smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1871

From the Alta CaIIOrnla.


The "petrifed forest" discovered near
Calistoga last June, or then first made
known to the general public, is one of
the wonders of the State. The name
adopted by common usage conveys an
erroneous impression, for there is no
forest nor any petrified tree in a stand
ing position. There are parts of dozen
petrifed trees lying down and scattered
over an area about three hundred yards
square. The largest is five feet in diam
eter and about fifteen feet long, with
nothing to indicate what became of the
remainder of the tree. In no case have
any petrifed leaves or branches been
found, nor more than twenty feet of the
trunk of any one tree. The diameters
of the trunks vary from one foot to five
feet, the majority being over two feet.
The petrifcation is complete. All the
woody fiber has disappeared, and has
been replaced by grayish crystalliza-
ton that seems to consist mainly OF
carbonate of lime. The grain of the
wood is distinctly preserved in appear
ance, and also in the firmness Of crys-
tallization, for the petrifactions split
readily with the grain, SO that there is
no difficulty in getting long and straight
splinters. The ground near the trunk
is covered with large and small splin-
ters, which person ignorant of the
vicinity of petrifactions would not sus-
pect at first sight to be of any material
but ordinary wood discolored by the
weather Knot holes and fractures are
found in the stone, and occasionally
holes lined with transparent crystals of
! carbonate of lime.


One of the most singular features of
this forest is that every stone trunk
is broken across II ansversely, and at
every break the end is not so smooth as
if sawn, but more smooth than a trunk
broken in its vegetable condition could
be. The wood had certainly turned
into stone, or been replaced by stone
before the trunk broke. But the pieces
are usually short-not more than two
or three feet long, and the stone is
strong, and piece twelve or fifteen
feet long supported at the ends would
probably not break by its own weight.
We do not know that any person has
broken these trunks by design, and we
have no way of explaining the fractures
except by supposing that the trunks
were petrifed while upright, and were
afterward broken by falling.


Major Snyder informs us that while
he was Superintendent of the Buena
Vista Vinicultural Company, piece of
petrifed tree, about sixteen inches
through and two feet long, with square
ends, was found above the wine cellar,
which is cut into tufa and on the ada
cent vineyard of Mr.. Gundlach similar
piece was found. From the Buena
Vista tract to the petrifed forest the
distance, in direct line, is probably
twenty five miles, so the petrifaction of
large trees and the peculiar fracture are
not confined to small space.


The tree was probably redwood. The
Year: 1871

Tomorrow is Decoration or Memorial
Day, aud inAsmuch as the day will not be
generally observed in this city, we reserve
our privilege of holiday until the Fourth of
July. The citizens of Davenport will visit
and decorate the soldiers graves on the
island, aud will make the day one of bright
remembrance. There is probably no reason
for the negligence of our citizens 10 respect
to outward demonstration other than the
fact that in our County Monument we behold
mementO of our departed soldiers; every
one of their names is cut 10 the face of thai
stone; and if that monument be decorated
a. we have no doubt it will, Rock Island
County will have cause to feel as well satis
fed, as if our citizens had visited every
national cemetery in the land, and had loaded
the graves with flowers.


Do not forget our Soldiers Monument
to morrow. Wait not for others. Carr,
your own token of remembrance and place
it on the polished shaft
Year: 1871

Those that are subject TO it only know what
distressing complaint it is, and is very IN
welcome visitor. At fret it causes q dinness oil
vision, followed BY terrible pain, sickness at
the stomach and vomiting and then for dsJ
or two, person feels as though they hAa a Ut
az sickness One dose will cure when first ST.
t.ekaa and one TO three bottles will effect per
manent care.
Year: 1871

The following article forcibly illustra-
tes the necessity of punctuation. Itcan
be read in two ways, making a very
bad man or very good man, the re-
suit depending on the manner in which
it is punctuated:, -..i


"He is an old and experienced man in
in vice and iwickedness he is never
found opposing the works of iniquity
he, takes delight in the downfall of his
neighbors he never rejoices in the pros
'perity Of any Of his fellow creatures he
is always ready to assist in destroying
the peace of society he takes no plea
sure in serving the Lord he, is uncom-
only diligent in sowing discord among
his friends and acquaintaneeS he takes
no pride in laborlng to promote the
cause of Christianity he has not been
negligent in in endeavoriDg to stigma
tie all pubic teachers he makes no en-
deaynrs to subdue his evil passions he
strives hard to build up Satan's king
dom he lends no aid to the support of
the Gospel among the heather he at
tributes largely to the evil adversary
he pays no attention to good advice he
gives heed to the devil he will never
go to heaven he must go where he
will receive the just recompence of 70
WaIU. -......
Year: 1871

lone of the most pleasant and noblest
duties of the head of the family is to
furnish its members with good reading.
In times which are past it was consld-
cred enough to clothe and shelter and
feed q family. That was the sum of
parental duty. But lately it has been
found that wives and children have
minds, so that it becomes necessity to
educate the children and to furnish
reading for the household. 1t has been
found out that the mind needs food as
well as the body, and that it wants to
be sheltered from the pitiless storms of
error and vice by the guarding and
friendly roof of. intelligence and virtue.


An ignorant family in our day is an
antiquated Institution. Itsmells of the
musty past. 1t is dark spot which
the light of the modern sun of intelli-
gence has not yet reached.


Let good reading go into a home and
the very atmosphere of that home
gradually but surely changes. The
boys begin to grow ambitious, to talk
about men, places, principles, books,
the past and the future. The girls be-
gin to feel new life opening before
them in knowledge, duty and love.
They see new fields of usefulness and
pleasure. And SO the family changes
and, out from its number will go in
telligent men and women, to fill honor
able places and be useful members OF
society. Let the torch of Intelligence
be lit in every household. Let the old
and young vie with each other in intro
ducing new and useful topics of inves-
tigatiOn, end in cherishing a love OF
reading, study and improvement.
Year: 1871

Now that haying and harvesting are
over, the mower and other implements
used in gathering spring crops should
be taken care OF, and at no time can it
be done so easily as now. The irons
upon machinery where there has been
friction are bright, and the grease upon
them is soft, which can easily remov-
ed. Wipe the journals and boxes clean
with cloth moist in spirits of turpen-
tine or coal oil, and then rub them
over with an oiled rag. Take of the
cutter-bar, wipe clean and oil the sec
tions and gaurds, and put them safely
away where they will be free from ex-
posure to moisture, for if they are al
lowed to get rusty they win never work
as nicely as before


IF the machine needs painting give
it a coat or two before it Is laId up for
thesseason. No color that can be cb-
tanned at moderate expense is nicer
for this purpose than American YER
million.


The farmer who leaves his mower in
the field, or backs it under ashed whsre
it can be reached by driving storms,
will have to buy a new one twice as
often as a careful manager, mourning
heavy expense when bus few hours
time at most IS required to fit it up and
put it away in 8 proper maner.


Make necessary repairs upon the
horse-rake and wagon-rake; at this
time all the weak points are known,
which may be forgotten before they
are wanted again, and in consequence
a delay made at a time when of all 9TH
ers you would most dislike to have It
come.


Do not hang up the scythe in the
barn, shed, or any other place, attached
to the snath, for many accidents occur
every season to children or animals
knocking them down. Separated they
are much easier stored away and much
less dangerous.
Year: 1871

What q strange disposition is that
which leads people to say ''hatefup
things for the mere pleasure of saying
them; you are never safe with such a
person. When you have done your
best to please, and are feeling very kind
Iy and pleasantly, out will pop some
tinderhand stab, which you alone can
eomprehend-a sneer which is masked,
but which is too well aimed to be mis-
understood. 1t may be at your person,
your mental feeling, your foolish hae-
its of thought, or some little secret
opinions confessed in moment Of gen.
uine confidence. 1t matters not how
sacred it may be to you, he will have
his fling at It; and since the wish is to
make you suffer, he all the happier the
nearer he touches your heart. Just
half dozen words, only for the pleas
ure of seeing cheek flush and an eye
lose its brightness, only spoken because
he is afraid you are too happy or too
conceited. Yet they are worse than so
many blows. How many sleeplesS
nights have such mean attacks caused
tender-hearted menl How, after them,
one awakes with aching eyes and head,
to remember that speech before every
thing-that bright, sharp, weil-aimed
needle Of a speech that probed the very
center of your souli-[ Household.
Year: 1871

The "Streamlet'' is a small expert
mental printed in Boston by a boy to
show what he can do. In its original
department we find the following:


''The editor of this paper is worth a
quart of vermillion." @ aa {


sThe Humane society should arrest
those persons who bottle catsup."
Year: 1871

1t is reported that a photographer
who took several photographs ofa dead
child in Fall River, Mass, one day last
week, found clearly defined on the
sixth negative the face Of the child's
mother, who had been dead for some
time. There is sensation in Fall
River in consequence.
Year: 1871

In going through the parish prison a


few days since, the attention Of the re-


porter was attracted toa young girl. an
parentty not more than fifteen wears Of
age. She had fair not brown hair. and
q complexion fresh and white as milk.


The mild blue eeyes were singularIv soft
and intelligent. and her whole aDpear-
ance indicated the free. ioyous cbarae-
terlstlcs OF youth and happiness. Yet
TINS amlaDie looking creature, this fair,
qellcate Minerva of slender form and
ingenious lace, Is said to be devil in
carnate. She was not a prisoner, only
a visitor to the institution, and when
the reporter saw her she was conyers-
ing with a noted burglar; indeed, she
says she is cousin of Pete Munday's.
and goes under the soubriquet of Lily.
She is almost as fair and delicate as one.


Her career is remarkable series of
adventures and hair-breadth escapes
About year ago she lived in San An
tonic, Texas, and for some real or fanci-
ed misconduct received severe casti-
cation at the hands of the man with
whom she was living.


Burning with resentment, and con-
scious of her inability to cope with him
in physical strength, she waited until
the next night, when he was asleep,
and then, locking the doors of the room
and closing every avenue of escape, she
prepared for work of horror almost
to conceive. On one pretext
or another she sent all the inmates of
the house away and procuring paper and
other intiamamable material, built a
funeral pyre around the bed of the
sleeping man. This done she set fire
to it, and, locking the door behind her,
fed the house. The man woke up when
the house was full of flames, and in
escaping from the room was literally
roasted. One side of his body was
burned almost to a cinder. He has
never recovered from his injuries, and
is to-day hopeless invalid, suffering
excruciating torture and continual an
guish. His generosity-perhaps his
sense of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT his
prosecuting the girl, and she made her
escape to New Orleans. Arriving here,
she took apartmentson Toulouse street,
between Rampartand Burgundy where
she still resides. She is yet very young,
certainly not more than seventeen at
furthest, and her vindictive and savage
fury when excited is q terror to all her
acquaintance.


1t is strange that beneath an exterior
so fair and beautiful should be conceal
ed the elements ofsuch lawless violence.
Year: 1871

Has been tested in every variety of climate,
and by almost every nation known to Amerf-
cans. 1t is the almost constant companion and
inestimable friend of the missionary and the
travel on our LAKES OR RIVERS WITHOUT
Year: 1871

bright younger ones. Joa found himself,
and everybody else found him, solitary
and alone, taking very little notice of the
stir around him.


When he grew to be man, the bustling
drive-aheads laughed at his plodding; but
by some means he seldom made mis-
take, and, though he did not seem to &C
complish as much in q week as many
others did in a day, yet at the end of
year there was always something tangible
in his results, while the work of those
who seemed to utterly outstrip him at flrst
ended in demolished air castles.


He has passed the meridian of life.
Men eminent in the professions respect
his judgment. Business men coming upon
the stage of action long to learn the secret
of his success. The bank leans upon him
to carry it through the trying crisis, mer-
chants and manufacturers lean upon him
to save them from bankruptcy. Steady,
constant, and hard study made him q
scholar; persevering industry, accom-
panied with economy, raised him to opul-
ence; close observation and deliberate re.
Election cultivated a sound judgment, and
honesty and integrity secured for him the
confidence of all who knew him.
Year: 1871

THOSE cases in which the brain is hard
at work during sleep, instead of being to-
tally oblivious of everything, may be call
ed dreaming or somnambulism, according
to the mode in which the activity displays
itself. Many of them are full of interest.
Some men have done really hard mental
work while at sleep. Condorcet finisL ed
train of calculations in his sleep which
had puzzled him during the day. In 1866
collegian noticed the peculiarities of a
fellow student, who was rather stupid than
otherwise during his waking hours, but
who got through some excellent work in
geometry and algebra during sleep. Cor
dillac and Franklin both worked correctly
during some of their sleeping hours.


The work done partakes, in many cases
more Of the nature of imaginative compo
sition than of scientific calculations. Thus
stanza of excellent verse is in print
which Sir John Herschel is said to have
composed when asleep, and to have recol.
lected when he awoke. Goethe often sci
down on paper, during the day, thoughts
and ideas which had presented themselves
to him during sleep on the preceding night.
A gentleman one night dreamed that he
was playing an entirely new game of cards
with three friends; when he awoke, the
structures and rules of the new game, as
created in the dream, came one by one into
memory, aud he found them SO Ingenious
that he afterward frequently played
the game. Coleridge is said to
have composed his fragment OF
Kubla Khan" during sleep. He had
one evening bsen reading Purchas' "Pil-
GRIM" some of the romantic incidents
struck his fancy; he went to sleep, and
his busy brain composed "Kubla Khan. y
When he awoke in the morning he wrote
cut what his mind had invented in sleep,
until interrupted by a visitor, with
whom he conversed for an hour on bust
ness matters; but, alas! he could never
again recall the thread of the story, and
thus "Kubla Khan !" remains fragment.
DR.. Good mentions the case of gentle
man who in his sleep composed an ode in
Six stanzas, and set it to music. Tartini,
the celebrated Italian vocalist, one night
dreamed that the devil appeared to him,
challenged him to a trial of skill on the
fiddle, and played piece wonderful for
its beauty and difficulty; when Tartina
aWoke he could not remember the exact
notes, but he could produce the general
character of the music, which he did in q
composition ever since known as the
"Devns Sonata" Lord Thurlow, when
a youth at college, found himself one
evening unable to finish piece of Latin
composition which he had undertaken


he went to bed full of the subject, fell
asleep, finished his Latin in his sleep, re-
membered it next morning, and was com
plimented on the felicitous form which il
presented.-Ab the Year Bound.
Year: 1871

But after awhile the brightest and most
engaging couples tire Of receptions, thea-
tres, concerts, and the like. The appetite
ior excitement becomes sated. The relish
for artificial enjoyment gets cloyed. The
desire for comfort and quiet takes the
place of the feverish craving for active
pleasures. To sit down at home over an
entertaining book to break the monotouy
OF an evening by pleasant chit-chat,
few touches of music, or an amusing
game to be warned off to bed by vel
vet-footed dreams, stealing over the
senses and filling the fancy with drowsy
delights-these things invariably come in
time. And then comes a yearnine for
something the heart has not, a looking
for what the room does not contain.
feeling after what no provision has been
made for. But the cradle does not come.
The aversion to care, infantile cries, and
confusion of all sorts has become chronic
but little Two Shoes is a tyrant and
wherever he sets up his small despotism
insists that the claws of disorder"
shall prevail. The desire for somebody
r pet, and play with, and dote upon,
grows to hunger which, alas, does not
feed itself, and only gives way to the more
painful need Of that sympathy, affection
friendship, solace, and support which none
but a child can supply. There may be
wealth yet who but child shall keep at
bay the great brood of vultures and cor.
morants which peck remorselessly at the
life of whoever has purse There may
be social position, and even fame but
how empty and barren are all honors that
must dissolve with the breath of their
wearer? The home may be palace but
its splendid halls will be cold and cheer.
less as the forecourt of sepulchre, if they
are not made the portals of Heaven by
the prattle, the merry laugh, and innocent
hllarity Of children, through whom the
Divine Paternity bestows perennial youth
and hope, and earthly Immortality upon
parents here.


Ofall cheerless, unnatural places in the
world, childless home is quite the mosi
uncomfortable. There is something op
pressive in its vacancy. Its stiffness is
sitting. The heart faints and cries for
what is not there. The home into which
the Great Father has once placed one of
His little ones, for however short stay
is transformed by that visitation, and can
never lose the charm of that mysterious
coming, nor the light that streamed
through the door of the noiselcss DEPART
ure. That door is open, and no hand can
shut 1t ; and just on the other side the un-
seen child engages in gambols, or is busted
with tasks, which it needs but little i'm.
agination, blended with faith, for parents
heart to hear. No home can ever be the
same again into which one immortal being
rose to conscious life, and saw heaven Of
love in mothers eyes. Birth l. the
great sacrament. But the home that has
had no such baptism, cold, dull, and draa.
ry is it at the best, with none of the po-
etry of life in it, no legends Of angels
trailing about it, and no star shining over
it to indicate that it is favored of Heay-
eu.-7He Golden Age.
Year: 1871

There is curiots case related of d
man who was a well known character.
and man of sense, where it was said
he used to see number of people in
the room with him. Now he himself
has described the whole of the phe-
nonienon, and all the adjuncts to it,
He said, after taking a cup of coffee
'or tea, or so on, they came into bis
room in great numbers; and as he got
better, and less nervous, he has only
seen the arms or legs of the persons,
without seeing any other part of them.
Now this is all an irregular action of
the retiha Of tic eye:


A gentleman sitting in his library
one day, reading or writing, on turu-
ing round his head, saw, sitting in
chair, a woman in a red cloak. And
he said ~


""How came you here, good woman 2"


The woman said nothing. ae...


What is the meaning of your be-
ing here, woman ?"


No answer was made.
y"Iou have no right to be here; go
out Of the, ROOM"


She took no notice of him


he got up and rang the bell foy the
servant. The servant came in.


"Tyrn this woman out" ou


"What woman, sir ?n %


"Why, the woman in the red cloak


There's no woman nor any red
cloak, sir..p a..y


"Weil, go and fetch the doctor for
me. Tell him 1 am ill, and wish to
speak with him." ro s


The man, however, was not to be
by this; because he knew ii
was a delusion of the sight irq.,r
Year: 1871

About twelve years ago, during a very
severe winter, l went one morning to
spend the day with two ladies, who were
staying for a time at the pretty watering
place of C.. The snow was on the ground
outside, but they were sitting by a bright
fire in a snug parlor, and had just fin
ished breakfast The younger lady was
crumbing some bread into saucer, and
told me she was preparing meal for
visitor who came every morning.


wondered who it could be that was to
eat such a breakfast, and when Miss j.
said Hush hear him" looked towards
the door, expecting to see him enter. l
found, however, that they were looking
towards the window; and on its being
opened by Miss j., in hoped a beautiful
little robin, and began to pick the crumbs,
not only from the saucer. but from her
hands


He did not seem to have the least fear,
but every now and then lifted his little jet
black eye to her face, chirping merrily.
When he had finished his meal, he gave
one loud chirp, as if to say, Thank you,"
and flew away into wood near the house.


There are some pretty walks in that
wood, and later in the day my friends in
vited me to go with them there. Miss j.
took some crumbs with her for her "little
friend" as she told me, and scattering
them on the ground. began to call, Dick
ey! Dickey.' had hidden myself, that
he might not be frightened at sight of a
stranger. As soon as his friend called,
there was rustling noise in the bushes,
and down came Dickey and began to eat
the crumbs at her feet. ] was astonished
at this, and said, "After all, he only comes
for what he can get. 1t is the crumbs he
loves, and not YOU


"Well, we Shall see presently which he
loves best" saiu Miss j. She walked on
for some distance from the crumbs, and
again called "Nckey! Dickey!" at the
same time holding out her hand. Instant
ly the faithful little bird, leaving his
crumbs, first perched on little branch
Just over her, looking curiously as if to
see if she were alone, and then hoped
down and settled on her hand, seeming
quite at home and happy. Certainly"
said. she loves you better than the crumbs"


We left the wood and walked mile or
more into the country; when perceived,
as thought, another robin watching us
from tree. IL think all the robins in the
nei2 2hborhood know you," said to Miss
j. She looked where pointed, and after
moments hesitation, exclaimed, "Why,
that's my own little darling Dickey Dick
ey!" The little bird directly began chirp-
ing and fluttering his wings, as if quite
delighted to be noticed by his friend. We
now observed him more particularly, and
found that wherever she went he followed
flying from bush to bush, and always keep
ing near her, until she reached her home,
when he gave chirp as if to bid her ''Good
bye and flew to his home in the woods.


During my stay with my friends, this
occurred, not once or twice, but when
ever they left the house for their walks,
and when they left the place at the end of
the winter, they We're very sorry, as you
may suppose, to part with their faithful
and loving Dickey; and l dare say he
missed them, too, though he could now
find food in the woods, and did not so
much need the crumbs.-LoringW Words.