smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

The Chicago Tribune Of recent date
says: "Quite number of people have
been stopped recently in well-lghted
and well-traveled neighborhoods, and
compelled to give up what money and
valuables they had, at the solicitation of
two or three highwaymen, who pointed
pistols at them by way OF suggestion.
This class of gentry are hard. to catch,
since they never appear in the same vi
cinity twice. A nove1>plan, however,
has been devised, which premises to be
successful, although it may be attended
with the shedding Of blood, 1t has been
called trolling Fifteen or twenty of
the best-looking patrolmen are to be
dressed like business men, and scattered
through the localities where people live
who are apt to be attacked for their
wealth. They will walk along quietly,
assume to be under the influence of
liquor if occasion requires it, and wait
to be called upon to stand and deliver.
They will deliver lead, not lucre, for
the orders say Shoot if the highwaymen
present revolvers.' To guard against
being overpowered, two officers will
travel together side by side, but
one will be half block or a block be-
hind, with overshoes on, so that his
steps cannot be heard. This scheme
will undoubtedly work well, and, as not
over half a dozen men are doing this
Claude Duval business, it cannot be
long before they are in the County Jail
or in the Potter's field. Assistant Super
intendent Dixon, who is author of this,
plan, is confident Of its success, and it is
te, be hoped that he will not be disap-
pointed. The only way to get rid of the
foot1pad, who is meaner thief than the
burglar, is to shoot him onsight. Pub
lie sentiment would justify the officers
who do it, and aCgold-headed cane
would perhaps be presented the officer
who kills the first one"
Year: 1877

France is SO absorbed in her domestic
troubles-so deep in the quarrel for su-
premacy of parties and intrigues-that she
seems to have forgotten her external rela-
tions and to have ceased to be European
State. She has had no policy on recent
general topics of European interest but that
Of silence and abstention, and now it would
seem that she scarcely has any policy on
subjects that have an important bearing on
her own future capacity for self-defence
Evidently if the reports of the German
negotiations with Belgium are true the Ber-
lin government has made good use of the
paralyzed condition Of France as to
her relations with her neighbors, for if Ger
many shall secure with Frances immediate
neighbor such relations as she is said to
desire the possibility of self-assertion on
the part of France in any contingency what
ever will be we'll nigh hopeless. With the
adoption by Belgium Of the German military
system her army will have relations to the
imperial command perhaps not greatly dis
similar to the armies of tho formerly free
German States, and France will have Ger
many on her frontier from the Jura to the
German Ocean, and Germany's ally,from
Savoy to the Mediterranean. This will be o
guarantee of peace as long as the mainte-
nance of peace is in the programme Of Ger
man politics.
Year: 1877

failures were necessary to secure such mod
ifications as were necessary that man might
live on the Spree, how was it to be ex-
pected that fresh specimen, just from the
cradle of humanity, with all his original
imperfections in him, should thrive in that
land Of foundry-like digestions and profess
sorial intellects. II was the intellect that
did it: Pongo's little life was wasted in the
attempt to understand what life is--an at
tempt that comes naturally to people COM
PEELED to live in Berlin. They should have
carried poor Pongo to Paris. There SYM
pathy, sunshine, sense of merriment in
the air and the contagion of laughter would
have given him revived respect for the
kind. OF existence led by human creatures,
and he would not have died in his apish OBJ
stinacy and left world Of scientific men
bursting in ignorance rs to whether he was
capable Of civilization.
Year: 1877

An incidental disclosure of the Wander
bilt will case is the story told by DR.. Linsly
of the old Commodore's physical injuries
and ailments. Few men, it seems, were
ever more terribly beset by the ills that
flesh is heir to in tho form OF chronic
diseases and it is one more evidence Of the
resolution with which this man fought the
battle OF life that he had not only to en-
counter the opposition and resistance Of
those enemies whom the world saw him en-
counter, but also these little known, persist
ent and relentless foes that were with him
day and night and silently sapped the cita-
del ut last. DIR. Linsly's acquaintance with
Mr.. Vanderbilt extended through forty
seven years, and he was his family physi-
clan for the greater part Of that time. He
testifes that the Commodore was suf-
ferer from heart disease, from hernia,
from hemorrhoids, from chronic cystitis,
from dyspepsia and from dropsy conse-
quent upon the heart disease that on
one occasion he was very gravely injured in
a railroad accident, having the ends Of sew
eral fractured ribs driven like daggers into
his lungs, and that the results of this hurt
lasted so long that it caused him Sc
we're pleuro-pneumonia three years later,
and that he suffered from repeated attacks
of fever and ague. That is the physical
record of one Of the giants Of his time
With ut least five maladies from the danger
or distress of which he was never free, and
with intercurrent troubles that would have
carried down many man physically vigor-
Gus, the old Commodore fought on and not
only accumulated one Of the greatest lor-
tunes ever made in this country, but
also achieved successes that were wonder
iul apart from their financial results. Let
no invalid despair with such history be-
fore him.
Year: 1877

Comparatively little of what is done by
the Board of Health OF this city is OF any
value to the public, and it is probably well
enough known that we waste no admiration
upon that body but it does scrap OF SER
vice here and there, and its proceedings
aimed to prevent the propagation Of scarlet
fever through the public schools must be
numbered with these. This, however,
seems to be case of good intentions rather
than efficient performance but the Board
OF Education must share with the Board OF
Health the responsibility for this failure.
Scarlet fever cases are reported to the
Board Of Health, with their location, and
Board of Education. AS a simple c6n-
sideration Of the distribution Of the school
districts will show this information would
enable the school authorities to know
in what schools pupils from that neighbor-
hood were likely to be found, and an
easy inquiry in any given school would de-
termine whether there were children there
from an infected house, while the tempo
rary exclusion Of such children from the
school would save many lives and prevent
the spread OF the disease. 1t results from
the observations Of DR. Dwyer, who appears
to be one Of the few capable men connected
with the Board of Health, that this pro-
gramme is not carried out by the Board Of
Education, and that in consequence all the
precautions actually taken produce no pub
lie benefit. There seems to be room here
for the Board of Education to rise and ex-
plain.
Year: 1877

The session in the Senate and House yes
terday was almost entirely consumed in
speechmaking. Senator Maxey spoke at
length on the Mexican question and eight
or nine gentlemen ventilated their theories
on the nti-Resumption bill in the House.
The speeches Of some of the soft money adj
vocates were SO exceedingly ridiculous
and absurd that the chamber was kept
in almost continuous roar of laugh
ter Two moro days of debate re-
main under the resolution, SO that a
vote will not be taken until tomorrow.
Mr.. Wood reported from the Ways and
Means Committee resolution to adjourn
OH the 22d inst, but did not press immedi-
ate notion.
Year: 1877

The counsel for Robert L. Case. the in
dicted president. of tho Security Life Insur-
ance Company, made m earnest plea to the
jury yesterday for the defence. Besides
urging with ingenuity and force those tech
nical points to which the accused trusted for
escape from the penalty of his crime the
learned counsel strove to touch the feelings
OF the jury by painting in pathetic language
the disastrous effect conviction would
have on his clients aged wife and
four daughters. The crime of which
Mr. Case was yesterday found guilty
is one of unequalled cruelty. A man labors
and tolls oil his life, and pinches himself
and his family in order tor pay the premium
of life insurance, SO that those who are
dearer to him than his life may not be left
penniless and helpless when he passes to
his grave He dies, and the money he has
found it so hard to pay is stolen by a dis
honest life insurance official, and, spite of
all his care, his dear ones. are destitute.
Not one, but thousand aged widows;
not four, but thousand groups
of weeping daughters are stricken
to the earth in sorrow, in hunger, perhaps
in starvation, through the guilt of one
such criminal as this. Every right-minded
man will sympathize with the family of the
convicted perjurer, although they may be
left in wealth and luxury while he is paying
the just penalty of his crime. But every
right-mindcd man will sympathize also with
the thousands Of victims of these infamous
life insurance frauds, and will demand the
stern punishment Of the criminal authors OF
such widespread misery.
Year: 1877

The so-called granger movements is con-
spicuous illustration. Twenty or thirty
wears ago the grand necessity of the West
was the construction OF railroads. Its
farmers were transporting their grain to
places OF shipment in wagons from dis
tances OF fifty, hundred and hundred
and fifty miles, and the development and
prosperity Of the country depended on
cheaper carriage Eastern capitalists were
bcsieged and implored to furnish the money
for building Western railroads, and then,
when the people Of the West had got the
railroads, which quadrupled the value Of
their FARMS they started movement for
destroying the value OF all railroad prop
erty This was of piece with their efforts
to cheat the bondholders who had furnished
the means OF carrying on war whose sue
cess was more important to the West than
to any other section.


The greenback reputation project and
the granger project having come to naught,
and being utterly dead the same irrepressi-
BILE dishonesty comes up in another form.
1t is now proposed to swindle private credi-
tors and cheat the national bondhplders by
coming ninety-two dollars worth Of silver
bullion into hundred silver dollars and
making such debased money tender for
the discharge Of all obligations. Some
readers may perhaps think it unfair to
charge this iniquity upon the West when
there are many Western citizens who detest
it. But such o plea can no more be ad-
mitted than it would have been in the case
of the South, which contained large body
of sincere Union men at the outbreak of the
civil war. We must judge the West by
the men it sends to represent it in Con-
gress. The South was never at any time
more fully represented in Washington by
fanatical and lunatic pro-slavery set than is
the West at present by tanatical and luna
tic set of silver money repudiationists. If
the public men of other parts Of the country
will act against them with such resolute
vigor and decision as to show them that they
have no hope of allies out of their own Sec
ton this old heresy in o new mask may
easily be put down.
Year: 1877

The Missionary Com ittee ON Africa.


The General Missionary Committee of the
Methodist Episcopal Church met in this
city yesterday to make their annual appro-
priations for home and foreign mission
work. They were more hopeful than they
were one year ago, because the dsbt Of their
treasury had been reduced nearly ninety
three thousand dollars in the meantime.
They therefore, with greater confidence,
could make their appropriations little
larger this year than last But the most
notable feature in their discussions was
the prominence given to African mis-
sions. 1t was with difficulty that
to that work contingently last year, but
Yesterday there was enthusiasm enough
manifested to double that amount if the
committee could be sure of the money


The moro conservative, however, kept the
enthusiastic ones within bounds, but 81, 500
were voted cheerfully to penetrate to the in
terror of that continent from Liberia, and
two white ministers and any number Of col
ored men have offered themselves as mis-
sionaries. Bishop Haven, DR.. Fowler, DR..
Curry and other members of the committee
were in favor OF n larger sum, and declared
that the prospect was more hopeful there
now than in any other mission of the
Church. Hence a resolution was pre-
sented asking Congress to cooperate
with Great Britain in building
highway for the nations from Mon
rovia to the interior of Africa, and to ap-
propriate $4,000 for that purpose also
asking Congress to establish line of steam
ers between the United States and the West
Coast Of Africa. Some of the committee
did not like the steam line to be hampered
with the highway, and for the present both
were laid over. But it is very clear that
Stanleys work in Africa is going to bear i'm
mediate and abundant fruit. The Rev. j.
w. Horne, who spent ten years as mis-
sionary in Africa, expressed his opinion
yesterday that it was the greatest discovery
of tho world for three hundred years
Year: 1877

The QUEENS COUNTY Hunt had difficult
run yesterday through brush and brake, ind
Rcynard escaped with his brush intact. But
the sport does not wholly consist Of killing the
fox for his brush and pads and the huntsmen
must have greatly enjoyed their dash after the
hounds for the excitement and exhiIaratine
exercise attending the chase. II is gratifying
to know that these fox hunts are rapidly gain
ing in popularity among the residents OF Long
Islund
Year: 1877

BEN WADE has gone into absolute
retirement for q time, reported to
inventing new and more faclle
kind of profanity, which he hopes to
make equal to the emergency at the
Cleveland convention next week
Year: 1877

w ITO arc indebted to us for PKOVlS-
IONS or PIIOSPHATES, we would respect
fully call attention, that your bills arc due
on or before the first of November Wo
arc depending on you for payment AT
ONCE, to enablo us to meet obligation
made to assist you, and which arc due at
that time.


In order for us, as well as you, to main
tain our credit il is necessary 70 meet our
promises promptly.
Year: 1877

It is perfectly amazing to see the carelessness with which children are trusted to indifferent nurses, or to no nurses at all, in the public streets and squares, as if they were really things of no consequence, or nuisances of which one could have a good riddance, instead of being really the apple of the eye to whole families.

 One would think that the fate of the lost child, whose disappearance has been anxiously sympathized with by almost every family in Christendom, would be a warning to every parent in the land, and especially to all wealthy parents, to surround their darlings with every barrier of safety; but, on the contrary, it seems to have made but very little serious impression, children still being frequently trusted to them selves with a mysterious faith in Provi- dence.

 Those parents who are poor in this worlds goods, as the saying goes, run very little risk of this nature, as it is but rarely that the attempt is made to steal child simply to use it in the work of beggary, and their children may usual ly play about the door and in the parks and squares with impunity. But let the father be 1iotoriously wealthy man, it is ten to one but desperate characters in desperate need have him more or less in mind; and if he is able to pay a
Year: 1877

The correspondent of the London Times at Giurgeva writes :-

 ''The health of the army is remark ably good-better the doctors say than during peace manaeuvres in their own country. So many stories are told in England of want of care for the soldiers health and food, that it may be we'll to say once for all that the men of all arms look well and strong, with plenty of flesh on their bones, though little fat. They are in excellent working condition, and carry weights which would break down any but strong con- stitutions, including biscuits for three days, which form part of their kit, packed in the knapsack, and bread, which they manage to carry in bag on their shoulders.

 The Russian privates in a marching regiment carry no less than seventy two pounds English, In his own coun- try he received daily three pounds of bread and 71a copecks for all else; but in Roumania, his copecks would not buy him the meat he wanted, so the Government gives him half pound of meat and 211a copecks instead of the full money he received before. He has also served out to him small ration of spirits to counteract the deadly damps of the river. His great coat is long and heavy; he carries it in the shape of horse collar round his left shoul- der.

 Round the coat is wrapped one mans share of the tent, a square piece of can vass furnished with eyelet holes and string. Four of such pieces are bound together and form a sort of rough gipsy tent, the ends of which are carried by two other men; the seventh carries the sticks which form upright and ridge poles. Thus seven men carry the tent under which they can sleep; but it is small, hot, and stuffy by day, while a heavy shower of rain penetrates easily through the eyelet holes, the ill-closed apertures, and even through the canvas itself.

 Probably the protection is not worth the extra weight to be carried. The Germans carry nothing; the English soldiers have their tents carried fol them, and if tents are to be carried al all, the English plan appears the best Were it not that one sees the Russian soldiers carrying his enormous load every day with seeming ease, arriving Tn good condition at the end of long march, and frequently singing to be. guile the way and refresh the faded nerves, we might at once condemn the practice of so loading the infantry which ought to arrive as fresh as DOS. sible in the presence of the enemy.
Year: 1877

It has been said that a man can do anything he resolves to do. This must, however, be taken with the limitation that he shall resolve to do only things that are possible. To resolve to climb to the moon will certainly not take him to that interesting satellite; and to re- solve that he will grow eleven feet high will not carry his scalp to that attitude above his stockings. Still the saying is adeserved tribute to the will, as force {: for the will is force, and tremendous one at that, sometimes; it cannot be seen or handled; it is invisible, intangible, inaudible; but yet it is power, because it sets other powers and agencies in motion, and accomplishes great things through them. There are two kinds of will power-the aggressive and the pas sive. The former generally takes the form of what we call enterprise; it dares to invade fields hitherto unex- plored, or to essay objects that appear impossible of execution, and show the world how much can be done with little means; it is the chief element in the constitution of such men as Napoleon, Casar, and Cromwell. .--..
Year: 1877

Oh! yes; take the baby along by all means. Babies love dearly to ride in the cars and toddle about in steam boats. Why, the baby is the life of the party. Have not whole rooms full of people been entertained by one, hour after hour? Sleeping or waking, the pretty little creature that can lisp a little English or French -one can hardly tell which-is the universal de- light, and many party has been stupid just for the want of one. In olden times, when they used to journey in stages, a lady who had sweet little child with her could scarcely call it her own the whole way, the gentlemen were so fond of kissing it. Even the bachelors loved to play with and dandle it on their knees, though at first they might be little bashful and awkward about taking hold of the strange and unaccustomed thing. But the smiles and winning ways of the baby were always irresistible, and sure to over come at last the most obstinate. People love babies as they love flowers. Gentle men-espectally who like flowers-like babies-the sweetest of them alto carry in their hands, just as they would put carnation ill their button-holes.
Year: 1877

From the human system bear the same rela- tion to it as sewers do to 8 city. They carry of the waste. the refuse which it is essential to remove in order to prevent disease. One of the most salutary effects of Hostetters Stom- ach Bitters is to renew activity of the bowels when these organs are derelict in their duty The bilious and dyspeptic symptoms which accompany constipation are also remeded by this sterling alternative. Its gently cathart,c action has the effect of removing impurlties which would otherwise poison the system and it's tonic influence is exhibited in an increase in vital power, It renews appetite. soothes and invigorates the nerves, prevents and rem- edies malaral fevar and is first-rate remedy for despondency.
Year: 1877

To RESTORE THE HAIR AFTER ILLNESS, Equal parts of best brandy and strong black tea; shaken well together, and rubbed we'll into the roots of the hair once daily, will usually restore the hair after long illness.-Be careful not to scratch or irritate the scalp with rough combing and brushing. The mixture should be made at least once in three days, even in cool weather.
Year: 1877

To DESTROY GRAPEVINE WoRMs.- Build a slow smoky fire directly under the vine-a little old straw or mating is good. The worms will fall down, and can be swept up. Dig hole and bury them.
Year: 1877

To SHAPE RoLLs.-Roll out the dough

 when quite light, and cut with good sized cutter or tumDler. Dip a clean

 feather into melted butter and brush lightly over the dough that is cut out |; then fold each circle into crescent, or half-moon shape; prick on the top, and place in the flat biscuit pan to rise. When very light bake in hot oven full twenty minutes. The oven should be so hot that one could not hold the hand in it long enough to count more than twenty without great discomfort.
Year: 1877

SOFT SoAP.-Dissolve one pound of potash in two gallons of hot water {; then add two pounds of clean melted grease while stirring. Set aside, and in few days you will have excellent SOaD.
Year: 1877

VIENNA CoFFEE.-Leach or filter the coffee through a French filterer or any of the many coffee-pots that filter in- stead of boiling the coffee. Allow one tablespoonful of ground coffee to each person, and sone extra for the pot" Put in one quart of cream into milk boiler, or if you have none, into a pitcher, and set the pitcher in pail of boiling water. Put it where the water will keep boiling. Beat the white of an egg to froth, then add to the egg three tablespoonfuls of cold milk. Mix the egg and cold milk thoroughly together. When hot, remove the cream from the fire, and add the egg and cold milk. Stir it all together briskly for minute or two, and then serve.
Year: 1877

A SCIENTIFIC WRITER says that death by lightning stroke is the most painless death in the world. We don't know about that. We never talked with man who was struck by lightning; but a man whose wife once caught him kissing the hired girl told us in con- fidence that he would never have be- lieved that man could suffer as much in thousand years as he did in twenty seconds.
Year: 1877

CLEANSING PAPER HANGINGs.-Take an average size square loaf, two days old, cut it in four pieces. With one of these pieces, after having blown off all the dust from the paper to be cleaned by means of good pair of bellows, begin at the top of the room, holding the crust in the hand, and wiping lightly downward with the crumb, about half yard with each stroke, till the upper part of the hangings is com pletely cleaned all round. Then go round again with the like sweeping stroke downward, always commencing g each successive course a little higher than the upper stroke had extended, till the bottom be finished. This operation, if carefully performed, will frequently make very old paper look almost equal to new.