smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

TURTLEs.-Turtles live to a great age. In
document preserved among the archives
of one of the old cathedrals of England
there is an account of an old turtle, kept in
garden at Peterborough, that was known
to have been two hundred and twenty years
old. He was 80 tame aud so much attached
to the gardener that be would run to meet
him, and would eat out of his hand. His
food. in the early part of the season, was
lettuce, dandelions, green peas, etc. In the
latter part of the season he fed Oh fruits ex-
clusively, such as currants, raspberries, pears.
apples, and peaches and he was so excess
lively fond Of strawberries and gooseber
ries that to restrict his depredations upon
those fruits, the gardener punched hole
through his shell, inserted a chain and kent
him part OF the time chained up to tree


He would eat no animal food nor take any
liquid. This turtle weighed thirteen pounds
and he would walk across the garden with
weight of two hundred and fifty pounds up
on his back! In cloudy weather he would
scoop out cavity in his ground where b.
would repose, torpid and inactive, until the
warmth of the sun aroused him from his
slumber. About the beginning of October
ne went into his winter quarters, selecting
Tor many years a particular corner of the
garden, where he would excavate hole in
an inclined direction, aud enter the ground
in the manner of mole. The .deptb to
which he penetrated varied with the char
acter OF the approaching season. being from
one to two feet according as the next win
ter was mild or severe. For about month
before entering his dormitory he took no
food. He came out about the first of April.
and waited about two weeks before taking
any sustenance--Appletons Journal.
Year: 1873

The PLEASURE OF SIcKNEss.-Some one,
who evidently knows, talks thus pleasantly
Of the pleasures Of sickness" The joys
Of health rude, registering, self sufficient
health have been amply said and sung.
But why has no one proclaimed the delights
of sickness? Not for want of experience,
for are we not almost nation of invalids?
And sickness surely has charms. That it
has also ills is such trte and obvious fact
that We scorn to emphasize it at present.
But on the other hand, how fine is the ab-
solute freedom from life's ordinary cares and
responsibilities The burden of daily du-
ties that is wont to fit so closely to the
back, is lifted clear off. You lie in royal
idleness. Your mind may roam through
all sorts of fancies; you may dream by the
hour together, building palaces and land
scapes, and fancying wonderful achievements
to be easily wrought when health returns.
1t is a great thing to have the succession of
queaths to its successor completely broken.
The mind is taken out of harness, and then
turned out to pasture.


Then how sickness brings out kindness
toward one. Friends reveal themselves
where before we knew only acquaintarces.
Kindly inquiries. and offers of help, and all
manner of little attentions and neighborly
offices, tell in what an atmosphere of good
will we are living. But above all, what
household ministrations are bestowed on
the sick one. Regard for his comfort be-
comes the ruling power Of the family. Chill
dren willingly hush their glee and racket, or
carry it elsewhere Servants, gladly meet
ing the extra labor, show themselves more
friends than servants. One and another
study how to show their sympathy by little
offerings of fruit and flowers, by watching
beside the invalid, and reading aloud to
him. And how those who at all times live
for his happiness, at such times become
radiant with the tenderness of soicitous
and ministering love. What child but re-
members that mother was never so much
mother as when he was sick? Who has not
taken new lessons in the spirit that fills the
life of good woman as he was cared for
by sister or wife, through the weary days
of sickness
Year: 1873

The SITE OF ATHENs.-The site selected
by the old Athenians for their city was fit
ting one for the capital Of a people keenly
sensitive to beauty, and destined to become
the leaders of the world in matters of taste,
especially in the important department of
the Fine Arts. Nowhere are there more
charming contrasts of mountain, sea and
plain-nowhere a more perfect harmony of
picturesque effect. The sea is not dreary
waste of waters without bounds, but smil-
ing gulf mirroring its mountain walls and
winding about embosomed isles, yet ever
broadening as it recedes, and suggesting the
mighty food beyond from which it springs.
The plain is not an ilimitabIe expanse
over which the weary eye ranges in vain
in quest of some resting place, but is SO
small as to be embraced in its whole con-
tour in single view, while its separate
features-the broad, dense belt of olives
which marks the bed of its principal
stream, the ancient Cephssus. the vine
yards, the grain fields and the sunny hill
side pastures-are are made to produce
their full impression. The mountains are
are not near enough to be obtrusive,
much less oppressive; neither are they SO
distant as to he indistinct or to seem in
significant. Seen through the clear air,
their naked submits are SO sharply .defn-
ed and so individual in appearance <as to
seem almost like sculptured forms chiseled
out of the hard rock.-LippincoRs Mag
dzine.
Year: 1873

Alderman McCanerty yesterday signed the war
rants for the tax levy under the following protest ::


Not wishing to embarrass the workings Of the city
government sign the warrants for the collection OF the
taxes for 1873 but with the distinct understanding that
protest against the expenditure OF any for the
erection OF new city prison, the establishment OF
nautical school or the mantonauco Of or any expcnss
that be incurred BY the establishment Of the now
Commission OF Charitable Correct On5


Nrw YoRE Sept So 1873 ROBERT McCAFFERTY.
Year: 1873

night and concealed there, AID told her


she would get into trouble bout it. There's


been other girls there too" Isaac proceed


ed with bis story, warming up as be went


along and disclosing state Of facts which
the court thought warranted the arresting
Of the woman, who was very much aston
ished at the turn Of affairs, as she had made
her appearance solely for the purpose Of
testifying against her husband, whom. she
evidently wanted to get out Of the way.
Isaac was sworn and the former witness
was put on the defendants side Of the Ia
BILE. The fact that the woman keeps a
house of the most disreputabls character,
was fully proven, and she was fined $50,
which sum she paid promptly. The hus-
band was fined S..
Year: 1873

They had a genuine surprise at Ely &


Whlteside's furnishing store about 10 O'Clock
last night. The attaches of that establish
ment were quietly resting after the ardu-
Gus iabors of the day, eonversing about the
spring style OF plug hats, the new school
Dill and other matters OF State, when sud-
denly about half the plaster on the ceiling,
obeying the law of gravisation, started on
q tour OF investigation toward the centre of
the earth, stopping, however upon reaching
the floor. A cloud of lime dust followed
this unlocked for accident, and settled in
and upon every thing about the store. A
number OF plasterers were at once set to
work, the rubbish was removed and By
daylight this morning nearly al traces Of
the disaster were removed.
Year: 1873

LOUISVILLE, Feb. 19.-This morning
David Randall, an employee at the Falls
Iron Works, New Albany, while IN the act
of coupling the shaft which drives the nal
machines got bis coat tail caught in the
coupling and was drawn round the shalt
with such terrible velocity that his boots
were thrown off and his clothing almost
entirely stripped from his body. As soon
as the engine could be stopped he was re-
leased. The flesh was torn from the bone
on the right arm and on the left leg below
the knee, and his face and head were badly
bruised. His physician thinks there is
chance for his recovery.
Year: 1873

We learn that the House Committee on
Finance, Ways and Means will at once en-
ter vigorously upon the consideration and
preparation of bill to secure a more per-
fecs assessment ard collections of taxes.
This is one of the most intricate and diff
cult questions before the Legislature. We
are grati6ed to learn that it is the intention
of the committee to devote every spare
moment to its consideration until they m a.
ture bill.
Year: 1873

The House Committee on Public Build
ings and Grounds to-day considered Mr..
Patterson's reslution, directing the Com
mittee to Inquire into the condition of the
Executive Mansion, and agreed to report
that the building is not suitable for the
private residence of the President, but msy
be used as offices for the Executive. They
further agreed to report IN favor of erect
ing a new residence for the President, but
no recommendation as to locality is to be
made.
Year: 1873

"What is professional bondsman p
asked New York reporter OF a Lud-
low street Jail Officer.


"Why, bless me, dou't you know ?
There is lots of them in the city. They
hang around the corner of Centre and
Chambers streets, ready to Ego bail for
any one who gets into trouble, and will
do 1t for any price according to the
mess man gets into and the amount OF
money he has at his commadd. The
usual tariff is fifteen per cent, but will
take less rather than lose the job. They
generally have middle-man, sometimes
two, 80 that the bondsman can swear
with a clear conscience that he is not
paid for the service. Why, I have seen
a batch Of them together rigging one OF
their number out 80 that he would make
O credible appearance in court, and IN
order to do SO, one would take off his
coat for the bondsman to wear, another
would furnish the vest, another ex-
change pants with him, and others
various other articles until the best be-
longing to the lot had been selected.
Then he would march to court, and, if
rejected, hurry back to assist in dress
ing up another of their number, who,
perhaps, might be better versed in the
modu8 operandi of bail-giving, and In
his examination would steer clear OF
the rocky questions his predecessor
split upon. They are usually middle
aged men who, in early life, have been
merchants, but now come under the
head of broken down, and are easily
told to professional eye by the shiny
gloss upon their broadcloth, and the
stove-blacking polish on their boots.
Oh, the sheriff's got 'em all down p.
B. on his books but sometimes when
one of 'em keeps away for long time and
turns up under another name, they
manage to squeeze him through. He
has to be awful careful. / remember q
case that happened lately, where the
man is yet in the Jail. Bonds were
given in the sum of thirty thousand dol
lars for the prisoner, the sureties swear
ing that they were worth seyenty-five
thousand dollars each, and everything
seeming correct, the sheriff was about
to accept them and release the prisoner,
when one of the old deputies came in
and recognized them as p. BIS. The
sheriff, with view to bring them within
the criminal law, never let them know
they were recognized, and proceeded to
administer the oath to them, but they
were just as wide awake on their part,
and had recognized the old deputy, and
fearing that he might give them away
as the boys call it, casually inquired if
residing in New Jerseymade any differ
ence in their being accepted, and on
being informed that it did, withdrew
from the bond without taking the re-
quired oath, and SO saved themselves;
But for the chance visit of the old
deputy they would have been accepted,
and the sheriff made liable for the
thirty thousand dollars"
Year: 1873

A Judge in the Superior Court at
Baltimore has been explaining the
meaning of the provision IN q lease
which requires that tenant shall keep
premises in good order and repair. The
word keep" he said, implied an obli-
CATION to put the premises in repair if
they were ont of repair when received,
and to keep them so, for it would be
idle to stipulate to keep in repair what
is not in repair, and the covenant was
therefore equivalent to "put and keep
and deliver up" in good order and re-
pair. The words "good order and re-
pair" meant such a reasonable condi.
tion Of fitness Us belongs to houses OF
the age, class, and condition, as good
repair for one might not be such for
another. The house must not be de-
faced, and must be used with proper
and reasonable care,
Year: 1873

A new street pavement has been tried
in San Francisco. 1t is called "hydro-
carbolized brick" and is made OF bricks
of o soft, porous nature, which are
boiled in coal tar, which renders them
tough and nearly as hard as granite. A
road-bed is made by leveling the sand
and packing it with water. A layer of
prepared brick is then laid fatwise, each
brick being dipped in boiling tar as it
is put down. This is overlaid by a
second course of prepared brick placed
close together edgewise, each brick
dipped as before. The interstices are
then filed with boiling tar, and the
whole covered with a thin layer OF
screened gravel. The cost is about
thirty-six or thirty-seven cents per
square foot.
Year: 1873

There are manymen in existence who
deem it no harm to speak slightly OF
woman; according to their idea, it
Is quite meet that the strong should as
sail the weak. One of these robbers OF
reputation received severe rebuke on
q recent occasion. At dinner at which
no ladies were present, this man, in re,
spending to toast, Women" dwelt
almost solely on the frailty of the sex,
exclaiming that the best among them
were little better than the worst, the
chief difference being their surround
ings. At the conclusion Of the speech,
a gentleman rose to his feet and said:


81 trust the gentleman, in the ap-
plication Of his remarks, refers to his
own mother and sisters, not ours"


The effect of this most just and time
" rebuke was overwhelming, and the
maligner of women was covered with
confusion and shame.
Year: 1873

The Denver Ne'cs, in Characteristic
Western style, tells tle following
story:


Last spring party of buffalo hunt
ers, six in number, were encamped at
Two Buttes, about twenty miles from
the present town of Granada, in Bent
county. A man, known only by the
name of Jimmy" was their cook.
Soon after eating breakfast on the
morning in question, all began to feel
sick, and in short while it became
evident that the food they had eaten
contained poison. They had recourse
to tobacco tea, which caused them to
vomit the poisoned food. Jimmy"
was suspected and watched. Recently
he was seen to put some white powder,
which proved to be arsenic, in the
coffee. The scoundrel desired to poison
the hunters to secure their outfit. The
hunters made a target o: Jimmy"
and when they were done with him he
wasn't of much use to himself or any
one else. He was formerly New York
rough, and his bones are bleaching
upon the arid plains Of Southern
Colorado.
Year: 1873

A remarkable case of hydrophobia
has been brought to light in Brooklyn.
Herman Schaurman, German, forty
eight years of nge, employed in the
Navy Yard until recently, returned to
his home one evening about two weeks
ago, and at the supper table amused
himself by playing with large pet cat.
Suddenly the animal, which had hereto
fore been regarded as very gentle and
docile, jumped up on his breast and
put her fangs through the nose of her
master, Schaurman. The wound be-
came extremely painful, and bled pro-
fusely. The day following the wound
festered, and the injured man killed
the feline author of his trouble. A
week later Mr.. Schaurman exhibited
symptoms of hydrophobia, his mind
wandered, and he became decided in
his aversion to water. The malady
grew rapidly in virulence, and his pain
and physical contOrtions are such now
that it frequently requires the assist
ance of his wife and two sons to hold
him down in bed. He is at times wont
to growl like an angry cat, and manifest
other indications of arrangement pecu-
liar TO the terrible malady. Medical
aid was procured, but his condition did
not improve under the treatment. A
police surgeon visited the unfortunate
man, and ordered that he should be re-
moved to the hospital. When the am
bulance was sent to the house, Mrs.
Schaurman would not allow her hus
band to be removed, asserting that his
family were fully competent to take
care of him,
Year: 1873

A Struggle with Wounded Buck in the
water...The Hunter Diving for his


Life.


Curley Pete Quick, noted rs hunter
among family of famous hunters, had
an exciting adventure with a wounded
buck in Big Log Tavern Pond, Penn,
He was on a runway, and IN immense
five prong buck ran into the pond, near
where he stood. Quick jumped into
his boat, and followed the deer, dis
charging both barrels of his rifle at the
animal. He says he "hit it bad" but
it kept right on. RedouDling his ef-
forts, he sent his boat alongside the
deer. 1t had got far out into the pond,
which at that spot is half mile wide,
and very deep. Quick had dropped his
rifle in the bottom of the boat, without
reloading. He thought the buck was
so badly wounded that he could dis.
patch it with his knife. He seized it
by one of its horns and tried to holdit,
but the deer plunged at the same time,
and the horn broke of, throwing the
hunter backward, and almost capsizing
the boat.


Regaining his equilibrium, Quick
again seized the deer by thehorns. The
buck whirledsuddenly andpulled Quick
out of the boat. He landed squarely y on
the deer's back, still retaining his hold
on it's horns. He was in perilous po-
sition, long way from land. and his
boat lying bottom side up. He knew
from experience the danger of a hand
to-hand contest with wounded deer,
on land or water. If he could hold his
position on the deer's back, he hoped to
be carried safely ashore. But the deer,
by sudden ducking of his head, threw
the hunter over his head in front of
him, and the next instant struck him
with his fore feet. Quick saw that he
must fight for his life. Drawing his
knife he closed with the now frantic an
imal. He plunged the knife into the
deer's neck twice, and then it slipped
from his hand and sank, leaving him
defenceless.


The deer meantime had not remitted
in the least his mode of warfare, and
Ouick's clothing was almost entirely
stripped from him. Finding that he
stood no possible chance with the buck,
he dove from its sight, and coming up
some distance off, made for the nearest
shore. The deer did not follow, but
took the shore at another point and
lost no time in leaving Quick and the
pond far behind him. The hunter found
himself in a most pitiable plight. He
was nearly naked and benumbed with
cold. Moreover, he was on the side Of
the pond opposite his cabin, and was
obliged to walk half way round, through
the underbrush, before he could reach
it. His wounds were painful, but not
serious. The buck was found dead the
next day q quarter of mile away.
Year: 1873

DAXRURY ADyENTURE.-A Nelson
st Get man was charged by his wife to
bring home her bonnet Saturday night,
but he became so imbued with liquor that
he fell on the street and burst the cover
from the bandbox and the hat rolled out
on the walk. He grabbed for it at once,
and so did Il playful dog, and for while
it was difficult to determine which would
get the hat They finally divided it, the
man going one way with the strings and
a few stra ws, and the dog another with
the balance. When he got home he cx-
t,ndtd his share Of the victory to the
wretched woman, and burst forth in un-
feigned admiration at was the gol-
darnedcst dog (hic), to hold on | ever
saw, Marier (hic), an if hadn't been
perfectly sober (hic) he'd had the hull
(hic), the hull on it."
Year: 1873

To CLEAN GOLD CHAINs.-Put the
Chain in small glass bottle with warm
water, II little tooth-powder and some
soap. Cork the bottle, ard shake it for
n minute violently. The friction against
the glass polishes the gold, and the soap
and tooth powder extract every particle
Of grca and dirt rom the intersticoe of
n chain of the most intricate pattern.
Rinse it in clear, cold water, wipe with a
towel, and the polish will surprise you.
Year: 1873

A GENTLEMAN in Jefferson City who
was oubl4d with bed bugs, soaked the
b, d with Kerosene and turned in, leaving
the light burning. Just as he was dream
ing that a regiment of bugs was dIawing
UP set of resolutions, eondemning him
for using kerosene, he was awakened by
fireman pointing the nozzle Of hose
through the window. The house was in
sured but the man was not.
Year: 1873

One cold winter morning, when the
sleet froze as it fell, rendering the walk
ing dangerous even to the young and
strong, my attention was drawn towards
a man whose age and infrmity made it
almost impossible for him to get along.
We we're both walking in the same d.
rection, but he was upon the opposite
side of the street. l watched him with
anxiety. fearing every moment that he
would miss his footing.


Presently a beautiful young girl, rich
ly dressed, came down the street. Just
as she was about to pass the old man,
he slipped, and would have fallen, ii
she had not stretched forth her hand to
save him. She stopped few moments
to talk with him, then taking his arm,
turned out of her way and led him
home. What contrast they presented !
The young girl in her elegant attire, and
the aged man in his worn-out garments.
1t was a beautiful picture, an eloquent
sermon upon the respect which the young
owe to the aged.


| afterwards found that the old gentle
man had once held high position, but
through no fault of his own had lost the
whole of his property, and was then
very poor and almost blind. How he
must have priced the kind attention OF
the young girl, now that he was forsaken
by the friends of his more prosperous
days.


Perhaps we all need to be reminded
of the Bible injunction "Thou shalt
rise up before the hoary head, and honor
the face of the old man."
Year: 1873

ILL TEMPER.-A single person of
sour ,sullen temper-what dreadful thing
it is to have such a one in house
There is not myrrb and aloes and chlo-
ride of lime enough in the world to dis
infect single home of such nuisance
as that; no riches, no elegance of mein,
no beauty of face can ever screen SUCH
persons from utter vulgarity. There
is one thing which rising persons hate
the reputation of more than all others,
and that is vulgarity but trust me, i'll
temper is the vulgarest thing that the
lowest born and illest bred can bring to
his home. 1t is one of the worst forms
of impiety. Peevishness in home is
not only a sin against the Holy Ghost,
but sin against the Holy Ghost in the
very temple of love-Theodors Parker.
Year: 1873

A Scranton man who went home the
other evening, and found his house lock-
ed up, after infinite trouble managed to
gain entrance through back window,
and then discovered on the parlor table
a note from his wife reading, 81 have
gone out you will fad the door key on
one side of the doorstep"