smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

A French doctor has recently been max
ing some curious experiment. as TO the
effect of alchohol on fowls. The bird,
took 10 dram drinking with evident delight
and many an old cock consumed his bottle
of wine day, so that II became necessary
to limit the allowance. They all lost flesh
rapidly, more especially those which drank
absinthe. Two months of absinthe drink
ing was found sufficient to kill the strong
est cock or hen. The fowls which indule.
cd in brandy alone, lasted, however, four
months and half; while the wine bib.
bers survived for ten months. Their crests
also swelled to four times the original size.
and become unnaturally red. The Pan
Mall Gazette, doubts whether man is ius-
tilted in trying experiments with the dumb
creation with the view Of aseertaining how
far he may himself venture TO get drunk
with impuniiy but having proceeded thus
far, he may as well 90 step further, and
by the introduction Of the teapot into the
hen house find out whether there is any
ground for the suspicion entertained in
some quarters as to the innocent properties
oftea. A few experiments in late hours
might be made with advantage at the same
time. A party of carefully selected cocks
and hens might be allowed TO mingle in
the festivities Of the London season, return
ing to their roost at the hour when they
usually commence to caekle and crow. 1t
would possibly be found that one week Of
political reunions, concerts, balls, and crush
es, would be as disastrous in its effects as
two months of absinthe drinking.
Year: 1872




There is no true economy in saving ut
the spigot and losing at the bung.' There
is no economy in parsimony in road max
ing and paying treble or quadruple to
wagon makers, blacksmiths and harness
makers Uneven road-beds, gulleys and
boulders tax a man more heavily in purse,
and are more yexatious to spirit, than his
part Of the cost Of constructing and main
tanning road us "leyel and smooth as a
barn floor. Men don't get rich, or are
long time getting rich, just because they
don't begin right. What is the use of
toiling tosaye crops, if a share of the profits
is lost in getting them to market A man
starts to his nearest town with ton of hay
from which he expects to realize $40 TO
Slj. He runs into gully, tips over, and
a half day is lost to himself and team in
getting straightened up he loses a tire,
breaks some part of his wagon, or casts
shoe, because of boulder or something
else that shouldn't be there-out comes
his purse for repairs, and away goes an
hour or more of time But the cost and
loss of his time are not all-he gets fret
ted, worried in spirit and becomes exceed
ingly unamiable, boorish and bearish And
this last is no first-rate evidence of his civ,
ilization-taced back to his imperfect
road-bed. A poor road in populous com
munity costs enough incidently (and acci-
IDENTIFY, in the course Of twelve months
shall We say it 2-to macadanlise its whole
length, and to give something almost as
durable as the everlasting hills"


Our old system of road working needs
alteration. II does not meet the wants of
the people to-day. 1t is too antiquated and
too imperfect to be recognized as in har-
mony with the spirit Of the age. 1t needs
thorough revision. What scholar and
philanthropist can devise system that
win combine thoroughness of structure,
completeness of detail, and no waste of the
peoples money? Such a man win be the
benefactor Of the rural districts, and as
justly entitled to reverential memory as any
inventor Of the age.
Year: 1872

Ii is a curious fact, that it the same
letters ofthe same size precisely are painted
on two boards, the one white on black
ground, and tile other black on white,
letters will appear larger, and be read at
greater distance than the black This is
owing to what is called the irradiation Of
light It depends on this That the
impression made on the bottom of the eye
by bright objects extends a little wider
than the actual portion of The organ struck
by the light, and, invading the space oc-
cupied by the darker objects, make the
brighter appear larger than they really
are.
Year: 1872




An Arab legend gives the following az
count Of the discovery Of coffee Toward
the middle Of the fifteenth century 4 moor
Arab was travelling in Abyasinla, and,
being weak and weary from fatigue, he
stopped near a grove Then, being in
want Of fuel 70 cook his rice, he cut down
tree which happened to be covered with
dead berries. His meal being cooked and
eaten, the traveller discovered that the
halfburned berries were very fraeant.
He collected number Of these, and On
crushing them with stone, he found That
their aroma increased to great extent.
While wondering at this he accidentally
let fall the substance in can which con
tanned his supply Of water. Lo, what a
miracle7 The almost putrid liquid was
instantly purified. He brought it to his
lips IL was fresh, agreeable, and IN mo-
ment after the traveller had so far recoy
cred his strength and energy al to be able
to resume his journey The lucky Arab
gathered as many berries as he could, and,
having arrived az Alden, in Arabia, he
informed the mufti Of his discovery. That
worthy divine was an inyeterate opium
smoker who had been suffering for years
from the influence Of that poisonous drug.
lie tried an infusion of the roasted berries,
and was 50 delighted at the recovery Of his
own vigor that in gratitude to the tree he
called it eahuah, which in Arabic signifies
force.
Year: 1872

An English journal, the Spec'ator. in 1
recent article, asks do tall men and men
of large physique dislike and distrust it'll,
men? We have, we think, once or twice
met with the traces among tall men Of q
feeling of that kind, quite real, though un.
acknowledged even by themselves, and it
crops out now and again in print Some
one wrote year or two ago, a letter ia
which he ayowed that he could not in spite
of his reason ike little men; we saw it re.
Gently stated in a novel that little men are
usually cunning and always timid, and a
writer penned week or two since, an en-
tire thesis in which the existence Of a hos
tile feeling, kind of resentment in tall
men at the self assertion of little men, was
assumed all through, and deprecated,
though not justified


We have never noticed this autagonism
between big and little people. Between
the sexes, it may be often seen that big
men admire little women and rice reysa.
Size is not necessarily indicative Of large
mental qualities. A large mind does not
absolutely need a large body to hold it, as
big foot requires bic boot Great souls
are often lodged in mean tenements On
the other hand it often happens, as with
Mr. Meredith, Colonel Mcclure and Others,
that the mind and body are well matched,
yet these cases may be balanced by exam
pies Of men who were eminent in every
thing but stature Alexander the Great
was very little man; so was Napoleon
Bonaparte, and 50 is President Thiers. to-
day admitted to be the most important man
in France. Generals Grant, Mcclellan.
Sheridan, Buell., Joseph H. Johnston and
Beauregard, are all below the common
height, But to this the tall men may cite
Winfield Scott sherman Lee, Hooker and
Meade. The suggestion that little men
are always timid is ill-founded, as has been
proved in many encounters, beginning with
that of David with Goliah Little men,
indeed, while they have less strength than
big, often show more spirit and endurance.
We doubt if any commander in war ever
saw the little fellows stop while the big
ones went On, in march or battle. Big
soldiers eat more and get out of order
sooner than the small ones. In military
hospital, we think you will commonly find
among the men off duty from disease, that
the larger number are 'men Of unbounded
stomachs."


But We only write to say that we deny
the antagonism between big and little men.
The former need not be afraid, if that is
the reason for the dislike and distrust'
that the English writer imputes to them.
Year: 1872

\ California man tied one end Of lariat
around his waist and lassoed COW with
the other. IIethought he had the COW, but
at the end Of the first half mile be began to
suspect that the COW had him
Year: 1872

When the cold wind blows, take care of
your nose, that it don I get froze, and wrap
up your toes in warm woolen hose. The
above We suppose, was written in prose, BY
some one who knows the effect of cold
SHOWS
Year: 1872

A Barber in Titnsyille, while cutting
the hair of a rural customer, ran his shears
against some hard substance, which turned
out to be milestone. The old farmer
said he had missed that MILESTONE ever
since haying time last July and had looked
all over ten acre lot forit, but now re-
membered sticking it up over his ear.
Year: 1872

Two or three years ago an American
vessel, the Japan, was shipwrecked on
the extreme northern coast of Siberia,


inhabited by mixed race supposed to
have originated from a mingling of the
Russian and Tartar tribes, among whom
the crew spent a considerable time.
Ultimately they were taken off by a
New Bedford whaler, and lately reached
the Sandwich Islands with the crews of
the ships abandoned in the Arctic
Ocean. The description which they
give of the customs and modes of life
Of their singular entertainers ought to
have an especial interest for those SAN
guine persons who entertain an idea
that the whole world is ripe for the es-
tablishment of universal republic.
The staple food of these people consists
of raw whale and walrus in a state of
decomposition, while such is their i'm
moderate love of tobacco, which, in
common with alcohol, they procure
from occasional traders, tt at children
of both sexes, only a few months old,
may be seen engaged in chewing the
weed. In, the summer months they
live in nuts made of walrus hide, and
in winter in holes excavated in the
mountain sides, daylight being admit
ted through holes cut in the rock,
which are stopped up with ice instead
of glass. During the summer the men
employ themselvesin in hunting the whale
and walrus in canoes. while the women
are kept busy in gathering grass and
herbs for edible and other purposes.
In winter the chief objects of pursuit
are deer, bear and foxes. The walrus,
however, is their staple reliance, the
blubber being placed in pits whose
warmth soon reduces it to state of pu-
trefaction, in which condition it is es-
teemed as a great luxury, while the
hide furnishes material for huts, canvas,
clothing, fishing nets, and pretty nearly
everything else. Polygamy is INDUCED
in to an unlimited extent, each man
having as many wives as he can keep
the women, if they do not suit the
tastes or meet the expectations of the
husband, being discarded and sent back
to their parents after few weeks pro,
baton, while in case of infidelity to
their liege lord portion of the offend


er's nose is forfeited for the crime


The marines say, very naively, that they
met with many victims of this rigorous
law during their sojourn among them
Year: 1872

Having heard of the "Great Raft" in
the Red River ever since our geography
days, we are all apt to suppose that we
know all about it. We are well aware
that it is a vast mass of driftwood, COM
pletely obstructing navigation at the
point where it covers the water with
its countless trunks of forest trees. We
know that the river passes under this
mass as if it were bridge; and we may
remember that in 1888, when the raft
was one hundred and twenty.four miles
long, the general government began
the work of removing it, but after
working at it for twenty-five years,
abandoned the attempt as impractical
BILE, and confined its efforts to the open
ing up of some of the lateral channels
or bayous. We may know all this, but
still be ignorant of one of the most Gu
rious characteristics of this great raft,
which is that it, unlike RATS in general,
moves up the river against the current,
instead of down. This movement is
very slow, being but mile or two in a
year. The explanation of this retro
grade progression of an apparently sta
tionary mass is simple enough. The
logs at the lower end of the raft are
continually broken away and carried off
by the current, while fresh drift-wood
is brought down and added to the up
per end by floods and freshets. Thus
the raft, always falling away at one end
and growing at the other, gradually
moves up the river, and it is calculated
that it has moved since its forming
about four hundred miles. Scientific
writer's have suggested the idea that
this vast mass of timber, after lying in
the old bed of the river for ROUTE num-
ber of ages, will become a great coal
bed. But when the Red River country
becomes thickly settled this enormous
collection of driftwood may be utilized
in some way or other; and thus incalcu-
lably distant generations may be cheated
out of many good coal fire.
Year: 1872

There is nothing like good lively
neighborhood quarrel. 1t excites a
cheerful spirit of emulation, and adds
incalculable value to the language by
increasing its stock of choice epithets.
1t also encourages a spirit of invention,
as was illustrated recently in feId OF
this kind in Detroit, Mich. The battle
was tagging sadly, when one of the bel
ligerents brought parrot into requisi-
ton to keep up the feeling. When the
man of the hostile house passed the
door, the parrot from its position in a
front window made him uncomfortably
conspicuous by shouting. " You thiefl'
and when the woman started for awalk
she was informed with the most mortify-
ing publicity that she dyed her hair IA :,
crisis at once, and the arm of the law
was sought for an injunction upon the
parrot.
Year: 1872

The announcement of the death of
Colonel F. Y. Rocket, for many years
past editor Of the Ledger, of this city,
wild shock and grieve deeply the many
who have been accustomed to read his
productions. He was a member, we
are told, Of the iOld Folks Association.
and since, in%,any event, proper honors
to his memory, and proper tributes to
his intellectual andipersonaI worth will
be betendered by his friends and associates
it is needless, at the moment, to saw
more of the editor or Of the man. He
was IN the fifty-seeond year of his age,
and for more than twenty years had
been citizen and successful Hterateur
Of this city.
Year: 1872

The natural son Of Victor Emmanuel
is to marry the daughter Of Count Lar
dorel, who was, not long ago, ennobled
on account of his wealth, acquired by
working the borax deposits near Sienna,
by an improved process. The King has
conferred the title of Prince Mirafiori on
his son, and given him two hundred
Thousand dollars to set up an establish
ment with.
Year: 1872

In THs SENATE yesterday Mr.. Conkling
introduced a resolution calling on the Prcsi-
dent for statement Of the number Of recon-
mendAtions for appointments TO and re-
moyals from Office made during the present
Administration by Senators from New York,
Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska. When this
resolution shall have passed, and the desired
statement shall have been furnished, the
public, We are led To believe, will be In a
better position than they arc now TO pass au
Intelligent judgment on some Of the gentle
men who are clamorlug about reform and
the use OF the Federal patronage.
Year: 1872

BY OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
oh she was maid of laughing eye,
And she lived in garret cold and high,
And he was threadbare whiskered beau,
And he lived in cellar damp and low.
But the rosy boy of the cherub wing,
Hath many a shaft for his slender string,
And the youth below and the maid above
Were touched by the flaming darts of love.
And she would wake from her troubled sleer
Der his tender billet doux to weep;
Or stand like statute cold and fair,
And gaze on lock of his bright red hair.
And he who was late so tall and proud,
With his step so firm and his laugh so loud,
His beard grew long and his face grew thin,
As be pined in solitude over his gin,
But one soft night in the month of June,
AS she lay in the light of a cloudless moon,
A voice came floating soft and clear,
To the startled maiden listening ear.
0 then from her creaking couch she sprung
And her tangled tresses back she flung;
She looked from the window far below,
And he stood beneath-her whis kered beau
She did not start with foolish frown,
But packed her trunk and scampered down.
And there was her lover, tall and true,
In his threadbare coat of its brightest blue.
The star that rose In the evening shade,
Looked sadly down on weeping maid
The sun then came in its morning pride,
Shed golden light on laughing bride.
Year: 1872

We are told that the eXtreams of
both largCne-s and smallness of stature
are not favorable TO the strength of in
,ellect. Giants and dwarfs are gener-
ally deficient in this respect, and eX-
cesSive corpulency or meagerness is
seldom associated with mental activity.
Aristotle, and B0naparte, however,
were very short. Charles James Fox
was exceedingly fat, Daniel Webster
both broad and tall, and Lord Nelson
Il living skeleton.


\ large head is generally the ac-
compartment of a great intellect; but
small one with a comparatively eX-
tensive forehead is quite consistent
with mental capacity. Raphael,
Charles XII., Frederick the Great and
Lord Brougham were illustrations of
the latter fact.


1t is said any nose which Is less than
the hight of the fOreheads is an indica-
ton of the defective intellectual
powers.


The eyes indicate character rather
by color q an form. The dark blue are
found most commonly in persons of n
gentle and refined character. Light



Lavator says =" Hazel eyes are the
more usual indications of a mind mas
culine, vigorous and profound; just as
u genius, so called, is almost always
associated with eyes of u yellowish
east bordering on hazel"


The higher the brows rise the more
thcirpossessor is supposed to under the
influence of feeling, and the better con-
troIIed by his character.


a very small eyebrow is an indica-
ton of want of force of character.


A tolerable large mouth is essential
to vigor and energy, and very small
mouth is indication of weakness and
Incidence.


In manly face, the upper lip should
extend beyond and dominate the lower,
and fleshy lips are oftener found asso-
ciated with voluptuOus, and meager
ones with a passionate nature.


The retreating chin indicates weak
ness, the perpendicular strength, and
the sharp acuteness of mind.
Year: 1872

From Justin McCarthy's Letter to the New


York Mail.l


The Queen has gone to-day to pay a
visit to the Emperor Napoleon at CHS
elhurst Meanwhile a distinguished
connection of his Imperial Majesty has
opened u dressmakers' shop in New
Bond street, London. The Princess
Pierre NapoleOn Bonaparte announces
" to the nobility and gentry" of
England that she has started an estab-
lishment for "superiOr and distingue
dressmaking" that she has I" the latest
fashions and novelties from Paris" and
that "an early inspection is invited"
THIS lady is the wife of that COrsican
" rat whose murder of the young
French journalist preceded the fall of
the Empire Us that of the Duchesse de
Praslin did the fall of Louis Phillippe's
monarchy. Pierre could not obtain
permission from the Emperor to marry
the lady, so he married her without
permission. L remember the CORES
pOndence which took place between
the ilIustrious cousins on the subject,
and which was found in the Tuilerles
after the crash of Sedan. Pierre begged
to be allowed to marry the woman OF
his choice, bccauSe-I desire to put It
very modestly-becauSe although he
stated with touching simplicity he had
not originally contemplated matri-
nionial bond, yet he was now anxious
to make his children Legitimate. The
Emperor would not hear of such thing.
"When a man has the honor of bearing
such a name as yours there are pro-
prieties which ones bound to respect"
Pierre returns to the charge. He urges
that the lady is of blamcleSS conduct,
although of humble birth l.; and then
unluckily losing his temper he remarks
that if the Emperor did talk of Mesdtt5-
0nces there are other MesdiFdncGs in
the family which are good dead less
respectable This allusiOn, | presume
must have settled the matter. The
Emperor fatty refused his consent and
closed the correspondence. So Pierre
married the woman, i'll spite OF I'M
perial authOrity-perhaps the only
good action of his life-and now OF
course, Imperial authority being over,
she is firm aud fast his wife. | don't
know whether the name and the
title will draw much custom to the
drcssmaking Establishment in New
Bond street.


There are probably a good many
ladies in London to whom the chance
of having their dresses cut out and
tried on by any sort of princess what
ever would he q powerful temptation.
Perhaps the Imperial exiles may buy
off the irrepressible cousin and close up
the shop for the sake of the family.
Perhaps this announcement is only
made with this hope. Anyhow, | do
not suppose the patronage of the En-
press Eugenia will be given to the new
concern.
Year: 1872

The wife of an eminent Wierdtcur
thinks it very nice to have an author
for a husband. Whenever she feels
restless he reads her something he has
written, and in a few minutes she is in
a sound and refreshing slumber.
Year: 1872

CAST LINE FOR YOURsELF.-A young
man stood listlessly watching some ang glers on
a bridge He was poor and detected. At last,
approaching a basket filed with wholesome
looking fish, he sighed:


IF now | had these | would be happy l
could sell them at fair price, and buy me
food and lodgings,


u will give you just as many and just as
good fish, said the owner, who CHANGED 10
overhcar his words, 4" if you will do me tri


'fAnd what is that" asked the other.


"Only to tend this line till come back. |
wish to 90 on a short errand.


The proposal was gladly accepted. The old
man was gone so long that the young man
began to be impatient. Meanwhile, the hun
CRY fish snapped greedily at the baited hook,
and the young man lost all his depression in
the excitement Of pulling them in and when
the owner of the line returned, be had caught
a large number. Counting out from them as
many as were in the basket, and presenting
them to the young man, the old fisherman
said:


81 fulfill my promise from the fish you have
caught to teach you whenever you see other'
earning what you need, to waste no time IL
fruitless wishing, but cast line for yourself.
Year: 1872

The other day communication appeared IN
n Buffalo paper to the effect that notwithstand-
inc the number of eligible young, men in the
citv but few Of them ever took ladies' to an
entertainment. The young aristocracy OF the
city is in a ferment in consequence, and letters
without number are being written ON the SUD-
icct, both pIo and con.
Year: 1872

"Pa," said son to his father, what is
meant by chip of the old block ?" Why, my
son, do you ask the question: 9 Because
was in Enfield this morning, and told them
gentlemen that while hunting | saw fifty squir-
res up one tree They kept trying to make
me say l did not see but forty-nine, and be-
cause l wouldn't cay so, they said l was a


chip of the old block = y" Hem! Well,
my son, they only meant that you were smart
and honest like your pa. You can go to play
now."
Year: 1872

That man P one day, speaking of his
son and heir (the one who was thrown out of
the window said, 81 don't know where that
boy got bis bad temper-not from me, I'm
sure" "No," said his sarcastic wife, you We
certainly not lost yours" The man p
curled up