smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877




A FTER lapse of twelve years there
IA are still those who doubt that John
Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Lincoln,
suffered death for his great crime. From
time to time his presence has been re-
ported in various quarters and currency
given to statements. of his recognition in
Cuba, Italy, South America, and even
in different sections of the United States,
by those who had known him profess
sionally and otherwise before and during
the war. Others admitting his death
claim to know the last resting place of
his remains. For a number of years
some ladies of Baltimore are said to have
annually decorated with floral offerings
a grave in the vicinity of that city in
which the bones of Booth are supposed
to lie. A correspondent of the Cincin-
natl Enquirer states that he is buried in
the soil of Maryland between two lofty
mountain ranges and predicts that
monument will yet be erected to
perpetuate his memory. That these
several theories are fallacious, that Booth
met his death in the manner officially
reported at the time, and that his body
was forever hidden from sight in q Sc
questered place, known only to those
Year: 1877

I Asst week told of a marriage where
- the daughter feared the mother and
now will tell of q case where the tables
were turned, and mother ran away to
be married unknown to her daughter.


l want you to marry u.s." an ordi-
nary-looking man said when went to
my front door one afternoon in reply to
demand for my presence; ''and there
is the license" he added.


With pleasure" replied. GO Please
bring in the lady" for saw he wished
to be married on the spot, and was in
great hurry.


She can't come in," he said " she
came a horseback with me, and we are
in desperate haste. Please come down
never mind your hat-and marry US
on our horses. You see we are in such
a hurry"


Iwent down to my gate, some sixty
feet from the front door-for we lived in
the suburbs of the town-and, sure
enough, there was woman there on
horseback in calico dress and deep
sun-bonnet, holding her companions
horse by the bride as he got on


Il will not marry you in the street,
/ said. |" Ride at least into my yard -
and / went in. Now, there was hedge
of boiS dare, or Usage orange, along my
front fence twenty feet high. 1 had in
terwoven the branches over the gate, so
that we had to stoop in entering on foot.
OF course it was impossible to ride on
horseback through the close and thorny
barrier, and went up to the house, ,Ieav-
ing them to do as they pleased. Fastening
their horses very reluctantly, they came
into the house. made swift ceremony
of it. The bridegroom forgot to pay me
my fee-which was perhaps his revenge
upon me for my obstinacy-and mount
ing their horses they were soon out of
sight.


Hardly were they gone before young
girl rode up on pony to the gate, jump
ed off and ran in, exclaiming, "Oh, am
1 too later"


She was nothing but an ordinary coun-
try-girl, not at all pretty, much freckled
evidently used to hard work, adorned
with the duplicate of the calico dress and
gingham sun-bonnet worn by her moth
er. The ladies of my household took
pity on the poor thing as she sank upon
the mating in the hall, weeping and
lamenting. She had ridden hard, was
very dusty and thirsty, and it was i'm
possible not to sympathize with her. 1t
was easy to imagine her story before she
told it.. "My mother is poor, sickly
woman. She is almost worked to death
already since father died." she sobbed.
Year: 1877

Very early yesterday morning the store OF Mr.. Pike,
the optician, at No. 5ls Broadway, was entered by
burglars. Officer Maher who was on post at tho
timc discovered that they had made a large hole
through the panel OF the door and through the zinc
plating which lined It. On forcing his way in he
found the door Uttered with optical and scientific
struments, and he ut once had the owner sent
iGE Mr. Pike made an examination, which
showed that the contents OF front and OF
drawer In the rear had been carried OH, the whole
being valued at about 81 500 several small thcfts
havc In the past, been committed Ia the s,ore and
from mis- knowledge oil them the proprietor
aged to believe that he set the detectives on the
track Of the criminals
Year: 1877

fENHE design of this work, which has been
Il very carefully prepared by Judge L. O.
Bridewell, of Copiah county, and which will
supersede the Form Book heretofore issued
by the undersigned, is to impart to novices,
gentlemen not learned in the Jaw above their
fellows, the 1outine of business required of
WON when they assume the responsible and
then important office of Justice of the Peace.
Under the present Constitution of Mississip-
pi, the jurisdiction of Justices of the Peace in
Civil Suits is raised to one hundred and fifty
dollars, and in all criminal matters their Ju-
risdiction is concurrent with that of the Cir
cult Courts in all cases where the punishment
prescribed by the laws does not extend beyond
fine and Imprisonment in the county Jail.
The Office is certainly one Of great dignity, and
the main design Of this work is to be of some
assistance to the unlearned Justice of the
Peace by placing the law relating te his juris-
dictiOn before him in compact form, with forms
and preC eCedents, covering almost, II not every
case, which can come before him. Notes are
added to many of the forms for the guidance
and information of the Justice, endeavoring
thereby toexplain the law and use of the form,
so that none, however ignorant of the law
generally, can 90 far wrong.


The Law, as found in the Code of 1871, and
in the pamphlet Acts since, so far as it is dis
tnctly applicable to the Justice of the Peace, or
the practice in his Court, will be given full, in
arranged under appropriate heads. The whole
will be carefully and fully indexed. Alto
gether, we hazard nothing in saying that 1t
will be the mest complete Manual for Justices
of the Peace ever published in this or, per-
haps, any other State and will he useful to
every attorney, every public officer, every
merchant, and indeed every citizen. AS the
work will not be stereotyped, and as the edi-
ton will be limited TO the probable demand,
those who would secure copies, should file their
their orders without delay. The MISSISSIPPI
JUSTICE will make volume of bout i've hun
dred pages, will be printed on best quality of
paper, and substantially bound. Price, by
mail, $500. Address,


POWER & BARKSDALE


Jackson, Miss.
Year: 1877

When the boys were paying
ten cents last summer for tel
ephone with which to amuse
themselves, they did not foresee
nor did their parents, that this
was the beginning of an institu-
tion destined to grow into one
Of the wonders of the world
Even at this early day, the tele-
phone is the means of communi-
cation between distant cities,
and the project is mooted of lay
ing it by cable under the sea to
connect us in vocal contact with
our friends on the other shore.
Year: 1877

Many Russian ladies in st. Peters
burg have pledged themselves to
wear no expensive garments or cost
" ornaments, nor to indulge in any
luxuries during the present war.
They have resolved to devote the
money they would otherwise spend
ON such things to the nursing of the
sick and wounded. In all countries
women have always shown them
selves ready to do the same under
similar circumstances.
Year: 1877

A Philadelphia and Erie railroad en-


ployee connected with the baggage depart
ment at the depot, startel on Friday
morning last for days shooting. Ile
got off the train at Montonrsyille, with
his gun, provender and Accomplishments


when it suddenly occurred to him that he
had left lis ammunition at home. As he
is man not given TO the use of highly
emphasized or decorative language on &C :
casions requiring something Of the kind,
he simply sat down on cold stone by the
wayside and computed as near as possible
the number of steps he would have to
make before reaching WilIiamsport. This
being accomplished, he took off his hat,
held it ont from him, punched it heartily
with his fist, raised up from the stone. gave
the hat kick westward, shouldered his
gun and started for Williamsport afoot.
Year: 1877

The public in all quarters is gratified al
the intelligence Of the safety of the Berlin
which was detained in consequence Of
breaking her shaft. 1t is not an uneom.
mon casualty to ocean steamers, and it is
to be regretted that shafts cannot be con-
structed of material that is not liable to
fracture in consequence, sometimes, of at
mospheric changes that would not affect
shafts made of other material which could
not be so easily broken.
Year: 1877

The necessity of cheap coal to the COM
forts and even to the cultivation Of the
domestic virtues of the laboring classes is
such that there should be measures imme-
diately taken to urge upon Congress, by
every possible influence, the importance Of
absolute free trade in coal being estab-
lished without delay.
Year: 1877

The fact that the brave and persistent


Gibbon, with his gallant little army,
fought the battle and gained a victory
shall by no means make US unjust TO
Howard. Against the decision of his su-
perisrs too much praise cannot be be-
slowed upon Gibbon, but don't let that
prompt us to any injustice to anybody
else: Let us wait a while longer before


condemning. Gen. Howard was certain
ly a brave and gallant officer in our late
war, and whatever mistakes or indiscre-
tons he may properly be charged with
in his connection with the Freed
mems Bureau, has nothing DO with his
present campaign. That Gibbon is the
best Indian fighter nobody doubts, but
praises to Gibbon don't necessarily mean
INJUSTICE to Howard. 49,,
Year: 1877

The BraiIerd Tribune is troubled over


the fact that only the little thieves in the


pine land steals have been molested,


while the big wholesale boss robbers are
allowed, at least as yet, to go unharned.


Pe,llaps the officials, like the Pioneer
Press on the Page question, are only nib
bling round the edges at present, to whet
their appetite for aquare meal when


the essviands are properly cooked up. It
does seem little strange that some of
those parties that are known to have been
engaged in laying scrip upon pine lands,
until they were stripped of their valuable
timber and then finding they had made a
mistake in the numbers which they vish-
ed to enter, use the same scrip for fresher
fields and better timber, are still honored
citizens while the light men who chanced
to get over the lines and cut few logs, are
held up as the great depredators against
the government. The Brainerd Tribune
bewails this state of affairs partly on ac-
count of its damaging influence to the
Republican party. We confess to full
sympathy with its second cause of regret
viz, Justice and equal rights, bat if the on
ly object in being honest and melting out


justice with an even hand is to save the
life of a political party, then we say the


sooner its eulogy is pronounced the bet
ter for the country. We agree with the
Tribune in its declared results. and hope
now that there has been SO much said
about pine land thieves, that we desire
to see something done or else give us q
rest on pine land frauds. We dislike to
acknowledge that the little story told by
our friend McCaine, in the St. Paul
Chamber of Commerce seems to apply
quite aptly to this pine land prosecution.
Year: 1877

In our last issue in referring to Gen.
Carlin's letter in reference to reservations,
we did not complete our views ON the
SUBJECT, especially in regard to the rea-
son given for increasing the limits of the
Fort Rice reserve. To us the enlarge
ment of It's boundaries seems to tend to
defeat the very object sought to be at
tanned. If this reservation of beautiful
land was settled by farmers, the chances
would be much less for Indians to obtain
whisky and ammunition than now,
when the ceuntty is open for every strag-
gler, who, influenced BY gain, or; from
worse motives, chooses to traffic with the
Indians; for the farmers would, for their
OWE protection and for the safety of their
families, become guardians Of the pub
lie welfare; they would. be auxiliary to
the IN ditaEy in, proseryi.gi the peace Of
the frontier.


If the Indian reservations we're COM
pletely encircled by settlements Of farm
ers it would 60 far toward settling this
Indian question, for the lawless class
who now have an abundant opportunity
to operate with the Indians through this
open country, would be held in check by
the actual settlers for their own protec-
ton and compelled to obey the laws or
leave the country.


We venture the assertion that ten
times more whisky and ammunition has
been disposed of to Indians Immediately
on their reservations than in the settle
ments Immediately adjoining. We have
vet to learn of drunken Indian in Bis
marck. If there has been il has escaped
our observation since we have been here,


We are perfectly satisfied that the
mischief, at least the most of it, is done
clandes timely, close to Indian headquar-
tiers. In saying this we do not wish to be
misunderstood tor we are aware it is done
by renegades but on the reservation, and
not by the actual settlers of the country,
whose interest, above all else, is to keep
these Indians quiet and harmless.
Year: 1877

emily something was touched like the
body. Mrs. Cone motioned with her
hand that it was going down stream
Her directions were followed in direct
line from the boat in which the medium
and her companion were seated and the
hooks soon fastened upon the body and
b. ought it to the surface The position
of the body was partially upright, cores.
ponding to the description as seen by
Mrs. Cone in her trance Of Friday. She
had also seen, while under. the influence,
that the heavy rubber boots had half fill
ed with water and weighed him down.
Mrs. Davis said that the influence un-
der which Mrs. Cone passed while in the
|skif was very severe and exhausting. The
spirit guides made her feel all Of the
drowning sensation experienced by Mr..
Smith and the struggle Was. very hard.
The rash of blood to the head being the
last made her. very weak, and Mrs. Davis
asked Mr.. Butler to take hold. Of MrS.
Cones hand to give her strength: After
the recovery of the body, and indeed a
short time before that, Mrs. Cone was
feeling much better, which she attribute
ed to the certainty that they won Id find
the body. Several times during thu
search the clairvoyant remarked that the
grapnels touched him and that they
would get him. The search was at length
successful and the body was taken aboard
the ferryboat and brought to this city. A
coroner's inquest was held, resulting in
verdict of accidental ldrowning.-S. Pail
DisbatcI.
Year: 1877

As q refreshing contrast, to tho gen.
eral depression of the times and the
consequent developments of much that
is bad in humanity, We note the two
recent acts in heroism, showing that
good impulses, instantly obeyed, are
not 1t ali uncommon. The one case is
that of fireman upon the locomotive
while drawing the train that was
wrecked atWest Philadelphia. A mes
senger boy happened to be riding on
the locomotive at the time 1t Jumped
the track, when he was seized by the
fireman and thrown off, escaping with
some slight bruises. The fireman,
however, failed to save himself, and
was killed instantly, just as he had
performed this act ofIunselfsh heroism.


The other case is that of Mr.. Beatty,
who was sitting on the hotel piazza at
Atlantic City, surrounded by his wife
and children, watching the bathers.
Suddenly exclaimlng that he believed
one of the lady bathers was drowning,
be divested himself Of outer clothing
while running down the beach, dashed
into the water and. in attempting to
rescue the drowning woman, was by
her drawn under and both perished.


These two acts were in obedience to
good impulses-impulses which make
angels-and should be studied with
care by all who believe with US, that
the world contains many more good
than bad people. There was no hope
of reward or prospect Of glory before
these two heroes; but it was sufficient
for each Of them tia. an opportunity
offered itself to save human life with
out calculating, or even thinking, OF
the risk incurred in so dong The Sc
quel proved that the risk was heavy
one. and in the turn Of the chances
they lost. Their enjoyment of this
worlds pleasure came to an aorup'
ending; but surely there must be
beautiful resting place, beyond, wher'
such men can enter. with no other IT'LL
Ito admission than the last thought ant
Year: 1877

There are four or five different kinds
Of babies. There is the big baby, the
little baby, the white baby, and the
poodle dog, and there is the baby ele-
phant.


Most of these babies were born in a
boarding house, except the baby ele-
phant; | think he was born on rail-
road train, cause he allus carries his
trunk with him.


A white baby is potter nor an ele-
phant baby, but he can't eat SO much
hay.


All the babies what I have ever seen
were born very young, Specially the
gal babies, and they can't none of them
talk the United States language.


Nv father had-I mean my mother
had baby once. 1t was not an ele-
phant baby; it was little white baby;
it coined one day when there was nos
body at home; it was funny looking
fellow, just like lobster.
I asked my father was it boy CT
girl, and he says he don't know
whether he was father or mother.


This little baby has got two legs, just
like a monkey.


His name is Mariah.


He don't look like my father nor
my mother, but he locks just like my
Uncle Tom, cause the baby amt got
no hair On his head.


One day I asked my Uncle Tom what
was the reason he amt got no hair and
the baby amt got no hair. He says
he don't know, 'cspt that the little baby
was born so, and he was q married
man.


One day pulled feather out of the
old ROSTERS tail and I stuck it up the
baby's nose and it tickled him so ne al
most died. 1t was only bit Of a
feather, and I didn't see what he wan
ted to make such fuss about for. Ny
mother said oughter be ashamed OF
myself and | didn't get no bread on my
butter for morn a week.


One day the sheriff come in the house
for to collect a bill of 50 for crockery.
NY father says he ''can't pay the bill"
and the sheriff he says, ''then l take
sonething," and he look around the
room an he seed the little baby and
be say, "Ah, ha! take this" and he
picked up the little baby, and he wrap
him up IN newspaper, and he take
him away to the station-house.


Then my mother she commenced to
CRY, and my father say, "Hush, Mary
Ann, that was all right. Don't you see
how we fooled that fellow? Don't you
see the bill for crockery was for SO,
and the little baby was only worth two
and half


I think I'd rather be a girl, not .
boy, cause when girl gets whipping
she gets it en- her fingers, but when
boy gets licking he gets it all over.


don't like babies very much any
how, cause they make so much noise:
I never knew but one quiet baby, and
he died.
Year: 1877

act of their lives, and without any rig
id scrutiny of past deeds. If tae doc
trine of the redemption of the world
has its foundation in laws of nature or
morality, then such men live forever.
Year: 1877

NAY iCIu 'NS DriA S'"'f nus ~


Several weeks ago an Clevcn-ycar-
old daughter of Il Ballard county far
mcr myStcriously disappeared, and all
efforts To find out her whereabouts
were frIIitlcSS until ten days after her
disappearance, when II ncighbOring
farmer, while out searching for his
COW, heard the cries aS of some one in
distress, and following the direction of
the sound found the lost child in Il
dense thickct with both hands tied
together with Il rope, one end Ofwhich
was tied To a tree. Near the tree were
some old clothes upon which the child
slept The farmer inquired of the
child how she happened to bc there in
that condition, when she told him that
Il negro man had brought her there,
and that he came every night and
brought her something Ia cat and
drink, and that hC violated her person.
The farmer told the child Ia remain
quiet until night and ne would pro
cure assistance, and when the negro
came lack that night they would
secure him, which they did. When
the girl was asked what must he done
with him she said to ''ekin him alive, y
which they proceeded To do immediate
lv. They commenced at the crown Ol
his head and stripped the skin To his
feet. He only survived about five
minutes after the operation.
Year: 1877

JOHN BRoUaHAM says that "life itself is
game Of chance. The very axiom,
nothing is certain, disproves even the
certainty Of nothing being certain. The
very machinery Of the armament Is q
sublime game of billiards, in which the
stars are the balls. and the cues the
centrifugal and centripetal forces"
BRoUGHAM is talking simply for the sake
Of talk, and not for the sake Of truth. Were
his theory correct where would be that
splendid equilibrium which We find so
amply preserved throughout all the realms
Of spaceH Were the machinery Of the
armament sublime game Of billiards, as
he affirms, and the cues the centrifugal and
centripetal forces, and the whole controlled
by the caprices Of chance. chaos would
reign, and clash Of solar systems and the
utter destruction OF the machinery OF
the universe would follow, leaving one
illimitable ruin throughout the realms
OF space. Were BRoUGHAM's theory
correct there would be times when the
Democratic demagogue would be found ex-
pounding the true principles Of honest
Government-a thing which never happens
under the present incompatible system Of
law and order which grace the Universe.
Were nature subject to the vagaries Of
chance, apple trees would be fruited deep
with pumpkins grape vines would yield
potatoes. rose bushes would grow pansles,
plants which this year may be laden with
fragrant heliotropes might bear odorless
flowers the next


CRoNIN's nose, with all It's blushIng
swell, might have been under his arm, and
that fastidious palate Of his. which was
such skillful judge of spiritus fsrmsnti,
might have been In his ear, and
his ear on his elbow. SAMUEL
Cox's voluble tongue might have
been in the mouth Of some Member with
less brains. The Committee of Appropria-
tons hands might have been slung alto
gether to the shoulders Of the extravagant
SPRINGER, and thus would have been
buried constantly In Uncle Sans pocket
for JoB's sake. Indeed, the csprices Of
chance might have made FIELD TWEED
and TWEED FIELD, and the Tombs OF New
York might have been in Washington, and
the Goddess of Liberty outraged aud
drowned In the Potomac. But as Chance
Is not King law and order reign. and the
Electoral Commission, guided by their be.
nIgn influence. Is preparing to declare
HAYES as elected. and the American people
are making arrangements to secure his
pesceable inauguration.
Year: 1877

AN OUTRAGE ON COMMON HUMANITY.


The spirit of bull doing has fastened 1t.
self upon the House of Representatives
with force and enthusiasm even greater
than 1t has exhibited In the South, where
the system was first created by the ruling
passion OF mob violence. The Democrats
look upon Governor WELLS as their chief
enemy. Their smmissaries failed to pur-
chase his honor and integrity by their gold


and now in spirit Of bitter spleen they
are endeavoring to ruin his physical health
by sacrificing his personal liberty in the
grim Bastile Of the Capitol. They have
thrown him into dungeon with iron bars
at the windows, mouldy walls a his conf
fines, and amid these filthy and degrad-
ing surroundings. they are compelling
him. In violation Of the most sacred rights
of an American freeman, to drag out day
after day awaiting their peculiar pleasure.
The Constitution confers no right upon the
House Of Representatives TO deprive an
American citizen Of his personal liberty,
and yet at the whimsical behest Of mob
violent committee this man is cast into
sunless and loathsome dungeon, IS though
he were common knave and guilty Of a
bloody crime.


But what 10 his offense I 1t is because
he refuses to produce the papers Of a
State, over which he has no
more control and right than has the ruler
of an Oceanic Isle over the Government OF
the American people. 1t is because he re-
fuses to answer questions asked him by a
bull-dozlng committee. which
Is his right to refuse without violating any
law or committing any oGenss punishable
Year: 1877

A GENTLEMAN recently found two mimic
balls imbedded In each other on the battle
field near Petersburg, Va. One was Confed-
crate and the other Federal. They had met
half WAY and embraced each other,