smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

Gn0lf p0S1JtOn. & LII 1ace, they QOn seem to feel it, and as they arevolun-

 tary inmates and not prisoners in any sense, nor under the ban of charity,

 there is no particular reason why they should be humilitated. except at their own weakness, and this certainly does not oppress them extraordinarily. The main trouble with these men seems to be inactivity. Being generally people of some activity in life, and often busi- ness men with family interests depend | ing upon them, the silent laz:ness of this place bears them down. They have absolutely nothing to do but eat, drink and sleep. They don't appear to have any particular amusements among themselves, but wander about or sleep during the day in a kind of listless, stupid torpor, which becomes, no doubt, unbearable after time

 They have nice rooms of their own, good parlors, pleasant grounds. They can even go or come when they please within reason. But all this palls upon them. They want one thing which they do not get. Not being prisoners, but free agents, they can really get it when they please; not, to be sure, within the grounds of the Home, but when they go to the city. This desire comes on them at times so strongly that hu- man nature seems not strong enough to resist it. Sober as they are, gener- ally we'll dressed, and always we'll be- haved, they have that strange, vacant and half stupid look of the inebriate, the absence of the light of an intelli- gence which once reigned supreme, but seems to have departed for ever. The poison of alcohol has taken the bright light from their eye and the expression from their face. There is 8 general flaccidity of muscle, want of determi- nation in their every moment, which ia
Year: 1874

The attendance at the temperance
camp meeting at Battle Ground was very
large, and much enthusiasm was mani
tested.


This evening Mr.. Chance, the Ohio
battle AK, is spreading himself in the
court house yard on the temperance
question.


W. W. Curric is announced to speak
on politics here tomorrow evening.
Year: 1874

Although the arrivals were largely in
creased and have been coming in freely
since the beginning Of the week, yet
prices have advanced further, eommenc-
ing on Monday and selling as high as lie
net and down n low a. g. for common
Year: 1874

IA youth to fortune and to fame un-
known" made his appearance at the
Solano Hotel on Saturday last, repre-
senting himself as the Chief of the
Central Pacific engineering party who
are running the airline from Sacra-
mento to Benicia. The gentleman
lived on the fat of the land and rested
his head i'm tine lap ofeluxurys at the
Solano Hotel for several days, and
then departed for those classic regions
known as where the woodbine twin
ethu
Year: 1874

THE Owyhee Aralanche, like other people,
loses its temper when it runs short of argu-
ments. The WORLD, week before last asked
it to state an instance in which the stumpage
law had been enforced before the present
Spring. It asked for Information. The Ava-
lanche, unable to furnish the Information, let's
it's bad temper get the better Of it's usual good
sense, and in its reckless anger accuses the
WORLD of asserting that the Territorial courts
have power to render null and void an act Of
Congress The WORLD made no such asser-
ton. 1t never speaks Of the Territorial courts
except contemptuously, and never will until
they are differently constituted. or it changes
hands. The WORLD, however, has opinions,
and expresses them right or wrong; but not
being published in the interest of officials it
does not borrow opinions from that class of
people. nor care whether the opinions it ex-
presses are officinal or not. It favors reduc-
ton instead of an increase of public expendi-
lures, and therefore looks for no friendship
from, and expects no quarters of those who
would continue the present ruinous condition
of things in our fearfully misgoverned and rob-
bed Territory. The WORLD. however, knows
that the opinion of Commissioner Curtis is not
an act of Congress nor yet judicial decision,
and may be reversed or set aside at will by any
court having Jurisdiction of the matter; and
that any miner or other person 80 disposed,
may disregard such opinion, and appeal to the
courts for decision It has also discovered
thanks to lawyer Of this place-that Commis-
soner Curtis did not render any such opinion
as has been ascribed to him by both the Ara-
lanche and the WORLD, and that therefore,
their quarrel has been about the color OF a cha
meleon What Commissioner Curtis did de-
cide-if the lawyers view is the correct one,
and we think the 4palanche will agree with
him, il it will read the opinion carefully lly-waa,


that there can be more than one claim located
on the same vein; not tina: one man or one
company can locate more than one. And be


is also of the opinion that the Commissioner


opinion is no opinion at all. and agrees with ui


fully, that one man or company can only locate


and hold one claim Of 500 feet, on one and


the same quartz vein, "A fact that has seemed Il
us 80 reasonable and plain, that we are really
at loss to know how it came to be called into
question.
Year: 1874

A BLACK HOLE IN KANsAs.-The New
York Herald of June goth tells q story
of fearful crime in Kansas. 1t is of a
woman being kept chained by the leg in dun
geon for a whole year before she was discov-
cred. There was just air enough admitted
to keep her alive, and when found some rot
ton meat and stale bread were lying on plate
beside her. and this was all she had to sustain lie
The Her,ld says the story of the unfortunate
woman's confinement, as gathered from her and
the girl is as full Of barbarism and cruelty as
could be conceived:


'For one year the woman had been thus
confined, and never once saw the light. Ihe
girl said the woman was her step mother, and
was crazy; but the quiet manner IN which the
woman acted would tend to dissipate the
story; or, if it were so, the alteration of mind
must have been very slight. The poor woman,
nearly dead from excitement, was taken by the
ne,phbors, kindly washed, dressed and cared
for. and by the change would hardly be known
She is a tolerably fair looking woman and
doesn't bear the appearance of harming an In
fant. She seems to be in constant dread and
misery lest she should be taken back to the
hideous hole from which she was rescued, and
is continually inquiring if she is in heaven. The
iuhuman husband has probably escaped, and
visit to the house at late hour last night to
arrest the daughter discovered the fact that
she was also gone. The trains are closely
watched to see that she does not leave town
by railroad, and an attempt will be made to
arrest the husband 1t would make the strong
est man shudder to step into the hole. and the
only wonder is that the poor woman lived SO
long. The woman will be cared for by the
neiahbors until some disposition is made of her
by the county. She is now but little more
than a skeleton, and can hardly walk around.
The dread of going back to the Internal hole
where she as discovered still seems to haunt
her, and her pathetic appeals to save her. with
the interrogatories in regard to where she is
are certainly heartrending."
Year: 1874




HoAxING THE CRITJcs.-Sir Charles Dixie,
the English Liberal who made such stir by
his speech against the extravaganza of the Civil
List, has created another sensation, but this
time in literary circles. A short time ago
book appeared entitled 1.-The downfall of Prince
Florestlne of Monaco, written by himself"
In this brochure. under the disguise OF sketch
of the little State of Monaco, notable only for
the fact that it derives all its revenue from
gambling establishment, was concealed much
sharp and piquant political satire, and among
other objects of invective was Sir Charles
Dixie. The work took immensely, and the
critics were loud in their praise, though some
of them thought the attacks upon Dixie too
severe. 1t was attributed to almost every lit
erary man of prominence, but erroneously in
every case, and after any amount of conjecture
it has at last transpired that the author is no
other than Dixie himself. Perhaps the best OF
the Joke was that when the manuscript was
taken to Macmillan, its publisher, he said he
should like to print it, but be feared the un-
friendly illusions tu the author Of "Grsater
Britain" were too pointed. Of course it was
necessary to let him into the secret, aud be
published the story. Everybody now is laugh
ing at the critics, whose powers OF discernment
have been so cruelty exposed, and these gentry
no doubt deeming discretion the better part OF
valor, are keeping as quiet as possible. trusting
that the ridicule viii soon blow over, and their
ascendency be once more submitted to.-Sac
rdmento Record. 33u
Year: 1874

A correspondent of the Hartford Post
gives this account of the singular way
in which snow falls at st. Petersburg


1.-THE cold steadily increased for per-
haps ten days, when little snow began
to fall, and almost every day since a
little has fallen, till now there is per-
haps six inches. There has been little
or no wind, though one day i. blew
some and about two inches of snow fell,
which is called here quite storm.
learn there are never any snow storms
in this part of Russia during which
more than six inches of snow falls. But
the acquisition of snow is constant. 1t
does not appear to come from the clouds,
but the water held in solution in the
atmosphere, which is very damp, it
being so near the sea, and country per-
fectly fiat, congeals and crystalizes and
then falls slowly but constantly half an
inch. or perhaps less, per day. No one
carries an umbrella, rs it does not snow
fast enough to get wet in, and nobody
minds it, but they walk, ride or skate
all the time. Hundreds of men work
constantly sweeping the sidewalks, cross
walks and streets. 1t is not in sufficient
quantity to shovel, but is swept into
heaps and carried of, leaving only
enough in the streets to insure good
sleighing. In this manner, l learn, ii
will fall for q month or two longer, and,
while there will be perhaps three OF
four feet in the country, there will never
be enough in this city to impede travel,
and believe the horse-csrs, of which
there are many, run all winter"
Year: 1874

The younger sister of Mrs. Dickens
Miss Hogarth, who was with Dickens
when he died-was a member of his
household from the time of his marriage.
She was lady of greater energy OF
character than her sister, Mrs. Dickens,
and had the faculty of keeping the
house in order, and of doing wonders in
the education of the children. She was
housekeeper and governess in one.
Mrs. Dickens, after many years. became
acquainted with the fact that she was
of inferior consequence in her husband S
house, and was in deep distress because
the children loved their aunt better
than their mother. So the jealousy of
the lady was aroused. not on account of
her husbands affections going astray,
hearts of her children.


As this occurred after many years of
acquiescence in her inferiority as to
usefulness, the demonstrations of Mrs.
Dickens we're regarded by her husband
as exceedingly absurd. Mrs. Dickens
could not bear to accept the situation,
and at last made the issue that if her
sister did not leave the house she would
leave it. Dickens said that he thought
the presence of the sister-in-law was
more important to the children, whom
she had cared for from their infancy,
than that of the wife, who had been of
no service to them after they were born
and sucked. Therefore his wife might
go; and she did go, taking her eldest
son, Charles Dickens, Jr., with her.
After the separation the estrangement
grew more serious, and the terms in
which Dickens mentions his wife in his
will are cold and almost disrespectful.
Year: 1874

As by constant friction steel is kept
highly polished, so by constant exer-
else is talent at its brightest. All our
powers grow by use. If we neglect to
cultivate the habit of observation, we
might as well walk through the world
blindfold. We lose our faculty-what
artists call our "touch''-by neglect of
practice on other things besides the
piano. The man who seldom reads,
reads slowly; the woman whose writing
is confined to an infreQuent letter to
some absent child, spends more time
over that than does practiced writer
over dozen pages of manuscript. Tx
ercise of possessed talent is absolutely
necessary, then, if we would retain our
Gifts. For example: if our occupation
Is sedentary, we need to plan for walks,
rides and active games to keep our
muscles 1.-THE and serviceable. But ii
our employment gives us enough mus
cular action, it is not one whit less i'm
portant to our health of body that we
should plan for mental exerclse-for
employment enough of our memory and
our reasoning powers tokeep them from
rusting. And, in either case, that life
must be a dwarfed and unhealthy one
that does not provide exercise for our
spiritual faculties-for worship, and
charity, and patience, and magnanlm-
ity. Exercise of soul, mind and body,
can alone bring us to the stature OF the
perfect man.
Year: 1874

What an awful item this is for the
worshippers of mere Nature. 1t is
meant to excite the self protective in
dustry of Mdn-"He Who looks up
ipdrd" to the destruction of the horrible
creatures? or to incite him to the dis
gust of mere Materialisnl, the thing
called common sense?'-


ga gentleman states that, while in
Surinam, he awoke about four o'clock
one morning, and was considerably
alarmed by finding himself weltering in
CONCEALED blood, and was unable to
account for this, as he felt no pain
whatever. This mystery says he,
was that had bitten by vampire, or
spectre of Guiana, which is also called
the flying dog of New Spain. This is
no other than bat of monstrous size,
that sucks the blood from men and cat
tie while they are fast asleep, even,
sometimes, till they die and as the
manner in which they proceed is truly
wonderful, 1 will endeavor to give a
clear account of it. Knowing, by in
stinct that the person that they intend
to attack is in a sound slumber, they
generally alight near the feet, where,
while the creature continues tanning
with his enormous wings, which keeps
one cool, he bites piece out of the
great toe, so very small indeed that the
head of pin could scarcely be received
into the wound, which is consequently
not painful yet through this orifice he
continues to suck the blood until he is
obliged to disgorge. He then begins
again, and thus continues sucking and
disgorging until he is scarcely able to
fly, and the sufferer has often been
known to pass from time to eternity.
Cattle they generally bite in the ear,
but always in places where the blood
flows spontaneously. Having applied
tobacco ashes, as the best remedy, and
washed the gore from myself and ham,
mock, observed several heaps of con-
gealed blood all around the place where
1 had lain, upon the ground, on exam
ing which the surgeon judged that l
had lost about fourteen ounces OF
blood"
Year: 1874

1t is said that Sir Walter Campbell,
who was lately in a mercantile firm in
New York, wished to marry an American
young lady, of good position, in the
Empire State. Upon his applying to
the young lady's father, the parent
stated he always referred all those
questions to his wife. The mother in
her turn, stated that she must refer it
to the Duke Of Argyll. The Duke
pleaded that, considering his connec-
tion with royalty, he must consult his
eldest son. The Marquis could do
nothing without the Queens consent.
Her majesty felt that the issue must be
referred to the Duke of Saxe-Cobourg-
Gotha, as head of the family. The
Duke rejoined that, since the recent
changes in Germany, he looked upon
the Emperor William as his sovereign,
and must bow to hi, advice. The EN-
peror said he could do nothing without
Prince Bismarck's opinion and Prince
Bismarck declared he had no opinion
at all, one way or the other ; and so the
question-to marry or not to marry
was brought to dead lock.
Year: 1874

The custom of covering floors, halls,
and passages is very general. Where
warmth and comfort are desired, car
pets are used. Where something more
durable and less costly is demanded, a
covering of oil or floor cloth has been
invented. This cloth or canvas is a
very strong fabric, made of flax or hemp,
painted on both sides, the under side
being plain, the upper side ornamented
with patterns or designs of two or more
colors. The cloth used for this purpose
should be without seam. So that when
pieces of great width are required, two
men are employed at the loom, one on
each side, for throwing the shuttle back
and forth. This kind of cloth being
woven for this purpose alone, its manu-
facture forms distinct branch of busi-
ness, Pieces are made from eighteen
to twenty-four feet wide, and the length
often exceeds one hundred yards.


When the canvas is received at the
mandatory, the bales containing one
hundred or more yards, and weighing
nearly six hundred pounds, are opened
and cut in pieces of sixty or one hun
dred feet, as may be required. These
pieces are then taken to the "frame
room," which consists of a number of
strong wooden frames, standing upright,
few feet from each other. The space
between the frames is occupied by a
scaffold of four tiers, which may be
reached by means of ladder at one
end of each frame. The edges and ends
of the canvas are fastened to the frame,
and by-means of screws the beams of
the frame are moved so as to tighten
and stretch it to its utmost tension. In
this position every part of the cloth can
be reached from several platforms.
The first operation, preparatory to pain
ting, is covering the back of the canvas
with weak solution of size, applied
with brush and while yet damp, the
canvas is thoroughly rubbed with pu-
mice stone. By this means the irregu-
larities of the surface are removed, and
the size penetrates the interstices of
the cloth, so preventing the paint, which
is afterwards applied, from penetrating
too far, which would render the oil cloth
hard and brittle. This printing and
securing are carried on form the top
downward.


When the surface is dry, q coat Of
paint, made of linseed oil and some
cheap coloring matter is applied. This
paint is very thick, and is thrown on to
the canvas in dabs with q short brush ;
it is then spread with a long and very
elastic steel trowel. The paint is thus
thoroughly worked into the web of cloth,
filling up all inequalities, and render
ing the surface smooth and level. This
s.trowel-color," as it is called, is allowed
to dry ten days or longer, according to
the weather, after which a second coat
is smoothly laid on which the trowel,
completes the work for under side of
the canvas. After the first coat of paint
is applied to the under side. the same
process is commenced on the face side
of the cloth the size is applied, then
rubbed in with a pumice stone; the
first trowel-color is then put on, which,
Year: 1874

when dry, is also rubbed down with q
/ pumice-stone two more coats are ap-
piled with the trowel, with a pumice.
stone rubbing after each. Finally, q
fourth coating of paint is applied with
brush, which is the ground color for
the designs which are to be painted on
/ it. The floor cloth is thus completed,
the various operations occupying from
| two or three months, when it is ready
/ to be removed from the frames and
transferred to the printing rooms.


The printing of the cloth is done on
fiat table, over which it is drawn as
fast as the designs are impressed. This
is done with wooden blocks, not unlike
those used in the old method of calico
printing. As the patterns generally con-
sist of several colors there are as many
blocks and as many separate printings
as there are colors in the designs. "In
preparing set of blocks for printing
oil cloths, an accurate colored sketch
of the design is first made on stout pa
per. A blank sheet of paper is then
placed under the pattern, and all the
figures of another color are pricked out
in a similar manner. Thus the pattern
is dissected on as many sheets of paper
as there are colors to be printed. One
of the pricked sheets is then fixed on
the surface of block, aod little pow
dered charcoal is busted over it from q
muslin bag, so as to penetrate the hole.
The dotted line thus made on the block
serves to guide the pencil of the en-
gIaver when the paper is removed, and
enables him to draw the portion of the
pattern required for that block. The
same plan is pursued with other blocks,
which are then ready for the engraver,
who cuts away the wood, and leaves the
pattern in relief"


The blocks used for printing are gen.
orally about eighteen inches square, the
engraved portion being made of some
close-grained wood, such as the pear
tree, and fastened to blocks of pine.
These engraved blocks, in large estab-
hshments, constitute q verv valuable
portion of the stock. Before the de-
signs are impressed on the cloth, it is
made slightly rough by means of a steel
scraper aud scrubbing brush, which
prepare it to receive the colors more
readily. Near the printing-table is
placed a number of fiat cushions, on
which the coloring matter is first placed
with brush. The printer presses the
block on the cushion, which is charged
with the color, and then applies it to
the cloth, holding it firmly, at the same
time striking it several blows with the
handle of heavy hammer. A second
painter charges his block with differ
ent color, and applies it in the same
manner. He is followed by third, and
as many others as may be required to
form the most variouly colored pattern.
As fast as the cloth is printed it passes
through an opening in the floor to the
drying room, where it becomes hard
Year: 1874

A Rich YoUSG MAN.-We call him


''Bobolink, and ''Pappoose, and "Old
Blessed" and all sorts of names-you
know how they call babies. Your great
six-year-old Harry would not think him
much of a fellow, 1 suppose,-this
small man of six months,-but he
thinks he is, and so does his mother,
and his father, and all the family.


He considers himself very rich, too,
or, as grown up people say, ''well-off. 3"
He has such white, round little pegs
fixed on to his hands for him to play
with. He sticks them up and looks at
them sidewise, and edgeway, and every
way, and they never get lost like your
playthings,-they are always on hand.
They are so nice to eat, too. First one
fist goes into his mouth, then the other,
then both fists. The only trouble IS he
cannot swallow them, they are so big,
or something. Too bad, isn't it But
he doesn't get discouraged. Why, it
was only yesterday he was trying to
swallow large blanket shawl and all
his petticoats then he plunged his
head into a big feather pillow, and
opened his mouth at that in a way which
must have been very alarming to the
pillow.


Sometimes he gets hold Of those


little pink fellows down below. He
thinks they are the cunningest. There
IS such drove of them He can't
count them himself, but believe there
are as many as ten. One of them "goes
to market" and one of them "stays at
home, and there is a little mite of q
one that don't get any bread and but
ter. How he does squeal. Dear dear
You would think this young man would
cry to hear him but he don't; the
ripples of laughter come gurgling ND
his little fat throat, until, when at last
the poor piggy gives his very hardest
squeal, he almost explodes with glee.
rs SO pleasant to have Jolly little fat
pigs of ones own to play with Ten
live pink piggies just think of it But
that Is not all-O no! He owns a most
lovely piece of red flannel, which his
grandma gave him, that is very valuable.
IL is such a pretty thing and so bright
He turns 1t over, and views it in every
light, and tastes of it. If you should
lay a ten-thousand-dollar greenback
down beside it, he would grasp in pre-
ference that gorgeous, magnificent rag.
Iou couldn't buy that of him with ten
or twenty thousand dollars.


Then he has great many fine musical
instruments that he plays on splendidly.
Every newspaper he can get hold of he
turns into a piano or organ. He
scratches his nails on them, and digs
holes through them, and you ought to
hear how beautifully they do rattle but
the brown paper that came around the
sugar is the best, that is so crackly and
high toned.
Year: 1874

4 veteran officer observes: never place
reliance on a man who is telling what be would
have done had be been there. have noticed
tba. somehow ibis kind Of people never do
get there"