smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

[From the Suffolk (va.) Herald.]


Some time ago the wife of Mr.. Alfred Da-
Wis (who was drowned with his two sons last
Friday evening in Nansemond River) was
confined to her room with protracted sick
ness, and such was the poverty Of the poor
man that he was unable to procure the nee
essary nourishment for her. Indeed, as Mrs.
Davis related the case, the wants OF the
family must have been of the severest and
most trying nature, the family subsisting for
several weeks on potatoes and salt alone.
During the sad indisposition of Mrs. Davis
and her pressing want for delicate food, q
common house cat went into the field and
caught young hare and brought it to the
house. Mr.. Davis took the hare and made it
into soup for his suffering wife, which caused
a rapid Improvement in her condition. The
day following the same Cat again set out on
its mission of charity, and succeeded in catch
ing partridge, which was likewise brought
to the house and delivered as was the hare
And thus it was, through the instrumentality
of this cat, the life of this unfortunate lady
was saved from absolute starvation. The
facts of the above can be substantiated as
correct, and are given as related by Mr.. Da-
Wis in person.
Year: 1877

Late Speech of Judge West, of Ohio.]


Suppose the Government arbitrarily fixed
two bushel measures, one at thirty quarts and
the other at thirty-two, a ten ounce and Six
teen ounce pound, leaving both in use at once
called by the same name, what could result
but carnival of litigation and fattening OF
lawyers Laughter. Is the evil any less If
the government makes three kinds Of dollars
and makes creditors take at the will of the
debtor 1t is still worse if nobody. knows
what dollar is to be. The debt fall due. If
their plan is adopted, who can tell whether
he will get hundred cent dollar in gold, q
ninety cent dollar in paper, or q nlnety-two
cent dollar in silver? surely, all honest men
must want all kinds of dollars to be OF the
same value, and that can only be when paper
is INTERCHANGEABLE.
Year: 1877

A curious incident came to our notice few
days ago which is worthy of notice. A three;
ply polygamist, living few miles south OF
Salt Lake City, who desired fourth, boldly
declared his intention to young widow re-
siding in Zion and pleaded for her hand-the
heart was not in question-but was fatty re-
fused. As his own pleadings had availed him
nothing, he forthwith dispatched his No. 2 to
do his counting and carry out his design. En-
when at last the young widow asked if she
(No. q did not act against her own will. and
to her own detriment, when the last men,
toned answered: 81 do not wish Mr.


to take any more wives, but I so detest and
hate the very sight of his No. that would
do anything in my power to thwart her hap
piress. Salt Lake Tribune.
Year: 1877

4 refined mau is never ''loud' in his dress,
for refinement is always allied to simplicity
and judicious and tasteful employment of
the means of the good and happiness which
it has at commaed. 1t seeks to divest itself
of superfuities, and aspires continually to the
utmost possible purity. Refinement leads to
personal cleanliness and elegant neatness
good taste and simplicity. Needless display
and bashfulness are alike repugnant to its
spirit.
Year: 1877

Before any body, turns to alchohol for
strength let him understand that the limit of
moderation is the daily drinking of an ounce
ana a half OF the stimulent; and this by a
@ ssrong, healthy man. That is to say, he
must take no more than one of these small
doses less than third of a pint of brandy !;
o.: OF less than half pint of the stronger wines,
IKE II, sherry and port; OF less than a pint of
the weaker wines, such as claret and hook /;
or ABOUT pint and half of beer.
Year: 1877

The htett,gesesr speaks of the bill
changing the collection of school taxes
ia this district from the city collector to
the hands of the sheriff as special legisls-
tion. The fact is the law changing it in
the first place was special legislation, and
the Legislature now only proposes to re-
store tie duty to the hsnds where it
originally belonged and from which it
should never have been taken. The act
which has passed the Senate, if it be-
comes law, will make the laws tor the
collection of school monies uniform and
the same system prevail throughout the
state
Year: 1877

The business men Of Wheeling should
not overlook the railroad meeting at the
Grant House tonight. The importance
of the enterprise is we'll understood, as is
the Importance for immediate sctisn
upon the proposition under consideration.
Substantially the proposition Is: For
$4,000 Wheeling can have valuable
railroad connection with the East and
the West and can have opened up to
her trade rich and thriving community
which now pays tribute to other cities.
Bnt this opportu .ity must be embraced
with but little delay.
Year: 1877

TnE question is, why didn't PURMAN
,all whs. he knew about Florida before
the case was decided? Its always whole
some to tell the truth, but if it had not
been so late coming the country would
have been in healthier condition. Mr..
PURMAs was doubtless in condition to
know all the inside work Of the Florida
-sscals, and if he had desired 10 discharge
his duty to the country he would have
zone before the investigating committee
and have laid the in:quity bare to the
world
Year: 1877

TIE argument of Senator CARPENTER
WAS strong one, but Judge TRUMBULL
made one Of the most forcible points pre-
sen,ed in the whole argument OF this
con,es, when he said they were brought
fsce to face with the question whether
the President of the United States was
to be made by fraud and villsiny The
High Commission, according to Its own
rulings, cannot go behind that Thst is
he whole case in a nutshell.
Year: 1877

A comparison of market reports
shows, that the price Of cattle in the
various live stock markets of the Uni
ted States is about 81 per hundred
more than the ruling rates just at this
time one year past Improve your
crttle, there is money in beef.
Year: 1877

Cows FOR FAMILY OR DAIRY USE
If you want to make your own but
ter, and that is the principal use you
propose for the COW, then the Jersey,
whose cream globules are SO large that
they come up at once and leave the
milk to blue for family use, will be
just the COW to suit your case; or, If
you see the cream in the family, serv.
ed up in q hundred different ways,
then the yellow cream Of the Jersey
cannot be beaten. But if you wish to
use the milk for cooking and general
table use, retaining most Of its cream
unseparated, then the Ayreshire, or a
good COW from mixed breeds, will be
satisfactory. The Jersey is not pop
ular COW for supplying milk to fami-
lies, because the cream separates too
soon, and leaves rich cream but poor
milk each by itself.-[ Minnesota
Farmer.
Year: 1877

Those who visited southwestern
Minnesota during the grasshopper in
Fiction, should they revisit it now,
would find it difficult to realize that
they we're in the same section Of Coun.
try. There is a different atmosphere
T'he people look and act differently.
The number of strangers looking for
land almost equals the number of inha-
bitants. Land il in demand. Govern
ment land, Railroad land and improv-
ed farms are all sought after and
found. There is large quantity of as
good farming land as the sun ever
shone on yet unoccupied.
Year: 1877

There has been slight increase in the
water supply since the recent rains, but the
city still suffers from an insufficient flow,
and we are dependent on the weather for
further improvement. 1t is scandalous that
a city like New York, with such ample re-
sources at her command, should be placed in
such position. The fault lies with those ex-
officials who, while squandering or stealing
the public money, neglected necessary pub
lie works. The new reservoir, which will be
completed by next December, should have
been finished years ago. It's capacity is four
thousand million gallons, and this reserve is
relied upon by the engineers Of the Croton
Bureau as ample to give us q sufficient
supply in seasons of drought. If these cal
culations are correct we may hope that the
present year will be the last in which any
scarcity will be felt. 1t is contemplated,
however, to put another reservoir under
contract next spring, which will be COM
pleted under faithful work, in three years.
The Commissioner of Public Works contem-
plates in addition the supply Of the newly
annexed territory from the Bronx River,
an improvement that could be secured at
comparatively small outlay and would afford
some relief to the Croton-


These measures will probably remove oil
risk Of a repetition of our present annoy
ances and danger and insure US plentiful
supply next year, provided the aqueduct is
strengthened so as to render it certain that
it will carry the additional volume Of water
to be supplied through the means Of the
new reservoir But the question of the ex-
pediency Of building second aqueduct
and Of drawing on new source Of supply
still remains. The cost would be some
millions Of dollars, it is true, but sound
economy would dictate the prompt COM
mencement and gradual prosecution Of
a work that will be one day a
necessity. The Housatonic River is
looked to by the department as afiording
the most ready, the most promising and the
cheapest new source of supply. 1t would
require the consent of the State Of Con-
necticut to tap that river, and we should, no
doubt, have to pay for the privilege. Even
if we should not commence work on this
new aqueduct for some years to come it
would be wise to take time by the forelock
and secure at once the right to use the
Housatonic waters whenever we may need
them.
Year: 1877




Further and interesting details of the
surrender of Chief Joseph and his Nez
Perce braves are furnished by the special de-
spatches from the HERALD correspondent in
the field. His graphic story will be found
in other columns. BY these dispatches we
gain clear idea of the importance and COM
pleteness of the victory gained by General
Miles and learn to appreciate the military
skill shown by this remarkable tribe of In
dams. 1t is also interesting to find General
Howard, the "Bible Chief" as Joseph
styles him, on the scene Of the surrender
That the Nez Perez chief admires real
good fighter is shown by the distinction he
made between General Howard and General
Miles on coming in to give himself up as a
prisoner. The narrative reads q good deal
like page from Cooper novel, and for the
first time since the Indian troubles began
we find tribe of 'hostiles" who are not
wholly savages.


The resources possessed by Joseph and
the magnificent arms carried by his warriors
prove how rapidly the Indian has pro-
gressed in the arts of modern warfare, while
the engineering skill and military strategy
displayed by these Nez PercG braves elicit
our admiration. Surely SO brave and heroic
tribe OF red men deserves honorable treat
ment at the hands of the government
Though they fought desperately they be-
trayed none, Of those brutal instincts and
practices which have hitherto accompanied
the operations Of the hostile Indians. These
Nez Perce warriors refrained from murder
ing wounded prisoners in their hands, and
they even declined to take any scalps from
the dead, and the officers and men who
fought them express high appreciation OF
their foes. Brave men like these can be
made good citizens if the government pur-
sues generous course with them.


The surrender of Joseph is not only
gratifying end to troublesome and ex-
pensive campaign, but it is important in its
influence on the attitude of Sitting Bull.
The leader Of the rebellious Sioux will
doubtless see the futility Of any further op-
position to the government and speedily
initiate the Nez Perce chief in surrendering
himself That the commission appointed





sign, and the probabilities are that the en-
tire Indian trouble will be settled without
further bloodshed.


In such an event it behooves the govern
ment to show the Indians that in future
they will be fairly treated and that all prom
ises will be strictly carried out Gain the
confidence of the Indian by honest fulfil
ment of oil treaties and protect him against
the dishonest greed of the traders, and
there will be no more wars. While doing
all this the government should see that the
Indians are prevented in accumulating mill
tary stores and thus remove all temptation
to 60 on the warpath. Prevention, not cure,
is what is needed.
Year: 1877

The MORMON RING have the penetration to
see that the death of Brigham Young is likely to
have most important effect the future of
the Church of the Latter Day Saints, and that to
save it from dissolution in the near future it is
necessary to introduce reforms which he would
have laughed at and make concessions to it's
misguided members which he would have
scorned to yield These tactics were pursued to
some extent ut the late conference and it is
hardly to be wondered at that there is some
thing like reawakcning of the fast expiring
faith i'll the superstitions and mumnerics OF
Mormonism. The change is the strongest
symptom Of the decline and fall Of the whole
fabric of fraud and ignorance. Reform, per-
haps, delays the end, but it makes the end GER
fa;u
Year: 1877

Thanks to the courtesy of the Khedive Of
Egypt and the hberality and public spirit
of citizen of New York whose name is
not yet made known our city has a fair
prospect of being before long graced by one
of those two famous obelisks which have
stood for two thousand years on tho shore
of the Levant, and are Familiarity known as
"Cleopatra's Needles" One of these inter-
esting relics of past ages has long been held
in ownership by England, but has only
now started on it's voyage to Lon
don, where it will henceforth crafty
the pride of cockneydom and the curiosity of
visitors It's companion has been generously
offered to New York by the Khedive, and,
according to the World, a gentleman OF
wealth whose name is identified with the
enm m arcial GraAtnAss of the matronnlia has
Year: 1877

session is for the true interest of both par
ties and all factions As President Hayes
wishes this session to be short his re-
publican supporters will doubtless adopt
his view. His republican opponents should
naturally prefer to wait until other States
have held their elections before deciding
how far they will carry their opposition to
the new policy. The democrats have power-
full reasons for keeping the currency ques-
ton, at least, out OF the extra session. The
tendency of the great democratic victory in
Ohio is to embolden the advocates of the
Western financial heresies, and if they are
allowed full scope to propose measures now
they may ruin their party in the important
Eastern States that are to hold elections in
November. We are prepared to expect that
after time has been had for general CONSUL
tation among party leaders on both sides
they will concur with the President as to
the expediency of short session.


Besides the army appropriation, which
will be the chief topic of the Presidents
Message, there is one other topic of such
urgency that Congress should give it some
attention ut the extra session. We refer
to the troubles on the Rio Grande, subject
which we sincerely hope may not be brought
into party politics. Even this question
should not be gone into at large 1t will
suffice for Congress to make it evident
that it watches with jealousy and solici.
tude events which might lead to
war, and to assert its constitutional aus
thority to be the sole and exclusive judge
of measures which may tend in that direc.
ton. Congress will discharge its whole
duty on this subject if it insures main.
tenance of the status quo until the regular
session. Even this may, perhaps, best be
done by consultations between the Secre-
tary of State and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate, and of the House.
too, if it's committees should be appointed
before the close of the extra session. We
can think of no other subjects which might
not better be postponed until the regular
session.
Year: 1877

The advocates OF woman's suffrage are not
supposed to be the wisest of mankind, but
the members of the Massachusetts Asylum
had enough common sense the other day to
suppress a resolution which was too insane
for even their toleration. Some unhappy
person, who had apparently escaped from
his keepers, rose in the asylum and de-
nounced the Secretary of the Treasury, on the
ground, if We understand his speech, that
there should be no Treasury and no Secre-
tary, and that Mr.. Sherman is, therefore, q
gormandizer OF the money Of the people.


These bold opinions were then embodied in
resolution demanding tho equal distribu-
ton Of wealth Immediately, and warning
the Rothschilds and Barings for the last
time. Alarmed at this radical suggestion


the wealthier members directed the
resolution to be locked up IN the


dark dungeon Of the asylum, and
straitjacket, it is said, was placed promi-
nently upon the Speakers table. The
production of this familiar article of dress
is believed to have silenced the eloquence
of many persons who had pecuniary reasons
Tor sustaining the resolution. This is to be
regretted for it would have been interest
ing to learn upon what plan it is proposed
that the equal distribution of wealth shall
be made. Thus far the advocates of the
scheme want the process to begin at the top
and to 90 on gradually to the bottom
till there shall be neither bottom nor
top, but nothing but level, on which
wealth shall be equally divided and there
fore shall no longer exist. This plan, how
ever, does not seem to work, and we sup-
gest that the advocates of the equal distri-
button idea should begin the reform. Let
them set the noble example Of giving their
wealth to persons poorer than themselves


This, weregret to say, they do not appear
disnnsed To do And this extrama readi-
Year: 1877

signifed his readiness to cut short the ques-
ton of the cost by defraying the expense OF
transportation out Of his private purse The
contractors who are transporting the Eng
lish obelisk to London have proposed to de-
liver its fellow on our docks for one hun
dred thousand dollars and, no doubt, bar
ring accidents, they will fulfil their agree
ment


Let us have the obelisk by all means.
As the Khedive is willing to part with it no
better place could be selected as its future
resting place than the metropolis of the
American continent. We shall have the
satisfaction of securing at least one public
monument which will not bear the stain
of job to mar its beauty. Of course
there can be no room for deception
in the matter. We shall get the real,
original article, and there is no danger
that some bogus concern will be palmed off
on us in its place. 1t will be one of the
most interesting ornaments of the city, and
will share with the Central Park and the
other attractions of the metropolis the atten-
ton and admiration of our visitors.
Year: 1877

While Courtney has rowed more single
scull races than any other man in this coun-
try, so far he has never been beaten. There
is little doubt that, could he have met Walter
Brown, Josh Ward, James Hamill, or, in
deed, any of our best scullers in their
palmiest days, he could have rowed them
down, and it is still not certain that he will
have to cross the Atlantic to find his master
at the oar. In the amateur field he never
SELF Curtis and Riley are certainly not his
equal in this respect AS professional in
open races Courtney has met all the best
men we have, save perhaps Luther, OF Pitts
burg, whom he can probably whip. He has
met no first class man simply because we
pitted against man who trains four or five
pounds heavier than Courtney, is very large
and strong, comes of rowing family Of
great reputation on both sides of the Allan
tic, and is not only ''stayer," but, in his
race with Plaisted, was never headed. Court
ney has always had antagonists whom he
could afford to give the lead for the first
mile. knowing that he could wear them
out. But if he finds that Ross can get
away faster than any other he has yet met,
and can hold his pace, how will he fare
then? If in all the races he has rowed
hitherto he has done his best when in good
condition he is likely now to be beaten. If,
on the other hand, the reserve power which
seemed to exist the other day at Owasco
Lake, at Saratoga, and in all his races last
fall on the Schuylkill-and which his un-
commonly deliberate style of rowing
strongly suggests-is still available, then
his measure, as it is said to have been
taken by the great English captain, Gull
ston-namely, that he is the best man he
ever saws doubtless correct, and the
American public, which has already been
much gratifed at his long and brilliant
record, has in store still greater treat in
the defeat Of an unusually formidable foe
His friends are now reported to be nego-
tiating for matches with the best men be-
yond the Atlantic, and Courtney may have
chance Of rowing against the best men in
| the world.
Year: 1877

It is safe to infer that President Hayes
desires o short session from the announce
ment that his Message will touch on no
topics Of general policy and be strictly con-
fined to the objects for which the extra
session was called. Congress is indeed at
liberty to disregard his wishes in this re-
spect once assembled the two houses can
protract the session as long as they think
fit, and either House can take up any SUBJ
jects of legislation it pleases. But if Con-
gress is prudent it will not 60 into general
questions now. There can be no intelligent
the transactions Of the year. This infor-
nation is furnished at the open
ing Of every regular session, in the
Annual Message OF the President, the
annual reports Of heads of departments,
and the detailed statements Of the subordi-
nate bureaus. 1t would be absurd to legis-
late without this information, and it would
be a serious interruption Of the business Of
the departments for Congress to call for it
in fragments, on this subject and on that, at
o season when the whole clerical force and
the utmost industry Of the departmental
chiefs are needed for getting up the regular
annual reports. Even the briefest session
will interfere more or less with this neces-
sary labor, and no useful end would be
served either by attempts to legislate in the
dark or by such constant calls on the de-
partments for special information as would
interrupt the preparation of their annual
reports. II would, therefore, be wise to
confne the work of the extra session to
matters Of urgent necessity.


There are political reasons which should
operate with equal force to shorten this
extra session. Congress needs to act, not
only on the full and accurate information
laid before 1t in the annual reports, but also
on a correct estimate of the public opinion
of the country. The unexpected result of
the Ohio election confuses all judgments on
this point. One set of interpreters, with
President Hayes at their head, attributes the
surprising result in Ohio to local causes
peculiar to that State; another set regards
the Ohio election as a symptom Of general
dissatisfaction with the policy of the Presi-
dent in his own party. The November
elections will determine which OF these views
is correct, and any opinion formed
on the subject in advance will
be mere conjecture. When New York,
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and the other
November States shall have spoken both
political parties will see where they stan d..
Neither party can take advantage OF the po-
litical situation until it knows what it is


The result in State so peculiarly situated
as Ohio is too narrow basis for q safe judg-
ment. Since it is not prudent for either
party to take leap in the dark it is to be
presumed that the cautious and sagacious
leaders of both will prefer to await the reg
ular session before going into large meas
nras Of general LEGISLATION. A short extra