smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

Half century ago bellows making
was thriving trade. Every house
had pair of bellows, and in every
| we'll furnished mansion there was a
pair hung by the side of every fire
place.


But as stoves and CRATES took the
place of open fireplaces, and as coal
was substituted for wood, the demand
for bellows diminished, and the busi-
ness. as separate trade, died out.


The same is true of flint cutting
Fllnts were once necessary, not only
for tinder-boxes-and a tinder-box
was as necessary for every house as a
gridiron or skillet. Every one who
looks back to childhood of forty
odd years ago must remember the
cold winter morning when the per-
sistent crack of the flint against the
steel sent up from the kitchen an odor
of igniting tinder and sulphur which
pervaded the house. We have no more
idea of what became of the flint pro-
ducers than the old man of sorrowful
memories, who, three or four times a
week, called at our store with brim-
stone matches, for sale at penny the
half dozen punches. Both have COM
pletely vanished from the country.
Then, again, are gone the pinmakers
who, though have been in their graves
this quarter of a century, still figure
in lectures and essays to illustrate the
advantages of division of labor. In
stead of pin taking dozen or more
men to cut, grind, point, head, polish,
and what not, as it used to do, pins
are now made by neat little machines
at the rate of three hundred minute,
of which machine single child tends
to half dozen.


Nail making at the forge is another
lost industry. Time was, and that in
this nineteenth century, when every
nail was made on an anvil. Now,
from one hundred to one thousand
nails per minute are made by machines
The mailer who works as the forge has
but small chance of competing with
such antagonists, and he would have
no chance at all were it not that his
nails are tenfold tougher than the
former.
Year: 1875

a Pennsylvania paper says that the
passengers on one of the trains fro N
Buffalo to Brocton, last week, were
treated to Il love scene of unusual
character. Occupying one of the
seats was fair young maiden from
Cory and gray-headed, benevolent
looking gentleman from Chicago.
She was handsome, and not above
! twenty-five. He was on the shady
side of sixty, with flowing white hair
and beard, and pleasant expression
on his countenancs. He had been in
her company from Rochester, and a
few hours passed in her society had
again awakened the dream of love in
his old heart. 1t was evidently a
case Of love at first sight on his part.
With her twas not. But he told his
tale. His wife was long since dead ;
his children had grown up, were mar
ried and had passed from his home.
| He was alone in the world. He had
wealth at his command, but he long
ed for some companion to share it
with him. This was spoken in low
tone, but sufficiently loud to be heard
by those in the seats near him. At
| last the important moment came.
The old gentleman said "Wil you
share my fortune with me; will you
be my wife ?'' Then spoke the noble
oil maiden, "I cannot. Your riches
are nothing to me. III loved you l
would accept /; but L do not, and must
therefore refuse your offer" But the
old man still pleaded. He asked to
be allowed to accompany her to Cor
ry and see her parents. She declined.
His pleadings were continued until
the train arrived at Brocton, when
she again refused to accompany him
to CORY. His train arrived and they
must part. He threw his arms
around her neck and then kissed
her with fervency, unmindful OF
the gazing crowd. Then upon the
platform of the car he took off his hat,
and with his white hair and beard
streaming in the breeze and tears run
ming down his cheeks, the aged lover
blessed the fair maiden, and swOre to
see her again.
Year: 1875

The New York Times draws a pic
ture of the time when our houses
shall be furnished as they should be /:
"Heayy rugs will partly cover the
polished floors. Paper of some neu-
tral tint, free from glaring figures,
will stretch from the richly-eOlOred
dado at the bottom to the gay border
at the top. the pieture-rOd will not
0e the eternal gilt that wearies US
now. 1t will be painted some decid-
ed cOlCr that will harmonize with the
prevailing shade of the whole room.
Before the windows and before the
doors, which open outward, curtains
heavy in texture and subdued in tone,
edged with strong lace, will hang
from wooden rings which move freely
on a slender wooden rod fastened to
to the sheathing. Rings and rod will
be of the hue of the picture-rOd above.
The single curtain before each OPEN
ing will be IoOped TO one side. Low
bookcases, not over three feet high,
of dark wood, relieved by few chis-
eled designs picked out in color, will
line the wall. No glass doors will
disfigure them. One general pattern
varied in each piece, will stamp the
furniture. Last and greatest an open
wood fire, either in a fireplace or in
one of the Franklin stoves, which
still lurk in the garrets of old coun-
try houses, will cast its CHEEKY light
overIeverythiDg. The close stove the
register, the CRATE and the radiator
will be tabooed. The blaze of wood
burning across brazen andirous is
something so beautiful that no artist
has ever succeeded in painting it
The first of all hints on household
tastes should be Have an open
wood fire in the room in which yOT
mean to live"
Year: 1875

He was little bit of a fellow, about
as large as kitten, and had tail as
long as his mothers, but he looked


went to see him, the mother monkey
was holding him in her arms, but
presently he crawled to the floor, then
out through the bars and upon my
knee. / thought strange that the
mother was not afraid Of losing il ;
but when / moved my hand to
stroke it, back went the littls monkey
swift as a dart into his mothers arms.
Pretty soon be erawled away again,
and then l saw that the mother mon
key had hold of the tip of his tail
with her fingers, and as the little one
crawled away from her she let him
go as far as she could reach, but new
er let go of his tail; and when any
body moved hand to touch him, she
pulled him back into the cage. She
never seemed to relax this hold day
or night till the little fellow was two
months old. Then she let him go.
But her mother instincts were very
marked even then. The cage con-
tanned "happy family" Of dogs, cats,
monkeys and Guinea pigs, sleeping
in one box together so when the lit
tie monkey erept out of his moth er's
arms she would reach down into the
box and take up a little puppy, or
kitten, or Guinea pig, and nurse and
fOndle it just as though IL were her
own. She did not seem quite con-
tented without some sort of q yO1ng
thing in her mOtherly arms.
Year: 1875

An account is Published Of an inter.
esting exhibition of telegraph MS
chimes worked exclusively by air, late
ly given in London, by Mr.. Guattaris,
the inventor. a number Of different
instruments were on view. The i'm
pulse is produced at one end of tube
by the operator, and performs the me-
chanieal work of the other end, either
by ringing a bell or turning needle
round a dial. A rapidity and pre-
eisiOn can be made equal to the elec-
tric telegraph, the conducting tube
being able to be laid under or over
cover, in the same manner as the or
binary telegraph. Attached to each
machine is bell aud dial, and the
message is transmitted by the moving
Of q small lever which drives the air
through pipe 10 the other operator.
As the lever is moved up and down,
the dial, which stands where the mes
sage is destined for, registers what
ever the words may be. Each dial is
supplied with q needle; and as each
squirt Of air presses against the words
OF the machine, the needle Is moved
exactly the number Of times that the
lever is pressed. Each instrument
can receive or send message about
four hundred yards, and is therefore
of special convenience for private in
accommodation.
Year: 1875

just before Christmas there was q
truly dramatic scene in an English
Court at Chester, which will be MEM
Orable among the incidents of the
Bench and Bar. The usual sOlemni-
ties of such tribunaIs-especially in
England-were laid aside, and the
Judge became the savior of q prisons
er, and the thronged audience In the
courtroom burst out into enthusiasm.


Mary Lancaster was married to q
"brute-n Her husband lived of her
earnings, and she worked her fingers
to the bone to support him. He was
in the habit Of beating her severely,
too, to cement their happy union.
One day he came home half drunk,
and commenced his domestic amuse-
ments by kicking a joint OF meat
which was roasting before the fire in
to the cinders. He then seized his
wife by the hair, and dragged her
around the room, and beat her between
whiles.


In desperation the woman picked
up steel and threw it at her hus-
band. The pOintentered his skull in
fiicting injuries from which he died.
Mary Lancaster was arrested, and it
was found that her body was covered
with bruises-some of them of long
standing. 1t was evident that she was
habitdaIly and brutally abused by the
man she had killed. She was tried at
the Chester assizes, and the jury found
her guilty of msn-slsughter. It only
remained for the Judge to assess her
punishment and condemn her AS a
Tho
ed, and every man and woman there
was the prisoners friend.


The Judge commenced by asserting
that there were facts and depositions
even worse than those named at the
trial. Then addressing the woman,
he said


"All the real right in this case was
on your side, all the real wrong on
your husbands and God forbid that 1
should punish you. 1 will be no par
ty to it. 1 will not even make this
judgment complete. I will not even
allow it to be said that you are con-
victed felOn, for a conviction is not
complete until a sentence is passed,
and mean to pass no sentence at
all.n


Then there was a loud applause in
that court room, which the court crier
forgot to quell. 1t was an outburst of
sympathy above the rules Of court de-
corum. The prisoner was then dis
charged on her own recOgnizance, to
come up for judgment when called
for, but the Judge said in conclusion (:
Nobody in the world will ever call
upon you. God forbid they ever
should"
Year: 1875

You have no idea how many OF
| those fellows who prey on other peo-
pie come about u.s." said au old post
Offiee clerk yesterday. people think
we don't see them when they INQUIRE
/ for letters, sitting as We do inside 8
glass box, and nothing OF US visibls
but the face but IL they can't see in
We eau see out, and we take note of
what we see. We get to know faces
/ by sight as well as the owners of them
do, and take q certain sort of interest
/ in them. / have caught myself feel
ing sorry enough for a young miss
! who came daily for letters and never
found any, until l had a great mind
to write her one myself, so that she
shouldn't be disappointed so often.
That was when was st the Iady's
window. q long time ago. She disap-
peared after a while don't know
what became Of her; city swallowed
her up, reckon.


There was another Woman-lady,
L almost said-Who lived in Newark,
and l knew it, and know her too,
who came regularly once a week and
inquired for letters in another name.
They were for her too. I knew well
enough she had no such eager interest
IS her voice betrayed in another per-
sons letters. Once when she reeeiv-
ed letter l asked her If she was Mrs.
Statira, and she said Yes aud then ]
knew she lied.


Once detective came in and asked
me If a certain man, whom he des-
cribed, called for letters. knew him
as man had set down for q rogue
without knowing anything OF him,
and said Yes, he is here nearly every
day. He comes at such an hour, and
II you stay here l will give you the
wink. So he stayed where he could
not be seen, but, il you will believe it,
that scamp never came near the place
for week great pile Of letters &C
1 cumulated for him. Finally the de.
teetive began to feel the fellow had
| lit out as he expressed it, and said
he would Just stretch his legs little
and come back or course at that
very moment the rascal appeared, and
was in sweat, you bet. First thing
when saw him sent a messenger
after the detective; next thing
stayed away from the window as
long as l dared. When I did go to it ]
/ cOulun'L near very well, and had
hard work to catch his name. When
that had to be stopped 1 couIdn't
seem to fiGd any letter, though there
were hundred or so right under my
hand. shuffied them all over, both
Of US all the while on pins and need
les, he to get away and I to keep him
so he shouldn't.


How do you spell it? I said.


He spelled it.


Where do you expect q letter
from p


" New Orleans


"I threw one, two, three down.


faint there no more ?D he said.


Wait a minute, rll see.'
stretched the minute all could, till
finally, just as he was going away
cursing me for my stupidity, I threw
down the whole of them and began Il
push them out to him he turned Il
gather them up, but was himself gath
cred up by the detective, who cam,
back just in time. He was one of tn
sawdust sWindlers. .n--M T. Sun.
Year: 1875

If there is one occupation more wick
edly foolish than another, it is that of
the professional walker, as shown on
the stage of Goodrich Hall, Pittsfeld,
Mass, last week. Waters literally drag
ged out his apparently useless existence
during the last two or three days of his
one hundred hours walk without rest,
lifting his tired and swollen feet with
such difficulty and moderation that it
seemed to the by-standers as if he were
pulling mp hundred pounds with each
effort. During the day, Saturday, he
frequently became crazy, and once he
leaped the ropes on the edge of the stage
and rushed about the room as though
his limbs were as we'll and plant as ever
He was seized by one of his trainers,
who was very fearful that he would
throw his ankles out of joint and, being
placed on the stage again, he soon came
to his senses. He kept in good spirits,
when rational, but expressed himself as
being in great agony. The pain he en-
dured in his feet, every time his
weight came upon them, he declared
was worse than the most violent tooth
ache. If the most desperate criminal
in our prisons were obliged TO perform
this feat as punishment, it would stir
the sympathies of every heart in the
land, and it is question whether man
ought to be allowed to do it Voluntarily
If it is true, as Waters said, that he was
walking on a wager of $500 with pri-
vate citizen of Pittsfeld, then the pri-
vate citizen of Pittsfield is out of pock-
ct, for the young man braved it out and
finished his one hundred hours Satur-
day night at eleven o'clock, having been
steadily on foot since Tuesday evening
at seven, amid the cheers of the crowd
gathered in the hall to witness the close
of the performance. As soon as he had
finished he was treated in the usual way;
being taken to his room, he was
thoroughly rubbed and put to bed near
hot fire. After sleeping fifteen minu-
tes, he was awakened by main force,
rubbed again, and allowed to sleep half
an hour. The process was continued,
giving him a quarter of an hour more
sleep each time, until all danger was
passed. He had not slept minute dur
ing the previous four days and nights,
and probably found yesterday verify a
day of rest.-[Springfield Republican,
January 25th.
Year: 1875

A now agricultural idea has dawned


in regard to oxen. 1t has been discov-
cred in this age Of railways that oxen
are too slow, and that they can be taught
to go fast. "In India, the oldest coun-
try in the world, oxen take the place
Of horses. and they make as good time"
Therefore, why not train them to travel
fast in our own beloved land? The
way to do this is to put on the whip,
hurry them up, and make them co.
When an OK gets into a corn-feld, and
the dogs take after him, he can gallop
almost as fast a. a deer; and when run
ming away on his own account he shuf-
fes as lively as a dog. But il will be
necessary to abandon the yoke, which
is clumsy at best, and put on harness, as
is done in North Carolina; and, beside,
the rattling Of the yoke, and the jing-
ling of the drawn chain would not sound
well as one drives up to church on Sum
day morning at a round trot. Further,
to guide them with precision while going
atsa fast gate TO town, "whoa, hnw and
gee" must be dropped and bits be used;
then one can make his buggy wheel
Craze another buggy wheel and
no harm will be done. Next year
agricultural societies should offer pre-
miums for fast oxen, and there could be
no greater attraction than OK races; for
as the exhibition will be purely agricul-
tural, no immortality can attach
Breeding oxen for speed few years, we
would be likely to have a different race
of COWS. By all means.
Year: 1875

theoretically, a man has right to
leave his property to whom he will;
practically, he can do nothing of the
kind, provided those whom the world re-
CARDS as his natural heirs present their
claims properly. Society holds it to be
his duty to take care of his family, even
to the extent of providing for aged and
INDECENT parents, and the law enforces
that duty, to the end that they may not
become public charge. And rightly
enough. this obligation is extended after
his death to his property, as we see ev-
cry day in the case of persons who die,
leaving their earthly treasures to strang-
ers by blood and cutting off their i'm
mediate kin "with a shilling" as the
saying is. In such cases the plea usual
ly is that undue influence" has been
used on the testator, or that he was mot
of sound mind" and it is rare indeed
that trial on either ground results al
together unfavorably to the heirs, for the
sympathy of humanity as well as the in
tent of the law is on their side, as the
wife and family of Samuel Thompson,
who died recently at Haverhill, Mass,
will probably find. Thompson was a
miser, who had long since left his fami-
ly and taken up his residence with Miss
Bertha Sythes, TO whom he willed all his
property, valued at 5000 leaving his
wife and family one dollar apiece, to re-
mind them of his "ruling passion strong
in death" They naturally look for
some more substantial memento of the
departed husband and father, and unless
it be shown that their treatment of him
has been specially reprehensible, it is
likely that Miss Bertha Sythes will be
called on to divide, if not relinquish the
whole of her easily earned inheritance.
Apart, however, from anything which
judge or jury may do to soften the spite
ful remembrance which Samuel Thomp-
son left as a sweet legacy to his relatives
there is one thing he should have re-
membered, and that is, tha; Mira
Thompson has dover right of one-third
in the rents, issues and profits of his
property, which dover right cannot be
alienated by will or otherwise without
consent. 1t is only woman who can
bequeath her husband zone dollar and
her forgiveness"
Year: 1875

A man in Baltimore, while under the
influence of liquor, a few days since,
climbed out upon his roof, and amused
himself by jumping thence to the ad
joining house, and thence to the next,
till his antics had attracted quite
crowd of persons in the street below.
Seized with a sudden idea that the spec
tators were going to shoot him, he
sought refuge in a chimney, and slid
down to within few feet of the frst
floor, where he became wedged in be-
yond the power of extrication.


At about the same moment, the inhab-
itants of that story, unaware that the
draught was choked by a human body,
lighted a fire. The unearthly noises
which proceeded from the chimney were
attributed to some agency similar to that
which recently caused the mysterious
bell-ringing in the same city; and it was
not till two police officers entered the
room and made an attack upon the fire.
place, that the scorched inebriate was
rescued from his perilous position.
Year: 1875

II is not everybody who knows where
to joke, or when, or how; and whoever
is ignorant of these conditions had bet
ter not joke at all. A gentleman never
attempts to be humorous at the attempts
to be humorous at the expense Of peo-
pie with whom he Is but slightly nc
quainted. In fact, il is neither good
manners nor wise policy to joke at any
body's expense; that is 10 say, to make
anybody uncomfortable merely to raise
a laugh Old Esop, who was doubtless
the subject Of many jibe on account Of
his hump back, tells the whole story
in his fable of"The Boys and the Frogs"
What was fun to the youngsters was
death to the croakcrs. A jest may cut
deeper than a curse. Some men are 80
constituted that they cannot take
friendly joke in the same light coin, and
will requiie it with contumely and in
snlt. Never banter one of this class. or
he will brood over your badinage long
after you have forgotten it, and it is not
prudent To incur any ones enmity for
the sake Of uttering a smart double en-
tendre or a tart repartee. Ridicule, at
best, is a perilous weapon. Satire, how
ever, when leyelled at social foibles and
political evils, is not only legitimate,
but commendable. It has shamed down
more abuses than were ever abolished
by force Of logic.
Year: 1875

( The other night, as the last car or
+ the Michigan avenue route was turning
around on the table at the corner OF
/ Woodward and Jefferson avenues, two
young men who had fixed up a straw
man in good shape, helped him aboard
and seated him at the end furthest from
the driver. The dummy" man had his
hat pulled low, his arms down, and was
so braced up against the end of the car
that he looked as much like a passen-
ger as any one. The car moved off, af-
ter 4 while, and as it turned Michigan
avenue, an old lady got aboard. She
paid her fare, the two yound men fol-
lowed suit, and the car moved on again
the driver keeping his eye on the dunn
my and wondered if he was going to
try to beat his fare.


At First street the driver jingled his
bill of fare, and the two young men and
the old lady looked over at the straw
man. The car moved up to Third street,
and the driver looked through his win
dow and yelled "fare" and jingled the
opened the door and called out to the
straw man:


Say You! 1ou want to pay your fareP


There was no answer and after going
half block he shouted out again:


You man, there-wake up here and
pay your farep


One Of the young men sat opposite
dummy, and he squalled out IN reply.


Drive on the old hearsep


What? What's that?' shouted the
driver, pushing the door clear open.


'Oh. hire a hallp was the reply.


See here, mister, you've got to pay
your fare or get Off exclaimed the
driver, winding the lines around the
brake


'Grashus me! If there is going to be
fight let me OFF, shouted the old lady,
and she rushed down the car and made
a clean jump to the door.


Now, then, are you going to pay your
fare? said the driver as he entered the
car.


'Paybe-hanged,' was the muttered re-
ply.


You'd better look out for him; he's
ugly whispered the other young man to
the driver.


4 don't care if he's as ugly as John
Jacob Astor, he's got to pay his fare or
off he goes


The driver slid down to the end of
the car, spit on his hands and continued.


Well, here you comeP and grabbed
dummy by the shoulders. His object
was to jerk the fellow out of doors, and
expecting a struggle he put forth all his
strength in a mighty effort. 1t was very
successful. The driver went out of the
car heels over head, with the straw man
on top of him, and the young men leap
ed of the front end of the car Just as
the victim was trying to get his thumb
in the straw mans eyes-[ Detroit Free
Press