smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

ORIGIN OF THE SEWING MACHINE
A singular development is communicated
in special telegram from New York with
respect to the invention Of the sewing ma
chine. II transpired, it is alleged, that in
1890 man procured patent in England
for fastening the soles Of shoes to the up
pers, the plans Of which, but not the spec
ifcations, included device very much
the same as the sewing machine, especially
in the needle, which IS the essential feat
ure. This fact has been nnearthed by an
examination of the patent Office reports
published by the English government in
1854 Its Importance consists in the ques-
ton which II gives rise to in regard to the
right, morally, to assess royalty upon
every sewing machine that is Inanufactur-
cd in this country. Were that asserted
right ovefthrown it would destroy one Of
the most obnoxious monopolies in the
country
Year: 1873

Nothing so strongly indicates the man
Of pure and wholesome thought as habit
ualpurlty of speech. By his conversation,
among his own kind, you may always pret-
ty accurately form an opinion Of the moral
worth Of a man. II is there, where no
restraint is supposed to be placed upon his
words, that you may discover his true ma
ture. If he is given to looseness of dis
course, or his mind wanden to the discus
sion Of subjects prescribed in mixed com
pany or respectful society, you may justly
mark him as one with whom association
Is undesirable.
Year: 1873

In Exeter, England, the other day, n
farm labOrer was summoned by the Cor
poration of the Poor for having neg
lected to maintain his wife and six chill
dren, thereby leaving them chargeable
to the parish" 1t was shown that the
wife and children were admitted into the
poor-ho,tse in November last, and their
maintenance had cost the corporation
five dollars week. 1t was also shown
that the defendant was working on
farm four miles from Exeter, and that he
was getting three dollars a week and
liquor, out of which he had to find every
thing-board, lodgings, etc. 1t was,
moreover, shown that the defendants
master deducted little over one dollar
week out of his wages, which was
paid over to the authorities toward the
support of his wife and family. The
defendants answer to the charge was
that he gave two-thirds of his miserable
pittance weekly, which was as much as
his means would afford, and that he
had not neglected his family on the
contrary, he had been trying to get a
house for them at the village where he
worked, but could not succeed in getting
house large enough for his family.
The magistrates, however, made an
order, calling upon the defendant to pay
up all arrears, and get house for his
wife and family. The question which
naturally occurs in one is, How can this
man maintain his wife and family of six
children on three dollars week, and
find house large enough for them into
the bargain, when the bare maintenance
in the work house costs five dollars a
week?
Year: 1873

A glass composition, which may be
made at any time into curled or frizzled
yarn, has been discovered by M. Brun-
fault, of Vienna. These frizzled threads
surpass in fneness not only the finest
cotton, but even single cocoon thread,
and they appear at the same time almost
as soft and elastic as silk lint, and beau
tiful to the eye. These smooth threads
are now woven in textile fabrics, which
are made into neckties and various other
articles. In softness the glass yarn al
most approaches silk and to the touch
it is like the choicest wool or cotton. 1t
also possesses a remarkable strength,
remains unchanged in light and warmth,
and is not altered by moisture or acids.
Another great advantage which it neces-
sarily possesses, is that of being nom
inflammable and incombustible. The
composition of this glass material is
peculiar to the inventor. The spinning
requires extraordinary dexterity and con-
slant attention, and is said to be very
trying to the sight. With a wheel of
the diameter of five Austrian yards, one
operator is able to spin three thousand
yards per minute, all OF the most uniform
size and beautiful quality.
Year: 1873

nacious mind are the most terrible in
action when driven to desperation.
Seaton, small and weak as he was,
sprang for the captains throat and bore
him back upon the deck, holding him
there with the grip of a maniac. A
sailor, seeing the position of the captain,
ran up and dragged off his assailant,
who struggled for few minutes to free
himself, and then stood quiet and pant
ing. The captain staggered to his feet,
and drew Il knife. Seeing that Seaton
was likely to be stabbed as he held him,
the sailor allowed him to slip from his
grasp. But, to his surprise, the en-
ragged man, instead of retreating, leaped
to one side, and, avoiding the captain,
seized the little girl, and ran with her
astern as far as the quarter deck. Then,
turning, he shouted : Now, captain, I
am going under the keel once more-I
and Nary AS he said this, he leaped
with the child over the side, Just in time
to escape the grasp of the now terror
stricken father. In a moment the two
rose, struggling on the crest of wave,
at the schOoners stern. Several minutes
had elapsed before the vessel was
brought into the wind, and by that time
the suicide and his helpless victim were
beyond all human interference, even if
he had been able to swim, and had de-
sired to be rescued. AS it was, they
had been seen but once or twice as they
were borne upward on huge waves, and
then disappeared forever from the
anxious eyes of the Mortified father
and the crew. Soon afterward the
mother came rushing on deck but too
late to catch even a glimpse of her
drowning child.


Seaton's revenge, if indeed his crime
was not the action of one who had been
driven to maniac, by his wrongs, was
as complete as he could have desired.
The captain never recovered from the
shock. Like many men of ungoverned,
brutal impulses, he possessed the strong
est affection. He was a broken man
from that day. That voyage of the
Belle of the Wave was the last he ever
took. When he returned to Charles
ton he gave up the captaincy, and in
spite of all efforts of the heart broken
mother, he threw himself into the vortex
of gambling and dissipation, and when
at last he no longer had money to feed
his passion for drink and excitement, he
died in the hospital in a raving delirium,
and was buried in pauper's grave,
whittier he was soon followed by his
worn and grief-stricken wife.
Year: 1873

The childlike simplicity, as well as the
initiative faculty of the Chinese, have
been subjects of pleasant song and story,
but the following, from a San Francisco
paper, is, perhaps, the best illustration
of these characteristics that has been
published A laughable incident oc-
CURED one evening recently, on the up
train to Sacramento. There were two
seats in the car turned so as to face each
other. One was occupied by lady and
the other by Chinaman. Evidently
the lady did not relish the presence of
the Chinaman, and set her wits to work
to oust him out. She succeeded about
as follows: Motioning the Chinaman to
rise, she explained to him that she
wanted to take the cushions and their
frames, and place them lengthwise across
from scat to seat. John said "All
rightee," and got out in the aisle while
she placed the seats as above described,
and then proceeded to lie down on the
bed thus improvised, with her head rest
ing on her valise. She supposed that
the Chinaman would at once take the
hint that the lady wanted to take a
little rest in the place usually occupied
by four persons but John hadn't heard
of the woman's rights movement, and at
once proceeded to crawl in and stretch
himself by her side. with his head on a
little bundle of his own. The Chinese
are an initiative race, and like to do
as others do, you know. The lady, as
soon as she discovered that she had Il
bed-fellow, got up a little wildly and
started for the next Car, to the infinite
amusement of the passengers, who had
been watching the little scene with some
interest. John took no notice of the
fun he had created, but went to sleep
with he whole bed to himself.
Year: 1873

New LINE OF STOCK RAIsING.-It is a
question whether bear breeding in Ver-
mont may not become large and prof
table business. The State pays a
bounty of $15 on every bear killed, and
there is no exception as to private ami
mails. Here is the experience of Rut-
land man on single bear transaction
He sold the hide for $25, the meat for
$50, the bounty was $l5, and the grease
brought the proceeds up to 800. And
this was a private bear, raised by the
enterprising yeoman.
Year: 1873

keel-hauling, as ordinarily practiced
in former days, was very simple pro-
ceeding. The refractory sailor was tied
to the middle part of long rope, por-
ton of which had previously been car
ried under the bowsprit and gradually
drawn backward till it cncircled the
waist of the ship. The rope was then
drawn slowly under the bottom of the
ship, dragging the helpless sailor with
it. 1t was the scvercst of punishments,
but it is now seldom, perhaps never, re-
sorted to-at least on board American
merchantmen. The victim always
emerged from the water half drowned,
and often, indeed, he never recovered
from the injury. 1t was found that
person who had accidentally fallen into
the water might stay under twice the
time of one that was keel-hauled, and
yet recover. In fact, it commonly re-
qlires eight minutes or longer to drown
n person, but man was seldom kept
under the bottom of ship more than
three, or at most five minutes. 1t would
appear that the knowledge that he was
about to be immersed in water created
such an excitement and horror in the
victim that when the water entered his
lungs it found them in an unnatural con-
dition, and congestion was undoubtedly
quickly produced, which, if severe,
proved fatal of itself before the man
had time to die of suffocation or, if not
so severe, still resulted in more perma-
nent injury than that ordinarily suffered
by person who has been nearly drowned.
Fortunately, captains no longer conceive
themselves invested with that absolute
authority which led them to vent their
personal animosity upon those in their
power. Our laws and public sentiment
awakened by successive horrible expo
sures have done much to alleviate the
rigors of the entire system of discipline
on shipboard.


About twenty-five years ago, however,
the large coasting schooner "Belle of
the Wave" was lying becalmed off Pen
sacola Bay, in the Gulf Her captain
was of the old-fashioned kind of large
hearted, indolent, storytelling South
erners, but with swarthy complexion,
shifting black eyes, and thin lips that
indicated a relentless disposition if en-
ragged. At Charleston he had shipped
as common sailor an Englishman. The
latter was of pale complexion, with
very light hair and small features. His
countenance was intellectual in it's ex-
preston, but showed, also, an indecision
of character and want of that quality
in the man that helps person to get on
III the world. In every intellectual ac-
complshment he was infinitely the cap
tain's superior, and with the strong
prejudices of his type of men, the latter
had conceived a violent dislike for him.
He had proved to know nothing of the
duties OF sailor, and had signed his
papers because he had found himself in
utterly destitute circumstances, and had
been obliged to do something to save
himself from starvation.


While passing around Florida Keys
the new sailor, with an utter ignorance
of his place on shipboard, had gone to
the after deck, where he had been dis
covered by the captain telling his little
daughter some old English fairy story.
Haditbeenany of the other hands, the cap
tain would probably have grufay ordered
Year: 1873

TIE LOCAL EDITOR. who has gone
through the tread-mill, but gives expression in
the following to the experience Of all who are
so unfortunate Us to have to follow the same
calling:


If q man buys new buggy, or if his COW
can bawl three times without wlnking, the To-
cal is expected to proclaim it with grand
flourish If he starts two penny business,
his first thought is to bribe the local with
fye-cent cigar to write up hve-dollar puff:
Indeed, he thinks it is a mission of the local
to make his fortune for him by free blowing"
He will take the local to one side and point
cut the superior qualities of rat terrier dog, and
coolly ask him to give him hoist He don't
care anything about it, only Spriggins has a
dog which he thinks is a buster, and some OF
'cm wanted his put in just to take the con-
ccit out Of Spriggins. Everybody wants to be
put in they are the Great Am. but no
one says, Here, local put yourself inside OF
this new suit of clothes, or throw yourself out
side this oyster stew, or stuff this watch into
your pocket Oh, no, Of course not; that
would cost something. The shoe is OF the
other foot, you see. The local Is supposed
to know everything about other peoples busi-
ncss and is expected to show up all the ac-
tors in every family broil in town. IT the vile





why he don't run about with his note book and
gather up the vituperative bits Of SANDER for
his paper. If he steps into billiard hall he is
requested to make note of the astonishing fact
that Bill Tompkins has made run of eleven
points When the minstrel troupe arrives In
town the agent Immediately rushes into the
printing office, and, calling for the local he
Slips three or four tickets in his hand, and
WHISPERS Draw us O big house Put it in
strong and patting him patroniziugly on the
shoulder, the agent admits the iuferiority of
the troupe, but We are not to let on no sir
for the local to lie. To please the lecturer the
local is forced to sit two mortal hours tt, hear
him through an insipid discourse that he can
write him up And SO it goes. All are anxi-
ous to appear favorably in print, but few are
willing to pay for it! The locals time is worth
nothing but to bother his head writing pufs
for ambitious persons. 1t don't cost him any
thing to live. He never eats or drinks, or
travels, and money is of no use to him. Put it
In Put it in
Year: 1873

RcGact that a sound mind and body arc tho
most NECESSARY requisites to promote connubial
huppincss. Indeed, without these the journey
through life bocomcs a weary pilgrimage, the
prospect hourly darkcns to tho view, tho mind
becomes shadowod with despair, and filled with
tho melancholy reelection that the happiness OF
another is bighted with our own.
Year: 1873

COlOrhuO ChDyOn.


Correspondence of the New York Tines


AS soon as we had eaten lunch, after
our arrival at the last mentioned pocket,
we proceeded to the brink of the canyon.
Our view was obstructed by cliffs or
gulches till we arrived almost at the very
edge of the abyss so that our first sight
of il revealed it in all its mighty gran.
deur. We had looked across and seen
the top of the wall on the opposite side.
We had, indeed, seen as much as that
when we were at Pipe-not the wall at
To-ro-weap, but further up the canyon.
But we had no view which gave us any
idea of the vastness of the chasm. When
we were hundred yards away sharp
bend in the course of the stream ap.
peared before US, and the gorge suddenly
opened, almsst as if the very crust Of the
earth had been instantly rent asunder.
We stop and gaze in awe-stricken silence
upon the wonderful spectacle. But still
we do not yet comprehend, in the tullness
of its power, the grand scene, nor have
we oil Of it before our eyes. We go for
ward to the very edge, and, creeping out
ON projecting cliff, look directly down
upon the river, raging in its rocky bed
three thousand feet beneath our standing
place. Although the river has volume
equal at least to the Ohio at Cincinnati,
so distant is it that we see but a
mere ribbon of sheen, like a little
rivulet or creek. An object the size
of a man by the waters edge, l am told,
is invisible from our point, except as a
speck before the eye, which cannot be
distinguished as an object. Yet the
water rushes along with such force that
its motion can be seen and what appears
to be only rippleS on its surface, Mr..
Killers, who came through the canyon
in one of the boats, tells me are huge
waves and swift rapids that hurry along
with Tremendous speed and deatenlng
roar that Is terrible to the navigator.
This is easy to belieVe, for the roar OF
the dashing torrent bounds and echoes
from wall to wall, reaching the point
where we stand, intepsifying the impress
sion on the sense of sight. We seem to
stand directly over the river, but when
we come to consider and examine, we
Gnd we are at least 300 or 400 yards
hack from the waters edge. The oppo-
Site wall recedes in the same manner.
The walls do not, however, recede by a
regular angle, or inclination, but by
series of steep terraces, some very mar
row and some quite vide. Between th@
terraces they shoot up perpepdicularlIy
hundreds of feet at single leap. we
Judge the chasm to be 1900 to 2OOO reef
across at the top from where, we stand,
so il can be perceived that the angle OF
inclination from bottom TO top is very
slight. We spent the whole OF the after, .e r
noon wandering about the verge OF me
canyon, selecting the most favorable
points of view, receiving momeptaFliy
new revelations of magnitude, and new
Impressions of grandeur.
Year: 1873

From the Chicago Tribune.l


The Treasury Department is informed
Of attempts that have been made in diff
ferent sections of the country to pass
some of the recently detected counter
felt FIVE hundred dollar legal tender
notes, among the number being one in
stance in DesMoines, Iowa. For the
information of the public, it may be well
to state that the description of differ
ence between the genuine and counter.
felt notes of this denomination will not
likely prove to be such olincher on
the fraud as might be expected The
curves and angles in the engraving OF
the oounterfeit may be easily made to
exactly resemble the genuine, and the
superhuous lines can be FURNISHED out,
or, where necessary, new lines can be
supplied by few cuts with the gravfr.
By close scrutiny of the counterfeit
note, it is found that in the instances
mentioned in the description made by
the government engraver, the counter
feiter has lett rQom for darkening or
tightening the lines which are spoken oil
as too heavy or too light, which is well
known as an old trick of counterfeiters.
The fiber paper, about which the govern,
mept has boasted so much, is admitted
to have been again successfully counter
feited in this issue Of spAFloTs notes.
Altogether it is not improbable that the
entire issue of government notes OF the
above denomination will have to be sup
pressed Changes to correspond with
the description Of the genuine notes have
probably already been made by the
counterfeiters, and the probability is
that counterfeit notes as good as genu-
inc will soon be on the market, it being
one of their Oldest dodges to food the
money market with corrected notes as
soon as possible after the statement Of
the differences between the genuine and
the counterfeit. ONO
Year: 1873

There was boy in a Nelson street
yard cutting wood, yesterday, and he
worked at it in a strikingly natural
manner. First he set the stick on one
end and prepared to strike it, when it
tumbled down. Then he stood it up,
and put silver undor the weak side to
sustain it. and lifted the axe for the
blow, when it tumbled down. As he
had got the axe up quite ways this
time, aud was fairly luivering with eX-
pectation, the reaction was not pleasant.
1t appeared to weaken him, and before
another trial, he leaned on the axe and
looked around on the scenery. At the
third trial he put several sliyers under
the stick, and was some five minutes
doing it. Then he raised the axe care
fully, deliberately took aim,and brought
the blade down with terrible force, and
within about an inch and half of the
stick, which Immediately tipped over
This surprised him. He looked at the
axe, then at the stick, and then around
at the house to see if anybody was look
ing. He was ten minutes propping the
stick up the fourth time. When he
got it so it would stand without being
held, he took up the axe, and after sew
eral mock motions so as to getthe right
aim, he swung the implement down
again. The blade struck the block
with terrible force within about SIN
teen of an inch of the edge, ana took
off slip about five inches long. We
don't suppose there is anything quite
50 aggrayating as this. Splitting your
shin open to the bone is a pastime in
comparison. The Nelson street boy
stood that stick up again without any
ceremony, and with the least display in
the world swung the axe over his head
and brought it spitefully down. The
blade this time Clipped off a half inch
chip, and then swung around with such
momentum as to throw the boy off his
feet and drive him headlong over pile
of other sticks, every one of which he
struck with his knees or face. We
don't think we ever saw any boy get on
his feet as quick as that boy did. And
we were not in the least surprised to
see him snatch up that axe, and with
screams and sobs, beat that stick until
he was exhausted With this unpIeas-
ant duty performed, he flung the axe in
among the tomato vines, and went IN
the house for piece Of cake.-Da"6ury
NeWS.
Year: 1873

of the horses of such wagon running
away with their ghastly burden is said
to have been witnessed, the dead being
thrown from the tumbril into the road,
and some, caught by the drapery, drag
giug on after the Gathering wheels.


With one or two shameful exceptions,
the clergymen Of Memphis have fully
done their duty, and ali praise is. due
to the indefatigable Sisters Of Charity,
who have never for moment finched
from their mournful, selfimposed task
of relieving the sorrows of tie sick and
dying. The priests and preachers have
Year: 1873

The WAsHINGToN BALL-On Friday evening,
Feb. 2lst. the thIrd grand annual Ball Of the
Washington S. F. L. Company will be given in
the auditorium fthe Masonic Temple. The COM
mittee having the affair in charge viii make eve
y arrangement for the successful elimination of
ehe affair, and it will without doubt, prove the
grandest ball of the season. The Hall will be
handsomely decorated, and otherwise arranged
especially for the occasion. An extra attraction will
be provided in the shape OF an elegant psrfumeTy
fountain, which will dispense fragrant odofs
throughout the night. The "Washy" has become
famous for the excellent character Of its bAls hat
the committee are determined that this one shall
eclipse any one pr eviOukly given by them or any
other Company IN the city.
Year: 1873

RAILWAY INVENTIONS. "A new patent railway
contrivance is announced in the shape of a switch
tenders box placed that If that official goes to
sleep inside, leaving his switch uAelosed the com
ing train will sure 10 run into his temporary dorm
itoTy and kill him. As the successful application
Of this ingenious device would be jeopardized If
the proposed victim were TO take his maps any
where else the inventor is at work upon an elabo-
rate piece of machinery TO turn the switch tender
into his box as soon as he goes to fall asleep.
Year: 1873

SNALL-PoX-A young man named Wheeler
near Whiteleysbury, in the lower part of Kent
county, near the Maryland line, died with the
smallpox week before last, and three other men,
bers Of the family were stricken with the disease
1t is said he caught the disease from wearing an
army overcoat which his father purchased Of a
merchant who had recently replenished his stock
of ready-made clothing from the city.
Year: 1873

A DKFICIENCY.-The Delaware railroad is a
non paying institution. according to the report
Of President FELTON,. submitted TO the Board OF
Directors at their annual meeting, at Dover
over net earnings. Notwithstanding the heavy
peach freights and the numerous branch roads
which now feed this trunk line, it still keeps in
the drag, according to its own showing.
Year: 1873

To-NIGHT.-At the Masonic Temple to night
the Davenports will appear in an excellent pro
gramme of frst-class comedy Those who desire
TO encourage the production of the legitimate
drama in this city, should show their desire by
their presence at the Opera House this evening
A fne performance will be given.