smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

The Cincinnati Times says: A
lady occupy ing high position at
Washington, whose husband was
of the Government, made trip to
Europe with him. She "doted''
on lace, and here was her opportu.
nifty. Talking of the acquisitions
she would make in this line, he
told her he should purchase any
reasonable quantity, provided she
would not smuggle ary. To this
she acceded. The gentleman
took as part OF his wardrobe a
dressing-gown, for, like most A
mericans, in the privacy of his
room he liked to pull off his coat.
Several times on the trip he OBJ.
served the care his wife took of
this garment, and was gratified
fer her anxiety for his comfort
Once when smoking, while light
ing his cigar, he sat his gown on
fire, and quite u hole was burnt
in the skirt. His wife was con
siderably agitated, and he was
fattered that SO trifling a danger
to him had so moved her. One
morning Immediately after their
return to this country he found
before be reached his office that
the keys he needed he had left at
home, and retraced his steps to
get them, Letting himself in
with his latch-key, he proceeded
to his chamber, and Oh opening
the door found his wife on her
knees on the floor, his dressing
gown divesIed of its lining and
spread before her, and she, scissors
in hand, disengaging from it Il
white, fimsy fabric with which it
was covered. She sprang up on
seeing him. laughed, and exclaim-
ed: "You are the smuggler. You
wore that lace all over Europe,
and brought it home"
Year: 1875

FROM late Newfoundland Letter.


There is no record of such ice
fields as have been sliding past
our shores this season. The
sealing captains report the ice
in many instances twenty feet
in thickness and hard as float
ing masses Of granite. Had
the season been a stormy one,
this ice would have played sad
havoc among our fleet. From
the 9Th Of January, when the
ice first appeared here, till the
11th Of May, it was never out
Of sight--a huge river of ice
slowly floating past. Ships
that came through it reported
it to be 200 miles in breadth.
It's length is unknown, but in all
probability it extended from
Baffin's Bay to the Gulf Stream,
a distance Of 1,500 or 1000
miles. The intense cold Of the
winter seems to have converted
the whole surface of the sea a.
long Greenland into ice-felds,
and no sooner was borne away
on the bosom of. the Arctic cur
rent than another one was form
ed. One would suppose that
such an enormous ice delivery
would temporarily lower the
temperature of the Gulf Stream
itself and give us a cold sum-
mer. Even at this date vast
quantities of ice are passing
south, though not in sight.
The first two outward bound
mail steamers from Liverpool
were unable to enter the port
Of st. Louis owing to the ice,
and had to run on to Halifax,
and the same is true of the two
first homeward- bound steamers.
The third outward mail steam
er, by which this letter should
be conveyed, is overdue, and
may also have passed us by.
The "oldest inhabitant" remem-
bers no such season as this.
Year: 1875




Correspondence of the Kansas City Times


On Tuesday the. entire popu-


lation, except a blind woman


and Rouse, went over to see
lQueen's great show and have a
nice time. A young lady from


across the Jersey took her suitor


and an opera-glass. The young


lady says she thought the per-
fcrmance real romantic until


she stopped to see the elephant.


She wore one of those pock-
cts behind, in which, besides her


handkerchief, she had deposi-


ted an apple, handful of pea
nuts, quarter of a pound of gum


drops, a little bottle Of ammo
MIA, and some other trifes. She
and her swain, after admiring
the complexion Of the huge


beast, turned their backs upon
him to watch the monkeys and
the 1--we kangaroo, and gaze into
each others eyes; to do this


the better they leaned back a.
gainst the rope which inclosed


the stately. monarch, who saw.
the apple protuding from the
pocket of the unconscious fair
one. He hesitated a moment,
and was lost to all sense Of hon
or or self-respcct, for with shuf-
fling movement he emulated the
example of our common moth
er, plucked and ate the fruit,
returned to the pocket and
scooped out the gum drops and
peanuts, and with a sly wink at
his nephew, who was looking
on with anxiety at the proceed
ing. But in the last mouthful
the majestic beast took in the
ammonia bottle by mistake, the
cork came out, and about an
ounce Of hartshoin ran down
the throat OF the greedy beast.
This beverage is said to have
reviying and stimulating infu-
ence, and in this case it proved
It's power, for a more revived ell
ephant was never seen on earth.
With a wild yell lie grabbed the
protuberance behind the lady
which had been the cause of his
disaster; she was ''pulled back
some before, but as the exasper-
ated trunk yanked at the hustle
and accessories, all former at
tempts at that style Of wearing
gear seemed pale and sickly;
everything was "pullcd back"
until the young woman looked
ike the statue Of Niobe in blue
calico. The young man with
great presence of mind shouted
"shoo," and the gentlemanly
clerk of the elephant, with a long
prod, persuaded the beast to let
up. But the fun was over for
The day; cake had 10 charms,
md soda no balm for these two
souls, who walked home with
out single thought about wild
animals.
Year: 1875

The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle
and Sentinel tells this eXtraord.
nary story: GA physician of this
city received from a brother ply
sician in a neighboring city, a few
days since, human heart which
has attached to it most remarka


BILE story. The man from whose
body the heart was taken at


tempted to commit suicide by
siabbing himself with a knife, Ike
weapon penetrated the heart and
cut "a cash entirely through it
Notwithstanding this, the man lived
for thirty days aftervard, and
would probably have survived for
many years had he rot risen from
his bed and got on a drunk. =
While in an intoxicated condition
be died. The heart is now in the
museum of the Georgia Medical
College"
Year: 1875

A father fearing an earthquake
in the region Of his home, sent bis
Two boys to a distant friends un'
til the peril should be over. A
few weeks after the father received
this letter from his friend
"Please take your boys home and
send down the earthquake
Year: 1875

The sun was so hot in Jack SON.
vile, Florida, last Wednesday,
that people amused themselves
cooking eggs in the sand. One
person buried two for six minutes.
and when taken out they were as
hard as though they had been
boiled for half an hour.
Year: 1875

The last request Of dying man
in Virginia was, that he should
tie buried with his head eighteen
inches higher than his feet; that
big cane and sheepsbin should 10
placed in the coffin with him, and
that the collin should be carefully
wrapped up in blanket.
Year: 1875

THE BoY's HIocoUGH CuRE.-A young gentleman who attends the Austin public school had been told that a sudden shock of fright would cure the hiccough, and the other evening, while he was studying his lesson of the morrow by drawinga picture of the schoolma'm on his slate, his respect ed progenitor was seized swith fit of hic- coughs. The old gentleman was tilted back in his chair, with his feet resting on the top of the stove, and the young hope full concluded to try the cure on him. Just as the old man was 'rastling' with heart breaking hic the boy jumped and yelled Fire! The old man wes just getting out cuh-cuh, but he never got it out. He gave a jump which tilted over tic chair. and in endeavoring to regain his lost equilibrium hls feet flew against the table, upsetting it, and student lamp which stood upon it, and his head landed in the ashes on the stove hearth. The old lady, hearing the racket, came running in from the kitchen and tripped over the old mans prostrate form, knocking down a whatnot with lot of glass and china ornaments. When that boys father arose from the wreck and shook the ashes and splinters of glass out of his hair and clothes he was cured of the hiccoughs, but tlke was look of stern ness in his eye. He cart play tag now, and the boy sits on the end of the seat at school and lies on his front when in bed, and silently murmurs that the old man can hiccoush his consarned old head off before he will ever try to cure him.
Year: 1875

What is that a poor man has and a rich map wants ? Nothing.

 'Orthogrammania' is what they :le call ing the rage for spelling matches.

 Don't imagine that you were born to re- form the world. You can't split noun tain with a toothpick.

 A certain Western editor, who was pre- sented with box of collars in pay for an advertisement, is waiting in daily expecta- tion that some one will present him with a shirt.

 A man will carry five hundred dollars in his vest pocket, but woman needs mo- rocco portmonnaie as large as fist, and too heavy to carry in the pocket, to escort fifty cent scrip, recipe for making jelly cake and two samples of dress goods down and back, every pleasant afternoon.

 The new building of the New York Tribune is nine stories high. When man comes in and wants to know who wrote that article, he is told that the author IS on txe top floor with the elevator. broken. .'

 A Connecticut girl patiently listened to a long declaration of love, pathetic and proposing from @ young man, and then knocked the poetry all out of him by say ing, "Now let us talk about your business affairs." On recent trial in Wales to test the va lidity of will, 1t was proved that in 1869 the testator became impaired in intellect to such an exteDs that he went to the pest office with postage stamp on his forehead and requested to be sent to place he men, toned, f"r .
Year: 1875

The long spell of dry weather so unusual in the spring and early summer, has at last been broken by gentle, refreshing rain, and everybody rejoices. l presume we have had many such drouths heretofore at this s,ason of the year, although our oldest inhabitants fail to recall any so severe dur ing the last half century; but if there is anything about which mans memory is particularly treacherous it is the weather

 Every season we hear the same old stereo- typed remark: ''I have lived seventy odd years and never saw such weather be- fore. Rum afforded us another dis graceful scene Saturday evening. About a dozen colored persons of both sexes, after lmbibing the ardent until they could scarce lay on the ground without holding on to something, tumbled around the street in a very general manner, and made night hide ous with the most disgusting, filthy and profane language that often falls to the lot of civilized community to hear. How long are these things to be? Where is the officer of the law2 Must our beautiful streets be turned into a pandemonium every week in which public performances are given that would disgrace the vilest brothel in New York city? Four gin mills in our midst in full blast every day, the proteges of the town authorities, answers emphati. cally, Yes! We'll, if we must have therepu. tation of loving rum SO we'll that we have g gin mill almost in every door yard, we are not yet so utterly depraved but that we ask that there shall not be repetition of the scandalous orgies of Saturday night.

 ALPHA
Year: 1875

The coroner's jury on the death of Fa- bian Moreau, as representative victim of the Holyoke disaster, rendered their verdict that he was burned to death in the French Catholic church May 27th. The jury find that no blame is to be attached to any per son in immediate connection with the fire by which this person and others came to ] their death, but they cannot too strongly condemn the almost criminal carelessness shown in the construction of the galleries and the means of egress therefrom. The testimony shows that the galleries had a seating capacity of 400 persons, and the only means of egress was the stairway about two and half feet wide, leading by turn to an outer door three feet wide. They find that all the deaths occurring at this fire were of persons seated in the gal leries, the nkans of exit from tho main floor of the house being ample, with all the doors opening outward. Considering the narrow. ness of the stairs as compared with the seating capacity of the galleries, and the faulty construction of the same as to reach AAS tuCAA AAvA uDOtC uuO UclOW, tuc uG- clsres that the party who built and suffered such death trap to stand should receive the unmeasured censure of the community. The jury further finds that the direct cause of the fire with Its terrible sacrifice of hu- man life is attributable to the use of trim mings of laces, paper, etc., about the altar, and the fact that the building was sheathed with pine sheathing instead of plaster They strongly deprecate the use of such adonment and the use of such finish ir places of public resort, and in conclusion would say to all persons or corporations owning or having in charge public halls ol churches that this sad calamity admonishe

 them to look we'll to the modes of exi from their buildings. The public will no hold guiltless the man or men who, ,througl carelessness or neglect, permit such fear ful scene to be repeated.
Year: 1875

A LIGHTNING MAIL TRAIN.-The Post master General at Washington received 8 letter last Monday from firm in New York, offering to furnish machine that could take news train from New York to Washington in three hours, and through to Chicago in thirteen hours They asked the cooperation of the Postmaster General in establishing it by using it for mail train. The Postmaster-Gen replied that there is no legal means by which the department can enter into such an under taking,it being only empowered to contract for the transportation ot the mails.
Year: 1875

LET THERE be no secrets in medicine, or rather no pretended secrets. The medical faculty publish as soon as made, all their discoveries, and almost all that Is known of real value for the cure of disease has been discovered by them. Dr. Aver takes the honorable honest course, and right be- cause it is honest. He goes to work and invents the best remedy which medical skill can devise for the cure of certain com plants, then publishes what it is, and main tains hls control of it solely by making it cheaper, better, more perfect than anybody else can. If the people would exact this of all who offer medicines, they would have much less treacle and trash to swallow,
Year: 1875

The saying Excuse haste and bad pen has been attributed to a pig who ran away from home.

 A Brown county editor bought his ink by the jug full, because he could get it cheaper, but his wife went to fill the ink stand one morning and found 1t wasn't ink by a jugfull.
Year: 1875

MUSICAL EDUCATION IN OUR SCHOOLs.-How
is this great power of music to be controlled
and brought to bear most directly, most efici-
ently,on oar people? That nation is the best ed
ucated in which knowledge is most diffused, in
which the results Of learning are within the
G rasp of the greatest number. Only SO far as
any AIT or science becomes part of popular
education can that art or science become pow.
er. an influence, in land. OF the growing
desire among our people for higher musical
education we have many signs in the frequency
OF festivals and choral unions and the number
of musical associations. We Americans are
conglomerate race, made up of the best of ev-
cry people under the sun, so transfused that
the origin of single family can scarcely be
traced without an element of Celtic or Teutonic
race discovering ITSELF Perhaps this is the
source of the musical taste so widely spread
among us as people. We say taste, not cul
ture; we are not yet cultivated people in any
true sense. As national characteristic, to be
song and music lovers belongs to the Irish and
German races rather than to the Saxon. 1t is
rare to find German or Irish girl without an
ear for music. In our Western States and cen.
tres Of population the Germans instinctvely
gather, in remembrance of the father-land
into Sangverens, preserving the songs and
musical traditions OF the old land, while they
welcome anything fresh and worthy from the
new. The marvellous achievements of the
school festivals in the Music Hall in Boston
are largely due to the fine voices, the quick
perceptions of the Irish, either by birth or de-.
SCENT who constitute majority of the pupils
in our public schools.


No one thing has done more for music in the
past twenty years than its introduction as an
integral part of cur common school education.
In the large cities and suburban towns little
seems to De desired in that direction. From the
time children at the age of five enter the prim-
ary school till the age of sixteen or eighteen
graduate from the high or normal school, mu-
sic is as much a part of their training as the
mutiplication-table and spelling book The
next generation will see what we foresee, and
reap the harvest this generation is so wisely
sowing.


If, as we contend, music is in itself purify
ing and elevating. if it can displace and crowd
out baser pleasures by giving innocent recrea-
tion and excitement to people that must be
amused, a people who must be busy for good or
evil, we cannot have too much of it. 1t can
not enter too largely or too deeply into the sys-
tenn of musical education.-Ellis Grdy in Hdr-
per's Magazine fer October,
Year: 1875

We do not read anonymous letters and communi-
cations. The name and address of the writer are in
all cases Indispensable not necessarily tor publication
but as guaranty of good faith


We cannot undertake to return or reserve commu-
nicatioDs that are not used
Year: 1875

The Memphis Appeal publishes letter
from Gen. Gideon Pillow, and says that that
warrior puts himself squarely upon the Dem
ocratic platform. What that platform is may
be judged by the following extract from the
letter:


Why not call in the bank notes, and with its
greenbacks pay its bonds and save this $4,000,
900 of money and lighter, to that extent, the
taxes upon the country? If it would do this
and make its greenbacks receivable for import
duties. and reduce the interest on its bonds to
three or four per cent, and make greenbacks
and bonds convertible into each other at the
pleasure of the holder it would reach at once
specie basis. All governments which have had
length Of national life have had wars
These wars beget great national debts, These
debts accumulate until the national prosperity
and life demand the reduction of the interest
upon the national obligations. This is no vio-
lation of its faith. 1t is the exercise of one of
its prerogatves which no government can
part with. All European governments have
had this to do, except where they have gotten
rid of the national obligations entirely BY a
successful revolution and new DYNASTY.
Year: 1875

The features of the market to-day have been the
,oceutrc course of stocks the general tendency hav-
Ing been downward, and sharp advance in gold


The latter seems TO be explained by the continued
expectation of the precious metals and the sudden
and extraordinary drain of gold from the Bank OF
England But why an advance in gold should re-
sult in depreciation of the price OF stocks or why
the effect should not, in fact, be exactly the
reverse Of that is problem Of difficult solution to
an ordinary mortal. if he may happen to be i'm


reased with the idea that the securities sold at the
Year: 1875

THE charges of correspondent against
the School Teachers in Sussex is worthy of
consideration, surely, but time will have to
do much in effecting the good results anti
cipated of the new law. When the Super
intendent made his round in Sussex we
remember that only about IS persons pre-
sented themselves for examination-not
much over half the number required for
filling the demand. 1t was feared that if a
rigid examination were made, under the
circumstances, it would almost break up
the public schools of the county for a year
to come. To avert this calamity the Supt.
yielded the point for the good of the cause.
In both this and New Castle county there
were more applicants than schools, and a
good class of certificates only was given out
So it will be in Sussex hereafter. If any
teacher become unworthy it is only neces
sary to acquaint the Supt. He can recall
certificate, under the law, and will do il
promptly if necessary.
Year: 1875

BETTER PROJECTION against fire is needed |
in this and in every other town in this |
State. This is one of the things always
admitted and never remedied still there |
is "ever a hope springing up in the human
breast" and it is this that makes us speak
of the matter now while the calamities of
fire are vivid in our memories. Under
the circumstances the subject is more apt
to come home to us in realizing sense.


Those who were first at the fire in this
town last week all agree that a small
quantity of water would have quenched the
throwing wi til the hand. But, by the time
the engines were ready to play upon the
consuming building the flames had claimed
it as their own. A good fire extin guisher
could have stopped the fire then and there.
Our fire apparatus is as good as any on
the Peninsula; perhaps better, but it's two
cumbersome for such terrible emergencies
as bring it into use. OF the thousand
persons or more who may run to fire
here, only bare hundred, perhaps, are
level-headed enough to be really efficient.
And even this force cannot be concentrated
and directed, during the excitement Of the
hour, except in small squads, here and
there. 1t requires thirty men to fully man
the large engine we have and fifteen fol-
the small one. To concentrate the labor
Of that many persons is an impossibility
L. LIT L..
worked at time and that generally the
smaller one. And it's not one time in tel
that enough water can be procured for ever
the little one, and keep it in steady motion
Here is our most serious drawback-th,
lack of water at such emergencies. Not
town in the State has ever shown th
slightest fOrethought in this matter; no
one has any better arrangements in thi
respect than the private pumps in the bye.
yards. To get the water from them 10 ,4
engines is almost as serious a thing as fir
itself.


Our apparatus is good in itself and
always ready for an emergency, but, as W
said before, it's too unwieldy for our excite
people who form themselves into a di
organized fire company. What we want
a "fre extinguisher," as it is called;
machine gotten up on the principle of
soda fountain, that does its own squirtin
requires no outcry for water and is alwa
ready for immediate use. We think it


Middletown that has ten of these, whi,
STOUT men can strap upon their backs al


be playing upon fire in FIVE minutes
just as soon as they can reach the fam


1t may not make much difference whetf


we have one big one OF these machines,
wheels, or a dozen little ones, on me


backs, but we ought to have them one v
or the other. Until we do get one or m
Of them, or have better water applian
L for the apparatus we already have, we
not have anything like adequate protect
against fire. But if we have both extingu
ers and engines we win begin to show


same regard for the safety of our prop'


that we manifest for the preservation Of


peace of the town. The corporation {


it to the property holders to give them


best security possible to the propert


taxes.
Year: 1875

Posted on WAR.-Thc Middletown Tron-
script tells how one of the new crop of
ColonclS put into the field 10y Governor
Cochran got through with his first battle
recently. He drove over into Maryland to
visit Il friend, and when he got out to close
the lawn gate after himself a dog made war
upon him. lie Skinned it up the gate post.
The dog seated himself at the foot of tie
post. III a state Of siege, and the Col. seated
himself on top of the post, in Il state of
anxiety. And there was his horse, I'm
hitchcd and likely to move of at amy time.
! He stuck to his position, however, team or
no team, and might have roasted there TIL
now if the dog hadn't been called off,
towards dusk. The Transcript don't say,
but we don't suppose the discreet Colonel
lives hundred miles from Middletown.