smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

A popular preacher quoted the dream of
a seer, who saw a man in great torment
in every limb except his right foot He
asked why that was released. "This
man." was the answer, is being punished
for his selfshness and Incidence, and was
never known to do good deed, except
that he once kicked tuft of fresh grass to
atethered OK standing in the hot sun, and
for this one act that foot is saved from
torment.
Year: 1876

INK STAINS ON WHITE PAPER.-Moisten
the paper with water applied with camels
hair brush or a spunge; wet the paper in
solution of oxalic acid in tho proportion
Of one ounce to half a pint Of water. The
stain will instantly disappear. Then wash
the place gently, and dry with white blot
ting paper.
Year: 1876

A POPULAR ATTRACTIoN..-A tight.rope
performer has just announced his intention
of dancing hornpipe on rope stretched
twelve feet above the ground. Such per-
formance would manifestly offer too slight
risk of a broken neck to draw out much
OF crowed, so the "artist" has made his
exhibition irresstably attractive by stating
that while dancing he will have rope
fastened to his neck, one end of which will
be secured to the limb of a tree, so that a
slip OF the foot will most probably end his
INDUSTRIOUS career. While we do not see
any special reason why this fool should not
hang himself, we most earnestly hope that
no vulgar and bloodthirsty crowd will eniov
the satisfaction of seeing him do it, We
favor private executions.-BostonP Post.
Year: 1876

Gen. Sherman is one of the men who re-
members Ralston, the banker with friendly
and ptiful feeling. In balcony speech at
San Francisco the other evening he said
" know you Californians have a kindly
feeling toward me, and rcciprocate it with
my whole heart. | remember when we
used to take our own blankets from differ
ent taverns, and sleep out in the open air
and pay So for the privilege, and now |
come to this beautiful Palace Hotel. which
pronounce superior to the Grand Hotels
OF Paris and Vienna, which l have visited
All honor to the strong men of muscle and
brain, who have brought this city out of it.
chaos, and made it what it is. | will say
few kindly words of Billy Ralston. Nc
matter what he has done, hope he ha,
gone to heaven. He did much for vou
city, and you can see the many mcmorie.
OF his work around you
Year: 1876

regarding the relation it bears to the duration
of the worlds lifetime We feel kind OF
compunction in forestalling the wonderful
deductions of the village debating societies
and are in despair at spelling the gossip Of
the husking parties; but duty to mass
OF our matter-of-fact readers who have
no time for researches into the mysteries
OF the aerial world compels us to explain.


AT different periods in history there have
been recorded such strange occurrences as
showers of live fish over considerable areas Of
land and all bearing the evidences of having
been but lately transferred from their natu-
raj element to the aerial heights whence they
fell to the earth. Vast numbers of small
frogs have also been known to fall durino
rain showers, and in the Middle Ages the in
habitants of Europe were stirred to repent
ance for their manifold sins by an ominous
shower of blood-an event which was
promptly turned to account by the religious
teachers of the time and pointed to as an evil
dence of the Divine displeasure at the wicked.
ness of men. But sceptical philosophers
discovered that atmospheric whirlpools, such
as that recently experienced at st. Charles,
Mo-, could suck all the water out of ponds,
.and even create waterspouts that raised vast
bodies of water from the sea, and of course
frogs and fishes went upward with the ele-
ment they inhabited. The shower of blood
was proved to be caused by the red pollen Of
certain plants growing in Eastern Europe,
and which, being borne through the upper
air by the force of the winds, became mixed
with the falling rain and impaired to il
all the appearance of blood. If the
story from Sterling, KY, is true the
shower of quivering flesh was nothing
more than mass of the Larvae of insects,
which, having been caught up by whirl-
wind and carried to an immense height, re-
turned to earth again in the form of a shower
of bruised and wriggling worms. Many OF
the lonely Western lake shores are sur.
rounded with vast accumulations of these
larvae of flies, which present most dis
gusting spectacle by the quivering, crawling
movement of the little red worms that COM
pose the mass. The upward centripetal mo
ton of tornadoes is favorable for the raising
of heavier objects than worms to a great
eleVat1On, ana uHeIe Is HO uOupb tHuo oHo
deposit at Sterling Ky, is due to this cause.
The quivering motion observed in the so
called flesh is either due to the '1ast kicks"
of the worms in their dying struggles. or to
the shrinkage of their tissues when exposed
to the action of denser atmosphere. In
the far West the Indians dry these Larvae in
cakes and use them for food. Innumerable
birds diet on them also. 1t is therefore not
to be wondered at that the Kentucky hogs
and chickens regarded as high living what
poor Lo considers delicacy.
Year: 1876

failure in practice as the others TO which we
have alluded. Instead of the strict
separation between the executive and
legislative branches of the government
which the trainers of the consti-
tuition intended, there is always a
close concert and cooperation when
both belong to the same political party
The function Of the President in making ap-
pointments to Office is not, indeed, so idle
and mechanical as that of the Presidential
electors in choosing Presidents but it is
nevertheless true that a majority of the
federal appointments are really made by
members of Congress. A thing so notorious
hardly requires detailed proof but we will
allude to a statement made at this session
by Mr. Hale, of Maine. He was replying on
the floor of the House to some democrats
who had alluded to President Grants power
to procure his denomination by his influence
over the federal office-holders. Mr.. Hale's
answer consisted in n statement of the facts
which existed in his own district He
asserted that the federal appointments in his
district had been made on his own recon-
mendation. and expressed the opinion,
which nobody contradicted, that this was in
conformity with the usual practice Every
body knows that this is the ordinary method
and it shows how futile was the idea of the
trainers of the constitution that they had
made a complete separation between the
Executive and Congress, and had rendered
each Independent of the influence of the
other.


1t was the original plan of the Federal
Convention that the President should be
elected by Congress. That method was
twice rejected and twice readopted, and it
would have been better had it been finally
adhered to- The vacillation and shifting
was between the electoral colleges and Con-
gress and at the last moment the Conven-
ton decided in favor of the electoral college
system, which has proved so idle and abortive.
A change in the direction of the English
system would necessarily vest the choice of
the Cabinet, either directly or indirectly, in
Congress but, quite apart from the merits
of the English system of prompt accounta-
bility, it would be an improvement to go
back to the original plan of the Federal
Convention and elect the President by the
legislative department.
Year: 1876

Our Canadian neighbors are altogether
right in their notion that the Extradition
treaty between Great Britain and the United
States is behind the times and ought to be
amended so as to cover a larger category of
offences 1t cannot be agreeable to them to
have their cities made the refuge of the swarm
of swindlers constantly contributed by us.
This sort of tide may please the railroad
companies that carry passengers in that
direction, for it swells the dividends that
they are able to pay; but the railroad men
are somewhat indifferent to good morals.
AS it is not pleasant to the Canadians to have
our rogues it must also be disagreeable to
them to be deprived of their own, upon
whom they would take satisfaction in inflict-
ing the penalties of the law. Our treaty
with England scarcely goes beyond the list
of great crimes 1t includes murder and
assault with intent to commit murder pi-
racy, arson, robbery, forgery and the utter
ance of forged paper. All our munic-
ipal thieves are safe in Canada, except such
as could be charged with the making of
forged vouchers. Between countries situ-
ated as we are with regard to Canada, whose
social and political character are so nearly
alike, every offence that could be punished
under the common law by q sentence to
State Prison in either country should be in
cluded in the Extradition treaty. 1t will be
a surprise to the country at large to find that
we would, perhaps. already have secured
such treaty but for some notions of Mr..
Fish. That gentleman appears in the un-
usual light of the supporter of system un-
der which hundreds of criminals are safe as
soon as they can cross the border. At any
time between 1870 and 1874, as appeared by
the English diplomatic papers we gave yes
terday, the English government was ready
to make liberal treaty. and endeavored to
do so, but was compelled to give up the
attempt on account of Mr. Fish's
adherence to point that could not
be conceded on account of English
statutes to the contrary. Mr. Fish's
point was that in certain cases the courts
should not determine on an important point,
but that this should rest with the Secre-
tary of State. This point was whether or no
extradition was really sought with view to
punish for q political offence. Under the
English law the accused cannot be sent ont
of the country if he can prove to the salts
faction of the magistrate that he is wanted
in the other country only on account of po-
litical misdoings; and as that was their law
they could not agree to do by treaty acts in
contravention of that law. But Mr. Fish re-
quired that points like this should not go to
the courts, but should be determined by the
Secretary of State; for he wished to make
treaty which, as the supreme law of the land,
would override our State laws and the resort
to State courts, and enable him by tapping
little bell like the one Mr. Seward had to
send out of the country any man who was
called for. This was certainly strange
ground for Mr. Fish to take and on which to
refuse any improvement of the present mad
equate treaty.
Year: 1876

1t will strike many people that Mr..
Clymer and his committee are more touchy
than wise, and that they would be more
usefully employed in finding evidence to
sustain the impeachment of Belknap than
in prying into the sources from which the
HERALD's agents in Washington obtain their
news If Mr. Clymer were an as
pirant to a place in our Washing
ton bureau he could, no doubt, learn
great deal from our correspondents, but
unless he should prove more alert in that
capacity than he is on the investigating COM
mittee we could offer him no compensation
which would make it worth his while to
enlist in our service, nor assure him of very
long tenure of his situation. But if it be his
more modest wish to qualify himself for the
better performance of his present duties he
made wise choice of an instructor in
the art of finding out what other people
desire to conceal; but in that case he should
have applied to Mr.. Nordhoff in q more
courteous and docile spirit. If Mr.. Clymer
had gone quietly to our special correspond
ent and begged his assistance in getting on
bHt tIdChb VI uetutu WltHtsseS IL 10 quluo pun
sible that he would have received valuable
hints and have been taught thing or two
which he very much needs to learn.


Mr. Nordhoff did not profess to give the
statements in his despatch at first hand, and
as Mr.. Clymer had already been put in pos
session of the name of Mr.. Nordhoff's in
formant it would have saved time to go at
once to the fountain-head. One would sup
pose that the committee might find
enough to do at this stage of their
inquiry in investigating Belknap and
seeking evidence for his conviction.
1t seems small and fussy to turn aside
from their proper business and spend valua-
BILE time in hearing from Mr.. NordhofTs own
lips what appeared on the face of his
despatch, that he derived his knowledge
from another. 1t was equally idle to sum-
mon him to tell the name of his informant,
for it was already known to the COM
mittee. They could not have expected to
create much awe by summoning into
their presence gentleman who understands
the art of making investigations SO much
better than themselves, and although the
loss of their own time may be of little conse-
quence, that of our correspondent is of more
importance, since he succeeds in finding out
the things which he attempts.
Year: 1876

There can be no reasonable excuse offered
by the Board of Education for not securing
perfect hygienic conditions in our public
schools. The school authorities have been
warned year after year by their own officials
TINT defective ventilation and an insufficient
supply of pure air have been working serious
harm to the health of the pupils and that we
are preparing highly educated generation
of invalids for the near future The old
mind in a sound body-is ignored by the
system which now prevails in the public
schools of New York and under which health
is the price of knowledge. Pure air and
wholesome surroundings are as much neces-
sites to the proper development of young
minds as the best framed curriculum. Sound
lungs are as important to the student as pro-
fciency in ancient and modern history, and
we cannot doubt that in after life, when
the blossoms of youthful education develop
into their proper fruits, even mathematics
and the modern languages will but
poorly compensate for constitutional weak
nesses contracted in the pursuit of such
knowledge. The discipline of the schools is
very admirably maintained. The pupil is
taught to sit with rigidity of backbone
that is only equalled by the stiffness of
his or her neck from exposure to draughts.
States, pneumatics and rheumatics are thus
illustrated in manner that ought to be
satisfactory to the most philosophical men,
Der of the Board of Education. But with
vitiated air, bad ventilation and the sudden
change of temperature from highly heated
school room to the cold air of the street, can
we wonder at the fatal prevalence of diph-
liberia and pneumonia and their kindred dis
eases among our children? The Board
claims that it is on the horns of dilemma
with regard to the whole matter. That on
one side is the imperative right of every
child to be educated at the public schools,
and on the other deficiency of school space
at the disposal of the Board, which is meas
ured by an excess of thirty thousand pupils
over the number that can be properly accom-
modated. The solution of this difficulty is
clearly the erection of more schools, but the
plea of the school authorities does not reach
the chief cause of complaint, which is, that
even with the proper proportion of pupils to
the present floor space the air space, on the
capacity of which their health depends, is
utterly insufficient
Year: 1876

The extraordinary phenohenon of a
shower of quivering flesh reported from
Sterling, KY, has puzzled the natives of the
whskey State beyond measure. According
to the special telegram the occurrence took
place while the sun was shining brightly in
clear sky, and large area was covered by
the precipitation. The hogs and chickens
rushed to enjoy the heavenly banquet and
devoured the substance with evident relish.


1t would appear that the centennial year is
to become famous in our annals for more
than the mere political associations which
surround it, and bountiful nature showers
down the food for the hogs and chickens OF
the West so as to allow the farmers of that
happy region more time for the contem-
plation of their country's greatness. 1t is ON
unthankful Office to spoil mystery and to
rob the quidnuncs of their rights to discuss
its wonderful details and compare notes
Year: 1876

An IMPORTANT CASE was decided yesterday
in the Superior Court, which will have the
effect of making city railroad corporations
pay some respect to the rights of the travel
ling public. Every one knows what dan
gerous and frequent nuisances drunken
rowdies are on the cars, and what little con-
troll is exercised over them by conductors.
The Sixth Avenue Railroad Company will
now have to pay damages for an assault
committed on one of their passengers
by a drunken man. should the verdict
be affirmed by the higher courts, to which
the case is, of course, appealed. Respect
able people on the cars in the night time
sometimes consider themselves fortunate in
escaping with insult alone and not being
assaulted or robbed. Such an important
precedent as the present case should be
hailed with gratitude by the suffering vic
Tins Of grasping companies, who are intent
only upon making money, without any re-
gard for the comfort Of their patrons.
Year: 1876

very different. but they are not. The COM
panies do their utmost to discourage gentle
men and ladies from using the cars, and if
they have not entirely succeeded it is not for
the want of endeavor. If man, therefore,
wishes to chew tobacco and MUNICH peanuts
we advise him to take street car; there he
can pursue those delightful occupations
with perfect impunity, while if he squirted
tobacco juice in the cutters or scattered pea
nut shells on the pavements he would at
tract much attention, and people might
probably think he was not at all a gentleman.
Year: 1876

THE BLEEcKER STREET RAILROAD still con-
tinues to be bone of contention in the
courts, the parties on either side giving and
taking punishment in the liveliest manner
Many ugly revelations have come out con-
cerning the former management of the road,
and give an insight into the ways that are
dark" of our railroad directors.
Year: 1876

THE BRrr1sH GOVERNMENT, then, did not
demand the recall of Minister Schenck.
Well, we need every grain of consolation in
these days of national humiliation. 1t is
consoling to think that John Bull did not
hguratively kick one of our diplomats out of
his dominions
Year: 1876

WAR Has BROKEN Our between Japan and
Corea, according to advices from st. Peters
burg. Can it be that the Northern Bear has
3 paw in this affair also? Should China take
hand in there will be pretty triangular
row in the far East
Year: 1876

AN ENrERPRIsING BELGIAN, having made
an extensive haul on the Bank of Brussels,
to the amount of five million dollars, turned
his steps toward the land of the free, think
ing, perhaps, that he would be welcome
exchange hero for the members of the Tam
many Ring who are in Belgium. But just
as he was about to step on board steamship
Mt Queenstown the arm of the law reached
him. and he will not visit our Centennial
Year: 1876

The EXECUTION OF NEGRO is such q
frequent occurrence in the South that only
when the crime for which the law demands
capital punishment is of a particularly re-
Voting kind does the event call forth the
entire population to witness it. Such was
the case yesterday at Newberry, s. c., when
a most desperate character suffered for muir
der, robbery and arson.
Year: 1876

SEA ENTRANCE TO JAFFA.-The city is a
cluster of irregular, fiat-roofed houses, and
looks from the sea like brown bowl turn
ed bottom up; the roofs are terraces on
which the inhabitants can sleep on Sum
mer nights, and to which they can ascend,
out of the narrow, evil-smelling streets, to
get Whit of sweet odor from the orange
gardens which surround the town. The
ordinary pictures of Jaffa do it ample JUS
tce. The chief feature in the view is the
hundreds of clumsy feluccas tossing about
in the aggravating waves, diving endwise
and dipping sidowise, guided little by
the long sweeps Of the sailors, but appar-
emily the sport of the most uncertain bill
lows. A swarm of them, four or five deep,
surrounds our vessel they are rising and
falling in the most sickly motion, aud
dashing into each other in the frantic Of
forts of their rowers to get near the gang
way ladder. One minute the boat nearest
the stairs rises as if it would mount into
the ship, and the next 1t sinks below the
steps into frlghtful gulf. The passengers
watch the passing opportunity to jump on
board, as people dive into the 'lift" of a
hotel. Freight is discharged into lighters
that are equally frisky; and 1t is taken on
and off splashed with salt water and liable
to thousand accidents in the violence of
the transit. Before the town stretches
line of rocks worn for ages, upon which the
surf is breaking and sending white jets in
TO the air. 1t is through narrow opening
in this that our boat is borne on the back
Of the great wave, and we come into a strip
of calmer water and approach the single
landing stairs. These stairs are not so
convenient as those of the vessel we have
just LEFT, and two persons can scarcely pass
on them. But this is the only s0a entrance
to Jaffa; if the Jews attempt TO return and
enter their ancient kingdom this way, it
will take them long time to get in. A
sea wall fronts the town, fortified by a
couple OF rusty cannon at one end, and the
passage is through the one gate at the head
of these stairs. 1t seems forever that we
are kept waiting at the foot of this shaky
stairway. Two opposing currents are
struggling 10 get up and down 1t excited
travellers, pOrters with trunks and KNAPP
sack, aud dragOmans who appear to be
pushing their way through simply 10 show
Year: 1876

and was down on my knees, with my
face buried in her lap, crylng-yes, I, a
great strong, six-foot fellow, crying like a
child.


How she must have worked, poor little
thing, 10 keep home together, but she had
done it-God bless her and forgive me for
my doubts -toiling day and night with
her needle. The neighbors had helped her
through her lime when the little one was
born. But there, the black cloud came,
and it passed away; for, upon presenting
myself the next day at the cid faclQry,
was taken on again directly, for found all
things in full work but II was after twelve
months stoppage.


We lei the past rest, Lizzie and I, never
even thinking of it ! though II is hard work
sometime, when am tossing that babe up
and down TO keep from brooding on the
day when he was born.
Year: 1876

Yesterday in our report Of Lost or Stolen
we stated that Mr.. VIM. F. Dawson of Cecil
County, Maryland, placed his pocket book
containing SIS on chair in the City Hotel,
prior to washing himself, and when he re-
placed his garments bis pocket book was
missing. In justice to Mr.. James A. Wilson
the genial proprietor, we desire to state
that Mr.. Dawson Is not positive that he had
the pocket book when he came to the City
Hotel, and from all that we can learn, Daw-
son must have lost his pocket book before be
entered the Hotel. As the landlord is very
particular as to the character Of the persons
whom he entertains as guests, and will not
allow any one of doubtful character to re.
main about the place, we make this cor.
rection with great pleasure and trust that
or readers, have not been mislead by our
report Of yesterday.
Year: 1876

FTOu1 C1l6 W UTIUs


The expression of the popular will is in
favor of Mr.. Tilden rather than Mr.. Hayes
lor President. There is not the least doubt
that the party In power would practice fraud
to secure the election Of their candidates,
but the will OF the people, as expressed IN
the ballot box, may deter them from doing
40. But in the event of Mr.. Tiiden being
counted out by fraudulent or illegal means,
have good reasons to fear trouble-perhaps
a second civil war. If there be fraud prac-
ticed it may cause an almost general popular
opening, and there is no telling what the re-
suit will be to the country. Yet l have
strong faith in the good sense of the Ameri-
can people, and believe that trouble will be
averted.
Year: 1876

A representative of The HERALD was in
formed yesterday by gentleman who deals
largely In railroad stocks, that the fall in
the stock of the Reading road had been =
serious loss to several of the holders In this
city. So great has been the panic that
many of its holders here, who purchased at
figures ranging from forty to fifty, have sold
at twenty-five, fearing that It might drop
far below that figure. One lady of Will
mipgton WAS loser In this way to the ex-
tent of over five hundred dollars.