smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1871




Editor Of Hickman Courier:


DEAR SIR:-I noticed in your issue
of the 4th inst, that there had been a
petition sent from this county to our
representative in the State Legislature,
asking that the County Court be grant
ed the power to levy aud collect tax of
ten cents on the one hundred dollars of
taxable property in this county listed for
taxation this year, in addition to the or
dinary State taxes, and also an addition
al tax OF one dollar on each poll listed
this year. The proceeds of the tax when
collected to be used to repair the old, or
to build new Jail, for the county. |
see in the paper of the l 1th inst, that
bill granting TO the Court the power ask
ed, had been introduced into the Legis-
lature, passed both houses, and is now a
law. Now, wish to make a few re-
marks, Gf you will permit iD in refer
ence to this extra power granted to the
County Court I would like to know
who got up and sent the petition, and
how many of the tax payers of the county
ever heard of it before seeing it men
toned III the CoURIER2 [ think it would
have been hard to get majority of the
tax payers in the county to sign such a
petition at this time and / hold that it
is altogether proper, that they should, at
least have had notice of the getting up
of and sending of petition to tax them,
before it was done. L know and respect
the members of our County Court, they
as individuals and as body of magis-
trates will compare favorably with any
county court in this State, but L am not
willing to give the right to any body OF
men to tax me without my consent, prop
erly obtained If il is thought necessa-
~ to have special tax imposed on the
county, why not submit 1t to a vote OF
the tax payers, and let them decide,
whether or not it is right and proper ?
The thing can be done in May next-full
time if it should receive the sanction OF
the people for the tax to be levied and
collected this year. If it should not re
ceive a majority OF the votes of the
county, dispense with it. For myself, |
am opposed to all special taxation, more
particularly, when they are imposed IN
the manner that the special tax of fifteen
cents on the hundred dollars was levied





aud the one now proposed. These things
are progressive-they never recede-
there never will cease to be special OBJ
jects to be gained by special taxation.
when the tax can be levied and collected
without the consent of the tax payers,
| think it may be safely asserted that if
the tax now proposed is levied and col
lected as proposed, that it will not be
more than two years before there will be
another effort made to levy and collect
another in the same manner Then why
not submit it to the people of the coun
ty, aud if it is sustained by them, there
is nothing more to be said. 1t is the
proper way, aud the only proper way in
which any tax should be imposed. This
communication has grown lengthy, and |
must close, but there are many things
that might be considered in connection
with this subject, that | think are of in
terest to the people of the county.


Yours, r. G.. PRATHER.
Year: 1871

A spicy correspondence between Gen
eral Hancock, General Sherman, and
General Grant has been published, in
which the character of Hancock stands
out 10 bold relief as the statesman and
the soldier. We presume that of all the
generals OF the army Hancock's record
is the brightest. The publication of this
correspondence reveals General Hancock
as the true soldier and gentleman, and
will not rebound to the credit of those
who are prosecuting him. The people of
the United States never yet failed to win
dicate the character of faithful public
servant against all odds, however great,
in conspiracy against him.
Year: 1871




The removal Of Sumner fromthe Chair
manship of the Committee on Foreign
Relations continues the exciting topi C of
all political circles. Its probable effect
upon the future of the Republican party
and the denomination of Grant is freely
discussed. All Republicans, except a
few of Summers personal enemies in the
Senate, agree that the occurrence is very
damaging to the party and may prove
disastrous. 1t was gross political blum
der. The Democrats are highly elated
about the affair. The denomination of
Grant is inevitable, because there is no
man of sufficient strength to oppose him;
but defeat will necessarily follow the dis
sension of the Republicans. But many
leading Republicans assert that Grants
denomination is now out of the question.
1t is necessary to begin to look about for
a more available candidate if the party is
to be saved from defeat. The entire body
of the New England Republicans will be
hostile to him on account of Summers
removal, which has alienated also all the
original, anti slavery men throughout the
country. who always formed an active
working element of the Republican, par
ty. There is already much canvassing
relative to the merits and popularity of
many prominent Republicans in connec
ton with their possible candidacy for the
Republican nomination. Among others,
the names of Colfax, Sumner, Blaine,
Logan, Schenck and Cox are chiefly men
toned
Year: 1871

The Court of Common Pleas has been
abolished in all the counties of this Dis
trict, except McCracken aud Ballard
The people of Hickman and Graves arc
already complaining, and it is said the in
creasing litigation will certainly demand
its re establishment in Fulton The
extra expense of this court after all is
not SO much, when it is considered the
terms of the Circuit Court are heightened,
aud the Judge receives the same salary
for presiding in two counties that he did
in the whole district.
Year: 1871

THE Mayfeid Democrat has this to
say about the crops: The reports we
hear from the surrounding country are
cheering with regard to the efforts of the
farmers for an enlarged crop the ensuing
season. 1t is reported that the wheat
crop is quite promising; more so than
ordinary.
Year: 1871

THE Cynthiana Ners, in speaking OF
Senator Stevenson, is so unkind as to re
mark: "We understand be is about to
change his abode to Louisville, where we
hope he will be painted red and black,
and stuck upon their new Court House.
that he may play his old game of whistle
toot and weather cock.
Year: 1871

negro kcStliiOny-MOfk the


Negroes from Kentucky.


The negro testimony bill has been de
fested by the action of our State Senate.
The Woman thinks il impossible to
arrive at the sentiment of the Senators
By this vote, and the opinion is very gen
orally entertained that there is no doubt
about the bill being passed by the next
Legislature. Senator Oscar Turner has
been active in opposition to the bill. He
faEors the removal Of negroes from the
State, and under no circumstances to
permit them to testify. Mr.. Turner is
au extremist on this question What
would an effort at this time, by Kentucky
to force the negro population to leave the
State, result in7 Would it not create
storm and fury unparalleled But thus
it is extEeme men are driven to extreme
measures.
Year: 1871

The Paducah KentucLian is responsi
bic for the following slander 10 regard
to the egg trade of Benton. Marshall
county: A prominent gentleman from
Marshall. gave us some valuable infor-
nation 10 regard to the egg trade of Ben
ton. II seems that the Good Templars
in that locality have become so numerous
that eggs are in great demand They
won't drink spirits, butthay take an egg,
stir it with spoon. put sugar in it, stir
it again, put whisky in it, stir it again,
drink nearly all of the egg, put more
eggs in, and more sugar in and more
whisky in and do more stirring and then
drink the egg, leaving the whisky 10 the
glass, They simply use the liquor for
cooking purposes, and if little remains
mixed with the egg, they are not respon-
sible
Year: 1871

NEXT Monday the candidates for the
Legislature meet at Clinton, and open
the canvas We shall then know, per
haps, some of the issues involved and
the claims the different aspirants put
forth in their own behalf. The COURIER
will have reporter there
Year: 1871

THE Emperor Napoleon has been re-
leased from WilheImshohe, aud is now
with the Empress at Chiselhurst. 1t is
supposed that he viii spend the remain
der of his days in Switzerland, where be
owns an elegant chateau, and amuse him-
self hereafter as his great uncle did be
fore him, by fishing and making play
houses. Grit may be that be will de
vote the remainder Of an evontful life to
his favorite and harmless employment
writing pamphlets. Pretty certain it is
be has sat upon his last throne and sur
rendered his last Sedan. No power can
restore him to glory again.
Year: 1871

A Western farmer being obliged to sell o
yoke Of oxen to pay his hired man, told him
that he could not keep him any longer.
Why" said the man, "I'll stay aud take
some of your cows in place of money" But
what shall dc" said the farmer, I" when my
cows and oxen are all gomez why, you
can then work for me and get them back"
Year: 1871

To PRESERVE FLOWERS. Take a nice clear
bottle (cut glass if possiblel and fill with
alcohol Place the flower or flowers to be
preserved in the liquid. After remaining
three weeks pour out the alcohol, which will
have extricatcd all the color from the flower
and flI it with new. Then seal it up and it
will keep for years, the flower looking like
wax.
Year: 1871

In the recent marriage of Olive Logan, al
New York, the promise Of obedience was care
fully omitted from the ceremony. The clergy
man said that he had never married more than


one woman who promised to obey, and she
! didn't
Year: 1871

The following speech was made by the
winner of prize in foot race. Gentlemen,
have won this cup by the use of my legs;
trust may never lose the use of my legs by
the use Of this cup"
Year: 1871

stood upon the oceans brinv shore,
And with fragile reed wrote
Upon the sand


agnes, love theel"
The mad waves rolled by and blotted out
The fair impression.
Frail reed Cruel wave Treacherous sand
I'll trust ye no more
But with giant hand I'll pluck
From Norway frozen shore,
Her tallest pine and dip its top
Into the crater fpsuvius,
And upon the high and FURNISHED heavens
I'll write


Agnes, love theew
And would like to see any
Dog goued wave wash that out!
Year: 1871

SLURs ON WOMEN-At recent dinner in
New York, at which no ladies were present,
man. in responding to the toast" Woman,
dwelt almost solely on the trailty of the SEX
exclaiming that the best Of them were little
better than the worst,-the chief difference
being in their surroundings.


AT the conclusion of the speech, a gentle
man rose and said: Il trust the gentleman, In
the application of his remarks refers to his
own mother and sisters, not ours.


The effect Of this just and timely rebuke was
overwhelming; and the maligner of women
was covered with shame and confusion.


This incident serves an excellent purpose In
prefacing few words on the subject.


OF all evils prevalent among men, we know
of none more blighting in its moral effect than
the tendency to speak slightly Of the morals OF
woman. Nor is there anything in which young
men are so thoroughly mistaken as in the es
innate they form of the integrity of woman
not their own mothers and sisters thank God
but others whom they forget are somebody
else S mother and sisters


| Let young men remember that their chic
happiness in lite depends on their faith II
women. No worldly wisdom, no misanthropl
philosophy, no generalization can cover o
weaken this fundamental truth. 1t stands lik
the record of God himsei-fOr it Is nothing
less than this-and should put an everlastin
seal upon lips that are wont to speak lightly G
women Exchange.
Year: 1871

Urinary and Womb diseases, Gravel, Diabetes, Drop
sy SIoppage of Water InconIInence VI Urine. Brghrs
Disease, Aluminium. and IN all where there
are brick dust deposits, the water is thick cloudy
mixed with substances like the white Of egg. or
threads like white silk or there is a morbid, dark,
b Ous appearance and white bone dust pOsIis and
when there is a pricking, burning sensation when
passing water and pain the Small OF the Back and
a lOng u The Lolns
Year: 1871

THE grand and petit scamps and scalawags have about run their string.-Chi.en.

 Yes, the end of the run will come of when you take bold Of hair string with hone or mule (you wouldn't steal brother donkey) attached to it.
Year: 1871

MINNEAPOLIS, December l.-While
the Chief Of Police and Policeman
Murget was trying to arrest a man,
whose name is unknown, on a charge
of threatening to shoot his room mate,
this morning, be drew a revolver and
fred at the Chief of the Police, the ball
entering his right breas. and passed
through the right lung. The man then
fred at Munger, the ball just grazing
his body and making a slight flesh
wound. Another policeman then came
up when the man fred at him, but the
ball didn't take effect. They then seized
him and put him in irons. 1t is thought
that the man is insane, as he locked
himself in a room last night and said
he would shoot the first man that tried
to open the door.
Year: 1871

George Wilkes, Esq, with his able
pen, thus writes


The fruitful source OF this nation al
deterioration is the reflective feature OF
the Presidency Of the United States.
Chosen for a term, with the possibility oi
being elected again and again, it is the
direct interest Of every incumbent Of the
office to shape his course 30 as 10 keep
in favor with the politicians, instead OF
laboring to serve the public.
To accomplish this object, be
constantly holds himself ready, un-
der the..advisement OF his party coun-
selors to appoint any incapable rogue to
place, in his own personal interest. in.
stead OF selecting merely capable and
honest men for the service Of the
country. The whole vast organization
Of government thus becomes a mere
machine OF party, and every piece OF
legislation, every public movement, is
studied 10 advance, more with view to
the next Presidential canvass than 10
consideration for the public good


Washington and Jackson saw the
dangerous effects OF this feature OF our
system. and in their farewell addresses
earnestly advised an amendment to the
Constitution prohibiting the reelection
OF a President; and every subsequent
aspirant to the Presidential chair has
conceded to the universal sentiment oi
the nation on this subject, BY giving
out that he would not be o candi-
date a second time. In every
case, however, these pledges have been
fatty ignored, and in nearly every case
the politicians have succeeded in tn
umphiDg over the repugBanee Of the
people. OF course, this deplorable
abuse grows worse and worse as time
runs on. and under the increasing pa
tronage Of the White House, it will soon
be possible for the too-po~erful occu
pant to reinstate himself as long as hs
may live, and be in effect king.
Year: 1871

A beautiful face is one of Gods
beautiful works; but He has made
more beautiful things. We shall
see, maybe, in our travel of to-mor-
row-you or I-some angular-faced
woman of youthful but uncertain
age, in gold-bowed glasses perhaps,
and shall say at the first cruel glance
(you or y, "Good gracious, what a
woman to live with" An old gen
tleman, her attendant, goes halting-
ly to the place beside her; and there
Is such touching and delicate atten-
tion on her part to every want of
his-such grace of action-such
tender, eager, yet not officious or
presuming watchfulness-that you
cannot keep your eyes from her, ugly
though she be; and the face of the
old gentleman grows radiant as it
turns towards her, and you perceive
him to be under such abiding charm
as her low musical voice falls on his
ear that, little by little, even as you
look, the angularities melt away in
to the fine flowing lines, and the
homely text of her face, hour by
hour, and feature by feature, grows
luminous with sweet, deep mean
ing, that is as subtle and penetra-
ting in its influence as beauty itself.
And if an hour of onlook can work
such TRANSPORTATION and make one
blind to any possible crabbedness
of text by reason of the sweet
meaning it carries, how shall it be
with the reading of a month, or
year, or a life?-D. G. MITCHELL.
Year: 1871

Last year the devastation caused
by the caterpillar of the iieris rdpo
was disastrous; the insects did not
injure tho early crops much, but
they came in legions for the late
ones. This year the early crops
will doubtless be attacked, as | saw
butterflies the last week in March.
Their chrysalides are found in all
sorts of sheltered spots. l found
some upon the under side of q pear
tree. The insect, in all its stages,
was figured in November last.
There are several broods in the
course of the season, and every but
terfiy killed now is u great gain.
While the weather is comparatively
cool, the insects are less active than
In the hot summer months, and may
be more easily caught. Probably
persistent hunting with sweep-nets
is the most promising means of de
stroying the DESTROYER
Year: 1871

In 1851 there lived in small town in
the State of New York the deacon Of a
certain Christian church, who was noted
for his liberal qualities, who was in the
habit of giving large wine suppers among
his brotherhood of the church, and as a
general thing, the guests would return
home rather more than slightly inebri-
ated; or rather more intoxicated than
they would have been if they had staid
at home and enjoyed the pleasure Of their
own families, and saved themselves the
trouble of carrying the big head upon
their own shoulders on the following day
as was the case. The scene which l
wish to represent was one Of a similar
kind.


Upon a Christmas day Of Silt was
the marriage of the only daughter Of the
deacon-it was night of joy and glee.
After the marriage had been performed,
the bottles of wine had been brought
forth all present filed their goblets full
of the poisonous nectar, except one who
stood like marble statue. 1t was the
bride while the words were spoken from
one eff the crowd, "Pledge with wine.
"Pledge with wine," cried the young and
thoughtless Harvey Wood pledge with
wine," ran through the crowd.


The beautiful bride grew pale; the
decisive hour had come. She pressed
her white hands together, and the leaves
of her bridal wreath trembled on her
pure brow her breath came quicker, and
her heart beat wilder. "Yes. Marion,
lay aside your ssruples for this once"
said the deacon, in a low tone, going
toward his daughter "the company ex.
pect it; do not SO infringe upon the rules
Of etiquette; in your own home act as
you please, but in mine, for this once
please me-"


Every eye was turned toward the bride,
for Marion's principles were well known.
Henry had been convivialist, but Of late
Year: 1871




The Rome (Ga.) Commercial tells the
following story "Rumor brings us de-
tails of horrible tragedy that is said to
have occurred in St. Clair county, Ala.
The rumor runs that the tax collector of
St. Clair had got together large amount
of taxes and given them to his wife to
keep, remarking as he did SO that he was
compelled to take long trip that would
necessitate his absence from home for
three or four days. He left and she hid
the money. About ten O'Clock that night
a party of men, wearing DISCUSSES, broke
in upon the lonely woman and demanded
the tax money. She refused to give it
up or tell where it was. After attempt
ing in vain to force her to tell the hiding
place of the treasure, they searched for it
and found it. After possessing themselves
Of the money they ordered her to get
some supper. While she was busying
herself in this forced, she conceived the
idea of poisoning them, and thus preserv-
ing at once the money and her husbands s
honor. She deftly slipped some arsenic
in the coffee she was mixing. They drank
heartily, and fell dead shortly afterward.
She stripped their DISCUSSES and found
that two of the villins were strangers, but
that the third was her husband, who had
taken this means of stealing the taxes of
the people, The story is almost too hor-
rible for credence, but our informants
were confident that the facts were as sta,
ted by them.
Year: 1871

Taking it for granted that the decar-
alton of the sentiment of love is a privi.
lege men, founded on nature and sane.
toned by custom, the various modes of
making their declaration and Of accepting
or refusing it by the women, were we
able to give perfect account of it, would
make one of the most entertaining and
curious parts Of human history, and
equally furnish matter Of speculation for
the intelligent lady and the philosopher
1t is taken as a general rule, that the
declaration Of love is the peculiar privi-
lcge of the men; but, as all general rules
are liable to exception, there are lso ex-
ceptons to this. An Israeltish widow
had, by law, the power Of claiming the
brother of her deceased husband in
which case the privilege of the male was
transferred to the female, that of the fe.
male was likewise transferred to the male ;
he had the power of refusing; the re-
fusal, however, was attended with some
very mortifyiug circumstances the WON.
an he had thus slightcd was to come unto
him in the presence of the elders of the
city, and to loose the shoe from his foot
and spit in his face.


To man, by nature bold and intrepid,
and possessed with unlimited power of
asking refusal was of but little conse.
quence; but to women, more timid and
modest, and whose power of asking was
limited to the brethren of her deceased
husband, it was not only an affront, but
real injury, as every one would there.
fore despise the woman, so that she
would have bu. little chance of future
husband hence, perhaps, it was thought
necessary to fix some public stigma on
the person who was so ungallant as not
to comply with the addresses of woman.


A custom somewhat similar to this
remains at present among some Of the In
dian tribes, particularly the Hurons and
lroquois. When the wife dies, the hus-
band is to marry the sister, or in her
stead, the woman whom the family of
the deceased wife may choose for him A
widow is also obliged to marry one of the
deceased husband.
Year: 1871

A newspaper writer, speaking of Hum
phrey Marshall, says he now weighs not
far from 400 pounds, and that notwith-
standing his enormous weight, he is a
very hard worker, and able to endure
more hours of labor than any man of his
acquaintance. The secret of his endur-
ance is explained by the statement that
Marshall refreshes himself every few
minutes by little maps during which he
loses nothing of what is going on, though
seeming wholly unconscious. In trying
an arduous case in court, he will be
asleep half the time, yet his senses appear
constantly awake, and ne fact of interest
to his client seems to escape his atten-
ton.


Buffalo has three brothers who live in
three houses exactly alike, and standing
side by side. They are all members Of
the same church, and for twenty years
have been in business together. They
ride down to their store every morning in
the same vehicle. In short they are the
best instances We know Of true fraternity.