smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

When the letter to Zachary Taylor, announcing the
withdrawal of of the regular troops from Tayor's
command to be placed under his i'll projected move
ment from Vera Cruz toward the capital of Mexico,
received while the General supper with his staff
Monterey The General asked Colonel Bliss read it to
him. He had just repenshed his coffee cup, and
gagged in cooling it with spoon while the reading went
on This appeared to make further impression upon
him than that indicated by contemptuous sniff, but
as real import Of the letter began to appear his whole
manner changed and he absracedy dipped the spoon in
to bowl Of mustard which sat upon the table and stirred
it in the coffee This he repeated until by the time the
reading the finished the contents of the
tard bowl were exhausted. Without saying word, and
to Bliss astonshment and horror he raised the cup his
lips and gulped down the whole abominabe compound.
He then broke into excited and proane harangue
signing everlasting damnation every concerned in


the proposed depletion of his forces and only ceasing
when his speech overtaken with paroxysm of
tering which, with, him usually followed violent
break of temper The Colonel felt that from the
amount of mustard he had swallowed combined with the
intelligence he had received, it would nallbly sicken
him. but nothing uncommon came of it. ''Ratsbane at
that moment said Bliss, would, am convinced, have
had effect upon him than upon the stomach of
Mithridates General Pleasonton, who commanded the
Generals escor in Mexico says that when thorough
ly aroused he was the maddest he saw-mad
from the crown of his hat to the soes of his boots
Year: 1879

s'The past rises before like dream. Again
in the great struggle for National life We hear the
sounds of preparaonthe music Of the boisterous drum


the silver voices of the heroic buges we thousands
of assembages and hear the appeals of orators
the pale cheeks of women, and the flushed faces of


and in these assembages all the dead whose dust
we have covered with flowers We lose sight of them no
more. We were with them when they enlisted in the
great army of freedom We them part from those
they love- Some walking for the last time in quiet
woody places with the maidens they adore. We hear
the whsperings and the sweet of eternal love
they ngerngly part forever Others are bending
cradles kissing babies that asleep Some receiv


ing the blessings of old men, Some parting who held
them and press them their hearts again and again and
say nothing and talking with wives, and en-
deayorng with words spoken in the old tone TO drive from
their hearts the awful fear. We them part. We
the wife standing in the door, with the babe in her
Year: 1879

from the American Agriculturist.j


There Is strong protest offered, IN dlf-
ferent ways and from various sources,
against our long established practice OF
making poor floors, with the design OF
keeping them covered with carpets
stretched and fitted to every part and
carefully tackled down. Carpets in daily
use cannot be Kept clean except by very
frequent shaking and beating, aud they
do much towards corrupting the air by
retaining impure gases, hiding the finest,
most penetrating dust in their meshes
and undernea'h them and by giving of
particles of line wool into the atmosphere,
with other dust, as they are swept or
walked upon. There is demand for bet
ter floors, not necessarily inlaid or mo-
saics, of different kinds of precious wood,
but made double, Of strong seasoned
wood, that will not shriHk or warp
(spruce, however we'll seasoned, is almost
sure to warp), and then carefully finished
SO as to be durable and easily cleaned
Carpeted floors seem relief TO the house.
keeper, when once the carpets are pro.
cured and fitted to the rooms and tackled
down, because they do not show the dirt
as the bure floor do. But oh! when they
do get full of dust! And when house
cleaning time comes and they must be
taken up and shaken and whipped as
they we'll deserve! With warmly made


floors and large warm rugs, couldn't We
do without these abominatous even in
winter? Certainly our rooms would be
cooler and sweete- without them in sum-
mer. But in that case we must take
more pains with our floors, and we must
have something better than the common
unpain ted ones.
Year: 1879

OleVeldn0 Leader.


There is bronze medal in the United
States Treasury department with which
there is little incident connected that
may carry conviction to the souls of be.
llevers in omens, and that is. in any event,
OF interest in connection wNh the ap-
preaching fourteenth anniversary CT the
18th of April, 'G5 The medal bears an
excellent head and bust in profile OF Pres
dent Lincoln, executed by medalist
named Paquet, now in the employ Of the
Treasury Department. Early IN April,
1865, Mr.. Paquet was in Philadelphia
with his work, watching the completion
of his medal with great solicitude, and
was greatly discouraged one morning to
find an ugly crack in the die, beginning
back Of the ear and extending across the
temple, seriously marring the face that
had cost him so much labor. A crack
in the steel die from which the impress
is taken is no uncommon thing in medal
making, bat the significance of this
crack was developed later. Mr.. Paquet
telegaphed his i'll. luck to the authorities
at Washington, and they. satisfied with
the excellence of the likeness which he
had obtained, determined to overlook the
blemish, and directed him to proceed
with the medal. A few hours later q
tragedy that threw nation into mourn
ing occurred. Wilkes Booth stole into
the Presidents box at the theatre, and
the assassin's bullet took almost exactly
the same course of the crack across the
head of the medal, entering back of one
ear and coming out over the temple.
This medal, which might have been
priced only because Of the faithful por-
traiture of President Lincoln's face, and
the fact that it was one OF the last repre-
sentations of linn, has an added value be.
cause OF the defect which may be re-
garded as prophecy, Or at least strange
coincidence. The parties for whom it
was executed we're so impressed, and
whenever it is shown the history ana ap-
propriateness of the peculiar blemish is
invariably given.
Year: 1879

The cattle plague still continues its
ravagcs in the northeastern portions Of
the German empire, it having appeared
in at least thirty-seve different localities.
the most vigorous precautionary measures
for counteractlpg the spread Of the ter
rible disease have been adopted by the
German Government. Detachments Of
soldiers have been despatched to the in
fected districts in order to strictly watch
and superintend the execution of the
laws and regulations adopted for this
purpose; and also to completely isolate
all the cattle of the districts in which
any outbreak Of this malady has been
discovered. Arrests have been made of
persons supposed to have introduced
these infected cattle from Russia.
Year: 1879

not think that the act of Congreas which, by
requiring test oath a. to past conduct ex-
cludes = great majority of the citizens
of half the country from tho jury
box, is valid. In my judgment tho aot
is not only oppressive and odious and repug-
nant to the spirit of our institutions, but is
clearly unconstitutional and void Al war
measure to be enforced in insurgent States
when dominated by the national forces the act
would be sustained, but after the war was over
and the insurgents were restored to their nor
NAL and constitutional relations to the Union
1t ~as a. much out of place and imperative As
would be y law quartering = soldier in every
southern mans house.


Justice Strong dissented from the opinion of
the court.


Chief Justice Wait announced to the bar that
court would adjourn for term Monday May S.
Year: 1879

W11KEsBABRE, Pa, April 2s.-After four
days. entombment the miners imprisoned
by the fall of tho roof of the mins were re-
leased this morning. The men sustained
life by the meat of . mule, which boy sent
to give them warning had fortunately with
him, and = stream running through the mine
gave them the needful water. Relief of Ia
borers have been constantly at work night
and day, and finally they succeeded in work
ing through the fifty-foo block of coal. The
men suffered little from their confinement,
and they and their rescuers were loudly
cheered as they reached the surface of the
mine.
Year: 1879

Under the name of sympathetic inks
are designated certain liquids which


being used for writing, leave no visible
traces OH the paper, but which, through
the agency of heat, or by the action of
chemicals, are made to appear in va
rious colors. The use of such means


or secret correspondence is very an
cient. Ovid, Pliny, and other Roman
writer's speak of an ink of this kind,
which, however, was nothing more
than fresh milk. 1t merely sufficed to
dust powdered charcoal over the sur
face of the paper which characters had
been trace d with the colorless fluid,
when the black powder adhered only to
those places where the fatty matter of
the milk had spread. Such process,
however, was merely mechanical, and
the results very crude. A great num-
Der of sympathetic inks may be OBJ
tanned by means OF reactions known to
chemystry. For instance, write on
paper with colorless solution of sugar
of lead if the water that is used for the
solution be pure, no trace of the wri-
ting will remain when it becomes dry.
Now hold the paper over jet of sui
phureted hydrogen, and the characters
will Immediately appear on the paper,
of an intense black color. The follow
ing recieps for inks Of this kind are
more simble: If writing be executed
with a dilute solution of sulphate of
iron, the invisible characters will ap


pear of beautiful blue, if the dry pa
per be brushed over with a pencil full
of solution of yellow prussiate of pot
ash or they will be black, If solution
of tannin be substituted for the prus-
slate. If the characters be written with
a solution of sulphate of copper, they
will at once turn blue on exposure to
the vapors of ammonia. Another SYM
pathetic ink is effOrded by chloride Of
gold, which becomes Of reddish pur-
ple when acted upon by salt of tin. A
red sympathetic ink may be made in
the following manner: Write with a
very dilute solution of perchloride Of
iron-so dilute, indeed, that the writing
will be invisible when dry. By hol-
ding the paper in the vapor arising from
long-necked glass flask containing
sulphuric acid and few drops Of So
luton of sulphc-cyanlde Of potassium,
Year: 1879

Compressed leather is now produced
of a quality said to be harder, closer
and more compact than the natural hide.
The manufacturing process is entirely
simple, consisting in the reduction of
cuttings, or waste, of shoemakers into
fine filamehts, and these are combined
with the cuttings or refuse OF OK, and
similar hides, when unfit to tan, these
being reduced to a fbrous mass. The
whole is con bined together with water
to which is added one part of sulphuric
acid to one hundred parts of water,
until it assumes plastic mass, when it
is pressed into mOulds the size and thick
ness required. When dried In steam
heated room they are passed through
heavy pulp rolls, glazed on one side and
rough on the other to represent the
grain and flesh sides of the leather.
The addition of the raw fibre with the
tanned filaments is in certain portions,
according to the quality of the leather
required, from five to twenty per cent.
being safely employed; it gives vitality
tn the tanned fibres by agglutinating
them and imparting the albumen and
gelatine destroyed by the tannic acid.
To render the leather more supple or
flexible, about one pint of glycerine
may be incorporated with each hundred
weight of the mass. The fact, as stated
that this kind of leather is much less
permeable than ordinary sole leather
gives it a superior value for certain
purp oses, especially when 1t is consid-
ed how large an amount Of inferior
stock Is at present employed in manu-
factures presumably of pure leather.
Year: 1879

the characters will appear of u blood
red color, which will again disappear
on submitting them TO the vapors OF
caustic ammonia. This experiment
can be repeated ad in.fRitam. During
the war in India, some years ago, i'm
portant correspondence was carried on
by the English by means of the use of
rice water as a writing fluid. On the
application of iodine the dispatches i'm


mediately appeared in blue characters.
Sympathetic inks which are developed
under the influence Of heat only are
much easier TO use than the foregoing.
The liquids which possess such pro-
perty are very numerous. Almost
every one perhaps knows that if wri-
ting be executed on paper with clean
quill pen dipped in onion or turnip
juice, it becomes absolutely invisible
when dry; and that when the paper is
heated the writing at once makes its
appearance in characters of a brown
color, All albuminoid, mucilaginous,
and saccharine vegetable juices make
excellent sympathetic inks; we may
cite. as among the best. the juices of le-
mon, orange, apple and pear. A dilute
solution of chloride Of copper used for
writing is invisible until the parer is
heated, when the letters are seen of a
beautiful yellow, disappearing again
when the heat that developed them is
removed. The salts of cobalt, as the
acetate, nitrate, sulphate, and chloride.
possess like property. When a di-
lutte solution of these salts is used as an
ink, the writing, although invisible
when dry, becomes blue when exposed
TO heat. The addition of chloride OF
iron, or of salt of nickel, renders
them green, and this opens the way for
a very pretty experiment: If a winter
landscape be drawn in India ink, and
the sky be painted with a wash of CO.
bait alone, and the branches of the
trees be clothed with leaves executed
with a mixture of cobalt and nickel,
and tine snow-clad earth be washed over
WIN IL
formation at once takes place on the
application of heat, the winter land
scape changing to a summer scene.
There is well known proprietary ar
ticle sold i'm Paris under the name of
g 'Encrs pour les Danes" (ink for ladies'.
Hager, in recent scientific journal,
states that this consists of an aqueous
solution Of iodide of starch, and is "spe-
cially intended for love letters" In
four weeks characters written with il
disappear, preventing all abuse of let
tiers, and doing away with all doeu-
mentary evidence of any kind in the
hands Of the recipient. The signers of
bills of exchange who use this ink are
of course freed from all obligations in
the same length of time.
Year: 1879

Jerry and an old neighbor had gone
on the bay during the thaw that pre-
ceded the bitter cold. They were "out-
side" and must wait for the tide to get
over the bar They wer not prepared
for such sudden change in the tenn
perature. 1t grew colder and still col
der. Their friends on shore built up
brushwood fires as beacon lights, but
their boat was already fast i'm the ice
even if they were helpless under the
influence of that ice wind. They drift
ted out beyond their earthly shores in
to eternity.


A few days after this Tom came to
tell me the sad news that poor old Jer-
ry's body had been recovered. He was
found dead i'm the bottom of the boat.


"Jerry alwas said," continued Tom,
.'that he had prayed to be allowed to
give a sign that he was faithful unto
death and that God was with him to the
end. His desire was granted, he gave
the sign"


"What was it?" I asked.


"He took a piece of an old flag and
tied it on an oar and planted it on the
ice. know Jerry meant by that, I've
got the victory"


els that all ?" / exclaimed In tone
of Disappointment.


Tom went en- to say-"What makes
me feel more than all, ma 'am, is, that il
Jerry hadn't been so forgetful of himself
he might have been alive this minute
You see old Bill was with him, and
what does Jerry do but take of his OWL
overcoat and mittens and puts them or
old Bill, and wraps his comforter arount
Bills neck, and so saved Bill alive bu
he was froze dead himself!'
Year: 1879

The late Duchess of Gordon, taking
an airing alone in her carriage, in re-
mote part of the Scottish Highlands,
observed at some distance from the
road neat cottage surrounded by a
garden. Her Grace pulled the check
string, and asked the servants to go
round with the carriage to a place
where she desired them to stop, while
she crossed the moor to pay the cottage
visit. The Duchess happened 20 wear
a green pelisse trimmed with gold
lace. and her hat was ornamented with
golden spangles. A girl about twelve
year old, the only person in the cot
tage, was spinning at the Wheel and
singing merry strain. As soon as her
eyes caught the figure of the Duchess
approaching, the green dress, the shin
ing appearance of the hat, on which
the sun shone, the singularity of such
visitant in so lonely a situation, all so
worked on the Imagination OF the little
girl that she verify believed the Queen
of the Fairies had come to reveal to her
some fearful mystery of fate. In great
terror she escaped to a back closet,
where, through a small aperture, she
could see without being seen. The sup
posed Fairy Queen entered, surveyed
the apartment with a curious eye, and
seeing the wheel bethought herself of
trying to spin. She gave the wheel
several turns but could not make toll
cradle thread, though she twisted up
all the carded wool she could find. AS
some compensation for any injury her
awkwardness might have Occasioned
Her Guace tied crown piece in a
handkerchief that lay upon the table,
fixed it to a spoke of the wheel, and de-


parted. The girl could not summon
courage to venture from her hiding
place before her father and sister came
in, nor for some time after could they
extract from her an explanation of the
extraordinary state of perturbation in
which they found her. Their surprise
was scarcely less than hers when they
were informed that somebody, who
could be no other than the Queen of the
FAIRIES, for she was all in green and
and gold, and shining bright as the sun
had come into the house and seeing no.
body there, had fallen to bewitching
the wheel which, as sure as fairies were
fairies, would never go again. "And,
see," continued the enthusiast, point
ing to the handkerchief tied on the
spoke, something which she had left"
The father united the handkerchief,
and the sight of the sterling piece of
coin which it contained soon dispelled
from his mind all suspicion as to the
terrestrial attributes of the lady who
had been honoring his cottage with
visit. Tho women Of the cottage. how
ever. were of very different opinion.
With them the lady could be no other
than the Fairy Queen. who must doubt
less have come to tell poor Isabel her
fortune; the spoiled thread was a sign
that the first days of her life would be
oc ui'i hcu WIN uisaPpoihtiHchs anu
sorrow, and the crown piece tied in a
handkerchief to the spoke of the wheel
betokened that she would in the end ar
rive by honest industry at wealth and
comfort. Harmless delusiOn, 1t lasted
but for day. Sunday came, and the
appearance of the Queen of the FAIRIES,
in the same dress at church "a the
Dachess of the Manor, convinced even
Isabel that she had been deceived.
Year: 1879

with British Jack at the stern, was
waiting. After the parting ceremonies
the Prince stepped into the boat, when
small royal standard was unrolled,
and its staff set in socket at the bow.
This was the signal for the firing of a
royal salute by all the ships Of the fleet
at once as rapidly as it could be done.
Most of the guns were of eleven inch
calibre, which were heard twenty
miles away. After the salute, the
crews manned the yards of each ship,
cheering the Prince as he went up the
gang-way stairs When he stepped on
the deck of the Hero, ball of silk went
up the mainmast head from the deck
like a rocket, which unrolled as if by
magic, displaying large, nearly square
dag, with the blazonry of national en-
blems and the heraldic quarterings of
the House of Brunswick, the presence
of whose principal male representative
it proclaimed. That flag was the royal


tandard of Great Britain, magnificent
in itself and made doubly so by the
presence of the future king of the
realm, the surroundings and circum-
stances. The Royal Standard has since
been hoisted on the occasion of the Wis
it of Prince Alfred, now Duke of Edin-
burgn. and Prince Arthur, now Duke
of Connaught, each on duty in his
country's service. The other day it
was again hoisted when the Duke of
Edinburgh landed at Halifax as a
member of the royal family, and its use
On the occasion of the landing of the
the Princess Louise and the Marquis
of Lorne sums up the number of Occa-
sions on which it has been displayed
on this continent.
Year: 1879

Why is dancing like milk? Because
it strengthens the calves.


Why is an Englishman like bee ? Be-
cause he is ruled by Queen.


What is the best way to curb wild
young mar? to bridal him.


What kind Of ship has two mates and
no Captain? Courtship.


Why is discontented man like a
watch dog? Because he is growler.


What is that by losing an eye has no.
hing left but q nose? A noise.


What is that which makes everything
visible but is itself unseen? Light


Why is letter like flock of sheep?
Because 1t is peneed and folded.


What class of women are most apt to
give tone to societies? Bellies.
Year: 1879

ToA BEAUTIFUL FEMALE HEAD, BY GUIDO
Vast thou being Of our earth-born race.
Or but descended from some radiant sphere
When Guido saw the scraph in thy face.
And gave thee to the world, unchanging here!
II thou vast mortal-and they say thy lot
Was one OF sorrow in this sorrowing spot
His touch translated thee, and thou was I


caught


Up to the Heav'n Of Genius-in the glow
OF thy celestial beauty with the thought
OF angels throned upon thy tranquil brow,
And womans tenderness within thine eyes
AL SORROW pitying, but all pain above
We claim for earth yet know thee Of the skies
And while we worship can but dare to love


u Houston Al7in,
Year: 1879

The Prince Imperial rode into dan
ger, it is said, like thorough French
cavalier, with laughter in his eyes and a
jest upon his tongue, and he died with
the name of his country among his last
recorded words. He left England, too,
in the most buoyant and sanguine spir-
its, telling his friends that he would see
them in the course of the year, when he
hoped to have been able to show that he
was a good soldier. Able Goddard OF
Chiselhurst says that the Prince, no
matter how busily occupied, never for
got his religious duties.
Year: 1879

A little boy in East Bridgeport has
singular fondness for eating cotton in
the various forms in which it is used.
His parents have to watch him, because
he will chew up and swallow every piece
of thread he finds, and will also lunch
from roll of batting, if opportunity
offers. Not long ago he ate quite hole
in T. roll of the latter intrusted to him to
carry home. This revolutionary style
of diet does not seem to entirely agree
with him, as he is quiet emaciated.-
BRIDGEPORT Comm Stand ard.


A gentleman, being asked whether
he was seriously injured when a steam
boiler exploded, is said to have replied
that he was so used to being blown up
by his wife that steam had no effect on
him.
Year: 1879

THERE IS such glut OF money in
London that prime three months
bills are discounted at the rate of I
OF l per cent per annum. The
posted rated of the Bank of England
is kept at 2per cent that figure be-
ing the lowest ever formally made,
though the bank no longer adheres
to the post-rate.
Year: 1879

Said Dir. CuyIes to the girls at
Packer Institute "Let woman do
whatever she can do well. Let her
follow every path of usefulness
wherein she can walk gracefully
and without stumbling. Can she
set type or make telegraph instru-
ment talk in electric s. eecb? ? Then
let her do that with a happy heart
and to the music Of merry voice"