smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

The Virginia City Enterprise says:
We have in this town a genius known as
Blazer" who is never at peace ex.
cept when at war. de would leave his
dinner any day if he thought he could
find fight. When he is unable to find
muss he is perfectly wretched A
night or two since some friends of his
who happened to be passing through the
Barbary Coast region of the town
had their attention attracted to a she
bang near at hand by tremendous up
roar. There was a smashing of glass, a
crashing of chairs, bottles and tumblers,
fierce yells, and in short a fearful com.
motion. Thinking one of the voices
within had familiar sound, the gentle
men looked in at the door Of the gin
MILL" and there beheld Blazer, sur.
rounded by about half dozen coast
rangers" who we're giving it to him
straight from the shoulders on all
sides. Blazers nose was fattened, his
upper lip was laid open by blow from a
tumbler, and his clothes were nearly torn
from his back. A clip under the ear
sent him ITO grass" when those nearest
him began jumping upon him and kick
ing him in the ribs. His friends at once
rushed to his rescue. The breath was
completely knocked and kicked out of
poor Blazer, and he lay stretched sense.
less upon the floor. Some water dashed
10 his face revived him. Recognizing
his friends, he smiled as amiably as was
possible with his bloated and distorted
upper lip; and huskily whispered, Boys,
its gorgeousl I've stumbled into reg.
ular paradise"
Year: 1874

distance, have followed and watched a
sick buffalo, and wheo at last the mon.
arch Of the prairie droops, lies down,
and falls over upon his side dead
creature, then they awoop down from the
sky and pick out his eyes, tear out his
vitals, and shrek exultant as they do it,
each foul bird glaring hate upon the
rest, and devouring with his vulture eyes
the whole carcass. When they had
ragged all over the house, they came 10 a
body to Mr. Duane, and demanded to
know if there was will. There was.
He had drawn it himself two years be-
fore. 1t was in the iron safe in the room
where the dead man lay. Upon hearing
this frenzy of desire seized them to
know its contents; and they insisted on
hearing it read then with such infuriate
clamor that Mr. Duane, knowing how the
will would avenge his client and rebuke
this human indecency, consented at
length to read it, and it was read.
When ! had opened the will, said Mr..
Duane to me, and was about to begin
to read, / chanced to look over the top
of the document at the company seated
before me, There was ghastly pallor
on every face, and look Of mingled
curiosity, greediness and jealousy, which
| am sure the greatest artist in the
world could not have done justice to.
Years have gone by and can see it
still. /" The little bequests given to the
relatives were swallowed up in litiga-
ton, and they gave themselves up to i'm
polite expressions about the old gentle
man
Year: 1874

The Constitution requires the United
States to guarantee to every State in the
Union a republican form Of government;
and precisely what the measure Of this duty
is, and how it shall be performed. is the
question under discussion at Washington.
The debate i'll the Senate has come to be
animated, and so far as the leaders, Sena-
tors Carpenter and Morton, are concerned,
somewhat personal, not to say acrimonious.
In the heat OF this debate some considera-
tiops OF Importance are lost sight OF, and an
inharmonious feeling is aroused. The
Louisiana question is by no means difficult
of solution, but it must be approached with
out temper, and with q reasonable desire
to effect an equitable adjustment. The
President evidently is in no obstinate mood.
lie has no precOIcelved opinion, He is
perfectly willing to follow Congress, and he
waits quietly while Congress Is exhausting
time and patience in palterlng inaction.


A year ago, the President, in brief mes
sage, rehearsed the proceedings taken by
him in regard to Louisiana; gave excellent
reasons for having recognized those who
held office under the sanction of q Supreme
Court decision; expressed his anxiety Ito
avoid any appearance of undue interference
with State affairs" begged Congress to take
some action in the premises, and remarked
decisively that he should continue to recog-
nize the Kellogg government unless Con
gress did interfere. 1t was for them to
change the situation, and do their duty un-
der the constitution. When the reports on
Louisiana were made to the Senate a year
ago, Mr. Carpenter recommended a new cleo
ton, and his subsequent investigation OF
the case only strengthened his conviction
that Louisiana can be rigEted only by an
honest election, in which the frauds of the
last shall find no place.


1t would seem from the tenor Of Supreme
Court decisions that the duty of Congress
to guarantee a republican form of govern
ment" to each State is not done when Con
gress recognizes that the State has repub
lican constitution. In the Dorr case the
court held that Congress must decide "what
government is the established one in a
State" 1t can not determine whether the
form be republican until it shall decide
which government is established. If Con
gress seats Senators and Representatives
who come with commissions from the State
government, then that government is recog-
nZed.


The very delay of the Senate to admit
either Pinchback or McMillen, indicates
their doubt of the legality of the conflict
ing authorities which had commissioned
them. To seat the former is to recognize
the Kellogg administration. To seat the
latter is to repudiate it. To do nothing is
to confess doubt OF the legality of the
election of November, 1872. Congress re.
fused and neglected its obvious duty last
year. 1t may make amends now, cut the
embarrassing knot of this perplexity, shut
up the clamor Of tho opposition North and
South. and show its good sense by affirm
ing the common sense policy of the Presi.
dent.-Ne1c York Commercial Advertiser.
Year: 1874

Our attention has just been called to q
State law on the subject of vagrancy, or in
the vernacular of the practitioners of that
profession, "gentlemen of leisure" The
statute may be found in Rays Revisions,
section 2S77. which reads as follows:


"All idle persons not having visible means
to maintain themselves, live without em-
ployment shall be deemed va
grants"


Under this law a man by the name OF
Miller was arrested in the town OF Monroe,
and upon trial before Judge Ray, of the
Fourteenth Judicial District Court, the ac-
cused made a voluntary statement that he
followed gambling for living. and it was
further proved that he was not in the habit
of working when he could get around it.
This was deemed by the court as sufficient
evidence for conviction, and Miller was
sent to Jail for three months.


In our own city there is a large class of
able bodied men, who, it is well known,
have no property to sustain them from hon
est toll, yet they are always seen upon the
streets basking in the beautiful sunshine.
neither seeking or accepting employment
by which to earn an honest livelihood.
These men may be gen ntlemen of leisure, but
where is their capital to sustain them i'll
this indolencea 1t is well known that such
capital exists only in a deck of well creased
pastebOards made to win them their scanty
food and raiment at FIVE cent ante.


1t is well known, too, that when nickels
are scarce, as they are now, it is a very
difficult matter for such characters to sub
sist in this way, and that any deficit in
their exchequer must necessarily be made
up by petty thefts. Every week we record
many cases of this kind, and the only rea-
son which can be assigned for the growing
amount of petty larceny cases is the large
number OF vagrants-nonpr producers-who
are allowed to crowd into the purlieus of
our city, and to boldly strut the streets OF
the town from one years end to another
without ever striking one lick of work.


If loafng and gambling constitute va
grancy under the State law at Monroe.
what does it constitute it at Baton Rouge ?
VIII the authorities solve this simple prob.
LEM 3-- Baton Rouge Adoocate.
Year: 1874

O0G seaman At sea.


The steamship Jamaican, Captain Wat
son, arrived at her wharf, head Of Jackson
street, Tuesday evening, at nine o'clock,
after long and tedious passage from Liv-
erpool, via Puerto Principe, Jamaica, Vera
Cruz, Tampico and Brazos Santiago.


The voyage was made unusually sad and
unpleasant by the loss of three men, and
the heavy weather that followed for sew
eral days after. The cause of the accident
was thus stated: On the fifth day out from
Liverpool, when about 400 miles northwest
of the Azores, the steamer deserted bark
to windward with all sail furled and riding
as lightly as a cotton loaded vessel. She
sgnaled and afterward hailed without re-
ply. Considering her abandoned, each Off
Ger and seaman was anxious to be one of
the party to beard her. The first officer,
bOatswain, carpenter and three seamen
comprised the boats crew selected. The
quarter boat was successfully lowered, and
the crew gave way with will for the aban-
doned vessel; but just before reaching her
a sea struck the boat and she capsized.


Captain Watson, seeing their condition.
with a sailors presence of mind, immedi-
ately launched the lifeboat, double manned,
and sent to their rescue, but owing to the
strong breeze and heavy sea the lifeboat
never reached them.


In the meantime the steamer had been
put in notion but, being a very long ship,
the first circle she made she fell short of the
waterlogged boat; the next she just reached
it. Those clinging to the boat being very
much exhausted, 50 much so that when
bowline was thrown to the first officer he
succeeded in getting it, but when the ship
raised on the sea and took him out of the
water he fell and went down and was not
seen afterward. The carpenter had been
washed away from the boat and clung 20
an oar until he sank exhausted, being una
BILE to swim. The third seaman was
drowned on the capsizing of the boat. The
three survivors were taken on board by
ropes being thrown to them, and in few
hours were able to return to duty.


The lifeboat and crew were soon picked
up, aud the steamship Jamaica headed for
her port of destination, while all hands
mourned bitterly the fate that shaped their
coul SO across that of the abandoned bark.


Captain Watson is of the opinion that
some foul play might have been going on
aboard of the bark, as her sails were all
furled as snugly as if in port; the only thing
ad rift was the lower part of the spanker.
There was no name or hailing port painted
on her. Her appearance and rig was that
Of German vessel.


While at Vera Cruz, changing berth un-
der steam, the Jamaican would not steer.
Upon examination it was found that the
rudder stock was hoisted off in the rudder
port. She came to an anchor and rigged up
permanent steering gear to perform the rest
of the voyage, consisting of two outriggers
over the stern, two straps on the back OF
the rudder, two chains leading from these
straps through blocks on the end OF the
outriggers, and to the wheel forward on the
bridge, with which arrangement the cap
tain brought the vessel safely into port.
Year: 1874

the ritualstic dispute, and to survey of the
condition of the Roman Catholic Church in
England. These portions of his article would
have comparatively little interest to American
readers. He expounds the dogma Of lnfalli-
bility, quoting largely from the theological
textbooks of the late Archbishop Kenrick OF
Baltimore, who is generally accepted as
standard modern authority; but this chapter
belongs to the literature of doctrinal contro-
versy, with which the daily press can hardly
concern itself. The last third of his essay Is
devoted to the subject of Catholic Allegiance
to the civil power, and this we reprint to-day
in full 1t touches the heart OF the present
dispute, and will be read not only for the
interest of the subject, but Tor the pecuiiar
celebrity of the author.
Year: 1874

The paper money issued by the National
banks has been 30 long established ana the
people are so familiar with the system, that
the report of tho Controller of the Currency
has not the interest of dealing with novelty.
The only new thing is the bank note redemp-
ton scheme, and into that Mr.. Knox does not
enter exbaustively. He considers the chief
end of the so-called redemption the exchange
of new paper for old. This certainly Is de-
sirable thing. Since the act OF June ~ went
into operation twenty million dollars IN worn
out bank notes have been delivered to the Con-
troller for destruction. We regret, however, that
the National banks have the option of receiving
in exchange for these wOrn-0ut notes Dllls Oh
n smaller denomination than i've dollars.
The amount now outstanding OF bank notes
below the denomination OF five dollars Is
SS972,Si1, while the amount OF legal-tender
notes of corresponding denominations Is $685.
223 525. or more than six times as much as the
total of the small notes issued by the banks.
If we are ever so fortunate as to see the
legal-tender promises of the Government worth
par in gold, it will be desirable to withdraw
all notes for less than five dollars, in order
that their place may be supplied with coin.
If, under such state of things, the banks
enjoy tho privilege of circulating small notes.


their opposition to being deprived OF 1t would
be formidable, because it would then be more
valuable than it is now AS they now issue
less than one-seventh part of the circulation
below five dollars, there would be little hard
shin to them and little difficulty, with the aid
of the redemption machinery, in gradually
Withdrawing their small bills from circulation.
AS things are now, it is perhaps not unlikely
that the legal-tender notes below five dollars
will be displaced by National bank notes.


The wear and tear of tho one and two
dollar bills is much greater than that of the
larger denominations. This, while in the end
advantageous for the issuers Of them through
the larger proportion lost and destroyed, is
for the time an increased expense, because
they must Oftener be renewed. On the other
hand, since the small notes are most OF them
at all times in the pockets OF the people, the
difference to the banks between having
S56,OOO,0O0 of them issued by the Government
or by the banks is almost equivalent to an
increase OF decrease by the same amount OF
the legal-tender circulation. To the banks,
we say, because it is of no consequence
to the citizen whether the one and two
dollar bills in his pocket are issued by the
banks or by the Treasury. But in the end
there is considerable profit to the issuers Of
these small bills, and, so long as the system is
continued at ALL it is desirable that the public,
collectively, and not the banks, should reap
the benefit. BY looking over the statement of
liabilities of the old State banks which have
joined the National system it will be found
that a sum, by no means insignificant, repre-
sents old bank notes which have never been
presented for redemption and never will be.
Year: 1874

The Patent Office in the hands Of competent
and intelligent men is capable of great deal
of good, and has doubtless accomplished much
in tho way of encouraging inventors and stlm-
ulating the ingenuity of practical artisans.
But its fault has never been that of excessive
carefulness and severity, and the immense
mass of models now heaped up IN Its snow
cases shows plainly enough that II any good
inventions have ever been rejected their places
were occupied by others which should never
have passed the Examiners. When, therefore,
we see that the people who are Interested in
keeping the patent business lively and thrlv-
ing are beginning to attack the Bureau FOL
its undue severity and narrOwness, we
are forced to conclude that it has
been acting with unusual discretion ana
good senss Tho fact that during the last
year 1900 applications for patents were re-
jccted, will not appear to the public so as
founding or 80 calamitous as it seems to the
solicitors. These gentlemen naturally think
tha, every inventor, who in good faith makes
a model and gives them fee, ought to have
his patent as matter of course. But IN 1act
thore is no moro injustice in refusing patent
to man whose invention does not deserve 1t,
than there is in q newspapers declining an
article which contains no new thoughts or
ideas. There is great deal said about the
duty of the Patent Office to extend helping
band to all comers. But its primary function
is to benefit the public, and individuals can
only share in its advantages so far as they
are likely to assist in that direction


AS to one particular, where the action OF
the Commissioner has excited the animadver-
sion of the sympathetic neighborhcod of the
Department OF the Interior, We think he Is
perfectly in the right. lie has, as it appears,
undertaken to refuse patents to physicians
prescriptions or compositions, on tho simple
ground that they are "not patentable" 1t
may easily be imagined that this decision is
not popular among the compounders of nos
trums, but we cannot see that any disinter-
ested person should object to it. Physicians
of the first class, those whose discoveries or
inventions are worth anything to mankind, do
not wish their prescriptions protected by
patents, and it is not to the public interest
that any others should be SO protected. The
Commissioner of Patents has done q sensible
thing in taking this position, and we hoDo he
will adhere to il,
Year: 1874

remark made by the General Of the Army when
in New-i York throws some ligh; on the reasons why
our best artists never do any work for the nation.
To gentleman who had made some anmadversions
on the bad policy prevalent at Washington, of
hiring inferior people to make important statues.
Che General replied, If your artists do any bet
ter why dom. they come dewn and try it-instead
of sulking in their studios This Is frank and SOL
dierly view to take of the matter, and shows how
wise our Congress was in putting the Hero of At
lanta on an Art Commission. lie believes in pride
and dignity much ~ any man-for soldiers Of
certain grade But that an artist should have any
selfrespect probably preposterous to his Wig
orous comprehension. Men like this can see no rea-
son why artists of the first rank should not waste
whole Winter in the corridors Of the Capitol button
hdng Senators and clerks Of Committees. Miss
Ream and Others do it, and why should anybody be
above his businessi This notion, natural it is is
little old fashioned. A century ago, the GEN
eral of the Army coald not have left his door with
out finding swarm of poets scholars. and artists
besettng him and begging for job 1t is better for
art in general that this condition Of things has
ceased and by sort Of paradox il is better for the
Washington artists. for they have very little COM
pstitiOn on the doorsteps Of tho great
Year: 1874

Threatened reforms in the Custom-house ap-
pear to create some CONSERVATION among the
minor officials there, particularly among those
who have only political recommendations for
their positions. General dissatisfaction with
Custom house management seems to exist not
only among the employees themselves but in
the political associations which the Custom
house officials have attempted to control. A
revolt against the present leadership is threat
ened at the approaching primary elections of
Republicans, and though not promising full
and immediate success, will doubtless increase
the existing dissatisfaction with the present
General Committee.
Year: 1874

The annual report of Gen. Benet furnishes
interesting details of the operations OF the
Ordnance Bureau of the War Department and
abounds in plausible recommendations for
additional appropriations. The argument in
favor of an increase of the sum annually set
apart for armiLg and eQuipping the wnole
body of the militia will command attention !;
but in its last days the present Congress Will
feel little disposed to make any new appro-
priaton for which explanation will be neces-
sary in the canvass preceding the next Presi-
Dental election.
Year: 1874

The Secretary of the Treasury directs the
sale during December of half million dollars
in gold each week. As gold is scarce, foreign
exchange high, and coin still going out of the
country, there are doubtless many gentlemen
who would have been pleased to see heavier
sales ordered. But on reelection it will appear
to all candid business men that the sole duty
of the Secretary under the present laws is to
maintain an unvarying currency balance in the
Treasury. The amount upon which the Secre-
tary appears to have fixed is sixteen million
dollars. The question he is to ask himself is
this: How much coin must sell to keep the
"amOunt of paper money in the Treasury
" from varying from sixteen million dollarsY ~
If the Compromise Currency Act had one
merit it was this: that it made an ATTEMPT to
prevent the Secretary Of the Treasury from
adding to or taking from the paper money in
circulation. When the Secretary Of the Treas
ury sells gold lie buys paper, and he has no
legal right to increase his purchases of paper
to prevent the discount fixed on that paper in
the Gold Room from becoming greater. There
are evils connected with irredeemable paper,
and it is useless for the Secretary of the
Treasury to attempt to pallate them. We are
glad to see he recognizes the fact.
Year: 1874

The difficulty in the way of the Louisiana
Returning Board is that the returns do not
sustain the Boards preference as to how the
election should have gone. Hence, although
the returns of nearly every other State voting
in November have been canvassed and the result
declared, the Louisiana canvassers have Just
reached the letter c in the alphabetical list of
counties. But our kilograms show that the
work of overhauling forged tally-lists and
false afiidavits proceeds apace and a great
many more votes may be thrown out before
the first of January, when the newly elected
Legislature ought to meet. If Kellogg is i'm
peached by that Legislature he cannot " shake
chs CORY locks" at his servants on the Re-
turning Board; certainly the fault will not be
theirs if his friends are not all seated.
Year: 1874

None of the documents now issuing from
the Government Offices in Washington will
interest the general public more than the
report of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army
q careful abstract of which is presented ON
our third page this morning This report
gives the details of the operations of the
bureau to which is committed the subject Of
National moteorology, together with the col
lection of weather reports the publication of
forecasts of the weather, the life saving
service 'on the coast, and the building of GER
tain Government telegraph lines. In each of
these matters, but especially in the collection
and dissemination of weather reports, the
duties of the Signal Service men have been
discharged so satisfactorily that Congress will
doubtless be inclined to give an attentive ear
to Gen. Myers recommendations, with view
to charging and perfecting the machinery Of
his bureau.
Year: 1874

The cause of science will bo largely gamer
by the researches of Prof. Marsh's expedition,
of whose safe return from the Bad Lands, south
of the Black Hills, we are now informed.
The collection of fossils and other specimen,
secured will afford the scientific members of
the party ample compensation for the perils
and hardships OF a march of exploration
through an inhOspitable country in tue worst
of weather.
Year: 1874

The appeal in the case of William NJ. Tweed,
of which notice was given at the time of trial
and sentence, appears to have been purposely
deferred until the end of the first year of his
long term of punishment. 1t is now under
stood that his counsel will seek to have the
case reviewed on the ground that the indict-
ment on which he was convicted charged a
single misdemeanor. although it embraced 22O
different counts. It's very nice point OF law on
which it is claimed the Judge who sentenced
Tweed for fifty y-one misdemeanors had pre-
viously ruled that he could be punished Tor
only one.