smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

A symptom of mental exhaustion, indica-
tive of very good degree of mental strain,
is persistent wakefulness. The physiological
cause of this condition is we'll understood
During excessive labor Of the brain there is
an increased flow of blood to the working
organ, the vessels of the head and neck be.
come dstended with blood, as is shown by
the flushing of the face. If this condition of
distension is long continued, the vessels are
apt to lose the power of contracting when
mental activity is diminished. Hence arises
the impossibility of fulfilling the physical
condition ofsleep, the most important of which
is the dimnution of the flow of the vital fluid
to the brain. Some extraordinary instances
have been recorded of prolonged wakefulness
as result of mental overstrain. Boerhave
mentions that when, on one occasion, intently
engaged on particular study, he did not
close his eyes in sleep for six weeks. Sir Gil
bert Blanc was informed by Gen. Pichegrue
that for whole year when engaged in active
campaign, he slept but one hour in twenty
four. These, and other similar cases, have
probably been unconsciously exaggerated, for
people often sleep without having an after
consciousness of the fact 1t is certain that
the continued deprivation Of any considerable
part of the normal amount of sleep will be
seriously detrimental to health.


DIR. Hammond, in his work on sleep, men,
tions the case of a literary man in America,
who, for nearly year, while intently engaged
in favorite study, restricted his period Of
rest to four hours day, and frequently less.
At the end of that time the everlasting Of his
mental powers was manifested in a curious
way. He told the physicians that, though
still able to maintain connected line Of rea-
soning, he found that as soon as he attempted
to record his ideas on paper, the composition
turned out to be simply tissue Of arrant
nonsense. When in the act of writing, his
thoughts flowed so rapidly that he was not
conscious of the disconnected nature of what
he was writing; but as soon as he stopped to
read it over, he was aware how completely ne
had misrepresented his conceptions. If the
language happened to be at all ineligible, it
was sure to have no relation to the idea he
wished to express. Thus, wishing to obtain
q book from friend, he found that, instead
of the request, he had written the prayer of
Socrates, as written by Plato.


Sir Isaac Newton, in the latter years of
his life, suffered greatly from wakefulness.
The fact, we'll known to every medical man,
that persistent sleeplessness is frequently the
precursor or initiatory stage of several most
intractable maladies, physical and mental,
always invests the presence of this indication
of mental overstrain with grave interest.
But a continued course of excessive mental
labor generally manifests itself on the mind
in various ways, all more or less premonitory
of approaching collapse The brain-worker
begins to perceive an unwonted want of clear
ness in his ideas work comes gradually less
on him; he is alarmed at sudden awkward
failures of memory feeling of surfeit or
disgust will steal over him in the midst of
work he becomes unable to fix his attention,
Year: 1874

VoT1NG IN CAL1FoRNIA.-Would rot the
method of voting prescribed and practiced in
California, if introduced in this part of the
country, obviate some of the evils usually at
tending elections? Would it not tend to pre-.
serve the peace, to guard against fraud, and
make the voter more independent Of dicta'
ton The method is thus described: There
is no crowd around the polling-place, as in the
eastern States. The crowd is half a square
or more distant. The streets and sidewalks
are almost deserted for hundred feet each
way from where the judges sit. Over that
vacant space goes now and then voter with
his folded ballot in his hand. He is not al
lowed even to open it within hundred feet
of the box in which he is to deposit it. He is
not permitted within that distance to talk to
any one about his vote. All the electioneer-
ing must be done at distance, and the man,
when his mind is made up and his ballot fol-
ded twice, marches all alone from the crowd,
all alone over the vacant space, realizing that
he is perfectly free and individually respon-
sible. He marches up like man, with no
canvasser or candidate to watch him, and de.
posts his folded ballot in the box.
Year: 1874

right hand, and pretending to be on good


terms with his victim. The custom OF hand
shaking prevails more or less among all CIV
ilized nations, and is the tacit avowal OF
frienship and good will, just as kiss is OF a
warmer passion. Ladies, as every one must
have remarked, seldom or never shake hands
with the cordiality of gentlemen, unless 1t be
with each other. The reason is obvious.
They cannot be expected to show to persons
of the other sex warmth of greeting which
might be misinterpreted, unless such persons
are very closely related to them by family or
affection, in which case hand-shaking is not
needed, and the lips do more agreeable duty.
Year: 1874

The SOLEMN Boy WHO IS STILL FISHING.
Two or three weeks ago, says the Detroit Free
Press, very quiet and solemn boy, about ten
wears DID, took seat on the wharf at the foot
of Griswold street, but probably man or
boy might fish there ten thousand years and
never get bite, because the fsh-if any
there be that frequent that locality-have had
their eyeteeth cut and know their business.
Steamers and boats are passing, men shouting
and drays rolling, and the fish have good
deal to think of. But this boy didn't look
into the case. He may have heard theories
and .pecuations on fishing. Men asked him
if he had not bite, and boys told him to be
careful and not exhaust the supply, but for
four or FIVE hours per day he sat there and
6shsd, unmindful Of what was said or done,
He pulled up the line once in while, sur
veyed the bit of meat on the hook, saw that
it was there, and then the hook went down
again to wait for sturgeon.


At last the boys patience and perseverance
excited general notice, and men said it was
too bad that he didn't get any fish. Saturday
afternoon three or four individuals planned to
call him away from his line for moment,
and while he was gone one of them fastened a
large dried herring to his hook. The boy re-
turned and resumed his fishing, and finally he
hauled up and saw the herring. He was too
much astonished to speak for time, but
finally he unlocked the fish, laid it aside, put
piece of scrap.iron on it to keep it from es-
Gaping, and pretty soon he was as solemn as
ever. One Of the men felt piqued atthe boys
lack of enthusiasm, and stepping forward, be
said "Well, bub, had any luck ?" "One
herring" replied the boy, in solemn tone:
"And what do you expect to catch now?"
continued the man. The lad waited long
time before answering, and then mournfully
glancing at the herring he replied "Crack.
ers and cheese to 60 with him!' He is still
fishing.
Year: 1874

MILK AS DIET AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE
SYsTEM.-There is a considerable difference
of opinion on the subject of milk diet. 1t
is surrounded with mass of whims, or pre-
iudices and of mistaken ideas, which are
based more on individual fancies than upon
certain fact. To one glass of milk imbibed is
believed to be sure provocation of bill
lious attack, to another, a disordered stomach,
to third, drowsiness, and so on, through
such category Of simple, though disagreea-
BILE ailments that we look aghast at the farm
er who drains cup after cup Of the fresh, pure
liquid, time and again during the day, and
wonder at the resisting powers which his or
ganization must possess. The truth is, how
ever, that milk is not unwholesome. On the
contrary, it contains good substantial bone,
muscle, flesh, and brain producing substances,
which, assimilating quickly, act rapidly in
building up the body. Naturally, We assert,
it is nourisbing; that it does bring on certain
troubles is nevertheless true, but the cause is
in the individual stomach, not in the milk,
provided, of course, the latter be fresh and
sweet. The Commercial Advertiser of recent
date had some excellent remarks on this SUBJ
ject, which are well worthy of repetition.
milk diluted with one.third lime water," it is
said, twill not cause any one biliousness or
headache, and, if taken regularly, will so
strengthen the stomach as to Danish these dis
orders. 1t may be taken with acid of some
kind when it does not easily digest. The idea
that milk must not be eaten with pickles is
not an intelligent one, as milk curdles in the
stomach nearly as soon as it is swallowed.
When milk is constipating, as it is frequently
found to be, by persons who drink freely of it
in the country, in the summer time, little
salt sprinkled in each glassful will prevent
the difficulty. When it has an opposite effect,
few drops Of brandy in each goblet of milk
will obviate its purgative effect AS milk is
so essential to the health of our bodies, it is
we'll to consider when to take it, and how. 1t
is mistake to drink milk between meals, or
with food at the table. In the former case it
will destroy the Appetite and in the latter it
is never proper to drink anything. After fin:
ishing each meal a goblet of pure milk should
be drank and if any one wishes to grow
feshy, pint taken before retiring at night
will soon cover the scrawniest bones. In
cases of fever and summer complaint, milk is
now given with excellent results. The idea
that milk is tfeverish' has exploded, and it is
now the physicians great reliancein bringing
through typhoid patients, or those in too low
state to be nourished by solid food"
Year: 1874

RAsp1NG HORSES FEET.-A sensible black
smith talks, in the Canada Farmer, about the
habit of rasping the hoofs of horses in the
following emphatic manner, and it will be
we'll for horse owners to give his views candid
consideration:


Rasping down the feet nicely, as they call
it, is quite passion with some people. I
have often rasped the hoof, and the owner of
the horse standing by to tell when it would
suit him. This rasping On a hoof that hap.
pens to be little ill,shaped, until it will
spring under your finger, is far too dangerous
a plan for making things look well. I have
often commenced on hoofs that had beauti.
full gloss all over, and given them thorough
rasping; not that I could make them any
better, for that was beyond the power of hu-
man hands but they had to be rasped mere.
" because the owners mind was slave to
fashion or fancy. The rasping takes the
strong surface off the hoof, and Nature, try
ing all she can to make up for the evil done
by ipjudicious hands, forms a hard glossy
surface to protect the foot This glossy sur
face takes the place of the previous tough
horn; and at the next shoeing the foot will
probably split little at the nails and not un-
frequently the nail punches piece out be-
fore it.
Year: 1874

ANECDOTE OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON
Hamilton was once applied to for professional
assistance by man of New York city, who
held the guardianship of several orphan chill
dren. These children, then very young,
would, on coming of age, if they had their
rights, succeed to the possession of large and
valuable estate. In the title deeds of this
estate the guardian had discovered material
defects, and he thought he saw way, with
the assistance of an able lawyer, by which he
could secure the title Of the whole property
to himself. He opened to Hamilton the
whole business, exhibiting copies of the title
deeds, and explaining how he would like to
proceed. And he promised to the great Jurlst
q large reward if he would undertake the
business. Hamilton said he must give to a
matter so important due thought before he
decided. and set g. time for his client to calf
again.


The guardian called according to appoint.
ment Hamilton had put in writing faithful
minutes of their former conversation, which,
upon his second visit he read aloud.


II think" said Hamilton, when he had fin-
ished reading, "that that is true statement
Of your plans?"


"Yes, sir" answered the client. "That is
correct. And now, if may ask, what have
you decidedly"


II will tell you, SIR" replied Hamilton,
sternly; "you are now completely in my pow
er, and consider myself as the future guar
dian of those unfortunate orphans. l have
decided that you will settle with them honor
ably, to the very last penny, or l will hunt
you from the surface Of the earth J"


1t may be unnecessary to add that the
false.hearted guardian did not pursue his ne
farious scheme any further.


The BUSINESS OF JoURNAL1sM.-ln COM
menting upon the failure of newspaper man.
ager, the St. Louis Globe tells a plain truth
in the following words:


"The business of journalism will continue
to be an inviting field for experiment to those
who have q large amount of money and
large amount of egotism. A man who, hav-
ing edited newspaper until he was forty,
should suddenly announce himself lawyer,
would be regarded as fool by the legal pro.
fession and yet we often hear of lawyers of
forty making sudden pretensions to journal
ism. There is an idea that the business Of
editing requires no apprenticeship; that edit
ors come forth from law Offices and colleges
fully armed for the profession, like Pallas
from the brow of Jove. 1t is a mistake.
There is not in America to-day single jour-
nalist of national reputation who has not de-
voted more time and more hard work to his
profession than, with equal fitness and appli-
cation, would have made him great lawyer
or a good doctor. And yet ninety out of
every hundred men you meet on the streets
will hesitate about earring a bod or making
a pair of shoes, whereas there will probably
not be one in the hundred who cannot, &C.
cording to his own judgment, edit any news
paper in the country better than it is edited,
no matter in what manner or by whom"
Year: 1874

LAUGHTER AS A MEDICINE.-A short time
ago, the Sanitarian reports that two indivdu-
ais were lying in one room very sick, one with
brain fever and another with an aggravated
attack of mumps. They we're so low that
watchers were needed every night, and it was
thought doubtful if the one sick of fever
could recover. A gentleman was engaged to
watch over night, his duty being to wake the
nurse whenever it became necessary to admin
lister medicine. In the course of the night
both watcher and nurse fell asleep The man
with the mumps lay watching the clock, and
saw that it was time to give the fevered
man his potion. He was unable to speak
aloud, or to move any portion of his body ex-
cept his arms; but seizing pillow he man
aged to strike the watcher in the face with it.
Thus suddenly awakened, the watcher sprang
from his seat, falling to the floor, and ava
kened both the nurse and the fever patient.
The incident struck the sick men as very rid
icuous, and they laughed heartily at it for
fifteen or twenty minutes When the doctor
came in the morning, he found his patients
vastly improved, and said he never knew so
sudden turn for the better. Now both are
up and we'll. Who says laughter is not the
best of medicines? And this reminds the
writer of another case. A gentlemen was
suffering from an liberation in the throat,
which at length became so swollen that his
life was despaired Of His household came to
his bedside to bid him farewell. Each indi-
vidual shook hands with the dying man, and
then went away weeping Last of all came
a pet ape, and, shaking the mans hand, went
away also with its hands over its eyes. 1t
was so ludcrous sight that the potent was
forced to laugh, and laughed SO heartily that
the abscess broke, and his life was saved.


London Medical Record.
Year: 1874

Young Archibald Singerly of Ger
mantown, has been unfortunate. He
read in one of the papers that "when
the boys of Virginia City wish to raise
their kites, they tie the strings to a
dogs tail and make the animal rum
1t occurred to young Mr.. Singerly
that as this proceeding was conducted
upon q rational basis, he would expert
ment in the same direction. The diff
Guilty encountered by Mr.. Singcrly at
the outset was that be had an extreme
ly large kite and a mournftil small dog;
and the conclusion of the undertaking
therefore may be anticipated especially
when we intimate that the wind was
high The residents of the neighbor-
hood were surprised TO see dog rush
ing backward down the street, with
considerable velocity, clawing and
scratching at the earth for a hold, and
emitting ejaculatory howls as if he
cherished secret preference for go
ing in the other direction. And they
were even more amazed to perceive
that he seemed to be anchored 10 some
thingin the heavens Butthere was not
time for investigation. In a moment
a cyclone or something of the kind
struck the kite, and before Archibald
Singcrly could utter a scream his dog
had performed about one third of the
journey TO the milky way. 1t is sup
posed that the birds-eye view enjoyed
by that animal must have been mag
nificent, embracing as it did Mount
Airy, Conshohocken, Savannah. st.
Petersburg and Pekin, with numerous
smaller towns and villages. But the
precise amount of felicity obtained by
Singerly's dog while dangling amid
the planetary system will perhaps ney-
er be ascertained, unless Singerly meets
his victim in better world. For as
the kite came sailing down, the string
caught on the vane of a church steeple,
became tangled, and held Singerly's s
dog in permanent suspense. They
tried to blow him loose with shot guns
and they succeeded in producing a
shower of sausage meat after each dis
charge but when the dog had all been
shot away, his tail remained pointing
due north, and refused to come down
Any one who has a good dog can hear
something to his advantage by apply.
ing at Singerly's Old Mr., Singerly
would prefer bob-tailed dog
Year: 1874

REoLAIMING LAND.--ln San Fran
cisco are 5000 acres of shifting sand,
which are not only worthless, but the
cause of great annoyance to the public
in their unreclaimed condition. They
are on the western or ocean side OF
the city, and very light breezes are
sufficient TO drive the sand inland, "a
the great discomfort of tho citizens
The engineer Of the Golden Gate Park
has shown how these sands can be
reclaimed and made Of great value


II is found that the yellow lupine will
grow luxuriently in such places


thrusting its roots into the sand, and
when once established, in short time
it covers the barren waste with beau
tifhl vegetation. A top soil is thus
formed, after which grass will grow


The average cost of reclaiming an
acre of land at the Golden Gate Park
has been from thirty TO iorty-fye dol.
lars. W raf rrH
Year: 1874

NEw "PRoBABILITIEs. When you
see a man going home at two O'Clock
in the morning, and know his wife is
waiting up for him, it is likely to be
STORMY.


When man receives a bill for goods
his wife bought unknown to him, look
out for THUNDER AND LIGHTNING.


When man goes home and no sup
per ready, the fire out, and his wife
crusading, it is likely to be CLOUDY


When a man promises to take.his
wife to party and changes his mind
after she is dressed, You may expect o
SHOWER. ftl aa nseir ta4


When man saves his cigar money
to buy his wife new bonnet and the
children new shoes, il indicates q spell
of SUNSHINE.


When man dies and leaves nics
young widow with plenty of money,
and you see her walking out with one
of the executors on Sunday, a CHANGE
is imminent.
Year: 1874




The following is the translation of
an article in Berlin paper which will


convey an idea of the German esti-
mates of the coming American hotel /:


"The latest American progress in


building will be the mammoth hotel, .
soon to be erected in Chicago. The
enormous hotel is to have frontage of
three English miles long and q depth


of six miles the height of seventy
seven stories, will measure 3.4sO feet
from the ground floor to the roof The
hotel will have no stairs, but fivo hun
dred balloons will always ho ready to
take visitors up TO their rooms. Noroom
walters are to be employed, but visit
ors will be served by a newly patented
automatic. TO be nut in every room.
who will do all shaving, shampooing
etc, TO the guests by a very simple
and ingenious mechanism. Surprising
tho guests requires hot water, the
automatic will be able to call down
stairs "a bucket of water up to room
number one million three thousand one
hundred, and the water will be up in
Year: 1874

n Surely the number Of subscribers to the


daily STATESMAN VIII new be greatly aug


mented. Rapidly as our subscription list
has been growing for the past FIVE or six


months, the early meeting of the Legisla-
ture, and conv6cation of the constitutional
convention in Austin, must create even a
greater demand for the reports and histori-
cal facts to appear in this journal In this
county our circulation must grow even more
rapidly. Subscribers living within its con-
fines whether they receive the daily or
weekly, pay no postage? In fact, the postal,


hike most other laws made in Washington,
are conceived in the interest Of New York
and Boston This newspaper law was
written and approved by the great New
York dailies, and to save them, as the tariff


does other Eastern manufacturers, from par
ticipation In burdens of the government,
and surely the citizens Of this county VIII
not fail to sustain local publication, having
existence solely for the purpose Of pronnot-
ing the fortunes Of Texas and its capital.
Year: 1874

The Patrons cf Husbandry of Blue
Earth county, at their county council. held
on the 10th inst, invite Senator Window
to address the farmers of the county at
Good Thunder Ford on the Fourth Of
July. Mr.. Window is recognized in Con-
gress and by the country as the great cham
pion and exponent of the cheap transpor-
tation sentiment of the West. He has
earned that position by his thorough and
la!orious study of that question for two
years past, ending with his mastery ex-
position of it in his official report, and in
the great speech which commanded the
attention and now the plaudits of the en-
tire country. The farmers of Blue Earth
and Faribault counties will show how
thoroughly they appreciate his labors by
turning out by the thousand to hear the
chief champion of their most important in
terest. Mr.. Window could make no bet
ter use of his leisure during the summer.
if he has any at his disposal, than by famil-
iarizing the people of this State with the
merits of his comprehensive plan for the
solution Of the transportation problem.
And it would be well worth the while of
the Chamber of Commerce of this city and
the Board of Trade Of Minneapolis, Man.
kato and other points to invite him to ad-
dress them on these pre- e-eminently interest
ing topics.
Year: 1874

hand by Home without injury. Mr.. W,
Il. Harrison (spiritualist, March Is, 1907
saw him take a large coal, which covered
the palm of his hand, and stood six or
seven inches high. As he walked about
the room it threw a ruddy glow on the
walls, and when he came to the table with
it, the heat was felt in the faces Of all pres
ent. The coal was thus held for five min
utes. These phenomena have now hap
pened scores OF times in the presence Of
scores of witnesses. They are facts OF the
reality OF which there can be no doubt !;
and they are altogether inexplicable by the
known laws Of physiology and heat.


There is one gratifying result growing
out OF all this evidence, and that is, that
these artful spirits have managed to get
ahead of Old Nick, so that they take to the
fire with as much gusto as Turk does to
a sweat-batA. The mediums find red-hot
anthracite coal rather cool" and enjoy
able. The old fellow below can't get up
anything hotter than blast furnace.