smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

w 'SO1 NhO SApCClb
to cross the Atlantic ocean by
balloon in September, deliver
ed a lecture on aerial naviga-
ton in New York recently
Among other things he said he
was as sure OF being able to
cross to Europe with a good
balloon as he is that he can
cross IN a steamer. During
August and september the
same climatic conditions OBJ
tain in the latitude of New
York that obtain in the Tropics,
and the balloon must therefore
go very high and exhaust
much power. If they sail low
they will 90 nearly north. He
and Donaldson have said: "Il
we can go to Europe we will
60 to the pole and hunt the Po-
laris." The First Napoleon es-
tabliShed a school of eronaut-
les and made them serviceable
in war; but their great use must
be in peace, Little is known
yet about electricity, ozone,
spread of epidemics. Balloon
Ing will help TO unravel these
mysteries. If they do not get
1000 miles to sea or never come
back, science will be somewhat
aided by the trip. 1t is often
asked what are the plans of the
voyage? In general, they ex-
pect to 60 up and to land be-
tween st. Petersburg and AT
rlca. 1t the Signal Service will
help, they can cross in sixty
hours, ahead of cyclone. 1t
was in that way that he was
carried from St Louis to New
York. He crossed the lakes in
torn ado that destroyed six
teen vessels on those waters.
In that voyage, the day being
hor, a phosphorescent light
hung around the balloon at
night, which enabled them to
read their instruments. Large
balloons are much more agree
able than small ones. Cross
ing Lake Ontario thew kept an
average distance of 800 feet
from the water. Men will yet
exceed the birds in aerial navi


CATION 1t is singular that none
of the passengers he ever car,
ried complained of dizziness.
This sort of travelling seems to
come natural. 1t is difficult
when above the clouds to know
from mere surrounding app ar.
ances, whether you ale moving
Though going a mile a minute,
you hang seemingly notion
less amid air and clouds. The
professor told an amusing story
in proof of this. He sailed up
from Allentown, Pennsylvania,
where a band was playing a
national air. Hearing the same
tune as he came down he sup.
posed he was still over Allen
town. He had landed in Berks
county, forty miles away among
pic mic party whose band was
playing the same tune. When
the Professor began hallooning
there were no gas works In this
country that would fill a bal


loon that would carry up one
man, unless several days notice
was given. In his last ascen-
sion from Gettysburg he rose
three miles, and got into a
warm easterly current. The
air was so warm that he took
off his coat. This had not hap


pened to him before. He at


tributed the warmth to a fog.
Year: 1873

A Sioux chief, after follow
ing a scientific party on the
Northern Pacific for some days
mildly remarked that they
might go on, for he'd be id
il he'd freeze to death for what
hair there was in that crowd.
Year: 1873

SWIMMING IN THE SALT LAKE.-There
are no fish in the great Salt Lake. The
only living thing beneath Its waters Is a
worm about quarter of an inch long
This worm shows up beautifully beneath
a lens OF a microscope. When a storm
arises the worms are driven ashore by
thousands and deyoured by the black
gul!s We found pure stream pouring
into the lake 1t was filed with little
chubs and sinners The fish became
fri lhtened aud were driven down the
brook into the brny lake. The instant
they touched its waters they came to the
surface belly upward, and died without
gasp.


The water Is remarkably buoyant
Eggs and potatoes float upon it like
corks. Mr.. Rood and myself stripped
aud went in swimming, dove into the
lake from a long pier, which had been
built for the use of a small steamboat
that formerly piled upon the waters. The
sensation was novel. The water was so
salty that my eyes and ears began TO
smart, but 80 buoyant that l found no
difficulty in floating even when the air
was exhausted in my lungs. AS struck
out for the beach / felt as light as q
feather. In spite or all that could do
my heels would fly ont Of the water |
found it impossible to stand upon the
bottom. The iightness of the water and
the surging of the waves forced my feet
from under me. A person who could
not swim might be easily drowned in five
feet Of water. His head would 60 down
like a lump OF lead. while his feet would
fy up like pair of ducks, The water is
as clear as the water of Seneca lake, so
clear that the bottom could be seen at
the depth Of twenty feet. When We
reach the shore and crawled out upon the
sand in the light of the sun our bodies
we're quickly coated with salt. We were
compelled to go to the little stream from
which we had driven the clubs and shin
ers and wash off in fresh water before we
put on our clothes. Our hair was filed
with grains Of salt which could not be
washed out The Mormons occasionally
visit the lakes in droves for the purpose
of bathing Many of them say that theil
health is improved by leaving the salt up
on their bodies and dressing without wip
ing themselves with napkins
Year: 1873

EJ Men Of talent often fail ron
turning their talents in wrong direction
Chief Justice Chase, for example, woul.
never have made q successful barber lie
lived for a while in his youth with his
uncle, Bishop Chase, who prepared him
for college. One morning he told the
budding Salmon to kill and dress pig
The incipent statesman was not much of
a butcher, and, when he came to the del
icate, operation Of scalding the pig hor
ror the hair set. But in his extremity
he bethought himself Of his uncles IA
zor and. in due course of time. had the
porker shaved from tip of snout to tail.
end. The bishop, on his return, csmpli-
mented his nephew on the neatness with
which he had performed his task When,
however, the old gentleman came to
shave himself, his cherished razor was
found in a sad plight. An investigation
followed, and young Salmon received
somo very serious advice.
Year: 1873




EDfroGs HERALD: There IS living
puhli, nuisance on Fort street, on the
RIGHT hand side as you pass Third
street in going to the ". f. Church,
which ought to be abated. The low
dropping boughs of the pepper trees
ovcyhanging the sidewalk, are, to say
tle least, very disagreeable 10 the Pc
destrian, who on a lovely Sabbath
day, clothed in his very best suit of
broadcloth, and new silk front on his
sanctimonious brow, tries to find the
way to place of worship. AS he
walks along, with holiness in his heart
and his mind on things above, he is
suddenly brought back to earth again
by IL sharp cut from the sweeping
limbs that fly into his placid counte-
nance; that knock off his new hat;
that soil and sprinkle with dust his
Sunday clothes; and above all that
rutfle his Christian temper, so that by
the time he arrives at church he wishes
ii might be at the antipodes OF such a
place, and that the old fellow himself
was standing. in the door. Is ones
good nature To suffer such great injus-
tice and not cry out against 1t? No!
Let the trees be properly trimmed, or
he whose duty it is to do it, will have
much to account for in the final settle
mcnt. a SUFFERnR.
Year: 1873

The first white person executed in
Minnesota was woman. AS an illus
tration of her class of intellect, it was
told that when she went to the Territory
she took with her from Central Illinois a
bucket of butter, kept it in her state
room on a first-class boat and carried it
in her hand to a first-class hotel (the
MerchantsO, keeping it by her side in
the parlor and her bedroom, while leav-
ing her other baggage to be handled by
porters. She had heard that butter was
scarce in that part of the country, and
had brought her supply. This and her
general appearance and behavior led to
the belief that she was person of weak
mind. She married a man who treated
her cruelty and died with symptoms of
poison. A chemist thought he found
arsenic in the stomach, and druggist
had sold her some of that drug "to
poison rats" There was no attempt to
dispute the chemical tests. This expe-
dent was discovered lately forthe benefit
of a woman who has not outlived the
charms which once drove rival claimants
for her hand to the verge of suicide and
madness. Being old, unattractive and
poor, none but the ladies of st. Paul
took any special interest in her case !;
and those could only besiege the Cover
nor for a pardon. His wife led a depu-
tation of them, knelt at his feet, and
with tears and passionate entreaty
begged executive clemency but the
ugly woman was hanged by the neck
until she was dead.


A poor German woman was executed
near Philadelphia about five years ago !;
and her confession, in her broken En-
glish, was one of the saddest things I
ever read. Her man had "peat" her,
peat her so much, made her work in the
field when she was sick and tired peat
her for not keeping up; peat her for
stopping to nurse her baby; made her
work in the house while he rested and
smoked, and peat her if she was not
ready to go out to work when he was
She was so tired; could "never get no
rested ;" she want to leave him and go
away, but he take the children from her;
she have four little children he peat
them, too; she could not leave her chill
dren; she was SO tired that she gave her
man stuff she sorry she kill her man !;
but she no know what to do, she SO
tired.


The dailies made occasional news items
out of the case, and the poor, old, worn
out slave was universally voted a monster
of iniquity. The majesty of the law was
vindicated by sending her from the gal
lows to the unerring judgment, where
her toil-worn hands and tortured soul
must have been very white compared
to the bejeweled fingers of the charming
monsters who slip so gracefully through
the elastic meshes of our man-made
laws.


Mrs. Sugart, now under sentence of
death in Butler county, Pa, who is to
be hanged when the present treatment
in the Rixmont Insane Hospital shall
have SO far restored her reason as to
make her sensible of the solemnity of the
occasion, is gray-haired and a grand
mother, and in personal appearance the
opposite of charming.


Pittsburgh, some eight years ago, had
studied the art of poisoning to the neg
lect of that of pleasing. She was not
charming, and such charms as she had
were reserved for her husband.
| iStUisSheIn1'S s Notebook.
Year: 1873

"To scrape acquaintance" comes to
us from the Roman Emperor Adrian ::
He was at the public baths one day,
when he saw one of his veteran soldiers
scraping his body with tile. That was
such poor luxury that Adrian ordered
that his old comrade should be supplied
with more suitable cleansing materials,
and also with money. On subsequent
occasion, when the Emperor again went
to the bath, the spectacle before him was
highly amusing. A score of old soldiers
who had fought under Adrian were stand
ing in the water, and each was currying
himself with a tile and wincing at the
self-inficted rubbing. The Emperor
perfectly understood what he saw and
what was the purpose of the sight.
"Ha ha p he exclaimed "you had
better scrape one another, my good fell
ows." He added "You certainly shall
not scrape acquaintance with me"
Year: 1873

is not a poisonous drug, and is, we be-
ieve, in no way hurtful, still no more
should be used than necessary. Every
druggist has it for sale. Care must be
taken to have the cistern thoroughly
cleaned at least twice year, as well as
the troughs upon the buildings supply
ing the water.
Year: 1873

THAT terrible visitation commonly
known as the "spotted fever but known
to the medical profession as cerebro
spinal meningitis, is fearfully prevalent
in some portions of the Mississippi Val
ley and other localities in the West. We
hear of its sudden attacks and speedy
fatal results in the regions of the Wabash
and the Illinois rivers. It is a matter
worthy of remark thatnervous and spinal
diseases appear to be on the increase
throughout the country of late. Over
work, business anxiety, and too little
sleep are suggested as the possible
causes.
Year: 1873

| The ancient mariner, when suffering
from thirst on the stagnant ocean, was
in plight scarcely worse than that of
the dwellers on the prairies in times of
drought. 1t is not too much to say that
this trouble is very generally self-in-
ficted. The old story of Simon Easy,
who would not mend his roof in dry
weather because it was unnecessary, nor
in wet weather because it was impossible,
fits this case exactly. Was the history
of Joseph in Egypt written for nothing :?
Why could we not learn from that and
in season of plenty store up supply
against times of drought. Throughout
the year there falls on the roof of born
forty feet square so, 900 gallons of water.
This would give nearly no gallons a
day throughout the yea. A cistern II
feet square and 20 feet deep would con-
tain nearly half this large supply, and
would cost not far from 800. 1t is
reasonable to say that the cost would be
repaid in one dry season. Again well
of large capacity, say 10 feet diameter
or more, dug at place where four fields
come together, so as to be available for
either of them, would hold over a con-
siderable supply of water which would
be available for dry time and in adj
dition there are many hollows which the
bottom might be puddled with clay, or
little valleys across which earth dams
might be built in which large store
of water might be preserved. Few farms
are without some such possible means
of securing water supply which would
make a dry fall thing no more to be
dreaded, and which would obviate the
necessity, so I'M furious to cattle and SO
inconvenient to the owner, of driving
them long distances to drink.


Dried Dung in Fumigating Bees.


Rev. L. L. Langstroth writes to the
Bee Journal:


Nearly two thousand years ago Colu-
mella recommended the dried dung of
cattle as the best thing for fumigating
bees. Learning soon after importing
the Egyptian bees that the Egyptians
stance in all their operations upon their
irascible bees, we began to use it largely
in our apiary. The smoke from burning
cow dung, while very penetrating, is not
offensive. 1t can be blown SO as to
diffuse itself very quickly through the
hive, and yet it does not seem to irritate
the bees, and our own experience con-
firms the very strong concentrations of
Columella. Wherever rotten wood is
not easily procured, it will be found of
very great value. When thoroughly
dried it will burn slowly but steadily,
and by slightly dampening the outside
after lighting it, piece not larger than
the hand may often be made to last for
several hours. It does not always ignite
as readily as one could wish. DR.. E.
Parmely has obviated this difficulty by
dipping one corner in coal oil. The
odor is so little offensive that it may be
used instead of pastils in the sick room,
little sugar being sprinkled upon it
while burning. Those who know how
universally the dung of bufaloes, called
buffalo chips, is used for cooking pr1r-
poses on our great plains, will feel no
prejudices against this seemingly un-
cleanly substance. We shall call it
buffalo chips.
Year: 1873




for orchards, but instead of being put
round the trees they should be spread
over the whole land. But where are the
ashes to come from in this region? We
have little or no wood, and of course
little or no ashes. In our limited ex-
perience we have learned one thing in
regard to orchards as well as fruit trees
of every kind that we have cultivated,
and we believe the principle can be ap-
piled pretty much to everything that
grows upon the earth, which is, that the
application of manure benefits them all.


Ground occupied with fruit trees should
be manured as are other portions of the
land used for the raising of wheat and
corn. It is the neglect to do SO, in con-
nection with the general negligence with
which orchards are treated in many sec
tions, that makes them improbable and
worn out prematurely. And as to the
kind of manure with which orchards
ought to be treated, while any kind, al
most without exception, will prove of
advantage, there is none in the world to
be compared to stable or barn-yard ma
nure. A liberal application of this only
every third year, with careful pruning
and scraping of the trees and ferreting
out the borers, will make prodigious
change in an orchard. Autumn, and
LII
frozen, is perhaps the best time to apply
it. Germantown Telegraph.


Neat Room.


A. neat, clean, fresh-aired, cheerful,
well arranged house exerts a moral in
f1uence over its inmates, and makes the
members of family peaceable and con-
siderate of each other feelings and hap
piness. The connection is obvious be-
tween the state of mind thus produced
and respect for others, and for those
higher duties and obligations which no
laws can enforce. On the contrary, a
filthy, squalid, noxious dwelling, in
which none of the decencies of life are
observed, contributes to make it's in
habitants selfish, sensual and regardless
of the feeling of others, and the con-
slant indulgence of such passions rem
ders them reckless and brutal.


Care of Cisterns.


Water may be preserved pure and
whole in rainwater cistern, by letting the
supply pipe connect at the bottom of the
cistern. The fresh water being heavier
than that alrerdy i'll the cistern, will
force the stale water to the top SO that it
can be used before it becomes offensive.
It is well known, however, that cistern
water becomes impure from the organic
matter it contains, and if this can be got
rid of by destroying its vitality and pre-
cipitating it to the bottom, it will leave
the water pure. 1t is claimed that there
is nothing better to effect this than per-
manganate of potassa, used in the pro-
portion of about an ounce to fifty sec
tions of water This causes the in
organic matter to sink to the bottom an
innoxious sediment. But the perman-
ganate must must be continued as long
as the water has purplish appearance,
indicating that the offensive matter has
not all been precipitated. Though this
Year: 1873

There Was Mas fRFmsDy GRd 14"ns old aae pn
interested in breeding mules. One of
the animals was SO uncommonly per-
verse and obstinate that he determined
to ride the animal until he killed him.
He rode him nearly ninety miles in one
day-rode him, in fact, as long as he
could sit up. The exhausted pair at
length pulled up at wayside tavern, the
doctor utterly worn out, while the mule
was led away, as the owner fondly hoped,
to die. At dawn the doctor was aroused
by a frightful commotion in the stable
yard Crawling on his hands and knees
to the window as well as his stiffened
limbs would permit, he said that the
first thing that greeted his eyes was
''that cussed mule kicking up at the
hostler's head"
Year: 1873

great benefit to the town. Would you be- lieve it sir? There is $25 now in the treas ury for the privilege of taking out of the people about $I 1000, and this sum will be more than used up during the winter months to keep from .perishing large class of those who found no trouble to take their entire families into the show. But for bear further statements. Only we had a big scare on Monday. Just about the time for the A. N. train down on the Housatonic railroad, there came four cars down the grade from East Canaan and no brakemen. They passed the depot at about the rate of 40 miles an hour, crossed the bridge below and ran up the grade until they lost speed, and finally came back within half @ mile of the Union depot. Strange nothing was damaged and no one injured. It may be a slight hint to some one of the danger from leaving cars on the track where the grades are so heavy as on the Conn. Western rails road......We have photographer here. Mr. Deming Wilber has just constructed port able house and located it near the lumber yard, where the good and bad features are faithfully copied. OCCASIONAL,
Year: 1873

city, where low and tortuous streets have been graded and strengthened and in one place, where 300 houses have been pulled down at the public expense, in the course of improvement. Beyond what he lived to accomplish himself, he has lived another life. in the example which he set to his successors. Louis Philippe followed in his wake, and carried out his unfinished de- signs; and the greatness of the late Empe- TOT is chiefly shown by the good sense with which he tried to act as he imagined his great uncle" would have done. In speak ing of his great enterprises for the adorn- ment and improvement of Paris, have been struck with the universal approbation which is paid to them. We frequently hear of efforts that have been put forth by ambitious people in the way of improve ment, as characterized by having been fool ish or chimerical. But no such phrase attaches to the works of Napoleon. The people feel that his plans were of wonder full wisdom, and carried out with consum- mate skill. It is said that he once said of himself, that he found Paris city of brick, and left it city of marble. I do not think that :here has lived, in any age since the semi-fabulous ones of antiquity, any man who has left so mapy, so grand, and so useful memorials of himself as these, now standing, to perpetuate his memory in the hearts of the people of his country.

 Gro BE ooNTINURD)
Year: 1873

have seen, and that is a recommendation good enough for any country establish ment......We dodged for moment into Welch Brothers drug store, and spent short time looking through it. After a brisk walk about up stairs, we were taken on pilgrimage below, where we were in troduced to about as many different apart ments as is found in Mammoth Cave; among tiers of barrels, hogsheads, kegs, demijohns, &c., &c. Messrs. Welch Bros. deal extensively in paints and oils, whole sailing as we'll as retailing. They make speciality of Pratt's Astral Oil, which they are selling at a reduced figure. They hay e a large force of help employed and do heavy business. Our country druggists will do well to see if they cannot buy great many goods at this store, at an ad- vantage to sending a greater distance..... Mir Kirk, the jeweler, is always busy with somebody's watch when we call on him. He is one of the prosperous merchants of Winsted and is constantly making some body happy. What is the use of saying anything about Foster 6 Hurlbutt, the mer- chant tailors. They get very large pat ronage from this way, and their customers rejoice that they were led to learn of them by their advertisement in THE NEws...... MT. Bushnell, the hat and fur man, pro poses to tell Western Litchtield folks what he is dolng, by an advertisement in THB NEWS. had but little time in the east village, but found enough to just look in the elegant new music and jewe!ry store of Benjamin & Frary and indeed it is an el- egant store, and the organs and pianos for sale there are charmers. A look above in the rooms of the Eureka Club, and we must hustle to the depot. These rooms make very bad place for young men to visit eve say this in behalf of the girls) Surround ed with so much elegance and comfort a young man will not consent to be burdened with the cares of married life to obtain the luxury of home. He has it here, and it is all very nice but what are you going 10 do with the girls!
Year: 1873

West Cornwall.

 The eel trade has been very brisk for the past two or three weeks; one day last week thousand pounds were shipped at one shipment. We also hear that large num- bers of bass are caught in the rack during the day time; if so, it is little rough on those who like to catch them with hook. ......One day last week Charley Foster was capping bis gun in Yutzler's tailor shop, and the gun went off the charge just missed MT. Yutzler's head and entered piece of cloth which it completely riddled ......Marbles are plenty nowadays, and the juvenile portion of the community are in dulging in this game to their utmost ability, and we occasionally see those of mature age engaged in it Milton Emmons brought us ten Peerless potatoes which weighed eleven pounds and ten ounces and he says he has not half tried yet, but can do a great deal better than that he planted one bushel of seed and thinks he will have one hundred bushel from it.

 NUF CED.