smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

Scraping the dead bark from
orchard trees will add much to
their good appearance, and in
duce a healthy growth the COM
ing summer. A small triangular
plate of steel attached to a
handle two or three feet long
is the best implement. Any
village blacksmith can easily
make one which will answer
quite as we'll as those sold at
the stores. Trees from which
branches have been broken off
by storms or ice should have
the wound cut smooth, and a
coat Of shellac varnish or melt
ed grating wax applied to
their surfaces, to prevent de-
cay from moisture. Ifnew or
chards are to be planted the
trees should be obtained as
soon as possible. Due regard
ofcourse must be had in the
selection of varieties, usipg only
those that are known to be good
and abundant bearers. Select
also with reference to having a
succession from earliest to latest
if intended for family use.-Ag-
ricNLtaa3st.
Year: 1873

The President has signed a
bill to encourage the growth Of
timber on the Western Prairies.
1t provides that any person
who shall plant and protect,
and keep in a healthy growing
condition for ten years, forty
acres of timber trees thereon,
not being more than twelve
feet apart each way, on any
quarter section of any public
lands of the United States,
shall be entitled to a patent for
the whole of said quarter section
at the end of the ten years, on
making proof ofthe fact by not
less than two creditable wit
nesses. The bill further pro-
vides that each and every per-
son who under the pre-emptiOn
and homestead law laws, having
a homestead, and who at the
end of the third year of his or
her residence thereon shall have
had under cultivation an acre
of timber trees thereon, not
more than twelve feet apart
each way, and in good and
thrifty condition, for each and
every one hundred and sixty
acras of homestead shall on the
proof of two creditable witness
ses receive a patent for the said
homestead, and that none of
the lands shall become liable
for the satisfaction Of any debt
or debts contracted before.


One of the best charities of
New York is an association for
improving the condition Of the
poor. Solicitors of charity are
examined, and the deserving
| n


relieved. Last year it reliev-
ed over 5000 families and
about $4,000 individuals, at a
cost of nearly $4,000.


The Independent has a dubi-
GUS story about a congregation
al minister in Norwich, VT,
who was obliged to resign be-
cause he had played at blind
mans buff. The question al
issue was: "Did Mr.. So and s.
commit o sin or an indiscretionY
Year: 1873

1t is a great and glorious
work, worthy of a long life of
care and toll, to be able to
erect a guide-post on the high
way of time, that shall direct
and turn the feet of but one be-
wildered, sinful traveller, into
tbe narrow path that leads to
heaven.


A petition is being gotten up
by the ladies of Glasgow, ask
ing Mr.. Gladstone to revive the
old law of the reign Of Queen
Margaret of Scotland, which
gave any maiden lady of high
or low degree, the liberty to
choose for a husband the man
on whom she has set her fancy
Year: 1873

1t is said of men that they can not quit
drinking; they can not stop if they try;
they have tried and found it impossible.
There is both truth and falsehood in this
statement. They can quit, and they can
not quit. Men are influenced by motives,
and when a strong motive is brought to
bear, through one or more faculties, other
faculties yield submission, and are held
at bay for months and years, or for life.
If these strong motives are removed, the
disobedient, eager faculties rush in for
their qualification. There are many peo-
pie accustomed to the use of alcoholic
liquors of whom it is believed and said
that they try hard, promise reform, re-


pent, weep and pray, yet about so often
the yearning for liquor is SO strong that
they can not possibly resist it, and they
would go through fire or water to get it.
We know some such cases-men of re-
spectabilty, influence, and wealth, who
think they must have it. They can re-
frain from using it a week or month;
but the periodical fever comes on and
they yield, jeopardizing their business,
horrifying their friends, wasting their
property, and disgracing themselves
anew. When the paroxysm is over, and
the spree ended, they are sorry, ashamed,
repentant, sad and unhappy, and
for the time being they think
that they will never touch it again. But
should man of this stamp lose his wife,
whose life he had embittered by his in
temperance, in process of time he may
begin to think OF marrying again, and
then he will clean himself, and become so
Der as a clock; for even two years not touch
ing drop, and then, thinking himself en-
tirely free from the dominion of the hab-
it. talks bravely and nobly. and demeans
himself like thoroughly reformed man.


In one short month after his marriage
his second wife awakes to the horrid fact
that her husband is drunkard. For
ten years he pursues his old habits. and
the broken hearted woman, like her pre-
decessor, finds rest in the grave. In
process of time the same noble reforma-
alton may be gone through with, with
all apparant sincerity and radical thor
oughness. And he may be lucky enough
TO End another wife, and then again he
Year: 1873

A HANDSOMELY FURNISHED ROOM OR SUIT
"a for gentleman and wife Board for lady only,
with young widow lady, living alone, Thirty
eighth street and Broadway Address Mrs. DISCRE-
TION. box 142 Herald Uptown Branch Office.
Year: 1873

A portly gentleman crowded himself into
seat in horsecar, next to young man who
remarked, "You wouldn't be so anxious to
have that seat if you knew that had just
gotten over the smallpox" That's nothing
was the reply ''this is the first time that I
have been out since having it myself" The
young man started for the font platform.
Year: 1873

A La Crosse man who committed suicide
wrote note..to his wife, which said: .Tm
going to country where red-headed women
are never seen." She was so mad she would
not attend the funeral.
Year: 1873

TheJ found man in the San Francisco
City prison the other day who wanted to get
out. Both the officers and the inmates were
unanimous in sympathizilg with that lauda-
Bile desire when they found he had the small
nov
Year: 1873

They say that the chief astronomer at
the Washington Observatory was dread.
fully sold few days ago. Awicked boy


whose Sunday School experience seems on.
ly to have made him more deprayed


caught freely and stuck it, with the aid
OF some mucitige, in the centre Of the larp-
est lens in the telescope. That night,
when the astronomer went to work, he
perceived blaze of light apparently in
the heavens, and what amazed him more
was that it would give couple of spurts
and then die out, only to burst forth again
in second or two. He examined il care
fully for few moments, and then began
to do sums to discover where in the beay-
ems that extraordinary star was placed


He thought he found the locality, and the
next morning he autographed all over the
universe that he had discovered new and
remarkable star of the third magnitude of
Orion. In a day or two all the astrono-
mers in Europe and America were study
ing Orion, and they gazed at il for hours,
until they were mad, and then they began
to telegraph to the man in Washington to
know what he meant. The discoyerer
took another look and found that the new
star had moved about eighteen billion miles
in twenty-four hours, and upon examining
1t closely he was alarmed to perceive that
It had legs J When he went on the dome.
the next morning, to polish up the glass,
he found the lightning bug. The bills for
telegraphic dispatches amounted to twen-
ty-six hundred dollars, and now the as
tronomer wants to find that boy. He
wishes to consult with him about some
thing. g
Year: 1873

"but if we hold together we shall not be
washed away"


On looking to the shore they saw great
many people clustering together on the
nearest point; faint sound of cheers was
heard, and they could see hats and hand
kerchiefs waved to them.


The tide has turned, said the girl
"and they are shouting to cheers US.


She was right; in five minutes the place
was dry.


They had some hours to wait before they
could venture on the sand; it was quite
dark before they reached the beach but
at length, guided by the lights on shore,
they gained their own home in safety, not
unmindful of Him who says to the proud
waves, Hitherto shalt thou come, and no
further, and here shall thy proud waves be
stayed" The friends handsomely reward
ed the little fisher girl for her bravery.
Year: 1873

late an incident which you suppose new
and affecting, your friend listens without
emotion. When you have done he OBJ
serves that he has heard the same long
ago, and adds very material circum-
stance which you omitted. He is never
taken by surprise, and it is impossible to
give him any information. And yet he
never takes the lead in conversation. nor
advances an original thought. 1t is his
business to come after. and pick up the
words which Others let slip in a running
talk, or to check their impetuOsity, that
he may point out to them their missteps.
Had he lived in the days of solomon. be
wOuld'have tiattered the royal sage with
an intimatiOn that some of his proverbs
were but plagiarisms; or. had he been
contemporary of Solomon's father, would
bave felt himself bound to give the slayer
Of GOlia!l some lessons on the use of the
sling, and hinted to the sweet singer of
Israel his private opinion that the shep-
herd bard did not perfectly understand
the use of the harp. .-Erchange.
Year: 1873

ALMOST every circle is blessed with the


egotist. who exercises kind of dictator


ship over 1t. Are you in mistake as to a
matter of fact? He cannot suff.r you to
proceed until you are corrected. Have
sives M 'e EXAMPLES like a pedsgosue. Does
he discover that there is Iins wanting in
the chain of your argument? He bids
YOU stay till he has supplied it. Do you
crop a word TO which he has devoted
much research? He asks you whether
you know Its primitive Specification, and
straightwsy intlicts upon the circle long
pathological disquisitlon. When you re
Year: 1873



 Having very satisfactory wester1 mail by which the mass of our eastern matter comes to hand in from eighteen

 to twenty days. we have little care for the mails directly eastward; al- though the interruption of the latter causes much inconvenience to many of our citizens. Yesterday a very large through mail via Santa Fe reached Tucson. It contained letters and papers covering the time from January to February 5, and perhaps later. When this mail is carried as it should be, it carries to and brings matter from the eastern States in from four to six days less time than the one by San Diego and San Francisco Our exchanges from Colorado and parts of New Mexico, for two months past, got here yesterday. The av- craze expressions of them are very much against the Southern Overland Mail Company between Santa Fe and the railroad. The company stopped carrying the mail because of the horse disease; yet our exchanges show that nearly if not all other stage con- panies kept up their regular trips with out delay. When the mail was first stopped between Santa Fe and Pueblo, private expresses were at once started to carry mails (letters at 25 cents each) and passengers, and according. to our exchanges did so and had no special difficulty in procuring an- imals healthy enough for the pur- pose. It is possible, but not even hlnted at by our Colorado and New Mexican exchanges, that if these pri- vate parties had been regular mail contractors, they could not have found enough robust horses or mules to have carried the mail-they might have seen epizootic in all, and might even have said sc in a most solemn manner. Possibly if we had a mail contract in section of country where the epizootic was supposed to prevail, we should not be able to see, much less hire or buy, mule or horse free of it. The very name of the thing is and to mix it with mail contract, must, in certain sections of the country, perfectly bewilder men with mail contracts-to such an eX- tent that nothing will restore them to their former condition but peremp- tory prescription by the Postmaster General-at least this remedy is pro- nounced by the Colorado and New Mexican papers to have been recently applied with marvellous success and, the large through mail yesterday, makes us suspect the effectiveness of the cure.

 However, it is with pleasure we state that J. E. Bennett & Co.,, who carry the mali between Santa Fe and Tucson nave not been seriously at tackled by the epizootic influence. AL most every mail-three times a-week brought us evidence that they were doing their duty by considerab able extra exertion, and the average of our New Mexican exchanges award this con- pany much praise for their fidelity to the public. The Borderer of last Saturday has this upon the subject:

 The stage stock here are all sick, and MT. Cosgrove reports it all along the line west. Some of the horses here are in bad condition, yet it is hoped all can be saved. It is exceed ingly difficult to procure stock with which to start the Santa Fe coach on Monday.

 McCOrmick's Practical Work.

 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

 WASHINGTON. D. c. January 27, 1873.

 McG0 niol- oe
Year: 1873

THE HABIT OF RTADING.-''I have no time
to read, is the common complaint. and es-
pecially Of women, whose occupations are
such as to prevent continuous book perusal.
They seem to think, because they cannot
devote as much attention to books as they
are compelled to devote to their avOcations,
that they cannot read anything 1t isn't
the books we finish at sitting which always
do US the most good. Those we devour in
the odd moments half dozen pages at a
time, often give us more satisfaction. and are
more thoroughly digested fhan those We
make a particular effort to read. The men
who have made their mark in the world have
generally been the men who have in boyhood
formed the habit of reading at every avail
able moment, whether for five minutes or
five hours.


1t is the habit of reading rather than the
time at our command that helps US on the
road to learning. Many of the most cult
waited persons, whose names have been ia
nous as students, have given only two Or
three hours day to their books. If we
make use of spare minutes in the midst of
our work, and read little, if but page or
a paragraph, we shall find our brains quick
ened and our toll lightened by Just so much
increased satisfaction as the book give us.


Nothing helps along the monotonous daily
round so much as fresh and striking thoughts,
to be considered while our hands are busy.
A new idea from a new volume is like oil
which reduces the friction of the machinery
of life What we remember from brief
glimpses into book often serves as a stimu-
lus to action, and becomes one of the most
precious deposits in the treasury of our re-
collection. All knowledge is made up of
small parts, which would seem insignificant
in themselves, but which, taken together,
are valuable weapons for the mind and sub
stantial armour for the soul. "Read any,
thing continuously" says DIR. johnson,
Sand you will be | arned.' The odd min
utes which We are inclined to waste, if care
fully ayailed of for instruction, will. in the
long run, make golden hours and golden
days that we shall be ever thankful for
Scribner's Magazine.
Year: 1873

They seem to have very careless ways of
conducting Court in Cambridge, Mass. The
case of liquor seller was recently called in
the Superior Court, and as the District At
torney said that the prisoner had virtually
admitted his guilt, and as no one appeared
for him, sentence was pronounced. At the
time man was standing near the dock who
was supposed to be the liquor seller. Soon
afterward it was found that he had no con-
nection with the case, and that the liquor
seller had not been in Court at all The
Judge. of course, ordered the sentence to be
erased.


One night last week Louisville gentle
man. who had retired to rest after light
supper of soft-crabs and cucumbers, awoke
in the night with certain pains which excit-
ed his fears of an attack of cholera No
time was to be lost in warding off the fell
DESTROYER. He sprang from his spring mat
tress. and seizing bottle of camphor, took
A swallow and then vigorously rubbed the
afflicted portion of his person with the res
torative, continuing the application after he
had returned to bed. He experienced prompt
relief. but. as his fright left him, it occurred
to him that his camphor had lost its custo-
mary oder. Again he rose, and this time
turned On the gas \ single glance at his
night-shirt told the tale. Instead of cam
nhor he had used a bottle of superior writ
ing fluid. Another discovery of the virtues
of ink was made at Washin. ton during the
recent heavy thunder storm. An elderly
l. DIV. deyout Catholic. became so alarmed
at the severity of the electric discharges
that she closed the windows and curtains of
her bedroom. and having made the room as
dark as possible, procured from the cupboard
a bottle of holy water, with which IN one
b,,nd and PRAYER beads in the other, she
sp,-inkled the room thoroughly. As was to
be expected the storm soon ceased, and with
n fe, ling Of relief the curtains were raised 8,
tine : hutters were thrown open, and the good
lady discovered the carpet, and furnieure,
and counterpane. and walls sprinkled with
violent ink of delicate hue. Every effort
was ma de to remove the spots and prevent
the Joke from leaking out, but in yain-the
nrinter heard of it, and the good old lady is
now visiting friend in the country.


Two Young men, one of them from Gin
cinnati' went out in a boat below the lower
falls of the Genesee at Rochester the other
dav. and concluded to take bath. The
Rochester Union tells the story of their ad-
ventures thus:


Selecting point where the water was
w,,nty or thirty feet deep, they undressed
in III boat The first one sterpee upon the
edce # the boat and plunged in. The beat
timed. throwing out his companion and the
clothing of both. They made grab fol-
their ciot hing. but only one vest was secur-
ed. and in the pocket of that was valuable
gold watch and roll of bills. The watch
was good | 'ut all of the money with the ex-
cention Of I, vo dollars was lost The CLOTH
inc sank to the bottom, boots and all. A
man who was trolling in the vicinity was
hired by the wo unfortunates to fish fol
their clothing. but he succeeded in bringing
up OF " the pan falcons of each. The efiort
to rec over the ] est was finally abandoned
Year: 1873

The ENvIRoNs OF RICHMOND.-Richmond


the great Confederate city," no longer the
seat of national government" or the bone
of contention between two immense armies,
is quietly enjoying the reposes and blessings
of peace, and is devoting her energies and
aims to industries and commerce, and thus
has become the most prosperous city in the
south Atlantic States. You do not find
here that dashing enterprise and stirring life
that is characteristic of Western cities, but
there is a steady progress and air Of thrift
that is quite encouraging. Petersburg, Ere
dericksburg and Norfolk look dead, though
not so really, but here numerous houses go
ing up, the crowded streets and the hum of
human voices, and the whistle of steam en-
gines from a hundred manufactures indicate
that there are business activity, increasing
wealth and fast returning prosperity. The
situation is a delightful one, commanding
fine views of the river winding down to the
sea, of green fields, of beautiful hills, each
with history of his own, and landscape
generally that is especially inviting and at
tractive, because the season has been exceed
ingly propitious, and nature smiles her bland
est iu this splendid climate. One can have
pointed out to him numberless places and
things that acquired celebrity during the
late great struggle. From the Capitol win
dows line of breastworks on the Chester
field side of the river may be seen, newly
oyergrown with grass; far off in the distance
southwardly, the faintest outlines of Fort
Darling and Drury's Bluff may be described ;
at the eastern end of the city on an elevated
hill called Chimborazo, where was located
the great army hospitals, capable of accom-
modating fifteen thousand wounded, are now
Year: 1873

Too Much Cool - One of our citizens
called at an apothecary store yesterday and
drank glass of soda, remarking that the
soda was rather warm. The clerk didn't
see how that could be as the tank was full
Of ice, yet at the earnest desire of the Gus
toner the clerk procured considerable
quantity Of salt which he placed in the tank.
OF course the fluid was soon CONCEALED, and
when the clerk attempted to draw glass
for the next customer the machine wouldn't
work. The perpetrator of the joke stood at
a safe distance and saw the fun. That clerk
says he wants to live long enough to sell
that salt cus(s) toner one more drink, and
he will give him suth'n that will freeze
his 90 innards " into a cake of ice.-Hdrer-
L,1 B,fllefin
Year: 1873

There is, to our personal knowledge. a
bank president in New York who was con-
templating a trip to Europe during the
summer. bat who found that this would de-
priye the clerks Of their usual vacation.
lie generously remains at his post, taking
the place Of each one in turn as he goes for
a period OF recreation.-C ChristiGn Weekly.
Year: 1873

The skill of old Kentucky hunters is
a matter of history, and the pithy say
ings of these men have passed into
proverbs. The shotgun was unknown
in frontier life, or, if known, looked
upon with contempt. The bear, the
deer, and the wild turkey were the game
the old hunters went in quest of ; but,
when they could not be found, the rifle
was sighted at the squirrel. and the ball
sent whizzing through the head. To
hit the squirrel in any other place than
the head was the sign of a poor marks
man, and poor marksman was held at
a great discount by the hardy pioneers.
But times have greatly changed. The
old hunters are fast being gathered in
the fold of death, and a new race of
shooters have come upon the carpet
The larger game has disappeared before
the advanced tide of civilization, so
that a rife is of very little practical
value now. Birds, which cleave the
air on rapid wing, are the things that
excite the enthusiasm of the sports
man, and in order to cut them down in
sportsmanlike way the shotgun is
called into requisition. Notwithstand-
ing the times have altered so much, it
is pleasant to drift through the reminis-
eenees of pioneer life, and to recall the
glorious reign of the rifle.


One of the most celebrated shots OF
Kentucky is DIR. @. Graham. His aim
was next to infallible, and in his younger
days he killed as effectively at loup
range as at short range. The Louis
vile COaUieF-.JOur7ldl tells that he css.s1s
ring the bell or take the bulls aya 8
every shot distance of 200 yards
while turkey stood little CHARGE o
retaining life if he drew a bead on it 5
400 yards. For half a century the dee
tor used a favorite rifle of prinitiv.
make which he christened B1uelIer
The gun was always kept in the vers
best condition, and he loved it as fondi.
as he could have loved n child The
barrel was thirty-three inches long, ans
the bore nine sixteenths of an inch
carrying thirty-two balls to the pound


The doctor is now an old man, and h'
has bequeathed his rifle TO posterity
He has placed it in the museam a
Louisville, and it hangs side by sid,
with the rifle that proved such terror
to the Indians in the hands Of Danie
Boone. It is well to treasure up these
relics of frontier life, for they are {
part of the history of the State tha
once was looked upon by the civilized
world as ' the dark and bloody ground.