smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

The country is steadily growing
richer year by year, and is con
stantly on its way to a frmer basis
in all manner of financial affairs. 1t
now produces more than it consumes.
Last year our exports exceeded our
imports by over ninety millions of
dollars. A few years ago the United
States were running in debt at the
rate of million dollars a week, and
were having a brilliant time in wear
ing the goods, and drinking wines,
and spending the money thus obtain
ed. Latterly they have been paying
off their debts, and the proce S has
been a hard and disagreeabIe one.
But it is also a wholesome process,
and we shall soon begin to see the
benefits oft. Specie is flowing hith-
er from Europe. Everything is set
tied down on a hardpan basis. When
business takes a start, it will rest on
reality and not on sham, on capital
and not on credit. All the indica-
tions give assurance of better times
ahead.
Year: 1877

Hillsboro has real AMI personal
property valued for taxation at t1co
millions of dollars $4,000 is only
one and q half per cent of this sum,
or one cent and and a half on
the dollar Shall it be said that
our railroad must fail, because we
refuse to subscribe this small percent
age on our property? Can not every
property holder better afford to pay
II per cent or even 3 per cent. on
his property, than to suffer a depreci
alton in its value of perhaps 10, 20 or
even 50 per cent. which will inevita-
bly, follow in a few years, if we fail
to get the road?
Year: 1877

The News has nearly double the circula-
ton Of any other paper in Highland county,
and goes among the best class Of readers,
being sent (by maiD only to strictly ad-
rance paying subscribers. 1t is therefore
by far the best Advertising medium in the
county. jan25tf
Year: 1877

If Hillsboro is content to lie still,
and allow other towns to draw of
her trade by building new railroads
in every direction around her, how
long can she stand the exhausting
drain upon her life blood? How
long will it be before "To Rent" and
''FOr Sale" will be placarded upon
her stores and dwellings, Sub
scribe to the new Railroad.
Year: 1877

A CHEAP PAINT.-The extent of lencino
was too great to admit of painting with
oil paints because of the expense, and the
alternative acted upon was to steep the
wood in solution Of bark, alder or oak.
with the addition of II little quicklme
The wood in the sawn state was allowed
to remain in the steep from ten to fourteen
days, at the end Of which it was ken
out, of II reldsh-brown color, which not
only retained the color permanently, but
the wood was evidently improved in dura


bility-at least the softer and younger de-
scriptions of it were so. An excellent
substitute for paint is found in the follow.
ing prescription, which is both cheap
and simple in its application, and highly
beneficial to the wood: A box, tub, pail
or barrel is first provided of any dimen.
sions suited to the quantity to be made ut
time, and comparatively air and wa


ter tight, so as to admit of covering up to
conine steam and water. A bushel, less
or more of quicklime is provided, reduced
to fine powder, and passed through .
sieve or screen as in preparing mortar for
plaster-work. To The lime water is add
ed, and the mixture is brought to the con-
sistcncy of thick cream. To each bushel
of lime one-sixth part of common coarse
salt should be added, boil the mixture IL
short time, say fifteen minutes, skimming
off the froth as the boiling goes on, and
by slow degrees during the boiling add for
every five bushels of lime and water three.
fourths of potash and four quarts of fine
sea or river sand, Apply either hot OF
cold with common whilewash brush.
Year: 1877

TnE ARAB's PRooE-A Frenchman
who had won 4 high rank among men of
science, vet who denied the God who is
the author ofall science, was crossing the
Great Sahara in company with an Arab
guide. He noticed with " sneer that ut
times his guide, whatever obstacles might
arise, put them all aside, and kneeling on
the burning sands, called on his God. Day
after day passed, and still the Arab never
failed; till at last one evening the phioso
pher, us he rose from his knees, asked
him, with contemptuous smile, How
do YOU know there is II God?" The guide
fixed his beaming eyes on the scofler for II
moment in wonder, and then said solemn
ly, " How do knOO there is II God? How
do know that man, and nota camel,
passed my hut last night in the darkness?
Was it not by the print Of his feet in the
sand? Even so"-and he pointed to the
sun, whose last rays were flashing over
the lonely desert-'that foot print is not
of u man."


A Low VOICE IN WOMAN.-Yes, we
agree with that old poet who said that II
low, soft voice was an " excellent thing in
woman" Indeed, we feel inclined to 90
much further than he has on the subject
and call it one of her browning charms.
No matter what other charms she may
have; she may be us tair rs the Trojan
Helen and as learned as the famous Hypa-
tia of ancient times; she may have all the
Accomplishments considered requisite at
the present dny, and every advantage
which wealth can procure, and yet if she
lacks low sweet voice she can never be
really fascinating. How often the spell of
beauty is rudely broken by coarse, loud
talking. How often you are drawn to
plain, unassuming woman, whose soft,
silvery tones render her positively attrac-
tive. Besides, we fancy we can judge of
the character by the voice; the bland,
smooth, fawning tones seem to betoken
deceit and hypocrisy as invariably as the
musical subdued voice indicates genuine
refinement. In the social circle, how
pleasant it is to hear woman talk in that
low key which always characterizes the
true lady. In the sanctuary at home how
such voice soothes the fretful child, and
cheers the weary husband. How sweetly
Its cadence floats through the sick cham
ber and around the dying bed; with what
solemn melody do they breathe a prayer
for the departing soul. All, yes, low,
soft voice is IAN excellent thing in wo-
mann
Year: 1877

cd so as to offer the slightest practicable
resistance to the water. The weight of this
log or outrigger acts as II counterpoise to
the force of the wind, since, by the peculiar
manner in which the proa is sailed the
log is always on the windward side. Thus,
although the proa is excessively long and
narrow, it can never capsize, the outrigger
answering the same purpose in this respect
which the Feejeean accomplishes by using
a double canoe.


The mast although placed exactly half
way between the ends of the boat, stands
in the bilge close to the gunwale, where ii
is fastened to the middle beam of the out
riggcr. The sail is latcen, triangular in
shape. but much wider at the foot and less
lofty in proportion than are most lateen
sails. 1t does not seem large in compari-
son with the length of the proa, but in
view o: the extreme narrowness of the hull
and its want of stability apart from the
oulrigger it is really an enormous sail.
The fore end of the yard fits into II socket
ut the end of the boat, and the foot of the
snil is laced to boom. 1t is thus capable
of being trimmed rs flat us Il board, and as
| ~ 10 l0olou NY elHlPIy IollllS luc boOiH un'
til the desired amount of sail is wrapped
around it, the shape of the sail always re-
mains the same.


AS has been said, the proa is sailed with
either end first, but the outrigger is always
kept on the windward side. The flat side
of the hull being thus always the lee side,
acts as keel OF centerboard but with
more effect than either. In fact, the proa
is said to make scarcely any percepliblY
leeway. When beating against Il head,
wind the proa never tacks. She is merely
kept away until her stern approaches the
wind, when the yard is swung around, and
what was the stern suddenly becomes the
bow. 1t is credibly asserted that this prod
uct of barbarian genius often attains q
speed of twenty miles, and it is certain
that not only is the proa the fastest sailing
boat in existence, but it will sail nearer
the wind than any vessel known to Euro
pean or American ailors.-Hatper,s Mug
a@lne for august.
Year: 1877

DECREASE OF RURAL INDEBTEDNESS.
The reports of the indebtedness of the
towns of Maine indicate Il large reduction
within the past ten years. At the close of
the war the rural towns We're heavily in
debt for soldiers bounties. The taxpayers
in nearly all such towns set themselves
resolutely TO the work of paying up. In
ten years scores of towns have paid their
entire Indebtedness, and all have reduced
il largely, except few who have loaned
their credit to railroad enterprises. This
financial exhibit of the farming sections ol
Maine is most encouraging, and more than
any other cause will enhance the value of
farms. Taxation his come to mean some
thing to our people, so that the man who
is looking for farm will, among his first
inquiries, ascertain the Indebtedness Of the
town If it amounts to ten or twenty pei
cent of the valuation re will 20 elsewhere
for taxation to pay town debts has come to
be considered mortgage which man
cannot discharge even if he had the means
1t is not altogether improbable that the
high taxes in cities will influence many
who have left the farms in the recent husf
times to got rich at light work in cities, tC
return to their old places and take Others
with them.
Year: 1877

A BRAVE REGNIENT.-During the PEN
insul campaign Wellington was often fore
ed to send picked men into dangerous pa-
ces. On u certain occasion it became neces-
sary 10 capture Il battery at St. Sebastian
a battery which was hurling destruction
into the British ranks-and the Law of the
land was such, and, attendant circum-
stances that not u full regiment could be
used in the work The duke selected the
body men and told them what he want
ed done. He knew the danger of the
enterprise but the safety of the whole
army depended on the succGss of that one
movement Said he to the commanding
officer


Colonel, | have faith in you and your
men. Your regiment is the first in the
world"


" Aye, my lord,' replied the colonel,
quickly, land by the time your order is
fully executed it will he the first in the
neXl?' And then he plunged to the head
of his regiment, and gave the order for
the forward movement.


His reply to the duke had been heard
by those who stood near, and they told it
to others, and so it flew through the reg.
iment and became the battle cry. The old
soldiers caught inspiration from it. 1t made
them invncible, They somehow felt thai
it would be all right with them any way
They would be the first regiment, let it be
in this world or in the next. With u loud
shout they dashed on-dashed on with
in impetus against which the French can.
noneers went down like grassland not
more than one man in twenty of the ut
tacking party was fatally stricken. Well
ington afterwards declared, and others dc
clared with him, that it was the mos
magnificent charge ever seen.
Year: 1877

AFFECTION IN BIRD LIFE.-The fidelity


and atfectionate intimacy of married bird


life appears most conspicuously in pairs of
the Grosbeak family and in small parrots.
Here is perfect harmony of will and deed.
The two sweethearts appear unwilling to
leave one another's company for moment
all their life; they do everything together
eating and drinking, bathing, and dress


ing of feathers, sleeping and waking.
Various degrees of affection and harmony
are discernablo on close observation.
Among the small grosbeaks, pairs of which
sit together, the intimate relation is never
disturbed; even over the feeding emp there
isno quarelling. They stand highest in
Year: 1877

Mr.. Gladstone presided ut the formal
opening of the CaXton exhibition at South
Kensington on the 30th of June, and at
the close of an eloquent address on the
history and progress of the ant of print
ing, he took up and displayed Il bound
volume, and said:-


now hold volume in my hand to
which beg every one to direct his eye, be-
cause | think it may be called the climax
and consummation of this art. This vol
ume is bound, us you see, and stamped
with the arms of the University of Ok
ford. 1t is II Bible bound in u manner
that commends itself TO the reader-I be-
lieve in every respect an excellent piece of
workmanship, containing more than one
thousand pages. Well, you will say,
That is very commonplace, why bring it
before us?n do SO in order to tell you
that the materials of this book sixteen
hours ago did not exist; it was not bound;
it was not folded; it was not printed.
Since the clock struck twelve last night ut
the University Press in Oxford the people
there have printed and sent us this book.
They have sent several copies, one of
which will be presented to the Emperor of
Brazil, to be distributed here in the midst
of your festival. That shows what can be
done, and that is whathas been.done, and
it shows the state to which this great art
is now happily arrived. If | began with Il
humiliating confession on the part of my
countrymen AS to the small share we could
claim in contributing to the early history
Of printing, we may leave off, ladies and
gentlemen, in n better spirit, because |
think that such Il performance us that is
one that will be admitted to be II credit in
any portion of the world.


On the Monday following, Mr.. John
Leighton, writing from the Royal Institu-
tion to the London Times, said


Mr.. Gladstone, in his eloquent discourse
a t the festival of Saturday, having led
even technical persons to suppose that the
Book of Books he displayed was the
Year: 1877

THAT BARREL OF SALT.-One of the
firm who run a commission house on
Woodbridge street is n man of muscle.
He can lift u barrel of flour rs easily as
common man lifts bag of oats, and it
scarcely makes his ears 60 red as he
hGaves II barrel of salt into farmers
wagon. For weeks past he has been
boastng of the strength of muscle, and
wanting to see something he couldn't lift.
and the boys around the store got their
heads together the other day. They took
IL salt barrel and filled it with broken pig
iron, old weights and other things, put the
head back and rolled it to the curbstone;
and at favorable hour II dray hacked up
in the most innocent manner, and an order
from grocer for II barrel of salt was
handed out. The drayman and two of the
boys fooled around the barrel so long that
the strong man got out of his chair in dis
gust, threw off his coat and said:


You fellows had better get porous plas-
ters for your backs. Get out of the way
and give me chancem


lie seized the barrel by the chimes and
lifted away. 1t didn't move. lie spit on
his hands and laid out to pull the hoops
right off. The hoops stayed right there,
SO did the barrel.


" 1t takes four good men to lift one o
them barrels" said the drayman.


Nonsense! I've lifted score of them,
and I'll pick this up or break my back. l
guess the salt must be wet"


lie got in position, drew long breath,
and then lifted till his eyes looked like two
towels left on the cothcs-line in dark
night. The barrel didn't lift Pig-iron
was too much for muscle, and the litter
sat down on the walk. His back used to
be plump up and down, but it hasn't been
since that lift. His eyes are getting back
to their original positions, and the red is
leaving the back of his neck, and he sees
two men handle bag of dried apples or
II bushel of beans without word Of COM
ment. i Detroit Free Press.
Year: 1877

The Chicago board of education at its
latest semi-monthly meeting had lively
discussion on the adoption Of certain text
books. Six of the thirteen members of
the board present voted against school
geography, partly because of its blending
of religious and scientific instruction, al
though the religious element in the book
consists simply in the acknowledgment of
- directing Providence. A work on book
keeping, not containing any mention OF
the Deity, was adopted without discussion.
The Chicago conscience is certainly some
thing wondcrGul.-Er.
Year: 1877

Out of the leaf stalks Of rhubarb we de-
rive the great American acid People will
have it. Men are saying to their wives
just as did twenty years ago" It's no
use bothering with pie crust over that
stuff want quart of the juice to drink
as | would lemonade" Our children chew
the first shoots as Southern children do
cane. gave an old man a sup from my
dinner the other day, and presently he
came back to me with his face sutfused
with healthy young blood. Coming from
Gilead pastures one of those hot afternoons,
the boys and | were particularly thirsty,
and espied Il fresh sCalk of pieplant in the
bottom of the wagon with pleasure. To
twist it into the bolton of our drinking
cup and bruise it with II Iag-alder toddy-
stick to give it hygienic flavor, was the
work of moment. There was run of
cool water close by the road, and we
pounded and washed that stalk of rhubarb
three times, | believe, before we got the
goodness out of it. 1t is the great North
American acid sure-Hartf0rd CoNrapt


Correspondence.
Year: 1877

is prepared from the true Jamaica Ginger, com.
blned with choice aromatics and genuine French
Brandy, and is vastly superior to every other Ex.
tract or Essence of Ginger before the public all Of
which prepared with alcohol by the old process.
II Instantly relieves
Year: 1877

1T IS WELL ASCERTAINED FACT, rest
ing on the experience of twenty years. that a
course of HOstetter's Stomach Rltters will put
even naturally feeble system in such a
state OF defence that il will be competent to
resist The most prevalent cause of disease


such as the malign influence of miasma un-
wholesome water, excessive heat, damp,
Year: 1877

THE Defence OF WAsHIEGToN.-Some
OF our prominent citizens had pleasant and
satisfactory interview to-day with Secretary
McCrary and Secretary Thompson in regard
10 the extent and character of the forces at
hand for the protection of the capital city in
case OF emergency. Both the Secretary OF
war and Secretary of the Navy were prompt
government is ample and in position to be
readily available for the protection OF both
public and private property in WASH
ington The Secretaries impressed the
visiting citizens as vigilant and alert,
but while duly impressed with the gravity
OF the situation, not at all Hurried or thrown
on their balance. They expressed satisfac-
tlon with the assurance that the citizens of
Washington would be ready to cooperate
with the government authorities in the main
tenance OF PUBLIC order.
Year: 1877

READING, Pa, July 20.-The Phila-
delphia and Reading Company commenc-
ed paying their shop hands and other
employees for the month of May at this
point to day. Since the arrival of Presi-
dent Gswen from Europe the men feel
confident that their wages will be paid
promptly IN the future, as with few ex-
ceptions they have been in the past. The
money received to-day will bring relief to
many who are and have been suffering
for the want thereof.
Year: 1877

Some of our readers will probably ap-
prove and others dissent from the recount
mendation to postpone resumption. Bu-
whatever conclusion may be reached on
THAI subject, it is becoming more and
more evident every day that the restora-
tion of specie payments will involve her
culean difficulties if large additions are
not made to the available supply of silver
coinage. The adoption of Secretary
Sherman's proposition to make the silver
dollar receivable for all debts that can
now be. paid with legal tenders would
greatly facilitate resumption. Perhaps
that measure will give all the assistance
that is necessary; but it would certainly
be very rash and oppressive undertake
ing to attempt to enforce in January,
1879, return to specie payments which
did not practically mean and involve
very extensive use of silver coins as le-
gal tenders. The most practical point in
the entire discussion is the extent to
which the silver dollar should be remon-
etized. 1t is scarcely possible that the
Government will seriously attempt to
compel citizens to discharge all their out
standing obligations in gold coin or its
equivalent, although it is not improbable
that the principal of the national debt
will be paid in gold. The reLlonetiza-
ton of the silver dollar would do much
to restore the former relations between
gold and Silver. The use of silver as a
substitute for fractional currency had an
important influence in increasing the
market value Of silver bullion.
Year: 1877

cat the narrowest point in this defile
the ecldireurs encountered fortifica-
ton held by battalion OF Nizams,who
fled precipitately after the first volley
from their assailants, leaving many
dead and wounded. They might easily
have checked the Russians, and doubt
less would have made stand had thew
not known of the passage of two de-
tatchments through the other passes.
Year: 1877

Hardly steamer that crosses the sea


But carries one traveller more,
For little time, out on the shoreless sea,


Than she counted when leaving the shore.
Blown far away from his mate where she sings,


By the ptiless sea-bound gale,
Lost, and plying his patient wings


Till heart and courage fail
Lost on the shoreless. unknown main,


Blinded with salt white spray,
Dazed with the endless, waving plain,


Scared by the lengthening way;
Lost on the sea, and no land in sight;


Through the heavy and misty AIR
Struggling on through the dark and the light
To terror and mute despair;
Till on the horizon a cloudy speck


Clears to the mast, like tree,
Clears to the solid and ground-ke deci


And he follows it YEARLY.
And clinps and ---"ones' a welcome guest,


A--aSer and tremulous bird,
With the green and blue on his neck and breast
By his hearts hard painting stirred.
Then come pity, and food and drink to the brim,
And shelter from wave and cold;
But the quick head droops and the bright eyes dim,
And the story all is toldl
Pitiful comfort, yet comfort still
Not to drop in the hungry sea,
Keeling down out of the empty height
To that terrible agony.
Bitter and hard to be driven to roam


Between the sea and sky.
find fnot- hold and xvor,,tb opd hama
And then-only to dlel
Yet it was harder, God He knows,


Who counts the sparrows that fall
For the birds that lost when the wild winds rose
When the sea and the sky were all;
When the sky bent down to enfod the sea-
And the sea reached up to the sky.
And between them only the wind blew free,
And never ship went byi


Anna G. Bracket in Harper's Magazine.
Year: 1877

Would you ask us why this dunning?
Why these sad complaints and murmers,
Murmers loud about delinquents
Who have read the paper weekly;
Read what they have never paid for;
Read with pleasure and with profit,
Read Of church affairs and prospects,
Read the essays and the poems,
Full Of wisdom and instruction;
Read the table of the markets,
Carefully corrected weekly


Should you ask why this dunnng?
We should answer we should tell you.
From the printer, from the mailer,
From the kind old paper maker,
From the landlord, from the devil"
From the man who taxes letters
With the tax of Uncle Samuel
Uncle Sam the rowdies call him;
From them all there comes a message
Message Kind but firmly spoken.
"Please to pay the bill you owe u.s."
Sad IL is to hear such message
When our funds are all exhausted,
When the last greenback has left us;
When the nickels all have vanished;
Gone to pay the paper maker.
Gone to pay the toiliug printer,
Gone to pay the landlord tribute,
Gone to pay the clerk and devil,
Gone to pay the faithful mailer,
Gone to pay old Uncle Samuel
Uncle Sam the rowdies call him
Gone to pay for beef and Bridget,
Gone TO pay our faithful parson.
Sad 1t is to turn our ledger,
Turn the leaves of this old ledger,
Turn and see what sums are due US,
Due for volumes long since ended,
Due for years of pleasant reading,
Due for years Of anxious labor,
Due despite our anxious waiting,
Due despite our constant dunning,
Due in sums from three to twenty.