smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

The recently discovered cornerstone
of the great Ghizeh pyramid, the first
and largest of the Egyptian pyramids,
was found by the discoverer, an English
clergyman, to have the same remarka-
Bile relations to geometry that had been
ascertained by the Astronomer Royal of
Scotland and many other mathemati-
clans, to exist in the pyramid as whole
and in various of its parts. The cor
ner-stone, which has ESCAPED, by being
covered, the general stripping Of the
stone facing of the pyramid, was found
in stu, to measure multiples of the pyr-
amidal cubit "a little more than
twenty-five inches-in all its lines, and
the angle Of its outer slope, to express
with mathematical accuracy, the ratio
of the diameter to the perimeter Of a
circle. The pyramidal cubit is exactly


0.O000000l of the shortest radius OF
the earth, and the hight of the restored
pyramid 222 cubits, the 0.000000O00l
Of the distance of the sun from the earth,
according to the lately corrected value
of this distance. Similarly the so-called
sarcophagus inside the pyramid has
been found to be an accurate measure of
contents, based on the pyramidal cubit.
A relation to the mean density of the
earth is also found to exist, and it is a
curious fact that the unit of measure
adopted by the builders of the pyramid,
supposed TO be 5000 years old, and to have
been erected by race anterior to the
historical Egyptians, possesses a geo


4
in the French one, which, as is known,
is not what its designers intended it to
be. in exact decimal relation with the
meridian, owing to errors in the arc.
Whoever the builders Of the Chizeh pyr-
amid, astronomy must have been far ad-
vanced among them to enable them to
calculate the distance Of the sun at the
amended irgure to which it has been re-
duecd only within the last three or four
wears
Year: 1873

tor sat down. Presently there arose an
eminent loudon Clergyman, who said
tina, II he believed the declaration just
made he would ascend his pulpit next
Sunday Snlyto announce that the church
would be forever closed from that hour.
Then he sat down and another painful
silence occurred. All eyes were TUNED
upon the tall, thin doctor, with his intel
lectunl face, TO see what effect the re-
mark would have on him. II had none;
he belongs to the school OF thinkers
whose motto is Truth, whatever the
consequences" Then, one after an
other, the clergymen rose, and there was
a hurricane Of stormy protests. The
amount Of them was, . This cannot be
true, for it would close our prayer books.


Carpenter seemed TO be unmoved even
by this argument. But when the rest OF
the company had exhausted themselves,
Professor Tyndall arose, and with slow
and solemn voice, said: am speak.
ing to men of education and men OF
learning; to men who have studied in
universities, and have read history and
observed the course Of nature; and !
feel constrained to ask you as gentlemen
of culture whether il is really possible
that you can have any belief in the
efficacy of prayer to affect this universe
in the slightest degree2"
Year: 1873

From the Popular Science Monthly.l


We read that the curse pronounced
upon the serpent was, Upon thy belly
thou shalt go, and the inference seems
to be that previous to that time its mode
Of progression was not upon its belly.
This would imply a great anatomical
change in the structure OF the creature
at the time in question, Il change which,
so far as we are aware, is not proved by
archaeological research, and the ex-
preston is probably a 6gurative one, as
observed by DIR. Buckl anu. Serpents
progress by the foldings and windings
they make on the ground, and the
stiff, movable scales which cross the
under portion of the body; but the wind
ings are sideways, not vertical. The
structure of the vertebre is such that
upward and downward undulations are
greatly restricted, and many illustra-
tions, showing sharp vertical curves of
the body, are exaggeration, Most per:
sons have seen snakes glide slowly and
silently, without any contortion. They
seem to progress by some invisible
power; but, if permitted to move
over the bare hand, an experiment
easily tried, motion of the
scales will be perceived. These are ele-
waited and depressed and act as levers
by which the animal is carried forward.
Nor can a serpent progress with facility
on the ground without the resistance
afforded by the scales. 1t is stated that
it cannot pass over plate of glass, or
other entirely smooth surface. We saw
the experiment tried, by placing a small
pane Of glass in box, in which was
co mmon black snake. He was made to
pass over it repeatedly, but evidently
found that he had no foothold on it; and
the third time, as he approached it, ele-
waited the fore part of his body slightly,
and brought his head down beyond the
glass, and, on passing, his body seemed
scarcely to touch it. This gave an op-
portuAity to witness the wave-like move
ment Of the scales, that is, of their ele-
vation, which runs from the head to the
tail, enabling the animal to move con-
tinuously, instead of by series of min
ute pushes, as would occur if all the
scales be lifted and depressed at once.
Year: 1873

THE SIMPLE SEcRET.-Twenty clerks
in store, twenty hands in a printing of
fee, twenty apprentices in a spipyard,
twenty young men in a village-all want
to get up in the world, and all expect to.
One of the clerks will become a partner
and make fortune one of the compos-
itors will own newspaper and become
an influential citizen one of the appren-
tices will become a master builder one
Of the young villagers will get hand
some farm and live like patriarch but
which one is the lucky individual p
Lucky There is no luck about it. The
thing is almost as certain as the rule of
three. The young fellow who distances
his competitors is he who masters his
business, who preserves his integrity,
who devotes his leisure to the acquisition
of knowledge, who gains friends by de-
serving them, and who saves his spare
money. There are some ways to fortune
shorter than this old duty highway, but
the staunch men of the community, the
men who achieve something really worth
having, good name and serene old age,
all go in this road.
Year: 1873

Here is a sketch in the new Mark Twain
and Danbury- Man vein, from the Reese
River Reueille, which is as we'll told as
the best Of them can do:


A festive youth, who performs his daily
avocation in the mines of Lander Hill,
thought he would take home little blast
ing powder the other day; it might come
handy to split an obstinate log he had at
home. As he started for his humble cab
in in the evening, he wrapped few
ounces carefully in several thicknesses of
paper and put it in his pocket. When he
got home he got to thinking about how
long it would be before he was likely to
get a crushing; and then he thought what
nice perfume that handkerchief extract
that he bought last Saturday night had,
and he said within himself that miners
life was sad and uncertain. And then he
thought he ought to call on that Smithers
girl tonight. He thought of everything
but that powder in the pocket of his coat.


After supper he concluded to drop in
and see that Smithers girl. He got his
necktie in proper shape, his handkerchief
was perfimed like unto a new blown
rose one oiled lock hung gracefully down
on his forehead, and he started for the
domicil of his sweetnes This young
man is coloring meerschanm, but his
girl detests the horrid smoke; so when he
got to the door he knocked the bowl of
his meerschaum on his manly heel, and
put it in his pocket. OF course he didn't
intend to put it in the same pocket with
the powder. His affinity met him at the
door with sweet smile on her beauteous
countenance, welcomed him to her pater-
nal mansion, and invited him into the
parlor and to seat on the sofa.


They were engaged in conversation.
He asked her if it wasnta beautiful even
ing, and then she inquired how he liked
the dress Miss Brown wore at church last
Sunday. He said that he didn't like it o
bit, and she remarked that Miss B. was O
stuek-up thing anyhow; and all this time
that pipe was insidiously burning its way
through that paper. lie agreed that Miss
B. wdS somewhat stuck-up, and said
maybe we'd strike it pretty soon and then
you'd see who would wear plug hats. She
told him she thought plug hats so becom-
ing, and then he was going to tell her he
adored her, that she was the darling oi
his soul, and that all his happiness was
centered in her No. z boots but he was
interrupted. He rose from the floor and
inquired if the lightning had struck any
one else, and remarked some thing about
the Virginia explosion being a warning
to people not to keep nitro glycerine in
their houses. Then he took off his coat.
He said it was an old coat. and he didn't
want it nohow. His girls father suggest
ed that it wasn't Fourth of July and il
he wantedto set off fireworks to go up or
the hill and do it. Then the young mar
said it was getting late, and he guessed
he'd go home, and suggested that ht
wonld send man around tomorrow tc
fix the sofa. He says now that flax seed
isn't worth a cuss for poultice, and he
hain't going to call on that Smithers ga
any more; she's most too high toned, and
thinks herself too good for miner any
how
Year: 1873

HUSBANDS will need to be particularly
circumspect in the future. A lady in
Aurora, Illinois has sued her husband for
a divorce based upon the revelations of
the spirits. The latter have informed her
that her husband is not what he ought to
be, and on their testimony she has gone
to law about it. Whether these witnesses
will be deemed competent to testify in
an earthly court of justice will doubtless
depend largely on the religious views of
the jury and the judge. In the mean
time the husband has cited his wife to
appear in court and answer to the charge
of insanity.
Year: 1873

A GooD OPERATIoN.-That "honesty
is the best policy" may be exemplfed
by the following little incident A man
at Belmont, Mo-, sold to mill owner a
saw-log which proved to be hollow. As
he sold it for sound log, he voluntarily
went and gave back the price, and haul
ing the log to his own yard chopped it up
for frewood. In this operation he found
ten fve-dollar gold pieces which somebody
had secreted in it.
Year: 1873

A SMART man at Sandusky put arsenic
in bottle of wine, hoping that burglar
would drink it, and his wife placed it
among one hundred other bottles. The
smart man is now wondering which is
the bottle.
Year: 1873

A PARIsIAN dentist, who has small
villa in the outskirts, has raised upon a
mound at the bottom of his little garden
a summer-house built entirely of human
teeth. From distance it looks very
nice, but close, certainly rather extraor-
dinary. A short time since the dentist
sent his servant into the country with or
ders to put the house in order and clean
the summer-house. Five days having
elapsed, and the servant not returning
his master lost patience, and made his
way to the villa. There he found his
man diligently occupied in cleaning the
summer. house. toothbrush!
Year: 1873

a coID-BI.oopED exchange tells OF
an Incident which occurred la Reading
the other day. a prim spinster who
still had hopes, was reading the daily
paper. when her eye caught sight Of
the headline, Last day tor Propo.
sails" With shrek that came with
In an ace Of rehdins the skies, she
toppled or her chair, knocking over
her toilet table, and destroying the
box In which she kept her brushes.
She kicked around the floor at an
Amazing rate, and brought everybody
In the house to the room. Her sigh Of
relief upon being told that the article
referred only TO proposals for furnish
ing coal, Is likened to the noise OF Il
steamboat blowing on steam.
Year: 1873

Tho pressure upon oar columns on sun'ias morning
iB 10 great that arc compelled to request
to send In their advertisements for that tsauo AZ as
early IN hour as possiblc, In order that they may WILL
certainty secure tue proper classification.
Year: 1873

The recent wrecking and and robbery
of a train filled with passengers, on one
of the most prominent railroad lines of
the country, by band of highwaymen,
is one of the boldest acts of lawlessness
that has ever been committed in the
Northern section of the country, and
brings vividly to mind the startling
rapidity with which crime is growing in
our midst. Hitherto the bold highway
man who waylaid trains aud robbed
stages has been confined almost wholly
to the wild and sparsely-settled districts
of the far West, where the restraints of
the law were unknown, aid society WAS
in a state of choas and the appearance
of the daring "road agent in the
thickly settled portions of the country,
where he proceeds to wreck trains and
shoot and rob with impunity, is indeed
startling, and has created an excitement
almost unparalleled in the annals of the
Western country.
Year: 1873

The report of the committee appolnt-
ed by the Legislature of Vermont to ex-
anime into the condition and manage
ment of the insane asylum at Battleboro'
shows that institution to be in the hands
of some incompetent if not brutal men.
Seventy-fve patients were found con-
fined in damp and unwholesome under
ground apartments, totally unfit for
habitation. The sleeping rooms are
small and ill-ventilated instead of being
restrained merely and medically treated,
the wretched lunatics are sometimes as
severely punished as if they were rational
or their disease itself we're crime. Foul
smells made the asylum sickening to the
committee, who incontinently left, and
mildly reported that they could not find
language strong enough to express their
Indignation at the way the asylum was
conducted. .-.
Year: 1873

ISAY.--A gentleman who was in the
habit of interlarling his discourse with
the expression 81 say" having been in
formed by friend that a certain indi-
vidual had made some ill-natured re-
marks upon this popularity, took the
opportunity of addressing him in the
following amusing style of rebuke /" I
say, sir, hear say you say say I say
at every word 1 say. Now, sir, although
1 know say I say at every word say,
still l say, sir, it is not for you to say 1
say I say at every word / say"
Year: 1873

IT is customary to assert that, II
punishment for crime could only be
made certain and prompt, criminals
would be struck with terror, and crime
be greatly diminished. But one thing
seems to initiate against such conclu-
sion. Society cannot hope to inflict
upon her knaves any more prompt and
certain punishment than nature does
upon her fools-and yet the latter keep
on kindling fire with kerosene oil.
Year: 1873

While residing on Long Island, in
early life, he was returning home just
ut evening from visit to old DR.. Wool
worth. Seeing what he thought, i'll the
dark, to be rabbit by the roadside, IL
little ahead, he reasoned with himself :
"They are tender animals-if the fellow
sits still till I come up, I think 1 could
hit him with these books" goodly
number of which he had in his hand
kerchief. Hit him he surely did only
it provedto be not rabbit, but a skunk.
The logical sequence followed, and he
returned to his family in anything but
the odor of sanctity. In after life,
being asked why he did not reply to a
scurrilous attack which had been made
upon him, the doctor answered, " L dis
charged a quarto once at skunk, and
then l made up my mind never to do it
again.
Year: 1873

A PORTLAND man was caught fishing
for trout on another mans land, the
other day the owner demonstrated, but
retired in silence before the majestic
answer "Who wants to catch your
trout? I'm only trying to drown this
worm -
Year: 1873

Two cases of smallpox were reported in town early this week. Careful inquiry convinces us that there was not the slightest foundation for the report. While we prefer the false report JC the actual smallpox, there ought to be some pun ishment inflicted upOn any and all per sons who wiifully circulate such damag- ing reports; and it would not disturb our rest, f at some time we should hear of their dying with the disease.
Year: 1873

TIE weather is quite unsatisfactory. Rain is due and don't come down as it should or as our people think it should. Last week we had slight sprinkles, and up to yesterday Of this week, but few rain- less clouds hung round in tautalizing way However, there is a good time con- ing.

 The sky is clear this morning. Some wind prevails, Considerable rain fell yes terday afternoon iii the adjacent noun tains but none in this valley.
Year: 1873

We have just taken up at random one
of the New York daily papers. Of course
Il ,ntains the usual standard captions
such as " Horrible Murder" awful
Casualty" Unknown Suicide" etc.
Let us run the eye along, and see what
this small sing'e sheet offers to he pub
lie to-day A Man Boiled Alive
"Cholera aud Rinderpest;" "Outraee
ON an English Actor" Send your
Children ont of this Furnace" " South
Oyster Bay Tragedy" Found in n
Well;' No Clew to the Mysterious
Murder" " Unwholesome Meat" "The
Outrage of the Day" "A INDUSTRIOUS
Attempt" Pest Ship in the Lower
Bay" Burglars latest Dodge" "In-
ternational Cock Fight" ARRESTED for
Murder" Killing of Morrison;"
Sheriff Street Tragedy" "Suicide OF
an Unknown Woman. But we pause,
though not because we have come to the
end of the list. These headings are
actually taken from city daily which
lies before us. Nor is the reading mat
ter presented specially unlike what
many other papers contain. 1t is the
fashion to gather up as many sensation
al items as possible. 1t would seem
that newspaper of the period to meet
the popular taste. must contain large
variety Of horrible dishes, served up
with all manner of condiments. We
turn away from the dreadful record i'm
pressed with the conviction that the
world is constantly growing worse-that
crime is rapidly increasing. Good old
people shake their heads, and say twas
not so in their day. But before we de-
spairingly yield to the belief that the
moral tone of the community has hope
lessly degenerated, let us consider the
great increase in population within the
last half century-that much more is
done nowadays than in the days of our
fathers, not of evil only, but also of
good, and that the natural tendency of
the rapid increase of journalism is to
bring before the public whatever hap
pens. Remembering these things, we
may feel that the whole world is not
quite hopelessly bad. Yet it is most
unfortunate that so much publicity is
given by the press to details of shame
less and atrocious crimes. Our news
papers are thus rendered both unpleas-
ant and unsuitable for family reading.
The finer sensibilities of the community
are blunted, the constant reader be-
comes disgusted or demoralized. Can
not higher standard be raised and
public sentiment be gradually educated
to give hearty approval and support to
a purer journalistic literature ?
Year: 1873

We believe it is a well-established


fact, says the Gold Hill NeWs, that


the bodies of persons drowned in Lake


Tahoe have never been recovered, the
clear, cold waters of the lake absolutely
refusing to give up their dead. This
circumstance, which at first thoughts
appears strange, is accounted for upon
the hypothesis that the waters at the
bottom of the lake are so icy cold as
actually to arrest decomposition and
consequent expansion of a dead body,
one of the conditions under which
it would be exected to return to the
surface. Whether the victims who
repose at the bottom of the pei
lucid waters of this farfamed lake un-
dergo petrifaction, or are transformed
into mermen and mermaids, is secret
which will never be known until they
come to the surface at the summons of
Gabriel's trumpet. When the Sea Bird
was lost in Lake Michigan in three hun
dred feet of water two bodies out of one
hundred lost only were rescued. When
the Lady Elgin was lost in eighty-six
feet of water only few miles from the
first disaster, every body out of four
hundred and over was finally rescued.
Year: 1873

When the train draws up at Stamford
five minutes for refreshments, says the
Danbury Nelcs, it is easy to distinguish
the experienced traveller from the rest.


He has already got out on the platform,


and is either on the bottom step, OF


close enough to it. just as soon as the


speed of the train becomes less than he
can make, he springs off, and dashes
madly for the saloon door, through it,
and up to the counter, giving his order
for coffee while moving, and snatching
up the right article the first time. He
knows just how much time is required
to make five minutes. and when it is ex-
pred he is out on the platform picking
his teeth, and talking about real estate
Alas for the inexperienced traveller,
such is not his record. He is inside
the car when 1t stops, with twenty per
sons ahead of him. He jumps down on
the platform in time to see the mass
surging into the door, and then it sud
denly strikes him that he may be too
late, and under this inspiration he
throws himself into the struggling gang,
He doesn't reach the table. He and
the other ineXp rienced travellers form
the outside line, and shout their orders
through the openings, and ro> se what
IS handed them with thanki lluess and
what dexterity they can mus. er. Such
a man will perspre and choke, and paw,
AMI jaw during the entire five minutes,
and in that time may get down two
thirds of sandwich, one-third of
piece of custard pie, and more or less
Of coffee, and then get out of the door
Just in time to catch hold of the car
rail, and be pulled on by the brakeman.
And when he has reached his seat and
isScraping the rest of that pie from his
boot, and drawing cold air into his
throat to allay the pain of the scald, he
will think up things about the keeper of
that restaurant that would make the
hair on saw-horse stand straight on
end.
Year: 1873

TEST FOR PURE WArER.-An exchange
recommends the following test for ascer-
tanning the purity or impurity of drink
ing water, viz: "If half a pint of the
water be placed in perfectly clean,
colorless, glass-stoppered bottle, few
grains of the best white sugar added,
and the bottle freely exposed to the
light in the window of warm room, the
solution should remain clear even after
ten days exposure, if the water is pure.
If the water become turbio, it is open
to grave suspicion of contamination
with sewage matter"
Year: 1873

In reference to the statement, that by
the burial of murderer in Greenwood
Cemetery the charter is violated, ths New


York Express says that snch is not the
case. Thirty years ago 1t was designed to
bury iu Greenwood aud erect monument
over John Z. Colt, who was executed for
the murder of Adams, but the company,
considering that such an ostentatlous dis
play over the grave of murderer was not
only highly Improper, but would give
great offense to owners Of lots In the Gem
etery, refused to sell to the family, and II
all subsequent deeds a clause, prohibiting
the admission of criminals TO burial II
Greenwood, was Inserted. The father o
| Wm. Foster, who was executed on Friday


last, was one Of the original owners of 9
lot, therefore his deed does not con'ain THU
clause, and the company cannot interfere


nor does il desire to do so in any similai
case if the burial is quietly performed. II
is not the province Of the company to IN


yestigate the previous character of eyerl
one who may be buried in the cemetery
Year: 1873

With regard to the statement, copied else
where from the New York Times, to the effect
that Foster, who was hung on Saturday, was
taken out to be executed in q dying condition,
it is proper to say that those who were with
him, just previously, strenuously contradict the
possibility of the story's truth.