smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

the facts 60 to show that it far exceeds all
others in the State, with capabilities by
the application of capital and skin of
making large returns for the outlay ex-
pended upon it. While the western farm.
ers are puEEling their brains to get their
crops to market and have something left
from the cost transportation to pay them
for their labor and the use of their land,
the farmer in Maine finds ready market
at his own door for anything he
produces, and herein is a very important
difference in favor of the Maine farmer.
The growth of railroads has greatly aided
the latter, by placing him in connexion
with the great markets. Remove them
and the farmer in Maine would 60 back
to the times when hispreducts were worth
less except for his own consumption, as
they are now in many parts of the West.


The sum total of the wealth of the
State makes the snug little sum of S242,.
808,688. A State with so much property
cannot be called a very poor one, and as
nearly eighteen millions of that have been
added since 1870, neither can it be &C.
cused OF being in decaying position or
standing still in growth.


Since the State has so well commenced the
task of collecting its statistics OF industry,
as they are presented in the report Of the
Commissioner, it will not fail to continue
work which will prove SO valuable an
instructor and aid to all classes of our
people,--to the laborer as well as the cap
italist.
Year: 1874

In almost the last letter written by
Lieutenant Colonel Pemberton from
seat of war before his untimely death,
there was passage describing one of
the most pathetic OF all incidents of the
Franco-German war, though the pathos
of it relates, not to the human belliger-
ents, but to their only active ally in the
animal world, the horse. A Prussian
huzzar, who had got on his horse to
carry water to the wounded and dying
comrades, was killed, with the poor
soldiers he was relieving, by shell, in
the very act of pouring the water down
the throat of one of them and just
then his regiment moved off, his empty
horse following in the ranks where
upon Lieutenant Colonel Pemberton
remarked: "Only those who have seen
a battlefield can form a notion of the
extraordinary way in which the horses,
as long as they have leg to crawl on,
will follow the regiment to which they
belong. saw what evidently had been
sergeant's horses keeping their position
in rear of their squadron, wheeling with
it, and halting exactly as if their riders
were on their backs, and all the time
streaming with blood. Poor creatures
they are indeed to be pitied for they
have neither Vaterland, promotion, nor
the coveted medal to think of, whatever
may be the issue and few indeed are
there. who have not some honorable
scars to show" Again, The German
Post relates "that after the slaughter
at Vionville, on the 18th of August, a
strange and touching spectacle was pre-
sented. On the evening call being
sounded. for the First Regiment OF
Dragons of the Guard, 6O2 riderless
horses answered to the summons, iaded
and in many cases manned. The noble
animals still retained their disciplined
habits"
Year: 1874

What the proposed final disposion OF
the bodies of the Siamese Twins is to
be, says correspondent, I am not in
formed, but report here says that they
are to be embalmed and disposed of at
an enormous price to some museum OF
medical college, or placed on exhibi-
tion at sum equivalent to the value
set upon them by the Mount Airy man
ayers, who, of course, will realize a
handsome percentage out of the trans
action. All of this, however, is to be
subject to the decision of the members
of the families, who have been notified
of the death of their parents, and are
expected home at an early day.


No effort whatever was made to per-
form an operation on the lgament with
regard to ascertaining whether there was
an artery passing through it or not. as
that would have materially interfered
with prospective greenbacks, and pres
ent speculations would have been nip
ped in the bud. Embalmed and pre-
served as they are, the bodies of the
twins will have market value from
which money can always be realized by
those having possession of them. The
ligament cut in the interest of science,
the curiosity would be destroyed, and
consequently the separate dead bodies
would be of no value.
Year: 1874

The utilization of rats as an article of
human food having been suggested by
a writer, there promises to be an inter-
esting discussion of the qualities of the
too familiar rodent as an article of diet.
An old United States naval officer gives
his experience in China. He first tasted
rat at Canton, and found it a decided
relish, and one of his brother officers
who tested it at the same time with him
became so enthusiastic over his first rat
meal that ever after, when ashore, he
invariably had his rat stew, with curry
sauce. Apropos Of this subject, we
may say here that Canton and New
York are not the only places where sa.
worry rats can be found. In the West
Indies, in the old slavery time, that
variety of the rodentia known as the
cane-piece rat so called from its
feeding principally upon the sugar cane
was very generally eaten by the Afri.
cans, who brought the taste for it with
them from their native land; and an
aged planter who had once been induced
to share in rat broil assured the writer
of these lines that it was as nice NOR.
sci as he had ever tasted, the flesh
being remarkably tender, with the
piquant flavor of game. Unlike oul
naval friend, however, he never asked
for "more." Perhaps he was not such
an epicure. e.--E.Cch0nge
Year: 1874

A clever writer says: Providence
meant woman to make the world beau
tiful as much as flowers and butterflies,
and there is no sin in tasteful dress, but
only in deyoting to it too much money
or too much time" This is most
sensible view, and is the true medium
between the one extreme of straight
and rigid simplicity and the devotion
of the best energies of a lifetime to
vanity and frivolity. But, after all,
what is this rage fol dress but an effort
after the beautiful? The reason why
the beautiful is not always the result, is
because SO many women are ignorant
or merely initiative. They have no
sense of fitness. The short wears what
belongs to the tall, and brunettes sac
rifce their natural beauty to look like
blondes, and well they may, for blondes
seem generally preferable.
Year: 1874

In small society like that of Edin-
burgh there was good deal of scandal
and gossip; every ones character and
conduct were freely criticised, and by
none more than by my aunt and her
friends. She used to sit at window
embroidering, where she not only could
see every one that passed, but with a
small telescope could look into the
dressing-room of lady. A spinster
lady of good family, cousin of ours.
carried her gossip SO far, that she was
tried for defamation, and condemned to
months imprisonment, which she
actually underwent in the Tolbooth.
She was let out just before the kings
birthday, to celebrate which, besides
the guns fred at the Castle, the boys
let off squibs and crackers in all the
streets. AS the lady in question was
walking up the High street, some lads
in q wynd, or narrow street, fred
small cannon, and one of the slugs
with which it was loaded hit her mouth
and wounded her tongue. This raised
a universal laugh; and no one enjoyed
1t more than my uncle William, who dis
liked this somewhat masculine woman.
Mrs Somerville's Autobiography.
Year: 1874

No branch of science has been more
thoroughly mastered than optics. The
principle of vision must be essentially
the same in all eyes, but they defer
remarkably, according to the habits of
the animal. Birds of lofty Eight, as
the condor, eagles, vultures, and car
rion-seeking providers of the feathered
race, have telescope vision, and thus
they are enabled to look down and dis
cover their unsuspecting victims. AS
they approach noiselessly from above,
the axis of vision changes-shorteuing
so that they can see as distinctly within
one foot of The ground as when at an
elevation of one mile in the air.


This fact explains the balancing of a
fish-hawk on its pinions, half mile
above still pond watching for fish.
When one is selected, down the savage
hunter plunges, the focal axis varying
always to the square view of his intend
ed prey. As they ascend, the axis is
elongated by curious muscular ar
rangement, so as to see far off again.


Snails have their keen eyes at the ex-
tremity of flexible horns, which they
can protrude or draw in at pleasure.
By winding the instrument around the
edge of leaf or stalk, they can see
how matters stand on the opposite
side.


The hammer-headed shark has its
wicked-looking eyes nearly two feet
apart. By will effort they can bend
the thin edges of the head, on which
the organs are located, SO as to examine
the two sides of an object the size of a
full-sized Goldfish.


Flies have immovable eyes. They
stand out from the head like half an
apple, exceedingly prominent. Instead
of smooth hemispheres, they have an
immense number of facets, resembling
old-fashioned glass watch seals, each
one directing the light directly to the
optic retina. That explains why they
cannot be approached in any direction
without seeing what is coming.
Year: 1874

A Polander and his wife hitched to q
large sled loaded with firewood attrac-
ted some attention in Winona, Wis,
according to local paper. The team
was well matched as to size, and pulled
with considerable steadiness and una
nimity, but, Judging by the nergetic
manner in which the woman walked
into the collar when the vehicle came
to bare spot in the street, any impair
tial observer would say that, in this in
stance, " the gray mare was the better
horse" She never tagged or funked
or baked, no matter how hard the pull
ing, while the male animal by her side,
it must be confessed, occasionally show
ed a disposition to shirk his share OF
the load. twas beautiful sight, this
picture of mutual connubial helpful
ness, as well as a good, practical Illus
tration of the theory that the sexes are
naturally equal, and that a woman can
do q mans (or horse's) work little bet
ter than the man himself. Here was a
sensible woman of practical turn of
mind, who, instead of scolding the pub
lie about her "rights," " simply said
nothing, but went in and took posses
sion of those rights without the slight
est objection on the part of the "tyrant
man." At least this was the mental
comment of our reporter on thu scene
as the well-matched, happily mated
pair, cheerfully tugging at their COM
mon burden of life, slowly disappeared
around a corner, caused him, almost
unconsciously, to drop into poetry, and
exclaim


Two souls with but single-sled.
Year: 1874

House plants taken up in autumn ior
window gardens may Je kep; more neatly
in pots by covering the surface OF the soil
in Them with about IN inch OF ean'
roarse sand This prevents the sides oil
the pots from being defiled by the earth
when they are watered, forms into
smooth, even surface. and prevents the
formation Of crust from watering.
Year: 1874

The Washington Republican, speaking OF
the APPOINTMENT of Caleb Gushing to Madrid,


.The selection by the President Of Cen
eral Caleb Gushing to succeed General Sick
les as Minister to Spain has created considera-
BILE surprisel ,r..


fno saId his first intimation of the matter was
from the President In person that day, who
formally said he had concluded to make q
change at Madrid, and asked II General Cnsh-
ing Would accept the place. General yush:
ing said while he would accept, ne aid noI
desire the place, as he was Obliged to lay
ssids his profession to do So, and that course
was distasteful. He declined to give his
views at any length, on that ground at present
his position was delicate. He had been told
he was selected for nomination YET the nom
nation itself could not be made until after the
recess Of Congress"
Year: 1874

NEW YORK, Dec. GA reporter who visi-
ted the Navy Yard this afternoon, while en-
ssaed In conversation with Rear Admiral Row
sn's Secretary, ventured the remark that many
people seemed to be Of the impression The Vir-
sini,s was sunk on purpose as the best means
of settling the trouble between Spain and The
United States A gentleman dressed In naval
uniform said: THAT is not so sir the Nir'
al uiuw sank from stress of weather.
Year: 1874

The Washington Chronicle on tho New


Dogma.


The Washington Chronicle thus pays its
compliments to the new departure of the
Democracy:


1t is really matter Of wonder to a rea.
sonable mind to note the fatuousness OF
the Democratic and so-called Independent
press of the South IN dealing with the ques-
ton OF the relation of the negro to the
political future of the country. One can
scarcely understand how a parcel of men,
who are not wanting in ability as a gen.
eral thing, can be SO stupid whenever the
negro is to be mentioned Whatever
opinion a man may hold as to the capacity
of the negro to properly exercise the suf-
frage, the fact is patent that Congress has
deemed proper to give him the suffrage, and
he is now sitting in our halls Of legislation
and occupying other prominent positions in
the land. He has exercised the elective
franchise for some years past, lnteillgently
enough at least to know his friends from
his foes. ..-


All this cry OF white mans party is mere
political claptrap, aud is working great
detriment to the industrial interests of
many OF the Southern States. In Virginia
are enabled to get the upper hand of the
negroes as far as gathering in the offices
are concerned, the cry pitifully comes up
for more labor, and yet the leaders in these
States have by their silly conduct and lack
of patriotism virtually driven away their
best labor;ng class. The negro is peculiarly
tenacious of the political rights which cost
80 much blood to obtain, and he will not
stay where those rights are denied him.
When States are burdened with debt, and
the people groaning under taxation, every
able bodied labOrer who emigrates Is just
SO much dead loss to the productive power
of the people, and as consequence jusj SO
much additional taxation.


The people of the South have been spend
ing a large amount of money to secure
foreign immigration, and the experiment
has proven an absolute failure. Why they
should look to foreign countries for labor
when the have the very best class at home
it is hard to see, unless they are willing to
make any sacrifices to keep alive race pre-.
iudices and surely the cOmmon-sense policy
Is to make the best of what can not be
helped Whatever theory may be enter
tanned of the great superiority of the Anglo
Saxon race. the negro is in the South; II is
his home, his country, and he is likely to
remain there. His interests are bound up
with the soil, and are identical with those
of the whites. The South needs labor alone
to develop her vas. resources, and it is time
that this senseless clamor was stopped, be-
fore the mountains of debt and taxation
compel cessation. No Southern man
who has the true interests Of his section,
and for that matter, of the country, at
heart, can give countenance to the utter
ances which we find daily in Southern ex-
changes.
Year: 1874

Mr.. Mcrey's bill to provide for the ap-
pointment Of commission of engineers to
investigate and report permanent plan Tor
the reclamation of the alluvial basin of the
Mississippi river, subject to inundation, has
the following features:


1t proposes to direct the President to as
sign three officers of the corps of engineers,
United States army, and to appoint two
civil engineers eminent in their profession,
and who are acquainted with the alluvial
basin Of the Mississippi river, to serve as a
board of commissioners; the president Of
the board to be designated by the President
of the United States. 1t is to be the duty
of the commission to make full report to
the President of the best system for the per-
manent reclamation and redemption of the
alluvial basin from inundation, which Ie-
port the President is to transmit to Con.
gress at its next session, with such recon-
mendations as he shall think proper.


The second section provides that the
members Of the commission who may be
appointed from civil life shall receive COM
pensation at the rate of $4,000 per annum.
The commission may employ secretary at
a rate of compensation not exceeding 5000
per month for the time he is employed; and
the necessary travelling expenses of the
members of the commission not officers OF
the army, and of the secretary, are to be
paid upon the approval of bills for the same
by the Secretary of War.


The third section appropriates the sun
of $25 600, or so much thereof as may bt
| necessary to carry into effect the foregoing
provisions. which is to be subject to dis
bursement by the Secretary of War in &C
cordance with the provisions of the act.
| The President has already taken promp


action in this matter by the appointment q
| Ex-Governor P. o. Hebert. OF this State, a


one Of the commission. Nobody will ques


ton the fact that a more competent selee


ton could not have been made, or on


which, while it will give unbounded satis


faction to the people interested, will b


more effective in its final results.
Year: 1874

we start the cider mill for the supply
of the vinegar cellar.


Beware of all DOstrums in the man
ufacture Of vinegar. The simple, I'M
aduIteraled juice of ripe apples-if
small and knotty, DO matter-makes
the best favored vinegar Brown
sugar, molasses, mustard seeds and
all flavorings and indications are a
damage. Some recommend adding
the .'mother of vinegar from some
old vinegar barrel. This mother" is
fungus growth on old vinegar, and
will doubtless hasten the aeetous fer
mentation in cider, as it contains with
in itself the seeds of decay, but it is
very apt to contain also bad flavors
and too much corruption Putting
mother" with new cider is too much
Ike bringing up little child to asso-
ciate and sleep with its aged and in
firm grandmother. The child grows
old fast enough without such an un-
natural eatalytic influence.


If any one has old cider iE his eel
lar which be wishes to double in val
ue, now is the time to put it out into
the sunshine. 1t will make" twice
as fast in the warm out door air as 1t
does in the cellar.
Year: 1874

The Crackers are a class by them
selves, and, to a considerable extent
are governed by their own well un


derstood but unwritten laws 10
some extent they resemble the patrl'
archs Of old, inasmuch as their prop
erty consists mainly in their stock,
and no country has any attractions
for them which does not afford q
good range for their cattle. They
squat down in the pine woods
without stopping to enquire whether
the land belongs to the general gov
ernment. the State, or to individuals,
and erect q log cabin which Is not
more than a pen made OF pine poles
an5 matched together at the corners
and covered with unshaven shingles
from the pine tree. A few acres are


fenced in for a pen, or yard 70 en-
close their cattle which are herded at


night in the summer and allow to
roam through the woOds during the
dav and to secure their return to the
men the calves are retained in the en-
closure The trees in the enclosure
have been girdled, and when the land
has been sufficiently enriched by the
droppings of the cattle, another pen
is fenced in and the first plantee IN
Year: 1874

In the great forest, near Cape Coast
Castle, Africa, the silk-cotton, like q
king of trees, towers over all others.


1t is truly most wonderful tree. II
grows faster than any other, for the
wood is soft. 1t must be one osthe
largest trees in the world. There is
most wonderful provision Of nature
shown in this in compensating it for
the softness of its wood, which from
its immense size, could not support
the weight of the branches and tow
ering top. Rising far above the other
giants, therefore deriving no shelter
from them, each one stands for a
greater part Of its height seperate
tree, and exposed to the full force of
the constant tornadoes which sweep
over this part Of the country during
the rains. The necessary support is
given to it by number of large but
tresses all around the stems they
are formed by roots which rise over
the ground in fattened shape ex-
tending up the sides of the trees, and
forming most regular support all
around. In many places the natives
make use of the spaces between the
buttreees as houses; merely making
q roof overhead, the house is COM
plete. As the people of this country
never have more than three walls to
their houses, and the tree with two of
its buttresses supplies those, they are
quite ready made houses for them,
and indestructable. While the tree
is young all the bark is covered with
very large strong thorns.
Year: 1874

It was told of old that .he cackle of
q goose once saved Rome. 1t is now
related that swallow won q suit in
court away down in Texas. a poor
widow and her daughter had suit
for damages before court in Hous-
ton. The counsel for the plaintiff In
troduced into his pleading the fable
of the swallow that built her nest and
reared her young under the caves OF
the temple of justice. The lawyer en-
larged upon the swallows trust in
the protection of her home the place
offorded, and very aptly made the ap-
plication to the case before the court.
When the counsel was about finish
ing his illustration swallow actually
few into the room and alighted upon
the judges desk. 1t then hoped
away and found rest for the sole ofits
foot on the railing of the jury-box. In
its circuit of the court room it halted
awhile on pile of law books, then
hovered a moment over the heads of
plaintiffs. and few out of the window
and away. The counsel concluded
by saying: Behold the witness, F"
and as the witness could not net be
called back by the opposing coansel,
the case was given to tae jury pretty
much as the swallow left it. The
jury could not ignore the birds evil
dence, and gave q verdict for the
widow. The story is little birdy,
but not in the least 6shy. If it was
q preconcerted plan of the lawyer, it
was very happily arranged and nice
y carried out, and deserves a place
among court reports and curious
pleadings.
Year: 1874

See that those about you are help
ed before you commence eating you
self.


Do not eat soup from the tip, but
the side of spoon.


On passing your plate to be replen
ished, retain the knife and fork


Wipe the mouth before drinking.


Remove the teaspoon from the cup
before drinking tea or coffee.


Use the knife only in cutting the
food; do not raise it to the mouth.


Eat slowly, as eating rapidly is un.
healthy.


If you End anything unpleasant in
your food avoid calling the attention
of others to it.
Close. 1.-THE lips when chewing your
food.
Keep your elbows of the table al
ways.
Do not speak with food in the
mouth.
When asked to help your nieghbor
do not shove but hand the plate to
him.
Do not turn your head and stare
about the room.


If anyone at the table makes 0
mistake, take the least possible no
tice of it.
Year: 1874




By strange perversioR Of legal
principles, it was supposed by our
ancestors that whatsoever married a
widow who was Administrative upon
the estate Of her deceased husband,
represented insolvent and should
thereby possess himself Of any prop
erty or thing purchased By the de-
ceased husband, would become an ex-
ecutOr de son tort, and would thereby
make himself liable for the goods Of
his predecessor. Major Moses JOY
became enamored Of hrs. Hannah
Ward, widow Of Henry Ward, who
died in 1888, leaving an insoivent
estate of which Mrs. Ward was adj
ministratrix. To avoid the unpleas-
ant penalties Of the law, on the morn
ing Of her marriage with Major Joy,
Mrs Ward placed herself in a closet
with a tire-woman, who stripped her
Of all her clothing, and when in q per-
fectly nude state she thrust her fair.
round arm through a diamond Eole
in the door Of the closet; the gallant
major elasped the hand of the buxom
widow, and was married in due form
by the jolliest parsonin Vermont At
the close Of the ceremony the tire
woman dressed the bride in a COM
plete wardrobe, which the major had
provided and caused to be deposited
there at the commencement Of the
ceremony. She came cut elegantly
dressedin silk, satin and lace, and
there was kissing all aFOund.-MoRt-
nel.nr 4rnns.