smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

Editor Democrat The police of the city, who
were engaged at the low rate OF $50 per month
with the understanding that they would be
paid in cash, are to-day tr ying to dispose Of
their scrip for last months services, and are
offered sixty cents on the dollar. Out Of this
they will have to pay, during the three
months coming, for their winter uniforms
Although the taxes of 1876 are payable only
in cash, with interest and costs; and though
tens of thousands of dollars of 1876 taxes have
been paid in since the first of the year, the
salaries Of employees Of the city for 1876 re-
main unpaid and their scrip sells at about
thirty three cents.


In the face Of this the city government pays
premiums and interest, on bonds not only
utterly invalid in themselves as against char
ter and contract obligations, but which (many
OF them have been pronounced as uncOnsti-
tutional and illegal in the decision of the
Master in Chancery of the United States
Court.


II there is a single illegal or fraudulent
issue Of city bonds made under the regime Of
WarmOth or West, or under military appoin-
tees, which is not to-day without question:
but few days since it was made matter OF
special glorification and notice, because a
gentleman just from Europe" had funded
$3.50, 900 OF bonds.


The bonds were mainly or all OF them
drainage series, and not only utterly illegal
as violating both the charter of 1852 So and also
that OF 1869, but were issued under the cor
rupt drainage act Of 1871, which was as un-
mitigated steal as was ever compassed by
corrupt legislation.


The money of the taxpayer goes to pay
premiums on injustice and fraud, while the
police and other faithful servants of the city
must accept scrip at the best they can get
for it.


Is this honest?


Respectfully, s.
Year: 1877

How the News of the Rochester C0nven-


tion was Received at the Capital.


IN. Y. World,]


WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The meagre
reports of the Rochester Convention
published here this morning simply in
tensified the desire to see the proceed
ings in full in the New York papers,
which arrived soon after l O'Clock.
Neither the supply of Worlds nor, in
deed, OF any of the New York
papers met the demand. Since the
speeches of Senator Conkling and Mr..
Platt have been read and the platform
digested, the opinion seems to be al
most universal that the temper OF the
convention, as doubly reflected in the
platform, is hopeless and melancholy.
The entire proceedings of the conven-
ton are regarded rs d confession OF de-
feat through the division in the party
over the policy of the National Admin


Republicans here are even more sur
prised at the decentralization which at
tended the convention in the declina-
ton of candidates for Office last
evening, and In the departure of dele.
gates before the nomination to-day and
In the character of the ticket as finally
made up, than in the proceedings
themselves. They were hardly pre-
pared to see an Indifference to an ex-
tent that admitted defeat at the
polls. The members of the Ad-
ministration regard the result quite
philosophically. The President regrets
It, but doubts II the Republican masses
are as divided as are the Republican
politicians and office holders. He be-
lieved the voters would be united in
the party in favor Of the general course
of the Administration towards the
whole country and in it's efforts to re-
store the public service to higher de-
gree of efficiency. The tone. OF Mr.:
Conkling's speech leaves no doubt OF
his position in the Senate, and the pre-
diction is freely made now that he and
Mr.. Blaine will forgive and forget their
old differences and bind up their
wounds for a united opposition,
Secretary Evarts' views on
the convention and it's work we're solicit
ted, but he did not regard them as
necessary for publication. He had al
ways acted, he said, with the Republi-
can party as party since 1t had been
formed, and had never allied himself
with any particular stripe Of the politics
of the party. It was unfortunate, he
thought, that there were differences in
New York Republican politics which
placed the State in an attitude quite at
variance with the harmony in other
States on questions of national interest.
He hoped that these differences would
not affect the people in the casting up
Of the final result.
Year: 1877

NORWICH, N. T., OCtODef ~.
AS soon as had ascertained the facts set
forth in the foregoing, the subsequent proceed
ings at Rochester interested me no more and
took the train for home at 3: 10 a. n. l did
not care to remain and witness the scalping
of the "Anti-Conkling Republican party"
which has been built up in New York by the
marvellous Civil Service Reform of the Ad
ministratiOn. Having seen it tomahawked,
I was satisfied and had no desire to see the
indignities which knew would be visited up
on the cold corpus in the proceedings of to-
day. On arriving home, I went to the post
office and found the DEMOCRAT of last Sun
day, containing


A DELINEATIoN OF JOHN SHERMAN
in his appropriate character Of MephistO-
pheles. 1t is not my design to criticise that
article. But you will allow me to say that in
bestowing credit upon Sherman for all the
pitiable shams and disgusting frauds which
have marked the first six months OF this
Reform Administration, you do great inius-
tice to two kindred spirits who, If less than
John in magnitude, are certainly his peers in
meanness, as far as they CO. | mean Evarts
and Schurz.


For the present propose to deal only with





Schurz, for the reason that | know him best
and that he has been the buster of the two in
concocting shams. There is probably no man
now in public life so little known, or rather,
so universally misunderstood, as


CARL sCHURz.


He is looked upon by the great mass as a
man of singularly pure and lofty mind,
whose sole weakness is it's tendency to tran
scendentalism, and whose only fault lis that
it is a little too pure and lofty to be effective
in our present political condition. This esti-
mate is ludicrously false and fallacious. I
have known Schurz intimately for some
years. and, until he had betrayed and abused
my confidence in his characteristic manner, l
was his friend. But when found out by ex-
perience that he was


AN INSTRUCTIVE POLITICAL swTNDLER,
an intuitive liar, and utterly destitute OF even
the shadow Of personal honor whenever he
deemed his self-interest at stake, became
his enemy, and have ever since regarded him
with very much such prejudice" as my
Year: 1877

WASHINGTON, Oct. Assistant Secretary
Mccormick says that there is no foundation
in fact for the report that he is to succeed
Gen. Arthur as Collector for the port of New
York.


The information here is to the effect that
Collector Arthur will send in his resignation,
thus enabling President Hayes to make new
appointment without the necessity OF pre-
ceding it with removal.
Year: 1877

The New York Times.-The riot
ers who exulted in the flames
which destroyed the buildings and
goods in transit, at Pittsburg, in
sanely fancied that they were wreak-
ing vengeance on the souIless rail
road corporation. People who live in
Allegheny county will, for years to
come, pay the expense of that wild
days work. The burden will fall on
the owners of real estate and person
al estate. But eventually it will be
felt by every man who hires a roof,
or part of a roof, to cover him, or
who buys food or clothing in Ale
ghany county. As many Of the ri
Oters as remain in Pittsburg will
pay their share. They cannot es-
cape from it, though they may not
own a foot of land or so much as a
hoYel.
Year: 1877

There is sound truth and wisdom
in the following, which we commend
to boys and young men everywhere,
as worthy of.their serious attention:


aThe boy who spends an hour Of
each evening Iounging idly on the
street corners, wastes IN the course
of a year, 365 hours, which, if ap-
piled to study, would familiarizs
him with the rudiments Of almost
any Of the familiar sciences. In ad-
dition to wasting an hour each even
ing he spends 10 cents for a cigar,
which is usually the case; the amount
thus worse than wasted would pay for
10 Of the leading periodicals Of the
country. Boys, think Of these things :
Think how much time and money
you are wasting, and for what ? The
qualification afforded by the lounges
on the corner is not only temporary
but positively hurtful. You cannot
indulge in them without seriously
iniuring yourselves. You acquire
idle and Wasteful habits, which viii
cling to you with each succeeding
year. You may IN after life shake
them of, but the probabilities are
that the habits thus formed in early
life will remain with you to your dy-
ing day. Be warned, then, in time,
and resolve that as the hour spent
in idIeness is. gone forever you
Will improve each passing one, and
thereby fit youself for usefulness
and happiness.
Year: 1877

De Witt Talmage says One Of
the greatest trials Of the newspaper
profession is that its members are
compelled to see more Of the shams
of the world than any other prOfes-
sion. Through every newspaper
Office, day after day, 60 all the weak
nesses Of the world all the Yanites
that want to be puffed all the re-
venges that want to be heaped all
the mistakes that want to be correct
ed; all the dull speakers who want to
be thought eloquent; all the mean
ness that wants to get its wares no
ticed gratis in the editorial columns,
in order to save the tax Of the adver-
tising columns; all the men who
want to be set right Who we're never
right at the cracked brain phnOsO-
pliers with stories as long as their
hair, and as gloomy as their finger
nails in mourning because bereft Of
soap-all the bores who come to stay
five minutes, but talk five hours.


Through the editorial and re-
portorial rooms, all the fOllies and
shams of the world are seen day after
day, and the temptation IS to believe
in neither God, man nor woman It
is no surprise to me that in this pro
fession there are some skeptioal men;
I only wonder that journalists be-
ieVe anything.
Year: 1877

All official documents shall be signed by
the President and the Secretary.


ARTICLE XIV.


The dues of each member of this Union
shall be such sum as it shall fix by a By
Law for that purpose, payable in advance.


ARTICLE XIV.


Any officer may resign his Office by Civ
ing at least one weeks written notice
thereof at a regular meeting. And any
member in good standing shall be entitled
to a withdrawal card on application in
writing to the Secretary therefor, so as to
enable him to join any other Union Of the
Order.
Year: 1877

The meetings Of the Union shall be
opened by devotional exercises If any
member violates his pledge, or any mem
Der has reliable information of another
member violating his pledge, the officer;
and other members of the Union shall use
all reasonable efforts to reclaim such erring
member, but if all such efforts are Un-
availing, then the President may direct tc
prefer charges against such erring member,
and the Executive Committee shall try
the member on such charges, and if they
are sustained, he shall be suspended. But
if such suspended member shall after
wards repent, he may be restored by sign
ing the pledge.
Year: 1877

MATED, BUT NOT MARRIED. The firm
name is Hull & johnson, and the busi-
ness of life is to be conducted in ac-
cordance with the following coniugal
contract: "We regard ourselves as
IN every sense of the word equal to
partners, promising to strive to treat
each other, under all circumstances, as
becomes such. We promise that we
will not try in any other way than by
advice or persuasion to control the ac-
tion of each other. Believing THAT
neither church nor state have" those
who are fired by great social principles
are sometimes above little matters of
syntax) "any business with our affairs,
we propose to live our own lives without
interference to either, farther than, if
necessary, to give security to the
commonwealth of Massachusetts,, that
our children should we be blessed with
offspring shall be, at least, as well
cared for as the majority of those
born in legal wedlock. We further
contract that when mutual love shall
no longer justify our conjugal union,
we shall part, giving the state as lit
tie trouble in our parting as we have
in coming together" The Boston
Herald, in publishing the contract,
states that the father of the bride is
an avowed believer in free love, and
that his daughter and copartner, who
is clerk in leather store, produced
the document one night last week, and
called for his criticism. The father ex-
pressed his approval, and the paper
was signed.
Year: 1877

a WASHINGTON lady get.angry at a
young naval officer because he remind
ed her that he had once participated
Will, her in dance in which there
was a kissing forfeit. A woman does
not get half SO angry when she is
kissed as when she is told Of it. The
rule is. pucker up or shut up.
Year: 1877

THE Sullivan case is not destined to
pass out of the public mind It was
ascertained shortly after the last trial,
that one of the Jurors had sworn false
ly, and that all the circumstances indi-
Gated that several others were probably
equally guilty One Of these men was
indicted and has been under arrest, and
others have left the city Since then,
Investigations have been pushed, and
there is promise Of further revelations
which, if sustained by the facts, viii
show a most scandalous abuse Of the
machinery Of the law to defeat the ENDS
of justice. The matter is DOW under
going Investigation by the Grand Jury.
Without going into detail, the allega-
ton In substance is, that men were Sc
lected and hired in advance of the trial
TO serve on the jury; that these men
were instructed as to the answers they
were TO make 10 all questions put to
them 10 the preliminary examination.
These men were all stationed at conve-
nient places, where they were met by a
court Bailiff, who returned heir names
to the Court as talesmen. Out of this
list the jury was mainly selected, the
jurors giving such answers as to re-
move all suspicion Of their fairness
OF course they were hired to acquit.
Such is the substance of the revelation
which it is said will be made, or has
been made, to the Grand Jury. Il
there be proof to sustain this, then eve.
ry man who was connected with the
fraud, or cognizant Of it, should bt
punished to the full extent Of the law
It is a crime of the most infamous cha
racter. It is a murder of justice.
is poisoning the very fountains of pub
lie safety. Of course nothing shoule
be left undone to uncover everythin!
relating to the whole proceeding an,
the Grand Jury will probably deal rig
orously and fearlessly in the matter


Chicago Tribune.
Year: 1877

AMONG the wonders Of nature in


Algeria, there is river of natural ink.


It is formed by the junction of two
streams, one flowing from region of
ferruginous soil, and the other draining
peat swamp. The waters of the first
are, of course, very strongly impreg-
mated with iron; those of the latteI
with gallic acid. On meeting, the acid
Of one stream is united with the iron o.
the other, and true ink is the result
Year: 1877

The 81. Louis Times says: Richard
Toner, professional rat-catcher of con-
siderable notoriety in New York city,
arrived in st. Louis yesterday, and has
taken contract to rid the Lindell House
ofrats. He is accompanied by one assistant
and has a thorough trained ferret. Mr.
Toner says that rats begin to breed at the
age of three months, and once every
month thereafter produce litter of
thirteen; that the number of the litter
never varies, and is always composed of
twelve males and one female; that if the
number of females were as great as males
rats would become q plague that all the
terriers and rat-catchers in the country
could not keep down. He began operations
at the Lindell last night, in the presence
of half dozen persons. He armed himself
with q dark latern, q gunny bag, and a
peculiarly constructed pair of tongs or
nippers. The tongs are about two and a
half feet long, and have handles like shears
Mr. Toner gave the bag to his assistant,
and took the dark lantern in his left hand
and the tongs in his right. Equipped in
this manner, he crept about the cellars
among barrels and boxes, and every now
and then seized q rat with the tongs. The
assistant, who kept right at his heels,
instantly opened the mouth of the bag and
the rat was dropped into it, the process of
capture not occupying over ten seconds.
Ele says that when he throws the strong
light from the lantern upon a rat it does
not run, but simply turns so as to prevent
the light from shining in its eyes. AS it
turns there is no difficulty in seizing it with
the tongs.


Mr.. Toner did not make any use of his
ferret until about l o'clock, when every
thing was quiet in the house. He first
went all over the premises, examining the
rat holes to familiarize himself with the
rats 'runways. He says tho rats have
certain holes to run through when they are
frightened, and that an experienced rat
catcher can soon learn how these holes
lead. After acquiring this knowledge he
sent the ferret into a rat hole and stationed
himself at the other end of the hole For
instance, he found a rat hole in the pantry
and traced its course down into the cellar,
where it came out in some corner He
started the ferret into the hole up stairs
and stationed himself below with his tongs.
The ferret pushed his way along the turn
ings of the hole and drove the rats ahead
of him. AS the rats ran from the hole in
the cellar Toner picked them up with his
tongs and dropped them into his bag"
Year: 1877

"There is lot of conscientious work in
that" said a friend of mine the other day,
calling attention to picture in which ferns
and other plants had been elaborately
painted in q manner that is called correct,
but which in fact is incorrect, for it is not
the way that objects look in nature. You
may draw as elaborately as you please, in
your painting, if you are able to keep your
work from looking finicky. But the pic
ture to which he pointed was good exam
pie of so-called "conscientiousness. It
had a dead, superficial look, not unlike
that of spatter-work."


Once, doubtless, to call work of art
conscientious" was to praise it, There
are cases still when the word not only ap-
plies, but carries a legitimate compliment.
Nowadays, however, if you hear a picture
or poem praised for its conscientiousness,
you may be pretty sure that it is dull.


Writers and authors should remember
that the public have nothing to do with
their methods or their workmanship. Con.
sclentiousness relates to workmanship. We
should not be particularly called upon tc
notice, not even to admire, that. A man
deserves no great credit for doing his work
conscientiously. Not only every English
man, but every man, is expected "to do his
duty" Tell me work is consicntiously
done, and | suspect that it is stupid. Tel
me that it is good, and am satisfied.


Besides, the public is easily deceived
about this matter of conscientiousness both
in literary and in plastic art. A piece o.
writing which impresses one with the
authors learning and labor is very apt not
to be as cable production as the reader
thinks. And in the matter of painting il
is notorious that the public constantly
makes the mistake of believing that atten
ton to certain petty detail consumes more
time and thought than attention to other
and more important, things.--.ScriJncr. 70,
,July.
Year: 1877

THE Nor MON THEocRAoY.-A writer in
ScriJner for July maintains that the cause
of the conflict between Mormonism and
American civilization lies deeper than the
institution of polygamy. We quote as fol.
lows:


Not few have made haste to assume
that polygamy is the sole cause of trouble.
But the record excludes the idea; the
Mormons had more trouble with the world
before they adopted polygamy than since.
Undisputed facts show that the begin ming
of polygamy in the Mormon church W as by
accident rather than design, to relieve a
few men of their social embarrassments
that the church soon after repudiated it
and denied it for nine years, and in 1872
formally proposed to Congress to abandon
it forever on condition that Utah should be
admitted as State. Polygamy will do for
scape-goat, but the trouble is far more
radical than that: the same results would
soon overtake the Methodist or any other
church, if it should concentrate its forces
IN one State, every man voting, whether as
citizen or juror, at the command of the
bishop.
Year: 1877

The millions of eggs sent weekly to the
Paris market are classified according to
size and quality previous to their exposure
for sale. The first point is determined by
their passage or non-passage through rings
of known diameter, and their comparative
freshness is estimated by mirage" or sub
lection to reflected light thrown out by
powerful lamps. The difference between
an absolutely fresh and a decidedly stale
egg is readily settled by this test, but the
intermediate distinctions are less easily
noted. For this purpose the application of
the brine test is recommended, the fact
being we'll known that if eggs of different
ages are put into a strong solution of salt,
they sink more or less deeply in the liquid
according as they are fresh or stale. There
is, however, an obvious source of fallacy in
this method, if roughly applied, since an
egg that would pass muster as tolerably
fresh when immersed in q weak solution.
would rise to the surface as q downright
bad one in stronger brine.


The difficulty could be partly met by the
invariable use of a standard solution OF
known strength, and such a one is now
recommended by Dion chemist who has
paid much attention to the subject. The
proportions he advises are 81 OF. of table
salt in quart of pure water. Placed in q
brine of this strength, an egg just laid will
exactly touch the bottom of the vessel; il
twenty-four hours old, it does not quite
reach it; if three days old, it floats midway
in the liquid; and if more than five, it rises
to the top. Beyond THE age, the shell rises
above the surface of the fluid, protruding
further and further, within certain limits,
from day to day.-Rural Neo Yorker.
Year: 1877

LONG BEARDs.-The longest beard on
record is that of John Mayo, celebrated
German painter, surnamed "John the
Bearded" who used to fasten it up in his
girdle. Though very tall man, it
reached the ground when loose, so that he
could step on it. The Emperor Charles V.
used to divert himself by making John
stand in the open air among his courtiers,
that he might watch the wind mako it fly
in the faces of the lords OF Sir Thomas
More it is said that he saved his beard by a
joke. The executioner had already lifted
the axe to strike, when his victim, looking
up for moment, exclaimed, cat least let
me put aside my beard that has COM
mitted no treason, and it would be an in
justice to punish it."