smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

to sll IL vaunted plsdr ssioFn psca


l. Rssol5z6 sThar fbc approximation of New
Castle County, ~ both branches Of our State
Legislature Il unjustly apportioned nnd should
be increased and that our candidates for the
next General Assembly are hereby instructed to
make every effort and use every honorable means
at its next session to accomplish this jusi and
desirable end.


S. Resolged, That we deeply sympathize with
the oyer-burdened taxpayer and workingman,
and demand that in both State and National
legislation such action as will speedily relieve
capital and labor from all unjust, unnecessary
and oppressive burdens and exac,ions.


6. Resolued, That we warmly approve OF the
progress made by our last General Assembly In
amending our StateConsttution,a and our revenue,
attachment and exemption laws, thereby ex-
empting one half of the workngmans wages
from attachment and all the wages oil his wife
and minor children and increasing the amount
exempted from execution from Sl00 to about
$500; and greatly reducing our taxes and those
other burdens of government which press hardly
upon the capital, labor, and necessities of the
| people.


I. Resolved That We heartily favor the total
repeal OF all laws for the attachment OF wages,
and all such further legislative and constitutional
reforms as the exgencies of the times and the
Just claims and real welfare of all classes oil the
people of all sections of our State may require


s. Resolved That we congratulate the people
of our County and State upon the capable, hon
| est and economical administration of our County
and State Governments under Democratic con.
| troll, and proudly contrast our creditabe and
| prosperous management Of affairs-with the in
| competent, corrupt and ruinous rule of the Re
publican party in our sister States of the South
in the national government, and in that portion
| of our own county in which they have so long
held sway; and that we confidently appeal to al
good citizens and true Delawareans to join us II
our eff,o,t to preserve the people, the property
| the institutions, and the good name and fail
fame of our Stale from the ruin and dishonor o
Radical negro rule


shooting Affair.


| A young man by the name of John Burke
living in negro settlement called Blanche
about six miles from Smyrna, was having I
friendly sparring match on Monday evening will
a negro named Dave Camomile. They fell ou
while sparrng, and young Burke said he would
go to his house and get his pistol for the negro
The negro left al the same time for his house
! which was near by, and soon returned with a
double barrel shot gun. Burke, with smal
single barrel pistol, and the negro with his sho
gun approached each other to within abou
twenty feet, when Burke fred at the negro, bu
did not hit him. The negro returned the sho
with both barrels, wounding Burke seriously il
the groin and thighs Dr. W II Cooper wa
called in, and thinks Burke will recovcr-E.
Year: 1874

able to Chamber out of it upon the shed
below.


There | remained until the day dawn.
With my returning senses the truth
came to me. That which had murdered
the three men who slept before me in
the blue chamber was nothing mOie or
less than the coal stove.


1t was provided with what is called a
damper. and this being caught in a
manner which closed it sent the poison
ous gas into the room. Ii had been
kIndled as Il wood fire would have been
mt the hour of retiring, by one ignorant
of the danger possible from coal gas,
and they had slept never to wakcn.
Had thrown myself upon the bed, |
also should have been found dead at
daylight, in all human probability.


OF course I reioiccd the household by
my discovery next morning, and equal
ly, of course, Madame Mattcau. who
was not only freed from suspicion, hut
became the object of universal sympa-
thy. She was always grateful to me,
and she proved her gratitude by giving
what soon asked fort the hand of her
g .l""r Gabrielle i'll marriage.
Year: 1874

WASHINGTON. Tuesday, May 10, 1874.


The Banking and Currency Committee will meet
tomorrow to act upon the Senate Finance bill.
From the views expressed by a majority of the
members Of the Committee it is quite certain that
the bill will not be reported back in its present state,
but will be amended so as to make it conform very
nearly to the original bill prepared by the Senate
Committee The proportion of greenbacks for the
additional bank circulation issued will probably be
placed back at 80 per cent although 40 per cent is
talked of as a compromise. Ii is assumed that the
President will sign the bill if 40 per cent is the
figure agreed upon but it is regarded as certain
that he will not approve it if any lower figure is
fixed 1t is proposed TO make the bond re-
demptiop provision take effect in 1875 as in the
Senate bill, but 10 make the interest on
tbe conversion bonds per cent instead OF A..
The provision for tho paying out OF the
oreenbacks converted, for the purchase and retire
ment of six per cent bonds will probably DO left
without change. What is known as the i've per
cent redemption section. which provides that IN
tad of their present circulation reserves the banks
saa keep legal tsuder deposit of five .per cent '"
Year: 1874

tween the amount of salary fixed by law for such
clerks and what he thought they ought to have out
of the extra fund. Next year we may expect the
Secretary of the Interior to ask for the creation OF
Chiefs Of Division of Pensions, Patents, Indian
Affairs &c. through whom he may communicate
with the Commissioners having charge of these
matters.


The House also undertook to make the Congress
sonal Printer an officer of the United States instead
of officer of the Senate. AT present this official
holds his place during the pleasure of the Senate
No matter how efficient skillful he may be, II
some influential Republican Senator wants his place
for friend or favorite, he only has to log roll
little with his fellow Senator's get majority of the
Republican caucus to nominate in secret some
other man. and out he goes. The House thought


that the Public Printer ought to be officer of the
Government nominated by the President and con-


irmed by the Senate. This would give the House
the same control over this officer that it now has
over other executive officers but the Senate is con-
tented with the present arrangement and voted to
leave the Public Printer as he is now an officer OF
the Senate.


The last reform on which the Senate put its foot
contained in the third section of the BILL which
forbade officers of the Government to convert to
their own private use the property of the United
States, the service labor of any person whose
service or labor is paid for by the United States.
This sectlon as is well known, was aimed at prac-
tices that have become public scandals in every
department of the Government. Not only the mem
bers of the Cabinet but the heads of bureaus chief
clerks, and others, keep horses and carriages
at the Government expense which are Oh
tener used for their own private convenience
and pleasure than in the public service
These equipages are cared for and driven by
messengers on the pay-ros of the Departments
The laudaulet scandal has not yet been forgotten
and an investigation Of almost every other depart
ment would show that the Attorney-General was
only doing what many other Government officers
were also guilty of. The House undertook to insti-
tute q reform in this matter, but Frelng-
huysen first moved to except from this
prohibition Commissioner Watts of the Agricultural
Department who not only drives his family about
in Government carriage, but lives in the Agrlcul-
tura Department Building and has his coal and gas
paid for by the United States. This gave
rise to very spicy debate the admins
tration of the Agricultural Department, which
everybody who is acquainted with it knows to
be i'll the main very inefficient, and ended with
defeat of Frelnghuysens amendment by a vote of
"a to D. AfterwaTd, without division, the Senate,
on motion of Sargent, struck out that part of the
section that aimed directly at the use of Govern
ment property for private purposes and thus put its
stamp of approval on the practices that have been
so severely condemned by the people.
Year: 1874

A CAREFUL INSPECTION OF THE WoRK-THE DAM


UNDERMINED AT ITS BASE BIZ A sPEING--cARE-


LEssNEss AND CUPIDIrY OF The OWNERS AND


CONTRACTORS.


NORTHAMPTON, Nav 19.-To-day drove slowly
along from the break in the dam to the meadows,
miles below, where the water lost its terrible force
and deposited nearly 100 of its human victims. But
first, made careful inspection OF tho remalus OF
the treacherous dam, which gave vent to the
food and of the now drained reservoir IN
which the water had suffered itself to be
confined for nine years l say suffered itsef
for it is apparent to any observer that such dam
was barrier presenting no adequate resistance 10
slcb body of water as covered the lli acres OF
Williamsburg reservoir. The only wonder Is that
the inhabitants of Mill River Valley dweit so long III
safety beneath the shadow OF such danger was
informed that the contract required the build
ING of q stone wall, to rise from o width OF
eight feet on a solid foundation at the bottom to
to feet nj the top This wall TO be laid IN the
best known cement aud it was to be enveloped on


either side by mass of earth sloping to the water
edoe M an angle Of 30 degrees, and below the water
at an angle of 45 degrees. 1t is doubtful whether
these conditions were sufficient to insure the re-
straint of the water; but whether they were or not
il does not appear that they were complied with
Instead of beng eight feet thick at the base. the
stone wall proves to be less than six feet
across as ascertained by actual measurement, and
lust where the break occurred could ind no evi'
dence of the stone wall having stood on hard-pan
and the dam keeper said very positively that at that
no,nt il did not 1t is almost incredible that the
wall should have been built for single inch upon
ANYTHING but a rocky bed but such appears to have
| been the case.


| The theory Of the dam-keeper, based upon the ab
seuce of this solid foundation is that the dam wal
undermined at its base by spring to which rubble
stone and sandy soil presented little resistance
There is also reason to believe that the cement wa
not of rst-rate quality, and it is quite plain t.
any observer that the builders of the dam tried t,
| make up for, or hide its general weak
ness. by covering 1t with dirt, chiefly
taken from the sides and bed Of the reservoir
About one-sixth of the upper part of the dam anC
two-thirds or more Of the foundation remain and
should be subjected to thorough examination by
| fifth PAGE,
Year: 1874

channel in some places 100 yards from its former
| bed II seems impossible that nature should ever
in these places wear its old and familiar face to the
surviving residents; but they have gone to work
with stont hearts and willing hands and hope to
succeed in winning the favor of Providence even TO
the accomplishment ofitheir end.


After passing Leeds, in coming from Williamsburg
to Northampton to-day, we came suddenly upon a
distressing scene. wagon, in charge of a select
man and his band of workers. contained the body OF
man just found and about to be taken to the Town
Hall to await identification. woman, whose
brother missing, saw the vehicle slowly climb
ing the hill and, apparently moved by some sudden
and uncomfortable impulse, rushed toward it and
asked to be shown the body. The selectman COM
Piled with her request, and it was at once appa-
rent that the woman's fears were realized
She recognized in the mutilated body, despite the
SCARED face, the remains of her brother. Andrew
Fennessy. Her EXPLANATIONS Of sorrow were agonH-
ing and it was only with great difficulty that she
was induced to leave the spot and allow the body to
be taken to the temporary morgue. few minutes
later we met four men bearing rude litter, upon
which were the mangled remains of young girl
whose age could not have been more than 16 The
clothing was torn from the mud-covered body, the
limbs were bruised and the zee could only be rec
ognized by those who knew it best


Going in the direction whence came the bearers of
the bodies. we soon found tho once beautiful
meadows between Leeds and Florence, where most
of the dead have been found. To lind these mangled
remains has been no easy task. 1t has demanded
the hard labor Of several hundred volunteers fol
two days. and the work Of these kind-hearted men
is not yet done. Many acres were covered with the
great mass of debris from the villages in which the
flood did its worst. Here were the remains of the
dwelling g-houses. factories and workshops which
had 80 completely disappeared from the
sites of Williamsburg, Skinnersyille. Hayden
vile, and Leeds, together with household
furniture, factory fixtures trees torn up
by their roots and a thousand other articles the
whole cemented together by the sediment of the
swollen stream These ruins not only covered acres
but were many feet in DEPTH and every piece was
to be removed before all the bodies could be found
The objects of the search were found in many dis
tressing and almost inconceivable situations, al
ways bruised often mangled, aud sometimes swo-
len to unnatural size, and decomposed beyond
recognition. Eighteen moro of such bodies were
found to-day and still the work goes on, with vast
piles of debris yet to be lifted and sifted with
view to restoring the dead to the bereaved Incl
dentally, articles of value are sometimes found in
the debris. They are carefully preserved to wait
Identification.
Year: 1874

on his male, the leader of the robbers
selected an escort Of good men; and
bade them see. the Englishman safely
through the mountain passes, to pro-
vide him with recreshment, and not to
leave him until he was entirely beyond
the range of danger b. p


The MERCHANT was as much astonished
as he Hss pleased, and he rode on with
a light heart after this adventure, with
his escort before and behind him. f-


A coupleaof hours later they drew up
before a solitary house in a wild, roman,
tic del, and there standing in the
doorway, was the giver Of the silver
button.


He reached out his hand to the En-
glishmas, ard said:


81 arrived before you, my friend, that
4 mi ,e good dinner ready fol
{ yt6d AFTER ye7ur long ride I knew you
would be heIs and under escort, for my
men never fail 70 respect one who car
ries that token from their caieftain's
| hand p
The Englishman1was too much a mar
of the world to express the surprise he
felt-yet his heart was full OF gratitude
| when he sat down to q most, excellent
dinner, that he had met and treated the
stranger so well, that he could receive
his hospitality and protection in turn


His host insisted on his remainins
over night with him, as he otherwise
must camp in the mountains, end al
dawn went on with him in person, ant
did not leave him until he was safe ir
the settled valleys beyond the noun
tain .,,s-ees g;i,-.,rr fas.s


Then he bade him a courteous fare
well, and told him to keep the stlrer but
ton, not only as a memento of him, bu
as token which would be respected b,
every robber who knew him, no matter
| where he was met: a
Year: 1874

A man who died recently did not be.
lieve in disputed wills, and left in his
own clause saving 1t is my desire
that the foregoing request may he fully
carried out, and as have decided
opinion Of the bad effects of law,
therefore hope none of my heirs will
so far forget themselves as to resort to
the law for alleged wrongs in the dis.
tribu ion of the small amount of prop
erty | maf leave; or ii they 50 far for
pet themselves. l therefore require my
executors to deprive snch parties OF
their share of the property tLat may be
due to them.
Year: 1874

Many years ago, Mr.! Abram Oodge,of
the town of Ipswich, Mass, owned a
beautiful horse which was the pet of the
family. He was admired by all who
knew his playfulness and good qualifica-
tions. In the summer it was Mr. Dodge's
habit occasionally to have a frolic with
his horse in his barn yard, then let him
out alone, and he would go to the river,
which vas about one:tnir,l of q mile dis
tant, where he would battle, then 90 to a
common and roll on the grass, then with
the freedom of air start for his home -
His stable was renovated for him while
he was gone, and his breakfast put in his
crib. If he met his master he would
show some coltish prank, bound for the
stable, pull out the wooden pin that tas
tened the door, with his, teeth, and rush
to the manger where he expected to find
his food. One night the horse was sto
len from the stable After the expil alton
of sixteen years Mr.. Dodge was at the
tavern when man drove horse up to
the door Mr. Dodge at once recogniz
ed his horse, and he told the driver his
reason for believing it to be his ;the man
told of whom he bought the horse, anil
said that he had owned him for several
years Mr.. Dodge claimed his horse and
it was finally agreed that if the horse
would, on being taken to his Old stable,
90 through the habit Of bathing, rolling
on the grass, and pulling the pin from
the stable door as above described, that
Mr. Dodge should have him. When the
horse was let out into his old yard he
reviewed the premises for moment, then
started for his old bath-tuh, then for his
green towel on the common, then to his
old stable, pulled the wooden pin, won
for himselfa a good mes, and his old mas
ter his favorite horse. These facts are
vouchsafed for by reliable old residents
of the beautiful, picturesque old town.
and show conclusively the hong memory
of our noblest animal. l.---LoVeU Mass J
Courier.
Year: 1874

BY FRANCES 8. SMITH
Be net unkind to the needy and lowly-
Charity mission is lovely and holy
Hard is the heart that feels not for its neigh
Doom'd by misfortune to groan and to labor.
Be not unkind to tho aged and weary
Life at its close must be darksome and dreary-
Bear their complainings and foibles with meek
You may grow old and display the same weak
Be not unkind to the youthful offender
He to the accents of love will surrender
Force. for time, his wild passions may fetter,
But, in the end, will it render him better?
No, his proud heart hates the strong chain that


binds it,


And chafes, like stream 'gainst the walls tina


con6ne it.


Till gathering strength in its spirit abhorrent.
1t breaks its strong bonds and shoors forth in a


torrent -...., ;.. g
Be not unkind to soul that comes near you
Harshness and anger may cause one to fear
But what a recompense waiteth above you,
If you can teach the rebellious to love you.
Year: 1874

DAMAGE TO THE SS.NoRTH PAclE1c.-
We are glad to know that the damage to
the North Pacific was not nearly so
much as at first reported. Eve or six
hundred dollars, it is now believed, will
repair all the damage she sustained on
that occasion. She will resume her
regular trips the first Of next week.
Year: 1874

1t is impossible, says an English
writer, to exaggerate the ignorance to
which the peasants live and move and
have their being. As they work in the
fields, the external world has some hold
upon them through the medium Of their
senses; but TO all the higher exercises
Of intellect they are perfect strangers.
You cannot address one of them with
out being at once painfully struck with
the intellectual darkness which en-
shrouds him. There is in general
neither speculation in his eyes nor in
telligence in his coHntenance the whole
expression is more that of an animal
than man. The average age at which
the peasant children attend the primary
schools is constantly sinking. Most of
them leave school to begin their long
and weary life of drudgery at nine years
of age. They leave it with laundering
knowledge of reading and writing.
Many OF them are instructed by poor
ignorant women, who just know how to
read, write and cipher. RS matter of
fact. a large majority of the English
peasantry do not read or write.


The focd of the peasantry, in most
instances, is but degree better than
that supplied to the live stock of the
farms. Grstbread, in some localities,
affords the only food which the farm
laborer has There are whole commu-
mites which do not taste meat dozen
times year. Many of these wretched
households subsist wholly on wheaton
cakes and potatoes.
Year: 1874

Both appeared perfectly calm and col.
lected, the gentleman who had reetived
the wounds not being at all shaken and
his opponent still unmoved.


The bright steel flashed in the deeiin'
ing sun and the group made a picture
we'll worthy OF an artists pencil.


One, two, three, in octave, in prime,
they delivered their thrusts and alter
some time they were stopped.


One was wounded, and after a consul
tation the seconds of both parties, deem
ing that both had shown their courage
and satisfaction had been rendered, it
was agreed the fight should end. The
ger rtleman wounded was hit in the hand,
arm and thigh, none Of the thrasts being
dangerous.


The party then returned to the city,
after the principles had shaken hands
and made friends.
Year: 1874

Much has been said in America about
Mr.. Holman Hunts miraculous" pic
ture of the Shadow of Death, and it
has been praised as = revelation of new
capacities in art. | saw solemn per
son on the street with an advertisement
on his back telling where the picture
was to be seen, and shilling passed me
into the solemn show A more absurd
picture was never painted The partic-
ular pretelsion of this picture is its
literalness, but the litter Of shavings on
the floor of the Savior's carpenter shop
seems to account fully and exclusively
for that. The shadow of Death" could
not fall across the light of the window
as represented Such a jewel box as
Mary, the mother, is looking into was
never seen in carpenter shop. Such
silken drapery as is trailed among
the shavings was always impossible in
an association like that, and the Young
Carpenter, the Christ of the piece, is
the funniest fellow ] have ever seen in
a picture His only garment is what
the Indians call breech-clout. II has
the advantage of being fine article Of
figured silk, and though the Savior has
been toiling with plane and saw, and Is
in the act Of throwing up his hands with
a sense Of relief, having accomplished
his DAVIS work and earned his bread in
the sweat Of his face, there Is no trace
Year: 1874

This time it was evident both vert do
ing their best. With the activity Df a
cat one would avoid the thrusts o the
other, and his adversary would, with
equal quickness, delivers riposte. After
considerable exercise on both sides one
was touched and they we're separated,
Upon examining the wound it was pro-
noqnced not dangerous, and they we're
ordered to proceed.
Year: 1874

they went to work in carte, tierce and
seconde. They thrust and parried and
after scientific display and successful
coup droit by one of the gentlemen they
were ordered to halt by the seconds


After an examination it was FUND
that one had received but Sight
wound, and they we're again placed face
TO face
Year: 1874

The amount Of liquid matter which
passes through the microscopical tubes
Of the skin in twenty.four hours, in any
adult person Of sound health, is about
sixteen fluid ounces, or one pint. One
ounce Of the sixteen is solid matter,
made up Of organic and inorganic sub.
stance, which, II allowed TO remain in
the system for q space Of time would
cause death. The rest is water. Be.
sides the water and solid matter, q large
amount OF carbonic acid, gaseous
body, passes through the tubes SO we
cannot fail TO understand that they are
active workers, and also we cannot fail
TO see the Importance Of keeping them
in perfect working order, removing OBJ.
structions by frequent application OF
water, or by some other means.


Suppose we obstruct the functions OF
the skin perfectly by vanishing o per.
son completely with o compound i'm.
pervious 10 moisture. How long will
he live? Not over six hours. The ex-
pertinent was once tried on child in
Florence. Pope Leo, the tenth, on the
occasion OF his ascension TO the papal
chair, wished 10, have q living figure
represent the Golden Age, and 80 he
gilded q poor child over with varnish
and gold leaf. The child died in a few
hours. II the FIR Of rabbit or the
skin Of pig be covered with solution
OF India rubber in naphtha, the animal
ceases 10 breathe in two hours.