smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

REST AND A1R.-Dr. Hall says, the best
medicine in the world, more efficient in the
cure of diseases than all the potencies Of the
materia medica, are warmth, rest, cleanliness,
and pure air. Some persons make it virtue
to brave disease, "to keep up" as long as they
can move foot, or crook finger, and it
sometimes succeeds but in others, the powers
of life are thereby so completely exhausted
that the system cannot recuperate, and ty-
phoid fever sets in and carries the patient to
a premature grave. Whenever walking or
working is an effort warm bed and cool
room are the very first indispensables to
sure and speedy recovery, Instinct leads all
beasts and birds to quietude and rest the
very moment disease or wounds assail the
system.
Year: 1873

as- A man in Wilmington has had lizard
in his stomach for twelve years, and much to
his relief it came up few days ago and crawl
ed out Of his mouth. The man says the
lizard was very much surprised at his account
of the events which have occurred since he
went down. 1t had heard nothing of the war,
nor of the death of Napoleon, nor of any of
those things. 1t was annoyed at the mans
dyspeptic condition, and came up to see the
doctor about it. This mans story should be
received with caution.
Year: 1873

dead in the cell with the dog in her arms.
There was an instance Of devotion. That
picture is worthy of better place than a
police office rogue's gallery. Mr.. Bergh
ought to look after it.-Missoori Republican.
Year: 1873

s9- The spirit of true religion breathes
gentleness and affability; it is social, kind,
and cheerful, far removed from that gloomy,
illiberal superstition and bigotry which
cloud the brow, sour the temper, defect the
spirit, and impress morosity on the manners.
Year: 1873

Poor G1RLs.-The poorest girls in the
world are those who have never been brought
up to work. Rich parents have petted them,
they have been taught to despise labor, and to
depend upon others for living, and are per.
fectly hel lpless. If misfortune comes upon
their friends, as it often does, their case is
hopeless. The most forlorn and miserable
women on earth belong to this class. 1t be-
longs to parents to protect their daughters
from this deplorable condition. They do
them great wrong if they neglect it. Every
daughter should be taught to earn her own
living. The rich as we'll as the poor require
this training. The wheel of fortune rolls
swiftly round-the rich are very likely to be-
come poor and the poor rich. Skill to labor
is no disadvantage to the rich, and is indis-
pensable to the poor. Well-to-do parents
must educate their daughters to work; no re.
form is more imperative than this.
Year: 1873

desired them, licensing them TO keep women,


aud these permits were actually bawked about
aud sold for the paItry sum Of three dollars and


upon many, these licenses to live in adultery we're


urged as earnestly as a jealous salesman urges


his goods upon a customer


In thus speaking, say only what has come
under my own observation and only what scores
of witnesses could testify to- as having been nOto-
riOus, in all parts Of the.group Now it is to this
corrupt state of the social life that we owe the
terrific spread Of leprOsy, and the general preva-
leuce Of venereal diseases of every type, within
the last few years. 1 speak plainly. 1t is OF
possible use to handle this subject with gloves
whilst the nation is rotting under our eyes.


And what is any Board Of Health going to do
in such case as thisi And what will our capi.
talists do by bringing in few hundreds Of male
laborers from abroad, but heap fuel upon the
flames To my mind, it would be quite as mer-
ciful to discharge a cargo of laborers into the
ocean-after the prevailing custom Of our Pacific
slavers-Rs to land them on these shores under
existing circumstances.


Bat take the most hopeful view OF the situa-
tioa you can, it is dark and forbidding-aud SO it
will remain till the public conscience shall have
been aroused to attempt, at least-and honestly
"a reform. None of us can mistake the road
IN which we are now travelling. 1t is fast
taking US to the bad. Thrust the Bible aside if
you will, as offering inadmissible testimony-Con-
science still remains and so does some sort of a
Providential Economy, ruling in the affairs of
this world. On every side, Nature teaches us
that as man Tor a nation) sotceth, so shall he
also reap" And then, what ? Only this, that
if this is so, is it to be expected that system
of financial prosperity and commercial success
can be built up on such basis as we now have ?
success may, indeed, be achieved in
our business enterprises, but can more be expect
ed3 Is not tolerably decent morality needful
to radically sound national system of finance
and to the general well-being- and materi-
nl-of any people? NJ.
Year: 1873

The Virginia (Nev.) Enterprise relates this
canine experience:


State Printer Putnam, who has been so-
Journing in this city for a few days past re-
turned to Carson last Sunday noon. He was
presented hne Newfoundland pup about four
months OLD While there. For safe keepino
tnis juvenile son OF his mother was placed In
the Enterprise press room last SATURDAY.
night. As he is now the property of printer
he felt 1t duty he owed his master to get
some insight into the business at once
After inspecting the running of lob rress
Ior some time with much interest, he went
up to it and stuck his nose between a nair of
cog wheels Leaving between the wheels a
piece OF skin OIL the end of his nose about the
size OF trade dollar, he retired to a corner
and sat down for a time to reflect unon bis
first lesson. Alter he had for some time
paved and licked his wound his attention
was attracted to the bed of the power press.
wnich seemed to be shooting in and out in a
playful manner. After this he started-en
courased by seeing it retreatipg from him
but was almost instantly knocked down bv
the swift return of the bed. Here he tbonobt
ne mad found a foe worthy of his steel. Al Il
ne went, tooth and nail, and was regularly
knocked down as each paper was struck of;
1of about three hours. He then sat down
and watched the ''thing' the rest of the
hlgnt, oobblng his head up and down as tie
ped-plate moved in and out, but cured of
battling with it. Bling shut up in the room
ana ieft TO his own devices till noon on SUM-
day, he found an empty ink barrel on It's side
ana made that his home. Being black as ink
himself, the condition of his coat was NOT
discovered until his master had taken him
aboard the train for Carson. 1t was then
found that he was as full of ink az one of the
ink balls used by printers in the early days of
printing. Being all affectonate and playful
little cuss, the CONSERVATION which he ere
Itod ABOARD that train can be well imagined.
At last it was found necessary to wra1 and
tie him up in a lot of newspapers, and thus
the printers dog rode away with his new
master, a newspaper carrier to begin with,
Year: 1873

NIAGARA FALLS DRY FOR A DAY.-The
winter of 1s4s had been intensely cold, and
the ice formed in Lake Erie was yery thick.
This was loosened around the shores by the
warm days of early spring. During the dav
stiff easterly wind moved the whole ice
field up the lake. About sunset the wind
chopped suddenly round, and blew a ea,e
from the west. This brought the vast track
of ice down again with such tremendous
force that it filled the neck of the lake. and
the outlet, so that the overflow of the water
was very greatly impeded. OF course il onlv
needed very short space of time for the
falls to drain off the water below Black Rocl
The consequence was that, when the writer
rose IN the morniug at Niagara, he found
that the river was nearly half gone. The
American channel had dwinded to respect-
able creek. The British channel looked as
though 1t had been smitten with a Quick con-
sumption and was fast passing away. Far
out into the Canadian rapids, the water wa,
gone; the rocks were bare, black, and for
bidding The roar of Niagara had subsidized
almost to a moan.


All the people of the neighborhood were
abroad exploring mysteries and cavities th,t
had never before been exposed to mortal eves
The writer went some distance up the sbore
OF the river. Large fields at The muddy hot
tom lare bare. The singular syucope Of the
waters lasted all the day, and night closed
over the strange scene. But in the mornine
the river was restored in all its strength
beauty and majesty, and the writer was slad
to welcome its swelling tide once more.
Year: 1873

In Reading Pa, few days ago, mans
life was saved by the ball from pistol acci-
dentally discharged entering Bible which he
carried in his pocket. Everybody said, ''See
how the religious are rev ardedp' until it was
discovered that this devotee had stolen the
sacred volume and was on his way to pawn it
for lionor
Year: 1873

An engineer on the Detroit


and Lansing road.named Frank


Dolan, saved a mans life not


long since, in a rather singular


manner. He was coming in on


a wet track with a heavy train,
and soon after leaving Howell
put on more steam to make up
for lost time. The train was
running attherate oftwenty-five
miles an hour when Dolan
caught sight Of a man on the
track, about half a mile ahead.


He was certain that the man
was deaf from the way hewalked,
but he opened the whistle and
rang the bell. The man paid no
attention to the sounds, and
Dolan whistled for brakes
They did not take well, and, al
though the engine was reversed,
it was plain that the pedestrian
would be run down unless some
thing was done promptly. Do
Ian ran forward over the engine
and down on the cow catcher
By this time the pedestrian
was not three hundred feet away
and was trying to walk on one
of the rails, swaying this way
and that, but apparently not
feeling the rumble of the train.
as it would naturally be expec-
ted he would. Doian, leaning
forward, reached foot beyond
the COW catcher, and as the train
came close upon the mans heels
struck him in the back with
both fists. The victim was not
on the rail at that moment, and
caught it with his feet as he
went over, so that he was whirl-.
ed around lengthwise of the
track and was cut in the scalp
by some portion of the first
pair Of trucks. He was floun-
dering in the ditch when the
train stopped, and when he had
ascertained what the fuss
was about he squared off and
wanted to whip somebody. He
was so deaf that the railroad
employees had to scream in his
ears to make themselves heard,
and SO mad that they would not
let them examine his wound or
do anything for him. He was
recognized as a farmer living
near Plymouth, but would not
accept free ride home.-De-
h'O1 Free Press. 4
Year: 1873

Yesterday morning, says the
Louisville Courier Journal, a well
known East End physician en-
sconced himself comfortably in
his buggy and started himself up
on his usual morning tour among
the sick. Prior to leaving his Of
fee be placed a two ounce bottle
of chloroform in his coat pocket.
All went we'll until the doctor had
reached point on Broadway, near
Sixth street, when the wheels of
the buggy ran over stone, with
quiet a shock.


The bottle, upon which he was
sitting, was crushed, and the fluid
emptied. Now it is a well known
fact that chloroform, when appli.
ed to the flesh, will blister, and in
this case the application gave a
most vigorous expression to the
doctors actions. The horse was
driven at a laundering rate to
the nearest drug store, in haste
the buggy was vacated, and the
rear of the store haunted by the
healer of men. The druggist
says he sold half a pound of NUT
ton suet, and the porter says be
had to increase the usual supply
of Ice for the day. G 9/t}l@
Year: 1873

We do our very best to be-
live all thegqueer stories that we
find, for we could not conscien-


tiously present them to our read
.ers unless we believed them to
be true, but here is one that we


caution the public seems to us
a little doubtful. We will not
say it is a lie, but it is improba-
BILE. A horse in St. Paul, Min
nesota, drank beer till he was in
a beastly state of intoxication.


His owner, knowing that his
previous habits, were exempla-
ry, thought he was dead, and
skinned him. Next morning a
ghastly steed. without hide or
hair, was found grazing on the
public common, and a skillful
veterinary surgeon is engaged
in planting his superficies with
hair from a neighboring tannery.
Year: 1873

From the San Francisco Bulletin.


Two negro acrobats from Ja-
maica went over the other day
to Port Linen, in Costa Rica,
to give some of their exhibi-
tiOns for the amusement of the
residents there. Of the said
African acrobats, one played
the banjo while the other did
the tight rope business. Their
exhibitions were brought to a
sad end by the following tragic
event: The crowning gymnas-
tic effort was reserved for the
last night; and that was that the
celebrated Jamaica acrobat was
to astonish the audience by
hanging himself. The house
was full, and expectation on tip
toe. Not that the nigger artist
would actually hang himself,
but would come SO near it as to
create a sensation well worthy
the entry money. When an
was ready and the banjo music
at its best, the other partner
stood upon a chair and put the
loop-Of a rope around his neck
and either stumbled or jumped
off. The symptoms of real
hanging were so well initiated
that the audience, both black
and white, applauded, and the
banjo-player did his best'to en-
courage his partner. But things
at last began to look. serious,
the eyes began to protrude as
well as the tongue, and the high
peaked Chinese hat looked sha-
Ky on his head. The banjo man
being appealed to, said: SOh,
let him alone, he understands
his business. At last one of





the engineers of the RAILROAD
went up and looked closer in
the face of the unfortunate rep
resentative of Jack Ketch.-
The face was blacker than nat
ural, the tongue was purple and
swollen, and the pulse had
stopped at the wrists. "H-Il!'
he exclaimed, ''the man is as
deadas a door-nail." The black
woman set up howl of grief,
and the hard-hearted white men
laughed at the too successful
feat Of the dead nigger.
Year: 1873




A man brokeaa a chair over his
wife's head a week or. two ago
When he got to Jail, and the
clergyman undertook to, talk with
him, he displayed a good deal of
penitence. He said he was very
sorry that he bad permitted his
anger to obtain the mastery of him;
and to suffer him to do such an
act, because it was a coed chair,
one of those good old fashioned
Windsor chairs, which was an
heir loom in his family, and be
never could replace it, -se1 5as,
Year: 1873

RIVER WHIRLPOoLS.-Amo1g
the many phenomena Of the Colo
rado River are "swirls," SO called.
They occur everywhere, but only
at high stages of water. A bub-
bic rises from the bottom and
breaks with a slight sound on the
surface. The water at the point
begins a rotary motion, so small
that an inverted teacup might COW
.er it. Larger and larger grows
the circle till a surface of forty
feet in diameter is in motion,
spinning round funnel-shaped
hole in the center two or thre =.
feet across at the top, and coming
to a point in the depths below
Often a large tree floating down
the stream is caught and Its fore
most end thrust up in the air
twenty or thirty feet, while the
other passes underneath, the eX-
posed end to be slowly drawn
down again, and to disappear
Three soldiers-deserters from
Camp Mohave- passing in a skiff
through the ravine Immediately
below the fork, suffered their
craft to run into a swirl. One of
the crew, at the first intimation of
danger, threw himself overheard
beyond the charmed circle; and
as he swan away, he turned bis
head and saw the boat spin round
and round until one end being
drawn into the vortex and the
other upheaved in the air, it slow
ly sank, as it revolved, into the
turbid bosom of the river, its hu-
man freight to be seen no more,
for the Colorado River does not
give up the dead-no corpses
lodge on its shores.
Year: 1873

"AsDULL. AS A Hoe. This is
an old favorite comparison, and
it seems cruelto rob it of It's poe
try. But free use of the file or
grindstone is as rough on the com.
parison as the keen hoe is on the
weeds. Certainly tits poor econo-
my to save the wear of the hoe,
Oh necessity only half killing the
weeds and making heavy toll Of
otherwise light work. A file,
even an old one cleaned with di-
luted acid, will answer every pur-
pose, or grindstone, if one has
no file. Never mind if stones or
gravel do dulls sharp hoe care
fully used will accomplish more
than. the noisy grubbing of a dull
one. 1t is a pleasure to see the
hoe daily narrow up and the com
ers gradually round off, for hon
orable age and constant service
benefits the hoe, making the blade
thinner and smaller. Sharpen
the hoe then-Grst, to save the
hard labor; second, to do neater
work; third, to keep it bright; f.
nally to have the pleasure of see'
ing it grow old in the service.
Year: 1873

Now here is wnat can be called
a sensible husband. He lives in
Athens, Ga. Recently his wife
got to liking another fellow. The
twomade an arrangement to elope,
which the husband discovered
He didn't get into passion nor
try to commit murder. He went
to his wife and said: "Look here,
there's no use of your eloping. |
don't object to your going. I'll
hitch up the horse and take you
to the depot, and III give you
5000 to start life with" lie was
as good as his word, and did eve-
ry thing in his power to aid the
couple in their speedy departure.
AS he shook hands with the bre-
vet husband he said: "0Id fellow,
| don't wish you any worse luck
than you will get with that wo-
man. Be as happy as you can
with her, and then you won't
think yourself in Paradise"
Year: 1873

A correspondent lately wrote
to the San Francisco Chronicle
to know where Cain obtained
his wife, and is thus severely but
properly reproved: "Upon any
subject of a public nature we
never refuse to throw the desired
light. But this is altogether
a different thing. 1t is a family
matter with which we donot care
to meddle. Cain died some time
before many Of us were born,
and such idle curiosity regard
ing the family affairs of a de-
ceased person we regard as rep
rehensible, and calculated to vi
olate the sanctities of domestic
life"
Year: 1873

Last Friday, Mrs. Coyle, an
old lady living in the east part
of El Paso, put her head out of
the window during the storm,
and was struck by lightning
She was stunned for a moment,
and had the top of her head
singed, but she recovered. She
says if she had ''only seen the
lightning a minute sooner she
would hayeldodged it,but some
how she amt SO spry as she was
sixty years ago" ''.
Year: 1873

Mr.. John Jackson, was walking


along a river bank ore day, when
he saw a piece of string attached
TO peg stuck in the ground


He picked up the string, OF which
one end was in the water, and
hauled in three fine bass, which
by some means or other had strung
themselves through the gills on
the line. Jackson was SO aston
ished by this circumstance that he
did lot know what to say, but he
determined to take the fish home
and show them. Before doing so,
however, be looked about 10 see
if anybody could give an explana-
ton of the affair, but he only saw
gentleman fishing some quarter
of mile off, and not wishing to
interrupt him in his sport, picked
up his prize and walked home
with it. John Jackson had his
fish for supper, and pronounced
them very fine, but to this day be
cannot explain how three bass
could possibly, string themselves
through the gills, tie themselves
around peg, and go back to the
water again. The gentleman who
had been fishing must have made
Just such another curious capture
and. have lost it, tor he was heard
later in the evening talking very
loud, and asking somebody, pro-
fanely, What the something had
become Oft. fiifE5s5t
Year: 1873

A Danbury man was explain
ing to his wife, Sunday morning,
how his mother used to cook
pancakes, when she interrupted
him with the batter pitcher. He
is now experimenting with a
new kind of salve.
Year: 1873

The following bill recently
passed the Legislature of the
State of New York:


"Every husband, wife, child,
parent, guardian, employer or
other person who shall be in
jured in person or property or
means of supportsby any intox-
icated person, or in consequence


of the intoxication, habitual or
otherwise, of any person, shall
have Alright of action in his or
her own name against amy per-
son or persons who shall, by
selling or giving away intoxi-
eating liquors, cause intoxica-
ton in whole or in part of such
person or persons; and any per-
son or persons owning or rent
ing, or permitting occupation
of any building or premises, or
having knowledge that intoxi-
eating liquors are to be sold
therein, shall be liable, several
'ly or jointly, with the person or
persons selling or giving away
Intoxicating liquors aforesaid,
for all damages sustained, and
for exemplary damages; and
all damages recovered by a mi
nor under this, act shall be paid
either to such minor or to his
or her parents, guardian or next
friend, as the court shall direct;
and unlawfulsale of or giving
away of intoxicating liquors
shall work a forfeiture of all
rights of the lessee or tenant
under any lease or contract of
rent upon the premises"
Year: 1873




A Mr. Albert Brisbane, Of Buffalo,
n. T., is the inventor Of system of pneu
matte transportation for certain kinds Of
freight, which, if it approaches in results
to one-haf even Of what he claims, must
work one Of the greatest re -olutions in che
land commerce Of the world that has ever
yet been seen. His plan is simply this :
He constructs tr-tight circular tubes Of
FIVE, ten, fifteen, or more feet in diameter,
as may be required, these TO be extended
over the country wherever demanded BY
the necessities Of the trade. The vehicle
for Transporting freight is hollow ball, or
sphere, to roll within the tube, Of diane
ter two or three inches less than the tube
in which it is to work, 50 that it can roll
freely the load to be carried inside the
ball A hollow ball of ten feet in diane
ter will carry, it is said about two car loads
Of grain. The ball, when loaded, is placed
in the mouth of the tube, this being left
open and the remote end closed and the
air then exhausted from the latter, in
front of the ball, until a sufficient strength
Of current is obtained to roll il TO its desti-
nation. The inventor claims that BY this
system, all freight that will permit of be-
ing carried in this way can be moved at
one-fourth the cost of transportation by
railroads, and at the speed Of one hundred
miles an hour.


A TERRIBLE accident happened last Sat
urday evening at Scheve's Coal Mines, on
the St. Louis & s. Z. Railway about four
or five miles from town. Cooper Collins,
All emplOye and resident Of this place
while landing coal, accidentally run on to
the wrong shaft, and the doors not being
closed, he fell with the box to the bottom
OF the pit, depth Of one hundred and six
feet He fell ON his face and when found
Was terribly mutilated and had several
bones broken. Deceased was an industri-
Gus and respectable citizen, and leaves a
wife and three daughters to mourn his lnss.
All Of his daughters were absent from
home at the time of the catastrophe, the
two younger being employed ut work near
Belleville, and the eldest married and liv-
ing in one of the eastern counties.-B Belle
rille Democrat


UNDER an act of the last Legislature 60
provide for the health and safety Of per
sons employed in coal mines, the County
Surveyors are made ex-officio inspectors a
coal mines, and are required to report to
the Governor, annually, the condition of
the mines in their respective counties. Tie
inspector for st. Clair county has Just filed
his report with the Governor.


st. Clair county has seventy-6ve coal
mines in operation, giving employment to
more than twenty-five hundred men and
boys. Only one vein is worked in this
county, which in one hundred feet below
the surface, and six feet six inches thick,
Many of the mines are reported - being
worked without system, badly ventilated,
and full Of gus and black damp" The
quantity of coal produced il not given
Bellevilie Democrat