smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

A corresponds nt of Nature writes :- I have lately seen it stated in text book upon electricity and magnetism that the phenomenon of thunder is not fully accounted for by any theory as yet brought forward. Whether this be so or not am not sufficiently acquainted with the subject to say. I believe the commonly accepted theory is that 8 vacuum is created in the path of the electric spark, and that the subsequent thrush of the air produces the detona- tion. T., however, it be allowed that the electric spark is not material sub- stance, but merely natural force or mode of motion, the possibility of this theory is at once disposed of.

 It is well known fact that the pas sage of electricity in high state of ten sion through mixture of oxygen and hydrogen not only causes an explosion, but also causes the formation of water, and it seems to me that, given the exist ence of free oxygen and hydrogen in the region of the electric disturbance, the phenomenon of thunder is sufficiently accounted for. Whether the normal amount of hydrogen in the air is suffi clent to cause the stupendous noise of thunder am not competent to judge, but if not, I would suggest that the presence of an abnormal amount might be accounted for by the process of the electrolysis, which would probably oc cur between the two poles of the thun- der cloud before the tension became so great as to cause rupture of the circuit and consequent discharge of the cleo tric spark. would also draw your at. tention to the fact that every thunder clap is immediately followed by an in crease in the quantity of water depos. tied in the shape of rain. Does not this point to the formation of water by the explosion of the gases? It is a ire quent experiment of Dr. Tyndall's tc show his audience red clouds; I feel convinced that by following this line ot inquiry he could give us a real thunder storm.
Year: 1879

You would hardly expect to find wit among the Indians, and yet they are just as human as the rest of us, and in spite of their stoicism indulge in joke now and then which has a flavor of it's own. During banquet which was given by the palefaces to several red men one of the Indians took spoonful Of mustard, supposing it to be some delicacy. The tears came into his eyes. He could die without hinching, but aspoonful of mus tard was something which even his be- roic soul could not endure, so he wept profusely, even as white men do some- times. The chief, who sat opposite, asked him why he cried. He naturally replied that he was thinking of his old father, who died a horrible death. A few minutes after, the chief himself fell upon the mustard pot, and swallowed more than was necessary. The tears came into his eyes, too. A thousand tomahawks were nothing, but the pun gent quality of the mustard made him weep like 8 child. "And why do you cry ?" asked the first victim, with savage delight in his tones. "Well," was the

 quick reply, "I am crying because you

 were not killed when your father was."
Year: 1879

James Brant, or, as he was better known, "English Jimmy" was Mon tana stage driver. Many years ago he took the reins on the route between Butte and Deer Lodge, and served the public faithfully. Jimmy's horses loved his pat and stroke about as much as they did their oats. He rarely used the whip, carrying it, indeed, for the purpose of playing tunes with the lash in the sharp mountain air. One morning Jimmy's four horses jolted out of Butte with a coach load of men, women and children. A passenger sat with him on the box. The stage swept along the road at fine gait, and soon the first relay, Girard's s was reached. There the horses were changed. Jimmy said that the new horses were not his old friends, but strangers to him. He directed the sta- bleman to arrange the harness carefully, as the team was evidently spirited. When all was ready mischievious boy called out, "Now you go, Jimmy p at the same time skipping one of the lead CTS with his hand.

 The leader reared and shot headlong away. The four horses sprung imme- diately into dead run. Jimmy threw his every muscle into the lines. He called out, "Steady, down there p for the benefit of the passengers, gritted his teeth and bent to his task. The horses dashed on at the top of their speed. They were crossing level plain and making dead for narrow gully, down which the road ran before it crossed an insecure, unwalled bridge. Jimmy fixed his eyes on farm house in the distance and on his route. He knew that if he could rein his horses through several piles of soft grass shocks near the house he could save the passengers. He told the men to be ready to jump as they ran through the grass. "Take the babies, " said he, and as the coach swerved under his powerful arm and ran in among the shocks the passengers leaped out, some bruised, but none badly hurt A few minutes later Jimmy's body was picked up under the bridge from which the coach had been thrown to the rock below.
Year: 1879

There are two very striking and very touching illustrations of the practical duplicity with which the Indians are treated under our Government, where DO policy is certain to last year, and the most solemn official promises may be violated by jobber's lobbying bill through Congress-. One is to be found in the talk of Chief No Flesh, who com municates to correspondent new and sovereign device by which his tribe can keep home after they have got it. "We knew that when the white men build town of good houses the Government never moves them away, and so we said we will build town, and then we can stay here always. The Government can't move us away. We will have a school house, and send all the children to school, so they can learn to read and write. We are going to do it just as soon as we get the lumber sawed" This is the untu- tored red mans way of trying to get fair treatment from the Government when there have been no pledges the letter of Bishop Hare, which has just been published, shows how the educated and civilized Indian is compelled to beg that official promises be kept which have been already made. The Santees are living on lands which they have culti- vated for years, and which the Govern ment has several times assured them that they are to hold without disturbance. And yet matters have reached this curious pass that, on the other side, the San- tees who hold certificates for the lands, have been trying for years to obtain patents for them like ordinary home stead settlers, by paying the regular en- tries, while on the other, bill is pend ing in Congress providing for the sale of these lands from under them and the removal of the tribe When Chief No Flesh learns how the poor Santees whom Custer-who was soldier and not missionary or sentimentallst-com mended so highly, may fare at the hands of the Government, he may conclude at 1t isn't worth while to saw his lum- Der. Tribune.
Year: 1879

Benjamin Franklin first made the observation, hundred years ago, that all our so-called northeast storms came from the west. This observation of our greatest philosopher has been since so absolutely verified as to constitute a law. All great storms in this country move from the west in general easterly direction-usually little to the north or east. Nearly all of them originate in that section of the country marked on the maps as the great Western plains the high table-land between the meridian of ninety-fve degrees on the east and the Rocky Mountains on the west, con- prising the area occupied by Montana, Dakota, Nebraska, Western Kansas, Indian Territory, New Mexico, Western Texas and Northern Mexico. The origin of storm in this region may be stated as follows: The air over large sandy area becoming rarefed by the intense heat of the suns rays, and rapid radia- tlon from the sandy surface, begins to ascend; the moisture-laden air from the Missouri and Mississippi valleys and the Gulf of Mexico on the one hand and the cold current from the Rocky Mountains on the other, rush in to take the place of that which is ascending. We have thus produced an easterly wind on the front or eastern side of the area of ascending air, and westerly wind behind, or on the western side of it !; to the south, north, and intermediate points the wind will blow toward the centre from those points. The wind blows from all points around this area toward the centre. Now, if the earth were flat and at rest, and the air over this sandy area equally heated, the wind would blow in straight lines from the cir conference toward the centre, ascend and spread out at the top; there would be no motion forward or backward of the whole body of air, and this condition of things might exist forever. But, owing to the confguration and motion of the earth; aud the laws of heat and it's in- flnence in evaporation and condensation, change is soon impressed on this initial upward and centric motion of the air, and the collection of phenomena which we term storm results.
Year: 1879

na1Ves, ana Delng or DOlQ, aQVen- turous disposition, and already reduced to 8 half-savage state by his occupation, he ended by joining the Umzuzis. When the chief of that tribe died, Mccarthy was elected to the position, which he se- cured by killing, in single combat, half a dozen pretenders. He made an effort to introduce Christianity, but failed. He has white wife, daughter of rich Boer, who eloped with him some time ago. The lady's father would be glad to receive his son-in-law, but the Irish Kafir refused to desert his adopted peo- pie. It is feared that it will go hard with him on court martial, for Met Carthy, as combination of Fenian and Zulu, can hardly enlist the friendly admiration of his captors.

 Brakeman Sile Green, of the Erie Railway, is brave fellow who will do anything to oblige lady. On Friday lady entered car at Corning to bid her daughter good bye. The train started before she realized that it was in motion. In her excitement she rushed out and jumped off while the train was trundling along quite rapidly. She was thrown to the ground, and her daughter, who had followed her to the platform, also jumped off, and would have been crushed under the wheels if Brakeman Green la not caught her in his arms and saved her life. When she ascertained that her mother was uni injured, she was very anxious to return to her seat. Brake man Green was the very man for the moment. He seized her under the arm and running along the road bed at full speed, sprang upon the platform of the last car and deposited his precious bur- den in cushioned seat. Time of train at the moment, ten miles an hour.

 Among the laws enacted by the late Legislature of Illinois is one providing that any banker or broker, or person doing banking business, or any officer of any banking company, who shall re- ceive deposit when jnsolvent, whereby the deposit so made shall be lost to the depositor, shall be deemed guilty of en- bezzlement, and shall be fined in double the amount of the sum fraudulently taken, and also imprisoned in the peni- tentiary for not less than one nor more than three years. The failure, suspen- sion, or involuntary liquidation of the banker, broker, or banking company within thirty days after receiving the de- posit is to be deemed prima facie evi. dence of an intent to defraud.

 The new German tariff is aug ument- ing the ill-feeling between Germany and Russia, which first became distinctly observable during the Berlin Congress and was afterward so much increased by the precautionary action of the German Government during the late outbreak of plague. The manner in which the Russian and German journals are at present nagging at one another is childish. The Germans dilate with evident pleasure on the disturbed in- ternal condition of Russia, and express horror at the idea of Russian having been found to attempt the life of the once revered Czar. The Russian jour. nals reply: "Tu quoque. Do not forget that your Emperor was fred on twice within short interval, and our Emperor has only been fired on once."
Year: 1879

Six days. and nights of continuous fighting and slaughter An, how tired I got of it, child as was, with all of strong childs strength and recklessness <! Fo1r men carrying a pale infantryman stop for an instant in my battery. The wounded one saffers intensely from wound through the foot. My sympathy is excited for the young fellow, and as we at the moment are doing nothing, I ask for half an hours leave. Getting it, accompany him back into the woods to one of the Second corps's field hospi- tals. Here, grooming loudly, he awaits his turn, which soon comes. We lift him on the rude table. A surgeon holds chloroform to his nostrils, and under it's influence he lies as if in death. The boot is removed, then the stocking, and l see 8 great ragged hole on the sole of the foot where the ball came out. Then I hear the coatless surgeon who is making the examination cry out: "The cowardly whelp ]" So I edge around and look over the shoulders of the as- sistant surgeon, and see that the small wound on the top of the foot, where the ball entered, is blackened with powder I, too, mutter, "The coward l" and am really pleased to see the knife and saw put to work, and the craven's leg taken off below the knee. He is carried into the shade of tree, and left there to wake up when he will.

 With 8 long breath he opens his eyes. am with him at once, and look sharp. ly at him. I will never forget the look | of horror that fastened on his face when he found his leg. was off. Utter hope lessness and fear that look expressed. entered into conversation with him, anC he, weakened and unnerved by the loss of the leg and the chloroform, for once told the truth. Lying on his back, he aimed at his great toe, meaning to shoot it of, but being rudely joggled by {

 comrade at the critical instant, his r1dt covered the foot just below the ankle and an ounce ball went crashing through the bunch of bones and sinews. The wound, instead of being furlough, was 8 discharge from the army, probably into eternity. Our guns at the fron

 began to howl at the rebels again, and ] was forced to leave the hospital. Tine utter contempt of the surgeons, theil change from careful handling to almos brutality, when they discovered the wound was self-inhicted, was br@cing tc mo. It strung me up as whiskey would have done. I liked it, and rammed home the ammunition in gun No. witt a vim.
Year: 1879

The murder of Mrs. pr. Hull in New York city is horrible affair. The de- ceased lady was nearly sixty years of age, and probably on account of her age and her corpulency slept in small room on the ground floor adjoining the back par Tor or dining-room, and leading directly into the front hall, the door of which is said to have been found open. There is no theory to account for the crime ex- cept that of robbery. Mrs. Hull slept apart from her husband, Dr. Hull, who occupied room in the upper part of the house, but this was to prevent the former from being disturbed by night calls, and the family relations appear to have been happy. The other inmates of the house were seven boarders and two colored servants, cook and housemaid. None of them were disturbed by any noise during the night, and from the To- cation of Mrs. Hull's room, her cries, if she uttered any, were more likely to be heard on the sidewalk than in the upper part of the house. The body was found with the feet tied to the rails of the bed, the arms bound, torn sheet wound around the head, covering the mouth and eyes, and a shawl and dress twisted about the neck. Death was the result of strangulation.

 These are in brief the horrible facts. By whom the crime was committed is at present mystery, and it will not be sur prising if the case should go down into history as companion to the Burdell, the Nathan and other unpunished mur- ders. Still, there are strong facts in this case on which to base theory that may lead to the detection of the guilty parties. The binding of the victims eyes and the tying of her legs seem con- elusive proof that robbery, without mur- der, was intended. The old lady could easily have been killed outright. Why should she have been secured from mov- ing if her murder had been designed Again, if the robbers were unknown to her, or did not have some peculiarity, such as color, to furnish clcw to their identity, why should her eyes have been bound? It is known that the murderers had 8 candle in their possession, be- cause they had looked into their victims eyes so closely as to burn one of the brows and drop the grease on the side of her face. They no doubt used this candle as safer than gaslight in search ing for the jewelry, and it is plausible to suppose that, alarmed by the poor lady's lnaction, they looked into her eyes, and, discovering that she was dead, became terrified and fled before com- pleting the work of plunder. This theo- ry would account for the otherwise sin. gular fact that, while the villains took a watch and chain from a bureau in the dini.g room,' they left lot of plate which lay close by.
Year: 1879

THE PRESIDENT of the American Farm CTS Club sad to his associates that the milk supply of New York is about one- fourth water, the receipts for the same aggregating about four million dollars per year. No wonder that handled babies die
Year: 1879

although his great and good friend Wash ingtOn once did.

 The music. it is truc would hardly pass muster now since the Wheeler X Wilson and DanDuIy Bands have been heard but it was composed, if l do not mistake, of one bass drum, two small drums and one "oar-piercing fife, yet no one then thought that it could be equell- ed and perhaps it could not be, for have heard worse since.

 But those nevertheless were good old times, Mr. Editor, There was no cheap patriotism lying around loose then; money circulated freely before and after the great event. Tho town felt sG(e upon witnessing the brilliant cvOlutioms of its yeomanry when drawn up in battle array with its marches and it's counter marches and we boys looked forward impaticHuy for the next training day, haiIinS it when it came with unspcakahle delight.

 Such is my recollection of Connecticut militia training, and when the next one comes off, may 1 be there to SCc it, with your BEE to publish tho account of it.
Year: 1879

OYER THE HOUSA TONIC R. R. SOME POINTS OF INTEREST AND AT

 TRACTION.

 None but those who travel can form an idea of the picturesque beauty of some parts of this section of the country. For the interest ofthose who may be contem- plating n quiet rest and the luxury of rus tic attraction and d vista of natures beau ty untouched by art, I would here men tion a little spot visited In the course of my flying trip, that well deserves a pass ing descriptive note from my humble pen. $

 VIEWPOINT CONN,

 is situated about twenty miles from the city of Bridgeport and ten miles from Danbury, on the HousatOnic line of rail, between the former city and Pitsfield. It is one of the most charming and attract i've spots on the line, where the lovers of nature, undecorated by art, may dwell iu gazing on one of the lovlie5t spots of scenic beauty ill this portion of the East. On an elevated tuble Ofland it looks down into the peaceful valley almost at its feet whom suddenly again the picture shows grand change and the eye is carried over a WeIl-cultivated tract of land, showing a fine productive agricultural country, the character or Wnlcn Is unuuldllnS. The scenery is beautified by lake, wooo and river, and in the summer season presents a picture of surpassing loveliness and beauty. It attracts many of the best fam lilies from New York and other large cities, here for a time to seek retirement and rest from the labors life. The town has population of about 4,000 persons, and is sit"ated about three-quarter5 of mile from the railroad depot in the valley below, and is of unpretending architectur- al character, yet simple, sweet and new and from the valley and the country be- low and beyond it looks something like the spectators viewing the works of na- lures artISt. In this town there is as pretty and comfortable hotel as can be found on the line of the Housatonic Rail- road, in the

 GRAND CENTRAL,

 which is a neat rustic frame building, three stories high, with thirty-six rooms. The house is admirably furnished andswell kept and sets an unexceptionable table. It is a charming summer resort and is lib- erally patronized by transient guests and pleasure seekers from New York and other large cities. G. F. c. .Hote! Gazeitp ee Trurelers Nonitor.
Year: 1879

A story is told of great French artist, which finely illustrates hi knowledge of human nature. He was travelling in Germany, in entire ignorance of its language and cur rency. Having obtained some small change for some of his French coins he used to pay drivers and others in the following manner: Taking a handful of the nuismatical speci- mons from his pocket, he counted them, one by one, into the creditors hand, keeping his eye fixed all the time on the receivers face As soon as he perceived the least twinkle of a smile he took back the last coin deposited in the hand and returned it, with the remainder to his pocket He afterward found that in pursuing this method he had not overpaid for anything.
Year: 1879

The first affair sifted at police court
this morning was a street row in which
two small boys figured as principals.
On account Of their diminutive size
the little fellows were not sentenced,
but ordered back to the cells, to medi-
tate.
Year: 1879

We learn that it is the intention of the
Bell Telephone Company Of this city to
secure telephone connections in short
time with both Buffalo and Syracuse,
The wires of the new American Union
Telegraph Company which are now be-
inc put up along the line Of the Erie
Canal are to be used for this purpose.
1t will then be possible to talk from
Buffalo to Syracuse, or vice versa, a dis
tance of about $50 miles. The longest
telephone line in the State to-day is the
line between HemlOck Lake and this
city, but when such line as that pro-
posed between Buffalo, Rochester and
Syracuse is established, that will be the
longest probably in the country. Some
seem to express doubts Of the successful
working of such long line, but we are
informed that a test is to be made in a
few days between here and New York
City, the wires Of the new telegraph
company to be used. We see no reason
why long line like this should not
work as well as a short line. The line
between this city and Henlock Lake
works admirably since it was fitted up
with the improved telephones and trans
mitters, and if line works well dis
tance of 30 miles, why should it not
work just as well a distance Of several
hundred miles? 1t may be, perhaps,
that the induction Of electricity at the
latter distance will not be so great as to
interfere, but the proposed test will soon
settle the matter. At any rate, there is
little question but that Buffalo, Roches-
ter, and Syracuse will soon be united by
telenhOne.-ROchcSter Union.