smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

Olive Logan writes from London:
! allude to the "eelskin" dress, now
the great rage both in London and
in Paris. In the widest days of
the tie-back or pin-back mania,
there never was seen such a tight
ness in the matter of skirts as now
prevails. Whatever the paucity of
folds in the pin-back in its frontier
part, in the enormous exuberance
of the pannier or hustle, the bal.
ance was struck. But now not only
is the hustle thing Of horror, but
even the necessary under-clothing
is considered de trop. To lengthen
the waist far beyond its natural
proportions, a stiff webbing Of
elastic is fastened to the stays to
the depth Of half a foot, and to this,
at first, narrow skirts were button
ed. But even this is abandoned for
another scheme to acquire slender
ness. Mrs Swisshelm's much ridi-
culed chemiloon is in demand, and
garments made in this way are sold
at the furnishing shops, and pat
terms Of it pass eagerly from hand
to hand among lady friends. Some
ladies have regular stage tights
made in thick webbing, and over
these they wear nothing but the
outer dress, underskirts being sim
ulated by plated rufles of white
muslin sewn to the edge of the
dress, which is then tied back till
the woman within is shackled al
most like a convict in a chain gang.
No more uncomfortable fashion was
ever devised, for not only are the
limbs confined by the binding dress,
but the wearer must constantly CON
cern herself about the condition of
the bodice, that portion being in
increased danger of turning itself
up behind, wrong side out, like an
umbrella in a wind storm. The de-
sired effect of youthful slenderness
is generally obtained by the "eel-
skin," but at a good deal of sacrifice
of personal ease.
Year: 1877

The Colonist" thus refers to the
historic steamer Beaver: "What
have we hcre-skimming with the
grace and swiitness OF sea-bird over
the surface Of the harbor and making
the water boil and surge in
her wake in great foam laden swirls?
A strange loo king steam craft, truly,
with rapdty revolving wheels set
well forward, and with rakish fun.
mel emitting volume of intensely
black smoke, Friend, that strange
Ioaklng raft is the Beaver-the pio-
neer steamcr-the first steamer of any
class that disturbed the placid waters
of the wide eXpanse of water known
as tile Pacific Ocean. She was built
of live oak just n years ago at a
Thames shlpyard, came around the
Horn the same year, and assembled
the Columbia river under steam in
the spring Of 1886, brought the late
Sir James Douglas to Vancouver Is
land to locate and found the
future metropolis of British Colum-
bu, and has performed more hard
work than any vessel now aAoat, and
now converted into a tow boat is as
sound as a dollar and in better con


dition than ever for active service.
She has just left the Albion Foundry
with new boiler and modern i'm
provements to her machinery. The
live oak timbers and frame of tho
Beaver are as sound as the day on


which they were placed in her hull,
Year: 1877

Arguing in favor Of continuing the
effort to secure the admission Of
ashington as State in Walla
Wal!a Statesmen presents a review
Of the rapid progress the Territory is
making, and claims there will soon be
enough to enttle it to claim admis'
sion. The paper referred to est
mates the gain Of population in the
eastern counties at 1000 week. 1t
is even said that 100 day are going
into the Palouse country alone.
Whether this estimate is too high or
not it is certain the gain is rapid, and
that the population of that part Of
the Territory east of the mountains
will very soon out number the popu-
lation of the Sound and Coast coun-
ties.
Year: 1877

naman is going to become very
frequent spectacle all over America
by and by, and a difficult political
problem, too. Therefore it seems
well enough to let the public study
him a little on the stage beforehand.
The actors, the management and
the authors have done their best to
begin this course of public instruc


tion effectually this evening. will
say one word more about this re


markable play. 1t is this: When
this play was originally completed
it was so long and so wide and so
deep Tin places) and so comprehen


sive that it would have taken two
weeks to play it. And | thought
this was a good feature. supposed
we could have a sign on the curtain,
ITO be continued" and it would be
all right; but the manager said no,
that wouldn't do; to play play two
weeks long would be sure to get us
into trouble with the government
because the Constitution of the
United States says you shan't in
flict cruel and unusual punishments.
So he set to work to cut it down
and cart the refuse to the paper mill.
Now that was a good thing, Inev-
er saw a play improve as this one
did. The more he cut out of it the
better it got right along. He cut
out, and cut out, and cut out; and l
do believe this would be one of the
best plays in the world to-day if his
strength had held Out, and he could
have gone on and cut out the rest
of it. With this brief but nece ssary
explananation of the plot and pur


pose and moral of this excellent
work, 1 make my bow, repeat my
thanks, and remark that the scis-
sors have been repaired and the
workof improvement will still go on.
Year: 1877

The Twain-Harte play of "Ah
SIM was produced for the first
time before a New York audience,
at the Fifth Avenue Theater Tues
day night. In response to call be
fore the curtain, Mark Twain got
off the following.


Ladies and gentlemen: In view
of this admirable success, it is mete
that 1 try express to you our hearty
thanks for the large share which
your encouraging applause has had
in producing this success. This of
flee 1 take upon me with great
pleasure. This is a very remarka-
BILE play. You may not have no
ticed it, but assure you it is So
The construction Of this play was a
work of great labor and research,
also of genius and invention-and
plagiarism. When the authors of
this play began their work they
were resolved that it should not
lack blood-curdling disasters, acci
dents and calamitIes-but these
things always help out a play. But
wanted them to be new ones, bril-
liant, unhackneyed. In a lucky
moment we hit upon the breaking
down of stage coach as being
something perfectly fresh and
appalling. 1t seemed a stroke of
genius-an inspiration. We were
charmed with it. So we naturally
overdid it a little. Consequently,
when the play was first completed,
we found we had had that stage
break down seven times in the first


We saw that that wouldn't do
the piece was going to be too sta
gey (I didn't notice that-that is
very good Yes, the critics and
everybody would say this sort OF
thing argued poverty of invention.
And (confdentially) itdid resemble
that. So, of course, we set to work
and put some limitations upon that
accident, and we threw a little vari-
ety into the general style of it, too
Originally the stage-coach always
came in about every seven minutes
and broke down at the footlights
and split the passengers down
among the musicians. You can see
how monotonous that was-to the
musicians. But we fixed all that
At present the stage-coach only
breaks down once; a private car
riage breaks down once, and the
horses of another carriage run away
once. We could have left out one
or two of these, but then we hat
the horses or vehicles on our hands
and we couldn't afford to throw
them away on mere quibble.
am making this explanation in the
hope that it will reconcile you tc
the repetition of the accident.


This play is more didactic thar
otherwise. For the instruction o
the young we have introduced
game of poker in the first act. Th'
game of poker is too little under


stood in the higher circles of thii
country. Here and there you fine
an ambassador that has some lde;
of the game, but you take the gen
eral average of the nation and ou
ignorance ought to make us blush
WHY, have even known a clergy
man-a liberal, cultivated, estima
BILE, pure hearted man and most ex
cellent husband and father-wh'
didn't value an ace full above tw'


pair and jack. Such ignorance a
this is brutalizing. Whoever see


Mr.. Parsloe in this piece sees a


GOOD and natural and consistent
Chinaman as he could see in Sa


Francisco. l think his portrayal Q


the character reaches perfection


The whole purpose of the piece IS


afford an opportunity for the Illus


tration of this character. The On
Year: 1877

Boston Herald.


In small alley near Thirty-third
and Race, Philadelphia, just wide
enough for single wagon to pass
through, resides a singular being,
who has history full of romance.
He lives in a hut just high enough
to hold him STOPPING, made from a
few boards and covered with oil
cloth sadly the worse for wear. He
will work at anything by which he
can earn the pennies necessary to
procure the few things which pro-
long life. He speaks to no one,
visits no one, and will allow no one
to approach his hut. In the midst
of civilization, he is as much alone
and apart from the world as if iso-
lated on an island in the ocean.
And yet the man was not always as
he is. Twenty years ago Julian
Crevecour was owner of houses and
lands, stores and plantations. De-
scendant from one of the wealthiest
and most aristoratic families of
Louisiana, the entree to his salons
was the eRtree into the charmed Sc
clusion of the elite of the aristoc-
racy of New Orleans. His recep-
tions were princely, and were lavish
and wasteful in the magnifcence of
the appointments. 1t is said of him
that at his services money, in bank
notes and gold, in basketfuls, was
furnished by him to the guests with
which they gambled. His wife
proved unfaithful and fled with a
lover. After a long search over
mountain and valley, river and
ocean, he found the guilty ones and
sent the lover to his long home.
Brandy became necessary to him as
means by which he could pur-
chase a few hours of forgetfulness.
He became a drunkard, common
sot. The war swept away his for
tune, and a beggar and outcast the
once princely descendant of the
proud creoles became a wanderer
Chance drifted him to his present
place of abode, where he lives the
life of hermit and Inisanthrope.
Year: 1877

Relief will not come until there is
a radical change Of party and policy.
1t can never come under man like
John Sherman. Meanwhile we
must get on As we may, doing what
we can to help one another, bearing
and forbearing, and hoping steadily
persistently for the best.


1t is a long lane that has no turn
ing. Maybe, after all, the darkest
hour is just before day. Anyhow,
riohng and fretting viii help no one,
and must be abandoned by every
body who has not made up his mind
TO go to the devil in hand basket,
-Courier Journal.
Year: 1877

The pencil marks you see around thi
paragraph (thus) mean that your


scription is out or unpaid, and that yoG
are requested to pay up az once. We
would take great pleasure in extending
credit TO our friends and patrons, but
cash alone will yay our expenses, and
we are forced to adhere to a strict cash
rule. We hope you will comprehend
and appreciate the necessity Of such
course, and renew your subscription
without delay. We solicit your favor.


tB- We enter no new names on our
books without the money in advance.
Year: 1877

none The one goes slowly down,
the other goes slowly up; the only
way to achieve fixed results. The
one dissipates his patrimony; the
other educates himself and makes a
patrimony for his children. The
blatherskites who drivel at public
meetings about the wrongs of work
ingmen are not themselves working
men. They are poor, lazy fellows
who have failed in life, and who
want to make a cheap and easy sup
port as the poor mans friends.
just like other demagogues they are
full Of sound and fury signifying
nothing. When it comes to work
ing in earnest or fighting in earnest,
they jump, skip out, leaving the
poor dupes they have inveigled in
to a losing game to hold the empty
bag. The motto of this set should
be, in the words of the rural poet


''I'm lucky Bill from Hominy Hill,


Does no work and never will,'


for that is just their style, no.
account, idle, swidling lot, having
only a little gift of CAB and plenty
of brass.


As for ourselves, we hate all

shams wherever we see them. The
world is full of them. Every de
-partment of life has them the State,
the Church, fashionable society and
the workshops, They appear as
statesmen, as preachers, as work
ingmen; and they are equally de-
testable in each character. They
spout and strut and talk large.
Yesterday it was the politician; to-
day it is the laboring man; to-mor
row it will be somebody else, only
always a hypocrite and humbug,
seeking to make his tongue do what
other mems brains, arms, legs, do;
that is, exc out a living cheap and
easy, with little peacock glory to
spare 1t is vile, and most abomi-
nable, that such creatures should
deceive their neighbOrs. Yet they
do, and we cannot expect the work
ing people to be more proof against
such scamps than society at large,
which is ever and anon running off
after some wretched hypocrite, who
happens to have a big voice and a
profusion of cheek.
Year: 1877

IF you want 10 be attended with
prosperity keep the preacher and
printer punctually paid up, If you
are square with them it Is not much
odds if you are a little behind with
the merchant If they are not able
to wait for their pay, let them sell
out To somebody that can.
Year: 1877

Some men have beel owing us
for a long time-so long that for
bearance almost ceases Co be yir-
tue-and if we get much madder
wen issue an order banishing all
such slow coaches TO Chattanooga,
where 1t is no great crime Tor a man
not to pay his debts Cleveland
Banner
Year: 1877

What sentiments does every body
like? Some do not like light read


ing, some do not like serious mat


ters, some don't like politics, some
don't like religion, some don't like
the sciences, and men who do like
politics, or fun, or religion, differ on
the same subject, some like and
some dislike. Wouldn't it be q
curious paper that everybody likedi
Wouldn't it take a paper as large as
a plantation to hold short articles
enough for every one to find a whole
article that he liked? Try to please
everybody and you may please no
body. The object of newspaper
as well as any other puplic enter
prise, should be, not merely tc
please, but to benefit its patrons.
Year: 1877

The remarkable successes of the Turks
in their battles with the Russians are at
tributed to the superiority of the firearms
used by the former. These are mostly of
American Manufacture and can be fired
with wonderful rapidity, (about once q
second, and do terrible execution.
Year: 1877

came up in person to see the situation
Of things and make any other provision
that might be necessary, although his
people were not so much exposed as
were the people of North Idaho, and
when he learned that our Governor had
made no provision for us, hc ordered
guns to be issued to many on tho Idaho
side OF the line to be used for their pro.
lection, the men receiving them enroll.
ing themselves to be under the authori.
ty of Washington. tn this way we at
late day got some means for self pro-
lection, which our own territory would
not furnish though We had made fire.
quent appeals for arms. We feel deep
ly this neglect of the Governor Of Idaho
and can come to no other conclusion
than that the Governor and other au.
thorities in South Idaho had rather SEQ
all our families butchercd by the say.
ages than to spare to us even our quota
of tM territorial arms. But when taxes
are to be collected it is very noticeable
that our county officers get from the
southern officials terrible raps over the
knuckles if the entire territorial tax is
not forwarded even before it is all COL
lected of the tax payers. This neglect
of US when our lives are 10 danger is
full proof of their disposition to neglect
US in other respects when we have
rights which they can ignore. The
sooner We can absolvc our allegiance {,
a class of men who seem disposed to
treat us 10 this manner, the sooner will
our pathway as people be more pleas.
ant. Washington Territory wants us
and we want to 20 there, and why are
not North idaho and Washington to be
considered the only contracting parties
in the union, and why should not Con-
gress act upon taeir agreement irre-
spcctive Of what South Idaho might
say. Their only course towards us is to
bleed us of our money and then not give
to us the ordinary protection of the
government of the territory to which
we are justly entitled. The late Indian
outrages have furnished to the people
Of Sonth Idaho splendid opportunity
to evince their affection aud regard for
the interests Of the north, and that op.
portunity has been embraced by them
TO plainly tell US that it is matter Of
no concern to them whether or not we
all fall prey to the infuriated savages;
and our houses be burnt up and our
crops and farms be laid waste. A peo.
pie who will tanely submit to such neg.
lect aud treatment by its government,
deserve to be vassals, and such is our
condition so long as We quietly allow
South Idaho to bleed us OF our money
and then turn deaf ear to our appeals
for help when danger comes.


ONE OF THE INJURED.
Year: 1877

Rev. William N. Taylor, d. D., delivered lecture
last evening in the Brick Presbyterian Church, f'n
avenue, on the subject OF "Books and Reading" ms
audience was both largo and fashionable one OF .ne
chief objects OF the Doctors lecture to show whas
books should especially receive our attention
moments thought, he said, will be sufficient 10 con-
vince any one that he read every work that -
published and very slight acquaintance with the char-
acter Of many OF tho works which are being con-
stantly launched into the mdgnum Of
print VIII be enough to mako HIM feel
that Il is not desirable that he should
Evidently, therefore, selection Is Dccessary and the
nature OF that selection each will depend on
the principles on which the reader proceeda The
choice which he makes will be regulated by the pur-
pose which he has In WOW, and somewhat also oy
those personal tdiosyncrasics which moline him 10
one subject rather than another, and which are usu
ally strongest III the direction in which his mind is
greatest But whatever mans leanings may DC,
there are certain great books with which he should
be moro or less acquainted IL would be impossible
for mo TO reckon up all those members OF the arstoc
racy Of thought who have by the concurrence Of all
been elevated TO the peerage Of literature but would
not DO credtaoie TO any ono using the English tongue
to leave unstudcd the works OF Shakespeare Milton.
Wordsworth or Tennyson among poets, or these Of
Hume, Robertson. Giboon, Macaulay, or Froude or
Irving or Prescott or Motley among historians, or
those OF Locke, Reid, Hamilton and MIL among
our philosophers. or those o Butler, HILL Chalmers
and Edwards among our dvines. BY all thoughtful
these ana others ike them have been put apart





and Whatever else we may miss we snouid on no ac-
count pass over at least one or more Of the namos
which In each list l have mentioned or course
In The systematic prosecution of his studies each
man will be led TO that subject for which
no ia most fitted aud should In large measure Keep
himself thereto. Some will have leaning to physical
scence aud these beginning with the great work OF
Bacon, which rs the seed plot OF all our inductive
progress, should then single out for themselves the
particular branch ofinqury which they mean 10 pur-
sue. whether astronomy under the guidance Of
Herschei and his fellows. geology under the lead





botany under the tuteage OF the masters Of that IN
tcresng science or chemistry. or electricity, or what,
ever else. The choice Of tho department Will
lead at once to the works that are most
important IN It, Others again may wish
to study history they will have rich
choice in the works which / have already named,
while others still may read for Tue cultivation OF
taste aud the education OF the Imagination and Tor
this purpose work will serve more admirably than
tho plays Of Shakespeare Tho speaker then went
through nearly tho whole range OF art science, era-
ture and theology directing his hearers TO the intel
lectual lights which would best serve to illuminate
their pathway and easy their progress through
the labyrinthinc windings OF human knowledge.
Year: 1877

The hopes of Hayes are that he will be
able to get an Administration majority
in the House, through a discreet use of
his Southern patronage, and by promises
Of large expenditures of public money in
Southern internal improvements. The
bargain he is trying to make is utterly
discreditable, and it is gratifying to see
that SO far the Fraudulent President has
not succeeded in purchasing his men. II
is of the highest importance to the well
fare of the South, to the cause of Gov
ernment economy, and to the interests
of the whole country, that the Democrat


lc majority in the House shall work
together, and bear increasing testimony
to its hatred of the frauds by which tn,
people were cheated out of an election
Year: 1877

Science teaches us that the crust Of our
earth is perpetually moving, and that the
sea levelis constantly changing. Our globe
has its daily rotation on its axis, and its
yearly revolution about the sun which, with
all the satellites, sweeps toward moving
point in the constellation Hercules. Every
so-ealled fixed star is in motion. Fifty
thousand years ago the constellation ofthe
great bear or dipper was q starry cross a
hundred thousand years hence the imagin-
ary dipper will be up side down, and the
stars which form the bowl and handle will
have changed places. The misty nebulae
are moving, and besides are whirling
around in great spirals, some one way,
some another. Every molecule Of matter
in the whole universe is swinging to and
fro; every particle of ether which fills
space is in ielly-like vibration. Light is
one kind Of motion, heat another, electriei-
tY another, magnetism another. Every
human sense is the result Of motion every
perception, every thought is but motion Of
the molecules Of the brain translated by
that incomprehensible thing we call mind.
The processes Of growth, Of existence, Of
decay, whether in worlds or in the minut-
est organism, are but motion.-seientiiJffc
Amertca1s.
Year: 1877

BAD HABIrs.-A culprit who was brought
hsfore Burlington magistrate, the other
day, on a charge of beating his wife, plead
for Indulgence, and promised reform, say
ing he did not mean any cruelty to his wife,
but it was only bad habit he had got in
to. The magistrate said he would cheer
fully excuse him, for he knew himself how
strong were the chains of habit, and the
prisoner must not mind it, for he really
didn't mean any thing by it, but he was
greatly addicted to the habit filming such
cases thirty dollars and costs, and sending
them up for ten days. ave are all crea-
lures of habit" quoted the court, and the
committee rose, and shortly afterWard the
houseadjourned.
Year: 1877

Nor At HonE-A lady was engaged in
domestic affairs, when some one rang the
street door.ball, and the Roman Catholic
servant was bidden to say her mistress was
not at home. She answered, Yes ma am;
and whom | confess to the priest, shall I
confess it as your sin or miner"
Year: 1877

The business men of New York last week
very extensively circulated and obtained
signatures to petition, directed to the
President asking. him to retain Gen. AR
THUR rs collector of that port 1t was signed
by every Judge of every court in the city
and by nearly all the leading members OF
the bar, and by most Of the largest import
ing merchants Of that port. The petition
was neither tulsome nor even laudatory in
its terms but simply set forth the services
Gen. ARTHUR had rendered the public in
his official capacity, his popularity with the
mercantile classes, his excellent social posi-
tion, and his faithful and energetic manage
ment of the trusts committed to his care.


Gen. ARTHUR is no otlicc-sceker; and
when he learned that these petitions were
In circulation he at once had them sup
pressed, insisting that they should not BE-
forwarded TO the President. In this he bore
himself in very manly way. He scorns
either by himself or others to have hand
raised 10 change the purpose of the appoint
ing power on this question.