smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

Invalids can remain in their sick
rooms and hear their favorite minister's
sermon-by telephone. In church at
Richmond, Va, q transmitter was placed
upon one of the pillars of the pulpit, al
most entirely hidden from sight. A
small insulated wire ran down inside the
pulpit rail and across the angle OF a
stair, up the wainscotting and along
under the top rail out through q glm!et
hole in the window frame, and to the
top of the parsonage, passing down
through the ventilator into the chamber
of the invalid young lady where it was
attached to the ordinary hand telephone.
Imperceptibly to all around the little
instrument did it's work, conveying to
the ear of the patient sufferer the sounds
of the well-known voice in the pulpit for
the first time in long years. Of course
the reverend doctor was anxious during
the morning sermon, as his thoughts re-
verted to the distant listener, to know
if she heard, and his pleasure may be
imagined when he learned that the ser.
vice, sermon, prayers, hymns, organ and
singing had been audible to the person
for whose comfort the arrangement had
been planned.


A telephone has beer placed in the
CONGREGATIONAL church at Mansfield,
O',io, the wires leading to the houses OF
severalaged and invalid persons. A con-
temporary in describing it says it sur
mounts floral decoration on the table
in front of the open platform, where it is
hardly seen. The speaker pays no 1T.
tention whatever to it, yet every word
uttered in the auditorium is easily heard
in the rooms of the dwellings which the
wires reach. The first message from the
minister was from Scripture: 1.-THE
word is nigh unto thee;" " His word
runneth very swiftly"
Year: 1879

In his essay on Farming" Emerson
writes: "The glory of the farmer, IS
that, in the division of labors, it is his
part to create. All trade rests at last on
his primitive activity. He stands close
to nature. He obtains from the earth
the bread and the meat. The food which,
was not, he causes to be. The first
farmer was the first man; and ail his,
toric nobility rests on possession anu
uae of land. Men do not like hard work.
but every man has an exceptional respect
for tillage, and feeling that this is the
original calling of his race-that he
himself is only excused from it by some
circumstances which made him delegate
it for a time to other hands. If he have
not some skill which recommends nm
10 the farmer, some product for which
the farmer will give him corn. he must
himself return into his due place among
the planters. And the profession has IN
all ewes it's ancient charm, as standing
nearest TO God, the first cause" II aagrl-
culture really occupies this position
among the industries, how important IL
is for the farmer to show proper, respect
for his calling, by doing his work in the
best manner, by employing. the best
methods, by making use OF all that
science and experience teach, in ordir
that he may reap the greatest posslnle
results, and thereby compel people IN
other callings to believe what Emerson


nys of this one.
Year: 1879

Mr.. William Butler, an employe at
Stoddard's factory, in Dayton, Ohio,
has had a narrow escape from a horrible
death. AS he stood on ladder shifting
a bolt from n pulley, a set-screw in the
shaft caught in his clothes, and began to
wind them up. The shaft is within two
feet of the ceiling of the room and is ten
feet from the floor. AS the clothes
wound up, pulling him to the shaft, he
braced his feet against the wall with all
his power. and held himself there until
his clothes tore off him. The collar-band
of his shirt was so strong that it very
near choked him before it tore. He was
drawn so close that the shaft rasped the
skin from his breast. When the clothes
tore off he dropped to the floor. He never
uttered cry, and none of the other men
in the shop knew Of his danger until the
struggle was over, though he was sepa:
rated from them by only a thin board
partition. He was carried to his home
and his numerous bruises dressed. The
shock to his nervous system left him as
weak rs an infant.
Year: 1879

from me nv heart seemed to cease beat
ing, and I thought that the last hope
was gone; but I managed to get strength
enough to raise my sou u'wester and shake
it over my head. Some one on the YES
sci seemed to get the signal, for the yes:
sci hove to, and then saw the =; small
boat come toward the wreck. This IS
the last I recollect. Five days after
ward. as I was informed by the captain
of the Otago, came to my senses, when
he told me that my signal had been no.
ticed and he put off three men to rescue
me, but they came back saying. it was
too rough to approach the wreck; that
he then called for three other volunteers,
and the first mate and two other seamen
went and took me off the wreck. He
told me that from that time until came
to I was constantly raving about being
in Monterey. I don't know what l did
say, for I have no recollection Of any
thing whatever. Calculating the time
from the day the vessel capsized to the
day the Otago picked me up, l was
twenty-five days floating on the wreck,
and, according to thes captain Estate,
ment, the schooner must have drltted
about 100 miles west from the point
where she capsized. The Otago landed
me at Port Townsend, where l was
taken into the hospital and received the
best treatment, and at the expiration OF
six weeks was sufficiently restored to
leave for San Francisco, and on my way
down received great care and attention
from the captain and officers of the City
of Chester"


Lopes is a Portuguese, forty-si1 years
of age and unmarried.
Year: 1879

"Hush! Bismarck is speaking" With
these words you are ushered into the
Reichstag. And it is 80. Before even
hearing word you can tell by the as
pect of the Chamber that it is the chan
cellor who is speaking. With their
bodies stretched out and ears wide open,
everybody leans forward to listen. The
pencils Of the shorthand writers fly over
the paper with the rapidity of lightning
and you hold your breath involuntarily
that you may hear better. From below
is heard a feeble voice-one of those
feeble voices which, by its nervous tone,
suggests excess of intellectual work The
words come by jerks, each sentence being
laboriously formed. The orator is some
times hurried. sometimes hesitating in
his speech. He recalls each sentence.
twists it and turns it about until he has
eliminated all the points which an ad-
versary might attack. It is then only
that he abandons it to the House. In
listening to him you experience a strange
excitement, for while this strong man
continues his speech you are momentari-
ly feeling that he will suddenly stop shore
in the middle of his discourse. Not that
ideas are likely to be wanting, but one
fears lest the weakly voice which issues
so .laboriously from the chancellor's ro-
bust frame may fail in the midst of a per-
oration without the possibility in the
hurry of picking up the broken threads.
The chancellor himself looks i'll at east
while speaking, his thin white hands
fidgeting now with one, now with an
other Of the buttons of his modest dark
blue cuirassier's uniform. Then they
P catch feverishly at the long pencils SC
much talked about; seek refuge on the
table, and at last rest on the glass ofwater
which stands on the tribune. You might
fancy that it was only this resting place
that was wanting, for presently his
speech grows firmer, more severe; words
flow from his lips with greater clearness


his thick eyebrows are lowered still more
upon the gray eyes which seem to pene
trate the ranks of the deputies. 1t is now
evident that the orator is approaching
the end of his speech; the sentences be
come shorter and more vigorous. AnC
then the chancellor draws himself up te
his full height; the voice, so weak al
first, gains clear, hard ring, and hi
throws his last sentence like bomb intt
the midst Of the chamber, resuming hi


seat amid the loud applause ofhis friends
Berlin Td9blaH.
Year: 1879

At this period of the year the small
boy is permeated with a violent ambi'
ton to 20 cunning. In the autumn.
when the trees are robed in scarlet and
gold, and everything is hazy and poetic,
the small boy has the same ambition,
But it is sweeter now to him to indulge
in shooting, inasmuch as it is unlawful.
This, of course, intensifies it. -.a.


Mr.. Barton has boy, and his fore
most name is John. He would rather
90 cunning than be president of an insur-
ance company. He deter. Lined to 60
last Saturday, and made all the neces-
sary preparations for a good days start,
In order that his father couldn't keep
him home to do odd jobs around the
place, he determined to arise 1efore any
one else should awake.


He woke UP on Saturday morning at
five o'clock and commenced to dress him
self as noiselessly as possible. After he
had got his things on, he moved through
the hallway on tip-toe, His shoes he
carried in his hand to avoid making any
sound. Finally, he worked his way
down the creaky steps and reached the
closet in the hall. This was the arsenal.
The old Queen Anne musket lay behind
some rolls of oilcloth and zinc and stove
pipes. It was an awful task to eradicate
it without crea ting considerable racket.
Every time he would lift it an inch, the
stovepipes would show symptoms of
rolling around and falling.


At length he had if out. and his eyes
fairly sparkled with delight. He walk
ed over to the window, got out like q
thief, and put on his shoes. Then he
lodged behind tree, and crswled along
behind the stone wall until he was quite
a respectable distance from the house:
He was about as happy boy as could
be found when he became satisfied that
he was free to do as he pleased for the
balance of the day. ,


"Ah, won't dad be Wild" he COM
menced, as he skipped along toward the
woods, with a merry twinkle in his eye,
"won't dad be wild when he gets up and
finds I'm gone, and he can't blow me up
either, because be didn't tell me to stay
home"


The latter reflection braced Johnny
up with the hope that nothing wsuld be
said to him, as he had not been guilty OF
disobedience.


He was now two miles from home,
and it must be seven o'clock, breakfast
time, and Johnny thought of the hot
coffee and biscuits with a watering
mouth.


At this moment a robin lit on a tree
close by him. In an instant, the musket
was leveled at it, and when he pulled
the trigger he first became aware of the
fact that the piece was not loaded.
Down went his hand into his pocket,
and up it came empty. He had forgot
ten his ammunition. The look that
came over him would bother camera to
catch and embalm. He was two miles
from home, and his prospects Of getting
any breakfast were decidedly slim. His
dependency walked up into his face and
placed its colors in his soul as he slowly
marched home. On his arrival lie re-
ceived a soul-withering rebuke Tor his
matutinal actions, and then he was COM
PEELED, on a cold breakfast, to assist his
father in planting potatoes. lie was
mentally sick all day, and should he 60
shooting surreptitiously again il is only
reasonable to conclude that lie Will take
ammunition along. even if he tol gets the
gun.-Ne,U York Star.
Year: 1879

moderately, and the company at Port
land found no difficulty in making good
sugar from them. This year the COM
pany has entered upon the enterprise
with vigor. Fairly in the season. suffi-
cient number of acres of the root were
arranged for to run the works at Port
land to their fullest capacity. Seed has
been planted in three States, Maine, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts,. 1t is
stated that the return of the business was
so promising that better, price for the
raw material is paid this year than last.
Those who have given most attention to
the matter in Maine are confident of sue
cess, and confidently predict that the
production of beet sugar is an industry
which will give agriculture in New Eng
land new impetus and open anew field
for profitable investment.
Year: 1879

A good story is told in Edinburgh
about that genial Grecian, Professor
Blackie. One day, shortly before the
close of the late session, the professor
being through some cause prevented
from lecturing, there was posted on the
Greek classroom door a notice to this
effect: professor Blackie regrets he is
unable to-day to meet his classes" A
waggish student, spying this, scrapedl
out the initial letter of the last word OF
the sentence, and made it appear as if
the professor was reeretful at his inabil-
ity iS to meet those fair specimens of hu-
manity familiarly known outside the
college quadrangle rs the classes" But
who can joke with BlackieP The keen
eyed old man, noticing the prank that
had been played on him, quietly erasec
another letter, and left the following t.
be read by whom 1t might concern
professor Blackie regrets he is unable
e.day to meet his Rsses!"
Year: 1879

There may be sumo objection to grant
irg the square at Tenth and hsrSst
Streets, wkh all that 10 upon the square


for the buildingof the new Courthouse,


but this when traced up will BE- found
to be the FAULT Of the council In their


haste to olrer the whole square to the


Levy Court, without taking time to


make any reservations whatever. Had


tho City Council taken time to think
on the subject, they might probably


not have offered more than half the
square, which would have been amply


8 u ficient for the building Of the new


court house, and which in ell proba bility
the Levy Court would have accepted, but
as tho City Council in the overgushing
generosity Of its feelings has tender, d
tho whole square worth 100000 or
t75, 900, it 10 net worth while to quib
bic now over . little brick Office and
some pumping machinery worth per.
haps $4,000 or $4,000 more. We do
no: know that the Levy Court has real.
ly ever thought about including the
Office and machinery in the donation,
and ii is certainly out Of place now to
make objection until their purposes
are fully known, and besides, II the
City Council begins 30 early to throw
ilnpediments in the way, such action
may be used as an argument by the
Levy Court for not commencing the
work At all this coming summer. As
the whole square was donated by such
gushing liberality without any reser
vation whatever, We may say let the
water, the city engineers Office, the
pump house and the machinery go with
1t, and II the Levy Court does not want
them it can very easily give them back
to the city. What Wilmington wants
now is the Court House In the city, and
her citizens do not want the work i'm.
peded by any quibblings about the two
Offices on the corners, which have to be
removed any how. If a mistake has
been made by the City Council, let the
Council suffer, but let the building of
the new Court House go on.
Year: 1879

NE mOW0 ~ 1ID CSmu1UCkDs


The psrsistsncy with which soms
candidates urge their claims for election
- member Of the City Council 10 often
wondered at by outsiders, - the only
salary attached is dollar q night for
every meeting of council which would
only amount in year to s52 all told,
but in the case Of Mr.. Rowe Of the
Ninth Ward there can be no surprise
whatever, that ne should desire to be q
councilman. A months pay roll would
bs incomplete without Mr.. Rowe's name
appearing several times and for differ.
ant amounts, ranging from one dollar
to hundreds Of dollars for work done
for the city. No doubt but what Mr..
R. does his work we'll, and - low
- anybody else could do it, but
then it comes 50 handy to be in the
city council and on several Of the most
important committees in case the city
has contract TO let. Mr. Rowe is an ex-
csllest carpenter and builder, and there
fore he came very handy when the fence
around the city park was to be repaired,
and now that fence Is to be built along
Christian avenue to protect the proper
ty Of Lucas Alrish, it will be noticed
that Mr.. R. comes in again as the handy
man Of the City Council, with Mr..
Cannon as q tail to his kite and is the
lowest bidder for tho contract. The
bids are referred back to the committee
on opening streets, to award the con-
tract, and as Mr.. Rowe is = member OF
that committee, 1t is nothing more than
natural that he should consider him
self the lowest and best bidder and vote
in favor Of awarding the contract to
himself. As Mr.. Rowe is really the
lowest bidder there can he no impro-
priety in awarding the contract to him


indeed he is entitled to it and should
have it, and were we on the committee
We should favor Mr.. Rowe-but then
after all it comes SO handy TO b- on the
committee. The sane committee also
had charge Of giving out the contract
for grading the quarry lot, and Mr..
Rowe being one of the bidders, his bid
being $500, it came very handy again
for him to sit in judgment on his own
bid and to declare Richard H. Rowe
was entitled to the contract because r
H. Rowe was the lowest and best bidder.
Besides all this. if there should be Any
dispute about the bills, it comes most
exceedingly handy for Mr.. Rowe to be
chairman ofthe Committee on Accounts,
that wkich is lest in one committee
can be gained in another. We wish it
distinctly understood that there is
nothing wrong in Mr.. Rowe getting all
the city contracts he can and getting
all the money be can, but what we
say is more for the purpose Of showing
the object SINE people have for desir-


ing to be City Councilme II, which at
the same time is very good reason
Why such Parsons should not be- lneln-
oers of that body.
Year: 1879

IUDGa KELLEY Of Philadelphia, spoke
in Congress yesterday, on the appropri-
alton bills. Much attention was given
to the Judges remarks as since his
atiliation with the Greenback party
which has sold out to the Democrats, it
was not known what side lie would take.
De stated however that he would vote
for tho repeal of the test oath for jurors
in separate bill, and he would also
vote for the repeal Cf tha. section under
which soldiers are sent to the polls if a
separate bill was presented, and he
would vote for the repeal of the bill 80
far as i! allowed deputy marshals to b.
sent to the polls, but he would not vote
against the provisions Of the law au-
thorizing the appointment and fixing
the duties and powers Of supervisors OF
elections. This is rather more than
could reasonably have been expected of
the Judge in his new found company.
Year: 1879

SECRETARY Sherman thinks the only
.rror in Barnum's alleged prophecy,
that the Democrats would lose q mil
lion votes, was in placing the number
If the lost at SO small figure. He
tells correspondent of tho Cincinnati
" Commercial that what he saw AMI
heard in New Yori; confirmed him in
the belief that the Democrats would not
.scaps with tho loss Of a million only.
A prominent Democratic Congressman
from the Middle States told him that


nless there was speedy change in
the Democratic attitude the party could
rot carry half a dozen districts in all
he Northern States. The size OF the


Iunder begins to loom up, but it is not
yet apparent to the average Democratic
Congressman.
Year: 1879

ACCORDING TO rHR DEMOCRATIC PRESS
there is no strength in the Grant move.
ment. but there is not one Of the hal
score CT Democratic : Candidates who
would not give all his old boots to SET
movement with half tho forcs in hi,
own behalf.
Year: 1879

The crime committed Friday night
on the river bank, below the foot of
Beal street, sent a thrill Of horror
through the community. Strong men.
as they thought of their daughters
and sisters, clinched their fists and
grew livid with the desire to visit
death upon the wretch who ruined
a helpless child, and as the picture
rose up Of bloated monster in human
shape enticing an artless child from
her humble roof out into the dark for
the most fendish purpose many
mother clasped her own little ones,
yet safe and unharmed, close to her
heart. But for the fact that we are
habitually a law-abiding people, have
a strong jail and a firm sheriff and
jailer johnson, would not have lived
until now. There IS a deep and gen
eral feeling that this atrocity must be
punished, and that speedily. We ap-
peal to those who might justly take
the law into their own hands to for
bear for the present and turn from
them to the courts, and ask in the
name of justice and law, in the name
of the women and children and the
fathers and mothers of Memphis for a
speedy trial in this case. 1t can be
had at once. 1t is a case in
which there can be no doubt. The
criminal confesses his guilt and
in the same breath would pollute the
good name of the sad-faced little suf-
ferer. Postponements generally lead
to avenues of escape. Nothing but
an immediate trial will answer in this
case.
Year: 1879

We have published several articles
from correspondents on both sides of
the question in regard to the proposed
paving OF Adams street. If the policy
of the Taxing District government is
carried out is only a question of time,
aud no great time either, when all the
principal streets Of the city will be
paved. Madison, it seems, will be
paved first. This is the central street
and connects the Memphis and
Charleston railroad depot with Front
street. No objection has been offered
to paving it first. Some differences of
opinion naturally exist as to the pro-
priety Of paving Adams street next.
Arguments haye been printed liber-
ally on both sides. After reading
them carefully we fail to see any Sc
rious objection to the proposition.
The citizens of that street propose to
make donation of $500 to the city,
on condition that the authorities pro-
ceed to pave the street at once. The
entire cost will be about S22,5O0.
The offer Is made in good faith as a
free gift, it is not to be deducted from
taxes in the future as some seme to
suppose, but the amount is held out
as an inducement to the commissions
ors to give that street the preference.
Until some other important street out
bids Adams we think the people on
that line have got the best of
the argument. We do not pick
up $500 in cash every day
and had better take it while we can
get it. 1t cannot be denied that this
is an important business as we'll as
residence street, especially from the
junction with Charleston avenue to
Front street. Heavy freights pass
over it continually nearly all the year
round, as the grade is easier than al
most any other cross street, and it is
as easy to reach Front street by Adams
as by Madison. 1t is true that the
taxes collected from all parts of the
city will be applied to the pavement
of this one street, but this will be no
less the case when we cOmesto pave
Beal, Poplar and other streets, each
enc in turn. Some street must be paved
first, second, and so on. We think it
sound, common sense policy to lay out
the work where there is the greatest
inducement. Do this, and by the time
Adams street is paved the residents of
all other streets will be ready to make
liberal offers, and thus the great work
of paving the principal streets will be
greatly facilitated and the burden OF
taxation will be in a great part as
sumed by private individuals. Can
we afford to refuse such an offer merely
because we may think that some other
street should be paved ahead Of
Adams? Let us take them at their
word while they are in the notion.
Year: 1879

A Georgia gander became attached
to an old man who was a lunatio-iust
as some politicians become attached
to a leader-and for seven years it fol-
lowed him around. The other day the
gray old lunatic died, and the old gan
der tried so hard to get into the house
where he was that it had to be killed