smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

flowing city treasury by this time
next year. And yet every dealer would
only be taxed according to his business.
Those who sold a great deal OF liquids
would pay a big tax, while those who
sold u less amount would pay in proper.
tiOn. The city, however, would reap a
desirable harvest.
Year: 1877

The grizzly bear is the largest ard
most formidable Of the quadrupeds OF
California. He is one Of the most dam
gerous animals to attack. There is
much probability that when shot he
will not be killed outright. When
merely wounded, he is ferocious. His
weight and strength are so great that
he bears down all opposition before
him, and lie is very quick, his speed in
running being nearly equal to that Of
the horse. In attacking q man, he
usually rises on his hind legs, strikes
his enemy with one of his powerful
fore paws, and then commences TO bite
him. IF the man lies still with his face
down, the bear will usually content
himself with biting him for a while
about the arms and legs, and will then
20 of few steps and watch him. If
the man lies still, the bear will believe
him dead, and will soon get tired and
90 away. Blu: let the man move, and
the bear is upon him again; let him
fight, and he will bo in immediate dan
ger Of being torn to pieces. About huff
a dozen men on 90 average are killed
yearly in California by grizzly bears,
and as many more are cruelty mutila-
ted.
Year: 1877

A Joplin (Mo man, while on his
way home from Jefferson City, fell into
the hands of the wicked and covetous.
He vas on the way train, and Rear him
sat an innocent young man, IN whose
eye there shope only love for the human
race. In his hand he held three books,
very cheap looking books. The limo.
cent young man reached into his pocket
and took out $40 bill, and laid it be-
tween the leaves of one Of the books
and closed it up He then turned to
the Joplin man, aud with smile that
was very childlikc, told him he could
have the choice Of Oh he three books for
Sc. Our friend from the fuud Of lead
aud blackjack saw the edge of the $40
bill sticking out of the book, and he
thought 10 himself, "That fellow amt
SO sharp after all. III just take that
X ill.," He paid his Sc, purchased the
book, and, oh no, he wasn't made when
he found that instead & $40 bill
sticking from the end Of tho book, the
meek looking fraud had cut about the
eighth of an inch of the end of bill
and pasted it to the edge Of o leaf.
Year: 1877

There is in existence a remarkable
counterfeit cf the 1869 issnc, Of the
81 600 grccnback. Of these, seven bills
have been discovered by the secret scr-
vice officers, but no clue has as yet ap-
pearcd to tie operators who made them.
These counterfeits are so good that in
one instance, when one Of these bills
was at the Office of redemption in
Washington, it came within an ace Of
passing as genuine. Speculation is rife
as to who the engravcr can be. 1t is
evident that he is a man of higher tai
ent than any one now in the employ Of
the government, for he has succeeded
without the aid of the perfect processes
Of the government in making so perfect
a copy Of the bill as to deceive all
the experts not specially warned with
regard to it. Whoever this person is,
he seems we'll informed of the move
mcnts of the Treasury. Recently the
department sent warning circular
abroad, describing the weak points of
the bill. Among those stated was the
fact that the flourish at the end Of Mr.
Chittenden's name was larger than the
original, and that it had the appearance
Of scrpent's head. Shortly after this
the fifth bill, which was discovered in
Chicago, made its appearance. when it
was found that the flourish had been
picked out to conform to the original.
The unknown cngravor is better work
man than the famous Tom Ballard, now
in the penitcntiary at Albany for the
production of the $500 note that was
received 1T the sub-treasury Office of
New York. The indications are that
he works without associates, issuing on
ly one bill at a time; that his social
standing is good; as his means of get
ting these into circulation must be by
mediums above suspicion, and in this
way is battling every attempt to ottain
a clue to him from his respectable asso-
ciates. This is regarded as one Of the
most difficult cases ever undertaken by
the government service.
Year: 1877

Since the historic period. fourteen
thousand millions of human. beings Lago
fallen in the battles which man has
waged against his fellow-creature, man.
IF this amazing, startling number OF
men were 10 hold each other by the
hand at arms length they would extend
over fourteen million five hundred and
twenty three thousand miles Of ground,
and would encircle the globe on which
We dwell six hundred and eight times.
The calculation will appear more strik-
ing when we state that, if Only the fore.
fingers of every one Of chat fourteen
thousand millions Of human beings
were laid in straight line, they would
reach more than six hundred miles be-
yond the moon and that if person
were to undertake to count the number
ut the rate Of six thousand per hour,
allowing nineteen hours to day, and
seven days to a week, itwould occupy
that person three hundred end thirty
six years.
Year: 1877

WHEN the head of a Bulgarian finn.
lily porceives that ho is about to die, he
sends for the priest and begins to bar.
gain with him about the cost of his fu-
neral. The moment he dies, al the pots
pans and kettles in the house are turp-
cd upside down, to prevent his soul
taking refuge in any one of them, and
great care is taken to prevent either
man or animal, especially cat or dog,
from stepping across his body, as
otherwise, he would turn into yam.
pyre and be a continual nuisance to
them and their neighbors. TIE body
is buried without any coffin, in shall
low grave, and left there for three years,
during which time many offerings CT
food and wine arc placed upon it. At
the end of the third year, the bones Of
the dead man are dug up, carefully
washed, put into linen bag, and laid
before the altar in tho village church;
and, after receiving the blessing OF the
priest. are finally buried for good.
Year: 1877

A good story is told of country
merchant who agreed to take farmers
oats at forty cents bushel if the latter
would let him tramp the measure when
filed. The farmer agreed to it. Tho
buyer raid for sixty bushels, and the
next cay he went after them. The
farmer filed the half-bushel, and then
the merchant got in and tramped them
down. Whereupon the farmer poured
the compressed oats into the bag. The
merchant protested, and demanded tbst
the measure should be filed up after
trauping. Ibe farmer Informed him
that there was no agreement Of that
sort, but that he might tramp down the
oats to his hearts content, after they
were measured.
Year: 1877

AN Amherst (Mass.) farmer lately
offered one Of the young ladies who
teaches in the public schools there q
busbel of potatoes if she would wheel
them home through the streets at an
hour when the greatest number of stu.
dents were taking their walks. He
had them loaded on the wheelbarrow
eady for her, and she pluckily wheeled
them home, telling him that when he
had any more patotoes to dispose Of II
chat way 70 let hst knew.
Year: 1877

1t is an old superstition that the
retina Of the human eye, after
death, bears picture of what it
last looked on. Prof. Kuhne has
reported to the Berlin academy the
result Of experiments showing, as
he believes, that the superstition
has a slight basis of fact. He de-
monstrates that the external layer
Of the retina is in all animals pur-
pie. This color is, during life being
constantly destroyed by light that
enters the eye, and as often restored
by darkness; but at death it van
ishes permanently. Prof Kuhne
made in this connection an expert
ment that is thus described ''He
fixed the head of a living rabbit so
that one of the eyeballs would be
in front of an open square in a
window shutter. The head was
covered for five minutes by black
cloth, and then exposed for three
minutes. Instant decapitation was
then effected, and the eyeballs were
rapidly extirpated under yellow
light and plunged in a five per cent.
solution of alum. On the follow
ing morning the milk white and
now toughened retina were care
fully isolated, separated from the
optic nerve, and turned. They
theE exhibited, on a beautiful rose
red ground, nearly square image.
In brief, the hole in the window
shutter was photog raphed on the
rabbits eyes"
Year: 1877

The dispatches announcing a re.
newal Of the fainting fits to which
the Pope has long been subject will
cause to be read with unusual in
terest the following sketch of the
venerable head of the church as he
appeared in his palace in February
last:


In front of this group walks the
Pope. Over his long white dress is
thrown a great scarlet cloak, and
his slippers, of course, are of the
same hue, but he wears on his head
a small white skull cap, his scarlet
hat being carried by some one be-
hind him, in case of need. He
leans rather heavily on his stick,
and he has lost, to a great extent,
the nobly erect carriage which dis
tinguished him but very few years
ago. In fact he stoops now. His
voice, too, is weaker, and his artic-
ulation less strikingly distinct. 1t
is five years since | last saw him.
He was then eighty years old, and
at such an age five years cannot
pass by unnoticed. But at eighty
the Pope was as strong and vigor-
GUS and bale as are most strong men
at sixty-fve. Even now his eye is
wondrously bright and keen, and
his noble features changes with
every variation Of thought. His
memory, too, is as tenacious as
ever. He remembered on what
subjects he talked to me five
years ago, glided from Italian
into French, and from French
into Italian, just as he did then, and
his whole face frightened when his
lips framed, as of old, the ready
mot, in which he has never in his
sorest trials been known to fail.
The acuteness of his questions as
to affairs in the East proved how
strong is the interest he takes in
questions of the day, and his jokes
about the conference, and especially
about the sultan, showed that be-
meath the jocular surface there
lurked substratum Of shrewd OBJ
seryation.


Following the little procession to
the next room, l found the pope
blessing a number of franciscan
friars, with whom was parish
priest from Lecce. He had brought
from his Oalabrian home a present
by which he hoped the holy father
would set some store. His gift
Year: 1877

and begged the party to hasten to
the assistance OF Quinn, who might
yet be saved.


They hurried to the spot indi-
Gated and found the unfortunate
fellow in the condition already de-
scribed, with one leg severed from
his body and the other crushed
to pieces. He was still alive, and
they took him up in their arms to
carry him to the slope, but be never
reached it alive. He died in the
arms of his comrades. Mooney,
who is severely wounded, is expect
ed to recover. He played the part
of hero in the unselfish manner
in which he risked his own life try
ing to save his comrade.
Year: 1877

set me almost wild at times, do
these two tunes"


"But is that the sound of a
music-box that is playing on the
shores Of the Mediterranean ?"


"It is. You carry sound by
means of the telephone. All that
is necessary to dois to establish the
current. We can do that without a
wire. But this is nothing unusual.
You will see and hear many such
things if you come often to this
house. And you may read of far
more wonderful things in the books
Of travel in the East. | have seen
a man throw a large ball of cord
into the air which unweund as it
assembled, one end being fastened to
the ground. AS the ball unwound
it disappeared in the clouds and the
cord remained stationary. In a
few moments the man sent a little
boy up this cord, pretending that
it was to find out what held the
other end up. The boy went up
and up, till he was lost to sight.
And he stayed up SO long that the
man pretended to become enraged,
and climbed up after him with a
drawn sword in his hand, and he,
too, disappeared from sight. And
presently down fell a bloody foot,
and then another, then a leg, and
then different pieces of the boy, all
bleeding. We dipped our handker-
chiefs in the blood to see if it was
really blood, and it was. At last
the boys head fell down, and pres
emily the man climbed down, all
bloody, and still Stimulating rage.
He collected the fragments of the
boy that lay around and threw
them in a heap on the ground.
Then he threw a cloth over the
pieces, and the boy instantly jumped
up, alive and well. The man and
the boy were entirely naked, and
the trick, if it was a trick, as you
will sayit was, was done on an open
plain out of doors. l say it was
actually done. There were hun
dreds of spectators. That is the
kind of things that Eastern magi.
clans do"


"But why is it, if such things are
true, and not tricks, that we Of the
Western countries do not know
more of them ? Are we not as in
telligent as those of the East ?"


"Our Western civilization is
young yet" replied the occult,
land, as l have said, the mind of
the Caucasian is not as we'll adapt
ed to the perception of subtle
truths. But there are many Eu-
ropeans who are real adopts, and
there are quite a number of per-
sons in New York who are study
ing occultism. Some of them only
study it philosophically, but some
are practicing it. There is one
who has several times accomplished
the separation of his astral body
from his physical body, though
only for a few moments. But |
can make all this much clearer to
you after a time by showing you a
copy of the book l am writing
THE Veil of Isis than l can do
in conversation"
Year: 1877

consisted of a box of snuff Of pecu-
liarly rare quality. The case was
worthy Of the contents. 1t was no
ordinary box, but it was covered
with blue velvet, and made in the
semblance of a book, the gold let.
tering on which set forth in quaint
Latin the beneficial results to the
nostrils of the letter press within.
1t was touching to see the good old
priests face as it rose from the cere-
mony Of kissing the pope's foot, his
eyes filed with tears of Joy and his
voice choked with emotion.


Pursuing his daily walk, the pope
passed through the great hall,
where the Swiss on duty knelt
down with outstretched hands, like
Mussulmans at prayer, and SO
gained the open loggia, where his
hat was handed to him and where
he found ladies waiting to see him.
After walking about chatting with
the attendant cardinals for some
thing less than half an hour, he re-
turned to the Sala del Syizzeri, and
there took leave of his suite before
retiring to bis apartments, all pres
ent kneeling, except the two
princes Of the church. Even the
Swiss guardsmen in the corridor
outside, dimly perceptible through
the window, were seen to kneel as
his holiness raised his two fingers in
sign of blessing.


Although any iDdisposition must,
OF course, be serious at the age OF
S5, too much Importance must not
be attacked to the fits with which
he is occasionally attacked. The
pope has been subject to such at
tacks from his earliest youth. He
was on this account refused admis-
sion into the Guardia Mobile, be.
cause it was feared that he might at
any moment fall off his horse, and
it was with some difficulty that be
was allowed to join the priesthood
on account of his having to ofliciate
at high mass, so serious was his
malady assumed to be. The sickly
old man has reigned longer than
any other pope, even st. Peter, and
he looked to-day as though he had
plenty of vigor lett.
Year: 1877

A HenrtrendiuK Scene In IA Mine.


A terrible accident has Just oc-
CURED at the Empire mine, near
Scranton. Two men named John
Mooney and Patrick Quinn were
employed in a slope laying track, a
distance of about two miles from
the other workmen. When they
least dreamed Of danger there was
a sudden conyulsion overhead, and
an instant later they were over
whelmed with a fearful fall of roof
The terrible accident put out their
lights, and they were in utter dark
ness. Mooney, after considerable
difficulty, succeeded in extricating
himself from among the massive
powders which fell about him in
such way as to form a sort of cave,
and upon freeing himself his first
thought was for his companion. He
called aloud for Quinn, but received
no answer = only the echo of his
own voice beaten back by the rocks.
He felt himself growing faint and
realized that he was very seriously
injured, but was determined to as
certain the condition Of his fellow
miner. After calling aloud in vain
for some time he groped about in
the dismal place among the rocks,
hoping to find Quinn and fearing
that he was dead. At length he
touched him, but the poor fellow
was pinned fast by a big bowlder
which lay upon one Of his mangled
legs. The other leg had been com.
pletely severed from the body by
the fall. To release him was a hard
task, but Mooney forgetting his
own injuries, set about the work
with a will and succeeded in setting
Quinn free.


How to carry him to the light of
day was the next trial, but he was
determined to do it; and, taking
him upon his back, he began
cropping his way through the pitchy
darkness in the direction of what
he considered was the foot of the
slope. For two hours he wandered
about that living tomb, with his
dying comrade on his back, moan
ing in the most piteous manner
The situation was awful, and after
roaming thus for a long time
Mooney was disheartened to find
that he had come back to the
very point from which he had set
out, and where the accident oc-
currred. He summoned up his fast
falling strength and made another
effort, still taking Quinn on his
back, but after proceeding a short
distance he grew faint, and was
unable to go further with his burden.
Then laying the dying man down
in as comfortable a position as he
could, Mooney crawled on his hands
and knees toward what he thought
was the slope. A party of miners,
while proceeding down a slope, were
startled by the apparition which
their lamps revealed. 1t was
Mooney crawling slowly up the
slope on his hands and knees, his
face black and bloody, and his
whole body sore from contact with
the jagged pieces Of coal and rock.
His eyes were at first dazzled by the
light, he had been in darkness so
long and trying to see, and he was
speechless with joy for some seconds
to find relief at last.


This was eight hours after the
accident had happened, and they
were eight hours of mortal agony.
AS soon as Mooney found words to
speak he related the story in brief,
Year: 1877

New YORK, March l6.-Peter b
Sweeney, whose name was associated with
Boss Tweed in the great ring swindles
and who has been in exile for the past FIVE
years has returned, He has not been
taken into custody because it was arrang
ed with the attorney general that if he
would return and be present at the trial
against him all proceedings civil and
criminal so far as arresting him should be
suspended during the trial and for 80
days afterward. The trial is set down for
the Sd of April, The claim against
Sweeney is that he is liable in the same
way that Tweed was rendered liable in
the suit that was recently tried against
him and in which there was a verdict fol
the people of sc, 100000 of dollars.
Year: 1877

A brutal murder was committed in In
diana the other day by a lot of drunken
Republican rouGhs, that would have been
heralded far and wide over the land with
black -lettered head lines if it had occurred
in Louisiana. But the Republican papers
do not seem to have heard of this political
outrage, and when their attention is called
to it will doubtless excuse it as drunken
row. The following report from the Gin
cinnati Gazette will probably be accepted as
truthful, by Republicans at least:
GREENsB oRoUGH, Ind, March 12.-Iast Monday
night after presidential contest was known to
have been decided in favor of Hayes and Wheeler,
some of the Republicans concluded that little jol-
lifCatOn was in order, and accordingly fired a sa-
lutte of 1S5 rounds. After the salute had been fired,
of the enthusiastic of the party could
nothing worthy their attention except large
ter which the Democrats had painted and put upon
their headquarters the west side of the square.
| his they determined to have.


| 1t would seem as though the Democrats anticiDa-
ted attack their fowl, and stationed eight or
ten men on the roof of the building, and two OF
til zee in the room armed with revolvers brick bats
etc, to defend the emblem of their victory over
Harrison, and when the Republican boys stormed
the fort, expecting to capture the thing with ease
they met with such shower of bullets and bats as
to cause them to beat an lgnominous retreat. They
rallied however, and soon cleared the roof and car
ried off the much coveted prize.


For this folly one poor fellow has surrendered hi
life, and another is under arrest charged witt
manslaughter. Fred. Chance died this mornine
Efrom the effect of injuries sustained while defend


ing the rooster and Hi Clark of the assaulting par
ty, has been arrested, charged with inficting tn,
injuries.


What is the difference between this ant
the worst of the political riots in tht
southern states ? Yet the Republican
press will be very quick to resent the in
justice of holding that party responsible


for this outrage. At the same time th'
murder of 4 Mr. Webber in Louisiana
J last week, wholly unconnected with polite


as far as all the evidence so sfar receives


shows, is paraded as a political crime fo


which the Democratic party of that state


responsible Perhaps little considerable


of this Indiana outrage will enable ther


to understand that there is no such thin


as political murder, and that the crime


of individuals should not be fastened upo


whole parties.
Year: 1877

TOLEDO, March 16.-A collision occur
red this morning at Striker, Ohio, on the
Air Line division of the Lake Shore 4
Michigan Southern Railway, between a
through freight and stock express train.
The latter stopped at a water tank, and
the freight train coming up from the rear
ran into them. Three cars of stock train
with number of head of cattle, and the
bridge at Striker we're burned. No per-
son injured.
Year: 1877

The doctors Of Detroit don't take
joke as kindly as they might. The
other evening a citizen of Woodward
avenue went block out of his way TO
put his head into doctors Office and
call out


"Man at the corner of Woodward
avenue and Elizabeth street got a bad
fit "


The doctor put on his hat and
fastened to the corner indicated, hop
ing that he might not be too late TO
save human life. There was no crowd
and no excitement, and. as the NJ. D.
leaned against the lamp-post to catch
his breath, he saw man sitting on
the curbstone bathing his foot with
cold water. The boot which he had
drawn off stood beside him, and the
man was saving:


''Blast that shoemaker blast that
boot-ah-yes, blast em =


1t was bad fit. After two or three
miuu,es the doctor saw that it was.
What his thoughts were mo one will
ever know, but as boy came near
running a veocipede against him, he
growled out:


"About ten thousand men in this
town ought to be taken out and shot|
= Detroit Free Press.