smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

For Book BINDING or Ruling, go to
THE ARGUS Bindery. No better work
can be done in this vicinity. Prices reason
able, Work done quick, Leave orders at
THE ARGUS Counting Room, opposite the
the Post Office.
Year: 1877

The leaders and commanders Of the
| two formidable armies about to come In
conflict ON tho bank Of the Danube are
very unlike each other.l Abdul Kerim
Pasha Is al unassuming man over
seventy years of nge, who no pretensions
to brilliant pedigree, but with solid
reputation as In excellent soldier. The
Grand Duke Nicholas Is fine locking, tall,
forty six years. old, q brother of the Gar,
as naughty q prince as the House OF
Romanoff has ever produced, and a


soldier as devoid of a military history as


any review and parade guardsman. All


dull -Kerim Pasha is the actual Com


mander-in-C Chief Of his army. The Grand


Duke Nicholas is q mere figurehead,


guided and commanded by his Chief of


staff, Gen. NepokOytehizky, the Moltke


Of Russia. aa l..0a .N.li


Abdul Kerin Pasha's official title is


that of Serdar~i- Ekrein, or commander


in-chief, as distinguished from the Minis


ter of War, Ked:f Pasha. He is, how


ever, the senior ofthe Minister both in


age and experience, and Redif Pasha is


much under his control. The old SOL


dier was himself Minister Of War during
the reign of Abdul Aziz, and the way in


which he lost that place is characteristic


of the man. Hussein-Anni Pasha, who


was assassinated last year, had fallen, for
some private affair, into disfavor with the
Sultan. He was dismissed and banished


and nobody al court had dared for years
to pronounce his name. AT council one


day discussion arose concerning mill


tary matters and the possible contingency


of war. The personal qualifications of
various Generals were discussed, when
the Minister OF War got up and declared
that, in his opinion, there was only one
General in Turkey competent to lead an
army against an enemy, and that was the
banished Husbein-Avni Pasha. Abdul
AziZ was not the man to tolerate such
audacity. He dismissed the honest and
outspoken Minister, and conceived still


greater dislike to the exile. ~ ,....s..


1t is not by the name of Abdul-Kerim
Pasha that tho old General is generally
known in Turkey. There are several
Abdul Kerims in Office, and more than
one Pasha of that name. The father
of Kaisserly Ahmed Pasha, the present
Minister of the Navy, for instance, is also
Abdul-Kerim Pasha. The Commander
of the Army is accordingly
called lin Turkey Buyue-Abdi Pasha,
which means "the great Abdi," the latter
name being mere abbreviation of Abdul.


The fame of the old general has not
hitherto been spread in the outside world
partly on account of his modesty and
desire to keep in the back
ground, partly because the living mill
larry men of Turkey have only had one
chance to show their abilities, and that
was during the war OF 1S53-54. But the
part played by the French and English
during that war was so much more
prominent that nobody except the Turks
took any interest in what was
lone by their armies.
Year: 1877

1t is rumoIed that the splendid iron
steamships Colon, City of Toxic and City
Of Peking had been sold to the Russian
government and that several Russian
sailing vessels at New York had been put
under the American flag.
Year: 1877

The wonderful skill and agility of
the lumbermen who run logs and RATS
down the rivers of Michigan has long
been viewed with surprise. At Mani.
stee Jul y 4th there was log.rolIing con-
test, which is thus described by the
Times d Standard:


The contestants were each provided
with smooth pine log about sixteen
inches in diameter, and q pole with
spoke and hook at one end. They also
wore log drivers boots, with spokes about
one-half inch long set in the bottom.
The contest took place in the Manistee
River where there is a current of about
three miles an hour, and long before the
hour the banks were lined by thousands
OF spectators anxious 10 witness the per
formance.


At given signal they appeared on
the bank coatless and with sash around
the waist, and each stepped upon hs
log and with his pole showed off into the
current They whirled the logs around,
stood on one foot, sat down, kneeIed
down, laid down, rolled over on the log,
drank lying on their backs, and 10 short
did more than most people can do on
solid floor.


Finally Que jumped up on to the other
and deliberately sent his log whirlpg to
the other side Of the river with his pike
pole, and now commenced the strife in
earnest To roll the other off the log,
oue would set the log whirling like the
shaft of a mill wheel until the water
was covered with foam from the whirl,
when Of sudden he would stamp hs
spikes into the log aud stop il so that
it would appear as solid as the eternal
rocks; it would not even tremble Then
he would start rolling in the other di-
rection until the waters would be whirl-
ed into foam again, and both men would
be running at the top Of their speed to
keep on top Of the log, when IN would
90 the spikes and the log would be stop
ped as if held in vice. This was re.
peated again, but to no purpose, each
watched the other, foot and foot came
down together. No soldier ever kept
step better, aud each held his place on
the log until they had been swept down
the river o,er half a mile past the bridge
when one threw his pike.pole away and
the other followed suit, and now neither
had even balancing pole, and the con
test grew sharper than ever. The log
was whirled enc way, stopped suddenly,
then whirled the other and at times the
direction of the roll would be changed
SO suddenly that it was difficult for the
eye to follow its course, and SO evenly
matched were the men (they were the
Wheeler hrothers) that We doubt if
either would have proved the victor,
but the log hoated under the boom of a
vessel aud while whirling struck, and
one went in while the other caught in
the rigging of the vessel and saved him.
self.
Year: 1877

The much .ridiculed woman, who al.
ways takes look under the bed to see
if there is a man concealed there, has at
last been justified. A young lady in
Albany who had the habit was reward
ed last week by finding that the man
was there. She was not gratified, how
ever, as much as might have been ex-
pected, considering the number of times
her search had proved fruitless, but she
had presence of mind enough to walk
down stairs and give the alarm without
permitting the intruder to suspect that
he had been discovered The man prov
ed to be tramp aud possible burglar
and was promptly arrested
Year: 1877

NOTICE is hereby given that by virtue OF an
execution issued out OF the Circuit Court for
the county OF Kalamazoo in the state OF Mich
igan, wherein the First National Bank OF Gen.
tervile is plaintiff and Horace II. Gardner and
Ransom Gardner are defendants bearing date
the twenty seventh day VI May, one thousand
eight hundred and seventy six, and to me, as
sheriff of Van Buren, county, directed and de-
livered, did on the twenty seventh day OF May,
one thousand eight hundred and seventy six,
seize and levy upon ali the right, title aud in
terost OF the said Horace n. Gardner and Pan
som Gardner in and TO the following described
real estate situated in the county OF Van Bu-
rem, State OF Michigan, which shall expose to
sal,.s and sell at public vendue, to the highest
bidder, at the front aG3r Of the Van Buren
County Circuit Court House. iii the village OF
Paw raw, on Tuesday, the fourth Gay of sep
tember, hext, az the bour Of ten o'clock in the
forenoon, or so much thereof az shall be nee
essary to satisfy said execution, together with
the interest and costs thereon, to wit: Entire
section number twenty five, In town one south,
OF range number thirteen west entire section
number thirty six, IN town one south, OF range
number thirteen west the north east quarter
Of section number twenty, III town two south,
OF range number seventeen west; the west
half OF section number twenty four, in town
two south, OF range number seventeen west
the east half OF the north east quarter OF Sec
ton number twenty six, in town two south, OF
range number seventeen west the north west
quarter OF section number thirty six, in town
four south, OF range number fifteen west the
north half OF the south west quarter OF section
number thirty ak, in town four south, OF range
number fifteen west the north half OF the
south east quarter Of section number thirty
SIX, in town four south, of range number fif-
teen west; the west half of the south west
quarter OF section number twenty four, IN town
one south, of range number thirteen west the
north half OF the south west quarter OF section
number fifteen, in town two south, OF range
number thirteen west the south east quarter
OF section number fifteen, in town two south,
OF range number thirteen west the south east
quarter Of the south west quarter OF section
number twenty one, IN town two south, OF
range number thirteen west.


Dated, Paw Paw, July 16, 1877.


JOHN T.. SHOWERMAN, Late Sheriff,


1164t7 Van Buren, County, Mich.
Year: 1877

The report that the arms Of the Venus
of Milo haye been discovered is confirmed
by letter received at the State Depart
ment from General Meredith Read, our
Charge d'Affaires at Athens. He writes
that they were found on the Island of
Milo, at distance of less than 30 feet
from the place where the statue itself
was found in 1890. He says: 1.-THE arms
are exquisitely modelled; one holds kind
of disk or shield. The workmanship and
the locality compel even the skeptical To
the authenticity of these
wonderful relics" General Read adds
1T is not little singular that the news
of the death Of the finder of the famous
Venus V,ctrix of Milo, DOW in the Louvre.
has just reached Greece the moment when
the other portions Of that great work Of
art are being brought to light"
Year: 1877

(SpecIals to COURIER


The following delayed dispatches were
received at the COURIER Office after we
had gone to press last week, and are here
given as part of the history Of the cam
paiEn: '
Year: 1877

ABOUT OUR FARM LANDs.-Our correspon-
dent c., in his letter last week, mentioned
the fact that our "neck lands" in this
section had not kept pace with the other
farming sections around us in the march of
development. The assertion is almost uni
versally sustained. Thirty or forty years
ago these lands were in advance OF any in
the county in productiveness now our
best farm lands are around and west of the
town, in the region called the Alley. The
two sections have reversed the order of
things, the necks falling back to where the
Alley used to be. When grain growing was
the only dependence of.our farmers, thirty
years ago and less, some of the farms in
White Hall and Raymonds Necks produced
over thirty bushels of wheat per acre.
On one occasion, indeed, one of the White
Hall farms is reported to have grown forty
one bushe Is to the acre, and corn in pro-
portion. Now almost any farmer in that
section would consider himself fortunate to
get half the quantity. We do not know of
but one Neck farm-Mr. Bewley Shat
now produces thirty bushels Of wheat in the
average.


Now, as to the cause. About this there
is a difference of opinion. Some ascribe it
to the change in crops from grain to fruit
For the former the soil seems to possess an
especial adaptability, while for the latter it
does not. And in fruit growing the land
loses great equivalent in the way of straw
and stalks, which are given back to it as
fertilizers. Peach orchards do not make
this return to the soil, and the farmers
have neglected to supply the deficiency to
great extent in the application of COM
mercial fertilizers. But this theory will ap-
ply as well to the section west of US as to
that east of US, and even better because
more fruit is grown to the west of the town,
where the lands are now the more highly
cultivated


The best explanation Of the matter seems
to be this: the tenant system has become
too prevalent. The owner has given up to
the renter. At the period above named
the neck farmers were the "heavy men" OF
this community. They owned the farms
they titled, and had far greater interest
in keeping them up than any one else
could possibly have, and they did it. But
as the owners, with fat purses and desire
TO take their ease, stepped out of business
and gave their property to the keeping ot
those who had only half interest in the
crops, only a half interest was manifested
in every other respect. Hence this result


In thus speaking we mean no reflection
upon tenants. We have many good ones
quite number who do better by the LAND
than the owner could do, but they are tht
exception. Our thriftiest looking farms are
those where the farmer holds the title
deed to the property-or expects to inheri
il soon
Year: 1877

A SAD CASE IN WILMINGroN.-Tho
Kerrigan, boy Of only ID, was up before
the Police Court in Wilmington last Satur
day morning for habitual drunkenness.
He was but half clad, while his blurred
eyes and stupid look showed that he was
still besotted, though he had been all night
in the prison cells. The police officer who
arrested him made the following statement
to the court: Il found him on Front
street last night SO helplessly drunk that it
required several to bring him here. His
father and mother both drink Poor boy,
he is not to blame, he has no home, and no
reason to feel proud like other boys He
is ashamed of his parents and he spends
every cent he can make and steal for rum =
lie was sent to Jail for % days, but when
the sentence was passed upon him he
seemed totally Indifferent and stolid. The
kindly words of the police Justice were all
wasted on his blunted sensibilities.
Year: 1877

gpiiz dogs have become unpopular In
New York and Brooklyn fashionableso society
on account of their tendency to hydrophobia,
and pet dogs for which high prices were
asked heretofore can hardly be given away.
Year: 1877

They hardly know how to take Mr..
Messick's bill to encourage marriages at
home. Some are inclined to think that
the old gentleman is a humorist and others
say that he is really III earnest. He has
had the bill printed and is getting signers
to petitions asking that the bill be passed.
But there will be any number protesting
against it, one of which is held by Mr..
Burnite and signed by one hundred and
fifty young ladies of FELTON, and vicinity
who declare that it is unreasonable and
unjust for the law to attempt to prevent
the romantic and chivalrous custom of
elopements.
Year: 1877

Mr.. Wright of Dover has come to the
conclusion in the House that Dover Hun
dred is entirely too large and has intro
duced and had passed by that body an act
to divide it into two, East and West Dover
Hundreds. The election will be held
separately in each, but it will not increase
the representation of Constable or Levy
Court Commissioners. In the Senate Mr..
Denney has charge of the bill and has had
it given a second reading in that body and
it will pass tomorrow.
Year: 1877

Mr.. Robinson, of Sussex, is interested in
the delinquent tax payers. He states that
as the law now stands the delinquents are
kept off the assessment only twelve months,
which gives them the opportunity of being
assessed at the meeting of the Levy Court
and voting. This he says defeats the object
of the law which is to keep them from
voting. A bill which he has introduced
extends the time, and he says that it will
keep many dishonest man from voting,
who would put his vote on the wrong side
any way.
Year: 1877

Those who possess State bonds will now
have an opportunity to realize money on
them. Mr.. Fiddeman on the Finance
Committee in the Senate has reported to
that body bill in relation to this matter
The bill states that the State Treasurer shall
give two months notice before the first of
July in the newspapers for 100000 of State
bonds, and will commence their redemp-
ton on the day named. The first call will
be for the lowest in number and will con-
tinue from time to time until the whole
number of outstanding bonds shall be re-
deemed.
Year: 1877

There must be more glory than pay
attached to the office of the Adiutant Gen
eral, for he is now having desperate time
to get his pay from tho Legislature. A
joint resolution was offered in the House
to-day to pay him the sum af four hundred
dollars. Upon this the House went in to
Committee of the Whole and tinkered
away at it for nearly an hour, but not until
the afternoon session were they able to
adopt Eit, and now it goes to the Senate,
where the chances are just as likely that it
will be shaved down as that it will be
passed in an undisturbed state.
Year: 1877

The Peninsula Agricultural and Pomo-
logical Society at Middletown have sought
a means through the Legislature to prevent
trouble in the election of its secretary. 1t
is stated that whenever this election takes
place, which is in the hands of the stock
holders, that it is never satisfactory. Now
they have an act before the Legislature
asking a supplement to their charter which
will give the electoral power of the Society
to the Board of Managers.
Year: 1877

The Excise law Of 1870 (chapter 175) pro-
vides that commissioners of excise in cities
shall be removed for any neglect or malfea-
sance in office in the same manner as pro-
vided by law for the removal of sheriffs." :"
The removal of n sheriff is governed by the
constitutional provision (article 10, section
~, and is made by the Governor after
"giving to such officer copy of the
charges made against him and an oppor-
tunity of being heard in his defence" The
case of Commissioner Murphy is SO fragrant
one that Governor Robinson will no
doubt Immediately initiate tho proceedings
necessary for his removal and consgmmate
them as speedily as possible. But this will
not complete his duty. The remaining
Commissioners have clearly been guilty Of
"neglect III office, if not ofmalfcasance, in
afording single member of their Board the
facility for taking possession of the public
moneys as we'll as the moneys deposited
with them in their official capacity
by applicants for licenses. There is
no such Office as treasurer of the Excise
Board. Such n position was filled by Muir
ply, but was created by the Commissioners
themselves Murphy was permitted to re-
tain in his possession for thirty days the
money received for licenses actually issued,
as well as the moneys of applicants for
licenses not yet granted, and if any of the
former was in his keeping at the time of his
disappearance the city should be tho loser
rather than private individuals Murphy's
associates are, therefore, as we have said,
guilty of gross neglect in office" in having
allowed one of their number to retain in
his possession without security the public
moneys. Moreover, their action has been
in direct violation Of the law, which says,
s'moneys arising from licenses in cities shall
be paid into the treasury of such cities
respectively" (chlp 175 Laws Of lS7O). 1t
is therefore to be hoped that the Governor
will act promptly, and institute proceedings
for the removal of the entire Board.


SO far as the individual sufferers by the
excise defalcation are concerned they have
clearly their remedy against all the Com
missioners. The money was paid by them
not to Murphy, but to the Excise Board, and
was receipted for officially by the Board.
Year: 1877

The Christmas that has just passed away
will be in several respects memorable in the
annals of the city. First of ALL SO far as
the weatheris concerned, it was curious
exception to the long line ofits predecessors
in these northern latitudes, coming to US
clothed in the beauty and balminess Of
spring or the glories Of early autumn, in
stead of the snow mantle and the wintry
gusts it has worn from immemorial time.
Fashions are constantly changing and the
garb OF old Father Christmas this year is
perhaps the result of some celestial conven-
ton, which has resolved to upset things
generally. If SO, the first experiment Is o
decided success. Half dozen more Christ
masses like yesterday and our whole Christ
mas literature will have to be ren,od-
elled Twice ten thousand poems and stories,
millions OF pictures and toys will have
to be sent to the ice fields of Labrador, or
we shall have to make the tour Of the
Arctic lands and seas to understand them.
The songs Of the poets, the novelettes,
the rich treasures which the publishers
prepared weeks ago for the traditional
Christmas, were strange reading In the sun
shine of yesterday. But the day, II it was
an innovation, was nevertheless beautiful
and welcome. 1t will be memorable in an
other respect, because of the social restraints
that were imposed, owing to the law, or
rather no law, on the excise question.
Never, perhaps, in the history Of the city
was the day celebrated in this respect un-
der greater difficulties, and it will be un-
doubtedly many years until similar con-
dition Of things again exists. But in every
other way the Christmas of 1877 was a
model one. The churches Of the Episcopal
and Catholic faith were crowded with wor-
shippers the music and ceremonial were
excellent and impressive the poor were re-
membered: the sick and the imprisoned
were not forgotten there was peace and
good will over oil the land.
Year: 1877

TIE EASTERN WAR DISPATCHES this morning
announce the capture Of Ak-PalanLa by the
Servians after very severe engagement They
arc also bonbar'ling Niscli. and the fall Of that
point will probably soon take place. This is
their first success in the war, and the effect Of
1t will undoubtedly be very great in encouraging
them to hope for siill greater victories in the
fntarc. The investment Of Erzcroum lias almost
been completed. large force Of infantry
has been inassed to the north of it and tclc.
graphic communication cut oil. The ,.cstruc-
ton OF the bridge ut Ibrail by drifting ice will
impede the advance of the reinioiccments and
Ia u serious check, as owing TO the severity of
the weather it cannot be rebuilt very SOON Ac
cording 10 the dispatches OF one of the cor
respondents Of the London .Ners the condition
of affairs in and around P!cvna is so horrible as
to have no counterpart in modern civilized war
fare.
Year: 1877

TIE IMPRESSION is gaining ground that Excise
Commissioner Murphy is in Canadn, and
his friends assert that he will return TO the city
inside of the next fortnight and straigh.en out
his financial troubles. The fnct that Murphy
has left property in danger by his absence
will, it is said, lead him TO come back and refund
the deficiency now existing. Ii is TO he hoped
that such course will he adopted, though it
should not relieve the absent Commissioner OF
his associates from removal as public officers.
Year: 1877

Because one of their number was permitted
to put it in his pocket and run away with
it that does not relieve the other Commits
sioners of their responsibility. 1t will be
pertinent now to inquire whether the ap-
pointment Of Murphy as treasurer was in
any way profitable to his associates Did


he pay any interest on the moneys he held!
Year: 1877

THE CHEERING News comes from Washing
ton that the holiday season. in business point
of view. was good that in many of the stores
the supply of Christmas Soods fell short OF the
demand. 1t is rarely that news from that city is
so interesting or pleasant.
Year: 1877

THE DIFFICULTIES between the cgarmakers
and their old employers arc still unadjusted.
No one seems to have intelligence enough to sug-
gest a compromise, which must inevitably be the
end Of the trouble.
Year: 1877

A CONNECTICUT FIRM celebrated Christmas by
generously paying its employees, not in the silver
dollar of the fathers, which is swindle, but in
the honest golden ducats which we are all SO
anxiously waiting to see.
Year: 1877

FOLLOWING tho general practice of the Ameri-
can turf the Grand National Hunt Committee
Of England have decided that after the present
year, hurdle races less than two miles and with
less than eight flights of hurdles shall not he
1aga1