smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

was upon a promontory formed
of the hardened lava of pre-
historic times. The pasty substance
which fell upon the already deep
layer Of ashes and lapilli was mixed,
as it were, in the air. To this
peculiar formation we owe the
wonderful moulds which have been
made not only Of dead bodies but
also Of many movable articles over
which the laya-mud had flowed. A
most interesting and valuable rec
ord Of the flight from the doomed
city might have been read in the
affecting story of these impressions
made in the lava-paste had the
simple device hit upon by Signor
Fiorelli, in 1868, been earlier dis
covered. The method of utilizing
the impression which the lava-mud
has so perfectly retained, is merely
to pour into the vacant space, from
which all the parts of the body
but the skeleton have crumbled
away. liquid plaster, by means
OF which a perfect cast of the
figure is obtained. The facts
derived from the study of the very
few bodies which have been found
since this method of preserving
their form was first employed are Of
great Importance from an archao-
logical point of view, while the
silent testimony which is thus
given as to the way in which these
victims of the great eruption met
their death is more touching than
the most pathetic romance ever


written. Other facts connected with
the peculiar covering under which
the buried city was found are of
interest, as showing the agency Of
fire was wholly absent from the
forces which destroyed Pompeii.
The lapilli were not incandescent.
as has been Supposed, and only in
rare instances were they hot enough
to give to the yellow ochres in the
wall paintings a reddish hue. The
carbonizing of the wood work of
the houses as well as the bread,
fruit, ETC., which have been found
in Pompeii was the work of damp
ness rather than heat, similar to
the effect produced on logs or piles
which remain for long time sunk
in the ground.
Year: 1877

Hon. Peleg c. Chandler communi-
Gates to the Boston transcript an APP
preciative sketch of the life-work of the
late DIR. John d. Lincoln, of Bruins
wick, Me-, in which he says: "His
daily practice being in radius of 20
miles, from early morn till night, and
not unfrequently at night, he was riding
from farm to farm, from house to hovel,
not only giving advice and medicine,
but by his genial presence, mirthful
ways, and keen sense of humor, cheer
ing the sick room and giving impulse
and new aspiration to all the households
he visited. He was ever ready with his
sage advice in practical matters, and his
long intimacy with families made him
frequent peacemaker in social and pub
lie quarrelS. His patients comprised
every class in the community, for Dr.
Lincoln was no respeetor of persons
he had seen too much of human nature
to be confused by external or affected
by surroundings. No man called on
him in vain. No matter how stormy
the night or how dark no matter
whether it was the servant of some we'll
to-do neighbor, or the underfed son of
some poor fisherman, whose hut was on
some remote island in Casco Bay. If
there was suffering humanity that need
ed his skill and called for him, Just as
cheerfully and willingly as if for hope
of reward, he proceeded on his errand
of mercy without delay. Many and
many time has he driven at the dead
of night, in such storm as often comes
up our bleak coast, 10 miles to the
drear shore and then been rowed by the
strong arms of a Maine fisherman to
some lone island to tend sick child
no hope of reward brought him there,
and no reward which this world affords
can fulfill the prayers of the mother
who has seen him tend her child and
heard his wise advice and words of good
cheer as he wrapped his cloak about him
and went out into the darkness, unpaid
save in thanks and the satisfaction to
his own heart. The opportunities of
his profession for good deeds knew no
limit, nor did his practice of it find
any,"
Year: 1877

A little spring had lost its way


Amid the grass and fernj
A passing stranger scoOped well,


Where weary men might turn;
He walled it in, and hung with care
A ladle at the brink
He thought not of the deed he did,
But judged that all might drink.
He passed again, and 10 the well,
By summer never dried,
Had cooled ten thousand parehing tongues,
And saved life beside.
A nameless man, amid a crowd


That thrOnged the daily mart,
Let fall word of hope and love,


Unstudied from the heart;
A whisper ON the tumult thrown,


transitOry breath
1t raised n brother from the dust,
1t saved a soul from death.
Oh, germ! Oh, fount! Oh, word Of love!
Oh, thought at random cast
Ye were but little at the first,


But mighty at the last!
Year: 1877

"What is the state of morals in your
district?' asked long faced reformer,
of a farmer who recently visited town.


''Pretty good," replied the farmer,
Everybody seems disposed to mind his
own business in our parts.


Enviable farmer If you have an
ounce of pity for your kind, telegraph
your exact latitude and longitude. De
lectable town!


Everybody disposed to mind his
own business. Let's all emigrate
thither Neighbor Jones over the way
will never know or care Nhhethrs Nhhetthr


have fish balls or beefsteak for breakfast.
Squire Jenkins and his wife, up in the
big house will never bother themselves
to inquire whether our great grandfath-
er was hod carrier or descendant of
Lord Littlebrain. If our daughters
choose to wear their last years bonnet,
not Saucy tongue shall whisper that
'Ethe old man has failed If our hus-
bands are civil enough to lift their hats
when they meet lady acquaintance, we
shall not straightway be visited by
Neighbor Spywell and Madam Quarrel
maker for these twain shall find no
abiding place in the land where ''every-
body minds his own business" If our
wives take fancy to make visit home
without publishing their intentions and
a full statement of reasons thereof, we
shall not at once be accused of being
cruel and unfaithful by Mr.. Longtongue,
for friend L. will find his occupation
gone, and emigrate to a more congenial
climate. If by some lapse of consci-
ence or in an hour of temptation
some friend has erred we shall never
know it, but can go on trusting him and
loving him, and SO encourage him to be
his true self again and always; for Mr..
Pathfinder and his cousin, Mr.. Makeit
worse, will never come to that happy
region to stay. We have never been
very firm believer in the millennium,
but if that farmer tells the truth and lies
not, we are satisfied that the millenni-
um has commenced. Heaven grant that
it may not long be confined to one To-
cality-we need it badly in Macedonia
Year: 1877

County Commissioners shall make out and
publish annually, in at least two newspapers pub


shed in their respective counties if there be two,
A DETAILED, MINUTE AND ACCURATE
STATEMENT Of the expenses of their said coun-
ties, specifying therein each particular item Of ex
pense, and for what and to whom paid, and shall
also deliver to the Sheriff of their respective cOun
ties as many copies of such Statement as there are
Election Districts of said county, at least ten days
before each general election, and the Sheriff shall,
within six days after the receipt of such copies,
set up of them at the place ofholdng elections
in each District"
Year: 1877

have little kinsman
Whose earthly summers are but three,
And yet voyaRer is he
Greater than Drake or Froblsher,
Than all their peers together!
He is brave discoverer,
And far beyond the tether
OF them who seek the frozen Pole, .,
Has sailed where the noisecss surges roll.
Az. he has Travelled WHITTIER
winged pilot steeTed his BARK
Through the portals OF the dark,
Past hoary Mimirs well and tree,
Across the unknown sea.
Suddenly in his fair young hour,
Came one who bore flower,
And land it in his dimpled hand


With this command:
Henceforth thou art a rover!
Thou must make voyage far,
Sail beneath the evening star,
And wondrous land discover"
With his sweet smile innocent


Our httle kinsman went
Since that time no word
From the absent has been heard.


Who can tell


How he fares, OF answer well
What the little one has found
Since he left us. outward b0undf
Would that he might return!
Then sholld we learn
From the pncking of his chart
How the skycy roadways part.
Hush does not the baby this way BRING
To Law beside this severed curl,


Some starry offering
OF chrysolite or pearif


All, no. not sol
We NAV follow on his track,


But me comes not back.


Aud vet dare aver
He is n brave discoverer
OF clrnes his elders do not know.
He has more learning than appears
On the scroll of twice three thousand year
More than in the groves is taught
Or from furthest Indies brought
He knows perchance. how spirits fare
What shapes the angels wear,
What il their guse and speech
In those lands beyond our reach
And his eyes behold
hioOs that shall never. never be to mortal heare
told.
Year: 1877

ALL IN ALL.
Son of Man, thou eldest brother,


Joy of every loving heart
More TO me than every other


More than life itself, Thou art.
Every thou hit of Thee is pleasure
Blissful every hour of prayer;
Benedictions without measure


Whisper round me everywhere.
Earth may be desert dreary-


Life dark and cloudy day,
And the human spiri', weary,


Mark with tears its shadowed way.
Yet for me the world is glory


Life raptuous swell of love-
Glad beginning of story


Which will end in bliss above.
Time has not so deep sadness,
But Thy presence and Thy aid
Shall transform it into gladness;


Souls can never be afraid,
O'er whom, like robe of blessing,
Heavenly sympathy descends-
Whom Thine hand, with fond caressing,
Leads toward lie that never ends.
Oh, the blessedness supernal
OF that life beyond the grave!
On, that peace a rest eternal


Far beyond the Jordan wave!
In the everlasting brightness


Beaming from Thy sacred face,
Grant my soul, when washed to whiteness
An eternal resting place.
Year: 1877

The following is an example
of didactic humOr which is al
forded by an old New Jersey
graveyard:


Here lies the body Of Mary Ann LOwder;
She burst while drinking seidlitz powder;
Called from this world to her heavenly


rest,


She should have waited till it elfervesced.
Year: 1877

beat. yet. Take your shooter,
follow me up and show, me the
way"


They get up to the top of the
stairs. 1t was still as death, and
Calcottlights bnlTs-eye. Frost
was getting pretty shaky. So
Charley says, "Show me the
room," and with his lamp in one
hand and a pistol in the other
pushes in, leaving Frost in the
hall watching the square hole in
the door, between the shutters,
and expecting every minute that
it would close up. 1t must have
been ten minutes before CAL
cott came back. He had the
lamp in hand yet, and Frost
saw that he was as white as a
sheet. Allie said was, "Come
down, it's no Co."


When they got to the bot
tom, the shutters separated and
disappeared, land the men walked
out. "Where's the plunder?"
asked Frost. 81 haven't it,"
says Charley; 81 tell you its no
use-the man is burglar proof.
IT you don't believe it, go back
and try it yourself. Pm off,


And with this cock-and- bull
story they got back to their
rendezvous. And it was never
known, l don't believe, till l
interviewed Calico Charley up
there at the prison, that he had
met his own father that night.
According to Charley's story to
me-the old man said he was
waiting for him. And so struck
was the son with remoree that
he lost all his pluck and cool
ness. Whether he ever went
back to the old man after he got
rid of his pal | never heard. But
the gang had two notions; one
was that the place was under
special charge of the devil, and
the other was that Calico Char
ley gobbled a lot of plumber
and then got up the story to
stop the mouths of the rest Of
'em.


But the devil had nothing to
do with the place. 1t was all
fixedby the old mans ingenuity.
The house was all wires and
levers from one end to t'other.
He could turn a crank up in his
bedroom and shut the whole
house up as tight as a drum.
Then he'd slip down into his
cellar, turn a half ton of char
cCal into his furnace and kill
everybody in the place, unless
everybody crawled out of the
one exit, and then the old fellow
had them at his mercy, one 10y
one.


The last time / heard from
Charley,th Warden said he had
invented a new catch-lock for
the cells that could not be o.
pened by any one but the keep
er without its ringing the alarm
bell.


II
Year: 1877

Here is a little story that
comes from New York. A lady
entered a horse car. One Of
those noble specimens Of man
hood who chew the weed and
with impartial mind distribute
saliva upon everything and ev-
erybody within range, was sit
ting opposite the lady. From
his capacious mouth, at regular
intervals, a stream Of amber
juice fell upon her dress. Her
look Of blank amaZement soon
gave place to one Of wrath; a
frown blacker than midnight
gathered upon her face. Pa
tience ceased TO be a virtue, she
at last rose, carefully gathered
up her dress so as not to lose a
drop Of the fragrant liquid, and,
leaning toward her iS-G-UiS,
wiped his face with the gar
ment he had desecrated, and
then deliberately resumed her
seat. The astonished man roared
with rage and pain, vainly tried
to wipe the tobacco juice from
his smarting eyes, and at last
rushed from the car, followed
by roars Of laughter from the
passengers.
Year: 1877

Something must be done TO the
scientist. A naturalist now as
serts that the preservation of 10.
nah in the whales belly was not
miracle. The throat of the
whale is large aud is provided
with a bag Of intestine so consid
cradle in size that whales frequent
ly lake into it two of their young
ones when weak, and especially
during a tempest. AS this recep
tacle is furnished with two vents
that serve for inspiration, it is
claimed that Jonah could have
lived there comfortably, and with
reasonable amount of furniture,
Tor many years, provided he could
find food and drink. This argu.
ment is enough to make the whale
blubher more than ever with emo.
tions of gratitude.
Year: 1877




bilt's Will Again-The Bond


Street Calamity.


To the Editor of the Observer


New YORK, March l6, 1877.


To say that it's the fashion
doesn't do the subject half JUS
tice. It's the rage; it's the ma
MIA; it's the sensation. Even
the little dogs are only waiting
for hot weather TO don blue
glass goggles and trot around
impervious to bydrophobia.
am not quite certain that the
newly discovered panacea will
cure a balky mule or a man with
wooden leg, but we are as
sured by copious testimony that
no lesser ailment can withstand
its benefcent influences more
than an hour or so at the. out
side. sa.


1t is rather novel business to
say the least, for a Major Cen
eral OF the army to turn quack
doctor and set the whole Yam
kee nation by the ears over his
queer cure-all; bnt still, as
we've no war on hand or in
prospect, | don't know as Gen
eral PleasantOn is TO be blamed
for turning his restless talent to
getting up a big sensation, es-
pecially as he has made such a
frst-class success of it. In
deed, he may have had a very
benevolent intention in throw
ing out his pretty and innocent
bauble to catch and distract the
public eye at a moment when
that organ, in consequence Of
an overdose Of politics had be-
gun to have "blood" in it, and
seemed for a time to be bent on
mischief. If this was his mo
tive he did nobly, for blue glass
has certainly fairly divided pub
lie attention with the Joint
Commission, and who shall say
that its notifying rays have
not been instrumental in hold
ing subdued the riotous blood
of party feeling?


No one can pass day in this
city without being astonished at
the hold that blue glass has got
upon up. Every paint shop,
glass store and house furnish
ing establishment has blossomed
out with placards and azure
panes. On Broadway two or
three shops have opened to deal
exclusively in the article; while
so much Of it has been sold al
ready and hung up in the win
dows of upper tendon that to-
day Fifth Avenue and the
ncighbOring aristocratic streets
look like long rows of second
and third story drug stores. One
Of our afternoon dailies has pub
lished a large extra printed in.
blue ink and devoted solely to.
the history and condition of
the new science" The horse
cars even are putting it into
their windows. To crown all,
and to settle finally the qucs-
ton Of its prominence, blue glass
has got onto the stage. Now
the stage is to any topic Of in
forest what the hand organ is to
a piece of music, namely the
touchstono Of its popularity.
Just the moment that "Tramp,
or'"Silver Threads a.
mong the GOld," begins to be
ground out at the street cor
ners, we know that ii is a fixed
fact; and so likewise when last
week Augustin DAILY came out
with the play of ''Blue Glass"
at the Fifth Avenue Theatre it
became evident that these mag
ic words were to pass into his
tory.


My own experience with this
article has been very slight. In
fact the. only case in which /
recollect watching its opera
ton was in church, when l was
a small boy-no matter how
Year: 1877

when / was coming away" says
he, "that I'd half a mind to re-
form and cut the prolession."


Well, not to make the story
too long, the npshot of it was that
Ketchum, a fellow by the name
Of Welter, and Jack Frost put up
the job to crack the old mans
place. Ketchum and Frost, I
think, went into the business
from a kind Of pride. They con.
sidered they had been challenged,
and it was a point of honor to
take the old man at bis word.


They got up there one dark
night in May and laid by till long
after midnight. Then tLey got
over the fence and sneaked up to
the house. They were all heavi.
ly armed, and, / forgot TO say,
were delayed some time looking
for the telegraph wire, which they
couldn't find, of course, there not
being any. Fancy their surprise
when, after crawling round the
place, looking for soft place to
break IN, they found that 'the
front door was unlocked and the
hall dark. 1t had been agreed
that old Calcott should be shot at
sight if he interfered.


There was a good deal Of anx-
iety in the headquarters OF the
gang that night, for this job had
been talked about a good while,
and Ketchum had staked his
reputation on it. Dutch Nor
ley was to be at a point in the
road about two miles north of
the house with a fast team to
carry off the "swag," and ar
rangements had been made at
Dobbs' ferry to divy and cut.


Dutch Morley waited till day
began to break, and then only
/ two Of his men turned up.
They were covered with blood,
and one of them had his arm
broken. Welter had been left
behind disabled. The story
they told was a curious one.
The whole gang got round
them when they reached their
dive, and put the questions to
them fast and thick.


"But you fixed the old fel-
lows flint, anyhow" said some
body.


owe didn't see him at ALL"
answered Ketchum, dolefully.
"No, d-n it, we were in the

dark. Why a lamp wouldn't
burn any more'n a stone. We
liked 10 suflocate."


ooh, that's thin" says anoth-
er ; "why didn't you go out in
the air?"


"Because we couldn't get
ont were fastened in like rats.
Every window and door closed
up with a steel shutter on the
inside as tight as rich mans
pocket. There was only one
way out-down a back stair
case outside, about twelve inch
es wide /; only one of us could
go at a time, and when We
reached the bottom something
fell on us in turn"


That was Ketchum's account
of it. Frost was the only
plucky one of the lot. He
didn't believe in witchcraft,
and he vowed he would get
square on Old Calcott.


With that he sets out TO find
Calico Charley, who was the
best man in the business where
there were iron shutters con-
cerned.


The very next day but one
after this attempt on old CAL
colts house the Glen Spring
Herald Il think it was the Her
add had another notice like
this:


The attempt to rob my house
on Thursday night, which fall
ed so completely, should not
frighten other thieves from maxi
ing the trial. For the next
Year: 1877

|


JOHN CALCoTT.


Frost got hold of Calico
Charley and explained the
whole thing to him. None of
the gang knew Charley's right
name, and I don't think he was
told the name of the man they
were to rob. Frost explained
to him that it was the steel shut
ter that knocked them," and
he thought now they. knew the
trick one Of them could wedge
the iron and keep the exit open
while the others secured the
property. At all events, the
two men cooked up a new job
and made sure that they would
hanl the whole pile, as we say.
Charley, who was a careful
worker went at the thing sys-
tematically, got his tools ready,
sent Frost off to reconnoiter, and
talked very little. In spite of
all their plans to keep it dark,
the gang got wind of the affair,
and of course they were all We
ry anxious to see how it would
come out.


Charley and his pal went up
to a little station about three
miles north of Glen Spring, and
started down at night on foot.
1t was so dark when they got
to the house that they could
not see the sign. There wasn't
the glimmer of a light about the
place. They were 10 go softly
up and try the front door. If
it opened, they were to step in
side quickly. One of them was
to stay at the door to keep the
egrtss open; the other was to go
up stairs and secure the valua-
bles. They had two jimmies, a
cold chisel and lot of other
traps of Charley's, that you can
see down there at the Central
office, in glass case.


They found the front door
mfastcned as before, Charley
pushed it open, and they both
stepped quickly and stealthily
into the hallway. "Wait a mo-
ment," he whispered to his COM
panion, and striking a match /;
81 want to see how this thing
works. With that he struck
a light and took a good look at
the doorway. 81 see the trick,
says he; "give me the screw
wrench and be quick" In less
than two minutes he had the
groove in which the steel shut
ter moved so pinched that ro
earthly power could have made
the thing work. "Now go on"
says be, and with that Frost
crawls up the stairway. He
hadn't any more than got up to
the top when the iron shutter
began to appear-coming up
through the floor, and to Char
ley's astonishment it came down
from above also. He saw in
minute that he was beaten.
The two halves of the shutter
would come to the pinch in the
iron and leave not six inches
Space-through which no hui
man being could escape. So
he jams the jimmy up right in
to the groove to keep the irons
apart, and calls out to Frost in
a hoarec whisper TO come back.
Jack was in the upper hall, and,
getting scared, makes a bold
rush down the. stairs, catches
his foot in something and lands
all in a heap at the bottom,
knocking Charley's light into
smithereens and making a most
internal noise. Calcott was
smart enough, though, to hold
his jimmy steady SO as to keep
the shutter apart, and after Frost
had picked himself up and they
had both listened, without hear
ing anything, one of 'em says
with an oath, "We're in box;
let's get out" 1t was Frost.
"No you DON'T" say the other.
ltJKT D, - - ~ -,
Year: 1877

An exchange asks: "What
is the danger of the hour?"
There are several. The one
newspaper men have most to
fear is the danger Of getting
'Estuck" with one of those
blamed counterfeit thousand
dollar notes now in circulation.
Year: 1877

To OUR KIND MUKMTEo FRIENDS
When at MuGilteo last Monday, we
were surprised ut the unusual anxiety
displayed to get hold Of the STAR, and
the disappointment manifested on re-
eeiving it, On enquiry we learned that
our friends there, had improvised set
OF old Continental arms, equipments,
and presentation address, and dis


patched the same to us. by diminutive
specimen of the poodle family who was
there and eagerly solicited the honor of
bringing over and presenting the same
to us, and they naturally expected an
acknowledgement from us in last weeks
paper. But the courage of the animal
for that friendly burlesque turned out
like the countryman's veal; ii wasn't
really sick, it didn't die, he didn't exact
ly kill it, but it kinder gin oat." We
saw neither it, the arms, equipments or
the address; so our friends as well as
ourself have been uchered out of a bit of
pleasantly by the sudden willing of the
courage of this little specimen of canine
oiiiciouspess. II the donation is not
forthcoming soon, we shall get piece OF
pack thread, bend on pin hook baited
with writ Of attachment and ten cent