smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

The other day young man came
into our Office and said to the editor:
Yesterday l was released from the
Eastern Penitentiary. I had two
months taken off from my time for
good behavior. l was put in for
larceny. l want to turn over a new
leaf and be an honest man. But /
find it almost impossible to find work
l have been reading your paper in
the Penitentiary, and l thought l
would call in and see if you could not
help me in regard to employment" In
reply to the question. "What work
can you do; what trade are you master
Off he answered: There is just the
trouble, never learned to do any
thing. When l was lad, l idled
away my time. And now there is
nothing that | am master of, except
cane: seat chairs. which | learned in
prison; and that business is all done
in the Penitentiary; so there is no
demand for it outside. IF / only had
trade, l could get place. A gen
tleman wanted man to-day to take
care of his garden; If I had understood
the business Of a gardener l could
have had place at good wages right
away"


We have in mind, at this moment,
another person who is struggling la
boriously and honestly to support his
family. But he is in the same condi-
tion. He has never learned any
business; he IS master of nothing, ex-
cept indeed those branches of indus
try that require no experience or ap.
premiership, and that can be picked
up at days notice, and hence that
are over stocked. He is willing, he
would be glad to learn a trade; but it
is not SO easy for man with family
on his hands to do that.
Within a few days we fell in with a
friend of about forty years of age, who
has had more than usual advantages
Of education, having graduated at
college and also abroad. He was heir
to a moderate property, which re-
lieved him, apparently, from she need
OF acquiring a profession or calling.
But in time his property melted away,
and now, when approaching middle
life, with wife and several children,
in world and in a country where all
is push and hurry, and competition,
and where the demand is made of
every man. What can you do?" he
finds himself. without any trade or
calling of which he is master, COM
PEELED to do the easiest, most rudi-
mentary, the poorest paid work. So
as the result. he is really unable by
bis utmost exertions. to support his
family in anything like comfort.


And if one turns to the other, the
fairer portion of humanity, it is the
same story. Ask the next person, be
it man or woman, who comes to sou
for charity, or for work, or for help Of
any kind, What can you do?" and
the answer will be anything" which
means, of course, nothing"
| If every person were master of
something, knew how to do something
that is useful, and that is in demand,
and if the plague spots of intemper-
ance, lewdpess. and gambling we're
dried up, nine -tenths of the poverty
would be annihilated. The poor
house and the Jail would be ITO


Let"-National Baptist.
Year: 1874

Two incidents connected with the
steamboat catastrophe at Aurora, give
one a vivid idea of the horrors OF such
a scene. One passenger says the last
living person seen on the burning
boat was little child about four
yetrs old. Deserted and alone, he ran
to and fro across the narrow deck,
screaming with fright and pair, till
the hungry flames surrounded him
and he was seen no more. Another
passenger, who foated two or three
miles down the river on plank, says
that at one point mattress foated
past him with a babe upon it, appa-
rently two or three years old. The
child was crying. By the side of the
mattress, holding to it, swan a man
evidently nearly exhausted, only his
head being visible. A few minutes
later the swimmer disappeared and
the little one floated out of sight on
it's precarious raft. is not known
whether the child was saved. of
Year: 1874

A one legged Mormon recently
applied to Brigham Young to re
store his missing limb by miracle.
Brigham informed the man that he
could easily do it, but inasmuch as
the new leg would be of divine
origin, as well as the one he had
lost, he would find himself in the
next world under the disagreeable
necessity of walking on three legs
On reflection the man concluded
not to press the matter, and went
away more than ever impressed
with Brigham's supernatural wis
dom. F
Year: 1874

The grasshoppers in tie west throw
into the shade the stories about the
punishment inflicted on Egypt several
years ago. We are told that they
''lit down" in Kansas City the other
day covering the ground ankle deep.
Walking in grasshoppers creates a
very curious sensation as if the earth
were giving away under ones feet.
They cover thousands of acres of corn
at once and in four hours leave the
stalks as dead as at mid. winter after
cattle have eaten the blades. The
only thing they don't eat is sorghum
and this is a great credit to the grass
hoppers. They have better taste
than many humans.
Year: 1874

Last March man named Emory
Prattle, machinist i'll the employ
of the Michigan Car Company,
made bet with another man as to
which could longer hold out the
handles of an electric battery which
travelling nuisance had on the
Campus Martius, Prattle won the
bet, but at heavy cost. His sys-
tenn received such shock that up
to this time he has not been able to
work. His physician cannot say
that he will ever be restored to his
former health.
Year: 1874

"And when in alter days." said a
learned counsel in the court room,
I'VE meet together around the social
hearth, where l shall no longer be
oppressed by the heat and burden of
the day, and you, gentlemen, will find
yourselves in other scenes than this,
at rest from arduous labors, then,
as we talk together of by-gone times,
may you be able to say that the first
thing you did on returning to the
jury room was to unanimously agree
that you could place no reliance what
ever upon the testimony Of that man
Smith"
Year: 1874

/ knew a fellow once, Bill Smith; he
was the worst old beat you ever saw.
He'd chase a mosquito eight miles
with pair of lemon squeezers if he
thought he could get one cent for the
oil. He got married on tick, and has
slept on tick ever since. He was SO
mean that once when he had cent
in his pocket, to keep his wife from
getting it, he made his Oldest son
swallow it. and that boy was a copper
head all through the war Bill was
going down the Mississippi on steam
boat. When the collection was be-
ing taken up, he got out on the guard
to hide. and fell overheard. The
water was hundred feet deep and
two miles wide, and the best water to
drown man you ever saw. Bill
couldn't swim stroke; but, stranger,
he got OUT -,


He just took and walked straight
ashore"


"How could he walk ashore in wa
ter 100 feet deep?'


Stranger, do you want to know
very bad?'


"Yes, l do, real bad


Waal, stranger; that Bill Smith
was such big sponge he just soaked
all the water up, and then walked
right ashore" :"
Year: 1874

the earth. This history, written by
the infallible hand of God, is the
noblest to which we can devote our
attention. 1t is written by the fiery
finger of the volcano ard imbedded in
the solid rock; it is everywhere to be
found, if only we can read It's import.
1t is a practical study, and taken in
that sense it will pay in dollars and
cents. The farmer whose plowshare
turns the soil can learn of it with pro-
fit. By it he will be able to judge of
the capacities of bis soil and in what
respects it may be wanting and how
the defect can be remedied. Every
farmer can tell how long and how wide
his farm is, but few can tell its thick
ness. He not only owns hesurface,
but its depth to eight thousand feet.
Many man goes poor all his life,
when upon his own land within thirty
feet of his nose there is wealth enough
to make him richer than anybody
whom he knows. But geology is much
more valuable in its higher and nobler
sense. Especially is it important to
the theologian; he can learn what God
is doing by learning what he has done
in the formation of our earth. The
study of nature will in no way deteri-
crate from all there is of true religion
and goodness and nobility.


The Professor then took up the sub
ject of the formation of the earth
through the action of water and fire,
which he treated in a very full and
exhaustive manner. He gave beau
tiful description OF the eruption of
Vesuvius and the destruction of Pom
peii and Herculaneum. Many other
examples found in history were cited
in proof of the theory that the center
of the earth is molten mass. In
speaking of California he said that in
many parts of the State the entire
surface of the country is made up of
lava of volcanic origin. There are
numberless old and inactive volcanoes
in the State, and it is his opinion that
at some day these volcanoes will again
become active, producing earthquakes
and eruptions similar to those which
formerly occurred. The lecture was
intensely interesting throughout, and
abcunded in beautiful illustrations
and pointed facts. The discourse was
fully ineligible to all present, being
couched in plain kings English,
without the scientific verbage which
proves so confounding to many in or
dinary scientific lectures. Tonight
the second lecture of the course will be
delivered, and we bespeak for Prof.
Denton q crowded house,
Year: 1874

and was twelve years in building; five
thousand Indians were employed in
its construction. The timbers were
brought from the other side of the
mountains by the Indians. The
wealth of this Mission at one time was
immense. The Padres at one time
owned 10000 sheep, 5000 hogs, and
worked 600 yoke of oxen, having the
whole valley, nearly, under cultivation.
Here now stands the stately old palm
trees, eight or nine feet in circumfer-
ence, and here are olive trees seven or
eight feet in circumference. Here are
now standing almost every variety of
trees that California ever produced.
Richer soil can hardly be found than
in this section. Fourteen hundred
acres of grain, in one body, have been
raised adjoining the Mission this sea-
son, yielding largely. To show the
warmth of this valley, and the rapid
ity with which crops mature, we will
state that roasting ears are now, the
middle of July, being gathered from
corn planted on land from which
good crop of barley hay was cut in the
Spring. The rapidity of the growth of
crops all over this valley, so sheltered
rs it is, is marvellous. We traversed
carefully nearly all the eastern portion
of the valley, taking observations of
the soil, the lay of the land, its adapt
ability, and especially the water sup
ply, particularly that portion within
the purchase of Senator Maclay. The
climate, as indicated by what we have
said, is all that can be desired, some
what warmer in the Summer than
this city, with no frosts in Winter to
do any harm. Fruits do remarkably
well, as far as they have been tested,
and certainly those now growing at
the San Fernando Mission are test
of the superiority of this locality, we
think, for all kinds of semi.tropical
fruits, some of the most delicate of
which are great success, viz; the
pomegranate, etc. The palm tree here
has greater growth than we have
seen elsewhere in Southern California.
The soil of all this section is a hard
sandy soil, of reddish cast, with con-
siderable gravel, especially near the
border of the valley. 1t does not bake
at all, and we di not see a crack half
an inch wide in the valley. We pro-
nounce it first-class grape land; in
fact, we believe it to be the very best
large grape tract in the State.


More of San Fernando tomorrow.
Year: 1874

EDITOR HERALD: Since my last
several important items have trans
pired, of which 1 propose to speak.
First, was the celebration Of the "glo-
rious Fourth in Los Angeles city,
which was done in q manner worthy
the occasion; but the most important
feature oft to the mind ofyour humble
pondent was the Granger por-
ton of the procession" which, under
the able supervision of the Grand
Marshal, Captain s., made very
imposing appearance. The only OBJ
jections that I have heard of were
brought by the Erening Express to
some of the m OF toes written upon the
car in which the ladies rode, some of
which were as follows: "We now
number 100000" Honest men to
fill our Offices" etc. Now, Mr.. Editor
what objection can the Eapress or
anybody else have to such notices,
gotten up by "honest Grangers ?"
admit it would be something very
strange if we had honest men to fiji
all our offices; but is that any reason
we should not desire such boon? Let
me say right here that it is q part
of the mission of the Grange,
and we intend, "by the grace
of God" and Granger votes, to bring
about just such results, and we call
upon all honest laboring men, who
have the good of the country at heart,
to come to the rescue.


Another item of no small impor-
tance can be witnessed by looking in
upon the Board of Supervisors, where
can be seen those hard-handed. sun
burned Grangers," standing around,
pleading for and demanding an equal
assessment of property. We do not
object that our property is assessed
too high, but we do object to large
grants of land being assessed at less
than one-fourth their value. We feel
that we have been grievously imposed
upon, and now, sir, we have sworn by
the "Grangers God " that we will
tacitly submit no longer. Let me
again say that we demand nothing
unreasonable; we only ask for justice
and equity. The Grange County
Committee found large tracts of graz
ing land assessed at twenty-five to
seventy-five cents per acre, and some
as fine land as "ever crow tapped
his wing over" assessed at two and q
half to eight dollars per acre, when
the small farmers are assessed at from
ten to thirty dollars to the acre. Is that
justice? No, sir. Justice in thunder
tones answers, No! We gladly well
come enterprise and capital to our
fair land, but we do not want capital
to shirk duty and oppress the poor.


More anon, GRANGER.


Compton, Los Angeles county, Cal,
July Is, 1874.
Year: 1874

ps- The tide ofinmigration is steadily set
ting in and the first thing eastern people do
is to throw away their New York Hats and buy
a new one of DESMOND. They say there is no
between the two. 2no
Year: 1874

large and well-furnished photograph gallery
of Mr. V. Wofenstein. are turning out some
of the finest photographs to be found in the
country Their work is finished in the high
est style of the art, and warranted to give sat
isfaction to every reasonable customer. All
work promptly done, and terms reasonable.
Year: 1874

the man you are looking for. He will give


you the incest fitting garments to be had in
the city; cloth of the, best material; work
done upon honor and the best satisfaction
Call on him and have full suit
made at once. jy2 tf-3
Year: 1874

We have to dispose of our immense
stock of Clothing, Dress Goods, ETC., etc., to
make room for very extensive Stock of Fall
Goods, just purchased in New York, and en-
route for us. We have reduced the prices, and
you will find 1t to your advantage to call
the
Year: 1874

I


it, or in tife-way of danger. There
is a notion abroad among men that
wine is good, that when properly
used it has help in it,-that in a GER
tain way it is food, or help in the
digestion of food. We believe that
no greater or more fatal hallucina-
tion ever possessed the world, and
that none so great ever possessed 1t
for so long a time.


Wine is u meuIcIne, and men would
take no more of it than of any other
medicine if it were not pleasant in its
taste, and agreeable in its effects.
The men who drink it, drink it be-
cause they like it. The theories as to
healthfulness come afterwards. The
world cheats itself, and tries to cheat
itself in this thing; and the priests
who prate of "using this world as not
abusing it." and chemists who claim
sort of nutritious property in alcohol
which never adds to tissue y and
the men who make a Jest of water
drinking, all know perfectly well that
wine and strong drink always have
done more harm than good in the
world, and always will until the mil.
lennium comes, whose feet are always
tripped from under it by the drunken
that lie prone in its path. The mil,
lennium with a grog shop at every
corner is Just as impossible as securi-
ty with burglar at every window or
in every room in the house, All
men know that drink is curse, yet
young men sport around it as if there
were somthing very desirable in it,
and sport until they are hoDelessly
singed, and then join the great, sad
army that with undiminished num-
bers, presses on to its certain death.


We do not like to become an ex-
hOrterin these columns, but if it were
necessary, We would plead with the
young upon weary knees to touch not
the accursed thing. Total abstinence,
now and forever, is the only guaran-
ty in existence against drunkard's
life and death, and there is no good
that can possibly come to a man by
drinking. Keep out of the candle.
It will always SINCE your wings, or
destroy you.


DR.. j. e. Holland, In Scri5ner's,
Year: 1874

Some people advertise regularly,
like it, find their profit in it and con-
tiued it. Others have tried it and
given it up as a failure. Some have
never tried it, but are 3 going to do
so, "some time or other,s and 9TH
ers are firm in their intention never
to advertise at all. Those who have
given it up as failure should ask
Themselves if they have given it 3
fair trial, with reference to the style
of advertising, the ground covered
and the period of time occupied
for some fishermen pull up their
hooks and depart Just as the tish are
beginning to bite. Those who are
gong to advertise ''sOme time OF
other should go out of business al
together; they are too lazy for it,
The fact of their intent in the mat
ter shows they believe advertising
a rood thing for their business, yet
they willfully neglect it. of those
who think they never will advertise
it is safe to say that they Will be
likely before long to change either
thar yEinuiVle q thgH hOaueas.
Year: 1874

has not become a ruling passion
w with the young men in this locality.


The same ugid rule of making the
most N OF everything prevails on the
Osborne farms as in the gardens,
dalrles, and household. Each labor
er receives IA shillings-about 81
week, and out of that sum half q
dollar is deducted for the rent Oi
the cottage with which each IS pro
Vided. A quantity of thin beer Is
also given each man 'per day The
Year: 1874

| trust that my character is too well
known in this and the adjoining counties
to require any vindication Of it against
the slanderous statements contained IN
the card of W. ii. Miller. | know that
il would be no yindica,ion of it for me
to make a personal assault upon the
man who has uttered them, for | would
in that way degrade myself to his moral
level and God forbid that should ever
so far forget myself as to do that.


But in order that the people may see
how reckless is this nlAn in his assertions.
and lest my silence might prejudice nae
with some, will state that if ever saw
the papers of Carter against the First
National Bank Of Danville, after the
day they were flel in the clerks office
by Mr.. Pittman, Carriers attorney, do
not now rccollect it. ! was not engaged
in the case. The papers were not taken
by me. Nor were the papers material
in any case IN which was then or after
ward engaged. About n year after the
case was disposed OF became engaged
in case in Casey between Clayton l..
Carter and the First National Bank of
Dauville. Mr. Miller wa, employed by
the bank and the answer that he filed
in the case was the first iniimaiion that
! had of the loss Of the papers in the
case Of James NJ. Carter against the
bank, or Of their real or imagined i'm.
portance in the Clayton Carter case Mr..
Miller made himself witness to try to
prove the contents Of the lost papers"
and Of their materiaity for his defense.
But unfortunately for him his testimony
was not corroborated by his own witness,
and was absolutely rcfuted by James NJ.
Carter, Esq, as honorable and As truth
ful man as lives in the county of
Lincoln. Judge ye from this whose iR-
terest It was to have the papers "lost." 4"
| do not know how they were ''lost." but
| do know that did not take them, and
never regarded them as material in the
Clayton Carer cise.


His vaporing charge that at the last
term Of the court he denounced me as a
liar and slanderer" hardly merits no
;ice. lie did get up publicly in court
and state that he had been informed that
certain statements which he detailed had
been made. aud denounced them ~ talse
and slanderous. lie did not mention
my name; and as had not made the
statements detailed by him, ] explained
to the court what | had said of Mr. Mil
Ter, and from a statement then made by
4 gentleman present, was fully justified
in what | had said.


| now leave this matter for the public
tojudge of in the confident assurance
that the people will view this Infamous
card in its true light-as villainous al
tempt to blacken the character Of Others
in order to bolster up his own character
and fast decaying prospects.


j. W. ALCORN.


July 3, 1874.
Year: 1874

DIREcrIoSs were given by the United
States Senate the other day to have a
spot designated in the Capitol Grounds
for the equestrian statue of Gen. Greene
" in conformity with the resolution Of
the Continental Congress, passed in
1856" There was no occasion to hurry
about it. 1t is not hundred years yet
since the resolution WAS passed, and who
cares a continental what the Continental
Congress resolved, anyhow?
Year: 1874

fouNG g'nllemen. when they take
their "duAies" buggy riding. should pay
every attention possible to thely safety
aud welfare. We noticed young man
last Sunday that seemed 10 understand
the art Of protecting his lady love to
perfection As they passed down the
street, she was doing the driving, while
he had both arms around her. aud We
could tell by the wild look in his eye he
was determined she shouldn't fall out.
Year: 1874

Or all painful things, can there be
any SO excruciatingly painful as bone
felon' We know none that flesh is heir
to, As this malady is quite frequent
and the subject of much earnest consid'
Grafton, We give the last receipt for its
cure, which is given by the London Inn
Get As soon as the disease IL felt put
directly over the spot a ily-blister about
the size OF your thumb nail, and let il
remain for six hours, AT the expiration
of which time, directly under the SUR.
face Of the blister may l.e seen the felon,
which can be instantly taken ouI with
the point Of a needle or lancet.