smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

HEAVILY AFFLIcTED.-A Mrs. Smith, OF
West Chester, seems TO have suffered more than
an ordinary share Of family sfiliction. Some
years ago she had little son carried into her
presence, dead, from the kick of horse. Next
daughter died very suddenly while on a visit
TO Wilmington, her death being announced by
the reception of her dead body at home. Last
summer young and promising son was Instantly
killed at the Pennsylvania railroad round house,
in Philadelphia, by being run over by the cars
On Monday morning week, her husband went to
work, apparently in good health, and in an hour
afterwards was carried home a corpse-having
died Of paralysis Of the heart.
Year: 1873

Grant and his men IN the National Capitol are
making joke of the Back pay steal," and the
Salary Grab" They are laughing ut the few
honest men who feel the necessity OF conforming
to the wishes of the people, aud reducing the pa!
of Congressmen to what 1t was in the 4lst Con
gress.


Cameron, Conklin, Butler aud Wood revel in
luxury, while the people groan under weight OF
taxation unprecedented. And men in the rural
districts are daily being despoiled Of their homes
tor the want Of action on the part Of Grant and
his men who ought never to have been lntrusted
with the positions they hold.


in all times past no such strcs, has fallen upon
the land as now causes trade to languish from
one end of it to the other. Grant and his men
bold the purse aud the sword, and with packets
pethorlc from monthly issues from the National
treasury, they can afford to treat with contempt
all honest members of Congress who sympathise
with the people. There is scarcely doubt that
had the men who voted for the Salary sieal'
the courage they would vote to make their pay
double and extend theirofices for life.


Some of these men talk about the sacrifice they
make. 1t is disgusting TO an intelligent reader TO
hear such nonsense. There is scarcely one OF
them in either House that would resign ifhis salary
were cut down one-half. In nine cases out OF
ten they seek the Office, and in looking over the
Senate many of the toadies there went from one
party to the other on purpose TO hold their seats
and get their pay. There may be half-dozer
men in that body who could average as much as
their salaries at their professions but that IL
eonbtess about all, ana they often make their
seats convenience, while they are making money
By toWardIng the schemes OF clients


Grant never was 50 popular in Congress as he
Is now, he has enabled the members of that body
t. rob the people ef several millions annually,
while by the same law be pockets an additional
hundred thousand dollars in four years. lie can
now command their service at any point, and
having plenty of funds they and their friends can
buy up all tue lands that are pushed into the mar
ket, because OF the scarcity Of currency, at the
cheapest rates over known. Such is Radical
rule and Radical rulers
Year: 1873

The New York Commercial AdUertiser, in a re-
cent Issue, very sensibly suggests "the pro7risty
of diyerting portion Of the money which would
be otherwise spent for gifts to the nscesGites Of
the hOur-the relief of popular destItutiOn, and
particularly that which more immediately affects
the little children OF the poor" As there seems
to be an unusual amount of destitution this sea.
son, the suggestion Of our contemporary is wor-
thy Of serious consideration. A email portion OF
the money spent in holiday gifts If appropriated
TO the purpose mentioned, might alleviate great
deal Of present suffering.
Year: 1873

The SHERIFF's DUTY-Therc is little use in
the officers Of the law and the Courts earnestly
and faithfully performing their duty TO the com.
munity, and the county going TO the expense Of
Thousands of dollars TO bring Williams to Just and
deserved punishment, If an executive officer so
discharges his office as to turn the whole affair
into Il solemn farce. Ii a man fears to discharge
the duties of ar Office, lie should not ask to he
placed in such position. A Sheriff dare not re-
fuse TO hang man, and still hold his Office. To
refuse 10 apply the lash severely then is to strain
at gnAt and swallow a camel" 1t is rather too
partial to bring with ten lashes the blood from the
back Of poor negroes for stealing a few coppers'
worth, and allow the hide of bold burglar TO 20
cfI unbrOkcA where forty lashes are ordered by
the Court. If anything is calculated 10 bring our
Courts and laws into contempt and derison more
than this We do not know what it Is Better, far
better had the burglars not have been caught than
that they should furnish their friends with assur-
Anee that the laws here may also be brought into
contempt.
Year: 1873

The formal surrender of the Virginius and her
crew and passengers are to be made next Tues
day by the Spanish authorities in or near the
barbor of Havana. The United States flag is also
to be saluted with all the formaliy and etiquette
due on occasions where one nation is required to
apologize for wrongs done to another.
Year: 1873

The season of Italian opera in this city
began last night with the production of la
Traviata' at theNAcademy of Music, and the
re-entrance of Nine. Nilsson in one of the r6les
in which she is most familiar to US A full
description of the performance will be found
elsewhere. 1t will be seen that the entertain
ment, taken as o whole, was a satisfactory
one; that the flaws discoverable were neither
numerous nor important enough to detract
very greatly from the general scope of the
merit, and that, therefore, the impresario may
not unexaggeratedly be said to have made a
strong and honest start We are inter-
ested in this attempt, not because it is
made by one impresario rather than another,
and not because of the popularity of certain
singers who appeared, but because any inteli-
gent and hearty effort to put Italian opera upon
a arespectable footing here deserves earnest sup
port. 1t is too late in the day to rehearse all
the objections which Puritans and Journalists
allege against opera in general and Italian
opera in particular. 1t were waste of time
to take up these objections one by one and
seriously refute them. We prefer not answer
ing a fool according to his folly; and
since there are two contradictory scrip
tural injunctions on this head we beg
leave to observe that which comes easiest
to US. 1t is enough to remember that Italian
opera has taken o strong root in the United
States, and since we are undoubtedly to have
more of it with every succeeding year it is
better the material should be good and that
our fastidious taste should increase. What we
now clamor for are operas which are either new
or which are so seldom produced here that
they have the effect Of newness. "AYda" and
'Lohengrin'' come within this category, and
of course Mr.. Strakosch is not going to ignore
the brilliant intentions vouchsafed in his glow
ing prospectus. As matter of course ''La
Traviata" afforded little scope for any judg-
ment as to the strength Of his company, and
while we shall hold him strictly to the condi-
ton that prima donna does not make an
Italian opera company, the dfbaa of the young
baritone Del Puente last night is in the nature
of a promise that'he has brought us most ex-
cellent artists
Year: 1873

For the past month there has been vast
deal of talk at Huntington concerning the
money that is to be spent in progressing the
ends of justice, and the detective skill that is
to be manifested in the apprehension of the
parties concerned in the outrage inflicted on
Charles G. Kelsey. 1t is now high time that
something should be done and that this
puerile and fatuous palaver should cease. All
respectable and humane citizens at Huntington
owe it to themselves to associate together and
devise the speediest means, at whatever cost
and self-sacrifce of detecting the guilty
parties and seeing that due punishment is
meted to them. It was hoped that numerous
and important facts pointing in this direction
would be elected yesterday, and our corre-
spondent at Huntington has sent US as inter-
esting letter as was possible under the
circumstances. But whole field Of valuable
facts is necessary, and not solitary sheaf or
two. 1t is quite time that legal dillydallying
and social seesawing should come to an end.
A blot is upon Huntington which nothing but
a speedy detection, arrest and punishment
of the crimina Is can wipe out.
Year: 1873

The Secretary of the Treasury appears to be
intent on abolishing that nominal, absurd and
fictitious par of exchange between this country
and England, which the English have persist
emily maintained. The difference between the
real value of exchange and the nominal ficti-
tious quotations is about nine per cent We
say about nine because the rate fuctuates
some fractions according to the balance Of
trade and state of the money market on both
sides of the Atlantic. To make it plain to the
ordinary reader it is only necessary to say
that when United States bonds are quoted in
the London market at ninety they are really
worth ninety-nine in American gold 1t is
true financial transactions are adjusted upon
the American coin values, and this
is very well understood by bankers and
business men generally. Still, to the mass Of
people who do not understand the matter, such
q fictitious quotation makes it appear that the
credit of the United States, as far as its quoted
securities go, stands at ninety when it is really
at ninety-nine. This anomalous state of
things is based upon very old mode of reck-
oning, when the coin of the two countries had
q different relative value. There were other
disadvantages, and even some loss to us, by
assumed but fictitious par. An act was passed
by Congress prescribing the discontinuance of
this old working of exchange at the close of
the present year. But the Secretary properly
says the change might and should be COM
menced at once, and recommends some action
to reach the desired object as soon as practic-
able. Why should not values and the rate of
percentage be quoted according to the actual
relative value Of English and American coin,
as they were between that of the coin of other
anomaly should be abolished.
Year: 1873




The Stock Exchange reopens to-day, but
the panic which for time threatened to grow
into financial crisis seems sufficiently aIlayed
to make the event without danger. Still we
must not be over-confdent or careless of tho
real interests of the country. Only the same
cautious and conservative policy, the same
moderation in all things pertaining to the
delicate condition Of the market con entirely
prevent a reaction now. If the young brokers
go down to Wall street to-day deter
mined to rush into speculation without
considering whether they are acting wisely
or unwisely they may do harm which
they do not intend. Insane specula-
ton may readily give birth to another
panic at the very moment the real danger OF
the panic has passed away. This must be-
avoided 1t is due from the business mon Of
Wall street to the people of the country that
calm judgment and cool and considerate coun-
sells shall prevail This is day Of prepara-
ton for business rather than day of business.
We hear of an occasional furry in distant
Cities and the spectators in the street are only
too apt to catch up idle stories and magnify
them into events Of genuine significance. These
Spectators must be carefully watched, and
the great good of the great public be guarded
against their insidious attacks upon public
and private credit Indeed, there ought to be
nothing like speculation at this time-no
gambling in gold or stocks SO as to imperl
the general good. The people look to the
members of the Stock Exchange this day for
Wisdom in counsel and calmness and oonsid-
Grafton in action If the reputable men in
Wall street expect to prosper they can only do
80 by promoting the prosperity of the whole
country. Moderation and cooperation, at
the reopening of the Board, as in the midst Of
the panic must be the watchwords of business
men of ali kin DIS.
Year: 1873

WE HOPE Nora report is going the round
of the newspapers that ex-President Andrew
Johnson had ALL or pretty nearly all, his
money in the First National Bank of Wash
ington, amounting to some sixty thousand
dollars We hope this is not true, or, if true,
that the bank may be able to pay in full when
its affairs are adjusted Whatever may be said
of Mr.. johnson, or however much he may
have been denounced by the politicians who
differed with him, every one will give him
credit for being an honest economical and in
dustrious man. When in Office he spurned
all offers of gifts, and after long public life
he had but very small fortune to live upon.
1t would be hard, indeed, for this little prop
erty to be swept away. We hope the report is
not true.
Year: 1873

BRITISH WAR News FROM THE AsuASrrp
CouNTRY.-A London telegram by cable
reports that the latest news from the Ashantee
country to the War Office is satisfactory"
The natives are in state of semi-starvation
and shivering through the rainy season. Such
is the satisfactory news which is being read
this morning at every breakfast table in Lon
don An American vessel has been seized by
the British naval commander on charge OF
illicit trade with the Ashantees, and the coast
has been declared in state of blockade.
Year: 1873

A HUMANE LAw.-We publish to-day the
text of a humane and acceptable law which
was passed at the last session Of Congress-
and which goes into effect tomorrow. 1t
seeks to put stop to the cruel practice of
carrying cattle long distances and detaining
them on roads for days, shut up in closely
packed cars or boats, without food. water or
rest The law provides that when cattle,
sheep, swine or other animals are carried from
one State to another ip vessels, boats or cars,


where they cannot and do not have proper
food space and opportunity for rest they
shall not be kept iif iifcoh6hement for longer
period than twenty-eight hours, including
all stoppages and transfers from road to road,
at the end of which time they shall be released
for five hours for rest, feeding and watering.
The expense of food, care and custody is made
a lien on the animals, and every violation Of
the law is punishable by fine of from one to
five. hundred dollars, its enforcement being
placed in the hands of United States marshals
and their deputies. The law will evidently be
. difficult one t. carry out but II Is to be
Year: 1873

The OLD JERSEY FISHERMAN who predicted
that the terrible storms of August would re-
Geve us of our usual heavy September equ-
noctials was right We have not had for many
years milder autumnal equinoctial period
than that which is now passing away.
Year: 1873

The sudden activity displayed by the pro


jectors of the various Rapid Transit Railway;
is something on which the public OF New
York City is to be heartily congratulated
The rivalry between the Vanderbilt Under
ground and the Gilbert Elevated Railways is
now so well and sharply defined and yigor-
ousy maintained that we may confidently
hope for some sort of road. 1t Will De
seen by our news columns that Mr. Gilbert,
who owns the franchise for the projected
Elevated Road, has made combination
with Mr.. Vanderbilts natural antagonists
of the Erie and the New York, Hartford and
Erie Railroads, and is now in position to
build his line. While this rivalry is actuated
solely by private interests and for the benefit OF
the railroad companies named, the people of
New York are likely to reap great benefit
from it,


Last Winter the same railway combination
with which Mr.. Gilbert is now associated was
at Albany with an underground project by
which they hoped to find a way across the
Harlem River and into New-YOrk City, The
only roads now entering New-York are those
of Mr.. Vanderbilt, and as long as he can
maintain that monopoly for hrs private
benefit he is not likely to surrender 1T for
the public good AT the present time every
other railroad from the North and East must
make its New-York terminus at the Harlem
River and every passenger entering the city
by rail from the North must pay a
tax in the form of increased fare to pass over
Mr.. Vanderbilt's roads. If last Winters
project of the Erie people had been success
full. it would have broken up this monopoly. To
defeat their bill, Mr.. Vanderbilt himself offered
to build an Underground Road, and got from
the Legislature the franchise which Erie
sought. The Erie scheme was rejected. MI
Rufus II. Gilbert was also at Albany with his
scheme, but having no backing, and appar-
emily with little prospect of success IN getting
a franchise Commodore Vanderbilt did not
think it worth while to oppose and defeat
him. Thus neglected, Gilbert's bill, for lack
of powerful opposition finally slipped through;
and single individual was successful where
a rich and powerful corporation had failed.


The most natural way out of their trouble
was through the new combination, which we
now understand to have been concluded between
the Erie people and the Gilbert projectors.
To build the Gilbert road will give Erie and
it's connecting roads an entrance into New
York City without permission of Mr. Wander
bilt 1t will destroy monopoly which has
been profitable to him but not especially
beneficial to the metropolis. But, above all,
it will give New-York one Rapid Transit road,
if not two. We need both, and there is room
enough for both.
Year: 1873

Judge Davis yesterday praised the ingenuity
of counsel for Tweed in devising op)ecuons,
and then Immediately afterward overruled all
of them in the most uncomplimentary manner
He subsequently gave them a problem which
will tax their skill by deciding that it was not
necessary for the prosecution to prove that
the alleged fraudulent warrants were filled out
when Tweed signed them, and that it was in
cumbent on the defense to prove that they
were blanks. In view of the manner in which
public business was lately conducted, such a
practice as signing warrants in blank Is not
inconceivable; but it will puzzle the most in
genious Philadelphia legal gentleman to prove
that any particular warrant was thus signed.
The decision, however, removes considerable
barrier in the way of the prosecution.
Year: 1873

Durant gave money to elect Senators Thayer
and Harlan out of pure philanthropy or from
motives of disinterested friendship. Indeed
both of these speculative railway managers
confess, with pleasant confusion, that they
thought it would be good thing to have "a
friend" in the Senate. Mr.. Harlan was
thought by the gentleman who took stock in
his election to be especially open to friendly
advances" although he lived on the line OF
"a rival roadn This is delicious; and so is
the additional euphuism that Mr.. Harlan had
lived long enough in Washington to under
stand the wants of the State and not allow
his Judgment to be subverted by his topo-
graphical relations to rival line.


But is not all this miserable business Y Here
are Senator'S accepting money to use IN pro-
noting their elections in State Legislatures.
They take it from men who represent railroad
enterprises which are sure to be compelled to
pass before the Senate in the guise of petit
TONERS for favorable legislation We have
nothing now to do with the way in which the
railroad tribute money was spent. MIR. Durant
thinks his $4,000 was used to subsdize Iowa
newspapers in the Harlan interest. For the
honor of the profession, we hope not. But the
enormity of the wrong lies in the acceptance of
(if not the application for) these corrupting
influences. There is no possible explanation
of such course of conduct that is
consistent with sound morality or good gov
ernment. Money cannot be honestly used in
a Senatorial canvass of a State Legislature
Money cannot be honestly accepted by candi-
dates for Congress from agents Of corpora
tions interested in Congress legislation. See,
then, how one railroad corporation has made
its money power felt in the American Con-
gress. With Oakes Ames lending money
freely to some Members of Congress and
putting others L" in the way of a good thing"
and Bushnell and Durant giving a lift
to still others who very much want
to 90 to the Senate, the Union Pacific
Railroad Company seem to have done
tidy business. Yet good oldfashiOned people
who think of the Senate as it was when Ben
ton, Calhoun, Clay, and Webster were in it,
are shocked that there are icOnOclasts who
refuse to hold their hand. The idol is broken;
but we are beginning to find out that the men
in the Senate are responsible for the ruin.
The tone of public morals has gone down;
we are gradually discovering the men who arc
responsible for its fall
Year: 1873

The laying away of the clay which was
Louis Napoleon was accomplished yesterday
with all the show and parade which could be
given to the ceremony by the courteous care
Of the British Royal family. These are too
trOublous times for croEps, for their wear
ers to omit any possible manifesto
ton of respect for each other. A
dozen years ago when the Emperor
visited England, with much of the favor of
his earlier scampishness hanging about him, the
most virtuous Of all queens received him with
the kiss of cOusinship. Now that 80 many
years of royalty have given him their facttious
conservation, and disaster and death, plac-
ing him beyond possibility of further trans
gressions, have given an opportunity
for compassionate humanity to assert
itself, it is not on the whole strange
that the Court Of England should show what
cvility was in it's power to the funeral of the
dead Emperor and guest. But neither in En-
gland or elsewhere has there been any popu-
lar sorrow, any sense that great man
has fallen or that good man is
gone While his corpse lay in state, the
French residents of New-York held their
gayest masque of the Carnival, and no one
saw any incongruity in it. Among sovereigns,
his death is a matter of ceremony. Among
politicians it is the elimination of an unknown
quantity. But the world at large regards it
as matter of news, subject of curiosity
without emotion.


This is, after all, the sentence and judgment
passed upon his life by the instinct of man
kind. His disasters, his dechGance and exile
do not so clearly pass condemnation upon
him. If he had died in the purple, the final
verdict would have been the same. He lived
his life out. 1t is not probable that the war
Year: 1873

Coasting on the Common is favorite Winter
amusement in Boston, but the seds have a way of
getting tangled with the legs of pedestrians which
results in mutifarious fracture and confusion. An
unfortunate apothecary in the neighborhood has q
shop so conveniently situated that all the accidents
are carried into it for treatment. The time required
for proper attention of the patient from quarter
of an hour upwards during which it is necessary to
keep the curtains down and the door locked. The
general drug and medicine business is, therefore.
most seriously interfered WITH greatly to the dis
couragement of the worthy apothecary, who looks
for a good thaw with eager interest.
Year: 1873

Here is q paragraph which we take bodily from
Western newspaper frankly confessing our inability
to improve it: A sanguine young Atchison had faith
in his ability to make himself the receptacle of four
pnts of raw whisky within fifteen minutes. Ho
wagered S25 to that effect with a skeptic of the
neighborhood. and made suburban bar-room the
scene of the performance Upon his neat and orna
mented tombstone, now in process of erection will
be inscribed the simple epitaph, "He smiled and
died"
Year: 1873

People in this vicinity who have almost for
gotten the trials and tribulations incidental TO
the prevalence of the horse disease will recall
that epidemic when they learn that it has
reached the middle of the continent We had
supposed that the epizootic had faded out /;
and California and Oregon newspapers have
congratulated their constituents on their lucky
escape; but the appearance of the disease at
Rawlins, Wyoming. shows that it is following
the course of empire westward.