smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

The following incident occurred
during a general review of the Aus
TRAN cavalry a few months ago. Not
far from $4,000 cavalry were in line.
A little child, girl of not more than
four years, standing in the front row
of spectators, from some cause,
rushed out into the open field just
as a squadron of hussars came
sweeping around from the main
body. They made the detour for
the purpose of saluting the Empress,
whose carriage was drawn up in
that part of the parade ground.
Down came the flying squadron,
charging at mad gallpp-down di-
rectly upon the child. The mother
was paralyzed, as were others, for
there could be no rescue from the
line of spectators. The Empress ut
tered cry of horror, for the child's
destruction seemed inevitable-and
such a terrible destruction--the
Lrampling to death by a thousand
iron hoofs. Directly under the feet
OF the horse was the little one-an-
other instant must seal its doom
when stalwart hussar who was in
the front line without slackening
his speed or loosing his hold, threw
himself over by the side of his
horses neck, seized and lifted the
child, and placed it in safety upon
his saddle bow; and this he did
without changing his pace or break
ing the correct alignment Of the
squadron. Ten thousand voices
hailed with rapturous applause the
gallant deed, and other thousands
applauded when they knew. Two
women there could only sob forth
their gratitude in broken accents
the mother and the Empress. And a
happy moment it must have been
for the hussar whea his Emperor,
taking from his own breast the rich
IL enamelled Cross of the Order of
Maria Theresa hung it upon the
breast of the brave and gallant
trooper.
Year: 1877

At the Dickson place, on Bullard
Creek, near Six mile Station, is a
ten acre field which is nothing more
uor less than n subterranean lake,
covered with soil about eighteen
inches deep. On the soil is cultiva


ted field OF corn, which will pro-
duce thirty or forty bushels to the
acre. II any one will take the troub-
Ic to dig hole the depth of spade
handle, he will find it to fill with
water, and by using a hook and line
fish four or five inches long can be
caught These fishes are different
from others in not having either
scales or eyes, and are perch-like in
shape. The ground is black mari,
alluvial in its nature, and in all
probability at one time it was an
open body of water on which was
accumulated vegetable matter which
has been measured from time TO
time, until now it has crust suffi-
GENTLY thick to bear the weight Of
a horse. While incoming, the field
hands catch great strings of delicate
fish by merely punching a hole
through the earth. The whole sec
tion of country surrounding this
field gives evidence of marshiness,
aud the least shower of rain pro-
duces an abundance of mud. Bat
the question comes up, has not this
BODY an outlet? Although black
ish, the water tastes ag if fresh, and
we have no doubt but that it is
else than stagnant. Yet
these fish are eyeless-similar to
those found in caves.
Year: 1877

My fater spent one summer on a
farm gate which was a model of its
kind. Two. of them would have
taken up a small farm. 1t was one
of the most perfect things to climb
over that you ever saw. 1t would
give employment to two men to
open it. A small engine would
work it easily. l suggested to the
old gentleman an improvement by
placing the boards wider apart, so
it would be handler to crawl
through. He suggested an I'M
provement in my manners with a
shingle. 1t was nearly as good as
pair of slip bars. 1t was so hard
to open that 1 always went to one
side ami climbed the fence. He ii
nally remodeled it and fixed it so
he could drive through it without
getting out, by letting the tongue
of the wagon strike it and knock it
down, but he had to get out when
through and set it up again. He
afterwards remodeled it into stove
wood.
Year: 1877




Would you ask why this dunningl
Why these sad complaints and Iaurmurs
Murmurs loud about delinquents
Who have read the paper weekly,
Recd what they had never paid for.
Resd with pleasure and with profit,
Read ofchurch affairs and prospects,,
Read of news both homo and foreign,
Read the essays and the poems,s
Full of wisdom and instructions;
Read the table of the markets,
Carefully corrected weekly
Should you ask us why this dunningl
We would answer, VIC should tell you,


From the printer, from the mailer,
From the kind old paper maker,
From the landlord, from the 'divil,n
From the man who taxes letters
With stamp of Uncle Samuel
Uncle Sam the rowdies call him;
From them ali there comes a message
Message kind but firmly spoken,
PLEASE TO pay the bill you owe u.s.


Sad it is to hear such message
When our funds are all exhausted;
When the last grcenbsca has left us;
When the nickles all have vanished;
Gone to pay the paPer-maker,
Gone to pay the toillng printer,
0guC W bAo
Gone to pay the clerk and devil,
Gone to pay the faithful mailer,
Gone to pay old Uncle samuel
Uncle Sam the rowdies call him
Gone to pay for beef and Bridget,
Gone to pay our faithful parson.


Sad it is to turn our lodger.
Turn the leaves of this old ledger,
Turn and see what sums are due us,
Due for volumes long since ended,
Due for years OF pleasant reading,
Due for years of anxious labor,
Due despite our patient waiting,
Due despite our constant dunning,
Due in sums from three to twenty.


Would you lift a burden from usi
Would you drive spectre from youl
Would you taste u pleasant slumberi
Would you have a quiet consciencel
Would you read paper paid forl
Send Us money-send US money;
Send us money-send US money;
Send the money that you owe usl
Year: 1877

The repeal of the 10 per cent. in
terest law is only a question OF
time. The Finance committee rec
commends the passage of the repeal
bill, and in few days the law will
be no more. We have before sug-
gested that the benefits to be de-
rived from the repeal OF the 10 per
cent. law will not meet the expecta
iions of the people. 1t is popu-
larly supposed that the troublous
times which have been visited on
the people of Tennessee were in a
measure caused by this law, and the
advocates of its repeal will expect
to see the good results of return TO
a lower rate of interest manifested
at once. In this we believe they
will be disappointed. We are very
willing to see the law wrepealed, as
much for the qualification Of the
people as for any other reason, but
we still believe that the importance
Of its repeal has been very much
magnified.


This anticipated action of the
Legislature may be the means of
restoring confidence, and OF meet
ing a popular want, which may be
productive OF much good, outside
of many other advantages that may
accrue from IL.
Year: 1877

There is undoubtedly some wis


dom in the following from a con


temprary, but repeal of the law is


demanded by the masses, and it


may be best to do it. 1t may give


some temporary if not permanent


relief:


We do not believe the repeal of


the tea per cent. law will bring re


lief to the country. We do not be


lieve that it has contributed every


thing to the production of hard
times. Almost simultaneous with
the passage of this law financial
pressure came upon the country
not upon Tennessee alone, but upon
all the States alike-but no one will
dare to claim that a ten per cent
law in Tennessee could produce
such wide spread results. Real es-
tate went down, because the curren-
cy was curtailed, and money was
hard to get, and because there was
a universal.feeling of alarm and dis
trust in commercial circles, entaileG
by political uncertainties. The
conventional interest bill has had to
bear a good deal of the blame for
this, but it contributed little to-
ward it. Let it be repealed, and i'm
mediately money will seek invest
ments elsewhere, and the old note
shaver will take his stand on the
street corners again, and instead of
ten per cent, poor men who have to
borrow small sums will have to pay
20 and 338. Pertinent to this sub
ject a writer in the Dyersburg Prog
ress asks the following questions:


Does any man in the State fancy
that If it is placed out of the power of
the money-lender to lawfully charge
more than six per cent, that money
will become more plentiful or cheap
er? Will any capitalist lend you
money at 6 per cent, payable in the
currency of the realm, when he can
lend it to the Government at 6 per
cent, payable every G months in
gold? Will not any sensible man
risk the solvency of the Govern
ment rather than that of any mum
Der of individuals? If the better
party pays the highest interest, will
he not lend it to that party? If you
make it usurious to receive more
than per cent, will rot every far
mer, who is compelled to borrow
money, go to some bank-always in
some city-and allow the discount
of his paper at whatever rate is cur
rent among bankers, or, if he does
not, viii he not confdentially, Sc
cretly, borrow of the country capi-
talist at more than the legal rate of
interest, and then won't both the
lender and borrower act the lie to
keep the lender from being discov-
cred in the violation of the law?
And won't the lender charge the
borrower for the risk he runs? Sup
pose the farmer goes to bank and
gets his paper discounted, won't the
banker be able to make him pay
more than now, because bankers
will come nearer monopolizing the
business? 1t strikes ne these
are pertinent questions.
Year: 1877

We don't like stinginess. We
don't like economy, when it comes
down to rags and starvation. We
have no sympathy with the notion
that the poor man should hitch
himself to a post and stand still,
while the rest of the world moves
forward. 1t is no mans duty to
deny himself of every amusement,
every luxury, every recreation, ev-
cry comfort that he may get rich.
II is no mans duty to make an ice
berg of himself, to shut his eyes
and ears to the sufferings of his fel
lows, and to deny himself the en-
ioyment that results from generous
actions, merely that he may hoard
wealth for his heirs to quarrel
about. But there is an economy
which is especially commendahle in
the man who struggles with pow
ertyAan economy which is consist
ent with happiness, and which must
be practiced if the poor man would
secure independence.


1t is almost every man 5 privilege
and 1t becomes his duty to live
within his means; not up to, but
within them. Wealth does not make
the man, we admit, and should
never be taken into account in our
judgment of men; but competence
should always be secured when it
can be, by the practice of economy
and self-denial to only tolerable
extent. 1t should be secured, not
so much for others to look upon,
or to raise us in the estimation of
others, as to secure us the con
sciousness of independence, and the
constant satisfaction which is de-
rived. from its requirement and
DOssession.
Year: 1877

We will never be self-ststaining
and prosperous people as long as
we send abroad and pay high pri
ces for articles that we can raise
ourselves. During the coming
spring thousands of dollars will be
sent North for Irish potato seed,
when, by a little trouble and care,
as good potatoes can be grown here
as there. An acre of potatoes,
rightly put in, will pay better than
five acres of corn. If our farmers
would do more garden farming they
would find it more profitable than
putting the whole world in corn
and wheat and cotton.
Year: 1877

The Nashville American says
more polls were collected from ne
groes last year than any year since
the emancipation. I he dog tax
got them. When they came up to
settle this little bill and discovered
they bad a.poll tax assessed against
them, and usually paid it off.
Year: 1877

A negro eloped with and married
a white girl in Campbell county.
KY, and officers were sent to ar
rest him. The negro shot two of
his pursuers, and tried to shoot his
wife's father and brother. That
night he was found dead with six
bullet wounds in his body.
Year: 1877

The Texas and Pacific railroad,
while Of national importance and OF
value to every section OF the Union,
is yet a necessity 10 the South, II
she is to be permitted TO enter into
friendly rivalry with the North In
race for prosperity and future
power and influence, and she viii
sens with anxious eolicitnde the
record Northern parties may make
upon the bill now before Congress
when il Is being considered
lRichmoud Waig.
Year: 1877

In the Orient they won't let a
young man see his girl until the
clergyman has tied the knot, and if
she is cross-eyed and has no front
teeth, he must either put up with a
bad job or flee to the Black Hills.
As a general thing he fees.
Year: 1877

1t is an undoubted truth that the
less one has to do, the less time
we find to 10 it. One yawns, one
procrastinates, one can do it when
one will and therefore one seldom
does it at all; whereas, those who
have a great deal of business must
{ to use vulgar expression, buckle
to it, and they always find time to
do it.in
Year: 1877

Grant came to the rescue of the
embezzling Belknap by promptly
accepting his resignation one year
ago and breaking the force of i'm
parchment. He now directs the
civil suit against belknap to be dis
missed.
Year: 1877

Familiarity with evil, ever since the world


began, had had the effect Of diminishing or de


sroylDg our sense Of tho perception ct evil. Ii


was uot wise for men to famiariza themselves
| with morbid things. Il man that glided every
| day along the common sewer oil lnlquty Ger.
talniy wears away that fec sense tt scGsibty


Which enabled hirn to revolt against that which,


was evil. 4 man who did this had taken from


him the bloom of that exquisite sen>hItv


which IS necessary to prepare US Tor the instInu.
tive hatiog Of evil. 1t was asked very frequent
| ly in this connection what about surgeons,
| lawyers, justices at the Tombs Polio, Court
These must become 80 familiar with suffering


as to be hardened to its appearance. The re-
ply to that was that the surgeon was just az
sensible to suffering as anybody, but it was y
senslbiity that took the form of service Tho
thought that pervaded the mind of tho lawyer


was to save the man. This activity Of tho mind


in the lawyer and the surgeon prevented the
contemplation CT moral weakness or bodily pain


from hardening their hearts. So always it was
said that the way to make young men abhor
evil was to let them see the world. But he who
goes in the right state of heart to see wicked


ness and did not abhor it, was on the way to
ruin. Then there was another modern mode
of softening the effect OF evil, and that was by
calling wicked things by mild names. There
we're certain words iu the language that seem
made for purposes of moral reparation, but
these had been largely supplanted by words
that were like c0urtiers, used for the purpose
Of yelling the evil. A thief was thcr liar
was liar; knavc was knave, and fool was
a fool. Men took the chances Of commerce with
other people, money and called it speculation,
bat tWo.thirds of speculation was gambling,
and when men were found out they did not Ike
being called gamblers and thieves. Then there
was the question that every young minister had
to deal With. and that was generally asked by
the young folks Of his congregation. Wcro
there not things that were not 10 themselves
wrong that people ought to be cautioned
against 1t was true that there were many
things that were right, bu. they ran so near
the edge Of that which was wrong that they
were better avoided. 1t was wrong to gather
things that were SO right on the edge OF a cliff
that if man gathered them and went over bo
was lost. 1t Was said Of some places that good
men 20 there that ministers 80. Well, there
we're many places where ministers could 90 aud
get no harm, but that if their narishouers went
they would go to the devil-E'0m Mr.. Beech
erS last Sunday Sermon
Year: 1877

From the aspect of affairs around Plevna
we may be certain that we shall not have
long to wait for important news from that
quarter. The capture Of Dubnik and
Telische, to the southwest of Plevna, and
both on the direct road to Orchanie and
Sofia, shows that the position of Ghazi Osman
is practically invested on three Sides The
Roumanian reconnaissance along the road
to Rahova, to the northwest, shows that the
allies are endeavoring to cut him off COM
pletely from his supplies. The defeat Of
Chevket Pacha in his attempt to retake
Telische and his falling back upon position
not far north of Orchanie prove that the
capacity of the Turks for feeding or helping
Osman is at an end. He must help him.
SELF But how? In q very short time
his food supplies must be eaten up, but he
is hardly the man to wait for the impetus Of
hunger to put his troops in motion. 1t is
now too late for him to retreat without
fight, but he might still, by vigorous effort,
cut his way to Wratza, on the west, and
thence to Orchanie, or he might put all his
eggs in one basket and boldly strike for
Orchanie and Sofia direct There is great
difference between stopping supplies COM
ing in and stopping Osman with ono hun
dred thousand men coming out. Whatever
his decision it must be quickly taken and
acted on. for though he might Withstand
another assault upon the works he
has so gallantly defended, empty stomachs
would prove MS bad rs empty magazines.
Whether the Russians contemplate another
assault or not they certainly do not intend
to let Osman get away. Out Of the necessi.
ties of the case, therefore, must shortly come
m act in the war drama greater than any that
has preceded it. Silistria is almost invested
and the troops of the Czarewitch are
watching Suleiman at Rasgrad. The fearful
destructiveness OF the war may be fairly
gagged by the loss of life in the taking of
Telsche, when three thousand Russians
were placed hors de combat, two hundred
being officers. including every brigadier and
colonel engaged.


Ghazi Moukhtar in Armenia has gone
further toward Erzeroum in order Ito pre-
pare his revenge" than he expected. He
appears to have reached strong position
close to Erzeroum but the Russians are in
his front and on both fanks in force We
shall probably hear that they are keeping
him busy.
Year: 1877




The conversation with the Duke de Brog-
lie reported in our special cable despatch
gives rather unexpected view Of the pros
poets on the French ministerial question.
The assurance has been widely given that
the Marshal holds the designations of the
entire Cabinet and has made overtures to
NJ Pouyer-Quertier, q moderate conserva-
tive, for the formation Of Cabinet. This
Cabinet, it has been asserted, would be
made up from the Right Centre of the Sen
ate and the Left Of the Assembly, and SO
be capable of commanding the support OF
both houses. De Broglie's declaration that
the present Cabinet will asl, n prorogation
of the Chamber for a fortnight, SO that he
and his friends might study up the chances
Of a conservative majority in the event Of a
second dissolution, if justified by events,
will scatter the hopes of peaceful solution
to the winds. We have no doubt that both
to the Marshal and his Cabinet submission
to the popular voice is excessively distaste-
full. Nevertheless, to govern the country in
the teeth of the Chamber-and that is now
talked of by the Observation-Disclosures q
complete overthrow of the constitution,
which was the Marshals password during
the late campaign. The Senate during the
next fortnight is to be frightened, it appears,
by the statement that the first work of the
republican Chamber would be the abolition
of the Senate by a change Of the constitu-
ton. At the same time the Senators are to
be tempted and fattered by articles in the
Figaro showing that Bismarck ruled Prus-
sia for four years without any popular
chamber at all. Surely all this is sheer
nonsense. Granting, for the sake of argu-
ment, what is highly mprobable-namely,
that all the republican Deputies would in a
joint session of the two houses vote for the
abolition Of the Senate, is there the slight
est chance of any considerable number of
the republican Senators voting with them
Taking leaf from the book of Bismarch,
particularly on the recomm endation of the
Figaro, is, we think, a little too COM
ical: To do it at oil needs Bis
marck, and ''such one we spy
not through the host" To come out of it
successfully. something like Bismarck's
crushing defeat of Austria would be needed.
In what direction would the new Bismarck
the Little look for warpath out OF his ab
solutism? At the first hint Of such policy
Bismarck the Big would have blood-and
iron word to say In all this planning of
shallow tricks there are signs Of madness.
They are the mouthings Of despair. We
have strong hope that they will amount to
sound and nothing more, and that the wise
policy Of compromise already announced
will be pursued. The servant who has had
warning" is, we know, one of the beings
most capable Of "playing fantastic tricks
before high Heaven"
Year: 1877

portant point, and to bring the city govern
ment to deadlock whenever he could. We
do not expect his election, for the mode OF
OF the six Aldermen Large, and the
strength of Tammany rendering it doubtful
whether they can get more. Mr. Green's
name will be widely scratched in order to
secure the election of the republicans on
the coalition ticket.


After Morrissey and Green, neither of
whom can excite any republican enthusi-
asm, there are no prominent names in the
anti-Tammany combination. For the Reg
istership, which is the most important
and lucrative city Office to be filed,
the coalition presents the name OF
Mr. Hess, for no reason discoverable by
the public beyond the fact that he is citi-
zen OF German birth. The Irish vote of the
city being SO much larger than the German
vote a candidate whose claims rest on q
mere distinction Of race cannot be deemed
to have very hopeful prospect. The du-
ties of the Register do not connect him in
any way with party politics, and citizens
who care nothing for these ridiculous ques-
tions OF race will prefer for that Office a
man whom they know and who has been
tried in public stations to q man OF whom
they know nothing beyond the fact that he
has been nominated for no other reason
than a hope that he may capture por-
tion Of the German vote. Judge Loew,
who is running against this MIR. Hess, is
citizen who has been tried and approved in
a responsible position. While he was one
of the Judges of the Court of Common
Pleas this community had opportunities
to observe and estimate him, and, so
far rs we have ever heard, he won
universal respect. We know that he is
highly esteemed by the legal profess
sion. and the fact that during this rather
virulent canvass no word has been uttered
against him by his political opponents is
pretty strong presumption that political
malice has been unable to detect any flaw
in his character or find anything to GEN.
sure in his record. He cannot be offensive
impartial judgment of other citizens that he
is n safer and filter candidate for Register
than man who has no special qualifica-
tions for the Office, and was nominated on
mere grounds Of race. We know nothing
against Mr.. Hess, but his misfortune is that
the general public know SO little in his
favor. We conclude from this survey Of
prominent candidates that there is no
nominee of the coalition who inspires suffi-
cient popular enthusiasm to make his name
of any great value in the canvass.
Year: 1877

Point yesterday to witness cavalry drili
conducted in accordance with infantry COM
mands. The propriety Of this assimilation
rests on the principle that, in essentials,
the tactics of both arms on the neia OF
battle are similar. When the battaiion
and the squadron are properly trained
details disappear in their employment.
Besides these considerations it IS highly
important in tho emergencies created
during campaign that an officer OF IN
fantry or cavalry should find no difficulty
in handling squadron or battalion as
the case required. All our Indian fighting
has been infantry work. Our cavalrymen
dismount to assault the enemy in ravlnes
and intrenchments. Therefore, as cavalry,
they must be tamiliarized with the COM
mands they wotild receive when acting as
infantry. and the simplest way to do this is
that now being tested at West Point
namely, the assimilation OF the tactics.