smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

Let us keep cool. This is our advice to


stockholders, depositors, presidents, cash.
iers and directors of banks and banking


institutions, as well as to the people at this


particular turning point in financial mat


ters. The very unexpected intelligence
flashed over the wires yesterday Of the


suspension Of tho Petersburg banks


reproduced here the uneasy feeling
caused by tho unexpected crash in New


York last week, and caused runs on
several of our banking institutions which
they have not been stout enough to with
stand. Temporary suspensions have fol-
lowed. This measure, though to be regret
ted, as it inconvenience the people, is not
good argument against the solvency of
any Richmond banking institution. They
are all safe and reliable are in the hands
of prudent tinanciers, and will pay dollar
for dollar of what they owe and that very
soon. Ii merchants and private indvidu-
ais will make common cause with the
banks, towards staying the panic, all will
yet be well. No person who wants to be
safe himself can afford to lend the least in
huence to that senseless crowd who talk
OF terrible things and are doing their best
to fulfill their own gloomy forebodings,


The fact that the savings banks have
availed themselves of their chartered right
to require notice of intended drafts is in
no sense to be looked upon as alarming.
On the contrary, it is all the more calcu-
lated to reassurc depositors as to their en-
tire security. Small depostors, we as
sumo, will not be inconvcnienccd thereby,
and the larger depositors will see and
recognize tho wisdom of this conservative
action. There is certainly no occasion
for financial crisis in this city.
Year: 1873

A writer in the Chicago Advance SAYS
! that the ventriloquist's art is as easy to
| learn as falling Off q log. He maintains


that there is no difficulty in acquiring the


power. In the first place, he says, speak
any word or sentence in your own natu-


raj tone /; then open your mouth and fix


your jaws fast, as though trying TO hinder
any one from shutting them or opening
them any further; draw the tongue back


IN ball; speak the same words, and


the sound, instead Of being formed in
The mouth, will be formed in the pharynx.


Great attention must be paid to holding the
Jaws rigid. The sound will then be found
to initiate voice from the other side of
the door when it is closed, or under the
lloor or through the wall. 70 initiate
sound behind a door partly opened, the
voice must not be altered from the original
pitch or note, but must be made in another
part of the mouth. This is done by
closing the lips tight and drawing one
corner Of the mouth downwards or toward
the ear. Then let the lips be opened
at that corner only, the other part TO re-
main closed. Next, breathe, as it were,
the words out Of the oIilicc formed. Do
not speak The words distinctly, but expel
the breath in short pufis at each word and
as loud as possible. BY so doing you pro-
duce the illusion in the minds of your
listeners that they hear the same voice
which they heard when the door was
closed, but more distinctly and nearer on
account of the door being open. The lips
mus always be used when the ventrilo-
quist wishes to have it appear that the
sound comes through some obstacle, but
from some one close at hand.
Year: 1873

IF our English cousins are right, then
we must admit that our cattle intended for
the butcher, even those stall-fed, get too
much exercise. In England when far
mer would produce the best beef he digs a
pit, say six feet deep and ten square, and
into this the bullock is lowered and a
shelter built. 1t is then supplied with all
the roots, hay and meal it can digest; the
needful quantity of water is also furnished,
as well as an abundance of dry straw for
litter. The droppings are trampled under
foot as the animal moves about in his mar
row cell, and gradually by their accumula-
ton rise to level with the surface of the
ground, by which time the animal is usually
ready for the knife, and yields rich and
juicy flesh, and leaves many tons of ex-
cellent manure firmly packed in the pit.
Year: 1873

The ORIGIN OF THE SHREVEPORT
PESTILENCE.--We are informed that a
boat having on board hundred or more
Texas cattle, was recently sunk in the river.
very near to Shreveport. Inexplicable and
Incredible as the statement may seem, we
are informed that these dead animals have
been tished from the wreck and taken
ashore for their hides, and that after being
skinned the bloated bodies have been per-
mitted to remain exposed TO the rays of
burning sun, where they have sweltered
and poisoned with the sickening effiuvia
arising from these decaying -careasses the
whole atmosphere. Is it astonishing, or
rather is it not perfectly natural, that such
a violation Of the laws of health should be
followed by q frightful epidemic p Vicks-
burg Herald
Year: 1873

A RARE OPPORTUNITY excur-
sion of colored Volunteers offers to the
public of Richmond the best opportunity
ever presented to visit Washington, for
both pleasure and business. The train will
leave the Broad-street depot at l o'clock
on the 9th of October, and leave Washing
ton on its return on the night of the 7th at
1ls o'clock, thereby giving one whole day
in Washington. We are assured by the
committee that every facility will be offered
to those who will 60, and that perfect ar
rangements have been made to ensure the
comfort of all. Round trip tickets three
dollars.
Year: 1873

THE BALLOON ,AsCENsIoN.-The bal
loon sent up from the Great Eastern circus
tent grounds to-day at noon Landed in
Byrd between 7th and 9Th streets. In de-
scending it came in contact with the fire
alarm wire, causing the basket to upset,
throwing the voyager out, but fortunately
he was not hurt.
Year: 1873

GRAND REPUBLICAN MASS MEETING


FRIDAY NIGHT AT ASSEMBLY HALL
The Republican state executive committee
have made arrangements for grand mass
meeting to be held at Assembly Hall next
Friday evening at u O'Clock, at which
time the citizens of Richmond will
have an opportunity of hearing
Colonel r. w. Hughes, our distin-
guished candidate for governor, upon the
political issues involved in the present can
vass. Hon. J. b. Sener and Hon. l.. ii.
Chandler and others will also address the
meeting. We hope that every voter will
be present and hear for himself, believing
that to hear is only to be convinced that
through the success Of the Republican
party can we hope for prosperity. Let this
be the grand rally of the campaign.
Year: 1873

SPIRITUAL TNlpE.-Nothing Is more
common; and more to be pi>ied, than
to see with what a confident contempt
and scornfnl pity some jII-inst~lyte:)
and ignorant people will lament thc
blindness and ignorance Of those whc
have a thousand times more true know
ledge and skill than themselves, not
only in all other things. but even N
the practice as we'll as knowledge Of
the christian religion believing those
who DO not relish their affected phrase:
and uncouth forms ofspccch TO be IS
norant Of the mystery Of til" gospel,
and utter strangers to the life and 10"
CT Of godIinoss
Year: 1873

but it is necessary for me to go out for
a few moments; will be back very
soon.' Supposing that he was going
out on business l did not attempt to stop
him. After waiting some time for him
to return, l went away. Ny son did


and take out a thousand dollars.
He could not have done so,
as the cashier pays out the money.
He did not even take his overcoat. and
nothing is missing from his wardrobe at
home except the clothes he wore.
can't understand why Charley should
have run away. He has friends who
would have made up any deficiency.
1t is my opinion
Year: 1873

THE late tidings of the silence of the
Atlantic cable of 1865. while causing tenn
pOrary uneasiness, ought to raise no fear
for its ultimate restoration. 1t may be
there are yet some vital lessons for the
scientific world to learn before our great
transOceanic telegraphs are secured from
interruption; but every ray of light that
has been brought to bear on the feasibility
of long cables is cheering. When the cable
of 1865 was laid. it was only after 1t had
been subjected to crucial tests and proved
to be many times more perfect than had
been required. Sir William Thomson and
Mr.. Varley. who represented the A lantic
Company, and tested the mighty strand
as it lay cOiled in the Great Eastern, re-
ported that the current Of electricity pass
ed through it so fully that, 'of one thou
sand parts over nine hundred and ninety
nine cam" out ut the other end" The
galvanOmeter enabled its inventor, Pro-
frssOr Thomson. to detect the slightest
flaw in the cable or fault in the current.
and when the first monition came that the
Gu rent was not flowing freely. the spot
in deep ocean where the injured or defect
i've piece lay was instantly fixed upon.
On this occasion, and subsequently, when
a piece of wire not longer than a needle
was louuu W nave uIlNt'l through
the outer cover, and as when nail driven
into the North Sea cable had destroyed its
insulation, the mischief was traced to hui
man hands. During the Great Eastern's
voyage from Valentia, Bay exquisitely sem
sitive was the copper strand that the cleo
tricians at Valentia could tell by the in
dicatiOns on the mirror galvanometer, in
cOmparably sensitive. every time the big
ship rolled. The final fracture of the ca
BILE, when the shores of Newf0u, dland
were almost in sight, was also traced to
malicious interference with irin the ships
hold, and not to any magnetic storm,
sweeping wildly across it, with the fury
of vOiceless tempest" as London pa
per explained its silence. There are no
known difficulties in the submarine geog-
raphy itself likely to affect the cable of
1865 or any other, and we may feel conf
dent that any interruption to its working
cannot be more than temporary.-N Y.
Herald.
Year: 1873

THE difficulties that surround the svs-


tenn of trial by jury are exciting more and
more the attention of English jurists.
Even so great an authority as the AttOr-
ney-General, Sir John Coleridge, has
been enlisted on the side of radical reform
in that direction. He has recently intro
duced bill to reform the procedure in
jury cases. The amendments that he pro-
poses are, we believe, too sweeping to
find faver in conservative England. First,
he proposes in all except capital cases to
do away with tine ancient twelve Jury
men, and to reduce that apostolic number
to seven. Of these seven majority are
to determine the questions in issue; and
the trial is to 90 on even though two of
these Jurors should be absent from sick
ness. Certainly this would do away with
the endless disagreements of juries, which
now are the cause of so much vexation
and expense to suitors. 1t would also
greatly diminish the burden of jury duty,
and make it unnecessary to summon the
large panels now required. On the
other hand, the opponents OF the bill in
sist that it would lodge 100 much power
i'm the hands of four men, and that the
bribery Of jurors would be resOrted to
more frequently than at present. WHAT
ever the fate of Sir j. COleridge's bill, it
is probable that at no very distant time
the method of trial by jury will be mOdi-
fled both in England ard in this country,
at least in civil cases. BY making the
agreement Of ten men sufficient the obsti-
nate or purchased twelfth juror who ap-
pears in so MANY eases would become N


unknown quantity. It is mdeniable
Year: 1873

In reply to the question, how long a
time should be regarded as the minimum
to be spent in bed in each twenty-four
hours? the Lancet says: We are of course
speaking of adults; and we think we may
place the minimum at six hours for men
and seven for women, with an additional
hour, or even two, being taken whenever
it is practicable.


Then as regards night-work: how far
is that specially prejudcial? We believe
that for the young it Is really injurious,
by he mere fact of its being night-wOrk
but for those whose Organisms are con-
sOlidateG we greatly doubt if it be at all
injurious, per Sc. But there are sundry
conditions inexorably requiring to be
observed, if night-wOrk is to do no harm.
First of III, there must be no curtailment
of the allowance of bed above mentioned
and this allowance OfrepOse must be taken
In continuous manner. A man who
works up to a. m. should after that lie
in bed till 10, and, if possible, should get
an additional hours sleep and meal
after it. Secondly, the light by which he
works at night should be very white,
powerful and steady, and should Ie care.
fully concentrated, by green shade, on
his books or papers insufficient, flicker.
ing. or too diffused light is one of the
most serious causes of the Standardization
which afflictS niQht-wOrkers.
Year: 1873

MEN and women make their own beau
ty or their own ugliness. Lord LyttOn
speaks in one of his novels of a man
"whO was uglier than he had any busi-
ness to be-" and if he could but read it,
every human being carries his life in his
face, and s gOOdlOOking or the reverse as
that life has been good or evil. On our
features the fine chisel of thought and
emotion are eternally at work. Beauty is
not the monopoly of blooming ung
men and of white-and-, ink maidens.
There is slow growing beauty that only
comes to perfection in old age. Grace be-
longs to no period of, ,fe, and goodness
improves the longer it exists. We have
seen sweeter smiles from lip of seventy
than upon lip of seventeen. There is
the beauty of youth and the beauty of
hOliness-a beauty much more seldom
met, and more frequently found in the
armchair by the fire with grandchildren
around his knee, than i'm the ball room or
promenade. Husband and wife, who
have fought the world side by side, who
have made common stock of Joy and scr-
row, and aged together, are not infre-
quently found curiously alike in personal
appearances, and in pitch and tone of
vOice-just as twin pebbles on the beach,
exposed to the same tidal influences, are
each others second self. He has gained a
feminine something. which brings his
manhood into full relief. She has gained
a masculine something which acts as foil
to her wOmanhOOd.-Ladv's Moqazine.
Year: 1873

Many fine mirrors are spoiled. and their
owners cannot understand the reason.
The Mercantile Jour,aI says:


1t is fact worth knowing, but which
does not seem generally understood, that
the amalgam of tin foil with mercury,
which is spread on glass plates to make
lOOking-glasSes, is very readily crystal
izcd by actinic solar rays. a mirror
hung where the sun can shine on il j.
usually spoiled; it takes Oh granulated
appearance familiar To hOusekceperS,
though they NAV not be acquainted with
its cause. In such Il state the article il
nearly worthless. the continuity of its
surface Is destroyed, and it will not reflect
outlines with any approach to precision.
Care should therefore be exercised in
hanging. If any of our readers have
mirrors which appear to be So ling, il
would he well TO ascertain whether the di-
rect sunlight strikes them. If thus ex-
po ed. they can probably tie saved from
further injury by simply changing their
position. The back as well as the front
must be protected. A small glass hung
in a window, where the rays strike it be-
hind. is peculiarly exposed. The back
should always be covered where the
beams are likely to touch it.


The greatest danger to l0Oking-glasses,
however. is in Transporting them. Very
expensive ones have been seriously in
jured by careless handling when merely
carried across a street. The mel who
move furniture are seldom fully aware OF
these possibilities, and need To be cau-
toned and watched. Frequently a man
or boy may be seen in the street carrying
mirror in such way that the full glare
of a MONDAY sun strikes and Injuries it,.
Owners of such articles would. as a rule,
be able to keep and use them much longer
if they would exercise more caution in
this regard. TO re->ilvcr pier-glas'
often costs as much as One-iifth of the
original price of the article, while the
common glass is seldom worth resilver-
ing.


1t is also well to avoid hanging mir
ror near a stove or fireplace where the
heat radiated can reach it. If this pre-
caution is neglected, granulation is likely
to occur, even in comparatively dark
room, by the influence Of warmth instead
of Fight. A lamp, or gas jet, if placed too
close while burning, though it may not
crack the glass, will often bring about the
same injurious crystalizatiOn. and will
even some times cause the amalgam to
melt and run of.
Year: 1873

AND now even Lord O'Baldwin, the
gigantic smasher, has set his face sternly
against the prize ring. 1t is too vile a
thing 10 receive his support. He has
given it patient trial. and at last is forced
10 throw up his hands with an exclama-
ton of disgust. O'Baldwin has suffered
much for his profession since coming to
America. He has borne Imprisonment
like martyr, but the Jail terrOrs could
not drive him from his high and holy
mission. He cared not for prison bars SO
long as his friends rallied around him in
the brief days of his liberty. and applauded
him as heroic representative of he man.
ly art of selfdefense. But when these
friends turned against him, and with
cOwardly blows struck him down in a
ring where rude kind of chivalry and
physical manhood were presumed to 90
hand in hand, the proud heart of O'Bald-
win was touched, and he resolved to suffer
martyrlom no more. From the Jail at
Steubenville the Irish pugilist sends forth
manifesto closing with these pOrtentous
words: "Since priZe-fighting no longer
deserves the name. and the question at is
sue is not who is the best man, but where
he was born, and if his nativity does cot
suit, what other means can be adopted,
even to murder, if necessary, to prevent





his defeat | abandon forever the prize
ring to such men as Riley, Geohegan and
their cowardly TOOLS" This is sad, and
vet it is cheering. Sad for the reason that
O'Baldwin should have wasted so much
of vigorous life in cause which he is
forced to confess Is without manhood or
honor; and cheering because the retire
ment of the Irish giant from the ring
gives rise to the nope that prize-tighting
has seen its best days in America. When
the ring becomes so low as to be branded
as the synonym of thievery and cOwardice
by professional bruiser like o Baldwin.
then let us trust it is indeed past redemp-
ton. Having retired from the;ring in Dis
gust, We are little bit curious to learn
how Lord O'Baldwin proposes to make
himself useful. Will he carry hOd, or
run gin mill?-Tu.f Field and Farm.
Year: 1873

Do what you can to make sunshine in
the world. Lift up the curtains. We do
not mean the curtains of the room, but
the curtains which darken the spirit of
your brother, your friend, your neigh
Dor, or even OF a stranger, if the curtain
strings are within your convenient reach.


Lift up the curtains, and let the SUM-
shine In. Light is better than darkness,
and how cheap it is! A kind and cheer
ing word to one who is in trouble and is
perplexed, and almost discouraged; a
word of heartfelt sympathy to the afllict-
ed; loving word of counsel to the
young; word of assurance to 'he doubt
ing; a "sOft word which, though it but
ters no parsnips, turneth away WRATH"
to the prejudiced and unreasOnably pro-
vOked; all such words as these are sun
shine to those to whom they are spoken.


Il have never found anything else so
cheap and so useful as politeness." said
an old traveller to us once. He then went
on to state that, early in life, finding how
useful it was, frequently, to strangers, 70
give them some information of which they
were in search. and which he possessed.
he had adopted the rule always to help
every body he could in such little oppor-
tunities as were constantly offering in his
trave's. The result was, that out of the
merest trlf1eS OF assistance, rendered in
this way, had grown some of the pleas
antest and most valuable acquaintances
that he had ever formed.


How many great men have testified that
their whole lives have been influenced by
some single remark made to them in their
bOyhod! And who cannot recall words
spoken to himself in his childhood. to
which, perhaps. the speaker attached no
importance whatever, but which sank
deep snd immovably into his memory.
and which have never lost their power
over him?


Make sunlight! the world at best is
dark enough. Do what you can to make
it more ch, erful and happier.-Erchange
Year: 1873

WE are sorry to record that the women
employed in the Treasury Department
have been accused as a body, both on the
floor of Congress and elsewhere, of being
loose and immoral in their character. 1t
is doubtless true that some improper
women nave been employed in the Trea-
sury. 1t would be miraculous if out of so
many women employed it were otherwise,
under the former imperfect system of ap-
pOintment. But that more than an incOn-
siderable proportion are otherwise than
virtuous and modest, we confidently deny,
and our denial is based on a thorough
acquaintance with the facts. The simple
truth is that these women as a class are
as virtuous, as modest, as intelligent, as
respectable, and as discreet and lady-like
in their demeanOr as the ladies of any
con munity of which we know, and that
even the few who constitute the unfortu.
nate exceptions to this encOmium are
compelled, by the force of the common
sentiment Of both men and women In the
Department, to conduct themselves dis
creetly and properly while there.


Could their cruel traducers but visit the
Department and observe the department
of the woman clerks, day after day; could
they see them at their fatiguing employ.
ment; ould they know that most of then
have either children or young brothers
and sisters or aged and infirm parents
dependent upon them for support; tha
many of them lost the strong arm which
they had hoped would shield them from
want and misery during the late war; tina
many were themselves on the field of tat
tie or in the hospital. ministering. as only
woman can, tn the sick, the wounded ant
the dying, and that most of them if de
prived Of their positions would have
scarcely any other resource for the sup
port OF themselves and families than tn,
charity of friends or of the world. we ar,
sure that an end would be put at Onc'
snd forever to the dctractiOn of the womel
who earn their bread by hard labor in tn,
Treasury Department.. - Scribner's fo
hD,H.
Year: 1873

THOSE Of us who have flattered our
selves that we were descendants of Oar
wins monkeys will be plunged into gull
of deep despair on hearing Prof. COhn's
theory that the human race all sprung
from a yeast fungus. Prof. COhn has
given this matter such candid considera.
ton that there can be no doubt about the
correctness Of his theory. He Is now
making investigations with view of as
certaining what brewery furnished the
yeast.-Detroit Tribune.
Year: 1873

IN regard to disagreea ole and formida-
BILE things, prudence does not consist in
evasion or in flight, but in courage. He
who wishes to walk in the most peaceful!
parts of life with any serenity must
screw himself up to resolution. Let him
front the object of his worst apprehen'
sion, and his stoutness will commonly
make his fear Oundless.-EmerSon.
Year: 1873

Sir Thomas Browne, who declared that,


if it were possible, he would prefer to
carry on his studies in his dreams, so
much more efficient were his faculties of
mind when his body was asleep. He
further adds that We're his memory as
faithful as his reason is then fruitful. he
would prefer that season for his devotions.
Year: 1873

TnESIDEwALKs.-The Commissioners appoint
ed to examine sidewalks, and assess the amounts
necessary to repair or rebuild are attending to
duty, and it is advisable to attend to such orders
as they may make. The new law gives the city
ample power 20 compel the building of walks
that is, the city may do the work in case the
owner interested shall fail to the obey the Com
missioncrs' notice ON the subject. When done by
the city the expense is more than double the
amount the careful business man need pay, not
because Of waste nor cXorbitant charges, but that
there must be the expenditure of advertising,
and the numerous incdcntas.