smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875




A reporter Of the Baltimore american
thus describes one of the many processes
Of making shot in one Of the shot-towers
of that city One of the ''secrets" of the
manufacture is the mixing of the lead with
certain proportion Of a combination Of
mineral substances called "temper." The
temper is fused with the lead, and gives
the molten metal that consistency which
makes it drop, and without which the lead
would be moulded by the sieve, and would
form little pencils instead of round shot.
When Abb" shot, for instance, are TO be
made, the lead is poured into pan perfo-
rated with holes corresponding to that size.
The little pellets come pouring down in
continuous shower, and fall into tank
filled with water on the ground floor. In
their decent of two hundred feet they be-
come perfect spheres, firm and dense, aud
they are tolerably cool when they strike
the water, although the swift conclusions
make the tank foam and bubble as if the
water was boiling furiously. The shot
must fall in the water, for if they would
strike any firm substance they would be
fiattened and knocked out of shape. To
get the little pellets perfectly dry after
they have been in the "well," is the most
difficult and troublesome process of the
whole manufacture. An elevator with
small buckets (very much like those used
in -four mills) carry the shot up as fast US
they reach the bottom of the well, and de.
posits them in box go feet above the
first floor The water drips from the
buckets as they so up, and not much is
poured into the receiver above, although il
is intended to be sort of dripping ma.
chine. From this receiver the shot runs
down spout into drying pan, which
greatly resembles gigantic shoe, made Of
sheet iron. The pan rests ut an angle
which permits the wet shot to roll slowly
down to the chamber below, and the pei.
lets become perfectly dry as they pass ov Ell
tho warm sheet-iron.
Year: 1875

Dogs is healthy for children say the
old wives, aud not without some foundation
in fact. The influence Of these lively and
aifectionate playmates Of childhood is very
happy so much so that we have some
times thought that boy who has never
had a pet dog has been cheated out Of
half the enjoyment and no small part OF
the moral culture of infancy. But dogs
have bad tricks, and, unless properly train
ed, are apt to be anything but "healthyp
for children. They express their affection
in very bad way. We know that it is a
common opinion that there is something
wholesome about dogs tongue, and that
his natural habit of licking the objects of
his affection is rather to be encouraged
than repressed Nevertheless one Of the
first requirements in dog for child's
pet is that he be trained to emulate pru-
dent humanity and restrain his tongue.
1t is not healthy" whatever the old wives
may say. This, setting aside the question
Of rabies altogether. A much more com
mon affection Of dogs is a tape worm, for
whose development both men and dogs
have TO contribute. Its immature or cys-
ticercal stage is spent in the human body,
often causes great mischief; then it mi
CRATES to the dog, completesits development,
and makes provision for new crop to in.
fest humanity, forming cysts or hollow
tumors in various parts Of the body The
full grown worm is the smallest tenis
known, only about of an inch in length
The embryo is often as small as 80 Of an
inch; yet according TO Cobbold, death ha,
been caused by single individual lodged
in the brain. At late meeting Of III,
Australian Microscopical Society, Mr.
Sidney Gibbons exhibited specimens re
Gently taken from human subject, an,
said there could be no doubt that the,
were frequently implanted in children as
consequences Of allowing dogs to lick thei
hands and faces. Ii is nasty practice a
best, and pet dogs first lesson should b
to keep his tongue to himself Scientif
american.
Year: 1875

The promiscuous kissing Of children is
a pestilsut practice. We use the word
Adyisedy, and it Is mild for the occasion.
Murderous would be the proper word, did
the kissers know the mischief they do. Il
would be hard to tell how much Of the
prevalent sickness and mortality from dip
liberia is due to such want Of thought. AS
a rule, adults have the disease in 50 mild
a form that they mistake II for simple
cold; and as cold il not contagious, they
think nothing Of exposing others to their
breath, or to the greater danger of libisl
contact. Taking into consideration the
well-established fact that diptheria is us
ually If not always communicated BY the
direct transplanting Of tho malignant veg
citation which causes the disease, the fact
that there can be no more certain means
of bringing the contagion to It's favorite
soil than the act Of kissing, and the furth-
er fact that the custom Of kissing childreiis
on all occasions Is al but universal, Il Il
not surprising that, when the disease Is
once imported into community, it is very
likely to become epidemic. Il would be
absurd to charge the spread Of diptheria
entirely to the practice of chiId-kissing
There are other modes Of propagation,
though 1t is hard to conceive Of any more
directly suited to the spread Of the infec-
tion or more general in its operations. It
stands to diptheria in about the same re-
lation that promiscuous hand-shaking for
merly did to the itch, 1t were better to
avoid the practice The children win not
suffer if they go unkissed; and their friends


ought for their sake to forego the luxury


for season. A single kiss has been


known to infect family; and the most


careful may be In condition to communi-


cate the disease without knowing it. Be


ware, then, Of playing Judas, and let the


babies alone.--Scientifc American.
Year: 1875

the world boasting Of the intimacy with
US, and taking in more and more of the
the unwary by that very bait itself Andas
falsehoods founded on facts are ofall things
in creation the most impossible to destroy,
these boastings continue to be the shadow
cast across the brightness of our fair fame,
and our enemies, lifting up their eyebrows,
clinch their slander and ill-nature by the
unanswerable remark, ave need say no
more than this-they arc bosom friends Of
the Doubtfals."


There arc people whose main object in
life is this perpetual setting of traps. No
sooner do they see the faintest trace Of a
secret lying about than they lay their
snares to entrap; and in the great majori-
ty of cases they succeed. For trapping is
an art like any other, and practice makes
perfect in it as in any other. The great
art lies in the nice selection Of the bait.
What catches one person win repel anoth-
or, and there must be changes Of kind to
suit differences Of circumstances Sym
pathy goes a long way with some. A nice
friendly manner, a soft wooing voice,
knees to knees in the summer twilight !;
feet on the fender, and the easy chairs
very deep and coy, by the winter fire; "a
little Indifferent talk to lead the way; a
little pretended confidence on the trapper's
part, to smooth off the first difficulties and
warm the chill Of shyness; and the poor
victim is caught-trapped without hope Of
escape. At other times it is the bluff kind
of liberality which processes to be shocked
at nothing. My dear fellow, or "my
dear child, you can tell me anything. |
know human nature, aud am no bigot. +"
On which the silly snipe runs its head
into the moose, and learns the value Of
moral liberality professed for bait, al
its sorrowfuli leisure.


Yes, life is full of traps set everywhere
and baited with everything under heaven
Our fears and our hopes, our loves and
our hates, self-interest, sympathy, the fer
vor Of Imagination and the inAuenc,
of personalities, all are the bats ant
the traps laid for us; and perhaps no mai
or woman lives who has not at some tim,
fallen into one or more. Some of US, in
deed, seem to have been sent into thi
world chiefly as prey for traps, and to pas
our lives in the creditable fulflment o
our destiny. Even over caution supple,
bats on occasions, and sets traps for itself
so that what with blindness here and over
vigilance there, both coming to the sam,
end-what with snares lying in the bes
parts Of our nature and those backing th,
weakest--we are in pitiable condition o
danger, making wise walking about th,
most difficult to be accomplished, and com
plete avoidance of every trap the most i'm
possible Of all things human.
Year: 1875

A COLLISION IN MID-AIR.-L Land and
Water relates a very curious incident of
a collision between two wild ducks in full
fight. Whilst recently shooting on the
dykes in Norfolk, FIVE ducks were flushed
out Of shot; and while the gentleman who
was on the lookout for them was watching
their flight, in the hope that they would
pitch again, two of them were observed TO
come into violent collision, one falling to
the ground. Itwas so completely stunned
that it was picked up by the gentleman in
question, who found it to be fine mallard,
which, on examination, was discovered to
have lost one eye, it having been previous
ly destroyed by accident or disease. No
doubt the loss of this organ was the cause
Of the very singular occurrence.
Year: 1875

A story is told of poor terrier dog in
Grayfriar's churchyard, Edinburg, Scot
land, which for eight years would nightly
sleep on his masters grave. The dogs
peculiarly becoming known, kind people
supplied him with daily food, but he night
ly returned to his dead masters tomb, un.
til death relieved him from his daily vigils
Year: 1875

Lazy people die young. 1t is the
active in body and brain who live to
extreme old agc, asa rule. Its abun-
dainty proven that exercise of the
mind invigoratesits tsbodily yrcceptaclc,
even when that exercise is carried to
an apparently extreme point. The
brain. the reservoir ofnervous cne--
gy to the rest of the system, increases
in volume and vigor By use, just as
the arm OF the blacksmith or the leg
of the dancer gains in muscular de-
velopment. The.general system ben
efts by the enhanced brain-powcr,
and greater vitality and longevity is
not only quite compatible With long
life, but is actually conducive to it,
while the torpor OF idleness or the
excitement OF iitful effort are the sure
precursors OF mental and physical de-
generation. This is 4 useful doctrine
to preach, and still more useful to
practice.
Year: 1875

People have usually three epochs
in their confidence in man. In the
first, they believe him to be every
thing that is good, and they are iav-
ish with their friendship and conf
dence. In the next, they have had
experience, which has smitten down
their confidence, and then they have
to be careful not to mistrust every
one, and not to put the wors: con-
struction on everything. Later in
life they learn that the greater num-
Ser Of men have more good in them
than bad, and that, even wherethere
is cause to blame. there is more room
to pity than condemn.
Year: 1875

An Oxford street young lady got
her dress tied back so tight, the other
day, that when she went into the
street an inebriated individual
thought she was a silk umbrella, and
attempted to rise her, He immedi-
ately discovered his mistake, however
and now wears his car in a sling.
Year: 1875

Il. In any controversy IN whIch
the sufficiency Of a fence under the
provisions of this chapter shah come
in question, it shall be presumed that
the same was at the time TO which
such controversy relates, q lawful
fence and in coed condition and re-
pair, unless the contrary be proven.
Year: 1875

We are in the habit Of hearing people
say, anent any little disappointment, "Oh,
well, 1t won't do to be too happy" a
careless speech, which, however, il some
times seems, has its justification in the
curious blending Of the agreeable and
the disagreeable that prevails the world
over. DO you object to the keen cold OF
the North? Go South, and find snakes
and centipedes. Even in Rome, where
the very ruins are more glorious than the
best achievements of the rest of the
world, malaria turks in the air outside
the walls, and, within them, how doth
the little busy flea improve each shining
hour? California is less talked about now
as the land of gold than As the land OF
perfect atmosphere. The air there it is a
delight to breathe. 1t exhiliIates you.
1t is perpetual champagne which never
quite intoxicates. One enthusiastic
writer has said that the crowning misery
of life was to die in California, because
YOU must cease to breathe the air of balm





which made you long to live forever.
But think of the nuisances there which
offset this enchanting climate. Ants are
one. Frequently food can only he pre-
served by hanging upin bag, or placing
it in cupboards which stand on legs in
serted in vessels OF water. Summer
brings its plague of impalpable dust
and winter one of iathomless mud-tleas
are as busy as in Rome, and in their sea
son mosquitoes and gnats hold high car
nival. 80 the most conscientious person
who has sensitive skin, as well as SEN
sitive conscience, might, after all, seek
that intoxicating air without much dan
ger of being too happy there.
Year: 1875

The Baltimore Ec1uiaq Nacs celebrates it,
first anniversary by an enlargement and a
change from a cent to two cent paper The
Mems has been one of the most rprghtly of oul
penny exchanges, and we have no doubt that
in its enlarged field it will be enterprising to
degree commensurate with its enareeC
facilities.
Year: 1875

A true story is told Of young clerk in the
Treasury Department at Washington VINO IS
in luck, and whose good fortune was brought
about by An act of pOliteness towards an ola
Englishman and his handsome daughter.
Willie the British High Joint Commission
was in session in Washington years ago,
London merchant came over to watch claim
of his which was before the Commission. he
brought his daughter with him, and the two
had much leisure time on their hands, which
they occupied seeing the sights in the various
public buildings. One day they called at the
Treasury Department, and the clerk referred
to showed them through. He was very po-
lite, probably very much interested, and made
himself agreeable and useful to the strangers.
He engaged to show them something or pilot
them somewhere else the next day, AMI the
next, and the old man and his daughter gladly
accepted these repeated offers OF kindness.
Of course the parties became we'll acquainted,
and it is not surprising that there should nave
grown up mutual liking. The young man
was a welcome visitor at the apartments OF
the English stranger between whiles.
At lepgtl. the merchant finished mis- busi-
ness in Washington and be and his daughter
turned their faces homeward across the sea,
leaving at least one warm personal friend IN
America Some months since the young
clerk resigned his position in the department
and left Washington for no one knew where:
The other day be returned with wife, and
has been warmly welcomed by his old friends.
The rest of the story is very simple and ma
tural. He corresponded with his English
friends after they left, and especially with
the young lady. One day he received letter
stating that her father had died leaving he1
| all his fortune, and also leaving her very
lonely and heartbroken. The young mans
sympathies were aroused. 1t was his plain
and try to amend her fractured heart. He
took the chances, left his situation, went te
London and was soon at her side Ina few


months the couple were married, and the


wife the poor young clerk brought back t


Washington was the pretty English. girl ( {


whom he was polite some years before. l


always pays-politeness!
Year: 1875

w. w. Brooks gives the Salem Record his
recipe for curing scab in sheep. He says ::
''As soon as l sbeared them l took box of
tobacco, weighing 20 pounds, and boiled it in
water enough to dip them all over except the
head. used box to dip in that l scaldcd
hogs in. had some boards laid with one
end on the box and the other raised SO as to
run the amber back into the box, then let two
men take hold of the sheep, one at the fore
legs and one at the hind legs, and dip them in
and lay them on the boards and then drain 80
as to save the amber. Dip lambs and ALL
One dip is enough"
Year: 1875

LET him that thinketh he standcth take
heed lest he fall; that is, assuming that equal
support is necessary to maintain the equil!-
brium. The american Journal Of the Medi-
cal Sciences for April gives the result of a
physicians inquiry concerning human legs.
He was both puzzled and amazed by the way
the heel will cut the edge of one pantaloon
and wear it out before the other is at all
affected. Accordingly he instituted scientific
research and measured fifty-four different
people. OF these only six had both legsof
the same length. With the rest, the differ
encc ranged from one-eighth to seven-eighths
OF an inch. There is no rule in the matter,
and one leg is as likely as the other to be the
longer. lie found twenty-three right legs
the longer, and twenty-five left ones. De-
monstrations like these not only suggest the
general human tendency to onesidedness, but
offer to tailors an excellent hint that clothes
would wear longer made up according to
actual measurement than when cut with the
exactness of the latest plates of fashion.
Year: 1875

An old resident of Vermont writes:


~ was born and brought up in log
house with stone chimney, and well
remember the mode of Keeping the
fire over night, or going half mile to
a neighbors for coal in the morn
ing. Many is the meal that | have
eaten from wooden bowl OF bean
porridge or milk and roasted potatoes.
/ we'll remember the mode of dress in
olden times, when men wore home
made cloth both summer and winter.
In summer they wore what was cal
led tow cloth, made from flax raised on
the farm, and in winter what they
called frocking, made of wool, blue
and white striped. The women, too
wore cloth of their own making.
They carded and spun the wool and
flax. have now in my possession a
pair of old hand-cards, such as they
used in those days. l have by me two
old wooden calico stamps that were
my great -grandmother's that she
used to stamp calico with in old times
I can well remember my old cow-hide
shoe and the knit leggins, with strings
to tie them down. / remember the
times when they rode on horseback;
my grandmother had one of the old
fashioned billions to ride behind on;
the stirrup was piece of wood with q
leather strap attached to it. Iremem-
ber the first wagon that came into
town. / have pair of the old snow
shoes, and have walked many miles
on them, and think / could walk on
them now although l have not been
on them for several years. ! we'll re-
member when man by the name of
Levi Crosby used TO ride once week
from Somerset to Brattleboro' horse
back, for the newspapers, and scatter
them at every mans door on the way
and over the back towns. But these
times are all in the past, and those that
took an active part in them are mostly
in their graves, where l must soon be
myself; yet when I think over those
times it seemsto bring new life into
my thoughts for the time being.'
Year: 1875

DE 1T RESOLVED, BY THE COMMON
ID Council of the City of Los Angeles as fol-
lows:


SECTION l. That the assessments hereinaf-
ter set forth are hereby declared to be the as
sessments properly chargeable to and collect
able from the several owners of the properly
respectively hereinafter described for and on
the grading and improving of Temple street
from its intersection with spring street to its
intersection with Fort street; and that the
several valuations of the respective pieces of
real estate assessable for improving intersec.
tions Of streets are the true valuations of such
several pieces of property, irrespective of the
improvements thereon.


SEC. g The Clerk of the Common Council
is hereby directed to enter statement of this
assessment in the Docket of City Liens, ac-
cording to law and give notice of the levy of
said assessments by publication of the same
for ten days in English in the Los Angeles
Daily HERALD and for ten days In Spanish in
La CF0llicd.


SEC. 8. The following is the list of the as
sessments hereinbefore referred to; that is to
say:


Assessment levied along the line of Temple


street, between Spring and Fort streets,


including the crossing of Fort STREET to


cover the expense of grading, gravelipg,


and curbing of sidewalks, as well as OF


planking of sidewalks between Spring and


New High streets.


North Side.
Year: 1875

IL il great mistake to keep the peo-
Pile in ignorance OF the financial condi-
tion Of the counties. The present mode
of publishing the reports Of the State
Auditor does not serve TO keep the peo-
pie informed Of the manner in which
the public money has been disbu:sed.
The Auditors Report is published about
a year or eighteen months after the ex-
penditures it contains are made. i'll stead
of at the close OF every Year; nor IS it
put in the hands of the masses OF the
people. In fact very few ever se4 it ami
a still less humber read or examinc il.
Hence the people OF each county are in
almost total ignorance OF the condition
Of their local affairs. The facts which
the Auditors Report contains are gath
cred from the records ia the Office of the
Clerk Of the Peace in each county, and
they should be published broadcast in
les Of the Auditors Report, long .uter
the transactions the figures covel are
forgotten. We doubt if the cost would
he any more, while the advantage would
be felt in the nowledge that would be
communicated in reference to the To-
cal expenditures Of the counties. Now
the taxes are collected and expended;
and that is about all the ta6ables are
permitted TO know about it. The people
iii each hundred are totally ignorant Of
how much money they contribute to the
maintenance of the State or county or
where or how it is expended. This
knowledge they are entitled to and as
the facts are published and the publica-
tion paid for they might us well he pub
Gshed annually and in way that would
bring them before the people. This
would result in economy besides letting
the people know where their money goes,
All the facts that are furnished to the
State Auditor ought to be published in
the county by the county treasurer or
the Clerk of the Peace. These facts
should sf ow where the money was col
lected. where it was expended, and what
it was expended for. 1t is too often the
case that incompetent men get into office
and the small labor Of compiling state
ment is Stunned. When there is an i'm
porative duty imposed by law to make
fair annual statement, there is also an
additional guard against fraud.
Year: 1875

The N. Y. San says IAN the signs
all the precedents, all the anologies oil
political history point to the total
overthrow of the Republican party in
the election Of next year. The most
significant evidence of its approaching
destruction is the hardihood with
which its leaders in Congress have set
at defiance the admonitions of the last
Autumn"
Year: 1875

The S0ulh-bound passenger train
on the Virginia Midland Railroad
due here at o'clock yesterday MORN
ing, did not arrive here till nearly 3
O. clock in the afternoon, owing to al
accident which befell the train near
Rapidan Station in Cu!pel per county.
" hen the train had passed one mile
this side of that station, the boiler OF
the engine suddenly exploded, killing
Thomas Murtaugh, the engineer, and
seriously yet not dangerously wound
ding the fireman, Fleming POnton.


The explosion brought the train to
a sudden halt and said to have been
so violent as to split the rails and
reed the crossties, and the sound
resembled shat Of a cannon.


The body of the engineer was
thrown to a considerable distance
from the track, and his head vas cut
open bya piece of the fylng iron.
Fortunately no other persons we're in
jured.


An engine was sent from Alexan-
dria which brought the train to this
place, The remains of the engineer
we're conveyed to bis home in Alex
andria


The deceased is said to have been
a popular and efficient officer, and
most excellent and deserving young
man.


Mr.. Ponton, ,he fireman is reported
10 be in a favorable condition. and
his speedy recovery is confidently
anticipated.


The damage done the engine, while
considers bic. does not render it use
iess;-LynclJ'uy Republican,