smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

There is no place for idle men


In such world as this is,
For who single talent hides


The ten-fold increase misses;
With busy hand and active brain,
Our strength we are renewing,
And if auglt worthy we'd achieve
We must be up and doing
We wait in vain for fortunes purse
To fill our lap with treasure,
And lose our interest on our notes
We sacrifice to pleasure.
In misery and poverty


Our folloy well be rueing,
So while the golden moments last,
We'd best by up and doing.
A holiday oncein while


Adds strength unto endeavor;
But who would prize jubilee


That lasted ON forever?
So if we have any work to do
And who can do without it?-
We never will complish much
Unless we set about it.
There is no room for idle men


In this great hive of labor.
Where each duty owes himself,



A duty owes his neighbor;
Beneath your feet, within your heart
The soil must have renewing,
So from your lethargy awake,


To-day be up and doing.
Old age is coming on apace,


How swift the hours are fly ing,
Soon beneath the churchyard stone
AT rest you will be lying;
Live while you live; each noble aim
Attentirely pursuing;
Fol if you would to honor rise
You must be up and doing!
Year: 1877

A Scranton correspondent Of tho New
York Times furnishes the following
frank statement from a gentleman
well able to judge of the present con-
di'lon of affairs in the coal regions:
The great trouble here in Scran-
ton said an officer Of the Delaware,
Lackawana and Western Company,
who has been acquainted with the
coal business of the corporation for
twenty years, sis our population, en-
excess of miners for the work to be
done. The company, few years ago,
purchased large tracts Of land along
the valley, embi acing an area about
four miles in length. 1t sunk shafts
at great expense, time when the
prospect seemed to warrant ths belief
that there would be a steady demand
for all the coal that could be brought
out Of them. The miners aocked to
the region, and during the war, when
nearly all the men employed were
foreigners, they constantly brought
out friends and relatives until the
scarcity of labor that had for time
existed ceased and whom the panic
came in 1878, it was suddenly found
that the supply of coal would have to
be limited and there soon came COM
plants of lack of employment. Re-
trenchment became necessary, and
the company was compelled to adopt
a plan of working part of its mines,
and regulating the supply of coal
somewhat by the demand. A system
was at length arranged of working
the mines alternately, with a view of
at once keeping the mines in order
Tree from gas aud water, and of furn.
shing all the miners with an equal


amount of the work that was to be
done. The company's prices of 1871
were not changed at the time of the
1878 panic. They remained high un.
til January 1875, when there was a
general reduction of 10 per cent. In
September, 1916, there was another
reduction of 10 per cent. which the Of
fcers say was only made because it was
absolutely necessary. In march last
third reduction-this time of Is per
cent.-was ordered, and the whole
range Of men were then paid IS per
cent. less than they had received four
wears previous. The books or pay
rolls of the company show that the
average Of wages paid to the miners
during the last month was about $l8
or $40.


THE directors say they are not in
sensible to the difficulties which the
men have had to encounter, but say
also that they have done ,he best they
could to keep all the men employed
for part of the time, preferring to
distribute the work to giving it out to
a few to the exclusion of the rest"
Year: 1877

BE kind to the book agent. He
has a father perhaps and mother who
knew him in his innocent youth. Per-
haps even now, in some peaceful New
England village fond hearts are beat
ing for him, and sweet lips breathe
loves dearest prayers for his welfare,
Therefore lay him down tenderly, fold
his hands peacefully on his breast, and
close his eyes gently as you put him
to rest under the branches of the
weeping willow, where tho birds car
ol all through the summer days their
softest songs. But plant him deep
plant him deepl
Year: 1877

A law student, Just ready to gradu.
ate, agreed to give his instructor the
proceeds of his first successful case.


The young lawyer evaded the prom
ise by refusing to plead ease.


The old lawyer sued the young law
yer for breach Of contract, and each
one managed his own case in court.


Said the old lawyer to the judge
"If YOU allow my claim to be good
one, then the money becomes mine by
your decision. lfyou refuse my case,
then my young friend has won his first
successful case, and the money be.
comes mine by previous agreement. |
am, therefore, sure Of the money in
either event


The young mau said to the lawyer:
"If you sustain my defense, then you
decide that ] need pay you nothing.
II, on the other hand, your ruling is
against me, then | have not won my
first successful case, and am, therefore,
secure against payment. however this
suit may he decided


Where now is the flaw in these ar
guments, and which lawyer is the
hawyer. ... ......r
Year: 1877

She was as pretty little bundle of
calico as the South-side can boast of
and as modest as a violet withal. So,
when her big cousin, throwing his
foot over the back OF a chair, said
saucily: "You car; do that" she
blushed with embarrassment. But
after he went out she nearly uncoupled
her hustle in trying to make her little
gaiter boots form parabola over the
back of that chair-and she succeed
Ell too.
Year: 1877

When he was young man, he rush.
ed into burning building and gal,
lently dragged her out by the hair of
her head. They were married the
next winter, and now she rushes in
and drags him out by the hair OF his
head whenever she feels like ii. Such
Is true love. f Andrews Bazar.
Year: 1877

derived from them. The number Of IN


married persons in the Ottoman empire is


therefore very great. The Turks are natur-
ally a licentious race. Even the conforma-
ton of their heads reveals the fact. The
posterior portion is enormously developed;
and the napes Of their neck are something
miraculous to behold-they resemble
those of bulls. They are often uxorious !;
and, in case no suspicion Of jealousy
crosses their minds, treat their wifes with
considerable Difference. Few will venture
to appear in the presence of their ladies
IN the slightest degree intoxicated; +; and
they will submit to be beaten on the day Of
Beiram, if from poverty, or other Gauss,
they have been unable to bring home the
roast shoulder Of mutton required by in
exorable custom for the family dinner of
that day. Eastern ladies often resort to
their summary mode Of proceeding with
their lords and masters, even when not
protected by the privilege of festival It
is true that, on the other hand, they are
exposed too similar treatment ifthey carry
the joke to far: OR misbehave in any way
and thatthe sack-of which tits the custom
to make tun amongst wags who have look
ed at the outside of Eastern manners-is
always ready topunish serious derelictons
of duty.
Year: 1877

The unnatural length and ridiculous
smalln ess Of their waists battles deserip-
ton. A waist that could bespanned is an
English metaphorical expression used in


a novel; but it is an American fact, and SO


alarming does itappear to an Engishman,


that my first sentiment on viewing the
phenomenon was one of pity for unfortpn


ate beings who might possibly break off in


the middle, like flowers from the stalk, be-


fore the evening concluded. Not less


extraordinary is the size ofthe ladies arms.


| saw many which were scarcely thicker


than moderate sized walking sticks. Yet


strange to say, when these ladies pass the


age of forty, they frequently attain an


enormous size. The whole economy of
their structure is then reversed, their


wrists and arms becoming the thickest
part ofthe body. Here is subject worthy
the contemplation ofthe ethnologists. How
comes it 10 pass that the English type
which I presume has not, in every case,
been SO affected by the admixturs ofothers
as to lose its own identity-how comes it
to pass, l say, that the English type is SO
strangely altered in few generations? |
have heard various hypotheses; amoag
others, the habits of the people, the dry
climate. The effect of the latter on an
European constitution would have appear
ed to be sufficient to account for the sin
gular conformation, if had not been per
suaded by natives ofthe country that the
small waist is mainly owing to tight lac
ing. This practice, It's said, is persever-
ed in to an alarming extent; and, if report
be true, it is to be feared that the effects
will be felt by future generations to
greater degree than they are at present.
Year: 1877

might not be difficult to discover similar
forms amongst almost all nations. During
the middle ages the delusion about the
healing virtues of human blood, which


must have had horrible effects In the plague
OF leprosy, received a check from the
impression that only the blood of those
children and virgins would prove ehieac-
ious who offered them freely and voluntarily
for beloved sufferer. This idea is part
icularly expressed in the touching story of
"Poor Henry which forms the subject of
one of the most beautiful poems of the
thirteenth century. A Suabian knight,
who sits in the lap of happiness, is seized
with leprosy. In order to escape death, he
seeks through the world for help. The
physicians Of Montpelier can give him no
assistance he hastens to Salernum. Here
one Of the masters makes him acquainted
with the apparently hopeless means of cure.
Sad at heart, he returns home, and prepar-
es himself to sorrow out the remainder of
his days in solitude. 4 girl of twelve
years ofage, the daughter Of a countryman.
conceives a passion for the unfortunate
knight, attends him affectionately, and,
upon accidentally hearing of the free.will
offering, cannot be dissuaded from her
resolution to purchase The recovery of her
master with her life. Both set out for
Salernum, but the catastrophe is not fatal;
Henry gets rid ofthe leprosy, and rewards
his generous benefactress with marriage.
Year: 1877

We commonly (says St. John) conceive


q Turk as burly individual, surrounded


By \ great number Of submissive beauties,


anxious for the honor Of the handkerchief;


but it is not remembered that there is a
prodigious number Of bachelors IN the


East. In spite Of the disgrace in which
ceibacy is held, a large proportion of the
men of the middle classes abstain from


marriage On account Of the difficulties
thrown in their way BY manners and the
competition of the rich. 7 have known
instances among the Leyantines III which
q young shopkeeper has been compelled
10 spend half his capital to procure a dirty
little wife. The same system Of purchase
prevails among the Turks, and IS indeed
Year: 1877

PRETTY GOOD WORLD.
Behold an idle tale they tell,


And who shall blame their telling it?
The rogues have got their cant to sell,
The world pays well for selling it.
They say this worlds a desert drear,
Still plagued with Egypts blindness;
That we are sent to suffer here


What by God of kindness?
That since the world has gone astray,
It must be so forever;
And we should stand still-and obey
Its desolateness?-never!
WelI labor for the better time


With all our might ofpress and pen
Believe me, tits truth sublimeg
Gods world is worthy better meu.
Year: 1877

GREECE is entering the lists with Turkey
and Russia as competitor for the purchase
of arms. Having determined to raise an
army of 100000 men, she needs the latest
and best weapons. For this purpose the
government has sent two of the leading off.
GERS of the Hellenic army to the United
States to make purchases. The extra war
appropriation of two million of dollars, which
was made last month by the Parliament, is
being filled up in large part bv contributions
from patriotic Greeks resident in foreign
countries. American rifles and cannon are
destined to play very important part in the
settlement of the Eastern Question.
Year: 1877

We do not read anonymous letters and communi
cations The name and address Of the writer are In
all cases Indispensable not necessarily for publication
but as a guaranty of good faith.


We cannot undertake to return or reserve commu-
nications that are not used.
Year: 1877

Gas soft as the voice of woman" says the
Eastern adage; but the tawny Oriental who
got it off never lived in community where
stubborn men hid themselves away in wood
piles and heard their wives calling to them,
yet made no answer, until female lungs became
the organ of vocal energy capable'of shaking
every pane in the windows of heaven.
Year: 1877

81 never could,'' he said the other evening,
while she was smoothing the wrinkles out of
his forehead with the daintiest finger that wore
plain. ring, 81 never could treat you as MIR.
Bennett treated Mr. May" "And why?" she
asked. Because" be said and it was evident
that the effort was causing him intense agony,
"because, dream Of my life, I have too much
respect for the laws to fight jewel" Then
she went out and told her father to please
come in as there appeared to be something the
matter with Alfred. They thought he could
hardly live through it, but the doctor bored a
hole in his head and stuffed it full of cotton to
relieve the vacuum, aud at last accounts he
was doing better.
Year: 1877

DR.. Mary Walker was one of those
who joined the throng paying homage to
Governor Hampton in his recent visit
to Washington. She endeavored, but
without success, to persuade some one of
the walters to carry her card to Governor
Hampton's room. Finally she espied
Senator Gordon, and asked him to secure
her an interview, but he informed her
that Governor Hampton's time was so
much occupied that he could not see any
one. But this would not satisfy DR..
Mary, and she planted herself at the foot
of the stairs to intercept Governor Hamp-
ton as he came down. Colonel Cake, the
proprietor of the hotel, went to her and
told her she must leave. She said this
was insulting, and he replied that if she
would dress in the apparel of her sex she
would not expose herself to insult. At
this she drew back and aimed her cane
at the Colonel, who retreated in good
order. Then, after giving him little
piece of her mind, she departed. The
coast being clear Governor Hampton
then came down stairs, and he and
Senator Gordon took a ride around the
city.
Year: 1877

"DID you think of me while you were
gone?' tenderly asked a woman of her
husband, who had just come back from
Florida. He said he did-once. 1t was
when he saw an alligators jaw.


THE gloves most worn by gentlemen
have two buttons. Those havinga broad
line of machine stitching on the back are
the most popular, but the stitching is the
exact shade of the kid and not con-
trasting color.


SEABoRN JONES, of Silver City, Ne
vada, has beard four feet and one inch
in length, and still growing. The Enter
prise says he appeared on the streets of
Virginia City on st. Patrick's Day, and
the boys were equally divided in opinion
as to whether he was St. Patrick or old
Santa Claus.


AN experienced lady observes that
good way to pick out husband is to
see how patiently the man waits for his
dinner when it is behind time. Her
husband remarks that good way to
pick out a wife is to see whether the
woman has dinner ready in time.


A YOUNG man in Dubuque, Iowa, went
to country dance the other night, and
did not return home until the church
bells were ringing the next morning.
His father told him he must go to meet
ing, and he went. Before the minister had
finished the opening prayer he was sound
asleep, and dreaming of the dance. An
old lady who set next to him touched
his hand to arouse him, whereupon he
seized her wrist, and shouted, GAIL join
hands and circle TO the left. Swing the
girl with the blue dress on.
Year: 1877

1t may not be particularly interesting
to our readers to know why the shark is
by nature very fierce animal; still
there are men who delight to study such
subjects, and dwell at length upon the
ferociousness of those monsters, as one
has in late number of the Science
Monthly, and he tells us that two things
contribute to the sharks determined
ferceness. In the first place, we may


efer to his teeth, for of these engines of
destruction Nature has been to him par
ticularly bountiful; and this species of
bounty he has peculiar pleasure in ex-
ercising. If he could speak, he would
probably tell us that, besides being
troubled with his teeth, which he could
not help keeping in use, he had been
gifted with enormous abdominal viscera,
and that, more particularly, third of
his body is occupied by spleen and liver.
The bile and other digestive juices which
are secreted from such an immense ap-
paratus, and poured continually into
the stomach, tend to stimulate appetite
prodigiously +; and what hungry animal,
with good teeth, was ever tender
hearted2 In truth, a sharks appetite
can never be appeased; for, in addition
to this bilious diathesis, he is not a
careful masticator, but, hastily boiling
his food, produces thereby, not only the
moroseness of indigestion, but whole
hest of parasites, which goad, as well as
irritate the intestines to that degree that
the poor squalus is sometimes quite be-
side bimself frem the torments, and
rushes, like blind Polyphemus, through
the waves, in search of anything TO cram
down his NAV that may allay such
urgent distress. He does not seek to be
cruel; but he is cruelty famished. at
is not l." expostulates the man in the
crowd, that is pushing; it is others
behind me-" The poor wretch must
satisfy, not only his own ravenous ap-
petite, but the constant demand of these
internal parasites, either with dead or
living food; and therefore it is that,
sped as from a catapult, he pounces on
quarry, and sometimes gorges himself
beyond what he is able to contain.
Year: 1877

and reported, and for an hour all was


quiet. The boy was beginning to hope


that they had withdrawn for good, when


savage appeared in view on the left and


wanted to hold talk. He INDUCED in


furious gestures, danced around, and


made every effort to attract Kings at


tention to him, and then keep it there.


"White boy very brave-won't hurt


white boy-like to talk with brave white


boyr he called out as he danced
around.


Meanwhile the rest of the band were
sneaking up from the other direction,
calculating on shooting King in the back
as he watched the single Indian. He
suspected the trick, saw them coming,
and drawing fair bead on the talker,
dropped him dead as crow-bar. Those
skulking up numbered four, being all
the Indians left alive and unwounded
out of the nine first sighted. They did
not rush as the boy expected. On the
contrary, they hurriedly retreated, and
but little time was lost by them in get
ting out of the neighborhood. The boy
waited until three o'clock in the after
noon before leaving his retreat, and then,
his clothing stiff with blood, he pursued
isjourney, reaching his brothers camp
about dark in safety. The men would
not credit his story, though the three
wounds were plain proof of bloody con-
test. The next day band of dozen
went over to the scene of the fight, and
when they had taken survey they
could no longer doubt the boys story.
They found trails of blood everywhere
around the. position, and trails in the
snow where the dead Indians had been
dragged along, and the defense
was voted one of the bravest ever made
against the savages. A boy without sign
of beard, and looked upon as hardly fit
to carry pistol around, had wounded or
destroyed five out of nine redskins who
had anticipated securing his scalp with
out firing more than one shot. 1t wasn't
enough for the miners to pat the boy on
the back and give him all duepraise, but
to further honor and distinguish him
they called him "The Man from Mich
gan" There are other men from Mich
igan there, but young King has the sole
honor of being" the man." and of being
ooked upon as the representative of the
Wolverine State.
Year: 1877

DID you ever notice what different
aspect everything wears in sunshine from
what it does in the shadow. And did
you ever think what an analogy there
was between the sunlight of the cIoudless
skies and the sunshine that CLEANS into
the darkened chambers of the human
soul? How bright and beautiful are the
golden beams that break the riven clouds
to light up the world again after sue
cession of dark and stormy days. How
happy and peaceful are the blissful
words OF hope and cheer that touch the
heart and fill the soul with emotions of
peace and joy after long period of sor-
row! There are none living who do not,
in greater or less degree, have an in
fuence over the earthly happiness of
others. The sense of contributing to
the pleasure of others augments our
own happiness. Unselfshness, Christian
charity and loving kindness are SUM-
beams of the soul.
Year: 1877

eyes," said he, "people in my busi-


ness, like people in other walks of life,


have their strange experiences. l had
one that occurred to me at my store that


forcibly illustrates the ingenuity of the
average American dead beat, who has a


point to carry and means to do it, the


pertinacity as well as the ingenuity.


"This fellow came in while was on
watch one evening. He was bright,


intelligent fellow, talked glibly about
drugs, said he kept drug store in some
place in Indiana, had come in on an
evening train, and in his trip up the
street had been waylaid, knocked down
and robbed, by two men who had sprung
out upon him from an alley. This ac-
counted for his black eye and the fact
he had no money about his person. He
had come here to buy stock of drugs,
soaps, liquors, etc. He had sent home
for more money. In the meantime he
wanted to look around and find the goods.
What he particularly wanted to get was
cheap assortment. Stores like mine,
he remarked, often had on hand an old
stock of stuff that would not sell in the
city, but would go off well enough in
village store. In the first place he
wanted to hunt up the soaps. hap
pened to remember that l had lot of
old soaps on hand, and l went to the
trouble to go down in the cellar and
look through it. We talked the matter
over and finally struck bar
gain that was satisfactory to both. He
told me that I might make the packages
up for shipment by express, and that we
could arrange further along. how l was
to be paid-whether 1 was to send them
G. o. D. or he should pay me personally.


"Henext wanted some whisky-about
ten gallons. 1 had some that could let
him have at about four dollars gallon,
1 thought. He said he was judge; SO
1 poured him out dose in glass. He
held it up in the light, to look at the
color and the bead; then he slipped
little of it, allowed it to rest in his
mouth, smacked his lips over it, and
finally drank it of, and pronounced it
very fair article. He concluded that he
would take ten gallons of it. He then
commenced talking about drugs, and
said he would come around thensxt day
to make up his stock, if he found what
suited him. Then he started for the
door, but he halted and came back, and
remarked that he guessed he'd take an
other taste of that whisky he wanted
to see if he had been deceived about the
aftertaste that it left in his mouth:
had begun to have my suspicious of the
fellow, and now 1 dropped remarked,
You are a dead-beat; get out of this
store And he got. That fellow had
gone through all that business-with my
assistance-for one drink of whisky; and
he wanted another. 1t was better
whisky than he had been in the habit of