smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

The practical operation of business
is the best test of it's utility.


The Ventura, on her last trip, ran
aground in the mud of San Diego Bay,
in the morning, and did not get off
until night. She then ran up to the
wharf, discharged and took in freight,
and left the next morning about
o'clock.


In the meant%aeew aght the On t te rain Of
Tuesday, were carried into the bay
and camped on the Kalorama until
early Wednesday morning in most
uncomfortable condition, and gener-
ally down on Los Angeles. The Ven-
tura arrived at San Pedro aoout 6
o'clock, when the little boat from Will
miDgton came out to within pistol
shot of the Ventura, turned around and
towed back a schooner, leaving the
San Diego passengers,quite a number,
to wait for the O'clock train, although
they would have been in time for the
8 o'clock train, had the railroad
steamer taken them, as she was bound
to do.


Nowit isquite plain that the agent
OF the Steamship Company should
have telegraphed the railroad agent
when the Ventura would leave, and it
was equally the duty of the railroad
agent to ascertain that fact, and at all
events, there can be no doubt, that it
was the duty of the Wilmington
steamer to have taken the San Diego
passengers up so as to meet the train.


1t has been observed for some time
that the railroad is taking very little
pains to accommodate the public. It
has a monopoly of the landing at
Wilmington, and charges three prices
for freight and passage to the anchor
age. Without some efficient opposi-
tion the railroad will practically close
the so-called port at Wilmington, as
soon as 1t can compete its connection
with San Francisco, and force freight
that way, as much as is in its power.


The only remedy for this abuse is
the wharf to deep water at Truxton
and a railroad from thence to Los An
geles. This will reduce freight and
fares and enable the farmers to ship
their produce to San Francisco at liv-
ing prices. 1t will also produce steam
er opposition and thus reduce ocean
freights.


The steamers will be able to run
alongside of the wharf at Truxton and
discharge and take in freight, so as
not only to reduce freights in price, but
put freight in Los Angeles day SOON
er than by the Wilmington route. The
Truxton improvement is of quite as
much Importance to the people of Los
Angeles as the Texas and Pacific Rail-
road. 1t is the duty of our citizens,
especially Of our farmers and mer-
chants, to take hold of the Truxton
enterprise, finish our complement of
stock by rapid subscription, so that
the work itself may be rapidly con-
cluded. Without this opposition in
transportation, the farmes of Los An
geles will not be able to ship barley
and corn to San Francisco in years of
plenty.


1t has been demonstrated by the ex-
pertinent at Santa Barbara that a
wharf to deep water will resist the
ocean. Ifsteamers and sail vessels can
land freight and passengers at such a
wharf, which is not doubted, it will be
a superior port to that of San Diego,
and more easy of access.


CITIZEN.
Year: 1875

We notice disposition on the part
of several journals to condemn Sena-
tor BOOTH before trial. This seems to
be ill-timed and unwarranted. He
made Governor of whom we can all
afford to be proud. AS Senator he
may, and we believe will, reflect credit
on his State. But whether he will or
not, it is in bad taste to attempt to in
fluence people at home and prejudice
them against him abroad by pretend
ing that he will fail before we know
what he will do. He goes to Wash
ton as United States Senator from
California, and California journals
should not be the first to attack him.
Politics compels men and newspapers
to say unkind things of their oppo-
nents, but neither one nor the other
should so far become the slave of
party prejudice that they will attack
without cause and judge without trial.
BOOTH is our Senator and we should
speak well of our own until a regard
for truth compels us 10 speak other
wise.
Year: 1875

In the course of his remarks at the
railroad meeting on Wednesday eve-
ming, Colonel J. G. HOWARD touched
a point which is worthy the consider
alton of every citizen of Los Angeles.
He said that want of unity-of con-
cert of action-was the great drawback
to the prosperity of our city. The
Colonel expressed a truth-a lament
able truth. A jealousy, as unwarrant-
ed as it is unwise and injurious, is ap-
parent in the actions of many of our
leading citizens. 1t is an unworthy
feeling, which, while it circumscribes
the influence of those who indulge in
it, adversely affects, to great extent,


the growth and prosperity of our
beautiful city. We do not know, nor
is it our purpose to inquire, who is to
blame for this. The feeling has, per-
haps, grown up like rank and noxious
weeds from seed which no one planted,
from soil which no enc watered. 1t is
enough for us to know that it exists;
and to know that it exists is all tn at
is needed to inspire the efforts of all
good citizens toward its removal. A
house divided against itself stands on
sandy foundation and no city is BEN
Gifted by internal dissensions. In
nothing is the truth of the maxim,
"United we stand, divided we fall" so
strongly verified as in the prosperity


or decline of city that has attained
no greater dimensions than Los An
geles. If we would see what may be
done by community that under
stands the advantages of united action
let us look at the city of Sacramento.
She has been sorely tried. The
scourge of fire and flood has been laid
on her often and with heavy hand,
yet she stands to-day fifteen feet above
her original foundation, large and
prosperous city. Had her people been
torn by dissensions and divided by
jealousies and chickering's, she would
have ceased to exist, or existed only
as a ragged, muddy village, whose
Sleepy Hollow monotony would only
be disturbed by the periodical floods of
the Sacramento and American rivers,


But ON everything pertaining to the
good of their city those plucky and
energetic Sacramentans have ever
Year: 1875

That was strong argument made
by Colonel PEEL on Wednesday eve
ming when he told the real estate own
ers of Los Angeles that If they built
the Independence Railroad they would
double the value of their property, and
by their refusal to build the road they
would depreeiate it to one-half its pres
ent valuation. 1t may be set down as a
fact for the olidanca of rnoi ce+c :
dealers that unless we do sometnihg "
enhance the value of our land u GER
...,, ,,.;li ~. 49, ...uvli above the
present figures, and it may decline
until the purchasers of this year will
find themselves without margin for
profit. This something that will so
far prevent decline in real estate that
it will send it up to the figure named
by Colonel PEEL, is to build the rail-
road. The effect of the road will be
instantaneous in Los Angeles and all
over the valley. In fact the results will
be general and satisfactory. The
wealthy real estate men of this city
who have subscribed to the stock of
the road will find that they have made
a paying investment, entirely outside
of their interest in the road.
Year: 1875

Congress has adjourned and to-day
the Senate will convene in extra ses-
sion. The people have some slight
reason for rejoicing over the first
event. With the adjournment went
out large number of Congressman
who will never more occupy seats in
the body of the House. They were
expensive ornaments, and what with
their railroad subsidy proclivities,
their Credit Mobelier interests and
their back pay inclinations, they have
cost the country immense sums of
money-much more than their SER
vices were worth. They have left the
Capital for the country's good. The
complexion of the next House will,
we think, be more comely than of the
one just adjourned. 1t will be Demo-
cratic, though we do not wish to be
understood as assuming that this fact
is guarantee of improvement. Aside
from politics there is higher stand
ard in the character of the men.
When many of the retiring members
were elected, the people were using
an inferior article of Congressional
material. They had found better
timber when the new members were
chosen. We have reason to hope that
with the assembling of the next Con-
gress will be inaugurated measures
tending to relieve the people Of the
heavy burden of taxation under
which they have struggled so long
and, considering the CALLING nature of
the load, so uncomplainingly. The
extra session of the Senate will do
nothing of serious import and there
fore we may regard the country as
safe, for time at least.
Year: 1875

Boston, March 3d.-The wool mar
ket is quiet. No change since last
week. Rather more desire to sell on
the part of holders. There is scare
ity OF combing and delaine fieeces and
good lots of superfine and extra pulled
are in demand. Inferior grades are
little inquired for.
Year: 1875

Moore's Restaurant, on Commercial street,
is the proper place to go fora good meal, with
a good cup of coffee or tea to drink with IT.
There is probably no restaurant on the Pacific
coast where so many of the substantials and
so many of the luxuries may be had for 20 cts.
Don't forget the place-Moores Restaurant,
Commercial street. Private eating rooms have
been neatly fitted up for the accommodation
Of ladies' i5-tf
Year: 1875

Says an exchange: "There is no
more honorable position in life than
that of good craftsman in successful
occupation. His horny hand is a more
honorable badge of public service than
the bejeweled dignity of the dainty
clerk or man milliner. His labor-be-
grimed face or greasy working dress
are proofs of the eXaltation of his rank
among men. An honest, competent
workman has peers, but no superi0rs


But to deserve all his honor he must be
competent-skilled i'm the mysteries of
his craft. And il is no use for people
to say that their superior intelligence
makes up for everything; for man
with the wisdom of 4 Solomon could
not constitute himself perfect artisan
without the practical experience which
makes man such. Journeymcn are
turned out in multitudes day by day,
who have hardly an idea of the first
principles of their trade; and many
young men, hardly vet of age, are found
bold enough to profess thorough
knowledge of two or more handicrafts,
any and all of which they really know
little or nothing about. Ask employers
from whence they have their most
skilled laborers, and they will tell you
that they come from those workshops
where long apprenticeships served to
turn out thorough workmen: where
engineering is not learned in year,
'hoemaking in a month, or printing in
a few days. There are many reasons
why this whole subject of mechanical
training should be pressed upon our
young men who expect to live by me-
chanical labor. The great enemy Of
the workingman is the crowd OF bad
workers who are admitted to his status
without the proper experience, for
which he has paid years of effort.
Year: 1875

The Greeks were great inventors of
these sayings. On Dioneces, the Spar
tan being told the number of XerXes's
army was so great that when they shot
forth their arrows the sun would be
darkened by their multitude, lie an
swered, 'If the Medes darken the sun,
we shall have our fight in the shade"
The American humOr partakes slightly
of the same character and extravaganza
but it Is, nevertheless, the growth of
the soil. The vastness of the country,
which is bounded on the east by the
Atlantic ocean, on the north by the
Aurora BOrealis, on the west by the set
ting sun, and on the south by the day
of judgment, and the peculiar circum-
stances in which the people are placed
can be traced in most of the stories.
The hyberbolicalO or tall species of Amer
can numOr was much in vogue some
years ago, and such stories as the fol-
lowing were once very common: "a
man was so tall that he had to go up a
ladder to shave himself; another was so
strong that his sneeze would kill buff
falO across the Mississippi river" a
Massachusetts pig was so lean that il
was necessary to tie knot in his tail to
prevent his getting through the chinks
of the paling; San American artist
painted snow so naturally that he
caught bad cold by sitting near il
with his coat off," some land was $50
rich that a squash vine, in its rapid
growth, overlook a drove of pigs"
''the reason why cream is dear is that
milk has risen so high that the cream
can't reach the top: and dogs tail
.1n la.l isrh flxrn /. ha..l hen hA
couldn't touch his hind feet To the
ground"


There is a capital story in which it is
related that "a coach drove thro' the
country so fast, that the milestones
passed so quickly by, that the passen-
gers thought they were in IA church,
yard" This coach, however, wa:
beaten by the ''skipper which went So
fearfully fast that in sailing around
Long Branch she left her shadow three
and half miles behind her." Major
~, when asked ii ne Was seriously
injured by the explosion of boiler on
the st. Leonard steamer, replied that
she was so used to being blown up by his
wife that 4 mere steamer had no effect
upon him." The evidence of witness
in life insurance ease involved in the
blowing up of a steamboat on the Ohio,
is drell, just because it is characteristic.
The witness knew the missing man,
and saw him on the deck of the steam
boat before the explosion. When asked
by the lawyer; when was the last
time you saw himf" he answered.;
''The very last time set eyes on him
was when the biler burst, and | was
going up. met him aud the smoke
pipe coming down." We all know that
the American oysters are large, but that
one must have been of extraordinary
size which required three men to swal-
low il MhOle.-RriiiSh Ou.lTierlA.
Year: 1875

The Spider and the GrdsshODper-
Take care there, Mr.. .GIasshopper, I'm
afraid you don't see where you are go
ing You'll get caught in that spider
web, the next you know"


But he kept on jumping as carelessly
as ever grasshopper could. and never
minded a word said. Up he'd 20
without any thought as To how Or
where he would come down. There
was good spiders web in the tall
grass just before him under the apple
tree where sat.
| Down he came again into the grass
close beside the web.


Take care Grasshopper. you'll get
INTO trouble Don't you see that spi-
der's webi-


He winked at me saueily and said,
| ~ on just t-attend to your books" (For
| was getting 4 lesson in geometry.)
| guess | know how to keep out of a
spiders web.-


The words were hardly out of his
mouth when up he went again, as heed
lessly as ever. A shiver in the web,
and the bending of the grass, told the
story. One of his feet had caught, and
with an awkward curve he had come
around to hang with his head down.
wards and his back to the web.


There" said |, didn't | tell you n
But the grasshopper's pertness was not
diminished


There's only one foot caught said
he.


There are five free yet. I'll show
you. just see here aud he turned
half way over. and gave a push with
his free hind foot. But, instead of
pushing his other foot free, the one he
pushed with was caught, and he was
worse Off than ever.


There ~ said again. But he inter
rupted me, ana said, in the midst of
another convulsive struggle.


wait minute, | have four free
yet"


But the only effect OF his efforts was
to get all his limbs entangled in the de
ceptIve snare.


And now was the spiders oDportu-
nifty. Out he came from his hiding
place, and ran backward and forward
over the body of his victim, spinning
each time a thread that made more
fruitless the desperate struggles of the
grasshopper. it was the work of
moment, and every limb of the head
strong, silly gr;Isshopper was bound
fast, and web had been spread so
thick over his head that | could not
see it all.


This true story. children; | saw it
with my own eyes. am older now
than | was then. That was "A great
many years ago. Since then | have
seen children as reckless and foolish as
that grasshopper, and have seen pa
rents and teachers waste more advice,
and waste it to less purpose than
did then.-HOme Journal
Year: 1875

The fatal fondness for indnlsing in a
spirit of ridicule, and the injurious and
irreparable consequences which some
times attend the too severe reply, can
never b. condemned with more asperity
than IL deserves. Not TO offend is the
first step towards pleasing. To give
pain is as much an offence against hu-
manity as against good-breetling, and
surely il is as well to abstain from an
action because it is sinful, as because it
Is impolite.
Year: 1875

Crumbs of CHARITY Il can give
you but a crumb or two" said the beg
gar to the hungry degs "what good
will a few crumbs do your


Good why you know by expert
enee what it Is To be famishing, so you
are no stranger tothe value of "A crumb,
answered the dogs.


Take it; but it grieves me to see
You so thin and to give you no more.
said the beggar, sorrowfully.


Grieves you what, that out of youT
little you can give bat littlef Dear
kind heart. don't be troubled: the
crumbs thus lovingly given are SO
sweet that they will do US far more
good than the finest bone thrown at MS
grudgingly.-
Year: 1875

I[ DR. J. A. TONNOR'S resignation as Ind

 ian agent of the Colorado Indian reserva- tion, has not been accepted by the Pres

 ident, and we are really pleased that it

 has not, for we believe, after taking some pains to inquire into his official acts, that he has been most deliberately, willfully and even maliciously slandered, and we have some evidence of the way it was done and by whom that need not be raked up now. but cannot be forgotten. Having had our faith shaken in his competency and in- tegrity, we gave expression to the fact; but developments have since convinced us that even though he were not entirely per- feet, he was the subject of an outrageous nspiracy-considering the inspiration of it. We still find some fault with him for not making more thorough fight against his accusers, and of not having made them feel that they had walked up the the wrong customer. He could easily have done so. His prime accusers would have very soon denied all agency in the matter had he moved on their works as he might and should have done. Let him hereafter, when so wrongly attacked, make as good showing as he could have done heretofore, and do it promptly, and also move on the enemy's works as he could have done, and he will have all the help necessary.
Year: 1875

AMONG the arrivals in the city We no.
ticc our ancient friend Gus Swcaringcn, Il
Wheeling boy Of some fifty odd years
standing, and son, by the way, Of one Of
the original proprictors Of this paper
lie has seen u good many ups and downs
in life and worldly estate since he left
Wheeling to push his fortune in The Fast
but thanks his stars that he has never yet
settled for less than sevcnty.iivc cents on
the dollar, which is Il pretty clean bill o'
health in these degenerate times. We are
sorry to see him looking little pale and
shaken, owing toa recent spell OF sick
ness, although he still retains enough Of
his Tom Corwin complexion (Which wa.
ashadc too dark to get into an nristocratic
mnlatto bail at Cincinnatil to he rccog'
nizable by an old acquaintance.
Year: 1875

The weather plays a more important part
in human economy than we realize mild
winter bankrupts the skate dealers, and
would bankrupt the coal merchants if they
did not increase their prices in proportion to
the rise Of the thermometer. cold summer
ruins the hotel keepers at the seashore and
the lakes. Fogs, it is known on the highest
French authority, drive the people of Lon
don to suicide. Too much rain destroys the
millinery business and too little reduces the
umbrella man to despair. Either a long
drought or q great flood will reduce pros
porous nation to beggary. A chilly day is q
direct loss to the soda water trade and equiv
alent to new capital to the taverns. There
is nothing in the world that people would
rather manage than the weather and nothing
that is mere unmanageable. The govern
ment, which has growing mania for the
management of everything, has taken the
weather into its charge, as far as possible,
and thus far with fair success. If it has not
free will it has at least foreknowledge, and
its weather predictions are quite useful. Mr..
Proctor, the English astronomer, says that
during the six months he spent in America
these predictions were only wrong three times.
Once clear weather was announced and
Mr. Proctor left his umbrella at home and
got thoroughly soaked; another time rain
was expected and Mr.. Proctor carried green
umbrella around all day in the hot sun; the
third time he stayed at home. The veiled
prophet of Washington is certainly more
accurate in.his prophecies than other seers,
but when he says, as he did the other day,
that the probabilities are t. it will be clear
in the Middle States, with possibly rain in
New York, does he not hedge little too
much on the future? To say that it is prob
able that a thing will be possible is to make
rather safe assertion. However it is likely
that it is possible that we may be certain that
we will be sure not to criticise too severely a
prophet who is just now SO agreeable. The
delicious weather which we now enjoy may
not be Of his provision, but he gets credit for
it. and a reflected glory shines on him from
the sky. The autumnal woods do him
honor; he deserves to be complimented for
the sunsets, aud if these cool, balmy south
westerly winds, inspiring as wine with the
chill taken of, continue, there will be gem
eral petition to have his salary raised by the
government He has reason to be proud of
this weather, or rather Of this weather vane,
and all of US should profit BY the opportu-
nifty For the time draws near when, as
Tom Hood said there will be no warmth, no
moon, no stars, no sun, no light, November,
and when we shall sigh that the Indian sum
mer was too beautiful and bright " last.
Year: 1875

many others who are harvesting Of higher
capacity and wider training and equal de-
yotion who preach from week to week to
slender and unappreciative congregations


The Moody and sankey revival as it is
called, is we repeat, phenomenon worthy
Of consideration We respect the energy
and enthusiasm Of these gentlemen. We
trust that their work will bear good fruits.
We do not in any way disparage their en-
thusiasm or their belief in the teachings Of
tho divine Master but at the same time
it is a phenomenon after all, a mere
ripple upon the surface of our religious
life. The thousands who crowd the Brook
lyn Rink are many of them, we fear, attracted
Of curiosity by the echo Of names that come
to them from over the sea, who are not above
a new sensation and who are curious to
feel the influence which has SO largely
affected the religious mind Of England
The truth will be found, we think, that
Moody and Sankey represent even at
their best, that camp meeting fervor which
may be found every summer in the gather
ings of our various Christian denominations.
As novelty in England it produced an un-
usual impression, but in this country Chris
tian men will find before they get through
with this revival that they are listening to
men who are telling them, only in an odd,
unusual way, the lesson which they are taught
in nearly every congregation in America by
humble ard cultured men whose names have
not gone beyond the confines of their own
parish