smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877




Owen Casabianca was a native of
Corsica, on which island he was born in
the year 1913. His father was Louis
Casabianca, distinguished French pol
itician and naval commander and the
friend of Napoleon. He was captain
at this time of the Orient, one of the
largest vessels in the French navy,
magnificent ship-of-war, carrying one
hundred and twenty guns and five hun
dred seamen. Of Casabianca's mother
we know but little, save that she was
young and beautiful Corsican lady, and
devotedly attached to her son. Owen
was her only child, a handsome, manly
little fellow, with her beauty in his
flashing eyes and dusky hair. She died
while he was yet quite young, and when
the green sod was placed above her
grave, the boy left the pleasant valley
under the smiling hills of Corsica to go
with his father and tread the hard deck
of war vessel. Mere child as he was,
Casabianca soon grew to love his fathers
dangerous calling, and became favor
ite with all on board. He was made
midshipman, and at the early age of ten
years participa with his father in the
battle of the Nile The ship caught
fire during the action. Soon after, Cap
tain Casabianca, the father. was wounded
by musket ball. Not yet disabled, ne
was struck in the head some minutes
later by splinter which laid him upon
the deck insensible. His gallant son,
unconscious of the chieftain's doom,
still held his post at the battery, where
he worked like the hero he was. He
saw the flames raging around him; he
saw the ships crew deserting him one
by one, and the boy was urged to flee.
With courage and GOODNESS beyond his
years, he refused to desert his post.
Worthy son of Louis Casabianca, he
fought on and never abandoned the
Orient till the whole of the immense
vessel was in flames. Then seeking
refuge on a floating mast, he left the
burning ship behind him. But he was
too late. The final catastrophe came
like the judgment doom. With an ex-
plosion so tremendous that every ship
felt it to the bottom, the Orient blew up,
and from among the wreck the next
morning was picked up the dead, man.
gled body of the young hero, whose
story, romance and poetry can not make
more heroic than it was.
Year: 1877

Quite an original method of taking
fort is described in BLack,UooFs Mdgd-
zine. In 1896, large Russian army be-
sieged the Turkish fort of Azof, which
was situated on plain strongly fortified,
and had a small, but well disciplined
garrison. No common approaches could
be made to it, as the Turkish cannon
swept the level with iron hail. In this
case the engineering skill of the Russians
was bafled, but General Patrick Gordon,
the right-hand man of Peter the Great,
and the only one for whose death it is
said he ever shed tear, being deter
mined to take the place at any cost,
proposed to bury it with earth by
gradual approaches. He had large
army; the soil of the plain was light and
deep, and he set twelve thousand men
to work with spades, throwing up high
decentralization of earth wall before
them in advance. The men were kept
in gangs, working day and night, the
earth being thrown from one to another
like the steps to stair, the top gang
taking the lowest place every half hour
in succession. In five weeks the huge
earth wall was carried forward nearly
one mile, until it rose to and above the
highest ramparts, and the earth began
to roll over them. This caused the
Turkish Governor to hang out the white
flag and give in. Had he not done so
General Gordon would have buried the
fortress
Year: 1877

SPECIMENS of silver ore recently taken
from the Cerro de Pasco silver mines in
Peru show that the submerged portion
of the mountain is very rich, and
rough estimate shows that body of ore
will be exposed, by the new tunnel which
Henry Meiggs is to build, worth from
100000, 900 toS5OO, 900, 900. These mines
have lain under water for fifty years,
and are scarcely known to the present
generation, though they have been
worked for over two hundred and fifty
years. Peru has now discovered that
tunnel can be built which will drain the
mountain completely, by draining off the
lake from which the water in the mines
comes, and she is so much in earnest
about it that the first loads of the now
submerged ore are expected to reach
Lima in four months. 1t is predicted
that within ten years more silver will be
taken out than from the silver mines in
Nevada.
Year: 1877

New YORK Letter: Ned Stokes, the
murderer of Jim Fisk, did rather bru-
tai thing the other night at the Grand
Opera House. He actually occupied
Jim Fisk's private box, sitting in the
same spot from which the vulgar, but
good-natured face of his victim, with its
waxed mustache, had looked hundreds
of times on the spectacles on which he
lavished so much time and money.
Some of the people in the gallery caught
sight of Stokes behind the blue satin
curtains of the box, and, true to their
allegiance to the memory of the big
hearted Colonel of the Ninth, Missed
him roundly. He glared defiance, as he
well can do, for he is as handsome as
ever the frost on his hair and mus
tache and goatee giving his appearance
the distinction it needed; he is well
dressed, too, and looks as though he
found many things in life worth living
for. "This is free country" said one
of Fisk's old friends, "but it won't do
for Ned Stokes to show his face too
often in that box at the Grand Opera
HouseW
Year: 1877

RECENTLY a gang of men working in
the gravel pit on the Grand River Val
ley Railroad, two miles east of Nashville,
exhumed the skeleton of man. There
is suspicion that the remains are those
of George Snyder, of Ohio, who mysteri-
ously disappeared when the road was be-
ing built nine years ago. Snyder was a
laborer in the employ of one Mitchell,
who had the contract of grading the road
from Hastings to Vermontville. One
night while at work at or near the place
where the skeleton was found, he re-
marked to chum that he was going to
draw his pay and quit work. He drew
his pay and was never seen afterward.
Year: 1877

FUNERALS as DISEASE FEEDERS.


The Board of Health of New York
City declares public or church funeral
of any person who has died of scarlet
fever, diphtheria, measles or whooping
cough dangerous to the lives of such as
may attend who have not had the disease,
and requires the family to limit the at
tendance to as few as possible, and to
prevent the presence, so far as they are
able, of those who have not had the dis
ease of which deceased person died, and
to disinfect the room in which deceased
person was and the body of deceased
person and the clothing and bedding used
during the sickness. The Board also
advises the use of sealed wooden or me-
tallic coffins when the family can afford
the expense.


There is good reason to believe that
disease is occasionally disseminated
through the medium of funerals. We
have at least one fairly authenticated in
stance in this countryof diphtheria being
diffused broadcast through the crowding
incident, occasionally, to the last cere-
mony. Fortunately this question is be-
ginning to receive much attention, and
several cases have been reported of late,
where. the transmission of the disease
from the corpse seemed highly probable.
The Suffolk District Medical Society sent
out four hundred circulars to medical
practitioners, with a view to ascertain the
opinion of the profession on the alleged
danger of permitting public funerals of
persons who had died from diphtheria.
Two hundred and thirty-nine answers
were received; of these one hundred and
forty-three writers express belief in the
possible danger of contagion at funerals !;
seventeen believe that there is danger
from funerals in the houses of the dead,
but none in churches; twenty-nine fancy
that in the present state of knowledge
there is no justification in prohibiting
public funerals, and eight record cir
cumstances which occurred in their own
experience confrmatory of the propo-
sition that peril may ensue; but the testi-
mony these latter advance is not quite
satisfactory. The society, after due con-
sideration, recommend that funerals at
the houses of those who have died of
diphtheria should be private, owing to
possible exposure to the poison of the
disease.
Year: 1877

worked by horse traction in Northern
Italy. In the streets of the principal
towns, and sometimes on the roads, tracks
of granite are laid in the highways. The
surface of these tracks being fat and
perfectly smooth, the wheels of the
vehicles glide over them with the least
possible friction. The conductor of each
vehicle takes care to so guide ii that the
wheels always remain on the granite.
The author of the project maintains that
there is nothing to prevent the granite
lines from being used bycarriages driven
by steam-power in like manner as though
drawn by horses.
Year: 1877

INDIANAPOLIS Journal: A New York
paper says that of twenty-five hundred
dogs caught and impounded in that city
only thirty-one have been redeemed by
their owners. 1t is argued from this
that an immense majority of the canine
population are comparatively worthless.
But looking at the matter from dog
standpoint, suppose the same number of
of two-legged loafers and scalawags
should be arrested in the streets of New
York and impounded, is it probable that
a larger proportion of them would be
redeemed? The way to judge dog
Justly is to put yourself in his place.
Year: 1877

nesday / stood in that Temple, and as
| rose looked down in the front seats,
and there was nay own father, 20 years
of age, who had struggled over to hear
his son tell of the glad tidings of this
Gospel. 1t almost broke me down,
but | went on as well as / could.


L would rather myself prefer less
publicity in this matter, but 1 hope /
may be instrumental in saving some
human soul. And what is my sensi-
tiveness or my feelings in comparison.
to that? Perhaps my feeble story
may touch some sorTowing and unpar-


An, there af6 Yhen L wouru give M,
life, it seems TO me, to win; there are
men to whom / am allied with the ties
of blood, men that are gifted with
large endowments Of patience, with
the magnetism of personal influence so
grand that their fellow-men would fol-
low their word and example as Israel
followed the music or the harp and the
songs of David. Would that God
would give me the power to reach their
hearts
Year: 1877

''Give me the lowest place; not that l


dare


Ask for that lowest place; but thou


hast died
That might live and share
Thy glory by thy side.
Give me the lowest place; or if for me
That lowest place be too high, make


one more low
Where may sit and see
My God, and love thee So"
Year: 1877

Silk hats cost this spring from 81
to 81. reduction of 81 from last
years prices. But, because of 65
per cent duty on silk plush, the silk
hat must remain costly luxury, and
double the cost of one in England and
France. Not a yard of silk plush
is now made in this country.
Year: 1877

SUMMER bathes the world in sun shine and perfumes it with the tender breath of roses, but there always will be one dark, marring blot on the face of nature so long as mothers will insist

 on cutting their boys hair at home. A boy with a home cropped head would ruin a landscape Tn Paradise.
Year: 1877

And is conducted in Aid of the Public School Fund Of Tucson. The proceeds after paying the expenses of the Enter

 prise, will be devoted to liquidating the Debt of the Public School.
Year: 1877

Strength for to-day is all that we need,
As there never will be tomorrow;
For tomorrow will prove to be another


to-day,


With its measures of joy and sorrow.
Then why forecast the trials of life


With such sad and grave persistence,
And watch and wait for crowd of ills
That as yet have no existence.
Strength for to-day-what a precious boon
For the earnest souls who labor,
For the willing hands that minister
To the needy friend or Eeighbor.
Strength for to-day-that the weary hearts
In the battle for right may quail not,
And the eyes bedimmed with bitter tears
In their search for life may fail not
Strength for to-day-On the downhill track,
For the travellers near the valley,
That u, far up, the other side


Ere long they may safely rally.
Strength for today-that our precious


youth


May happily shun temptation,
And build, from the rise TO the set of the


sun


On a strong and sure foundation.
Strength for to-day-In house and home,
Topractice forbearance sweetly;
To scatter kind words and loving deeds,
Still trusting in God completely.
Year: 1877

found it"


@Where?" stammered Mr. Carleton
with look of stupefedamazement.


@Just in your plate she answered
laughing merrily.


sVery well, Annie. leave us for an
instant and we will join you in the draw
ing-room.


As the door closed behind his wife Mr.
Carleton came up to me and seized me
by both hands.


Before you say another word, sir,
hear my story" i cried, and then with
rapid feverish eloquence / told him OF
my struggles, my affection for my sister
and my suferings at seeing her suffer,
and finally of the heart ringing scene Of
the morning. @And this is why Iprefer
to pass for a thief rather than have it
known that my fathers daughter was
dying for hunger" concluded, drawing
from my pocket the portion of the fowl
I had contrived to slip from my plate
during the sumptious repast of which l
had just partaken. The tears fell from
the eyes of the good lawyer as he listen
ed to me, and when had ceased speak
ing, he once more seized my hands and
exclaimed


Good lad The sister you love so well
shall never know want again" and with
my hands still clasped in his own, he
threw open the door of the drawing
room, drew me in after him, and laying
his hand on my shoulder with fatherly
affection, he said in voice of deep emo
ton


Gentlemen, 1 present to you the most
honorable and worthy fellow | know.
my private secretary"


There were two happy, thankful
hearts that night in our humble apart
ment
Year: 1877

My fath5r had been dead month,
when one morning Mr. Maitland, our
family lawyer, one of my fathers oldest
friends, called on me.


"Mr Charles" said he, after we had
shaken hands, I'VE have arranged your
fathers affairs, and found a purchaser
for the estate. hut"


Are all the outlaying debts paid in
full?" interrupted quickly.


They are, but" continued our kind
friend in troubled voice, Il grieve to
say there is hardly anything left for you
and your sister, scarcely a thousand dol
lars


All" he went on, IF you had only
followed my advice. There were among
your fathers debts more than one that
could honestly have been cut down by
one half. Your father had ever an open
hand and generous heart, sir


Il regret nothing that has been done,
Mr. Maitland, and have but one more
question to ask you; when can have
the thousand dollars


Tomorrow, if you wish it."


A few days later my sister Emiine and
1 bade adieu to our once happy home
ours, alas no longer-and departed for
New York.


In spite of my efforts TO bear upagainst
the sudden adversely that had fallen
upon us, the blow nearly overwhelmed
me at first. 1 did not think so much of
myself a man can always make his way
in this world with energy and a strong
will, but was troubled for my dear sis
ter. How should / find the means of
providing for this fragile, delicate girl of
sixteen all the comforts she had hereto
fore enjoyeds When this terrible prob
lem first presented itself to me, 1 fell a
prey for just one moment to utter dis
couraeement and despair. But those of
my race are proud and strong of will,
and | mentally resolved that would
fight the battle of life so bravely that
victory must at last crown my efforts.


Arrived in New York, we took mod
est apartment and furnished it with as
much comfort as our slender resources
would allow. 1 made list of all my faith
eris former friends, resolved to apply to
them one after another until had OBJ
tanned employment. Day after day and
week after week solicited, hoped and
waited. Promises without number, e1-
pressions of interest for myself and my
sister and regret for our bereavement
were lavished upon me. But that was
all. 1t was the old story so well known
to all those whose hard doom condemns
them to solicit aid or succor from their
fellows - promises first then oblivion.
We had now been three months In New
York, when one moring l found that
only five dollars remained in my purse.
Here, then, was the end of all my
dreams. But how to face the cruel reaii-
ty. The winter was approaching, my
sisters pale face was growing paler day
by day, and hacking cough began to
! harass her. Another fortnight passed,
during which had been obliged TO part
with my watch and chain and even with
some articles of clothing; to procure the
Year: 1877

What is attempted in Physics? Moth
ing more than to excite attention to the
common phenomena which present
themse YES to the observation of bows
and girls at every turn. To explain some
of the simplest laws that manifest them
selves in the forces of Nature. To study
Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Pneumatics,
Optics, etc, in the Grammar Schools,
two years before the child is ready for
the High School, would seem to be ex-
treme nonsense; and so it would be, if
we meant thereby all that is included in
these terms. But how easy it is for a
boy to make application of his knowl-
edge of proportion in ascertainiug what
weight may be lifted by the aid of Il
lever five feet long, with the fulcrum at
a given point, or to calculate how great
force is necessary to roll barrel of
fiour up an inclined plane rising one
foot IN two. How surely does it provoke
thought to see some of the simple ex-
periments which illustrate the fact that
liquids transmit any applied pressure in
all directions, and to learn that applica-
ton of this law to the hydrostatic press.
How easy and clear the demonstration
that air has weight, how that weight
makes the common pump possibility,
and how it may be measured by the ba-
rometor. 1t is more difficult or less fer
tile of results to learn how that myster-
ious power is generated which carries
our messages over the land and under
the sea with almost the swiftness of
thought than it is to learn and under
stand the rules that govern the use Of
the subjunctive mode?


1t may be said that these things can
be better studied in the High School
than in the Grammar School. But to
one who knows the statistics of educa-
ton in this country such reply wears
the air Of mere mockery. Scarcely one
in four of those who may complete the
rudiments of Physics in the Grammar
ever reaches the High School, and not
one in seven who may commence it.
But again it is declared that it retards
the progress Of the pupils in Reading,
Writing, Arithmetic, Spelling. etc. Sta
tistics proving this to be quite contrary
to the fact, as they do, there is left no
room for doubt as to the wisdom of
teaching Physics in the Common
School.


Nor am willing to rest here. be-
lieve that this kind Of teaching gives to
pupils "an interest in what they are
learning, and a kind of practical char
acter to it, which no other teaching
could give" that to nine -ter,ths of them
it is of greater untility than one-half the
Arithmetic and Grammar learned at
the same age. As a.just conclusion, /
have to say that this department of in
struction demands more encouragement
from the Board of education than it has
received Thorough precision should
be made for the instruction of teachers,
even beyond the limit prescribed for
the classes which they teach, and a suf
ficient set ofapparatus should be placed
in every house where the subject is
taught.-From 7hiry-Nint Report Of
Hon A j Kickoff, Superintendent Of In
structioa, Clereland Ohio.
Year: 1877

REDUCTION OF TEACHERS Salaries
The city is heavily in debt; retrench-
ment is necessary; but it should end, not
begin, with the school bills There is
no tax that gives so handsome return
for the expenditure as the school tax.
The boards of apportionment might bet
ter cut off our gas-lights and leave US to
grope our way through dark streets at
night, than to give public notification
that hereafter the metropolis will pay
housemaidis wages TO the teachers Of its
children.-Chrieiau Union.
Year: 1877

Much has been heretofore said and
written about the assumptions of the
Catholic Church, not merely in things
spiritual but in matters civil and polite
al. By sone it is claimed that the church
has assumed a purely politicalaspectand
has sent forth its mandate directing all
its members to vote for and support
with an undivided strength and infiu-
ence, the political party to which it has
attached itself This claim is based upon
the alleged fact that the leading Catho


lie organ Of Ohio, published under the
immediate influence and control of Bish-
op Purcell, put forth in its columns the
statement which, it is said, every true
Catholic will feel bound to see verified,
that the unbroken vote of that church
will, in the future, be given to the Dem
cratic party. If this be fact it is diff
cnlt or impossible to oaccount for it only
upon the supposition that as a consider
alton for this vote the church is to receive
an equivalent from the party. If this
conclusion is correct it shows, If not a
union Of religion and politics. at least a
union of the Catholic Church with the
Democratic party. The members of all
other churches are now, as they always
have been, divided between the great
political parties Of the day. but hence
forth the Catholic church, in Ohio, and
probably in other States, i. to be syno-
nym of Democracy, and rice rersd. Re-
cent utterancesand many well consid


cred article from the organ above men,
toned, and others of the same faith, leave
no reason tc doubt the policy and pur


pose of that church and that every Cath


ole organ published in the United States,
and rejecting the views of that church,
is in harmony with the Democracy.


1t is said that members of that church
NAV not feel bound to obey the behests
of their spiritual advisers in matters
purely civil and political. Admitting
the truth of this supposition let US in
quire, what, in Catholic view, is purely
civil and POLITICAL Marriage, as they
view it, is q religious ordinence, and can
only be legiinately solemni1ed by a
priest. Our laws, which regard mar


riage as civil contract, are ignored BY
every true Catholic. Again, upon the
matter of education, they claim that
schools in which no theology or in which
the dogmas of their church are not
taught are schools of rice and immortality.
These and kindred matters are then, in
their judgment, not purely civil or polit-
ical, and are properly, or should be, un-
der the supervision and control Of the
Year: 1877

Especial to N. o. Democrat


LONDON, May 31.-,A Berlin dispatch states
that the semi-offical papers continue to init
mate that tho end of the war is approach
ing and the conclusion of an armistice is
already promised.


The Times correspondent at Vienna tele-
graphs that the rumOrs of the possibility of
peace floatng about there cmanate from Bcr-
lin, and date from the time of Prince Bis
marck's stay there.


At first these were vague, but now, however,
they have assumed more positive FORM and
are to the effect that the fall of Ardahan and
the retreat of the Turks to Erzeroum, to-
gether with the impression made on the Porte
by the menacing action of the Chamber and
the population of the capital, have furnish ed
an opportunity for German mediation


1t Is also to be remarked that the Grand
ViZicr was for some time ambassador at Berlin.
and has been keeping up rather intimate rea-
tions with the German Cabinet as regards
Turkey. 1t was thought that the govern
ment and palace cliques would only be too
glad to escape from their critical position bv
dismissing the Chamber and coming to some
arrangement.


The Turkish Parliament might be sent
home i'll June without extraordinary meas
ures. The impression equally exists that
Russia is little inclined to carry matters to an
extreme