smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

/ Mr.. Dennis Murray suicided on the


the 9th Inst. by hanging himself in hia


cabin at Granite. Insanity, | believe,


is the accepted cause that moved him


to commit the shocking deed. Mr.


Murray was Of the Catholic faith, and


on the ground that he was insane (the


only one / believe available in such


cases) was accorded sanctified burial,


the solemn and holy funeral rite Of his


creed being performed. To refuse


consecrated burial to the felo de sc in


all cases except where genuine insani-
| ty is well established would be q


measure that l for one would heartily


coincide with and endorse as right.
If the last act of o mans life be q


crime, leave its judgment as we must


it's punishment to the only tribunal


having right or power to pass or en-


force DEGREES after death, bury him


with decency and remember his Writ


ues, whatever they may have been,


forgetting in the meantime to honor


him in his grave to the extent we


should do had he died repenting his


transgression and in accordance with


divine law. Righteous and ostcnta-


tious obsequies when not deserved be-
come nothing more than idle displays


and empty words that can in no pos
sible measure rebound to the benefit Of
the dead. while to the living fattery


is an influence of the most subtle and
powerful nature in swaying the hu-
man mind for both good and evil,
stimulating and assisting it to GER
tain degree in the accomplishment of
the most momcntons deeds; and I'M
this connection, for aught we know to
the contrary. aiding even the sclf.de-
stroyer since there is an assurance
held out that the world will accord
respect and honor to "disgraccful
death" tributes ever stcrnly denied to
"disgracefnl life" When onr sympa-
thy is taxed, unmcrited plaise may be
honestly rendered, but l think none
can justly gainsay the assertion that
it is only honest hnmbug nevertheless.


/ almost forget the new discovery. an
other treaurc has been brought tn the
surface over here; the wife Of Mr..
Green Morrison, few days since pre-
scntcd that gentleman with a keepsake
in the shape Of an animated nugget
weighing between one and one hun
dred pounds somewhere | seldom err
when l depend solely on my guessing
qualities) it was boy. That's two
in less than a month; one for our pay
master you know, only his wasn't
wasn't boy. The little strangers
are in a highly flourishing condition.
kick and squall I believe after the la
test and most approved style of little
strangers-may their lungs or their
legs never grow weaker for at least
three score years hence. If anyone
has an idea there won't be good
many Of us over here by and by with
out r. r. or the aid of al, cmigrantI
society, it's simply because they amt
posted on one of the most prominent
and commendablc characteristics Of
the good folks doing business in this
section.


I'm mighty fond Of chronicling the
advent Of these new arrivals. Some |
Of them are liable to be very great
yet, there's such q wide sphere open
for practical operation between my po-
sition and the Presidency, and none Of
them are not just as apt never to bel
else as they are not apt never |
Year: 1875

THE TEMPERANCE PEOPLE MOVING IN MARY
LAND.-The Executive Committee of the Mary
land State Temperance Alliance has prepared a
memorial to the Legislature which is being dis
tributed over the State for signatures. They ask
question of Local Option to the people Of the
State, both in Baltimore city and the coun-
Year: 1875

Secretary .Ohandler emphatically contradlcts
the reports that he has made or is making re-
movas in the Interior Department for failure
to contribute to campaign funds. He says the
recent removals of clerks in the Patent Office
were made for cause, and not on account of any
personal or political considerations whatever.
Year: 1875




The sentence of Col. Valentine
Baker, cf the English army, for an
indecent assault on Miss Kate
Dickinson, in railway car, is very
crcditablc to The English society.


Col. Baker was a very brilliant
officer Of the regular army, and
commanded the 10th Hussars, the
Prince OF Wales regiment. lie is
brother to Sir Samuel Baker, the
celebrated African Explorer, and
greatly distinguished himself in the
public service, both at the Cape of
Good Ilcpe and in the Crimcan
war. lie was on very intimate
terms with and was tie friend Of
the Prince Of Wales, who used his
personal influence to keep The case
from coming te trial English
railway cars are not built like tiOsc
in America, but are dcridcd into
small apartments capable ii old,
ing some half dozen persons who
face each other front and rear
Thc doors to these apartment open
from the side Of thc car, and when
the passenger enters the conduc
tor {o:ks the door on Inn until the
end Of the journey is reached.


Miss Dickinson was travelling
alone and entered one Of these
apartments which Col. Baker was
permitted to enter at another
station. He commenced a con~
versation which she participated
in politely. Suddenly and with
ont the slightest introduc-
ton he assaulted her person in a
most indecent manner and sought
to crafty his lust at the expense Of
considerable violence on his part
and was only foiled in the attempt
by her resistance to the extent of
her physical power. There was no
means of alarming the officers Of
the train and she finally succeeded
in re~opening the window which he
had closed and in climbing to the
outside of the car, where for miles
she clung at The risk OF her life
until a station was reached.


The jury would have convicted
him of the charge of rape, but for the
instructions Of the Judge, that rape
implied all the violence he was ca
pable of, and this was negatived by
the fact that she could hardly have
escaped from the car but for his
having desisted. He was sentenced
10 one years solitary confinement
and the payment Of $4,000 fine and
the cost of the prosecution,


He will of course be cashiered
end is now disgraced and ruined
man, whose hitherto fine character
and lofty position only makes his
fall the greater.
Year: 1875

The Ohio campaign has elected some
marvellous stories among them, it is
said, a Granger told the following: "On
a certain afternoon. not very long ago, q
well busted traveller came up to the gate
Of Sam. Rutherford, driving two horses,
one of which was very poor. After talk
ing for some time and getting the better
side of Rutherford. the stranger was


asked to spend the night In the morn.


ing the poor horse was offered to Ruth


erford at great bargain and was pur-


chased. In short time, under the good


keeping of Rutherford, its appearance
was changed, and from the weak, dis
tressed looking creature, it became
sprightly, saleable animal, and was soon
sold to neighbor Smith for good round
price. Having occasion to 60 to town
frequently, this horse was driven by
Smith. But one day an acquaintance
named Black hailed him and demanded
to know where he got that horse. Of
course Smith stated the facts, and TO
his surprise the horse was claimed and
proof offered. Smith declared he had
honestly come by him. and that he had
bought him from his neighbor Ruther-
ford, to whom the parties both repaired
Rutherford related the story of the pur-
chase of the poor crippled beast and
declared he was innocent and that the
horse was worth at least double what he
WAS when bought. Black declared that
1t made no diEereAce the horse had been
stolen and he would take it away
Smith claimed OF Rutherford, and tn.
latter maintained that he had fatteneC
the horse and made him more valuable
But the owner would listen to nothin,
but claimed the fat horse as his own, al
leging that he was good horse and ha,
well paid for his keeping. Every maj
in the crowd admitted that such was tn
law, and Black was right Now" sal
the Granger, "the Congress of 1869 too
mp the bonds which were not so poor a
Blacks horse, but worth all their fac
called for, and they passed an act max
ing them payable in gold; taxing ever
poor mans house TO furnish thie golc
The result is this: poor widows hous
that cost III 900 bond in 1869 is no,
"OASi WV flAAN thC pOuu S1yGO TfbVl
GUS to 1869 the bond was worth th
house and the house worth the bono
Bat the act OF 1869, whereby Congres
stole from one class of people who hel
and owned real estate and gave to al
other class of people who held and owl
ed bonds, made this difference; and til
difference between the Congressional a


tion and the purchase of bonds thr
wrongfully and without the consent
the people changed from paper to 90


at the expense of farmers and other DR.
perry holders and the purchase of at
len horse is very little. If 1t is right
said the speaker, "to return the fatten,
stolen horse, is it not right to return Il
bonds to the condition in which th


were, and thus release the peoples Or
perty from the grasp of the rich who a
through heavy taxation getting all t


property into their hands. If the act


1869 is repealed, or ''repudiated," t


bonds will still be worth more than par
if then they are taxed as other proper
in the States they will come down to p
and still be good investments, and IN


be bought for bonus for banking.


they are they are better than gold


self" A MECHANIC
Year: 1875

The Nashville (Tenn.) Banner
evidently does attach much impor-
tance to the war Of words which is
likely to ensue between ex.Pre,ident
johnson and ex-senator BrownlOw as
result of the recent bitter letter
of the latter. 1t says:


"The truth is that neither of these
venerable East Tennesseeans are like
ly to play any very conspicuous part
in the future political affairs of Ten
nessee. One has declined into tho
lean and slippered pantaloon stage of
nonagenarianism, and can only sput.
ter like dying wick 10 socket.
This is TOO energetic and intelligent
an age to be trammeled with the
wornout nonsense of a silurian politi~
cal epoch. There is not enough
virility left in the possible combat
ants to make a wordy war interesting,
much lees exciting enough for a
political issue. Younger voices from
more vigorous and less diseased mind
and bodies will drown out the shrill
piping of querulous and gsrrulou0
old fishwoman."
Year: 1875

New Yorkers ore at last becom-
ing jealous of tho superior style of
attire worn by the Judges of the
United States Supreme Court, and
have accordingly presented before
Legislature a bill requiring the
Judges Of the State Courts to array
themselves in silk robes after the
fashion of their Washington breth-
rcn. The secret Of this movement
is possibly to be found in the fact
that New York feels the necessity of
silk robss or something else, as a
means Of elevasing the judicial digni.
ty.
Year: 1875

A bashful young man recently call.
el upon somo lady friends, and after
some time in conversation, roso to
take his leave.> Ho was bowling him.
self toward tho door, tho handle Of
which he seized with his face still to
the company, and'in another moment
was gone, and the door closed behind
him. Then to his horror, he dis
covered that he had shut him himself
up in his a china closet, while the
uncomfortable laughter of the ladies
by no means tended to restore tho
equanimity.
Year: 1875

AS my wife stood at the window
ono beautiful day Watching man
with monkey, q man came along
with q broth Of boy, who was driv-
ing o stout little donkey. TO my
wife then / spoke, in the way of a
joke, "Thers's q relation Of yours in
that carriage" To which sho re.
pliod, as tho donkey she spied, "a h:
yes a relation by marriage"
Year: 1875

They had to dig up An Iowa dead
man to get some money and promis-
sorry notes that were in the pockets
of the suit in which be was buried,
and thus is furnished tho first sub
stantial argument against cremation.
If tho corpse had been buried burn"
ed with his clothes on, the money and
notes would have been lost forever to
his sorrowing heirs.
Year: 1875

Small boats, for coast and river fish
ing, I" built up" without ribs, arc very
popular in Massachusetts bay, on ac-
count of their speed, lightness, cheap
ness, and ease of construction. They
are SO easily and quickly made that
Eastern fisherman are becoming indie
pendent of the builders, and each
man builds his own boat at his leisure.
To make one, the only materials need
ed are good clear pine, boards, each
the whole length of the intended boat,
few pounds Of small nails (galvanized),
and the material for stem, keel and
stern-post. The boards are run through
saw-mill and cut into strips about an
inch and a-half wide and out of these
the boat is built up according to work
ing models. The models are merely
patterns of wood that give the outside
of half section Of the boat. They give
the shape of the boat at every foot of
her length, and are formed from some
existing boat or drawn from a scale de-
signed by some competent boat-builder.
The keel, stern-post and stem are set up
and secured together firmly, and then
to the keel two strips are fitted horizon
tally, one on each side and having
been planed down at each end to fit the
model, holes are bored through them
and they are securely nailed to the keel.
Over each is laid another strip, and with
the plane and shave it is fitted to them
in such q way as to conform to the
shape Of the boat, and then each is
nailed down as before. In this simple
manner the work proceeds. AS the
strips are nailed one over the other,
tbev are bent to conform to the shape Of
the boat, and beveled to give the sides
the right form. So


A single days practice in fitting the
strips to the shape of the boat will en-
able good carpenter to do the work
with neatness and dispatch, and any
person skillful with plane and hammer
could in time turn boat-builder. When
the sides rise to the gunwale, a broader
and thicker strip of oak or ash is laid
over all, to act as fenderand gunwale.
During the whole process, the strips are
kept heavily painted with white lead,
and, when all is finished, we have rib
less shell, showing no nails except at
the top, and exactly conforming on the
outside and in to the model. To give
lateral strength, shorter pieces Of tho
stips are built up from the keel inside
and carefully fitted to the sides. The
seats are placed over these, and then
decks, store-room and cabin may be
added as desired. Boats made in this
way are very light and buoyant, and
being smooth on the outside, are good
sailers. In case of injury they are
easily repaired by cutting out tho trok-
en- place and inserting new strips, by
backing on the outside. In practical
use, such boats are found to be swift,
dry aud safe. They make good sea
boats, and are said to resist injury with
with ease. In sailing they demand
plenty of ballast, to compensate for
their lightness. Their cheap and easy
construction are rapidly bringing them
ieto feToV, ss tko cost is about one
third less than by the ordinary method.
Two men with the material in hand can
easily make boat 18x6in sixteen Days.
-Scribner's Worlds Work..
Year: 1875

EA facetious party went into q
village dry goods store, the other day,
and was observed to be looking about,
when the proprietor remarked to nim
that they didn't keep whisky. II
would save you great many steps II
you did," was the quick reply.
Year: 1875

We are glad to notice that many OF
our Western fairs are offering handsome


premiums for the fastest walking horses.
There is no Disgusting the fact that a
good walk is the most useful gait that a
general-pupOse horse can possess; and
and if One-half the attention were paid
to cultivate this gait, and breeding with
a view to its Transmission, that is now
given to that of training and breeding
trOtters, horses that could walk five


miles an hour would soon be rs abund-
ant as 2 80 trOtters now are. The
trouble now is that the whole country is
possessed of a mania for fast trOtters,
and rs soon as the colt is broken to halt
er, no matter whether he be thorough
bred, COnestOga, Norman, Clydesdale,
Hambletonian or Canadian, he is put to
trotting. The whole country is engaged


in training trotters, from the plOwbOy
in the field to the professional on the
track, to the utter neglect of that
more useful, everyday gait, the walk.
Even the importers of draft stations
from Europe have caught the infection,
and, instead of bringing the best walk
tioS We OulN littil VI JllCI 8itttl liOI-
ting action" 1t is time to put an end
to this nonsense; the gait for a draft
horse is pre-eminently a walk, while
nothing adds more to the ability of the
roadster to make long journey in good
time than Il walking gait that will carry
him along at the rate of five miles an
hour. The first aim, when colt is
broken to the harness. should be to ed
ucate him to a good, square, fast walk,
and after that has been done, if you can
get him TO trOt fast, so much the better


One of the most successful breeders of
trOtting horses in America has often
remarked to us that he would not keep
a horse on his place that was not a fast
walker, and that he had invariably
found that the fastest walkers made the
fastest trotters. 1t is a positive luxury
TO ride or drive a horse that can walk
off with you at the rate of five miles an
hour. 1t is such a relief to feel that
when you ease up your horse from his
swinging trOt, or lope, that you have not
come to a standstill, but that YOU are vet
making respectable progress. For our
own private use on the road, the walk
is the gait which we prize above all 9TH
ers, and any thing which promises to
increase the number Of fast walkers
shall receive our hearty encouragement.
Spirit of the Times.
Year: 1875

A little controversy regarding the
relative strength of the lion and tiger
has been sustained among certain cor
respondents to Nature. The latest
writer-Mr Haughton, of Trinity Col
lege, Dublin-declare that every per-
son well acquainted with both animals
will concede that the tiger is the strong
er. Mr. Haughton states that the
strength of the lion in the fore limbs is
only 500 per cent. of that of the tiger,
and that the strength of the hind legs is
only 65.9 per cent. of that of the tiger. Il
may add" he says, "that five men can
easily hold down lion, while it requires
nine men to control a tiger. Martial
also states that the tigers always killed
the lions in the amphitheater. The lion
is, in truth, pretentious humbug, and
owes his reputation to his imposing
name; and he will run away, like a
whipped cur, under circumstances in
which the tiger will boldly attack and
kill -
Year: 1875

The Marietta (Ga.) Journal was told
by gentleman the other day that hu-
man spittle was as deadly to poisonous
snakes as their bites were deadly to
man. He says while picking up bun
die of straw and trash under his arm,
while cleaning field, a ground rattle
snake, four feet long, crawled out from
it and fell to the ground at his feet. He
at once placed his heel upon the head of
the snake and spit in its mouth. Shortly
afterward the snake showed symptoms
of inactivity and sickness; and he pick
ed it up by its tail and carried it to the
house and showed it to his wife, telling
her he had spit in its mouth and that it
was poisoned. At the expiration of fif-
teen minutes the snake was dead. To
farther experiment, he came across a
blowing adder (snake), which elected
from its mouth yellowish liquid. He
caught it and spit in its mouth, and 1t
died. He caught another blowing, and
it refused to open its mouth. lie spit
upon a stick and rubbed the splttle
upon the adder's nose; and 1t died.
Afterward he came across black
snake, regarded as not poisonous, and
caught it and spit in its mouth. In
stead of the spittle killing the black
snake, as it did the poisonous reptiles,
it only made it stupidity sick, from
which it recovered. This conclusively
shows that poisonous snakes have as
much to fear from the spittle of man as
man has to fear from their bites.
Year: 1875

The following good advice is from an


address delivered before the Bucks


County (Pa0 Agricultural Society by


Thomas Shellcross:


Economical farming implies several
/ conditions. We must raise greater


crops per acre. 1t takes no longer to


cultivate "A good crop than a poor one
| We must have the most improved i'm
! plementS; machinery is cheaper than
labor. A man with a corn-plow can do
double the work he could do with a cul-
tivator, and do it better. a good wash
ing-machine materially lightens the
cares of the household. The sewing
machine might be a great labor-Saving
machine; but since its introduction
there are so MANY useless seams made
that the laborS of the women do not
seem to be made any lighter. re-
member once seeing a garment with
nineteen tucks.


There is no economy in purchasing
half-wOrn implements They will be
continually out of order The first wear
is always the best.


Pay as you 90. A man with cash in
his hand can always purchase to much
better advantage than he who expects
a credit. | have seen corn bring S1.1O
per buShel on a credit of nine months,
when the market price was only eighty
five cents.


The farmer must keep well posted. 1t
Is great matter of economy that he be
well supplied with papers and maga-
zines. Not only his county paper, which
tells him of affairs about home; but
also one of the great dailes, which lets
him look right out into the world. At
least one of the journals devoted to az
riculture should find access to his home
One or two hints picked mp through the
year will amply repay the cost of sub
scTiptiOn.


There is economy in giving the chill
dren good education. We know too
little of why's and wherefores connected
with our calling. We work too much
in the dark. To get the best possible
results from our land and fertilizers how
important that we should understand
their constituents and their adaptabilitv
to certain crops. As soon as by i'm
proved intellectual power man begins
to discover and apply the laws of Ma
ture vast accession is made to the
power of human productiveness. If.
this beso we see how groundlesS is the
opinion that education and science are
without practical benefit, and that phil
OsOphers and students are merely a use
less burden on the community, since it
is knowledge and its application which
has given us all the advantages which
we possess over savages.
Year: 1875

The Springfield Republican argues
that many of the ways Of American
women are vulgar, one Of its points be-
ing this: "No gentleman would care to
parade the streets in such attire that
one hand was constantly occupied in
reefing the slack of his breeches, after
the manner of holding up skirts at the
present time"
Year: 1875

l will mention some experiments
which l made in 1861. commenced in
August. On being cut after digging
them, they would turn the whitest
about the first quarter of the moon, or
soon after, and the darkest about the
time of the last quarter. Those dug for
seed the last mentiond time all rotted,
while the former saved well. They
were put into house, and were sepa-
rated by partition of straw. These
experiments were made at the request
of Mr.. c., mentioned in my former
article; but whether it was the moon
or not which made the difference, L
will leave for others to experiment
still further and to decide. My own
has been that the moon does not exert
any influence over vegetation. If not,
it may still serve as a guide to the
time when it is best to dig the potato.
From my own experiments and obser-
vations, as well as from what / can
learn by inquiries from others, think
that any one, on making proper trial,
will become convinced that the potato,
to keep well, must be dug when it has
very little sap in it: that, when it is
cut, the surface must heal over white
and dry. AT such times, also it will
be found much more palatable. The
Spanish, especially when dug in full
sap, will often, turn dark on being
cooked, when brought Immediately
from the patch, and besides it will
taste more or less bitter.