smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

The water famine in Buffalo dur.
ing the recent storm recalls 4 simil-
lar phenomenon which occurred
twenty odd years ago, when, if we
may credit history on the subject,
the falls OF Niagara were dry for a
day. Below is paragraph dcscrip-
tive of the event, from Iolley's
Niagara" which we find in circu-
lation:


The winter of ls4s had been in
tansely cold, and the ice formed on
Lake Erie was very thick. This
was looscned around the shores by
the warm days Of early spring.
During the day u stiff easterly wind
blew the whole field up the lake.
About sundown the wind chopped
suddenly around and blew gale
from the west, This brought the
vast tract of ice down again with
such tremendous force that it filed
the neck of tn lake and the outlet,
SO that the outflow Of the water was
very greatly impeded. OF course it
only needed very short space of
time for the Falls to drain off the
water below Black Rock. The con-
sequence was that when we arose
in the morning at Niagara we found
that our river was nearly half gone.
The American channel had dwin-
led to respectable creek. The
British channel looked as though it
was smitten with quick consump-
ton and was fast passing away. Far
up from the head OF Goat Island,
and out into the Canadian Rapids,
the water was gone, as it was also
from the lower end Of Goat Island,
out beyond the tower. The rocks
were bare, black and forbidding.
The roar Of Niagara had subsided
almost TO 4 moan. The scene was
desolatc, and but for its novelty and
the certainty that it would change
before many hours, would have
been gloomy and saddening.


Every person who has visited
Niagara will remember a beautiful
Jet Of water which shoots up out of
the water about forty rods south of
the outer Sister in the great rapids,
called with singular contradiction
ofterms, the "Leaping Rock The
writer drove a buggy from near the
head of Goat Island to a point above
and near to that jet. With log
cart and four horses he had drawn
from the outside Of the outer island
a stick Of timber, hewed twelve
inches square, and forty feet long.
From the top Of the middle island
was drawn still larger stick, hew-
ed on one side, and sixty feet long.
There are few places on the globe
where a person would be less likely
to 90 numbering than in the rapids
of Niagara, just above the brink Of
the Horse Shoe fall All the peo-
pie of the neighborhood were
abroad exploring recesses and cav
tiles that had never before been eN-
posed to mortal eyes. The writer
went some distance up the shore Of
the river. Large fields at the mud
dy bottom lay bare. The singular
syncotc of the water lasted all the
day, and night closed over the
strange scene. But in the morning
the river was restored in all its
strength, beauty and majesty, and
we were glad to welcome its swell
iup tide once more"
Year: 1873

a Western correspondent gives a
vivid account of the effect some un-
expected testimony had npon an at
tendant in the court room. He
describes the scene thus: "Every
eye was directed toward him, and
as the astonishing testimony fell hot
from the burning lips of the reader,
a curious pink was seen to form
over his cars, gradually deepening
and creeping over his cheeks toward
his nose. AS the red flush journey
ed toward that organ, the blush on
the ears faded, and a dreadful pallor
took ITS place, and this also began to
creep toward the nasal protuberance
driving the magenta red before it,
until the unfortunate protrusive
member was almost fire in its ac-
cumulatcd color"
Year: 1873

1t is poor economy--or, rather no
economy at ALTO purchase inferior
fabrics because they are cheap.
Persons in limited circumstances
often commit this error. If calico
at ten cents yard looks about as
well as one at twelve or fifteen cents,
the prudent purchaser will often
think it economy to choose the low


priced goods. AS it is low-priced,
she may indulge in yard or two
more for ruffies CT bias folds, flatter-
ing herself that cheap ornamental
tion is an equivalent for fine quality.
This mistake may be seen per
meatlno the entire wardrobe of
many sensible people. The result
is simply this:-they never have
anything of really good quality,
are always shabby, and always buy
ing. None but rich people can
afford to buy poor goods. This
rule applies to all sorts of goods
---muslins, cloths, carpets, and table
linen. We grudge the time we see
women spend in making up muslins
of low grade for undcr-clothing.
There are SO many stitches in Il
shirt! And when it lasts one year
instead of two, rs it should, there
is Just twice rs much work done as
need to be. Better make three
shirts of fine quality muslin than
six of a lower grade of muslin.
Just SO in hanncls. A filty-cent all
wool Shaker flannel will wear two or
three times as long as your tlimsy
cotton and wool stuff a few pennies
cheaper. Especially in family of
children, fabrics should be chosen
for service that when made up they
may descend from one child to an
other, thus saving'the mother time
to stitch into her brain little en-
broidery, of thought and culture.
A few rules with regard to shopping
itself may be in place. First
Have a list OF articles to be pur-
chased made out in black ana
white. by this means you will be
saved from sudden temptation to
buy what is not really necessary,
and forget nothing that You require.
Second:-Deal only with merchants
in whose business integrity you can
cpnfide. Third:-In the long run
one always does better to buy at
one and the same place than run
about tor the purpose of hunting up
bargains. A regular customer can
often get favors denied to an oc-
casional purchaser. Fourth:--Nevcr
buy what you don't want, simply
because it is cheap
Year: 1873

From the New York Times.


The new Central road proposes
to lay, in addition to its present
double track, two other tracks. OF
these four lines, two will be devo-
ted to passenger trains, and two to
freight trains. The very great
advantages of this plan are easily
perceived.


Not only will the carrying capaci'
ty Of the road be doubled, but the
cost Of transportation will be dimin-
ished. At present, freight trains,
In order to keep out Of tho way Of
passenger trains, are compelled to
delay for hours while waiting on
side tracks, and to run at costly
rate of speed when they have pos
session of the road. Where a
freight train which rms, when in
motion at rate of twenty-five miles
an hour now consumes q given time
in making the trip from Albany to
Buffalo, the same train, when free
from the vexations delays con-
sequent upon keeping out of the
way of passenger trains, will ac-
complish the same distance i'll less
time and at half the rate of speed.
There would thus be an immense
saving in the cost of carrying
freight, which, added to the in
creased facilities for its transporta-
ton, would in a very brief time re-
pay the cost of laying the proposed
extra tracks. When it is also con-
sidered that a large proportion of
railway accidents are due to the
presence of freight and passenger
trains on the same track, and that
the latter are continually delayed,
to the injury and vexation ofpassen-
gers, by the breaking down ofheavy
freight trains, the advantage Of
the new system to the travelling
public need not be urged.


Were the four-track system to be
confined exclusively to the New
York Central railroad, it would still
be public benefit. The results of
this action on the part Of the Cen
trail road will, however, be wide and
permanent. The Eric railway and
the Pennsylvania Central railroad,
the two great rivals of the Wander
Year: 1873

seen him anywhere about. Ne.
day this experiment was repeate
and she actually became insensib'
as before. When the husband lt
the place she recovered. The e
pertinent as to the influence Of Il
husbands presence was tried in :;
sorts Of ways. He was made
pass behind her, and to be. near h
in a separate ward, but this had i
effect; but whenever he was broug
to look on her face, though mufi.I
up, or disguised as a policeman,
Sepoy, and SO forth, she was
once Influenced. The experiment
continued for about a month, and I'll
conclusion was that the husbal
unconsciousiy mesmerized he
The Court came to the conclusid
that it was impossible she coul
live with him, and separate allo'I
ance was ordered. The husbaI
was asked to try if he could n
remove the effect, seeing that i
had power to cause it, but he W.
quite frightened at the idea Of ha
ing the power, and could not co
troll it in any way.
Year: 1873

bilt roads, must ultimately adopt
the same plan, or they cannot sue
cessfnlly compete with the latter.
The laying Of a double track by one
of these rival lines obliged the
others to follow its example, and a
like result must follow the CONVEX
sion of the New York Central into
four-track road. The manifest
advantages of the change-advant-
ages which can already be mathe-
matically demonstrated, will not be
lost upon other American RAILWAYS.
1t is safe to predict that within a
comparatively brief period, after
the four tracks Of the New York
Central road shall have been
opened, and the separation of it's
freight and passenger traffic accom-
plishei, there will not be railway
of Importance in the country that
will not see the necessity Of imitat-
ing the example.
Year: 1873

Josh Billings was asked elbow
fast does sound travel?" His idea
is that it depends a good deal on
the noise you are talking about.
"Thc sound of a dinner horn for in
stance, travels half a mile in n sec
ond; while an invitation tew git up
in the morning j have known to be
quarters NV an hour going up 2
pair of stairs, and then not have
strength enuff left to be heard"
Year: 1873

The Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor of Ohio has been recently
batting his hook to catch the soldier
vote of his State. In late speech
he took occasion to denounce the
President for his appointment of Gen,
eral Longstreet to lucrative office
IN the South, or in his own language
passing over meritorious soldiers
and appointing man whose hands
are stained by the blood of Union
men," These emocratic gentlemen
are very hard to please. In one
breath they pitch into the President
for not appointing ex-rebels to Office.
and in the next they denounce him
because he selected the best repre-.
sentative of that class for leading
Federal position. Since the close Of
the war the Democratic press and
orators have been soundly abusing
the President for not giving larger
share of patronage to Southern men,
especially to those who held infuen-
tial positions under the Confederacy.
By this benevolent policy we are
told the masses of the South would
be won to the support of the Gov
ernment. But the Administration
saw fit to encourage the loyal ele-
ment instead of the disloyal. When
ever an ex-rebel was found who gave
evidence of an intention to accept the
situation and do all he could toward
bringing about peace, good will and
prosperity, encouragement was ex-
tended in the shape of Federal pat
ronage, but the policy OF wholesale
appointments from among those who
tried to break up the Union, has not
been encouraged, either by the Presi
dent or the party he represents.
Year: 1873

Californians in Washington express
the opinion that Governor Booth will
be chosen next United States Sena-
tor. He and Senator Casserly join
ed in the late canvass to make the
fight for the people against the rail
road corporation, but there is no un-
derstanding between them in respect
to the Senatorship. The election Of
either would be a bitter pill for the
railroad ring. It is also predicted
that the new Legislature, when il
shall assemble, will repeal what is
commonly called the Five Per Cent
Law, which allows each county tc
vote 5 per cent. of the total valuation
Of the assessed property, less the
county debt, in aid of the railroads
and that the Legislature will alsC
pass laws regulating the tariff of ras
senger fares and freights.
Year: 1873

Wapello, Iowa, Sept. 25 A balloon ascen-
sion by Prof. j. W. Bailey was advertised
to take place at the Fair Grounds near this
city, this afternoon, and a large crowd
gathered to witness it. At $50 o'clock the
balloon was cut loose; Bailey hanging by
his hands to horizontal bar beneath.
Just after the balloon, which was inflated
with hot air, left the ground it took fire
near the mouth, and Bailey did not ap-
parently see the fire until he was too high
to let go with safety, but hung on until he
had reached an altitude of twelve or fifteen
hundred feet, when the canvas that held the
hoop, from which he was suspended, burn
cd away, and he fell, reaching the earth
quarter of mile from the point of start
ing. His body was frightfully mangled,
MS Isgs being driven into the hard ground
up to the knees.
Year: 1873

There lived in Brooklyn not long
ago, a man possessed of a devil. He
had inherited the devil from his faith
er, in the first place, and had nursed
it until it grew so strong that it took
entire possession of him. The devil
was very familiar one, and its name
was Rum. The man had many no
BILE instincts, and, better than all
these, he had a loving, faithful, brave
wife, who made skillful war upon the
demon, her husbands master. Rec
ognizing the fact that her husband
was under and overpoweringimpulse,
that he longed and struggled man
fully to free himself from the passion
for drink, she bent all the energies
of her woman-nature to the task of
helping him. She loved, and toiled,
and suffered, until at last the loving,
and toiling, accomplished their pur-
pose. She took her husband by the
hand, and shared with him his strug-
gle, until after years of labor, she
overcame his devil, and saw him a
free man again. Her battle with


Rum had been q fierce one, taxing


and wasting her strength sorely, but


she was conqueror at last Her hus


band stood upon manly feet, and


showed no sign of falling again.


Several years passed away, ant


this reformed man fell i'll of consump


ton. The distinguished physician


from whose lips we have the story


prescribed alcoholic siimulantsas as thu


only means possible of prolongine
his life. The poor wife was in terror
: and begged the physician to recal
the prescription. She told him. @
her long struggle and her victory
and said she preferred her husban
should die then, sober man, thai


that he should fill a drunkards gray
a year later. But the freed spirit c
the man was strong, and he under
took to take alcoholic liquors as


medicine, and to confne himse
, absolutely to such times and mea'


ures in the matter as the physical


should prescribe. This he did, an


during the months thus added to hi
: life he never once drank single dro
|: more than the prescription called TO
i and he died at last sober man, g
o the wife had so earnestly prayed thu
d he might. But the end was not ye
When the loving and patient wife ha
It laid him in his grave, and saw her Ion
# labors thus ended in the victory fo
It which she had toiled so hard and su
,, fered so bitterly, she turned in gri
Is to the brandy which had been left
y the house, and drinking it she fe
@ herself into the power of the dev
S, which she had fought so heroicall
% And that woman died, not maj
u months later, a hopeless, helple
le drunkard. Hearth and Home.
Year: 1873

A colored man of Detroit having long adj
mired colored widow, but being afraid
to come out boldly and reveal his passion,
went to white man of his acquaintance
and askek him to write the lady letter
asking her hand in marriage. The friend
wrote, telling the woman in a few brief lines
the size of her feet was the talk of the neigh
borhood, and askingher if she couldn't pare
them down a little. The name of the color
ed man was signed, and he ewas to call on
heron Sunday night for an answer. A day
or two afterward the writer of the letter
met the negro Imping along the street,
and asked him what the widow said. The
man showed him blood-shot eye, scratch
ed nose, lame leg, and spot on the scalp
where a handful of wool had been violent
ly jerked out, and he answered IN solemn
tones: ''She didn't say muffin; and 1 didn t
stay dar MORN minute!"
Year: 1873

Death is usually preceded by a
group of phenomena that has received
the name of the death agony. In
most cases of disease the, beginning
of this concluding period is marked
by sudden improvement of the func-
tions. It is the last CLEAN springing
from the dying fame; but soon the
eyes become fixed and i1sensible to
the action of light; the nose grows
pointed and cold; the mouth, wide
open, seems to call for the air that
fails it; the cavity within is parched,
and the lips, as if wi.hered, cling to
the curves of the teeth. The last
moments of respiration are, spasmod-
ic, and wheeling, and sometimes a
marked gurgling sound may be
heard at some distance, caused by
obstruction of the bronchial tubes
with a quantity of mucus. The
breath is cold, the temperature of the
skin lowered. If the heart is exam
ined, we note the weakening of its
sounds and pulsations. The hands,
placed in its neighborhood, feel no
throb. Such is the physiognomy of
a person in the last moments of death,
in the greater number of gases; that
is, when death follows upon period
of illness of some duration. The
death struggle is seldom painful; al
most always the patient feels nothing
of it. He is plunged into a coma
tose stupor, SO that he is no longer
conscious of his situation or suffer
ings, and he passes insensibly from
life,to death in q manner that renders
it sometimes difficult to fix the exact
instant at which a dying person ex-
pires. This is true, at least, in chron-
ic maladies, and especially in those
that consume the human body slow
ly and silently. Yet when the hour
of death comes for ardent organiza-
tions-for great artists, for instance,
and they usually die young-there is
a quick and sublime new burst of life
in the creative genius. There is no
better example of this than the an
gelic end of Beethoven, who, before
he breathed out his soul, that tune
full monad, regained his lost speech
and hearing, and spent them in re-
peating for the last time some of
those sweet harmonies which he called
his prayers to God" -


Some diseases, moreover, are most
peculiarly marked by the gentleness
of the dying agony. Of all the ills
that cheat US by pin pricks, consump
ton is that which longest wears for
us the Elusive look of health, and
best conceals the misery and horror
of dying. Nothing can be compared
with that hallucination of the senses
and that livingness of hope which
mark the last days of the consump-
tive. He takes the burning of his
destroying fever for a healthful symp-
tom, he forms his plans and smiles
calmly and cheerfully on his friends,
and suddenly, some morrow of a
quiet night, he falls into sleep and
never wakes.-[Popular Science
Monthly.
Year: 1873

The Lord my shepherd is; l shall not need.
He malzeth me to lie in pastures vide,
He bringeth me the waters still beside,
And in the paths Of righteousness doth lead
Yea, though walk with death, take no heed
OF evil things, for thou art still my guide;
Thy rod and staff shall comfort and provide
For all my wants and bring me forth with speed.
Thou dost my table set before my foes,
My cup of life with bounty ovef1iows.
Goodness and mercy shall forsake me never,
But follow me till all my days shall close,
And shall dwell in the Lord's house forever.


IThe Independent
Year: 1873

As an illustration of the widespread
use of certain popular title, it is relat
ed that a gentleman recently stepped
into saloon in Denver, and cried
'out in a loud CHEEKY tone, ''Hello
come, Professor, take a drink.
Six men sitting in the saloon, at once
arose and car2e forward while {
bootblack, whose stand was just out
side the door, and a passing corr
doctor, smilingly accepted the invita-
ton, and stepped in.
Year: 1873

1t was not that loved her Overmuch


That made our parting bitter;
1t was not for the softness of her touch,
Or her eyes glitter.
1t was not that her cheek was rosy fair,
Or smooth as any peach's;
1t was not that she had such lots of hair
As black as leeches.
1t was not for the cunning hat she wore,
All flowers and lace and feather;
1t was not that, though temperance to the core,
We ''smiled' together.
Twas not that when we parted her small hand
Waved an adieu-I did not so discern it;
Twas that she borrowed my umbrella, and
Did not return It.
Year: 1873

It is the essential nature of all wines
and spirits TO send an increased amount
of blood to the brain. The first effect
of taking glass of wine or stronger
form of alcohol, is TO send the blood
there faster than common; hence, the
circulation that gives the red face. IL
increases the activity of the brain, and
it works faster, and so on does the
tongue. But as the blood goes TO tho
brain faster than common, il returns
faster, and no special permanent harm
res ults. But suppose n man keeps on
drinking; the blood is sent to the brain
so fast, in large quantities, that in order
to make room for il the arteries have TO
enlarge themselves; they increase in
size, aud in doing 80 they press against
the more yielding haccid veins which
carry the blood out of the brain, and
thus diminish their size, being pores,
the result being that the blood is not
only carried to the arteries of the brain
faster than is natural or healthful, but
it is prevented from leaving it as fast as
usual; hence, a double set of causes are
set in operation. Hence, a man may
drink enough of brandy or other spirits
in a few hours, or even minutes, to
bring on a fatal attack of apoplexy.
This is literally being dead drunk.
Year: 1873

Plants gain their nourishment by the


absorption through their roots of GER


tain substances from the soil, and by the
| decomposition, through their green
portions, of a particular gas contained
in the atm osphere-carbonic-a gas.
They decompose this gas into carbon,
which they assimilate, and oxygen,
which they reject. Now, this phenom-
enon, can only be accomplished with
the assistance of solar light.


Charles Bonnet, of Geneva, who be-
gan his career by experimenting on
plants, and left this attractive subject,
to devote himself to philosophy, only
in consequence of a serious affection of
the sight, was the first to detect this
joint work, about the middle of the
eighteenth century. He remarked that
vegetables grew vertically, and tend to-
ward the sun, in whatever position the
seed may have been planted in the
earth. He proved the generality of the
fact that, in dark places, plants always
toward the point whence light comes.


He discovered, too, that plants i'm
mersed in water, release bubbles of gas
under the influence of sunlight. In
1861, Priestly, in England, tried an
other experiment. He let a candle
burn in confined space till the light
went out, that is, until the contained
air became unfit for combustion. Then
he placed the green parts of a fresh
plant in the enclosure, and at the end
of ten days the air had become suffi-
ciently purified to permit the relighting
of the candle. Thus he proved that
plants replace gas made impure by COM
bustion with a combustible gas but he
also observed that at certain times the
reverse phenomenon seems to result.
Ten years later, the Dutch Physician,
Ingenhouzs, succeeded in explaining
this apparent contradiction. 81 had
but Just begun these experiments,
says that skillful naturalist, "when a
most interesting scene revealed itself to
my eyes l observed that not only do
plants have the power of clearing inn
pure air in six days or longer, as Priest
ley's experience seem to point ont, but
that they discharge this important duty
in few hours, and in the most thorough
way; that this singular operation is not
due at all to vegetation, but to the eff
feet of sunlight; that it does not begin
until the sun has been some time above
the horizon; that it ceases entirely
during the darkness of night; that
plants shaded by high buildings or by
other plants do not complete this func-
ton, that is, they do not purify the air,
but that, on the contrary, they inhale
the injurious atmosphere, and really
shed poison into the afr about us that
the production of pure air begins to
diminish with the decline of day, and
ceases completely at sunset; that all
plants corrupt the surrounding air dur
ing the night, and that not all portions
of the plant take part in the purifca-
ton of the air, but only the leaves and
green branches"