smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

Our friend Traddles, in Virginia, has
got his wife in proper subsection, and
means to keep her so. "Ohr" says he,
in telling about it, 'there amt many
who know how to rule wife proper
ly. Now, my old woman's one OF the
best natured women in the world, but
she's got devil of a temper. When
ever see she's got her mad up, if 1t is
dozen times day, just quietly say
nothing, but kinder humor her; and
she comes around all right after while
Even when she throws things st me, or
gives wild slash for. me with the
broom or rollin' pin. 1 just dodge, and
she never hits me the third time before
get my eye on her and let her know I
disapprove of such action on her part
Perhaps have to leave the house to
show her this, but she sees the point.
Then by being careful not to irritate
her, and letting her have her own way,
1 manage to make her do as / please,
and you bet make her understand and
appreciate my discipline. Oh! l keep
her under perfect control. A man has
to you know. Got to be boss in your
own house, or the first thing you know
your wife will ride you down like you
wasn't nobody. My wife's a perfect
angel in her natural disposition but any
other man but me would spoil her.
| Holden Hill Ne,cs.
Year: 1872

Letters from Italy give graphic de-
scriptions of the Aurora Borealis that
appeared there on the night of Feb. 4.
1t was discovered Immediately after
twilight and continued Visible for about
nine hours. Persons who observed the
heavens carefully during its continu-
ance say that its brilliancy was SO great
only stars of the first and second mag
nitude could be discerned. But the
beauty of the scene was further en-
hanced, little after nine O'Clock, by
rays rising from the southern horizon
and mingling with the broad light Of
the north. Thus the rare phenomenon
of an Aurora Borealis and and Aurora
Australis in conjunction was presented
The general effect is described as if one
"were standing within an immense
dome-shaped pavilion, of which the
convergent ribs were touched with q
golden light" Two bright falling stars
were seen at the same time. The work.
ing of the telegraph wires was entirely
interrupted at one time, and more oI
less retarded during the whole continu-
ance of this grand exhibition OF ma.
ture.
Year: 1872




A lady in Louisville paid seventy-five
dollars, we are told, for having her face
enameled for the ball given at the Gait
House to the Grand Duke Alexis. The
enamel was warranted to last three
days, and so it did. The lady was Ia
ken ill upon her return home from the
ball, her face became greatly swollen,
the most acute pain succeeded, and it
was only by the employment of the
best medical skill that her life was saw
ed. This statement we have from an
undoubted source.


But the case of this lady is not SO bad
as that of another Louisville lady who
became enamored of the odious fashion
of enameling the face. She visited an
other city, far to the eastward, some
five months ago, for the sole purpose
of having her face enameled acbording
to the latest Partisan mode. She had
heard that noted Partisan was engag-
ed in the enameling business at the city
in question, and to him she went upon
her arrival. For the sum of five hun
dred dollars he agreed to enamel her
face so scientifically that the enamel
would rem@in undamaged for three
years, and 4 ear or two longer if ex-
ira care wa taken in washing the face
according 10 his prescribed method.
The devotee If fashion concluded the
bargain, anu raid three hundred dol
lars If the sum named, the balance to
be paid in yearly installments, divided
into three years.


The lady received the enamel and re-
turned to her home in this city. Since
her return she has disappeared from So
ciety. There was so much poison in the
enamel that its effects were almost i'm
mediately developed in the almost total
paralysis of the facial nerves, and what
was once truly beautiful face to-day is
n distorted, disfigured, and an liberated
one.


The lady's beauty has disappeared
forever, ane if her Physicians succeed
in saving her life they will have accomp
lished more than they had right tC
hope for. Her eyes are terribly infiam'
ed and disfigured, and the sight o.
them fast failing.-Louisrille Ledger.
Year: 1872

Lottery buyers may be classified in


regard to special characteristics in nu-


merous subdivisions. There is the MAI


who once secured small prize, and has


since spent twenty-fold its amount in


the vain hope of obtaining successor


of more respectable proportions. There


is the man who knows man who heard


fellow talking of another fellow he
once knew who had drawn l ''capital,


and he cites the misty tradition as cer-


tain sign that he is sure to have the
same luck. There is the man who saw


the new moon over his right shoulder
the previous evening, and augurs from
the accident that he is to have a good
run of luck. There is the man who
wooes the goddess Fortune in dashing
haphazard style, and pulling out the
first ticket he happens to get his fingers
on,resolutely turns his eyes ceilingward,
so that he can thrust it into his pocket
without seeing what numbers it bears
he has an unfaltering belief that this
way of doing the thing is vastly supe-
rior to any, Other, ,and is certain to bring
a prize sooner or later. There is the man
who is an exact opposite, and makes
the selection of his ticket matter of
close calculation of chances by looking
over the drawings for a number of
days to get precise information as to
what numbers have been drawn, and
from this shadowy foundation divine
what ones will be drawn. He is de-
vout believer in the solemnly uttered
axiom of the lottery dealer, that dur
ing the year each number is drawn an
equal number of times; and if any one
has not been drawn for a number of
days, he begins to purchase tickets,
bearing it with an unquestioning faith
that is amusing to an unbeliever. There
is another man, however, whose faith
in his power of divination is as amazing
as the case cited is amusing; and this
is the in dividual who is certain that
selected combination of numbers is sure
to be drawn, and who rushes in fren-
zied haste from one office to another
looking for the ticket bearing it, and,
if he does not find it, nev-
ertheless does not let fortune give him
the slip altogether, but plays the num-
bers in that delusive game called policy,
which is to be described. This sort of
buyer can never be mistaken. He is
the person who rushes into an office,
eagerly calls for the "Kentuckys, "hast-
lily looks over the tickets, departs as
huridely as he came, and of whom the
man behind the counter remarks, before
he is fairly out of ear-shot, "One of the
sharps-he's going for sure thing.'-
GALAXY.
Year: 1872

When ladies wish to have dresses or
bonnets purchased abroad, they send a
full length photograph ofthem selves by
which the modiste judges what would
be becoming and forward it according
"
Year: 1872

The Radical party is evidently disappointed
with the action of the Straight-out Democrats
They evidently hoped to receive their votes But
the declaration of the leaders OF the straight-out
movement that "to man" they and those co-ope-
rating with them would vote the Democrats State
and County ticket, is a disappointment to the
mongrel party which was not anticipated, and is
keenly felt.
Year: 1872

A remarkable phenomenon-no less than the
falling Of millions of fish bones at Bunch's
Bend; Carroll Parish, Louisiana, on April 9Th,
during severe rain st0rm-is related by Mr..
Van Fossen in letter to the New York Jour
nal of Commerce. The correspondent, whose
truthfllness is vouched for, says that for a dis
tance of ten miles, to his knowledge, there fell
an unusual number of fish bones apparently,
most of them diamond-shaped. with serrated
edges. The samples enclosed in the letter are
bone, varying from one inch to two inches and
One-sixteenth In length, from seven-slxteenths
OF an inch to twelve Observation-Disclosures OF an
inch in breadth, from one inch to one inch and
nine-sixteenths in length, and from Oneand a.
half to three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness.
They are of an irregular diamond shape, the
characteristic feature being that at half of the
length from one point of the diamond they
suddenly narrew to onequarter OF an inch In
width. and form projection somewhat resem-
bling tooth. One side of the bone is nearly
fiat, having on the under side, which is worn
smooth, three small apertures, as if nerves or
tendrons had passed through them. The outer
edge on one side is serrated showing grooves,
as if worn by four tendons. The upper sur
face of the bone on the broad part, and farth-
est from the "tOoth," is wrinkled, and under
the microscope shows minute portions of sand
in the interstices. What they are is puzzle.
A theory which finds some favor is that the
bones which fell from the storm-clOud in Lou
isiana are the substantial parts of the scales OF
a fish of the sturgeon family, which frequents
the gulf Of Mexico and the vicinity of the West
India Islands At the time of the strange fall
of bone the wind was blowing from the south
west, from which it is surmised by some that
these bones came from the Pacific coast. But
this would not follow as matter OF course, as
currents of wind often change their course.
A theory is favored by the Journal Of Com
merce that these bones probably lay heaped
upon the shore of one of the West India Is
lands, where the fish had been driven up to die
by one of the fierce tropical storms so common
IN that region Piled there by thousands on
the sand, and under high temperature, the
animal matter would soon have left the bones,
when raised by some cyclone or whirlwind, 1T
is possible that water, sand, bones and ether
material were hurled through the atmosphere
with great rapidity and for many miles. The
question is then started, why were these pecu-
liar bones deposited in one place, and not mix
ed with other portions of the structure, to
which they once belonged? In answer, it is
supposed that when the force of the whirlwind
began to diminish. the specific gravity of the
fragments that had been grinding against each
other came into play, and each portion of the
load carried ON the wings of the wind sifted
itself from the general mass. The larger bones
and heaviest matter fell first, and when the
cloud reached Bunch's Bend, Carroll Parish,
the phenomenon occurred, which has been mar
rated Still lighter portions, sand, ETC., may
have been carried much further on and fallen
unmarked.
Year: 1872

SUFFoCATING. THE GoPHERs.-The Santa
Barbara Press, of a late date, says: Some time
since Mr. Dixie w Thompson took us out in
his buggy to an outside lot on which the squlr-
rels had "squatted" and taken up their claim,
and were in high glee over their possessions.
He had with him u large imam bellows" to
which he had attached about yard of gutta
percha hose On reaching a squirrel burrOw,
where colony had evidently settled. he set
this machine down, thrust the end of the hose
into ore OF the numerous squirrel holes, threw
some shavings, cobs, and sulphur into the tea
kettle, struck match, set the shayings on fire,
caught hold of the bellows, and in moment
the sight aud smell suggested another fire and
birthstone region, for the earth all around be-
gan to send up puffs of yellow and Internal
looking smoke wherever a squirrel had ever
run his underground road The precaution
had been taken to cover all the holes with
earth before the smoke was forced into the
burrow In one instance the smoke rushed
out of a hole over thirty feet distant from the
main entrance of the nest 1t takes about FIVE
minutes to smother whole colony of these
troublesome pests, and they never show any
signs of life again, the holes remaining closed
and undisturbed The work of determination
is complete, and is accomplished at trihing
cost. A multitude of squirrels can be thus
destroyed by one man in single day. In fact,
Mr.. Thompson has conferred favor upon the
whole State in devising this most effective, GER
tain and simple method of destroying the worst
pest with which farmers have to contend. He
has not patented his valuable invention, and it
is free to any farmer who wishes to use it.
The cost of it is inconsiderable, while its work
is simple and certain as doom.
Year: 1872

USE OF LEMoNs.-When persons are fever
ish and thirsty beyond what is natural. lndl-
Gated in some cases by metallic taste in the
mouth, especially after drinking water, or by
whitish appearance of the greater paIs OF I'M inc
surface of the tongue. one of the best "cool-
ers !" is to take lemon, cut off the top,
sprinkle over it some loaf sugar, working it
down into the lemon with spoon, and then
suck it slowly squeezing the lemon, and adding
more sugar, as the acidlty increases from be-
ing brought up from lower point. lnvalids
with feverishness may take two or three lem
ons day in this manner, with the most marked
benefit, manifested by sense of GOODNESS,
comfort and inyigoration. A lemon or two
thus taken at "teatime" is an entire substl-
tute for the ordinary supper of summer, and
would give maay man comfortable nlgnts
sleep and an appetite for breakfast, to which
they are strangers, who will have their cup of
tea, or supper of .relish'' and "caks," ana
berries, and peaches and cream
Year: 1872

A CORONER HOLDS AN INQUEST on a
MUMMY 5000 YEARS OLD.-An exchange
tells the following excellent story OF Corro-
ner in country town, who, it seems, has de-
termined to make the office pay him literally
for services rendered. The story, which we
give below is too good to keep A gentleman
brought to the, city mummy which he had
procured in Egypt, and as soon as the Coroner
heard of it he summoned a jury and held an
inquest upon the mummy and decided that its
death was produced by causes unknown"
and then collected his fee with interest from
the time of the mummy's death. about three
thousand years ago. WE'LL that same Coroner
has been at it again Last week some labor
ers, while digging cellar, discovered dozen
old bones They appeared to be the bones of
horse. but the Coroner seized them, threw
away the large ones, laid them on the floor In
something like the shape of a man, and held
an inquest. He had the same old jury that sat
on the mummy, and in about ten minutes they
handed in verdict that deceased came to
his death apparently from the torpidity of the
liver" Then they went for the fees and dl-
vided them. The Coroner says that his most
remarkable characteristic is his zeal, and we
believe it. If anybody should bring to VIII
mington a handful of dirt from the banks of
the Euphrates, we believe that Coroner would
rush out his jury and declare that the said dust
was the mortal remains of Abel, and ind o
verdict that it was killed by Cain with club.
And the way in which he would collect fees on
that dust would be frightful.
Year: 1872

SHORT OF MEAT-A minister going TO dine
after termon with one Of his deacons came upon
the hired boy Of his host, digging at wood
chuck hole. The parson was unknown to the
boy, checked his rein, and accosted him with;


Well, my son, what are you doing there 20


Digging out woodohuck, sir said the
boy.


g Why, but don't you know that it is very
wicked And besides, you won't get him if you
dig fer him on Sundsy"


"G;t i'm ~ said the boy. Thunder! I've
gsf to git i'm; the minister is coming to our
house to dinner, and we amt got any meat"
Year: 1872

In this time of general criticism and scrutiny
of public affairs, the message of the Mayor, put
forth less III answer TO any requirements OF
law or of the public than in obedience to a
custom common at the close of each fiscal year,
will receive fuller examination than it war
rants. There is not in this report the usual
amount of new and interesting matter which
makes the annual exposition of City affairs of
paramount interest to the taxpayers more
elaborate and searching reports from various
other officers and committees have within a
half-year or so informed us in advance of all
that is contained in the present message; and
it is issued at time when many, forgetting
the custom which calls for it, will insist on
regarding it as the Mayors apology or expla-
nation. 1t is nothing Of the sort, however, for
less of the personality of the Mayor obtrudes
in this message than in any other document
which has emanated from him.


What has been told before deprives many of
the principal statements of the Mayor of the
charm of novelty We are no longer startled
by the announcement that the City and County
debt is $127, 100000 or upwards, for other
statements have prepared us TO believe that it
is really more and not less. The sinking fund
reduces it to something like S100,000,000 in
round numbers, and there is & promise, of that
peculiar order of official promises which are
morally certain of being broken, that at the
end of the year it will be reduced to about
$S60OO,0 900. We do not believe it will ever again
be less than $100OO0,0O0, particularly if the
projected and much-needed improvements
planned years ago are carried out. And
it is of little consequence to the public pros


a. Il Il. -.
provided it is kept where it is. There is no
question as to its security, though the Mayor
argues that point and shows the public estate
is valued at S243,985.499, certainly ample
enough to redeem all we owe. Fnanciers will
always be found ready to take. our bonds at
fair rates, without solicitation of commits
sioners like Mr.. Sands, if assurances are
always present that the City Government is
economically Administered, and that it is not
the prey OF a reckless and dishonest cabal like
that which Tweed organized. The public will
watch with jealous scrutiny every expendi-
ture of each department, and while they will
recognize the need of increased force in the
Police Department (along with increased dis
cipline) and other branches of the govern
ment, they will insist at the same time on the
strictest economy.


The fact is, aud every head of department
may as well recognize this first as last, that
Reform means at once greater economy and
increased efficiency in every part of the City
and County administration. Departments must
be conducted solely for the public good, not
for party benefit. Reform has accomplished
nothing more than the detection of
score of public plunderers, if it does not
secure us this much, and il it secures that it
Year: 1872

The Jury in the case Of Edward Stokes,
having failed to agree, were yesterday dis
charged from further duty and so this phase
of cause cel6bre has come to an end. Nobody
is surprised at the result, and the only special
interest manifested is in the manner in which
the disagreeing jury divided. Though this is
not of official record, it is understood that
seven favored conviction of murder in the
first degree and five were for manslaughter in
the third degree. SO this long, weary, and
costly trial will have to be gone over again.
But it will be many months before it can
possibly be brought on, and then it will be
under different circumstances, another gov
eminent administration, changed public
feeling. 1t is to the great credit of the coun-
sci for the defense not only that they have
fought not unsuccessfully the whole power of
the State combined to prosecute and vast
organized conspiracy struggling to protect it.
self by securing the silence of the prisoner,
but that in the conduct of their case they
have conquered in large measure public SYM
pathy. 1t is idle to deny that the popular
feeling, violent against Stokes at the time of
the assassination, bitter against him when the
trial for murder began, is now so weakened
that the barshest of those constantly attendant
at court speak of his crime only as man.
slaughter. This changed sentiment will nat
urally increase with delay and there is, there
fore, little probability that the murder of
Fisk will ever be avenged as the law de-
mands.


But, as this portion of the trial concludes,
we cannot fail TO note, as one of its character
istics, the silent zeal with which Infamous
men were protected from deserved exposure
during its progress. The Ring, which un-
doubtedly had pursued Stokes with endless
and cOrruptly- influenced litigation, though
broken and powerless TO persecute him longer,
was still able to save itself from the further
revelation of its infamies. No man doubts
to-day that Fisk had Dorman b. Eaton
waylaid, any more than he doubts that Stokes
slew Fisk; yet such was the influence of the
conspiracy, of which Fisk was a part, that
they could prevent the acceptance of any tes-
timony on the subject of the assault on Eaton
except so far only as it showed that Fisk was
a dangerous enemy. Tweed and Gould and
others of his cO-conspiratOrs of Erie. who
fastened to guard Fisk's room as they had once
Year: 1872

has accomplished all that we have any rlght
to expect of it. 1t is to the continued Viei-
lance of the taxpayers themselves ana OF the
press which speaks for them, that the CITY
will be indebted for the maintenance OF that
economy and efficiency which are the natural
fruit, as vet unripcned, of the Reform growth
of last year; and to that duty we are now
IA over heartily devoted.
Year: 1872

A more encouraging view Of the condition
and prospects of Republicanism in France
than we have had recently is given by q
paris correspondent of The TRIBUNE, whose
setter is herewith printed. The famous inter
view of the Conservatives with NJ. Theirs
seems TO have resulted in unifcation of the
Presidents Cabinet with the Conservatives
left out in the cold; and the Bordeaux pact,
T. which both President and Assembly have
Year: 1872

At last we have surcease of important in
formation" respecting the diplomatic points
at issue at Geneva and in the Mixed Commits
sion. The Geneva Tribunal has steadfastly
refused to permit any reporter to be present at
the sessions so the world must wait for an official
promulgatOn of it's decisions. The Mixed
Commission does not reassemble until the
middle of next September. Meanwhile, though
the sittings ct Geneva are secret, we are en-
couraged TO expect generous award from
the ArbtratOrs.
Year: 1872

The young Art Association of San Francisco is
working with an energy and generosity that do it
honor and promise great deal for the future. Its
first annual exhibition has recently been opened in
pleasant building leased for the purpose, and con-
sists of paintings by local artists, with many good
foreign pictures new and old In the collection is
Vanderlyn's "Marus,' the picture which gained the
prize medal Of the French Academy. in the time of
the First Napoleon. During the next two years the
Association intends to build magnificent Art Acad-
envy of its own. A School of Design it has already
begun.
Year: 1872

All-Saints' College oxford. has exhibited rather
an insanity bigotry Mr. Chiffon, Roman Catho-
lie architect convert Of eighteen years back,
has been employed by the Managing Committee of
the College 30 advise them upon needful repairs of
their chapel He discovered the remains Of a fine
old reredos behind a picture and then the work of
repairing it was taken awayfrom him, on the ground
that there strong and general feeling against
placing such work the restoration of the newly
discovered reredos in the hands Of any architect
whose views are not formed the same theological
basis as that Of the members Of the College" Tbs
London Spectator sharply observes that if AllSantS
breads Roman Catholic architecture, it would have
been wiser not to uncover the reredos at ALL but TO
leave it buried in it. architectural grave
Year: 1872

When man belongs, Mr.. l.. C.. Stcdman doe.
TO the race of poets, which by the courtesy Of a
grateful world is permitted to be- irritable, he can
not read with equanimity in the newspapers that he
is in feeble health and has been compelled TO give
up business. As the paragraphists have seen ft 10
half kill Mr.. Stedman, take pleasure in contra
dieting them just would if they had said that
he had been run over by locomotive drowned in
the historical waters Of Plymouth Bay. where he is
at present engaged in fishing; and therefore Mr..
Stedman will pardon for announcing that he is in
robust health has not abandoned business OF
Z" left the Stock Exchange" il not broken in
health or haggard with financial excitement;" and
that he riH probably long continue 70 prove to all
men that the pursuits OF business and literature are
not Incompatible