smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1874

A couple were arranging terms for a
separation, to avoid the scandal of a
judicial divorce, and friend bad been
employed by the husband to negotiate
the matter. The latest mission was in
reference to valuable ring given to the
wife before marriage by the husband.
For this hewould make certain much
desired concession. The friend made
the demand. "What y said the indig-
nant wife, "do you venture to charge
yourself with such mission to me
Can you believe that I could tear myself
from gift which alone recalls to me
the days when my husband loved me :?
No this ring is my only souvenir of
happiness for ever departed 'Tis ell !"
--and here she wept-" that l now pos
sess of once fond husband" The
friend, however, iinsisted.i The lady
supplicated, grew obstinate, grew d s.
perate, th eatened to submit to q public
divorce rs a lesser evil than parting
with the cherished ring, and at last
confessed that she had sold it six
months before.
Year: 1874

Hon. Marshall p. Wilder, in his address
before the American Pathological Convention,
uttered the following sentiment:


''That as fine fruits can be raised fiom
seed here as have been produced in any other
country, there is no longer doubt. That
this is the plan prescribed by our bountiFuI
Creator for their production and improve
ment is equally true. That there is any limit
to its progress and extent, we have no reason
to believe. True, the number of superior
fruits Is small compared with the Indifferent
varieties that have come down to Ius from the
past. One reason for this is, that our taste
tor finer fruits has been elevated to a higher
standard, and those of an indifferent or me
dium quality fall out OF the way; and we
have no doubt that the old pears so highly
lauded by historians, were most, if not all
OF them, only coarse unmeltng kinds. When
we reflect upon what has been accomplished
III the improvement of animals and vegetables
in our own dav, and how many splendid
acquisitions have been brought forth that
command the admiration of the world
when we reflect upon the many fine Ameri-
can fruits already obtained with but compar-
atively little etfort,-we surely have cause
for great encouragement and perseverance.
There is no limit to progress now or hereafter.
and we believe that the fruits OF this earth
are to become more and more perfect as time
adyauces'
Year: 1874

About five O'Clock one fine summers morn
ing, L noticed that where the salt had been
sown the previous day, every grain of salt
had attached to itself the dew, and formed on
its surface wet spot about the size OF a six
pence, the ground being generally very dry.
On our light lands it consolidates them and
makes them especially firm and acceptable to
the wheat plant, whose straw will stand firm
and erect, although four and half to five
feet long. 1t is also uniavorable to certain
weeds by this consideration. 1t prevents the
ravages of the wire worm. IL is especially Ia
vorable to saline plants, such as mangolds.
whose ashes contain fifty per cent of salt. L
never sow guano, except mixed with its own
weight of salt. Like everything else, it has.
am sorry to say, greatly risen in price. L
observe that all crops seem to thrive well on
land near salt water, especially where the
land is drained.-IFes Rural.
Year: 1874

Chicago has new ''medium" who can
make tables follow her about. Young per
sons who mediate going to housekeeping
should hire this lady to persuade a little fur
niture within their gates.
Year: 1874

One of those OH board Her Majcs-
tvs ship Challenger, in her recent
cruise between the Cape Of Good
Hope, the Antartic Seas and Austr.l-
in, writes us follows to the London
Times.


The usual westerly winds and
boisterous weather of the 'roaring
fortics" was experienced as the ship
ran quickly along for Prince Ed
wards Islands, lying l, 100 miles to
the southeast of the Cape; only one
sounding in 900 fathoms being OBJ
tanned to the westward of them, the
bottom brought up by the rod being
pure globigerina oozcs. While sound
ing, a solitary penguin rose to the
surface, barked ut us several times
and dived out of sightagain. Christ
mas Day was spent at sea with any
thing but seasonablc weather, but it
cleared up in the evening, and the
next morning the weather being un-
usually fine, a landing was effected
without much trouble on Marion Is
land, the southernmost of the two
forming the group, and named after
their discoverer.


The rain here for sometime back
must have been nearly constant, as
the ground was one immense boggy
swamp. The slopes of the hills are
used by the prion and other petrels
as breeding warren. They nest in
holes in the ground, under the large
tufts of moss, in such numbers that
we found walking very laborious, our
knee boots breaking in the roof of
the moist nesting place, and sinking
deep into the honey-combed ground
at every step. The whole Of the wet,
sodden flat lands were studded with
the large white albatrosses sitting on
their nests. The magnificent birds,
most of them were asleep, covered
the ground in such numbers that they
looked for all the world like flock
of sheep studded over a meadow.
The nests, used yearly, were freshly
covered with tufts of grass and moss,
and stood some two feet above the
swampy grounds. 1t was evidently
the commencement of the breeding
season, MS few eggs were obtainable.
These splendid birds weigh l94
pounds, and measure lO4 feet from
tip to tip Of wing, seen to such an adj
vantage while in their glory at sea,
SO evidently at home us they sweep
so gracefully through the air, are on
land completely at sea. 1t appears
to be impossible for them to hover;
so, on alighting at the end of u
swoop, the momentum OF the body is
carried on after their feet haye touclt-
ed the ground, until they literally
turn head over heels onto their backs,
from which inglorious position their
efforts to regain their equilibrium are
anything but graceful. While adj
vancing on the nest the neck is ex-
tended and the body lowered rs they
waddle along, exactly like geese.
To rise in the air they are obliged to
run with extended wings for some
200 yards over the soaking grass be-
fore they can obtain sufficient veloci-
ty for the air to get under tho wings
and allow them to feel themselves
again masters Of the situation.
Year: 1874

1t is in the logging camps that a
stranger will be most interested on this
coast, for there he will see and feel the
bigness of the red-woods. A man in
Humboldt county got out OF one tree
lumber enough to build his house and
barn, and to fence in two acres OF
ground. A schooner was filled with
shingles made from a single tree. One
tree in Mendccino whose remains Were
shown to me made mile OF railroad
ties. Trees fourteen feet in diameter
have been frequently found and cut
down: the saw-logs arc often split apart
with wedges, because the entire mass IS
too large to float in the small and mar
row streams, and / have often seen them
blow log apart with gunpowder. A
tree four feet in diameter is called M
dersized in these woods, and so skillful
are the wood choppers that they can
make the largest giant Of the forest fall
Just where they want it, or, as they say,
"drive a stake with the tree.


The choppers do not stand on the
ground, but on stage raised to such n
height as TO eUuDle illc hA w otllhS III
where the tree attains its fair and regu-
lar thickness, for the redwood, like the
sequoia, swells at the base near the
ground. These trees prefer steep hill
sides, and grow in an extremely rough
and broken country, a d their great
height makes it necessary to fell them
carefully, lest they should, falling with
such enormous weight, break to piece :.
This constantly happens, in spite OF
every precaution, and there is little
doubt that in these forests and at the
mills two feet of wood are wasted for
every foot of lumber sent to market
To mark the direction line on which the
tree is to fall, the chopper usually
drives a stake into the ground 100 or
$50 feet from the base of the tree, and
it is actually common to make the tree
fall on this stake, so straight do these
red-woods stand and so accurate is the
skill of the cutters. To fell tree ei9ht
feet in diameter is counted days work
for a man. -Harper's Magasine.
Year: 1874

"A curious fact in regard to immi-
grafton is that many who come to the
United States and Canada are from dis
tricts in the British isles almost as
thinly populated as Dakota or South
Year: 1874

WELL SAiD.-The last issue of
Harper's Weekly, i'll speaking Of the
status OF the Republican party ut this
time, truthfully says as follows: ''No
student of our political history will
deny that the Republican party shows
within its ranks both an indcpcn-
dence of criticism and readiness Of
reform which no other great and dom
inant party has ever shown, and
which is good sign of its real vital
ity, and an augury of its continued
and. deserved supremacy. The
Democratic party, which was SO long
in. the ascendant, became steadily
more and more corrupt, more and be-
sotted with slavery, scorning the
chance which Douglas offered it of
assuming a virtue which it did not
have, until it sunk bcncath the wrath
and contempt Of the people. But it
is the praise of tho Republicans that
their press denounccs most strenuous
~ mal-administration Of every kind,
and that the Congress which they
control scrutinizcs impartially and Sc
verely the conduct of administrative
officers, and that Republican officers
are removed and Republican laws re-
pealed when such action is plainly
proper"
Year: 1874




All the schools in the county have
been visited except those in Madison
Township and Independence. The
secretaries of the former having
failed to inform the County Super
erintendant when their schools COM
menced, and rs the terms were short
er than in most other districts, the
schools were closed before that part
of the county was reached. Much
valuable information has been gained
in these visitations, and in nearly
every school, suggestions were made
with the view Of rendering them
more productive of good. Daily
writing exercises, with the view Of
instructing the pupils in attaining
proficiency in this most valuable
branch Of education, have been sad
ly neglected in most of the schools
in the county. Few schools were
found during the winter term in
which the pupils Of the proper age
wore all supplied with the necessary
appliances for writing, and in which a
particular time was devoted to the
acquisition Of this valuable branch
Of learning.


There were, however, q number
that did exceedingly we'll, among
which was the school at Winthrop,
that deserves special notice in this
respect. Hereafter it may not be
Year: 1874

The NATIONAL FINANCIAL RKPoRu
LEAGUE was organized IN Philsdelphis last
night. The constitution favors the withdrawal
OF all national and state banking currency and
the substitution In lieu thereof of paper
money issued by the government, Interchsnse-
BILE with interest bearing roconyertible bonds.
and to be q full legal tender for all debSs pub
ic and private. An address to the people on
tho subject was adopted.
Year: 1874

1t is said that the Moriah ore miners
are about to make another strike, on ac-
count OF another reduction of their wages.
The company are about to close their
works in consequence of the originating
strike.
Year: 1874

~


Organizations may be broken and pass
away, but Democracy cannot de-. 1t is
endowed with the Immortality of truth
and right. Wherever, in all lands men
aspire to higher, frser, better governments
and purer liberty wherever there is the
sentiment that government is made for
man and not man for government, there Is
the spirit of Democracy that will endure
and yet achieve mans enfranchisement
and elevation.
Year: 1874

A Cincinnati reporter says that there
is something grand in pair Of runaway
horses, but we believe that good deal de-
pends on whether man is on fence or
trying to climb over the end board Of the
wagon.


A man who has travelled through New
Jerssy says. that be saw some land there
so poor that you couldn't raise distur-
banco on it.
Year: 1874

Promising is a ratherish good word, and
sometimes significant in the proper direction.
But we object to the Savannah -Adrertiser',
inconsiderate way Of calling one Captain
Denver promising young lawyer" because.
in little social shooting affair, lie perforated
a Major Cooper's hand with pistol ball.
Such promise is of the ominous sort. -'"
Year: 1874

A BAND of ladies at East
Douglass, Mass, went to a sa-
loon keeper In that town and
requested that be close his go.
loon. He answered that it was
as honorable business as the
selling Of groceries. The Ia.
dies then began reading from
the Bible passages relating to
the anger Of the Lord with
drunkenness and those who
sell liquor. They had scarcely
begun reading when the pro.
pristor fell To the ground gasp
Ing, and in a few moments was
dead. The physician says it
was apoplexy, but the ladies
hold it to be q visitation of the
Lord.
Year: 1874




From the Ironton Register.


LETTING out work to the low.
est bidder was one of the frsS
causes Of the labor revolt in
England. Low bids made low
wages. The pay for labor offers
greater margins on which to 6g-
ure proposals than the materials
and, we might say, the profits Of
the contractor. Besides,low wa
ges, another result of low bids IS
bad work. These two results
generally run together, but fre-
quently it is one or the other
The worthy way is to discard
bids and apply to an honest,
competent man to do tie work


:
and take price that reasonably
compensates oil sides. There is
more money lost in this country
in low bids than is made. The
loss censists in inferior work.
which will happen, though the
is watched like q
hawk, which is usually the case,
No man has Alright to have any
thing done, unless he is willing
to pay for an honest dong of it,
Year: 1874

A COOP EDUCATION To read the Eng
lish language well, to write with dispatch
a neat and legible hand, and be master
of the first four rules of arithmetic, so
to dispose of at once, with accuracy,
every question of figures which comes
up in practice I call this g good educa-
ton. And if you add the ability to write
pure grammatical English, regard it as
an excellent education. These are the
tools. You can do much with them,
but you are helpless without them. They
are the foundation; and unless you be-
GIN with these, all your fashy attain
ments, little geology. and all the other
ologies and osophies. are ostentatious
rubbish. .Ecereh.
Year: 1874

FASHIONABLE MUsIC.-Oliver Wendall
Holmes has the following to say in ref
erence to music


I don't like your chopped music any
way. That woman she has more sense
in her little finger than forty medical
societies--Florence Nightingale--says
that the music You pour out is good for
sick folks, and the music you pound out
isn't. 1 have been to hear some music
pounding. 1t was young woman with
as many white muslin founces around
her as the planet Saturn has rings, that
did it. She gave the music stool twlrl
or two, and fuffed down on it lihe a
whirl of soap>suds in hand basin.--
Then she pushed up ber cuffs, as il she
was going to fight for tie champions
belt. Then she worked her hands to
timber them, suppose, and spread out
her fingers till they looked as though
they would cover the keyboard, from
the growing end to the little squeeky
one. Then those two hands of hers
made jump at the keys as if they were
a couple of tigers coming down on a flock
of black and white sheep, and the piano
gave a great howl as if its tail had been
trod on. Dead stop--so still you could
hear your hair growing. Then another
lump and another howl, as if the piano
had two tails. and you had trod on both
of them at once; and then grand clatter
and scramble and string of jumps up
and down, back and forward, one hand
over the other, more like stampede of
rats and mice than like anything l cali
music. like to hear woman sing and
I like to hear fiddle sing, bnt these
noises they hammer out of their wood
and ivory anvils- don't talk to me, l
know the difference between builfrog
and woodthrush.
Year: 1874

PARTY PARAMOUNT TO COUNTRY The
two party Conventions recently held in
Oregon, have demonstrated beyond a
peradventure that party politicians. as a
rule, subordinate all considerations of
public interest to questions merely
Of party character, relating exclusive
ly to party discipline, and party rewards
and punishinents. No intelligent man
will affirm that Oregon ever had more
active, faithful, intelligent, or infiuen-
tial representative in Congress than J.
". Nesmith. This is universally con-
eeded. He was nominated to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of Judge
Wilson, not because of his party stands
ing, but because it was believed Il at no
other man could be elected on the Dem
ocratic ticket at that time. The majori-
ty by which he was elected, gave the
party such a prestige that it was believed
that anybody could be elected at the
next election who had the regular DEM
ocratic nomination. Hence the man
who it was conceded would render the
most efficient public service, was set
aside for a confessedly inferior man
whose chief claim to popular support Is
his answering devotion to party.


The Republican Convention pursued
the same narrow party policy IN Its
nominations. Tie question OF ability
was subordinated, as it ever has been III
that State, to the question of personal
claims for party services. The ablest
and best men are never called to the
front but to lead a forlorn hope, and a
victory under their lead is certain to
shelve them for inferior men uahl the
party is almost certain of defeat without
their leadership. Logan and Holbrook,
the most able and consistent Republican
leaders the party ever had in that State
were uniformly treated in that manner
Us. Smith and j. W. Nesmi'h, two of
the most popular and useful members
of Congress Oregon every had have
been set aside through system of log
rolling combinations by cross road pol
iticians.


So it will ever be so long as the great
majority of the voters yield an unreas-
oning obedience to caucus dictation,
and demand no guarantees against abus-
es 1t leaves the majority, practically,
without voice or option in the matter.
placing the nominations in the hands OF
the few interested and unscrupulous
politicians, who make the division of
the spoils of Office matter of bargain
and sale. This can never be when the
disinterested voters act independently
of caucus dictation; defy party tyranny,
and make their support of candidate
conditioned upon his honesty, ability
and fitness for the place. We can have
no reform of these manifest abuses un-
til voters insist upon applying the same
tests to candidates for public positions
which they apply to agents or attorneys
in their own private affairs; insisting
upon the best ability and highest char
acter for integrity which can be had for
the compensation offered, regardless of
party affiliations in which no principle
Of public interest is involved.
Year: 1874

y A very charming daughter of one
the "solid men, of Boston, being at a
ball few evenings since. was solicited
by combination Of mustache, starch
and broadcloth for the honor of her
hand in a dance. to which solicitation
she returned an affir native answer. In
a subsequent conversation the combina
ton inquired her fathers business


He is wood sawyer" she replied.
The follow sloped, feeling that he had
let himself down a foot or two by the
association. The lady's father was a
wealthy dealer in mahogany, which oc-
casionally has to be sawed.
Year: 1874

~ A Nebraska judge, not long since
convicted and fined man in the follow
ing manner: There being no evidence
against the prisoner the judge declared
he knew something of the case himself.
Whereupon he soleTnly administer ed
the oath to himself, gave his testimony
and convicted the prisoner.
Year: 1874

The DRUNKARD's WILL" Krow all
men by these presents, that 1 - Of
the county of Mecklenburg, and State
of Virginia, being of sound and depos-
ing memory. in view of the uncertainty
of life, and the certainty of death, do
make this last will and testament, to
W.T.:


die wretched sinner; and I leave
to the world worthless reputation, a
wicked example and memory that is fit
to perish.


| leave to my brother and sisters
shame and grief, and the reproach Of
their acquaintances.


1 leave my widow and broken hearted
wife life of lonely struggle with want
and suffering.


leave my children tainted name, a
reviIed position, a pitiful ignorance and
the mortifying recollection of a father,
who, by his life, disgraced humanity,
and at his premature death, Joined the
great company of those who are never
to enter the kingdom of God. l pray
God that those who are yet living may
take warning and profit by the above. "
Year: 1874

not provide for their enforcement. The
man who has contributed moiety of
his unproductive real estate to this pro-
jec., with the certainty that the portion
retained will be enhanced thereby to a
far greater amount than the present
value of his contribution, does what ev-
cry owner of rnoccupied real estate
ought in conscience and fair dealing to
do, but he has not paid his fair propor-
ton until he contributes In addition
money, equal in amount, according
to their several means, to the man
who has only money or merchants
die to contribute, the values of which
are not affected by the railroad. When
this is done; when all have done what
they could, according to the ability of
each, in Just proportion according to the
benefits to be derived by each, then the
success of the enterprise, and the imme-
diate future prosperity of the town will
be assured. Let all of those who have
undertaken the lead in this work, salt
their land subscriptions with fair pro-
portion of the sinews of war, and thus
remove all ground for excuse to those
who Lave no land to contribute.
Year: 1874

70 The Albany Democrat soliloquizes:
Wouldn't the present term of our Cir
cult Court afford stunning argument
to every sensitive woman against female
suffrage? Of course, if women were
permitted to vote they would be compell-
ed to serve on juries. and as our present
Court docket is composed chiefly of gross
slauder, nasty divorce and incest cases
the details of which would make the


most hardened vagabond blush with
shame for mankind-no intelligent. SEN
sitive lady could tolerate the idea of be-
ing compelled to listen to recital of
these revolving crimes. One term of
Court like our present would either
" bust up" the woman suffrage business
or completely demoralize female purity.
Year: 1874

Ar a recent meeting Of the creditors of
a Boston bankrupt, the latter stated that
he was prepared 10 offer fifteen cents on the
dollar. He was also considerate enough
to say that he thought the stock would
realize that, but if it did not he would pay
the balance ont of his own pocket.
Year: 1874

Ceshoma on Sunfiower river there is
still large margin TO 60 on, and no un-
easiness whatever is felt from the en-
croachment of the Father of Waters.
The people up there have plenty of
money, cotton and supplies on hand to
meet all their wants, and are as inde-
pendent as such a desirable situ-
alton should make them. The Hush
apuckana break scannot be very ex-
tensive, for It has not yet affected
the lower Sunfiower very much. CAL
lao is still out, there Is little land at
Hollands yet, aud above the mouth OF
Bogue Phalia the Sunfower has been
very little injured. On the Yazoo river,
from Iazoo City to Silver creek, the
lands on the front are generally free
from water, but the damage by rains
has been very severely felt, for planting
operations are very little further ad-
vanced now than they were a month
since. The western side OF Honey Island
is all submerged, and there is tremen-
dOus crOss-current that makes naviga-
ton around this part Of the island very
difficult and dangerous. From the head
of the island to Greenwood, some OF the
places are out and some are under, but
on most places there is yet some portion
Of the land uncovered.


Up Tallahatehie the greater portion of
the tillable lands on the front Is yet out,
but they will not be able to stand any
father rise in the water.