smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

A MOUSE AFFLICTED WITH SMALLFo1.-
A lady entered q Brooklyn drug stors
few evenings since, says New York pape.,
and placed live mouse on the counter.
The little animal had very sore head,
and the doctor was asked whether he knew
what the matter was. He was also IN
formed that it had been brought from the
tenement house 1856 Hudson avenue, near
York street, where there have been several
cases of smallpox. After examining the
mouse, he found that it was covered with
sores. He sprinkled some disinfecting
powder over it, and in a short time it died.
1t was then dissected, and a clear case Of
smallpox in its worst form was revealed.
The remains were inclosed in glass jar,
and are to be sent to the hospital for fur
ther examination, as it is believed to be
the first case OF the kind ever heard of.
Year: 1872

Appenzell, a Swiss province, is quite as
democratic in military as in civil matters.
Every man is a soldier and spends certain
time in martial training, after which he is
dismissed among the reserves, to be called
on in case of need. The officers are taken
from all grades of society, according to
their military capacity. A once doughty
general was transmogri6ed into a lock-
smith; and at one of their balls the musi-
clans were captain who had hastily laid
aside his uniform and taken up the fiddle,
and a young peasant, who, formerly an
officer, then daily dragged his milk to town
in cart.


There is not a lawyer or a code in APP
penzell! The judges are chosen from the
people by the people, and they render
their decisions after personal investigation
and as far as possible in accordance with
previous verdicts in like cases. The high
est judicial authority for Furnishing grave
offences rests in the Grand Council. The
place for capital execution is just outside
the town, where stands, on low mound,
an old gallows now in the last stages of
decay; for there has not been a capita
crime committed during many years.


The prison is in the garret of the Court
house, and is frightful relic of the bar
barism of the middle ages. 1t is dark
and gloomy hole with eight cells or cages,
each provided with single window foot
long and few inches wide. A miserable
bunk with little straw is the sole accom-
mediation afforded in these miserable dens.
They are now seldom entered, save by Gu
riosity hunters. The last victim, who was
condemned to linger for months in this
rnquisition, was one of the Presidents of
the latter part of the last century. He
was convicted, through intrigue, of high
treason, and finally, after having been put
through all the tortures of wheel and chair,
was beheaded.
Year: 1872

Oh mother see how pale and wet


The flowers ON fathers's grave are lying !!
1t must be watching you has set


The little daisy-buds to crying!
Poor child? and do you think the earth
Sorrows because our herats are aching?
Look, then, with what a careless mirth


That sunlight on his bed is breaking!
Yes, but You called the great blue air


Gods home to all His angels given;
And so perhaps the sunbeam there


Is father smiling up in heaven
Year: 1872

My Advice is to marry as quickly as
possible, for none but those who are,
,unhappily, versed in snch matters can be
aware of the manifold minor, to say
nothing of major, evils which long en-
gagement entails. The position Of an
afiauced pair, after time, becomes al
most ridiculous. Premature congratula-
tons are poured forth by some over
enthusiastic friends, while others cease
to believe in the reality of an ultimate
settlement, and become suspicious OF the
sincerity of your professions, and almost
personally affronted at your delay. Then
the difficulty of sustaining, with appro-
pirate effect, the character OF an engaged
man is something enormous.


Isay nothing of the difficulty which a
lady in that delicate position has to en-
counter, for we all know that they ex.
perience but little difficulty i'll making
themselves perpetually agreeable-at
least before marriage but with regard
to a man; think of the admirable and ex-
cusable deceptions he is forced to be
guilty of-the real distaste, but professed
pleasure, with which he accompanies
"the beloved object, to the festive board
of some oppressive family friend, where,
for two mortal hours at least, he has to
sit, the observed of all observers, next to
the idol to whom he has been paying
unceasing devotion for the greater por-
ton of the day, and to whom now he has
to make himself agreeable-having ex-
hausted every scrap of news, every con-
ceivable subject of conversation He is
afraid to venture upon any tender aside,
for fear he should be thought silly, or to
keep much to generalities, for fear he
should be considered slow.


I have. indeed, remarked engaged
couples who have been content to sit in
blissful silence, wrapped in contempla-
ton of their approaching happiness
but such state OF quiescence is rarely
observable, and can scarcely be preserv-
ed for IN indefinite period.


One of my earliest recollections of such
a couple is when they were sitting in
this state of tranquil calm, and forming
a very limited hand-in- hand mutual as
surance company of their own their ex-
example is scarcely to be quoted, as
the partnership was shortly afterward
dissolved forever, and the lady and gen.
tleman are at present thousands Of miles
apart, and each belonging to another
firm.


It is impossible for nan of business
not to sympathize with an eminent ply
sician, who informed his futnre wife
that he had no time for courtship; but
that if she would marry him, and be
ready on a certain day, he should be
happy to meet her at the church and
make her his ride.-1emple Bar.
Year: 1872

the shin ready for sea, and while she is
being towed outside make sail. As fast
as the men recover their senses, either OF
their own accord or by the fists of the
mates, they are set to work. If any OF
them turn out to be landsmen and not sail
ors, they are looked upon as swindlers by
officers and Jack tars, and the ship is no
pleasant place for them during the voyage.
In one crew of eighteen men shipped in
Boston for an East India voyage, four OF
the men had never been on voyage be
fore, and one was lumber merchant from
Maine who went to Boston, got on spree,
and was picked up by the sharks. His
case becoming known, he was put on
vessel homeward bound which was spoken
at sea. The others had no inclination,
when that voyage was over, to try salt
water again. 1t is such tricks as these
which have demoralized sailors, and re-
suit is the constant abuse they suffer while
at sea from their officers. Jack is looked
upon as a tricky dog and treated accord
ingly. There are exceptions, of course,
but many officers really believe that to get
any good ont of Jack he must be kicked,
and cuffed, and cursed, and they act ac-
eordingly. Jack, in return, loses all sense
of pride of vocation, and leads sorry life
Of it-on shore the plaything and dupe OF
the shark, at sea the recipient of the worst
kind of treatment. If he arrives in port
where wages are higher than be is receiv-
ing, he deserts; if wages are lower and
sailors plenty, he is "hazed until he is
glad to abandon the money due him and
leave. 1t would seem that the "sweet


little cherub that sits up aloft and watch
es over poor Jack had abandoned his post,
and it is time for somebody to commence
the work of reformation. No better open


ing for legislation can be found than in ous'
merchant service.
Year: 1872

AN IRoN-CLAD ON FIRE AT SEA.-A
private letter from an officer on board the
United States iron-clal Terror, written
from Key West, contains the following
II wrote you day or two since that we
were TO sail from Havana for this port.
We did, and arrived here at sundown. We
were on fire all day, and just got the fire
fairly extinguished after we had taken a
pilot at the entrance Of this harbor. 1t
was daylight, a smooth sea, and our convoy
near by, all Of which made the matter as
favorable as could be. But had the fire
occurred al night and with sea enough to


oblge us to close our eck-ports, land it
does not take much of sea Tor that no
one can say what would have happened.


In that condition VIC are supplied with


artificial air by blower engines, and with


the ship filled with smoke, the blowers
would have taken it up and fed us on smoke
instead Of air. You can see the result.


The fire originated in the coal bunker from


the galley stove-pipe, which runs through


the coal-bunker, surrounded by a white
pine casing! The brilliant genius who
originated this idea ought to be presented


with medal by the Humane Society, ard
the thanks of Congress. At one time,
about noon, when came below, the smoke
was so dense tha { got out a sheet and
pillow case in which | purposed to put
some Of my personal effects and my public
funds in case we should be obliged to aban-
don the ship, and then lighted cigar and
went on deck and sat down in an arm chair
to watch the smoke pour out of the deck
lights. We had Rear Admiral Inglcfeld
on board, (R. NJ who came over with us
to see how the snip behaved in a sea-way


He told me lie took the chances of going
down but did not expect to be burnt up"
Year: 1872

THE BURNING OF NIBL0 GARDEN.


Have you ever seen theater burn?
have. | saw Pixies Opera House in Gin
clnnati burn, and have just witnessed the
burning of Niblo's Garden, and the grand
scene of destruction is worthy of descrip-
ton. 1t seems that scarcely any other
building burns as rapidly as 4 theater,
which from the light materials of painted
scenery and gaudy paper tinsels of the
stage affords the most dainty food for the
voracious and mocking fire-iend.


Hearing the alarm sounded at halfpast
seven in the morning, and the exciting
rush of steamers, hose carriages, ladder
trucks and the clang o. the warning bells,
| FASTENED away up town to the scene of
the confa9ration in time to witness the
height of the destruction flames burst
ing from their Imprisonment at every win
dow, smoke pouring through every avenue
of escape, mingled with the roar and
cracking Of the fire and the kissing of
the steam that rose from the many
streams OF water pouring from the innum-
cradle lines of hose that lined the street !;
the frantic and fearful puffs of tbe steam
erS that seemed every moment on the point
Of a tremendous explosion; tie hoarse
shouts of the tireme2, the dashing here
and there of the men, and the screams Of
the panic-stricken lady guests of the
hotel, the sursing Of the crowd On the
street, and the corydon of police who forced
the line back at the point of their clubs
until the street was blocked with stages
and vehicles of every kind, and the oaths
of indignant drivers mingled with the
other sounds of dire confusion, all seemed
to make perfect the excitement of New
York fire.


These were the scenes and sounds that
furnished material for reporters and cor
respondents at the rapidly burning thea
ter.


The fire spread rapidly and enveloped
the entire rear of the famed Metropolitan
Hotel, and reaching the rear of Hembold's
old stand, soon reduced it to the fate OF
the theater.


A roar broke on my ear-the roof had
fallen in-and great cloud of smoke and
steam and sparks and blazing fragments,
rose Ike shadow of doom, and then the
blaze shot away upward and Tapped with
its forked tongues at every thing in reach
until five or six houses on Crosby street
caught from the heat. After this the des-
tructoD was soon complete, and the topling
wall OF the once proud Niblo's Garden, had
to be proPped with ladders to save it from
falling out into the street, and / turned sad
ly away thinking how often | had sat be-
fore its foot lights with the gay throng OF
fair women and handsome men. and feaStco
on the glories o: its stage which an hour OF
coutagfation had more ruthlessly swept
away than acycle of time could have done.


The loss is estimated at S500,0OO, and
includes the costly and magnificent scenery
Of Laila Rookh, which was to appear at
night for the frs: time, and thus has il
vanished


"As the baseless fabric of n dream


And left not a wreck behind"
Year: 1872

EmbeEElement e1 hunos-nO~ ~


County Commissioner - 1mpor-


tant Decision.


CHICAGO, January Cit is rumored
that the Secretary of a well known Life
Insurance Company of this city is an
embezzler of large amount, and has
also been specializing in stock belonging
to the company. Some Of the directors
informed him that his affairs were not
satisfactory, when he at once handed in
his resignation and found himself in
such a condition of health that he had
to 20 West with his family. Since then,
it is stated, the defects have been made
good and the secretary has returned:


The County Commissioners yesterday
passed a resolution that if any officer
of the Board should take any bribe or
receive any present; or permit his family
to receive any present from any person
supplying Cook county with goods he
shall merit discharge and may be sued
for the amount received.


Judge Rogers of the Circuit Court
has delivered an important opinion in
the case of one Lacrosse against the
Great Western Railroad, to recover
damages for the loss of 43 bales OF wool.
The defendant sets up the plea that it
is a foreign corporation in Capada.
The court decides that foreign COM
panies do not come within the statute
Of limitations, and therefore gave de-
cision for the plaintiffs.
Year: 1872

MEMPHIS, January 6.-Passengers
who arrived from Chicot county, Ark,
last night, report everything quiet at
Lake Village, though the negro Mason
has fifty armed negroes still encamped
about the place, under control Of Sheriff
Walker. The Adjutant General of the
State had departed for Little Rock, and
it was reported lad found it necessary
to recommend that q squad Of regular
soldiers be stationed at Lake Village
to preserve the peace. Mason some
time ago wrote . letter, which has been
published, in which he urges that the
whole South be placed under martial
law. 1t is also stated that considerable
apprehension prevails among the people
that the troubles are not over, and
many white citizens contemplate aban-
doning the country if they can dispose
Of their property.
Year: 1872




Two young men, telegraph operators,
boarding at one of our leading third-class ho-
tells, find great amusement in carrying on
conversation with each other at the table by
ticking on their plates with knife, fork or
spoon. A combination of sounds or ticks
constitute the telegraphic alphabet, and per-
sons familiar with these sounds can converse
thereby as intelligently as with spoken words.


A few days ago, while these fun-loying
youths were seated at breakfast, a stout-built
young man entered the dining-room with
handsome girl on his arm, whose blushing
countenance showed her to be a bride The
couple had, in fact, been married but day or
two previous, and had come to San Francisco
from their home in Oakland, or Mud Springs,
or some other rural village, for the purpose of
spending the honeymoon. The telegraphic
tickers commenced as soon as the husband
and wife had seated themselves.


No. l opened the discourse as follows:
What lovely little pigeon this is alongside
of me-ain't she ?"


No. 2-"Perfectly charming-looks as if
butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Just
married, guess? don't YOU think sop


No. 1-"Yes, l should Judge she was.
What luscious lips she's got! If that coun-
try pumpkin beside her was out of the road.

I'd give her hug and kiss just for luck"


No. E"Suppose you try it anyhow. Give
her little nudge under the table with your
knee"


There is no telling to what extent the i'm
prudent rascals might have gone but for an
amazing and entirely unforeseen event. The
bridegroom's face had flushed and a dark
scowl was on his brow during the progress of
the ticking conversation, but the operators
were too much occupied with each other to
pay any attention to him. The reader may
form some idea of the young mems consterna-
ton when the partner of the lady picked up
his knife and licked off the following terse
but vigorous message:


'This lady is my wife, and as soon as she
gets through with her breakfast l propose
to wiring both your necks, you insolent
whelps."


The bridegroom was telegraphic operator,
and ''knew how it was himself San Fran
cisco Chronicle.
Year: 1872

Harper's Bazar has word of comfort for
the girls who are beginning to Ego off," as
our English cousins have it: We say that our
friend is passee. Is she past her intelligence,
her good nature; her power of entertainment,
her wit, her usefulness generally? On the
the greater part of them. She has but just
attained experience enough to enable her to
comprehend and join in conversation above
the mediocrity of gossip and litter and COM
pliment; her gayety is not mere giggling, but
there is in it something of the flash Of encoun-
tering intellects; she has discretion enough to
be silent, and knowledge enough to speak on
occasion; no longer raw, or shy, or painfully
selfconsciOus, her manners have charm OF
ease that gives ease to all around her; if she
has accomplishments, they are practiced and
mature, and you are spared, for instance, the
familiar horror of schoolgirls music; if she
has not the rosy lOveliness of her youth, she
has knowledge of the arts of the toilet that
makes her dress perfect and herself an at
tractive object; in fact, she has only just be-
come capable of enjoying and giving enjoy
ment in society; and so far from the young
idiatS who call her nassee having any right to
slurs in her regard, It Is she Who should be
herself an arbiter of society, and have author
ity to pronounce whether or not they are in
any sense fit to enter its charmed circles. In
deed, it may well excite all the wonder that
it does among Europeans that the young are
here allowed to absorb all the enjoyments of
our social life-the young who have nothing
but their youth or their beauty to give
whose minds and manners are almost totally
unframed and insufficient; who are, indeed,
objects of pleasure to the eye, and wherein
they yield other pleasure or profit do SO rath-
er in subsidiary way than in the main. We
do not wish to undervalue the element of in
nocence and freshness which the young bring,
or are supposed to bring with them; but we
maintain that the virtue Of years, with their
knowledge of the world we live in, and their
preparation for the world we hope to i've In
their wisdom, their grace, and their charity
are of at least equal value, and deserve
equal recognition in the places where men
and women meet together; and we protest
against the curving ofthe "contumelious lip
over the claims to courtesy and consideration
of the woman beyond her girlhood
Year: 1872

INSECURITY OF SUSPENSION BRIDGES
An examination of the cables of the suspen-
sion bridge, which recently gave way at Pitts
burg (says the Manufacturer and Builder
revealed a state of things which cannot fail
to excite alarm in regard to the safety Of
other bridges supported by wires. The ca
bles were originally composed Of twenty
strands of wires. In the one which broke
only eleven wires remained at the point of
fracture, the others having corroded away,
and some of these had been reduced to the
size of knitting-needle. This bridge, which
had stood fifteen years, was known to be un-
safe, and was closed to public travel more
than month ago. But no one suspected
that the wires composing the cable were so
eaten away by corrosion as the examination
showed them to be; and the question natu-
rally arises whether the same destroying pro-
cess may not be in progress in other wire
cables as yet unsuspected of weakness.
Year: 1872

1t is pleasant to hear mechanic explain
ing the mysteries of his own craft. A good
workman may not always be glib talker,
but a generous man, gifted ;-> specially
is sure to become teacher at every oppor-
tune moment. You want to know, say, how
to fix the broken snap upon your hitchline.
That old clock-spring is just the stuff for
your purpose. Draw the temper by heating
it need scarcely be red-a black heat will
do. Then file bit of it into proper shape,
punching a hole for the rivet, doing all the
finishing while the metal is soft A little
hand vice, with thumb screw, comes in play
here. Now for the tempering First heat
the spring red from end to end-it is only
bit of thin steel an inch and half or so long
and quarter of an inch wide, you know,
easily held in the fire at the end OF wire.
When as red as cherry plunge it into oil
something that is not warranted not to ex-
ploden-that would be dangerous; but whale
oil will do. 1t is found that hot steel cools
more equally in oil than water, and the uni
formity of the chill is at the base of the
evenness of the future spring temper. Now
your spring is too hard and would be liable to
break, as the old one did. You have to "draw
the temper a little, to make the spring pia-
BILE and tough. You being seated at the open
fireplace, or at the kitchen stove, of an even
ing) With oil can in your hand and the
spring manageable at the end of wire or tongs,
you oil it and hold Immediately in the fire !;
when the oiled surface smokes and bursts in
to blaze, take the spring away from the fire.
Directly repeat this oiling, lighting the oil at
the live Goals and burning it off the steel as
YOU take it away from the fre-three times in
all. Then rivet in its place, and you'll have
a spring that you can depend upon. Rather
limber it seems to you, but it is so smart
that you love to snap it three or four times to
hear the click of it-quite different, indeed,
from the half of those you buy, which you
try but once and snap your fingers, with a
scowl of pain after. Of course you might
have bought new one, or waited at the ma


chine shop while somebody mended this
quite as long they might be at it as you have


been yourself, and perhaps not do it as well
either, charging you fifteen cents, and wish.
| ing yeu wouldn't bother 'em any more al
| that. Also the operation Is no lesson in fix
| ing things for the little folks at home, unless
| it is performed by the home freside, with al


the particulars eagerly listened to with open


mouth, and chorus of triumphant admira-


ton at the sound of the first trial snap aitef
| leaving the corner Of the fiat iron between
your knees, where you have fastened the rlV,
| ct. "O-o-o-o-l Peppers fixed u again


Hear it snip! hear it snap?'-Agr. Contribu


tor to Hartford C0Wdht.
Year: 1872

DRUNKENNESS IN HIGH LIFE.-Recently
a gentleman living in an aristocratic part of
Second street, set out to search for his wife
who had been absent from home several days.
Going into a row of huts located between
Madison and East Floyd streets, he was filled
with unutterable anguish at finding her in
one of those dirty huts, occupied only by col
ored people, and evidently very much intoxi-
Gated. All of his efforts to induce her to re-
turn to her home and to the six living chill
dren with which their marriage had oeen
blessed, were unavailing. The woman sI en-
treated to be let alone or else be permitteu W
go where she would never see ms iace again.
She had on her person the sum u u 1nree nun n-
dred dollars which she s,aseu ~O as ssnt to
the door, and an officer, whose assistance was
required, went into the house, and finally
persuaded her to return home, which she had
not seen, and perhaps had not thought Of,
Year: 1872

Below we give the average price per acre of the
sales of the and Grants different roads, that some
idea may be formed of the immense value of the Co.
100000 acres granted to the Northern Pacific
the average price per acre of f0S '"'sa hA
much above the general avera of these roadx
Year: 1872

sim sure [ don't know what to say.
The lord knows l need help bad enough;
but it pears to me such a slender little
midget as you could not earn your salt.
What dye say your name was p


"Mary Smith. And indeed if you
will try me for only week, I'm sure you
will keep me till the seasons over"


Mrs. Clements looked out of the win
dow at the gray clouds that were piling
gloomily up and then the wind gave 3
Year: 1872

And in my soul ! believe that the pure
spirit Of the gentle wife and mother Is
ever present watching over her brave boy
and joyous with q perfect joy in watching
even as the old soldier watches and
cares for the sweet flowers that bloom
upon her graye-oyer the fruits Of simple
truths aud the new life she sees taking
root and blossomiug In the soul Of faithful
Sam.