smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

THROUGH correspondent to the
Darlington Democrat, from this city,
one Of our boys, wo regret to say,
received the following personal.


"a young man of Mineral Point
is going to start to Chicago, because
at every street corner he is asked
the question, What time is it!'
You say why should they bother
him So Here is the reason: A
few weeks ago he called at the house
of Miss Mary Miller, Ia colored girll
to get his washing; she had gone
out for a while, and he took advan-
tage of her absence to pocket all de
valuables, consisting Of silver
watch and four dollars in money ;
when she returned and found she
had been robbed, she went to Jew
elar who had tho number Of the





watch and told him to look out for
it. In about two weeks after, said
y oung man stepped in to sell the
watch, and was soon brought face to
face with the owner, who compro'
ed with the affair, by him return.
ing the watch and stamps !; but II
,iles him badly, for the boys to ask
him for the timo."


AS this is the first time to tho
knowledge of our citizens that tho
youth referred to has been guilty o
theft, we will refrain from mention
ing his name, and hopo that modi
fed exposure Of his guilt will have
tendency to place him along sid'
with all upright and honest men. III
has qualities essential to make hin
a shining light among his fellows
and should put Men. in practice.
Year: 1878

SOME homo tramps, who prefer
darkness rather than daylight to
perform their wonderful tricks, took
the liberty one night last week to
give, gratuitously, the fronts Of
Stark's barber shop and O'Dowd's
saloon O fresh coat Of mud.
Year: 1878




That there is reaction of popular senti.
ment in the direction of the Republican party
the result of the November elections makes
evident. The drift has heretofore been
toward the Democracy. But the tide has
certainly turned. This fall we have gained
five States, Ohio. New York, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and Connecticut. The three
first named are the chief States of the Union
in population and wealth and political influ.
ence. Their electoral votes will decide the
next Presidential contest. Now having
them we ought to be able to hold them.
They certainly cannot easily be wrested from
us, and we shall 60 into the fight of 1880 on
at least equal footing with our opponents.


The causes that have led to the reaction
are various. The doubtful attitude taken by
the Democracy in regard to the financial
question has had much and perhaps the
greater part to do with it. The people of
this country have been startled and disgusted
by the policy of reputation to which so
many Of the Democratic leaders have COM
mitted themselves, and in condemnation of
which so many more have refused to make
their voices heard. The declarations of some
of the foremost men in the Democratic party,
and the silence of others, have convinced the
country that Democratic triumph would
result in prolongation of our bad financial
estate. But other causes have contributed
to the Democratic defeat. Chief among
these are the reckless course of the Demo.
cratic House, the menacing attitude of the
South, and the discovery of Democratic at
tempts to buy the Presidency. The inability
of the Democratic majority to govern, its
utter misapprehension of the wants Of the
country, its failure to pass the most pressing
measures of legislation and Its gross and
bitter partlsanship, have disguised even
those who made it, The conduc. of the
South has been grievous disappointment.
Many of us few months since were in an
extremely conciliatory if not "gushing'' mood.
But the great injustice everywhere practiced
upon the negroes by the dominant whites,
the restriction of freedom of the ballot, and
the utter inability of the Southern leaders to
comprehend the true meaning of Northern
advances and proffers of friendship, have
naturally produced reaction. The cipher
revelations have done much too. Not few
Republicans were discouraged and dsmayed
by the persistent Democratic cry of ''fraud."
But when it was discovered that the only
fraud was that attempted by the Democratic
candidate for the Presidency and his agents,
a very natural feeling of indignation took
possession not only of Republicans but of
independent voters, and they resolved to
rebuke the thieves who have so long cried
"stop thief."


The causes mentioned will certainly not
cease to be effectual before 1880, and the
Republican party, once more united, and
nerved by the confidence that it deserves vic
tory, is prepared to go into the next PresI-
dental campaign with high hopes and fair
prospect of victory.
Year: 1878

THE Republican triumph in New York is a
personal triumph for Senator Conkling, for
the recognized issue in the campaign was
the choice OF his successor. tis now clear
beyond doubt that he will be his own sue
cessor. The state fNew York when brought
to the test gladly recognizes the conspicuous
merits and patriotism of her great Senator.
She may grumbe at him sometimes, but her
complaint is the complaint of exacting
affection.
Year: 1878

We do not read anonymous letters ana commun,-
cations. The anne and address Of the writer are in
all Indispensable not necessarily for publication
but as guaranty of good faith.


We cannot undertake to return or preserve COM
munications that are not used.
Year: 1878

we used to say slavery was years ago.
| confess to having had my faith very
much tried by the revelations of the
past few years of the low moral sense
of even Christian people respecting the
rights of property. If religion cannot
teach men not to defraud one another,
it is pretty poor thing. A disposition
to get a living, other than by produc-
tive labor, has been growing among us,
and from it have sprung dishonesties of
all magnitudes, from stealing railroad
to cheating on yard of cotton cloth.
The cOntagion has spread into all
classes of society and exerted paralyz-
ing influence in the moral and religious
sense. In a Carolina forest of thou
sand acres, you can scarcely find tree
that is not dead and crumbling to de-
cay. No fire has swept over it. No
lightnings have scathed those naked
bleaching pines. The larvae of an in
sect no larger than grain of rice, have
done the mischief In like manner,
secret dishOnesties have been eating
out the moral fibre of society, and un-
less the evil can be cured, you may
look for more and more of these start
ling catastrophes of character, inside as
well as outside the church. What is
needed is a revival of righteousness, a
strong infusion of moral sentiment. If
preaching is TO pay, preachers i'll these
days have need to preach not faith only,
but the law. and let it be understood
that faith without works will not save
any one.


THE NATIONAL CREDIT AssAILED.


Not only is personal character and
the cause of religion imperiled by the
growing vice, but national honor also.
Who would have believed at the open
ing of the war of the rebellion that this
great nation would ever think of Il
breach Of faith with its creditors who
not only gave the blood of their sons,
but poured out their wealth like water
to save the country i'll its direst eXtrem-
ity. Yet, such a lowering of the sense
of financial obligation has there been
in the public mind, that Il large body OF
the people represented in Congress pro-
pose to pay the national debt ut 80
cents on the dollar, perhaps ultimately
repudiate it altogether. A writer now
abroad speaking of the feeling of shame
with which he read in European news
papers of financial crimes committed III
our country, embezzlements, defalca
tions, torgelies, etc, says: ''It would
pain me to be compelled to believe that
there is higher tone of commercial
honor in this land than in my own and
he obliged to admit that our religion
and education have produced a lower
tone of morals than European. But
must admit that there is no country i'll
Europe where SO many financial crimes
are committed, or where their wicked
ness is So lightly esteemed as our own
What would the writer say if, in addi-
ton to individual crimes, the telegraph
few weeks hence should flash the
news across the water, that the nation
in its corporate capacity had committed
gigantic breach of trust Let us hope
that if not conscience, at least patriotic
pride will constrain Congress not to
break the commandment which says
''Thou shalt not steal"
Year: 1878

PROMPTLY.


From the Northampton Gazette.


We like the man who pays promptly.
He is a benediction to the community
in which he lives. His money does
good-his influence is good, in this re-
specific is positive and substantial
benefit to those with whom he deals
Many men have marked regulations for
promptness in paying their bills. 1t
gives them credit financially, and Il
good name. Such man, people say,
is good pay" ''If you have a bill
against him. you'll get your money!
People praise him, ana whom they are
looking around for some good man to
fill responsible position, he is more
apt to be thought of than his dilatOry
neighbOr who tires you out with his
prolific, but seldom fulfilled promises
We don't like the man who don't pay.
Set that down. We don't like him
He isn't doing his duty. He blocks the
wheels of business. He annoys, wor-
ries, and misuses other people. He
abuses their confidence. According to
the prevailing custom of doing business
there must be confidence repOsed in
people. They say they will do so and
so, and you trust them. Pay day comes
but no money from them. You dun
send bills-write letters-go to find
them ; all of which occupies time and is
expensive. Still, no pay. Tney are
not at home, or put you off with Il
promise to send the money soon. The
promised time comes, but no pay. You
soon begin to sour. A feeling comes
over you that there is gross injustice
about this thing, somewhere. You don't
have as much respect for these delin-
quents as you once had. This feeling
grows upon you, and after awhile you
set them down as frauds, and tuIu your
claims over to legal gentleman, with
orders to sue. A great deal of the
trouble of this world comes from the
want of attention to the prompt pay
ment of bills, Money is thus kept from
circulation. How often is it said by Il
man, 81 can't pay, because l cannot
get what is due me. There is more than
enough due me to pay all l owe, but |
Year: 1878

can't get it." Therefore he can't pay.
Very likely some of those who owe him
are in the same situation-caD't get
their pay. And if we follow the thread
along, we shall probably find, when we
get to the end, that somebody, who
owes and doesn't pay, has the money
in his pocket, or has spent it for rum
and tobacco, or has boarded it away.
If all would pay their honest debts,
promptly and cheerfully, how the
wheels of business would huml The
hearts of people would be made glad,
and sunshine would brighten all the
land. Blessings OIL the heads of those
who pay dollar for dollar, and pay it
on time. They are good class of peO-
pie, and ought to be praised and cult
yated
Year: 1878

The agate covers large areas of the
middle Park, Colorado, scattered over tho
surface in chips and larger fragments and
occurring also in massive lodges. Only a
very small percentage of it, however. con-
tains the curious and delicate crystalliza-
ton oil iron known as moss. Curious no
tions prevail relative to this substance
Formerly it was common opinion that the
moss was fixed in the stone by a pho
tographic process, and have often been
shown specimens which the finders aver
red contained faithful pictures of elumps
of bushes, groves Of trees or an extended
landscape visible from the point where
they were picked up. The agate is hard.
tough and susceptible of high polish.
Specimens are valued aceordingto the per-
fection and beauty of the moss clusters con-
tanned and the clearness of the stone apart
from the moss. The great agate field is
south of the Grand and west Of Williams
river, on high sage plain. It is six or
eight miles in length and nearly as great
in width, though agates are not found all
over this area. Il has been culled and
picked over by hundreds of people and
thousands of jewels worn to-day all over
the United States bear settings from this
'agate patch. Some agates are found
north of the Grand, directly opposite, and
the largest and finest specimen 1 ever saw
was picked up there in 1868. There is
an agate paLch-or several of them. small
in extent-on the divide between Troub-
lesome river and Corral creek, north of the
Grand. Two or three years ago a small
deposit of them was found near Fraser
river in the eastern edge of the park, not
far from where the Berthoud pass and
Rollins wagon roads come together. In
all the localities thus far described the
''moss" is black or dark brown-the usual
color. Near Grand river, on the north
side, and about three miles west of Hot
Sulphur Springs, is a small area where
red moss agates are found-that is, the
''moss" is red, or reddish brown, instead
of black. Nearly opposite, across the riv-
er, near Beaver creek, IS another ''patch"
of the same kind Red moss agates are
very rare and curious. No search has
ever been made in any of these localities
beneath the natural surface of the ground
for valuable agates. Those gathered have
been picked up on the surface, generally
in broken fragments of stone that showed
the moss naturally.
Year: 1878

then assume its natural stiffness ,,,,;u


\ Haytian, should he be eut alter IN
o clock at night and see pig or cow lving
IN the pathway, would not disturb i foI y
worlds, for he would firmly believe that
some horrible disease or other misfortuno
would come upon him should he do So
might enumerate hundred different s,,.
perstitions which they believe in bnt b,ve
given sufficient for the reader to draw his
own conclusions as to the degraded condi-
ton OF the people. At II o'clock in the
day all business is suspended in Havti
stores are closed and merchants repoir 10
their homes, and everybody goes to bed
ana the streets are almost deserted till 2
I. NJ, when the stores gradually omen
again and business goes on till five p. M.
when they all close for the night. At
night the streets are almost deserted and
at lO o'clock the drums roll at the various
Police stations, and if you are found on
the street after that hour you arc arrested
ana taken TO prison, in comparison to
which third-elass pig-sty in the United
states Is palace. In the mountain re-
glons in the interior the marriage rite is
not observed at all Ifa young man sees
girl that he likes, all he has to do is ask
her parents if he can have her, and. if
they consent, AL he is required to do is to
furnish bed for her to lie on, and she
assumes his name for life. There are
many aged people in the interior who
were never in town in their lives, except
perhaps, mountain village, and if white
man passes through these regions the chill
dren run and scream. These people are
expert horsemen, and / am told they may
be seen galloping over the mountain passes
IN the morning, going to work, yelling and
swinging their cutlasses in the air like
Indians"
Year: 1878

acts of the people. l only do not admit
their superiority over our own citizens. l
greatly admire the people generally for
their industry, frugality and steady perse-
verenee. But as for all the realities Of life
and the full enjoyment thereof by man
kind, the United States possess advantages
greatly superior to anything saw beyond
the Atlantic.
Year: 1878

tative in Congress, OF for any Office of profit
or trust, created by the Constitution or laws
of this State, or by the ordinances or author
ity of the Mayor and City Council of Balti-
more, the person giving, or offering To give,
and the person receiving the same, and any
person who gives, or causes to be given, an
illegal vote, knowing it to be such, at any
election hereafter held in this State, shall on
conviction in a Court of Law, in addition to
the penalties now, or hereafter to be, impos-
ed by law, be forever disqualified to hold any
Office of profit or trust, or to vote at any cleo
ton thereafter.
Year: 1878

ROsEwooD.-It has puzzled many to
decide why the dark wood so highly valued
for pianos, aad in these times SO cleverly
initiated, should be called rosewood Its
color, certainly, does not look like that of
a rose, but when the tree is first cut, the
fresh wood possesses a strong, rose-like
fragrance; hence the name. There are
half dozen or more kinds of rosewood
trees found in South America and in the
East Indies and neighboring islands.
Sometimes the trees grow so large that
planks four feet broad and ten feet in
length can be cut from them. These
broad planks arc principally used to make
tops for pianofortes. When growing, the
rosewood tree is remarkable for its beanty:
but such is its value in manufactures as
an ornamental wood, that some of the for
ests where it once grew abundantly, now
have scarcely single specimen. In Mad
ras the government has prudently had
great plantations Of this tree set out in
order to keep up the supply.
Year: 1878

A WORD IN SEAsoN.-Don't Let chill
dren crack peach seed and eat the kernels.
One ounce of these kernels contain about
one grain of pure prussic acid, and this
quantity is sufficient to kill an adult. A
fatal case of poisoning from this cause re-
Gently occurred in Paris. Cake favored
with peach kernels is not wholesome, and
should be used with caution, or not at all.
Year: 1878

For the Gazette.


| see by your paper that there is an ex-
traordinary amount of sickness in the
city, and the cause is attributed to the
water which is pdmped from the Bran
Gywlne into the reservoir, where we get
our supply for drinking and other pur-
poses. Now, Mr. Editor, let us reason
ou this subject. There are persons now
living in the city, who recollect when it
was the healthiest place found on the
Delaware river between New Castle and
Marcus Hook, especially in the matter
oftyphoid and bilious .fevers, which ap.
pear to be the prevailing diseases at this
time. Well may the people begin to
think and talk on this subject to each
other, and | say how is it that our once
healthy city has become so afflicted with
this terrible malady? And while | am
penning this piece there are families who
are mourning over their dead, who have
fallen victims to this almost fatal disease.
Well may the citizens say it COMES from
the impure condition of the Brandyw wine
water. Why dc some, if not all, of our
doctors say they don't use il and have
Deentold by the apothecaries that they
DO not use in their mixtures. A very
prominent person said TO me the other
day, what are we going to do about the
water for can taste calling the name
of some mineral which | forgeD at my
hydrant )" and another person said that
hr could not use the water in his bath
Jlb because ii smelled so bad. These are
common complaints amongst us.


The sanitary cond ton OF the city is
better lhan II was years ago when iJ wa,
the healthiest place to he found in the
state. Our street, are clean we had al
extra force on few months back, when
tue fever was In the Soutn, for frar of il
And a this time here Is no refuse mat
tel 10 I've found in the city or around the
suburbs.


One more question, Mr.. Editor. VIZ
gives il to the factory men lGe privilege
To Let this stuff into the Hraniwine once
week? 1t is time for the people to fnt
out who VAS this extraordinary power I,
grant privileges Of thus kind to poison
the water, which the citizens think /
the cause Of the typhoid fever which
Ile will press this matter on the Cit
Council, for it is high time they shoul
take some action on this subject of on
diIuklng water. IL Is terrible to thin
about to be poisoned by drinking tn
water that has cost us so much time an,
money to procure.


Tue parties on the north side of tn
creek have made pio f'ision to carr
away their refuse matter, and they did
voluntarily. And the ones on this sid
il they don't do it that way, ought to t
made to do 1t. 1t is no matter what ii
cost may he ,asiit is no time to talk abou
dollars and cents if the people are mad
sick anu die from the drinking of u
water. BRANDYwINE.
Year: 1878

The public will please not forget the
entertainment at the rooms of the NJ s.
II. A-this evening. The programme is a
very interesting and instructive one and
Will be varied so that all tastes may be
met. The demand on the club for money
are 40 constant and so numerous, that the
public may feel confident when they
spend their money in this way, that II
will go to meet these demands, and will
do good
Year: 1878

Due credit has never been awarded to the penetration and sagacity of Col. (then Major) Talmadge, of this town. for the part he acted in the affair of Major Andre, without which the capture and subsequent release of that spy would have been calamity to our country. The commanding officer, Col. Jamison, before whom Andre was brought, on his capture had actually suffered him to depart with letter, to Arnold. Talmadge, on learning this fact earnestly solicited that he be recaptured. His request was reluctantly granted, and this de- tention, brought about solely by Talmadge, saved the country.

 The stories of the religious and political par ties of that time, in times past are subjects of curiosity and interest to the readers of the present age.

 There are other interesting features pertain ing to our town which 1 earnestly hope may appear in future edition of it's history. Please pardon me for troubling you with this effusion of what I deem an honest pride in the birth place of my ancestors. RUsTICUs.
Year: 1878

BRANCH Gas will be seen by the official
announcement in advertising columns this pasriote
organization has elected most excellent corps Of Off
for the ensuing year Next Tuesday evening al
79O important meeting will be held, at which gen
tlsmen who deSre to join in time for the parade ars
cordially invited to attend.