smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

II cannot conceive" said Frank, chow 80
deep mystery can have hung over an event
of this sort. Nobody seems to know any
thing that can be of the slightest use. be.
lieve, if this had happened in London, the
matter would have been sifted to the bottom
long ago."


$50 think too, sir; and yet the detective
force here is very sharp. You see my going
away was the main trouble. Ofcourse, if I'd
stayed on the spot, my evidence would have
been everything to them and I'd have given
it without scruple, as soon as I'd known from
the advertisements, and so on, that something
was wrong, though was bound to secresy."


"Have you given it since you came back p


"Oh, YES, I've told em all I know, but it
seems to come too late"


Chow long did the people stay in that
house, after it happened? Is it known r
asked Frank.


"After the lady was taken there, you mean,
sir? I'm not sure if it's known; anyhow, it
couldn't have been long. A matter of few
weeks only, l believe" ....s


And this was all that Frank could learn
from his present informant, of whom-unrea-
sonably, perhaps-he had expected much
more. One thing he felt assured of, and that
was, that Rexford was exceedingly anxious
to have the truth found out Of the mans
innocence in the unhappy affair be had no
doubt.


"Well," he said, at the conclusion Of the
interview" since you have told me all you
can tell, there is no use in our talking any
longer about it; but you can do one thing
Year: 1879

Rather than walk down six flights of stairs in a New York hotel four servant girls attached to the place determined to ride down the slender trunk elevator. The four managed to squeeze into the dummy and one of them started the ele- vator. As it reached the fifth story something snapped with a report like a pistol, and the dummy with it's heavy load shot down the shaft with whirr that did not seem to occupy seconds time. The cooks rushed to the kitchen door, which is opposite the mouth ofthe shaft in the basement, and were just in time to see the dummy strike the stone floor with noise like the stroke of a trip hammer. Katy Callaghan and Annie Fogarty were thrown out on their faces, and in such a manner that when the dummy rebounded their legs fell under it. The great wooden box bounded ten feet into the air. then the rope snapped, and the box fell again with a heavy noise, this time upon the limbs of the prostrate women. Nellie Brown and Mary Jane McGinnis were thrown out upon the bodies of their mangled companions when the dummy fell the second time.

 The proprietor, Mir. Carpenter, heard the whirr and crash of the falling box, and hastened down stairs. He ordered beds brought down, and the women were laid upon them, two of them in the laundry and two in the servants dining room. Mrs. Carpenter did whatever could be done for the suffering women, and her husband ran to the New York Hospital and notified the surgeon of what had occurred. In ten minutes Dr. pital, reached the hotel with his as- sistants and an ambulance. The frac- tured limbs were put in splints, and the other injuries were attended to before the patients were removed to the hos pital All four were terribly injured, two of them dying on the third day after the accident.
Year: 1879

The Washington correspondent of the Louisville Coatricr-JOatr7aGt says: Mem bers of Congress are constantly puzzled as to how correspondents get hold of their secret proceedings in caucus. After the last caucus there was pretty cor rect report given in one paper of the sub jects reported from one of the committees and presented for discussion. It was afterward learned that the chairman of the committee had made some notes in regard to the subjects presented to the caucus. When they adjourned he tore the paper to pieces and threw them in the waste-paper basket. When all had departed an enterprising reporter entered the hall and began a search for items. He saw the bits of paper and carefully collected all of them, then he retired and skillfully fitted the particles together. Next he visited committeeman and asked the clerk if that was the hand writing of the chairman, He went from one to the other, until he fixed upon the member whose writing he held. Next morning his paper had pretty correct report of the proceedings in secret eau GUS. Many think it would be better if the caucus would give correct news to the papers, and thereby avoid the many imaginary reports which correspondents send out as news. A prominent paper published a sensational report which. am told, had not shadow of truth for a foundation When the correspondent was taken to task about it, he said, < was obliged to send something to my paper, and, if you will not give me news. there is nothing to do but invent. l would nrofar the truth, but you leave me no alternative"
Year: 1879

A correspondent of the Chicago Trt btt'le writes from Baskerville, Ia., as fol- lows: Something of a sensation was caused here on the 10th, at or near five o'clock, by the falling of a meteor. The sun was shining, and only occasionally a 1eecy cloud visible, when all at once, far up in mid-air. there was n loud report resembling the discharge of cannon, only louder, followed soon by another resembling heavy blast, which was followed by one or two more reports that might have been the echo from the first; then, for a minute or so, there was a rumbling sound, seemingly passing from northeast to southwest, as near as I could judge from the location was in. About two miles north Mir. Charles Ega was at work planting corn when the explosion came. Looking in the di- rection of the report, he could not see anything on account of the sum- but. following with his eye the direction of the roaring sound that followed, he saw dirt thrown up to some height in the edge of a rayine a hundred rods or so to the north-northeast of where he was at work. Mir. John Barber also reports a similar appearance hundred rods or so further in the same direction. Further observations were made by $. W. Brown, who lives three-fourths ofa mile nOfIn or nere- lie was Tn the edge Of the timber, looking in a northwesterly direction into the tops of some oaks. to see if there were going to be any acorns, the direction being quartering to the sun; he saw n red streak, and was look ing attentively at it when the explosion came. He claims that it was passing from. west to east, and that when it burst there was a cloud of smoke at the head of the red streak. which rushed forth like the smoke from a cannon's mouth and then spread in every direction

 Upon examining the edge of the rayine a hole was found twelve feet in diane

 ter and about six feet deep. which was full of water. Parties have since. by un- tiring labor and search, found numerous pieces varying in size from one to eight ounces, also four pieces about four pounds, and one weighing thirty-two pounds and two ounces; but the targets was found bedded eight feet in blue clay and fully fourteen feet from the surface Its weight was 43l pounds, and I should judge it was two feet long by one and one-haif wide, and one foot or so thick, with ragged, uneven surface. 1t is com posed. apparently, of nearly pure metal of some kind, piece of which has been ! made into a ring by fiattsning out a small piece. A hole was then drilled in it. It was then drawn over round iron, and makes n very pretty ring, resembling silver somewhat, but a trifie darker in color.
Year: 1879

At Levens Hall, in Westmoreland.

 curious celebration took place on Mon

 day last. For time ito which the mem

 ory of man runneth not to the contrary 1t has been the custom on the 18th of May to hold a radish feast in the grounds of that old English mansion. How it ori- ginated nobody knows exactly: but some

 of its attendant circumstances suggest

 that il sprang out of those habits of pro

 fuse hospitality which were character istic of the fine old English gentleman in the olden time. The radish feast is associated with the opening of an annual

 fair at Milnthorpe, in the same neigh

 borhood, by the mayor and corporation of Kendall. That worshipful body hay ing discharged the duty of proclaiming the ancient fair in due form in the morn- ing. repair to Levens Hall to assist at the radish feast Upon the bowling-green q table is set apart for them, upon which they find a liberal supply of radishes. oat-bread and butter for their refresh- ment, and at a second table close by all corners provided with free tickets take their turns and enjoy the feast. Radishes. oat bread and butter, however. would probably not suffice to attract so many risitors were they not supplemented by coPio'1s flow of peculiar old ale of great potency cai'ed .' Morocco Indeed, one

 NAAS hfsb4fs events of tnp day is associated with that puSSerfI,l bever, age According to the traditions. of inc feast. or the custom of the country, y;si~ tors who make their first appearanca there must prove their fitness bva pro- cess which is calculated at once fo Ie- monstrate the potency of the ..morocco'' and the drinking power of the stranger. The newcomer is pulled into the rE-s, and there and then, in the nidst of a crowd of experts, he is reun;sed to stand upon one leg. An ofd-fashioned glass, containing a pint of the morocco" is then placed in his hand, and it becomes his duty first of all to repeat the toast: '' Luck to Levens, as long as Kent flows," and then drain the goblet in one draught without losing his equilibrium during any part of the process If he should succeed in the feat he is free of the place; failure entails the modest fine of a shil- ling. which goes to the gardeners. Ath- letic sports follow, and it seems not i'm probable that in the "good old times when the capacity for heavy drinking was considered manly accomplishment this morocco !" test was looked upon as not the least important of the trials of strength " which had to be undergone. London Pull AaH Gazette.
Year: 1879

Lake Tahoe is a great fresh water body twelve miles south of Truckee. It lies in two States-California and Ne vada; three-quarters in California and the remainder in Nevada. Tahoe is an Indian name. meaning big water or deep water. Here, at an elevation of a mile and a quarter above the ocean, sheltered in its rock-bound basin, rests this inland sea, twenty-five miles long and ten wide. Its blue waters are en- circled by hills mosaiced with trees of evergreen and patches of pure white snow Pebbles may be counted. and trout may be seen sporting at q depth of eighty feet, so clear and smooth is the water It changes color according to the depth, from beautiful pea green at the shore to an indigo blue

 It has been sounded to depth of ], 900 feet and is so cold, even in summer, that the water, when taken from below the surface. is near to the freezing point, although it never freezes in the soldest weather. Fish abound in the waters near the shore, among which are four varieties of trout. The silver trout IS considered the finest. and IS always taken in deep water, sometimes weighing thirty-two pounds

 On account of the rarity of the atmos- phere. the waters arc not very buoyant. objects sinking like lead. Nothing ever floats on the surface. Great logs which have escaped from the hands of the log gers. Soon sink and are seen no more. ] At times the lake is calm and peaceful as a smiling babe. again it is in a moment ! dashed to fury and beaten to foam by the , winds that spring up Tn the canons and sweep across its waters. But look at the lake when and where you will, it is & scene of beautiful grandeur which pen and pencil have striven in vain to DOT tray. You must see 1t to be satisfied
Year: 1879

Carpenters, joiners and cabinet-mak-
ers are frequently called upon to fit
glass to frames or sashes where no glass
has been prepared to suit; under such
circumstances it would be well to know
how to cut glass to answer their pur-
poses, without the aid of a diamond.
Many persons may not be aware that
glass can be cut under water, with great
ease, to almost any shape, by simply
using pair of shears or strong scissors.
In order to insure success, two points
must be attended to-hrst and most i'm
portant, the glass must be kept quite
level in the water while the scissors are
applied; and, secondly, to avoid risk, it
is better to begin the cutting by taking
off small pieces at the corners and along
the edges, and so reduce the shape
gradually to that required, as if any
attempt is made to cut the glass all at
once to the shape, as We should cut a
piece of cardboard, it will most likely
break Just where it is not wanted.
Some kinds OF glass cut much better
than others, the softer glasses being the
best for this purpose. The scissors need
not be at all sharp, as their action does
not appear to depend on the state of the
edge presented to the glass. When the
operation goes on well, the glass breaks
away from the scissors in small pieces
in a straight line with the blades. This
method of cutting glass has often been
of service when diamond has not been
at hand, for cutting ovals and segments,
and though the edges are not 80 smooth
as might be desired for some purposes,
yet it will answer in a great many cases.
The two hints given above, if strictly
followed, will always insure success
Illustrated Wood Worker.
Year: 1879

were to marry Jack. / told you OF your
fathers wish. brought Jack here, the
only cousin you knew and 1 praised
his good qualities - which are fine
enough, can tell you, and appreciated
by young lady not far from here. L
knew that wayward heart of yours, and l
knew that a woman should not marry
without real love, and great store of it,
too. SO 1 left my darling open to the
idea that Jack was to be the lucky fell
low and she did just what I and all
sensible folks expected-almost hated
Jack and her doom. Then 1 took care
that the man you were meant for-who,
my dear, has the best and truest heart
in the world-should come in the way
just at the right time and show an in
terest in you. So have not succeeded
and made my Madge choose her fathers
choice with her own free heart and will I?
AS for Fitzallan, he is all impatience for
tomorrow, and he would have told you
the secret at that ball the other night,
when he says that he was put to a des-
perate trial but he had promised me
never to disclose it till we were quite
sure of success. "Well, are you happy
now, MadgeP"


Ny dear, good second father How
could say when she felt his arms round
her in that moment of fulfilled desires,
and his lips pressed to her forehead in
fatherly affection now that his long
solicitude was at end and his hard task
well done.


That very night Madge, scarcely able
to realize her Joy, was betrothed to
Herbert FItzallan, who, when once the
secret was disclosed, would not wait
another hour.


Have 1 not waited years 2" he said
"All my time abroad 1 was waiting,
and then / came back and found my
Madge more than ever / had dared to
hope"


But Madge in her new freedom did
not forget poor Jack. Indeed, she was
almost in trouble about her unkindness
to him when she heard that he had only
been playing a part, bearing all her
teasing, and being purposely ungracious
whenever she grew kind. But Gertrude
coneoled her effectually on that score
by telling another secret after her kiss
of congratulation.


4" Jack was indeed doing his best to
carry out the plan," she said, "and he
was often grieved about you; but, dear
Madge, you must congratulate us now
not me. but us. Jack and I made it up
between US months ago, and we had
many quiet laugh about you"


So Madge herself accepted the ring
and wore her golden fetters by her own
free will after all; nor was there ever q
happier or more willing captive. AS fol
Fitzallan, il he was not another Arthur,
as the girls fancy had prompted her tc
call him, he was I" blameless" as the
prince of the "Idyls," and far more
blest; and if he reigned over no realm
he was at least king of one brave ano
tender heart-a kingdom wide enough
to satisfy his desires and prize which
time proved to be well worth his years
| Of waiting.
Year: 1879

In these days of church-debt raising, a
late decision OF the Indiana supreme
court is both interesting and important.
1t has been ruled that a subscription
made on Sunday for the benefit OF the
church is not binding, and cannot be
collected by suit at law. This follows
the general rule in the United States of
the invalidity Of contracts made upon
the Lords day.
Year: 1879

American coal is sold in Switzerland,
going from Philadelphia by sailing
ships to Marseilles and thence by rail to
Geneva, where it costs about $40 ton.
The price is little under that of Ger
man and French coal at the same point,
and the quality is pronounced much
better. .
Year: 1879

A sad discovery was made on an ocean
steamship which reached New York re
Gently, when an Italian boy, only twelve
years of age and terribly deforrned, was
found on board, evidently brought over
to be utilized as beggar. His story
was that his father had been killed in a
quarrel, and that shortly after his
mother came to this country, leaving
him in charge of an aunt. In Italy he
had been employed as a mendicant, and
believed that it was to be used for the
same purpose that he had been brought
to this country. A city paper says it
was believed that the severe onslaught on
the padrones some time since would
have prevented this infamous traffic,
but it appears to have cropped out
again lately to far from agreeable ex-
tent
Year: 1879

The following is compilation
from the session laws of 1879, in re-
gard TO fines.


Five dollars for not turning TO the
right with team when meeting
another Oh the public road, il any
damage ensue.


Twenty dollars fine if any person
keeps in his employ a drunken dri-
yer on any carriage used as a public
conveyance.


Five dollars for each time a team
is left standing on any public road
without being securely fastened.


Twenty dollars for leaving the
team of a stage coach containing
passengers, in the road unfastened.


Ten dollars for running a team or
horse on the public road.


Five dollars for driving faster then
walk over bridgc.-Sc,card Re-
porter.
Year: 1879

Prof. Aughey, of the Nebraska
State University, says of this same
soil in Nebraska: at can never be
exhausted until every hill aud valley
which compose it is entirely worn
away. Owing TO its remarkably
fine comminu.ed silica, of which the
bulk of the deposit consists, it pos
sesses natural drainage in the high
est degree, absorbing water like a
huge sponge, and, in time of drought
sending up moisture from its great
est depths, by capillary attraction,
for the needs of vegetation. This is
the reason why, over all the region
where the deposits prevail, the nat
ural vegetation and cultivated crops
are rarely dried or drowned out.
Year: 1879

The RIVER AND HAREOR BILL was this morn
Ing reported by a subcommittee TO the full
House committee on commerce, who will hold
6aily sessions for its consideration until it is
ready 10 De reported TO the House. For obvious
reasons the details OF the bill are not made pub
lie -
Year: 1879

DIR. JOHN c. HARRIS, the we'll
known dentist, died last night of
yellow fever, at his residence, on We'll
lingteu street. His illness was of
very brief duration. He was as well
as usual last Thursday when he bought
tickets and saw his family off at the
Memphis aud Charleston depot Soon
after that he was taken doVp. but it
was not until yesterday that the physi.
clan in charge admitted that he had
yellow fever. DR.. Harris was an
excellent citizen and greatly esteemed
by all who knew him. His death will
be terrible loss to his family and the
community can i'll afford to lose such
a man. Had he gone with his family
rather than remain from a mistaken
sense of duty no doubt he would be
alive to-day.
Year: 1879

About three years afterward, as two
OF the equestrian actors were walking
through an East End thoroughfare.
one suddenly exclaimed TO the other,
pointing to horse and cart. / say,
Jack, I'm a Dutchman if that AIM
our Billy" " Impossible" answered
the other. T" | tell you it is; I'll try
him" Ashley taught his horses
by certain signs-one of these
was clicking the nails Of his
fore6nger and thumb. The exper-
iment was now tried, and at the
sound the horse pricked up his ears
and began to eaper. His identity was
at once established !, the two actors
embraced their old friend with de-
light, and he testified his pleasure at
the meeting by capering and rubbing
his head against them. The owner
was found in an adjoining public house,
a bargain was struck, and Billy was
transferred to the actors. He's a
monstrOus good-tempered cretur, "
said the man, but he's got such odd
antics we always call him the Mounte-
bank" Billy was received by his old
master with tears of Joy, and the next
night was taking off his kettle of boil
ing water and handing round his tea
tray with all his old dexterity. The
horse lived to the extraordinary age Of
forty-two, and survived his master
when he was too old for work he was
kept in his stable and allowed two
quartern loaves a day, and npon his
death portion of his skin was used
to cover big drum"
Year: 1879

IT is currently rumored that the the
NoncOnnah bridge, six miles south Of
Memphis, and just this side of the To-
cality known last year as Camp 10
Williams, was torn down last night
by unknown persons. This, if true,
is a great piece of folly, which the
county will have to pay for. 1t is a
well-known fact that not a single per-
son in that neighborhood took the
fever last year from the cases in camp.
Besides this there is no talk of re-es-
tablishing the camp, and no dispo-
sition on the part of our people to go
in that direction, The inhuman re-
ception Of last year would be enough
to deter them forever.
Year: 1879

A young man named flanagan shot
a part of his skull from the back of
his head yesterday, in trying to sui
eide on Georgia street. He tried to
got his father and mother to leave
town. They refused and he said he
would rather be dead than risk yellow
fever His injuries are not likely to
prove fatal.
Year: 1879

The subscription price of the DAILY
PUBLIC LEDGER is S5 per annum and
SOC per month fOrlsss than one year. The
WEEKLY LEDGER Is 81 per annum-
postage free


Persons leaving the city for the summer
can order the DAILY LEDGER at SOC per
month in advance, with the privilege of
changing pOstOfiOe. rte
Year: 1879

established to prevent through pas
sengers with health certificates going
as far as their money will carry them.
We have no word of complaint to
offer against these various quarantines
but VIC do ask in the name Of human
ity that through trains be permitted
to run until the women and children
are removed to places of safety.
Year: 1879

Secretary McCrary. with great flourish
announces that be will materially reduce
the estimates for the fiscal year ending
1881, for the war department. Last year
he declared that he could not possibly get
along without certain specified amounts,
but congress thought he could, and cut
down his estimates nearly if not quite a
million of dollars. After few months
had elapsed, and congress had adjourned,
he suddenly discovered that he would not
require as much even as the congress had
appropriated for his department. This,
too, in face of the fact that be had been
SO clamorous for an appropriation far in
excess of what congress granted him,
Either Secretary McCrary is ignorant of
the requirements of his department, or
else he is trying to create reputation as
an ecOnomist-for political effect. His
estimates will undoubtedly be closely
scrutiuiZad