smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

signals of the shepherd when far out of
hearing, with great precision. Cases
have been known in which the dog has
discovered the absence of some laggards
of the flock which his master has not
missed, and has returned to the pasture
for them unbidden. He can range his
flock upon one side of the road, when
meeting other sheep, and thus keep
them from intermingling with the
strangers. He will discover by his acute
sense Of smell, sheep that have been
overwhelmed in show drifts, and will
conduct the shepherd to the place If
no help is available, he has been known
to dig into the drift and release impris-
oned sheep, and to warm chilled lambs
by huddling close to them. He is val
lent in their defense, and will give battle
to wolf without hesitation. No va
grant dog will be permitted to approach
flock of which he has charge. He will
bring back stragglers when upon the
march; and will return to find the sore
footed ones that have fingered by the
way For farm dog he is of especial
value, as he can be easily trained to
manage with gentleness any kind of live
stock He is domestic in his habits


While kind and affectionate to his own
er, and his herds, he is watchful and
suspicious of stangers and strange ami
mails. His good disposition gives him
great influence over his charge, and
causes them to have confidence in him.
When a flock is afraid of the shepherds
dog, it shows wrong management on the
part of the shepherd, and that the dog
has been badly trained. The Scotch
Colley has long and woolly hair; bright,
mild eye a sharp nose; an intelligent
aspect; a long, bushy tail, curling up
wards, with the end clear of the ground;
and in color is usually black and tan,
variegated with little white. Not the
least wonderful characteristic of this
dog is his tenacious memory, by which
he is enabled to remember all the turn
ing points in a journey of hundreds of
miles, and to recognize at sight every
member of the flock to which he has be-
come attached. With all his good quail
tiles, however, he sometimes lapses from
virtue; and no other dog is so destruc-
tive in the fold as sheep dog that has
become demorallzed by bad companions.
A traitor is the worst of enemies.
Year: 1878

on untrammeled to the bright and stain
less goal of the pure and just. This wise,
virtuous and noble man need not be the
creation of fancy, merely, but may be
made substantial reality; and the glo-
ry of the coming generations, as they
more and more fall into the ranks Of
physical, intellectual and soul culture,
and form those well trained legions, the
tread of whose gathering millions shall
jar the earth, will demonstrate to the
world the priceless value of that fault
less educational system (now in process
of growth) that shall In the fullness Of
time sweep ignorance, superstition, vice,
pauperism and crime in one chaotic
mass into the abyss of oblivion, to re-
main there forever.
Year: 1878




We know of no impropriety less justi
fable than the ceaseless finding fault
with ones local paper. We do not pro-
pose discussing the difficulties under
which newspaper is prepared, nor do
we intend to lay down rules by which
one may judge whether or not the paper
is worth the patronage of its constitu
ents. One thing is certain; the world
would be a dreadful dreary place were
the local newspapers suddenly to die.
The American people, we verify believe,
would actually become wild if all news
papers should cease publication for
twelve month There are many thou
sand newspapers in the land by no
means as many as there shall be fifty
years hence. The damp, fresh sheet
laid daily or weekly at your doors, gives
you the world in miniature. You read
its comely columns, and feel the pulsa
tions of the mighty mass of humanity,
and become en- nraporte with all its move
ments. Some people are all too prone
to depreciate their own local papers and
magnify the merits of out-of-town news
papers As rule the local newspaper
is as good a newspaper as the cOmmuni-
ty in which it is published will support.
Occasionally we find cities and villages
which are not properly taken care of
by their papers, but in this day of fierce
competition, there are those always
standing ready with the requisite brains
and capital to fill wants long felt" and
if people will subscribe and pay for a
paper they can always be accommodated
with prime article. We do not respect
a person who either himself speaks or
permits others to speak slightingly of
local newspaper Citizens have a Slight
obligation in this matter as we'll as pub
fishers. 1t is their duty to be loyal to
the press, and sustain it in all that it
does which is not prejudicial to the best
interests of the community. There is
scarcely city in New York State that
has not excellent newspapers, and those
communities which best sustain local
press by advertising and subscriptions,
as rule have the most enterprising and
readable papers.
Year: 1878

WORTH THE CHARM.-Young men
are mistaken when they think good looks
their principal recommendation to wo
man. A woman admires a handsome
man for time, but it needs something
more than a good-boking face to retain
this feeling. A woman, is as general
rule, more strongly drawn by the intel
lectual qualities of the opposite sex
than by anything else Doctor John
son. Goldsmith, Curran, and Shiel were
all very plain; but they possessed the
charm of genius, which irresistibly at
tracts the noble qualities of woman.
What is above said is also true of the
gentler sex. A man frequently says Of
some belle. eyes, she's very beautiful,
but thank heaven she isn't my wifeH'
Women like to be admired for their
loveliness, and we do not mean to blame
them for it; but it requires something
more than beauty, to enable them to re-
tain their influence over men.
Year: 1878

Two of the most precious things on
this side of the grave are reputation and
life. And yet, strange to tell, the most
contemplate whisper may deprive us OF
the first, and the weakest weapon OF the
second. Be more anxious, then, to de-
serve a good name than to possess it.
Year: 1878

The question how to maintain disci-


plineamongmass Of human beings is Of


very wide application, and is therefore


the subject Of 4 great variety Of expert


ments. In the wide field Of moral con-


troll, 1t includes principal function of


government, namely, the repression of


crime-a department that has lately re-


ceived much attention. To collect the


lights furnished in each of the spheres


where moral control has to be exercised.


is 70 contribute to the illumination of
each. There has, undoubtedly, in FORM
er times been very great mismanage-


ment In almost every one of the regions
OF repressive authority-in the state, in
the family, and in the school, in all
which an excess of human misery Is
habitually engendered by badness in the
manner of exercising control. II is
perhaps in the family that the mischief
is most widely spread and most baneful.


BY degrees we have become aware of
various errors that ran through the
former methods Of discipline, in the
several institutions of the state, as well
as in the family. We have discovered
tAo evil Of working by fear alone, and
still more by fear of coarse, painful, and
degrading infections. We have discov-
cred that occasions of offense can be
avoided by variety Of salutary arrange
ments, such as to check the very dispo-
sition to unruly conduct. We consider
that great discovery has been made in
regard to punishments, by the enuncia-
ton OF the maxim that certainty is more
important than severity; towhich should
be added. proportion to the offense.
We also consider that by a suitable
training. or education, the dispositions
that lead to disorder and crime can be
checked in the bud; and that, until
there has been room for such training
10 operate, the mind should not be ex-
posed to temptation. We have become
accustomed to lay more stress in culti-
vating the amicable relations of human
beings, all which tend to abridge the
sphere Of injurious conduct on the part
,f individuals. PROF. Balm, in Popular
Science Monthly for November.
Year: 1878

The inhabitants of the northern por
ton of Schylkill county beheld bril-
liant, yet terrible, spectacle recently
in the total destruction of the ELAN,
gowan Colliery, one of the largest in
the district. The scene of the fire il
known as Lannigan's Patch, small
mining community situated midway
between MahanOy City and shenandoah


In the opinion of those whose lives
are spent in and about the cOllieries,
fire having gained foothold in almost
any portion of breaker is unquench-
able, unless attacked within ten minutes
of its inception, and this theory as ap-
piled to the burning of Ellangowan
breaker is correct, as the watchman is
positive that no fire existed on the
premises when he lett them.


The hosting shaft in which the fire
was first discovered is ninety-tive feet
in height, constructed of material that
through age has become dry as tinder
and highly inhammable, on account of
the oil used in lubricating the hoisting
machinery, which year by year and
drop by drop impregnated the wood
work with its fire-loving qualities. The
tOpmost portion of the shaft, affected
by the heat from below, sent down its
quota of oil to fan the flames. The
burning liquid, having assisted in its
work of destruction in the shaft, gained
access to the main building, from which
in an incredibly short space of time the
flames issued in all directions.


Thirty minutes subsequent to the dis
covery that the fire existed in the
building the breaker was wrapped in a
sheet of flame, the heat of which was
so intense that the snow within a dis
tance of more than one hundred feet
was melted and the ground rendered
dry as in the middle of summer. From
the breaker the flames leaped to the
boiler houses and saw mill, which were
greedily devoured by the destroying
element, but not before the large and
valuable saw had been saved through
the eXertions of the superintendent
and some of the men. About eight
o'clock the fire had gained full control,
roaring and cracking in horribly
jovial manner and lighting the heavens
with a glow that was seen and com
mented upon within radius of ten or
fifteen miles, the lurid appearance of
the sky being noticed in Pottsville. In
Shenandoah and Mahanoy the general
opinion was that the st. Nicholas col
liery had fallen victim to the flames,
and many hurried in that direction to
be in at the death.


The confagration having been dis
covered hundreds of people, from all
points, assembled and dotted the hill
side, drinking in the terrible beauty of
the scene. From base to summit the
breaker was solid mass of fire, the
flames shooting heavenward from the
top of the shaft to height of thirty
feet, making a column of flame of 120
feet in height. 1t was seen from the
first that the breaker was doomed and
the efforts of the superintendent, under
the direction of Mr.. John Reese, were
altogether directed to saving valuable
material and preventing the fire from
communicating with the dirt banks.
Year: 1878

In the last cart following the Turkish
army in Bulgaria, was a family of
Turkish gpysies, the mother as red as
an Indian; a girl Of perhaps fourtee..
years, 1.-the, slender, dark-eyed crea-
ture, as beautiful type of the Gypsy
as ] ever saw, and two or three small
children as naked as when they were
born. The mother was about half dres-
sed, the girl was scarcely covered, for
she had only a tattered pair of Tartar
women's trousers hung about her waist
not concealing her slender ankles, and
about her shoulders torn piece of
Turkish soldiers coat. A shock of let
black hair fell over her low forehead,
and struggled over her sbapely neck.
She was crying from the cold, hugging
herself into the ragged bit of blue cloth
and trying to cover her feet with the
hay that fell over the end of the
cart.


Officers led the shivering children
and my gypsy beauty iuto house and
gave them tea to drink, and silver to
warm their palms, and there were now
plenty of tears of joy and gratituue
shed. Soldiers showered on the party
a share of their rations; corn was piled
in the carts, and they creaked away.


One of the woman sat apart from the
rest during the halt, and she took no
part In the feast, 80 had almost for
gotten her. She sat unmoved with the
soldiers and horses all around her, then
then when the others ate she threw her
self fiat on the ground and sobbed. She
had taken a revolver and shot Russian
Sergeant dead in the streets of Vraca
after the town was occupied and quiet,
and for this she sat apart, for the other
woman pointed at her as a murderess.
One of them corroborated the testimony
of the escort with great deal of feeling
and said that the woman was mad At
all events no harm had come to her for
the diabolical deed she had committed,
and the comrade of the murdered sol
dler were giving her food and every
care with agood nature that is difficult
to conceive, and .almost.too much to be-
lleve.
Year: 1878

A bounding gAlOp Is good


Over wide plains;
A wild free sAil is good


MID gales and rains
A dashirg dance is good


Broad halls along,
Cla-ping and whirling on


Through the gay tLrong.
But better than these,
When the great lakes freeze,
by the clear sharp light
OF a starry night,
Der the ice spinning
With a long free sweep,
Cutting and ringing
Forwa d we keepl
On round and around
With a sharp clear sound.
To fly like a fish in the seal
All, this is the 8 ort for me-
Year: 1878

A side show to circus was tented on the
lot just north of Fred Barneck's building, on
Santa Fe avenue this week. On the outside
were some large curtains with artistic draw
ings thereon. and which made one long for
q quarter to explore the mysteries within that
tent. Alas, for yearning curiosity Of man,
there was little to satisfy one. For further
particulars, enquire ID. L.!
Year: 1878

Some years ego the, late Horace Mann
the eminent educator delivered an ad-
dress at the opening of some reforma-
tory Institution for boys, during which
he remarked that If only one boy was
saved from ruin, it would pay for all
the cost and care and labor Of establish
ing such an institution as that. After
the exercises had closed, in private con-
Versation, gentleman rallied Mr.. Mann
upon his statement and said to him,


"Did you not color that little when
Won said that all that expense and labor
would be repaid if it only saved one
boy?"


mot if it was my boy" was the sol-
emn and convincing reply.


All! there is a wonderful value about
"My boy.D Other boys may be rude
and rough other boys may be reckless
and wild; other boys may seem to re-
ouire moro pains and labor than they
ever will repay; other boys may be left
to drift uncared for to their ruin, which is:
so near at hand but @My boy,"-it is.
worth the toll of a life time and the
lavish wealth of a world to save him
from temporal and eternal ruin. We
would 90 the world around to save him
from peril, and would bless every hand
that was stretched out to give him help
and welcome. And yet every poor,
wandering outcast, homeless man, is
one whom some fond mother called,
HMy boy" Every lost woman, sunken
in the depths of sin, was somebody's
daughter, in her days of childish innO-
eence. To-day, somebody's son is 3
hungry outcast, pressed to the very
verge of crime and sin. To-day some
body's daughter isa weary helpless wan
derer, driven by necessity into paths that
lead to death. Shall we shrink from
labor, shall we hesitate at cost when
the work before us is the sal Vation Of 3
soul? Not if it is "My boy" not if We
have the love of him who gave His life
% save the lost.
Year: 1878

A miner in the Black Hills, writing TO
a friend, tells of horrible reminder OF
the fearful snow storms of last winter,
and of the perils Of those who were
caught out and lost their way on the
plains. He says that recently, while he
and two others were crossing the
country they came upon the skeleton
of a horse, with a grinning skull looking
out at them from between the ribs OF
the animal, like a pioneer peerins
through the bars Of his cell, The two
skeletons told the whole story. The man
had killed his horse, cut him open, and
erawled inside of him, thinking thus TO
escape perishing Of cold, but the flesh
of the animal froze solid, and the man
was as much Of a prisoner as if he had
been shut in by walls of iron. The
wolves and carrion birds had stripped
the greater part of the flesh nom both
skeletons. The miner concludes his
description by saying; 1T was a sight /
shall never forget. can see II upW
whenever ] close my eyes"
Year: 1878

A newly married man, who evidently
needs discipline, thus disoourses; "A
woman Is a handy thing 10 have about
the house. She does not cost any more
to keep than you'll give her, and she'll
ont at night, she'll be awake when you
get home, and then she'll tell you all
about yourself, and more too. OF course,
she will know where you've been, and
what kept you out so late, and viii tell
YOU; vet right after she gets through
telling YOU that, she VIII ask where you
have been and what kept you so late.
And after you tell her, and she won't be-
after going to bed, she says she hasn't
closed her eyes the whole night, and then
keeps up the matinee two hours longer
and won't 60 TO sleep when she has a
chance, you mustn't mind that ether
it's her nature
Year: 1878

We have known a country society
which withered away to nothing under
the dry rot Of gossip only. friendships
once as firm as granite, dissolved to Jelly
and ran away to water, only because OF
this, love, that promised future as en-
dearing as heaven, and as staple as truth,
evaporated into 8 morning mist that
turned TO a day, long tears only because
Of this: q father and son were set foot
TO foot with the fiery breath Of an
anger that would never cool again be-
tween them; and husband and young
wife, each straining at the hated leash
which il the beginning had been the
promise of q God-blessed love, sat
mournfully by tie side Of the buried,
and all because of this. We have seen
faith transformed to mean doubt, joy
give place to grim despair, and charity
take on itself the features Of black be-
nevolence, all because Of the fell words
Of scandal, and the magic muttering of
gossip Great crimes work great wrong,
and the deeper tragedies Of human nfe
spring from the larger passions but
woeful and most mournful are the un-
catalogued tragedies that issue from gos-
sip and. detraction most mouTnful the
shipwreck often made of noble natures
and lovely lives, by the bitter winds
and dread salt waters of SANDER. So
easy to say, yet 50 hard to disprove-
throwing on the innocent all the burden
and the strain Of demonstrating their
innocence, and furnishing them as guilty
if unable to pick out the stings they
never see, and to silence words they
heRr-gossip and slander are the dead
lest and cruelest weapons man has ever
s rged for his brothers heart.
Year: 1878

Charles Hallock, editor of the FOrea
a,ad Stream, has 8 very humane and
thoughtful article on this subject. Not
only because It is humane, but becausst &
improves the quality and 6aYorsof the
FISH, he urges upon all anglers the duty
Of killing their fish as they catch them.
Many anglers do this habitually, but all
do not. We subioin Rn7extraet from Mr..
Hallock's article:


AS boys, we were taught that fish had
no feeling. and We believed that what
might be cruelty TO a dog was harmless
bastime as respects fsh. But autopsy
and science have proved our belief an
error, and we discover that contortlons5
and gaspings are evidences OF pain and
distress, though we assume that their
nervous system is comparatively of low
order. That fishes have intelligence and
can be taught, that they have memory,
that they have discrimination and dis
eernment, and that they possess the I'VE
senses, each to a great or small degree ;
that they are to a limited extent sentient
and reasoning creatures all these have
become evident. If it is ordained to Us
that We are to derive sport from the pro-
longed apprehensions of the fish while
hooked (not from his bodily pain, Tor the
mere prick of the hook gives him little,
and often none at all fhenietus handle
him mercifully after his torment begins,
and it begins after he is withdrawn from
his native element. II he is small, take
him around the body and considerably
rap the top of his head upon stone or
the thwart of the boat; il large, rap his
head with heavy stick; or, what is
more genteel and to the point, pierce the
eerVical column at the base Of the brain
with a sharp knife. This produces paral-
ysis and almost immediate death. It
leaves the corpse in q shapely and
5eemly condition. Admiration of its un-
battered beauty is added TO the pleasure
ofcapture, and your fish remains proper
subject for the market or studio. Brother
lnglerJl learn 20 be humane.
Year: 1878

Clean hands in matters Of money
among the young certainly ought to be
the indispensable condition Of gentle
manhness. No man who borows and
does not care whether he pays OF not,
is q gentleman, no matter how witty,
or gay, or fine he may be. To speak
good, plain English, the man who dresses
himself at anOther's expense, knowing
not how to pay, nor caring whether he
uays or not, is a genteel scoundrel
Year: 1878

They tell about man in Maine who re-
fused to get up and light the fire. and, as his
wife said she wouldn't, they remained in bed
thirty. seven hours before the matter was set
tied. Our sympathies are, of course, with
the woman, and We may be permitted to en-
tertain regret that it did not occur to her to
perform great deed of self sacrifice upon
this occasion How noble and beautiful
would have heenthe example set her husband,
how touchingly would she have shown her
wifely devotion, how keenly would she have
made him feel his meanness, if she had risen
and made the fire-if she had risen, we say,
and made the fire under the bed, in order TO
rout him out all Of sudden! A woman VINO
throws away such q chance as that's false to
her duty and her sex. s g
Year: 1878

An Iowa farmer recommends the following
device for measuring land. Take two Stats
about six feet long, sharpen one end of each,
lay them upon floor like pair of open
compasses, so that the points shall be exactly
five feet six inches apart; now nail the other
two ends together and a piece across the mid;
die, so that it will look like the letter A, and
the measure is finished To measure land
place one point at the starting place and the
other also on the ground in straight line for
destination stand alongside of the machine
with one hand on top of it; take one step
forward, tip up the point that is behind, swing
it around (from you on the other point and
set it in the line also. A person in this man
ner can measure correctly as fast as he can
walk--three spaces make rod walk straight
without stopping. count the spaces, divide
these by three, and you have the rods.
Year: 1878

A writer in the Nep England Farmer OBJ
jects to the practice of cutting off the tails of
lambs, and gives the following reasons for
his belief: ''First, it is barbarous treatment
to little, tender lamb it also weakens the
constitution by taking from it a portion of
the spine and backbone. Second, it deprives
them of what nature has wisely given them
to protect the bag from the scorching rays of
the sun, and which prevents the bag from
becoming sore and scabby; it also deprives
them of the means of brushing flies and all
annoying insects from their bags and legs !;
but as matter of economy, there is loss in
the amount of wool. My shearer told me he
would shear any flock of sheep for what
wool was on the tail up to where it is usually
cut off, which would amount to about ten
cents, the price of about one-fourth of a
pound of wool, which is really quite per
cent