smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

The often quoted bon mot, "good Americans
when they die so to-Pars," would appear, in
its hint of Paradisacal delights there, to apply
chiefly to the sterner sex; for the other, the
state of things in the modern Lutetia cannot
be 80 entirely blissul. There ia scarcely letter
writer from Paris who does not take it upon him
or herself to comment severely upon the man
ners of our youthful countrywomen when vsi-
ting that city; who does not hint at indecorum
and bold self. assertion on the part of American
& iris and devoutly wish that they would learn to
initiate the modestly retiring manners of their
Parisan sisters. 1t is comfort when these
general criticisms proceed to specific charges,
for then we learn that the offences charged up
on maidens are by no means 80 grave az might
be feared from the proceeding comments. One
letter writer tells of a young lady who
went out boating with a French gen.
tleman with whom she WAS well
acquainted unaccompanied by her mamma
thereby exposing herself to severe misconstruc-
tions Another deprecates the conduct of two
girls who, without an escort, ventured to enter
crowded cafe aud order ice-cream. In this
case the chiyalrous proprietor declined to serve
them, and they were obliged to leave in much
conIusloni warning abalnbt siIniihI inuocoruuis.


This kind Of anecdote arouses in the average
American mind, not indignation against our Of
Tending countrywomen, but disgust and con
t,mpt for the state of society where innocent in
dependence is accounted brazen boldness, and
where prudery is your only assurance of purity
1t is certainly not comfortable for pure-minded
American girls to be exposed to such miscon-
structions as those alluded to, and it would per-
haps be for their own advantage to conform to
French manners while living among the French;
but let not foreign-bred censors inculcate
their adoption at home as intrinscally desirable.
Some reforms in the tone Of American society
may be wished for but errors of license are not
to be cured by the loss of liberty, but by learn
ing to properly use it.


Long may it be before American men learn to
believe that an unprotected woman is one whom
they are not bound to respect. 1t is now our
glory that the contrary is the case. Tho lonely
lady of Moore's ballad, whose


"Maiden smile


In safety lighted her round the green ise


is a more fitting type for our maidens than the
demurest Of carefully guarded Parisiennes.
Year: 1875

1t is not pleasant reflection in the general
summing up of the year to know that Whining
ton is behind many of her sister cities in the ex
tent OF her building operations. Yet such seems
to be the case. Reading has built more houses
in few months than Wilmington in the entire
year, and even Chester has surpassed us in the
number of its new buildings. 1t is some conso-
ation to know, however, that the decrease in
Wilmington is only temporary and the result
wholly of the depression-that during the pre-
ceiling three years the growth of the city was
uniform and rapid-and that there is every pros
pect that when business revives the growth OF
the city will be pushed more rapidly. The same
causes which produced steady growth in ante
panic days will do so again, and we have every
confidence in our business mon to believe that
no effort will be spared to promote that end.
Year: 1875

The commission of French scholars
appointed by the Prefect OF the Seine to
report upon lightning-conductor and the
method of constructing them recommend
the use of copper terminal points instead
of platinum.
Year: 1875

The jury in the recent trial of the Bow
en- libel suit against the Brooklyn Eagle
found verdict for the plaintiff, and fixed
the damages at $1,000. The other cases
of libel are to be tried next term.
Year: 1875

THE recent threatened bread riots in
Montreal were averted for the time being
by the employment of between 1000 and
1000 laborers to work on city improve
ments at the rate of seven cents an hour
Year: 1875

In the speech of Senator Thurman. de


livered recently. We find the following
admirably expressed sentiment, to which
all must subscribe: There cal be no pro.
duction Of wealth in a country except by
labor. This is a principle that every poll


tical economist recognizes. 1t is the fun.
damen,al principle Of political economy.
A dozen men in this beautiful town oi
yours may speculate with elch other the
whole year round, and some of them may
grow rich out Of their speculations and
others may become impoverished, but
they do not add one single dollar TO the
wealth Of the country. A man may he a
great capitalist and live ON the interes,
he draws from his capital, and
he may grow rich Cay by day, but he adds
not one cent to the wealth Of the country
No, my friends, he does not teActit the
cssatry half 10 much IS she POOR boy Inat
follows his fathers plow and drops grams
of corn IN the furrow, for those grains Of
corn will spring up aad become lofty
stalks AID bear their yellow fruit, % III
wealth OF the country; and therefore i,
may be said that nll the wealth Of the
country comes from labor, the laboring
man is fairly entitled 10 have q voice in
The government for which he labors.
Year: 1875

Keep it from unkindness. Words are
sometimes wounds. Not very deep
wounds always, and yet they irritate.-
Speech is unkind sometimes when there is
no unkindncss in the heart; SO much the
worse that needless wounds are inflicted;
so much the worse that unintentionally
pain IS caused.


Keep it from falsehood. It is so easy
to give false coloring, to so make a state
nent that 1t may convey nearing differ
ent from the truth, that we need to be on
our guard. There are very many who
would shrink from telling lie, who yet
allow themselves to make such inaccurate
or exaggerated or one sided statements
that they really come under the condem-
nation of those whose Lying lips are an
to the Lord"


Keep it from s!and r. The goed repu-
tation of others should be dearto us. SIN
should not suffer to go unrebuked; but it
should be in accordance with the Scrip
ture method: go and tell him his fault
betwixt thee and him alone" And it
should be borne in mind that what is too
often considered merely harmless gossip
runs dangerously near. it it does not pass,
the confines of slandcr. A reputation is
too sacred TO make a plaything Of. even if
the intent be not malicious.
Messenger.
Year: 1875

A writer to the London Times writing
from Copenhagen, says:


"a Norwe5 5ian paper is relsting a tale OF
an almost miraculous preservation. The
captain of the schooner Amazon, of Stavan-
Ger, recently arrived at Borgen with a car
60 of salt, reports that in passing the Brit
ish Channel he had the opportunity Of saw
inc a British lad of fifteen under very pecu-
twelve geographical miles from the British
shore when the captain thought he observed
through his telescope something floating on
the water. He altered his course so as II
get nearer, and soon discovered that it was
a small boat, in which a lad was lying fast
asleep.


"The shouting from the schooner did not
awaken him, w when a log was thrown
over into the boat he awoke with a sudden
start; an end of Il line was thrown to HIM,
and he was Just able to fasten it when he
swooned and had to be carried on board the
vessel. In the boat nothing was found but
a pair of oars and Bible. The lad, when
brought back to life and strength by the
tender care shown to him, gave the follow
inc account of his fate: He was sitting on
the shore, reading his Bible, when some Of
his companions CAME down to him and teas
ed him with the manner in which he spent
his leisure time. To escape from their BAN
ter he got into boat and kept on reading,
when suddenly he discovered, to his great
dismay, that his prosecutors had cut the
line and left his frlil boat to the power of
the quick running ebb.


"He tried to use the oars, but struggled
in vain against wind and water, and, rs a
dense fog set in, he soon lost sight of land.
After several hours of alternate struggle
and powerless despair he fell asleep, and
sleep remained in fact his only comfort
against hunger, cold, and the deep pangs of
his isolation during the three days and two
nights which he had spent in his frail boat
when he was at last seen and saved I'm
happily, neither the name of the lad nor of
the place where his parents live is given,
but that will, suppose, not be difficult to
get at when the fact obtains your wide pub
licity. The name of the captain Of the Am
azon is Thompson"
Year: 1875

Instances of the aglcity Of the partridge.
woodcock, and other birds have often been
related. But themost SIN sulir illustration
of the deception practiced by the first OF
these willy species to protect their young Is
given by Mr.. Henshaw, of the Government
Survey west of the one hundredth meridian.
While riding through pine woods, a brood
of partridges, continuing the mother and
eight or ten of about week old, was come
upon so suddenly that the feet of the fore
most mule almost trod on them. The young
rose, flew few yards, and, dropping down,
were in an instant hid in the und.rbrush.
The mother meanwhile began some very
peculiar tactics. Rising up, she fell back
again to the ground as if perfectly helpless,
and initiated the actions of wounded bird
30 successfully that for q moment it was
thought she had really been trodden upon.
Several of the men, completely deceived,
attempted to catch her, but she huttered
away, keeping just out of reach of their
hands until they had been enticed ten OF
twelve yards off, when she rose and was off
like a bullet Her tactics had successfully
covered the retire vt OF her young.
Year: 1875

1t would be too long to relate all the uses
to which elephants are applied in Burmah.
Let us watch them at work among the
woodyards where the trunks of lockwood
tree, which come floating down the river, are
piled. Every working elephant is mounted
by q driver called "cornac,' whose prin-
cipal business is rather to excite the ami
NAL than to direct it. -f


In the season when the roads are cut, the
trunks come down the bar much faster
than they can be disposed of in the saw
mills, and they accumulate in vast qnanti-
ties all along the banks. 1t is necessary,
therefore, to drag the trees out of the wa
ter and arrange them in piles until such
time as they can be cut up. There are on
ly three ssrts of piles, varying with the
size Of the trees. First an elephant in the
water clears the logs from the mass and
rs,nges them one by one upon the river
bank He carefully examines the chaos of
logs and proceeds with tusks and trunk to-
thsengage the tree he has selected and
which he intends to carry to land. As
soon as the tree is placed on the bank
another elephant is harnessed to it and
drags it to the woodward, where he leaves
it. Two other elephants now come up, and
one of them takes one end Of the log upon
his trunk and drags it to the pile upon
which, in view of its size, it ought to be
placed, while his companion assists him by
pushing the log with all his might. As
soon as they reach the proper pile the first
elephant lifts the top of the log upon the
rile then he forms a kind Of ring around
the log with his trunk, while the other with
vigorous blow of his head shoots the log
INTO it's place. The intelligence displayed
by these animals is almost incredible, and
we should scarcely have believed it if we
had not seen their movements as described
above.
Year: 1875

The proposition to superseae coal by the
use of carbonic gas extracted from chalk
has been subjected to Il practical test by its
inventor, and with very satisfactory results.
Extracted and applied to anthracite, it pro
duces strong fame and heat. and at 80
slow rate of combustion that a good fire
was maintained for twenty-nine hours IN a
furnace which heats a church with only tif-
ty-six pounds of anthracite and an equal
nuantity of chalk mixed with it during that
tine During the last twenty-four hours,
moreover, the fire was untouched. Through
the aid of this remarkable property Of chalk
the Ignite known as shale may be used for
the production of an illuminating gas to an
extent which will appear incredible. Even
the coarsest clay Of this singular formation
is full of gas, and the experiments made IN
England, though imperfect, show that one
toa of this substance, together with due
proportion of chalk, will yield us large an
amount of gas as eight tons OF ordinary
coal From these tests the inventor argues
that London will be warm "a aud lighted at
fifty per cent. cheaper rate; that 'le
smoke, dust and other nuisance might be
abolished; that every good-sized country
house and every village might be lighted
with gas; and the kitchen fire, with some
slight alteration in the CRATE, might supply
the house with light, Finally, Ignite and
anthracite Lo.s would Become valuable
property, and ch.lk would be exported as
coal Is now The English papers say
that the prospect seems almost too good to
be true
Year: 1875

choir was carefully trained to do the


singing. Brother Glover was not of the


choir, and the intention was 10 rnle


him out of the vocal exercises. The


choir had carefully rehearsed 4 new
dedicatory hymn. and. everything was
ready for the interesting ceremonies.
The church was crowded, and Brother
Glover was in his place in front pew
as large as life. The new piece was
struck up, and BIO. Glover's voice rose
loud above the organ. There was
pause. The organ and choir were mute
and the latter mad. The minister look
ed at fly on the ceiling. explained
that it was new piece, which the choir
alone had practiced, and requested the
congregation not to join in the singing.
The piece was recommended, and again
Bro. Glover's big voice broke it up.
The preacher then fixed his eyes on
Brother Glover and requested him to
keep silence during the performance of
of the new piece. which he did not un-
derstand. and Brother Glover looking
st his beloved pastor with his big
round eyes, replied in a big voice :
Look a-here. Mr.. Barnhart. I paid five
hundred dollars toward repairing this
damned old gospel box, and by thun-
der, I will sing" The preacher gave it
up, and so did the choir.
Year: 1875

KEEP THE FEET WAEM.-Many of the
colds which people are said to catch
commence at the feet. To keep these
extremities warm, therefore, is to affect
an insurance against the almost inter-
minablc list of disorders which spring
out of slight cold" First, never be
tightly shod. Boots or shoes, when they
fit closely, press against the foot. and
prevent the free circulation of the blood.
When. on the contrary, they do not en-
brace the foot too tightly, the blood gets
fair play. and the spaces left between
the leather and stockings are filled with
a comfortable supply OF warm air. The
second rule is never sit in damp shoes.
1t is often imagined that unless they are
change them while the feet are at rest.
This is fallacy; for when the least
dampness is absorbed into the sole it is
attracted further to the foot itself by its
own heat. and thus perspiration is dam
gerously checked. Any person may
prove this by trying the experiment of
negleciing the rule. and his feet will
become cold and damp after few mos
ments, although taking off the shoe and
warming it. it will appear quite dry
Rural Ne,o Yorker.
Year: 1875

T A writer in an English paper
gives the following significant election
reminiscence of the olden times. He
says:-"I remember being in Newcastle
at the time of an election, and having
occasion to visit barber of the town,
naturally got into talk with the operator,
a man of some Importance and not q
little conceit on the politics of the time.
Finding him strong Tory, 1 expressed
my surprise that one who might have
been expected to be friend Of progress
inasmuch as he was Wesleyan and a
man of intelli ence, should be on the
opposite side. You wonder, he said,
do you? Well. it is natural fer you
but for ne, go both to Howick (Lord
Grey's) and Ravensworth, lord Rs>
vensworth's). At the first am the
barber, and I am made to feel my place.
At the other I am Mr.. -, walk in, sir.
take little lunch. sir! Everything is
pleasant and courteous, so always vote
Tory 1t was a miserable reason but it
gives correct notion of the spirit of
the two houses, as well as of the slender
influence which helped to decide the
fate of parties"
Year: 1875

Too Much INSANE ASYLUM. M.-Every


newspaper printed upon the Sound pub


lished the report of the Committee ap-


pointed to investigate the management


of the Insane Asylum, which reflected


severely uron the official and personal


conduct of Drs. Hemenway and WIlh-


son; the DISPATCH is the only paper


which has published the reply Of those


gentlemen in vlndication of themselves


and the Medical Association. Now


cones J. NJ. Low with a rejoinder. OF


apurely personal character. which would


fill full four columns of our daily, with-


out single suggestion which would be


of general public interest, or necessary


TO yindicate the character of Judge Low
as fair minded and well meaning geh-
tlemen, which has not been aspersed.
We are therefore constrained to decline
IN onerous burden which would be not
only gratuitous but fruitless for any
good. The personal phase of this con-
troversity should never have been al
lowed to obtrude itself into the discus
sion or consideration of the subject. -
That is tie mistake which defeated the
object intended by the Medical Asso cia'
ton in demanding the commission
The question sought to be determined


was as to modes of treatment. Mr.. |
Harmon was not put on trial for per-


sonal acts cf violence and outrage, which |
the committee seemed to think; it need


ed no commission of physician or ex-
perts to pass upon cases of assault and


battery, and it was all impertinence to
bring an array Of lawyers before ccm-
mission raised for the purpose of inves-
tigating facts solely for the purpose of
determining whether the system of brute
force and corporeal punishment was the
best for the treatment CT the Insane.
The Committee were not to blame for
not investigating other facts than those
presented to them. The Medical COM
mittee had no notice of their meeting
and no opportunity of consultation with
them, and hence the whole affair was a
failure and farce.
Year: 1875

JUDGE LEwIs.-Tha following item of
news in relation to matter in which
the people of this section have a deep
interest, is from the Portland Oyegonida,
and should be received with some grains
of allowance from the fact that the pa
per making the statement delights in
the PRONUNCIATION of personal scandal as
an evidence of its independence. We
have no information of any specific
charges against Judge Lewis, and pop
ulir cIamor against public man is not.
in majority of cases, evidence of his
dement's. A gentleman lately from
Washington told US some time since,
ahat Judge Lewis, as jurist, stood fore
most of Territorial Juuges with the De-
partment of Justice, in Washington, as
his subsequent promotion would indi.
cate:


"a petition is circulating in and
around Walla Walla. for the removal
from ofhce OF Judge Lewis. OF the Su~
preme Court of Washington Territory
upon grounds which, if they really ex-
list, are certainly sufficient, and if they
do not exist ought certainly never to be
alleged. The petitioners represent the
judge as wholly unfit morally to occupy
a position on the bench. 1t is said near
ly the entire community join in the rep
reservations and the request based upon
them. We do not refer to the matter
for the purpose Of expressing any opin-
ion as to the facts in the premises, as We
know nothing of them personally. But
it is hardly possibly for the case to
so by without investigation, the charges
being of too grave nature for that.
Year: 1875

II There's good joke on school
Professor in Paris, Ill. In the summer
he went to Chicago to attend some sort
of an educational meeting, and retiring
for the night he found that the room was
rather close, and had his room mate
get up to open the window; he found
the window but could not raise it, so
the Professor told HIM to kick a pane
out; he did so and returned to bed.
The Professor concluded that the room
was still to close to suit him, so he got
up and kicked out another pane Of
glass, and said, "fhat feels more COM
Portable" and went to bed and enjoyed
the ventilated room. On getting up in
the morning they discovered that they
had smashed the glass in the door of a
bookcase. ..- .H
Year: 1875

The following late rulings by the
postoffice department in regard to mail
matter will be found of interest to
every one engaged IN mercantile pur-
suits


When packages of merchandise or
samples of merchandise are wrapped so
as to prevent examination, or have any
writing upon them except the address,
it is the duty of the postmaster to rate
them up with letter postage, to be col
Iected on delivery. Samples may be
marked IN pencil or iEk with letters or
figures by which they are to be dis
tinguished in a descriptive letter or IN
voice leach separately without subject
ing the package to letter postage.


An address may be written on CIR
cular, but any other writing thereon
except the mere correction of a typo
graphical error, would render 1t sub
ieet to letter postage.


1t is the duty of postmaster when
Year: 1875

During the latter days of the session


of congress an old gentleman visited
Washington to arrange some matters in
relation to a patent. One day while
visiting the capitol, he made the ac-
quaintance of one of the employees, who
showed him much attention and de-
voted several hours to conducting him
through that stupendous edifice and
directing his attention to all its various
beauties and attractions. The old gen
tIeman was completely captivated by
the young man, and formed for him the
highest attachment. Congress ad-
iOurned, and the young man returned to
his home in Ohio but the old man re-
manned in the city few days and then
visited Baltimore. While there he was
taken i'll and Immediately hastened back
to Washington. Growing worse, he
resolved to make his will, and having
none but very distant and unknown
relatives, he determined to bestow his
wealth upon the young man for whom
he had formed SO great an attachment.
Desiring his presence, and having his
address, he wrote a few lines, giving
information of his health and request
ing a visit from him without delay, as
he had a gratifying surprise in store for
him.


The letter was inclosed and stamped
with postage stamp, the only one he
had, which was slightly torn in sepa-
rating it from the poeket-boOk, to which
it unfortunately adhered. An acquaint-
ance and daily visitor was employed TO
mail the letter, who called the attention
of the old gentleman to the rigid ad-
berence of the postal department to its
own rules in relation to mutilated
stamps; but he would not listen to the
suggestion, saying the stamp was genu-
inc, had not been used, and was good as
ever, and he would not waste its value.
The stamp was accordingly used, and
the letter duly mailed.


Now comes the sequel. The letter
was detained here for postage, solely on
account of the trifing mutilatiOn re-
ferred to, and the party to whom it was
addressed was, in about four days,
notified of the detention, which notice
was received six days from the date of
the mailing of the letter with the torn
stamp. The following day the young
man left his home, deeming the with
held letter of no consequence, without
even carrying the postOfice notice OF
paying any attention to it. Ten days
subsequently he arrived at Washington,
and then recurred to his memory the
uOt'u4Su lCOOoA3 anu No "AO'O AASA.tO ANA
I'll, postoffice notification. On its ar
'iva' he procured the letter, and in much
excl cement of mind hastened TO the
hotel of the old gentleman. Alas
when he arrived he learned that his IN
tended benefactOr had been dead four
days, and the old gentleman, not hear
ing from or receiving the wished-for
visit, had first felt hurt, then slighted,
and finally indignant, and in that frame
of mind had made will in favor of
poor old lady in his native state who had
once done him an act of kindness.
This was told him by the lawyer who
prepared the will, and was the party
that mailed the letter. The old gen
tleman's wealth amounted to S53, ,OOO.-


Wilmington CDeL) Commercial.