smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

A Leap Of One Hundred and Eighty


/, 81, Feet. ''f. =


BALTIMORE, Nd, Oct. 12.-An unknown
man was dashed or threw himself from the
top of Washington Monument, a distance Of
one hundred and eighty feet, about half past
three this afternoon. The noise made by
his striking against the base Of the monu-
ment was heard by the keeper, and he dis
covered on the top of the Southwest corner
of the base, shapeless mass of human
flesh and bones.


The front of the base of the monument
the pavement were bespattered with blood
and, brains. Coroner Walker was notified
and summoned a jury. The body was taken
down and the following letter was found
upon his person - ''


"Now, Miss. Cabb, leave thee in these
words hoping to hear from you, fare the
the well, still forever, still forever fare the
we'll, even though unforgiven never against
ia e shall my heart REBEL" There was
n thing to oindicate who the unfortunate man
WAS. He looked to be man about 80 years
Of age, and was gentecly but plainly
dressed; his eyes were hazel; his hair black
and curly, and he wore chin beard; he
wore black coat, brown pants, black vest
and Congress CATERS. The verdict agreed
upon by the jury was "that deceased came
to his death by falling from the top Of wash
ington monument, hut whether it was suicl-
dal or accidental, is to the jury unknown"
The keeper recognized the deceased as the
same man who, during the morning. naa
visited the place, and the supposition is that
his courage failed him then and he returned
again to carry out his design, if it was a
ca Sc of suicide. There was lady and gen.
tleman who were going up to the top OF the
monument just as the desperate descent was
being made from the outside. The lady not
knowing Of the occurrence, looked over the
enclosure, and saw the body lying below ana
s SO startled at the ghas'ly sight that shc
nearly tainted. Mr.. Faust, bricklayer,
happened to be passing along the street, and
was witness Of the fearful fall; every BONG
in tic unfortunate mans boy is surposca
to lave been broken.
Year: 1875

Inever run for Office but once. At the
earnest solicitations Of some Of my friends,
in an unguarded moment I allowed my
self to be announced as candidate for the
Office of lJustice of the Peace. Previous to
this fool move had been considered de-
cent kind Of q ma /, but the next day when
the Bucle came out it was filed with &C
counts Of my previous history that would
have curdled the blood Of. q Digger Indian.
A susceptible public was gravely informed
that was not ft for the office, that I was
almost fool, besides 1 had come West
under very suspicious circumstances.
had starved my deaf old grandmother to
death and then sold the remains to Q soap
factoy. 1 had stolen hand organ from q
poor blind cripple and run away with the
proceeds. I had sold my grandfathers
coffin for fourteen dollars, and buried the
old gent in boot box. In utter despair
I rushed around to headquarters, withdrew
my name and swore solemn swear that
I would never indulge in politics again.
And never will.-John Quill.
Year: 1875

One day the astronomer Mitchell
was engaged in making some observa-
tions on the sun, and as it descended
toward the horizon, just as it was set
ing, there came into the range of the
great telescope the top of hill seven
miles away. On: the top of that hill
was a large number of apple trees, and
in one of them were two boys stealing
apples. One was getting the apples,
and the other was watching to make
certain that nobody saw them, feeling
that they we're undiscovered. But
there sat Professor Mitchell, seven
miles away, with the great eye of his
telescope directed fully upon them,
seeing every movement they made as
plainly as if he had been under the
tree with them. So it is often. with
men. Because they do not see the eye
which watches with a sleepless vigil
lance. they think they are not seen.
But the great eye of God is down upon
them. and not an acton can be con-
cealed. There is not deed, there is
not a word, there is not a thought
which is not known to God.
Year: 1875

The Edgar Thomas steel works of
Pittsburg, Pa, have just rolled and
delivered to the Pittsburg, Cincinnati
and St. Louis Railroad Company
large order of steel rails of sixty feet in
length each. These are the first rails of
this length ever rolled in this country,
and the first steel rails of sixty feet in
length ever rolled in any part of the
world. Iron rails of about sixty feet
were successfully rolled in England
some time ago, and mention was made
of the fact in the London Times as a
remarkable event in the manufacture
of railroad iron. The difficulty attend
ing the production of rails Of more
than thirty feet in length is that of
handling the mass ofsteel to be rolled.
An advantage which the long rails
are said to possess is that of cheap
ness. They are sold at as low a rate
as the shorter, and the saving Of time
consumed in laying them is considered
by railroad men to make them desira-
able fer use from an economical point
of view.
Year: 1875

A few days since, the vicinity Of


Rocky Hill station was the scene of


one of those terrible accidents that I'll


the human heart with horror, and en-


list the whole sympathies of our nature


in behalf of the victim. Mrs. Alfred


Emmerson, who lived near the above


named place, was subject TO spasms.
She was nursing her young intilnt rear
the fire place when she was seized with
a fit, and in falling threw the child in-
to- the flame. Upon recovering, the


first thing to meet her sight was the
form of her infant. lying on red-hot
Goals in the last agonies Of death
Her cries attracted some one to her as
sistauce, but the child was already be-
yond human aid. The remains were
buried, and before the day had passed,
she was again standing BY the FIRE,
when she was again seized with sec
ond spasm. She fell into the blazing
FIRE and when she recovered conscious
ness she was horribly burned and suf-
fering the most fearful agony. She
was discovered in short time and 4
physician sent for, who came and pro-
nounced her case hopeless one. She
fingered for outforty hours and died.
No one, we are informed, can imagine
how fearful were her suffefings, and
all who were present drew a sigh Of re-
lief when death released her from all
Green Democrat
Year: 1875

Kansas people have been mysteri-
ousIy disappearing for some time, and
now what is left of the missing is hor-
ribly reappearing. The Kansas rivers
are giving up their dead, and the Kan
sas coroners are having rich harvest
and good time. A young man named
Brooks-native of East Tennessee,
where his rich relatives still reside
was rover, and dropping in on Pleas
anton, Kansas, stopped there. He was
drifting on the tide of time and lodged
in this back settlement. He did not
prove very useful citizen, but Kan
sas wanted population, and the good
people of Pleasanton did not drive
him away. Some months since he
married Miss Shoemaker, of Pleas
anton, a young and handsome and
respected lady, but marriage did not
improve his habits. He did not get
along we'll with his wife, and she was
not overly happy with him. On the
I'd of November the unhappy pair mys-
teriously disappeared from Pleasanton.
The people did not take mnch trouble
TO hunt them up, but, when last seen,
this husband and wife were going to-
ward the Marias des Oynes river, each
armed with revolver. Lately trap
per on the Marias des Cygnes found
the body of Brooks in the river, about
five miles from Pleasapton. The dead
man had a bullet hole in his forehead.
This CHASTITY incident suggested search
for Mrs. Brooks. Her body was found
in a pond not far from the place where
that of the man came to light. There
was bullet hole in her forehead, too.
Now, it is hardly likely that the hus-
band and wife fought duel, and each
plugged the other so neatly in the fore
head. 1t is far more likely that the
husband shot his wife, threw her body
in the pond, and then waded out up to
his middle in the Marias des Cynes and
let his own soul out through a bullet
hole, and gave his body to the waters.
This was the conclusion the coroner's
jury at the trading post came to, and
their verdict was that Brooks was both
a murderer and suicide. The whole
affair made an unpleasant sensation in
Pleasanton.
Year: 1875

There are always men in commu-
nifty who are never satisfied and always
ia ken with the idea of going West
to Texas or some other far away land.
Distance lends enchantment to the
view," and they imagine that these
countries are lands of promise where
money can be made with ease, and
where everybody is living in happiness
and contentme1t. But they are great
ly mistaken in their surmises, and
when they leave a comfortable home.
and take up their abode in far dis
tant land among strangers, the bright
hopes they were wont to indulge IN are
entirely dissipated, and they begin to
sigh for the old homestead among the
hills. We would say to those who
have comfortable home in the grand
old State of Kentucky, to think many
times before they give it up, and spend
their all in searching for what they
will never find. 1t requires just as
much hard work to make a living in
California and Texas as it does in Ken
tucky, and men with small means haye
just as good an opportunity TO make
money here as there. We would ad-
wise those who are now thinking OF
moving away, to ease their minds by
abandoning the idea, and resolving to
live and die among their kindred and
friends. hree-fourths of those who
90 out there return in few years Il
nancially ruined, and disheartened
with the country. They come back
anxious to again look upon the home
of their childhood, and are willing tC
spend the balance of their lives where
they formerly passed SO many joyou:
and happy hours.-Boioliag Gree1
DeHOcrUt.
Year: 1875

We find All account of the workiE,


of the No Fence Law" in Mecklen.


burg county, North Carolina, and We


give it for the beaeft of Tennesseeans


so they may judge of how it might


work in this State


The law went into effect in March


when the people were busy preparing
to plant the present crop. Nearly all
succeeded in getting sufficient pasture
fenced for the stock kept on the pre-


misses.


The law works admirably. The
thought ofnever again having to scratch
our hands with briers and thorns. and
tangle our feet with grape vines while
mending our dilapidated old fences, is
too good to entertain one moment
without almost shouting for JOY. While
those who work the old plan of fencing
up their fields will be busy in winter
making rails, hauling and putting them
on their crazy fences, we will be clean
ing up our rich fence rows for lux
urlant crop another year. And while
they are paying out their money for
these repairs. we are spending the same
In compost heaps, clover lots, rye lots,
and fall and winter plowing.


Instead of being a disadvantage to
troopers, it has proved the very reverse.
The land owner sees that it is to his
advantage to provide his troopers with
sufficient amount of pasture for all
their stock. If, however, any one
should fail to DO this, his more just
and wise neighbors will have the re-
fusal of his hands.


When the law went into effect, many
of the freedmen threatened to leave
the townships but they are here yet,
and until it can be clearly shown that
the negro has an unconquerable desire
to maui, haul and buill rails, we think
he will very likely remain where he is.
Nearly all the trouble we had was on
the line. Some said the fence would
be burned down others, that it would
be thrown down, and not allowed to
stand, but, as far as we know, not
single trespass has been made. Out
siders keep up the fence to save their
crops from the penalties of the law.
insiders keep it up to save their
crops from the depredations of outside
stock.


Many persons declared that in fenc-
ing up pastures. country roads would
be obstructed by gates; but, on the
contrary, it has almost totally anuihi-
lated the gate system. No wise man
will make his pasture on both sides of
the road. knowing that the first care
less traveller may cause his stock torun
at large on his own farm.


Country roads can be SO arranged by
the generality Of land owners, as to
shorten the former route of travel at
least one third. When farmer wishes
to drive his wagon over his premises,
he is not troubled with the old system
of laying down and putting up fences
By cutting few bushes along some of
those places we call glades (Which be-
fore were not worth fencing) he can
now NOW loads of hay. Hundreds of
acres can now be cultivated, which be-
fore could not be proftably fenced. A
poor man can now buy piece of land
and live comfortably on it, although
there may not be rail tree upon.
Year: 1875

The benefits resulting from the union
and equality of the sexes in the Grange
room are incalculaole. 1t is the ten
deney of ignorance in every sphere of
life to undervalue the tendency and
influence of woman, and perhaps no
class is more open to censure on this
account than the farmers. They seem
to think that the influence of their
wives and daughters should not extend
beyond the kitchen and the dairy
But the Grangers lift woman to an
equality in all practical affairs of life
and business, give her a personal in-
terest in the homestead and farm, and
thus perform for her far more than
has ever been effected by all the fe-
male suffrage societies in the world.
Besides, the presence of woman in a
Grange room imparts to it refine
ment and grace that would otherwise
be wanting.-Umted States Economist.
Year: 1875

The irrepressible conflict between
freedom and slavery abolished negro
slavery. The irrepressible conflict be-
tween capital and labor threatens to
tablish another slavery in its stead
the slavery of debt and taxation; the
slavery Of the inferior to the superior
mind. the slavery of bad government
1t is high time to turn to the history
of the first revolution and profit by
the wisdom and troubles of the Faith
ers who established the government, If
we would carry out the advice of
Stonewall Jackson, ito preserve to
those that come after us all the freed
ON which we have enjoyed. ."-Atq-
bamiag.
Year: 1875

BRAINS AS WELL AS BALLOTS
Farmers need cultivated brains as well
as doctors, lawyers, ministers, mer-
chants, or men Of any other calling.
Because they have not paid as much
attention to education or to reading,
speaking and writing, tie other classes
have got the start of them, and are the
influential classes In the community.
1t is long lane that has no turns, and
il is now that there should be a turn
in favor of the farmer. But he must
be prepared for it, and be qualified to
maintain his rights if he can secure
them at all. All that he should ask
for is an equal chance with other call
ings. He should labor to stop class
legislation and to remove such as al
ready exists-whieh has proved the
source of all his trOubles-which has
nude one section of the couatry rich
at the xpense OF the producing classes.
One class should have no right to tax
another, neither should one set of men
be exempt from taxation and force the
balance to pay the taxes that set of
men ought to pay. Equal privileges
to all, special favors to none, is farm
ers' battle cry and with that they can
win if they have the intelligence, the
frmness and the independence to fight
for what is right and just. With a
unity of purpose that the members Of
other classes battle for their interests,
the farmers can succeed. But they
must prepare for the conflict. They
must read aud write and talk. The
battle will be fought with brains as
we'll as with ballots.-RTdt World.
Year: 1875




An Oregon paper relates this story
A few days since one of Portland's prin-
cipal business men had occasion to visit
Roseburg, where he tarried over night.
After retiring to his room he fastened
the door with chair, but failed to put
the window down, and went to. bed.
Just as his weary brain had ceased to
throb, and he was sailing into dream
lana in the arms of Morpheus, he felt a
sudden jerk at the pillow whereon rested
his devoted head. He raised up in bed
and looked and felt around in the dark
ness, but discovered nothing. He again
lay down and reached about the same
spot in the land of nod, when he was
again startled to a sitting posture. An
other examination resulted as before,
sweet restorer, balmy sleep. In q few
moments he felt his pantaloons glide
from beneath the pillow and heard them
fall heavily upon the floor, the silver
coins rolling merrily about. The gentle
man sprang from the bed and seized his
pistol, thinking to have a afirst-class burg
lar to toast for breakfast. No sooner
mad he touched the floor than pet coon,
which had entered at the window, mis-
took one of his limbs for fence post,
and up it he went. This was too much
for the gentleman, wh0rushed from the
room, down the hall, into the dining
room, out of the back door into the yard,
back through the sitting-room, like a
madman, pistol in hand, calling for help.
By this time the house was aroused and
came to the rescue, and had the meeting
in the hall been transferred to some se-
cluded spot, it would have passed for a
convention of ghosts. The coon was
captured and turned out of doors, while
the unfortunate individual returned to
assassins. Even the gentlest lamb could
not stand the curious sensation of coon
SHINING up his leg In the dark.
Year: 1875

There is nothing very laughable to
an American in the shaking OF hands,
which is every where practiced in our
country; but foreigners do find in it
amusement. Yet nothing will be more
ridiculous TO us than the salution in
Germany, where one may see two big,
burly, hairy men rush to each others
embrace and kiss with schoolgirl fer
vency. The people of. Thibet salute by
lolling out the tongue and scrathing the
right ear, and the Esquimaux by rubbing
their noses with their thumb and de-
scribing comic section in the air with
their fingers-a custom practiced by
misehievous urchins in our land, but
not exactly as salutatory grace. 1t is
now happily honored in the breach. In
Turkey an American travelling with his
unveiled vile, without even the appeh-
dages, so usual here, OF six small child
rem and seven large trunks and band
boxes, is to them funny predicament.
On the other hand, what would be funny
with US, among the Turks is quite the


reverse. An American gives US an IN


stance IN his experience in Syria. He


was about to mount his mule amidst


crowd OF Oriental visitors, and wished


American agility. He jumped little


too far, and overshot the mark, coming
down on the other side like diver, with
his hands and nose in the mud, his feet
caught in the saddle, and his
coat skirts cleverly rolled over his head
| to screen him from what he supposed
Twas a laughing crowd. Yet not a soul
smiled, not sound was heard save q
tender grunt of sympathy and demure
offers of aid. Now Turk in America
with baggy breeches and turbaned head,
taking aIeap over mule in the streets
of an American city, and getting stuck
upside down, with his pFOboscis IN ruJ
luted with something more than grunt
of sympathy and demure offers OF aid.
We have more humor than dignity; the


Turks more dignity than humor. There
never was an American who would not
sacrifice his courtesy and sympathy TO


his fun. He must have it, however, well
seasoned, and done in hurry, and its
prevailing characteristic must be exag-
geration. You saw this illustrated even
in the inordinate hopes OF SO calm and
sedate a statesman as Mr.. Seward, as to
the closing up OF our civirwar in sixty
days. That was the huge joke of our
time. There was q court in General
Grants army which sentenced man to
work ten years on General Buffers
Dutch Gap Canal; and it was generally
said, ii not believed, in the army that
Palmer, who made the patented limbs,
had purchased 1000 acres OF Western
land, and planted them with locust and


maple, with view to economize in the
future in his manufacture OF arms and
legs.
Year: 1875

per day and to travelling fee of ten cents per
mile for the distance necessarily travelled
in the discharge of such duty. Such COM
pensation shall be paid from the county treas
ury, and the amount so paid shall be charged
to the town, village or city so delinquent, and
shall be certified 10 the Clerk of such town, viii
lage or city by the County Clerk as special
county tax to be raised therein at the time of
making the annual apportionmento of taxes in No
yember in each year.


SEC. 4. Whenever the County Clerk of any
county shall fail to discharge the duty required
by Sec. 2 of this act, before the first day of Oc


ober in any year. it shall be the duty of the Sec
retary of State to dispatch messenger to such
county to procure the duplicate required by such
section: and such messenger shall be entitled to
a compensation of three dollars per day for such
services, and a travelling fee of ten cents per mile
for actual travel In the discharge of such duties
The Secretary of State shall draw his warrant on
the State Treasury in favor of such messenger for
the compensation herein provided, and shall Ger.
tify the amount so paid to the County Clerk of
the county delinquent at the time of certifying
to the State tax necessary to be raised In such
county, and said amount shall be special State
tax against such county, and shall be collected
and returned in the same manner that other State
taxes are collected and paid into the State Treas
ury.


Sec. ISL This act shall take effect and be in
force from and after its passage and publication.


Approved March 5, 1875. s8@COPY.
Year: 1875




AN ACT to amend Sec. of Chap 1Ol OF the Re-
vised Statutes entitled "Of the payment of
debts and legacies of deceased persons"


The people Of the State of Wisconsin, repre-
sented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as
follows: :.


SECTION T. Sec of Chap. 101 of the Revised
Statutes entitled stOf the payment of debts and
legacies of deceased persons, is hereby amended
by adding the following as subdivision four
a.: When it shall appear from the in
ventory or other evidence that there is no
property belonging to the said estate except real
estate and that there are no debts outstanding
against the estate of the deceased, and the adj
ministrator executor shall petition for q final
settlement of the estate, setting forth in the
petition that there is no property belonging
to said estate except real estate; that there
are no debts due to become due against
said estate, the County Judge shall, upon the
filing of such petition, cause notice OF sucn
application to be given by publication IN some
newspaper printed and in general eircniation IN
the county in which the real estate pc
longing to said deceased is situated, for ionr
consecutive weeks. of the time ana piace az
pointed for the hearing of such petition, Wnlcn
notice SO published shall set forth the substance
of SAID petition and if upon the hearing no per-
son appear to oppose and If the facts set ortn IN
said petition be fully established to the satisfaction
of the County Judgs, the County Court snal H., pc
authorizea 70 adicdge fAst no further proceeding
Year: 1875




MA ACT to define the liabilities of railroad COM
panies in relation to damages sustained by their
employees.


The people of the State of Wisconsin, repre-
sented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as
follows:


SEC. 1. Every railroad company operating any
railroad or railway, the line of which shall be
situated in whole or in part in this State shall be
liable for all damages sustained within this State
by any employe, servant or agent of such COM
pany while in the line of his duty as such, and
which shall have been caused by the carelessness
or negligence of any other agent, employe or
servant of such company, in the discharge of or
for failing to discharge, their proper duty such
but this act shall not be construed so as to per-
nit recovery where the negligence of the per-
son so claiming to recover materially contributed
to the result complained of.


SEC. q That no contract, receipt, rule or regu-
lation between any employe and railroad COM
pany shall exempt such corporation from the full
liability imposed by this act.


Sec 3. This act shall take effect from and after
its passage and publication


Approved March A. 1875. s~COPY.