smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

have met but very few Californians
even who have any adequate conception
of the marvellous abundance of glacier
lakes hidden away in the fassness of the
mountains. The glaciers and snow make
an impressive appearance even to the dis
tant plains, while not a single stream is
visible, or a hollow where one might hope
for a lake. Nevertheless, wild rivers are
falling and sounding in every cannon, and
all their upper branches are fairly laden
with lakes, like orchard trees with fruit
They nestle in the rocky hooks around the
bases of every Alp in the range, rejecting
their rugged beauty over and over again.
From the summit of Red Mountain
days journey to the east Of Yosemite Val
ley-no less than forty-two are displayed
within radius of eight or ten miles; and
the whole number in the Sierra can hardly
be less than 800, exclusive of the small
er gems which are innumerable. Perhaps
two-thirds or more of the whole number
lie on the western flank, and all are re-
stricted to the Alpine and sub-Alpine re-
gions.


Lake Takoe is the king of them all,
not only in size, but in the surprising
beauty Of its shores and waters. Il lies
embosOmed iu lofty mountains near the
northern extremity of the Alpine portion
of the range, between the main axis and
spur that puts out on the east from near
the head of the Carson River. Though
twenty-one miles long by ten wide, aud
from about 500 to l, 800 feet in depth, its
basin was filed during the glacier period
from the bottom to point high above
the present water level with solid ice,
which, lavishly fed by SHOWS that fell on
its mountain fountains, crawled slowly like
q mighty river over the northwestern rim
of the basis, crushing and grinding the
mountains that lay in its way, and it was
only at the close of the ice period that this
noble lake, at least in anything like its
present form, came into existence.


Excepting the forests which have sprung
up around its shores, the post-glacial chan
ges that have taken place are scarcely ap-
preciable. The sediments carried for
ward by the overfowing streams have Civ
en- rise to few square miles of meadow
land at the head Of the lake, and the
breaking through of moraine dam three
miles down the outlet has lowered the lake
considerably, leaving shore benches, and
lines on the rock promontories to mark
the original level. But with these CON-
! paratiEely faint exceptions, the lake itself
and all its composing mountains exist to-
day in just about the condition they pre-
sented when first they came to the ight
on the removal Of the ice mantle.
Year: 1878

Prof Samuel A. King, the 1ronaut,
proposes to start from New York on q
balloon voyage to Europe. His balloon
will be the largest in the world. 1t will
average about ninety feet in diameter, aud
hold between 5000 and 100000 feet
of gas. The material employed will be
Pongee silk, coated with substance known
to the Professor only. The silk will be
doubled throughout. Pure hydrogen gass
will be used, and the cost of initiation alone
is approximated at $4,000. The car will
be combination of boat and basket, wicker
framework covered with heavy rubber
substance, which can easily be used as a
boat in case of emergency. The Profes-
sor will start early in June next.
Year: 1878

How PRAIRIE Docs GET WATER.-It
has always been subject of curiosity and
inquiry as TO how and where prairie dogs,
living on the prairie, far away from any
river or stream, obtain their water. Mr..
F. Leech, formerly of Mercer county, Pa.
and frontieYsman of experience, asserts
that the dogs dig their own wells, each
village having one with concealed open
ing. 1t matters not how far down the
water may be, the dogs will keep on dig
ging until they reach it. He knows of
one such well two hundred feet deep, and
having circular staircase leading down
to the water. Every time dog wants to
drink he descends the staircase, which,
considering the distance, is no mean task.
In digging for water the animals display
as much pluck as in resisting the efforts
of settlers to expel them from the land Of
their progenitors.-iSan Francisco Call.
Year: 1878

By WILLIAM II. BRIGGS.
What summer songs are sweet and fair,
And who shall sing them blythe and gay,
With cadence iexile-soft as air
And cherry as the summer day?
What poef comes with sandal shOon,
And clear brown eye Of dreamy gaze
Brown as the Enve whose forest gloom
Has drank fsse light Of autumn days
The light of au1szzEn dRysi
Deep. deep within sis quiet heart
He holds the sunshine Of the year,
The music 0 4 the meadow lark


And bells that echo faint and clear;
The hare-ben maE be, ON the slope,
The bubble that the wave has broke,
Or the soft, sombre tones that fall
In memory OF birthday chime
Faded in that far lapse OF time


That comes and goes for all;
And thus within his eyes the haze
Deepens of autumn daysl
The sky is blue, the sky is fair,
And writ with fieeey clouds in air;
And boughs are waving fresh and free
As foam-crest on a summer sea;
and birds with wings whose flashing light
Makes the worn spirit yearn for flight
Are passing on TO some bright zone
We picture in the heart alone,
and nature chimes in undertone
Its murmurous anthem bright and clear
Yet he apart


Drinks in with subtle sense and heart
The rapture of the year;
And with his far-ofF gaze
Turns Il 10 autumn days!
He gamers up the perfect time,


Hest0res at win Of pain or mirth,
For him nor season comes nor cline
He standsalone of all the earth:
To him the forest tells its tale
The brooklei p0lrs its plaintive wall,
The Wild pine rocks, the wild winds moan,
To him the torrent speaks alone,
The tempest from It's mountain throne,
The tumult of the angry sea,
The murmur Of the rowing bee,
The pale anemone that blows
In sunshine DER its native SHOWS,
The blue-bell OF the meadow-pink,
or osier by the streamlets brink,
All tell their tales in murmurs free
The secrets of the land or seal


And in his patient eyes,


Awaiting sorrow and surprise
Gather like falling leaves or sunset rags;
A dreamy wistful gloom


light too far too soonl
The light Of autumn daysl
Year: 1878

The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
are building new iron bridge at Down
ington, in place Of the iron one that now
spans the Brandywine at that place,
which was recently condemned as boing
unsafe. The Company expects to be
running over the new bridge within
seven weeks.
Year: 1878

New YORK, Aug. 23.-Adams thought
excessive railroad building led to the pres
ent depression, The goverpment could
not remedy the matter by legislation at
present and had no right to supervise
railroads. Rumors of competition had
produced Determinations against certain
localities. Perhaps we were getting to a
point when the government may super
wise railroads. A government commission
might not alleviate the. depression Of
labor. Vanderbilt would have done bet
ter to attend to local business and left the
through business take care Of itself.


Adjourned. -
Year: 1878

| of the Federal judiciary, as to the final ex-


tisction of State Courts of justice. The
judiciary department being extinguished,


how long will the legislative and execu-
tive departments survivef


No. State Courts must be totally inde-
pendent Of Federal Courts on the question
of their own Jurisdiction, or the principle
! is admitted which virtually entails the
abrogation of State lines. But the Con-
stitution clearly does not intend the abro-
CATION of State boundaries either directly
or as the result of q gradual encroachment.
And If not, what remedy does it provide
in case of such an encroachment If the
National government should commence in
9 higt-handed manner to sustain by force
of arms it's own Courts in their preteuse of
jurisdiction, what recourse does the Con-
stitution provide to the State7 Repelling
force by force7 Certainly not. for that
would be civil war. What then : It is
nothing and can be nothing but the right
of Withdrawing peaceably from the Union,
that reserved right which the trainers of the
Constitution were we'll aware they had
never touched.


Al iaCC III WOulU De OttCer TO Settle LOe
question at once and forever by a new
Constitutional Convention. If the States
desire the Union to be permanent under
all circumstances let them say 30 definitely
let them pronounce the Union to be perma-
nent aud irrevocabie. This will be tanta
mount to surrender Of the Federal sys-
ten, for, as We have seen above, there is,
and can be, no other remedy for State
against Federal encroachment than the
right to withdraw from the Union.
The contrary theory involves the final
extinction of State autonomy and the ccr-
tain fusion of a "Union" irto unit. It
will be an abandonment of the Federal
idea. 1t will be a surrender of the Amer
ican eystem, which ia State sovereignty by
right and union by free consent.


We doubt exceedingly that any one State
would consent to such an amendment.
Each may be willing to deny the right of
secession to the others but no one would
like to eacrifce for itself the only remedy
against grievances that may some day
bear ruinously on it's own population.
Year: 1878

AS time goes on, hidden problems evolve
Themselves for solution. The other day
there was a conflict of authority in South
Carolina between the State and Federal
Courts, each claiming jurisdiction over the
same question. Who was to settle the dis
pute Since then we see again in Della
ware a similar COZ flict. in South Carolina
the State authorities yielded; in Delaware
they did not. On the contrary they main
tanned their ground, and it is expected that
the affair will be terminated in no other
way than by it's falling into oblivion.


But these are only premonitory symp-
toms. The trouble has not fairly broken
out yet, though it is certain to come pro-
minently forward soon for attention and
regulation. But how is it possible to regu-
late it 7 There are two independent pow
ers, each claiming control Of a certain
question and with nobody to decide be-
tween them. Which shall yields Do you
say, the State, without knowing whether
it's pretensioDs are right or wrong3 Then
there is no longer State independence of
any kind. Whatever the Federal Courts
shall decree must be considered law, aud
the State Courts are virtually absorbed by
them. They merely exist on sufHerance,
and people finding their impotence will
desert them and carry all litigation into the
the Federal Courts. 1t will be a mere
question of time and forbearance of the part
Year: 1878

The Catholic parent who will allow bis
children to grow up without the advantage of
Catholic reading, and give them free access to
tho Indecent sheets of tie day, will not have
TO answer for mortal murder, bHt for that
which is infinitely greater, the destruction Of
IN immortal soul. The ravsGes OF the daily
terrible to think of. Grimes are multiplying,
minds are becoming corrupt, souls are daily
going to peTdition on account of the daily
staRtly Graves. Catholics could aid in counter
acting these results by helping in the support
Of their press. A little less than SIR cents .
week purchases Catholic paper for the fam
bus CoIuHbian.
Year: 1878

Quarrels, like thunder storms, would end
in sunshine If it were not for the deter
mination to have the last word. If you
are scolded or criticized, just bite your lips
and keep still, and it will soon be over !;
bat if you retort you are in "for three
years or the war" Many q man who poure
himself in torrents of rain for five minutes
and then breaks out in sunshine of good
temper again will settle down into a three
days dismal driEzle if he is weak enough
to insist on having the last word.
Year: 1878

by q vote of four to three the Council has
decided to renew the lease of Dsvidson's Court
for use as the First Recorders Court and police
station, for a term of Ave years, at q monthly
rental of $500.
Year: 1878

About eight o'clock yesterday morning the
scatiold on the east side of the new buildings
IN progress of erection by the Washington aud
Georgetown Railroad Company fell TO the
ground, distance of sixteen feet, carrying
Year: 1878

1t has been ascertained that a cutting
will develop roots much sooner in moist
sand than rich soil. But the sand can
not maintain its growth for any length
of time. To prepare pots for raising
cuttings they should be filled nearly to
the brim with rich garden loam-dark
and porus, not clayey and soggy; then
pour in one inch in depth of securing
sand-sea sand will do as well as the
yellow sand. Wet this thoroughly, and
place the cuttings, from which all but
the three or four upper leaves have been
removed, close to the side of the pot
the contact of the ware against the stem
of the cutting promotes its growth
Press the wet sand firmly around the
tiny stem. A great deal of your chance
for success in raising slips and cuttings
depends upon this, Plant as many cut
tings as the pot will hold, from six to
dozen, according to the size of your
pot when they are firmly set in the
sand, two or three can be inserted in
the middle of the pot, Set them away
in dark, warm place for twenty-four
or thirty-six hours. Thus, cuttings viii
grow quickly in hot-bed, because the
temperature is not dry. Their growth
depends great deal upon light, heat
and moisture. If a bud is close at the
base of the cutting it will strike the root
more easily-is not SO apt to decay
The roots shoot from the bud, and the
lower down it is the surer your success.
When the leaves drop, the plant is com
mencing to grow; if they wither on the
stem it has begun to decay. By follow
ing these directions, no one can fail to
grow all kinds Of house-plants. Roses
and all the rarest flowers of the green
houses are propagated in this manner.
Many cuttings die off from the soil be
ing too moist,
Year: 1878




She is close on sixteen years of age.
Seventeen may be sweet, but sixteen is
unrythmical, unlovely, angular. There
is no poetry in her movements, no music
in her voice. The hue of her cheeks,
which in a twelvemonth' time may
soften to the velvet ruddiness of the
peach, changes with startling rapidity
from its normal tint to an unromantic
scarlet. Her action is jerky; she has
way of coming into awkward contact
with every available article of furniture,
and at as many points as possible.


The girl of sixteen may be said, SO far
as those to whom she is an object are
concerned, to exist in the future and the
past She isapretty memory and afond
prospect. She has been charming child;
she will yet be delightful maiden. But
her lovelineSs is that of anticipation, and
her grace is that of hope. She may be
on the threshold of fairest womanhood,
but in watching her we stand in a closed
vestibule, midway between landscape
of fascinating freshness and vision of
perfection. Her childhood was thing
of beauty, her ri per girlhood will be a
joy; her present is as grabbed, harsh and
unmusical as the dullest fool ever sup
posed philosophy to be. She is in fact,
now passing through stage which is
analogous to what will be the experience
of her brother few years later; what
ever there is unpoetic, ungraceful, unin-
viting in girlhood that she possesses.
She has all the impressionableness of the
girliSh nature but she has none of the
charm which made that quality so at
tractive year ago, and which will make
it attractive a year hence. She has spicked
up some odd ways, and she is ready to
pick up any number more but they are
not pleasant ways. She has fatal ca
pacity for initiating the eccentricities
of her seniors, and for reproducing the
least agreeable idiosyncrasies of contem-
poraries. As she has odd ways, SO she
has odd fancies. Atschool-and girls
boardingschool is probably the most
purely mischievous institution under
heaven-she has assimilated many gro
tesque and some not too healthy ideas.
She has read books--worthless novels and
silly romanceS-which have inspired her
with the airs and affectations of mawk-
ish sentimentalism. She assumes the
mien of one who has an unutterable Sc
cret, which is inwardly a consuming fire,
wrapped up in her breast. She has made,
or she affects to have made, romantic
friendships among her schoolfellows.-
She corresponds with others like herself,
and reads the letters which she receives
with many contortions of countenance
and changes of color. She sighs for the
society of her friends, and her fond rela-
tives wonder what can be on her mind.
There is no just ground for their anxiety.
1t will be all right enough in the end.
But at present it must be allowed that
our schoolgirl is impracticable, hopeless
1t is passing malady Incidental to girl
hood, and it is entirely the result of that
self-consciousness which, a few months
hence, will have charged to self-posses-
sion.-Home Journal.
Year: 1878

Mistakes made in early life are some
times never rectifed.


Some speakers and writers have
river of words, but only a spoonful of
thoughts.


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


When any calamity has been suffered,
the first thing to be remembered is how
much has been escaped.


Contentment is not happiness. An
oyster may be contented. Happiness is
compounded of richer elements.


We should do our cunning as we do
by our courage-always have itready to
defend ourselves, never to offend others.


There are many shining qualities in the
mind of man, but none SO useful as dis
cretion.


Thosewho have finished by making all
others think with them, have usually
been those who began by daring to think
for themselves.


1t is great blunder in the pursuit of
happiness not to know when we have
got it; that is, not to be content with
reasonable and possible measure Of it.


Good breeding is not confined to exter-
mails, much less to any particular dress
or attitude of the body. 1t is the art of
pleasing, or, contributing, as much as
possible, to the ease and happiness of
those with whom you converse.


When you speak evil OF another you
must be prepared to have others speak
evil of you. There is an old Buddhist
proverb which says: "He who indulges
in enmity is like one who throws ashes
to windward, which comes back to the
same place and covers him all over"


1t was a saying of Aristotle that all
noble-minded men are inclined to sad
ness. 1t is not merely the feeling that
their own lot is hard one which op-
presses them; it is something more-it
is their inward sympathy and conscious
ness of participation in the suferings of
the human race to which they belong.


Don't be discouraged if, in the out
set of life, things do not go on smooth
ly. 1t seldom happens that the hopes
we cherish for the future are realized.
The path of life appears smooth and
easy, but when we come to travel it We
find it uphill and trying enough. Don't
be discouraged under any circumstances.
Go steadily forward. Rather consult
your own conscience than the opinion
of men, though the latter is not to be
disregarded.


Truth from goodness is soft and gen
tie; falsehood from evil is hard and
fierce; hence the origin of hard and
bitter speeches. Goodness of DISPOSE
ton manifests itself by gentleness and
sweetness; by gentleness, in that it loves
| to do good.
Year: 1878

CAN'T RUB IT OUT.-"Don't write
there" said father to his son, who
was writing with diamond on the win
dow. "Why not ?" "RecauSe you
can't rub it out" Did it ever occur to
you, my child, that you are daily wri-
ting that which you cannot rub out p
You made a cruel speech the other day
to your mother. 1t wrote itself upon
her loving heart and gave her pain. 1t
is there now, and hurts her when she
thinks of it, You can't rub it out
You whispered wicked thought one
day in the ears of your playmate; it
wrote itself on his mind and led him to
do wicked act. 1t is there now you
can't rub it out, All your thoughts, all
your words, all your acts are written on
the book of memory. Be careful, the
record is very lasting. You can't rub
it out.
Year: 1878

WILL He SUCCEEp?-In nine cases
out of ten mans life will not be a sue
cess if he does not bear burdens in his
childhood. If the fondness or the van
ity of father or mother have kept him
from hard work, if another always help
ed him out at the end of his row, if in
stead of taking his turn at pitching off,
he slowed away all the time-in short,
if what was light always fell to him,
and what was heavy about the same
work to some one else; if he has been
permitted to shirk, until shirking has
become habit, unless miracle has
been wrought, his life will be failure,
and the blame will not be half so much
his as that of his weak and foolish pa
rents. On the other hand, il boy has
been brought up to do his part, never
allowed to shirk any legitimate respon-
sibility, or to dodge work, whether or
not it made his head ache, or soiled his
hands, until bearing burdens has be-
come matter of pride, the heavy end
of the wood his choice, parents as they
bid him goodbye may dismiss their
fears. The elements of success are his,
and at some time, and in some way the
world will recognize his capacity.
Year: 1878

B9~A woman says very few men have
the slightest idea how to hold a baby.
And we don't suppose one in hundred
has the slightest desire to hold one If
it is female baby he is willing to hold
it after it reaches the age of seventeen
years.
Year: 1878

the addition Of such chemicals as the man.
ufacturer may prefer.


The glue is then run off into wooden
coolers, about six feet long, one foot broad
and two feet deep. Here it becomes a
firm jelly, which is cut out by spade into
square cakes, each cake being deposited in
sort of wooden box, open in several slits
or divisions to the back. The glue is cut
into slices by passing brass wire, attach
ed to a kind of bow, along the slits. These
slices are placed upon nets, the marks of
which are seen on the dry glue, and
stretched in wooden frames, removed to
the open air, placed in piles, with proper
intervals for the admission of air, each
pile being rooted in, as a protection from
the weather. When the glue is about
three-quarters dry it is removed into lofts,
where in the course of some weeks the
hardening is completed. The cakes are
finally dried off iE stove room at an ele-
vated temperature, which when they are
once solid only serves to harden and i'm
prove their quality.


Good glue should contain no specks,
but be transparent and clear when held
up to the light The best glue swells
without melting when immersed in cold
water, and it resumes its former size on
drying Shreds or parings Of vellum and
parchment make an almost colorless glue;
old gloves, rabbit skins and the like, are
frequently employed in this manufacture.


The method of softening glue for use, is
to break it into small pieces, soak for
twelve to twenty hours in cold water, then
set it over fire and gradually raise its
temperature until it is all dissolved, taking
care to stir it frequently while melting.
Prepared in this way it cools down into
stiff jelly, which requires only little
warming to fit it for use. Amber colored
glue is that most esteemed by cabinet ma
kers. Glue must not be used in a freezing
temperature.


Fresh glue dries much more readily than
that which has been once or twice'melted.
Dry glue STEPPED in cold water absorbs
different quantities of water, according to
the quality of the glue, while the proper
ton of water SO absorbed may be used as
test of the quality of the glue. From
careful experiments with dry glue i'm
mersed for twenty -four hours in water, at
the temperature of 6O0 F., and thereby
transformed into jelly, it was found that
the finest ordinary glue, or that made from
white bones, absorbs twelve times its
weight of water in twenty-four hours;
from dark bones, the glue absorbs nine
times its weight of water, while the ordi
nary glue made from animal refuse alb
serbs but three to five times its own weight
of water