smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

The gentlemen who are to meet Mayor
Ely, Comptroller Kelly and the other heads
OF city departments tomorrow. will, no
doubt, be able to offer some good advice
on the subject of the management OF the
city debt and the general economizing OF the
city expenditures. 1t is agood sign that our
present municipal managers seek by counsel
with prominent citizens to interest the tax
payers in their own affairs and to suffer the
people to understand their exact financial
condition. We may not find any imme-
diate advantage from tho conference,
but it will lay the groundwork, no doubt.
for useful reforms and will render easier the
carrying out of the commendable policy Of
reducing the interest on all future city
bonds


We insist that the present harmonious
city government can. under the existing
charter give us an efficient. economical gov
eminent and all necessary reforms. There
is nothing in the law to compel the employ
ment of single needless city official. Bu-
reaus can be swept away, offices consoli-
dated. needless expenditures stopped, deslr-
able improvements promoted and the rate OF
interest reduced without changing line OF
the present law. Hence there is no neces-
sity for any charter tinkering this session.
and all bills purporting to reform this de-
partment and to change that should be re-
garded with disfavor Some sort of job
generally lies hidden in these patchwork
measures, and as we are soon to have before
us the propositions of the Municipal Char
ter Commission it is not worth while to
try new experiments that can only have
brief life at best Our present city rulers
can give us good government if they de-
sire to do so, and if they do not they will
be held responsible for the failure.
Year: 1877

In ANOTHER COLUMN will be found some in
formation about one of those scmintary. semi
political organizations whose actual tendencies
are almost sure to be dangerous. None Of them
exert particle of influence upon sensible men,
and all of them excite the unbalanced element
Of the old army to thoughts and deeds that
utterly unjustitiable in % Republic. The duty Of
good citizens toward such cliques s to keep OIL:
of them. watch them and mercilcssly crush
them, no matter what their politics may be. the
moment they become mcddlcsomc in act as
they are in spirit
Year: 1877

AN HONEST, INTELLIGENT TRIBUNAL is all that
IL desired by men confident in the justice of their
cause. If Hayes is legally elected an upright tri-
bunal will so declare if Tildcn is elected such a
tribunal will declare that Which is more likely
to decide corrcctly--a commission composed of
fifteen eminent statesmen and iursts sworn to do
Justice and acting under sense of responsibility,
or the extravagant. oiice-seeking brigade on
both sides. who noisily asscverate that their own
candidate is surely elected and ready to fight
for his Inauguration?
Year: 1877

The PRESS oY THE COUNTRY takes interest
in but one topic the all-absorbing question
of the Electoral Commission. This great
measure of peace and justice is warmly
approved by all the independent journals,
and nearly all whose constituency consists
largely of tho business classes-the mer-
chants, bankers and manufacturers-who
are anxious for cessation of strife and q
revival OF business. The journals which
seek TO live by pandering to party passions
like the new Washington Union and the
Washington Republican infuriate in
their hostility, as are also one or two jour-
nails in this city which ought to be more
considcrate. Certain it Is that the business
classes and tho iaboring classes are
nearly unanimous in favor Of the pro-
posed commission, and that they will
not follow any journal which is 80 reckless
as to oppose it. The surcst way for any
newspaper published in commercial COM
munity to ALLEVIATE and disgust its readers is
by partisan opposition to their wishes and
interests.
Year: 1877

II is q rule to which there has never been
an exception that the Vice President, or
President pro tempore of the Senate, always
acts under the direction Of the two
houses Of Congress when the electoral
votes are counted in their presence.
There has never been an instance when
they did not fix the place of meeting,
never an instance when they did not appoint
tellers, nor when the tellers did not count
the votes The President of the Senate
has never counted them on any oc-
casion, but has always Immediately
on opening the certificates handed them
to the tellers He has never declined to
entertain nm objection offered by q men,
Der of either House, and has never assumed
to decide any question connected with the
correctness of any certificate or the validity
of any electoral vote. Congress has always
made rules prescribing the proceedings, and
those rules have always been followed by
the President of the Senate. So far as any
record, certificate or document asserts that
the Vice President counted the electoral
votes, it asserts what was not true in fact.





lowed for so long period was drawn up and
prescribed by the Senate and signed by the
Vice President in obedience to its direction.
Had Congress prescribed any other form he
would have signed it with equal readiness
Those who claim on the strength OF that
form that he did presumptively, though not
actually, count the votes, will be forced to
admit that, in legal intendment. the count
ing by others under the direction of Con-
gress was the act of the Vice President. But
if this is all they mean the claim they make
for the President Of the Senate is futile. If
the acts done by the tellers under the direc-
ton Of Congress were his acts then the
decisions made by the electoral tribunal
in pursuance Of law Of Congress
will be also his decisions II really
makes little difference what power is
claimed for him or denied to him SO long
as Congress prescribes the mode Of its exer-
else and selects its own agents to conduct
every part of the process save the mere open
ing the certificates. The truth is that this
is the only thing that the constitution
requires or permits HIM to do. ''rhe votes
shall then be counted"-by whom? The
constitution does not say; butt does say,
Congress shall have power TO make all
laws necessary and proper for carrying into
execution the foregoing powers, and oil
other powers vested by this constitution in
the government of the United States, or in
any department or office thereof"
Year: 1877

OuR ABSTRACT of Rev. Fred Bells sermon In
defence of the stage should be read by those
who are unsparing in their condemnation of all
things theatrical. The stage has its faults, and
some of them of q grave nature, but they
will remain unchanged by the criticisms Of the
religious public while those criticisms exhibit a
dcplorable ignorance of the real status of the
stage and while the efforts of conscientious man.
ayers 90 entirely unnoticed by those who should
be the first to recognize and commend them.
Year: 1877

THE MoDocs are going into agriculture in
the Indian Territory. We hope there will be no
delay in making the necessary appropriations for
Implements, seeds, &c. We could buy each one
Of them model farm, handsome house and
grand piano with the usual purchase money Of
one dead ModOc.
Year: 1877

"ONLY THE BUSINESS MEN of the country
favor the Electoral bill' is the cry of the
politicians. ''and they do SO because they
think is will benefit the industrial and
trading interests Well, are not the ''in'
dustrial and trading interests" little more
important than the question as to which set
OF partisans shall enjoy the fat Offices Of the
government for the next four years
Year: 1877

held it would still be competent for Con-
gress to prescribe the method he should fol-
low and provide the agents through which
he should act This is true of oil
powers vested in all officers, even
the powers Of the President himself The
constitution declares in explicit language
that "the executive power shall be vested in
a President" but Congress creates executive
departments, prescribes the duties of their
heads, and the President can exercise his
power only according 70 law. The Presi-
dent is commander-in-chief of the army;
but he can exercise this power only accord
ing to Law. Wherever the power to count
the votes is lodged Congress is competent to
regulate it in virtue of its broad and ex-
.plicit authority ''to make all laws necessary
and proper" for executing "all powers vested
by this constitution in the government of
the United States or any department or off,
Ger thereof"
Year: 1877

THE character of the steerage passengers
now coming here from Europe is so different
from formerly that the Commissioners of
Emigration at Castle Garden, New York, find
but little employment. They may be sup
posed to be taking care of the poor and igno-
rant immigrants, but none of that class are
arriving. Those who are coming are intelli-
gent people, and many, if not the great ma
jerity of them, having been here before, they
are abundantly capable of taking care of
themselves. There is good deal of travel to
and from Europe in the steerage Of persons
who are taking advantage Of the present low
rates of fare to see the Old and the New
Worlds, the curious of the Old World coming
to the New and those of the New World
going to the Old. According to some of the
prominent ocean steamship officials it is
probable that it will be a long time before the
influx of laborers and farmers into this coun-
try from Europe will reach even the mini
mum of former and more prosperous days.
Year: 1877

GOVERNOR YOUNG, of Ohio, gives an
amusing account of the manner in which
epistolary applications to President Hayes
from ofice-seekers are treated in Washing
ton. Mr.. Hayes has three secretaries and
four clerks, and these gentlemen attend to all
his correspondence, even that marked private
and personal. In front of these gentlemen
are number of large baskets; one is marked
State, another War, another Navy, another
Post Office, and so on through each of the
departments. Every letter is opened and
carefully read. If its writer wants place
for himself or friend as postmaster, the
document is endorsed "Postal Department"
and thrown into the basket of that depart
ment. If for place in any other depart
ment, it is correctly endorsed and thrown in
to its proper basket. Occasionally letter is
found the contents of which show that it
should be seen by the Presidential eye, and
this is placed in small basket labelled
President" When all the mail has been
opened and distributed it is carried off to the
various departments, where it is again exam
ined, and then pigeon-holed for future refer
ence. OF the immense mail sent the Presi-
dent every day from ofice-seekers hardly one
letter in fifty ever reaches the Presidents eye.
Year: 1877

By the advice Of the Executive Council do here
by appoint


Thursday, the Goth of pril,
as day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer
and recommend to the people of the State, the
observance of it in manner beftting the designa-
tion it BEARS and in the spirit with which the custom
that ordans it was instituted.


The season when nature begins her new year, and
gives visible promise re-clohng the earth with the
beauty of her verdure and preparing the fruits and
harvest of her constant bounty is most suggestive of
the renewal of hope, aspiration, and endayor in
the minds and hearts of men.


Let us obey the impulse of the opening year, and,
bowing in humility before Him who rules alike the
forces of Nature, and our human ways, form and
confirm every good purpose for the conduct of our
lives, and crave Gods blessing upon us, our State
and Country.


Given at the Council Chamber, at Augusta, this
tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and seventy and of
the independence of the United States of America
the one hundIedth and first.


SELDEN CoNNOR.
By the Governor.


S. j. CHADBoURNE, Secretary of State.
Year: 1877

THE French are nothing if not sensational.
The grand new Avenue de POpera in Paris
is now in course of being laid out and opened,
and the engineer in charge, instead of allow
ing the multitude to gaze upon his work in
progress of completion, has put up high
board screens, cutting off the public view en-
tirely. His object is to prepare pleasant
surprise for his brother Parisians, and to let
them feast their eyes only upon the COM
pleted avenue, with the sidewalks newly laid
and the macadamized roadway freshly rolled.
Year: 1877

EVERY regular attache of the PRESS is furnished
with Card certificate couDtersigned by Stanley T.
Pullen, Editor. All railway, steamboat and hotel
managers will confer favor upon us by demanding
credentials of every person claiming to represent our
Year: 1877

We do not read anonymous letters and commum
cations The name and address of the writer are in
all cases Indispensable not necessarily for publication
but as guaranty of good faith.


We cannot undertake to return or reserve commu-
nications that are not used.
Year: 1877

WASHINGTON, January 7.-7Since Fri
day last over cart-load of kilograms have
been sent from the office of the Western
Union Telegraph Company in this city to


the New York office. Included in this
freight are all the messages sent from this
city to the Southern States having refer
ence 10 the recent political campaign.
They are to be destroyed at once. If
questioned by any Congressional commit
tee as to why this course was determined
upon, the officers of the company will
hold that under the Constitution no citi-
zen is to be deprived Of his liberty or
without due process of law.
The kilograms are to be made way with
in advance of any process of law reaching
the company, to the end that subsequently
there will be no occasion for violating it.
Year: 1877

A thin little fellow had such fat wife.
Fat wife, fat wife,


God bless her.
She looked like drum and he looked like
fife,
And it took all his money to dress her.


God bless her.


To dress her.


God bless her.


To dress her.
To wrap up her body and warm up her
toes,


Fat toes, fat toes,


God keep her.
For bonnets and bows and silken clothes.
To eat her, and drink her and sleeD her.


God keep her!


To drink her


And keep her!


And sleep her.
She grew like target; he grew like q
sword,
A sword-a sword--God spare her!
She took all the bed and she took all the
board,
And it took whole sofa to bear her.


God spare her.


To bear her


God spare her.


To bear her!
She spread like a turtle; he shrank like
apilSe,
A pike-a pilke-God save him.
And nobody ever beheld the like,
For they had to wear glasses to shave
him.


God save him.


TO shave him


God save him,


TO shave him.
She fattened away till she bursted one
day,
Exploded-blew up-God take her
And all the people that saw it say,
She covered over an acre!


God take her.


An acre.


God take her.


An acre.


i -LErchUge
Year: 1877

In fhe repoffesNe gave, last month,
of the Killing of one colored man by
another, at Bayou Petit Prairie, we
stated that the murdertE rode horse
belonging to a man named Godeau.
This was a mistake the horse did not
belong to any of the Godeau family.
We are sorry that the mistake occurred,
as all of the Godeaus are good citizens.
Year: 1877

For several days before the dawnine
of that muchly celebrated day, the
Fourth of July, our citizens in different
portions of the parish had made their
arrangements for celebrating that day.
On that morning Opelousas Fire Co.
No. l, wendedthe way to Prud'homme
Springs near town to spend the day.
Fire Co. No. 2, composed of our colored
citizens, paraded through town with
their engine very handsomely decorated
with two white horses in the lead. and
their members in full uniform. The
most striking feature of their parade
was the little race horse Bob Daniel,
that walked quietly between the ropes.
handsome pair of gilded buck horns
were attached to the harness saddle
upon his back, and he seemed to be
enjoying the parade as much as any
body. The Company after parading
throughthe town left for Nezat's Springs
neaHsdwn where they pic-nicked all day.
In our sister town of Washington, we
understand, their preparations were
magnificent. All their companies turned
out and spent the day at Woedworth's
Springs. Some of our young men left
town the day before, for Bayou Beuf,
to attend Temperance picnic and fish
fry on the Crocodile. From their ac-
count they must have had a splendid
time. Of the temperance speech that
was delivered upon the occasion, we
hear very conflicting accounts from
each one of them. They all agree upon
one or two points and those are that
they caught over barrel of fine fish,
had the finest dinner that was set in
any portion of the parish, on that day,
saw and had the pleasure of being in
company with the handsomest young
ladies in ST. Landry, danced all night,
drank nothing but lemonade, and ar
rived home at sunrise feeling refreshed
and ready to work for another year
upon the remembrance of the many
pleasant incidents Of the day, and the
kind, courteous and hospitable treat
ment they received.


Sobrlety seemed to be the merry
characteristics Of all the gatherings
throughout the parish We saw less
drunkenness on that day in our little
town than on any other occasion of a
similar kind since the war. We are
glad to chronicle SO great an improve
ment in our midst Our Fire Companies
leave, town, with kegs of lager and
baskets of wine, and all return sober.
some of our young men ride twenty
miles on that day to attend a temper
ance picnic and listen to temperance
speech, and yet we. find some who refuse
to believe that the good work began by
DIR. Harmon in our midst has not proved
a success. We will begin to appreciate
the Fourth of July in the future if we
don't haze to get tight.
Year: 1877

A NEW kind of polishing stone is now
manufactured in Germany, the materials
employed consisting of emery, soluble glass
and petroleum. The emery stones in gen.
eral use consist of gum, shellac, and emery;
but when stones of this description are
turned rapidly, either dry Or with oil, they
get heated to such an extent that the gum
or shellac becomes soft, the stone turns
greasy, and does not act any longer The
new stones are said to be free from this OBJ
lection, and their speed may be increased
from 1000 to 1000 revolutions per minute,
according to the size of the stone.
When they are used for polishing steel, the
latter does not get heated to such an ex-
tent as with other stones; the steel does
not become annealed, and preserves its
hardness, The new stones are damped
with petroleum and OIL
Year: 1877

The nickel-sest rop safety valve is pro.
nounced by Victor Novelty one of the most
curious contriyancep in modern engineering
mechanisms. The seat, which is made of
nickel, is said to be as hard as steel and as
unoxidizable as gold, SO that all corrosion
is prevented. But the popularity of this
safety valve consists in its having hollow
semicircular ring on the conical part. The
lower seat of the valve has correspond
ing annulus at the top, which is, however,
somewhat larger than the one on the valve
proper, when the valve drops into its seat,
these annuli fit into each other. If the
valve is lifted to a slight extent, the steam
is momentarily arrested in this space, thus
producing greater pressure and lifting
the valve to a greater height-a great ad-
vantage, especially in case of sudden
production of quantities of steam. In ad-
dition to this the face of the valve is thus
reduced greatly, and more efficient pack
ing is possible. The valve is kept on it's
seat by spiral spring of square section,
and can only be raised easily with the
hand by means of lever Thus, in all re-
spects, the adoption of this curious con-
trivance to the purpose in view is admir-
able. -
Year: 1877

A MANTEL clock, with large tuning fork
to control the escapement, is among the
Partisan novelties of mechanism. The
tuning fork is about foot long, and gives
100 vibrations in second. About midway
upon one of the prongs, there is sliding
weight, by which the number of vibrations
can be regulated. Projecting from the end
Of the prong is small pin, which acts in
the fork of lever, the lever makes 100
vibrations in a second, corresponding to the
tuning fork. Attached to this lever is a
pair of pallets, which act upon an escape
ment wheel having ten teeth, and making
four revolutions in second. The tuning
fork in this case regulates the speed Of the
train. The pallets and escapement wheel
act in manner similar to the escape
ment of the striking train in a repeating
watch. The vibrations are SO completely
isochronal, that an increase of power, from
four pounds to sixty pounds, on the train,
makes no difference in the time rate. The
second hand makes complete revolution
in one second.
Year: 1877

The most striking fish story recently is
thus conveyed in special telegram from
Plymouth, Mass, to the Boston Herald,
dated 4th inst: Gan adventure so sin
gular in its character happened to citizen
of this town this morning that, without the
knowledge of the parties and the evidence
of those near, it would be set down as a
Munchausen tale. Mr.. D. Finney, with
his neighbor, Ancel Bartlett, were off
Gunners' Point, South Plymouth, coot
shooting. They were in separate doriee, as
far apart as boats usually are in that sport,
when humpback whale rose some distance
off and spout. He rose again nearer the
boat, and Mr.. Finney thought by the direc-
ton he was taking that the next time he
came up he would come ahead of the boat,
and he would give him shot. While wait
ing for him to come up, kneeling in the
bottom of the dory, he felt shock, and, as
he, expresses it, found himself on the whales
back dry shod. The next thing he knew,
he went down and came up on the other
side of his boat Probably the whale sank
when he found he had rider, and drew
the man with him. When he came up he
he was near Mr.. Bartlett's dory, and was
taken into his boat. Throughout the whole
he had held on to his gun, and brought it
on board with him"
Year: 1877

and makes us easy and comfortable, these
jets of brilliant gas which give us light
when the sun is down, are all blessings
got from the products of our mines2
Have we no feelings of humanity for
class of men who toll deep down in the
bowels of the earth, where it is always
dark and gloomy, where it is midnight
even at noondayP Are we 80 lost to hui
man sympathy that we would deny to
these poor men even Gods pure air, be-
cause it might cost us trihe2 want
this bill passed; l want this measure to
become law; | want State Mine In
spector, to see that the law is obeyed; /
want him to visit the mines, because the
miner dare not report the violations of
the law by the operators, or he would be
discharged by them, and turned out to
the cold charities of the world. These
men have no other trades, and they are
compelled to dig coal fora living. A wife
and children depend on their daily toll
perhaps, and they can't afford to incur
the displeasure of the boss The State
Inspector will see that the law is obeyed;
if not, turn him out and put in a better
man.


Mr.. Sherrick spoke at length, giving a
history of the Pennsylvania law and the
amount of pure air ii trequired kept in the
mine; and then appealed to the sympa-
thies of all in favor of suffering and op-
pressed labor, and the bill passed, being
almost entirely supported by the Demo
cratic members, and almost entirely op-
posed by the Republican members.


In 1876 the Legislature was again Re-
publican. A bill was introduced by Dr.
Monahan, a leading Republican, which,
if it had passed, would have repealed
the ventilation law, or rendered h dead
letter.


Mr.. Sherrick led off in opposing this
repeal every Democrat stood with him,
and had it not been for fen Repubh-
cans who refused to vote for the Mona
han bill, the law would now be of the
statute books. Every measure passed
in the interest of the laboring man has
been passed and made law in this State
by Democratic Legislatures.


The working men ought to be in the
Democratic party. The Democratic party
is their friend, and will continue to be.