smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

England was once considered a very
cheap country to live in, but it is so no
longer. An American family of three
was found there during the war sustaining
life on a shilling day for food; now Il
would be difficult to do that and not resort
to beggary. How could il be possible for
food to be cheap when most Of it is i'm
ported? House rent is lower than in New
York, but not much if any cheaper than
in the suburbs of New York. Coal
is about $500 the ton Of 1000 pounds
but is really much dearer than that, when
we consider that two tons Of anthracite
would outburn three tons Of bituminous.
There ought to be splendid opening for
American coaland stoves. Meat is higher,
ranging from eighteen to thirty.fve cents
pound. Bread is three cents a pound
aud is inferior in quality. The English
do not know how TO make good bread.
Eggs-mostly like the abarrelp eggs here
ARE thirty to thirty five cents DOZEN
butter twenty-five TO forty cents, and poor
at that; cheese eighteen to twenty Eve
cents; milk ten cents a quart Potatoes
arc sold by weight, but would average
s1.25 bushel. As to fruit, most Of it is
a luxury beyond the reach Of ordinary pur.
chasers. On thoughtful consideration,
people generally win come to the conelu-
sion that this country is a very comfortable
place to live in---Ne'oark DAILY.
Year: 1879


love I'll love it-and who shall dare
10 chide me for loving that old arm chair
I've treasured 1t long as holy prize,
Bcdowcd II with tears and cmhalmed II with sigh
Would you learn the spell, a mother sat there
And a sacred thing is that Old Arm Chair
In chlldhoods hours fingered near
That hallowcd spot with listening ear,
Ahd gentle the words that mother would give
To III me To die, to teach me To live.
she told me III would never botide
with truth for my creed and God for my guide
She taught mo to lisp my earliest prayer.
As knelt beside the Old Arm Chair
sat aud watched her many day
When her eyes grew dim and her locks were gray.
And almost worshped her when she smiled,
And turned from her bible to bless her child.
Nears rolled on-the last one fed
My idol was shattered, my earth star fed:
learned how much the heart can bear
When saw her die In her Old Arm Chair
lis past-'tis past-but gaze on Il now
with quiyerlng breath and throbbing brow,
Twas there she nursed me--'twas there she died,
And memory flows with lava tide
Say II Is folly, and deem me weak
While the scalding drops start down my check,
But love it'll love it-and cannot tear
Ny soul from that mothers Old Ann Chair
Year: 1879

Nothing is more novel and stunning
in its effect upon travellers from this
country in England then the constant


obtrusion of the everlasting sixpence in
places where we should consider it an
insult to all proper or sacred feeling.
An Englishman in almost any rank will
accept pay or money for kindly SER
vices, which bere the poorest would
offer gratuitously. If he tells you the
way on the street or gives you the
time of day, or light for cigar, no
matter how good his coat, the chances
are that you will not offend him by tip.
If lady calls at a friends house, she is
expected to tip the servant who shows
her to the drawing room; if you stay by
invitation at private house over night,
you will find the whole corps of servants
drawn up waiting for their money in the
hall in the morning; their master saves
himself SO much of wages by your gifts,
and counts on saving it. Very few
Americans would be willing to throw
open the privacy of their homes to the
public to increase their income; but If
an Englishman's house is his castle, or
can by any means be made show place,
he turns an honest penny by exhibiting
it. The shilling, or crown, or sovereign
paid by visitors to the servants who
escort them through the great houses
goes, not to the servant as is often sup
posed, but directly into the pocket Of
the master. In the cases of Chatsworth,
Blenheim, and places of that grade, the
revenues of the ducal owners are in
creased thousands of pounds by this
means. The American is just as fond,
probably, of the almighty dollar as his
British cousin, but he manages to get it
in different way.-Ne,o York Tribune.
Year: 1879

wAsHrSGrox. Feb. %. 1879.
THE NAVAL ISvEsTIGATIoy-MIN REPORT
OF THE CoMMrrTEE-sEc ROBSON
YxoNERATED AND COMMENDED


The report OF the minority of the House Commit
Gee on Naval Affairs in relation to the management of
The Navy Department refers in the outset to the in
vcstgaton made during tho first session of tho Forty.
fourth Congress into this same subject. which made
tho present investigation unnecessary That invcs
tigation, which ran through many months. was OF a
most searching and exhaustive character. Not only
the practice and management of every branch OF tho
department was thoroughly and minutely examined
and the official conduct OF the late secretary as vel
ss the chiefs of the bureaus. subjected TO the
most rigid scrutiny evidently wirh the expectation
that something would be discovered which would
Justify not only ccnsurc but tho nhioton of
punishment. The mass OF testimony would seem to
indicate that the committee did not ceaso its isbors
Year: 1879

amxlng of the moose, terminates.


The accomplishments of the rocky


mountain goats-large white ANIMALS with
enormous horns-are the more curious


when the stupid, phlegmatic nature of The


brute is remembered. Yet they leap upon


the backs OF horses, ride around tie rino
~ full iEallop, and are not displaced even
when the horses take flying leaps over
high fences. One of the goats emu-a


the dog in leaping upon and from plat.


form : but the solemn manner in which


this is done, and the pertinacity with


which the goat refuses to jump down un-


I'll the horse is placed in what he consid-


ers exactly the proper position beneath


him, are very ludicrous. A remarkable


act performed by both goats is circling
from one horse to another while at full


gallop. The horses run side by side, and
the goat on one places his fore feet on one
pad and hind feet on the other; the other
goat does the same. Tnen they follow
each other in circle, passing from horse
to horse and back again. 5a .a'a . u


The Aquarium is rapidly accommodating
collection ofreally wonderful specimens
OF the brute creation. A large cage now
contains dozen or so flying foxes-the
near.st living link between bird and
brute-whlch exc out their inverted lives
hanging from the top bars of their prison.
The monkey faced hen we described in a
recent number constantly attracts q
curious crowd. A huge ratlesnake has
recently been added, and divides popular
interest with the baby hippopotamus and
the girafes. The latest addition was a
pair of young chimpanzees, captured in
the northern part Of Afria, one of which
has since died. The young male had the
look of An old man, and the resemblance
was ludicrously enhanced by the grave
manner in which he sat and regarded Wis
itors. while placidly pulling the tuft of
white whisker under his chin, The fe-
male is covered with long black straight
hair, especially about the head. She is
the least ugly Of the two in face We shall
probably present a picture of this interest
ing PAIR before long, as they are the first
Of their species ever brought over to this
59s' i7-;t = = 7 y ! ~


1t is hardly necessary TO add that with
the splendid collection of rare fishes. in
addition to the above named attractions,
The Aquarium just now is an exceedingly
interesting place to visit -[Scientiic
q s,.s mi - -
Year: 1879

Many farmers look upon the sunfiow-
er as simply worthless weed, and never
dream of the valuable qualities the seeds
of this plant possesses. For several years
they have been used by breeders offancy
poultry as a food for choice birds; in small
quantities they are mixed with the other
food, and the peculiar properties or the
no grain will give, to the plumage of the
adult birds. For those who raise fancy
fowls for exhibition, it is essential to per.
feet success that the plumage should be in
perfect condition, and to attain the satisfac-
tory result, we can recommend no more
valuable aid than judjcious feeding of
this seed.
Year: 1879

Berlin Letter-Prince Bismarck was


present, and in the best of moods. Defeat


ed at the beginning of the session over the


odious muzzle measure, he has now sue
ceeded in vanquishing his fees and secur-
ing victory on all points. While the vote


was being taken his highness sat waiting
for the end on the raised seat occupied by


the federal council. full in front of all the
house, an arrangement which makes the
GermansParliamen like crowded court,
with the judges sitting in banco. The
prince leans back in his chair, and throw
ing one leg over tho other COM
placently slaps the sole of his
right foot with his left hand, or
playfully tllts up his sword and topsy-tur.
vies the papers on the table before him.
And Moltke, who is standing Immediately
below, seeing mat his great companion in
renown is not employed, mounts the few
| steps leading to the princes side--his
sword hilt becoming entangled in the rail
and slightly impeding his ascent-to offeI
his sincere congratulations on the triumph
won. And for some minutes the two en-


gage in amiable conversation. the great
strategist speaking with a fullness and
animation quite unusual in his quiet and


silent nature. They stand in profile before


the strangers gallery, and what a pair ol


headsl Through singular freak of ma


ture, MOltke decidedly looks q diplomats


and Bismarck soldier. a ,iss
Year: 1879

If we blow q fire it burns more fiercely,
but if we blow a candle it goes out.
These two facts taken together are a
familiar illustration of the influence of
temperature upon chemical affinity. In
both cases, that of the fire and that of
the candle, the burning is the combining
of carbon and hydrogen with oxygen.
Now cold carbon or hydrogen may lie
in contact with oxygen for any length of
time without combining with either, but
if the substances are made red-hot they
Instantly enter into chemical cOmbina-
ton. When a candle is burning, the
heat generated by the combustion con-
stantly raises new quantities of the ma
terial to the temperature at which COM
binatiOn with oxygen will take place,
and thus the combustion is kept up.
But if a current of air of a temperature
far below the combustion point is thrown
against the flame, the hot vapors are
swept away, and others which are rising
| in their place are so cooled that COM
bination with oxygen no longer con-
tinues in other words, the candle ceases
to burn. On the other hand, when we
blow a large fire, the mass of burning
combustion is so great, that instead OF
the carbon and hydrogen being cooled


the oxygen is heated, and the combina-
ton IS made more active; in other
words, the fire burns more fiercely.-
| Scientific american.
Year: 1879

INSECT VITALITY.-A gentleman re-
siding at Aberdeen relates that he picked


up female butterfly of the genus
Vanessa, the head of which had been
recently plucked off by a bird, and took
it home in order to examine the wing
scales. On his clipping off bit of the
wing about four hours afterward the
limbs of the insect moved, and the but
terfiy laid an egg. The process con-
tinued until the decapitated insect had
deposited some 25 ova. Next morning,
being up betimes, the naturalist touched
the butterfly once more, setting off the
depositing of eggs so vigorously that by
the time 20 and half hours had elapsed
from the moment of his finding the in
sect, it had actually given him 7S eggs.
Year: 1879

AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT .-Ac-
cording to the Scientific american, light
ing gas with the finger is a feat any
body may perform. Let person in his
slippers walk briskly over a wooden car
pet, scuf1iing his feet thereon, or stand
upon a chair with its legs upon four
tumblers to insulate it, and be rubbed
there up and down few times with a
muff by a second individual, and he viii
light his gas by simply placing his finger
to the tube. 1t is only necessary to take
the precaution not to touch any thing, or
be touched by any body during the trial
of the experiment. The shock of the
electricity acquired by the process we
have described is discharged by contact
with another object. One person must
turn on the gas while another fires it. II
is pretty sofe to say, however, that the
above method win never bankrupt
match manufacturers.
Year: 1879

PETROLEUM AS A STEAM-MAKER.-
To-day there are 100000 barrels, of
40 gallons each, OF crude petroleum
above ground in the oil regions. This
vast amount of heat and light is going
a-begging at 60 cents barrel, and every
hour adds to this ocean of oil, and in
spite of the enormous consumption the
stock accumulates. Every new use to
which petroleum is applied possesses in
terest to producers, and that the day
when crude oil will take the place of
coal for steam producing purposes is
considered not far distant Expert
ments have been made in this respect,
with small steamship, with the best
results, and as thus burned no smoke OF
odor is apparent.
Year: 1879

There are people ho are loyal subscrib-


ers, and who would miss their paper more


than their breakfast. who feel no interest in


the political or general news, nor in the
| discussions of topics, or local items, but


care only for the marine intelligence. We


have heard young man remark that he


saw no use in newspapers at all; he felt no


interest in them except in the marriages


and deaths, and card with these would
be all that he should ask for, and vet he
bitterly complained that the carrier had


missed him one morning. One old lady


complains that there are not enough love


stories in her paper; one reads only the


items, and another calls these sawdust. and


studies the longer accounts of events. One


man never reads an editorial article, AM.
another gathers all his notions OF political
and social events from the editorial discus
sion of these. In a newspaper, great or
small, very widely varied taste has to be
considered, and in pleasing the public the
journalist can hardly hope to please any
individual


There is general tendency to criticise
the truthtulness and the morality Of news
papers. If story is doubtful, it is ''news-
paper lie" and yet there is no respectable
journal which is not more careful in its
statements of facts, than men of honor and
honesty are in their ordinary conversation.
The responsibility of publicity is great
and the account one gets in the
newspaper is generally more truthful than
that of an ordinary eyewitness, and some
times than the facts arrived at in a court of
law. The papers criticise each other Sc
verely and are check upon each other.
Their morality is necessarily up to the av-
srage, and is actually above the average
public sentiment. The best newspapers
an be taken into any family with advan-
age to the morals and education OF the
7oung people of the household. The pre-
epts of the minister delivered from his
,ulpit are weakened by the consideration
hat it is his trade to inculcate good NOR
Is, but secnlar journals make no preten- ,
ions of the sort. and Its assumption of I
eneraI high tone OF moral sentiment as a |
natter of course among its readers is a I
owerfnl stimulus to the prevalence of &
uch standard. The newspaper is a great i
not only of the young but of the i
hole people. The influence Of such
oily of intellectual men, with such great Q
tdicnces as they have, cannot fail to be f
reat, and the character of the writers is
lual to that of any profession. 1t has t.
realty improved over what It was in the a
fancy of journalism, and will not suffer a
? comparison with any body of men, a
esoburyport Herald. a
Year: 1879

| THE FINEST MINSTREL PERFORMANCE z
EVER GIVEN IN THIS CITY.


Haverly's giant minstrel organization
swooped down on the city like a circus,
on Saturday, and in the evening gave one
of their unrivalled performances at the
Grand Opera House. The hall was
crowded in every part, hundreds of per-
sons pushing in merely to get standing
room, and to the credit of the company,
be IL said, they gave performance in
every way worthy of the audience that
greeted 1t. 1t was a novel feature in
minstrelsy to see thlrty-eight performers
in the overture. with eight fantasti cally
arrayed end men to give zest and mirth
to the programme. Billy Rice and Pete
Mack were the chief attractions in this
part of the prrfol nance, and their spe-
cial hits were greeted with laughter and
applause that made the hall fairly
echo.


Harry Kennedy followed the overture
with the best exhibit of ventriloquism
ever given. His coaversatic ns with his
puppets were peculiarly life like and
laughable.


Following came grand clog tourna-
ment, with t,0elue artists, commencing
with a splendid march and ending with
series of statue representations that
brought down the house in a thunder of
applause.


Then came Billy Rice, in his brilliant
stump speech, every word of which kept
the audience in roar of laughter.


Singing by fine quartette, NAM
moth song and dance by twelve perform
ers, and musical concert on various
instruments, by Adams and Lee, follow
ed, after which the programme ended
with side-splitting society burlesque
entitled "Immolation, or Broken
Vows"


Taken altogether it was the most pleas
ing and satisfactory performance ever
given in this city.
Year: 1879

THE business depression has extended
to Belgium and Sweden. Both of these


countries are largely engaged in the iron
trade. The condition of the Swedish
peasantry is peculiarly distressing
Several banking firms in Stockholm have
failed, drawing down with them in their
fall many of the Brugspatrons, who
stand to the Swedish peasants in much
the same relation as the Roman patron
did toward his clients. The Englishman
and American have knack of helping
themselves-theS Swede will work and be
contented while some one points out his
task. Taking care of himself is some
ching he has never learned.
Year: 1879

/ believe it demands the greatest yigor
both in the enactment and enforcement
Of laws framed for that purpose Any
oppression, or any partisan partiality
which experience may have shown in the
making of existing. laws may we'll engage
the careful attention both Of congress and
the executive in their respective spheres
Of duty for the correction of these
mischiets. As no congressional elections
occur until after the regular session Of con-
gress will have been held, there seems to
be no public exigency that would preclude
a seasonable consideration at that session
of any administration details that might
improve the present methods designed for
the protection of all citizens in complete
and equal exercise of right and power OF
suffrage at such elections, but with my
views, both of constitutionality and OF
existing laws, | cannot approve of any
measure for their repeal, except in connec-
ton with the enactment of other legisla-
tion which may reasonably be expected
to afford wiser and more efficient safe
guard for free and honest congressional
elections (Signcd)


RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.


EXECUTIVE MANSION, May %, 1879.
Year: 1879

The nomination Of Foster for gov.


eruOr Of Ohio by the Republicans, at


Cincinnati yesterday afternoon. mnst


have been a surprise. The best in.


formed political astrologists Of Gin


cinnati and Ohio had predicted differ


ent results, or at least a more pro-
tracted struggle. There are many
wheels within the wheel of Ohio
politics, whose outer rim is closely
cogged into the national Republi


can system Notwithstanding Sher-
mans letters saying he would decline
nomination ifofered, the impression
exists that this was only a shrewd
dodge to give his friends an opportu


nifty to force the nomination on him
and compel him to accept it for the
good of the party. He could well
afford to make a sacrifice for the big
ger prize of a Presidential nomination
in the near future. But they had no
two-thirds rule in the convention
the worse for. Sherman, as we'll as
Taft, and as Foster received a major


ity of the whole vote cast on the first
ballot, they just made it unanimous
and that was the end oft. The result
was nevertheless something of tri-
umph for Sherman, as Foster was his
choice unless he wanted the place
himself. Taft is Grants fast friend.
and if governor Of Ohio he could easily
play his cards so as to carry the State
into the convention for the general.
Foster is Sherman man and will be
expected, if elected, to send up a solid
delegation for the secretary of the
treasury. Sherman had the advan-
tage. He has favors to dispense,
therefore all the Ohio Republicans in
congress, except one, were in Cincin-
natl working up Fosters interests.
President Hayes was also understood
to be for Foster, and this had its in
fuence. SO Sherman can afford to be
satisfied after all. The administration
has carried its point and secured the
nomination of its favorite. There is
no doubt that the Federal office-hold-
ers in Ohio openly disregarded the
civil service rules and took an active
hand in working up Fosters chances


But he is not elected yet. 1t is not at
al! improbable that Senator Thurman
will conclude that he would like to
preside over the destinies of the great
State of Ohio. If he enters the race
it will be with strong probability of
election. He is one of the ablest and
purest men Ohio has ever produced,
and is personally popular with all
parties. The Republicans Of his State
say if a Democrat must be elected
next time we hope it will be Thur
man." This kind of feeling prevails
very widely among them. If Thur
man consents to become a candidate it
means that he is preparing to enter
the Presidential campaign. His can
didaCy would perhaps be as acceptable
in the South and West as any one Of
the half dozen available men we
have to choose from, and it looks like
he is the coming man. U
Year: 1879




If Kearney was an ordinary Office.
seeking, vulgar upstart he would soon
come to grief, but he refuses to hold
office, and will take neither power nor
pelf as reward for his exertions.
This gives him a moral force which
tells in every contest. In this, Kear.
ney but follows in the course of some
of the wlsest politicians in this coun-
try-Dean Richmond and Thuriow
Weed for instance who were the
power behind the throne, greater than
the throne itself, Kearney is in every
way remarkable man, but so intense
is the feeling against him that | would
not be surprised if soMs day he came
Year: 1879

"Order is said to be heavens first
law" and neatness is nearly allied to it,
SO it may be safe to conclude that if a
man is orderly on the farm, he is also
neat This idea of neatness in working
in the dirt and filth seems paradoxical
at first, but tidiness and beauty spring
from the earth in the form of flowers, and
the variagated landscape. A nice writer
on this topic says;


Nothing gives evidence of thrift and
enterprise in farming better than keeping
everything in order. There are times
when even the most painstaking men
at loose ends, but upon the first occasion
of spare time and due diligence thereafter,
the wonted appearance of things about
the premises returns. At the cost of a lit
tie time and labor when required, an ap-
pearance of an untidy farm may be SO
improved as to add considerably to its
value, and the price obtained in the
event of its sale. The contrast between
neat and slovenly kept farms represents
more in a pecniuiary point of view, very
often, than is generally supposed. Take
a farm which by it's appearance shows
clear culture, from which stumps and
bushes have been removed, the buildings
kept in repair, the fences and gates in
order, the rubbish kept from the road
side and fence corners, the tools housed
when not in use and the stock exhibiting
evidences of good care and attention, and
in the event of its purchase it will bring
relatively much more than one equally
fertile, but kept in a slovenly way. Weedy
fields, tumbledown fence gates, gates with
broken hinges, buildings out of repair,
implements scattered about the farm
where used last, rubbish everywhere, and
inferior looking stock, take from a farm
naturally fertile good round sum in the
event of sale.