smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

A contemporary says "If you wish
to know whether man is superior
to the projudicos Of the world, ask
him to carry a package for YOU" A
fellow tried this plan a few days
since upon a wcll-dresscd man ho
met at railway station. The we'll
dressed man took the parcel, and tho
other was satisfied that he was supe'
rior to the prcjudices of society, but
he has not seen the parcel since.
Year: 1877

A Wisconsin man put his arm
around a girl while they were out
riding together, andwithin two min
utcs It was paralyzod, Paralysis is
a bad thing, but around hcro 1t is
considered a pretty mean sort OF u
man who isn't willing to risk both
arms If necessary.
Year: 1877

One morning as some miners, who went on the seven o'clock shift of She Yellow Jacket mine at Virginia City, were going down the incline below the 1,700-foot level, they came upon a fel- low laborer sitting on one of the timbers and apparently sleeping, leaning against the sill, with his head on his arm. They found that the man was dead To all appearance he seemed alive, as his body was still warm with the intense heat, which stood at tbat point at 130 degrees It appears that he went down the Yellow Jacket about eleven o'clock the night previous, to the 1,700-foot level, and went from there to the same level of the Imperial, en route for the 2,000-foot level of the Bullion, to relieve q comrade who was working there. The man who was to have been relieved toiled on all night unconscious of the fact that his friend was corpse. On the 1, ,700-foot level, the unfortunate man went down the incline about six sets of timbers, and there, it is supposed, exhausted with the terrible heat, sat down to rest. There was q cooling house few yards beyond, but he did not know it.
Year: 1877

The Cherokee Indians have an alpha bet of their own, the invention of one of their tribe named Sequoyah, who, him. self unable to read in any language, ap- preciated the value of the white mans way of transmitting intelligence by writ ing, and secluding himself in his hut evolved from his inner consciousness the alphabet which is now used for printing the Cherokee language. This alphabet is phonetic. Sequoyah discovered that the entire Cherokee language consisted of different combinations of eighty-six syllables, and SO constructed his alphabet of eighty-six characters, each representing one of the eighty-six sounds ill the lan- guage. These characters, or letters, any lad of ordinary intelligence can learn to distinguish and pronounce ill a week, and when the alphabet is learned the pupil can read anything in the Cherokee language. The ease with which the art of reading ill their native language may be acquired has led the principal men ill the Cherokee nation to encourage it's study in various ways, believing that many of their tribe could be induced to learn to read in Cherokee, who would never attempt the accomplishment of so difficult a task as learning to read in Eng ish. It is to encourage the Cherokees in the study of their written language and in the pursuit of knowledge generally that the Cherokee Aduocate, n weekly newspaper, is printed, partly in the Cher okee language, at the cost of the whole Cherokee nation.
Year: 1877

At the West Point military school tn e cadets are taught to ride bareback, to ride without stirrups, to jump hurdles, to use the pistol and saber while riding, to "cut heads to the right and left" and other feats. The "heads" are leather balls about four or five inches in in di- ameter, which are placed on posts of various heights. The trooper moving at a rapid gallop must cut these heads rid ing to the right and left, and also cut heads resting on the ground, the last a rather difficult feat when done to the left, compelling the rider to swing the saber over his bridle hand and to reach down from horse sixteen hands high. They also cut heads with the right and left cut at the instant of jumping hurdle

 The most skillful maneuver is the cutting of head upon the ground between two hurdles placed about forty feet apart, the trooper riding at full speed and cutting to the right and left ill the interval be- tween leaping the hurdles. The trooper is also taught to turn his horse at full gallop in a circle four yards ill diameter. Most of these feats are performed in the riding hall, room about 190 feet long by sixty-eight wide, with tanbark floor

 The parade ground is about $50 yards long by 150 in width. Seventy-fve horses are kept in use, the stables accommodate ing about 100. The animals are cared for by a detachment of regular soldiers provided for such service, the cadets being too busy to perform this duty.
Year: 1877

The St. John (N. S.) Telegraph says: We. know of scarce any animal posAessing more instinct than the beaver. A very small pond they dam up in such way as to render approach to their habitations almost impossible. A house is constructed of rafts laid across main beam and covered with bushes and turf. It is divided into two compartments, one for the animal to dry itself in after com- ing out of the pond, and another to eat and sleep in. It is entered through a passageway communicating with the outer edge of the pond, but in such n way as not to admit of water entering the house, and about midway between the surface and the bottom. On the least indication of danger he leaves his home by this subterranean passage and does not rise to the surface till far beyond the reach of danger on the other side of the pond. The only plan, therefore, is to cut a number of stakes, drive them closely to- gether in the bottom of the pond and close to the bank; then take the roof of the house, and in some part of the pass ageway the family, which consists of three or four, may be found.
Year: 1877

A poverty stricken tramp came to the parsonage of a well known clergyman, not far from New York, and asked for aid. He told the parson of his distress in the matter of shirts. The result was that the tramp left the house few min utes later, the happy possessor of n tol- erably good shirt. As he departed he expressed his thanks to his benefactor, and told him what comfort the shirt would be to him. And, true enough, the garment did afford warmth to the suffering tramp, but not exactly in the way his reverend benefactor had intend- ed. Toward evening one of the elders dropped in at the parsons house, and asked him how it came to pass that one of his undergarments was in neighbor- ing ginmill, on exhibition to crowd of loafers. The parson saw it all ill mo- ment. The tramp had traded off the shirt for two drinks of whisky and a gin sling Hereafter, when that parson be- slows shirts on wandering tramp, he will take the precaution to cut off the part marked with his name.
Year: 1877

The Allentown Pa) Chronicle says Just before funeral procession was about to leave the house, on the way to church, one of the chimneys was dis covered to be on fire, the flames leap- ing up ten or twelve feet. AS the house was shingle roof there was danger of the fire soon becoming serious matter, and of course there was n commotion and q running hither and thither with buckets of water. The fire could not be got at very easily, and something had to be done soon to avert serious consequences. Just about this time a philosophical gentleman present asked for loaded gun, which, upon being handed to him, he discharged up the chimney, instantly extinguishing tho fire, the concrlssion of the mir produced by the. shot having done the work. A great many present could not under stand the rQtionalc of the thing, and regarded tie gentleman with q sort of veneration.
Year: 1877

A member said in the American Farm CTS club that of all fruits grown in the Northern States the apple Is the most easily raised, the cheapest and the most durable, and gave the following rotation in the culture of orchards as one that has been successfully practiced: The first year blow, manure and plant potatoes 1; the second year blow, manure and SOW oats and clover, and mow the outs for fodder; the third year take off the clover crop and blow in the fall, preparatory to Gthe potato crop which Is to follow. Thus the land will be manured two years out of the three, n good crop of oats and clover taken off, and tolerable crop of potatoes, without apparent injury to the trees. In selecting trees, varieties such as come into use at different seasons should be introduced, so as to secure Q supply for the whole year. The common error of setting the trees too near each other was referred to and cautioned against by this member, who thought that thirty feet apart is much better than nearer, as apples require both sun and air. No fruit, unless it be the grape, is more dependent on the sun for its flavor and color than the apple. According to his opinion every orchard should contain Early Harvest" "Sops-of- Wine, civilians" Porter" and fall pippins, with good varieties of early sweet apple trees, in addition to other kinds.

 In the cultivation of pears deep, rich soil, well drained, is necessary to success. Pear trees will suffer from a drought in a thin soil, but ill a thoroughly drained one they will send out their roots deeper and obtain moisture. Pears upon pear stocks will live longer, become larger trees and in general are less subject to disease, the speaker thought, while those varieties that will thrive on the quince stock will yield fruit earlier than on their own. Pear trees should always have clean culture. When mulching is done salt hay or rock weed are preferable on &C., count of the salt they contain. When they cannot be obtained, small quantity of salt was recommended as a valuable addition to the manure. A common fault of pear growers is to allow the trees to bear too large crops. When they are young, and the fruit sets abundantly, a great part of it should be picked off. The remaining fruit will be much finer and the trees will not be exhausted by the crop, which is apt to be the case when all the fruit that sets is allowed to grow. Many farmers complain of repeated fail ures in their efforts to grow the pear upon the quince stock. The member thought that if they would faithfully observe the following conditions they will find that the fruit will be obtained some years earlier than when the pear stock is used First, select such varieties only as are suitable to be grown on the quince; and secondly, set the roots at such depth in the soil that the place of joining shall be at least four inches below the surface and keep the earth we'll pressed around the bOdy of the tree
Year: 1877

About a week ago we heard one of our leading citizens bragging about his watchdog. He went on to say that Nero was splendid watchdog that he would never growl at a child, and at night he would tear anybody to pieces he found about the premises.

 "Ain't you afraid" we asked, |" "that he will bite you some night when you come home late ?''

 "Not a bit of it he is too intelligent. He knows my step as soon as I put my foot on the gallery Why, I wouldn t take $500 for that dog. He is the most reliable biting dog in San Antonio"

 About three days after the foregoing conversation took place, one morning early we met a policeman leading this identical dog into the suburbs.

 "What are you doing with Major Jones dog ?" we wanted to know. and shoot him P

 "What for p we asked, in amazement.

 Because he tackled the major last night on his coming home, and bit him in thirteen places :; he will not be down for week"

 But heard the major say that dog ulAhO AAC hAGW LID and wouldn't bite him, no way he could fix it; that he wouldn't take $500 for the animal"

 "The dog aint to blame for it, said the policeman, gazing sadly at poor Nero, " tits the majors own fault"

 How so ?" we inquired.

 "Well," responded the policeman, slowly, {" the dog did know his step and never even growled at him before, but last night, for the first time since he has had the dog, the major came home three hours earlier than usual, and perfectly sober, and somehow his step was differ ent from what the dog was used to he didn't tangle up his legs as much as com mon, and the dog was fooled by it, took him for perfect stranger, and bounced him. The dog ain't to blame he missed the smell of whisky, he didn't hear the major whoop and cuss and fall down in the cellar as he always does when he comes home, so Nero kept on biting the major in fresh places until the family interfered

 "Come on, Nero p and the sad funeral cortege resumed the line ot march for the brush.
Year: 1877

SATISFIED. United States Senator Sherman, of Ohio, declines to be pro noted. He said to n reporter '" l do not want the position of president of the Senate, and would not take it if it wern offered me. have never even thought of it, and do not want any other position than the one hold, with which I am perfectly content"
Year: 1877

The following story was sent from this
city to Boston paper by sensational
corresdendent. 1t is one of the class
that need confirmation After Mr..
Lincoln's election he was in anguish
through fear that he could not keep the
North united. A great pressure was
brought to bear on him to make the is
sue one of freedom rather than an effort
to preserve the Union He resisted
the pressure and brought all his strength
to bear on the attempt to unite all the
North to put the rebellion down. To
this end he wrote an urgent letter to
Gov. Seymour, asking him to take
ground on behalf of the Union, assur-
ing him that he could materially aid the
general government. Mr.. Lincoln said
he cared nothing for himself, and that
such n step on Seymours part would
put Seymour in the chair State, and
Lincoln himself would aid in the work
Seymour took the matter into serious
consideration; he talked the matter ovei
with prominent Union men. He went
so far as to write patriotic sentence
for his message. He read this to my
informant. Just then Mr.. Vallandig
ham came to Albany on a visit. The
patriotic utterances were stricken out
and the tide in Mr.. Seymom's affairs Sc
in the wrong direction and have nevel
turned.
Year: 1877

Secretary Thompson is of the opinion
that Congress at the special session will
repeal the resumption act, and from his
general knowledge. of the Presidents
views docs not think the latter would
veto such a measure.
Year: 1877

The Times has iurist who, In his answer
TO querist as to the rights OF pawnbrokers,
lays down the law as follows:


The custom with pawnbrokers is. we believe.
to hold articles for q month or more over the
time stipulated for their redemption. and then
paWnbroker had the legal right to sell the
watch, II It remained In his hands over the time
in which 1t was to have been redeemed.


Whereas the Civil Code of Louisiana, ar
ticle 1882, last edition, provides as follows:
sThe creditor cannot, in case Of failure of
payment, dispose Of the pledge; but when
there have been pledges Of stock, bonds or
other property for the payment Of any debt
or obligation, it shall be necessary, before
such stocks, bonds, or other property so
pledged shall be sold for the payment Of the
debts for which such pledge WAS made, that
the holder Of such pledge be compelled to OBJ
tain Judgment In the ordinary course of
law, and the same formaIities In all respects
shall be observed in the sale Of property 80
pledged as in ordinary cases; but In all
pledges Of movable property, or rights, Or
credits stocks, bonds, or other movable
property, 1t shall be lawful for the pledger to
authorize the sale or other disposition Of the
property pledged in such manner as may be
agreed upon by the parties without the inter-
vention Of courts of justice; provided. that
all existing pledges shall remain In force and
be subject to the provisions of this act. Any
clause which should authorize the creditor to
appropriate the pledge to himself, or dispose
thereof, without the aforesaid formalities,
shall be null. Until the debtor be divested
from his property, II 1t is the case, he re-
mains the proprietor of the pledge, which is
In the hands of the creditor only as deposit
to secure his privilege on it.


The prevalence Of very erroneous ideas
OF the right Of PLEDGES to dispose OF
property left in pawn without the con-
sent Of the pledger, and without judg-
ment Of court, induces us to publish at length
the present law of Louisiana, which will be
found much safer guide than the answers
OF the learned iurist of the Times.
Year: 1877

shjpmasters or shippers desirous Of having
tho GRIP TIE and GILMAN'S FULLER ap-
plied to their cotton by any Of the presses in
cluded in the association will please notify the
undersigned.


The charge for furnishing the Ties and Pull
ers will until the 1st day Of January. be fifteen
cents per bale from and after that date. until
the list day of March. the charge will be twelve
and half cents. and from and alter the first
day of March ten cents per bale.


We estimate the gain in stowage by the use OF
this Tie and Fuller at 20 per cent. based upon
actual tests. We have numerous assurances
that cotton to which the Grip Tie is applied Is
delivered in Europe In better condition aud
with less loss In weight than ever before known.


JOHN B. LAFITTE b CO.,


Managers Louisiana Cotton Tie Company.
oc27 OF
Year: 1877

should by any means hear of his DEATH
In many respects your brother and my
self resemble each other, he being about
my heightand having the same complex
ion and 1t was by this'means that the de-
ception was the more easily practiced.
Before his death he gave me three pho
tographs, two of which contained, the
portrait of himself end Helen, and one
was that of his sister, The two former
he charged me to present to Helen, and
acqpaint her with his death, after hav-
ing elected promise of secrecy. from
her lips on the matter. God knows it
has cost me much pain to execute these
missions, but nevertheless have execu-
ted them all but one, and that is to pre-
sent your photograph to, you, which L
now do. Now, then," he continued,
mournfully, "yoa can account for poor
Helen's death. 1t was during that
mornings walk, about fifteen months
ago, that communicated to her ears
the dreadful intelligence of your broth
er's DEATH


During this rseital Mary had stood
white and motionless as a statue, and
now, tottering back few steps, would
have fallen, had'nOt Harold caught her
in his arms. The excitement of the-mo-
ment threw Mary into fever, from
which she did not recover for a week.


noticed with feelings of indignation
that from that time forward my cousin
and Harold were much in each ether's
company. Her manner toward him had
changed wonderfully since the discovery
that he was not her brother. She now,
seemed more bashful in his presence
than formerly, while the very sound of
his step brought the rich blood suddenly
to herIchesk. And, reader, would you
believe it z Just as donned my bran
new dress coat and beaver, with the in
tention of making the long meditated
declaration to my cousin, "a received a
little billet tied with pink ribbon, in
viting nae to her wedding with Harold
Warren
Year: 1877

A French physician is out in a long
dissertation on the advantages of groan-
ing and crying in general, and especial
ly daring surgical operations. He con-
tends that groaning andicrying are two,
grand operations by which nature allays
anguish that those patients who give
way to their natural feelings more speed.
lily recover from their accidents and
operations than those who think it,
unworthy man to- betray such symp-
toms of cowardice as either to groan or.
cry.


He tells of q man who reduced his
pulse from one hundred and twenty-six.
to sixty in the course of few hours by
giving full vent to his emotions. If
people are at all unhappy about any
thing let them go into their rooms and
comfort themselves with o loud boo-hoo,
and they will feel a hundred per cent,
better afterwaFd.


In accordance with the above, the
crying of children should not be too
greatly discouraged. If it is systematic
ally repressed the result may be St.
Vitus' dance, epileptic fits, OF some
other disease of the nervous system
What is natural is nearly always use
full, and nothing can be more natural
than the crying of children when any,
thing occurs to give them either physi-
cal or mental pain.
Year: 1877

THE twilight glided softly into the
i room. My aunt ceased plying her
needle, let the work drop into her lap,
and, leaning her head upon har arm, sat
in musing attitude. The summer
breeze came gently in through the open
window and dallied with the gray locks
that fell over her care worn brow. She
lifted her head, and gazed thoughtfully
towards the West, where the last dim
streak of sunlight was fading from the
clouds. heard deep-drawn sigh, and
saw tear trembling upon her eyelids.-
But the gloom deepened in the room,
and presently could only distinguish
the outlines of her form as she still re-
mained seated by the window.


was then mere lad of Is; but hav-
ing been left an orphan at an early age,
and, as a natural consequence, come into
contact with the rough world, had culti-
waited the powers of observation to a
greater degree than is usual in one so
young. Upon the death bed of my pa
rents, my aunt had taken me into her
own family, which consisted of herself
and son and daughter, some years older
than myself About four years before
the opening of this story, however,
Charles had left the parental roof to seek
his fortune upon the high seas in man.
o'-war, and was now expected home
daily by the widow. The little room he
had been wont to call his own, when at
home, was now neatly prepared by the
hands of his sister and mother for his
reception. The carpet had been newly
busted and spread upon the floor, and
such ornaments added to the room as
the widow knew would please her son.


Well, therefore, did know of whom
she was thinking at that moment, and
accordingly rose from my seat and glided
from the room, leaving her to her own
reflections. 1 met my cousin in the
lighted passage, looking flushed and ex-
cited.


"Oh, Harry" she exclaimed, laying
her soft hand upon my arm, " 1 saw a
man before it was quite dark, coming
toward the house with valise in his
hand, and the thought struck me that it
might have been brother Charles"


How did he look T? How was he
dressed ?" L inquired.


/ think he was dressed in sailors
clothes, but he was so far off that ]
couldn't see him very WE'LL" she an
swered.


At that moment the door bell rang in q
manner which convinced me that noue
but sailors hand could have pulled the
string.


THAT'S him-I feel it = something
tells me that's him !" exclaimed my
cousin in an agitated voice.


I ran down stairs into the hall and
opened the door. A tall youth, dressed
in the man-o'-war style, stepped forth
into the light.
Year: 1877

Upon the sadness of the sea
The sunset broods regretfully;
From the far, lonely spaces, slow
Withdraws the wistful afterglow.
SO out of life the splendor dies;
So darken all the happy skies
So gathers twilight, cold and stern:
But overhead the planets burn.
And up the east another day
Shall chase the bitter dark away;
What though our eyes with tears we wet
The sunrise never failed us yet.
The blush of dawn may yet restore
Our light and hope and Joy once more.
Sad soul, take comfort, not forget
That the sunrise never failed us yet