smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

A saving woman at the head of the
family is the very best savings bank es-
tablished-one receiving deposits daily and
hourly, with no costly machinery to manage
it. The idea of saving is a pleasant one,
and if the women would imbibe it at once,
they would cultivate and adhere to it, and
when they are not aware Of it, would be
laying the foundation Of security in a
storm time and shelter i'll rainy day. The
woman who sees to her own house has a
large field to work in. The best way to
make her comprehend it is to have an ac-
count kept of all current expenses. Proba-
bly, not one woman in ten has an idea how
much arc the expenditures of herself and
family When from one to two thousand
dollars are expended annually, there is a
chance to save something if the effort is
made. Let the housewife take the idea
act upon it, and she will save many dollars
perhaps hundreds where before she
thought it impossible. This is duty, yet
not a prompting of avarice, but a moral
obligation that rests upon the woman as
well as upon the man.
Year: 1875

James j. Webb, of Hamden, Conn, who
is very thorough and intelligent farmer,
being troubled with woodchucks, adopted
a novel mode of destruction, which he af-
firms is Sure cure. In the first first place
make diligent search to discover if the bur
row has more than one entrance if it has,
thoroughly close all but the principal one by
means of stone and earth. Having done
this, fill four ounce vial with powder, and
insert into the same a coil of fuse, putting
in cork to prevent its being too easily
pulled out then put the vial as FAR into
the hole as possible, and thoroughly close
the entrance earth, cut off the fuse which
has been imbcdded in the earth, with a
rrotrusion sufficient to be easily ignited,
then light the same, and after the discharge
of the powder, the woudchuok will never
be heard of more The ground may be
slightly lifted, but no injury is done but
ly means of the eoncussion aided by the
stihling effect of tho confined smoke, the
work Is accomplished
Year: 1875

A large circle of friends and acquain- tance will be palned to hear of the decease of that excellent Christian lady Miss Abby Perkins, who was so we'll known and be- loved by all class in this community. She died Feb. 9th, at the house of her niece Mrs. Jno. W. Quincy, after brief illness. One who was so we'll fitted to live, and to live as her Master taught her by his spirit and word, was fitted also to die. Her end was peaceful and happy like her life. 'In her tongue was the law of kindness" So social was her nature that even the deafness with which sLe was afflicted so many years did not serve as bar to shut her out entirely from inter- course with her fellows; but she enjoyed the company of her friends and of the young especially, and often few words were sufficient to give her kind and sym pathetic nature pleasure, and to draw out her rare conversational powers. She liv- ed in the happiness of others. The thought cannot but occur to those. who knew her. what an opening of new free dom and joy would there be to such spirit. shut in and confined here, in the other world of light, and harmony and love. Bearing patiently and unmurmur- ingly all the burdens of life, happy and childhke in her domestic and social rela- tiops, unselfsh to all extraordinary depree in her whole character, she lived to a good old age. and has been at last gathered like shock of corn fuliy ripe into the Lords garner. J.M.H.
Year: 1875

At IoRRINGFoRD, last Wednesday even- ing, while Mir. Arthur Hendey, was sleep ing ln a chair, and who is badly afflicted with the asthma, accidentally swallowed ms false teeth which lodged in his throat, where he held them, by pressing on his neck for five hours. After searching the country over for physician, Dr. Hanchett was at last found and who tried for some tune m vain to hook them from their rest ing place with piece of wire, gave the job up in fear of worse injuries. He st length fixed the wire allowed Mir. Hendey to try his own hand atss fishing them out. He was successful in the first attempt. By luck the wire took a good hold and the teeth were extracted to the great relief of Mir. Hendey's terrible suf- ferings.
Year: 1875



 The noticeable event of last week was the performance by our Dramatic Associ- ation of ''She Stoops to Conquer" The play was announced for Friday night and fair audience convened, though very many who desired to attend were prevent ed by the terrible travelling. Horses that were freshly calked could keep their feet in proper positions, but sleighs played all sorts of drunken antics and while some people proposed going directly to old Judea, they found themselves proceeding in just the contrary direction. Very many dared not make the attempt They lost good thing. Tony Lumpkin was admirably represented, and upon him rested all the burden of success. A youth from Winsted took the character, and his face perfectly expressed the jolly reckless fellow Goldsmith must have had In his mind when he wrote the play. The young ! scapegrace contriyes in the most comical manner to misdirect two gentlemen and sends them to his digniied father-in-law's mansion under the impression that they are going to an inn, outwits his designing mother, gets his cousin into one dialem- ma and out of another, and is at the same time the good and evil spirit of the two lovers, Miss Neville and MT. Hastings. Young Marlow is the destined husband of Miss Hardcastle, and is too difident to look at her when introduced, but finally makes love to her boldly enough suppos- ing her to be an inferior She carries on the deception until she ~ins his heart and thus ''Stoops to Conquer" Each char acter was we'll acted, and for ihe sake of the disappointed we hope and believe the play will be repeated.
Year: 1875

The Convention of County Representa- tives which met here, Hast week. have been considerably censured in the papers for their extreme economy in the matter of jail repairs and their extreme iberality in the matter of debenture bills, which, by the way, amounted to $40, not $500. as stated. The Statute provides that ''each member of the General Assembly shall receive three hundred dollars" The county representatives voted themselves 8 per day, and 10 cents per mile travel ing expenses. Some of the opponents of this reform" remarked that they could have found just as much warrant in our statutes for voting themselves a farm apiece, as for voting themselves a per diem and mileage. What they were en- titled to, it strikes us, was their actual expenses; but to vote themselves pay, to just such an amount as seemed best in their own eyes. certainly does not seem the correct thing. Still, they have the practice of representative meetings in oth- CT counties in justification of their action.

 The fact that the coming of our present sheriff into office cost the county about $500 year, was brought out on questions put to the commissioners, but no action was taken with regard to the matter.

 The important question of building a new jail is, in effect, postponed. The committee appointed to examine into the matter were convinced that a new jail would be needed in the near future. The plan of billing up prisoners, state-room fashion, in cots one above the other, in the narrow cells of our present jail, cannot be considered as anything more than tenn porary expedient. No system of repair could be devised that would not involve most of the expense and none of the ad- vantages of new jail. The only obiec- tions advanced to immediate action were the "hard times and the fact that the matter had not been sufficiently canvassed throughout the county and brought to the attention of the people. The excuse of poverty cannot be a very serious one. A county tax of one mill on the dollar will raise near $27, 900, about the sum requir- ed for new jail on Mir. Stark's estimate. The nert time the representatives are call
Year: 1875

He lived in Lay fatte place thirty seven yet-.s
and probably increased in wealth nearly 9 al q
lion year. The next tenant will hardly do rs
WELL The house is to let at $4,000 year and
if any Of our readers desire to take Astors place
on such terms the chance is open.


Astor is an Episcopaian in his church con-
nection, but old John Jacob was Lutheran,
which was the church Of his native land
When the family got rich they went to more
fashionable church, but the old man always
felt more at home among the Lutherans. lie
never lost his German brogue nor his German
tastes. His children were not bright. VIM
always was dull fellow and only knew enough
to hold on to land. John Jacob, his eldest son,
died an idiot, in which condition he passed six
ty years. He lost his wits (what little he had)
while boy. VIM. b. Astors family is a dull
set. They simply know how to hold on to
property.


The land Office is Lear Broadway, in Prince
street, and half dozen clerks are employed
in book keeping and collecting rent. One man
is designated to attend to the vacant houses and
keep them in order ready for tenants. VIM. b
Astor has spent his lite merely holding on tc
property and getting rich. He can remember
the time when his father kept little fur store
and was not worth $50,OOO. The estate is now
worth million for every thousand at that
time. How much does such q man feel the
pressure?
Year: 1875

A DRUMMER's RUsE.-A we'll known drummer
for Boston dry goods house, who CHANGED to
be in a Maine town where there to be d
show that night, made bet that be could pass
every one OF party of thirty who had come
over from neighboring town into the 'show"
without paying cent. The wager being ac-
cepted, the party were marshalled and pro-
ceeded to the tent, where the doorkeeper was
busily engaged taking tickets from all who
passed through the aperture in the canvass
Coming up with his crowd, the drummer rush
ed up to the ticket taker with his hands full of
cards, and said


"Just count these men as they pass in, end
ing with the man in the straw hat"


"Certanly, sir" aud the Cerberus went to
work. olive, ten, fourteen. eighteen" &C., as
they passed by him, and mingled with the
crowd, till the straw hat was reached, when be
shouted thirty one" and turned round for the
tickets. But the polite individual who had
hidden him enumerate had vanished, while the
party who was crowned with the straw hat, the
only one who was stopped before he had min
gled with and melted into the indistinguisha
lie mass Of the crowd inside, proved to be an
Innocent countryman who had legitimately
procured his admission pasteboard. The ticket
tlker couldn't leave his post, for the ingress of
regular spectators was pressing so he made the
best of it, and said nothing. He had learned a
lesson, however, that made him take tickets
first and count afterwards for the future.
Year: 1875

One of our exchanges in commenting upon
this subject, says that large cities have plenty
of palaces and novels, but very few real homes.
1t claims, and justly too, that the city is not a
good place to cultivate those social and domes
tic virtues that make people happy and life
worth living for. Everything about city is
stiff and formal as the rectangular walls of the
building. Fashion reigns with omnipotent
sway and many live with Lo higher purpose
than to worship at the shrine of this tickle god
dess. Vice holds out thousand tempting
amusements to the young, and children brought
up in the city undergo an ordeal unknown to
those who live in the quiet of the country
Many promising youth, who has happy
home and all that heart could wish in the re-
tirement of the country, is captivated by vi
sions Of city splendor, and longs to mingle in
its gddy whirl of fashion and folly. He ven-
lures into the charmed circles, where he ex-
poets to win fame and make splendid fortune,
and after battling awhile with temptation sur
renders to the influence Of vice, and becomes
either an idle loafer, drunkard or adebauchee.


If it were possible to ascertain the percent
age of those youths who leave the country to
make their fortunes in the city, the percentage
that make ship-wreck of happiness, virtue,
honor. honesty, manhood, everything in fact
that is dear, we should be astonished at the
frightful result. We do not mean to say that
no enterprising youth ever bettered his condi-
tion by exchanging the country for town but
that such cases would form the exception of
the rule. When merchants, mechanics and
professional men change from a provincial
town to a metropolis, to find wider field for
their talent or capital, there is much better
chance of success.


But, after all, there is no place so well suited
to make home, as some good neighborhood in
the rural districts. In America the word home
has higher and better significance than in the
old world. In most countries of Europe but
few cultivators Of the soil own the land which
they occupy. They may have a lease-hod,
but actually hold neither house nor land
With US matters are entirely different. The
poorest may easily acquire his eighty or one
hundred and sixty acres and live as indepen-
IDENTIFY as any European lord. Under these
circumstances of absolute ownership, there is
powerful motive, inducing us to surround our
homes with everything comfortable, con, emf
ent, or simply beautiful. By doing this. the
industrious and intelligent farmer educates bis
children in the love of whatever is useful or
beautiful, and dislike of whatever is mean,
low or vicious; and the associations that clus
ter around the old homestead will live to cheer
and bless us through the longest life.


Young man, if you have q pleasant home in
the country, little farm, and the chance of
pleasant wife and children, stay where you are,
and not risk life's happiness In the deceptive
eddies and whirIpoels Of city life.
Year: 1875

How TO GET RICH.-Several of the richest
men in this country have given in sententious
language, the secret of their worldly success
and fortune. There is no secret about it, -
said Commodore Vanderbilt; call you have to
do is to tend to your own business aud 60 ahead
except one thing" added the Commodore,
"and that is to never tell what you are going
to do till you have done it." Asa Packer re-
Gently gave his idea of the way to get rich in
this remark: Economy and safe investment
are about the best means of attaining financial
prosperity" George Law, also, who is toler-
able rich man, remarked in conversation -
There is nothing So easy as making money
when you have money TO make it with the
only thing is to see the crisis and take it at its
aood;" and when further pressed to tell the
secret of his own success, he quickly responded
Determination to work, and working" A. L.
Stewart told an anxious inquirer that he "con-
sidered honesty and truth great aids in the
gaining of fortune" To these observations we
add that OF Rothschild, the founder of the world
renowned house OF Rothschild d Co., who as
cribed his success to the following: "Never
have anything to do with an unlucky man.
Be cautious and bold. Make bargain at
once" As q preparation for success in life,
next 10 good health and sound constitution,
nothing is more valuable than the faculty of
saving. As writer of the Spectator lately
said, there is no greater blessing for people OF
moderate means than the possession of a year s
expenditures ahead, and few things are harder
to attain or rarely found John Jacob Astor
said it was easier to make a fortune after hav-
ing saved the first thousand dollars than to
amass that sum at the outset, and so year. S
income once obtained, foundation stone Of
confidence and capital, on which one may erect
one of the loftiest and most ambitious edfces.
man with years income "laid away" as
{ he Scotch say, is twice the man with double
his income and no store, not only because he is
not in debt but because he can afford to try
life in his own way, instead of the ways other
people are willing to open to out for him. be-
cause he is not afraid of an experiment, becouse,
in fact, he can use the great secret sf all sue
cess. He can wait.
Year: 1875

@s~A Missourian who attended prayer meet
ing with bis daughter felt compelled to rise up
and remark, "I want to be good and go to
heaven, but if those fellers don't stop winking
at Mary there will be a good deal of prancing
around here the fust thing they know"
Year: 1875

San Antonio (Texas) HeraId.l


Hence the only live business man in
the store, when the old lady from the
country got out Of the wagon and came
in, was the errand-boy, Johnny. He was
sharp boy, who knew everything.
Therefore, he was glad for the oppor-
tunity of SLOWING his employer what a
good clerk be was. The old lady wanted
pant.buttons. AS he did not know
where to find them he told her they were
out, but he expected cart-load from
New York every day, and asked her to
wait for day or so until they arrived.


Nov, my dear madam, said Johnny,
smiling and rubbing his hands as he had
seen the clerks do, " let me sell you a
new dress pattern; the one you have got
on looks like it wasn't built for you in
the first place"


The old lady thought the dress was
right pearty."


Well, yes, said Johnny, it is sorry
pearty; but it would look heap peartier
if you we're to set it of with one Of our
diamond cluster breastpins for thirty FIVE
cents.


The breastpin was purchased. "NOw,"
said Johnny, " do you ever comb your
hair2" The old lady began to get mad.


{" / don't mean nothing" continued
the young villain; some very respect
able people do comb their hair. We
have people in this town who have got
so in the habit of it that they take their
hair off and fasten it to chair and
comb it like blaZes every night.


And Johnny sold her a jute switch,
and a big comb that would have taken
the cockle-burs out of q mules tail.


Then Johnny inquired if any of the
family we're sickly, and hearing that the
old man was complaining, persuaded her
to buy some Grape and white gloves, to
have ready in case OF emergency.


When the proprietor returned from
dinner he found pyramid OF young wa
termelons on the counter, and a peck OF
the littlest peaches he ever saw on the
showcase. This was the kind of cash
Johnny had received for $40 worth OF
goods Johnny was in the back yard
dissecting the Notwithstanding water
melon of the lot.


The scene was painful to listen to
from the other side of the street. If
Johnny's wages were raised as high as
be was, he would be in receipt of about
$1,000 an hour. For fifteen minutes an
uplifted boot, with boy hoverlng on the
toe of it in a sitting position, was the
most attractive feature of the landscape
in that back yard.


Johnny says that while there is no
sense in all the smart boys being lawyers
and members of Congress, he, too, will
follow the example of the rest, and quit
merchandising as a means of accumu-
lating wealth, if he has got to eat his
meals off the mantel.piece for a week
after every ten.strike of bargain he
makes.
Year: 1875

stop the engines; signals Of distress
we're hoisted; the captain Of the Ferfait
ordered the crew to fling themselves into
the water, and he himself was the last
to leave his deck. The boats frsm the
rest of the squadrons so quickly reached
the spot that no lives we're lost Only
fifteen minutes elapsed from the time
the Forfait was struck till she went to
the bottom, and, as a naval officer re-
marked, the experiment, if expensive,
is conclusive with regard to the power of
the spur. The only further question to
be solved is whether the spur is not as
dangerous to friend as to foe. The ele-
phant, in ancient warfare, used to be a
powerful auxiliary unless when he fell
back on his friends; then be was as dan
gerous as unwieldy. The captain Of the
Forfait will be tried by court martial,
and, of course, all comment on the case
is for the moment out Of the question.
1t may be added that the Forlait is
named after a French admiral of the
time OF Louis XVI, a sailor not we'll
known to fame. Possibly he had no
chance of distinguishing himself.
Year: 1875

A Muritzburg Natal correspondent
of the London Times thus describes q
festive scene among tribe of the
Caffres:


Formed in a semi-circular line they
commenced their dance. Moving the
legs ia most wonderful simultaneous mo
ton, they sang over and over again, in
varying air, but in minor key to the
effect that there are enemies on both
sides. This dance and verse were COM
posed when the present chiefs father
died and his two sons disputed their
heirship. Presently they we're asked to
sing some other verse, when to new
motion and new air they sang how If
the white men had not come, we should
eat cattle the whole country over" an.
other mode of saying that they would be
conqlerors of the whole land, for OF
course the verse applies, not to their own
cattle, but to the other peoples.


During the dance various warriors
would dash out from the ranks in front
Of their companies and 90 through q
pantomime performance descriptive oil
their own bravery and how they would
dispose of an enemy in fight. If the
performer was well-known brave, he
would be greeted with the greatest ap-
plause from the whole body. When the
commander of the left company went
out they thundered their approval. In
such cases the brave danced into the
very center of the circle, but if come
young unknown man, excited beyond
discretion, came forth, little feeble ap.
plause from his own company was all be
could get, and he skunk back in the
ranks. The pautomime action Of fight.
ing was always that of stabbing with,
never of throwing, the assagai Chaka
taught them to advance in line uD to
their enemy, and not to think of fighting
till they could see the whites OF their
opponents eyes, saying it was brave
man who could look in the enemy s
eyes when each meant to kill the other


Presently the monotonous dance and
song ceased, and man chosen as the
spokesman and dressed in white tails
with splendid cranes feathers, which
added to his already grand hight, ad-
yancing into the center of the semi.
circle, commenced to recite a prose
poem, walking up and down, and some
times even running the while. This
speech or recitation was sort Of hymn
Of praise relating the deeds of the chief 8
ancestors, their descent their prowess,
and feats in war and in council. II
translated carefully, he said, it would re.
semble some Of the most beautiful songs
in Scripture-as, for example, the Song
of Deborah" Fluently as the speech
was delivered, its effect was much marred
by the constant motion during its deliv-
cry, which not only prevented all ora
torical art, but put the speaker out oi
breath. When he paused, or seemed
blown" warrior would dash out and
perform his pantomimic war dance, as
during the previous dance. If real
brave should thus come out, the singer
would point to him with his stick, but il
man with no note he would take ne
notice of him, but continue to walk up
and down.


Presently the song ended, and the
whole body ssluted the chief with loud
Bayete the royal salute.