smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

Under date of the 10th inst, Gov.
Chamberlain published an address to
the Republicans of South Carolina.
from which we make this extract:


Bat the edict has gone forth. No
argument or consideration which your
friends could present have sufficed to
avert the disaster no etfectual means
of resistance to the eOnsummation of
the wrong are left. My strict legal
rights are, of course, wholly unaffected
by the action of the President. No
Court of the State has jurisdiction to
pass upon the title to my office, no
lawful Legislature can be convened
except upon my call. If the use of
these powers promised ultimate sue
cess to our cause, [ should not shrink
from any sacrifices which might con-
front me. 1t is a cause in which by
the light of reason and conscience a
man might we'll lay down his life, but
to my mind my present responsibility
involves the consideration of the effect
of my action upon those whose rep
resentatiye / am. | have hitherto
been willing to ask you, Republicans
of South Carolina, to risk all danger
and endure all hardships until relief
should come from the government of
the United States. That relief will
never come. | can not ask you to
follow me further. In my Judgment,
| can no longer serve you by further
resistance to the impending calamity.
With gratitude to God for the measure
of endurance with which He has hith-
erto inspired me; with gratitude to
you for your boundless confidence in
me; with profound admiration for
your matchless fidelity to the cause
in which we have struggled, | now
announce to you and to the people of
the State, that | shall no longer ac-
lively assert my right to the Office of
Governor of South Carolina. The
motives and purposes of the President
of the United States in the policy
which compels me to my present
course are unquestionably honorable
and patriotic. | devoutiy pray that
events may prove the wisdom of his
action, and that justice, freedom and
prosperity may hereafter be the por


ton of every citizen of South Caro-
lima. d. II. CHAMBERLAIN,


Governor of South Carolina.
Year: 1877

Ceylon newspapers mention the excite
ment prevailing in that island in March
in connection with the resumption of
pearl fishing. The pearl oyster produces
It's best pearls when about four years
old, so that the great object kept in view
by divers is not to take any that have
not reached that period of existence.
This had led the authorities to prohibit
fishing on the several banks except at
intervals of four years, but this system
has resulted in other inconvenience,
inasmuch as the mollusks are beset with
divers dangerous enemies, who, it is
csntended, make frightful havoc on a
hank In one season if it be not fished.
The government is now intent upon dis
covering what is the right time for bed
to lie dormant The experiences Of re-
cent years give ten million oysters as the
average crop of a bank, and the average
pearls found would amount to two pei
cent. When one thousand oysters pro,
dnce 800 worth of pearls it is considered
very remunerative product. A hundred
pearls of the size of pins head are not
worth one as large as pea. Ten thou.
sand persons are directly or indirectly
engaged in this industry. In the last
great haul in 1874, million and a quar-.
ter OF oysters were taken on one hnnk
which were sold for $4,000,
Year: 1877

One day, seeing large ship with the
appearance of we'll laden merchantmen
near the shore, the steamer Speedy gave
chase. On nearing her she suddenly
raised her ports, and Lord Cochrane dis
covered that he had to deal not with q
rich, helpless merchantmen, but large
Spanish frigate, crowded with men, who
had hitherto been kept out of sight. To
fight the Spaniard would have been a
simple act of folly; to escape from her
by taking fight was equally out of the
question. Some of the officers were
anxious to try the fate of an action, but
Lord Cochrane, fire eater as he was, pos
sessed a clear, well balanced mind, and
saw that the Speedy would have no
chance. He therefore had recourse to n
ruse, for which he had prepared before
hand. Having heard that the Spaniards
were particularly bitter about the Speedy,
he had caused her to be painted so as to
resemble a Danish brig, the Clomer,
well known on the Spanish coast. He
had also shipped Danish quartermas-
ter, and provided him with a uniform of
an officer of that nation. AS soon as the
Spaniard disclosed her real character, the
Speedy hoisted Danish colors. The
Spaniards not being satisfied with this
evidence of nationality, sent boat to
board the British brig. Had the Speedy
been boarded, the trick would, of course,
have been discovered in a moment. To
prevent such catastrophe, and at the
same time disarm suspicion, the Danish
quartermaster, in his uniform. was
placed in prominent position on deck,
and told to carry on conversation. The
yellow quarantine flag was run up at the
same time. The Spaniards have always
had an abject and unreasoning terror of
infection, and on this occasion their fears
were increased by the intimation given by
the Dane that the ship was only two days
out from Algiers, where the plague was
raging. This intelligence was quite
enough for the Spaniards, the boat at
once returned to the frigate, which i'm
meliately set sail, the Speedy losing no
time in making off in the opposite di-
rection.
Year: 1877

A man writes from the far West to


Miss Jennie Collins, of Bofin's Bower,


Boston. Enclosed in his letter is $5, to


be used for the girls aided at the Bower.


After explaining the design of this en-
closure he proceeds as follows: While
writing, I wish to ask if it is not possible
for you to do me favor and at the same
time, perhaps, assist some good woman
to find home. I am bachelor of
forty, neither rich nor good-looking, but
/ am in business and doing well. was
born in the State of New York, but l
have lived sixteen years in California,
and nearly two years in this State. AS
you have probably guessed ere this, I
am in want of wife, and would ask you
if among your acquaintance you could
not pick out for me nice, virtuous, and
true woman, one who has no home and
would appreciate one of her own and a
kind and loving husband Gas I would try
to beg to protect and provide for her. 1
do not care how poor she may be, as far
as money is concerned; but would have
her well educated and accustomed to
good society, for should take her among
those who would meet her with open
arms, and / should introduce her among
the best society, both here and in New
York. I would not object to nice little
widow, provided she was homeless,
young, virtuous, and in every way
good woman. You will probably wonder
why I do not 60 among friends and
acquaintance to pick me out wife, and
I will tell you the exact truth. Ispept
ten months two years ago visiting my
friends East, but the marriageable ladies
all seemed to be well to do and to live
in stylish happy homes, better than l
was able at that time to give wife
Then I would sooner give some good
woman home who now has none than
one who is already in possession of II good
home and otherwise well provided for
I believe it is in your power to put me
in correspondence with some lady
who would like to find home and
husband, always provided, of course,
that We we're suited to each other, and /
will, of course, give her undoubted proof
that 1 am what represent myself to be.


To these and similar epistles Miss Col
lins always makes suitable replies, and
in some cases she is really the good
genius who makes easy the first steps to-
wards happy homo. In one instance
gentleman wrote to her for a wife, and
while she was considering what she
should do about the matter there came
to her a girl who was an orphan, an edu-
Gated girl, but like so many others, not
trained to any particular calling. The
letter containing the request was handed
to her, and she answered it. The gen.
tleman saw from her reply that she was
not only young woman of education,
but of strong common sense, SO he ar
ranged for an interview with her. This
interview took place, and they were mar
ried after brief courtship. OF their
after life Miss Collins knows nothing,
but she believes that the marriage was
happy one, in spite of the somewhat
peculiar manner in which it was con-
tracted.
Year: 1877

Not long ago, ON an English steamer,
four days out from Liverpool, small
boy was found hid away behind the
cargo. He had neither father nor
mother, sister nor brother, friend nor
protector among either passengers or
crew. Who was he Where did he
corer from1 Where goingl Only nine
years old; the poor little stranger, with
ragged clothes but beautiful face, full
Of innocence and truth OF conrsc he
was carried before the first mate.


"How camc you to steal a passage on
board Of this shipr asked the mate
sharply,


"My steptathcr put me in, answered
The boy; "he said he could not afford to
keep me or pay my passage to Halifax,
where my aunt lives ! want TO go to
my aunt


Tho mate did not believe the story.
He had often been deceived by stow
aways. Almost every ship finds, ono or
two days out at sea, men or boys CON
cealed among the cargo, who try to get
n passage across the water without pay.
ing for it. And this is often trouble
some and expensive, The mate sus-
pected some Of the sailors had hand in
the boys escape, and treated him pretty
roughly.


Day after day he was questioned
about his coming, and it was always the
same story nothing less, nothing more.
At last the mate got out Of patience,
as mates will, and seizing him by the
collar, told him unless he confessed the
truth, in ten minutes he would hang
him on the yard arm a frightful threat
indeed.


Poor child, with not friend to stand
by him Around him were passengers
and sailors of the midday watch, and
before him the stern frst-oflicer, with
his watch in his hand, counting the tick,
Sex, of the minutes as they lowly
went. There he stood, pale and ow-
full, his head erect, and with in
his eyes but afraid mo, not a


Eight minutes were already s. :


Only two minutes more to five,
cried the mate. "Speak the truth aud
save your life, boy


May pray : asked the child, look
ing up into the hard mans face,


The officer nodded his head, but said
nothing. The brave boy knelt down on
the deck and, with clasped hands and
eyes raised to Heaven, repeated the
Lords prayer and then prayed the Lord
Jesus to take him home to Heaven.
He could die but lie--never All
eyes were turned towards him, and sobs
lrplse from stern hearts


The mate could hold out no longer.
He sprang to the poor boy, told him he
believed his story, every word Of it, A
nobler sight never took place on ships
deck than this-a poor, unfriended child
willing to fnce death for truths sake.


He could die; but lie--never God
bless him And the rest of the voyage
YOU may well think he had friends
enough. Nobody owned him before
everybody was now ready to do him q
kindness. And everybody who reads
this will be strengthened to DO right
come what will, by the noble conduct Of
| this dear child
Year: 1877

At the Atlanta General Passenger
Depot one day in October, blind man
was standing, leaning against the wall
outside of Captain Ballard's office his
baggage was lying inside the Office until
the train should leave on which the
blind was to 60. The dog stood for an
hour in position where he could oh.
serve both his master and his master
baggage. A gentleman noticing the
glances of the dog towards the baggage,
walked forward and pretended to he
lifting up valise; the watebful dog
went towards him and growled as il to
say, Don't touch this sir" When the
intruder left the baggage the dog left
also but when he returned to the bag
gage to see if the dog really was watch
ing it, the little animal went to it also
and repeated his growing. The same
was tried by another gentleman with
the same result, the dog showing in each
instance his watchfulness oYer his blind
masters property The value of this
animal to his master cannot be esti-
mated too highly.
Year: 1877

Two men, cutting wood near San
Jose, Cal, the other day, noticed for
several days that a number of birds re.
mainedconstantly upon q tree near them,
and upon cutting the tree down they
discovered in a limb a cavity, some two
feet in length and with small aper,
turc, in which were two rather large
birds, Neither of them were able to
fly, having evidently never been out Of
their imprisonment. How they came
inside is question, though it is proba-
bic that the mother-bird was small, and,
though able to make her nest in the
hollow of the tree and rear her young,
could not extlicate them, and they did
not gain strength enough to help them
selves until the hollow had so closed
that escape was impossible, Those who
examined the birds think they arc
about two years old They had been
fed from their birth by their bird.
fellows through the aperture in the limb
of tho tree. Journal, June 8.
Year: 1877

CHARLES KINGSLEY said he did not
see why we should not be as just to an
mt as to human being. Human
beings don't get up your trousers leg
when you are at a picnic, and scare
you within two feet of eternity.
Year: 1877

~ Dec FlaruAN. The Hook and
Ladlof Company Of this city have
dog eallcd Danger" who is a remark
able instance Of canine sogacity. IIeis
KEEP some distance 6em the truck house
down Market street, but at the first
stroke Of the almm-bell he is Off for the
truck, and usually reaches it before il is
drawn from the house The speed at
which he goes up Market street Is some
thing to be admired Those living
along the street always hear, after the
second or third tap Of the bell, the rush
Of his feet along the pavement, lie is
as regular at fire us any other mem
Der, and if his name was called at roll
call there would never hc found an alb
sent chccl, agamst IT, E2mtu ~. ~
1dycHis1i
Year: 1877

between Chicago and the Missouri Rive
with but few curves; its track is mostly
heavy steel rail, gravel balasted, with wild
roadway, giving it permanence and solidity-
it is as smooth as floor all its cars stron
with plenty of wheels under them, and witt
springs so adjusted that the usual bouncing
and oscillation is reduced to the minimum
We observed last week that in an ordinar,
car the side motion and rising and falling OF
the car was less than half an inch, and some
times scarcely perceptible. We believe il
will be found that a person will sit in thes,
hotel cars, and eat or write as comfortably
as he could at his dc SIX or table at home
his IRE choose to call tie triumph Of art IN rail
rag trauel


We learn that this new line of hotel cars
is being pushed to completion as fast as the
full force of workmen in the Pullman shop;
can do It. We shall be certain to see them
in few weeks.-Ceaar Rapids Republican,
FEB. 1877.
Year: 1877

1t is useless TO attempt to con-
ceal the fact that the times are
growing harder every day, not only
in Superior but all over the country.
For the last three or four years the
values of nearly everything, except
the staple productions of the soil,
have been gradually declining


Land that was worth fifty dollars al
acre before the panic of 1873, has
been dropping aboat ten dollars an
acre every year since, till now no
one can be found who will give ten
dollars for it, and few care to ven-
ture an offer of any sum. Real
estate i s rot alone in the great de-
cline. Many articles of personal
property have fared no better. The
past few years have been the farmers
opportunity, and in view of the i'm
pending war in Europe his chances
for an active demand and high
prices the coming season were never
better in this country. Every farm
er should put in as large crop as
possible this spring. Wheat, oats,
barley, corn, peas, potatoes, turnips,
beets, carrots, parsnips, hay, etc.,
will all bring good price next fall


Those in this neighborhood who
have no land Of their own have no
excuse for not raising a crop, when
all the land they can plant can be
had for simply the clearing. The
non resident property owners are
very glad to give the use Of t. eir
lots to any one who will clear and
fence them. 1t is time, too, that
our people turned their attention to
making living from the soil INSTEAD
Of depending for support on taxes
wrenched from unwilling owners.
The on-resident tholders here "can't
stand everything" as young friend
of ours once remarked of himself,
and one of the things they won't
stand much longer is to pay money
in here tor the simple support, as
they term it, of the citizeLs of this
place. So we say to our people il
they wish to maintain their existence
here the only sure way they can dc
it is by cultivating the soil and rails
ing not only food enough for their
own support but some for export
to enable them to buy groceries,
clothing and everything needful OF
foreign growth or manufacture.
Year: 1877

From the Duluth Tribune, 9th inst.


We would urge upon those hav-
ing charge of the pending negotia
tions between our city and county
on the one hand, and the creditor:
thereof, on the other, to lose no
unnecessary time in bringing those
negotiations to Il final determination.
Our population has steadily dimiE
ished for the past four years, and
many of those now rem aiming feel
that they cannot hold on longer than
the present year. They wish to
know at Tie earliest moment pos
s:ble whether It is worth while to
try to make living in Duluth or
not.


If q compromise so advantageous
I to the bondhoIders as is the pend
I ing one, cannot be carried out, it is
not probable that any other one can;
and this matter might just as well
lie decided within the next so or 90
days, as to keep our people con the
ragged edge" anal in suspense, I'M
til the 23d day Of next February
the utmost limit given by law within
which the compromise can be con
summated. Then, let the holders Of
our bonds be definitely informed AS
to what is desired of them, and If
they are willing to come into the
proposed compromise and make
their now worthless securities of
some value, and at the same time
put it into the power of the
city and county to pay fair per
centa@e on their indebtedness, let
them come forward at once and
close up the matter.


If, on the other hand, they are so
blind to their own interests as 10
refuse to accept our most liberal
offer, let them so inform US, without
delay, in order that we may govern
ourselves accordingly. Should no
compromise be effected, the result
evidently would be that most OF
those now residing here would re-
move elsewhere, and that our bond
holders would be allowed to take
the town site for their claim, and to
make out Of it what they can; but
there would be scarcely any person
81 property left here, and probably
but few OF the houses. OF course
every intelligent person who under
stands the situation will admit that
a large city, must grow up, on one
side or the other of Superior Bay;
and if our bondholders persist in
crushing the life out of Duluth, any
one with half an eye can see that
the result evidently would be the
building up of Superior.


Most of our citizens are warmly
attached to Duluth and to the State
of Minnesota, and would rather live
in Duluth than any other place, if
they can only be satisfied Of their
ability to make a living here and
lay up enough to educate their
children and provide for old age;
but they can not and ,cW not re-
main here much longer and feel
themselves growing older and be
coming more and more impoverished
year by year. We have said that
our people are strongly attached to
Duluth, and have large amount of
State pride but they are warmly
attached to the head of this grand
old lake and to this climate, and, if
once satisfied that Duluth is
doomed and blasted city, the most
Of them would very naturally trans
Year: 1877

'EDo you know what bull DOING
is ?" asked n man of an old farmer,
81 thought did," said the granger,
"but the bull wasn't doing. He
was only making believe, and being
in forty acre lot | naturally had to
make pretty quick time to reach the
fence ahead of HIM"
Year: 1877

Take out the rags and put in
glass. Don't wait for blue glass.
Any kind of glass locks better in a
window than an old hat or the south
west quarter with patch on it) of
the trowsers you cast off before going
20 the Centennial.
Year: 1877

Somebody sends us through the
post office for publication commu.
nication without signature, on the
"boy" question. If the writer will
send us his name we will publish
what he has to say; otherwise We
cannot.
Year: 1877

Ben Butler stood side by side with
Hayes at Morton's bedside. Hayes
kissed the stricken Senator and wept
tears of pity over his helpless form, and
Ben Butler, although he could not man
age to set the brine flowing, squeezed
Morton's hand, and then Hayes and the
cross-eyed statesman took their depart
ure, discussing the subject of Civil Ser
vice Reform. Everybody knows But
ler's views on that subject. He, of all
others, bas ever been most pronounced
against it, He has ridiculed and cursed
it, and now to find him and Hayes hob
nobbing together, afiliating as closely as
sworn political brothers. looks very much
as though the talked-of surrender of the
President is close at hand. Butler is
not the man to waste ammunition where
he does not expect to have his shots tell,
and it would hardly be in consonance
with his known character to be playing
the to ldy 10 Hayes but for a special and
particular purpose. True his Dutch Gap
Canal was not a success, and he was bots
tied at Fort Fisher, but then he trampled
over the women of New Orleans, and
brought away many silver trophies IS
evidence of his prowess. All of which
is to be remembe bered by those who have
desire to see Hayes stand by his reform
policy. Ben is on mischief bent, depend
upon it.-PhitddeLphid Chronicle.
Year: 1877

Avery large amount Of business
was transacted at this session of the
County Commissioners Court. The
action Of the Board in regard to IL
cense we deem worthy Of comment
and commendation. Saloons seem
70 be in this community necessary
evil. None know that they are an
evil 50 well as the very men who
keep them, every one of whom will
admit that If he could make m66ey
as easily and as fast in any other
way, be would give up his present
occupation. II, under the law, sa-
looms must be licensed, let those on
ly be. licensed that fulfill the law.
Thus will all those who carry on the
business be led to regard the law
more, and be more careful not to vi
olate it in any respect. The men
who were refused license know well
that they have in many particulars
violated the law; we would not say
they are the only ones who have
been guilty, but they have no rea-
son to complain Of the action of the
Commissioners. That this action
was for the best interests of society,
every one must admit.