smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

BALTIMORE, April l2.-The directors
of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad Co
at their meeting yesterday ratified the
trunk line freight compact and decided to
pass the dividend on the Washington
branch road in view of the continued claim
of Maryland for tax of 20 per cent on the
gross receipts from the 10th of December
1870 since which date the tax has not been
collected by the company.
Year: 1877

law, committed suicide by shooting him
self through the head The cause was
hard drinking


Thomas A. King, residence unknown,
committed. suicide in the Grand Pacific
Hotel to day by taking laudanum.
Year: 1877

Must convince them that it possesses great merit.
while the new and original method of It's prepara-
tion when studied with the disease satisfies the
mind of any reasonable person that its method of
cure is the true one.
Year: 1877

Thus becomes powerful purifying agent in over
coming the poisonous action of the rotten matter
that has during sleep, dropped into the throat and
mingled with the contents OF the stomach to be abb
sorbed into the system.
Year: 1877

Quite anumser of our citizens will doubtless
participate in the delightful excursion by rail
road to Portland, on Saturday, and from thence
to one Of the beautiful islands in the harbor.
Sec announcement elsewhere
Year: 1877

The British Quarteres give to the reader well.
digested information upon the great events in con.
temporaneous history and contain mastery crti.
cisms on all that is fresh end valuable in lit t,rature,
as well as a summary of the tiiumphs of science
and art The wars likely TO convulse all Europe
All form topics for discussion, that will be treated
with thoroughness and ability nowhere else to be
essays. and sketches OF the highest literary merit
Year: 1877

COLLISION Last ev ,ning between 6
and o'clock as the steam barge Coletd,
belonging to Charles Warner & Co., was
endeavoring to make fast at her wharf at
the foot of Msrket street, she suddenly
swung out into the stream, and the
heavy tide that was running up at the
time carried her with such great force
up the stream, that she coIlided with
Market street bridge, forcing it over
four feet ont of place The barge. re,
manned stuck against the bridge SO tight
ly that all efforts to get her off by her
own engine proved futile, and the steam
tug John E. Mulford, was sent for, and
soon succeeded in getting the versel loose
No material damage other than a heavy
jar was done either to the vessel OF
bridge.
Year: 1877

anxious faces and wondered if another night


would find any of US there, the lcgious of
jackson were strangely silent. Now and
then came the sudden boom of some great
gun, sounding like u deep groan of despair,
but there was nothing more to break the
silence. While men rested in line of bat
tie, having the awful horrors of war on
every side, there was one who gave up his
life as he whispered, "Let us cross over the
river and rest under the shade of the trees.
Free Press. s.
Year: 1877

Brooklyn Eagle.l


The fact is that the proprietary
gambler, like Morrissey, is, in the
true sense of the term, no gambler
at all. He simply provides the
means for other men to gamble
without taking any risk himself,
and he receives his profits with pre-
cisely the same certainty that the
broker does or the merchant who
sells on commission. He provides
a table and implements. If it is
faro, his business is to take and pay
bets made between the players, re-
serving to himself the profits of
''splits," which recur with GER
tainty that is marked with a fixed
''per centage." His risk is almost
nothing, his certainty of gain fixed.
There are few live men who have
not at some time bet money. The
practice Of gaming in a small way
is almost as common in the COM
munity as that of eating. All
classes, except a few conscien-
tiouSly strict, play the national
game of ''poker." No disgrace or
reproach is implied in it. We do
not argue that providing a gam
bling house, as Morrissey does, is
not reprehensible. 1t is highly so.
The law forbids it, aud the Hon.
John is called frightful names be.
cause he breaks the laws, and does
it openly. Yet people who thus
characterize him should remember
that after all it is not Morrissey
who breaks the law, but the men
who patronize his house, and in
obedience to the demands of whom
his house is open. The writer has
seen at one time in Morrissey's
gambling house three clergymen,
interested spectators of the game
OF faro. They thought they were
lncognito. One was professor in
a well known college. Another the
principal of a large seminary. The
third was and is the pastor of a
thriving church. They were not
there simply for the purpose of
learning the facts of what they
could denounce. They remained
too long and exhibited too keen an
interest in the game and excite.
ment. Their names shall be kept a
sacred secret. But by their pres
ence there, through motives of Gu
rlosity, they were partakers with
the proprietor in the breaking of
the law.
Year: 1877

Mrs. Stuart, the young married
lady whose suicide created such a
sensation in the upper circles of
New York society, was buried
Wednesday, her burial robe being
the satin bridal robe she had worn
only a few months before. Her
face was composed and calm, and
loving friends brought beautiful
flowers to her funeral as once they
brought to her bridal. Her last
letters have been kept from the
public, but the New York Times
says of the one to her husband.


"The fourth letter was addressed
to her husband. 1t was couched in
mild and affectionate language, but
was absolutely terrible in its con-
tents. 1t called the attention of
Mr.. Stuart to their wedding six
months ago. 1t referred to the
homes they had left to go through
the world together. 1t reminded
him of the blessings, happiness,
and prospects they had started out
with, and recalled the good reasons
the bride had to look forward to the
future with the most sanguine ex-
pectations. 1t spoke of their VOWS
hers to love, honor and obey him,
and his-to love, cherish and sup
port her. 1t said that if ever a wo.
man went honestly and lovingly to
a husband, she went so to him, and
if ever woman had been a true and
afectionate wife, she had been one.
1t then, in painful language, showed
how the change had come over her
dream, aud how she had seen the
rich web of her fancy gradually
drop from her full and glowing
ideal until it left the mere skeleton
Of her hopes, an unbearable, ghastly
reminder Of what they had been
and to what they were reduced. 1t
pictured ip the language Of youth
ful despair the gradual sinking of
her husband into the power of the
vice of drink, until be became alb
solutely lost to himself and to her,
and became cold, selfish, repellant,
cruel, and finally intolerable. And
then it is said all this being SO, ab.
solutely SO, unchangeably so, she
had no wish to live any longer
her every hope was gone, and she
Year: 1877

Detroit Free Press.


The boy should have known bet
ter at his age than to let out family
secrets, but he felt grateful to the
other boy for the use of his stills,
and he softly remarked.


"Father wasn't home all last
night, and he hasn't come home
yet"


Gone off," queried the owner
of the stills.


"He's down town somewhere,
we expect, and ma says she amt
going to run after him if he don't
come home for a month"


"Did they have fuss?"


"Kinder. You see we had to
let the coachman go, cause its hard
times. Yesterday afternoon ma
wanted pa to black up and drive
her out in style. He kicked at
first, but when she got mad he
caved in aud fixed himself up so
you couldn't tell him from a regu-
lar darkey. When he drove around
ma called him Pete, and ordered
him to back up and 60 ahead and
haw and around, and he got up on
his ear and drove back to the barn.
Them duds came otf'n him like
lightning, and he was SO mad that
he didn't stay long enough to wash
the black off his ears"


'And what did your mother
say?" asked the other.


"Nothing. She looked little
sad around the mouth, but she'll
fetch him to it if it takes all winter.
He might as well come home and
begin to learn how to burn cork"
Year: 1877

sort of likeness of a man drawn
upon the rock. The incident oe-
casioned a deal of talk about an
cient creations, and the idea of
getting up a second Cardiff giant
was then favorably discussed. The
party agreed to undertake the task,
and a stone-cutter named Saunders,
who had been working in the yicin-
ity, and known to be a clever hand
at modelling, was at once sought
out and an agreement made for the
figure. While the plan was in pro-
gress one of the party, in a joking
way, said the thing ought to have
a tail, as in ancient times men had
tails six or seven inches long. 1t
was decided among the party that
the figure should be known as a
petritied Aztec Indian, and that
they would resurrect him after six
months and impose him on the
public as such. The stone-cutter,
not seeing the Joke, set to work
and made the figure, with tail APP
pended. The price paid the arti-
san was $135, and after he had
completed the figure it was buried.
The Muldoon was made out of
sandstone and dried by the cabin
fire, which partly accounts for the
little moles on the surface. After
the burial-two feet from the sur
face of the ground-the party went
their ways to await the resurrection.
A few Of the prospectors had got
wind of the proceedings and were
keeping an eye on the party, and 50
they dispersed in different direc-
tiOns. Finally they became scat
tered, some in New York and the
remainder in different portions Of
the country. had forgotten nearly
about the matter when the discoy-
cry was chronicled in the papers.
But | considered it best to keep still
about it, and it was only through
accident that said anything in
regard to the matter"
Year: 1877

Twenty Thousand People
old and young every week. It is just to say
that the patrons of the WESTERN
METHODIST belong to the best class Of
community.


We desire our business men to make note
of the above facts before completing their
advertising arrangements for the coming
season.


We use our best efforts to keep our columns
free of all Irregular and irresponsible adver-
tisins; for many sood people seeing an ad-
vertisemOnt in paper. especially their
church paper, take it as guarantee of re-
SpOnsibility. Such confidence should not be
abused when it can be helped. We want.
therefore.


The Advertising Patronage
of such business men and firms as we can
recommend to our friends and the public
without compromising the character of the
paper.


Our Terms Shall be In Harmon


with ths business OUTLOOK.


Send in Your FAvor..
Year: 1877

Senator Gordon, of Georgia, says that seven cotton mills have been constructed in the South during the past year.. and that as a rule their machinery is of the latest and most advanced patterns built with the certain knowledge that the South in manufactures must compete with the skill and experience of the East and of England. He also says that the mills of the South have been generally successful andthe serrors and want of experience of the past will doubtless be corrected in the future.
Year: 1877

A Brooklyn brides back hair fell down, and fell of, during the ceremony in church the other evening There was an instant pause, but nobody was brave enough to stoop down and pick up the mass of blonde stuff and hair pins The bride left the church leaning heav- fly on her husbands arm. Her face was very red, and sprout of hair tpossibly eleven hairs in all stuck out at the back of her head, tied with bit of shoestring. And now her pa is mean enough to refuse to pay the poor hair dresser's hill [
Year: 1877

no class of the people indeed, but seem to me most certainly to threaten the industrious mas ses, whether their occupations are of skilled or common labor To them, it seems to me-. it is of prime importance that their labor should be compensated in money which is in itself kfxed in exehangeabae value by being irrevoca- bly, measured by the labor necessary toeits pro- duction This permanent quality of the money of the people issought for, and cans only be gained by the resumption of specie payments The rich, the speculative, the operating, the money dealing classes may not always feel the mischiefs of, or may find casual profits in vari- able currency, but the misfortunes. of such a currency to those who are paid salaries or wa ges are inevitable and reinediless.
Year: 1877

The same principle furnishes what


believe to be the true scientific explain
alton of the supposed mystery of the
divining-rOd, often used where water
is scarce for the discovery of springs,
and in mining g-districts for the detec-
tion of metallic veins. This rod is a
fOrked twig shaped like the letter Y,
hazel being usually preferred; and the
diviner walks over the ground to be
explored, firmly grasping its two


prongs with his hands, in such posi-


tiOn that its stem points forward. After
a time the end of the stem points down
ward, often. it is said, with a sort of
writhing or struggling motion, especi-
ally when the fork is tightly grasped;
and sometimes it even turns backward,
so as to point toward instead of away
from the body of the diviner. Now,
there is a very large body of apparent
ly reliable testimony, that when the
ground has been opened in situations
thus indicated, either water-springs or
metallic veins have been found beneath;
and it is quite certain that the existence
of such power is matter of unques-
tiOning faith on the part of large num-
bers of intelligent persons who have
witnessed what they believe to be its
genuine manifestations. This subject,
however, was carefully inquired into
more than forty years ago by MN.
Chevreul and Blot; and their expert
mental conclusions anticipated those to
which | was myself led in ignorance of
them by physiological reasoning. They
found that the forked twig cannot be
firmly grasped for a quarter of an hour
or more in the regulation position,
without the induction of state of
muscular tension, which at last dis
charges itself in movement; and this
acts on the prongs of the fork in such a
manner as to cause its stem to point,
either upward, downward, or to one
side. The occasion of this discharge
and the direction of the movement are
greatly influenced, like the oscillations
of bodies suspended from the finger, by
expectancy on the part of the operator;
so that if he has any suspicion or sur
mise as to the whereabouts" of the
object of his search, an involuntary
and unconscious action of his muscles
causes the point of the rod to dip over
it,-POpuldr Science MOnthM.
Year: 1877

You see, the people at the post Office
soon recognize faces and names, and
after a man or woman has appeared
at the general-delivery window three
or four times they are pretty well
known, 1t is deal pleasure to hand
out letters to some, while the clerks
care little for the calls of others to get
hold of their epistles.


One day a year or two ago funny-loOk-
ing little old woman, wearing faded
garments, but having tidy look and a
motherly face, appeared at the window
and asked for letter. There was one
for her, sent from distant city, and
any one could have told that an unlearn-
ed boy directed the envelope. There
was a little sd" in "Detroit" with a
big "T'' to end the word, and it seemed
wonderful that the letter ever reached
its destination.


The old lady felt so good that, tears
in her eyes and yettrying hard to smile,
she put her head into the window and
said


''Thanks It's from my boy Dan, and you
don't know how much good it does
me - st


The las delivery clerk rose up to
look az ;r the old woman, and when a
second letter came she was looking and
watching for "mother" whole day
before the letter was passed out.


'It's from my little Dan again, "
cried the old woman as she noted the
superscription. Hes in Buffalo,
learning trade. He's only bit of a
boy and there wasn't show for him in
Detroit, and beside he was running out
nights and going to the bad. l sent
him away and he's working hard; and
trying to be good, God bless my Dan !
Pm lone widow with only him to
love, and Ihope he'll be good !"


81 hope so toe" added the clerk and
after that the'two were friends. Some
times the letters were far between, and
when the old woman would worry over
over the delay, and the big tears would
fall, the lady would almost shed tears
with her. "Mother" would open her
letters at the window, and if Dan was
feeling brave-hearted and getting along
well both would rejoice, while both
would still be anxious if he complained
and was discouraged,


Almost every week for a year and a
half the old lady received letter, and
just asFegularly she came to post an
Year: 1877

answer. She wrote I'm quaint old
hand, but the boy could make out every
word, and once when he wrote that her
writing was improving she felt all the
pride which a schoolgirl could have
shown. lie improved as well. By and
by he wrote detroit" plain and fair,
and he took extra pains to commence
his "Dear Mother" with a grand flour
ish, and TO add something extra after
the words :--FYOur Son DAM


Those letters were food and drink to
the old lady, and she seemed to actual
ly grow younger. Little Dan had many
friends in the post-ofiice, and had the
mother been i'll any carrier would have
hunted till midnight to find her and
hand her the looked for letter. Three
or four weeks ago when she opened her
letter she wept and smiled as over the
first. Dan wrote that he was coming
home for a week, and her heart was
full. She said she'd have the cottage
looking like new for him, and she'd De
at the depot to welcome him first of all.
Every body felt glad with her, and the
lady clerk was to go up some evening
and have tea with her and see little Dan
and praise and encourage him, for the
more kind words boy can have the
better will he seek to do


There was no letter the next Tuesday,
but the two excused its absence by say
ing that Dan was getting ready to come
home. That was early i'm February, and
he was to come about the first of March.


The next Tuesday there UdS letter,
but the handwriting was not little Dams.
1t was strange, business hand, and the
clerk felt chill go over her as she turn
ed it over. 1t might be good news, but
she feared not. Mother" came In at
the regular hour, and she turned pale
as she took the envelope. Her fingers
trembled AS she opened it, and she had
to wipe the mist out of her eyes before
she could decipher a word. She hadn't
read over four or five lines when she
uttered a moan and sank right down,
like one crushed by some awful weight.
They lifted her up and took htr home,
the letter clasped in her stiff fingers,
and though she came out of the faint
after awhile her heart was broken, and
in a week she was in her grave.


Dan was dead The letter said that
he had been taken suddenly i'll, and
that nothing could save him. The blow
was too heavy for one with her gray hairs
and childish heart, and her little old
cottage is without a tenant.


No more letters commencing "Dear
Mother" come for the dead, and
the trembling hands which used
to linger fondly over the words
My dear boy, Dan," are folded over
lifeless breast, there to rest till the an
gels unclasp them.-Detrott Free Press.
Year: 1877

Probably, November, 1876, will go
down in OrnithOlogical history as the
time of the famous southwark raid of
the snowy owls. Clad as they are to
resist the arctic cold, and such excellent
hunters-whether by day or by night
it would seem that want of food must
have started these birds on their Jour-
ney. Could the severe arctic winter, so
disastrous to Captain Mares eXpedi-
ton, have made this scarcity? 1t was
during a pleasant autumn that these
birds came upon us. There must have
been some sixty shot in my own vicin-
ity. A string of thirteen hung by a
store in New York; there were many
in the markets. One taxidermist in
this city, it is said, had sixty left with
him to be stuffed. Another in Phila-
delphia had about as many. As early
as September focks of ten to fifteen
were seen in different places in Massa-
Chusetts. A number were shot in the
city of Boston, and others were seen
perched on the churches and house-tOps.
For several days they were common in
the city and vicinity of Portland, Maine,
where not less than one hundred and
fifty were shot. A worthy farmer near
my home was taking his family to
church. A snowy owl sat on a fence
by the road caring nothing for the pass
ing wagon. The good man fretted, "If
it wasn't Sunday, I'd bag that chap!"
Probably the fellow in Washington
Territory was less conscientious, for he
filled two barrels with these noble birds
Almost everywhere the village taxider-
mists in the Eastern and Middle States
had harvest of employment. Says
Ruthven Deane; "Many of the speci-
mems were in exceedingly poor condi-
ton. OF some two hundred examined
by me, nearly all were in very dark
plumage, and none wore that almost
spotless dress which we occasionally
see.-POpuldr Science Monthly.
Year: 1877

A strange custom observed at the ho-
tells in Celon is the signing of chitS when
an order is given at the bar for wines or
liquors. These chitS are small pieces of
paper, signed either with the initials or
or full name of the party who gives the
order. If stranger enters hotel in
Colombo he is presented with one of
these chitS, which he signs, or else pays
for his liquor in preference. 1t is not
necessary that the visitor should be
known to the. bartender or should be
living in the house. He may, perhaps,
be passenger by steamer leaving that
day; it is no busines of the emplOye.
If the stranger chooses to sign false
name, or a name so Illegally written
that it cannot be deciphered, still it is no
business of the man at the bar. All he
has to do is to retain the paper as a
proof that the liquor was supplied and
not paid for. These l o US are col
lected about once month, and except
in cases of fraud-which unfortunately
for the hotel keepers, are not uncommon
there is no difficulty in finding the
person who gave them. There are not
over a thousand European inhabitants
in Ceylon, and the whereabouts of each
of them is easily ascertained.