smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

There is large class of persons in
every community who make themselves
pests to their neighbors by the i'll habit
of borrowing. They borrow everything.
With grocery store on nearly every
corner and a green grocer's in nearly
every square, with emotion :" shops ac-
cessible everywhere. these chronic bor-
rowers are continually sending into
their neigbors on right and on left for q
" spoonful Of lard" "cup of four" a
little sugar." q little yeast" " a piece of
tape" 1"spool Of cotton" a No. 6
needle" and so on through a very long
and curious catalogue. These same
people, and many others beides, make its
regular practice of borrowing your
newspape generally with the polite but
meaningless qualification that they
would like to look at it for Il few min
utes, if you have done with it." Of
course they get it, whether you have
done with it or not. This practice causes
great inconvenience, and ought to be
abandoned, by all considerate persons.
As a rule the paper is wanted for some
specific object--to find out about trains,
to hear how so and so got hurt, all of
them sufficient reasons why everybody
who can afford it should take a paper for
himself. We do not speak of the injus-
tice of this system to the newspaper pub
fishers. who have to pay roundly Tor the
news which the purchaser of the paper
gets at a fair price, and for which the
borrower pays nothing at all. That be-
longs to the equities of the case, while
all that need be considered here is the
nconvenience-th nuisance. in fact-oi
one class of persons habitually borrow.
ing and getting the use of articles fol
which another class pay the regular
prices, but of which the borrowers de-
prive them of the comfortable enjoy.


mpnt- Sun.
Year: 1879

Once an expert in Paris, finding it was
impossible to convince people that he
was right and tie public were wrong,
taught poodle to determine what was
q true antique coin, and what was bogus.
A dealer would bring coins for sale.
Their false character would be stated at
once, but when the sellers were disputa-
tive the expert would say, My poodle
can tell you without the least trouble
which coin or coins are false" The
poodle would be introduced. The
money would be placed on the table,
the good with the bad, and after nosing
them for an instant, the dog would
knock off the table with his paw all the
bad pieces. Of course this trait of canine
sagacity was convincing. The mans
knowledge was but secondary with that
of the dog. and the party with the false
coins would 90 away perfectly satisfied.
The fame Of the dog extended over
many countries. There was even tho
possibility that the poodle would be
elected an honorary member of several
learned societies. People would come
with coins, asking for the expert. and
when he was absent would say: "Well,
if the master is out, pray let the dog
look at them. Wewill be quite satisfied
with his Judgment" The Trick was
quite simple. The numismatist took
care to handle the bad coins and not to
touch the authentic pieces. The dogs
fine sense of smell at once distinguished
the pieces his masters fingers touched,
and he unhesitatingly separated the bad
coins from the good ones.
Year: 1879

In the government of Volhynia, suw-
hia, Justice appears to be administered
after peculiar fashion. The wife or a
well-to-do peasant addressed herself to
the court of the district with a GO m
plaint against her husband. chaging
him with beating ano torturing her, and
with keeping her in the cold without
food until she had nearly died of star
vation. He had bound her stark naked
10 post in the street and requested the
passers-by to strike her, which he did
himself each time they refused to do so (.
The brute had even fastened her down
to the ground, and in such 4 position
had heaped stones and heavy weights
upon her body until one OF her arms
had been broken. When the wife's ac-
cusation was brought before the tribu-
nal the man took fright and did not ap-
pear to answer the charge; but neither
his absence nor contempt Of court pre-
vented the learned judges from coming
to an immediate decision. The wife
beatcr was found mot guilty." on the
plea that husband has the perfect
right to beat his wife if he so chooses,
and it cannot be permitted to a wife to
ignore the authority of her husband.
On the following day the husband, en-
boldened throug b the generous acqult-
tai by his peers, turned the tables on
his better half by bringing q counter
complaint against her before the same
court, which promptly declared against
the unfortunate woman, and by its salu.
tary judgment she was actually flosged
publicly there and then Oh the SPOT in
the most shameful manner.
Year: 1879

A Washington Sunday newspaper
publishes the following: In order to
lend especial brilliancy to the scene in
the rotunda ofthe capital when the ball
of the Society of the Army Of the Cum
berland was given, every gas jet in and
around the immense space was put into
requisition. Something like one thou
sand, therefore. were lighted that had
not been used during the preceding
eleven years. All ut once, about eleven
o'clock, while the gayety was at its
height, all tho gas in the upper lofts Of
the rotunda went out instantly. There
was considerable commotion among
the guests, while the officials OF the
building rushed around to repair the
accident. 1t was supposed that the
1900 jets in use, which had so myster-
iously ceased burning, might be pour
ing out a great volume of gas, which
might at any time explode. At this
critical juncture the Capitol electrician,
Mr.. Rogers, quickly mounted to the
top of the interior and turned off the
stop-cock of every burner. almost mi
raculously, however, valve in the
supply pipe had acted automatically,
not only thus shutting off the flow of
gas, but holding it back also. Had not
this been the case, and if Mr.. Rogers
had not been at hand, there would have
been an explosion that night which
would have brought down the entire
dome of the capital in huge fragments
upon the heads of the assembled hun
dreds, among whom were the president
and cabinet officers. Persons whosat.
tended the ball had no knowledge atal
the gas supply failed at any time.
Year: 1879

The Burmese OF all classes (says an
old resident in Burmah) are great gam
blers, and at certain season of tile year
it is permitted by all. A father does not
attempt to keep his son from gambling
debts. Nevertheless, here, as in every
other society where gambling is prac-
ticed, it is the prolific cause of immor-
atty and crime. One peculiar case was
once brought before me judicially. AS
intimated above, both sexes are accus-
toned to gamble and many stake their
bets as the boats come up to the wharf
to show themselves off before going to
the starting post. In this way pretty
girl of eighteen or so, of very respectable
family, bet five rupees on the first race
with a young man, neighbor who met
and joined her party at her stand.
Losing this bet, and having no more
money with her, she hacked her gold ring
against the five rupees doubled on the
third race she bet her gold necklace
against her former losses; and as for
tune still crossed her, she next offered
10 lay her bracelets against her ring and
necklace, which was accepted. Strange
to say the bracelets were also lost, and
all her ornaments were at once handed
over to the winner. The girl was now
driven to despair. for the jewelry be-
longed to her mother, who, when pro-
voked, was wont to punish her Sc
verely. The young man seeing his ad-
vantage, and having been for some time
silent suitor for her hand, offered to
lay the whole of his winnings against
her promise thati in the event of her los
ing she would become his wife. For a
moment she started in anger at the
whispered proposal. But then those
beautiful bracelets. that necklace that
her young friends all so envied, her
mothers rage when she returned home
Surely she could not lose a fifth time
But the girl did lose; and having not
the slightest intention OF taking up he1


lou" ON the following day she re-
paired to me. Her mother and elder
sister came with her up to my house in
the greatest grief, exclaimiDg, "Ch
save-save US from this disgrace!" Their
the above account was given me in tears
and sorrow, and the girl added, "Ht
now demands the fnlfillment Of the
promise! Oh, save mel" I sent for thf
young man; of course held the promise
null and void, and earnestly lecturet
them on the folly of gambling, and thu
misery it usually produces.
Year: 1879

Though the victims of the great erup-
ton of Vesuvius in AID. ~ lived so long
ago they were our fellow-creaturcs. and
it is impossible to recall their fate
especially, one might think, to recall it
on the spot-withOuta a feeling of horror.
Sir William Gill estimated the mum ber
of people who perished at 1900; but
during recent excavations so many
bodies have been found that it seems to
have been far greater; and when we
consider that, closely rs the inhabitants
were packed, Pompeii was still but a
little place, the proportions Of deaths
appears large 1t is of course. satisfac-
tory to the antiquary to reflect that the
misfortunes of Pompeii have been 4
great gain to modern knowledge. The
manners of the ancient Romans are better
known to us by what has been discovered
here under the ashes then by all the
pictures or statutes or writings existing
elsewhere. The town had been very re-
Gently rebuilt, and the remains are
chiefly of one period; her decorations
are remarkable for their rarity as well
as tor their freshness. In fact, the state
of pictorial art in the first century would
be almost unknown to us but for the
frescoes from the house Of the tragic
poet, and the beautiful wall-palnuings
now in the Naples .-Saturd7y
Night.
Year: 1879

Ex-Minister Washburne's latest pub
lie appearance was as defender of mule
meat. During the days of the commune,
he said, "for months there was no meat
in Paris but horse meat and mule meat.
I never ate horse, but I confess to have
partaken freely of the mule, and I will
say to the credit of that much-abused
animal, that I found him quite goo d
many animals he had assisted to devour
during the siege, the elephant was the
best ofiall. The stories of people eating
cats. rats and dogs and other apimalsin
Paris are literally true"
Year: 1879

We willnot accomplish much without
zeal and enterprise. But the mistake is
often made Of supposing that zeal is
hurry, rush, recklessness and indifier-
cnce. 1t is not 20 steady momentum is
often more effective than unrestrained
vigor.
Year: 1879

A CROWDED SENATE CHAMBER IN CONSEQUENCE OF
THE SPEECH OF MR. PENDIEToN-THE POINT


OF The SPEECH.


icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TKIBUSE.l


WASHINGTON, April Ex-senator Pendleton re-
celved the compliment of well-tilled galleries to-
day, notwithstanding the rain. He also received
close attention. especially from the Republican side
of the Senate, throughout his speech. Among the
most attentive listeners were Mrs. Hayes and Mu-
rat Halstead, who occupied seats which had been
set apart for them in the gallery reserved for the
families of Senators.


The speech is generally commented upon in terms
very complimentary to the speaker. 1t was es-
pecially noticeable for the tone OF earnest cOnyic-
ton which ran through it, and for the entire alb
sence Of political allusons.


Mr. Pendleton, who has had this matter under
consideration for many years. referred to the var-
GUS objections which had been urged against his
plan. and answered them one by one. He acknowl-
edged that his plan might have tendency to make
the heads of departments less responsible to the
President and more responsible to Congress TO q
greater extent than now, although such not his
intention in framing the bill. he argued that this
was right in principle. The great advantage to be
reaped from the operations yf his plan would be,
he said the saving of tine and the general faclta-
ton of business. Congress is now often unable to
perfect important matters Of legislation speedily in
consequence of the lack of information, which
might be obtained in a moment by questioning the
heads of the departments Mr. Pendleton had the good
sense to acknowledge that in the details embodied
in bis scheme there might be many imperfections
and that in these respects experience alone would
serve to make the plan perfect


He argued at some length with regard to the
constitutional right of Congress to demand the
presence Of Cabinet officers upon the floor of Con-
gress and said that they would be impeachable for
the refusal to obey such call if this measure
should become law.


Senator Morrill,, Of Vermont, followed in n speech
in opposition to the proposed measure. He pro-
nounced the plan an unfragrant exotic and said
that il was an attempt to initiate certain European
monarchies He said that the departments are not
the creatures Of Congress- but of the Constitution
and that the people would never assent to a change
from a constitutional to Congressional form of
Government.


Ii does not now look as II the matter would be
made political issue in any sense. Ii is probable
that some of the Southern Congressman Will Op-
pose il on the ground of unfavorabe experience.
The plan was tried in the Confederate Congress-
and for time worked well but the attendance
OH Congress soon became q bore to Cabinet officers
while familiarity bred species of contempt on
both sides.
Year: 1879

ICENEKAL PRESS DIsPATCH.l


WASHINGTON, April 2S.--The greater part of to-
days executive session of the Senate was consumed
in an informal and somewhat desultOry discussion
of various questions involved III the pending NOM
nations for promotions and appointments in the
Army. The members of the Committee on Mil
itary Affairs have grown inpatient at the
delay of the Judiciary Committee IN report
ing upon the subject. The principal question
was whether the thirteenth section Of the act
of July IS. 1878, is still in operation. This
section provided that appointments promo
tions above tho rank of captain should be made in
the Army until the report of the Joint Committee
on Army Reorganization commonly known the
Burnside Commission) should be made and acted
Year: 1879

general press dispatch states that the rescuing
party succeeded on Sunday in drilling a hole
through the lower part of the mine, thus showing
that it was only necessary to drive few feet fur
ther to effect opening into the gangway. The
work was then necessarily performed slowly and
carefully as there were indications of fire damp,
which made necessary the driving and cutting of
the coal with the pick alone. The work was dill
gently prosecuted all of Sunday night. The opening
was effected ut 8 a.. IN.


Mine superintendent Smith the first to enter.
He found some of the men cooking breakfast from
steaks taken from the mule which the boy who was
sent to alarm the men of the impending disaster
had fortunately taken with him. The mule was


killed by the men on the second day of their imprs-
onment The remainder of the party were engaged
in changing the direction of an air course.
Very little said, but the entire party used all
possible dispatch in getting out of the mine, reach
ing the surface shortly after o'clock. The crowd


which had assembled was very enthusiastic, and
repeatedly cheered the rescued men and their de-
llverers The men were speedily sent TO their
homes


The entombed miners say that during Saturday
and Sunday they could hear the rescuing party
firing blasts. When the blasting ceased they be-
! lieved that the work had been stopped and they
were abandoned to their fate. They say they could
have subsisted at least two weeks longer had it
been necessary, upon their supply of mule meat. A
running stream of water supplied them with the
means to satisfy thirst. The men had been i'm
prisoned five and half days. They stood the long
imprisonment very well. The boy upon reaching
the surface leaped the enclosure at the mouth
of the opening and ran rapidly homeward.
The sum OF S100 has been presented to each OF
the rescued miners to-day by the stockholders Of
the Lehgh and Wilkesbare Coal Company through
President Charles Parrish concert for the bene-
fit of the men Will be given at Music Hall to-
morrow Charles Hawkins. one of their number,
will relate the of their captivity. The total
receipts will be given to them, all expenses have
been paid.


Too much praise cannot be awarded to the brave
men who accomplished the great work Of driving
and timbering passage-way of 1.2O0 feet through
rock, slate and coal in the space of four days and
nights The same praise is due to the bosses direct


ing the work for the engineering skill displayed III
locating and directing the openings.
Year: 1879

President will direct the attention of the House TO
the Objectionable method by which it is attempted
10 force this legislation into the statute books 1t
is extraneous matter upon an appropriation Dill.
This method the President will critcise as always
Objectionable and dangerous, 1t was not the prac-
tce of Congress to resort to this expedent in the
early days of the Republic, if a single instance
of it occurred during the first forty years after the
Constitution adopted


The object of attaching riders to Appropriation
bills is to force through Congress measures which
cannot stand upon their own merits. OF in the way
of which the rules of house the other stand.
At the close of a session of Congress, when time is
limited, and when the eXtraneous legislation is
necessary and is known to meet the approval of
both houses of Congress and of the Executive, the
Presldent may admit there may be an excuse for
joining together in the same bill provisions which
have no relation TO OF dependence upon each other.
But that excuse cannot be advanced in this case.
This is the beginning of session of Congress, when
there is plenty Of time to pass the appropriation
bill and to vote upon these political measures
separately.


The President concludes, therefore, that the pur-
pose of the House Of Representatives IN putting
the sixth section into the Army bill is to the
Executive into the approval Of measure to which
he was known TO be opposed. This the President
believes is subyersive of the Constitution and not
TO be tolerated for moment. 1t would make the
House Of Representatives the usurper of all the
powers of government; for, although the
Army bill had the approval Of the Senate
In the present instance-and this fact makes
the situation more seriOus-the subject must be
dealt with in the light Of its history. The House
Of Representatives in the last Congress attempted
Year: 1879

We continued sailing for half an hour,
and as 1t was then near sunset, dropped an
chor in scvcnty-fivc feet Of water. The
wind, which had swept in strong gusts
from the northwest, suddenly fell, for in
the northwest the aspect of the sky had
long been threatening. Clouds surgcd in
thick masses from that direction and cast
gloom over the woodclothed slopes and
crcsts of Usuguru, which became almost us
black as velvet pail, while the lake grew
as quiet as though vitrificd into glass.
Soon the piled up cloud mass grew Jagged,


and portontous zig gag line Of deep sable
hue ran through its centre, from which the
storm seemed to issue. l :aqucstcd the
crew to come further aft, and fastening a
double rope to the stone anchor, prepared
every mug and balcr for the rain with which
we were threatened, The wind then fell,
as though from above, upon or bowed
heads with an overpowcring force, striving
against the resistance which it met, as if it
would bear us down to the bottom of the
water, it brushed into million of tiny
ripplcs. The temperature fell 10 90 deg.
Fahrenheit, and with this sudden cold
down dropped severe shower of hailstoncs
Of great size: which pcltcd us with great
force and made our teeth chatter After
this the rain fell in sheets, while the light
ming blazcd, proceeding the most dreadful
thundcr-claps I remember to have ever
heard. The rain, indeed. tell in such
quantities that it required two men for each
section to keep the boat sufficiently buoy
ant to ride the crest of the waves. The
crew cried out that the boat was sinking
that, if the rain continued In such volume,


nothing could save us. In reply, l only
| urged them to bale her out faster. The
sable mass of Usnglru- as observed by
tho bars of intense light which the light
ming flashed almost every sccond-was
still in front, and | knew, therefore, that
we were not being swept very fur to sen.


Our energies were wholly devoted to keep
ing our poor pcttcd selves aflont, and this
occupied tho crew so much that they half
forgot the horrors of tho black and dismal
night. For two hours this experience last.
od, and thcn, unburlening our breasts with
sghs of glatincss not unmxcd with graft
tudc, we took ;,ilr anchor on board and
stole through the darkness to the western
side of NgcVi Island, where, at kindly
fire, we dried our clothes and our wcttcd
bodies, and, over hot potful of Le!big,


affected to laugh at Our late critical position.
Year: 1879

At one of the fellowship meetings which
the native Christians of the South Sea Is
lands have among themselves, an old man
rose and said al stand among you to-day
solitary and lonely man. Once / had a
wife--dear she was to my heart; she is no
more. Once had five noble sons they are
all gone. Oh that terrible night, when my
wife went out to the brushwood, never to re-
turn-when my boys left my home TO be
slain by our deadly enemiesl !" He paused,
and there was deep silence; the tears rolled
down his cheeks. "These things do not oc
cur now," he again said " Christianity has
put an end to these bloody wars. But there
is one thing want to ask-can it be that
the Christian people in England have had
this gospel of peace for many long years,
and never sent it to us till now Oh that
they had sent it sooner Had they sent it
sooner, should not be to-day solitary, sad
hearted, mourning my murdered wife and
children. Oh that they had sent it sooner p
He sat down. Another man rose up. al
know what my brother says. l, too, mourn
to-day sons and daughters slain. If we had
known the gospel sooner, they should be
with us now. Yes, it is true. Oh that
English Christians had sent us the gospel
sooner" thought, as | sat listening, how
much these words should sober aud stir us.
Oh to send the gospel everywhere we can,
and send it soon Rev. W. Wyatt Gill.
Year: 1879

To professional men, men of business,
and, indeed, all who are engaged in pursuits
requiring more or less severe mental work,
coupled with more or less confinement, ex-
ercise is of course, the conditio sine qua non
of the recreation to be recommended. This
fact is so obvious that need not dwell upon
it further than to make one remark. This
is to warn all such persons that feelings are
no safe guide as to the amount of muscular
exercise that is requisite for maintaining
full and sustained health. By habitual neg
lect of sufficient exercise, the system may,
and does, accommodate itself to such neg
lect; so that not only may the desire for
exercise cease to be fair measure of its
need, but positive exhaustion may attend
much less amount OF exercise than is neces-
sary to long continuance of sound health.
However strong and well, therefore, man
may feel notwithstanding his neglect of ex-
ercise, he ought to remember that he is play
ing most dangerous game, and that sooner
or later his sin will find him out--either in
the form of dyspepsia, liver, kidney, or other
disease, which so surely creep upon the Of
fender against natures laws of health. Ac-
cording to DR.. Parkes, the amount of exer-
else that healthy man ought to take with
out fatigue is at the least that which is re.
quireu LOT raising one nuuureu anu niby ioot-
tons per diem. This, in mere walking,
would, in the case of man of ordinary
weight, be represented by a walk of between
eight aud nine miles along level ground, or
one mile up a tolerably steep hill but it is
desirable that the requisite amount of exer-
else should be obtained without throwing
all the work upon one set OF muscles. For
this reason walking ought to be varied with
rowing, riding, active games, and, where
practicable, hunting or shooting, which, to
those who are fond of sport, constitute the


most perfect form of recreative exercise


Ninefeenfh CenttirU