smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

Nearly all the inhabitants of Traverse
City were awakened from sleep about
half-past two o'clock Tuesday morning
by deafening report followed soon
after by rattling of glass and a general
shaking of the buildings. The cause of
this commotion appears to have been a
meteor that passed over the town at the
time. We have seen three or four diff
ferent persons who were eye-witnesses
of it and they seen to agree substantially
in the statement that it came from the
east or little south of east and passed
over tho town in a westerly course.
When little beyond the town a dozen
or more pieces were thrown off in APP
pearance the size of mans fist. In
color it was bright fire red. 1t rapid
ly approached the horizon and between
four and five minutes after its disap-
pearance from view a report like heavy
thunder and the shock of the explosion
came. Mr.. S. r. Bassett, who lives on
the shore of Carp Lake, informs us that
he was awakened by terrific explosion
and that he found the next morning a
place on the lake where it apparently
struck the ice and went into the lake.
He says the ice was solid and between
twelve and fourteen inches thick, and
that it was all driven downward into
the lake, making hole about fifty feet
across. We have not heard from To-
calities very far away yet, but at May
field and Williamsburg we are told the
shock was felt very perceptibly.- y.-Ira-
UerSe Ban Mich J Ed0le.
Year: 1879

When your dish-towels begin to
wear out, fold them together, the best
outside, as small or large as you like,
and run together around and across
through the center with coarse thread,
then when you require new dish-cloth
you will not take /" any old rag"
Year: 1879

When sweeping, dip your broom
occasionally in water, hot is best, and
keep the dust from flying over every
thing. Coarse salt sprinkled over the
floor occasionally is said to keep the
moths out of the carpet.
Year: 1879

tive jumped the track and was piled into
the ditch IN awful mass. Some of the
coaches considerably smashed, and some
Of the people badly bruised, but no one
was killed, and of course our train escaped
entirely. Satan must have cared for big
Tom, the other engineer. He did get
bruise, but was up and across the fields
like deer, screaming and shrieking like
a mad tiger. It took five men to bind him
after he was run down, and to- day he is
the worst unatic in the state.


"Tom was II good fellow, continued the
engineer, after a pause, land he used to
take his glass pretty regularly. l never
saw him drunk, but liquor kept working
away on his nerves till at last the tremens
caught him when he had hundred and
fifty lives behind the engine. He broke
out all of sudden. The fireman was
thrown off the engine, all the steam turned
on, and then Tom danced and screamed, f,
and carried on like fend. He'd have
made awful work, sir, but for God Is mercy
I'm trembling yet of the way he came
down for US, and III never think oft with
out my heart jumping for my throat. No
body asked me to sign the pledge, but
wanted my name there. One such night
on the road has turned me against intoxi-
eating drinks, and now that I've got this
red ribbon on can talk to the boys with
better face. Tom is raving as l said, and
the doctors say he'll never get his reason
again. Good night, sir, my train goes in
ten minutes.
Year: 1879

ANOTHER outspoken Southern editor
has been heard from. The Jackson Miss }
Clarion, in recent issue, says: "If by
cones are to be by cones. let them be so
in fact as well as in pretention; but this
system Of pensioning the soldiers who
fought on the winning side of the war at
the expense of the side that lost, is not
only disagreeable reminder ofby- cones
but most unfair and iniquitous proceed
ing" Union soldiers are also given to
understand that while the South controls
Congress they may expect no more PEN
sions and no more extra pay. In fact 10y
atty is out out Of date; treason is now the
the arbiter Of the nations destinies. 49,
San Jose Mercury.
Year: 1879

He had recently bought new necktie
and donned it for the first time on Sun
day morning. 1t was one of the small
black ties, with vil.ainous rubber loop.
During the singing of the first hymn pre-
ceding the sermon it fell into the preach
er's lap. In vain he tried to get it back.
The button lodged the loop, and the rub
Der snapped at the button. The preach
er's fingers trembled with nervousness
the last strains of the organ faded away,
the audience sat down prepared for the
customary Sunday nap.


To say that the preacher was nervous
gives but faint idea of the situation.-
In vain he tried to screen himself behind
the narrow desk ; red and redder grew
his face, his fingers were dancing all over
his neck and throat trying in vain to
lasso the elusive button with the elastic
moose. The small boys snicker reached
his ears like the crack of doom the head
of the singers began to peer over the
choir rail to see the cause OF the delay,
while the preachers face glowed like
scarlet and his fingers searched with
tremulous uncertainty for the evasive
and treacherous button. The audience
seemed to swell before him into multi~
tude great sea of eyes watch his con-
fusion the first patterings of the great
storm Of laughter, that was surely com,
ing, began to fall upon his ear the rub
Der snapped in mockery, the gold button
still led the loop ir vain chase ; more
and more the trembling fingers inter~
twined themselves IN laundering clumsi-
ness the contortions of the face became
more marked the scarlet hues deepened
into the hot glare of conAagration ex
istence became burden, and tho preach.
er's chair greater instrument of torture
than the rack of an inquisitor.


At last the crisis came. Rising up,
holding the crumpled but triumphant
tie in his hand, the preacher asked to be
excused, retired to his private room,
where before the glass in single mos
ment the deranged toilet was adjusted.
lie returned to his pulpit wiser man.
He will buy his ties earlier in the week,
and will go on dress parade before com
peient official before venturing on tho
platform. His experience may lead that
parish to the appointment OF dignitary
who shall examine the ministers as the
heel-rappers do the cars at the stations
to see if they can go in safety. One more
experience would result either In flight or
apoplexy.-C CHRISTIAN Leader.
Year: 1879

AN old darkey caught two pound suck.
er one day and was so we'll satisfied with
his work that he lay down for nap With
the fsh besides him on the grass. Anoth.


er darkey came along presently, picked
up the sucker and left hafpound one
in its place. When the first man and
brother woke up, the first thing his eyes
sought was the fish, and it tool, him some
seconds to realize that something had
happened. Then turning his prize over
and examining it all round, he simply
said, "Golly, how dat fish am shwunkedl ,
Year: 1879

FROM the local market reports of the
New York Express we CLEAN that a trade
dollar will now buy strawberry in the
metropolis. This will be encouraging
information to owners Of trade dollars,
who have heretofore been unable to de-
termine what these coins are good for
Rome Sentinel.
Year: 1879

A RELIGIOUS exchange advises people
not to learn to play cards. The writer
appears to forget that good knowledge
Of cards will sometime prevent gam
bier from carrying off slO0 Of mans
money.
Year: 1879

If you think no one cares fo- you in
this cold world, just tell your neighbers
that you propose to keep hens. You will
lie surprised to see what an immediate IN
terest they will mar ilest in you.
Year: 1879

There are many voters in New Castle
county, who desert their party, change
their politics and embrace the tenets
of the men whom they have derlded
and reproachrd as the workers of in
iquity, and ascribe as a reason for their
action, the corruption that SO frequent
iy il seen in the transactions Of men
entrusted with the government OF q
s:ats or nation. There are compara-
lively few Lowever, who take into con
. iera,ion the absurdity Of this lalt
aerirg to the petty whims OF an
inconstant mind before assuming the
responsibility Of standing before the
world in the guise Of trimmer and a
traitor to party principle. 1t is not
An unfrequent occurrence that mel are
dissatisfied with the regular party nom
inees, and hence desire to support the
opposing candidate or withhold their
votes altogether. 1t certainly would
he much more honorable to refuse to
vote, than vote for the candidates on
the opposite ticket for the sake Of cast
ing ballot. As the sentiment of the
people Of the world is tending towards
Republicanism in its literal sense, it is
not strange that the better class Of
Democrats, should join the party OF
freedom and equal rights but it is
contrary to the laws of nature to see a
man loving liberty and honest govern
ment, proclaiming his allegiance to the
party Of despotism, thraldom and du-
plicity. Unfortunately the country is
burdened with wiseacres who are con-
tinually hsrping on their favorite sub
ject---ths corruption that is in politics;
and they advise young men to discoun-
tenance the science Of government, for
they say that politics lead men astray,
corrupt their morals, and make them
unfit for good society. Was there ever
more senseless advice given by men
Who make pr-tentions to learning and
wisdem Do these men suppose that
the country shall govern itself after the
present generation shall have passed
away! 1t can truly be said that the
science Of government is as free from
blemsh as It was when tho christian
founders Of the Republic laid the fouu-
dations of liberty, and formed the
principles that ara now cherished by
the Republican party, and scorned by
an infamous horde of land pirates, who
prey upon free institutions and the
rights Of Universal suffrage. We hope
that 10 honest Republican will b- found
rejecting the principles Of equal rights,
homes. money, honest government and
liberal education, nor vote for sending
the SCUM Of the earth into the council
chambers and the executive halls of
the nation. The Republican party does
not claim to be composed of saints as
some Democrats would have US believe
concerning their party, but it points
with pride to its banner OF freedom, as
it is spread before the world, with the
words, preservation Of the Union and
liberty and justice to ALL" written in
indellible letters, and bidding welcome
to the oppressed Of the 30 nh, and
the down trolden monarchical ma
tions. This the Democratic party
cannot do without tresspassing upon
the cr-dulity of tn. people who regard
with contempt the pretence to honest
Intentions.
Year: 1879

THE people of Rouen are talking about
an amusing case of attempted murder,
which is to be tried by the tribunal in a
few days. At the end of last summer a
young married lady of good Norman SO.
cicty, while at the seaside, was insulted
by young man whose assiduties she
had repellea. She said nothing to her
husband, but determined to take her re.
venge herself. Being a good swimn er
she waited one morning till the young
man took his bath, when she swan uu
to him and gave him such ducking that
he was within an ace of drowning. The
young man has now brought charge o.
attempt to murder against the lady, an,
the court will no doubt decide that h.
only got what he deserved
Year: 1879

THERE is NO ESCAPE from the evil of
public debt. IL rests upon, all and bears
more severely upon the poor than upon
the rich. The renter, in fact, has the
greater part of it to pay. He Is sure to
have the tax added upon the interest of
the cost of property, and the poor cannot
escape. Occasionally the rich do avoid
the payment of taxes; but nevertheless
they add it to the rent, just as though
they had paid it. 1t would, therefore,
seem that suffrage in such case would be
of more value In the tenants hands than
in those of the rich, insomuch that he
would be sure to vote TO keep those out
of power who favored extravaganza and
debt. 1t is a rare thing to hear one in
these advanced days propose to confine
suffrage to those who own property in
cities. Such proposition obtains no
favor anywhere in the Northern States I;
and was only proposed for the Southern
States when suffrage was about to be
conferred on the slaves by the leaders of
the Republican party. But they differed
as to whether education as a qualifica-
ton would not be more certain to aid
their party. Hoping that they could keep
the whites out of the schools until they
could educate the negroes to read, they


favored the latter, but finally determined


to make suffrage universal and to use the
army and negroes to force the election in
their favor. Universal suffrage in this


instance proved failure, A child may
read, but he is not qualified to vote
neither were the inexperienced slaves who
had been taught to read. The uneduca-
ted poor whites in this country had
training by mingling with voters from
their youth and made themselves ac-
quainted with the effect of vote. The
foreign population, against whom the
Republicans have urged war at the polls
for so many years, are required to become
naturalized before they can vote, and
during this period of five to seven years,
they inform themselves remarkably well
upon nearly all political questions, and
have rarely been found voting on the


wrong side of politics. While property
should form no basis for the Anglo
Saxon, IL would have been far better for
all had it been made basis for negro
suffrage in the South. A week or two
ago, Mr. Cain, negro from South Caro-


lima, made speech in Congress In which
he undertook to prove from statistics that
| there were more negroes than whites in
the South, in proportion to population,
who could read and write. This may
seem strange; but his declaration was
not contradicted, and it was repeated in
a lecture delivered by him in Baltimore
one night this week. He assigned as a
| reason that the whites were "huiiy" du-
| ring the first ten yeas after the war and


would not send their children to the
| public schools With negroes. These schools


w.le mostly in tie hands OF white North
ern men and women, who made them


selves especially hateful to the poor


whites in SO many ways that it is not to


be wondered at that the result ment oned


by Cain should have followed.
Year: 1879

The DAILY GAZETTE is sent TO all parts
Of the country, postage paid, for THREE
DOLLARS year, In ADVANCE. IL contains
all the local news and most important
news of the day. II gives In brief just the
news the farmer or the business man need +,
at half the cost of the two cent papers I;
and as much as man ought to read OF an
evening or morning. Subscribe for 1t at
once by renitting a money order for a
wear or six months.
Year: 1879

TIE RADICAL CoNGREssMEN have
done SO many bad things that they are
afraid of the people, and hence their per-
sstence in voting to keep up large ar
my. Voters will bear in mind that a
great part of the odious taxation arises
from money uselessly spent on the stop
heavy" army and navy.
Year: 1879

The bill now before our legislature allowing minorities representation upon corporate boards is an improvement, as we'll as an extension o1 the principle. The ordinary form in use 1T this state-the limited vote-is obviously i'm perfect. It accomplishes it's result simply by the device of denying the elector the privilege of voting for the whole board to be chosen in that way giving the minority the remaining names. This may be far enough when there are but two political parties. But suppose there are three? The majority party takes the majority of the board, while one of the two minority parties must go unrepresented. There is another difficulty. The limited vote makes the caucus nomination of the minority unassailable. Take the election of board of five selectmen, for instance. If the majority put up a bad man, the minority may contest his election with just the same chances of de- feating him which they would have under the old form of election by majorities only. Sup pose, however, it is the minority who make 8 bad nomination.? The majority are unable to attack the objectionable nominee, except by some plan of dividing their vote which would not only be very difficult of execution, but might risk the loss of that majority of the board which they already hold. The easy at- tack of bad nominations is one of the prime requisites of every plan of election, but par ticularly of plan which, like minority repre- sentaton, is apt to give increased power to party caucuses

 The form of minority voting proposed for corporations is that commonly called the ''cu- mulative" vote. This method gives the voter as many votes as there are officers to be chOs- en, and thus allows him to ''cumulate" those voter upon one or more candidates by repeat ing their names upon his ticket. Where, as in the case of elections by corporations, the votes has as many votes as he has shares of stock, this method would probably accomplish it's object conveniently and effectually. Take, however, the election of our town boards, and this plan would prove very imperfect. A member of the majority party, for instance, wishing to choose three out of board of five, would meet this difficulty he would have five votes to give three candidates; he might assign two apiece to two; but would have but one left for the third. Members of the minority party would have just the same trouble. Nominating two candidates, they could give one, three votes; the other, but two. To remedy this difficulty the free" vote has been proposed allowing the elector te use fractions in order to equalize his votes among two or more candidates. For instance, vot- CT wishing to divide f1ve,yotes between three candidates, does it accurately as follows:
Year: 1879



 This arrangement is effectual, ,but for its intelligent use, presupposes better knowl- edge of fractions than all voters possess. It might also put it in the power of ill-disposed persons to puzzle those counting the votes, by the use of complicated fractions for the mere purpose of annoyance

 We have ourselves favored modification of the free" vete which would relieve the voter of all the trouble of dealing with fractions himself, and which would place no heavy bur den upon the counter. Under this plan the voter is allowed but one vote for the board. If he places but single name thereon, that candidate is credited with one full vote if two names, each takes but half vote; if three, each name gets buta third. In this way the voter may, if he pleases, place any number of names, not exceeding that of the full board, upon his ballot; but, the more. names there are, the less is the value of the vote to each name. This plan enables the large majority to take more than their bare majority of the board chosen, and the small minority to con- centrate upon single candidate. The minor fly nominations, also, are always open to at tack from the majority; and bolters are en- couraged by the opportunity of concentrating their force upon single name. Take the or dinary case of the election of board of five. The minority party can contest the election by a nomination of three candidates or they may ''accept the situation" by the nomination of but two In the latter case, if one of the names proposed is objectionable, the majority may defeat him by increasing the number of their candidates to four. A system like this, which leaves all nominations open to attack, CT and but little on the counter, seems to us preferable to any that has yet come under our notice.
Year: 1879

ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF THE TERRIBLE DIsAs-


TER OFF THE COAST OF MAINE.


EAsrpoRr. March 10, 1870.


Tho following arc additional particulars OF the loss
Of the English ship Turkish Empire. reported last
night At tho time OF the disaster she was In charge
of Pilot Cline stiff gale was blowing Friday night
and the ship sailing under close rccfed Sails.
when the cry of Land hoi' was shouted by tho
watch Before the ship could bo put about sho went
ashore on Big Duck Island. Grand Menan, OF tho
northeast coast of Maine. The wreck was soon dis
covered by fishermen on shore. who set about to
render what assistance lay in their power. Boats
were launched into tho raging surf and became al
most untcnable by the furyof tho water. which
making quick work of the Turkish Empire. and be-
fore succor st hand she went to pieces. Seven
of the aud Pilot Cline managed by almost super
Year: 1879

. point about fifty yards below Hammersmith
Bridge. when Ross overlook him and drew away.
winning the easily by about eight or ten lengths
The betting at the start was to and to on EN-
NETT. which freely laid. The water was
to.erably smooth start effected at hals-past
three p. NJ. when Emmett at once took the lead and
maintained it by about boat length until tho soap
works reached, when Ross gradually drew
away, and just below Hammersmith Bridge took his
opponents water. and on going under the bridge
was three four lengths ahead and rowing very cooy
and steadily. After passing the bridge both men felt
the effect Of tho rough water in Corney Reach. but
after they passed Chiswick the into
a mere procession and Ross won easily-some say by
six, some by eight and others by ten lengths. The
umpire. in reply inquiries. stated that Ross won
very easily. At the close of the Emmett looked
rather exhausted. but Ross appeared quite fresh
Wallace Ross is q native of Dorchester. N. B..
is twenty years of age six feet inch in
height and weighs about ITS pounds when in con-
dition for rowing match He has had several con-
tests In his own country before coming to England
among others with Plaistcd. Brayley and Warren
Smith. all Of whom he defeated He then aspired to
such game Hanlan, but here he met more than
Q match, as Hanlan beat him twice-the first time
October Is. 1877. and the second time at st. John
when in the race Ross fell overheard. 1t was about
one mile from the starting point. when Hanlan was
leading length that Ross put on spurt to get
even with him. In doing so his oar leaped out Of
tho patent rowlock. the spring which confined it
giving way, and in an instant Ross thrown into
the water. He was rescued by tho men in the tug
which was following the race.


The victory Of Ross over Emmett twho has won
two good quite recently on the Tyne) Mas had
the effect of making Hanlans chances with Aawdon
appear the more favorable. The following is what
tho Spotsnsaa says of Hanian. the oarsman :-He il
ut BrooklAnds. Manchester and is going
through daily routine OF strong exercise both
afoat and ashore. He will shortly remove to New
castle and go into regular training the Tyne At
present he is out of condition. he scales 172
pounds against l48 when he rowed Courtney. Ho
also complains that his hands are very tender from
lack Of work.


"a match has been made between the champion.
Elliott and an unknown. over the Tyne course to
take place q month after the Hanlan- -Hawdon match
The name of the unknown will be declared on the
day Of the Hanlan- Hawdon match"