smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

nances-Scrub.WOm Economy.


While Comptroller Green has been rolling
up the city debt by twenty millions at time,
and increasing the amount of interest paid by
the taxpayers from two millions in 1870 to
over five and quarter millions in 1873, he
has been vigilant in scrutnizing the accounts
of the sweepers and scrub women who are
employed in cleaning the public buildings,
and unyielding in his determination to dock
them their two or three dollars whenever they
might be detained from their work by sickness
or accident. We have o specimen OF this
Watchdog policy in the case of poor scrub
woman who has recently been driven to ap-
peal to the courts to recover six months pay
due to her from tho city for scrubbing at the
new Court House. This poor woman met
with serious accident which prevented her
for that period from performing the labor
assigned to her, but the work was done for
her by her daughter, assisted by friends. The
city had the benefit of the labor of these vol
unteers, but Comptroller Green refused to
pay the woman's bill, and drove her into the
courts. Judge Fancher issued mandamus to
compel the payment of the amount; hence,
even in his scrub-woman economy, the Comp
troller manages 70 saddle the city in the end
with the additional burden of costs and
interest


The constant litigation which Ml, Green
Year: 1873

A WRITER in an eastern paper thus
defines the leading faith Of the people of
Pennsylvania. Plg-iron is hard thing
to believe in, but there are people who
appear to believe in nothing elHe.


Know then, o friend Springwheat, that
the base, nay the foundation of all our
trouble is pig-iron. Pig iron is a political
party everywhere in the country, and in
Pennsylvania it il a religion. Indeed l
might 90 from one end of that great State
to the other and lecture every night
against religion and meet no serious inter
ference. The worst that could happen
would be to have no audience. But If 1
tried to lecture against pigiron, would l
not be mobbed IN Philadelphia, tarred
and feathered in Lancaster, and torn to
pieces limb by limb in Pittsburgh ?


The worst of it Is, that the simple
honest faith of the people in the virtues
of Pig-iren, is made use of by designing
men for the purpose of enabling them to
play all manner of antics, and to pick up
other and more precious metals at every
flip-fap they throw.
Year: 1873

CONSIDERING A proposal. "A few days
ago fascinating young lady wishing to visit
Llyuchburg at the time of the meeting OF stock
holders in that city, forgetting she was address,
lug an eligible widower in the person OF an old
acquaintance, asked him if he could loao her
certificate of stock emitting her to free ride
over the railroad, Certainly" he REPLIED


provided you are willing to travel under my
naue" With the blush which mantIed her
cheek came the posing retort; .Thank you,
SIR will consider your proposal" Ii a suit
Tor damages grows out of the proposal we
lave cited, the railroad company ought to De De
made party defendant and mulcted Id the
sum Of Sl0,O0O.-- Warrenton Index.
Year: 1873

ONE Of the most beautiful speci-
mems Of sectarian steadfastness Of
which we have read for q long time Is
reported from the little town of Hy-
annis, Mass. There is at that town 3
Universalist and . Baptist Church.
The former was lately struck by light
ming and set on fire, and the only bell
on which an alarm could be rung was
that Of the Baptist sanctuary near BY,
but the sturdy old sexton Of that faith
refused 70 give up the key Of the
church, declaring that be was "not
going to interfere With the viii Of
God,h
Year: 1873

The practice of preparing suppos-
ed dead persons for the grave before
life is possibly known to be extinct,
is entirely too prevalent in this
country. The case Of r. P. Mink,
who was packed in ice and sent off
for burial in Indiana, recently, while
he was still alive, was only one
illustration Of many. In this case
the frozen man died at last in the
hands of his friends; but in too many
cases the victim Of American haste
and American stupidity awakens in
his coffin, to die from suffocation,
vainly beating the walls Of his wood
en- prison, and gasping out, with his
latest breath, calls for aid to those
who, would sooner die themselves
than leave him in such q horrible
position If they we're aware OF his
situation. NalF0t io 1fl Hdilt


They manage these things much
better in Europe, where the dead are
exposed until there is no doubt Of
their decease. Many Of those in
credulous people, who will believe
nothing unless they they see IL them
selves, will not credit the assertion
that persons are often buried alive
in this country, but the instances in
which disinterred corpses have been
found with their hands full Of their
own hair, the skin torn from their
knees and elbows in their vain strug-
giles, and even pieces bitten out Of
their hands and arms in their agony
and desperation, prove incontroyert-
IDLY that many such cases occur.
Year: 1873

The ALARM OF FIRE SATURDAY NIGHT
rhe Fire. Department was called out Satur-
day night about 81 O'Clock in response to an
alarm from box No. 7, Eighteenth-Street
engine-house. ut appears that u number of
boys were sailing kite, to the tail of which
lantern was. attached. The kite broke
loose, and lodged with the lantern on the
roof of DilPs factory, corner of Twenty first
and Franklin streets. A light in such sin
gular place excited fears Of a fire, and hence
the alarm.
Year: 1873

THE CENTAURs OF OLD were half horse and half
man. They consorted with animals, conquered
mankind, lived upon the flowers Of the century
plant, made one OF their number god Of the heal
ing art, transferred their name and home to the
constellation Centaurus and raised the devil gene
rally But the great Centaur Liniment for stih
Joints, rheumatism, swelliDgs, and lnmeness upon
man or beast, Is now astonishing the world; and
astonishes because 1t does Its work.
Year: 1873

BABIES PICTUREs.-REES & Co. would suggest
to their patrons the propriety Of bringing their
babies carly in the morning as possible to have
their pictures made Their gallery Is open at Z
o'clock each morning during the hot season, and
parents ought to avail themselves OF the most plea
SAINT time Of the day to take the children out.
Year: 1873

WARNING TO BOYS WHO BATHE IN TIE
RIyER.-The Police Justice on Saturday
morning fined six small boys 81 each for
bathing in the river near the extension OF
street. If the boys wish to
bathe they must go outside Of the corporate
Year: 1873

In Los Angeles county, California,
on the eastern slope of the San Fer
nando range of mountains, and in
the immediate vicinity OF the Lean
ing Petroleum Company's oil region,
there Is the most wonderful cOllec-
tion of wild honey in existence. The
hive is located in a rift, which pen
etrates the rock to the depth of prob
ably one hundred and sixty feet. The
orifice is thirty feet long and seven
teen feet wide; four passages. This
rift was discovered to be the abiding
place of a swarm of bees, that is rep
resented as coming out in a nearly
solid column one foot in diameter.
Certain parties have endeavored to
descend to the immense store of hon
ey collected by these bees, but were
invariably driven back, and one man
lost his lifein the effort. Others have,
at the expense of much labor and
money, built scaffold lbs #. high,
in the hope of reaching a place
whence they could run q drift into
the rock and extract its well hoard
ed sweets, but finally ceased their
work. Within four years the bees
have added not less than fifteen fl.
of depth to their treasure, ascertain
ed by actual measurement, and it is
thought that at the present time
there cannot be less than eight or
ten tons of honey in the rock.
Year: 1873

in order to make those engaged in il
truly prosperous. -
In view of all these facts, we pro-
pose plan of cooperation, By which
every particle of financial strength, not


otherwise employed. in our commune


ty may be united, and all directed to the
development of manufactures. We
have capitalists among us, who could
do this. But whether they will ornot.
they have the right to do as they please
with their own money If they will
help us, SO much the better; but if
theywill not, we believe it can be shown
that by small capitalists, and each
man who can help little, combining
together, we can initiate the establish
ment of manufactures in this city.
We do not propose a. joint stock COM
pany. Manufactures to be successful
require the directing energies and judg-
ment of one who has a moneyed inter
est at stake. Our plan can be found
fully set forth on the third page of
this paper.
Year: 1873

ANTS IN BRAZIL.-A correspondent
of the Boston Globe, writing from
Brazil, says there is species of ant in
that country whose visits arevery much
to be dreaded, for they come in count
less numbers, frequently taking pos
session and Overrunning a dwelling
when in their track, driving the in
mates therefrom, and destroying every
thing eatable on the premises. " hen
seen approaching they can only be
stopped or the head Of the column
turned by fire; they will succeed in
passing every other barrier. On as
cending the CorcOyardo we discovered
a colony Of them crossing the railway
high up on the mountains. They wero
coming from above, crossing the road
and decending on the other side
They came in column three or four
inches wide, as thick as they could be
packed, and rushing along with great
rapidity. How long they had been
passing before we saw them is of course
unknown, but four hours later the
stream was unabated and seemingly
inexhaustible. We found it impossi-
bic to break the line without its being
Immediately reformed. They seemed
to know by instinct the direction
taken by those passing, and never de-
waited in the slightest from the proper
route. The attempt was also attended
with some Inconvenience if great care
was not taken, for the stream never
stopped it kept pouring down, and in
a very short time you found yourself
surrounded, and in some danger of
being oyerrun if not captured. 1t
is said they will remove the flesh from
the carcass of an OK or horse in few
hours, leaving the bones perfectly
polished.
Year: 1873

Mrs. JOAQUIN MILLER lectures on
her husband, and travels abroad to
do so. In this she is an exception to
the general rule, under which it is
supposed most women lecture on their
husbands and al them without leaving
home. She made her appearance at
Chicago last week, but created no SEN
sation or great sympathy. The spec
tacle Of divided households is too
common in Chicago to challenge much
notice. Mrs Miller will find 1t easier
to get divorce there than an audi
ence, although she is lady Of talent
and has an attractive way Of telling
her story. If she could only elicit a
reply from her shaggy headed hus-
band-poet and goad Kim into an ap-
pearance before the footlights to tell
his side of the controversy, and
assert that she burned the buckwheat
cakes while flirting with the hired
man on the back porch, the ease would
easily work up some public attention,
and folks could take sides. Like
poetical people, Joaquin has a poor
taste for the routine of domestic life,
and prefers to fly to evils that he
knows not of rather than endure what
he has already tried.-Nemp. Ledger.
Year: 1873

AN exchange says that the ap-
pointment of Orr, of South Carolina,
Minister to Russia, is conclusive
proof that Grant feels no hostility
to the South. On the contrary, we
think it is evidence of abiding
hostility to that section Rewarding
such treason to the Constitution and
the liberties of the people, is a trick
whereby other men of similar mold,
may be enticed into the ranks of the
enemies of free government Grant
has had ample opportunities for dis
playing good will to the South, and in
a more signal manner than re-
warding a Southern partisan, but hav-
ing failed to avail himself of them, the
inference is conclusive against the sug-
gestion that, in rewarding Orr he was
actuated by the feeling imputed to
him.
Year: 1873

We publish the following extracts
from the Governors message. Not
having space for. the entire message,
we reprint only such portions as are
likely to be of most interest to our
readers:
Year: 1873

Wishes his numerous friends TO know that
he is still at his old stand. IN the well
known house of B. F. COULTER. where he
Is ready 10 furnish them with dry goods at
the very lowest rates. Call. and he will
take pleasure in showing you through the
stock.
Year: 1873

The assessment of property for tax.
alton and especially of real estate, is
unequally made in many instances.


In my message to the Thirty-seventh
General Assembly, | said, upon this
subject:


Il therefore, recommend that, as an
amendment to the present system, the
County Courts be required to appoint,
for their respective counties, a Board
of Revenue Assessors, consisting of
three or five men, who shall be charg-
ed with the duty of assessing all taxa
BILE property in their respective coun-
ties. and that they shall be required
to base their valuation of all lands up
on the written evidence, in the form
of depositions, of not less than three
resident freeholders of the civil dis
trict in which the lands are situated,
touching the value of each tract of
land in their district; said depositions
to be taken in the civil districts where
the land lies, before some Justice of
the Peace of said district, by whom
the dispositions shall be returned to
the Board of Assessors on or before
the - day of - in each year, and
filed by them with their returns to the
County Court.


And, inasmuch as there is generally
no standard of cash values affixed to
lands, the value upon certain credits
to be fixed by law should first be ascer-
tanned byt the Assessors from the proof,
and then they should reduce it to a
cash basis by uniform rule, to be
prescribed by law. No freeholder who
is willing to bear his just proportion
of the public burthens, in considera-
ton of the protection afforded his life
and property by the Government, can
complain of this system. The testi-
mony of his ueighbors is invoked 10 do
Justice between him and the State
The same rule is applied to his neigh
Dor. All landholders are placed upon
an equality, and pay taxes in proper
ton to the ACTUAL value of land owned
by each"


These recommendation were not
adopted, and | now renew them. The
reports of the Comptroller and Treas
urer, now before you, demonstrates
that the measures adopted instead,
haye failed to remedy the evils sug-
Year: 1873

There are many reasons why you
should regularly visit my store. The
main one is, you will generally find
the best selection of goods in the
r1arket, and always at reasonable
prices. Iwant your custom this year.
i shall do my utmost to show you
that it Is your interest to buy regu-
larly at my house. i expect to do all
in my power to please every ONE
When you want an article be sure to
call. l keep large line of goods not
advertised.


Yours truly,


b. F. COULTER.
Clarksville, Jana 1878.
Year: 1873

E77V7-


To the Editor of he Commercial


wish to call the attention of tho Board of
Health to the condition of Greeley street, the
gutter In Decatur Atreet, easterly side, and also
in Buttonwood street. The cutters mentioned
and street also are in q very unhealthy condi-
ton. viii not the members of the Board resid-
ing In the sixth ward give it their attention
We hope that the Board will act like the police !;
they continue to pay US frequent visits, and the
result is we are improving in our section. We
only wish there was law prohibiting the sale
OF rum on Sunday, the street mentioned would
be more peaceful, and the rummies have more
cash on Monday morning, or be compelled to
purchase the slow poison on Saturday evening


HEALTH,
Year: 1873

LEARN TRADEs.-There ia an unfortunate ton
dency among the youth OF tho present day to
neglect the acquiring OF some usainl trade. to 60
into business, which means the coming to the
city to go into the store OF q snail salary with
smaller chances Of advance. A large majority of
our young men seem to feel that it is not houOra-
bic to be carpenters, blacksmiths or machinists


No greater mistake could bs made. Young men
from the country, do not be tho anxious to quit
the paternal roof. DO not be Rllured by the giit-
tering inducements of great cities TO turn your
backs upon the expenenoa aud advice of your
fathers Above allthings, before going forth to
encounter the vieissitudes Of fortune, arm your
self with thorough knowledge of some branch
OF labor. Many young men Of promise and Ia
lent become failures, because they start out in
life without any specific purpose, and drift
around without rudder or compass until they are
completely lshipwrecked. No matter how fair
your prospects may be, no time is lost which is
spent in the learning Of good trade, and ne
greater mistake was ever made, than supposing
that there was anything dishonorableor or undign /
fed in the calling Of the cargenter the shoemaker
OF the cooper. TnH .l
Year: 1873

The telegraph hastens to inform us, from
Washington, that business is being resumed in
New Orleans, and "the people are generally ac-
quiescing in the condition of affairs" The peo-
pie have nothing else to do. They were not con-
suited in the change that has taken place and the
citizens of New Orleans have about as little to do
with the choice of Pinchback as the people of
New York. We are not surprised to hear that
"but for the newspapers it would not be known
in administration quarters that there was any
wide spread dissatisfaction in that State"
Year: 1873

TIE report announcing the purpose OF the
President TO abolish pOlgamy In Utah, does
not mention the method, farther than to inti-
mate that Congress will be called upon to
enact law for the purpose; but we gather
that the law passed and the President will
an agreeable circumstance 30 know that the
last relic of barbarOps age has been swept
aside, and the country free from any form
Of Teproach. More than this, the breaking
up the system will prove an actual blessing 70
the Mormons themselves! t,t - =
Year: 1873

GREASE Your NAILs-One Of the tech
nical journals says: Every farmer who
has had occasion to drive n nail into
seasoned oak posts knows its liability 10
bend and break II the point ho moist
ened in the mouth it will usually drive
mole kindly Oil is still better. but then
it is inconvenient to dip each nail sepa-
rately into it Another point observed
is that boards become loose eventually
from the rusting OF the nails, which. com
municatng to the wood. causes not only
an enlargement. Of the nail hole, but the
wearing away Of the nail Of ITSELF render
ing the fence or the building ,shsky and
insecure This may be prevented by
heating auy rough grease until i, smokes.
and then pouring it over tho nails 10 be
used The grease will penetrate the pores
Of the iron, and cause the nails To last,
without rusting, an indefinite period
Besides this, no trouble will thea be ex'
percnced in driving them into the hard
est wood. The reason /. that the coat
ing Of grease prevents contact by strand
consequently oxidation. Oxygen is the
great destroyer OF iron, and moisture is
the inducing cause.
Year: 1873

CV' In answer to a complaint OF the
price OF eggs, White street grocer took
occasion to explain that it was On &C
count Of their scarcity because OF the
panic, aud upon the customer protesting
that she could not see the connection be-
tween tho two, he further explained that
owing to the general depression tho hens
were running on half time. She took the
eggs.
Year: 1873

Veterans the late rebellion dcsirous OF Joining in
dependent company Tor special duty the consmp ated
Spanis United states will please send their name
and address to NV. H. s., headquarters OF tho Cub an
Junta Fifth above Locust, MAJOR ~ L. At this office


The above little notice is such .air exponent OF
local thought just at this time that clip IL from
one OF the Sunday journals and leave the reader to
imagine what It means.


AS your correspondent had occasion to remati
yesterday, the excitement here Is very great and
the above is only one OF many forms in which II
nnds development


This sacred day OF rest wears not the quiet peace
u face OF the others OF It's class but the massacre
which has been violently stigmatzed by


THE PUBLIC PRESS
has found vehement denunciation nom the pulpit
as well. The people seem to think that the emer-
gencies OF the moment must be met; and, could
the government close its eyes for a moment, they
themselves would speedily shape the necessary
measures to avengo this national insult-ths
inhumsn, cowardly slaughter in the only proper
way.


: Nothing could exceed the bitterness which char.
Year: 1873

batteries ready at al times for service, and couid
prepare and ship the ammunition and projectiles
within the time consumed In organizing the
troops


BIG BUT NOT HOPELESS JOB.


Reviewing the whole military situation, IL would
seem 70 be the concurrent opinion OF the military
authorities that, despite tho formidable naval
power OF Span our own coasts could be defended
and those OF Cuba seized and held az the cost OF
immediate and large appropriations by Congress-,
well directed and incessant activity In all de-
partments OF the star for o few weeks,
effective cooperation from own navy and
an uncertain loss OF life and property; but the
most significant fact or all Is that no intelligent
and weI informed army man is disposed to make
light OF the Spanish means OF resistance, or TO con-
cur with what seems TO be the popular opinion,
that the seizure and retention Of Cuba would be
trining thing to accomplish.


They put their views the ground that while
our own defensive power is high as to forbid an
attempt to invade our territory from any quarter,
our offensive power under the modern conditions
OF warfare wonld really need careful organization
and protracted enort to become effective and GER
tain in result, and that in the present case we
could only be sure OF an easy and speedy success
strength.


NAVAL PREPARATIONS.
The Navy Department has further ordered the
iron-clads Cannonicus, at Nahant and Wyandotte,
At League Island, to DO Immediately fitted for sea
All vessels now on their way under orders for
Cuba have been furnished with q new projectile
said to be the most effective yet known In naval
warfare and which will enable our wooden
vessels TO successfully attack the most formidable
OF iron-cads OF the Spanish navy IN the event Of
hostilities. The Ordnance Bureau OF the navy has
given orders to the force at Newport and
TO work as many hours as possible until otherwise
ordered.


THE BRITISH MINISTER.
1t Is rumored tonight that the British Minister
has, in obedience to telegram from his govern
ment, sent from New York by special despatch
bearer, an order to the Admiral commanding the
British fleet at Bermuda to concentrate In Cuban
waters with his flagship at Havana. The report
OF the execution OF British subjects and the disre-
gard Of the protest OF the British Consul at San
tiago de Cuba, it is said, has been confirmed.