smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1873

TUE article reproduced this morning
from tho Kanawha Chronicle reviewing
public affairs in this State, Is one of un'
usual merit, and we advise every one who
Ieels any interest in those affairs to read
it. 1t purports to be written by a gentleman
who supported Mr.. CAMDEN for Govern
or last summer, and from gentleman &C.
uuainted with the authorship we learn
that such Is TACT. 1! is lair and can
aid statement OF the situation and cannot
fail to have weight with thoughtful and
moderate men.
Year: 1873

TIE junior editor Of tho Grafton Sen
G1el made n sensation at Kingwood the
other day by going over there and, after a
General circulation around among his &C
uuaintauces, breaking out with Varioloid.
lie wasn't half Us welcome after that as
before, though he had something he
could give all his friends.
Year: 1873

The Assessorships of the county are


let out every year by the County Court,
and sufficient salary paid the asses
sors to justify them in giving all need
ful attention to their offices, and in
bestowing the requisite labor to ascer-
tain what is to be taxed and who is to
pay the taxes. Yet notwithstanding
this fact, it is the well known practice
of some of the assessors to go to the
books of their predecessors and copy
them without regard to the alterations
of real estate which may have occurred
since the last assessment.


Now, this is wrong, for the assessors
are sworn to discharge the duties with
as much fidelity as their abilities may
enable them to, and yet we find them
making no inquiry as to who the owners
of land are beyond the tax books of
those who have gone before them
What are the duties of tax assessors?
1t is not only to smell out all the taxa
bic property in their respective pre-
clncts, but likewise to ascertain who
the owners of that property are. This
is due to the taxpayer, no less than to
the State. The taxpayer has a right
to have his account for taxes made out
in true form, and you ought and can
not sell his property for taxes unless it
is so made out. To sell mans estate
for taxes in the name of another man
is no benefit to the State, being null
and void, and is embarrassing to the
man, because of the cloud which the
proceedings ofcondemnation for taxes
entails. Let us have honest and faith
full assessments, not in name only, but
in fact.-Ripely Neus.
Year: 1873

" A traveller, whom we afterwards
knew, once arrived at a village inn,
after hard days travel. and being
very tired, requested room to sleep
in, but the landlord said they were en-
tirely full, and it was utterly impossi-
Bile to accommodate him-that his
wife had to sleep on the sofa, and him
self on the floor; but that he would
see what his wife could do for him.
The good woman, ON being applied to,
said that there was one room which he
might occupy, provided he would agree
to the conditions, viz: to enter the
room late, in the dark, and leave it
early in the morning, to prevent scan
dal, as the room was occupied by a
lady. This he agreed to. About two
o clock that night an awful noise was
heard in the house, and our
friend, the traveller, was found
tumbling heels over head down
stairs. On our host and hostess reach
ing the spot, and inquiring what the
matter was, the traveller calculated as
soon as he was able to speak: "Ch,
Lord, the lCoBsdR's deadP' L know
that, said helandlady, but houo did
yoa ind it outs"
Year: 1873

SALT ON WHEAT. - Having read
that saltwas good to put ON wheat, l
thought last spring Iwould tryit so on
three acres Of my wheat | put one
barrel of salt, narrowing it in immedi-
ately after sowing the wheat. When
the wheat was shout an inch or two
high saw that it was full of chinch
bugs; but a slight shower coming
about that time, the bugs all disap-
peared, and think that it was owing
to the salt. TIE part of the field on
which the salt was, ripened several
days before the other, and the straw
was much stronger and brighter. But
the good effect did not stop here, for
on threshing the grain | got six bush
els more per acre, the berry plumper
and brighter and the price 129 cents a
bushel higher. Yield on the unsalted
wheat 20 bushels per acre; on the salt
ed 26 per acre. The soil on which my
wheat was planted is sandy one but
my son had good success in putting it
on a clay soil. Several of my neigh
bors have tried, and are well satisfied
that il is frst-rate for wheat.


NATHAN HERUET.
Year: 1873

PHOTOGRAPHIC FEAT. "A San
Francisco photographer has succeeded
in obtaining picture of a race-horse
going at its highest speed. A local
paper states that the artist procured all
the sheets to be had in the stable, and
with these made a rejecting back
ground. Over this Occident was
trained to trot, and everything was
then in readiness for the trial. The
great difficulty was to transfix an i'm
preston while the horse was moving
at the rate of thirty-eight feet to the
second. The first experiment of OPEN
ing and closing the camera on the first
day left no result; the second day,
with increased velocity in opening and
closing, shadow was caught. On the
third day, the artist having studied the
matter thoroughly, contrived to have
two boards slip past each other by
touching spring, and in so doing to
leave an eighth of an inch opening for
the five hundredth part of second, as
the horse passed, and by an arrange
ment of double lenses, crossed, secured
a negative that shows Occident in full
motion-a perfect likeness of the
horse. The space of time was so
small that the spokes of the wheels of
the sulky we're caught as if they were
not in motion. This is probably the
most wonderful success in photograph
ing ever yet achieved.
Year: 1873

You look like bear" said a wife
to her husband, who had gone in his
shaggy oyercoat to take her from
party. I'm not so much bare as You
are, he retorter, nodding his head
at her neck and arms. There's trouble
bruin in that family.
Year: 1873

the judicial hail. Suddenly, at the time above in
were d0ned, people took their boots Oh the tables
and got down to something like order
as Judge Davis entered and took his seat
on the bench. After few moments consultation
with Mr.. Sparks the Court announced that q recess
would be taken until this morning. no definite time
being named. In few moments however, at the
suggestion of counsel halfpast ten O'Clock was
named as the hour The crowd put on their hats,
butt0ned their OvercOats up to their necks and
been waiting for him since little alter four
O'Clock, and about twenty-five minutes past eleven
he passed out OF the building and the jury was
locked up for the night.
Year: 1873

The seventeenth day Of the Tweed trial closed
yesterday and with 1t closed the trial ITSELF far
as any public proceedings are concerned, though
mp to the hour at which this report was closed
near eleven O'Clock last nightAno verdict had
been rendered by the jury.


The court room was crowded to its fullest Ca
pacity yesterday morning to hear the closing ar
guments OF counsel, and the audience appeared
deeply interested in all that transpired. The ar
gument for the defence was very able one, and
occupied the attention of the Court until
the hour Of recess-one O'Clock p. NJ On
the reassembling OF the Court at halfpast
one Mr.. Tremain began to address the jury
In behalf OF the prosecution, and closed
shortly before five O'Clock During the delivery of
his speech, which listened to with great atten-
tion Mr.. Treman had his left arm in sling in con-
sequence of an affection Of erysipeas. On Wednes.
day his left hand was enoased in glove. AS soon
as the counsel had concluded his address Judge
Davis proceeded to charge the jury and his deter
minaton at SO late an hour in this regard provoked
no little surprise, particularly when it was found
Later in the evening that his charge occupied three
hours lacking ten minutes. The following Is the
CHARGE
Year: 1873

On no question are the citizens of our State
more utterly divided. Every year it is dis
cussed at Albany and dropped. 1t is as good
a stock subject for a debating society as the
question whether Hannibal or Scpio was the
greater warrior. The Governor has thrown his
weight into one scale, in his message this
year. but the country members loom up more
heavily than usual on the other side, and the
prospect of any change of the existing law is
not encouraging. The large cities and the rural
districts are at as complete variance as ever !;
and at Albany even already the fight for
the Winter has grown lively. Perhaps the
most remarkable circumstance about it is
that the majority Of men who have made
up their minds on the subject, cannot see
that there is more than one side to it, and
deem it the hight of folly to hold views op-
posing their own. We propose sketching the
leading arguments for and against usury laws


The opposition to laws limiting the rate of
interest has had the advantage of support by
eminent writer's on political economy. Jeremy
Bentham's standard work, The Defense of
Usury, and the writings of John Stuart Mill,
who followed closely in his train of reasoning,
furnish the bulk of these arguments. Adam
CIllJu lccDly Jllt LAWS, DuJ
later in life yielded the principal grounds of
his defense. People who are willing to take
as the guide for American practice the con-
clusiOns which British pubicists consider best
for England, will not want authority for be-
lieving that usury laws are a relic of supersti-
ton; that they violate the inherent rights of
property by attempting to fix the price
of capital; that they are in the words Of Ben
than, the tacking of leading strings upon
"the backs of grown persons in order to pre-
event their doing themselves mischief" In
fact, principal argument with these writer's
is that person of age and of sound mind is
competent to conduct his own affairs. But
this course of reasoning would equally avail re-
specting all legislation against lotteries or any
other form of gambling. The defenders of
usury laws, replying. thus express in addition
a dread that the absence Of these laws would
facilitate gambling in loanable capital, as such
virtual absence in the Stock Exchange renders


possible gambling in stocks. They fear that
rings will be formed in loanablc capital, az have
been in gold and money. They say the abOli-
ton of the law would facilitate the whole
country iii running into deeper debt. The
Year: 1873

issue with them, and going before the country
with the support of the Left and Left Center


There was an evident determination 10
allow no uncertainty to exist in regard 10 tne
intentions of tho Government, for when
Republican member of the Committee an
nounced his purpose to vote for the report on
the ground that the Government was, aiter
all. Republican, he was promptly rebuked py
NJ. de Larcy, who asserted, more clearly thah
ever before. the unqualified right OF the AS
sembly to exercise constituent powers when-
ever it should seem Opportune 10 ao
SO. The entire debate seemed 10
be aimed at famliarizing the Chamber with
this idea. The proclamation of monarchy
would be made at once if the Right could I'M
agine it safe, and could count upon the COM
plicty of the Government. But both these
points are foy he present involved in great
doubt
Year: 1873

We regret to see District Attorney Britton
of Kings County replying to the charges Oh
corruption i'm office by scurrilous ABUSE Oh
the gentlemen selected to make them. lie has
further said that he has such consciousness OF
his own rectitude, and has been so long in the
city of Brooklyn, that be does not fear the
conspiracy which he alleges has been formed
against him. This is not the right spirit. Mr.
BrittOn cannot afford to disregard or ignore
these charges he cannot answer them Dy
scurrility; and past good character Is no reply
10 allegations so grave as these. We trust Tor
his own sake, but more for the honor and
safety of the county which he represents, that
Mr.. Britton has better answer in reserve.


The charges are serious ones. They are
based upon Investigations Of a committee OF
citizens of character, who, if they were slow
in action have been clear in their develop
ments of frauds, and unequivocal in their ex-
posures of them. The lawyers whom they have
selected to examine their proofs and frame
their charges are able and sagaci0us; together
they contrived, last year, to secure the only
convictions for oiienses against the purity OF
elections which we recall in many years; and
are not the mean antagonists Mr. Brtt0n al
fects TO consider them. These charges are
matters of official record; they are to have
judicial investigation; it is incumbent upon
the Committee of Fifty to prove them. or take
the serious consequences and it is just as I'M
portant to Mr.. BrittOn to confront them.


But the individual interest on either side is
matter of little moment when the importance
of the inquiry to the community is con-
sidered. The corruption of a Dstrict-Attor-
ney is as dangerous to justice as that of a
whole bench full of judges. He may by his
position contaminate the very fount of JUS
tice, and hence the whole stream. He stands
at the threshold of her temple, and may ad-
nit all that is foul. The last election in
Kings County Is supposed to have resulted in
the interest Of Reform; and certainly one or
two good and true men were returned to the
Bench. If it be true, as these charges allege,
that a corrupt District-AttOrney was put in
power at the same election, the good that
might have resulted from their success is
worse than thrown away. And in order that
that good may be secured-that the Reform
for which they labOred shall not miscarry-it
is demanded by the people of Brooklyn that
this investigation of Mr.. Britton's alleged Of
fenses shall be thorough.


Other charges have been made, almost SIM
ultaneously, but in the other Reform Commit
tee against other officials, who have, as al
legged, been fraudulently concerned in the
letting of street-sweeping contracts. The
facts, as we have already published them. are
clear as to the fraud. Now let it be known
who were guilty of it. The Committee has
heretofore attempted, but vainly, to suppress
these facts. They meet again tonight. Let
them make a virtue Of necessity and openly
investigate what there is no question is a
scheme to defraud the city, so that all citizens
may know who are the public robbers.
Year: 1873




Whether it be through the languor OF the
Government or the activity of the rebels It IS
difficult at this distance to determine, but there
is no doubt that the Carlist movement gives
signs of increased vitality and Importance
The official journal of Madrid gives enough
accounts of decided victories over the lnsur-
gents to satisfy the most loyal appetite, but
these reports bear the old unmstakable marks
of Government censorship. The insunectlon
is too frequently and too thoroughly crushed
in these dispatches. The national forces never
meet Carist band without routing 1t with
great slaughter and small effort. But by the
side of these rosy statements stands the un-
promising fact that Gen. COntIeras, commanding
in Catalonia, has asked for reenforcements.
The Carlists appear to have everything their
own way in the North and East, where their
strength is increasing in an OminOus manner.
They are destroying railway stations at Will,
laying towns under contribution, and wherever
Don Alfonso enters a village with his stall
and body guard the bells are rung, flags are
displayed, and the population, in great part,
take the opportunity to present their homage.
The Government recognizes the gravity OF the
situation, at least so far as to propose the
organization of provisional army against the
insurgents of 50 battalions, to consist OF 800
men each an evident confession of the strength
of the rebellion and of the inadequacy Of the
regular forces to suppress it,
Year: 1873

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC IN DANGER


The discussion of the project of the Com
mittee of Thirty has begun in the French
Chambers. The first important utterance of
the debate came from NJ. Dufaure, who said
that the Government intended to maintain
the Pact of Bordeaux. AS this tacit cOnven-
ton of parties has been violated as often
as any party has found it advisable, there
seems to be some incOngruity in bringing
it forward at this late day as a
living and binding compact. But the
announcement was received with satisfaction
by the Conservatives, who imagine that time
will assist their purposes, after it is once con-
ceded that the Assembly has constituent
powers and that the form of government is as
yet completely undetermined. 1t is well known
that NJ. Dufaure is more frankly monarchist
than the rest of the Cabinet. and it is proba-
BILE that the Conservative resolutions of the
Committee and of the Government lost moth
ing of their force in his language. But
it is impossible that be should have taken up
such an unequivocal position without the sane
ton of the President. The most reasonable
inference would be, therefore, that the Presi-
dent has resolved, for the present at least, to
manage the Chambers by means of conces-
sions TO the majority instead Of making an
Year: 1873

taxation and is not in any ordinary sense the
savings of the laboring classes. One OF tne most
remarkable facts az to savings banks Is that
the depositors of the native laboring classes
are principally unmarried men, the instances
being apparently rare where married men'
with increasing families, save anything.


That the condition of the workingman mas
been improving slightly year by year, ana that
IL ia far better in Massachusetts, than anywhere
in Europe, we usually take for granted. but
really there is no ameliOration to speak OF with
very great satisfaction, while on the average
for family of more than five persons there
ia annually expended, for the cost OF livlng, d
total of less than $500 per annum. The detaiS
of this expenditure are curious. There Is more
Maid for newspapers and literature by these
neonle than there is for light, or for
society. or for charity: but tWlce do
much is paid out for sickness, and more tnan
that for recreation and travel. Vegetables cost
nearly twice as much as religion furniture
moro than double education. The tendency 10
tbeorize upon such statistics inevitably shows
itself in the Report The manager OF the
Lynn Savings Bank recommends TO the
workman "the reading of the life OF
CDR. Franklin and the study OF inter
"est, simple and compound" But that
the most of the work-people live from hand
TO mouth and save nothing that they are at
times oppressed by debt and penury' and are
rarely comfortable in their circumstances /;
and that those among them who have re-
ceived the most advantages of education are
the best able to extricate themselves and thelr
families from such conditions, are conclusions
which it is impossible to avoid 1t looks as
though the ultimate moral of labor STATISTICS
may be COMPULSORY education.
Year: 1873

The newspapers of Paris are delighted at the result
of a little battle which has just taken place among
the Serene Immortals of the Academy. In their
tranquil progress through the Dictionary the Forty
have arrived pretty nearly at the conclusion of the
letter G. In one of their sessions recently, where
words were weighed and winnowed like jewels, the
word "Guillotine" came upfor judgment, and while
it's secondary meanings were under discussion, the
compound word Guillotine-windOw" was proposed
for admission into good verbal society This is
the common designation among joiners of windows
which are raised and lowered by running cords 1t
was about to 90 in as a technical term, when NJ.
Cuvlier.Fleury, the most intensely decOrOus and
dull of all that Orleanst contingent brought in by
NJ GuizOt and NJ. Theirs, objected strongly, saying
that the word was improper" that it excited I'M
satisfactory emotions. NJ. Cuviler-Fleury is so
respectable an elderly gentleman that no one cared
TO dispute the point of taste with him. SO the
culinary carpenters term put out into the outer
darkness Of slang. But at the next meeting Nj. Jules
Fayre was present and contended that lexicography
was not to that extent matter of nerves and taste


there must be words in dictionary not agreeable to
the tea-tabes of spinsters and that word used in
a certain sense by trade must be given in that
sense by lexicons. If nobody would answer N.
Cuyiier-Fleury, nobody could answer NJ Favre, so
the obnoxious word went n and the Twentieth
century may shudder, in turning the leaves of the
New Dictionary of the Academy, to find it among
the other horrors of our cotemporary civilization.
Year: 1873

Unless some unforeseen good fortune at
tends the promoters of the Agricultural Col
Iege bill, their great scheme is dead for this
Congress. Ninety-fOur millions is a good
round, tempting sum; we may expect to see
the plan for taking that amount from the
Treasury once more alive and vigorous in the
next Congress.
Year: 1873

When two lads each not over eighteen years On
age attempt murder complicated with highway rob
berry, we can only contemplate such precocious de-
pravity with mixed feelings of wonder and regret.
Ira Bliss over seventy years of is station-master
at Burnside, Conn. On a recent evening he was
waylaid. struck down. robbed of his watch and
money and left bleeding and senseless in the snow
to perish upon a freezing night the dastardly deed
being done by couple of boys, Dynes and Graves.
the former being. it is said one of tho most de-
PRAYED lads in Connecticut. They have confessed
the crime, and also the preparation of a recent
burglary. Sngularly enough, at the last account.
they were both babies enough to be crying in Jail
over the scrape which they have got themselves
into. Both will have ample opportunity for reiec-
ton. unless the poor old man should happen to die.
which is said to be not improbable.
Year: 1873

Symptoms begin to manifest themselves of tho
rush. ioste, ebowing and general congregational
disturbance which appertains to Inauguration Day.
Rooms have been engaged at the hotels b. people in
all parts of the country, and front room on Penn
sylyania-ave can only be had upon payment OF
princely sum. The project of Grand Ball has ex-
cited gentleman in Ithaca to write to the Commit
tee to propose Grand Prayer-meeting instead. but
we believe that the proposition has not been favor
ably entertained. 'Tis old story this passion OF
mankind and of wOmankind for being crowded and
for seeing things in great companies The noble
distinction of not having witnessed what everybody
else has witnessed does not to us to be duly ap-
preciated
Year: 1873

We have already noticed meeting of clergymen
in Boston, called to devise measures to prevent the
opening of the Free Public Library OH Sunday. We
regret to record display on the occasion of what
seems to us illiberalty. The Rev. WIN. b. Wright OF
the Berkeley-st Church, highly respectable clergy
man whose piety has never been questioned and
whose intellectual ability has been equally admitted.
attended the meeting and expressed himself in favor
of opening the Library Sunday. Upon this he
was told that he was an intruder, and was further
given to understand by the Rev. j. ID. Fulton that
he was out of place in that meeting and need not
come to the next" The Rev. Mr. Fulton adopts
a poor way of promoting the object which he pro-
tesses to have so much at heart.