smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

field correspondent ofthe Chicago Inter Ocean
that after the full completion of the state In
stitution for feebe-minded children at LIN
coin, $4,000 of the appropriation for the build
iug remain unexpended There is something
about this so exceptional as to call for expla
nation. 1t looks as il the commissioners who
had the matter in charge must have been
lpmocratS
Year: 1877




man in whose word we have the most implicit
confidence, that he heard, but few days before
the coffin factory fire, woman talking with a
companion On the street, say that the poor pco.
pie were so poor and wretched that they were
getting to be desperate, and that there would he
u big fire in town before long. Whether it was
an accidental prophecy or statement founded
on knowledge of what others were planning our
informant Of course, could not pretend to say.
At least the factory was burned, and the burn
ing has all the ear marks of the inccndiary. 1t
is something we are loath to believe yet il is uu.
doubtedly true that in Ottawa and indeed most
of these western towns near the coal mines
there is very liberal sprnkling OF genuine Mol.
ly Maguires. The police have pointed them out
to us in Streator, and they are not hard to find
in Peru and La Sale; and not long ago & detec-
tive of thorough acquaintance with the men,
who was visiting the city pointed out to his host
a number OF them sitting on the court house
fence OF course one of our police officers un.
derstand that the "vag law" of the last legsla.
ture is now in force II is very full and Includes
in its enumeration of parties open to arrest, "up-
on sight" every conceivable class of tramps, ,yag.
abonds, and abandoned men and women. ] ex.
ccuted to the letter and in the spirit Of its fran
ers, the law is complete solution OF the whole
tramp question, for it consigns the tramp iud
vagabond to hard lapor for not less than FIVE
days nor more than SIX months, condition OF
things monstrously abhorrent to "ye poor old
tramp" Now then, these men, Molly Maguires
wicked men recognizing the banner of La Com
nune, desperate and unprlncipled men out d
work, are in this city, no doubt, as they are N
every city in the country. True, their number,
are small and there Is no danger Of riots but the,
are men Of the same class, men Of the same idea:
as are now prominent in the communstc mob
Of Chicago, Pittsburgh, Reading. and othe
places; and while there Is no danger of an out
break here, we do believe that unless In,
of a repetition of Saturday nights fire IN othe
parts Of the city and in other important manu-
factories. 1t cannot be too strongly urged upor
the police to be liberal in the number OF thei
arrests under this new vagrant act; and If H.,
police force is not sufficient, shut oil some OF th
public improvements"-that account Is grow
ing too large anyhow and at too rapid a rate
In addition, owners Of valuable manufactures
and other property would do we'll to increas,
their watchfulness. 1t is no new idea to remarl
that the great railroad riots have excited tn,
passions Of the rabble throughout the entir,
land, and shall we expect to escape? Ordinari
| ly Ottawa is one Of the soJercst best behave,
cities in the west and is free from a di,reputabl
class Of citizens, but nevertheless bad men az,
here, and need watching, especially at this tin,
, Of intense excitement.
Year: 1877

a SUGGESTION. We believe several
counties Of this State have something akin
to a Pioneer Association, composed of
those who arrived in the county at an
early day. While we do not know of
any great good which results from such
associations, yet they are made the occa-
sions OF pleasant social reunions, in which
the old settlers get together, talk of early
times and revive many an interesting
item Of early local history. We heard II
batch of early Trinita,ians recalling the
days of - few days since, and it was
interesting to hear Of the days when flour
was Il dollar pound and hard to get at
that. There is many one here whose
residence dates back TO twcnty-one years
or more, and we believe if they would
torn an organization and hold reunion
once year it would be n source of pleas
ure if not profit Something Of the kind
wa, attempted about twenty years ago
but the county was then too new for the
idea to be successful.
Year: 1877

a NUIsANCE.-A petition, numerous
ly signed, has been presented to the
County Judge, asking that the vacant
lot on the corner of Court and Main
streets be declared public nuisance, and
asking that it be abated. Just exactly
how the abatement can be done under
the circumstances is n question to puzzle
IL Philadelphia lawyer. If the law pro-
vided tor the condemnation of property
which was declared n nuisance, it would
be plain sailing, but it does not.
Year: 1877

THE Democratic papers are running
the present campaign on the s.rengt th of
the last. Yet we fail to see the cogency
of the reasoning that because the Electo-
raj Commission lid not declare for Til
den, that every Democratic candidate for
Constable and Road Master should be
elected.
Year: 1877

FOUND AT LAsT.-It is a legal maxim
that there is no wrong without a remedy,
and Sam Henslcy has found out how to
atate the nuisance on the corner. But
he will require little capital and here is
the chance for citizens to show their pub
lie spirit. Sam says If the necessary cap
ital is made up to him he will buy the lot
and start a French Restaurant, raise frogs
in the cellar and eat them up stairs. We
propose to start the subscription to set
Sam up in business with 500
Year: 1877

LOOMING UP.-The candidates who
were nt Trinity Center this week speak
in high terms of the future outlook for
that place. 1t has been steadily gaining
population for several years past and the
indications now are that the vote at the
coming election will show it to be the
second place in point of population and
resources in the county. We can bear
testimony that Trinity Center had the
right kind of men to start ~ town with.
Year: 1877

REGISTER, REGIsFER.-If any one de-
sires to exercise the prerogative of a free
born American to its fullest extent, it is
time they were registered. Deputy Clerk
Finn will take down the name of any
body except the Bullychoop man with
the grace of an Adonis.
Year: 1877

ELEcTIoNEKRING.-It will he one of
the first Indications of the approaching
mllenum, when the system Of election
eering as practiced in this State shall be
done away with. As the custom now is
for every Office of importance the candi,
date expects and is expected to make
the canvass that is to say, visit each
precinct in the county and personally So
Iicit the support Of the voters. If each
side would remain at home the result
would be substantially the same as it is
where both parties take the field. We
can see some sense in that system Of
eectioneering in which the legislative
candidates take the stump to discuss
questions Of local interest and public pol.
icy, but this thing Of making personal
canvass is a nuisance ard should be stop.
ped. As the matter now stands it fire.
quently happens that men fully qualified
for any position in the county govern
ment refuse to allow their names to go
before the people, simply for the reason
that they cannot submit to the expense
and annoyance of Il canvass. Ii the po-
litical conventions of both parties would
take the subject under cons Iteration and
" shut down on the practice of election
eering, it would be a good thing for all
parties concersed.
Year: 1877

WANTS THE OFFICE The Republi-
can nomination for District Attorney
having been rendered to Mr.. Lovejoy
without any solicitation on his part, the
impression seems to be current that he
does not desire the position. Such report
having come to his ears, we are author
lied to say that, having accepted the
nomination, he will use his best endeav-
ors to secure the office, and should the
good people OF Trinity again favor him
with an election he will faithfully per-
form the duties of the position to the best
of his ability, and further that be will at
tend to such duties in person and not by
deputy.
Year: 1877

alone, OF not to marry at all. And
now, dearest, lest your mother sbould
have any fears as to the legality of
our marriage, you may tell her that
l had little private understanding
with the reverend gentleman who
performed the ceremony, and she
will find my signature at full length
in the church register, as it is in the
license, Claude Bennett Rushville
Lord Elster.
Year: 1877

Ada had never been so happy in
her lie. 1t was as if a new. world had
opened to her, where all was coleur
de rose. True he was poor but what
mattered that? He told her he low
ed her, and was not his love worth
all the treasures of the earth? Rich
ard Colebrook and his mine of
wealth were finally rejected; while
the old uncle who had promised TO
give her three thousand pounds on


her wedding day, and make her his
heiress, provided she took the nus
band of his choice, was furious at
her refusal and declared he would
wash his hand of the whole connec-
, ..u. It his mr ey 20 tow rdS
Year: 1877

thing do Is 10 Keep cool and wait, but do be-
gin have serious apprchensons about the appropra
tons. because do not see that there will be much
time lett to work upon them The only period at
which Congress mako progress Is while the com.
mission session. We shall doubtless be Obliged to
try night sessions accomplish what Is wnnted.n
Year: 1877

Chicago Tribune.l


A question has recently come up
for discussion before the debating
society of the village of Swampville
which interests us. 1t is, "Can a
fat man ever become a great man?"
We have not had the pleasure of
hearing the discussion, but presume
that the affirmative must, in com
mon decency have waived any
rights they might possess in con-
nection with size of corporosity.
Greatness was doubtless defined by
both sides to mean intellectual and
moral superiority, conspicuousness
of place apart from the common
herd; that grandeur of soul and
telescope comprehensiyeness of eye
which the rank and file, the pawns,
the vast unknown are accustomed
to associate with the ideal of human
greatness. When Cassius desired
to express his envy and dislike to-
ward the great triumyir he said ;
"Upon what meat does this our
Caesar. feed that he is grown so
great!" Caesar, from all accounts,
was rather a spare man, and the
allusion to the style of board en-
joyed by the great conqueror at that
period must of course have been
used in a figuratiye sense. Julius
was pretty good judge of charac-
ter, and when he expressed his
partiality for fat men over lean and
hungry ones, he doubtless meant to
say that they were less given to
wire-pulling, plotting, lying, and
other political trickery. Shak-
speare's iattest man was certainly
his champion liar, but the prepon,
derance of evidence goes to show
that fatness and love of ease &C
hand in hand. There have been
great fat men in the world, many
Of them, but it is a debatable ques


ton whether they did not acquire


their greatness before beginning tC


increase in adipose tissue. Napoleon


was a fat man; so were Fox, Gibbs


Arkwright, the elder Dumas ant


many Others. In the United State


the Supreme Court has general,


boasted preponderance of fat men


which may Of course be accounted
for by the frequency and length o


the sittings INDUCED in by that re
markable body. Fat men have no
, been uncommon sights in the Uni
: ted States senate. Perhaps tn
5 iattest man who has ever grace
3 that honorable chamber is our ew
4 Davis. The senator covers 81


square inches when he sits dow
:. A writer who has made a study
Year: 1877

1--WE are doing as other Commissioners
have done; our action is regular and legal
and there IS no ground for our removal, :"
said the Excise Commissioners in reply to
the prosecutions" OF the press Mean
while one of their number runs away with
the public moneys and the deposits of the
liquor dealers. .sWe are the most efficient
and faithful Police Board that has been in
existence for years, and we deny the right
of the Mayor to remove US on prejudiced
newspaper charges" cry the Police COM
missioners. Meanwhile the absconding
Excise Commissioner evades the vigilant
police and gets safely of with the stolen
money, and the people continue to dump
their ashes and garbage together and snap
their fingers in the face Of the police and
the CITY ordinances
Year: 1877

General Grants ascent OF Vesuvius, MS
visit to Pompeii, and the review in his pres
ence at Naples Of small body Of Itafian
troops, are all chronicled in our cable des-
patches to-day. The usual compliment OF
a special extension of the excavations at
Pompeii was paid to the Presidents party
as guests Of distinction, and the Bersaglierl
was turned out by the commandant with
the natural pride Of an old soldier who felt
certain that another old soldier would adj
mire the dashing style Of that snowy corps,
which we are pleased to find General Grant
did; but there was a great neglect on the
part OF Signor Palmieri, who, having taken
complete charge of vesuvius, should have
had an eruption Tor the occasion. AS IT.
was, the General could only commune III
quiet sympathy with the mountain as one
OF the most famous smokers Of Europe.
From Naples General Grant went 10 Pal
ermo and is to go thence to Malta, but we are
not informed whether it is or not his inten-
ton to return to Italy. If this dash at
Naples is all he is to see of it, the plan OF
his journey does scant justice to that most
interesting country.
Year: 1877

Mayor Ely announces that he has arrived
at no conclusion yet as to what his action
will be in regard to the Police Commission
ers. but it is asserted by the Commissioners
and their friends that the charges will be
dismissed. We cannot credit this state
ment. The Mayor made the charges him.
self. and we are bound to believe that he
would not have done SO had he not in his
official capacity, and in the discharge of
the duties especially assigned to him by the
law, been fully satisfied that they were well
founded. Indeed, his letter to the Commits
sioners set forth established facts and not
mere accusations which might or might not
be true. 'The unclean and filthy condition
of the streets during the present year" he
said, s'has not only been q public
scandal and disgrace to the city,
but has recently been reported by
the Health Department rs dangerous to the
public health, although tho sum OF sixty
thousand dollars has been taken each month
from the public treasury for street cleaning
purposes AN amount, in my judgment,
amply sufficient for the proper performance
of that work" The Mayor in this states
what he knows to be the truth, and the
only question to be decided by him seems
10 be whether for this neglect of duty the
Commissioners ought to be removed. Again
the Mayor says:--''The Police Department
Year: 1877

Mr.. Mac Gahans account of the condition
of things at Plevna after the surrender us
published yesterday in our special cable de-
spatches, presents terrible picture. 1t is q
scene of war MS it was commonly known to
all nations in ancient times, before the barN
barian savagery had given way to the con-
ception of the common brotherhood Of
human creatures, and also before the prog
ress of medical science and the application
Of many inventions had rendered it possible
to alleviate on a very large scale the mis-
cries of men wounded in battle or the
untold wretchedness Of those who fall into
such pest houses rs hospitals become in
a beleaguered town, where there are no
conceptions Of sanitary needs. If we
contrast wars rs they are commonly
known to the present generation Of men
with such war as is shown on the
vid-which is of the type of ancient war
fare-we shall see at glance how much has
been done by the proper organization OF the
medical and surgical service and by such
philanthropic movements as that of the
Society of the Red Cross. Save when a ma
ton at large may be under the influence OF
some dominant passion as France under
the impulse Of revenge-war in our time
does not imply any animus in the combat
ants consequently. the battle once over, the
wounded soldier Of one side passed his
canteen generously to the MANNED enemy
near him and not only do the Red Cross
men, acting under the sanction of the
public law of Europe, gather up alike
all they find, but the proper ambu-
lance service Of any army when it
has properly cared for it's own wounded
cares tor the enemy's wounded as well.
Moreover, in attendance to the mere
point of the burial of the dead there is o
great advance. Some of the greatest battle
fields OF our own war witnessed this change
in wonderful degree for reinforcements
that came up to relieve men on hardly con-
tested lines never saw either dead or
wounded, for the dead were buried almost
rs fast as they fell and the wounded were
sent to the rear without delay. All the diff
ferences found in Plevna are due to the
conceptions of civilization that have so
much ameliorated the conditions of the
soldiers of other countries they present
final reasons for the abolition Of race that
it is clearly impossible to civilize. In the
awful scenes Of the dogs and birds fighting
over the bodies Of the dead we get in the
nineteenth century glimpse OF what was
characteristic of all war in Homer's time
It was wrath then, rs now, that


- hurled to pluto's gloomy reign


The souls Of mighty chiefs uutimey slain;


Whose limbs, unnurcd on the naked shore,


Devouring dogs and angry vultures tore
Year: 1877

Rapid transit has ut length arrived at
we begin to dine ovcrit. Thus far our mod
ern civilization has devised only two ways
Of celebrating tho success Of any great un-
dertaking-the public meeting, which is
generally very stupid affair, and the pub
lie dinner, which, although sometimes
equally stupid, possesses very great and
obvious advantages over the other method.
Whenever any movement reaches either
Of these points 1T may be regarded
as fairly accomplished, and in this
light we must accept the rapid transit
banquet OF last evening. If any evidence
were needed that the leading bankers,
merchants and capitalists of the city are in
terested in providing better and quicker
transportation than that afforded by the
surface roads, it would be only necessary
to point to the gathering last night II was
fairly representative Of the intelligence,
the enterprise and the public spirit of the
metropolis, and looking over the list of the
gentlemen who were present the monopo-
lists who have 50 long stood in the way of
this great reform cannot but be convinced
of the hopelcssness of the struggle in which
they are engaged. But back Of the gentlemen
in question there is still stronger power and
nluence--namely, the millions of our citi-
zens who are now forced to patronize the
prehistoric conveyances Of the most selfish
corporations that ever cursed city. We
are glad to learn, from some of the speeches
that were made, that the company is now in
a financial condition to complete its lines
and reap the rich harvests which the statis-
tics Of the surface roads show are only wait
ing to be gathered. All this has been again
and again pointed out in these columns, and
there is no need to particularly refer to it
now. The principal business at present is
to hurry Oh the work and get the roads in
running order as soon as possible. We
want to be emancipated from the street
monopolies without unnecessary delay, and
the only way it can be accomplished is
Year: 1877

has also assumed the right to decide when
the statutes of the State should be enforced
and when they should be permitted 10 DC
ignored, and after allowing them to DO DIS
regarded for considerable periods OF time
has then enforced them conspicuousiy ana
by raid in such manner as to render Ia"
odious instead of respected. Here again
the Mayor does not state rumors or ac-
cusations but sets forth facts within ms
own knowledge, and therefore he has oniy
to decide whether the Commissioners VINO
have done these things should be sufered
to remain in office.


The language Of the Mayors letter, 1t VIII
OF evidence on the part Of the Police COM
missioners as to whether they have or have
not been guilty Of the acts specified, be-
cause the Mayor states them as facts WITHIN
his official knowledge. But If, through
weakness, he recognizes the right OF the
prove that his own statements are untruths
and to put themselves on trial as to whether
they have or have not neglected their dn-
ties, then surely he cannot decide the case
without hearing evidence on the other side
This is matter not between the Mayor and
the Commissioners, but between the Com
missioners and the people. 1t would be
grossly unjust to the people to allow the
Commissioners, after arraignment for in
efficiency and maladministration, " to escape
on ex parte testimony in their own favor
We cannot credit the rumor that Mayor Ely
contein plates any such absurd and unjusti-
fable action.
Year: 1877

poor. they are abundantly able to pay good
deal more than the moderate annual sums
proposed, and ifthese corporations make too
stubborn an opposition to fair arrange
ment they may some day discover that the
people will demand still better terms OF
them.
Year: 1877

TnE QUEENS COUNTY HOUNDS were out yes
terday, but the field was not as large as usual.
Although only n drag hunt the sport was excit-
Ing. particularly for those who were merely
snectnfors
Year: 1877

WALL STREET YEsrERpAY.-The stock market
was fairly active and strong. Gold rose from
1924 to 1928 Government bonds were firm.
States dull and railroads steady. Money OH call
was easy at o per cent
Year: 1877

THE ORDER OF THE Court directing the re-
cever of the Clinton Savings Bank to pay an
instalmcnt of twenty-five per cent will be well
come news to the dcpositors Of that unfortunate
institution
Year: 1877

ALL Is QUIET ON the line of the Lower Rio
Grande. The first companies of the additional
troops ordered to the border have arrived at
Brownsville, but there fortunately appears to bo
no need for their services.
Year: 1877

THE PRINCIPAL GROUND Of DR.. Lambert's ap-
plication for u new trial, that the notary before
whom he periurcd himself not u properly
qualified officer. will appear to the majority Of
people very absurd