smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

A dialogue occurred at a Detroit
boarding house, according to the Fres
Press, between an effeminate, shabbily
dressed young man and the landlady,
which for ponderous rhetoric exceeds
anything of a similar nature that has
seen the light in some time. The land
lady appeared at the front door, in an
swer to the bell, and was accosted by
the young man as follows:


eff you are manager of this domicile
1 wish to know if you could be per-
suaded to provide me with apartments
and provender during my soiourn in
the city, which may be of two or three
days duration, and may possibly ex-
tend through greater period"


The mistress of the house, catching
the style and spirit of the inquirer, re-
sponded:


Unfortunately, a great demand ex-
lists at present, which so crowds the CO.
pacity of my apartments and the con-
tents of my larder that l cannot consci-
entiously provide the accommodations
you desire."


Evidently the young man had ex-
pected to completely crush the landlady
with his command Of the English lam
guage, but his disappointment was
plainly shown in the look of blank
amazement which he bestowed upon her
after hearing her reply. He was not
completely annihilated, however, for he
continued: Provided you could,
madam, pray what amount of money
would you impose upon me for accom-
nodating me?"


Eight dollars a week in advance. -
was too suggestive, and as the young
man backed down the steps he simply
said "good day."
Year: 1876

WHY WE USE THE RIGHT HAND. The
habit of using the right hand in prefer
ence to the left among those people
whose monuments date from the remot-
est antiquity appears to be universal
fact, and this is accounted for by the
anatomical mechanism of the human
body. 1t is known that the right lung,
liyer-lobe and limbs exceed in size those
OF the left side, involving, of course, a
greater amount Of tissue structure and
large supply Of nerves and blood yes
sells for their nutrition. A person walk
ing in dense fog figures with his feet
the segment of q circle, and, if he is
right handed, he takes direction to the
left, because the right foot naturally
takes longaT silide. 4he laft side of
the brain is larger than the right, aud,
as it appears that the power CT verbal
articulation i'll the right handed is con-
fined to certain feeling convolution on
the left side, the conclusion is arrived
at that, in speaking ana thinking, the
left side of the brain is used, this being
the result of dextral education. The
opinion has also been expressed by some
medical writer's that amnesia and aphasia
in right-handed men indicate disease of
the left brain, and that hammer palsy
ana writef's cramp shQV the excessive
working oe the left brain.
Year: 1876

SAcREDNEss OF A PROMISE. emf
nent British statesman is said to have
traced his own sense of the sacredness
of promise to curious lesson he got
from his father when a boy. When home
for the holidays, and walking with his
father in the garden, his father pointed
to a wall which he intended to have pull
ed down.


''Oh, said the boy, 81 should like to
see wall pulled down.


well, my boy, you SHALL" said his
father.


The thing, however, escaped his mem
cry, and during the boys absence q
number Of improvements were being
made, among others the pulling down of
this wall and the building of a new one
i'll its place.


When the boy came and saw it, he
said ''Oh, father. Won promised 70 L..
HE see that wall pulled down


Instantly the father remembered his
promise, and was deeply panied to think
that he seemed SO careless about his
pHghted word.


"My boy" he said, you are right. 1
did promise and ought not to have for
gotten. 1t is too late now to do Just
what I said, bnt you want to see q wall
pulled down and so you SHALL


And ne actually ordered the masons
up. and made them pull down and re-
build the new wall, that as nearly as
possible his promise might be made
good.


1T cost me twenty pounds" said he
to friend who was bantering him about
it, ''but, +" he added solemnly, ''if it had
cost a hundred I should have thought it
cheap way Of impressing upon my
boys mind, as long as he lives, the i'm
portance man of honor should attach
to his plighted word"
Year: 1876

From the San Francisco Chronicle.]


Is Donaldson, the baiioonist, really
dead ? Such is the question under de-
bate among those cognizant of the Pro-
fessor's true character and selfish incli-
nations, and it is but just to affirm that
large majority of persons knowing the
man give it to be their deliberate opin-
Ion that, although the body of the I'M
fortunate reporter, his companion on his
presumptively fatal voyage, was found
and identified, and his note book, alb
ruptly closed, found OH the corpse, Don
aidson himself is still alive aud dwelling
in sobscurity beneath an assumed name.
1t will be remembered that Rarnum in
vented as an attraction to his show a
marriage in mid air, with the balloon
carrying the bridal party, beneath Don
aldson's management. On that occasion
the number of aerial voyagers seriously
incommoded the aeronanut who, in an
tlcipation of q disaster, informed them
thpt in the event Of danger to his own
life he would be compelled to toss them
one by one out of the basket rather than
have them all perish. Now neither the
corpse of Donaldson nor the slightest
vestige of his balloon has been discover
ed, and it is impossible that all traces
should have perished when the body of
the journalist was found in good preser-
Walton so shortly after the disaster. As n
clear demonstration of the Professor
being in the land of the living, it can be
proven that lady to whom he is believ-
ed to have been betrothed, incautiously
admitted the receipt of letters from Don
aidson long after the alleged occurrence
OF the balloon catastrophe. Consequent
ly it is fair to presume that to insure his
own safety during moment of danger
he flung the reporter overheard, reaching
terra frma is safety, and, after destroy
ing his balloon, is hiding himself to avoid
the penalty of his crime.
Year: 1876

CLEARING LAND WITH DYNAMITE
Experience at clearing lands both in
removing stumps and boulders with dy-
Mantle, in Scotland, has proven success
full. The following account is given of
late trial, in an Edinburg paper: A
spadefui of earth was removed from the
side of the stump and hole driven into
the stump with q crowbar. Into this
hole a cartridge of dynamite was press
ell by means of a wooden ramrod, then
a decorating percussion cap, with a
Blaokford's 8 fuse attached, was squeezed
into a small cartridge or primer of dyna
mite, and inserted into the hole of the
trunk in contact with the charge. The
hole was filled up with loose earth, about
q foot length of the fuse being bare. A
match was next applied to the fuse, and
sufficient time was taken for the powder
to reach the percussion cap to allow the
operatives to retire to safe distance.


When the explosion occurred the trunk
was literally blown out Of the ground,
some of the fragments, weighing nearly
twenty pounds, being thrown to a dis
dance of over a hundred yards. The
destruction of the stump was complete.
In breaking up the boulder stones, the
dynamite was simply placed on the TOP
of the stone, covered with wet sand, and
fiyed with fbe f,1ca in tho ordinary NOV
The FesHlt was the Fedqesien Of the boul-
der to fragments the size of a walnut.
1t was eHectually proven by the expert
ments that land can be speedily cleared
of formidable distractions to good cul-
tvation by the use of dynamite, and the
committee of the society who watched
the operations expressed themselves as
highly satisfied with the results.
Year: 1876

Dr. John.Lord lectured yesterday morning to a large
audience in ASSOCIATION Hail. His subject
'Phidas." He commenced by sayng:-I have more
ddence in presenting this subject on ancient art than
any in my whole course, because it is very difficult
to say anything and because everybody gossips
about it The contemplation Of art is fashion, about
which is not well to be ignorant and about which
there is an amazing amount OF cant and borrowed
opinions You may be surprised that l present
Phidias of the benefactors OF the worlda man
about whom there is so little known that obliged
to make him the text of great subject History says
that Phidias lived in the time OF Pericles and
mented the Parthenon with his unrvalled statues He
made OF Minerva ofgod and ivory, forty feet
height the gold costing $500 O0o 600. Another
famous work OF Phidias bronze statue OF Athena
sixty feet height and of JUPITER in the Temple
OF Olympia, seated n throne OF gold ivory and pre-
stones and so famous was this that il consd
cred calamity 70 die without seeing H. This statue,
removed TO Constantinople by Theodocius, remained
undisturbed until the year AIS. His works have all
pershed but many executed under his supervision yet
remain His distinguishing exceences were simplicity
and grandeur IL is the work he represented to which
! would call your attention. the expression OF
art chiefly in building, statuary and pictures


Grecian artists have been in all the teachers OF
architecture sculpture and painting Their works
main objects OF hopeless imitation and this -four
ished under pagan rule, we have right to suppose
influences Christianity has only modined by
atng high moral Impressions by purifying from
sual Influences Art oven declined in Rome from the
second century after Christ


In the age OF Percles observe the first expression
of art in architecture The temples Of Egypt and Syria
were grand and imposing but not graceful The Doro
style the first Improvement and all the glores OF
architecture eliminated in the Parthenon That unri
vailed temple was not large Of the
temples Of the Middle Ages, but 1t covered twelve
times moro ground than tie temple OF Solomon.
The Ionic style only modification OF the Dorc; the
Cornthian exhibited only greater elegance and rchor
ornamentation; but the principles Of these three
orders are the same their beauty consisting in columns
and horizontal lines, even as the vertical line marks
the Gothic


The genius displayed in sculpture carried to the
same perfection. In the sculpture OF the Greeks
see the whole perfection OF the human FORM both OF
man and woman, and not only that, but they repre-
scnted dignity repose majesty and every passion which
moves the human soul The third development Of
Grecian art was painting and that was carried to
siderable perfection Art In every department was ad-
vanced by them to the very highest cultivation The
great artists live through all ages, il they
tribute little to the saving of the world yet their works
valuable assistants TO those who would convey
great truths Of moral form TO Others by putting
in attractive light
Year: 1876

regular meeting OF the New York American InstL
tute held last evening in the hall Of the New York
Historical Society, corner OF Second avenue and
Eleventh street. The President Mr.. Cleveland,
pied the chair After the reading Of the minutes list
Of nfy-six applicants for membership read, and
motion they declared elected According TO the
provisions Of the new charter, It will be six months
now before any propositions for membership be
acted upon. On motion Of Mr. Levy 800 was donated
to Mr. Gardner the Assistant Clerk OF the institute
resolution then offered which in effect intended
70 do away with smoking and loud talking In the library
OF the institute II was evident that the friends of the
weed in pretty good force for a determined
effort made TO table the resolution. very pretty
fight then ensued. Amendments were offered and the
aged members wrangled and tugged for all the world
like boys in prize debating society The resolution
called for and read no less than four times when
IL was finally adopted and copies ordered to be
posted the library.
Year: 1876

with view Of preserving the kit uniform In the
National Guard OF this State a number Of the lately
dsbanded Seventy ninth regiment have determined to
form three companies Each company will be one
hundred strong and fully equipped in Scotch military
costume. Two Of the companies will join the Twelfth
regiment and one the Seventy first The commanding
officers OF these regiments have agreed to allow the
men TO withdraw Just soon as a new regiment can
be formed Efforts will be made TO induce the Cover.
allow the old Seventy ninth regiment 10 be re.
enrolled, and IN the meantime the will be kept TO.
gether by joining the above regiments.
Year: 1876

Last evening at the chapel OF St. Augustine Bowery
Houston street. Rev. Mytton Maury gave a leo
ture to large audience the subject Of which is
planned by the above title The lecturer had copies
canvas Of many Of the figures so well preserved in
the tombs Of Egypt portraying the spors warfare and
mode OF life OF the ancents; by the aid OF these pic
Mr. Maury the better able to explain TO his
interested audience all about their harvesting hunting
wine making and even cooking. The speaker riveted
the attention OF his audience the close OF his address
and was rewarded for his interesting effort by warm
Year: 1876

The New York caledonan Club are making exten-
sve preparations for the celebration Of the Burns
nua festival the 25th inst Among those who have
promised attend the dinner are whiteaw Reid
Judge McAdam and the Rev Mr. Scott OF the Jane
street church bali will be given in the evening to
wind up The days entertainment
Year: 1876

The n. Y. "Times' has these re-
marks to make on the dull times now
affecting the country


The laboring men are out of work
because the employers cannot see
the way clear to make money by
keeping them employed. The rea-
son why money cannot he made is
that there has been too much prOluc
ton and not enough consumption


This state of affairs is gradually
righting itself but at present there
is still more cotton cloth, more iron.
more coal, more wollen cloth, aud
more clothing than people wish to
buy. If there is too much on hand
1T must be because too much has
been produced during the last few
years. Why has this been done !
Simply because there has been too
much paper money. When quln-
tity of paper money was put ont
during the war, price rose. The
dollars increased faster than things
were made to sell, and prices al
vanced accordingly. Men in every
branch of trade and manufactures
pushed production as fast and had
rs they could to catch the high
prices. In this way more was made
than was used. Products of all kinds
began to be heapod up. Seeing this
the merchants AMI manufacturers
forced sales rs fast as possible.
When they could not get money,
they trusted and took notes or book
account, Every ono thus ran in
debt. Things went on swimmingly
so long as no one was asked to pay
up. But one morning, in 1873, ].
Cook, who had been borrowing
money to build a comparatively use.
less railway, found that his creditors
wanted their interest. lIecould not
pay il, and suspended. Then sud-
denly every one asked every one
else to pay very many could not
do it. Business was greatly Grips
pied, and it is crippled yet. We
did in ten years more than We should
have done in fifteen. We could not
have done more than we ought if We
had to pay in gold, or paper CONVEX
tible into gold as we went along.
Now, having pretty well used up
our surplus stock, we are ready to
begin over again. Prices are low,
and business is beginning to pick up.


But men hesitate because they do
not know what the currency is to be
If they knew it was to be solid, real,
valuable, and stable, they would go
ahead. Labor would be again in do.
mand, AMI good times would return.
But if the currency is to be of paper
if prices are to change, as they must
with each other in uncertain success
sion, then business men will hold off
still longer and labor will be still
longer unemployed. These we con-
ceive to be the exact alternatives.
Year: 1876

p@~Did you never feel the effect
of hearty good morning II
sends a thrill Of good cheer all
through one, 1t is like ray ofsun
light piercing the darkness, if we
are feeling low spirited, to have a
CHEEKY good morning given you.
How much brighter it makes the day
seem.-How pleasant to hear this
beautiful greeting in families Good
morning father, good morning moth
er" from older children. "Good
morning papa, good morning mann
ma" from the lisping little ones, is
like well.spring of gladness. Who
can feel sombre after a shower OF
wishes ? Dear mothers let us teach
>our little ones to say good morning
to us and TO each other. 1t brings
with it so much kindness of feeling
it starts us all right for tho day we
con pick up our burdens and toll on
with smile on our lips and sweet
song in our mouths.
Year: 1876

How TO CURE BAD MENoRY.-.
Your memory is bad, perhaps ;
but can tell You two secrets that
can cure tho worst memory. One
is to read II subject in which you arc
strongly interested. Tho other is,
to not only read but think.-When
you have read n paragraph or page
and not only recall them vaguely in
your mind, but pnt them into words
and speak them ont. Faithfully fol
low these two rules and you have
the golden keys OF knowledge. BE.
sides inattentive reading, there are
other things injurious to tho mem =
ory. One is the habit of skimming
over newspapers, items Of news,
smart remarks. bits of information,
political reflections, fashion notes,
all in confused jumble, never to be
thought of again, thus diligently
cultiyating q habit of careless rea-
ding, hard to break Another is the
reading of trashy novels. Nothing
is so fatal to reading with profit as
tho habit of running through story
after story, and forgetting thsm a'
soon as read. | knowa gray haired
woman, lifelong lover of books
who sadly declares that her mind
has deem ruined by such reading.


A help to memory is repetition
Nothing is so certain to keep youl
French fresh and ready for use, as
to have on hand an interesting story
in that language, to take up ter
minutes every day. In that case
you will not forget "your French
with the majority of your school
mates. - Oiires mor1,e'
Year: 1876

DIFFERENCE IN SNow.-Californians


who were o6servant enough to notice such


things before leaving the East, are often


led to contrast the difference in the usual


snow fall OF this country from the snow


which falls during storm in the Eas tern


States. Here, as a general thing the


flakes are large, soft and moist, and when
they have fallen and the storm is over


i. very little affected by the action of the
wind. AT the East the snow is finer,
drier and lighter, and has so little of CO.
hesion its particles that the wind will
sweep the ground bare in some places
and pile the snow many feet deep in 9TH
ers. Tho snowstorms Of the past week
par0ok more of the character of an


Eastern snow storm than usual, being
generally light, fine and cold. And,
as wa, to be expected after the expert
ence Of similar storms in former years, at
lower altitude than this it has assumed
the characteristics of a California storm,
the snow extending far down into the
Sacramento Valley, being much deep
er in the foot hills than in the valleys of
higher attitudes. Two years ago we had
torn of similar character here, and
tough but few inches of snow lell here
the storm extended all over the Sacra-


mento Valley, doing great damage to
buildings and causing great loss of stock.
The hills around the Bay City were white
with tie tieecy element, for the first time
in many years.


People wondered why the Union Pa


Cltc Railroad was bockaded by the snow
while the line of the Genital Pacific was


50 easily kept clear. The reason can be
gy II in very few wolds-it was in the
Il different character of the snow, which


East OF the Rocky Mountains was easily
dIl.ted, while West of those barriers it
4 was not.
Year: 1876

CAT SENsE.-A family in the country
had retired for the night, the head of the
family being away. About midnight the
old cat, which had been left in the house,
came to the bedroom door making a
great mewing. One of the sleepers was
awakened and got up to let the cat out of
doors, when it was discovered that the
ceiling above the kitchen stove was on
fire. A few buckets of water quenched
the flames, but all feel that the house was
saved by pussy.
Year: 1876

MARK TWAIN in the atlantic M0mthlv
gives graphic account Of a mans tussel
with his conscience. His conscience ap-
peared to him in the form of a misshapen
dwarf; reminding him of all the deeds OF
his life which caused him to feel smartly
the pangs of that inscrutable something
known as the conscience. But Mark un-
like the rest of mankind, felt his conscience
in tangible form, aud after it had twitted
him nearly into frenzy, laid hold Of it ,and
cast it into the dre, where he had the salts
faction Of seeing it reduced to ashes, and
he is a free man, unburthencd by the pangs
of restless conscience. There are other
men, though, besides Mark, who have no
for they have rendered them
callous by their depravity, and some of
these men occupy high official positions in
Washington.
Year: 1876

Governor Cochran, owing to the recent
death OF his son, was unable to attend the
Centennial opening, and hence our State
was not officially represented there by the
Governor and his staff. We are author
lied to state that the Secretary of State:
General flolcomb, and the other State
officials present, went there in their per
sonal and private capacity only, and not
as members of the staff.


As the Governor received but one ticket
for himself and staff collectively, and did
not give any invitations to individual
members thereof to accompany him to the
Centennial, for the reasons before stated
there has been no unfair discrimination OF
favoritism shown by him in the matter. W,
arc glad to be able to say that all asscr
tons to the contrary are entirely witho1
foundation. We hope that this will prove
satisfactory to those gentlemen who hav,
msnterpreted the whole matter, and arr
Iaboring under the smart of tancie,
slight from the Governor and the Secre
tary of State, which has been we'll ventil
ated through some of our daily prints.
Year: 1876

1r would not be bad idea, in view of the
objectionable ignorance the Centennial po-
lice show of characters, and to prevent all
who attend from being accused as pickpock-
cts, for the ticket sellers to issue badge to
be worn upon the breast, bearing the in
scription, 81 am not pickpocket." 1t
would ensure the wearer against suspicion,
as much as the artist ensured the identity
of his picture when he painted beneath it
"This is a horse" 1t would be wonder
full help to the intelligent police in avoiding
mistakes as bungling a. that they made
when two of our most peaceable citizens
were arrested. H-.
Year: 1876

HoMELY MAXIMs FOR HARD TINES.
Take care of the pennies. Look
well to you spending. No mat
ter what comes in, if more goes out
you will be always poor. The art is
not in making money, but in keeping
barn, when they are many, make a
great waste. Hair by hair heads get
bald; straw by straw the thatch goes
of the cottage and drop by drop the
rain comes into the chamber. A bar
rel is soon empty if the tap leaks but a
drop minute. When you mean to
save begin with your mouth; many
thieves pass down the red lane. The
ale jug is great waste. In all other
things keep within compass. Never
stretch your legs further taan your
blanket will reach, or you will soon
be cold. In clothes choose suitable
and lasting stuff, and not tawdry finer
les. To be warm is the main thing /;
never mind the looks. A fool may
make money, but it needs wise msn
to spend it. Remember. it is easier
to build two chimneys than to keep
one going. If you give all to back and
board, there is nothing left Cor the
savings bank. Fare hard and work
hard when you are young, and you
will have chance to rest when you
are old.
Year: 1876

SILVER in Nevada was first discov-
cred very strangely. a woman picked
up a stone TO throw at her husband
1t was SO heavy that she examined it
and it proved to be a lump of silver ;
S50,000,000 was The resnlt of this to-
the country. The women must re-
member that there is no silver in this
State, so no experiments.