smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

1t is a little singular how fashions
come and go, says the Danbury Ne,Os.
Many of them at the time appear indis-
pensable, but they noiselessly disap-
pear and others come in their place,
and we forget all about them. We we're
thinking the other day of that fashion
which some years ago was more popu
lar than any other, which was in such
general use and seemed so fitted to its
place, that it is doubtful if it was con-
sidered as freak, any way, but was
rather a necessary adjunct of society,
which came in with the garment it was
displayed on, and was as sure of the fu-
ture as the garment itself. We refer to
the fashion of turning up the pantaloon
leg. The young men all did it in those
days, and the variety of taste displayed
in doing it was edifying to study. 1t
was absolutely essential that the pants
should be black, and the boots should
be fine in quality with legs gracefully
wrinkled. The width of the lap varied
considerably, but one inch for the bet
ter class, and three inches for plebeians
appeared to be the standard. Rural
people, to whom black doe-skins were
not always suitable in absence of pave
ments, endeavored to incorporate the
fashion on Kentucky jeans and light
cassimeres, but it was depressing fail
ure. The white canvas presented no
marked contrast to the rest of the leg,
and when you saw case, it made you
sad and dissatisfied the rest of the day.
There were others who rolled the leg,
making knotty, clumsy affair of it, and
it was difficult tc tell whether those
people should bepoihted at with scorn,
or merely killed on the spot In addi-
ton to being black it was necessary
that the pants should fit rather snug
about the boot. Otherwise the lap was
not so smooth, and for awhile it was
necessary to pin or stitch the lap up to
keep it in place. But when it was up
snug, and the broad black seam pressed
flat, the boot polished, and the heel
straight and narrow, it was difficult to
imagine anything more comforting and
sustaining. If we only had a dollar for
every tear of Joy we have shed over
such sights, there is no position of
trust and honor we could not have. But
the fashion has gone with the years that
have passed before, and we watch it's
retiring form with eyes that are dimmed
by emotion.
Year: 1873

For many years have made the
horse a subject of careful thought and
study. AT times [ have been led to be-
heve that horses have reasoning pow
ers, and can understand and apply them
in various ways. For the lasttwo years
/ have driven my mare nearly every day
over the same road. About one mile
from my home are two roads, one lead
ing to the church, the other to the de-
pot Now six days in the week drive
to the cars, and on Sunday to the
church. At the point where these roads
separate, I give my mare her head,
leaving her free to make her choice,
and on week days she will go straight to
the depot, and on Sundays she goes of
her own free will to the church; L never
knew her to fail me yet. 1t puzzled me
for along time to learn how she should
know any difference in days; and have
come to the conclusion that she reasons
from facts-facts connected with every
day life. On week days 1 start from my
stable in two-wheel carriage; on Sun
days 1 start from my house in carry
all, thus making an entire change, both
in time, place, and carriage; and from
these facts she must be guided in her
choice of roads. Many say this is in
stinct; if so, where does reason begin ?
%. w. FESke.
Year: 1873

A writer indites as follows: IF I
had boy that wanted to run off, I
would strap a knapsack on his back and
send him off. The chances are that sore
muscles and poor beds, good appetite
and bad dinners, would fetch him back
again. But that we all have the vaga-
bond instinct, let this summer loafing
by the sea and on the mountains bear
witness. The more conventional our
city life becomes, the stronger is the
passionate impulse to break the chains
of social restraint and do as we please
for awhile. 1t is the counterpoise that
preserves the equilibrium of life. But
what if the boy sent out with his KNAPP
sack had hardihood enough to bear the
inconvenience of his life? He would
get more good from straying than from
school. Have not tried it ? And if I
had q boy to educate L should send him
on a pilgrimage, that he might serve
apprenticeship to the world as did Will
helm Meister. He might contract bad
habits in his wanderings. So he might
contract bad habits and more easily at
college. But 1 would not, therefore,
keep him at home. Liberty is a good
tonic.
Year: 1873

Rowland Hill saw a poor woman,
whose husband was away, look earnest
ly at the outside of letter from him,
and then declined to take 1.-THE post
age was too great. He expressed his
sympathy; but when the postman was
gone, she explained that the letter was
"all outside" Her husband and she
had agreed on signs and tokens to be
conveyed by lines and dots and varia-
tions of the address, SO that she could
learn, without fee, that he was well OF
i'll, was coming home soon, or wished
her to come to him, or would send heI
money next week, and so on. The
future reformer thought it pity the
poor should be driven to such thrifts,
and, accordingly, preached penny
postage.
Year: 1873

The New York Herald closes an edi-
toral on the last railway slaughter as
follows


AS it is, the life of human being is
deemed of less value than an old rail or
carriage wheel. A fifty thousand dollar
fine for each life sacrificed, and twen-
ty thousand dollar fine for every injury
sustained, and common sense and
watchfulness and economy of the right
sort might return to our railroad and
steamboat management. A great Re-
public like this should not exist solely
for the benefit of irresponsible monopo-
lists. The time has come when the evil
of which we complain can no longer be
endured. Our people must not forget
that the cure is in their own hands.
If the evil continues the blame will be
theirs. People and newspapers and
officials will talk, talk, talk, and every
day fresh and more terrible disasters
occur through the negligence of rail
roads.
Year: 1873

While attempting to wall well on
the Weldon farm, De Witt county, ILL.,,
Cyrus Jones had an opportunity to
show his nerve. He was operating the
windlass, and his friend, Edward Hen
fon, was below. In swinging off a tub
of brick Cyrus dislocated his right
shoulder, but realizing that to let go
his hold would be to kill Henson with
the suspended tub, he grasped the
windlass with his left hand, called for
help, held on until woman came and
the bucket was landed, and then fell to
the ground unconscious from the agony
he endured.
Year: 1873

CLEANING SILVER. R.-Hot water poured
off potato parings or boiled potatoes is
admirably adaptedto clean silver. The
objects can be easily rubbed by the
fingers with the settings of potato meal,
and they become as bright as they
usually do when rubbed with tripoi.
The process is particularly advantageous
for engraved and raised objects, where
the powder is liable to collect in the
cavities. German silver and plated
ware can be cleaned in the same way.
Potato water which has become sour by
long standing can be substituted for
acids to clean copper vessels.
Year: 1873

Most of the common law rules of evidence
which still prevail in the criminal codes of
English-speaking communities originated at
a time when the tendency of the courts was
towards excessive severity to guilty men, and
when there were scores of Otfenses, ranging
from petit larceny to high treason, which
were punished with death. The human max
ims-that ''every one accused ct crime is
presumed to be innocent until the contrary
is Proved" that lit is better that ninety and
nine guilty persons go acquitted than that one
innocent person should suffer unj justly;' that
mo man should be tried and condemned
without an opportunity to confront the wit
nesses against him faceto face that ''if,
after hearing all the evidence, there is a rea-
sonab]e dpubt in the minds of the jurors that
the guilt of the accused is made out, they
should acquit, (which are always repeated
their address to the jury, and which were alb
history to mitigate its unquestionable harsh
ness--have grown into such prominence
now that they are made to overshadow many
features of the law, the preservation of which
are essential to good order, if not to the ex-
istence of society itself. So much solicitude
is manifested for the welfare and safety of
the accused that the rights of society are
often entirely ignored, and when the human
tiles of the law are perverted into tricks for
the encouragement of crime and the escape
of malefactOrs, civilized communities rise
in their might and punish guilty men without
regard to the forms of law. This is undoubt-
edly great evil, but it will assuredly exist
whenever the laws, professedly enacted for
the safety of society, become the refuge of
Louis Democrat.
Year: 1873

A NEW YORK physician writes to the


Graphic about paralysis and it's cure, and
says: 'sLately we have struck upon the cause
and cure of this disease, and find it to be
starvation of the nervous system or the fluid
surrounding it, called nervous, and also find
this substance to be phosphorus in fluid
state. While a student in Bellevue, some
time ago, saw remarkable success from the
use of the induced galvanic current, COM
bined with nervous stimulant, perfect rest,
good food, air, exercise, sc. l will only say
that brain-workers, politicians and lawyers
suffer from it by starving the nervous system
of its phosphate food. Should you wish to
know the latest treatment and the most sue
cessful one (and one that has withstood in
vestigation) it is as follows: Take one phos-
phorus pill daily, use the galvanic current
regularly to the muscles, gradually increas-
ing until it becomes painful; use strychnine
in 100 of grain doses once day before
eating; take plenty of exercise; avoid ex.
element and indigestible food and tobacco,
as this agent undoubtedly causes paralysis,
Year: 1873

The majority of people are not aware of
the beneficial effects Of wearing flannel next
to the body, both in cold and warm weather.
Flannel is certainly not so uncomfortable in
warm weather as prejudiced people believe.
There is no need of great bulk about the
waist, which condemns the wearer of fianne!s
with those whe prefer wasp waists, always
fastening at the back. There are scarcely
any of the bad effects of sudden changes of
ments, and all mothers especially should en-
deavOr to secure such for their little people,
in preference to all those snowy outside trim
mings which fashion cOmmends.
Year: 1873

We read in The Northern papcrs'ul suit
brought by Thomas W. Field, superinten-
dent Of public schools in the city Of Brook
lyn, against Thomas Kinsella editor Of the
Brooklyn Ei,gle and ex-member of Congress,
to obtain damages for the alleged seduction
of the plaintiffs wife. Fifty thousand dol
lars is the sum claimed for this disturbance
done the domestic relations. 1t is hard for
us to understand how any man can put Il
money estimate to his own dishonor VIII
the recovery of the amount stated be full
and ample satisfaction for the injury in
fiicted: We suppose this will satisfy the
aggrieved party, or he would not thus have
resorted to his legal remedy. But there is
something about this publicity and esti-
mated damage that is very revolving
to our feelings. We know such suits
have been tolerated in Great Britain
for long time, and we are far from
recommending bloody revenge, because
in most cases we believe the fault to be
more the woman's than the mans, yet we
cannot help thinking that this resort to the
law, to recover a moneyed consideration for
such an offense, is not to be commended
1t is true that the offender may deserve the
punishment applied to his pocket, as well
as other punishment of different nature,
but there is something degrading and re-
pulsive in the idea of man receiving
money for a wrong done him of this deli
cate character. 1t seems to us, if he can
feel that any amount of money, even fifty
thousand dollars, can be a satisfaction and
a balm to his wounded sensibilitieS, he has
deserved all the shame and disgrace which
have fallen on him. True, the crime is all the
same, but there is another way of reaching
it. Adultery, in all the States, is punisha-
BILE by indictment, conviction and term in
the penitentiary. That is the proper mode
of proceeding. We are happy and proud
to say that such suits arc not brought in the


'barbarous South.
Year: 1873

1t is currently reported on our streets that
Governor Davis and other Radical Office
holders intend to take the ground that the
late election was illegal, because not held
for four days. But this can hardly be, so
far as Davis is concerned. He is precluded
from attempting anything of the kind by
his own deliberate act The act, regulating
elections, which contains the clause fixing
one day for holding the election, was ap-
proved by him, showing that he had then
no doubts of its constitutionality. If he
had believed that the Constitution impera-
lively required four days, how could he,
having taken an oath to maintain the Con-
stitution, sign the bill with his approval?
Any one can satisfy himself on this point
by reference to the law, which may be
found, section 12, page %, general laws of
Texas. The section reads as follows:


SEC. -. That all the elections in this
State shall be held for one day only at each
election, and the polls shall be open on that
day from o'clock \. NJ. to o'clock z. NJ.


BY turning to the end of the law, on page
thirty, the approval of Governor Davis may
be seen. Now the Governor would cut a
nice figure, indeed, by attempting to take
advantage of his own ignorance or willful
wrong. Will he say that when he approved
the law, he was not aware of the constitu-
tional provision! Or is he ready to
admit that he deliberately violated
the Constitution to play off trick
on the Democracy! These are the
horns of the dilemma on which he is trans
fixed. Our word for it, the Governor will
not move in this matter If he has, for Il
moment, thought of such an expedient, he
will reconsider and abandon it. 1t would
make him still more notorious and infamous
than he already is. Besides, We understand
it is a matter of proof that Governor Davis
pledged himself, if not reelected by the
people of Texas, to resign his office and not
attempt to hold ON up to the time to which
he claims the office runs. Yet it is said that
President Grant has been telegraphed on
the subject, showing that some one is Ounce
or knave enough to entertain the idea Of
resistance to the declared VIII of the people
of Texas. -
Year: 1873

WE are glad to see by the telegraph that
the regular Democracy of Mobile carried
the city election by handsome majority,
Notwithstanding the opposition of the Mo
bile Ne,cS, which advocated Il mongrel peo-
pies party, so-called. These combinations
of Radicals and dissatisfied Democrats,
should be discouraged and defeated every
where in the South. They arc full of mis-
chief. The Democratic party is all sufi-
cient for a rallying point. The men, who
profess to dislike Radicalism and still alb
hor and fight against Democracy, arc not the
right sort. They love the Radical doctrines
though they have fallen out with the Radi-
cal party. If their conversions were sincere
and they had really undergone d change,
there would be nothing TO hinder their act
ing with the Democratic party.
Year: 1873

IT is said on authority that there are over
4OS, 900 foreigners in London, if the Irish
may be called SO, who number 800, 600.
Here we have enough to make a big city by
themselves, but they all do not make much
show in London with its four millions of
inhabitants. The number of foreigners in
all our large cities is very great greater in
proportion TO their entire population than
in London. The people of the world will
flock to the counties where free govern
ments prevail, and they can find protection
while engaged in their various occupations
and pursuits.
Year: 1873

The late dispatches indicate that though
the present Spanish government has ex-
pressed willingness to do all required of
it in relation to the affair of the Virginius,
there is likely to be trouble with the
Spaniards of Cuba, who arc not willing to
carry out the requirements of the mother
country. The last news from Cuba is that
they arc full of fury and fight, and swear
that the Virginius shall not be delivered
up. If so, and Spain is not able to enforce
her orders, there is nothing left but for us
to help ourselves. The old proverb is, if
you want a thing well done, do it yourself.
The handful of Spaniards in Cuba, with
all their vanity and buster would be no
more than canary bird in the claws Of the
eagle. They had better not excite the old
bird too much. She is hard to control when
she gets her feathers really up.
Year: 1873

While number of our most respectable
and orderly young men were firing the can
non on Saturday night, after the grand
Democratic jollification, Britton, the Adju-
tant General of Governor Davis approached
and peremPtorily ordered them to cease fir
ing. Not ready to bend to this scion Of
Radicalism, they quietly fired few more
guns, when some suspicion arose that an at
tempt was about to be made to use force to
dispcrse them. The peace of our commu-
nifty being paramount in the minds of these


gentlemen, ii messenger was sent to Britton
to understand whether armed force was
of their innocent sport, to whom he replied
affirmativcly. A number of negroes had


been collected about mis- office, and it was
apparent that he intended to use them in
precipitating, if possible, difficulty. IN
der such circumstances it was wisely and
nobly determined that rather than cause
any trouble, they would submit to the in
sulting demonstrations against them, gall
ing though it was, rather than bring
on any difficulty. Among those thus
insultcd, there were such as never
finch at personal peril, but like good citi-
zens they subdued their own feelings IN
consideration of the public good, and de
parted quietly for their homes. The base
ness and injustice of Radicalism is displayed


in this one little act, while in it, too, is to
be discovered the rectitude of Democracy,


even in the person of impulsive youth. 1t
is such feelings that will mark out noble
future for our State in the hands of those
who arc identified with her interests, and
love, in consequence, her prosperity and
Year: 1873

WE read in a New York paper that the
people in a portion of northwestern Iowa
are suffering severely for food and other
necessaries of life on account of the failure
of the grain crop. 1t is reported that
several women have actually died from
want. Let those who survive the present
winter come down to Texas, where they
will never be liable to such sad straits
Year: 1873

PRESIDENT GRANT wants authority to
send national vessel to explore the Amazon
and its tributaries. This was done years
ago, before the war, by two United States
officers, and their full accounts were pub
lished by order of Congress. But it is
likely neither Grant nor his Cabinet ever
heard of it. His application is doubtless
made to serve some private speculation.
Year: 1873

IT is said that the last season has been
the most disastrous ever known to the
Gloucester Mass. fishing interests. Twenty
four vessels and one hundred and fifty-two
lives have been lost. We are afraid We
shall think Of this every time VIC eat her
ring or a fat mackerel, of which we confess
ourself very fond.
Year: 1873

The women of Illinois are allowed to
hold the Office Of school superintendent, and
it appears that at the last election no less
than twenty-nine were candidates for the
position, of which eleven were successful
and eighteen beaten. The Suckers ought
to have more politeness than to beat a
Year: 1873

IT is well known that the qualities for
which the Small Boy is most remarkable are
sort Of picturesque ingenuity and de-
voted consideration for the prejudices os
other people. In a little Boston office-boy
we find an unusual development OF them


While mourning, not long ago, his employ
er's absence in distant town, a delightful
idea suddenly came to him. Why shonld
the hours slip by so .drearily, all unlighted
by genial and innocent amusement Thnt
inventive and original Small Boy deter
mined to grieve no more From the gas
burner in front Of the Office door he hung o
dreadful efigy, with black cap over its
face, its throat gashed and crimsoned, q
sword in one hand and in the other q small
jug marked ''Poison," IN large letters.
Then he advertised for feminine cooks and
housemaids to apply at the Office, upon the
door OF which they read this inscription (:
walk in; back in five minutes. Then
hidden near, this Small Boy laughed with
the careless, sunny gIee Of childhood as q
crowd Of excellent and industrious women
screcched and fninted.-N j. Tribune.
Year: 1873

Every drop of blood that circulates through the
veins eventually becomes a solid particle of the
body. Flesh, bone and muscle are merely solidi-
fed blood. and upon the quality of the blood de-
pends the condition of the whole physical system
Unless the liquid material by which the human sub
stance is renewed and sustained is pure and nutri


ogs il is impossible that the body can be healthy
and strong. One Of the most important properties
Of AOstetters Stomach Biters is that Of improving
the condition OF the vital fluid when infected i'm
povershed. Acting directly and powerfully upon
the stomach, in which the manufacture of the blood
IS commenced. and upon the liver which secretes a
fluid next IN importance to the stream Of life ITSELF
this powerful vegetable tonic and depurent has an
immense indirect influence upon the ciEcuation.-
teTs in cases Of general debility malariOus feyers
rheumatism. biliousness. constipation, &0.