smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

In an article upon every Day Luxu-
ries, the Liberal ReUieU says:


1t is interesting to watch the processes
through which passes man who rises from
the state of priYatiOn to that of luxury,
Perhaps, in the first instance, he has been
IN the habit of dining at a low ehOp-house.
As he has been accustomed to nothing bet
ter, the dishes that he there procures are
all that is necessary to satisfy his palate,
and for time he eats them contentedlY.
By and by, however, his means improve.
and he is inveigled into a more pretentious
dining place than the low chOp-house, and
partakes Of viands which to him appear lit
tie short of perfection, and for which he
pays price which, startles him. In due
course, however, he comes to thiplE EllIishftEIli llIishftEI
OF the good things that are set before him,
and ceases to feel qualms of conscience
when he pays his score. If his thoughts
wander to the low ehOp-hOuse, he is filed
with wonder how he managed to endure its
various denominations, at the thought Of
which he shudders, and feels that, come
what may, he will never be able to 90 back
there again. If he continues prosperous,
the chances are that in the matter of dining
he rises from stage to stage, all of which
awe him when he first enters upon them,
but are afterwards looked back upon with
contempt and disgust until he arrives at
that in which he is called upon to spend as
much upon his dinner as would suffice to
keep laborer for nearly week. When
he has reached this pitch he may pause and
survey the past with wonder. The changes
which have been effected and can be seen
clearly and sharply defined, have all been
brought about so quietly, and with such an
avoidance Of preeipitancy, that while they
have been taking place they have not been
noticed. The tremendous gap which they
have placed between the present and the
past is one, however, which it is very diff
cult to bridge over. And it is precisely
the same in regard to changes which have
been made in other ways. Yet the time
often arrives when the attempt to bridge
over the gaps that have been created has to
be made. Now, there Is no more melan-
choly sight than that Of a person, forced by
the stern logic of circumstances, making
an attempt to bridge over one Of these gaps
after having been hurled from position 3f
comparative affluence to one Of poverty.
It therefore behooyes prudent people to be
very ehary of aeeustoming themselves to
luxuries unless their positions are so assur-
ed that there is no probability Of their eVs
er having to renOunce them AT the present
time, unfortunately, the tendency OF too
many persons is to indulge themselves to
the limit of their resources; and the eonse-
quence Is that they find their expenditures
quite equal to their income. This is a dan
gerous state Of things at the best Of times,
but it is particularly so when middle-elass
people, whose means Of livelihood fuctu-
ate more or less, are in question. Prudence
should urge people to husband their re-
sources, for the man who does so is less
likely to be exposed to absolute pFiTation
during the course Of his life, than Is the
individual who devotes himself to cOnstru-
ing the word luxury to mean necessity.
Year: 1876

The bees are very much disposed to rob
each others hives, too. They don't know
what fear is, and will fight anything. A
swarm gets out of honey, or finds that it
has not enough to hist through the winter,
and it organizes itself into a raiding party
and sallies out on the war path, ready to
attack the first hive it finds. A party of
these robbers came and set in one of my
italian hives the other day. A good many
of my bees were out gathering honey, and
the marauders effected lodging on my
hive and fought their way inside, though
the home guards Of the Italians fought
with desperation and contested every inch
of ground. 1t was the fiercest fight you
ever saw. A regular hand to hand Water
loo. A tempest of short, shrill notes and
hosrse hums-the war-cry Of the combat
ants-were heard fifty yards. The fight is
strictly hand to hand. An Italian bee
throws himself in front of an American bee
to stop his progress; two or three little
Americans throw themselves with blind fu-
ry on the gigantic foreigners, and nip
them with their sharp, swapping beaks in
thousand places The object with him
seems to be to catch them by the tip Of the
wing and give them q twist, which breaks
or splits it, and deprives him of the power
of flying. 1t is then easy for the Italian TO
pounce him and finish him up. The rob
bers have Just about fought their way into
the honey cells when the tide Of battle be-
gins to change. A great many Of the Ital-
ians have come in from their honey hunt,
and seeing in moment how the thlng, Is
pitch in, and being fresh and vigorous, ht-
erallv cut their way through the ranks OF
the little Americans, Enough of these
have come to turn the fortunes Of the fight.
The defeat never becomes rout, Though
thousands of the soldiers are slain, the bal
anoe continue the fight until all are dead
except few dozen Of them. They still
wage the arrogant war, being determined
on honey or death, and they will struggle
until actually the last one is slain. Then,
without a moments rest, the Italians
plunge into the mass of the dead and dy-
ing and commence carrying the dead out
of the hive. l came to their help, and act
ually took over two quarts Of dead bees out
of the hive, and the Italians retired to
dress their wounds and discuss the combat.
1 never saw such desperate fight in my
life. suppose it was ground hog case"
NTH fba dino Marty
Year: 1876

At the annuaj dinner at Clements Inn,


(London), after the banquet of that learned
society, members and guests rise on the
removal of the white cloth and witness the
following thanksgiving in paatomlme:
Before the president of the second table
the butler puts mass of bread consisting
of four loaves adhering to each other by
their kissing or usts. Taking this mass Of
bread in his hand, the said president of the
second table slowly raises it above his head
to the full reach of his arm, and after a few
moments pause brings it down with a
laundering whack on the oaken table. A
second time the bread is elevated and struck
apeH the reseunding board. Yet a third
time the same feat is performed and then,
before strangers have had time to recover
from their astonishment, the grace actor
has thrown the bread SO that it slides and
spins down to the bottom of the long table,
where it is caught up. by the butler, who
instantly runs out of the dining hall with
it in his outstretched hands. The whole
grace is typical. The four loaves repre-
sent the Four Gospels the three elevations
are in reverence of the Three Persons of the
Sacred Trinity the manner in which the
bread is cast down the table indicates the
liberality with which the Bread Of Life was
given to mankind and the alacrity with
which the butler ran out of the hall exem-
plifies the alacrity with which Jealous SER
wants hasten to distribute the bread of
spiritual knowledge to those who hunger
for it. Montreal Gazette. -...
Year: 1876

Owing to the alleged necessity of pushing
the work as fast as possible on the New
Point bridge, Pittsburg, the contractors
had the men who are employed in joining
the three cables engaged all day yesterday.
They are compelled to work in a &c basket"
or platform, which is suspended above the
river at about the height Of ninety feet
from the water. Yesterday afternoon a
workman by some accident fell off the
platform. Hanging from the platform was
a rope that reached nearly to the water.
In his frightful descent the man attempted
to grasp the rope, but as he kept turning
somersaults in the air he was unable to
reach it until within about twenty feet Of
the water, when he succeeded in grasping
the rope with both hands. He was at first
unable to stop his descent, and slid down
the rope for about fifteen feet, until his
feet nearly touched the water. Then, to
the astonishment of the people on the
banks who had seen with horror his terri
BILE fall, he commenced climbing back upon
the rope hand over hand. Then the crowd
cheered him Justify, and his companions on
the platform drew him up uniniured, ex-
cept the inside of his hands, which were
badly lacerated.
Year: 1876

The following from the La Plata Miner is
sensible /:


"It seems to us great deal of time is
being wasted by persons who own valuable
mines, in not getting them patented. We
mi mig ht mention several faen ~lae supposed
that their mines were safe, as far as inter
fering claims are concerned, who have got
into either expensive lawsuits or serious
trouble, not from any discrepancies in their
compliance with the law, but by some sup
posed informality whereby shadow of
right was given for some one to "jump"
tho claim or locate adjacent ground. The
manifest remedy is to secure patent as
soon as possible, and thus prevent any such
interferences, for if mine is once patented
it is impossible to lay any conflicting claim
ON any part of its ground. We notice that
around Mineral Point great many mines
are being patented, even those not consid-
cred first-class. This is as it should be.
If mine is worth working the first assess
ment, it is worth patenting, and if it is for
sale this will increase It's value at least 100
per CENT" -
Year: 1876

The Frost looked FORTH one stil clear night
And he said, Now shall be out of sight;
So through the valley and over the height


In silence I'll take my way.
I will not 90 like that clustering train
The wind and the snow, the hail and the raln
Who make SO much noise and hustle in vain,


But I'll be as busy as they!"
Then he went to the mountain and powdered its crest
He climbed up the trees and their boughs he dressed
With diamonds and pearls, and over the breast


OF the quvering lake he spread
A coat of mail, that it need not fear
The downward point of many spear
That he hung on its margin, far and near.


Where a rock could rear its head.
He went to the windows of those who slept,
And over each pane like fairy crept.
Wherever he breathed, wherever he stepped
By the light of the moon were seen
Most beautiful things There were flowers and trees,
There were bevles of birds and swarms of bees,
There were cities, thrones, temples, and towers and


these


Ali pictured in silver sheen
But he did one thing that was hardly fair
He pceped in the cupboard, and, finding there
That all had forgotten for him to prepare


"Now Just to set them thinking
I'll bite this basket of fruit" said he;
"This costly pitcher III burst in three.
And this glass of water they've left for me


Shall 'tchick = to tell them I'm drinking"
Year: 1876

II appears that the people on board a
ship which sunk on the northeastern
coast of Ireland, says Frank Buckland
in his Log Book, !" had tried to escape,
having first filled their shirt-sleeves with
dollars; but in getting up the rocks
many of them had fallen back and met
with an untimely end, as the weight of
the dollars had kept their heads under
water, No one had ever disturbed the
wreck since the vessel went down, so
Wood, a famous diver, and his friends
set to work TO find out where she was.
They put on their diving dresses, and for
two or three days walked about to and
fro at the bottom of the sea, in about
forty feet of water, searching for the
treasure. This they did by clearing
away the weeds and turning over the
stones with crowbars, and feeling for the
dollars with their hands, as the water
was too thick to see. The wood part of
the wreck itself had nearly pcrished
through lapse of time and ravagcs of sea-
worms. After long and careful search
at last they came upon the dollars they
were mostly spread out among the
stones, but many had slipped down among
a heap OF iron ore which had formed the
ballast of the ship. Many of the dollars
were worn thin by the action of the
water.


When hunting among the wreck for
the dollars Mr.. Wood had some curious
underwater adventures. One of the
divers complained that he was annoyed
by a lobster and couldn't work. Mr..
Wood learned the whereabouts of the
lobster, and went down after him. He
soon discovered Mr. Lobster sitting under
a rock, looking as savage as lobster can
look. His feelers were pointed well for
ward, and he held out his two great claws
wide open in a threatening attitude.
Wood, knowing the habits of Holsters,
offered the fellow his bar, which he
Immediately nipped with his claws.
Then, watchinghis opportunity, he passed
his signal line over the Holsters tail,
made it fast, and signaled to the men
above "haul away" This they did, and
away flew Mr.. Lobster. flying up through
the water into the air above, with his
claws still expanded and as scared as a
lobster could he. A great conger eel
'ep Thiu tnt uiNtt Nisil. iit was an
immense fellow, and kept swimming
around Wood, but would not come near
him, Wood was afraid of his hand being
bitten, as conger cells bite is very bad.
He once knew diver whose finger was
seized by conger. The brute took all
the flesh clean of the mans finger How
ever, this conger kept swimming around
about Wood, so he took his clasp knife
out and tried to stab him; but the con
ger would not come near enough to be
knitted" 1t was long time before the
oonger would 60 away and even after
he had gone away Wood could not go on
working, because he was not sure that
the brute was really gone for good, and
he might have come out of some corner
at any minute and nipped his fingers.
Year: 1876

Our ewn ancestry in England and
Scotland have observed some very funny
customs within the last three centuries.
At one time valentines were fashionable
among the nobility, and, while still Sc
lected by lot, it became the duty of n
gentleman to give TO the lady who fell to
his lot handsome present. Pieces of
jewelry costing thousands of dollars were
not unusual, though smaller things, as
gloves, were more common.


A gossipyold gentleman named Pepys,
whose private diary has come to afford
great interest and amusement to our
times, tells how he sent his wife silk
stockings and garters for her valentine.
And one year, he says, his own wife
CHANGED to be his valentine, and grum-
bles that it will cost him five pounds.


There was tradition among the coun-
try people that every bird chose its
mate ON Valentines day, and at one time
IT was the custom for young folks to 90
out before daylight on that morning and
try to catch an owl and two sparrows in
net. IL they succeeded it was good
omen, and entitled them to gifts from
the villagers. Another fashion among
them was to write the valentine, tie il to
an apple or orange, and steal up to the
house OF the chosen one in the evening,
open the door quietly, and throw it in.


The drollest valentine belongs to those
old times in England, and consisted of
the rib of small animal wrapped in
white satin ribbon, which was tied in
true lovers knots in several places. This
elegant and suggestive gift was sent to n
bachelor, and accompanied with verses :


Go contemplate this lovely sign


Haste thee away to Reasons shrine,


And listen to her voice.


No more ilusive shades pursue,


To happiness this gives the clue,


Make but prudent choice.


50 far 1t Is uncertain whether or not the
lines refer TO the pleasures of eating,
suggested Ito modern minds) by a rib,
But they go on to explain.


Till Adam had partner given.


Much as fair Eden bloomed like heaven.


His bliss was incomplete;


No social friend these lows 10 share


Gave the gay scene vacant air;


She came-'t was all repletel


Which leaves nothing to be desired.


Those were the days of charms, and Of
course the rural maidens had sure and
lnfallible charm foretelling the future
husband. On the eve of St Valentine
day the anxious damsel prepared for
sleep by pinning to her pillow five bay
leaves, one on each corner and one in the
middle (Which must have been delight.
ful to sleep on, by the way). If she
dreamed of her sweetheart she was sure
to marry him before the end of the year
But to make it dead sure" thing the
candidate for matrimony mnst boil an
egg hard, take out the yolk, and fill il
place with salt. Just before going t.
bed she must eat egg, salt, shell and all
and neither speak nor drink after it. II
that wouldn't insure her vivid dream
there surely could be no virtue in
charms.-,T. Nicholas.
Year: 1876

Why SHOULDN'T WE Do LIKEwIsE?-A
little item elsewhere in to-day's issue states
that in Minnesota the farmers are going to
quit shipping wheat, but are having 1t
ground and are shipping the flour instead.
Why shouldn't Delaware do the same, and
thus derive two advantages from the crop
instead of one-have the revenue of man.
ufacture as we'll as of growth. What is to
hinder the section that grows the grain
from manufacturing the flour, and doing it
as profitahly as it is done in the large
cities? The Brandywine Mills are good as
far as they 20 in solving this question, but
they stop far short of the point we ought to
reach. The cities started in the canned
fruit business, at first, but the growers saw
the point in time, and now nearly all the
Delaware peaches that are manufactured
into canned goods are worked up right
here on the spot were the fruit is grown.
Why shouldn't the manufacture 60 with
the growth in other things as well as
peaches? The want Of sufficient capital is
the only valid excuse, hut it seems to us
that the people of Delaware could obtain
capital as easily as other people if they
tried.


This milling business is only plain
instance of others that could be named, il
which we should manufacture our products
as we'll as produce them. True, there i
some advancement in it over former times
but tl.iS is a mere fnger-bOard pointing t.
the ultimatum we should reach. Not yer.
many years ago the merchants here bouGh
all their -four from "the city Now 1t |
nearly all manufactured 10y our local miller,
Our grain merchants used to ship thel
corn and wheat and order flour in retur
by the vessel that carried the grain. Th
section that does this keeps the balance {
trade against itself and shows itself def
cient in carrying out the plainest prime
pies of political economy. Let the "ey'
of Delaware" be on Minnesota whenevC
there is lesson to be learned.
Year: 1876

TIMES ARN'T WHAT They USED TO BE-
Just let somebody prove defaulter, or
steal money, or something Of the kind and
right away some such expression as this
greets you at every turn, You don't know
who to trust nowadays" How often has |
this expression been used since poor |
Woodalrs case came to light? There are
always a class of people looking on the |
dark side, and are glad of a pretext to dis |
parage public morals as they find them and
put them in an unfavorable contrast with
the morals of the old times, just as though
the old times people had all the honesty
and bequeathed all the rascality to their
children. This thing has been so per
sistantly harped upon that not few persons
really believe it they really think SO from
jumping at conclusions that pop up before
them, without even trying to look beneath
the surface. They are always ready to say,
"You didn't used to hear of so much
deviltry.'' No; but that is the true resolu-
ton Of the whole matter-we didn't hear OF
. it. The old times folks hadn't two thou
sand newspapers and thousands of lines Of
telegraph to scatter such intelligence to an
eager world. But more fragrant rascality
existed then than now, in proportion to the
population, and the guilty parties got away
with it more easily. 1t is time such foolish
croaking had stopped. The ooan'.. only
show their ignorance by such absurd
raillery. To give the subject mo-. ... T'
copy the following extract


tan Adcocate, of New York. 1t is part o
an editorial by Dr. Fowler, the new editor
and has been extensively copied by th'
leading newspapers of the country. L
reads as follows


Take the single branch of business know
as banking. How it depends upon letters 0
credit, and on dispatches, and on state
ments. Think of the millions that dali
pass through the channels of exchange, an
how seldom a penny rolls out into any by
way. 1t hardly amounts to the one hui
dred thousandth part of one per cen
Take the $4,000 men in American bank
that have it in their power to steal; 50
how seldom they do it. The cases will NJ
average more than one every two weeks,
one in a thousand a year. A leadiT
banker salQ not long ago, Il WOulu
willing to take the men up from the sire
as we meet them, and put them in char
of the vault, saying, This vault is open, u
watch it for an hour and not one in
hundred would disappoint the confidence
We are not all abandoned. Honesty is n
one of the lost arts. Take another class


the community, now much abused


certain secular papers. There are n,
more than $4,000 ministers in the Unit
States. Make an estimate of the perce


age of failures in morals. There is not


average Of one month in the entire lar
One in 6,500 is not a bad showing for We


Would to God there were noneat all !


we are far ahead of the infant Chur


where the failures were one in twelve.


the time of Van Buren, the loss was $2l


on every $1,000 Now it is only twenty.


cents. In the days of Buchanan Uni


States bonds bearing six per cent. inter


issued to pay current expenses OF


Government, which exceeded the reven


by over SIS, ,O00, 900, were hawked about


countvy, and sold with great difficulty
Year: 1876

The approaching abolition of capital pun
ishment in Italy will help the advocates Of
that measure everywhere. In France, NJ.
Louis Blanc and Al other Deputies have
submitted bill to the same effect. They
assign the following reasons for abollshing
the guillotine: "That the right to inflict an
irreparable punishment implies an infalible
judge; that to inflict death is bad way on
the part of society of inculcating respect
for life, and, consequently, of arresting the
arm of the murderer; that the spectacle of
the blood shed by the executioner hardens
perverse hearts, and is an obstacle to that
refinement of manners which should be the
result and is the sign of an advanced civiliza-
tion that the punishment of death has
been condemned by the greatest criminal
lawyers; that the countries where it is abol-
ished have only had to congratulate them
selves on its abolition that the punishment
of death, in word, produces effects in every
way contrary to those expected by its
partisans."
Year: 1876

We were exposed last week to pitiless
storm, that wet our feet and stockings, and
indeed our person all over. In fact we
took a cracking cold, which brought sore
throat and severe symptoms of fever. The
good wife asserted her authority, plunged
our feet in hot water, wrapped us in hot
blankets, and sent our faithful son for a
bottle of Ayers Cherry Pectoral. 1t is a
splendid medicins-pleasant to take and
did the job. We slept soundly through the
night and awoke we'll the next morning.
We know we owe our quick recovery to the
Pectoral, and shall not hesitate to recon-
mend it to all who need such a medicine
Tehuacana TcraSl Presbyterian.