smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

At an early hour last evening, as a
member of the late Legislature was sip
ping his beverage in the Office saloon,
Deadwood, he was approached by an irate
creditor, who demanded that he liquidate
certain bills which he had contracted at
his saloon. The. representative from Bis


marck looked upon the collector with su-
preme d;sdain, and asked the dispenser of
the festive cocktail what country he came
from that could produce men with sutfi-
cient audacity to ask a representative of
the people OF Dakota Territory to pay a
"filthy liquor bill" At this point the con
versation became exceedingly lively, and
words were used that would, according to
orthodox notions, insure mans passage
to that place where thermometers, have to


be examined with a step-ladder. The
honorable gentleman from Bismarck used
some very bad language toward the glass
manipulation, and then came the tug of
war, and after considerable heavy firing
all along the line, the intelligent maker Of
laws for the voters OF Dakota emerged
from the fracas looking as though he had
been chewed up and spit out. .
Year: 1879

The Missouri river valley is the best
potato raising country in the world. One
hundred and fifty bushels to the acre arc
raised without any. trouble, and there is
always a market for them at from eighty
cents 10 81 per bushel Come West,
young man, and grOw-pOtatoes.
Year: 1879

An execution by the garote. although


accredited with being mercifully painless,


IS certainly awful to behold. The place of
execution in Madrid is accessible to the
public, and the occasion is of equal interest
to day at the bull ring. Everything con-
nected with this ceremony or death is
viewed with morbid horror by the Span
iards, because Of ancient Oriental preju-
dices of pollution. All actually employed
in the operation are accounted infamous
and lose their caste and purity of blood.
Even the gloomy scafoid on which the eul-
prit is straugled is usually erected at night
and by unseen hands. 1t rises from the
earth like fungus work of darkness.
Execution by hanging was graciously abol-
ished by Ferdinand VII. It is certainly
more in accordance with the semi-O Oriental
natures of the Spanish people. which lead
them to tenderly respect the bowstring.
All that Cervantes, from his sad experience,
pictured prison to be, it is to-day all
that he said of a morbid love of his coun-
trymen for the horrible or the ludicrous is
equally true. The crowd that assemblies
just beyond the line of gendarmes 60 to see
how the criminal will conduct himself.
They sympathize with him if he displays
bravado or courage, and they despise him
on the least symptom of unmanliness.
At the fatal hour the culprit arrives, usu-
ally clad in coarse yellow baize gown,
the color in which the Spanish school of
painters paint the object of their contempt,
Judas Iscariot. The scaffold having been
mounted, the culprit is placed ou rude
seat. His back leaus against strong up
right post, to which an iron collar is at
'sacncus ciEOivsIug
as to be drawn home by turning powerful
screw behind the post. The arms and
legs of the criminal are tightly bound.
When all Is ready the execntloner takes
the lever of the screw in both hands, gath
srs himself up for powerful mu SECULAR ef-
fort, and, at the moment of preconcerted
signal, draws the iron collar tight, while
an attendant filings black handkerchief
over bis face. A cenvulsiYe pressure Of the
hands and heaving of the chest are the
only visible signs of suffering.
Year: 1879

St Louis News. January 10. $50


Late last Saturday evening an incident
occurred on Portland avenue that NAV serve
as warning to hundreds of young persons
who have entered upon career of wax-
chewing. A girl named Lida Smith had
oeen chewer for nearly year. She is
ABOUT eleven years old, rather bright and
Intelligent, and chewed about the same
quantity of the material that was used by
nelghboring girls along the avenue. On
Saturday evening she took her wax from
her mouth, stuck it under the edge of the
mantel until she could 60 to the Kitchen to
get swallow Of water, and on her return
her parents were horri6ed to see her laws
moving rapidly. She was told to throw the
wax from her mouth, and on investigation
it was found that she was not chewing anv.
thing; still her jaws kept moving at q rap
i'd rate. The parents sent for physician.
who came and attempted to hold the law in
proper position, believing it to be only tenn
porary, but he could not stop the regular
movement. The child grew nervous, and
the excitement only increased the action Of
the jaws. The physician put tight band.
age over her face and this partially relieved
The movement, but then the twitehing of
the muscles extended all over her face. AS
last resort moderate dose of morohine
was administered, and the little girl kept
up incorent mutterings, accompanied by
general disturbance of the muscles of the
upper portion of the body, during the early
portion Of the night, and towards morning
the little sufferer was restored to her nor
NAL condition. The physician says he never
heard Of such case before, and thinks It
vas brought about by a spasmodic action OF
the muscles of the face, caused by overac.
ton. The little girl after enduring night
of suffering is now restored, but nothing in
the world could induce her again to chew
WAY. ---
Year: 1879

4 indianapolis journal.


Two weeks ago reference was made IN


the Sunday JonTnaL to the invention by q


citizen Of indianapolis an serial car, in the


construction and working of which an en-
tirely new mechanical contrivance has been
introduced. The invention was then no
ticed in only general terms, for the reason
that its author was not desirous of having
his name made public until his application
! for patent had been decided upon. Yes
terday morning, however, notice was re-
ceived from Washington that a patent
would be granted, and the inventor stated
to Journal reporter that this enlarged
model was so near compilation that he would
be ready to place it on exhibition during
the ceming week.


The air-ship with which he proposes to


make his preliminary test will consist Of q
cone-shaped balloon twenty-seven feet in
length and about six feet in diameter, at
tached to which is car twenty feet long.
This will illustrate the general design of
the Car, but the size will be regulated en-
tirely by after considerations, the intention
at first being to have car large enough to
carry dozen or twenty people. The in
yent1on which has been patented IS the
method by which the air-ship is to be
guided along given line of route, 50 as to
supply safe, agreeable and useful means
of aerial travel from place to place, with a
certainty of arriving at the desired destina-
tion equal to that of transit by railroad or
steamboat. 1t is proposed to connect the
car by the use Of stay ropes or cables with
line of track consisting of a single Trail,
CONSTRUCTED after peculiar design, and
laid at the same height as the New York
elevated railroad namely, from thirty to
forty feet above the ground.


By a peculiar but simple coutrivance the
air-car is to be guided along this track, and
though this may be impossible in the face
of . head wind, it is believed little difficult
ty will be experienced from side currents.
The inventor believes that this plan for
travelling through the air will be absolutely
safe, and is Of the opinion that, with the
various improvements and additional ia
cilities which will doubtless suggest them
solves when it fairly comes into operation,
it may certainly be expected to take rank
as one of the most important discoveries of
the age. 1t is his intention to apply to the
common council for permission to lay an
experimental track from the city to the
stock yards, and expects to have it in OPP
Grafton this summer. 80 that all who are de-
sirous of experiencing the sensation of
ballooning without any Of it's risks may do
30 at the rate of charge which, considering
the novelty OF the trip, will be sufficiently
reasonable to induce many to try the ex-
pertinent.
Year: 1879

South America has its large bats, OF


one of which everybody has heard-the


vampire. Much nonsense has been writ


ten about it, butthere was some founda-
ton for the stories of its sucking the


blood of men and animals until it killed
them. In the interior of South America
nearly everybody sleeps in hammock
either out-Of-doors or with the windows
open, and the weather is so warm that
little covering is used. The vampire
comes in on silent wings, and finding
toe exposed, gently pricks it with his
sharp tooth, and draws the blood until
ne can swallow no more. The sleeper
rarely is awakened, and does not know
his loss until morning. He may then
feel weak from the flow of blood, but l
am not aware that a man was ever
known to die from this cause. Horses
are very greatly troubled by them also.
Mr.. Charles WattertOn, an enthusiastic
naturalist, now dead, who spent several
years in New Guiana, has told us much
about this ugly bat, but could never in
duce one to taste of his toe, although he
would have been very glad to be able to
say that he had been operated upon.
For eleven months he slept alone in the
loft of deserted woOd-cutter's hut in
the deep forest. There the vampires
came and went as they wished. He
saw them come in the moonlight on
stealthy wings, and prick the ripe ba-
nanas; lay in. his hammock and
watched them bring almost to his bed
yide the green wild fruit of the wild
guava; floating down the river on other
moonlight nights he was struck by the
falling blossoms of the lawarrinut tree
which the vampires pulled from the
branches to get at the tender seed-vessel,
F the insects that lurk in the deep
corolla. He lay night after night with
his bare foot exposed, but could never
get them to lance it, although his friends
and companions were all bled by this
nocturnal surgeon; and except that he
once caught one fastened to the shoulder
of one his animals, he came away no
wiser than when he went of how the
vampire does his horrid work.


The vampires measure about twenty
six inches across the wings; frequent
old houses and hollow trees, and repose
in clusters, head downwards, from the
branches of forest trees.
Year: 1879

All the evidence goes to show that
death by hanging is painless, and there
is positively no fact or well-founded
opinion to the contrary. If this be the
case, then, what IS the explanation of it?
Simply this : That in every form of
strangulation the blood-vcssels of the
neck are compressed, as we'll as the air
passages. A large part Of the blood is
returned from the head by the external


jugular veins, which are very near the
surface, and in which the current can
be checked by slight pressure. Most of
the blood from the brain itself comes
back through the internal jugular veins,
which lie near, but a little outside of the
carotid arteries. The walls of veins are
lax and yielding, so as to be easily COM
pressed, while those of the arteries are


firm and elastic, and it requires consId-
cradle force to approximate thenE Pres
sure, then, which is sufficient to close
the iugular veins only crowds the caro-
tids little further inward, and the blood
is still poured through them into the
brain, whence it cannot escape. When
this pumping process is going on at the
rate of seventy strokes a minute, it is
easy TO understand how the engagement
of the vessels of the brain in a short
time reaches a degree which causes in
sensibility. To explain why this con-
gestion causes Inconsistencies would
involve a te1Enieal discussion which
would here be out of place. 1t must
suffice that it does; so that, as the cere-
bral congestion in a hanged person
brings on insensibility within minute.
while the physical agony of suffering
does not begin until later, it follows that
the victim does not feel any of the
pangs of asphyxia. He first becomes
insensible, with accompanying pleas
Hrable feelings, from cerebral congestion,
and then is choked to death while un-
PonsciOus
Year: 1879

Don't Le afraid of a little fun at home,
good people Don't shut up your house
lest the sun should fade your carpets ;
and your hearts, lest a hearty laugh
shake down some of the musty old cob
webs there. If you want to ruin your
sons, let them think that sll mirth and
social enjoyment must be left at the
threshold without, when they come
home at night. When once a home is
regarded as only place to eat, drink
and sleep in, the work is begun that
ends in gambling houses and reckless
degradation. Young people must have
fun and relaxation somewhere; if tley
do not find it at their own bearthstones,
they will seek it at some other and per-
haps less profitable place. Therefore
let Ihe fire burn brightly at night, and
make tho homestead delightful with all


nose little arts that parents so we'll un-
derstand. Don't repress the buoyant
spirits of your children. Half an hour
Of merriment around the lamp and fire.
light Of home blots out the renem-
brance of many care and annoyance
during the day; and the best safeguard
they can take with them into the world
Is the unseen influence Of a bright little
domestic sanctum.
Year: 1879




Here is one of the best monkey stories
we have heard. A brave, active, intelli-
gent, terrier, belonging to q lady, one
day discovered a monkey belonging to
an itinerant organ-grinder, seated upon
a bank within the grounds, and at once
made a dash for him. The monkey,
who was attired in jacket and hat,
awaited the onset with such undisturbed
tranquility that the dog halted within a
few feet of him to reconnoiter. Both
animals took long, steady stare at each
other, but the dog evidently was recov-
ering from his surprise, and about to
make a spring for the intruder. At this
critical iuncture the monkey, who had
remained perfectly quiet hitherto, raised
his nav and gracefully saluted by lifting
his hat. The effect was magical; the
dogs head and tail dropped, and he
sneaked off and entered the house, re-
flsing to leave it until he was satisfied
that his polite but mysterious guest had
departed. His whole demeanor showed
plainly that he felt the monkey was
something :'uneannya and not to be
meddled With,
Year: 1879

The state of mind named Terror or
Fear Is described shortly as a state of
extreme misery and depression, pros
trating the activity and causing exagger-
alton of ideas in whatever is related to
it. 1t is an addition to pain pure and
slmple-the pain of present inflictiOn.
1t is reused by the foretaste or prospect
Of eVil, especially if that is great in
amount, and still more if it is Of uncer-
tain nature.


As far as education is concerned,
terror is an incident of the infiction of
punishment We may work by the
motive of evil without producing the
and well defined; a small understood
pT1yation, q modern dose of irksome-
ness, may be salutary and preventive,
without any admixture of the quakings
and misery of fear. A severe infic-
ton in prospect will produce fear; the
more so that the subject does not know
how severe it is to be.


In the higher moral education, the
management of the passion of fear is Of
the greatest consequence. The evils Of
operating by means of it are so great
that it should be reserved for the last
resort The waste OF energy and the
scattering Of thoughts are ruinous to the
interests of mental progress. The one
certain result is to paralyze and arrest
action, or else to concentrate force in
some single point, at the cost of general
debility. The tyrant, working BY terror,
disarms rebelliousness, but fails to pro-
cure energetic service, while engender-
ing hatred and preparing for his over
throw.


The worst of all modes and instru-
ments of discipline is the employment
Of spiritual, ghostly, or superstitious
terror. Unless it were to scourge and
thwart the greatest of criminals-the
disturbers of the peace of mankind
hardly anything justifes the terror of
superstition. On a small scale, we know
what it is to frighten children with
ghosts; on a larger scale is the influence
Of religions dealing almost exclusively
IN the fear of another life.
Year: 1879

Yours squeezfngly," an Englishman
signed his letters, and he and his sweet
heart used to go to sleep in the same
arm chair with the same handkerchief
over their faces, all OF which the jury
took into consideration when assessing
the damages for breach Of promise,
Year: 1879

over the everating torrid heat, are encour-
aged to think the capitol isn't so bad q
place to live in after all. But there is one
complaint that still holds in this neighbor-
hood-the drouth. That is a fact deplora-
BILE, and there seems to be no prospect Of
relief from old probabilities. Vegetation
is actually burning to death. The small
fruits have been snriveled, and the mar
ket is almost bare Of them. Every crop
must suffer seriously, and the fields are
parched and uninviting
Year: 1879

Ice at wholesale and retail all through
the season. Wagons run regularly to all
parts Of the city. Oalce and Ice Box
next to Bristols grocery on Eight street.
The best Lake Ice always on hand.
ma JAcoy Ktxx.
Year: 1879

Since our last review we have to
report q moderately active produce
market at last weeks prices, Farm
ers are again looking around for
seed, which reminds lis that spring
is again near Mt hand.


flouR:-The only change in
this pranch Of trade is tho introduce
ton of new brand or two, which,
together with standard grades are
held firm at last quotations. We
Year: 1879

The Lauderdale Review has more in


and is the best conducted paper that
Pmes to us from the East. 1t is some
|hat of newspaper marvel how a
an can print such paper in a small
wn offering SO few advantages as
|auderdale station. But it only goes


show that newspaper is dependent
Pt SO much upon the place where it


published as upon the man who
|nblishes it.
Year: 1879

McDowall Cox, who lives about four
n les from Lafayette, in Wabash Town
ship, about two weeks ago lost a dog
which he highly priced. The last that
was seen Of the animal was one day
about that length If time ago, when he
scared up some unknown creature and
darted out Of sight after it.


4 day or Two ago Mr.. Cox accidental
ly discovered his dead body ia The woods
and about thirty feet distant the dead
body of large wolf The ground
around the wolf was covered with hair
torn from his woolly coat


Evidently the dog, after a long strug-
gle, had killed the wolf and then, walk
ing off distance Of thirty feet Or 50
laid down to die.


The wolf stood about twenty two inches
in height when on his feet, and was more
than twice as large as the dog.
Year: 1879




The escape from death ofM de Chat
eaubron, during the Reign Of Terror, was
truly remarkable. He was not ONLY con
demned, but actually awaited bis turn at
the guilIotine, standing sixteen in a line
Of twenty. The fifteenth head had fallen.
when the machine got out Of order, and
the five had to wait until 1t was rebairea
The crowd pressed forward to see what
was going on, and as it grew dark NJ. de
Chateaubrun found himself gradually
thrust into the re.l of the spectators; 50
he wisely slipped away, and meeting a
man simple enough or charitable enough
TO take bis word that wag had tied his
hands and ran away with his hat, he had
his hands set free, and managed to reach
safe hiding place. A f5w days later he
put himself beyond the reach. Of the exc
cutjoner.


Another remarkable escape was that Of
two women, mother and daughter, who,
travelling over lonely road in j private
conveyance, were attacked By their driver.
who, pulling up in a lonely spot, demand
Cd their jeweIry and upoa their demur-
ring, tied the pair to the vehicle and
seized the triukets. Then bethinking
himself that dead women could tell no
tales the ruftian drew out his knife but,
slipping from his hand, It fell into the
ditch. He plunged his hand into the
water to recover the weapon, and os lie
clutched it black snake fixed it's fangs
in the would-be murderer's hand; He
succumbed 10 the poison and in ten min
ntes was past hurting anybody. The
women were discovered by some villagers
and released, but the corpse Of the driver
was lett alone until the police arrived on
the scene and did official duty.
Year: 1879

say that lingering wound is more pain
full than a sudden death, they, with their
usual tender sympathy, cut Eustace dead .
So considerate were they that they drew
their dresses more closely around them
In order not TO offend by touching him.
Year: 1879

EIGHTY years ago the first canal in
this country was opened, but their de-
velopment as highway for Transports
tion has been exceedingly slow. One of
the greatest obstacles to their success has
been the failure to find any kind of
steam motive power which could be sue
cessfuliy applied in the propulsion Of
freight. The Belgian steam cable tow
ing system has been introduced on the
Erie Canal, and few days ago the first
through tow, consisting of five canal
boats, with 1900 tons of grain, arrived
at Rochester from Buffalo. The speed at
tanned by this means of transportation is
about thirty per cent higher than by the
use of horse power, and it caused no
perceptible wash of the banks. When
it is ascertained beyond question that a
speedy and cheap motive power can be
made available upon them, canals will
be constructed in many parts of the
country where they are now scarcely
thought of. Under this condition of af
fairs there would speedily arise de
mand for a great increase in the cana
facilities of the country, and partic
ularly in the South, where climatic in
fuences would not interfere with trans
| portation.
Year: 1879

At recent weekly meeting of the
Charlton Board of Guardians, Manches-
ter, England, the clerk said that in the
list of deaths at the workhouse this
| week was one of a somewhat remarkable
Charles Cartwright. aged
sixty. four. who had been an inmate for
a good many years. He had for a short
time held an office in the house of a
subordinate kind. At the commence
ment of his life Cartwright lived for
many years in very different circum-
stances, and it was reported that he had
got through two fortunes of s4O,0OO
and G80,00 each. He knew from one
| of Cartrights apprentices who was a
| friend Of his that he used tC drive to
his works regularly in carriage drawn
by four horses. He was man of con-
siderable education and it was interest
ing to converse with him. 1t was re-
ported in the workhouse, and he never
denied it, though he was charged with
it frequently, that in addition to COM
posing little poems which were inserted
in the newspapers at Stockport and
elsewhere he was regularly engaged in
writing sermons for some clergyman
with whom he had a permanent con-
nection. Cartwright wrote very fuently.
He lived very contentedly in the work
house, where for some time he was paid
for by his friends. He was taken out
sometimes. but he could not control
himself when outside, and no matter
what allowance was made to him he
spent it. He had great number of
friends, and he (the clerk) was fre-
quently applied to to make arrange
ments for his maintenance out of the
house. At one time he had an allow
ance of 91 per week, and he used to
drive aboutin cabs, smoking expensive
cigars and dining in the most expensive
restaurants. Mr.. Bailey said that not
twelve months ago he was at the work
house when Cartwright drove up in a
handsome phaeton, smoking cigar.
He said he had been to zee his friends,
He often said he had teen to see his
friend the late Mr.. Calender, whom
he said he brought out, '"and who
would not have been Member from Man.
chester but for him."