smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

We have q card this morning from
Hon. JIG. SlcGREw, declining to be a can
Jidntc for reelection to Congress in the
second District. Mr.. McGREw docs not
assign any reason for this determination
hut whatever it may be, his retirement is
stbing to be regretted. West Virginia
has not vet had man in Congress who
for sterling worth and ability outrankcd
NJ. McGREw, nor one who enjoyed in a
higher degree the esteem Of his colleages'
We learn that there is to be q scramble
for the nomination; and that some gentle
men in the eastern panhandle, who
think the country greatly needs
them in Congress, claim that the
candidate now belongs to that locality
-asif candidates for high public station
were to be chosen for their geography in
stead OF for their brains-and we conjec-
ture that an unwillinguess to enter into
thscramblc or to be possible obstruc-
lion in the way of harmony in the party
orthe district, constitute q part Of Mr..
MCGREw's reason for withdrawal, though
we are aware that the life is distasteful to
him, and that he has for some time.enter-
lained purpose to end bis public life
with his present term.


1t is one Of the blunders-we might al
most say misiortuues-ot our people that
they insist on perpetual rotation in Con-
gress. It takes about two terms before
the average Congressman is good for
anything; and under this practice they
are ethen turned out so that we are served
always by comparatively new men, who
do not stay long enough to acquire
distinction for themselves, TO reflect
honor on the State, or 10 be of much
use to anybody. 1t was saying o.
ARTENAs WARDS that if you are righ'
you can't be too radical; nor too conscrva
tiVeii you are wrong. 1t would be u
good thing to apply the same logic to
our members of Congress. five get an
Incompetent ono his service cannot be too
short; il we get a worthy and capable
one, it can hardly be too long. We can
not expect such considerations to influY
ence the few who want to go to. Congress
themselves, but they are the considera'
tiOus that ought to govern the many who
do NOT.
Year: 1872

SAVING NEY.--lhe POSSESSION of few
dollars often makes all the difference between
happiness and misery, and no man, especially
with family dependant upon him, can be
truly independent unless he has Il few dollars
reserved for the time of need. " bile extreme
careiuness to the expenditure of money
will make Il rich man poor, II wise economy
will almost as ccrtainy make poor man rich,
or at least make him, to considerable extent,
independent Of the caprices of employers and
of the common vitssiIudes Of Ete. Nothing
is more important to the poor man than the
habit of saving something; but his little
hoard will soon begin to grow at rate
which will surprise and crafty him. Every
working man ought to have an account III
some savings bank, and should add toit every
week during which he has full employment,
even if the addition is but ii dollar at II time


If he does this, he will soon find the dollars
growing into tens, and these tens into hun
areds, and in little time will be in possession
of SUN which is constantly yielding an ad-
dition to his income, which secures linn ii
reserve fund whenever one is needed, and
vi ich will enable him to do many ihlngs,
which, without little money, he would be
powerIess to do.-PHsburyh Post.
Year: 1872

MANuFACTURING NoTEs FOR GRANT.-The
work of stocking Mare Island with unskilled
wcrkmen, who, in consideration of being
paid the highest wages to do nothing. are ex-
pected to vote for Grant and Coghlan, goes
bravely on The number now on the
Island amounts to about fifteen hundred, and
daily accessions are being made to that mum
Der. Men who never handled plane in their
lives are put in the position OF first class
carpenters, and those who have all their lives
depended solely upon their muscle and en-
durance as means of support are placed in
positions of truth and responsibility heretofore
held by practical mechanics, who learned
their art only after long years OF patient toll
md the closest study Many of these work
men recently hired on the island do nothing
but loaf round while they study the scener,
of the hills, or whif' the invigora'ing breezes
of the bay This is indeed the lazy man :
paradise; the very Mecca of Incidence and
sIoth. But the authorities of Mare Island
are sadly mistaken if they suppose that the
men SO employed are bound over to support
The corruption of the present administration,
or are so dead TO he interest of Vallejo as to
deliberately cast their votes for John Cogh-
Ian. They are neither fools nor idiots, and
while they draw their pay they are laughing
in their sleeves at the stupidity and gull
ibity of their over confident employers.
You may control their labor, gentlemen,
with your money but you can't get their
votes. - Vallejo Independent.
Year: 1872

Just fair enough to be pretty,


Just gentle enough to be sweet,
just saucy enough to be witty,


Just dainty enough to be neat.
Just tall enough to be graceful,


just slight enough for fay.
Just dressy enough to be tasteful,


Just merry enough to be gay.
just tears enough to be tender,


Just sighs enough to be sad,
Times oft enough to remember,


Your heart through their cadence made glad
just meek enough for submission,


Just bold enough to be brave,
Just pride enough for ambition,


just thoughtful enough to be grave.
A tongue that can talk without harming.
just mischief enough to tease,
Manners pleasant enough to be charming
That put you at once at your ease.
Disdain to put down presumption,


Sarcasm to answer II fool,
Contempt enough shown to assumption,
Proper dignity always to rule.
Flight of fair fancy ethereal,


Devotion to science full psid,
Stuff of the sort of material


That really good house wives are made.
Generous enough to be kind hearted,


Pure as the angels above
Oh! from her may never be parted,


For such is the maiden love.
Year: 1872

ONE of the most prominent members of the
Louisville S.raight-out Democratic movement
was Chauncey Burr, the Patrick Henry of
the Convention. Since that tiasco Burr has
become disgusted with His past folly and the
manner in which the Administration party
used him, and has come out squarely for
Greeley aud Brown, and made very able
and Characteristic speech in favor of the
Liberal Republican party at large meeting
in Newark, New Jersey.
Year: 1872

In a long and able article in Tilton's
Golden Age, thus briefly and tersely sums
up the reasons and objects for voting against
a continuance Of Grants Administrations:


president Grant expressed a natural
curiosity to leara what the country thinks Of
his Administration. He must be partially
blind indeed, if he does not see that nothing
but gratitude for his military services could
possibly keep the people from protesting in a
BODY against the manifold corruptions and
miscarriages Of his Administrations. In vot-
ing against him we protest against financial
policy which keeps one hundred and fifty
millions of gold locked up and useless in the
National Treasury, defrsudng the people
out of eight millions a year, at the least,
while officers and their friends grow unac-
countably rich in twelve-month. We vote
against the insult to international law and
the comfy of nations as well as the usurpa-
tions of power in his dealing with San
Domingo and Hayti. We vote against the
whole policy of lespotsm which has been
enforced in dealing with the Southern States,
treating them as conquered provinces, estab-
fishing governments essentially foreign over
them, and sustaining these carpet-bag gov
ernulents in a system OF robbery and oppres-
sion which has no parallel in modern times.
We vote against the systematic attempt to
array the colored people of the South as
race against the native white population,
making them regard the latter as their ene-
mics and exciting them to acts of antagonism
while inspiring them with spirit of hatred
and revenge We vote against degrading
the civil service of the country into matter
of personal fealtv and favortism, and the
systematic prostitution of the vast powers
and almost unlimited patronage of the gov
emment to secure the reelection OF a Presi-
dent whose administration is one vast tissue
of mistakes, frauds and usurpations, whose
foreign policy has made us laughing stock
among the nations, whose domestic policy
has we'll nigh driven our commerce
from the ocean, and whose extravaganza is
unexampled in our history. And with these
cogent reasons for voting against the re-elec-
tion of President who thinks more Of his
dogs than his duties, and who cares more for
his cigar and boon companions than for the
interests Of the nation, whose genius, wants
and possibilities he cannot comprehend there
is no need of our instiiuing inquiries into his
personal habits and private speculations.
Year: 1872

He Is the spirit Of mischief, persona
fed, dressed in 3 jacket and a poor
apology for trowsers. Mischievous
from the top of his crownless hat, to
the piece of linen wrapped around
his poor, stubbed toe. When you
want him to go on an errand he is not
to be found; but when you have a
lady visitor he is everywhere present.
You may go from sitting room to
parIor, parlor to garden, and garden
to orchard to get rid Of him, but he
comes upon you in q very short time
pretending not to see you until he
gets within q few feet Of you, when
he looks up with such a surprised
look, and says: "H'llo, Pat, you
here?" He then amuses himself
with throwing burs in your hair and
seeing how near he can come to hit
ting your nose with his fingers.


Brave and daring to an astonishing
degree, he does the most unheard OF
feats with n coolness that almost
makes your blood run cold. Agile as
q monkey, he climbs the tallest OF
trees, swinging from limb to limb,
grinning in demoniacal manner if
he can see the least bit Of alarm de-
picted on your eOuntenance. When
you least expect it he snatches your
chignon and puts it in the top of a
tree for = birds nest. Then this queer
little biped runs through the house
with such velocity as to set the pic
lures to pounding the walls, banging
the doors shut when you want them
open, and leaving them wide open
when you want them shut.


The modern boy climbs up the
pantry shelves ladder fashion, and
devOurs the fruit cakes you are saving
lor company, and when you go for il
Sunday night to give JOab 'Ssome,
there are only few crumbs and the
marks OF dirty fingers.


When he Is not bothering you he is
wickedlv pulling the legs off of
grRsshOppers, and selling them to the
village boys for q pin apiece; they
open and shut so nicely by pinching
the thigh little 90


This boy is always having hair
breadth escapes falling from the great
beam in the barn to the floor below,
but it does not hurt him in the least
he is only momentarily stunned, and
his mischief subsidies for a few mo-
ments then breaks out in a new spot.
He writes letters over the signature
of Joab JONES'" drops them In the
office, and is filed with great delight
to see how nicely you are fooled.


Still he has his quieter moments
when his brown feet quit their..merry
and his face grows thought
full as he sits thinking, thinking-OfI
what? he never tells; but think it
is some bright dream Of manhood
which he loves to keep to himself, as
we all do our dreams Of the future.


He may be found wanting in COM
pRrison- with others, but it takes
different kinds Of people to make up
this busy world Of ours; every one
having his work to do, although,
alas some never do it; while others
leave such q name behind them, that
the modern boys with hopes
to be what He intends them to be-
the noblest work of God.


PATSY PEEvIsH.


BLOOMFIELD, May 6. 1872.
Year: 1872

Read what an intelligent writer


says on this subject:


The art of not hearing is fully as


important to domestic happiness as a


cultivated ear, for which so much


time and money is expended. There


are so many things that are painful


70 near, many of which, if heard, will


disturb the temper, and detraet from


contentment and happiness, that


every one should be educated to take


In or shut out sounds at will. If a


man falls into violent passion, and
calls me all manner of names, the


hrst word shuts my ears, and I hear
no more. If in my quiet voyage of
lie am caught in one of these do
mestic whirlwinds of scolding, / shut
up my ears, rs a sailor would furl his
sail, making all tight, scud before the
gale. If hot and restless man be-
gins to infiame my feelings, [ con-
slider what mischief these sparks
might do in the magazine below,
where my temper is kept, I instantly
close the door. Does a gadding, mis-
chief-makiEg fellow begin to inf Tm
me what people are saying ABOUT me
down drops the pCrticullis of my ear,
and he cannot get in any further
Some people feel so veey anxious to
hear every thing that will vex and
annoy them, they set about searching
finding it out. Ifall the petty things
said Of one by the needless or ILL
natured idlers were to be brought
home to him, he would be a mere
walking pin-cushiOn, stuck full of
sharp remarks. I should as soon
thank a man for emptying on my
head bushel of nettles, or setting
loose a swarm of mosquitoes in my
chamber, or raising a pungent in my
house generally, as to bring upon me
all the tattle of spiteful people. If
you would be happy, when among
good men, ouen your ears; when
among bad, shut them. 1t is worth
while to hear what your servants say
when they have slammed the door;
what a beggar says whose petition
you have rejected; what your neigh
bors say about your children; what
your rivals say about your business or
dress. have noticed a well-bTed
woman never notices an impertinent
remark. A kind of discreet deafness
saves one from not a little apparent
in dishOnorable cunver-
SALON."
Year: 1872

In order to secure potatoes for table


use as early in the season as possible.
il is necessary to use artificial heat in


forcing them at an early date in spring


when the soil outside in nOtin suita-
BILE state of warmth to favor their
growth. This may be done in vari-
Gus ways, and the precise method
must be determined by circumstan-
ces and eonveniences. On the sub
ject of forcing potatoes the Ohio Far
mer of a recent date says: shallow
boxes may be used of any convenient
size, say six inches deep. Put in some
three inches of rich lOamy soil, and
even 1t down smoothly. Put IN a
layer of potatoes, either cut or whole;
If cut, place cut side down. Cover
with more soil to the height of the
box, leveling off the top and wetting
occasionally. Place in some warm
place near the kitchen stove or other
convenient place. If growth is too
rapid, keep dryer and cooler; if too
slow, keep wetter and warmer. Har-
den off before planting out, by expo
sure gradually to sun and outside air.
When the ground is in suitable con-
dition to transplant, take the boxes to
the place, take off the ends and sides
and separate the plants carefully,
being careful not to separate them
from the parent potato. Set so the
top of the sprout will be just a bit
above the surface. The time for start
ing potatoes should be from five to
seven weeks before the time generally
customary to plant field crops of the
same"
Year: 1872

The accounts Of the famine in Per


sia which continue to arrive in gTea-
ter details, hid fair TO treat the world


to a spectacle of calamity, the like Of
which has not been witnessed in his


tOric times at least-the sudden ex-


tinctiOn of a nation by want OF food.


This has really been the fate of the
great States which once filed the val


ley of the Euphrates, and it is the
fate which has for centuries been
threatening some modern States
Spain for instance. Man has stripped


the soil of trees the absence Of trees
has brought drOugths; droughts have
slowly diminished the productive
powers of the ground, ald finally
destroyed them-the population mean
time, dwiudling in numbers and vi
tality. Spain had forty millions of
people in the time of the Romans, and
flowed with milk and honey; it is
now an arid region, only half of it
under cultivation, with only sixteen
millions of inhabitants, and if mod
ern science had not come to its aid,
would probably go the way of Baby
Ion. Persia was one of the most pow
erful States of antiquity, and even in
the fourteenth century was able to
support the army of Tamerlane, who
marched without commissariat or
baggage during the bloody contest
1t is now almost a wilderness, with a
population of two millions about half
nomands which is rapidly perishing
from famine brought on by three
years drought. The worst of it is that
owing to the absence of either COM
mon roads or railroads, it seems to be
impossible for the charity of the rest
of the world to reach the sufferers, so
that there is really strong prospect
of the total depopulation Of the eOun-
try. The moral of this horrible story
is-loOk after your trees.-1he Ma
tiOR.
Year: 1872

The influence or the French Ian


guage has been rapidly getting weak


er and weaker during the last hall
century. After the brilliant eonquests
of Napoleon BOnaparte the language


became widely popular. 1t was the
medium of diplomatic exchange and


of the gossip of polite society. 1t
spread like a fashionable epidemic
across the Western hemisphere, and
was studied assiduously in America
AT this time, it is obviously waning.
As Paris has ceased to dictate fashions,
so she has ceased to dictate the tongue
in which the world carries on its in
tercOurse. The German language is
gaining on the French in all the cap
itals of Europe, and bids fair to sup
plant it to a considerable extent.


But the English language is gaining
perceptibly on both. It's study has of
late attracted increased attention in
all the great capitals of Europe, and
some knowledge of it is becoming
more and more essential in commerce
and letters. The French and German
languages are not spoken by more
than sixty millions of people in the
aggregate; while the English Ian
guage is spoken by at least seventy
millions, and this number is increas-
ing rapidly. Not less than three hun
dred thousand Germans and French
lose hold upon their own tongue an
nually and substitute the English foT
convenience, while the number of
English and American travellers in
vading every country in Europe
grows larger every summer. The
populations of France and Germany
become thinner and less numerous
constantly, while within the present
century it seems certain that there
will be one hundred million English
speaking people on this continent
alone. In Italy the study of the
English language is now being prose-
cuted with considerable enthusiasm,
and the fashion is gradually spreading
through the colder North. The fact
that those whose native tongue it is,
are multiplying faster than any other
civilized people, Indicates that the
English is to be the language of the
future, and that they will be wise who
master its idioms and meet manifest
destiny half Chicago Post.
Year: 1872

KEEP THE HEART ALIVE. The
longer I live, the more expedient /
find it to endeavor more and more to
extend my sympathies and affections.
The natural tendency of advancing
years is to narrow and contract these
feelings. I do not mean that 1 wish
to form 8 new friendship every day /;
to increase my circle Of intimates-
these are very different affairs. But
I find that it eonduces 10 my mental
health and happiness to find out all I
can which is amiable and lovable in
those come in contact with, and to
make the most Of it. Itmay fall very
short Of what l was once wont to
dream Of; it may not supply the place
of what l have known, felt and tast-
ed but IL Is better than nothing. 1t
seems to keep the feelings and affec-
tions in exercise; 1t keeps the heart
alive in its humanity; and, till we
shall be all spiritual, this is alike our
duty and our interest.r-77te HordVi-
an.
Year: 1872

The great danger ahead. the immi-
nent peril posing over US all like q
hawk above its prey, ready. to swOop,
is msterialism. Do not forget, that,
in the hrst seventy years of the repuD-
lies life, the lust of gain nearly de-
stroyed US. Woe will be to us all
when our young men shall see moth
ing heroic in business; when trade
shall have nothing more honorable in
1t, nothing to be priced more than
money; when commerce shall be
only mereenary, and the motive
which impels the capacities of the
people worthy only of the sIave-trade!
Should such a day ever come, beggary
will be blessing. and the heaviest
curse felt the curse of birth, Better
not to be born than to live in such an
age; better die in the cradle like q
flower in the bud; for life will be but
the unfolding Of a poisonous principle,
like a flower whOss every leaf adds
to the volume of poison already in
the atmosphere; and the larger the
flower, the deadlier- the poison; for
history, if it proves nothing else, prove
at least this,-that "a nation which
knows not God shall utterly perish" !"
Year: 1872

About once in four or five years the
above question comes up in the news
papers, and is discussed with as much
ferver as if the transaction IL refers to
was a matter of yesterday. 1t will
sadden those who delight in mystery
to know, on so good authority as that
OF Morgan's son, THAT the supposed
victim of the brethren of the mystic
tie was neither tied to a stone and
sunk, had his throat cut, or was torn
asunder, according to the general Gus
tom in such cases. On the contrary
he lived nearly thirty years after his
abduction, and finally ended his days
in cOrpuleDce and cOntentment, at
HObartOwn, Van Dieman's Land,
where he for some years published a
newspaper, the AdreTtiser-which is
still in existence. According to the
statement of the son referred to. Nor
gan was released on condition of his
leaving the country forever. de was
accompanied to Quebec, where he
entered the British navy, and was
placed on a ship which left soon after
for England. Later he accompanied
a government vessel to Australia, and
his period of service being ended he
chose to take up his residence in that
quarter of the world. His son is a
resident of San Francisco, and is re-
spOnsible for the statement here CIV
en-.
Year: 1872

Look most to your spending. No
matter what comes in, if more goes
out you will always be poor. The art
Is not in making money, but in keep
ing it; little expenses, like mice in a
barn when they are many, make
great waste. Hair by hair, heads get
bald; straw by straw the thateh goes
off the cottage, and drop by drop the
rain comes in the chamber. A barrel
is soon empty If the tap leaks but a
drop a minute. When you begin to
save begin with your mouth; many
thieves pass down the red lane. The
ale jug is a great waste. In all other
things keep within compass. Never
stretch your legs farther than the
blanket will reach, or you will soon
be cold. In clothes choose suitable
and lasting stuff, and not tavdry
fnery. To be warm is the main
thing, never mind the looks. A fool
may make money, but it needs a wise
man to spend it. Remember it Is
easier to build two ehimneys than to
keep one going. If you give all to
back and board there is nothing left
for the savings bank. Fare hard and
work hard while you are young, and
you will have a chance to rest when
you are old.
Year: 1872

a BEAUTIFUL EXPERIMENT. Take
two or three leaves of red cabbage,
cut them into small bits, put them
into basin, and pour a pint Of boil
ing water on them; let it stand an
hour, then pour off the liquid into q
decanter. 1t will be of a fine blue
color, Then fake four wine glasses I;
into one put six drops of strong vine
gar; into another six drops of solution
of soda into a third the same quanti-
ty OF a strong solution of alum; and
let the fourth glass remain empty.
Tie glasses may be prepared some
time before, and the few drops of col
Orless liquids that have been placed in
them will not be noticed. Fill up the
glasses from the decanter, and the
liquid poured into the glass contain
ing the acid will quickly become a
beautiful red, that in the glass con-
tanning the soda will be a fine green /;
that poured into the empty one will
remain unchanged. By adding q
little vinegar to the green, it will i'm
mediately change to a red, and on
adding a little of the solution of soda
to the red it will assume q fine green;
thus showing the action of acids and
alkalies on vegetable blues.-E5-
change.