smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

He is boy of deep thought, and is
much given to deductions. The coroner
is not his father, but he is lad who
was engaged to mind the office, shake
up the coal stove and ask inquiries.
He is a good boy, and has learned to
sympathize with reporters. When there
has been an inquest the boy puts on a
cheerful look and has the whole case so
that he can rattle it off from beginning
To end.


awful sad case," he says to re
porter. "They found the old man
hanging to a beam in the woodshed
stiff and cold. Splendid chance for you
to say that his wide-open eyes seem to
glare down upon the coroner, and that
one arm stretched out, as If to shake
hands with the grim monster death.
You can say that the body swayed to
and fro in the night breeze blowing in
through a broken pane, and that an owl
sat on the beam over the corpse and
uttered his mOurnful hoo hoo u


And then he rubs his hands, his smile
grows broader, and he continues


Business has begul to pick up, and
there may be an inquest every day for
a week. Hope so, for / like to see
business moving and money coming in.
I'm looking every day for a case of
murder-throat cut from ear to ear
blood stains on the wall-blood stained
knife on the floor-marks of fearful
struggle-desperate villain, and so
forth. If you don't happen to be around
I'll send boy down"


But there are other days when he is
sad, and says to the reporter:


Nothing to-day. I'm sorry, but you
know we can't push business as grocers
do. Advertising wouldn't help us a
cents worth, and the holiday season is
no better than any other season. l wish
we had a case for you, and if anything
turns up I'll come down myself and
give you the points. There's lots of
folks who might as well commit suicide
as not, but they don't seem to care
whether the coroner has one case a
month or none at all. Be patient. and
we'll try and turn up something to-
morrow"


Who can help but contract rever-
ence for such a boy ?-DetrOh Free
Press
Year: 1875

Farinelli had ordered a magnificent
costume, and when the tailor brought
it home, the artist demanded his bill.
81 have not made one," answered the
tailor. But why not ?" asked Fam
nelli. Because" said the trembling
tailor, 81 have desire for my payment
in but one form. / know that that
which desire is of inestimable value,
and reserved for moHarchs, but since i
have the honor of working for one of
whom none speak but with enthusiasm,
l wish no other payment than that he
sing me one song. Farinelli strove In
VAN to change his resolution and induce
him to receive the money. The tailor
was immovable. At last the great artist
acceded to his request. Resolved that
the enthusiast should be fully gratified,
he exhibited before him all his wonder
ons skill, after which the tailor, fairly
intoxicated with delight, prepared to
withdraw, but Farinelli stopped him.
81 am very sensitive" said he, "and il
is possibly through that trait that i
have attained my superiority over other
singers. 1 have acceded to your wishes
and now you must yield to mine in your
turn T. Saying which he drew out his
purse and compelled the astonished
tailor to receive nearly double the
worth of the garment.
Year: 1875

What varying thing is the stream
of life. How 1t sparkles and glitters
How it bonds along ITS pebbly bed.
sometimes in shade sometimes sport
ing round all things, as if its essence
were merriment and brightness some
times flowing solemnly on, as if it were
derived from Lethe itself. Now it runs
like q liquid diamond along the mea-
dow now it plunges in fume and fury
over the rock now it is clear and lin
pid. as youth and innocence can make
It ; now it is heavy and turbid, with
the varying streams of thought and
memory that are flowing into it, each
bringing its store of dullness and
pollution as it tends toward the end.
It's voice, too, varies as it goes now it
sings lightly, as it dances now it roars
amidst the obstacles that oppose its
way and now it has no tone but the
dull, low m1rmur of exhausted energy.


Such is the stream of life Yet per-
hsps few of us would wish to change
our portion of il for the calm regular
ity of canal-even if one could be
constructed without locks and Hood
gates upon it to hold in the pent-up
waters Of the heart till they are ready
to Qurst through the banks.
Year: 1875

An invention is now on exhibition IN
Liverpool by which oil or glycerine is
made to perform the function of steam
by the same means-application OF heat
which expands the oil placed
in small cylinders from which 1T
is claimed a pressure at 10000 pounds
per square inch may be obtained with
ont the danger of steam explosion,
which prevents using pressure Of more
than 300 pounds to the square inch
generally. In this case an explosion
would only crack the cylinder contain
ing the oil, it is claimed. The applica-
ton of this process has been made to a
printing press, a punching and riveting
machiue, which are on exhibition.
Year: 1875

The girl who sits in the porchway low
Sings 10 her needle as to and fro
1t wesyes the seam with it's gIittering glo'
Cloze in the garment she holds to sew,


Sing to the seam,


Sing it your dream;


Lodge in each stitch


Part of it's gleam-
No song of the shirt" sings she, oh no,
Her words are gleeful, happy and low;
While the shining needle, fast or slow,
losses the thread that it shorter grow.


Sing to the seam;


Sing it your dream


Lodge in each stitch


Part Of its gleam-
A songs good company while You sew;
1t helps the needle to onward go
And trace ita work in a dainty row
Ger the downy, drifted, cambric SNOW.


Sing to the seam;


Sing it your dream


Lodge in each stitch


Part Of its gleam-
A simple song with no work below
Is lost on the empty air. you know;
But tune and labor, together sglow.
The richest blessings of time bestow.


Sing to the seam


Sing it your dream


Lodge in each stitch


Part Of its gleam-
Year: 1875

LIFR.-Live for something Yes,
and for something worthy of life and
its capabilities and opportunities for
noble deeds and achievements. Every
man and every woman has his or her
assignment in the duties and response
bilities Vi daily life. We are in the
world to make the world better to lift
it up to higher levels of enjoyment and
progress, to make its hearts and homes
brighter and happier by devoting to
our fellows our best thoughts, activities
and Influences. 1t is the motto of
every true heart and the genius of every
noble life, that 'no man liveth to him
s.lf''-lives chiefly for his own selfish
good. Ii is law of our intellectual
and moral being that We promote our
own happiness IN the exact proportion
we contribute to the comfort and en-
Ioyment of others. Nothing worthy of
the name of happiness is possible IN the
experience of those who live only for
themselves, all oblivious of the welfare
of their fellows.
Year: 1875

The following is told of q beautiful
sheet of water known the Spirit Lake, in
Central Wisconsin: Many years ago
ere the foot of the pale face had trod the
soil which the red man claimed as his
own, many tribes dwolt near this lake,
for in this lake were fish and among the
bluffs and in tho neighboring forests WAS
game while the warrior when tirod of
the chase, could seek pleasure and find it
in bathing in the clear, bright waters,
which he only, under the Great Spirit,
claimed, and with his light canoe could
take his love out boating. Indeed, it
seemed to the red man a paradise, as well
it might.


As fortune would have it, a Frenchman
more daring than his fellows, wandered
from the settlements and found the lake.
He indulged with the Indians in the dis
appointments and pleasures of the chase,
and fingered long among them. When
he first camo among the red men he WINS
charmed with the beauty and loveliness
of an Indian maiden, and made love to
her.


She loved in return and all went mer-
rily and when tho Autumn leaves began
to fall, and the teathored songsters to fly
away to n southern home, the Frcnchman
sought an interview with the aged chief,
her father, to ask his consent to the hoped
for marriage.


But ut that time young warrior who
had long looked upon the Fronchman
with Jealousy, and had often in vain tried
to win the affections Of tho fair maiden of
his tribe, came TO the old chief and asked
his daughters hand. The chieitain dis
daining partality on account OF tho fact
that he was one of his tribe, stepped to
the lake with the two suitors, and point
ing TO high and rugged looking tree on
the opposite shore and said:


lilo Of you who shall first bring me nm
eaget from its nest IN yonder tree, shala
be the successful suiter."


When the old chioftain ceased speaking
| lu0 Wulll lOT uHu wv HuhtcT sprung INTO
their light canoes and were across the lake
in trice. Tho warrior struck tho shore
first, but the hunter was tho first to climb
the crags and tree, and was descending
with the oaglot when the faithless warrior
pushed him from the limb on which he
stood and he was dashed to pieces ON the
ragged rocks below.


Tho Indian maiden, who had Watched
with painful interest the transactions pro-
ccding, when she saw hcr lover fall, took
II leap far out into the lake, and with u
wild, piteous cry, sank into tho clear
waters never to rise again. The super
stiious red men fancy that the spirit OF
the departed maiden rules the storms and
that it would be death for m Indian to
risk himself on the waters of the lake.
Year: 1875

jim BENEDICT was something Of a
prodigal son. He took all the money that
his father, n Philadelphia merchant,
would give him, and went to Chicago,
where he spent the funds in riotous living.
With the last fifty dollars he went on a
spree, ending in police station at Joliet.
Miserable in body and mind, he decided
TO kill himself. lie had left Of his money
two five dollar bills and five gold dollars
that he had kept as pocket pieces. He
gave boy one Of the bills to buy pistol,
some powder and percussion caps. Left
by himself with these things, he loaded
the weapon, using the remaining bill for
wad and the coins for bullets, and shot
himself in the head. He died instantly
Of the wound, and post mortem exami-
nation revealed the golden missiles and
bits Of the costly wad in has brain.
Year: 1875

FROZEN MINEs.-The remarkable fro
zen mines Of Colorado are described by
Mr. K. Woiser of Georgetown, in that
territory, in Siitintdn'S Journal. One Of
them is the Stevens mine, at hight OF
1880 feet above the loyc Of the sea, in
Clear Creek county. At depth of from
sixty to two hundred feet the lode or vein
Of silver ore, rs well as the surrounding
rock, was found TO be frozen soid.-
" there are no indications of a thaw,
Summer or Winter the whole frozen
territory is surrounded by hard, massive
rock and the lode itself is as solid and
hard as the rock. Tho minors being un-
able to excavate the frozen material by
pick or drill, found the only way was to
kinde a large wood fire at night against
the back end Of the tunnel and in tho
morning take out the disintegrated ore.
This has been the mode of mining for
over two years. The tunnel is over two
hundred feet deep, and there is no dimi-
mutton Of the frost; it seems TO be rather
increasing." the writer cannot account
for the occurrence Of this frozen mass SO
far under ground except on the hypothe-
sis that the frost penetrated to that depth
during the glacial epoch and has staid
there ever since. Itcould not have found
its way from the outside while the region
is subject to any such climate as now
prevails there.
Year: 1875

A SINGULAR Observation-Disclosures
any day man may be seen peering from
the windows aft the cabin of the James
slip ferry boats. His dreamy, listlcss
countenance, wearing n half eXpectant,
hall credulous expression, gives him the
appearance Of demented person, but
when engaged in conversation his speech
is earnest and his face animated. He
seems to have no other business except
to ride on the ferry boats and indulge in
| the qualification of a most extraordinary
passion. He calls himself tho Ferry boat
Fiend, and the account he gives of his
misiortunes would seem to suggest the
name he has adopted. His name is
Brown, aad he says that in 1854 he came
from England with his wife and three
children. He rented q small house at
Hunters Point. The second month
brought disaster to his household. His
wife, while on her way to New York,
was accidentally pushed from the ferry
boat and was drowned. In less than a
year afterward one Of his children was
drowned in a similar way, and another
was so badly crushed between the bridge
and boat that it died. To complete hi,
misfortune, his last child, little girl
was careessly permitted by nurse tC
run near the edge of the boat, and il
front OF the chain. An unusually violen
crash of the vessel against the spiles top
Piled the child into the water, and it alst
was drowned. Thus every member o
the unfortunate mans family pcrished il
consequence of some ferry boat accident
The grief of the father was so great tha
it affected his mind. Every day he take
his place on one of the ferry boats, ant
eagerly watches, hoping to see some on
drowned. His belief is that there mus
be certain number of people perish il
that way before he can go home, as h
calls it, to see his wife and children il
Heaven. A few days since, while a gen
tleman was demonstrating with a drive
for beating his horses, on one Of the boat
the man exclaimed. "Let him lasl
'em let him lash 'em Maybe Goo
means that they shall get wild and pusl
some one into the river. r."-NeW Yoyl
| STn1.
Year: 1875

Il The Reporter ridicules the smallness of
the vote cast for delegates to the Republican
Convention, at the Wathena precinct, and
charges, usual, that Selover ran it. All we
have to say is, if the opponents of the selover
ring, who claim to be such good Republicans,
have the immense vote they claim to have, they
have shown an extreme degree of childishness
in staying away from the election, and then
raising the whine that Selover and few of his
gang ran the election. Sore-head is the only
term that will fit this case
Year: 1875

MAD The people of Washington, Burr Oak,
and Marion Townships, according to that staunch
Republican organ, the wathena Reporter, were
terribly mad because they did not get any of the
nominations for important County offices, and
because the Convention tried to pacify them
with the Insignificant Office of Register of Deeds.
But the peoples" Convention did it up better
They slaughtered the candidate of that District
for Register of Deeds, and then eased them up
with the candidate for Coroner.
Year: 1875

n We have heard so much about the dissat
isfaction of Republicans in Wolf River Town
ship, and how Charley Devine was not going to
get any votes at all at home. We have seen
any number of Republicans from Wolf River,
and they all agree that the Republicans of the
Township were never more united. Morse,
whose defeat for Treasurer, it is said, caused
much dissatisfaction, is himself ardently in ia
vor of the whole ticket, and Wolf River will
give il a large majority.
Year: 1875

IRREPREssIBLE. Our friend Rippey is ire
prcssible. He is ever on the move, and never
lets up. They had tight race for the nomina-
ton for Representative, but Rippey was one too
many for his opponents. He has large interests
at stake in the County, and is heavy tax-pay-
er. He will make strong race, and it will take
hard work to beat him. And if he is beaten this
time, he will come mp again, as lively as ever.
Year: 1875

n Larzelere, in his Convention speech, told
the story about the bulls tail in the gate post,
and of the fellow who wanted to know how the
bull got through that gate-post. Perhaps the
bull saw sowething good on the other side of
the gate post, and was like Larzelere after an
Office. He would go through solid gate post,
if there was little Office lying around loose on
the other side
Year: 1875

Is Some of the delegates in the Convention
got up and left because Larzelere, in bis speech
neglected to tell that he had once been Speaker
in the Legislature. Not having seen the Wathe-
na Reporter, they did not know that it had per-
formed this duty last week.
Year: 1875

y Uncle Ben. Harding locked the worst out
of place in that Convention, Monday, of any man
we have ever seen. Twenty years ago, the same
crowd indicted him for treason, for voting Free
State ticket; and they would have mObbed him,
had they caught him among them. Now he
shakes with them over the bloody ehasm-and
all because of a stinkin' local fuss in Wath ena.
We were going to say that Larzslere was also ont
of place; but be is never out OF place where they
make him chairman, and nominate him for Office.
Year: 1875

TRUsTEE.-Judge Henry Steele is announced
this week, as a candidate for Trustee of Centre
Township. He is late coming on the track, but
will make up for lost time by extra work. He
served term as County Commissioner, and made
good officer. If elected, he will make good
Year: 1875

CHEERING.-Aceounts from the first District
look well for the election of Arch. Campbell as
Representative. He is wide awake and ener-
getic; is quick to form an acquaintance, and al
ways knows what is going on. He is always on
hand, and would look well to the interests of his
constituents. We hope to record his triumphant
election
Year: 1875

~ The last Reporter had very excruciating
witticism about Forncrook erookng his form. If
the writer of that pun had been in Troy on Mon
day night, he might have seen somebody else
erooking his form. 1t was the same individual
who was so anxiors- rs-t7--zzse-SsS0Hgh with the
business of the Convention, so that he could get
home; but his form became so crooked after the
adjournment, that he didn't get home that night.
He was a fit subject to 90 on board-but not
County Board
Year: 1875

70 After reading Carlos Noggs'" letter, in
this weeks Chief we are forced to express the
opinion that the Sheriff of Douglas County is
certainly too trusting in his nature to be fit for
the place, and that Montgomery ought to have
escaped. desperate character, who once made
bold and almost successful attempt to escape,
is led from the Jail to the Court House, and back
again, through unfrequented streets, by the
Sheriff alone, and all the while has heavy iron
bar concealed about his person, unobserved by
the Sheriff. He attempts to kill the Sheriff with
it, but the latter gets the advantage of him,
when he promises to behave himself. The Sher-
iff lets him up, and proceeds as before, when
Montgomery makes still more desperate at
tempt upon him. 1t is pity the fellow did not
get away. The Sheriff would make an excellent
nurse in the Blind Asylum.
Year: 1875

EY@ Those virtuous fellows at Wathena, who
cannot stomach the Republican ticket because
they think some unrighteous fellow will vote it,
are hard to please Last year, they beat Joseph
Randolph, the Republican nominee, and as good
a man as there is in the County, and elected
John L. Motter to the Legislature. But because
Motter had the Independence to think for him
SELF and to form his own likes and dislikes, they
sonred on him, and will not even countenance
ticket nominated by Convention of which he was
member. Now they expect Randolph to go in
and help them to pull the thing through-in fact,
some of their sympathizers intimate that he is
with them. But we do not believe any such
thing. He ought to stick to them, in return for
the favors they have shown him.
Year: 1875

We PINT on our third page, in addition 10 q
good story complete, vely pretty little poem,
aud an essay read by Stewart Carlisle before the
Society for Free Religious Discussion in the
Unitarian Church.
Year: 1875

The report on Inebriate Asylums or
Hospitals" by the Chairman of the Mas
sachusetts Board of Health, Henry l..
Bowditch, NJ. D., contains the following
argument in favor of depriving drunk
ards of their civil rights


Drunkards, if they be inveterate in
their habits, should be deprived of all
civil rights, in the same manner that the
idiot, the insane, the high criminal, are
deprived of their rights. think that
the law should allow any one to complain
of the habitual drunkard, and on suftici-
ent proof being given of the truth of the
allegation before the proper court, said
court should decree civil rights TO be
held in abeyence until radical cure he
effected. The best interest of the State
seems to me, even in principle, not only
to allow of this procedure, but absolute
ly to require it as means of self defense,
if the Republic is to continue i'll a state
of purity. believe the period will ar
rive when, to be drunk, even i'll private,
will be deemed a misdemeanor, and to
appear in public in state of intoXication
will Justly be considered one of the great
est of crimes against the good order of
the State. Any one public exhibition of
this condition of mind will then he con-
sidered satisfactory evidence unless valid
proof be procured to the contrary of
habitual drunkenness, and as such will
render the offender amenable to those
highest penalties which the State can in
fiict. For example, for one offense in
public / think that such person should
not be allowed to vote or exercise his
civil rights for at least six months, and
for a longer time on a repetition of the
offense. This punishment may seem alb
surd to some and be opposed by others
as wholly unjust for the amount of injury
done the State. Some earnest defenders
of the rights of man will say that the en-
ror of once being intoxicated i'll public
would not deserve so serious depriva-
ton as that of the right to act generally
as a man in civil life. There may also be
others who, from Inc way in which they
use their own rights, will think that the
deprivation of civil rights from drunk
ard will have but little force towards his
cure. A man who will lie in the gutter
drunk is regardless of shame, and what
cares he for civil rights l admit this
argument as of some weight as to the eff
ficiency of the punishment, but deny the
Dlea of ifs iniuStice
Year: 1875

The Gainesville (Texas) Sun publishes
the following singular, but doubtless
true story "Last Saturday two men
named Henson and johnson while here
both became slightly under the influence
of liquor. While going home they got
into a dispute, in which Henson called
johnson liar. Johnson instantly seized
his Spencer rifle, which hung to the horn
of his saddle, and shot Henson, the bull
let entering through the top of the hip
bone, passing nearly through the body
and lodging in the other side. Henson
rode on for a few steps and fell from his
horse. johnson was at once stricken
with remorse, and wept piteously over
his victim. He then turned to go, when
Henson gave him his horse as being the
best to get away on, and told him to go
to Mexico. The two men then bade each
other an affectionate farewell, and John
son left. Henson was carried home that
evening, where he has since been lying
in very critical condition, although
some hopes are entertained of his recov-
cry. The two men had been fast friends
for years.
Year: 1875

At last that speckled hen has gone,
That hen of hens the best.
She died without sigh or groan


While in her downy nest.
Through summers heat and winters snow,
For ten long years she lay,
At morn and eve, old Grimes an egg,
But none the Sabbath day.
She had nest behind the door


All neatly lined with hay;
Her back was brown and speckled DER
With spots inclined 10 gray.
When e'er the rain came pelting do
Or thunders dreadful roar,
She hid herself in Grimes hat


Until the storm was DER.
Tho fourteen years Of age, almost,
She etill looked young and hale,
And, like Jobs turkey, she could boast
One feather in her tail.
She never deigned the barn-yard beau
His face to look upon
But loved that one whose long shrill crow
Was heard at early dawn.
An aged cock, who oft had told


His descent with a sigh.
From one that cried when he was old,
His master did deny.
When poor old speckle closed her eye,
He jumped the fence and crleQ,
He bid the poultry all good-by
And then laid down and died.
Year: 1875

der will work in whatever position 1t is
placed, so long as the pipes are clear.
This device has been used In cutting
cloth in a wholesale clothing house, and
it is said to work satisfactory. .-Scrt6ner
far Man