half-closed eyes. aud her
parted lips were stained with blood, as
though she had pressed frantic kisses
upon the CORY hand thar hung just
above her brow. She was cold in death.
They buried them In one grave-sad
though 1t seemed, that the beautiful
and the pure should rest beside the
SHINING and the vile.


Two years after, the formidable band
were surprised in their stronghold,
captured, aud made TO suffer the ven
geance of the law which they had so
long outraged.


The mystery that yet hung over the
affair Of the midnight attempt on the
castle Of Gaehler was then elucidated.
The captain, perceiyng one Of his men
thus imprisoned, feared that if he left
him be might reveal that which would
destroy all. He consulted a few mo-
ments with the rest, and hesitated an
instant whether he corld not cut of
the arm and strive to bear the wounded
man away, or cut OF the head and
leave him. Fear decided them, and
he was decapitated, his body despoiled
of its clothing and left.


But, wicked asthe young robber was,
there was romance about his life. He
had one day secured from unmanly
outrage a young and beautiful girl
whom one Of their band had captured.
He had obtainedpermission of his chief
to retain her as his own, and in one of
those caverns of which legend tells
many story he had given her a secure
home. There thenceforward he carried
his treasure; there he wooed and won
her. And it was this girl who had re-
turned on hearing of his death to die
by his side.
Year: 1879

This pleasing little anecdote appears in
Harper's Magazine for March: "The Hon.
G. T tells good story of slow rail
road in the northern part of the state of
New Jersey He says he went there gun
ming, and came to short line of road on
which was run single car, the forward end
of which was partitioned off for baggage.
He took his dog in the car with him and
put him under the seat. Presently the con-
ductor came along, and insisted that the dog
should go into the baggage-room, which,
after some alteration, was done but here
the baggage-master demanded fee of fifty
cents, which was denounced as 'swindle,'
a 'putup job between the conductor and
the baggage-master, and that sooner than pay
it he would tie the dog to the train and let
him work his passage The conductor as
sented, and the dog was hitched to the rear
of the train. The dog, SO T says,
kept along easily with the train, but the
conductor began to get uneasy, making fire.
quent trips to the engineer, urging him to
increase the speed of the train, and back
again to watch the effect upon the dog. The
latter began to show signs of fatigue, but
after while caught his second wind and
was keeping along as before. The con-
ductor now ordered the engineer to heave all
the coal into the furnace and stir up the fire,
which being done, the speed was perceptibly
increased. The conductor again went to
the rear of the car to observe the effect, but
the dog had disappeared, whereupon he tri-
umphantly called T-'s attention to the
fact. The latter, after taking glance at
the situation, quietly pointed to crack in
the floor of the car, and there says he,
was the dog, comfortably trotting along
under the car, and licking the grease from
one of the arle-bores >"
Year: 1879

There is a Rabbinical story which tells
the value in which pearls were held in the
early ages, only one object in nature being
thought to be placed above them: On ap-
preaching Egypt Abraham locked Sarah in
a chest that none might behold her danger
GUS beauty. But when he came to the place
of paying customs the collector said, Pay
us the customs and he said, II will pay
the customs They said to him, Thou car
riest cothes;' and he said, Il will pay for
clothes Then they said to him, Thou
earliest gold and he answered them, Il
will pay for gold On this they further
said to him, Surely thou dearest the finest
silk : he replied, Il will pay custom for the
finest silk Then said they, Surely it
must be pearls that thou takest with thee :
and he only answered, | will pay for pearls.
Seeing that they could name nothing of
value for which the patriarch was not will
ing to pay custom, they said, 1T cannot be
but open thou the box and let us see what
is within So they opened the box, and
the whole land of Egypt was illumined by
the lustre of Sarahs beauty-far exceeding
that of pearls"