smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

| OAl SBAOOSuU1S V101Bs


From " Thonghts on Government" by Arthur
Hclps]


Almost all rules are bad which
tend to limit the choice of men for
employments Of any kind. ANY rule,
for instance, about excess of age, is
injudicious. The power Of different
men are so various that it is not too
much to say that men are often
twenty years younger Or older than
their age according to years. If we
look at the great events, not only in
ancient history, but at those Of the
last few years, we shall see that the
greatest of these events have been
carried to a prosperous issue by men
who were anything but young. .


Now, why should we copfine our
view in this matter to generals, aud
kings, and statesmen ? If the view
is good for anything, it applies to all
men ; and a more foolish thing is
seldom done by any government, by
any minor body Of men, or by any
individual, than in fixing limit Of
age as regards the employment Of it's
or his agents.


Similar statements might be made
as regards several of the disquali6-
cations, which are frequently set out
in the shape of rules and bylaws,
and which prevent men from choos-
ing those of their fellow-men who
would be most capable of conduct
ing their affairs


/ Pecuniary disqualification is IN
instance of what I mean. You think
to gain good man to manage your
affairs, because he happens to have
a small share in your undertaking.
It is a great error. You want hin.
to do something well which you are
going to tell him to do. If he has
been wisely chosen, and is an able
man, his pecuniary interest in the
matter will be mere dust in the bal
ance, when compared with the de-
desire which belongs to all such men
to do their work well. On the other
hand, by insisting upon a pecuniary
qualification, you may easily prevent
yourself from being able to choose
the best man. Rules of this kind
generally punish most the men who
make them. The real reason why
men, even Of great ability, whether
in government or in other public
bodies, have circumscribed them
selves by these rules and these dis
qualifications is, that they are not
sufficiently penetrated by the idea of
the value Of having the right man in
the right place. The advantage to
the world Of having men rightly
placed is almost inconceivable. All
success depends upon it. It is IL
thing which cannot be over-estima-
ted. Through the tmost adverse cir
cumstances, the able man will form
path for himself and others.
Year: 1872

The only way for man to escape
being found out is to pass for what
he is. The only way to maintain a
good character is to deserve it. 1t
is easier to correct cur faults than to
conceal them.
Year: 1872

Tho last issue If tho Marquette Journal
contains the following interesting infor-
nation concerning the discoveries of
ancient copper mining on Isle Royale


"Copper mining on Isle Rcyale j,
future profit, and there is not a doubt
that should the price Of copper remain at
its present rate this field will vet be
handled to great advantage. The finding
OF tools. in old pits, long since abandoned
oy race OF men now extinct. still con-
tinues. These tools arc Of wonderful
workmanship, formed Of copper, with !
temper and hardness scarcely exoelled by
the best steel tools of to-day. Thew are
simply chiseli, inst the ordinary form. with
hammers Of copper, and huge granite
hammers which seem to have been made
more for the efficiency of their weight
than for their pewer to resist the action
OF blows. The presence of charcoal here
and there, in tie depths of theso abandon
ed pits, seems to Indicate that fire was
used in the bottom Of the mines to assist
in mining or reducing the ores. No other
evidence, except that Of an imperiehsble
nature, is found to show when Or by whow
these deposits were worked. But that the
whole history Of these early operations
should be buried in oblivion is q matter
greatly regretted by all who have had
their attention drawn to them. And now.
since the closest research has failed to
hringa glimmer of light ont of this dark.
hidden history, it is not at all likely that
tho world will ever know augbt more of
it.u
Year: 1872

The foregoing estimates are basod upon the
amount OF revenue collected since the acts OF
May and June, 1872, went into operation but
the imports have been large, and considerable
sums havo been obtained by Internal Revenue
it will lie wise to leave tho source OF revenue
undisturbed for the present session. It is
estimated that the expenditures tor the same
Year: 1872

SAVED BY HIS DoG.-A
Western woodsman recently
found himself helplessly pinned
to the ground by a premature
ly falling tree. He was great
distance from home, and in a
few hours doubtless would have
died from the pain and expos
ure, had not a little whining cur
who had missed his master, and
tracked him to his wood prison,
begun a mournful howl as
possible relief from the drea-
ry mopotony of the situation
This suggested to the suffering
man something Of the story
book kind, and calling to his lit
tie pet, he smeared his shaggy
face with blood, and bade him
return home for help. The lit
tie creature evidently realized
the Importance of his mission,
for he trotted home forthwith,
and breaking in upon the as
founded household, ,gavethe first
alarm. lie led the way back to
the wounded man, and in an &C.
stacy Of whines attested his sat
isfaction at the deliverance.
Year: 1872

WoMAN's MARKMANsHIP.-
A writer thus happily alludes to
remarkable popularity of the
down-trodden sex:


Did you ever see a woman
throw 4 stone at a hen? 1t is
one ofthe most Iudicrous scenes
in everyday life. We.recently
observed the process-indeed
We paid more attention than the
hen did, for she didn't mind it
at all, and laid an egg the next
day as if nothing had happened.
In fact, that hen will now learn
for the first time that she served
in the capacity of target.


The predatory fowl had inva-
ded the sacred precincts Of
the flower bed, and was in
dustriously pecking and scratch
ing for the nutritious seed ard
the early worm, ,blissfully uncon-
scious of impending danger
The lady now appears upon TIE
scene with a broom. This size
drops, and picks up a rocky
fragment Of the SiIurian age
',they aldo it, y "-seizingthe pro-
jectile with the wrong hand.
Then, with malice aforethought,
she makes the further blunder
of swinging her arm perptndic-
ularly instead of horizontally
whereupon the stone flies into
the air, describing an irregular
elliptical curve and strikes the
surface of the earth about as far
from the hen as the thrower
stood at the time, and in a
course due west from the same,
the hen, then bearing by COM
pass n. n. E. by E. half cast
At the second attempt the stone
narrowly misses the head Of the
thrower herself, who seeing
that any further attempt of the
kind might have been suicidal,
does what she might have done
at first-starts after the hen
with an old family weapon.-
The moral Of which is ''stick
to the brOom-stick." s-li
Year: 1872




A FOotpad in Spite of Himself.


This is not a bad story from
the CORRESPONDENT OF The Buffalo
Courier


Brooklyn is pretty we'll over
Its scare about highway robbers,
but not quite. "A pretty good
story is told about a robbery late
ly committed there. A gentle
man named Smith (of course) was
making his way homeward at a
late hour and met another man in
a rather lonely place. Smith had
heard much about highway rob,
bers and was armed. Owing to
obstacles on the sidewalk he was
obliged TO come close to the other
man when passing. The two men
seemed anxious to avoid each 9TH
er, but the obstacles on the side
walk prevented that. When
they had passed, Smith bethought
him of his watch. He felt for it,
but his pocket was empty. "That
rascal has taken my watch" said
Smith. Then he resolved to act.
Drawing Lis revolver, he started
after the other man and quickly
overlook him.


'Give me that watch this instant,
you scoundrel, or I'll blow your
brains OUT said Smith, leveling
his revolver at the stranger.


The stranger looked at Smiths
revolver, shuddered, put bis hand
on his pocket and held out watch,
which Smith took, then ran off at
full speed. Smith congratulated
himself on his bravery and started
for home, where his wife was wait
ing for him. OF course, he had a
startling story to tell, how one of
those internal scoundrels robbed
him, and how he scared the scoun-
drel almost out of his wits and
made him give back hls watch.


"Your watch I" said Mrs S.


eyes, my watch but made
the rascal hand it over pretty
quick"


Then, Mrs. S. astonished him.
"Why," said she "here is your
watch you did not take it with
you. Smith, you fool, you have
been turning highway robber your
self Some of Smiths friends
have found out how he was robbed
and are bantering him most un-
mercifully.
Year: 1872

4 ..t Zioaa's Herald gives an account
of a horse in New Hampshire thai


performs part of the duties of a


shepherd. He was kept in a pas


ture adjoining ore where flock
toi sheep were feeding. One day


he came full speed to his master,
who was speaking to a FREUD on


the road that passed the farm, and


whinnied 10 attract attention.
AS he did not heed the horses
mission, the animal galloped back


TO the sheep pasture and again


returned and whinned as before.


Again he went back to the sheep
pasture, and again swiftly returned
As be had twice failed to make bis
master understand his meaning,


he went to the farm house, put
his head in at the open window
and whinnied again. The farm
ers vile being sure there was
trouble in the pasture, followed
the horse. He seemed pleased
that be had attracted attention at
last, and trotting on before the la
dy he led her down to the pas
ture and putting his head over the
fence, seemed to say {: "Look,


look r The lady did look, and
there she discovered that savage
dog had caught sheep, and was
holding it by the throat, in spite
of all the poor creatures efforts
to escape On being discovered
the dog let go his hold, and spring
ing over the fence into the field,
few, botly pursued by the en-
ragged horse, who would gladly
have trampled him beneath his
feet. sfH|-t'.'. rFtI.r.
Year: 1872


IA young fellow named Mitchell


caught in Louisville attempting


to rob ahouse, was recognized as
a notorious thief, who three years
ago carried ON a novel method of
robbery He raised a pet coon
and so trained the animal that
whenever its master would put it
down on the ground 1t would run
.immediately lyinto the nearest house.


Mitchell would take bis scoon about


the street in his arms, ostensibIy
for the purpose of showing it off,
and when In front of a residence
that be wished to enter he would


lee the coon down. In an instant
the ell-train.d animal would
scamper towards the house, and
its master would follow in pursuit.


II there happened to be an OPEN
ing anywhere about the building
the coon was sure to find it and
enter the house at once. Of


course the people of the house


would allow the master to come
in after his pet, and while the
family and servants were lending
a helping hand to effect the cap
ture of the run away, Mitchell
would busy himself with every
opportunity by picking up little
things here and there in rooms in
which they passed after the slip
perry little beast. Mitchell kept
up this smart little game quite
succesSfully.for some time, but was
finally caught and sent to the
penitentiary. .sa -ai.. -s5l
Year: 1872

A Bushnell Qll.) hey had a leg
broken in a singular rnanner the
other day. He was standing
crossed legged, talking with a
schoolmate, when another lad
thoughtlessly jumped upon his
back and crushed him TO the
ground, breaking his leg below
the knee.
Year: 1872

The PLEA OF INsANITY.-Judge
Nicholson, of this State has de.
livered a very sensible charge
bearing upon the favorite plea of
insanity in murder cases:


"The law presumes a man to
be sane until the contrary is prov
en-; the evidence of the insanity
of defendant must be as clear and
satisfactory to overturn that in
favor of innocence. . The
proof OF insanity, to acquit, should
be as clear as that of murder to
convict.
Year: 1872

Here he made q movement to
hurl me over the platform. But
those last words had produced Q
remarkable effect on me. 8 Help.
less and nearly dead with suffoea'
ton, the demoniacal reference t.
my family--my- dear wife and
child, who were awaiting my re-
Year: 1872

The CONDITION OF THE SOUTH Henry
Ward Beecher writes, in the Christian Union


1t is needless here to trace the political his
tory of reconstruction, or to apportion the blame
for its mistakes. 1t is enough to say that in
point of fact the State governments Of the
South have very largely fallen into the hands
of ignorant and knavish men. Public money
has been wasted and stolen by wholesale. A
proud and high-spirited population have seen
their places of trust and honor filled by foreign
adyenturers and uneducated freedmen. The
old notical leaders in whom the people had
confidence and who alone had experience in the
conduct of affairs, have been excluded from Of
fee by Congress. The course of politics has
tended to deepen the antagonism between the
former masters and the blacks, and to still fur
ther ALLEVIATE the former from the national au-
thority. This is gloomy picture. One fea-
ture remains to be added Into this weakened
and distracted community there has been no
infusion of new, healthy blood. 1t was hoped
that immigration would renoyate the South.
But there has been no immigration, or but lit
tle The elements are left to work out their way
unassisted. OF the present duty oil the nation
at large towards the South we shall here say
but word The best service that can be rem
dered to the Southern people politically is to
let them alone. Disabilities should be swept
away at blow. There should be no federal iu-


reference with local affairs. Political salvation
for the South can only come through her own
people.
Year: 1872

Legislature has passed an act chartering an
Insurance Company, under the name of the
Valley Insurance Society, for the purpose of
insuring stock against thieves, fire, &c. We
are assured, after conversation with many of
our leading farmers, that the objects of this
Company will meet their hearty approval and
encouragement. An effort is now being made
by some of our leading men to organize the
Company with its headquarters in Lexington =
Leri1ot0n Gazette.
Year: 1872

A correspondent of Baltimore paper wants
to know why marriage and death notices should
be paid for ? For the best of reasons: one is
an advertisement of copartnership and the 9TH
er is notice of dissolution. Business is bus
inesS
Year: 1872

\ Radical paper tells us that "the
Rev. Mr.. Foster declares that very
little headway is making against the
dense ignorance Of the Southern freed
men, This is no doubt true; but if
the carpet-baggers who have taken the
freedmen in hand had laborcd half as
faithfully to rid them of their ignorance
as they have labored to rid them of
their money and to control their votes,
that ignorance would long since have
disappeared. a.-Louisville Courier.
Year: 1872

The Chicago post says: Lin her last
lecture Anna Dickinson says: Il never
was insultel but once, when a man in
railroad car pressed my foot with his.
| looked him sternly in the eye and
said If you repeat that I will call
the conductor and have you put off the
train" That reads well, but Anna
didn't tell all Of the story. The man
repeated the insult, and Anna called
the conductor, who heard the state
ments of both parties. Anna put in
her feet in evidence, and the conductor
decided theman must have
somewhere to put his feet and
told Anna that she should in future
wear hers sideways. That's the truth
of the whole matter.
Year: 1872

a Texas paper says: We have
been asked why We stopped publishing
the list of marriage licenses issued by
the clerk. Because great big stand
up-in-the-mud out there in the sandhills
said we published his
daughter as married when she
wor, mt and that he would hit us OIL the
head hard enough to mock our ankles
out of joint Is the explanation satis-
factory.
Year: 1872

The administration party is striving
to get an early adjournment of Congress
in order to cut short investigation.
This the Rcformers and Democrats have
thus far successfully resisted.
Year: 1872

The mining news from every section oi the Territory is firstrate, and, if Government would but render our miners protection from the savage Apaches, the time would soon arrive when this Territory wouid be produc- ine fully as much gold and silver bullion as any other Territory of the Republic. In walapai District, Mohave county, where there is really no danger from Indians, pro- oress is the order of the day, and capital and labor are meeting with that encouragement which they deserve. Here in iavapai county, many miners are afraid to work upon their lodges. lest Indians come and kill them. What work is being done is giving entire satisfaction. and considerable rich ore IS be- ing shipped to San Francisco.

 The Cusenbary Brothers have again taken charge of the Vulturc Mill and Mine, near Wickenburg, and confidence is again restored in that quarter.

 Were Government to hang Colyer x Co., and let the Army deal with the Indians, this people would be encouraged to commence operations, the good results of which would in short time, be felt by all the people o' the Union As it is, though, our people arc afraid to start an enterprise of any kind, fol fear of losing their lives, labor, money and property, under the policy now in vogue which threatens to drive every white mar from the Territory, and again place it in un disputed possession of the savage Apaches.
Year: 1872

The War Department having refused to pay for advertising in this paper, and there being no other medium through which the officers of the Government can make known the wants of the Army establishment here, to the people of every section of the Terri tory, we have concluded to work for the ''good of the service }" and the accommoda- ton of officers. Attention is therefore di- rected to an advertisement for proposals, !" on the fourth page of to-day's paper And, while upon this subject, we may as we'll re- mind Colyer, Stoneman and other pension CTS on the bounty of the people, that they uttered a falsehood when they asserted that this paper was kept running by Government patronage.
Year: 1872

If the Colycr policy of treating hostile Indians prevail much longer, the best thing our people can do is to cease pusi. ness, for awhile, and go to hunting up ana staying Apaches. We have stood enough fool;no in this line, and might stand it awhile longer, if Government had not made the Apaches worse than they have commonly been, by feeding and arrnns them at its reservations; then threatening them with punishment, after certain date, provided they did not change from natural born hyenas to innocent lambs, or tracta- ble rams then, when they, for the tenth time, at least, had defed the Government, left their reservations and commenced anew the work of plunder, Government goes back on its words, crawfishes, and tells the commander of its forces here to be sure and not let the Indians and his troops come together, we think it is about time for our people-poor and demoralized as they are-to act upon the saying at the head of this article. The writer of this will follow the lead of any brave white man against any number of Government pets whether Rcd or Whte-or, he will mortgage what little property he has to help defray the expenses of campaign against the foes of the Territory.
Year: 1872

We see it stated that the Free Press news paper, of Arizona City, has, or is about to have, new manager-Mr. Minor, of Los Angeles, who, we hope, will act so as to give satisfaction to the good people of Arizona City, who are able and willing to sustain any person who will publish a respectable journal in their town.
Year: 1872

The report of the chief of the
Signal Service is now passing
through the Government press, and
and we learn by a Washington dis
patch will soon be given to the pub
lie. The amount Of work accom-
plished by the department of which
"Old Probabilities" is the head, is
absolutely wonderful, and not only
that it has been of great practical
value to the country, remark
that could not be truthfully repeated
Of the labor performed by some of
the other officers under government.
The young man from the country
who is anxious to get into one Of
the departments at Washington,
with the expectation of light work
and good pay, would do well to
shun the Signal office; at least so
far as light work is regarded.


The kilograms and reports for the
benefit of commerce and agriculture
have been continued, we are told,
upon the plan laboratcly described
in the report for 1871, the school
for signaling and tclegraphing near
Washington being maintained in a
state Of rigid efficiency as the only
means Of securing the accuracy
which is absolutely essential to
reliable weather reports. The post
ing and publication of daily bullc-
tins, Of reports Of the rise and fall
drivers at river stations, the pub
LEGATION Of weather maps and the
display of day and night danger
signals have been extended, and ten
new stations established, making
seventy-two observing and report-
Year: 1872

inclement season, took the place Of
private person, among the thous-
ands gathered together to pay the
last tribute of respect that the living
can pay to the dead. For your re-
mcmbrancc of Mr.. Greeley, dying;
for your attendance at his funeral;
for the fearful attention you paid to
the sad ceremonies of that occasion,
Mr.. President, I thank you with all
earnestness. I am very sure that in
doing SO | but echo the sentiments
of hundreds Of thousands of your
fellow citizens, whose views of pub
lie affairs led them and myself to
support, in the late canvass, the
man to whom you have shown such
high respect. BY these acts you
have removed prejudices, changed
opponents into friends, and shown
the world that great official life
need not dcadcn the better instincts
of our common humanity. By these
acts you have taught the nations
that Americans never forget what is
due to the character Of their great
citizens, and that the passions of an
exciting political contest never de-
stroy the respect that American
partisan opponents have for the
good lives Of good men.


thank you, Mr.. President, and
pray that a long and happy life may
await you. And when it shall
please the Great Ruler to send the
angel Of death to call you hence may
your passage to the tomb be made
smooth by the affections of kind
friends, and the grave close over
You with the heartfelt prayers of
your countrymen for your eternal
rest. Very respectfully, your friend,


SINCLAIR ToUsEy,


New York. Dec. G 1872.