smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

Years ago, before architecture had become
science rs perfect as now marks the crcc.
tion Of our homes, our places of busineas and
our public edifices, it was the custom, cspe-
cially in rural districts, where most of the
buildings were of wood for the carpenter,
who drew the plan Of the work he had in
hand, to proceed and put up the frame.
The timbers were squared and cut at proper
length, and then came the task of putting
the same together, that the frame work
might be erected ready for the covering.
At that time there We're no fixed rules for
mortise and tenon, and the rude architect
would "cut and try" us he termed it. until
he secured proper fit. In this way frames
were prepared and put together, and the
work of building was accomplished.


This rule of procedure appears to have
been transferred in some degree to the frame
work of government. 1t has become the
policy to some extent when an officer is
mortised into position which he is incapa-
BILE of filling, or fills Improperly, from any
cause, to take him out, and transfer him
under the cut and try" regime to some
other position and see if his tenon will fill
the other, ,mortise more suitably. We have
in our mind an instance of recent occur
renee, in which, for reasons best known tC
the Interior Department, the Indian Com
missioner was reminded that his resgna-
tion would be accepted. 1t was rendered
and he was drawn from that position, to be
transferred to that of Consul General for
the Dominion of Canada with his headquar-
ters at Montreal. This WAS on the "cut
and try principle, which is rather bung-
ling and ungraceful in performance, but the
experiment is tried TO sec how il will work.


Now, another instance of the "cut and
try" policy of setting up the Governmental
frame is foreshadowcd. 1t is intimatcd
that Collector ARTHUR, of the Port of New
York, is to be drawn from that position for
some reason, and is to be transferred to a
foreign mission. Collector ARTHUR is an
experienced, capable and faithful public
officer. He has discharged the duties OF his
position as well and acceptably as any other
man could possibly do it, but he must be
pulled out Of a position that he is known
to have filed with sterling ability, and, in
violation of the rules of civil service
cut and tried for foreign mission wherr he
may prove failure and forfeit much of hi,
reputation for capacity. 1t seems to us that
the wiscst policy in the Government would
be to ''let well enough alone" and to keep
public officials in position so long as they
faithfully subserve the public interest, and
whom thpN n that D..
draw them out and lay them aside instead
of using up time and effort to ''cut and try
them with view to discovering by expert
mcnt whether Or not they are fit for any re
sponsibility.
Year: 1877

Under the rapid influx Of subscribers, we
are receiving sundry complaints of neglect
in delivery. Whenever delinqucncies occur
we beg of our subscribers to report them "a
the counting-room without hesitation. II
Is our purpose to have each department Of
our business conducted with efficiency, and
we shall turn our efforts in that direction in
the future until all cause of complaint is
removed We shall require of our route
agents the strictcst fidelity to that branch
and hold them to strict responsibility.
Year: 1877

There is an all-pervading and diffusive
charm about q summer evening any
where. In the country, where the air is
fragrant with the breath of honeysuckle
and rose, and perfumed, besides, with
thousand subtle scents too transient and
delicate to be separately defined, the eve
ming is the climacteric of the day. Not
morning, with its wondrous sparkle and
shine, its glistening pearls suspended
from myriad branches, it's evanescent
clouds, and it's chorus of song; not noon,
with it's hush of spell-bound splendor
and its lovely languor of stately repose;
not even late afternoon, when the long
shadows creep down the velvet slopes,
and the haze hangs tremulous on the dis
tant hills-is SO fair as twilight. Through
the faint ethereal glimmer of brightness
which fingers in the west, through the
glory OF the golden moonrise, there come
vague questionings and thoughts to our
minds, not clothed upon with speech,
though they wear the color of heaven.
From unseen haunts in the orchard, or
from the dark belt of frs which girdles
the ravine, there falls now and then q
silvery note, the vesper song Of the robin,
or the last warble of the thrush, ere he
tucks his head beneath his wing. Tran
gully and tenderly the night approaches,
like a gentle mother whose protecting
arms gather the tired children close and
fold them to slumber on her breast.
Year: 1877

Six months ago q gentleman and his
wife registered their names in the best
hotel in Sonora, California. They made
few acquaintances; they seemed TO court
seclusion; they wandered up and down
the grassy hills; occasionally they were
seen sitting under tall pine, anon the
man carried pick-ax on his shoulder
and had the air Of q miner who was hunt
ing for pocket vein; they were eccen-
tric and mysterious. On June 81 they
disappeared, and after their board
ers had gossiped about them for day or
two search was made for them, The
queer couple were found on the top OF
Bald mountain not far from the town.
They had been out doors about ninety
hours; they had not lost their way; they
had gone out into the woods with the
deliberate purpose of starving to death !;
they had eaten nothing; they had afour-
ounce bottle filled with. water, with
which they had moistened their parched
lips; they were dying by inches. The
neig ghbors carried them to a cabin, and
induced them to eat something. The
husband is a graduate of Pennsylvania
medical college, and owns homestead
in New Jersey. Once he was very
wealthy, but he lost everything in stock
speculations in San F.ancisco. He had
been waiting for remittances from that
city; his last penny had gone; he was in
debt to the hotel proprietor; he resolved
to 90 up the mountain and starve, and
his wife went with him.
Year: 1877

One of the torpedo launches used IN
destroying the Turkish monitor near
Matchin, on the Danube, was recently
carefully looked over bya correspondent
of the London Daily Ne,cs, who mi
nutely describes it. The launch was only
about twenty-five feet long with about
four feet beam. The torpedo spars, of
which each boat carried two, were about
thirty feet long. They were placed on
each side of the boat in large iron rings
fore and aft, which maintained them in a
horizontal position when not being used.
The torpedo is attached, of course, to the
forward end of the spar. The torpedoes
themselves were about twenty inches in
length by eighteen inches in diameter,
and were covered apparently with wood.


When used, tho torpedo-bar is thrust
forward through the rings until it is only
supported by one, and the torpedo on
tile end of the spar may then be hoistcd
up and down as on the end of lever. It
is known that the force of torpedo only
acts within n radius of ten feet, and as
the spar is thirty feet long, the boat is
thus at safe distance from the explo-
sion, except the danger OF it being filled
aud swamped by the column of water
which the torpedo inevitably throws up.
The launch is m ordinary wooden one,
covered owe with a wooden deck, sup
ported by very slight wooden or iron up
rights. The sides from little above
the water are protected by plates of iron
q quarter of an inch thick, loosely fasten-
ell on to the uprights, and sufficient to
stop bullet, leaving exposed about four
inches just below the deck for the crew
to fire through in case of need. Neither
the bow nor the stern, however, were
protected in this way, and the launch
coming on would be exposed to be ira
versed from stem to stern by the enemy's
bullets. AS is we'll known, not single
bullet has ever penetrated the boat or
wounded q man, although the launch
must have been for several seconds with
in twenty feet of the monitor, and the
Turks had fired probably more than 100
shots at her at that distance. The reason
was, that it had not occurred to them to
fire down through the deck, which was
only Of wood, and ali their bullets had
been expended on the iron plates, which
were of course impenetrable. The tor
pedo is made to explode by contact, and
may also be exploded by an electric bat
terry in case the shock should not have
been sufficient to explode it..
Year: 1877

Judge Pitman has habit of slipping
his watch under his pillow when he goes
to bed. The other night somehow ii
slipped down, and, as the Judge was rest.
less, it gradually worked its way down.
ward toward the foot of the bed. After
q bit, while he was lying awake, his foot
touched it, and it felt very cold; he was
surprised and scared, and, jumping from
bed he said


"By gracious, Maria !! there's q toad
or snake or something under the covers.
I touched it with my foot"


Mrs. Pitman gave loud scream and
was out on the floor in an instant.


"Now don't go to hollering and wax
ing up the neighbors," said the judge.
"You go and get me broom or some
thing, and we'll fix the thing mighty
qaick."


Mrs. Pitman got the broom and gave
it to the Judge, with the remark that she
felt as if snakes were creeping all up and
down her legs and back.


"Oh, nonsense, Maria ! Nowyou turn
down the covers slowly. while l hold the
broom and bang it. Put bucket Of
water alongside the bed, too, SOS we can
shove it in and drown it.


Mrs. Pitman fixed the bucket and
gently removed the covers. The Judge
held the broom uplifted, and as soon as
the black ribbon OF the watch was re-
vealed, he cracked away three or four
times with his broom. Then he pushed
the thing off into the bucket. Then they
took the bucket to the light to investi-
gate the matter. When the Judge saw
what it was, he said:


"I might've known that. Just like
you women, to 60 screeching and fuss:ng
about nothing. Who's going to pay me
for that watch It's utterly ruined"


cit was you That made the fuss, no
me-" said Mrs. P. You needn't try to
put the blame off on me-.


"Oh, hush up, and go to bed. I'm
tired of hearing you blather. Blame me
if amt going to get a divorce and emil
CRATE.


And the Judge turned in and growled
at Maria until he fell asleep.-1lar i'd
eIer.
Year: 1877

A horrible story of mans inhuman
hatred for fellow-creature comes from
Maysville, KY. Levi Ball had furnished
the family of James G. Owens with sup
plies to the amount Of 5000, and, finding
it impossible to collect, he levied on
Owens property, which was released on
claimants bond, and on that Ball also
secured a Judgment. These various
proceedings aroused Owens to pitch of
madness, and he swore to kill Ball.
Every insult he could devise he cast
upon his prospective victim to win some
provocation, and finally he solemnly as
serted his intention of pouring the con-
tents Of his shotgun, which he had
charged with forty slugs, into Balls sys-
tenn. A few days ago he met Ball and
commenced his abuse again, whereupon
Ball fired four shots, mortally wounding
his vindictive enemy. On his death-bed
Owens went into commissions at the sug-
gestion that he must die before killing
the object of his hatred, and when he
recovered he exacted with his dying
breath solemn oath from his seventeen
year-old son that he would never rest
until he had sent Ball to his grave.
Upon the trial of Ball for the shooting,
he was promptly acquitted.
Year: 1877

Two stanzas have been added to Gray's
famous elegy, in order to do away with
it's one reproach of having no woman in
it except "the busy housewife" They
are to appear after the fourteenth stanza
of the original and to take precedence of
the men altogether. Here they are:
Here sleeps some fair, whose unaffected charms
Bloom'd with attraction to herself unknown,
Whose beauty might have blessed monarchs 5


arms,


Whose virtues cast luster on throne.
Whose modest beauties warm'd humble heart,
Or cheered the labors of some homely spouse ;
Whose virtues form'd to every duteous part,
The healthful offspring which adorned her


house.
Year: 1877

The snow still falls and I don't see any reason why we cannot have some sleighing bye and bye. We have snow here almost any depth, from one to eight or ten feet deep. to suit circumstances and may probably cause a sleigh-ridc next fourth of July if we live.

 Some of the boys that used to live around here are spending the winter at the Litchfield boarding house, believe. One of.them employed his time so we'll before, that he returned speedily. A good many think they will go farther be- fore they ever see Sharon again.

 The Centennial year has closed and made way for '77.

 Christmas has come and gone once more. and yet all are not happy. Both district schools celebrated it with a Christmas tree and had good time.

 Owing to SO much stormy weather the services in either church have not been very we'll attended for the last two Sundays. Every one prophecies an old fashioned winter. and plenty of snow.

 KSoT-Now.
Year: 1877

in the house to take care OF 1t.
She knew old Choker very well
having done his washing for him
for Ave years.


That night, the weather being
chilly spring weather, she made NJ
q good tire in the kitchen and slept
on an old lounge there.


Once she woke up in the night
and thought she heard the clump
clump of wooden leg overhead
but though she felt chill run W
her back at the time, she made NJ
her mind it was all nonsense, and
went to sleep again.


At six she was up and put more
coal on the fire, and was filling the
kettle, when positively-no fancy
about it this time-she did hear
that clump, clump again across tht
room up stairs half dozen times
then went down stairs.


The sound of Choker's wooden
leg, and nothing else; and as she
turned about, shaking and trembl.
ing, she saw old Choker himself al
the door, in his big lowered dress
ing-gown, with the black patch
over his eye, and the brown wig on


"The Lord have mercy upon us,
cried Peggy.


Then Choker nodded cheerfully
and said:


Breakfast ready yet 7" and she
grew bewildered.


T've been having a horrid dream,
sir" she said, getting away from
the figure though, as she spoke ;
sand it is as natural as life. !
dreamed you were dead, sir. Ibid,
indeed; and buried and all. !
beg pardon, sir, but it was so natur-
al that you skeer me-"


"Did II" said old Choker. "Why,
bless ye, we must all die"





ayes, sir" said Peggy.


"And all be buried, too," replied
old Choker.


"Only all Of us won't stay bur-
ied," said Choker, putting his fin
gers to his nose.


And at that Peggy, never waiting
for her bonnet, bolted out of the
house, and came tumbling into her
daughters half an hour after, shak-
ing with fright, and vowing she
had seen Crocker's ghost.


The daughter was nearly as
much frightened as the mother,
and the news spread, but nobody
believed it.


At least everyone said it was
ridiculous and that Peggy must
have been drinking.


She did drink more than was
good for her, now and then; and
at last the undertaken himself, ac-
companied by the Coroner--the
two men of the village who were
supposed to be the least nervous on
the subject Of ghosts, and beside
who had a thorough knowledge OF
the matter of Choker's death and
burial, went to the house together,
accompanied by q train Of sd-
mirers who kept a respectful dis
tance as they knocked At the door.


There was no answer to the first
knock, but having knocked again,
clump, clump came q wooden leg
across the passage, and there in the
door stood old Cboker.


Everyone knew him.


He wore his old dressing-gown,
he had the black patch over his
eye. and his wig set . little on one
side - usual.


! walk in, walk In, gentlemen"
Year: 1877

The New York evening Post gives
the following illustration of what may
be done to defraud creditors under the
bankrupt law by men willing to swindlc
and commit perjury:


a merchant bought 81, 900 worth of
goods ON credit, and soon after had
himself put in bankruptcy by friend,
so he would have to pay nothing for n
release, procured n friend to be made
assignee, who hadit appraised at $4,000,
which another friend bought at 80 cents
on the dollar, and transferred to the
original merchant on the very day he
received his discharge, thus securing
goods worth $4,000 for $4,000. When
one of his creditors, purchasing at his
store, asked reduction on the article,
giving as reason that he had lost 50
much money by him, the debtor OK
claimed: DO you think l was such n
fool as to 60 into bankruptcy for your
beneft?' 1t will be asked, How can
such things be and not come to the
notice of the officers of the court? The
proceedings were regular, and the court
relies upon the oaths made before it.
Even in the case of the bankrupt who
has no desire to dofraud, the fees at
tending the proceedings are so enormous
that, as the law student said, The aim
of bankruptcy seems to be to make an
equitable division of the assets between
the officers of the court and the mem
bers of the bar"
Year: 1877

From the Chicago Times


At a camp meeting pear Peoria liquor
was sold in large quantities about mile
from the tents. A number of the visi-
tors filed themselves to overhowing,
and two roughs got into fuss on the
grounds Just MS the evening service was
over. One of them took off his clothes
with the exception of hisshirt and socks,
in order to tight his antagonist. He was
about to attack him when he discovered
that some one had captured his clothes
and walked off with them. At this he
was exceedingly wroth, and, clad only
in his shirt and socks, he marched
straightway into the circle where the
services had been held, and which was
yet crowded, in order to request that an
announcement be made that his clothes
had been stolen. As he was walking ND
the aisle he was met by the presiding
elder, who thought his lack of clothing
was unbecoming to the occasion. Ac.
cordingly he took him by the arm, and
suggested he walk out. The rough
thereupon turned about. drew back, and
struck the reverend gentleman heavy
blow with brass knuckles above the eye,
inflicting deep, long cash on the fore
head.
Year: 1877

From the New York Tribune.


Ex-Secretary Bristow was at the Bre-
WORT House yesterday on his way home
from Saratoga, where he has been spend
ing a few days. He said to a Tribune
representative that he was wholly out of
public life, and felt no desire to return
to it. He wanted no Office, appointive,
OF electoral, and took no more interest
in current politics than any private citi-
zen. He did not even care to express
his opinions ON political subjects, believ-
ing il unwise for man who intended to
devote himself entirely to the profession
of the law to allow himself to figure in
the newspapers as a political oracle.


Plattsmouth, Neb., proposes bridging
the Platte at that place.
Year: 1877

From The Springhold Republican,


Thurlow Weed is the last and most
powerful recruit of the silver dollarpary
He goes the whole thing, including the
payment of the national debt in silver rs
well as in gold. If this affects our credit
abroad, and sends our bonds home, so
much the better. He thinks we have
money enough to carry our own debts.
Year: 1877

The reason why Hobart Pasha has not
bombardcd Scvastopol is known at last.
He has discovered that the new fortif-
cations of the place are strong enough
to destroy any fleet that might come
within range of their guns, even with
out the help of the torpcdocs.
Year: 1877

BEN HILL, of Georgia, is not only
man of great ability, but true patriot.
He has not always concurred with
those who have commonly ruled the
South, but for all that has never been
deemed either unwise or faithless to
the land of his birth. He has recently
spoken of the course of political events
and raid, as the STATESMAN has often
declared, that Hayes's nomination was
victory over Republican ultraism and
military administration of free govern
ment, and defeat of that party's be-
ligerent element, which has no policy
but to foment sectional hates and pas
sions. Mr.. Hill believes thai if Hayes
be inaugurated he IS honest and fair
enough to discontinue unwarrantable
interferences in the affairs of the South ;
he will also naturally desire the CO.
operation of the best men in the South.
If this be true his administration will
be great gain and improvement to the
Southern people, who have no desire
to resist the Federal government, but
to be regarded as portion of this com
mon country, and entitled to the ad-
ministratiou in the South exactly as
that administration is extended to other
portions of the country; and if we can
get this plain, honest administration,
and the best people can be recognized
| by the Federal administration as the
proper representatives of Southern in
terest and sentiment, the whole coun-
try will perceive at once that the ultra
isms charged upon the South will have
ne foundation in fact. In settlement
of the presidential imbrogIic, Mr.. Hill
thinks. there can be nc possible apol.
ogy for breach of the peace. A great
difficulty seems to be that leaders of
both parties are not endeavoring to
discover the truth about the election,
but are devising plans to secure mere
party triumph, which, he fears, they
are willing to secure by foul or fair
means. He is uneasy at the evidences
that Grant seems to think he is under
obligation to use the power of his high
office to secure the success of the Re-
publican party, from which he appre-
hends most serious consequences. II
the House deem it its duty to enter pro-
test against arbitrary adjudication Of
the great question by the President
of the Senate, and shall elect
Tilden as required by the Con
stitution, Grant will use the military
for the Inauguration of Hayes.
OF course no man can foresee the re-
suits of such policy. They canpot be
otherwise than disastrous to the whole
| country
Year: 1877

IT is justly said that because South
ern representatives in Congress have
been moderate in council and have set
themselves like a stone wall against ex-
treme or revolutionary action by their
party, they are none the less Demo
Gratis, and none the less desire the sue
cess OF Governor Tilden. They will
insist most strenuously that the result
of the election shall be ascertained by
legal and constitutional means, and
that the result, whatever it is, shall be
peaceably acquIesced in; but they will
not, in advance of the decision, even
by indirec:ion, do anything to weaken


their party. How they would receive
an invitation from Governor Hayes.


should he be the next President, TO as
sist him in raising the South from the
political degradation into which it has
fallen, we do not know, but believe a
liberal and statesmanlike policy would
meet with an immediate and hearty re-
sponse; but this is matter which it is
now too early to discuss. Hayes may
be President. and the South is in and


of the Union and would have local as
well as Federal reform, and especially
would We have the restoration of local
self-government. Ii Hayes make these
concessions very certainly we have ac-
comp!isheG enough to reinvigoiate in
dustry and restore prosperity. This is
the aspiration of the honest people.


Party leaders, in addition to all this,


want the spoils, and therefore the diff
ference between the many and the few
the people and the placemen. 49,
Year: 1877

If the newspapers don't quit apply
ing the term Professor to qUacks,
mountebanks and arrant hunbugS, the
faculties of all institutions of learning
will resign their professorshiP, and
have trustees Of colleges and universe
ties devise different term descriptive
OF the honorab!S positions they hold.
Il is a foul shame and deep wrong to
men of learning who have toiled through
lifetime to win TIL, and then have
it befouled by Ignorance and misap-
piled by stupidity and degraded by
quackery and Impotence.
Year: 1877

ing grows stronger in Washington
that, in some way, the joint committee
will arrange plan which will allow
the House to elect Tilden and the SEN
ate, Wheeler. At all events, prominent
Democrats here are more hopeful than
they were q week ago, and the number
of doubtful and desPondiug Republi-
cans is increasing; but the principal
senatorial leaders will no; admit tuat
there is doubt OF the result. They
feel sure that Hayes is TO be inaugu-
rated IN some way. Senator Morton is
at the head of tie class which has no
doubts or fears He devo.es AL his
time to the electoral question, hardly
giving himself time for sleep and
meals