smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873




A remarkable accident occurred on
New Years night, one the narration of
which would not be believed only that
reliable parties tell the story, and the
man hurt has been seen and interviewed.
It appears that on the evening of the
day mentioned, VIM. Lautier, driver of
engine, Jersey City Fire Department,
started for supper, his residence being
on Sixth street, near Coles street. When
near home he slipped upon piece OF ice,
falling backward, and the flesh near the
shoulder blade was penetrated by the
point of well sharpened lead pencil,
which stood upright imbedded In the
hard incrusted snow. The pointed
wooden dagger pierced through his two
coats, under clothing, and then through
the whole body, coming slightly out
the end-in his breast, near the armplt.
He ate his supper and did not feel much
pain until two hours later-though he
thought he felt little sore. He went
back to the engine house, and there and
then he said he though the had broken
bone in fall. His coats were stripped
off, and then his friends saw the sharp
point of pencil protruding slightly, the
other and unsharpened end being i'm
bedded in his back. All who saw the
sight were astonished, as well they might
be. DIR. Reeves was Immediately sent
for, and he and Foreman Hogan had to
take pincers and cut and slash at the
flesh before they could get good hold
of the pencil SO as to pull it out. The
job of extracting it was difficult. Lau-
tier now lies at home, weak in condition,
though he will recover. This must be
set down as the most remarkable case of
stabbing and of penclings by the way
on record.-Jersey city Journal.
Year: 1873

It seems as if spirit of recklessness
had seized upon the governments of the
earth, and that each was striving to out
do the other in the accumulation of pub
lie debts. The New York Bulletin gives
the following tabular statement of the
national debts of 27 Governments, in
1862 and 1872 respectively, showing the
interest during the last decade:
Year: 1873

WATER IN THE DEsERT.-We learn
that water has been discovered on the
" DESERT" as it used to be popularity
called at Bunker Hill station, on the
Kansas Pacific. It was thoughtno water
could be found on the plains, but the
officers of the Kansas Pacific road last
month sunk well at the above point,
and put in a pump. This morning in
telligence was received that an abundant
supply of water had been found, and that
it was of superior quality. Thus, one
by one, the delusions regarding the So
called "Great American Desert" are
melting away It has proven to be one
of the most fruitful regions of the earth
already. This fact is but an additional
incentive to hasten its settlement and the
building up of prosperous communities
on its soil. l.-LedUe7aUorth Times.
Year: 1873

In the Marine Court yesterday, in the case
OF Gaume agt the Firemens Fund Insurance Company,
the jury found verdict for the plaintiff for ss3s 49,
Judge Shea charged the jury that the insurance policy
general and not specific In Its terms, and that the
plaintiff entitled 70 recover insurance Hereunder
for machinery placed In connection with that upon
which the Insurance Effected, and subsequent tO
the date Of the policy


Chief-Justice Shea, on an application made
20 him yesterday declined grant order to effect
substituted service process beginning action
under chapJer 5l of the Laws of Judge Shea
fusa TO grant the order based upon the ground that
the act has application to the Marine Court 10
any Court except the Supreme Court OF the State and
that Judgment entered upon such constructive service
would be void aud OF no effect.
Year: 1873

The suit brought in the name of the Mayor,
Aldermen &c, against william M. Tweed, to recover
several millions of dollars on the demurrer caien-
dar the Special Term OF the Supreme Court yester
day. but owing to the engagement OF Sir Peckham and
MI. O'Conor, was laid over by Judge Van Brunt
Year: 1873

All young people read good deal
now but do not see that q great deal
comes Of it. They think they have to
read.a good many newspapers, and a
good many magazine They are very
entertaining. But it is not always Ger
tain that the reade. g ts from them Just
what he reads. On the other hand, it
is certain that people who only read the
current newspapers and magazines get
very little good from each others socie-
ty, because they are all fed with Just
the same intellectual food. Tou hear
them repeat to each other the things
they have all read in the Daily Trllm-
pet or the Saturday Woodpecker. ] see
no objection, however TO light reading,
desultory reading, the reading Of news
papers, or the reading Of fiction, If you
take enough ballast with it, SO that the
light kites, as the sailors call them, may
not carry your ship over in some sud-
den gale. The principle Of sound hab-
its Of reading, if reduced to q precise
rule, comes out thus that for each
hour Of light reading-oi what we read
for amusement-we ought to take an
other hour Of reading for instruction or
improvement Nor have ! any obiec-
ton to stating the same rule backward,
for that is a poor rule that will not
work both ways. 1t is, ! think, true
that, for every hour We give to grave
reading, it is well to give q correspond
ing hour to what's light and amusing.
Now a great deal more is possible under
this rule than you boys and girls think
at first. Some of the best students in
the worldwide have advanced its af-
fairs furthest in their particular lines
have not in practice studied more than
two hours a day, Walter Scott, except
whom he was goaded to death, did not
work more. DIR. Bowditch translated
the great Mecanique Celeste" in less
than two hours daily labor But then
1t was regular as the movement Of the
planets its described. 1t did not stop,
for whim, or by accident, more than
Jupiter stops in his orbit because a hol-
idar comes round. n +. Hale.
Year: 1873




We admire eminent men not for
themselves, but for their relations to


mankind. The intellect and the moral


sentiments in the ultimate analysis are


not to be separated. There are many


men that say thought rules the world.
Who can doubt the potency Of an ir-


dividual mind? It is this that fires the


ambition Of every man. It gives moral
character. We count as the world4
great masters Alaric, Mahomet, Mira
bean, Napoleon, and even Henry VIII.
From these examples, I am bound to
say that no way has been found to make
heroism easy. The keynote Of the
true man is greatness, and greatnes3
comes from energy. This belongs to ia
all, to which we are sometimes faith
less, but Of which we never quite de-
spair. We hope to make it our monitor
through the eternities. It is only The
best anecdotes Of mind that we wish to
hear 7 know that men Of character
think they must needs 90 to Africa,
to Rome, to China. We have learned
that the college, the parlor, and the
counting-roon demand as much true
courage as the sea orthe camp 1t is
very certain that we are not nor should
be contented by any glory We have
reached Every mind comes one day
to be superhuous. We outgrow the
minds we once regarded as our teach
ers. How soon we become sick Of the
playthings Of the nursery! May not
the time come when the poetry Of
Homer and Milton will seem Ike the
sound Of a tin pan? The praise we
give to the true hero we shall unsay,
The very word greatness proyokes Il
feeling Of hostility. Greatness Is
there not something unfeeling in the
word There are points alike between
the old way and the new way Of the
road to the stars. Self-respect is one.
To use a homely illustration, we are at
once drawn to that man in a tavern fhat
maintains his own opinions in the face
OF all the b7-standers. We honor his
self-respect The common laborer re-
fuses money for saving your life, and
makes himself your equal by the act,
and asserts his self-respect. What a
bitter-sweet sensation we have after
pouring ont our praises to ole 70 find
him quite Indifferent to our good opin-
ion. One sometimes meets a gentle
man who, if good manners had not ex-
isted, would have invented them, show
ing what man originally owes TO man.
Self-respect, then, is the following oE
an inward leader, and is one OF the
main elements Of greatness. There are
functions OF nature supplementary TO
the bent Of individuals. Thus, for
geology there will be men born with nm
eye to viewing mountains and marking
the differences Of strata. Such man
will have a desire for chemistry, for ma
tural physics, for fishes, and for plants,
Men of the present find stimulus
through the wonders laid open by
means of the solar spectrOscope, find
ing the same element in the sun and
distant planets as in the earth. Again,
one boy longs for the sea, another tor
foreign lands, another to be an arcM-
tect Thus there is not a man born
but, as his genius opens, turns in thHs
line to his pursuit. .-Eme'a0a
Year: 1873

One baby often rules a whole house
hold, and with an iron rod, too The
mother brings up the old excuse, that
she does not dare to control it, as she
should like to, on account of its nervous
temperament. So, for that reason, pa
pa, must 90 out of the room to read hs
paper, because the rustling of it wakes
baby auntie mustn't paetiro, for baby
is asleep; if anybody attempts to enter
the room, mama holds mp a warning
finger, with n look of pitifnl distress
upon her face and if perchonce the
door-bell rings or door slams, the cry
of the baby is sure to follow close upon
It. In fact, silence must be maintained,
il possible, while baby sleeps and
that, in most houses, is a pretty hard
thing to accomplish. Now, | do not
believe that all this regard for baby's
nerves is necessary. I believe, if the
mother begins Alright, she can accustom
her baby to sleep in spite of all the
noises incidental to the house. By
hushing every noise, and accustoming
the baby to sleep in undisturbed quiet,
she educates it to be nervous and to cry
ont at every unusual sound. Many
mothers make q regular business, every
forenoon, of getting the baby to sleep.
They sometimes spend an hour or more
in their endeavors, rocking and singing
until they completely exhaust them
selves. / do not believe such process
is necessary, though I know many
mothers will disagree with me- / be-
lieve that any healthy baby can be
taught to go to sleep on the bed by it.
self, without any rocking or singing, 4
tbe RIGHT means are taken in season. 1t
seems but reasonable to say that no
child will cry to be rocked asleep who
uover was rocked to sleep, or cry to be
walked with if that habit has not been
lpoetieed, or, in fact, cry for any special
thing Of which it knows nothing, /
speak from experience, not theory
Hcarth uad Home
Year: 1873

WE are surrounded by motives to piety
and devotion if we would but mind
them. The poor are designed to excite
our liberality; the miserable our piety;
the sick our assistance the ignorant
our instruction those that are fallen
our helping hand In those who are
vain, we see the vanity of the world ;
in those are wicked our own frailty,
When We see good men rewarded, it
confirms our hope and when evil men
are punished, it exeites our fear
Bishop Wilson,
Year: 1873

The report of the Commissioners on the lay
ing OF the West Side Boulevard extension consisting
of Messrs Traphagen, Mcclure, aud SeaveD filed the
awards and assessments yesterday with the Department
OF Public Works for the inspection of propertyowners
At the expiration of ten days the papers will be submit
ted to tue Supreme Court for confirmation. The total
amount of the awards is so77.6so %, while the total
amount OF the assessments Is sO757s 32 OF which
half or s553 6, Is assessed upon the city at large, to
70 INTO the general tax levy. The difference between
the and supposed TO represent the
cost OF surveying commissioners maps and the general
expenses incurred in opening street road on paper
The following the principal awards and Of the
Year: 1873

Many tender and beautiful things have
been said of the eyes; yet how inferior
to the sweet things uttered by them
selves A full eye seems to have been
esteemed the most expressive. Such
was the eye that enchained the
soul of Pericles The American
writer, Halliburton, declares that he
would not give piece of tobacco for the
nose, except to tell when a dinner is
good nor a farthing for the mouth,
except as kennel for the tongue but
the eye-study that, and you will read
any mans heart as plain as book. If
there is any feature in which genius al
ways shows itself, it is the eye, which
has been aptly called the "index OF the
SOUL
Year: 1873

"Hello, boy" cried the old fellow,


"Well, I am.


Be sure, then, that you're quick
about it, for he's got Sam Ogle's old
musket, and it kills at both ends"


He had scarcely finished his sentence
before he and my other friends suddenly
r9treatcd, for the fearful Jackson ap-
peared from behind Il clump of trees on
the opposite side and Immediately
brought his revolutionary relic to bear,
but was SO long getting it off that | had
time to get out of range by falling on
my face. The gun exploded with fear
full roar, while perfect hail storm of
shot and slugs ratified through the will
lows about the spring. / intended re-
turning the fire, but my enemy was out
of sight. | supposed that he had re-
treated to reload, but looking closer
saw him PROSTATE upon the ground with
his two legs up in the most extraordinary
position-the revolutionary relic had
kicked him over. Then getting upon
all fours he began crawling away. I ac
celerated this with Il shot that was an
swered by a yell, and then getting to
his legs he began running, when | gave
him the second barrel, that was respond
ed to by yet shriller cry and an in
creased speed that my party cheeered vo-
ciferously. Long as Jackson remained
in sight he was covering the ground at a
tremendous gait, and my friends fairly
danced with delight ; for as he ran, from
time to time he felt behind with his
hands as if worried by something ex
ceedingly unpleasant in that part of his
person.


That night l left Rocky Ridge never to
return. | learned that hundred and
forty small shot had been picked out of
his back by horse doctor armed with
peSging awl and pruning knife, and be-
fore the year was out [ received the
pleasing intelligence that he and my di-
vine Polly We're made man and wife. I
gave him good Endorsement and Polly
nv love.
Year: 1873




When trade grew slack, and notes fell due,
The merchants face grew long and blue;.
His dreams were troubled through the night,
With sheriifs, bailiffs, all in sight.
At last his wife unto him said
Rise up at once, get out of bed,
And got your paper, ink and pen,
And say these words unto all men -
"My goods wish to sell to you,
And to your wife and daughters, too;
My prices they shall be no low,
That each sha buy before they 60"
He did as his good wife advised,
And in the paper advertised.
Crowds came and bought of all ne had,
His notes were paid, his dreams were glad.
And he will tell you, to this day,
How well did printers ink repay.
He told us, with knowing win,
How he was saved with printers ink.
Anothcr--in place as tight
Contended with the press to slight:
He did not let the people know,
Of what he had or where to GO;
His drafts were due and We're not paid,
a levy ON his stock was made;
The stCrc was closed until the sale,
And FOR some time he was in Jail.
A bankrupt now, without cent,
At leisure he can deep repent
That he was foolish and unwise,
And did not freely advertise.
Year: 1873

do not know whether what / am GO
ing to tell you is a "grin' or not. /
only know that l have been laughed at
often by my friends, who years ago, be
fore they died out, got married. or went
to Congress, considered tia good joke. |
remember well what Shakespeare saws
about wits prosperity lying in the ear,
and some ears are so long that | sup
pose the poor joke gets lost and con-
fused before reaching the tickle nerve of
the brain-if, indeed, any brain exist for
1t to rest upon.


L was young, quite young i'll years
and younger i'll existence, when some
business of our firm-Seizen & Holden.
eminent attorneys-sent me into prim-
ltime part of Indiana. | never before
had been among people so near the
starting point in the race of civilization
I believe Darwin would have made n
good thing of it had he accompanied me
on that eventful occasion. ] believe he
could have found quite number of men
on Rocky Ridge who had just dropped
their tails, passing from the animal to
the human, and by killing and stuffing a
few he could have trinmphed over his
unbelieving enemies.


L could fill a volume with historical
illustrations Of this barbarous life, but
hasten on to my little adventure.


had terror of the people who fought
like animals. | believe | am not def
clent IN that common thing called cour-
age, but L shrank from coming in con-
taco with these roughs as one would
from ferocious beasts. I found I could
do this very well by treating crowd
whenever occasion offered and abstain
ing from any tender approaches toward
the falr sex. BY pursuing this course
during my stay of four months l became,
although the wearer of "store Clothes"
and therefore an object of envy, very
popular But | came to grief at last


The girls of the ridge were not attrac-
tive. Their ill-ftting clothes did not
grace their beautiful figures, nor did
their internal bonnets frame in lovely
faces. Indeed it was quite the contrary
we may say what we please of the rare
natural beauty of country life, but when
1t runs on rough breeding it is apt to be
coarse and unattractive. The cultivo-
ton of the mind is reflected not only in
the countenances Of the cultivated, but
aid more especially so.in their chill
dren. This is what we mean by the no.
bility of nature. 1 will reserve these
original and elevated thoughts for
book, II L am ever so fortunate as to find
an infatuated publisher who will prefer
risking his money on my thoughts rather
than republish that which had been a
success abroad


found an exception in the way of
beauty in the person of little Polly
fitcher, who, from contrast, L suppose,
appeared to me cross between Ger
man angel and Venus. She was
plump as partridge and as 1.-the as n
larry. Her little nose, slightly elevated
a5 the end, with dimple thereon, gave
saucy, piquant look to her white and
lea lace. Peaches and cream what n
complexion the little Pitcher had She
was Jolly as guinea pig and graceful as
lawn. L met her at wedding. 1t
was a rip-roaring frolic. We began
dancing and fighting early in the after
noon, and danced and fought through
the night until breakfast next morning
Then we had race for the bottle from
Year: 1873

LONESOME, HOMELESS NiNI


MAN"
He was lonely miner-man
Who i'll his cabin dwelt,
Or trod the narrow trail that ran
Along the mineral belt;
And night and morn, with dinner-pail,
He back and forward strobe,
Nor at the hour was known to fail
To take the rocky road.
\ steady-going miner man,
He sat AT night and thought
And many curious miners plan
In fancy there he wrought,
As ill his cabin, all alone,
Before the dancing fire,
Full many a picture came and shOne
OF what he might desire.
A lonesome, homeless miner-man
Who cooked and washed and worked;
Perhaps his name was John, or Dan,
No cdds--ho never shirkcd;
And why care wha. his name might be
Who dalved with pick and drill?
Inc tiine-book OF The company
Had put him up as "BilI."
Some said he was a heartlesa man
Who didn't care at all
How matters ended, or began,
Outside his cabin wall
But once | watched him at the store
(postoilicc it was, too);
The keeper, as he passed the door,
Said, Letter here for YOU"
lie took the letter as he went,
Walking away alone,
And soon | saw him most intent
Sit reading on a stone;
And as he read the rolling tears
Came coursing down his face
His heart had Travelled back for years,
To childhood's tender place.
Now, when that miner raised his latch
What sorrow entered there,
To bow his head beneath the thatch
Rereading it with care?
How weary sat he by the fire.
Too sad and faint to cook
His lonely meal and then retire
Without voice or book.
All miner, you and I, and all,
Can never, if we would,
Shut up the heart, whate'er befall,
Against the true ard good;
And when the world looks worse and worse
The further of we roam,
We still have something that we nurse
The love at "mother's home"
Year: 1873

CoLERIDGE had a custom of putting
aside his essays till the heat and excite
ment of composition had subsided, bran
dishing his pen and beating time with
his foot when he wrote, and ever and
again breaking out into shout at the
birth of felicitous idea.
Year: 1873

Say what we may about instinct, that
course of action invariably followed by
most insects in their economy of life,
doing precisely as their parents and
great -great-ancestors did before them
from the epoch of creation, the doings
of ants has a spice of intelligence which
is Numerically opposed to all received
theories of the use and office of brain
Ants labor, manifest an uncommon
affection for their eggs, their newly
Matched young. and fight as bravcly as
Cossacks for their protection and their
curiously constructed home. Certainly
they carry on enterprises, marauding ex-
petitions, and communicate exact intel
ligence respecting the location of lump
of sugar or drop of molasses Il straying
member of the community has found,
and make systematic arrangements for
their removal. Those little red ants
which infest store-closets, thousand of
which would not weigh pcnnyweight,
do all these surprising things.


Now, who can explain the mystery
for they have no brain? Science is at a
standstill with the problem.
Year: 1873

"Can you tell me the road to Green
Vile % asked Yankee traveller of a boy
whom he met on the road.


"Yes, sir" said the boy. "Do you
see our barn down there 2"


"Yes," said he.


"Go to that. About three hundred
yards beyond the barn you will find q
lane. Take that lane and follow along
about mile and half Then you will
come to slippery elm log. You be
mighty keerful, stranger, about going
on that log-you may get into the
branch-and then you go on up, until
you get to the brow of the hill, and
there the roads prevaricate; and you
take the left hand road, and keep that
until you get into Il big plum thicket,
and when you get there, why, then
then, then


"What them"


"Then, stranger, I'll be hanged if you
amt lost.
Year: 1873

we have on sale and to lease, we feel confident
of success, and that is half the battle won.


Our motto is onward and upward with the
watchword, Know Thyself, the which We
study SO we fiatter ourselves that
Year: 1873

A contemporary calls attention to one
of the simplest and most effective de-
vices for giving timely alarm in case of
fire breaking ont III building namely,
an ingenious little invention known as
the Tunnlcliife Fire Alarm. n is
nothing more than Il cylindrical barrel
some three inches long by an inch and
II half in diameter, which, by screw
attached midway along its length, may
be readily secured to the ceiling or any
part of the room desired. 1t is made of
malleable iron, with Il smooth bore, and
contains, when ready for use, small
charge of powder, to which is attached
an inch of fuse. This fuse is formed of
chemical mixture that will ignite
whenever the surrounding atmosphere
is heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit {;
that is to say, it is kindled by merely
heated air, and ut temperature less
than that OF boiling water. In case of
fire, the heat, which ascends at once to
the ceiling, quickly ignitcs the fuse, and
causes the required explosion to take
place before the flames can get beyond
point at which they may be quenchod
by pail Of water. The discharge of
one of these protective instruments
makes report as loud as that Of an
army musket loaded with regulation
cartridge.