smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876




New YcRK, Sept. 22.-Gen. Newton
has addressed special circular TO the
people OF Astoria, within whose territory
is the shaft Of excavation ut He'll Gate.
He thanks them for their iortitude. not.
witllstanding the attempts tc make a
panic instituted by poltroons Of the male
sex. The inhabitants are advised near
the time Of the explosion TO be without
the Gordon established, leaving their
houses with the doors and windows open
In every case. Where the ceilings are
disturbed, the advice would be to vacate
the houses at the time OF the explosion.
There is no liability Of the walls being
overthrow or impaired. The people Of
Astoria propose to make Sunday gen.
eral outoi.door holiday. Gen. Newton
and aids will fire the mine from point
900 yards back. A nearer place would
have been chosen if there was one from
which view Of the explosion could be
had. Q 7 5z.s1t,


THE SUNDAY QUESTION.


The New York Sabbath Committee,
have addressed a communication to
General Newton urging that some other
day that Sunday be appointed for the ex.
plosion, and saying that so important
an achievement Of engineering, science
and skill will be noticed in other parts OF
the world, and the fact that Sunday was
chosen for the grand occasion will be un.
derstood as in accordance with the for
eign usages, which calls that gala day,
and SO 1t would do not little to impair
the force Of our example as a Sabbath
keeping people. The General replied
orally that while he respected the Sabbath
as much as the gentlemen who sent him
the note presented. The explosion on that
day was matter OF necessity.
Year: 1876

Among the strange productions OF
Gaze May are the cedar mines-swamps
of dark, miry stuff, in which are buried
immense trees of the white cedar.
These consist of enormous trees buried
to depth of from six to ten feet. The
logs lie one across another, and there is
abundant evidence that they are the
growth Of different successive forests.
Indeed, in these very swamps forests OF
the very same trees are now growing.


The miners become very skillful at
their work. An iron rod is thrust into
the soft mud, over which often the
water lies. In striking buried
tree the workman will by several sound
ings at last tell how it lies, which Is its
root end, and how thick it is. He then
manages to get a chip of the tree and
by its smell determines at once whether
it is worth the labor of mining that is,
the workman will tell unerringly whether
the tree be windfal or breakdown.
If breakdown, it was so because it was
decayed when standing; if windfall,
the tree fell while sound, and has been
preserved ever since by the antiseptic
nature of the peat marsh in which it was
buried. The soft earth is then removed.
This makes pit in the swamp. Into
this the water soon flows and fills it up.
This is rather an advantage. The
saw is now introduced, and at regular
intervals q cut is made through the tree,
when the log floats to the surface. 1t is
curious -thata log of sound tree will be
sure to turn over when it floats up, the
lower sides thus becoming uppermost.
Trees in this way are sometimes OBJ
tanned which will yield 10000 shingles,
worth $40 per thousand thus one tree
will yield $500.


The age of such tree, as the season
rings have been counted, has been made
out to be from ten to twelve hundred
years and even more. A layer of such
trees is found covered by another layer,
and these again by another, and even a
third, while living trees may still be
gl owing over all. 1t is evident, indeed,
that New Jersey has experienced what
the geologists call oscillations. Cape
May contains abundant evidence of hav-
ing been lifted outof modern sea. The
recent oyster and clam are found in
natural beds, just as they died in the
ocean, but now in positions many feet
higher than the contiguous oyster bed
while buried trees exist at depths lower
than the beds OF living molusks.
Year: 1876

The custom of kissing the bride at q
wedding is of great antiquity, and while
among the most refined classes it has
fallen into disuse, it is still insisted on
by many people with great rigor. A
very amusing story is told of Kentucky
backwoodsman who had, after a long
and ardent courtship of the belle of one
of the Kentucky cities, won her for a
bride. She had for long time wavered
in her choice, undecided whether to
take him or gentleman of wealth and
position in the city, but finally choosing
the humber lot in obedience to her
heart. The wedding was celebrated in
great style, and the manly groom was
almost as much admired for his colossal
proportions and athletic symmetry as
was the bride for her exceeding lowell
ness. Among the guests was the unsuc-
cessful suitor, who was we'll aware OF the
jealousy with which the groom had re-
earded him, but who had overcome his
chagrin at his failure and was sincerely
anxious to congratulate the bride. One
by one the guests offered their good
wishes and their hearty kisses, while the
groom looked on with approval and de-
light. At length among the rest came
the rejected lover. The young groom
watched him keenly, but without the
least animosity in his expression. lhe
unfortunate rival felt the delicacy Of
his position, and not caring to provoke
the husbands ire he did not proffer t e
salute which was customary. AS he was
giving place to others after wishing the
newly married pair we'll, the groom
grasped his arm with his iron fingers,
and in low tone said: "She's my wife
now, and I propose to see that she is
treated as well as my wife should be
treated. If you don't kiss her I'll break
every bone in your body" Rather than
quarrel the gentleman kissed the not un-
willing bride. and the groom was salts
fed.
Year: 1876

The Green Bay (Wis.) State Gazette
relates the following fable A large
dog belonging to one of our citizens, and
who usually accompanies his master to
market in the capacity of porter, was In
trusted with fine steak, securely wrap
ped in paper, to carry home. The ami
NAL grasped the parcel between his teeth
and trotted homeward beside his master.
A short distance from the butchers the
gentleman entered another store, leaving
the dog with the parcel standing on the
sidewalk. Shortly two vagabond look
ing ours arrived on the spot and began
snuffing about. Finally, the larger OF
the two ours began growing and bark
ing at the guardian of the steak, who
stood this sort of thingfor some time, in
a calm and dignified manner, till, finally,
his bullying tormentors, probably hav-
ing applied some opproblious epithet to
him, he opened his mouth to reply, and,
of course, dropped the steak to the
ground. The vagabond cur retreated,
and the other dog, now fully exasperated,
set off in pursuit of him. In an instant
vagabond cur No. 2, who had been
standing off short distance, apparently
a silent spectator of the scene, sprane
forward and seized the steak in his mouth
and put off in an opposite direction.
Not long after, and in an alley not ia,
from the scene of this little episode, were
two ours holding high festival over 6
rich, juicy steak, and those two cnrs
were the identical ones engaged in the
transaction previously related.
Year: 1876

1t May interest our readers to know
how meats are kept fresh for the Eng


lish market during q voyage across the
Atlantic. The process is protected by
letters patent on both sides of the ocean,
and the proprietors have shown a desire
to have the public generally acquainted
with it. A traveller who crossed the At
lantic last winter in the steamer on which
the first experiment was made, writes as
follows: A New York business man, in
terested in the company and intrusted


with the management of this first ven
ture, was one of the passengers. He
not only made no "trade secret Of the
enterprise he was engaged in, but took
those of his fellow passengers who
seemed interested in the subject (myself
among them) to the part of the steamer
where the refrigerator was placed, open.
ing the door and explaining every point
in principle and practical working as
clearly as possible. The principle is ex-
tremely simple, and it involves no
chemical process or application of any
kind. To keep fresh meat sound and
sweet during the ten or twelve days
needed to cross tho ocean it is necessary
merely to keep it dry and cool, without
freezing it. This was the entire problem
before the inventor, and lie has solved 1t
by purely mechanical means. The meat
being in one part of the refrigerator and
the ice in another, fan, worked day and
night by small engine, keeps constant
stream of air passing over the meat and
the ice alternately. This is the whole
process, and there is no "secret " back
IF it. Of course the air from the ice
keeps the meat cool, but not as low as
the freezing point. If i'll passing through
the meat chamber the air takes up the
slightest moisture this is necessarily con


densed into water as soon as it reaches
the ice again, and it flows away in run
ways at the bottom OF the ice chamber
when collected in sufficient Quantity.
Year: 1876

The tie which bound certain Detroit
youth to o lawyers Office was severed
yesterday, and his parents were happy:
They wanted the boy to make great
lawyer, but he was getting along too
fast. He pursued his studies with all
ardor which cast a judicial shadow Ger
the household and created considerable
neighborhood talk. He got trusted for
candy and repudiated the bill on the
grounds that he was a minor. He
bought dog and went into bankruptcy.
He borrowed pair of skates and defed
the owner to get out wait OF replevln.
He borrowed fifty cents and then made
the lender his assignee.


But the worst of it was in the family.
He had legal name for almost every
thing, and his desire was to prove to
his parents that he was just absorbing
dead-loads of law. If he wanted potato
at the dinner table he would remark:


"Father, file my claim against that
baked potato and I'll prove the indebt-
edness this afternoon"


If he wanted bread he said: "Moth-
er, get me out writ of attachment for
piece of bread"


It was expected of him that he would
build the morning fires, but no sooner
had he gained an insight into law than
he said to his father


"I'm going to move for change Of
venue unless some other arrangement is
made"


He moved for q stay of'proceedings
when asked to 60 the grocery, and if
chided for being out nights he replied !:


"File your declaration and give me a
chance for jury trial"


When he was in good humor he would
sit and regale his mother with stores
about how Old Chancery was going up
town one night and met Old Equity and
asked him how Decree was getting along.
Old Pleading and Expectations came
along just then, and there WIS big
fight, and the young lawyer would slap
his leg ard add:


eff Indictment had only been there
he'd have whaled the whole crowd j.


The other day the long-sutfering
father severed the tie. He was trying
to bear up, hoping for reform, but as he
sat down to the tea table his son bright
ened up and remarked:


"The defendant will now take the
stand and be sworn. Now, sir, did you
or did you not come out of Grlswold
street saloon at eleven o'clock this morn
ing, wiping your mouth on the back OF
your hand Z Tell the jury all about it,
sir"


It was little too much, and the boy
doesn't study law any more. He plays
with woodpile in the back yard.
Year: 1876

Nate-No; we got the men out, took
them into caboose and gave them q
little refreshment, and in couple OF
hours started on again. Some folks
would have given that up as bad joa,
but none of the boys there ever thought
of giving up. We stuck to it all that
day and all night, and the next morning
got up to Cisco all right.


Reporter-That was fair snow expe-
riencea


Nate-Fair, but nothing extra. l
was caught along there another time,
and found the snow worse than we ex-
pected. We bucked and bucked for
hours with seven engines, but couldn' t
seem to make an impression on it. l
made up my mind that we had got to
stand siege. So I started man on
snow shoes up to Cisco for grub and
kept at the work. Pretty soon, with the
help of shovels, we began to make head
way, and when I least expected it we
were through the worst obstruction.
Then we started on at full speed, so as not
to get stalled again. All of asudden the
brakes were whistled down. We picked up
the messenger and tossed him clean over
the telegraph wires. Luckily he struck
on his feet and stood there buried In the
snow up to his waist, but not bit hurt.
He motioned us to 60 on, and We did
so, and got through to Cisco all right,
leaving a clean tracking for the passen'
ger trains to follow.


Reporter-What is the deepest snow
you ever encountered in those noun
tairs2


Nate-Thst's hard to tell. I've seen
it thirty feet often. Once I had to blast
it out. I sunk shaft thirty feet deep
and ran little drift along parallel with
the track and against the side OF the
mountain, and then put in half dozen
kegs of powder. That was funny! How
the snow flew But it did the business
for that place.


Reporter-Did you often meet as much
snow as that on the track2


Nate-In some spots it would always
fill up; then again there would be places
where we never had any serious trouble.
I ran u snow plow one time right through
one of those big snowbanks, making as
nice q tunnel as you ever saw.


Reporter-How long was it9


Nate-Not very long, of course; may,
be five hundred feet. Twas just making
for that bank with eight engines and all
the steam we could put on. When we
struck it the snow began to fly, and for a
little ways we made a nice cut in it,
But then the bank got higher than the
plow, and pretty soon We were all buried.
The engines were putting their best and
kept at it. We had good headway to
start in on, and the boys took care not to
lose more than we could help. And 80
they kers headway on her until we
burst through ON the other side of the
banl.. The snow just formed sort OF
an arch over us, and we left the prettiest
lind of tunnel behind us just big
enough for train to pass through.
Year: 1876

A pretty anecdote is told of Queen
Victoria and Mendelssohn. A short
time before his death the great composer
visited the queen. He sat down at the
piano, aud played accompaniment
while she sang some OF his songs.
When Mendelssohn rose to go, Victoria
warmly thanked him for the pleasure he
had given her, and said: "Now what at
can [ do to give you some pleasure ?.
expecting exp him to mention some gift of
honor she could confer upon him.
Mendelssohn at first declined to mention
anything, but when her majesty insisted,
he frankly told her that he was lover
of little children, and that he desired to
see the royal children IN their nurseries
The queen mother was much pleased,
and kindly led him through the nurse
ries, and they spent pleasant hour
talking in a friendly way about their
children.
Year: 1876

Martello towers are solidly built,
circular, bomb-proof, towers for coast
defense, about forty feet high, usually
situated on or near beach. The base
contains the magazine, above which are
quarters for the garrison and over
these is fat roof, upon which is gun
mounted so as it may be fired in any
direction. The name is derived from
similar buildings that were erected on
the coasts of Sicily and Sardinia during
the period that piracy was common III
the Mediterranean, for the purpose OF
keeping watch, ana giving warning II a
piratical vessel was seen approaching,
this warning being by striking on . bell
with a hammer-and hence the name
"Torri da Martello." Those at Quebec
are portion of the general plan OF the
fortification of that city, and we believe
are not directly connected with "The
Citadel" There are number IN the
United States as, for instance, that on
Tybes leland.
Year: 1876

Rightly enough the Payne bill has been
defeated, and many Democratic votes are
recorded against it. 1t is easy enough to see


why the honest hard money men of that par
ty opposed the measure, but the stubborn
ness they displayed is something novel and
astonishing. Heretofore they have always
yielded. In 1868 they found no difficulty in
standing upon reputation platform, and
whenever since then the soft-money delusion
has broken out again they have made but
feeble opposition. Their course now shows
that thay have given up all hope of uniting
the party upon financial policy, and that
hereafter they purpose to act upon their con-
victions. Why the soft money men should
oppose the bill is not so clear, for it was in
fact surrender to them, Enthusiastically pro-
vlding for an imitation of the currency. 1t
must be that they will be satisfied with moth
ing less than naked reputation and that they
will tolerate no DISCUSSES. Evidently they
have lost no faith in their dangerous heresy,
and are as enthusiastic as ever for the cult of
the rag baby.


Ihe vote shows beyond possibility of mis-
take that the Democracy is hopelessly di-
vded upon the currency issue. 1t was sus-
pected before: it is evident now. While
some individuals have decided opinions, some
IN favor of, some against hard-noney, the
masses have no fixed opinion at all upon the
matter, and the party has no financial policy.
The stiffness OF the Pennsylvania Democrats
illustrates the looseness of the patty convlc-
tlons. In 1875 the Pennsylvanians made
decided declaration in favor of hard-money; !;
IN 1915 they made as strong profession for
soit'money; in 1874 they have come round
again to the support of the sound currency,
though they desire to postpone its adoption.
The mass of the party has no convictions on
the matter, and should 1t by chance get pos
session OF the government ard the treasury
It's course would be as capricious as the wind,
and its policy fuctuate as widely as did gold
IN Inc days of the war. Doubtless the only
enthusiasts in its ranks, the crazy initiation
lists OF tbe West, the only men who know
what they want, would at last step in and di-
rect affairs. But the people are not minded
to run the chances of such a calamity, and
Will take good care that the Democrats have
no opportunity to fool with the finances. The
few hard money Democrats are quite as afraid
as any Republican can be to trust the cur
rency in the hands of the Democratic party,
apd are anxious to have the question of re-
Year: 1876

WHO says that women are not gradually
getting the right to vote? Not the citizens
of Minnesota, certainly; for there women
who are OF the proper age are allowed not
only to vote for school officers but are allowed
to hold the office. In that state the greater
portion of school officers are elective so the
women thereof have a "rght smart" of
voting to do.
Year: 1876

sumption settled at once so as to take it out
Of Bipartisan politics. Now that the PAYNE bill
is dead they may unite with the great body
of the Republicans and pass funding act.
Such result is devoutly to be wished.
Year: 1876

We do not read anonymous letters and communi-
cations. The name and address of the writer in
all cases Indispensable not necessarily for publication
but as guaranty of good faith.


we cannot undertake to return or reserve commu-
nications that are not used.
Year: 1876

A CONTRARY MULE.-A farmer in
this county, says q North Carolina
paper, has mule so awfuIIy contrary
that he can do nothing with it. Put
him in harness and it is hard TO say
which way he will travel. Pu: a sad
die on him, and he appears to dose,
but try to mount him, and he will all
of a sudden begin to kick every way,
straight-out, straddle- bag, with all
four legs at once. AS to eating, he
will eat anything, from bis feed trough
up to a wooden saddle The ownsr
took notion 20 have him shod, but
he kicked out the blacksmith shop
aud returned home. The owner tried
to Kill him, some time back, SO he tied
his ears with a trace chain and rode
him for six consecutive days and
nights as hard as he could under Whip
and spur. The fact is that he nearly
killed himself in the effort, and had 10
be carried upstairs to bed, and his firm
belief was that the mule would die
that night; but to his astonishment,
the next morning, he found the mule
had kicked TO death a Chester SOW,
weighing three hundred pounds. bit a
piece out of his horses shoulder, ate
up a saddle blanket and bride, tore
down the fence. and was splurging
about, more devilish than ever, to find
something else meaner to do.
Year: 1876

DRIVING 1oRSEs There are many
ways of driving horses, and We think,
as we see the vast army of drivers on
the streets every day, that it is a won


der there are not more balky horses
than there are. The true way to drive


is 10 let the horse drive himself, the
driver doing little but directing him


and giving him that confidence which
horse alone gets in himself when he
feels a guide and friend is back of him.
The most vicious and ineycusable style
of driving is that which so many driy-
ers adopt, to:wit: wrapping the lines
around their hands, and pulling the


horse backward with all their might
and main, SO that the horse, in point
of fact feels the weight back of him
with his mouth, aud not with his
breast and shoulders. This they do
under the impression that such dead
pull is needed in order to STEADY the
horse. The fact is, with rare excep-
tions, there should never be any pull
on the horse at all, A steady pressure
Is allowable, probably advisable, but
anything beyond this has no juStifica-
ton in nature or reason. For nature
suggests the utmost freedom of the
action of the head, body and limbs, in
order that The animal may attain the
highest possible rate of speed. In
speeding a horse the lines need seldom
be grasped in both hands when the
road is straight and free from obstacles.
Year: 1876

CAPITALTo THE ACRE.-It is obvious
to all who give the subject any con-
sideraticn that in order to make a
farm profitable it must be run to its
full capacity. To do this requires a
definite account of capital 10 the acre
Just as much as The space within the
factory wall needs to be occupied with
theimost approved machinery. Capita!
on Western farms is found TO be the
most productive, as a general rule,
when invested in stock. Exceptional
cases are common where surrounding
circumstances show that grain raising
is the most profitable. In some IOcali-
ties butter making has been found 20
pay the best. In these it would JUS.
tify the farmer To either sell off por.
tion of his land to increase his work.
ing capital or hire capital and keep
more cows. In another localities, re-
mote from market, flock of merino
sheep may prove better investment
than cash invested in a large area OF
land. At all events, whether the
farmers capital be in land or stock,
he should make full use of it. As a
rule, stock farmers are better adapted
to the constant employment of help
every day in the year than are grain
farms. To make farming successful
either on grain or stock farms or on
both combined, the plans for conducting
them should lie SO well arranged that
no one about the place-either EN-
ployer or the hired laborers-should
a. any time be without something to
do that will be profitable during the
entire year. The speculative tenden>
dency should be checked the hold
ing Of large areas of land with a
view of making large profit in its
increased value in the future. This i,
too common. Taxes and interest OIL
borrowed money are more than q
match for constant labor. Better to
sell a portion of the land to raiss
money to properly stock the remain
der. All land that is not used is ar
incubus on the farmers prosperity
and some kind OF return, either ii
the form OF grain, stock or other pro-
ducts, should be exactei from eacl
acre of land owned. To make tht
farm pay, sufficient capital 10 the acr,
must be used TO work the farm up t,
its full capacity of productiyeness.-
Rural World.
Year: 1876

6. Ours being peculiarly farmers institution We
cannot admit all to our ranks


Many are excluded by the nature of our or,,ani-
zation, not because they professional men or
tsans, or laborers, bnt because they have not suf-
hcient direct interest IN llng or pasturing the soil
or may have some interest in conflict with our pur
poses But we appeal to all good citizens for their
cordial cooperation 10 assist IN our efforts toward re-
form that We may put down tyranny and corruption.


We hail the general desire for fraternal harmony,
equitable compromises and earnest cooperation an
omen of our future success