smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

1t is well to take time by the forelock I"
but what if, in the effort TO do so, one ex-
hausts himself too much to hold on I George
Eliot, in one of her novels, portrays a
thrifty farmers wife who rose so early in the
morning to do her work, that by ten o'clock
il was all over, and she was at her wits end
to know what TO do with her day, No doubt
it is the early bird that catches the worm !"
but as the pillow-loying boy said to his
father, "it is the early worm that gets
caught" Intemperance in early rising, like
every other excess, is sure to bring its penalty
along with it. Nature will not be cheated out
of her dues, and If they are not paid in sea-
son, she will exact them, with compound in
terest, out of season. 1t is well known that
the early riser often compensates himself for
his greeting to the dawn by frequent maps
in the afternoon or evening. Josiah Quincy
tells us in the Life of his father that the lat
ter rose every morning in winter and sum
mer at four o'clock. The effect OF this out
rage upon nature was that he was sure to
drop to sleep, wherever he was, when his
mind was not actively occupied, sometimes
even in company, when the conversation
tagged, and always as soon as he took his
Year: 1877

ny LUNA 5. PEcK.
I'm greatly disturbed in my mind, Nancy,
But am glad you run In. all the same;
There's trouble enough up to Mary's.
But can't say who's been most TO blame,
For Frank Ia kind-hearted and honest.
when he married my Mary, that year
Ills father then gave him the homestead,
with the stock and the farm, free and clear.
May be that their farm came too easy
Its cost they never had learned,
And they got In habit Of spending
Their money before II was earned.
My Mary soon wanted house built,
with hxings and furniture new,
Then Frank built barn that would match IT,,
with the modern conveniences, too.
Then Bessie must have piano,


which cost them Eve hundred or 40,
And when Frank was run for the senate
He set up carriage, you know.
Helet the help manage the farming
Other duties came into his life;
My Mary neglected the kitchen,


For she was the senator's wife.
Their city friends came every summer
To visit their cream and croquet,
1t cost them n sum, am thinking,
Those fine city visits to pay.
suppose Pm old-fashioned to say 1t,
But this buying before you can pay
Has brought us the lcsfon Of hard times
Which the nation s learning to-day.
30 this is an end Of the matter


An end we had never supposed
Frank mortgaged for all he could carry,
And to-day is that mortgage foreclosed.
Year: 1877

The recent developments in connection with Life
Insurance suggest the Importance of careful
discrimination in the selection Of Companies upon
the part of those contemplating insurance.


Among the Companies entitled to unlimited
confidence, the
Year: 1877

Considerable interest attaches to the visit
OF Princo BtsMAncK to Berlin next weok for
conference with the German Emperor.
These two people never talk together without
saying something.
Year: 1877

4 Cincinnati paper demands that 8lrrixa
BULL be escorted to tho balcony OF tho Fifth
Avenue Hotel, and there encouraged to describe
bis affection to Ills country. Better escort him
to another sort Of platform and let him warn
the crowd that IT was whisky that brought him
there,
Year: 1877

There are few localities in which stock growing of some kind may not be made profitable. First, make the pasture and arrange for the winters feed, and then get good stock, and there is money in it. In the wide field of agriculture no branch is so important, none so interest ing, none so profitable as stock breeding. It is, indeed, the highest branch of farm ing that upon which all others more or less depend--to which all others more or less contribute. The English people, who are unquestionably the best farmers in the world, and have always been farm ing people par excellence, have crystal ized this truth into three sentences No cattle no manure. No manure no grass. No grass no cattle. This is the true doc trine--tbe trinity of good farming the world over. Within the compass of these three sentences is expressed the wLole philosophy of mixed, husbandry-a phi iosophy founded on facts and founded by science. Let us look at the matter a little more in detail. It is an indisputa- ble fact that all crops taken from the ground remove more of less plant-food from the soil, and that in time the most fertile soil in the world will become ex- hausted by continued cropping without maturing. This being true, it is mani fest that maturing is absolutely neces- sary to the preservation of the fertility of any and every farm. The question. then. with every farmer should be, how can best keep my land in heart? How most easily restore the plantrfood taken away by each crop? For by far the greater majority of farmers the answer to these questions is, by keeping cattle to make manure. Farmers living near cities may purchase manure enough to do them, and can, in that case, devote all their land, labor and capital to grow ing crops that will sell But for farmers at large the manure that is bought does not pay, if it alone is used. Homemade manure is the best, as we'll as the cheap est; and for home made manure the farmer must depend upon his own cattle.

 Again, it is with farm products as with other things-the manufactured article is worth more than the raw material. Corn, oats, hay, etc, are the raw mate rials of the farm, while horses, mules, cattle, sheep and hogs are the manufac- turcd articles. It is much more profita- ble, then, tor the farmer to make his corn and hay into meat than to cell it raw. Again, the farmer who grows stock may always have something to sell, while he who only raises corn or any other crop to sell is in the market but once q year. And, finally, no branch of farming re- suires go little heavy work, while none offers so inviting field for the intelligent labor of the educated farmer. Hence it is that we place stock-breeding at the art of farming as the most important, the most pleasant and the most profita- ble.- The South.
Year: 1877

The other day old Mr.. Middlerib
stopped at grocery and bought some
onions, giving the grocer 81 bill.
Among the change handed back to the
customer an old 81 bill. 1t had been
handed in that morning for kerosene
oil, and there was just dash of oil on
it, that had been spilled in the morn
ing. Then the grocer had laid it down
on q pile of Goldfish while he fixed the
the stopper in the oil-can. Then he
had it on his fingers while he cut off a
couple of pieces of cheese, and the
cheese on the bill struggled with the
Goldfish and kerosene for pre-. eminence,
Then it got little touch of mackerel,
and little tincturo Of stale egg on it,
and at last the grocer stuffed it into
his pocket along with a plug Of tobac-
co, and finally, when Mr.. Middlerib
got it with his onions, he held it to his
nose ONCE or twice, shifted it with an
investigating air, and at last walked
out Of the store with Il cheerful cOun.
tenance, saying, "By George, we're all
right now. Good times are hero again
and the Government is paying 10C
cents on the dollar.-Hal0keye.
Year: 1877




The Republican Senate intend to op-
pose the retrenchment made in the va
risus Appropriation bills for the next
fiscal year, and threaten if the House
shall cut down the army to the point
which the country demands the reduc-
tion shall not pass, be the consequences
what they may.


This sort of menace is what might be
expected, FROM the course heretofore
pursued by that partisan majority. They
succeeded by factious resistance in de-.
featiRg ten millions of the economy
which Mr.. Randall carried last year by
Democratic votes in the popular branch
But if this game is to be repeated and
extravaganza is to be maintained by a
combination in the Senate Of selfish in
terests, the country should know it and
fix the responsibility exactly where it
belongs. The House cannot afford tc
yield, and we expect it will stand out to
tto last extremity for every item of re.
trenchment, and especially for a through
reduction OF the army. Money is pro.
vlded to carry on the Government upon
liberal scale to the Both Of mex June
| Worse things can happen than tie los:
of an appropriation bill, and if the Sen
ate should obstinately set up against the
House, 1t would be no great misfortune
if the army had to subsist for few
months on short commons,


We have had entirely too much arm,
in our civil affairs, and it would be re
| freshing by way Of contrast, and as tn,
beginning of a return / o the old way. IL
dispense with it as a ruling element
Let the soldier learn once more, what h,
has greatly forgotten under Grant, tha
'h.' military is subordinate to he civi
authority.
Year: 1877




west Of North Sand lighthouse, in
the Malacca Straits. the weather
being fine and the sea smooth, the Dir
also perfectly clear, I saw little
forward of the beam, On the star
board side, about 200 yards dis
tant from the ship, an object first
pointed out to me by my third Off
Ger, who remarked, "There is q
shoal - Surprised at finding o
shoal in such a well-known track,
watched the object and found it was
in movement, keeping up the same
speed with the ship and retaining
about the same distance as first
seen. The speed Of the ship was
nine and three quarter knots, and
the object was moving parallel
with us during six minutes. Just
after I observed it the CHR ese
deck passengers discovered it, and
raised a great outcry, and about
the same moment it was deserted by
three saloon passengers and the
surgeon. Tho shape Of the creat>
ure, for that it was alive there is
no doubt, I would compare to
that Of a gigantic frog. Referring
to the head and body, as far as
they were apparent above the wa,
ter, the head, of pale, yellowi-E
color, was about IL feet in length,
and six feet OF the crown was
above the water ; occasionally the
head subsided until only foot
or foot and q half remained above
the water. I tried in vain to
make out the eyes and mouth ; the
mouth, however, may have been
below water. The head was :m-
mediate'y connected with the body,
without any indication ofa neck.
The body was about As or SO feet
in length, and Of an oval shape,
perfectly smooth, and there may
have been light ridge along the
spine. The back rose some FIVE
feet above the surface. An i'm
mcnse tail, fully $50 feet in length
rose few inches above the water.
This tail saw distinctly from its
junction with the body to its ex'
tremity;; it seemed cylindrical,
with very slight taper, and [ es-
timated its diameter at four feet.
The body and tail were marked
with alternate bands Of stripes,
black and pale yellow in color. The
stripes were distinct TO the very
extreme Of the tail, [ cannot say
whether the tail terminated in a !in
or not. I examined it carefully at
the aforementioned distance, but
could not satisfy myself how the
tail terminated. The creature
possessed no fins Or paddles as far
as we could preceive, never having
seen any part of its belly. can
not say it had legs. 1t is very
possible that the creature was much
broader and more massive than the
dimensions above given. for the
greater part of it was evidently un-
der water. and we never caught a
glimpse of any but the extreme up
per parts. 1t appeared to me to
progress py means Of an undulatory
motion of the tail in a verticle
plane, The tail seemed to have
an independent motion; that is to
say, quicker and q different one
from the body. The head would
raise slowly and the body become
simultaneously lower, and vice
versa. The fluctuations of the tail
were briskor and very distinct,
aud l closely watched them through
good glasses. I had for some mo-
ments the idea of running the
creature down, but 1 shortly dis
missed the intention on the account
of the danger of breaking the
screw blades. The creature show
Year: 1877

be screw loose somewhere? "Prove


all things-hold fast that which is


good" Economy does not consist sole


ly in stinting--indeed il rarely does I;


and good plain food is never waste.


Do not deal with a grocer in whom


you have not confidence and if willing


to pay fair price for good article,


you will be apt to get it. There are


many articles which cannot bo proved


without recourse 10 chemical analysis,


and TOR these you must take his word.


Professor Sharpless gives, however a
simple and easy test for coffee, which
she who knows nothing of chemistry
can use as well as another. This ia
SIMPLY TO throw about q teaspoonful of
the coffee TO be tested IN glass of cold


water stirring it around so as TO wet
the grains. Pure coffee will float and
scarcely colors the water. Beans and
chicory sink TO the bottom. Chicory
colors the water at once, beans more
slowly. On chewing the portion that
floats, coffee will be recognized by its
taste. A species of nut, which strongly
resembles coffee when ground, has
lately come into use as an adultcr-
ant for coffee This floats on the
water, but it is nearly tasteless
Chicory is tough when taken between
the teeth, and has bitter taste unlike
the bitter of coffee. Only an expert
can tell the difference between the differ
entyarieties ofcoflee when ground and
even an expert may be deceived. Pure
fresh ground coffee may be purchased
at moro respectable groceries, and, i'll
desired, the whole berry will be ground
on tho spot for tho purchaser. But il
must be borne in mind that grocers
do not keep store from motives Of puro
philanthropy, and a fair margin must
be allowed to cover the cost OF roast
ing and grinding the raw berry. There
is, however, much huckstering in real
coffeos, and lower grades are fire.
quently mixed with, TO extend the
higher. Thus Maracaibo and La Guayra
coflces are mixed with Java and Mocha
coffee, and the mixtures sold for pure
Java or pure Mocha. Professor Sharp
less gives the following test for cream
of tartar: "Pure cream of tartar
should dissolve completely in hot wa
ter 1t should have a pleasant sour
taste. To test it, put . teaspoonful
into tumbler Of hot water; allow it |
to stand a fow minutes, then observe
whether there is any sediment. The
best tartars give slight precipitate or
tartrate of lime. II the sediment is
large, terra alba is most likely present.
If II docs not dissolve to a clear liquid |
in hot watcr, add q few drops of tine
ture Of iodine. If pure the color should
remain unchanged. If however, il
turns bright blue, starch is present"


Short measures may, of course, bo
detected by the use of the scales, aud
when an article has been proved short
that brand should be avoided. 1t is q
common practice to put hundred So
called bars Of soap into box, weighing
only soventy-fve pounds, and recent
correspondent complains to the Times
that there are barrels Of flour in the |
market weighing hundred and seven
ty-six pounds instead of the legal hun
drad nj nfnotv-aix
Year: 1877

A curious discovery has lately been
made, while repairing the house former
ly occupied by the Jacobin Club during
the revolution, and known as the Hotel
dc Honore. The Club, which guided
the dcstinies Of the revolution during
some few years, had often boasted Of
ALLOWING the ambition of Robespierre
and other leaders to progress so far
and no fayther, and the members by
vote had passed q law which entitled
the majority TO exclude from any par
ticular SedHce any particular member
whose interests might lead him TO sway
the opinion of the club. Robespierre,
whose ambition had rendered him an
object Of suspicion, had often been
voted out of the assembly, and it has
been matter of surprise to the his
torian of the time, that he could so
long maintain his influence in spite of
the violence Of the opposition thus
permitted. The secret is now revealed.
A small room-a hiding-place in the
thickness of the wall-has just been
discovered, opening by trap-door in
to the very hall where the deliberations
were being carried on, and whence he
cc=id i;s.er 20 the measures tn ha
taken against him, and thus forearmed,
have power to defeat them. 1t is evil
dent that this hiding place must have
been occupied by Robespierre, and
when first entered by the workmen
traces Of his presence were still visible
in the Journal which lay upon the table,
and the writing paper, from which had
been torn small portion, as if for the
purpose of making a memorandum.
The only book which was found in the
place was volume of Florsin, open at
the second chapter of Claudine. 1t
was covered with snuff, which had evil
IDENTIFY been shaken from the readers
shirt-frill, and bore testimony TO the
truth OF history which records the
simplicity of the literary taste of
Robespierre. His presence seemed TO
still hang about the small space, as
though he had quilted it the moment
before; and, singular enough, the
marks of the feet, as though he had
recently ~trodden through the mud,
were quito visible on the tiles of which
the flooring was composed.-Pottr's
american.
Year: 1877

The Pdlouse Gazette suggests the
rn sIbllty Of il railroad through the
Palou.e valley at 10 distant day. to con
meet with the Northern Pacific. which
would be about one hundred miles in
extent. Such u road could he cheaply
built owing to the easy grading and
when built would drain very rich
wheat country. Such an enterprise
may appear to some asa premature suy
ees'ion, but We think the boy is out Of
his teens who will live tn sre the con.
sumation Of ihe enterprise. The future
of this county will develope more aston
isl.ing things than such railroad.
Year: 1877

A visit to Staub's, in search Of cheap
reading matter, win well repay the visitor to
our city. On his counters, at Goldthwaite's
bookstore, on Exchange alley, near Canal
street, all Of the newspapers Of the North
and West, for which there is any demand,
may here be found on the arrival Of each
day's mail. Goldthwaite has for sale st
the same establishment the Twenty-sev-
snth Annual and AL other law and miseei-
laneous works to suit the demand. His col.
lection Of antiquarian and secondhand
books is unequaled in the South.
Year: 1877

Night after night the burglars reap their
harvest undisturbed by any opposing force
except that the inmates of the selected
dwellings may offer. 1t is a remarkable ex-
ceptiOn when police officer is within hear
ing, and when that happens the burglars
generally escape, leaving mo clue" behind
them. A complaint therefore comes from
the Picayssle to keep the burglars out, and
begs households to close fast their doors
fest bind, fast fnd-that the ribbon police
may be relieved. To show their zeal, how
ever, the latter, according to the Times, are
resolved to arrest every person Of whom
they have suspicion. Charge them viii
something, anyway.
Year: 1877

Judge YOst may become the object of the
enmity OF Odd Fellows Hall, as has Judge
Fontelieu. number of Democrats in
Point COupee petitioned him not to hold
court because of the disturbed condition of
public affairs. But the judge rebuked them
by stating that the reasons alleged were
stronger arguments for opening court
which in such case should be ready to
maintain the law. In consequence of this
matters are very quiet in POinte COupee,
but the Democratic disturbers who have
thus been forced to subside are likely to
break out in a new place.
Year: 1877

One of the amusing inconsistencies Of
the Democratic party, which so yirulently
denOunces carpet baggers, is the suggestion
that the political sentiment of strangers"
now in the city should be expressed. But,
of course, this has no reference to any hav-
ing Republican sentiments. That would be
an impertinent partisan interference.


General Nichols scored one in favor of
impartial administration by disapproving
the bill to divide Judge Fontelieu's district
among the surrounding judges, but his
party have resolved to get him out any
way and now proceed by impeachment.


New candidates for Senator spring up
daily at Odd Fellows Hall, and if the
thing keeps on every citizen in the State
will have received complimentary vote.
No election, of course.
Year: 1877

A few days since j. w. Wedger, E. A.
Strong and ]. W. Shove were visiting
Sleeper's Gorge, near Lamensville, this
county. This gorge is one of the widest
places in the state. In exploring rocks
and ravines Strong fell from ledge of
rocks several feet to pile of driftwood
on the edge of Otego Creek. He was
not hurt, but in order to extricate him
from his position his companions were
forced to climb down the rocks and re-
move a quantity of the debris. In doing
this they discovered an opening in the
rocks large enough topermit the passage
of a mans body. The three visitors
crept through the opening and found
themselves in narrow passage which
was dripping with water. A few feet
from its mouth, however, it became dry
and dusty The men followed it for
twenty feet, and it having gradually
widened they thought it deserved
thorough examination, and they re-
turned to the village for lights, ropes, a
ladder, etc. Each with a lantern re-en-
tered the cavern. The tunnel-like pas
sage led them for fifty feet into the ledge,
when they found themselves in an apart
ment about thirty feet square and with a
ceiling nine or ten feet high. The walls
were of flint and sharp and ragged. A
strong current of cold air prevailed, al
anywhere to the cave other than the en-
trance. A dry, fine dust lay on the
floor to the depth of several inches.
There was no dampness in the cavern.
In one corner of the cave what seemed
to be mound of dust about two feet
high was revealed by the lights. An ex.
animation was made of this and, several
inches of dust being removed, heap of
what was at first thought to be stones
was discovered. These proved to be
Jumps of pure solid lead. A number of
curious copper implements were found
in various parts of the cavern, and near
the pile of lead human skeleton, with
the large bones and skull well preserved,
was buried beneath thick layer of dust.
These relics were removed from the
cave, and the lead weighed in the aggre.
gate more than a ton. The discovery was
followed by great excitement, and hun.
drcds are iiocking daily to the gorge to
see the curiosity.


There has been legend in that part
OF lhe ouSquenhnnh fhlleyt from INC
days of the first settlers, that the Indians
had a secret lead mine somewhere in the
locality, where they obtained material
for the bullets and specimens from
which they frequently sold in the settle
ments. The mineral discovered in the
cave is free from foreign substances,
but there is no indication anywhere
about the neighborhood of the existence
of mine from which it might have been
taken. The theory is advanced that this
cave was known to the Indians, and
they brought lead from the lake country
for use along the Susquehanna, and
stored it in the cave. The skeleton is
doubtless that of an Indian. No sus
picion of the existence of this cave was
ever had in the community, nor is il
mentioned in any of the numerous tradi
tions and family legends of that region
which is peculiarly rich in lore of thai
kind. The copper implements would
seem to denote that representatives of q
race older than the Indians have visited
this cavern COoperstOaOn (N ~ Dis
| patch.
Year: 1877

The potato beetle sticks its eggs
about the under side of the leaves in very
small parcels, sometimes no more than
two or three of the salmon. colored things
in a place, so as to almost defy the
closest scrutiny to find them all. But
when the larvae come out they are plain
to be seen on the top of the foliage.
Since we have learned to squash the eggs,
no mawkish sentimentality should pre-
vent our handling the young worms with
ont mittens. Make no bones of mashing
'em. One rub destroys them, and pinch
of dirt now and then keeps the balls of
the thumbs and the fingers in good friction
order.
Year: 1877

VIM. Ogden Jones, a wealthy gen.
tleman living with his family at the New
port House, New York, died few days
ago from the effects of injuries received
in bath-tub of boiling water. Upon
arising in the morning he went into the
bath room, locked the door and turned on
the hot water. Some minutes afterward his
wife heard groans in the room, and after
some delay the door was broken open,
and Mr.. Jones was found lying in the
bath,tub, the room being full of steam
and the unfortunate man insensible,
When taken out the flesh peeled from
his body in great flakes. After great
agony he died next morning.