smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

There is no power of love 40 hard to get
and keep as kind voice. A kind hand is


deaf aud dumb. 1t may be rough in flesh
aud blood, yet do the work of q soft heart,


and do it with a soft touch. Bat there il
no one thi! & that love so much needs as


sweet v,ic-, 20 tell what it means and feels;


and it ID i.aId to get and keep it in the


right tone. One must start in youth and


be on the watch night aud day, at work


aud play, to get and keep a voice that shall


speak at all times the thoughts of kind


heart. But this is the time when IS sbarp


voice is most apt to be got. You often hear


boys and girls say words at play with


quick, sharp tone, as if it were the snap OF


you will hear a voice that sounds as if it


were made up of a snarl, q whine and a


bark. Such voice often speaks worse


than the heart feels. It shows more i'll


will in the tone than in the words. 1t is


often in mirth that one gets voice or a


tone that is sharp, and sticks to him


through life, and stirs up ill-Will and grief,


and falls like drop of gall on the sweet
Joys at home. Such as these get sharp
nome voice for use, and keep their best
voice for those they meet elsewhere, just
as they would save their best cakes and
pies for guests, and all their sour food for
their own board. would say to all boys
and girls: "Use your guest voice at home.
Watch it day by day az pearl of great
price, for it will be worth moro to yOu in
daye to come than the best pearl hid in the
sea. A kind voice is ajoy like lark's
song to o hearth and home. 1t is to the
heart what light is to the eye. It is light
that sings as we'll as shines. Train it to
sweet tones now, and it will keep in tune
through life"
Year: 1879

The tower of the Court House st Green's


burg, Indiana, ia 140 feet IN height One


hundred and five feet from the ground is


the water sheet of the tower, and above
that it is covered with dressed stone, made


to fit closely, 10 slabs 2 by feet, inciining
an angle of about 80 degrees from upright.


In the summer of 1870 citizen of the
place was examining the tower With glass


when he observed, springing from the
third crevice about the water sheet on the
east side of the tower, ITO feet from the


ground, a little twig. But little was
thought of it, and it was scarcely discern
ible with the naked eye. The next spring
miniature tree in its strange aud exposed
position had survived the wiutry blasts
1t had survived, and when sun and spriDg
showers came oD, put out it's caves plen-
tifully and grew laxuriantly all the Season
BY this time it was easily seen with the
eye, bat as it could net be approached in
any ordinary maoner nearer than from the
roofs of buildings on the opposite side of
the street, it's species could not be ascer-
tanned. The third spring it put forth
again with renewed lite, vigOr and eize
Instead of dwindliDg and dropping from
the effects of the winters cold or the
summers heat aud drought the mosphere
of Justice from below seemed to cRuse it TO
flourish extraordinarily. This season it
was decided to be silver maple, sprung,
no doubt, from a seed carried by bird or
whirI- Wind, and lodged in that exalted
place. By this time the tree had become
famous. Accounts of it had appeared in
the papers but the story was not gene
rally believed.


But, nevertheless, the tree lived and
grew. 1t was there, and no mistake. And
so it has continued until this day. It is
now more than twelve feet high, aud is
thought to be three inches in diameter.
The top is quite bushy, and, in the sum
mer season, the leaves are numerous and
luxuriant. 1t can be seen for many miles
around, and the stranger approaching frat
sees the tower, and then this phenomenon.


The rapid growth Of the tree is forcing
the stones apart. This can readily be seen
with a glass. Ere long the ambitious
maple will have to be brought lower or
damage to the building follow. The Sheriff
has already had several applications from
expert climbers to take it down, but the |
people will not permit their tree to be re-
moved yet. An artist representing New |
York illustrated paper called TO sketch the |
curiosity, bat the leaves were of, and he |
postponed it until q more favorable time.
Persons approaching the place from Gin 1
cinnati get good view of it by looking !
from the north windows as they draw near !
G Greensburg. OF course it appears 20 much
greater advantage when in full leaf, and |
St such u time it is indeed strange curi |
osity.
Year: 1879

When we are told that at the present time
over 100000 gallons of petroleum or earth
oil are brought to the surface every day in the
oil region of Pennsylvania alone, the mind
is staggered by the contemplation of the mag
nitude of this comparatively new industry
So lavish is Mother Earth of her hidden
stores of oil, chat it is sent to the surface much
faster than it can be taken care of, or stored,
and at the present time 100000 gallons, at
the lowest estimate, run to waste every day.
The great United Pine Line and other meth
DDS Of conveyance utterly fail to convey the
oil to markets, and the enormous tanks tor
storage are full to overfowing. There are
tanks owned by companies which hold 5,O0O,-
600 barrels of oil, and all of them are full.
The wooden tanks owned by individuals and
private concerns amount in their aggregate
capacity to as large number Of barrels, and
these are also full.


Thus it will be understood that there are
great lakes of oil above ground, as we'll as
below; but there is good reason to believe
that the subterranean deposits may with great
er propriety be called oceans rather than
lakes. The oil workers are evidently pump.
ing from inexhaustable supplies in the rock
chambers below, and what are called the
"spouting wells" deliver their vast currents
with the same impetuousity as when the drills
first tapped the pent-up stores. An interest.
ing inquiry arises as regards what becomes Of
the oil that cannot be secured into what
does it flow, and where is its final resting
place? ANY one who has visited the oil re-
gions will know the nature of the country,
and readily understand that much of the oil
flows into brooks or small rivers, and in time
finds its way into the large rivers, and is lost
ultimately in the Gulf of Mexico or the At
lantic Ocean. Still larger quantities are
absorbed by the earth in ravines and marshy
places, and thus it is lost to view. In the
famous district one is led to exclaim: "Oil,
oil, everywhere, and no untainted water to
drink" There is oil iu the soil oil in the
springs; oil on the bushes and trees oil in
the atmosphere, apparently; on the clothing,
and in the mouth, eyes, and hair Of the work.
men; the bread and coffee of the region have
the odor of oil, and the beds are saturated
with it.


How wonderful is all of this Well do we
remember when the first vial of crock oil''
fell into our hands. 1t was called "Seneca oil, :"
and it was claimed to be a most eficacious
remedy for variety of ills to which the hu-
man body is subject. The statement that it
flowed spontaneously from spring in Penn
sylvania, was received at first with much in
credulity, as that was regarded as impossible
but in short space of time the truth was
known, and the oil was no longer regarded as
mixture devised by human hands.


American petroleum oil is now used as a
Year: 1879

THE SAME OLD STORY.
She read until she could not see


Did :.Ivanhoe" e'er weary
Then dropped the book upon her knee,
And said her life was dreary.
"From day to day still must tread


The same dull round of duty ... .
OF darning socks and baking bread,


without one glimpse Of beauty.
"From week to. week my landmarks are:
A sermon dull on Sundays;
On Friday night the Plumville Star;


The weekly wash on Monday.
And, O! there's never line of grace,
And never hint Of glory"
She sighed and heightened her pretty lace
sIt's always the same old story"
She dried her eyes and curled her hair,
And went to the conference meeting
From the garden gate to the vestry stair
The self-same words repeating.
At last the final hymn was sung,


And all the prayers were ended,
When one from the doorway crowd among
Her homeward steps attended.
They left at length the village street,
And sprang the low wall over,
To cross through Captain Peaslee's wheat
And Deacon Bascombe's clover.
The moon seemed shining overhead
To flood their path with glory;
They whispered low, but what they said
Was-only the same old story!
Year: 1879

WHERE IGNORANCE WAS BL1ss.-When q
Fulton father came home the other evening
and stepped into the parlor to fill up the coal
stove, be was startled to see, when the fame
of his hand-lamp dissipated the darkness,
that his daughter and her ducky doodle Adolf
phus were sojourning in the shadows of the
lowered gasjet. But they were in separate
chairs, and were engrcssed in box Of figs.
He felt compelled to ask: Something the
matter with the gas?" And the time-tried
youth, grasping one of the golden thoughts
that overwhelm US in the time Of emergency
answered, as he mechanically picked up an
other fig: "No, sir; we turned it down so as
not to notice when We bit into worm"
Year: 1879

source of artificial illumination in nearly all
parts of the world It goes along with rum,
powder, and muskets to the savage tribes OF
Africa, and the mud houses on the banks of
the rivers of the interior are illuminated by
its combustion it is found in the interior of
the Turkish Empire, in Persia, in Egypt, in
Palestine, in China in Japan, and in the re-
mote islands Of the sea. For the paltry sum
of fifteen cents, we can purchase gallon of
the clear refined oil, and the cost Of the light
afforded, in comparison with gas as furnished
at the lowest cost in cities, is as one to twenty
in its favor. It is just now the most formid-
able antagonist of gas, and we can scarcely
hope in the utilization of electrical force in
the future, to secure light at lower ex-
pense. Boston Joarnal of Chemistry
Year: 1879

CLEANING DIsHEs.-Dinner dishes and
plates which have had greasy food upon them,
may be rubbed off with little Indian meal
before putting into water. They are thus
prevented from making the water unfit fol
continued use, while the meal, saved by ITSELF
is good for the pig or chickens.
Year: 1879

SHOOTING STARs.-In Ruthenia, shoot
ing star is looked upon as the track Of an an.
gel flying to receive q departing spirit, or of
righteous soul going up to heaven. In the
latter case it is believed that if a wish is
uttered at the moment when the star shoots
by, it will go straight up with the rejoicing
spirit to the throne of God. So when a star
falls the servians say: "Some ones light has
gone out" meaning some one is dead.
Year: 1879

p@. A wifes's love that stood the test is re-
counted in the following very singular affair,
which occurred last week in Bangor, Maine:
A sewing machine agent by the name Of
Pendleton thought he would test the affec.
ton Of his wife. He accordingly went to
an upper story Of his residence and opened
the window. He then tied stout rope
around his body under his arms, fastened one
end To something in the room and stepped
out Of the window. BE then made noise
which attracted his wife's attention. She
came and beheld the perilous predicament
which he was in. She felt the need of doing
something at once to save her husband.
In her excitement she seized knife and cut
the rope. The result was that he was precipi
tated some twenty-five feet to the ground be:
meath. Strange as it may appear, he escaped
serious injury, but it will probably be some
time before he attempts similar exploit.
Year: 1879

WHAT THE COUNTY PAPERS Do.-An ex-
change combats with considerable vigor the
argument that the city papers are cheaper
and better than the county papers because
they give more columns and more reading
matter for the money. Do the city papers,
it asks, ever give you any home news2 New
er. Do they say anything in regard to your
county? Nothing. Do they contain notices
of your schools, churches, meetings, improve.
ments and hundreds of other local matters OF
interest, which your paper publishes without
pay? Not an item. Do they ever say word
calculated to draw attention to your county
and its numerous thriving towns, and aid in
their progress and enterprise? Not word.
And yet there are men who take such con.
tracted views of this matter that unless they
are getting as many square inches of reading
matter in their own paper as they do in a
city paper, they think they are not getting
the worth of their money. 1t reminds US OF
person who took the largest pair of boots in
the box, simply because they cost the same as
the pair much smaller that fitted him.
Year: 1879

To YoUNe MEN.-Do not work for fame
Work to do all the good it is possible fol
you to do. Improve the mind Acquire
stores of knowledge to benefit mankind
Fame will come if you merit it. If you
do not merit it, you may seek it till you
60 to your grave, and never grasp it
Have definite object. Let that be a worthy
one-a philanthropic one. ifpossible. March
steadily forward-not daily, but hourly
towards the object you have in view. Nc
matter what obstacles are to be scaled, never
yield till you are victorious. Men who work
for fame, never get it. 1t comes, if at ALL
because it is merited; because of superior
qualifications exercised in the discharge Of
duty; because of work done meriting it.


The only way to gain fame is to do some.
thing worthy of it-but do not do that some
thing to win it. If sought for in that way, it
will avoid your grasp like an apparition.-
The Rural World.
Year: 1879

How THE SEA Is ,SALTED.-Many people
imagine that ocean water is naturally salt,
and will be surprised to know that the salt
comes from the rocks, and is washed into the
sea. The sea depends on the disintegration
of rocks on land for its saltness. It does not
originate in oceans and seas. Rains wash it
and hold it in solution as particles are liberia
ted by violence, decomposition, and gradual
action of mere natural forces. All stream.
lets and rivers, therefore, are constantly
transporting salt to the sea. If there is more
than can be held in solution, then it accumu-
lates in masses at very deep points, which,
in the revolution to which matter is subject,
may again be stratum of salt somewhere re-
mote from where the mass was formed. Thus
the salt. mines of Portugal, and the vast hori-
zontal bed of pure salt in Texas. as well as
that mountain of rock salt in Domingo, was
collected at the bottom of ancient seas, which
are now dry land, remote from water. There
are places in Africa where the process Of dis
integration of salt from water is regularly
going on, but there is not water-power enough
to force it onward to the sea. Hence the par.
ticles are spread abroad and mixed up with
soil.
Year: 1879

A Word TO FARMERS soNs.- s.-Farners'
sons are quite apt to suppose that they can
only attain to any coveted position in Life
through the avenue Of some trade or profes-
sion. They look around and find the wealthy
men nearly all belong to these classes. They
do net stop to consider that only the wealthy
ones come to view that for every one Of these
who have acquired wealth and distinction,
ninety.nine others have failed and disappear
ed, or have never risen to notice at all. They
act on the belief that they are the only per-
sons that can be called into public life, ig.
noring the fact that it is the training they
get that constitutes the difference, rather than
the calling. A farmer of equal learning and
culture with the lawyer would, we believe,
find himself in just as good request, with per-
haps many chances in his favor. If the far.
mer allows the professional man to monopo-
lie all the advantages at the start, he must
expect to find himself at disadvantage all
the way through.
Year: 1879

L1sTEN1Na.-To listen we'll is most rare
accomplishment. Indeed, it is thing be.
yond an accomplishment. 1t takes great
man to make good listener. The ordinary
hindrances to good listening are very cohsid.
erable, such as the desire to talk ones self,
the proneness to interrupt, the inaccuracy-
if one may use such an expression-of most
men listening.


But there is something which prevents
good listening in much more subtle way,
and to much more dangerous extent, than
any of the above named hindrances. It is
this: As soon as you begin to give utterance
to some sentiment or opinion, narrate some
story, declare some fact, you will find that
your hearer, in nine cases out of ten, strikes
at once mental attitude in reference to
what you say. He receives it at as friend, or
as foe, or as a critic, or as an advocate,
or as a judge. Now, all these characters
may afterwards be fairly taken up; but the
first thing is to listen, if may say SO, out Of
character-to be a bona fde listener, and
nothing more. This requires some of the
simplicity of greatness. 1t indicates the ex-
istence, too, Of that respect which really
great men have for other men, and for truth.
In short, I maintain that it takes great
man to make a good listener.
Year: 1879

IT has been apparent all through the
session of the Legislature that not much
was to be expected of it in the way of leg
islating against the losses of rum. The
character of majority Of them as displayed
in the banqueting hall was sufficient to man
ifest this. The State is in debt and needs all
the money it can get from legitimate sour
ces and the torekeeper and the manu-
facturer the professional man and small
vender have to pay, but large majority, as
appears in New Castle CO., by actual count
of those who sell liquor, go "scot free"
All the loop-hole5 are even left open for
their escape. The people asked by thou
sands for these things to be remedied, but
a majority Of the members Of the Legisla-
ture seem to be interested in vice rather
than virtue. They weresimply asked tc pro-
tect the morals of the young on whom are
the hopes Of the future; they would neither
do this nor protect the financial interest of
the State. Oar neighbors over the line ac.
ceeded to the prayers of the people ad d1res-
sed to the Legislature, and granted them
the privilege to test in a Democratic way
whether the majority were for or against
the sale Of intoxicants, and the decision
has been almost generally against it.
There was no politics in it, or none to grow
out of it, and there is no reason why our
State could not adopt the same policy, had
the leaders the same regard for virtue.
Year: 1879

IT would seem that we ought not to be
dependent on the torrld zone for our sugar
when we have the material right at home
to manufacture. BY report in another
column it will be seen that in our county
of Kent, 69S6 Tbs. of sugar have been made
from an acre of beets. And now another
important sugar producing product IS an
nounced-our common Indian corn or
Maize. 4 Mr.. Drummond claims to have
demonstrated by a process which he has
tried that a yield Of sugar can be obtained
from it Of 500 lbs. per acre. A Maine
farmer reports that an experiment made
by him with one acre Of maize resulted in
more profit than 80 acres of wheat. Who
knows but that our broad acres of corn may
bey yet made to sweeten our coffee as well as
fatten our pork and make our pone.
Year: 1879

Speaking Of the recent election in
this State, which resulted in the de-
feat of the proposition to ppmpro-
mise the debt of Tennessee, the st.
Louis Post-Dispatch, one Of the
ablest papers in the west, says


The people Of Tennessee have
voluntarily incurred a worse inflic-
tion than the yellow fever i'm the
practical reputation Of the State
debt by the recent vote. The con-
sequences of so fearful a mistake
cannot be contemplated without
pain by the best friends of the State,
and generation may grow up and
pass away before the State can re-
cover from the perniciOus results.
If the people of Tennessee are too
poor to pay their debts, they are too
poor not to pay them. If they cam
not endure the burden of interest,
they cannot endure the poverty
which is bound to result from an
avOwal that they are dishonest as
well as poor. Moreover, they have
put in the hands of their political
enemies a weapon which will be
used with good will against them,
and to their lasting detriment.
Year: 1879

Carl Gerhard Bersseller, a native
of Germany, became citizen of the
United States by naturalization in
1S48, and subsequently, while re-
siding in St. Louis, had two sons,
one born in 1852 and the other in
1854. While these boys were mi
nors the father returned to Germany,
taking them with him, but before
they became of age thesOns returned
to St. Louis, where they have ever
since continued to live. For the
last three years the father has been
subjected to various annoyanceS by
the local authorities of Germany
because of the refusal of the young
men to report themselves for enroll
ment in the German army, which
annoyances assumed the shape of
threats of prosecution, and the inn
position of penalties under the Ger
man military law and their enforce
ment against the property of the
elder Bersselier in Germany. These
proceedings finally eliminated in a
process. Mr.. Evarts promptly in
structed our Minister at Berlin to
bring this subject to the attention of
the imperial Government, and to
express in strong terms the earnest
desire of the American Government
that any proceeding which might be
pending or which might be con-
fenplated in regard to the property
of the two brothers RersSelier, based
upon their refusal to submit to the
demand for military service, might
of onca ha mt an end To The result
of the emphatic and decisive action
taken by Mr.. Evarts was a decision
in favor of the Bersseliers.
Year: 1879




Those who built hope upon the
small number of persons reported
stricken with the fever Thursday
will find their hopes again blasted
on perusing the official record Of the
plaques work i'm our midst yestcr-
day, Estimating from official and
unofficial sources, the number OF
yesterdays victims Is nearly as
great as the maximum reports of
the present epidemic; and the in
creased proportion of deaths shows
that the disease is growing more
malignant. AS long as there are
victims within its reach the fever
will remain with US, and the unac-
climated people may as well make
up their minds to this fact. Official
reports to the Board of Health for
the twenty-fOur hours ending at six
O'Clock last evening show twenty
two new cases, of which six are
whites and sixteen cOlored. The
total new cases to that hour is eight
hundred and eight, and of deaths
two hundred and thirty-nine.
Year: 1879

THE prayers of the best saints are
shaped by the language and science
and customs around them. In an
ignorant age he prays for miracles /;
in an era of learning he prays more
humbiy amid the eternal laws, and
says, ''Thy will be DONE" Each


altar Is influenced by the light and
liberty and education and poetry,
as well as by the beam of light
divine. When man bows in prayer,
all the world repairs with him to
the holy place. The poetry Of q
great era helps him to see heavens
beauty; the learning of great age
helps him measure heavens worth.
Year: 1879

THE Democratic party of Tennes-
see cannot afford to be suspected OF
reputation tendencies. The largest
portion of the debt now out-stand.
ing was contracted during Demo
cratic administrations, and was
authorized by Democratic Legisla-
lures. The Constitutional Conven-
ton which met in 1870, and the
Legislature of 1S69-70, both largely
Democratic, recognized the entire
outstanding debt, and we can not
if we would, get clear of that res
possibility. This denial of the JUS
tice and validity of the debt is a
new-fangled notion of only a year
or mOre's standing, and is almost
unworthy the serious notice of any
respectable or intelligent man. The
Democratic party can not favor or
tolerate a repudiatiOn, except by
abandoning all its time-hOnored
principles, and whenever it does
this, it is no longer the Democratic
party. we do not mean that the
vote for or against the 50-4 PROPOSE
tion is to be fhe test, but what we
do mean is, that no Democrat can
deny the validity of the debt and
advocate its nOn-payment without
abandoning all the doctrines we
have heretofore advocated. We had
better be defeated advocating sound
principles than to be successful fol-
lowing false teachings. -KrOGUitIe
Tribune.