smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

decree Of absolute divorce was granted yesterday
by Justice Reynolds, In the Brooklyn City Court IN
the action OF Addie Bishop against Albert T.
Bishop. Testimony taken before John c. MCGUIRE,
referee who reported the material allegations in the
complaint to be true; that the marriage OF
plaintiff and defendant occurred January 1852, and
that therc 10 to said marriage. The report
further states that adultery committed by tho
fendant as set forth in the complaint According 10
the decree the plaintiff may marry again the same as
II tho defendant dead, but the defendant cannot
marry until after the death OF the plaintiff
Year: 1877

AN OLD WILMINGTON CusToM-It used
to be the custom in this city, to drum
drunken and disorderly strangers out Of
town. The High Constable stood by the
side OF the vagrant, a drummer behind him
and at the first beat of the drum, the boys
and others who had collected rotten egg and
aud every other description of offensive
filth, would throw it at the unfortunate
night. This was continued until they
reached Brandywine Rridge, when they de-
sisted. The march Of civilization has put
a stop to these offensive proceedings.
Year: 1877

can read, write, play on a musical
instrument, and act as huntsman !;
the other can dress ladies' and gem
tlemen's hair. In the same house
are sold pianos and organs" A
little further on a first-rate clerk, a
carver, and a lackey are offered for
sale, and the reason assigned is a
superabundance Of the articles in
question. In some instances it
seems as if the serfs aud the cattle
are Intentionally put in the same
category, as in the following: " in
this house one can buy coachman
and a Dutch COW about to calve."
The style of these advertisements
and the frequent recurrence of the
same address show plainly that
there was at that time a regular
class Of slaye-dealers.
Year: 1877

New York Tribune.l


Pretty Miss Millicent Barrett, a
little Revolutionary rebel, often
heard Tory talk from young En-
glish staff officer who was some
times sent to her fathers house at
Concord on department business.
He once asked her what they would
do if the colonies should resist,
since there was not a person that
ever knew how to make cartridges.
She replied they would use their
powder horns and bullets just as
they shot bears. "That," said the
young man, would be too barbar-
GUS. Give me a piece of pine and
| will show You how" After whit
tlihg the stick to the proper form,
he took the scissors and cut the
paper for the pattern cartridge.
She was an apt scholar, for all the
cartridges were made under her
superintendence by the women Of
Concord, her only male assistant
being her younger brother who
drove the last load of cartridges
from the house, after the British
came in sight, April 10, 1775. The
pair of scissors used by the En-
glishman have been lent by Con-
cord to the Old South collection.
Year: 1877

An exchange very Justly remarks that
hard times btgrt unrest, dissatisfaction
and desire of change Without stopping
To realize that the same elements occa-
smljug dull times in Maine or Vermont
aGr in full operation in Ohio and Illinois,
the discontentpd man feels certain that
any location is to be preferred to his
present abode We advise all who are
earning Il living To stop where they are
Dull times are always followed 10y periods
of activity, and one is better prepared to
secure the advantages of Il revival in
business where ne is known than among
strangers. Again, moving about is de
mOrallZIng i'll It's tendency, expensive and
destructive. Seldom do We hear Of the
removal of Il man from Il village or neigh
borhood in which he is interested, active
and public spirited. Nothing 50 Weds a
man to a cause as working for it spend
ing his time in sacrificing something for
Ii. You may be assured that the fault
lies partly at Your own door, when the
desire to leave a familiar ncighborhood ST
lenccs Your better Judgment and prompts
the sundering IF the ties of early associa-
lion Resolve to-day. all ye discontented
To take hold With viii, and sustain your
farmers clubs and grangr clubs, to dis
cusS and compare important practical
matters With your neighbors, to feel an
interest in Whatever shall benefit Your
village, Your kinsmen, your family and
Yourself, to cultivate spirit of content
nent, Improvement and 60 operation.
Vermont journal
Year: 1877

When manures are left over Il season to
decompusc, alsorbents of the ammonia in
them are aiNays beneficial. Plaster is
decidedly the best absorbent Of the gases
in a manure pile that is known To exist,
and il may be sprinkled among the ma


mrc when the pile is made-not much,
say a barrel Of plaster to what manure
ten head Of cattle VIII make in Il season.
Lime has tendency to set the gases
,Immona) free; and ii should never be
used in Il compost heap. except when
much coarse matter is to be decompUsed.
Nor are ashes amy benefit to the heap,
oFer thrir value When used alone. Swamp
muck is good. if placed in alternate layers
of manure and muck throughout the heap
and left Il season to decOmpOSc and unite.
All compost heaps should be made with
thcil tops fiat, or little concavc, to catch
the rains to keep the heaps moist. In
England the system of composing is ear
lied to perfection. They pack their ma
nure in oblong heaps, and shovel them
over two or three times during the sum-
mcr to hasten decomposition, and apply
such fine manures to their lands the next
season Here we cannot 50 well afford
the labor of composing i'll that manner ;
consequently many farmers apply all their
stable dung to their land fresh and un-
decOmpOsrd. Some crops, however, re
quire WclI-rotted manure to grow in per
lection, and every farmer may protitabiy
have small compost heap to supply him
with fine manure when it is needed. New
York World
Year: 1877

A correspondent says in relation to us
ing kerosene oil to eXtcrminate squash
bugs: Give Years ago had fine lot
of Hubbard squash vines in my garden,
and was anticipating handsome yield.
when suddenly, observed here and there
patches in which the leaves began to
turn yellow and then brown. and on ex-
animation | found them covered with this
most annoying pest Immediately be-
gan trying plaster, then ashes, then gas
lime, but to no purpose. They were too
numerous and the vines TOO luXurant to
tempt their destruction by hand. | was
about giving up the battle, when it oc-
CURED to me that would try what virtue
there was in kerosene. took a pan OF
ashes (holding perhaps six quarts), and
scizing the lamp-tiller, poured on enough
OF that fluid to moisten the ashes and fill
them with a strong perfume, but not to
convert them into paste, | threw several
handtulls into each spot where the enemy
was at work. OF course watched the
result, curlouSly and anXiously After
day or two observed that there was no
increase Of the leprous blotches in the
squash bed. | made Il careful inspection
and found that the miscrcants had re-
treated. After that | kept up the treat
ment whenever saw Indications of new
attack. But had no occasion for severe
exercise Oh this account. The result was
that from piece OF ground about 25X35
feet had over 100 nice squashes. Last
summer did the same thing with sim
liar bed of Niarblehead squashes, and with
even better success, because began earl
ier So think the remedy may be relied
on
Year: 1877

GIVE IS OUR WOLVES AGAIN" The
feeling against dogs which is rapidly
strengthening here is not confined to this
side Of the Atlantic. John Bull is be
coming disgusted with the sheep worry
ing and hydrophoba for which the ca
nine race is responsible. An English
journal Of recent date remarks under the
above heading This aspiration, which,
in hall earnest, Sydney Smith made use
of i'll Il Wcll-knoWn passage, is no moro
than Il good many persons would serious
ly utter it, by the re-importation of wolves,
they could be rid of the present terrors
from dogs. At all events the wolves would
keep themselves to the better wooded dis
tricts, and would prowl mainly by night.
The dogs roam unchecked everywhere
and at all hours. They jostle us off the
payemcnts OF the street, spring out upon
us in our country walks, are bigger, tierc-
en-, less reverential towards human beings
than any European wolves, and they go
mad II is quite true that to have big
dog at his heels is as necessary to male
contentment as to have the plumage of
a bird over head is to female vanity. |
see that Il correspondent recommends
taxing dogs in proportion to their size.
should prefer Il high general tax per
head, with an abatement III all cases
where service of value can be proved.
Is there no bishop OF archdeacon, at
least, who will get hydrophoba for the
general good, that the present mania for
turning wild beasts loose upon the COM
munity at large may be restrained within
limits ?"
Year: 1877

How did it happen that all the survv-
ors of the famous six hundred" who
made the charge at Balaklava came to
America? Can anybody explain that ?
We know they did, because more than
the number who were supposed to have
escaped have already died in this country,
and they eepdyingever week. Herald
Year: 1877

This pretty story comes from Paris
A necklace that was last seen on the neck
of a charming lady was the object of adj
miration. Some time ago Il gentleman
took this necklace to the late Mr.. Moalll
asking him to buy it, and to substitute
false diamonds i'll their place. His wife,
he said, would never know the differences
Mr. Moiana, who was friend of the Wife'S
family, asked twenty -four hourSto reflect
In that time he went and told the story
to the lady's grandmother, Who gave
Moiana t2OO0 for the husband, telling
him to give back the real necklace. but
not to mention the truth. This was done
Some months later it was the wife who
took the necklet to Moiana, asking him to
buy it and to substitute false diamonds i'm
the place of the real ones. "My husband
will never know the differences" she said
Again visit to the grandmother, who
again gave 10000 to keep the diamonds
in the family, and as both husband and
wife still think that the diamonds are
false there is no fear of the necklace be
ing reSold.
Year: 1877

IN English farmer seldom owns the
land he works, but rents it from SOME
wealthy landhoder for a term of years
paying as a rental what would be con
Sidered by us a very large price, This
manner Of farming also demands a large
capital to enable him to work the farm to
the best advantage, in order that the rent
and taxes may be paid, his family sup
ported and something laid by for future
use. This capital is largely used in drain
inc land. The little island of .Jersev-not
larger than two OF our towns from which
the celebrated COWS OF that name are
brought, is densely inhabited, containing
Il population equal to two persons to every
acre ot land. The farms are small, con
tanning from two to sixty acres each, and
they are rented at from twenty five to
forty-hYe dollars per acre This is quite
remarkable, and shows what can be done
on very small farms if they are we'll
managed.
Year: 1877

The colored people in Arkansas, ac-
cording to one of the number, have got
the Liberia emigration into their heads
so strongly that they will not listen to
anything else that is of importance. They
believe that the National Government
will aid those who have not money
enough to pay their expenses to Africa.
Year: 1877

Thou Especially the ladies' shalt
love the printer, Tor he loveth you
muchly.


Thou shalt subscribe tor his pa.
per, for IT is an abomination in his
sight TO see those sponged upon
who do take it.


If thou art a business man, thou
shalt advertise, in order that thou
mayest not only be able to pay for
thy paper, but that thou mayest
put money in thy purse.


Thou shalt not visit him regard.
less of his office rules-ln derang
ing his papers.


Thou shalt not touch anything
that would give him lrouble-that
he may not hold thee guilty.


Thou shalt not read the manu-
script in The compositor's hand
for he will not hold thee blameles s.


Thou shalt not read the news be-
fore it Is printed, for he will give il
to you in due time.


Thou shalt ask him few questions
oi the affairs of his office.


Thou shalt not write communica.
tions on both sides of the paper,
Tor the edstar needcth the other
side to write his editorials on.


Thou shalt not at any time send
sbns,vc and threatening letters to
the editor, neither shalt thou COW
hide him more than four times a
Year: 1877

What ornament is more beautiful for
window than hanging-basket, well filed
with vines! And withal how easily and
cheaply it is madel A eocoanut shell will
do for small one, and any receptacle ca
pable of being hung by three strings or
wires to a nail can be made an ornament
to any room BY tho exercise of little in
genuity, backed by The knack of flower oul-
ture. Perhaps the best and cheapest basket
is made from wire. !" A strong ring Of any
desired circumference is used as the founda-
ton. Below this shallow, dish-shaped
basket is formed with wire, roughly woven
in coarse meshes, and lined with moss, the
soil being filed in and slightly heaped up
within. Almost any one can find wire
enough to make such basket, and if worst
comes to worst, there are the cast-off hoop.
skirts of all woman-kind, for which we be-
lieve human ingenuity has thus far failed to
devise use. The ribs of these are very
flexible, and If it is desired to bind them
permanently together; they may be readily
heated in the fame of lamp and bent
while red-hot in any direction. Of course
they will lose their temper, but that
| is of little consequence if the basket is
mazda
Year: 1877

A natural scientist and amateur signal
service observer went down to Mount Car
mel the other day, armed with a portent-
ous list of questions concerning the natural
history and habits of tornadoes. Accosting
a prominent citizen, whose property had
been dispersed over several Congressional
districts, he asked him, in the high and
holy name of science, from what direction
the tornado approached, its rate of velocity,
its shape, whether the current of cloud
revolved in the same direction as the hands
of watch, and several other questions of q
similar nature. The citizen of Mount Car
mel gazed upon him for few moments,
spat reAectively upon his hands, pulled off
his coat, and replied


Stranger, if you had been sitting on your
front stoop, and suddenly seen a brazen,
fiery whirlwind soooting along like fast
mail train which was year behind time,
and the next thing you knew your wife was
sailing over the Third Presbyterian Church,
and your house had taken to itself wings
and flown into the uttermost parts of the
earth, you wouldn't be such an irretrievable
by-and-large idiot as to go and ask whether
things few around from left to right, OF
vice versa"


So saying he fell upon the scientis and
when that scientist got homo and his wife
opened the door for him, she exolair oed:-


"Oh, Eliakim, there has been an other
tornado, and you got caught in it!"
Year: 1877

A BILL repeating the clause of the re-
sumption act providing for a return to
specie January 1st 1879, passed the
house of Representatives on the oath by
Il vote of a 1873 to 120. 1t is not at all
certain that the bill can pass the senate
and if it does the president will surely
veto it. The house devoted several
days in perfecting and discussing it. The
debates upon it were at times UNUSUAL
ly exciting and often lasting far into the
ni0ht
Year: 1877

THE Ways and Means committee o
the house of representatives has been
laboring upon tariff bill which is said
to be on the principle of a tariff for rev.
enue only. The committee has been 1T
work ascertaining the actual amount OF
revenue the government will require
from this source and it is the purpose
of the committee to arrange a tariff that
will barely cover this need of the gov
ernment. The bill will be prepared
with great care but, of course, it Is un
certain as yet what will be its fate III
poporeSS
Year: 1877

THE recent successes of the Russian
armies have caused great excitement
in England, and the talk of war is now
stronger than ut any previous time since
the beginning of the conflict between
Russia and Turkey 1t seems to be
nearly certain that England will not
permit Russia to take Constantinople,
and Russia cannot capture the Turkish
capital if England defends it with her
navy
Year: 1877

THE news from the seat of war i'll Ar
menia and Bulgaria affords but little
hope for the Turks. In the Armenian
country the Russians are marching on
Erzeroum, the capital of Armenia, with
seemingly little opposition. Mukhtar
Pasha, who did such wonderful service
for the cause in the beginning of the
war, has lost all confidence in himself;
he is reported to have already evacuated
Erzeroum and is making for the Black
Sea coast for protection, and the few
soldiers he yet has with him are in no
condition to fight even if they were
willing to do so. In word, the whole
of Asiatic Turkey seems to be at the
mercy of the army of the Grand Duke
Michael In Bulgaria the Turkish cause
is little less discouraging. Russian re-
Inducements are pouring in at Il rate of
5000 day, and some estimates place
the whole Russian force operating in
Bulgaria at $4,000. This is probably
far too high, but it is evident that the
Russian force is three to five times that
of Turkey. Osman Pasha is completely
surrounded at Plevna, and his surrender
is daily expected, while the Turkish
forces without are utterly powerless to
render any assistance. A great battle
is likely to occur at or near Plevna al
any time, but even if the Turks gain {
victory, which they will not probably
do, it will not delay the end of The
struggle in that region very long. Un


less other powers interfere, the wal
must soon end in Russias favor.
Year: 1877

THERE is scarcely any prospect that
congress will adjourn before the regular
session. Both houses have great deal
of important business on hand and the
feeling seems to be general that it is
better to go on with the work and close
the session next spring at an earlier day.
Year: 1877

sickness, and said he expected there
would be final adjournment by Tues
day next.


MIR. Conger asked him to have the
question fixed at once.


Mr. Wood declined to call up the res
olutlon for final adjournment, on the
ground that the senate was probably
not disposed to an early adjournment.
The house then adjourned until Tues
day.
Year: 1877

The Sofas and Their Method of Intimida.
tion-An Exciting Scene.


AConstantinople correspondent writes
The Softas (students of relgion) want
Midhat Pasha to return to Office, and
they want Redif Pasha and Mahmond
Damad Pasha to be sent about their
business. There came, a few days ago,
q great mass of stalwart, ferce-eyed men
surging up past the front of st. Sophia
into the courtyard of the Dar-ul-Fow
noun, where the parliament holds its
sessions. The day was fine, and the cof-
fee shops under the Assembly Hall were
crowded with people who were nearly
frightened out of their wits by the sud
den apparition of that motley crowd in
red and green and blue and black cloaks,
and wearing white or green turbans on
their heads. A mob of Sofas is the most
terrible of mobs in its outside appear
ance, and the four pair of Turkish SEN
tries at The gates and on tho staircase of
the Assembly Hall dared not stop them.
They insisted on admission to the hal,
and the captain on duty at the top of the
grand staircase made no effort to stop
them. He only induced them to mode
rate their expectations, and to select five
spokesmen, whom he conducted to the
floor of the astonished Assembly. He
introduced them with tie remark that
they wished to ask the Assembly few
questions, which they proceeded to do.
Everybody in Constantinople breads the
Softas in his inmost heart. Nurses use
the name to frighten children. So the
president of the Assembly, instead of
ordering the floor to be cleared of the
intruders, suspended business in order
that they might speak, and even argued
with them in his paternal way from the
lofty white pulpit which places him
above the heads Of all the house. They
went away at last, sure that they had
done great and noble thing.


After they had gone, the president OF
the Assembly closed the session and
went straight to the sultan's palace.
The more he thought of the affair the
more he was nettled at having been car
ried away by the popular fear of Sofas.
This mob bad insulted the Assembly,
and late, but fully, the president saw
that the Softas must be punished for it.
Martial law was declared the next day,
and now there are about forty Of the ring
leaders of the affair cooling their ardor
in Jail, under s;ntence of banishment,
while some fifty or sixty more, who live
in interior cities, have been expelled
from the schools where they were study
ing, with orders to 60 home at once.
The government now makes light of the
affair, but at the moment it feared a
movement like the agitations which end
ed the reign of Abdul Aziz. The only
thing which deprived the demonstration
of this grave character was the fact OF
the parliament. Last year the Softas
were the Representatives of the peo-
ple," and carried all before them. This
year they did not see until after the affair
was over that the parliament represents
the people, and receives from them the
support and trust which the Softas have
always been accustomed to find.
Year: 1877

Life becomes useless and insipid when
we have no longer either friends or ene-
mics.


Friendship is the medicine for all mis-
fortunes, but ingratituLe dries up the
fountain of all goodness.


Make no more vows to perform this or
that; it shows no great strength, and
makes thee ride behind thyself.


Never plead guilty to poverty. So far
as this world is concerned, you might
better admit that you are villain.


Man wastes his mornings in anticipa-
ting his afternoons, and wastes his after
moons in regretting his mornings.


Right in one thing becomes prelimi-
nary to right in everything; the transi-
ton is not distant from the feeling
which tells us that We should do good to
all men.


The pleasures of this world are deceit
full; they promise more than they give.
They trouble us in seeking them, they
do not satisfy us when possessing them,
and they make us despair in losing them.


He who says education, says govern
ment; to teach is to reign; the human
brain is a sort of terrible wax, that takes
the stamp OF good or of evil, according
to whether an ideal teaches it or claw
touches it.


Oaths are vulgar, senseless, offensive,
impious; they leave noisome trail upon
the lips, and a stamp of odium upon the
soul. They are inexcusable. They
crafty no sense, while they outrage
taste and dignity.


Of all the love on earth the one most
like the divine love is that OF the good
mother-so unselfish, unforgetting and
watchful, eonsiderate, free from jeal-
ousy, and desiring the good of her chill
dren far more than her own happiness.
Year: 1877

According to Mr.. Mackenzie Wallace,
when the approach Of cholera is feared,
all the village maidens in some parts of
Russia gather together at night, in the
usual toilet of the hour, and walk in pro-
cession round their village, one girl
walking ahead with an Icon, the rest fol-
lowing with plough. The girls make
their own arrangements as to time; but
it sometimes happens that the men find
out what is going on, though, if any one
is caught taking observations, he is sure
to be considerably beaten, it is said, by
the fair members of the procession. A
correspondent says that very similar
custom is in vogue in Azimgurh, India,
when drought is apprehended. On an
appointed night the village women,
taking yoke and plow, go to fallow
field, generally in northeast direction
from the hamlet, and draw the plow
few times over the field. Women of in
ferior caste and mature age are generally
the performers. Notice is given to the
males of the village, and they religiously
abstain from vitiating the ceremony by
improper curiosity.