smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

1t is very hard to tell whether
married people are happier than sin
gle ones, or whether single ones are
most blest. With the gout in his
big toe, and no one to find fault with,
bachelor is apt to envy Benedict;
while, during the progress of cur
tain lecture, Benedict deprecates
the joys OF welded life. 1t is nice
to come home with a latch key
when one plesses, and to travel the
wide world over, if one chooses,
with false collar, and a comb by
way of baggage; but then it is also
nice to have an adoring creature al
ways keeping watch over ones in
comings and out goings 1--WE are
speaking of men, of couase), and be-
lieving one to be-what he knows he
is not a man of mighty intellect,
and Herculean strength-in short,
the authority of the world. ''


1t is comfortable (here we speak
of the softer sex) to be able to keep
ones hair in crimping pins all day,
but yet it is delightful to have some
one who cares how ones hair looks.


1t is not agreeabletO be kept up
all night with baby suffering from
a combination of collie and crossness;
but it is enraging to bear the airs
of people with lovely infants in
skirts two yards long, when you
havn't one yourselfs


Single people certainly have more
peace and quietness, but now and
then they find themselves rather too
severely let alone.


Married people rejoice in the
joys of companionship, but as there
may be too much of good thing,
they, perhaps, sometimes envy St. ST.
mon Stylites, who lived on the top
of a pillar and "had his meals sent
up to him" in basket.


On the whole should say, if push
ed closely for serious answer, that
those who have been married would
have been much happier if they had
remained SINGLE, aud that those who
live aud die in a state of single bless
edness would have been more bless
ed had thew married.
Year: 1877

Description Of some OfIhe OIL Towns


oil, &c.


Oil City or the Hub of Oildom as
it is often called, being the grand
center Of the oil trade, is situated on
either side of the Allegheny river,
about one hundred miles notheast of
Pittsburgh, in Venango county, Pa.
1t is at present a town of considera-
BILE Importance; there is an extensive
business done here in connection
with the oil trade, and at the oil ex-
change thousands OF barrels change
hands daily. In connection with
the oil exchange at Parker, the price
of petroleum is generally regulated
by the oil brokers, and most of the
production from other districts is
bought and sold here. The traffic of
oil is trade of great fluctuations,
large fortunes ale made, and as easily
lost. This is easily explained. A man
may put down a we'll at cost of
from three to six thousand dollars,
the expense being regulated by the
depth of territory, and find no oil; a





few such failures soon count. On
the other hand if he is fortunate in
getting a good producing well, at a
fair price for oil, the profit may be
imagined. If man is fortunate in
getting good territory, puts down a
dozen wells upon it, has few hun
dred barrels day, which is moder-
ate estimate for dozen good pro-
ducing wells, the profit may be es-
tImated at the present price, from
two to three dollars, per barrel; the
wells are run at comparatively a
low figure. 1t can be easily under
stood why there is so much wealth
in this region and why so many
wealthy inhabitants. Oil City is
comparatively new town, having
raised rapidly into notice since the
discovery of petroleum, and one of
the first wells, the Drake, began to
make known its value, hundreds of
Others followed, until petroleum
enough was discovered to almost
light the world. In 1861 the town
began to increase rapidly, aud in,
1852 it was incorporated into a
borough, from which time it has in
creased steadily in size and beauty.
The territory around it is what is
called used territory, being very
well drained, and few large wells
are found in the vicinity.


The new oil field is around Mil
lerstown, Butler Co., Pa, a distance
of upwards of seventy miles from
Oil City. Here the oil is obtained
at more expense than in most other
districts, being deeper. The terri
tory is very fine, and at present they
have a very large production. This
region is thickly settled, having some
fine oil towns, among which Millers-
town, Petrolia and Harms City are
most noticeable. Oil from here is
easily transported. There is a mar
row guage railroad from Parker
city; the pipe lines also added with
other intersections, make travelling
and transportation easy. Bradford
and Bullion are good oil fields aud at
present the object of much notice.
Edenburg is and has been the object
of much interest To the oil trade. 1t
is near Oil City in Clarion county.
Year: 1877

Judge Key said the other day
that when he accepted his position
he fully intended to bring his fami-
ly to Washington. 81 sent for
Mrs. Key" he said, "to come and
look over the grodnd with me, and
select a house, if it should seem
best. We examined a number, OF
course, in this position, and with so
large a family, we should want a
large house. The lowest that we
found we could rent a furnished
house for, of suitable size and loca-
cation, was $4,000, or about one
third of my salary; we were offered
suitable house for that Zone
which Secretary Thompson now
has), but after carefully figuring
the mater up one side and down
the other, we found that my salary
was insufficient to bring the fam
lily here and keep house as. / desire
to do. After paying rent there
would be So, 500 dollars left With
a large family in a large city, and
living as Cabinet Minister with a
proper respect for his position
should, this would not go far. If
my family was smaller or my salary
larger, or the habits of society here
little less expensive, l could live
within my salary in Washington,
but under all the circumstances it
seems impossible. l have ever
been the advocate of cheap govern
ment, low salaries and low taxation.
l am opposed to spurge and style
when the money to keep it up has
to come out of other peoples pock-
cts AS a general thing, l think
our officers are paid enough; some
of them too much. A Congress
man gets about $1,000 a month for
the time he has to stay here. He
can attend to other business part of
the year. But Cabinet Minister
cannot carry on business, and he
must remain here all the time.
Still, / don't complain, and don't be-
lieve in further increases of salaries
for any officer or class of officers.
One increase is but an entering
wedge for another. l am simply
like hundreds of others here of all
grades, unable to bring my family
and enjoy the luxury of a home of
nv own"
Year: 1877

The way to get public sentiment
with regard to the State debt, in
healthy and common sense condi-
ton, is to state plainly the fact, that
the creditors of he State have the
same right to be condsiderced and
consulted that is claimed for the
State, and that all movements that
would leave our creditors out Of
the settlement, are reputation
square and simple. We do not be


lieve that the people of Tennessee
are dishonest we do not believe that
they will, after mature reflection, en-


dorse "stand and deliver" policy,
and it would be humiliating in the
extreme that such a policy is possi-
BILE. To say that we would scale
the debt to suit our own view, that
we will pay so much and no more,
that we will submit to no arbitra


tion nor legal adjudication, but will
insist on debating his own terms,
is to place the State on the black
record of reputation, and declare
that the people of Tennessee are
dishonest. Confront the people with
this fact, and they will no longer
listen to the teachings of irrespon-
sible dead beats, or professional
demagogues, OF idle, brainless de
chalmers, but will reason about it as
they do about private obligations
and be as jealous TO protect their
public as their private honor How
ever much language and rhetoric
may disguise it, yet the doctrine
that the people of State can hon
orably dictate their own terms in
the settlement Of a debt. is as dis
honest and disgraceful as If an indi-
vidual should say TO his creditor,
81 owe you 50 much, but | don't in
tend to pay you but half Of IT, and
l am bomb proof, and you must
take what / offer, or nothing"
Now we submit, is this sort OF
thing less than robbery, less than
the Jurisprudence Of highwaymen? +?
Is there right in it2 Is there jus
tice in It? Let every Tennessean
who esteems his personal honor
take the matter home 10 his own
heart, and ask himself if he Is
prepared and willing TO fix a stigma
on his State, that he would blush
10 have blistered on bis own good
name? What we want is an honest
discussion Of our State difficulties,
a discussion that will embrace both
sides of the question, and that will
recognize the rights OF the creditors
as well as the embarrassments Of
the State This mode Of dealing
with the question can alone secure
a Just and honorable settlement Of
the State debt-JacksoH TriJuHe.
Year: 1877

This subject, which is becoming
one of very deep interest in many
places, deserves more attention at
the hands of farmers than 1t re-
ceives. We are too apt to conclude
that the dire calamities. which have
followed the destruction of the for
ests in other countries, will never
overtake our own, and so we do not
expect the farmers of our day to
take a step in this direction merely
to avert future possible calamity,
but we do think they should do
something to restore the waste
places, and hide the unsightly and
quilted spots that are becoming so
numerous all over our country.
They should be planted in black To-
Gust, walnut or something better if
you can find it. These spots, and
they are growing larger in too
many places, might with little labor
be soon converted into valuable
forests in a small way, and become
an excellent substitute for the cedar
which is being rapidly exhausted,
besides hiding from our sight a
ghastly deformity wherever it ex-
lists.


On our own farm of over 400
acres of open land, we have only II
acres lost to the plow. One of our
first steps as young farmer was to
plant this spot in locust trees, and
to. day it is little forest Of valua
BILE timber, very slightly to the eyes
and more highly valued than any
other spot of equal size on the farm.


These spots neglected, will con
stantly grow larger, more worthless
and more unsightly, whilst the 10
Gust, like the interest on the debt
you owe, will grow while you are
asleep, or in town, Eve make this
last remark for the benefit of our
neighbor who goes to town fire.
quently, while his farm might be
the better of a little attention in
this direction in winter when little
else can be done) and make valua
BILE railroad ties, fence posts, stakes
and frewood. Try it. PRoGREss.


ASPEN HILL, July, 1877.
Year: 1877

PARKERsBURe, July 4.-The man


who does not sleep, Sanders, now


resides near this place. Some time


in 1861 or 1862 Saunders enlisted


in the Fourth West Virginia Vol


unteers. For several years he had


not slept at all, so he says. But it


becoming known directly in camp
that he made such pretensions, it
aroused the curiosity of many of
the men and officers, and they set a
watch upon him. l am told by a
colonel that he and many others
lost great many nights sleep in
endeavoring TO entrap Saunders,
but during the whole time he re


manned a member of the Fourth he
was never caught asleep. He stood
guard night after night, and week
after week, paid by sleepy headed
soldiers to take their turns, but new
er was caught mapping. He hauled
coal several weeks In succession,
only stopping long enough to eat
and change horses, and plowed in
the fields with five or six stout men
until he wore them out completely,
but never seemed to tire. During
the year 1868, l think it was, he
went to Philadelphia and was exam
ined by the leading physicians of
of the country. They sat up with
him in relays of five, night and day,
and kept up an almost constant con
versation with him, and at the ter
mination of 30 days discharged
him with a certificate, but could
give no explanation of this freak of
nature Many stories of the untir-
ing energy and activity of this man
are told, and all agree that this an
tipodes of Rip Van Wrinkle is the
most sleepless man they ever met.


Mr.. Saunders is now about 56
years of age, and says that he has
not known what sleep is for lS
years. He himself cannot account
for it, as he says the change in his
physical organization occurred with
in three days, and that he never was
sick in his life, and took medicine
but once, and that was when he had
a catarrh, about three years ago.
He is a hale, hearty man, and bids
fair to live many years yet. He is
conscientiously opposed to making
a display of himself, or no doubt
would long ago have been before
the public as one of the human Gu
riosities of the world.-Cin cinnati
Commercial.
Year: 1877

Bishop Gilbert Haven who re
Gently paid visit to Liberia, adj
vises the Southern colored people
to stay where they are and eight it
out" The first part of that eoun
sci is excellent, but the Bishop
should have explained himself when
advising the colored people to
eight it out" If he meant by this
expression that they should come
down TO square, hard work and re-
fuse hereafter to be the tools of car
pet baggers, well and good. 1t is
susceptible of proof that wherever
in the South the colored people
have co-operated with the whites
they have as a class grown pros
porous.
Year: 1877

The whole process of lithograph
printing results from the fact that
oil repels water, while photographic
stone-which is a limestone-rap-
idly absorbs both oil and water.
The lines to be printed are drawn
on the stone, with an ink of which
oil constitutes a principal part,
and the oil is Immediately absorbed
by the stone. Before printing a
wet sponge is passed over the stone
which absorbs water where the lines
have not been drawn. Then an ink
roller is passed over; the ink, being
oily, covers the lines, and the lines
only, as the stone is wet elsewhere.
Paper is then laid on the stone and
subjected to a rubbing pressure,
causing the ink lying on the stone
to be absorbed by or impressed on
the paper.
Year: 1877

Away back of the present fearful
strike, lies the cause which has pro-
duced it. The iniquitous financial
policy Of the Republican party has
brought about this distress-this
fearful loss of life and property.
In the pay of bondholders and mo


nopolists, its man Sherman has con
tracted the currency and pushed
forward to resumption until the lu-
rid flames of a mighty protest are
written in fiery characters upon the
Northern skies. The railroad mag


mates have lived in extravaganza
and luxury until they have been
called upon to render an account of
their stewardship. and in order to
meet the deficit they attempt to
steal the bread from the mouths of
the laborers and their children.
This is another item in the bill of
labor against avarice and extrav


agance. The Republican party has
run this government for years so as
to enhance the bonded indebted
ness of the people against the inter
ests of the people. The people
have become the hewers of wood
and drawers of water for them.
We have all the respect that a good
loyal American ought to have fol
the rights of others; but in this
bloody protest of labor against the
exactions of monopoly we can only
see the fruitage of the misrule and
NAL administration of the Republi
can party and its final triumph by
fraud. The laboring masses of the
Government will now see that their
only chance for protection against
monopohes and avarice is within the
fold of the Democratic party. No
where else can labor and poverty
find succor and protection. The
Republican party belongs to capitol
and is run by it. The Democratic
party opposes fraud and oppression.
The Democratic party calls for all
men to rally beneath its banner for
a grand forward movement against
the exactions of monopoly and the
expressions of money. 1t is the
Republican party that has goaded
the laborer to revolt. 1t is the Re-
publican party that has made hell
and called it peace. 1t is the Dem
ocratic party that opens its columns
and tells the laborer to march in
and get protection.-Franklin Re.
Year: 1877

The pencil marks you see around thi
paragraph (thus) mean that your


scription is out or unpaid, and that you
are requested to pay mp at once. We
would take great pleasure In extending
credit TO our friends and patrons, but
cash alone will Yay our expenses, and
we are forced to adhere 10 n strict cash
rule. We hope you will comprehend
and appreciate the necessity of such
course, and renew your subscription
without delay. We solicit your favor.


e8- We enter no new names on our
books without the money in advance.
Year: 1877

A philosopher says every man
should have a dog in the house. A
dog will scare of robbers at night,
eat up stale scraps OF meat and
when you come home out of huinor
and find supper an hour in arrears,
you can give vent 70 your wrath by
kicking the animal clear across tho
room.
Year: 1877

Croton bugs and red ants can be
driven off by sprinkling the floor
with pulverized borax, and leaving
place for them to get out; to kill
them, mix borax with sugar so they
will eat it. For ants or other YER
min, wash the shelves with a solu-
ton of borax; then sprinkle the
same with borax mixed with sugar.
When whitewashing your room, add
tablespoonful of pulverized bo-
rax to each pailful of lime.
Year: 1877

Some OF the ladies Of Roxbury,
Mass, are making a practical use
Of the telephone. They extend
from house TO house fine copper
wire, covered with silk scarcely Wis
ibIe. The ground connection is Sc
cured by running q wire from the
gas burner to the mouth piece, and
communication Is easily had by ap.
plying the mouth or ear 70 the tele-
phone. Vocal and instrumental
music is readily transferred by the
wire.i
Year: 1877

HARTFORD, August 31st, 1877.


Well, in spite of my recent promise to
play truant no more find myself this morn
ing away from that busiest of islands and
surrounded by the Ito me) novel attractions
of this venerable but comely and vigorous
little city. And very interesting spot it
is, from whatever standpoint it be regard
ed. Nowhere else in the Nutmeg State or
out of it is the greensWard greener or the
shade of the grand old trees more grateful.
In few other American cities are pleasing
evidences of wealth and culture more plenti..
full. With hardly another is there more of
historic interest associated, while as a
moneyed center doubt if there is another
town of equal size on the globe that can
compare with her-a fact of which her
citizens seem Justly proud. In fact if the
average Hartfordite has one prominent
amiable weakness it is for impressing out
siders with the solidity and magnitude of
his city's financial operations. To this end
statistics are kept lying around loose in or
der that even the most transient visitor
need not depart in ignorance of the wealth
of the Connecticut capital. Nor can it be
denied that these statistics justify the prom
inence given them. For example had not
been an hour in town before l staggered
under the knowledge that this little city of
sc, 900 inhabitants is worth in real and per-
suhal property considerably upwards of two
hundred millions of dollars. 1t is not an
everyday affair for New Yorker to feel
like taking back seat on questions of ma
terial prosperity, but here there is no es-
cape for him; for, torture the figures as we
will, they still leave Manhattan way be.
hind. New York with twenty times The


population has only five and one half times
/ the valuation of Hartford.
Year: 1877

is to exercise the control contemplated, men
will presently be giving 100000 for seat
in Congress and $1,O00,OOO for seat In the
Cabinet. To attend to all the details OF man.
agement of rs, 900 miles of railway will be
physical impossibility for the Government with
out the personal advice and responsibility OF
Congressman as to each locality, and to use
such power upon their advice will make them
virtually satraps. Each will organize the rail-
way service in his district politics Will cease
to be a matter of beliefs or principles, ana De-
come altogether a matter of offices, contracts
and wages. Whatever there is hopeful or prac-
ticable in reform of the Civil Service will be
indefinitely postponed nobody will have time
enough to reform the railway service alone. AS
TO the final result, who does not know that the
men who have money to spend, ana WHO arc
forced to spend some or lose all, will capture
Congress and take possession OF the Oo'erh-
ment ~


This reckless and revolutionary scheme VIII
be pressed by the small demagogues who WISH
70 seem to be "doing something for labor"
1t will be pressed by big politicians, who
know that the railway interest will be com
peled to buy their services at their own price,
II will be pressed by some sincere men, who
see no danger in calling upon Government to
right every existing wrong, and carry every
weary load of care and difficulty. In the end,
if there is any real danger of its adoption, 1t
will be quickly accepted by railway managers,
who will thereup0n combine to conduct the
United States Government as may suit them
selves.
Year: 1877

classes, and as it occurs during period when
wages are low and enterprise depressed 1t may
be taken as a proof that economy with these
depositors has more than made up their loss in
wages. They have realized the truth OF tho
proverb that penny saved is penny earned.


Ii is difficult to imagine more mysterious
murder than that of Mr.. Mackey, Brooklyn
lawyer, whose corpse has been found IN a.
thicket few miles from Cincinnati. AS money
and papers were found with the body, the
murder could not have been committed for the
purpose of robbery. The fracture OF the skull
disposes of the theory of suicide The facts,
80 far as furnished, point to some private quar-
rel, and it was obviously the duty of the coro-
ner to have made inquiry as to the compan-
ions with whom the victim was last seen alive.
But the coroners jury appear to have hurried
through their work with as little trouble to
themselves as possible,


The terrible atrocities committed at Laneli
and other places on the Balkan Slope will de-
priye the Bulgarians of much of the respect
and sympathy they have been accorded hlth-
erto. The only plea that can be made in abate-
ment of their criminality is that they have



and are numbering the Turks as the Turks
have murdered their people. 1t Is credit
able to the Russians that they have tired 10
restrain this ferocity, and that their oincers
have been seen to drive Bulgarians from
Turkish houses with whips. The most effect
ual way, however, to prevent needless cruel
ties would be to send the Bulgarian Legion
to the rear and keep it there.


Gov. Hartranft, referring to the strikes and
labor troubles, points out in recent CONVEX
sation what is really chief occasion OF the
disturbances in the mining districts 1here
are too many miners there. He might have
added that this superfiuity of miners Is not OF
recent growth 1t was brought about by the
way in which mining operations III PennSyl-
vania used to be conducted when the owner
shin of mines was divided among many lndi-
vduas and companies. There would come to
each of these, if successful at all, period
of prosperity, during which they would
import from abroad considerable number
of miners, and all the men who were
thus collected in a given district have stayed
there. Many mining enterprises have, as q
matter of course, declined OF have been totally
abandoned. Manifestly the remedy is TO trans
port these supertluous miners to the West or
South where labor is needed. Gov. HartIanit
saws that they do not wish to go; but prob
ably they would change their minds on that
point il definite prospects for work were held
out to them. The whole labor problem might
be solved if some organized system were de
yised, by means of which, when a laborer was
out of work in our Eastern cities, he could be
furnished transportation to some locality where
labor is in demand.