smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

paid. Such magnanimity as was ex-
tended by this Nation to those rebels
have never been witnessed on earth
since God made the earth, and in my
humble judgment will never be wit
messed again.


The greatest mistake and the gravest
error that we committed was in not
hanging enough of those rebels to
make treason forever odious. Some
body committed a crime. Either those
men who rose in rebellion committed
the greatest crime known to human
law, or our own brave soldiers who
went out to fight to save this Govern
ment, were murderers.


And now, after twenty years-after
an absence of four years from the Sem
ate-I go back and take my .seat, and
what do findP The selt-same preten-
sions are rung in my ears from day to
day. The men have changed-the
measures not at all. / find those
paroled rebels-who have never been
relieved from their parole of honor to
obey the laws-saying: "Do this; obey
our will, or we will starve your Govern
ment to death" Now, if I am to die,
would rather be shot dead with mus
kerry than be starved to death. lbs,





My fellow citizens you may take the
biggest ship that sails the ocean, put
on board of her the flags of all the
States that were lately in rebellion
against this Government; raise to her
peak the stars and bars of the rebellion
start her with all her bunting to the
breeze, sail her around the world and
Won W011d nOt Opf q sa1uta of ono NON.
gun from any fort on earth.


Take the smallest ship that sails the
ocean, mark her "U. s. A."-United
States of America-raise to her peak
the stars and stripes, and sail her around
the world, and there is not fort or
ship of war of any Nation on Gods
foot-stool that would not receive her
with National salute. And yet the
party has done all this.
We took your Government when it was
despised among the Nations, and we
have raised it to this high point of
honor-and yet you tell us we ought to
1io
Year: 1879

Down in Tennessee they have a curl
osity that bids fair to eclipse the five
legged calf. 1t is a negro who has
lived in a mud hole twenty three years.


He is now going the rounds of the
agricultural fairs in the South, exhib-
tied along with the mammoth pump
kins and prize pigs. He is under a
canvass cover, and hand organ plays
the music of the spheres, while the curl
Gus visitor peeps behind the curtain at
ten cents a sight.


Edmund French is this /" greatest liv-
ing curiosity's" name, and he is a
monument to the healing virtues of
pure and unadulterated mud. In the
palmy days before the wah" Edmund
French was a slave. He ran away from
his master. Being chased by blood
hounds, he took refuge in the Missis-
sippi jungles. Two or three years
afterwaId he was found by some hunt
ers, buried up to his neck in mud. He
wallows in it, glories in it, and wakes
fat in it like a genuine Cincinnati mud
lark. All efforts to induce him to for
sake this strange abode are unavailing.
He only leaves it long enough to obtain
something to eat. Other negroes in the
neighborhood humor him to the top of
his bent and carry him food, and white
visitors, attracted to him by curiosity,
generally leave little money with him.
This is the latest way to earn a living
without working for it.


When his mud dries of the fellow
carries water and pours on, and stirs it
up to the proper stage of the batter
again. He then sinks into his luxuri-
Gus bed, and buries himself, leaving
his arms out. Counting the free soil
which sticks to him he weighs some
200 pounds. During all the extreme
cold of last winter he remained in his
mud bed, with the water frozen on top
all about him.


The account he gives Of himself is
curious enough. He says when he took
to the swamps to escape the blood
hounds he was compelled to remain
there over winter. He suffered so from
the cold that his extremities were
frosted, and his toes were entirely
frozen off. After thawing out he seemed
consumed by burning heat, to relieve
which he thrust his legs into cold, wet
earth. From that he took to plastering
himself over with mud, and then to
sinking himself wholly in mudholes,
where he has lived ever since. The
hunters who found him dragged him
out of his adored resting place, but as
soon as he could escape them he re-
turned to his wallow.


When out of his puddle he declares he
is full of pain, and feels as if he was
burning up. His skin is very hot to
the touch. This kind of mud-bath is
worth while. How his exhibitors show
him off. whether by plunging him into
a portable tank filed with dirt. or by
digging hole in the ground and fill
ing it with mud kneaded to the proper
consistency, is not stated. At any rate,
as sanitary retreat, a mudhole is by
no means to be sneered at. If colored
light will cure, wherefore not also a
good article of healthy, colored mud?
In cases of nervous irritability, arising
from too much intellect, we are sure it
would be Cincinnati Com
mercidi.
Year: 1879

The dangers incident to travel across


the trackless alkali plains of the West,


unless the traveller is familiar with the


route and well prepared for a journey,


are well understood, yet people are


found who undertake the hazardous


experiment, and many leave their bones


to whiten on the sands of the desert as


consequence of their rashness. As


Dec Malcom, who arrived in town
Thursday from Tulare County, was
crossing the San Joaquin Plains he
found man lying in the sand nearly
dead from thirst. He was unable to
stand or articulate. His tongue was so
swollen as to protrude from his mouth
several inches; his eyes were wild and
CLASSY and his mind wandering. Dec
moistened the mans lips and poured
water on his face, but failed to restore
him to consciousness. He then placed
him in his wagon, administering the
water from time to time until he reached
an alkali pool some eighteen miles dis
tant. The water being unfit to drink,
Dec took out his man and gave him a
thorough soaking, which seemed to re-
vive him little. He then proceeded
with him about eight miles to Shaws,
on the Panoche, where there is an
abundance of fresh water. Here, after
a time of careful nursing, the man re-
covered sufficiently to be able to talk
and walk, though still very weak and
debilitated. He informed Mr. Malcom
that he had spent few days in Hollister.
and had started for Waite's Ferry to
look for job of sheep shearing. He
had a small canteen of water, which he
the first half day out, and up
to the time when found had not tasted
water for forty-eight hours. Itwas the
merest accident that the man was dis
covered, as Malcom was travelling an
almost unused track. The spot where
he lay was not far from where the re-
mains OF the poor old man Jost was
found few years ago-another victim
of thirst and exposure. Cal.
Enterprise.
Year: 1879

A case has just come to light wherein


a tramp has made himself a hero. The
weary traveller tells his story as follows:


He had been tramping seven days on
his weary way to Louisville, KY, fol-
lowing the track of the Ohio & Missis-
sippi Railway, and was at an cary hour


{" on the road" He had passed Clare
mont, about twenty miles east of this
city, and had walked about three miles,
when he came to a trestle, and in the
dull light of morning discovered horse
fastened in it, evidently having tried to
cross and fallen through, leaving the
large portion of his body above the
trestle. He walked out and endeav-
ored to frighten him so he would make
an effort and extricate himself. Failing
in this he decided to repair to the sta
ton and alarm the way authorities.
He had hardly started when he heard
the rumble of an approaching train,
which proved to be the No. east
bound express, which at full speed was
rushing into this awful danger. With
not a moment to loose he endeavored
to discover some means of signaling
the engineer. 1t was too dark to see
until the flash of the headlight came
upon him. At his wits end, he thought
Of a piece of old newspaper in his
pocket. Taking this and applying
match he held it up in the faint hope
that the eye OF the engineer would be
but it burned out so abruptly
that his heart sank within him. Faint
as it was, however, the vigilant eye of
the engine driver caught it, and, re-
versing his engine, stopped his train in
Sof 70 tn 1nf
the now thoroughly frightened animal
free, when the hero of the hour was put
upon the train and whisked over what
otherwise would have been a weary,
tramp to Louisville.
Year: 1879

SOUTHERN poets are writing poetry
about the yellow fever plague. Now
that yellow fever has got into poetry,
editors cannot be too careful, and this
office will maintain quarantine against
poetry until the weather gets colder.
The cases are only sporadic thus far.
but we can't tell how soon such poetry
may become epidemic. Norristo,on
Herald.
Year: 1879

buildings on the opposite side of the


street its species could not be ascertain


ed. The third spring it put forth again


with renewed life, vigor and size. In


stead of dwindling and dropping from


the effects of the the Winters cold or


the Summers heat and drsught, the at


mosphere of justice from below seemed


to cause it TO flourish extraordinarily.
This season it was decided to be silver


maple, sprung no doubt, from a seed
carried by bird or whirlwhin and


lodged In that exalted place. BY this
time the tree hal become famous. Ac-
counts of ii had appeared in the papers;
but the story was not generally be-
lieved. But, nevertheless, the tree liv-
ed and grew. IL was there and no mis-
take. And so it has continued until
this day. 1t is now more than twelve
feet high, and is thought to be three
inches in diameter. The top is quite
bushy, and in the summer season, the
leaves are numerous and luxuriant. 1t
can be seen for many miles around, and
the stranger approaching first sees the
tower, and this phenomenon. The rap
id growth of the tree is forcing the
stones apart. This can readily be seen
with glass. Ere long the ambitious
maple will have to be brought lower,
or damage to the building follow. The
Sheriff has already had several appli-
cations from expert climbers to take it
down, but the people will not permit
their tree TO be removed yet. An artist
representing a New York illustrated
paper called to sketch the curiosity,
but the leaves were off and he postponed
it until more favorable time. Persons
the place from Cincinnati
get good view OF 1t, By looking from
the north windows as they draw near
OF course 1t appears to
much greater advantage when in full
leaf, and at such time 1t Is indeed
strange curiosity.
Year: 1879

The skin contains more than two
million openings, which are the outlets
OF an equal number of sweat glands.


The human skeleton consists of more
than two hundred distinct bones. An
amount Of blood equal TO the whole
quantity in the body passes through
the heart once every minute. The full
capacity of the lungs is about three
hundred and twenty cubic inches.
About twO-thiris of pint of air is in
haled and exhaled at each breath in or
binary respiration. The stomach daily
produces nine pounds of gastric juice
for digestion of food; its capacity is
about five pints. There are more than
five hundred separate muscles in the
body, with an equal number of nerves
and blood vessels. The weight of the
heart is from eight to twelve ounces.
IL beats one hundred thousand times in
twenty-fOur hours. Each perspiratory
duet is one-fOurth of an inch in length,
which will make the aggregate length
of the whole about nine miles. The
average man takes five and one-half
pounds of food and drink each day,
which amounts TO one ton of solid and
liquid nourishment annually. \ man
breathes eighteen times minute, and
three thousand cubic feet, or about three
hundred and seventy-five hogSheads Of
air per hour.
Year: 1879

The color of clothes is not matter of
Indifference. White and light-colored
clothes reflect the heat, while black and
dxrk-colored materials absorb the heat :;
hence il is that in summer We wear
light colored dresses. But, after all,
light colors are really best at all
seasons; for though black and dark
substances absorb heat best, they also
radiate or give it Off soonest. There Is
no doubt that white clothing retains
the heat of the body longer than
dark clothing. The cOachman will tell
you that his white duiiiel coat Is warmer
in winter and cooler in summer than
any other kind OF coat, and the brewers
drayman will wear his white stockings
all the year around. The true reason
for our preference of dark-cOlored clo-
thing in winter and during bad weather
is economy. 1t is a question of soap and
washing, not of comfort, which decides
us to choose those colors in materials
which do not need constant washing,
such as wool and silk, which show the
dirt least and retain their color longest.
In the summer, when ladies wear linen
and cotton fabrics. which do not suffer
in the wash-tub, they can indulge in
their love Of white and delicate tInts OF
color
Year: 1879

Sir William Napier was one day tax
ing long country walk, when he met
with little girl about five years old,
sObbing bitterly over broken bowl.
She had dropped and broken it in bring
ing it back from the field to which she
had taken her fathers dinner, and said
she would be beaten on her return for
having broken il. As she said this
sudden CLEAN of hope seemed to cheer
her. She innOeently looked up into
Sir Williams face and said: "But you
can mend it-can't you q" He explained
that she could easily, by the gift of
sixpence, buy another. However, OH
opening his purse, it was empty of sill
yer, and he promised to meet his friend
on the spot at the same hour next day,
and 10 bring a sixpence with him, bid
ding her meanwhile to tell her mother
she had seen a gentleman who would
bring her the money for the bowl next
day. The child, entirely trusting him,
went on her way comforted. On hi
return home Sir William found an inyi-
tatiOn awaiting him TO dine in Path on
the following evening, to meet some
one whom he especially desired to see.
He hesitated for some little time, try
ing 10 calculate the possibility of meet
ing his friend of the broken bowl, and
still be in time for the dinner party. at
Bath but, finding this could not be, ne
wrote letter declining the invitation
on the plea of ga previous engage
menr," saying: 81 cannot disappoint
her; she trusted me-"
Year: 1879

Now that gold pieces are likely to
circulate once more, other people be-
sides the Government have made ar
rangements to meet the end in view.
The coun.erfeiters have done their best
to get up good limitations of the coming
coins, and are reported to be remarka-
bly, successful. They have produced a
five dollar gold piece that almost defies
detection by any except experts. 1t
has the full weight, has an outer cover
ing of gold and has the clear ring of the
genuine article. These will, no doubt,
be sent over the country broadcast, and
it will be well for people who handle
money TO look out for them.
Year: 1879

The other night as old Blinks OF Car


son who presides over the case-keeper


of faro game, sat listening to the vari-


Gus opinions expressed about our Indi-


an troubles he felt constrained to relate


some of his own experience with the


Indians, prefacing his remarks with


Ae assertion that not one man in ten


thousand knows anything about the


subject. Said he: ''You give me one


hundred men as brave as myself, wEo


would rely on me for strategy and fol-


low where l would lead, and we'd whip
all the tribes between here and Alas


ka." Blinks proceeded to state that in


the early days of Texas he commenced


the subiugation of an Indian tribe all
on his own hook. He was both infant


ry and cavalry, and his courage and


willy tactics appalled, the Indians more


than an ordinary army corps would


have done. He maintained this uneven


warfare for several months, until one
day he found himself some 800 miles


within the Indian Territory. where no
white man had ever been before. A.
he was passing through defile in the
mountains 800 Indians surrounded
him. They closed every avenue of es-
cape; abrupt mountains lowered on
either hand. their sides lined with


ayages; several hundred guarded the


pass ahead Of him. while an equa


number had closed in upon his rear


To escape was impossible; the odds
were too great to give battle. 50 he ma
iestically surrendered and deiiantly
told them to deal with him as they
pleased. The delight OF the indians az
capturing such an important and dread
ed enemy prevented them from killing
him at once, and they were two days in
council, trying to invent some more
horrible torture and manner OF death
than they had ever praciised before. By
this time Old Blinks had got himself
hoplessly entangled. and the crowd a.
round the game seeing his dilemma,
demanded to know how he had got out
of such fix. Blinks coughed and
SPARED for the time" hoping TO IN
vent some way To wind up the story, |
but his Imagination "fell down" on him
and the boys kept pressing him. He
told OF his thirst and described his !
thoughts, trusting that some idea would
come to his rescue. The crowd becom- |
ing more and more aware Of his pre-
dicament, interrupted, distracted and
confused him so much he could think |
of no way out so bringing his fist down
Oh the table with thump, and with u
look of earnest sincerity, said; BY,
boys they killed me.
Year: 1879

The tower of the court house at
Greensburg, Indiana, is 40 feet in
height. Ore hundred and five feet
from the ground is the water sheet Of
the tower, aud above that it is covered
with dressed stone, made to fit closely,
in slabs by ) feet, incllning an angle
of about 30 degrees from upright. In
the summer of 1870, citizen of the
place was examining the tower with a
glass when he observed, springing from
the third crevice about the water sheet
on the east side of the tower, one hum
dred and ten feet from the ground, a
little twig. But little was thought Of
it, and WAS scarcely discernable with
the make feye. The next spring some
interest was exhibited 10 know If the
miniature tree in Its strange and ex-
posed position, had survived the win
try blasts. 1t had survived, and when
sun and spring showers came on, put
out its leaves plentifully and grew lux


uriantly all the season. BY this time it
was easily seen with the eye, but as it
could not be approached in any ordi-
nary manner nearer than the roofs of
Year: 1879

In the current number of the Medical
Record DR.. Hammond says that when
you poke the end of your finger in your
ear the roaring noise you hear is the
sound of the circulation in your finger.
Which is fact, as any one can demon
strate for himself by first putting his
fingers in his ears, and then stopping
them up with other substance. Try it,
and think what a wonder of machine
your body is, that even the points of our
fingers are such busy workshops that
they roar like a small Niagara. The
roaring is probably more than the noise
of the circulation of the blood. 1t Is the
voice of all the vital processes together
the tearing down and building up
processes that are always going forward
in every living body, from conception
to death.
Year: 1879

No PERSON could be so foolish as to
hazard the breaking of glass by pour
ing hot water upon it, if he understood
the simple means of accounting for the
breakage. If hot water is poured into
a glass with round bottom, the ex-
pansion produced by the heat of the
water will cause the bottom of the glass
to enlarge, while the sides, which are
not heated, retain their former dimen-
sions, and consequently. if the heat be
sufficiently intense, the bottom will be
forced from the sides, and a crack or
flaw will surround that part of the glass
by which the sides are united to the
bottom. If, however, the glass be pre-
viously wetted with a little warm water,
SO that the whole is gradually heated
and thereby expanded, boiling water
can then be poured in without damage
If a silver spoon is placed in the goblet
or glass jar, boiling water can then be
poured in without danger. unless the
article has been taken from frosty
closet and is very cold.-Springf field
Mass. Republican.
Year: 1879

All the Gulf cities show clean health
reports, and all the towns on the sea
coast are thoroughly cleansed in order to
prevent any yellow fever outbreak dur
ing the ensuing summer. There is now
every indication of healthy season.
Year: 1879

A few evenings ago a citizen of New
port INDUCED in little pleasantly at
the expense Of the Constable of the
village, who had made himself rather
unpopular by taking up cows and
horses running at large in the streets,
and mulcting the owners into the pay
ment of half dollar for his particular
benefit. The citizen in question in
going from his work at the rolling mill
noticed saw horse standing in front
Of the colored peoples hall, and on
arriving at the shop of the constable
coolly informed that officer that horse
was standing in the street, in the
square below. The constable politely
inquired ithe was hitched and on being
inform not, laid off his
aprOn,ed his sleeves and
started with the determination to make
the owner of the horse pay the
usual fee for his negligence. On arriv-
ing at theplace indicated and perceiving
the saw horse he understood that he
had b'en sold, and turning about re-
turned to his shop, breathing anathe-
mas, not loud but deep, against the
n-ighbor Who could thus wantonly
tritle with his feelings and contribute
to make his official conduct matter
Of ridicuts. The offending citizen viii
have to carry himself pretty straigh
hereafter or he will he mads to suffer
for his contempt of Court by this min
ion OF the law.
Year: 1879

The contract for levelling the basin
property at Tenth and Market streets,
which was awarded to Mr.. A. ). Peters
for s777, N was abandoned by him, he
having come to the conclusion that for
such a sum the contract woHld be
losing one. The next lowest bidder
was j. A. Bourke who gave his estimate
at sS79. He however refused to have
anything to do with it and Peter J..
Ford the third in the list received 1t for
s951.5O. Mr.. Ford will begin at noon
to-day and as the work is to be done in
thirty days he will work two sets of
hands one in the daytime and the other
at night. The night work is to be done
by a calcium light.
Year: 1879

A young woman named Bridget La
cey, in the employ Of Mrs. Good, No.
5l4 West Fourth Street, burnt one Of her
hands very badly yesterday. She had
taken rice pudding from the range
and finding it was not quite done was
about returning it to the oven, when
she caught one of her sleeves on the
latch of the door, which precipitated
the mixture over her hand scalding it
badly and causing her to drop the ba-
sin, made complete wreck of the
pudding. Bridget repaired to the neigh
boring druggist who applied linseed
oil and lime water to the wound. This
compound failing to allay the rain
Bridget visited lady in the neighbor.
hood, who removed the..application and
applied CASTLE soap which soon gave
relief and rendered the affection bear,
ahla
Year: 1879

Mrs. James L. Houston who has been
confined very much to her room ever
since last fall is somewhat better and
by advice of her physician, with Miss
Ada her daughter, left yesterday for
Ocean Grove.
Year: 1879

AshingtOn Letter to Boston Post. g E


A .jocular senator from the west tells q
very good story aL"ut another senator
fr'm \ southern state. The latter began
life as brakeman on railroad, and by
industry and foresight has accumulated
fortune and high political honors. Sena-
tor Thurman while speaking usually holds
his eye glasses in one hand and a huge
red hand kerchief in the other. He blows
sounding blast on his nasal organ in the
midst of speech quite a. naturally as
Senator Dawes looks up at the gallery
every time he addresses the vice president.
It was an all night session The silver
bill was under Discussion The southern
Year: 1879

Our business Is in the old fashioned way. We
do not shuttle q customer about from one salesman


to another to buy paper Of pins from one salesman,


yard of calico and spool of thread from another


thereby taking up hours in purchasing few goods
that can, by our way Of doing, be purchased in As
many minutes. keep none but frst-class salesmen,
who are well posted in every line Of goods. The
same salesman goes the entire stock with the ousto-