smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

A lady. closely veiled, hired, not long
ago, in the suburbs of Duna, a Russian
city on the River Dumburg, carriage,
and dumping box securely corded into
the vehicle, ordered the driver to stop at
shop where, as she said, she had to
make some purchases. The driver stop
ped and waited; but the lady did not re-
turn. Then he asked the shopkeeper to
allow him to leave the box. Permission
was denied, but on consultation, the
box was opened by the two men, when
the body of an infant was exposed. The
driver did not know what to do, fearing
that he would be arrested for murder.
The shopkeeper advised him to put the
box in the carriage, drive 10 the market
place, and leave it unattended while he
ate dinner, in the expectation thai some
one would steal the box. The driver
took the hint, aud the box disappeared.
Neither the lady or dead body has since
been heard of.
Year: 1877

A GAY young Widow of Baltimore the
other day gave. out that her sister was
dead, and, accordingly, the house was
darkened and no one presumed to intrude
upon. the afflicted widow. Several days
elapsed but there was no funeral. Finally
the landlord went to copdole with his
tenant, but had to climb the back fence
to gain entrance to the premises, which he
found totally deserted. The afflicted
widow was in arrears for rent, and under
the protection of black Grape and dark
ness had carried off her household effects
to parts unknown.
Year: 1877

n SOou many years dSO, 1uo idHily VI
a country storekeeper in Eastern Mary
land, having on one occasion a houseful
of Company to lodge, sent their two
boys to spend the night at the store.
The elder of the two was smart lad of
sixteen, named Ned. They made up
snug bunk behind the counter, and were
much pleased with their new quarters.
What happened afterwards, the younger
brother tells in recent number of the
Missouri Republican:


We soon talked ourselves to sleep, and
had been sleeping perhaps for several
hours when we were awakened by a
grand crash of some description, and l
was prodigiously frightened.


"What is that, Ned ?' 1 anxiously
whispered.


"Hush, lie stillp' he replied, as he
raised up and lisened intently. Two or
three crashing blows on the window
shutter with some heavy implement left
no room for doubt on the mind of any
person of even limited information as to
the nature of the sounds.


"What is it, Ned 3' I reiterated.


81 think it is robbers trying to break
in," he replied.


l had read little about robbers
principally Italian bandits-and the word
psqa meaning to my ears full of horror.
I thought of nothing else but bein
gagged and carried off to cave bound
hand and foot, and being subjected to
all sorts of barbarities. Terror nearly
oyerpowered me in the darkness and
stiffness when every sound in nature
seemed hushed except the occasional
crash on the window. and the loud beat
ing of my own heart, every pulsation of
which sounded to me like the blow of a
sledge-hammer, and when my brother
rose to go toward the window which was
being so rudely assaulted, 1 would have
screamed had not my voice been par
alyzed by fright.


As Ned advanced towards the window
7 listened with suspended breath to dis
cover what wsuld happen. He had
scarcely got in front ofthe counter, mov-
ing softly and silently, when the robber
got the window-shutter open and found
the sash already raised, the season being
warm.


Just beside the window stood barrel
of tar on end, with the head out for con-
venienee of dispensing it, and as the rob,
Der, after pausing moment TO learn il
all were quiet, had balanced himself
across the window-sill in climbing in,
Ned scooped a handful of the tar and
suddenly smeared it over the marauder'i
face and eyes. The intolerable smart tc
his eyes from the acrid and penetrating
stuff caused the robber to utter a shrill
cry of pain as he fell to the ground out
side of the window, where he lay writh'
ing in pain ard unable to make even an
effort to get away. An outcry soon
brought plenty of people to the spot and
he was carried off to prison.


Ned got a good deal of credit for hi
GOODNESS in the emergency and for hi
shrewd plan of capturing the burglar
but he disclaims any merit as to ths
latter, saying that in feeling round fol
some weapon with which to strike th'
fellow, be accidently ran his hand int
the tar, and just happened to think wha
a good joke it would be to dab it into hi
face and eyes, without any thought as tt
what the result might be.
Year: 1877

THE Arizona Indians have weakness
for cremation. Among them when a
husband and wife get at that point where
in a civilized land separation in bed and
board is considered desirable, the grand
council of the tribe sits on the case and
condemns the couple to be burnt to-
gether. When, moreover, mother dies
in childbirth, the ofspringis is burnt alive
on its own responsibility. No mission
aries.
Year: 1877

Colonel Waring says in Sc7ibner: In
our climate, where rain is abundant dur
ing considerable portion of the year,
the water falling upon the roof of any
house, if properly collected and stored, is
ample for the whole supply of the family
which that roof shelters. This water as
it falls is ordinarily free from any i'm
purity that can affect its taste, and from
every source of serious fouling, though
after a long-continued drought it is well
to divert and discharge upon the surface
of the ground thefrst ten minutes flow
of a shower-so that the impurities of
the air and the dust of the roof may be
first removed. After this first dash,
lead to the cistern all that follows. Even
with this precaution the water will be
more agreeable for use if filtered. There
are numerous systems for making filters
in cisterns, but no ether is so simple, nor
so durable and satisfactory as the separa-
tion of that part of the cistern from
which the suction-pipe leads by wall
of brick and cement. 1t is simply neces-
sary to build a wall of brick set on
edge 1.-TWO and a half inches thick,
so as to include about one quarter
of the area of the bottom, sloping
it back SO as to terminate against
the side of the cistern at height of from
four to six feet. This wall should be so
we'll cemented at its joints that wafer
can only pass through the material of
brick, and for strength its form should
be slightly bulging. A wall of this sort,
measuring say six feet at its base and
rising to height of six feet at its high
est point. will transmit an amount of
water sufficient to supply the demand Of
the most constant pumping that any
domestic use can require.
Year: 1877

You can always tell a boy whose
mother cuts his hair. Not because the
edges of his hair look as though they had
been chewed off by an absent-minded
horse, but you tell it by the way he
stops on the street and wiggles his should


ers. When fond mother has to cut her
boys hair, she is careful to avoid any
annoyance and mess by laying sheet on
the carpet. 1t has never occurred toher
to set him on the floor, and put the
sheet around his neck. Then she draws
the front hair over his eyes, and leaves
it there, while she cuts that which is at
the back. The hair which lies over his
eyes appears to be on fire. She has un-
consciously continued to push his head
forward until his nose presses his breast,
and is too busy too notice the snuffiing
sound that is becoming frequent. In the
meantime he is seized with an irresisti-
BILE desire to blow his nose, but recollects
that his handkerchief is in the other
room. There is fly lights on his nose,
and does it so unexpectedly that he
involuntarily dodges, and catches the
point of the shears in his left ear. At
this he commences to cry and wishes he
was a man. But his mother doesn't
notice him. She merely hits him on the
other ear to inspire him with confidence.
When she is through, she holds his
jacket-collar back from his neck, and
with her mouth blows the short bits
from the top of his head down his back.
He calls her attention to this fact, but
she looks for a new place on his head,
and hits him there. Then he takes the
awful disfgured head to the mirror and
looks at it, and, young as he is, shudders
as he thinks of what the boys will say,
Year: 1877

PHILADELPHIA Bulletin: When the
foreman of the composing-room knocks
a form into "pi" now he doesn't have
it reset as of yore. He simply slaps it
into the press as it is, and the newspaper
is run off with war map up to tine
Year: 1877

A FEW leaders In this county met to-
gethcr in q law office, and sprung what
they thought was a great scheme to de-
feat the great and good Democratic
party. The game was to steal half our
ticket, and use It to help defeat the
other half The thing was we'll sugar
cd with resolutions and stud, but the
Democrats refused to do battle against
their own party, and the brilliant eff
fort ends q fat failure.
Year: 1877

LET 1t be remembered that there will
be a grand Democratic rally in this city
on Monday, the day before the election.
Our County Executive Committee will
make ample arrangements for the dis
tingulshed gentlemen who will come
to address the people, and Vicksburg
will do her best TO give the State cam
paign triumphant finale. The caudi-
dates on the State ticket will be here,
and as one of them, our distinguished
fellow.citizen, the Hon. 7. G. Catch
iugs, is q resident of our city, we will
chow that we appreciate the honor the
party has rendered our city through
him. We hope this will be the largest
and most successful political gathering
that ever assembled in the Hill City.
Year: 1877

The following extraordinary. Story
comes to us from Cambridge, England.


A railway porter, about 80 years of
age, was recently seized with acute
bronchitis, and was supposed to have
expired in the throes of that dreadful
ailment, which slays every year its thous-
auds of little children and of aged peo-
pie, simply because extreme youth is
equally with extreme age too feeble to
clear the bronchial tubes by vigorous
and sustained effort of coughing. The
railway porter supposed to have depart
ed this life was duly laid ont and placed
in coffin. AS his assumed dissolution
had been sudden, the coroner was con-
suited Oh the propriety OF holding an
inquest. Some uncertainty in this re-
gard appears to have reigned in the
mind of the medical man who had beer
called in, but at any rate the railway
porter lay in his coffin two days, at the
expiration Of which he quietly got out
of it, and, to the inexpressible amaze
ment and alarm of those present in the
chamber of death, sat himself down in
chair. 1t is stated that, in order to
alleviate the severity of the spasms of
bronchitis, the patients mother had ad-
ministered to him q sleeping draught,
which had produced deep and lengthy
stupor, but the effects OF which had
stopped short just on this side the
grave. There are advantages in keep
Ing corpse above ground for four or
five days, or even for whole week, al
ter death. Among all the Latin races,
interment within four and twenty hours
is the inyariable and vigorously enfor-
ced rule of police and had this poor
railway porter been a Frenchman, an
Italian or a Spanlard, he would have
been duly screwed down and carried
away, insensible, but still alive, to the
cemetery. Into any consideration of
the waking up of the supposed dead
man, the mind, appalled,, shrinks from
entering. Who that has visited the
Mussee Wirth at Brussels has not turn
ed away shuddering from that ineffably
ghastly picture Of the living hand and
arm, corrugated with the supreme ago
ny of effect, protruding from the half.
raised lid Of a coffin too hastily nailed
down There is no corpse within that
bier, but living creature vainly striy-
ing to burst his cerements. Cases OF
premature interments are, there is every
reason to believe, lamentably prevalent
on the continent, especially when chol-
era or other epidemics are raging. The
most serious objection to the English
system lies in the fact that it Is only
the corpses of paupers which are con
yeyed to mortuaries, and that the sup
ply of dead houses, even for paupers, is
| insufficient. The remains of the respec-
table classes are coflined among the liy-
ing, and are permitted TO remain there
for days together, poisoning the atmos'
phere and horrifying the survivors.
Year: 1877

A pretty white girl Of I'ituyilc, Pa,
lately married the negro bead cook Of
the Marshall House in that place, 10
spite a wealthy merchant by whom she
had been Tilted. She was not Of age,
aud the marriage was declared Illegal.
The bridegroom was arrested and put
under bail, which he soon forfeited by
eloping with her They have no, been
heard from.
Year: 1877

SroNEwALL JAcKsoNs SIsrEEe-The
Cleveland Ledger prints the togGXipg in
relation to Gen. Stonewall Jackson and
his sister, the statement being derived
from a lady who was, previous to the
war, an inmate OF the latter's family.
They we're orphan children, and were
brought up together until he went to
West Point Like most orphan chill
dren they were unusually attached to
each other. At later time she marri-
ed and settled in Beverly, where her
husband carried on a large farm of plan
tation. Her brother. the General, tre-
quently visited her, and during these
visits he would invariably 60 to the
quarters Of the slaves for the purpose of
exhorting them on the subject of re-
ligion. Frequently this great soldier
would be seen on his knees in the midst
of the lowly children Of Africa, offering
earnest prayers for their salvation.
When the war broke out this singular
difference between the atfectionate
brother and sister transpired: One es-
poused the cause of the South and be-
came the greatest of all Confederate
Generals, with a worldwide reputation
for consdmmate military ability, and
laid down his life on the bloody field of
Charlottesville The sister, in spite of
the opposition of her brother, unin-
fuenced by his brilliant achievements
and the opposition of her husband and
her relatives, sided with the cause Of
the Union and remained true TO that
cause to the end of the war. So great
was the feeling engendered against her
that she evidently separated from her
husband and moved to Springfield, o.,
and raised with daughter who had
married q Union officer.
Year: 1877

WASHINGTON, January 3l.-The Ilec.
toral Commission at their adjourned ses.
sion discussed the subject OF the rules in
regard to hearing OF arguments, &c, and
adopted the main features OF those which
govern the proceedings before the Su.
preme Court. The sessions for hearing
Of arguments will be held in public in
the Supreme Court room. The duration
OF oral arguments is limited to two
hours for each side on objections
and four hours for each side on the main
points at issue in each case. The limita.
lion as to the number Of counsel who will
be recognized as conducting a case is two
for each side. All the limitations may,
however, be enlarged on the discretion Of
the commission, whenever a majority
deem Point in controversy OF sufficient
Importance TO warrant a more extended
argument The rules are comparatively
brief and will be made public tomorrow
Year: 1877

tion manifested to pay attention and pre-.
serve order, 1t was altogether too insie.
nihcant circumstance to be made the
occasion Of sweeping decree OF general
exclusion against the public.


We do not think that the honorable
Speaker can sustain himself to his own
cooler and better Judgment when he re-
views his decision. He was evidently
much excited at the time Of making and
enforcing the order, having himself par.
ticipated extensively in the preceding
debate, and on the side, too, that was
voted down, and therefore no doubt un.
duly sensitive to any symptom that might
seem to reflect upon his position.
Year: 1877

A SABBATH day remark Of President
Grant about the settlement bill: "When
you get outside OF the politicians and
down to the sober, honest, independent
sentiments OF the people, those who have
a real interest in the welfare and pros.
perity OF the country, you find that they
are in favor of the measure. They do
not care so much about constitutional
forms, when the peace and honor of the
country afe at stake"
Year: 1877

Governor Hampton has received
the following letter from Rockford,
Illinois:


RocKronD, November %, 1877.


Wade Uomptou--S1R: the citi-
zens of Winabago county that werc
Loyal to their country during the
rebellion don't want you or any of
the rest of tho boss negro breeders
of your place to be to jubilent over
II p Kimball speech at your last
fair for he did not express the
sentiment of the mass here ut the
wcsst at all


you sir are no better man to day
than you wer during the war you
except the position because you are
oblige to and if you as Govr of S
don't behave your self you will bo
made to and you could not have
perpetuated the war as long rs you
did had it not been for Just such
mon as H p Kimbal and one other
that I might mention here in Rock
ford they are o disgrace to the
country their property ought to
have been confscated as much rs
any slave holder or any negro
breeder oh we want Just one moro
Rebellion 80 we could kill all such
traitors and such kind of principlcd
men as yon are now + should like to
have you bubblish this in the papers
at your place and sen copy of it
to the Rockford GaZZett tho best
paper printed in Winabago county
he is tho best Editor in the state ho
don't change his principles even if
tho administration should he has
beon tried even as by fire


and now with malice tuored none
and love to all I remain Il believer
in equal rights.


Sab S A. H
don't like Kimbals speech at
your place at all
Year: 1877

Graffes, II not nard pressed, do not 60
at any very great pace, so that before
long we were within one hundred yards
OF them. Even in the ardOr Of the chase
it struck me as glorious sight to see
these huge beasts dashlng along in front,
clattering oyer the stones or burs ting a
passage through opposing bushes, their
long, graceful necks stretched forward,
sometimes bent almost to the ground To
avoid horizontal branches, and their
bushy black tails twisted up. And how
easily and with how little exertlon they
seemed to get over the ground with that
long, sweeping stride of theirs! YET
they were going at great rate, for felt
that my old nag was doing his best, ana
could not now lessen the distance be-
tween US by an lnoh.


now saw that d. was about to make
q push, and, as the horse he was riding
was pretty fast, l knew that he would
prsss them into much ouic-
er pace and leave me be-
Year: 1877

The Senate Committee on Finance had
under consideration the Silver Bill
passed by the House the other day, and
struck out the clause providing tor the
free coinage Of silver bullion. They gave
a hearing TO the delegation OF New York
bankers last evening.
Year: 1877

L. T. Blair, gas filter and plumber, Iusti-
tute. Building, is prepared for all kinds Of
work In bis line that heretofore was sent for
to Philadelphia. He is an old and experienced
business man; there is not part of the
business he has not thorough knowledge
OF. You have only to give him trial to
test bis skill In his business. Gliding or
laguiring chandeliers, candle bias and orns-
ments specially.
Year: 1877

MENT.


st. Louis correspondent Chicago
Times: The fire had its origin in the
store.room under the office. There seems
to no reason to doubt that further. The
flames had communicated well among
combustible material in that place and
had almost reached the elevator before
anybody had observed them. The dis
covery seems to have been made almost
simultaneously by George w. Ford, the
night clerk, at the time on duty in the
office, and two or three of the other en-
ployes. Mr.. Ford makes the following
statement: | was standing behind the
counter transferring the names to the
ledger when smelled something like wool
burning. | said to one-legged fellow
that was on the outside of the counter,
" smell something like wool" and then
he said he did, toe. | turned right
around to the back window, only step
off. and opened it. The whole back
part of the hotel was ablaze, and | saw
at once there was no hope to save the
place. / turned right around again and
turned the district fre-alarm, and then
sent one of the bell-boys out with a fire.
alarm key to turn on a general alarm.
| then sent five men up through the
hotel to wake up every body, and ] myself
stood in the rotunda and yelled fire as
loud as / could over and over again. !
could save nothing but the office books
and came near not saving them. The
safe was already locked, and everything
in 1t is now probably as good as ever
In two minutes after the alarm of firt
was given in the house, the steps leading
down to the office floor were filled with tn,
hotel guests and employees, but all egres,
was cut off by the smoke. The fact Of
it is, the whole thing was like that
(snapping his fnger). carried two
ladies down the ladies' entrance, and
went up for another one, when | was
overcome by the smoke, and if it had
not not been for freedman, one of our
bakers. would probably now be among
the ruins somewhere. Those that were
saved may think the mselves mighty
lucky. At,the same time that Mr.. Ford
made his discovery one OF the employees
Year: 1877

lowed the wall toward the west, and then
turned the corner, and entered the
dining.room. The smoke now began to
be less dense, and breathing gradually
became more easy. The rest of the
journey was soon made. Arriving at the
Elm-street side, he found ladder and
descended, and was soon in the midst of
the crowd on the street.
Year: 1877

was that the most thorough investigation
into the cause of the fire and its manage
ment should be made, A resolution WIS
adopted tending the coroner the use of the
officers and the police department in making
his investigation into the matter,
Year: 1877

The Board of Trustees of the Prc>by,er- ian Church held meeting last TueSday evening in Col. Heads office and resolved {, circulate a subscription paper among the business men and others Of Prescott and yi- ClnIty, m order to ascertain whether or not 1t is possible to raise sufficient means to build a church edifice. The church at large will furnish one thousand dollars provided the citizens will raise two thousand About a thousand of this k already pledged and 1t remains to be seen whether the other thousand can bc had or not. Property holders are especially interested in doing everything they can to make the town at ractivc to the better class of immigration. and nothing will dc more towards inducing families to settle in a town than the erection of school houses and churches.
Year: 1877

ALMOST A FWE-Ahout 10 o'clock this morning a fire broke out in the dwelling house of Mrs. Wells. on Granite street. The fire caught from some defect in the fire place. which allowed the blaze from the fire io pass through into a closet, where was kept the wardrobe ofa Miss Howard, one of MrS. Wells hoardcrS. The clothing be came ignitcd and in few moments the flames found their way into the upper story and caught between the ceiling and the roof. Men gathered and removed portion of the roof. when the fire was speedily eNtinguish- cd The damage to the building will not exceed Sl50 while inc loss sustained by tine young lady will not fall short of Sl GOO, as everything of her costly wardrobe wa, destroyed.
Year: 1877

We understand that at just twelve o'clock last nigh' the stock belonging to the farmers in Pccplcs's Valley were turned loose for a ramblc where their inclination had tend encv to lead them Fence law became oi just al that timo.
Year: 1877

Captain simpson and family leave to-mor TOW for New York at which place the Cap tain has been assigned for duty. During tine two years that Captain simpson has been stationed at Fort Whipple. he has filled the important position of Depot Quartermaster with credit. both to himself and the Govern mrnf.
Year: 1877

The MINER office will receive to-day, or tomorrow a large amount of new type with which We intend to reset the various adNer- tiscmcnts of our patrons. We would Ike II all those who arc advertising with us and
Year: 1877

Walter Scammon, Ia eNprcssman at Chico. Cal, las became violently insane. When he was taken to Reading he tore out the tclcgraphic instrument from the room in which he Was confined, and threw the furniture out of the window.