smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

AT the disaster which, not long since
destroyed the lives of many miners in the
West Pittston mine, an incident occurreS
In which the heroic and pathetic are
mingled.


A boy of twelve years, named Martin
Craighan, stood with companion on the
carriage, waiting to be hoisted up from
the mine out of impending danger, when
1t flashed upon his mind that number of
workmen had not been warned Of tho
terrible peril they were in.


With noble impulse of self.forgetfnl
Kindness, he resolved to rescue them, if
possible, and asked the other boy to 90
with him. This boy refused, and was
safely drawn up--the last who was
brought up unscathed. Martin rushed
through the chambers and galleries of the
mine alone, to carry the startling news to
the imperiled miners. Then he hurried
back to the shaft again, hoping to escape
with his life.


He waited for the carriage to descend:
but the wire rope had melted, and the fire
was now burning so fiercely above him,
that all hope of escape in that way (thc
only outleD was cut off.


He fled back to the miners again; but
experience had taught them the utter
hopelessness Of escape by the ordinary
way, and they had built barricade in
Martins absence, which afforded them
temporary protection from the noxious
gases and smoke that were slowly filling
the mine.


The barrier was solidly built, for upon
the defense it afforded them against the
smoke and gas depended the only chance
that they had to live until the burning
shaft was extinguished.


Martin stood at the barrier and begged
piteouSly to be admitted. The few sur
yivors who heard him, say the little fel-
low cried But to have made Il passage
way for him would have been death to all.
So they were obliged to refuse him.


After while he went quietly away to
the stable. He had been promoted to the
position of a mule-driver only the day
before and now he went to his mule,
and there wrote with chalk upon a piece
OF board the names of those who were
dear to him, and then lay down beside
his mule to die.


His body was found close to that of the
poor animal, which, in its death agony,
had rolled upon him and wounded his
breast with portion Of the harness. SO
died this little hero in the dark.
Year: 1877

AT THE TOILEr,-A japanese damsel
considers her toilet to be no unimportant
thing, and to be ready for the fair she must
be up and dressing long before the sun
rises from behind the great sacred noun
tain, Fuji. The long, coarse tresses of the
raven-black hair must be washed, combed
and creased till the head shines like u
knob Of polished black marble; the
cheeks must be rouged to the proper tint
the throat, neck and bosom powdered,
carefully leaving, however, on the nape
of the neck three lines of the original
brown skin Of the owner, in accordance
with the rulcsof japanese cosmetic art; the
eyebrows must be carefully rounded and
touched with black; the lips reddened
with cherry paste with patch of fgilding
in the centre.
Year: 1877

Quite an original method Of TAX
ing fort is described in Black
woods Magazine. In 1896 large
Russian army besieged the Turk
ish fort of Azof, which was situated
on plain strongly fortified, and
had q small but well disciplined
garrison. No common approaches
could be made to it, as the Turk
ish cannon swept the level with
iron hail. Ia this case the engi-
neering skill of the Russians was
baffled, but General Patrick Cor
don, the right hand man of Peter
the Great, and the only one for
whose death he ever shed tear,
being determined to take the place
at any cost, proposed to bury it
with earth by gradual approaches.
He had large army, the soil of
the plain was light and deep, and
he set twelve thousand men to
work with spades, throwing up
high decentralization of earth wall
before them in advance. The men
were kept in gangs, working day
and night, the earth being thrown
from one to another like the steps
of a stair, the top gang taking the
lowest place every half hour in
succession. In five weeks the
huge wall was carried forward
nearly one mile until IL rose to
and above the highest ramparts,
and the dirt began to roll over
them. This caused the Turkish
governor to hang out the white
flag and give In. Had he not done
so General Gordon would have
buried the fortress. a
Year: 1877

Love and appreciation are to a
woman what dew and sunshine are
to a flower. They refresh and
brighten her whole life. They
make her strong-hearted and keen
sighted in everything affecting her
home. They enable her to cheer
her husband when the cares of life
press heavily upon him, and to be
a very providence to her children,
To know that her husband loves
her, and is proud Of her, and be-
lieves in her; that even her faults
are looked upon with tenderness
that her face, to one at least, is the
fairest face in all the world; that
the heart which to her is the great
est and the noblest, holds her sa.
cred in its inmost recesses above
all women, gives her q strength,
and courage, and sweetness, and
vivacity which all the wealth of the
world could not bestow. Let a
woman's life be pervaded with such
an influence, and her heart and
mind will never grow old, but will
blossom and sweeten and brighten
in perpetual youth.
Year: 1877

The Scientific American gives
some of the circumstances which
lead to the explosion of kerosene
lamps, the philosophy of all of them
being that the flame may pass
down through the wick and ignite
the vapor which accumulates in
the upper portion of the lamp.
This vapor is not an explosive, as
the term is ordinarily understood,
but when it is confined so that the
gases resulting from its combus-
ton cannot escape freely into the
open air, the vessel confining it will
be shattered. This ignition of the
vapor may be brought about as
follows:


LA lamp may be standing on
a table or mantle, and a slight puff
of air from the open window or
door may cause an explosion.


"A lamp may be taken up
quickly from a table or mantle, and
instantly explode.


"a lamp is taken out into the
entry where there is n draupht. or
out of doors, and an explosion en-
sues.


"A lighted lamp is taken up
fight of stairs, or is raised quick
ly to place it on the mantle, result
ing in an explosion. In these cases
the mischief is done by the air
movement-either by suddenly
checking the draught or forcing
air down the chimney against the
fame.


5.-Blowing down the chimney
to extinguish the light is frequent
cause of explosion.


Clamp explosions have been
caused by using a chimney broken
off at the top, or one that has a
piece broken out, whereby the
draught is variable and the flame
unsteady.


7.-Sometimes thoughtless per-
son puts a small wick into q large
burner, thus leaving considerable
space along the edges of the wick.
An old burner with its air draught
clogged mp, which rightfully should
be thrown away, is sometimes con-
tinued in use and the final result is
explosion.
Year: 1877

Judge Pitman has a habit Of
slipping his watch under his pillow
when he goes to bed. The other
night somehow it slipped down
and as the Judge was restless, il
gradually worked its way down
ward toward the foot of the bed
After bit, while lying awake, his
foot touched it, and as it felt very
cold, he was surprised and scared
and, jumping from bed he said:


"By gracious, Maria there's Q
toad or a snake or something under
the covers. / touched it with my
foot"


Mrs. Pitman gave a loud scream
and was out on the floor in an in
slant.


"Now, don't go to hollering and
waking up the neighbors," said the
Judge. "You go and get the
broom or something, and well fix
this thing mighty quick"


Mrs. Pitman got the broom and
gave it to the Judge, with the
remark that she felt as if snakes
were creeping all up and down her
legs and back.


80, nonsense, Maria! Now you
turn down the covers slowly, while
l bang it. Put bucket of water
alongside the bed too, SOS we can
shove it in and drown it."


Mrs. Pitman fixed the bucket
and gently removed the covers
The judge held the broom uplifted,
and, as soon as the black ribbon OF
the watch was revealed, he cracked
away three or four times with the
broom. Then he pushed the thing
off into the bucket. Then they
took the bucket to the light to
investigate the matter. When the
Judge saw what it was he said:


~ might've known that just
like you woman, to 60 schreeching
and making fuss about nothing
Who's going to pay me for that
watch Z It's utterly ruined"


at was you that made the fuss
not me-" said Mrs. p. "You need.
MT try to put the blame off on me-


so, hush up and go to bed I'm
tired of hearing your blather.
Pears to me you can't keep your
tongue still a minute. Blame me
if l amt going to get divorce
and emigrate."


And the Judge turned in and
growled at Maria until he fel
asleep.
Year: 1877

wrathfully the waves are breaking
Far away along the shore;
To the window where listen


Comes their ceaseless, sullen roar,
Filling the air with sadness,


Subtle sadness, evermore.
For the seas tumultuous throbbing,
Like n human soul in pain,
Strikes an answering tone with me
Wakes to life restless strain
And its echoes grow and strengthen
Blending with the sounding main.
shadowy longings rise before me
As hear that rhythmic swell,
And a plaintive chord re-echoes


To the tale the pillows tell
OF unsatisfied endeavor


And the moons resistless spell.
Evermore the waves are sounding
Far away along the shore;
And my pulses thrill and quicken
As listen TO their roar,
For feel the human heart-throb
OF the ages gone before.
Year: 1877

A rich man, in answer to a ques-
tion how he became so very sue
cessful, recited the following story /:


/ will tell you how it was. One
day when / was lad, party OF
boys and girls were going to pick
blackberries. wanted to go with
them, but was afraid father would
not let me. When / told him what
was going on, and he at once gave
me permission to go with them, l
could hardly contain myself. l
rushed into the kitchen and asked
my mother for a luncheon. l had
the basket on my arm, and was
just going out of the gate, when
my father called me back. He
took my hand and said, in very
gentle voice:


"Joseph, what are going to do 7"


"To pick berries" Ireplied.


"Then, Joseph, l want to tell you
one thing. 1t is this: When you
find pretty good bush, do not
leave it to seek a better one. The
other boys and girls will run about,
picking a little here and a little
there, wasting a good deal of time,
and getting but very few black
berries"


went and had a capital time.
No sooner had one found a bush
when he called all the rest, and
they left their several places and
ran off to the newly found treas
ure. Not content more than a
minute or two in a place, they
rambled over the whole pasture,
got very tired, and at night had
very few berries. My fathers
words kept running in my ears,
and "stuck to my bush." When
l had done with one / found anoth-
er, and finished that; then l took
another. When night came l had
basket of berries, more than all
the others put together, and was not
half so tired as they were. l went
home happy. But when / entered
l found my father had been taken
ill. He looked at my basket full
of ripe blackberries, and said:


swell done, Joseph. Was l not
right when l told you always to
stick to your bush ?"


He died few days after, and ]
had to make my way in the world
as best l could. But my fathers
words sank deep into my mind, and
| never forgot the experience of
that blackberry party; "stuck to
my bush." When / had q fair
place, and was doing tolerably well,
l did not leave it and spend weeks
and months seeking one thought
might be better. When other
young men said, "Come with us,
and we will make a fortune in a few
weeks" I shook my head and stuck
to my bush. Presently my en-
ployers offered to take me into
business with them. i stayed with
the old house until the principals
died, and then 1 had everything !
wanted. The habit of sticking to
my business led people to trust me
and give me a character. / owe
all / have and am to this motto:
"Stick to your BUSH"


U---------
Year: 1877

During the storm last Friday one
of Burlington's best young men
was struck by lightning, but for
tunately escaped serious injury.
The bolt struck one Of the points
Of his standing collar, but long be-
fore it could get down to the young
mans neck, the electric fluid gave
it up and curled up exhausted,
about half way down the collar,
used up" fst
Year: 1877

The young lady who inquired
of her gentleman correspondent if
the bright flower chivalry could
ever be found within the pale of
modern civilization, was informed
that owing to the idea of potted
plants now in vogue, it probably
could.
Year: 1877

The ..eelskin" dress is rapidly taking the place of the more modest '.puli- i-back; at least such is the case in Paris and Lon don. The dear creatures are put. in the new, toggery is pretty. much the same way as Q sausage ia forced into it's casing. A bashfui man will soon have to be blind folded and led around by dog. .-s
Year: 1877

CHAPTER XCvu An Act concerning County Commission st CTS.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of

 Representatives in General Assembly

 convened:

 SECTION l. If any person holding, or shall hereafter hold the office of County ,Cbmmissioner. shall directly or indirectly by himself. servant, or agent, engage in Ehe sale of Intoxicating liquors, he shall therenpon become disqualified to hold such office of County Commissioner, and his appointment to such office shall be- come void and said office vacant. No person holding the office of County Com missioners shall be, or become a surety upon the bond of any person licensed to sell intoxicating liquor. Sec 2. This act shall take effect from and after it's passage.

 Approved March IS, 1877
Year: 1877

How TO CHOOSE Coon BLACK SILK.
How to choose a black silk, which viii
wear well, is a puzzle to many ladies' In
deed, so proverbial is the difficulty Of
making a wise selection, that those who
have any regard to economy hesitate be
fore purchasing, and yet often complain
* having made bad bargain in spite Uf
all their care One wba seems 10 under
stand the matter recommends that when
. lady is about 10 choose black silk she
should pull a thread out of the filling.
She must try the strength OF the thread
If 1t breaks easily the examination has
gone far enough it Is wisdom 10 look
further. Ii the thread indicates some
backbone, then it is necessary 70 seize the
silk by the corner and rub IT just as the
washerwoman would do when she intends
10 remove a STAIN. If this awful orde;sl
can be performed TO perfection-'omem-
Der some muscle must be brought into
play-the silk is honest and legitimate
Ii 1t is heavy with dye, if held up TO the
light slight traces Of disaster may be dis
cerned
Year: 1877

PATRONS A democrat who is too stiGgy
to subscribe and pay for his party paper,
or who, when he has anything to advertise
or a sale bill to be printed, sends it 10 an
oppos ton or no-party paper Office, isIi
much of a democrat after all. But should
ne be a candidate for some public position
how mad he gets and how he howlS if his
praises are not frequently sounded in the
paper which he has never done Anything
to support. All such fellows should be
given the "cold shoulder when they are
locking about for an Office. Nor is h of
that other class very much better who,
having been elected to public position,
mainly through the instrum5ntality of his
party paper, considers it not part Of his
duty to lend his help TO advance the
interest of the publisher who was the
most serviceable friend he had in the
time Of has greatest need of votes TO secure
his election. The office once secured and
the editor is 0limde. These remarks viii
apply as Well TO one as to another of the
two great political organizations, as rule,
and most publishers Of papers have realiz-
ed their truth. -EJGhGRqt.
Year: 1877

There is hope in extravaganza; there
is none in routine.


The blast that blows loudest is soon
overblown.


Each succeeding day is the scholar of
that which preceded.


Assurance never failed to get admis-
sion into the houses of the great.


Envy, among other ingredients, has a
mixture of justice in it. We are more
angry at undeserved than deserved good
fortune.


A passionate and revengeful temper
renders a man unfit for advice, deprives
him of his reason, and robs him of all
that is great and noble in his nature.


Affection can withstand very severe
storms of rigor, but not polar frost of
downright Indifference. Love will sub
sist on wonderfully little hope, but not
altogether without it.


Nothing can be more unfounded than
the notion that a love of reading, or of
science, or of any kind of knowledge units
man for his daily occupation, or makes
him discontented with it.


A man diseased in body can have little
joy of his wealth, be it ever so much. A
golden crown cannot cure the headache,
nor velvet slipper give ease to the gout,
nor purple rope drive away burning
fever.


Be more prudent for your children
than perhaps you have been for yourself.
When they, too, are parents, they will
initiate you, and each of you will have
prepared happy generations, who will
transmit, together with your memory,
the worship of your wisdom.
Year: 1877

London deserves the palm for having
the most daring thieves on record. A
man went to see house to rent in q
street near prury lane. He left the
horse standing at the door and returned
in five minutes. The horse and buggy
were there still, but everything else was
gone. The thieves of the vicinity had
stolen the gig-lamps, the apron, the rug,
the cushion and the whip they had
filched the very blinkers, head-stall, bel
lyband and kicking-strap off the pony !;
and however that exemplary animal had
consented to remain embarrassed be-
tween the shafts might be considered as
next door to miracle. Captious people
might object because horse and all were
not stolen, but such unfair criticism is
disarmed when it is remembered that
only Ave minutes time was given td
make way with the property,
Year: 1877

Speaking of New York brokers and
some Of their peculiarities and queer do
ings, a correspondent says Most of the
young men among them (and it is aston
ishing how few old ones there are) have
a passion for athletic sports: They are
fond of boating, running, jumping and
the various other outdoor exercises, and
several of the athletic clubs of the city
have more brokers and bank clerks
among their numbers than they have of
any other class. The brokers had boat
race on Harlem river the other day that
furnished plenty of amusement for all
who witnessed it. When the exchange
closed, at three o'clock, they started for
Harlem in large numbers, making music
in the air as they proceeded. The race
was good one, but not better than
many others; but the feature of it that
made the whole affair exceptional was
the terrible extravaganza of the betters.
Pool selling was not allowed, but the
financial backing of the rival crews was
absolutely fearful to think Of "II go
million on white and blue" roared one
broker. "Two millions on red p yelled
another. "Three millions on, white!"
howled third. "Five millions on red /"
"Who'll take ten millions on white ?"
" Twenty millions on red p " Fifty mil
lions on white p IA hundred Millions"
"Five hundred millions p ga thousand
millions p Give thousand millions p
There was enough money bet on that
race to pay off the national debt of the
world. They are lively fellows, these
brokers, and good fellows, too. Now and
then they go into nonsense pretty exten-
sively, just for fun, but you never catch
one of them asleep when there's any
business to be done, and I have never
known case of true charity to appeal to
them in vain.
Year: 1877

BY MRS. ALBERT SMITH.
A little elbow leans upon your knee,
Yodr tired knee, that has SO much to bear
A child's dear eyes are looking lovingly
From underneath thatch of tangled hair.
Perhaps you do not heed the velvet touch
OF warm, moist fingers, folding yours so


tight;


You do not prize this blessing over much,
You almost are too tired to pray tonight.
Bot it is blessedness! A year ago
did not see it as do to-day
We are so dull and thankless and too slow
To catch the sunshine till it slips away.
And now it seems surprising strange to me,
That, while bore the badge of motherhood,
did not kiss more oft, and tenderly, A
The little child that brought me only good.
And if, some hight when you sit down to rest
You miss this elbow from your tired knee,
This restless, curling head from off your breast
This isping tongue that chatters constantly ;
If from your own the dimpled hands had


slipped,


And ne'er would nestle in your palms again;
If the white feet into their grave had tripped,
could not blame you for your heart ache


then


wonder so that mothers ever fret


At little children clinging to their gown;
Or that the footprints, when the days are wet,
Are ever black enough to make them frown.
If could find little muddy boot,


Or cap or jacket, on my chamber floor;
If 1 could kiss rosy, restless foot,


And hear its patter in my home once more:
If could mend broken cart to-day,
Tomorrow make kite, to reach the shy
There is no woman in Gods world could say
She was more blissfully content than l.
But ah the dainty pillow next my own
Is never rumpled by shining head;
My singing birding from its nest is flown;
The little boy used to kiss is dead
Year: 1877

THE PEACH PRosPEoT.-We have
published elsewhere the "report" of the
correspondent of the Philadelphia Led
qer, who accompanied the R. R. Off
eials on their trip to the "Peach Dis
triot' last Saturday, just to give our
people an idea Of the foolishly extrava-
CANT notions these newspaper reporters
have about the peach crop. In their
"estimates" they have fixed up crop
Of 1000, 900 baskets. If one half of
that quantity is produced the Wild
est estimate Of the most confident
grower will be more than realized. If
every tree on the peninsula would do
its best seven millions could not be
reached. The biggest crop ever grown
OF that, it is likely, ever will be grown,
was that of 1875, and it only went a
little above four millions. Since then
many trees have been pulled up and
others have not been planted, and the
acreage in trees is consequently much
less this year than it was then. Then
how is this big crop Of peaches to be
raised ? What are they to grow on In
addition to the loss from the lessening
Of the orchards, it can no longer be dis
puted that considerable damage, espe-
cially in this vicinity, has been done to
the fruit by frosts and the cold weather.
Many varieties, particularly some Of the
later ones, are badly hurt, and some
orchards are destroyed altogether. But
there will be large crop for all that,
if not just here, there will be plenty Of
peaches down the State, many more
than can be disposed Of proftably un
less some better way is discovered than
sending them to New York and Phila-
delphia.
Year: 1877

THE BALTIMORE Sun was forty years
old on Wednesday. No better paper
exists in the United States than 1.-THE
Sun" Its columns always contain all
the news that is worth reading, from
every part Of the world, and, the best
of it is, instead Of being spun out to
Gil up space-requiring the reading Of
columns to learn what could be told in
a few words-everything is given in q
condensed form, SO that even the bus
lest man can keep himself thoroughly
posted, by reading the Sun, at the ex-
pense of but a very small portion Of his
time. The Sun is emphaticnlly the
paper for "business men,"
Year: 1877

Some unknown person has been nightly
amusing herself, by shooting from window,
in the neighborhood of Third and French
streets. If the annoyance Of the people re-
siding in that locality. We think the May
or should put q stop to 1t at once, and not
encourage others to do likewise.
Year: 1877

The blowing of both Riddle and Jessup's


mills whistle caused some confusion among
our fire companies, as they were unable to
tell which place was on fire. Some Of them
started for Market street bridge thinking
Jessup's paper mills were on fire.