smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

TEXAS has legislature which does
not contain half dozen Republican mem
berrs. Some time since we published an ex-
tract setting forth the extravaganza of that
body and the fact that it had seized upon the
school funds set apart by its Republican
predecessors and used the same for their cor
rupt schemes, and had also issued bonds to
meet the current expenses of the State gov
ernment which have been enormously in
creased under Democratic rule. We now
clip the following from. the Houston Age, a
Democratic paper respecting the lawlessness
which disgraces the State:


Nothing can be more humiating to the good sense
OF the people of Texas to the manhood of the State
than the weak and disgusting vacillation Of the Leg
isature upon the question of suppressing crime and
lawlessness For weeks they have been debating and
filling the halls Of power with the most senseess
twadde while the sxshooter of the assassin is be-
ing heard all over the State. Men are being shot
down, and the young, tender girls of homes are
being hung up to trees like dogs and their beautiful
forms left to rot in the mud Of the creeks there to
serve as feastS for the buZZardS of the air.
Year: 1876

That ignorance Of the rules OF the
Democratic party Of this county may
not cause a non compliance with them,
we nublish them in full in the TRAN
SCRIPT this morning. A strict obser-
vance of their requirements will pre-
vent all grounds for chickering's and DIS
putings in regard to the time and man.
ner of holding the county meetings and
choosing delegates to them. The first,
it will be seen, requires the holding OF
the usual county meeting on the last
Saturday in May. The second likes
the time for holding the election for the
nomination of candidates for sheriff and
coroner, and the third prescribes the
time for holding the county convention
and the manner of choosing delegates
to it. These must be chosen by ballot.
This portion of the rules has been more
shamefully abused than any other'
and in many instances the delegates
have been appointed by two or three
persons who attended the primaries and
run them to suit themselves The OBJ
servance of that part of Rule 3,
which refers to ''election districts" will
also serve to allay i'll feeling and to
keep harmony within the ranks Of the
party.
Year: 1876

In the United States Senate, We'd
nesday, the following message was read
from President Grant vetoing the bill
fixing the salary Of the President Of the
United States at $25. 900:
TO the Senate Of the United States
Herewith return Senate bill No 172,
entitled "An act fixing the salary Of
the President OF the United States, F"
without my approval.


| am constrained to this course from
sense of duty to my successors in
Office, to myself, and to what is due to
the dignity Of the position Of chief
magistrate of nation of more than
forty millions of people.


When the salary Of the President of
the United States was fixed by the con-
stitution at $3.50 per annum we
were nation of but three millions of
people, poor from long and exhaus-
tive war, without commerce or manu-
factories, with but few wants, and those
cheaply supplied. The salary must then
have been deemed small for the respon-
sibilities and dignity of the position,
but justi6ably SO from the impoverished
condition Of the treasury and the SIM
plicity it was desired to cultivate in the
republic


The salary Of Congressman under the
constitution was first fixed at six dollars
per day for the time actually in session,
an average Of about one hundred and
twenty days to each session. or seven
hundred and twenty dollars per year,
or less than ope-thirtieth of the salary
of the President.


Congress have legislated upon their
own salaries from time to time since,
until finally it reached $4,000 per an
mum, or one-fifth that Of the President
before the salary of the latter was in
creased


No one having knowledge Of the
cost Of living at the national capital will
contend that the present salary of con-
gressmen is too high, unless it is the
intention to make the office one entirely
Of honor, when the salary should be
Abolished proposition repugnant to
our Republican ideas and institutions.


do not believe the citizens of this
republic desire their public servants to
serve them without fair compensation
for their services Twenty-Five thou
sand dollars does not defray the ex-
penses of the executive for one year, or
has not in my experience. 1t is not
now one-fifth in value what it was when
ixed by the constitution in supplying
demands and wants.


Having no personal interest in this
matter | have felt myself free to return
this bill to the House in which it origi-
mated with my objections, believing that
10 doing SO | meet the wishes and judg-
meut of the great majority of those who
indirectly pay all the salaries and other
expenses Of the government.


u. s. GRANT.
Executive Mansion, Apr IS, '76.
Year: 1876

The Republican Press are constantly
harping upon Patriotism, and endeavor-
ing to offset the crookedness of their
Administration coterie by charging
upon Democrats in general, and those
in particular whose names are mention
ed as possible nominees Of the St. Louis
Convention as being disloyal and not
sustaining the Government in its hour
Of peril. In Republican form Of gov
ernment 1.-The Constitution is the
Grown and all else is subservient there
to The officers from the highest to
to the lowest are but the creatures OF
its provisions and are sworn to support
and obey it, and all laws made in pur-
suance thereof" Hence men who re-
garded the magma charta first and the
whims Of officials last, we're oftentimes
charged with disloyalty, subjected to
arrest, Imprisonment. and many other
indignities While haeted passions
born of the excitement of the hour
swayed mems minds bearing down their
better judgment, plausible excuse
might be made for many of these out
RACES, but that is no longer the case,
the war has long since ceased Peace
for eleven years has been the position
of the North, and the passions have
had time to cool, and honest men will
ing to accord to others the same hon.
esty of purpose claimed for themselves,
can readily see that many Of the noblest
and purest minds of the country were
those who had the manly courage to
throw themselves into the contest then
raging, in support of the Constitution
and to as far as lay in their power
check the madness that was rushing
the country on to ruin equal at least to
dismemberment. A brake is of no use
to a train of cars ascending grade,
out when the summit is reached and
the descent begun the brake is the
salvation of train and people, and just
so with the mad passions of the war !:
those Statesmen who held the Constitu-
ton constantly up to view, who day by
day reminded the country that it was
their guide and ruler, we're the we'll
applied brake saving the American
Republic and people from utter destruc-
ton. The time has come, when the
people recognize this fact, and all efforts
Of administration journals to cover up
the bad acts Of their own people with
the old war cry of disloyalty against
those whom the people are determined
to place in power, will only add to
their discontinue and confirm the old
photographer DR.. johnson when he de-
fines "Patriotism as the last refuge of
a scoundrel." ;"
Year: 1876

SILVER RESUMPTION. accordance
with orders from Secretary Bristow the
officers Of the subtreasury departments
in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York
and other cities began paying out silver
coin in exchange for fractional currency
on Thursday morning. Crowds Of
people hurried to the treasury buildings
and received the coin for their "shin-
plasters" as rapidly as the paying clerks
could give it to them. Thus once more
after suspension Of over fifteen years
the people are about to see solid money
nut into circulation. This is "con-
summation devoutly to be wished" !"
People have long since grown heartily
tired of the small paper money and
wished 10 see silver coin, at least, in
daily use. As far as gold is concerned
nobody cares particularly to have it in
circulation. The treasury notes are
much preferable for common use. If the
Department can only succeed in put
ting plenty Of small coins in circulation
they need not trouble themselves any
further about specie resumption. There
is said to be some 500. 900, 900 of sil-
YER now on hand, and as more is be-
ing coined every day there will, doubt
less, soon be enough to redeem all the
fractional currency now in circulation.
1t is sincerely hoped that nobody will
hoard it up. Let it 60, you'll get
plenty more Of it in little while


The authorities are determined to call
in all the shinplasters and issue silver
instead. and if the people 60 TO keep
ing the silver in their pockets or bu-
reaus we will soon have no small
change. 1t will benefit them nothing
to hoard it as there is no premium on
silver. nor is there likely to be any, but
on the contrary it is at small discount
when offered 10 large quantities.
Year: 1876

TIE CENTENNIAL BUILDINGS. On
Saturday the Cegtepnial Grounds were
closed to visitors This was done on
account Of the fact that great deal Of
sodding. grading and sowing of grass
seed ip the garden plots between the
various buildings is going on. and the
presence Of large number Of visitors
on the grounds interferes greatly with
the work
Year: 1876

THE END OF THE PEACH CROP
What peaches wero left in this locality
were destroyed by the sharp frost Of
Wednesday night last. Whole orchards
in full bloom were swept with the besom
of destruction It is feared that the
pears are also seriously damaged, as
they were in full bloom. Milford News.
Year: 1876

THEY DoN'r STEAL.-It occurs to us
that Belknap is not Confederate brig.
adler. If he was it is probable that he
would never have stolen anything from
the Government which honored him
with high and important position.
The fanatics of the North may hate us
for having fought bravely for what we
thought was right, but not one Of them
can point to a Confederate brigadier in
the service of the United States who
has stolen anything They were ter
rifle rebels, utthey don't steal Ncks-
burg Herald.
Year: 1876

better in theatre than a Copperhead
in a prayer meeting" they pretend to
think that it would be better to put any
loyal scoundrel 10 Office than the most
perfectly honest "disloyal" Southerncr.
Year: 1876

A HATEFUL HABIT.-The attention
of medical men in this great Republic is
called to the injudicious and absolutely
hateful habit, much in vogue in the rural
districts and among early risers in the
city, of getting up in the night to eat.
This nocturnal meal is family disguised
under the name of breakfast, and there
is no doubt that it has much to do with
creating, spreading and sustaining the
National disease, dyspepsia. The Gus
tom is sometimes visited by severe judg-
ments, but nothing seems able to deter
its votaries from continuing its practices.
We once took summer boarding with a
man who used to eat in the night and
loused up all his household to share the
unnatural meal. One night he stirred
us all up at half past four o'clock to eat.
We rose and ate. That very day his
best COW inundated herself on a wire
fence, one of his horses bit himself with n
rattle-snake, II reaping-machine ate up
his best farm hand, a distant relative
sent his youngest boy a drum, his wife
took TO writing poetry, and one Of his
most popular, talented and handsome
boarders fitted, leaving an unpaid sum
mer's board bill to remember him by
The latter circumstance is indelibly i'm
pressed upon our memory, and we often
think of it in connection with the some-
what striking coincidence that we have
never been in that county since.-Bur,
tingtOn HdWk- Eye.
Year: 1876

THE adjournment Of Congress always
creates an aching void in the history Of
American craftsmanship. Hundreds Of
melancholy barkeepers are thrown upon
their natural resources, and the silent
corridors of the Capitol no longer echo
the indignant protests OF tho member
who is offered two dollars and half for
his vote and swears that his devotion To
the cause Of free government entities him
to get five. But we all bear up the bet
we can. feeling that when our turn comes
to go there and suffer for our common
country, the rate may be advanced hr
job. work as high as fifteen or twenty dol
lars a head. Brooktyn Argus.
Year: 1876

PETE's Coon HUNT.-Old Uncle Gus,
says the New Orleans Bulletin, is not as
young as he used to be, so when he went
'coon-hunting the other night he took lit
tie Pete with him to carry the game. The
dogs soon started coon who took to a
small tree, which Pete climbed and shook
him out of, when the dogs made short
work of him. Pete tied the 'coon's hind
legs together, and, running stick be-
tween them, sung them over his should
er, head down. AS coon hunting was a
matter of business with old Gus, and not
of fun, they started home. AS they were
walking along, the coon, which had on
ly been stunned, came to, and suddenly
formed violent attachment to Pete by
seizing in his teeth II prominent part of
Pete's body, which proceeding caused the
boy to drop his stick and bounce into the
air with a yell that almost frightened old
Gus out of his wits. When he struck the
ground again he didn't stop to explain,
but shot by old Gus like quarter horse,
the coon standing out Mt right angles
from the body. The dogs started after
Pete, and as he whisked around q fence
corner, big ''yaler dorg" made snap
at the coon and caught him. Pete kept
on, but the coon stopped right there,
and as he struck the ground, half pound
of fresh meat and a strip OF blue jeans
fell from his mouth. Pete wears very
loose trousers now and don't care to hunt
'coons.
Year: 1876

The SECRET PAIsFULLY REVEALED.
While practieing the black art in =
Philadelphia saloon a few days ago, Hen
rico Frizzo did the pistol trick. He had
pistol, which no gave to any one in tho
crowd to load, allowing them 10 put in u
bullet, and then shoot at him, and hs
would catch the bullet in his MOUTH
This trick was performed a great many
times to the wonder OF u gaping audience
when tho Professor offered the pistol to
Geo. W. Brown, proprietor OF another
saloon. Now the explanation OF the trick
is necessary TO explain the accident which
followed. IL seems that the pistol had .
ia se barrel underneath where tho ram
rod belongs, and here was lond with
out a bullet, while the trigger discharged
the under barrel. OF course the Profess
sor was provided with bullet in his
mouth, and when tho pistol, loaded by
the bystanders, was discharged, and tho
bullet taken from his mouth, the trick
was considered good one. But when
Mr.. Brown took his pistol TO fire he held
it in both hands, one hand directly over
the muzzle of the lower barrel, which
the Professor. having his eyes covered,
did not see, and the result was that Mr..
Brown had the foreilnger OF his left hand
blown off. The sorcerer was arrested
and taken before Magistrate Clark, and
held in $500 bail to appear before court.
--BoStOn Herald.
Year: 1876

THE ancient Egyptians must have
been curious race of people. All trust
worthy accounts of them show that their
great end of life was death. They were
no sooner born, so to speak, than they
thought of dying. The whole nation
seemed t. live in II sort of moving pyra-
mid. They did not care where they
lodged SO long as they knew where they
were to be buried. Their greatest com
fort in life was the idea OF being made
nice mummies Of. Their greatest ambi-
ton was the tombstone. The largest
tombstones are the pyramids of Egypt
And the largeness of the pyramids is a
standing proof of what a tremendous set
Of undertakers the Egyptians were.
Year: 1876

AN Indiana man whe saw his wife fall
off the bridge into a mill pond never hes
itated moment about his duty, hut with
that noble impulse SO characteristic o the
sex, darted down the road and prevented
anybody from coming up to witness the
narrowing spectacle.
Year: 1876

An exchange says that a new dodge
for swindling farmers has just been pat
in operation. Several strange men drive
into an agricultural district. They stop
at all the farmhouses, and make a con-
tract to take all the butter the farmers
N furnish at fifty cents pound. Fur
ther, it will be gathered up bya fast
special team, and the cash paid for it at
the door. The pretense is that during
the fall and winter the large cities will
be crowded, and that butter will be
scarce. In this way sll the farmers in a
district are contracted with, and arrange
ments are made to come for the butter
on certain days and at certain points;
the contract to go into effect in two
weeks. A few days after the departure
of the men drove of COWS come along.
They are fine looking mich COWS. The
farmers, having a good thing in view,
think they might use few moro COWS.
They try to buy them, but the drover
doesn't seem anxious to sell. Finally,
however, he is induced to sell two or
three to each farmer, and at prices con-
siderably higher than the real market
value. He then departs, meets his
partners, who put up the butter job,
and they divide their profits. The farm
ers of this vicinity will do well to be on
their guard against this new style OF
sharpers.
Year: 1876

Ravel out the suspected cotton fiber
from the wool and apply flame. The
cotton will burn with flash, the wool
will curl up, carbonize, and emit burnt,
disagreeable smell. Even to the naked
eye the cotton is noticeably different
from the flaments OF wool, and under
the magnifer this difference cones out
strongly. The cotton is fatteaed, more
or less twisted band, having a very
striking resemblance to bAir, which, ID
reality, it is; since in the condition OF
elongated cells, it lines the inner sur
face Of the pod. Tho wool may be rec
ognized at once by the zigzag transverse
markings on its fSers. The surface OF
wool is covered With these furrowed and
twisted fine cross lines, OF which there
are ., 600 to 1000 in an inch. On this
structure depends its felting property.
FINALLY. a simple and very striking
chemicl test may be applied. The
mixed goods are unraveled, a little of
the cotton fiber put into one dish and
The woolen in another, and drop OF
strong nitric acid added. The cotton
will be little or not at all affected; the
wool, on the contrary, will be changed
to bright yellow. The color is due to
the development of picrate.
Year: 1876

The success of the new popular loan
in Russia has been such as to give the
czar full assurance that, in case OF
emergency, he can raise large amount
of money from his own subjects before
going abroad to borrow. The Russian
car has been so long in the habit of re-
sorting to the money markets OF western
Europe when the funds were required
that most people had supposed he would
be helpless in case these were closed
against him. But, during the last
twenty years, and especially since the
emancipation OF the serfs, the financial
resources, as we'll as the military power,
of the Russian empire have undergone
q great development; and we have no
no doubt that, as the car has raised his
hundred million rubles at once in two
of his cities, he could raise ten times as
much on short notice in his empire at
large. The success Of the present loan
must give the Russians a new sense OF
financial independence.
Year: 1876

A gentleman was very much annoyed
at night by person who was walking
heavily in the room above and unable to
sleep; be assembled to the room to ascer-
tain the cause, and found man walking
up and down, apparently in great dis
tress. His sympathy induced him to
INQUIRE the cause. At first he could
get no response, and the man, with his
hair in his hands, still continued to
pace the floor. At last, induced by the
kindly tone of his visitor, he stated the
cause of his great anguish. 81 owe my
friend Brown $500, which am utterly
unable to pay" "My friend" said the
gentleman, 81 can give you advice
which will relieve your distress"
"What is ;t9" anxiously inquired the
distressed individual. "You have walk
ed far enough" replied the gentleman.
"My advice to ycu is to go comfortably
to bed, and LET Brown walk awhile"
Year: 1876

Young men in the country imagine
that if they could only manage to get a
clerkship in New York, or some other
large city, their fortunes would be
made. The New York clerk does not
have so feat .ery a bed to lie in as
many imagine. A correspondent writ
ing on the subject says. Take, for in
stance, the dry goods clerks on Broad
way. Some of the establishments like
Stewards, Lord & Tay lorss Jaffray's,
etc., have as many as two hundred
clerks in their employ. They are ex-
pected to dress we'll, to keep up with
the fashions, so as to be in keeping with
the general style of things about them.
They must be at business promptly at
eight in the morning, strict account
being kept of any failure to do So,
which is reported by the head of the de-
partment to the general manager. ALI
the day long they are kept on their feet,
under watchful eyes, and with multi
tude of details to attend to; and at noon
they must hurry out for hasty lunch
| and be back as soon as possible, flying
the day through until seven or eight
o'clock at night. In the busy season
they are liable to be worked until eleven
or twelve o'clock at night; and in the
dull seasons, which come on the city
often enough, they are just as liable to
be discharged at weeks notice, even
though they have been years in the
house, and been faithful in every way,
and all this for from So to $15 per week.
The head bookkeeper Of prominent
Broadway house gets a salary of thir-
teen thousand dollars, while under him
are no less than six men, having the
brunt of the work to do, who are paid
three dollars day. There are men in
other houses who enjoy princely in.
comes, because they have drawn one OF
the prizes of trade; they have trade of
their own which brings in large sums to
their employer; they are paid for their
work with unstinted hand. But all
around them are men without this spe-
cial advantage, though competent, who
are barely getting living. A large tea
house that employs sixty clerks has only
five who receive over $40 per week.


How city clerks live considering
the meager condition of the salary mar
ket. Living any way, in New York, is
expensive, as living in a great city al
ways is. Ten, fifteen, twenty dollars a
week in some places gives man all the
comforts of modest expectation; nay,
often gives one a trihe for the saving
fund, or the luxurious. Not SO here.
Decent board will range up to ten and
fifteen dollars; decent board-which
means narrow, close room, clean food
very plaire nothing more. And
then you come down peg by peg to the
horrors and misery and slack and dis
comfort of New York boarding house
life-the cheapest and meanest being
five and six dollars week.


Clerks pack themselves away in these
holes, making them just sleeping and
eating places, cast out from all amuse-
ment and society upon the town; or else
they hire lodgings in some obscure
quarter, and "live by the card" OF
cheap eating houses. They make all
sorts of shifts to keep stylishly clothed.
Year: 1876

WITHDRAWING THEIR BETs.-Betting
men in New York who made wagers on
the general result of the Presidential
contest are Withdrawing their money,
both sides consenting. One reason for
this is the fear that the money will be
eeizad for the charities of the State.
Under the lava tho authorities have q
right to seize all gambling money for
this object.
Year: 1876

By American Press Association.


BosToN, May 22.-The three mile race
between the Faulkner -Regan and City
Point crews in Best and Best working boats,
rowed on the gunwale, for purse of ST.
600, which WIS net decided last Saturday
owing to claim of foul on the part of the
City Point, was again pulled this morning
on the Charles river conrse, in the pres
enee of at least $4,000 to $1,000 people.
The bet ing WAS largely in favor of the
Faulkner-Rsgan crew. A good start was
made, and for nearly mile the City Point
crew led, but were rapidly left behind from
there to the turning stake, the Faulkner
crew pulling in remarkable form. From
the turning point to the home buoy the
latter crew gained, winning without diff
Guilty in twenty minntes and twenty seconds,
The time OF the City Point crew was twenty
minutes and forty nine seconds