smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

We notice that our Crawford county exchanges keep up q lively sparring over the removal of the court house in that county. Boon vile Enterprise.

 Yes, and are indulging in epithets and language which IS disgraceful. The privileges of an editor should not be abused in any such style. It is impair.ng the dignity and useful ness of the press. and it should be stopped. The next meeting of the Press Association should provide tor the prohibition of this kind oi journalism by papers belonging tc the Association.
Year: 1877

the printing business can only be successfully conducted on the cash system, and unless the press of the state resolve unanimously to adhere strictly to that system, It can never prosper. One paper cannot do it by itself, it must be unanimous thing. with all the papers pledged to it's ob. scrvance. Another evil that should be looked into, is the cut-throat poli cy of underbidding each other for work. So extensively has this prac, tice been pursued, that advertising and job work have been put down So low that a newspaper could hardly live at it if it could get as much of both as it could do. The metropolI- tan press has been in the habit of sending out drummers for job work in towns where newspapers are print ed, and proposing to oo work cheap- CT than the country press can afford to do it, simply because of their su- perior facilities, and the large amount of work they get to do. This should be frowned down by the coun- try press and every instance expos ed as it deserves. The legal print ing question should also be consid- ered.-The price now allowed by law is not sufficient for the work done.-The law should be remodeled in many particulars, and the same compensation allowed for legal print ing as for any other class of printing. The bill proposed at the last session of the legislature and defeated, per haps met all the requirements, and the Convention should consider the best manner of getting it before the next legislature and securing it's passage. We. hope, therefore, to see a full attendance of the press at the Convention and a con. cert of action which is necessary fol the promotion of the interest of the newspaper business in our State.
Year: 1877



 EDITOR DEMOCRAT: Allow me to pen a few lines in your valuable paper Thls is the third Spring that I have spent in this county and this is the most backward, gloomy Spring that l have ever seen. We have had great deal of rain this Spring which was very disagreeable and checked the blows very much which was needed to be run very muh. The rain was a considerable draw back, but here comes another dread just about the time the farm CTS got ready to plant their corn here comes the little grasshoppers which seemed to rise out of the ground ny the million. They were just in time to clean up the gardens very nicely in thls section. They seemed to De very hungry from their first appearance; they seemed to want to eat almost everything that was green. When the corn began to come up here vas the little fellows just ready to receive it and you bet they did so. l see a great deal of corn bit down by them although some of it is coming out again. But they are dead shot on wheat, they have almost cleaned up several crops in this section; they have damaged some crops so badly that the tarm- CTS are blowing the wheat up and planting the ground in corn or cot. ton. They have also injured oats very much, but not so much us wheat. They seem to be particu- larly fond of wheat and corn.

 Some farmers have already been planting their corn over. The httle hoppers arc getting right smart wings and are supposed to leave when they get wings la"ge enough to fly, If they shou'd decide to stay with us all summer think crops will make q blast, But hoping by the time you hsar from me again they will he gone, will bring my lines to stop oil for the present,

 Hoping the DEMOCRAT a long, sue oosaiul life, l remain respectfully yourh, W, o. C, l..

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Year: 1877

We will give as premium for the best printed paper in Arkansas, the Prescott News not competing, q fine gold pen to the publisher, and an elegant silver plated composing stick to the foreman or printer 70 whom the credit of the work belongs. The judges to be selected and ( premiums awarded at the meeting of the Press Association at Fort Smith next June. We desire the name of every paper in Arkansas on our ex change list, and will esteem it favor if brethren of the Press will ex- change. Tnes. II. BAscoM,

 Publish Prescott News.
Year: 1877

The following from the Southern Standard is timely, and contains thoughts upon a matter pertinent to every publisher Tn the State. We endorse what the Standard has to say:

 "The Press convention which meets in Fort Smith, on the 9th of June next, is one that should he gen orally attended by all the members of the Press Throughout the State. The newspaper business in Arkansas is at a very low ebb, and something should be done, if possible, to lift it out of the slough of diversity into which it has fallen. Albeit, the country press of Arkansas will com pare fayorably with that of any other state of the Union, there are but very few papers in the State that are making more than bare suhsis. tance, while some of them are being published at an actual loss to the publishers. There must be cause for this, and the members of the press should set thelr heads togeth. CT and see if they cannot discover what it is, aud try to apply the rem edy It is certainly not for the want of ability in conducting them on the part of the propFietors, for some of the most ably conducted papers are the most poorly patronized. It is not on account of the ignorance on the part of the people of the State, for We have as intelligent q popula tion as any of our sister States. It must be. then in the financial man ner of conducting the business. Our own experience Aas taught us that
Year: 1877

THE most economical plan for the civ
ilizing of Africa is that proposed by some
Frenchmen a year or two ago and now
revived. The plan involves the cutting
of canal, commencing at point on the
west coast of Africa, opposite the Canary
Islands, to the western borders of the
Desert of Sahara, where the land is much
lower than the sea, thus admitting the
ocean over an immense region of country,
and facilitating commercial and other CIV
ilizing relations with the interior. Should
this artificial inland sea extend east eight
or ten degrees of longitude, Timbuctoo
and the valuable region adjacent would
be made easy of access from the coast.
Year: 1877

AN old man died in Deckertown, N.
Y, the other day, and in obedience to his
dying request his coffin was carried TO
the grave by his six sons, who are all
young men and lawyers. 1t was a mourn
full sight-six lawyers in one family.
Year: 1877

Having removed to our new store
We Will low meet any competition
IN the Furniture line. Our stock is
complete in Parlor, Chamber, and
Nn'ng.room Sets, which we are Of
1erng at ROCK BOTTOM PRICES.
twill be in your interest to look
a. our Goods and prices before buy
ing elsewhere.
Year: 1877

THEOLOGY AND CHRISTIANITY
When will the world understand that
theology Is not Christianity? One is
human, the other divine. When will
the world understand that nothing Is
truer than truth aud that truth is no
more sacred when it comes to US through
verbal revelation than when established
upon unimpeachable evidence? Again
and again, IN the history of the world,
have theological dogmas gone down be-
fore truth of science. That which men
have believed through their interpreta-
ton of revealed truth, has not been able
to stand a moment before the scientific
demonstration of its falsity. Theolo-
gians have fought against it, and they
have invariably been driven to the wall.
Truth wherever found is sacred because
| it is truth, and had its birth in God
Mans opinions of truth are never sacred,
because they have their birth in his inn
perfect fallible season. We know of no
rea on why theological dogma is any
more sacred than a political dogma. We
cannot understand why, in the interest
o. Christianity, it may not be freely dis
cussed and examined and cOntroverted,
as dogma in political economy. At
any rate we propose to do 1t whenever


we have occasion. We are happy to be-
lieve that the world is beginning to ap-


prehend that, after all our disputes and


discussions upon dogmatic Christianity,


religion consists of love to God and love
to man, and has its final results and


grand consummation in character.
j. @ Holland.
Year: 1877

CURRAN's REPLY TO JUDGE ROBIN
just rising into notice, and while he was
yet poor and struggling man, Judge
Robinson, it is said, ventured upon a
sneering joke which, small as it was, but
for Curran's ready wit and scathing elo-
quence, might have done him irrepara-
bic injury. Speaking Of some opinion
of counsel on the opposite side, Curran
said he had consulted all his books, and
could not find case in which the prin-
ciple in dispute was thus established
''That may be Mr.. Curran." sneered the
judge, but l suspect your law library Is
rather limited Curran eyed the heart
less toady for moment, and then broke
forth with this noble retaliation. 1T is
very true, my lord, that am poor and
this circumstance has certainly rather
curtailed my library. My books are not
numerous, but they are select, and I
hope have been perused with proper dis.
positions. have prepared myself for
this high profession rather by the study
Of a few good books than by the COM


position of a great many bad ones. am
not ashamed ofmy poverty, but should
be ashamed of my wealth if l could
stoop to acquire it by servility and cor
ruption. Ii rise not to rank shall at
least be honest; and should ever cease


to be SO, many an example shows me


that an ill-acquired elevation, by MAX
ing me the more conspicuous, would


only make me the more universally and
notoriously contemplate"
Year: 1877

FENCE PosTs TOP END DowN.-A
study of vegetable physiology led me to
try several experiments, many years
ago, to throw light upon this question.
The sap or moisture goes up in the sap.


wood from the roots to the leaves of the
tree. found if the post sis butt-end
down, the pores are open upward, and


water can go up, and thus keep the post
moist between wind and water, which
must cause rapid decay. 1t appeared
probable that the pores were open only
upward and not downward in the tree.
To test this, I cut a small maple sap
ling, two inches through y in May, leav-
ing the limbs all on, and placed the
but-end in pail of brine. In thirty
six hours the leaves were saturated with
this brine, the taste Of the salt being
strong.


At the same time I had cut another
maple sapling, and cut off the top branch,
leaving the rest of the limb on. After
winding cloth around the butt end, to
prevent evaporation, L placed the top
end in q pail of brine, and allowed it to
remain several days. but no brine had
been absorbed at the top end. 1t had not
penetrated the pores as far as the end
was immersed in the brine, for the bark
was scraped, there was not the slightest
taste of salt to be found. This being the
case in the green tree, how much more
must the pores of the dry tree be closed
from the top end downward? l have
tried many similar experiments, and
think the question settled that if q post
is placed top end down, no moisture can
ascend from the bottom of the hole up
the post to rot but when the butt end
is down, the moisture can ascend the
pores very rapidly If green and slowly if
dry. Seasoned posts are found to last
much longer, because the pores are more
or less filed within the seasoned woSd.
should also infer that placing the top
end down would make more difference
In green than in dry post. In pursu-
ance of the fact that the pores of green
timber have been often saturated with
different solutions to preserve it, by inn
mersing the butt end, freshly cut, in the
solution to be absorbed, it will also be
noted that burning or charring the posts
only closes the pores and prevents the
ABSORPTION of water.-E. W, S. in Coatn-
try Gentleman.
Year: 1877

A distressing homicide occurred
Wednesday evening nears Claysville In
Harrison County. John W. Bayless
shot and killed his uncle, Amos Bayless.
He gave himself up next morning and
was brought to CynJhiana last night and
lodged in Jail to await trial.


Your correspondent visited him at his
quarters at a late hour last night and
gathered from him the lollo wing partic-
ulars Of the affair. IL seems tnat this
young man and man by the name Of
Ben. Whitaker were returning home
about 8 O'Clock in the evening from a
corn.cutting on neignbor's farm.


When passing James Jolly's house
Whitaker stopped to speak to Jolly,
while young Bayles rode on up the road
as far as the bars, when his uncle Amos
came out OF Jolly's house and called to
him to stop, as he wished to speak to
him. He did so, and got down off his
horse, and both of them sat down on q
log near by.


His uncle then told him he wanted
him to tell him who it was he said he
mad seen in the woods with his daughter.
This the boy refused to do, unless be was
nut upon oath. The old man said he
would make him, and began striking
at him with a heavy cane he had in mis-
hand. The boy tried to get out Of his
way, but he followed him up and struck
him several licks across the arms and
hands.


At last young Bayless ran his hand be-
hind him, and told I'm that unless he
stopped lie would hurt HIM. He per-
sisied in striking at MIN and cursing MIN
violently, saying that he would Kill him.
The young man then drew his pistol,
when his uncle tried to hit him across the
arm and knock 1t from him.


Failing In that, he ran his hand be-
hind him to draw his own pistol, when
the young man fired, the ball striking
his uncle in the breast just below the
heart, killing him instantly. Bayless
fed, remaining in the wools all night.
Next morning he went into Claysville
and gave himself up.


The prisoner Is just twenty-one Yea, 8
of age and is known to be a sober, steady
boy. Two pistols were found upon the
boly OF old man Bayless after his death.
weapons for years. Deceased is about
f!ty years OF age and leaves a wife and
four chlldren.


Day 1853 uouSntei, Ino Wig uai oause
OF tue difficulty, is now enCeinte. The
old man professed to know the man who
had thus imposed upon his girl, but
young Bayless had told him On several
occasions that he had seen her in the
woods with another man.


He refused to disclose the persons
name unless put upon oath. For that
reason Bayless thought his nephew was
lying TO him; hence he told him on that
evening, as ne had done on several oc-
casions heiore, that il he did not tell
who the person was he would kill him.
Year: 1877

Those leading statesmen of New-Jersey. who have
been for some months endeavoring by established
Democratic methods to make themselves candidates
for Governor, have now unlimited time to estimate
the profits of their enterprise. That was very ex-
pensve collection of delegates which was gathered
at Trenton on Wednesday last Votes were bought
at ruinous prices in the primary elections Delegates
bought at still higher rates after they had been
elected. Others would not stay bought even then but
kept on selling themselves over and over long rs
the market was brisk The bribery was so open and


mpudent that there little need Of the aidavits
fastening it upon one candidate whose name was
gorfed in the imperfect oratory of the convention
as "synom" of honesty and honor Checks were
drawn and delivered in crowded bar rooms, and
orderly squads of strikers seen peddling them
selves from statesman to statesman with the per
tinacious business energy of licensed venders.
There gratuitous whskey for all who would
drink there were promises for all who demanded
them there crawling and begging. and prnci-
pies disowned, and pledges broken aud manhood sac


rliced. And what is the gross income from all this
eXtrayagant outlay of money and time and toll and
temper ana from this 'exhansiing drain upon the
reputation of those who had any character
to sguanderi Nothing but defeat and disgrace.
II was not the sweeping popularity of Gen. McClel-
Ian which compassed this downfall for the turbulent
confusion Of that day was rot enthusiasm simply


Nor was il the accident of = icobc chairman and
ungovernable mob. These conditions made the
Year: 1877

A novel plan was set forth in THE TRIBUNE
of July 80, for saving weak insurance compa-
MES. whose reserves, calculated by tho mOrtall-
ty tables. have fallen below the legal Standard
In a letter afterwards published, corre-
snondent who was heavily insured in such an
unfortunate concern, spoke of the plan with
undualifed approval, and pointed ont many
minor objects that it would accomplish An
earnest effort is now in progress to apply TINS
plan to the Universal Life Insurance Com
papy. Judge LandOn. of Schenectady, has
consented to withhold the appointment OF
receiver until the plan can be adopted. Ii
il understood to have the favor OF the In
surance Department, and many OF the pohcy-
holders have given their written assent BrleI-
" stated, the plan IS 10 scale down the poll
cies. reducing their promise to pay to fgllre
that the present assets, rs now invested, can
be depended on to meet; reduced policies to
take the place of the old ones. The reduc-
tion nroDosed in the case OF the Universal. Is
80 ppr cent. The stock holders are expected
10 relinqush all claim upon the company, and
hereafter it is to be rnn upon the mutual
plan. being entirely in the hands of the poll
cv-holders, who will appoint q new board and
new officers. An abstract of the circular, de-
scIibing the proposal to pOlicy-holders, Is given
in another column.


The chief object to be gained is TO prevent
the runous loss and delay that will follow if
the concern goes into the hands of receiver.
Even if the receiver should manage matters
with unusual skill and economy, he could not
he expected to do for the policyhOlders that
which they most want, that for which they
originally took out poicies-tO give the as
surance of money TO be paiO promptly. in case
Of death, to the survivors. THIS the new plan
secures. Not so much money Will be paid as
was originally promised hut the contract to
nav is changed in TO other respect. Ibe COM
pany, being again upon a sound baSls may
take in new business or merely close its Old
affairs that is for the pOIicy-hOlders and their
new trustees to determine Very probably
such concern, beng popular with the policy
holders who controlled it, would again find
favor with the general public.


But no faint of the former management must
adhere to the new order of things. The men
who guided the vessel on the rocks should not
again be trusted with the helm. There must
not he suspicion of such intent i'll the move
ment for reorganizing. Yet this is quite likely
to be- among the chances where the policy
holders are left TO themselves without any
guidance, while the former officers may be
plotting for the control of the new organiza-
ton. There is one easy and proper way 10
avoid such Il lame conclusion. The Insurance
superintendent is put in Office to guard the
interests of the policy-holders. lie should be
at the mead Of the movement and should di-
rect it ; he should secure the adhesion Of the
policy-hoiders to the plan, and receive their
proxies for the election of the men who are to
manage their interests The details of the
change could then be managed without fric-
tion and without costly legal proceedings.
Year: 1877

overthrow more sudden and more crushing, bn, nm
derneath all this was the smoulderng adherence OF
these men and their debauchDg practices, which
only needed the opportunity 10 flame out against
them. True, this not an emiDeDtly high-minded
body which thus rebuked corruption, nor does this
adherence imply any superaboundne virtue; for
even the mercenares who had sold themselves shared
it with the more reputable delegates who were not
base enough to take a bribe, sufficiently cOur-
ageous TO denounce the bribery. Rarely is dele
gate so besotted that IN his secret heart he would
not prefer q straightforward and Trustworthy man
for Governor, and these candidates all went down
together shlpwrecked in a common ruin, simply be-
cause there not enough Of clean cbaracerand res
olnte manhood in one of them who came prominently
before the convention to command respect and com.
pei allegiance As the conclusion Of the whole mat
ter, it may be well to remember that stainless rep
utation is not altogether unseryceable even in a
Democratic convention.
Year: 1877

corded i'm the letter OF our correspondent, WHO
WAS himself one of those who visited the ffench
canital to do honor 10 the founder OF KIN
dred Republic The Government which acted
from the first sullenly, happily retired from all
share in the obscquies, when Nine. Thiers
insisted that the Deputies who had supported
Tbiers's pripciples should be accorded
place in the procesSson. The grand
demonstration which iollowed bore wit
ness that the obscquies lost nothing IN inn
prcssiveness or effect from the withdrawal OF
Government interference. Remembering only
the great statrsman's love for France,
the people lined the streets as the
procession passed, and disappointed the
Royalists by preserving the most perfect
order. In this country, if we did no, on this
occasion reciprOcate the tribute which Napo-
leon paid to the memory of Washington, 1t IL
gratifying to find that our Minister and two
of his predecessors joined in paying the
last honors to the great journalist, historian,
and patriot.


A way seems to have been opened by which
applications for space at the French Exhibition
of next year can be made and granted without
waiting for the tardy action Of Congress, not
likely to he taken before the opening of the
regular December session. 1t Is stated that
nearly one thousand applications have been In
charge of the United States Legation IN Paris,
which the French Government would not
consider because they were not supported
by any official action on the part of our Gov
eminent This formality, however the French
authorities have now consented to waive, ana
these applications and all applications made
through the Legation, will be received and
acted upon. This decision seems TO be a. eff
fective in opening the doors of the Exhibition
TO our citizens as formal acceptance by our
Government of the invitation of the French
Government would be. That formal accept
ance can be made later, in time to ratlfy all
that has been done. Now, our business men
ought to go promptly to work to make the
American exhibit as nearly worthy OF the
country as it can be made, after this unior-
unate beginning