smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877




To THE EDITOR OF THE DISPATCH:


As the business of this town is in
creasing, the size of the town is in
creasing, and the population is in
creasing, aud tie number of married
men is increasing = consequently
there is a very large increase of
school children. But the old school
house. which was built by Marshall
Blinn some years ago, has not in
creased bit, and is not large enough
to-day to accommodate more than
one-third of the scholars in this dis
trict. Guess there must be scar
city OF lumber, as the mill company
have been shipping large quantities
to foreign market Of late, using
the surplus for building dwelling
houses for their employees. And
another thing g-neither the owners
nor their agent here have any chill
dren going to school in this dis
trict; so it doesn't matter much
whether there is any school house
or not, even if the law does re-
quire the property holders of dis
trict to build school houses. Who
are the principal property holders
in this district? The W. NJ. Co., of
course. What do they care whether
there is good school or not ?-the
boys will be able to handle just as
much lumber for them when they
are few years older as they would
if they received ever so good an ed
ucation; and another thing, an ig-
norant, uneducated person can be
handled to better advantage where
there is nothing but muscle re.
quired. However, there was school
meeting called last evening (which
was pretty we'll a:tended) for the
purpose of discussing the propriety
of turning ont one-half Of the
scholars for two months, and
then take in the other half The
discussions, which took place at til e
time, were too numerous and various
for me to des.ribe here, in fact
things got SO hot at one time that
one of the directors rendered his res
ignation to the meeting in a very
informal manner, by putting on his
hat and leaving the hall, telling the
whole meeting to go to hi. Prob
ably this is an illustration Of the
manner in which school meetings
are conducted down our way in
Missouri. After the very abrupt
departure of the director, above
alluded to, a question arose as to the
propriety of building school
house on land which does no. belong
to the school district. The question
was soon quashed, however, by the
Mill company's agent informing the
meeting that they were not expected
to have any interests in this town
that the Mill company were not
directly interested in. Wonder if
the Mill company don't have some
interest here which they don't want
the people interested in? Guess
they have lots of it. More anon.


C.
Year: 1877

A plentious rain has fallen in
many of the worst famine dis


tricts of India. Agricultural
work is active, and crops are
making rapid progress. There
can be no reasonable doubt that
the tide of the great calamity


has been turned, but vast num-
bers of those who survive the
actual famine must still succumb
from their enfeebled condition.
Year: 1877

There will be few if any mat
ters coming before our Terrific
rial Legislature of greater inter
est to large portion of the peo-
pie Of the Territory than that Of
regulating tolls on the railroad
portages on the Columbia river.
1t is now demonstrated that the
company monopolizing the con-
tinuous navigation Of the river
by means of these railroad con-
nections, have not furnished ia
cilities for transporting to mar
ket one half the marketable pro-
ducts Of the country lying east
of the Cascade mountains in Or
egon and Washington, and no
one else can engage in their
transportation for the reason
that the company hold the por-
tages exclusively for their own
use, which enables them to rule
out competition and secure the
entire carrying trade on their
own terms. Thus the producers
are entirely at the mercy of this
company for four or five hundred
miles of river navigation neces-
sary to the marketing of their
surplus products, their sole re-
source for the malntainance of
themselves and families. Most
Of those producers settled in that
country and opened and cultiva-
ted farms under an implied guar
antee of facilities for the trans
portation of their products to
market on equitable terms. The
transportation company exercise
their special franchise only upon
condition that it shall not be
made an instrument Of oppres-
sion to others or used in opposi-
ton to public policy. In such
eases it becomes the duty of the
Iaw-making power to "shut down
the brakes" to see to it that the
rights Of the people are protect
cd. That their jurisdiction COW
ers such cases has been deter
mined by the highest judicial
authority in the land. We do
not believe there is another
State or Territory in the I'm
ion which would tolerate the
monopoly Of any thoroughtare
within its borders to the exclu-
sive use Of any one individual or
company. Suppose the N. P. r.
r. Co. should determine to take
no freight over their road from


Kalama to Tacoma which had
not first paid tribute to the 0. S.
N. Co. on one side or the Star
line on the other; would it not
be the bounden duty Of the LIE
gislature to interfere for the
protection of the rights of other
freighters? That is precisely


what the 0. S. N. Go. is doing
with its railroads which make
the portages on the Columbia
river. No freight is taken over
them but from the boats Of the
company, except at such prices
as will effectually crush compe-
tition in carrying on the river.
If the n. p. r. Il. Co. should get
an extension of it's charter, the
purpose is to make the connec-
ton with the east from the head
Of navigation on the Columbia
river, holding the construction
of the line from thence to Port
land in allegiance for the benefit
Of the o. S. N. Co. The stake
would then be too high and the
monopoly too heavily backed to
be broken up without a mighty
effort to which the Legisture
might not deem itself adequate
Now a simple and concise enact
ment, fixing the rates ofgt0it at
sss ,fr ~ na>1ea .aofiss7f saau@nge8S
4-tevas f7-a9 s'.sa'a+7sFit n
Year: 1877

t.
face, and Mr.. Mccarthy doubles up the thunderbolts
oil tho law ana hurs them ut his nntag.
onisI They arc not as you might suppose.
two little boys at play, who In icvor OF
excitement scratch each other and then amicaby go
with the game They not two dogs cats who
have como ncross the same bono and very naturally
use their claws and teeth as jury Of arbitration.
They are two gentlemen OF education. culture and ex-
pcrencc who carry Bibles under their arms and visit
their wicked parishoners and tell thein that they
ought to forgive one another Now, however, they
show their teeth and snarl and bitc and grow as
naturally as though they had just stepped up from
quadrupedal condition and had got used 10 the
new liic II a clergyman cannot keep his claws wcll
cut, in order that he may practise he prcache
1t we're better that milestone hanged about his
neck and he cast into the sea


The eptaph which mutual friend had cut on
tombstone over married couple was simple but
sadly suggestive: "rheir warfare Is accomplished >,
Eplsaphs are not generally written with the most
distant reference to the TRUTH but IN a while
truth, like murder, will .'out"


Dr. Curry says no doesn't ''believc In weeping sing.
ing and mesmeric preachers" When a munster
weeps his people generally smile. Nothing is more
out Of place than for man 10 cry laugh his own
stories. As for the mcsmorism, It s not confined to
the cvangcliss against whom tho Doctor directs hi.
There Is too much OF It In all our pup,ts
As general ruIcand this criticism is the result Of
long Observation-Disclosures preach though they only
half believed what they ray. II a clergyman should
attempt sell dry goods stocks with tho Indifferent
tone OF with which he tries to persuade sinners
not 10 20 TO bell he would become bankrupt IN a
fortnight There 10 genuine and hearty enthusi.
asm a hall hour OF the Stock Exchange than there
Is in year Of pulpit lifc even II you wore TO pile
the puIpts all together We have mover yct found out
why Is that a who has horse for snle can wax
eloquent and actually make you buy against your
Year: 1877

TIE excessive and persistent rains in
this latitude have, without doubt, great
ly shortened the cotton crop. Pick.
ing has been almost wholly suspended
for a month, tho lint has been injured
the bolls rottcd, and much Of the crop
wasted. tive have average weather
during tho balance Of this month and
December what is lea can be gathered,
but estimates OF the crop must be made
far below the yield orlast year
Year: 1877

Business men should bear In mind that
the rapid progress made in the more deli
cate mechanic arts, is taken advantage OF
the class who live by preying on honest peo-
ple, and all the skill and energy OF the dan
aerous rogues 10 now devoted to the pro.
duction OF counterfeit money. Tue bogus
notes which they produce at the first glance
seem such counterparts Of the genuine as to
defy detection. But by reference to the
uaaes of Peterson's Detector, which can be
keeu ct this Office, their utterly worthless
vhxacter 10 readily discovered.


escape4
Year: 1877

See the picture of Blaine drawn by Ben
Hill most beautifully, go far as artistic &C
curacy can give the beauty of art to an
object in itself mcst repuisive. Mr.. Hill
says of Blaine:


He has a tongue that never tires, an ambi-
ton that never falters, q cheek that never
bushes and conscience that never hesitateS'


1t lie uncomfortable to think that perhaps
one-third of our population in this country
is black hearted and wicked enough to be
ftly and faithfully represented by such
combination of all the worst qualities OF
Catiline and Cassius. But it is very con-
soling to know that the majority are not OF
that class, and that providentially they are
presided over by a man of their own kind'
for whom they did not even vote.
Year: 1877

j. C. PRENDERGAsT.-As an old and
highly respected publicist, Mr.. Prendergast
ought not to be permitted to pass away to
his final home without at least slight
tribute to his merritt at the lands of that
press Of which he was SO long an active
and honorable member. Although confined
to his house for number of the latter
years of his life, and then withdrawn from
the Immediate attention of his contempora-
ries, there are many still who remember
his bold, honest, though somewhat eccen-
| trio character.


As whilom attache of the Catholic
press he has still more immediate claima
on us for notice, and it is with regret that
we find ourselves limited to so meagre q
one through want of personal familiarity
with the deceased. He goes down to the
grave with an unstained record, as child
like in his submission to God as he waE
indomitable in bis differences with men.
Year: 1877

st. Peters Church-the most imposing reli-
gious structure upon earth, is but o type Of
the True Church founded upon Rock and
we believe that bringing home to the minds Of
intelligent people the superiority and sub
Unity of material Catholicity will lead them
to o truer understanding of it's spiritual and
eternal character.


God speed the Illustrated Weekly.
Year: 1877

reported on morning newspaper three
years and it was pretty hard work. But
enjoyed it's attractions. Reporting is the
best school in the. world in which to get a
knowledge of human nature and human
ways A nice gentlemanly reporter
make no references is well treated by
everybody Just think Of the wide range
of his acquaintanceship, his experience of
life and society. No other occupation
brings man into such familiar social re-
lations with all the grades and classes of
people. The last thing at night-mid-
night-he goes browsing around after items
among the police and Jail birds in the lock-
up, questioning the prisoners, and making
pleasant and lasting 1rIenuslilps ss.H~~s +a..
worst people in the world. And the very
next evening he gets himself up regardless
of expense, puts on all the good clothes his
friends have got, goes and takes dinner
with the Governor, OF Commander-in-
Chief of the District, the United States
Senator, and some more of the upper crusts
of society. He is on good terms with all OF
them. and is present at every gathering,
and has easy access to every variety of peo-
pie. Why,I breakfasted almost every morn
ing with the Governor, dined with the prin-
clpal clergy, and slept in the station
house.


A reporter has to lie little or they would
discharge him. That is why left it. l
ann different from Washington have a
higher and grander standard of principle.
can lie, but won't, Reporting is fasci-
mating, but then it is SO distressing to have
to lie SO. Lying is bad-lylng is very bad.
Every individual knows that by experience.
I think that for man to tell lie, when
he cannot make anything by it, is wrong,
Year: 1877

The following incident occurred during
"a general review of the Austrian cavalry,
few months ago, not far from 80, 600 cavalry
in line. A mere child-girl, of not more
than four years, standing in the front row
of spectators, either from fright or some
other cause; rushed ont into tho opon field.
Just as squadron of hussars came sweep
ing around the main body. They made a
detour for the purpose of saluting the En-
press, whose carriage was drawn up in that
part of the parade ground. Down came
the flying squadron. charging at mad gal
lop--down directly upon the child. The
mother was paralyzed, as were Others, for
there could be no rescue from the line OF
spectators. The Empress uttered cry OF
horror fol. the child's destruction seemed
inevitable-and such terrible destruction
the trampling to death by thousand iron
hoofs. Directly under the feet of the hor-
ses was.the little one, another instant must
seal it's doom, when a stalwart hussar, who
was in the front line, without slackening
his speed or loosing his hold, threw HIM
self over the side of his horses neck, seized
and lifted the child, and placed it in safety
On his saddle bow; and this he did without
changing his pace or breaking the. correct
alignment of the squadron. Ten thousand
voices hailed with rapturous applause the
gallant deed, and other thousands applauded
when they knew. Two women there were
who could only sob forth their gratitude in
broken accents-the mother and the En-
press. And proud moment it must have
been for the hussar when his Emperor,
taking from his own breast the richly en-
ameled Cross Of the Order of Maria The
resa, hung it upon the breast Of his brave
and gallant trooper.
Year: 1877

The weather yesterday was OF charac>
Ter to depress the spirit Of the noble red
man. A lead-in earnest snow storm he
didn't mind bit; but wet, thawing
weather gets him. When the SHOW hanks
up on his wickiup II aids to keep him
warm; but in d rain or tlaw ilie trickling
moisture works through the holes Ia his
residedce, which is constructed Of pretty
much all holes, and the cold drops me
sidiously crawl under his clothes at his
neck and creep down his spine aud make
him get up and howl. Insuch weather he
don't believe that there Is no place like
home, and so be don't stay at home. He
wraps hi4 blanket about Hin, and seeks
the haunts OF the pale faces and lounges
on tile street-coiners and chats with his
own or some other Indians squaw.
When tits considered that the Indians
sleep at nigh: on the damp ground, with
scarcely any shelter 10 speak of, and
during the day time, no matter how
severe The weather. seldom enter n house,
one would think their lives must be
miserable to an extreme. But such does
not seem tobe The case; they were born
on the bleak hill-sides and the miserable
structure, for which hut Is too good n
name. Is the only kind Of home they have
ever known. Most Of them would dieif
forced TO live ina comfortable dwelling;
and, so long as they possess blanket and
get enough toeat and can earn n little
silver to gamble with, they are FAR more
happy and contented than the majority
of white people who liyeIn luxury.
Year: 1877

The Hartford Post hopes the indictment OF
the Returning Board members will result in
division of the Democratic party in Louisiana.
Perhaps the paper may be gratifed, but there
are very small Indications al present that
those Who oppose punishment Tor infamous
crimes of the Returning Board are numerous
enough to hunt any one if they should sepa'
rate
Year: 1877

yard. They were carefully watched,
and their object in moving was
studied. They were observed to go
underneath a large trunk which sat
in the room, and it was presently
raised to see what the insects were
doing under it. 1t was found that
they were leaving their eggs there.
They were not disturbed, and Mr..
Wurzbach continued to study their
movements. He anticipated that
the intuition of the insects had led
them to move their eggs to place
of safety, fearing rain, and this
proved true. 1t was not long before
a heavy shower fell and the ant-bed
in the yard was flooded, but the in,
stinct Of the little bugs had saved


them from any loss--they had


moved indoors to keep dry. After


the rain was over, and when the


skies were clear, they returned to


their outside home. Mr.. Wurzbach


has thrown away his barometer and


will hereafter be guided by these


little ants in making his rain bets.
Year: 1877

livered over his grave; a fiat tomb
stone is placed on his nose; the
friends return to the city to take a
bite; some obituary notices are got
ten up at once; for two or three
days the journalists live on him; a
subscription is started for monu-
ment; the government is informed
of the sad occurrence; a pension is
obtained for the widow and schol-
arship for one of the children; and
all this done, the surviving friends
rush to resume the very same fren-
zied life which killed him. Fare
well thou great man of a year, a
month or a day. Quiet be thy
sleep, now that eternal night has
come!


1t is into this pandemonium, into
this penitentiary, into these sewers
that thousands of young men rush,
with a good-natured, frank smile
on their lips, believing that. they
will meet their fortune and reputa-
tion as easily as one meets a cart
on the high road. They would not
stick to ordinary labor, obscure and
requiring patience, but certain in
its results and sure to make a man
robust, serene, respected, useful
and good. l have gone myself
through these horrible swamps in
the beginning Of my career. sI
came out shivering and pale, terri
fed by what / had seen. And ]
become still terrified when now and
then | have to go back there to
shake the hand of an old comradt
or to take his body and carry it tc
a place Of rest. l would have been
dead long ago if l had remained
there. Blessed be the Lord Of the
destinies of the universe, for his
having shown me the way to gel
out, and for having commuted my
sentence. No, Dante, whose name
is invariably invoked when people
speak of abominable tortures, could
not have dreamed of this damned
production Of intellect, which roll;
its own head as Sisyphus rolled hii
stone and knocks it against iror
walls to get out Of it a last little
spark. ALEXANDRA DUMAS.
Year: 1877

would be too grand and awful to be
faced with dignity or calm, if it were
actually realized at all? = - Or
finally, as / know is true far oftener
than we fancy, is it that three-score
years and ten have quenched the
passionate desire for life with which
at first we stepped upon the scene ?
We are tired, some Of us, with un
ending and Improbable toll we
are satiated, others Of US, with such
ample pleasures as earth can yield
us; We have had enough of ambi-
ton, alike in its successes and its
failures; the joys and blessings of
human affection on which, what
ever their crises and vicissitudes,
no righteous or truthful man will
cast slur, are yet SO blended with
pains which partake Of their in
tensity; the appetite for life, in
short, is gone, the frame Is worn
and the faculties exhausted and
possibly, this is the key to the phe-
nomenon we are examining-age
cannot, from the very law of its
nature, conceive itself endowed with
the bounding energies of youth,
and without that vigor both of ex-
ertion and desire, renewed existence
can offer no inspiring charms. Our
being upon earth has been enriched
by vivid interests and precious Joys,
and we are deeply grateful for the
gift, but we are wearied with our
life and feel scarcely qualified to
enter on the claims, even though
balanced by the felicities and glories
Of another. 1t may be the fatigue


which comes with age-fatigue Of
the fancy as well as Of the frame
but, somehow, what we yearn fol


most instinctively at last is rest,
and the peace which we can imagine


the easiest because we know it best,
is that Of sleep.
Year: 1877




The MtxIcauH in san Antonio.
Harper's MagsEine.l


Everywhere about the outskirts
OF the town are innumerable low
huts built of sticks and mud and
straw and any old drift, rooted with
thatch coming almost to the ground,
and presenting an appearance of
the utmost squalor. These are the
Mexican jacals. The chimney and
its ovens are usually in a cone of
baked and blackened mud a little
removed, and under rude awning
or tree the whole family is usually
to be seen, with mules, donkeys,
chickens, and a horde of dogs,
among the latter hideous, hairless
animal, promiscuously intermixed.
Dogs are largely in the majority of
the population in San Antonio,
and their baying divides the noises
Of the night with the cock-crowing
that resoundS from house to jacal,
from farm to ranch, and rises on
the ear in broad surgeS of sound
like the waves of the sea. If you
should glance into one of these
Jacals, YOU would find an earthern
floor cleanly swept, a bed neatly
made and brightly covered, and the
place garnished after its sort; and
although the general idea is that it
is nest of filth, to the casual eye
it seems clean and orderly, but poor
to the last degree of poverty. Yet
the Mexican here can live on less
than any. In the summer the corn
and onion and peppers of his gar
den patch meet his needs; in the
winter, even when he owns his bit of
land, fiye-penny soup bone and
one sweet potato comprise his usual
marketing. But poor as he may
be, his daughters do not 90 out to
service; his mother wraps her
ribosa-that remnant of the Span
ish mantilla-about her with the
grand air and he himself, although
in rags, salutes you on the street
with the grave courtesy of Span
ish don. Making exceptions of the
proud old Mexican families Of lin
cage and repute, who live in seclu-
sion, it is not possible to feel that
these people who are known as
Mexicans have any claim. to the
name as we use it. TheySre sim
ply a gentler Indian, accepting a
sort of civilization, now and then
with a fairer tint, now and then
with a wave in the hair that tells of
darker blood, and always with a
high cheek-bone, following them to
the tenth generation. The proud
Castilian has but small part in
them; the gentle Montezuma race
perhaps has less. One having these
two strains in his veins-the Span
lard, with his hemisphere of poetry
behind him; the Montezuma, rep
resenting ancient and rightful en-
pire of the continent-should wear,
it would seem, other than these
low .browed faces stamped in their
dumb and sullen ignorance, whether
you see them on the women squat
ting on the brick floor Of the cathe-
dral, or on the men lounging in
the plazas against anything which
will uphold them, darker aud more
sullen for the shadow of their huge
sombreros.


San Antonio is, in fact, Span
ish town to-day, and the only one
where any considerable remnant of
Spanish life exists in the United
States