smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

Remember your responsibility to
your children, not only to give them
a good school and physical education,
but to teach them to be industrious,
which is more important than any
book knowledge. Many well-educa-
ted people commit crimes, but few
industrious ones do. They have no
time to get into sorapes, and are
rarely found in our jails, or on our
gallows.


Our advice is, to all who have the
great responsibility of the charge of
boys give them lathe, or set Of
carpenters or even blacksmith's TOOLS
Give their minds a turn toward the
solid and useful side of life. You
will soon see the result in increased
activity of their thiqking capabilities,
and the direction of their ideas to-
ward practical results /; and, still
more obviously, in the avoidance Of
idle mischief and nonsense Ito omit
all reference to absolute wickedness
and moral degradation), which are,
to too great an extent, the pastime
Of the generation which is to succeed
us. The future Of the world is al
ready sown, and is springing up in
our childred ; is it not worth while
to bcstow a little thought on the
cultivation Of a growth so important
to society, and SO easily influenced
for good Or for evil?
Year: 1872

A gentleman advertised for boy
to assist him in his Office, and nearly
fifty applicants presented themselves
to him. Out of the whole number,
he, in a short time, selected one and
dismissed the rest.


Il should like to know said a
friend, " on what ground you select
ed that boy, who had not q single
recommendation"


You are mistaken" said the gen.
tleman " he had great many. He
wiped his feet when lie came, and
closed the door after him, showing
that he was careful. He give up his
scat instantly to that lame old man,
showing that he was kind and
thoughtful. He took off his cap
when he came in, and answered my
questions promptly and respectfully,
showing he was polite and gentle
manly. He picked up the book which
1 had purposely laid upon the floor,
and replaced it on the table, while
all the rest stepped over it or
showed it aside and he waited quiet.
ly for his turn instead of pushing
and crowding, showing that lie was
honest and orderly. When 1 talked
with him / noticed that his clothes
were carefully brushed, his hair in
nice order, and his teeth as white as
milk and when he wrote his name,
1 noticed that his finger nails were
clean, instead Of being tipped with
jet, like that handsome little fellows
in blue jacket. Don't you cal
these things letters Of recommends
tien ? I do, and I would give more
for what [ can tell about. boy b,
using my eyes ten minutes than fol
all the fine letters he can bring me.
Year: 1872

A big snake entered a Mexican
house and swallowed u flwn which
was fastened securely by rope.
The result was that the ugly thief
found itself hitched and had to stay
there until dispatched with q knife,
Year: 1872

One-half the population of New-York prob
ably does not know that the other half lives
in tenement-houses; nor, for that matter, that
nearly one-half of those who die in this city
perish in the filth and discomfort of these
dens. The statistics published elsewhere fully
substantiate this startling statement and show
that in certain crowded districts the death
rate is rs persons to the thousand, or double
that of the whole city. The article in which
these figures are embraced reveals heretofore
unsuspected horrors existing in the barracks
of the poor. We have repeatedly urged upon
the Health Board and other public authorities
the regulation and Improvement of the tene-
ments es The more crowded districts, hgt
many obstacles prevent success, and, indeed,
retard action. Some of the combined causes
which produce so much misery, disease, and
death are, of course, beyond the power of the
Health Board to remedy; the overcrOwding
for instance, will never be corrected until
rapid transit carries the poor to better and
cheaper habitations; but much can be done to
ameliorate the condition of those living in
these tenements by various regulations by
Health Board and Police. Each of these ten
ements is an immense camp or barracks, many
of them containing double the numbers of a
regiment, yet without any Of the discipline
and the regulations to secure cleanliness which
the discipline of the army compels. No army
could exist under the conditions which the
tenement-house population of this city en-
dures and the discipline of the army seems
almost necessary to improve their condition.
This, of course, is not practical; but the Police
can at least compel the owners of tenements
to provide proper protection and ventilation,
while the Health Board Ought to be able, if it
is not, to compel the tenants to show some
regard to cleanliness.
Year: 1872


sincerely devoted to Reform, even II 1t did not
include one single personal friend or acqualnt-
ance of Mr.. Greeley, must inevitably arrive at
this conclusion Enough States have already
spoken to decide the result at Baltimore. Al
most every one of the men who went to en-
cinnati has accepted in good faith the verdict
of the overwhelming majority which nomina-
ted Mr.. Greeley and Gov. Brown To suppose
that all these State Conventions, and the Cln-
cinnati Convention as WELL can now be forced
to retreat by half dozen gentlemen who can
not even agree among themselves, is to think
too little of the millions and too much OF the
half dozen.


We do not forget that there Will be at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel a few gentlemen whose
motto is Anybody to beat Greeley" We do
not expect the reasonable Reformers to accom-
plish anything with such as these. The most
prominent in this category are the venerable
editor of The Erening Post, of whom we can
not speak but in terms of profound respect,
and the infant Secretary Of the Free Trade
League, of whom we cannot speak at ALL
They must go their own way in peace. Fifty
wears ago one of them would have been re-
doubtable Fifty years hence, the other may
be, though we doubt it. Cd
Year: 1872




The few good-natured words which we printed
about the Fifth Avenue Conference to be held
next Thursday have greatly distressed two sem
sitive and sweet tempered papers of this city
The Times, which boldly wears the livery Of
the President, and The Post, which modestly
covers its Grant buttons with a Free Trade
surtout They both seem to suffer from an
equal sense of outrage because THE TRIBUNE
spoke with civilty of this conference, and
saw nothing whatever Objectionable in it.
The Times of course had no especial reason
for its trouble. 1t lives by foul language, and
has no more sense of meaning in its abuse
than an idiot chattering blasphemies at poor
house door. But The Post seemed to be thrown
into genuine panic by the intimation that
we saw no danger in a meeting Of gentlemen
called to unite the opposition to Gen. Grants
election. We will say one word more about
this conference which may make our meaning
somewhat clearer, though it may not tend to
reassure The Post.


1t comes together in obedience to the call
of a circular, to every word of which we can
heartily subscribe. 1t has been sent, as we
are informed, to some two hundred prominent
gentlemen who favored the Cincinnati mOve-
ment. so far as we know, none of the more
pronounced friends of Mr.. Greeley have been
invited to this meeting, while there are sew
eral names mentioned as active in it who are
bitterly hostile to him, and others who have
declared their intention to support Gen. Grant.
1t may seem strange, therefore, that THE
TRIBUNE, which gives to the Cincinnati candi-
dates cordial though independent support,
should regard this meeting without distrust
and even consider it as likely to give good
results.


The reason for our confidence is simply this.
We believe it impossible TO find in the United
States two hundred men of any prominence
whatever, who have been at any time con-
nected with the Reform movement, without at
the same time finding majority Of them who
recognize the facts that the election of Gen.
Grant would be national disaster, and that
the only possible way of preventing that dis
aster 40 through tue election OF hr. Greeley.
Any sssspbly Of two hundred Intelligent pep.
Year: 1872

A young man, employed, we believe, as
bookkeeper in large dry goods house in
Philadelphia, was arrested last Friday on a
charge of robbing his employer. He had been
in the habit of carrying off silks, ETC., and
pawning them, until the amount reached was
so considerable as to be detected. The young
man confessed his guilt, and, as his family
were respectable, compromise was effected,
the stolen goods returned, and the prisoner
allowed to escape without other punishment
than the disgrace of having been convicted
of felony. This is commonplace matter
enough; the gist of it lies in the fact that,
although the salesman held a most responsible
situation and was not only by birth
and habit a gentleman, but had proven
himself an efficient business man, he received
q salary Of only three dollars a week. In order
to live, he stated frankly he was driven to
steal. Nor is this pittance of wages an ex-
ceptional case, either in this city or in Phila-
delphia. The streets are crowded with lads of
from fifteen to twenty years of age utterly with


out means, cursed with too genteel birth and
breeding to earn their living as mechanics
eager to get into the grooves of business life,
and frequently with capacity to succeed if once
placed in them. They are taken into business
establishm ents as under-clerks, and usually
worked hard and paid pitiable salaries.


OF course, the obvious remedy is for these
lads to avoid the cities. There is no need for
them all to become farmers, though that is our
usual prescription for this evil. But all West
ern towns and many of the inland Eastern vii
lagos offer higher indu cements and more GER
tain success. The employers very likely
wash their hands in innocency in this matter
with the inevitable casuistry about the law of
supply and demand. One of the largest
merchants in Philadelphia, a man eminent in
all benevolent enterprises and Young Mems
Christian Associations, refuses to pay more
than three dollars per week to his assistant
bookkeepers, asserting that he turns away ap-
plieants daily who would be glad to take that
price, and that any boy who for the sake of
gentility prefers to starve keeping books when
he could earn five times the amount as jour
neyman mechanic, is fool. All which is true
enough. But ON the other hand the man,
philanthropist or otherwise, who gets full
and hard weeks work out of his drudge and
pays him pttance which he knows will not
feed, much less clothe him, simply puts a
premium on theft and if it is his cash-box
that suffers we are neither surprised, nor is 1t
to him our sympathy is given.
Year: 1872

To the list of casualties reported yesterday
must now be added three more by rail. Seven
men were killed and several wounded, yester-
day morning, by a railway collision in Illinois,
Another collision in Indiana killed one passen-
ger and wounded Others later in the day. And
about the same time, freight train ran off the
track near Buffalo and a carload of live ami
mails perished in the flames of burning OIL
car. Some Of these days such accidents :"
win be impossible. Why not nowf
Year: 1872

No solution of the problem of the labor
"strikes" has yet appeared, and some of the men
engaged in these demonstrations have grown
turbulent and noisy. Some violent menaces
were made yesterday by different branches of
the trades, and the police were called in to
disperse disorderly and threatening gatherings.
The better class of workingmen do not APP
prove of these threats of force, and the bulk
of the strikers" certainly understand that
they will lose everything if they do not go
about their business peaceably and calmly.
Year: 1872

Mayor Hall testified, last night, before the
Contract Commissioners, that the clause
authorizing the laying of several miles OF
"Stow foundation" wooden pavement was
fraudulently added to resolution OF the
Common Council after he had signed 1t, and
that he shonld never have put his name to
the resolution if it had contained the clause
in onestion when it was presented to
him for his signature. This disclosure merely
proves, what most people have long suspected,
that when Common Councilmen and wooden
pavement contractors combine to plunder the
taxpayer under the thin guise of public i'm
provement, they are fully capable of resortlng
to the most shameless forgery in order 10 ac-
complish their purpose. of course, the con-
tracts that were to have been secured by this
fraud are blasted forever by its exposure, and
cannot by any chance escape the emphatic
condemnation of the Commissioners who are
called to pass upon them. oa.o-T
Year: 1872




Therefore, arising betimes, l hired a
very fine horse, and, manning him
bravely, laid his head east and by south,
as near as might be, according to our
pinnacle. But though the wind was
abaft the beam, and tide and all in his
favor, and brave commander upon his
poop, what did he do but bouse his stem,
and run out bis spanker-driver, and up
with his taffrail as if was wearing him
in laundering heavy sea. resolved
to get the upper hand of this uncalled-
for mutiny; aHd the more so because all
our crew were gazing; and at the fair |
had laid down the law very strictly con-
eerning horses / slipped my feet out
Of the chains, for fear Of any sudden cap
size, and then / raped him over the cat
heads, where his anchor ought to hang.
He, however, instead Of doing at all
what expected, up with his bow-sprit
and down with his quarter, as If struck
by a whale under his forefoot This
was so far from true seamanship, and
proved him to be so unbuilt for sailing,
that was content to disembark over his
stern, and with slight conclusions
" Never say die" has always been my
motto and always will be; mailing my
colors to the mast, / embarked upon
another horse Of less than half the ton
mage Of that one which would not an
swer helm Aud this craft, being
broken-backed, with a strange sound at
her portfolios, could not, under press Of
sail, bowl along more than four knots an
hour. And we adjusted matters between
as SO, and when she was tired | was also
sore. and therefore disembarked and
towed her, until we were both fit for sea
again. Therefore it must have been
good meridian when / met Parson
ChoEne near his house Prom ne
Maid Of Skeer," by r. z. Black
more
Year: 1872

Old Otsego county boasts justice of the
peace who flashes out in the annals of local
fame as arranging himself for a delinquency.
The justice of the peace referred to (no mats
ter about his name or where he bclongs) pos.
sesses the excellent attributes of integrity


ability and worth but on one occasion he for
got his .magisterial integrity. He let down in
weak moment the judicial bars which should
hedge him in, and roamed iuto the field of
Bacchus. In short, on a recent occasion he
imblded too much strong drink and in con,e
qnence awoke with realizing sense of that fact
the next morning. Now, here was pretty
60. n justice of the peace had been on a
bender, or part of one A man was appointed
to swing the fail of justice over the heads of
poor, unfortunate fellows wandering over into
the wrong pasture himself. But there he was
lie felt reminders of it in the occasional
throbs of headache. But what was to be done?
The more he viewed it the more he became
disgusted with himself. He made up his
mind. He would attend to his case. He
would vindicate the outraged law. So at the
usual hour he entered his Office He formally
opened court, and then he called his own
name as defendant in suit which ssthe peo.
pie charged him with an offence against the
law, went over the circumstances in detail so
A"A 40 LIZ SouaN EeueLuDeT tDem, read 1.-THE
statute In such cases made and provided :"
and then asked "the prisoner what he had to
say" In the role of prisoner he pleaded
guilty to the offence, said it was a shame for
man of his years and position, bu. hoped
"the Court would not be too severe Oh him as
ne was determined to REFORM" "rbe prisoner
will stand up" said the stern old Justice
Then the prisoner arose. Snow, said the JUS
tice, 81 am very sorry you have been brought
into this court on charge which SO seriously
affects yonr good name and standing in So
ciety; you have set bad example, and if
and disgrace OF yourself and family. [ SEN
tence you to pay fine of $40 and costs, or to
thirty days imprisonment in the county jail"
The ''prisoner' said he would prefer to paw
the fine-and then the court closed. He
walked over to the roormaster of the town
and paid the s10.-Utica Observer.
Year: 1872

GET MARRIED.-Get married, young man
if you have arrived at the right poin. OF life
for 1t let every consideration give yay TO
that of getting married. A good wife is the
most faithful companion you can possibly have
by your side while performing the journey Of
life: She can sweeten your sour moments as
well as your tea or coffee !; and instead of SOW
ing sorrow in your path, she will plant hap
piness in your bosom. When woman loves
she loves with double distilled devotedness,
and when she hates it is on the high-pressure
principle. Her love is as deep as the ocean.
and as strong as hempen halter.
Year: 1872

= Josh Billings says of mule, that he is
a larger bird than the goose or the turkey !;
he has two legs to stand on and two to kick
with his wings are situated on the top of his
head.
Year: 1872

How TO KEEP a s1rUAr1oN.-Lay it
downs down as foundation rule, that you will be
faithful in that which is least" Pick up
the loose nails, bits of twine, clean wrapping
paper, and put them in their places. Be-
ready to throw an odd half hour or hours
time, when it will be an accommodation and
don't seem to make merit of it. Do il hear.
tily. Though not word be said, be sure
that your employer will make note of it
Make yourself indispensable to him, and he
will lose many of the opposite kind before he
will part with you.


Those young men who watch the time TO
see the very second their working hour is up !,
who leave, no matter what state the work
may be in, at precisely the instant; who cal,
cuiate the amount they can slight their work
and yet not get reproved and who are lavish
of their employers goods, will always be frs.
to receive notice when times are dull and
their services are no longer required. Re-
nember you arc not slave. Then serve
your employer as a friend in due time he
will be friend to you.
Year: 1872




Horace Greeley, in recent speech as.Port-
land, Maine, eaid:


In two or three instances have been asked
to say whether would or would not, if elect.
ed, confne my appointments to republicans.
l answer these BY pointing to the plank in the
Cincinnati platform wherein all who concur
in the principles therein set forth are cordial>
ly invited to participate in their establishment
and vindicatiou. I never yet heard of a man
who invited his neighbors to help him raise
house and proceeded to kick them out as soon
as the roof was fairly over his head. For my
part L recognize every honest man who ap-
proves and adheres to the Cincinnati platform
as my political brother, and as such fully en-
titled to my confidence and friendly regard.
One other point demands word: Those ad-
verse to me ask what pledges have given to
those lately hostile to the Union to secure
their favor and support. auswer-No man
whether directly or through another, anv
other pledge than is given in all my acts and
works from the hour of Lees surrender down
to this moment.


All who nominated me were perfectly aware
that upheld and justified federal legislation
to repress the Ku>KIux conspiracy and outs
RACES, though l had long ago insisted, as
strenuously as l now do, that-complete am>
nesty and general oblivion of the bloody, hates
ful past would do more for the suppression
and utter extinction of such outrases than all
the force bills and suspension of habeas corpus
ever devised by man. Wrong and crime must
be suppressed and punished, but far wiser and
nobler in legislation is the policy by which
they are prevented.


From those who support me in the South I
have heard but one demand-justice; but one
Observation-Disclosures They wish to he hearts
lily reunited and at peace with the North on
any terrns which do not involve the surrender
of their manhood. They ask that they should
DO regarded and treated by the Federal au>
thority as citizens. not culprits, so long as they
obey aud uphold every law consistent with
equality and right. They desire rule which
alike for white aud black shall encourage in
dustry and thrift, and discourage rapacity and
vlllalny: They cherish joyful hope, in
which fully concur, that between the 5th of
November and the 4th of march next quite
number of Governors and other dignitaries
who in the absurd name of repnblcanism and
loyalty have been for years piling debts and
taxes upon their war>washed States will follow
the wholesome example Of Bullock. of Geor-
sia,. and seek the shades of private life. Tho
darker and darker those shades the better for
themselves and for mankind, and the hone
that my election may hasten the muchdesired
hegira OF thieving carpet baggers has recon-
ciled TO the necessity of supporting mo many
who would otherwise have hestated and prob-
ably refused
Year: 1872

The Clarksburg Sun, in referring to
the result of the lato election in West
Virginia, says:


Enough is known to congratulate
the Democracy on its success. The
Constitution is carried by at least
$500 majority. This is triumph
worthy the stern efforts of the Democ-
racy of West Virginia. Every shaft
of the enemy was aimed at its defeat /;
every device that ingenuity could de-
wise. Men lent their personal popular
ity to the opposition; but all failed.
The Constitution securing popular
rights and guaranteeing personal lib
erty is adopted-is now the fundamen-
tai law of the land. In the ratification
of the Constitution the Democratic
party have in one particular aspect
achieved an important triumph. We
have secured an able and incorrupti-
BILE Court of Appeals. This court
has been the strong fortress, the en-
trenched position of the Radical party
of this State from its organization to
the present time
Year: 1872

A writer who says his COW gives ali
the milk that is wanted in a family of
eight persons, and from which was
made two hundred and sixty pounds
of butter this year, gives the following
as his treatment. He says:
If you desire to get large yield OF
rich milk give your COW every day wa.
ter that is slightly warm, slightly salt.
ed, in which bran has been stirred al
the rate of one quart to- two gallons OF
water. You will find if you have not
tried this daily practice that your COW
will give twenty-five per cent. more
milk Immediately under the effects Of
it, and she will become so attached tc
the diet as to refuse to drink clear wa
ter unless very thirsty; but this mes,
she will drink almost any time and a. /
for more.


The amount of this drink necessar,
is an ordinary water pailful at time
morning, noon and night.
Year: 1872

Some genius ffers the following by
way of apology for Gen. Grants inca
pacity to open his mouth without put
ting his foot in it:


Washington never made speech.
In the zenith of his fame he once at
tempted it, failed, and gave it up con-
fused and abashed. In framing the
Constitution OF the United States, the
labor was almost wholly performed in
committee Of the whole, of which
George Washington was day after day
the chairman, but he made two speech
es during the convention of very
few words each, something like one of
Grants speeches. The convention,
however, acknowledged the master
spirit, and historians affirm that had
it not been for his personal popularity
and the thirty words of his first speech,
pronounoing it the best that could be
united upon, the Constitution would
have been rejected by the people
Thomas Jefferson never made a speech.
He couldn't do it, Napoleon, whose
executive ability 10 almost without a
parallel, said that his greatest difficult
ty was in finding men of deeds rather
than words, When asked how he
maintained his influence over his SUI
periors in age and experience when
'commander-in-chief of the army of
Italy, he said by reserve. The great
ness of a man is not measured by the
length Of his speeches and their num-
Der.