smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

The attention of gentleman visiting
the lunatic asylum on Blackwell's Island,
few days ago, was drawn to pretty, fair
haired girl about twenty years of age, who
had not spoken word since she entered
the asylum, over two years and half ago.
Her name is Lora Beekman, and her in
sanity was caused by disappointment in
love. She was engaged to be married to
young man who, shortly before the we'd
ding day, left her and became engaged to
another woman. The keeper and his as
sistants have resorted to many expedients
to make her speak, but her strange silence
remains unbroken. With her arms tightly
drawn over her breast, she sits on the same
stool and listlessly stares at the walls the
whole day long, recognizing nobody and
seemingly unconscious of the presence OF
others. The most romantic episode in this
deranged woman's life is, once a year a
young man comes and places bouquet Of
flowers in her hands, after which he i'm
mediately goes away The name and res
idence Of this mysterious visitor are un.
known.
Year: 1873

Overwork causes q great deal of ill
health in farming communities. Very
many farmers in their efforts to avoid
idleness which they consider sin and
a shame, go to the other extreme and
lose both health and happiness there
by. While industry tends to health,
ovorwork breaks down the constitu-
ton and shortens life. 1t Injuries both
the body and mind, and if long con-
tinued, results either in death or pre-
mature old age. For this sin, and sin
it is to overwork, there is not nearly
the excuse on the part Of farmers
which there was twenty years ago.
Now one has machines to take, in a
great degree, the place OF hand labor,
and the farmer who will use them
need not break down his health by
working too hard. But it is not the
farmer who is most liable to overwork.
The farmers wife is generally the
greatest sufferer. Every day in the
year, Sunday not excepted, she has
much to do. Often there is as much
required Of her as two women ought
to perform. AS the result Of her over
work health is lost and she either dies
long before her time or lives only to
suffer the penalties Of the law she has
transgressed For this course there
is no justification. No woman ought
to work herself to death, and no man
is justified in requiring or allowing
his wife to do so. He ought to furn-
ish her with household machines, and
if her health is poor either help her
himself or hire girl to help her
This killing himself and his wife,
which so many farmers do, for the
sake Of laying up few dollars which
they never expect to use, and which
they cannot carry with them when
they die, is a miserable speculation as
far as profit and loss are concerned,
and a sinful, shameful thing for any
man to do.


Want of sleep is one Of the chief
causes Of much of the physical and
mental trouble of farmers and their
families. During the hurry season,
when the farmer rises at four in the
morning and works Until six or seven
in the evening, then eats his supper,
does his chores, and sits up an hour or
two later to read his paper Or chat
with a neighbor, he does not obtain
sleep enough to keep either body or
mind in perfect health and yigor. The
evil consequences Of his course may
not be apparent tor many years, but
sooner or later they will come. The
waste OF the brain is not fully made
up Little by little it decays, and in.
sanity or incurable disease is the final
result OF using the hours which should
be devoted to sleep for other purposes.
Farmers wives, who are often kept
awake at night by the exhaution caus-
ed by oyerwork Or by the crying and
fretting Of children, are the greatest
sufferers, and year by year vast num-
Der of this class go to the insane asy-
lum or the grave. 1t is slow but GER
tain suicide to curtail the hours OF
sleep, and no man, woman or child
need expect to long continue in good
health without taking the fullest a.
mount Of quiet rest - Working Farm
| En-.
Year: 1873

While fnely-dressed lady was
walking along Jefferson street, Kansas
city, a little negro girl stole up behind
and placed a small rag doll upon hel
pannier setting it in an upright pos
ture and reclining its head gracefully
against her back. The lady all un-
conscious Of what had been done went
tripping lightly up the street and the
juvenile set up the familiar cry of boy
behind and soon the sidewalk was lin
ed with children, white and black, who
seeing the novel show, caught up the
tune and made the streets ring with
their mischievious laughter and
screams of boy behind"
Year: 1873

Whas the physiological psychologists at-
firm is this, that whereas serious and calm
intellectual work is only very slowly de-
structive to the nervous health, emotion,
unless directed into proper channels, is
highly destructive to the stability of the
nervous system. And they further say
that the conventional ideas as to the pro
priety and utility Of certain kinds OF emo
tional excitement, do visibly bear, III the eX-
perience of medical men, the very worst
fruit possible. They do not say, as the
Spectator hints, that the emotion of re
pentauce for real guilt is thing to be
Stunned; but they declare that the habit of
self torturing introspcctiOn, which the
clergy and teachers are especially earnest
in recommending as "a means of spiritual
publication, is SO lar from promoting the
existence Of really high and pure stand
ard of ethics, that it ruins both body and
soul, in the majority of cases wherever it
is applied on large scale. More espe-
cially they believe that the habit of Undue
ing unnecessary emotional excitement, in
young persons who are just entering the
dangerous period of commencing sexual
life is so morally and physically injurious
to large number of individuals, that it
may we'll be questioned whether those in
dividuals might not have been more safely
left in total neglect and ignorance.
Year: 1873

The Commissioner Of Internal Reverue.
in recent letter, makes the following de-
cisiOn:


First-In the opinion of this Office, the
law relating to the sale of leaf tobacco op-
poses no bar TO the sheriff selling, CT offer
ing for sale, leaf tobacco, acting under the
order OF the court or any legal process au-
thorized by State law to any person de-
string to purchase the same in bulk.


Second and third-A person NAV pur-
chase leaf tobacco in bulk. or at a sheriti7s
sale, or at a sale ordered by an executor or
administrator, or a planter may purchase
the joint interest which another planter
may have in crop Of tobacco, without he
coming liable By such purchase under the
internal revenue law to pay the special tax
therefor. The liability to pay special tax as
leaf dealer does not attach TO the act of
purchasing, but to the act Of selling. and
then only i'll cases where the sales are 40
frequent and of such d character as to con.
stitute business. Such casual and Incl
dental sales of leaf tobacco as are referred
to IN your inquiries are not considered as
constituting business.


The Committee on Ways and Means have
to day unanimously agreed to report hin
allowing producers to sell by retail their
own tobacco in Leaf TO the valre Of ono
hundred dollars PER annum. This bill is
generally acceptable to members. and will
probably pass.
Year: 1873

The Galveston Cjrija,t has this pleasant
paragraph;


noble young man in Houston recently
determined to abandon the use of tobacco
lie was told by Baker, of the Union. that
iced drinks wonld diminish his hankering
for the weed. SO on the first day lie drank
three gallons OF iced water, and still feeling
a desire to smoke, he added two quarts OF
cold buttermilk. lie went to bed with the
cheerful conviction than he had conquered
his craving, and SO he had. The next day
he did not desire TO smoke at all, for the
simple reason that he was dead The iced
water, the iced buttermilk, the abandon
ment of his cigar. and two doctors who were
called IN consultation, proved to be too
much for the noble young man.
Year: 1873

Recently a proof sheet of the list OF
members of the Michigan House of Repre-
sentatiyes was given out, on which cor
rections were to be male if any errors
were discovered. Soon after, the compiler
of the manual received the following note
from one of the single men. I'm proof
sheet of manual in House, see you say,
am married. Please correct, OF send the
TUman around, and oblige.H
Year: 1873

AN OBSOLETE jury SYsTEM.-The diff


Guilty of choosing jury for the trial of Tweed,
in New York, owing to the exclusion of all
persons who knew anything of the case, or
had formed any opinion whatever upon the
facts as presented in newspapers is only an
aggravated instance Of difficulty that pre-


sents itself in the choice of q jury to try any
important cause. IL would, Of course, be de-
sirsble to have a jury no member of which had
any precedent knowledge of the case to be
tried-but is it possible to get jury OF intelli-
gent men who have never heard of case the
facts of which have been published in the
newspapers of the land? We have outlived
the time when the system of jury selection on
account of knowledge is useful, and have reach.
cd time when it il sometimes positively hurt
full Before the days of telegraphs and rail
roads, Of daily railroads, of daily newspapers
and of common school education. it was pos.
sble to select iuries who had no knowledge
whatever OF cases pending before the, courts.
| Now, the jury system, az operated IN some
places, may be made 10 exclude from the jury.
box all men who are intelligent enough TO read
newspapers, or who are sufficiently honest q
confess that they have knowledge of cases thai
have been widely discussed both in and cue o.


the ewspapers.-Ledger. +p1
Year: 1873

We beg permission to disagree with the
newspaper which speaks Of Mr.. Joseph Arch
as having risen from i the andigniifed position
may have for Mr.. Arch and for the cause iu
which be is engaged, we still can see no lack Of
dignity in farm labor, or in honorable labor Of
any kind. Indeed we have thought that in agri


cultural pursuits all that goes to make up what
may be rightly considered dignity Of charac


ter was most commonly created and conserved


That Mr. Arch, in his old position, was com


PEELED to submit to indignity and injustice II
no wise diminished the original and natura


excellence of his vocation. 1t is we'll to uu
derstand that no man enhances his real impor
tance by setting up as a reformer. .-Ne,o Yorl
Tribune at
Year: 1873

THE REASON WHY.-The immediate
cause of premature fading or blanching of
the hair is an obstruction of the oil vessels
which afford the coloring matter The re-
mote causes may be general i'll health,
trouble of mind, etc Hence, in order to
restore its natural color and beauty the oil
vessels must be restored to their normal
condition. 1t is on this principle that Ma
TURE's HAIR RESTORATIVE is compound
ed, and it has proved a complete success
wherever faithfully applied. 1t is not a
poisonous dye, consequently the effect is
gradual, and in severe cases two or three
bottles are necessary to produce the desir-
ed result See advertisements
Year: 1873

AFTER THE FIRE Miss Jenny McCor-
kindale has opened her old store (near
Wadsworth & Parsons s. where she is offer
ing her damaged goods at bargains. She
has large and very desirable variety Of
millinery goods, of the latest styles They
were somewhat damaged by the late fire
some of them the damage is scarcely no
ticeable-and she is going to sell them for
the insurance company, at bargains Now
is the time to buy
Year: 1873

From lands end to lands end, that all may read,
and reading, believe, that for the countless mil
lions who are on the road to an untimely grave
with bilious complaints there Is but truly great
and reliable remedy. and that is
Year: 1873

spring. as would be the case if the


plant had matured its born leaves


in the natural way. Other trees nat


uraliy come nearly to rest by mid


summer; Of which the Norway and
sycamore naples are given as in
stances. The leaves are nearly trans


formed to bud-scales again; but be


fore they quite reach this condition
they 90 on to a perfect leaf growth


again and make quite an addition to
the stem-length before the final grow
ing season closes. There are vet
other trees which do not alter the


shape Of the leaves about midsum-
.mer but only produce them closer


together on the stem-that is to say.


in botanical language. the internodes
approach. But about this time the
leaves gradually increase in size and
the internodaI spaces increase in
width. By the fall these leaves are
very large, usually much larger than
any produced in the first or spring
cycle Of growth. The apple tree.
cottonwood and Carolina poplars are
named as instances of this kind Of
growth Some appear to make three
growths year. Some pines do this.
When this occurs in the pines the
cones are borne on the ends of the


first cycle or wave Of growth, one or
two other waves following. Some
pines make but one Of these yearly
growths, and this explains the divi-
sion by scientists Of pines which are
terminal-fiowered and pines which
have the cones lateral. The writer
gives no explanation of the law of
these growths. He thinks it i hard
ly extra nutrition. notwithstanding
it IS the most vigorous shoots which
make the second growths. He con
cludes this from the fact that two
English oak trees about twenty years
old, side by side, one usually making
two growths a year and the other
three. have trunks both Of about the
same size.
Year: 1873

bles on the carpet and paste split on


the kitchen table. l want to see the


chairs and the tables turned the


wrong way about. / want to see
candy-making and corn-popping, and


to find jack-kniyes aad ish-hooks
among my muslins. Ye. these things
used to fret me once They say,


how quiet you are here! All one
here may settle his brains and be at
peace But my ears are aching for


the pattering Of little feet, for a


hearty shout, q shrill whistle a gay


ira Ia la, for the crack Of whips. for


the noise Of drums, Gfes and tin


trumpets. Yet these .irgs made
me nervous once. \ manly figure


stands beside me now. lie s taller


than |. has thick whiskers. wears a


frock coat, a bosomed shirt and era


vat. He has just come from college.


He brings Latin and Greek in his


countenance and busts of the old
philosophers for the sitting room.


He calls me mother, but ! am rather


unwilling to own him. He AYERS
that he is my boy ard says he can
prove it. He brings lis little boat
to show the red stripe on the sail lit
was the end Of the piece and the
name on the stern, Lucy Lowe.
little girl of our neighbor, who. be
cause Of her long curls and pretty.
round face, was the chosen favorite
of my boy. The curIs were long
since cut OF and she has grown to a
tall. handsome girl. How his face
red ems as he shows me the name on
the boat. Oh, ! see it eli as plain as
if it were written in a book Ny lit
tie boy is lost and my big boy viii
soon be. Oh. | wish lie was q little
tired boy in a long white night gown
lying in his crib, with ne sitting by
holding his hand in nine, pushing
the curls back from his forehead.
watching his eyelids droop and lis
tening to ms breathing. II | only
had my little boy agair, how patient
l would be. How much l would
bear and how little woald l fret and
scoId. I can never have him back
again. But there are still mothers
who have not yet lost their little
boys. I wonder if they know they
are living their very best days; that
now is the time to really enjoy their
children, l think if l had been more
TO my little boy l might now be
more to my grown up one.
Year: 1873

A friend says: i passed a great
part Of my leisure. one summer, in
watching a pair of swallows. After
much consideration and reflection.
they commenced building their nest
under the projecting roof of q barn.
then suddenly stopped, held a sort of
consultation and began a new nest
under the same projection. but il
another place. At first | could not
understand why they did this; but
upon examination | found that over
the first nest there was a space be
tween two boards through which
dust sifted from the hay that rested
on them. OF course this would in
convenience the young housekeepers
and so they chose a better place.
House swallows usually leave but
one small opening for ingress and
and egress. a necessary precaution
against storms and wind; but this
pair Of swallows found these precau-
tionary measures unnecessary. for
they left the nest quite open. When
the young swallows had grown large
and strong they often mounted to
the border Of the nest to await the
coming of their parents.


1t was curious to see the anxious
mother or father drive them from
their dangerous position and hasten
to fill up the openings which tempted
the young family to the outer border
Of their dwelling.


The service rendered to us by this
little bird in destroying gnats, flies,
wasps, beetles, midges, &C., is almost
inconceiyable- | became so much
interested in my swallows that
took note Of their ways and doings
day after day. l observed that each
swallow flew to the nest with food at
least once in three minutes; then |
calculated that they were on the
Year: 1873

with an imbecile laugh. This name


less friend. nothing daunted, took
him to a chamber in his own house
and put him to bed. There he and


his sons kept watch and guarded this
poor wretch for months, like a pris-
oner, keeping liquor from him and
trying to supply it by medical treat


ment. 4 physician he employed, but


he was unable to pay for nurse.
Any one who has had to deal with a


victim OF mania-a-potu can guess how
difficult and loathsome task he had


set himself.


Ungrateful enough it was at first,


for Rodgers struggled AGAINST his
tormentors with the ferocity of-just


what he was-a starving animal. As
reason began to return and his un-
natural strength to vanish. he wouId
beg them in his intervals Of reason
not to fail him. but to work ont the
experiment either to success or death.
1T is my last chance he would cry,
''for Gods sake be patient" Ills
friend, with his son, did work it
through all the foul, unmentionable
details, and the end was not death,
but success. How soon" :" asked a
friend Of Rodgers afterward. ''were
YOU trusted alone2" Not for two
years" he answered, laughing. Il
was out Of Jail but in jail bounds.
Do you remember that lank. muscu-
lar young fellow who had a desk be
side me in the office? He took X
with the condition that he could
leave it to dog me night and day, to
my meals and to my bed. That was
the son of the man who saved me.
He was taken from a lucrative situa-
ton in order that lie might become
my taller. God bless him! How |
used TO curse him! Cant you trust
my honor" | would cry. I'm no
convinced that your honor has rot
the consumption the Scotch-Irish-
man would say We'll put no bur
dens on it until 1t has rega mel its
health"


Your friend was a wealthy man,
no doubt. and so able to give both
time and money to your case2" '.On
the contrary, he is hut the owner of
a small hat store and supports his
family out Of that. He IS rich or
noble only in the deed and spirit Of
friendship" al this was years ago.
Rodgers Is now an industrious. hon
ora1le man, married TO his old love,
with his gray-haired mother by his
hearth bringing to it the perpetual
benediction Of benignaut old age.
His friend sells hats-makes no
speeches nor bruit Of any sort in the
world. Nobody has recognized in
him a hero. Yet, who for the sake
Of a dead or living friend would 90
and do likewise.
Year: 1873

A CORRESPONDENT Of the Anlerican


Naturalist calls attention to the Sc
cond growth Of trees during the same
season. Some trees make only one
growth. The horse chestnut. for in
stance. as sooa as 1t completes which,
makes a terminal bud and ceases
growth for the season. The scales
which form this bud are modified
leaves If, however, the leaves Of
the horse chestnut ae plucked OF
before this terminal bud is quite ma
ture what would be ud-scales be-
cone perfect leaves. nd the horse
chestnut goes on and makes another
growth often ending in flowers in the
fall Of the year, instead Of the next
Year: 1873

One Of our family papers breaches


Il strong temperance sermon by


simply telling the story of woman


who. after struggling with the pre-
ternatural strength Of loving wife
and mother for years against the de-
mon Of drink which possessed her
husband. conquered it and made him
once more a free man. In his last
illness brandy was prescribed, which
he was strong enough to use only as
a medicine; but after his death she
turned to it in her grief and died
not many months later, a hopeless.
helpless drunkard."


Let Us tell a companion story as
true as this, but Of as different a com
plexion as daylight to night. 4 few
years ago. on any sunny morning, a
heap of filthy rags might be seen
stretched on some bales of d paper
warehouse in a neighboring city.
with a strong smell Of stale tobacco
and whisky hanging about it. Turn
it over (Which YOU could do as
though it were a log, any time after
10 O'Clock in the morning). you
would find the swollen, purple face
Of what had once been q handsome
young man, but there was little hope
that the bleared eyes or thick tongue
would give an intelligent answer.
The porters passing by would push
him aside. but not roughly. The
time had been when he had been
jolly. generous young fellow and a
favorite in the office. Young Rodg-
ers;" some one would give YOU his
history in five minutes; Taken to
rum-no chance-poor devil. Stokes
(the proPrietor) could not turn him
out to starve, so still gave him a
nominal salary and suffered him to
hang about the house lest he should
take to worse courses than drinking
There were hints, too, of widowed
mother, away off in the country, who
had been depending on him and a
sweetheart, pretty, clinging little
girl, both of whom long ago he had
But there was nothing
to be done. The end, through the
usual horrors of delirium tremens.
was apparently not far OF


One day, as Rodgers was. creeping
to the nearest bar for his morning
bitters, q man whom he barely knew
by sight, took him by the elbow and
walked with him into quieter street.
They tell me you are Richard Rodg
ers' SON. he said. ..Dick Rodgers
was the only friend I had for years,
and for his sake I'd like to save his
boy. Are you willing forme to try"
"Oh. you can try" muttered the lad
Year: 1873

Z Tunnel from Jersey City to New


York.


4 bill was introduced Friday, in
the New York Legislature Certain
Iy one huge enough in its scope and
intention), proposed by Senator era
ham, providing for a tunnel under
the Hudson river. between New York
city and New Jersey. for the purpose
Of allowing the transportation Of
freight and passengers, The IIud-
son Tunnel railroad company is the
designation Of the corporation au-
thorized in this bill. under the super
vision and direction OF three practi-
cal engineers, who SHAH be appointed
commissioners for the purpose, two
by the Governor and ole by the May
or, to commence a railway from q
point 1000 feet easterly Of the North
river and between Chambers and
Fourteenth street. an underground
railway, to run under the bed Of the
Hudson river and connect with a
similar railway on tl- Jersey side.
The railway is to p9ssess all the
powers granted unde- the general
railroad law. Notably excellent pro
visions Of the bill require the approx
al by the Mayor and Common Coun-
ell Of all the acts Of tie commission
ers and the execution Of a bond by
the company before work IS com
merced, holding the Company re.
sponsibIe for any damage to corpora
tion or property hollers.-Netcgrk
.4drertiser.