smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

The end of that ungainly animal, the
Texas steer, is near at hand. Soon his
long horns and angular frame will no
longer be seen. The shorthorn is fast
supplanting him. Thousands of bulls
of improved blood have been taken not
only into Texas, but into Colorado, Ne
braska, Kansas, Dakota, and other
places where the Texas COW was the only
available stock with which to start an
improved herd. After the young stock
become old enough to breed, the Texan
cattle are marketed, and we are now
running the emptyings," so to speak,
of the Texans. Even the Indians are
improving their Cherokee stock in the
same manner. In two or three years
more the main bulk of the cattle will be
shorthorn grades, and q great and steady
demand will be made upon the eastern
herds for bulks for breeding. Not for
fancy stock, but for equally good, but
less fashionable, pure shorthorns. The
present outlook is altogether in favor of
stock raising as the most profitable
branch of farming, both in the east and
west and it is certain that there is no
other that is less exhaustive to the soil.
Year: 1876

The consumption of sugar in the Uni
ted States has been steadily increasing,
and, owing to the continued complica-
tions in Cuba, the price has not decreas-
ed. At the same time the product which
should come from our own Southern
States, while greater now than in 1868
or 1870, is by no meaus up to the figures
attained previous to 1860. This is the
more unfortunate as the sugars made in
our Louisiana and Florida sections are,
even when made direct from the open
kettle, of better quality than any of the
common sugars from abroad, and re-
quire less refining. Just after the war
many of the old sugar plantations of
Louisiana were devoted to cotton, as
that staple brought a high price; but, of
late, attention has been again turned to
sugar. 1t was once thought that sugar
could only be produced proftably on
plantations of vast acreage, with great
numbers of hands; and, further, that the
cane must be ground as soon as cut.
But agricultural progress and science
have demonstrated the fallacy of both
these old ideas. Instead of immense
mills and powerful engines for grinding
the product, machine like a straw-cut-
ter now chips up the cane, and large
tanks of heated water soak out the
saccharine matter. Common sense has
shown that however the cane may dry,
under shelter it loses none of its sugar,
but simply the combined water. While
the old rollers would not press out this
dried sugar it is easily extracted by the
heated water. Then, too, the never-too-
often-repeated precept of a little land
well titled has been found equally as
applicable to the growth of sugar cane
as to the market garden vegetables.
There are thousands of acres now lying
idle in Florida and Louisiana which can
be made to yield from 1000 to $500
pounds of sugar to the acre with just as
little labor as it takes to make corn
crop.
Year: 1876

Steam may be made of great use in
the kitchen. Stale bread may be steam
ed; potatoes are better steamed than
boiled, and the same is true of dump
lings and puddings. But, aside from
the steamer, steam will be found very
useful if properly utilized. All the pots
and kettles should be nicely fitted with
tin basins of "pressed" ware let the
wire of the basin rest firmly on the top
of the kettle. The basins being shallow,
leave room enough beneath them for
vegetables or meat, and they will be
found to be as useful as another hole in
the stove. Mashed turnip, desirable
but impossible dish for people who have
any business on hand, if put into one of
these basins, and steamed over kettle
of potatoes or other vegetable, will be
found to be Gas good as new )" it will
remain light colored and have no taste
of scorched butter. If picked Goldfish
and milk is to be prepared, put the fish,
which has been soaked over night, on
the stove, and let it boil minute or
two, pour off the water and set the basin
over boiling kettle, and the milk, sea-
soning and thickening- eggs, if used,
should not be put in till it is nearly
done-and it will cook nicely, without
any danger of burning. Cracked wheat
is best prepared in this way Use one
third wheat and two-thirds cold water
stir occasionally, and add salt whea
nearly done, 1t is q good substitute for
farina kettle, for farina, blanc mango,
boiled custards, etc. but when much
stirring is necessary strong milk bowl
should be used instead of the tin basin.
Many more ways in which steam may be
used will suggest themselves to the in
telligent housewife, and we will merely
add that it requires about one-third
more time to cook food by steam than
by boiling, and that anything cooked in
this way should be closely covered.
Year: 1876

1t is popularly supposed by large
class of farmers that none but business
men need to acquire a knowledge
of business forms and rules. To their
mind the business man occupies a posi-
ton similar to the lawyer and the doc
tor ; he learns his trade and proceeds to
get living by it. This class of men be-
ieve that business forms are unintelligi-
BILE, whereas they are very simple. He
is as respectful at the mention of the
words percentage" drafts" "bill
of lading," "invoice," etc., as he is
when he hears his family physician talk
Latin. But every farmer is business
man. He has crops to go to market
he wants to sell to the best advantage
he has to sell oftentimes on credit, and
he is continually buying. To all intents
and purposes he is business man. 1t
would seem very desirable, however,
that the younger men who are one day
to fill the places of the present genera
ton, should learn how to handle with
ease and accuracy the business forms and
methods which commercial men by long
practice and experience have reduced
to system.
Year: 1876

The passions which act most severely
on the physical life, says Popular Sci
ence Monthly, are anger, fear, hatred
and grief. The other passions are COM
paratively innocuous. What is called
the passion of love is not injurious until
it lapses into grief and anxiety; on the
contrary, it sustains the physical power.
What is called ambition is of itself harm
less; for ambition, when it exists purely,
is nobility, lifting its owner entirely
from himself into the exalted services of
mankind. 1t Injuries when it is debased
by its meaner ally, pride, or when,
stimulating man to too strenuous eff
forts after some great object, it leads
him to the performance of excessive
mental or physical labor, and to the con
sequences that follow such effort.


The passion called avarice, according
to our experience, tends rather to the
preservation of the body than to its de-
terioration. The avaricious man, who
seems to the luxurious world to be de-
barring himself of all the pleasures of
the world, and even exposing himself to
the pangsof poverty, is generally placing
himself in the precise conditions favor
able to long and healthful existence.
By his economy he is saving himself
from all the worry incident to penury /;
by his caution he is screening himself
from all the risks incident to speculation
or the attempt to amass wealth by
hazardous means; by his regularity of
hours and perfect appropriation of the
sunlight, in preference to artificial il
Illumination, he rests and worksin periods
that precisely accord with the periodicy
of nature; by his abstemiousness in
living he takes just enough to live,
which is precisely the right thing to do
according to the rigid natural law.
Thus, in almost every particular, he
goes on his way freer than other men
from the external causes of all the in-
duced diseases and better protected than
most men from the worst consequences
of those diseases which spring from
causes that are uncomfortable.
Year: 1876

Out West they tell the story that once
in the game of poker General Logan
held three iacks-jack of hearts, jack Of
diamonds and jack of clubs. After run
ming the bets up to the limit and calling
down the hands Logan found that his
opponent had four tens, when Logan
took out of his pocket one of his own
photographs and played it upon his un-
suspecting opponent for the jack of
pades, thereby holding four jacks and
sweeping the board.
Year: 1876

two officers arrived at the cabin, and
when they were shown the dead bodies,
at once proceeded to remove them. And
ere week had passed the whole settle
ment blessed the border heroine for the
work she had done.
Year: 1876




A common school teacher in The
Lima Gazette says


There is no other branch so neg
lected in our common schools as read
ing, and the good reader Is q scarce
''article." We think that the teachers
chiefly sTe to blame. They do not
take interest enough 10 it. Go to our
county examinations and listen to
that army Of poor readers. Some of
them read as If .hey never had studied
this sublime art, aud never intended
TO. 1t is delightful to listen to q good
reader, but torture to listen to q poor
one Teachers should not neglect
this branch because IL Is = peculiarly
difficult one to teach. This very diff.
fieulty should be to rs an incentive to
better qualify US to the task. To ae-
eomplish anything the pupil must be
completely Interested and to do this
we must double our interest IN it.
Use judgment in selecting the lessons.
Give your classes variety. Have them
read from different books; from news
papers advertisements II you can't
mud anything else in them. Give your
sixth reader class 3 first or second
reader and see how awkwardly they
will read. We know the teacher has
many things to contend with in the
teaching OF reading, chief among
which are the unsuitable books with
which the lower classes in particular
are provided. Generally parents do
not consult the teacher, but provide
their children with books about two
grades too high and il is useless for
the teacher TO protest, for they viii
provide no other. II parents would
visit the schools As they should, they
would better understand a teachers
trials, and not put such blocks In their
way. Bot we must do the best We
can, and use every available means 50
that this sin Of poor reading can no
longer be laid st our door.
Year: 1876

First let US take that probably most
valuable of all invaiids' preparations,
viz beef tea. The quickest and best
method of preparing good beef tea is
as follows Take a pound of goo
lean gravy beef, cut It up into little
pieces, pour over them pint of cold
water and add q little salt. Then
take fork and squeeze these pieces
in every direction, in order, as much
as possible, to extract the juices out
of the meat. Next place it ALI. e.,
both water and meat-in an enameled
saucepan, and put it by the side of the
fire, not on the fire, and gradually
heat il, taking the greatest care that
it does not boil. Having continued
this process for an hour and q half
or two hours, during the last half
hour keeping the tea hot without
even simmering, strain the whole of
through q strainer, pressing the meat
again with spoon, so as to squeezs
as much as possible all the goodness
out of it. Then remove all the fat.
This caa be done by carefully skim =
ming it, or, If time will allow, by let
ting 1t get cold, wheE the fat will
harden on the top. Now to my mind
good beef tea is one of the incest
things we can take when sick, bu {
sick persons tire of it and lOathe it q.
When this is the case, very often by
adding little sherry and allowing it
to get cold (when, il proberly made,
it will be e jelly, patients will take
il in this form when they could not
in the liquid state.
Year: 1876




1t is on the side of steep hill, Oh
the edge of deep wooded dell leading
toward the river. The interior walls
are built Of brick, arched over at the
height of eight feet from the ground.
The front OF the tomb is rough, and
has plain iron door inserted in q
freestOne easement. Upon q stone
panel over the door are inscribed the
words, ''I am the resurrection and
the life ; he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he
live" Enclosing this tomb is brick
structure twelve feet high. In front
of it is an iron gateway, opening sew
eral feet in advance OF the vault door,
and forming kind of ante-chamber.
This gateway is flanked with pilasters
surmOunted with stone coping. COW
eringa pointed Gothic arch. Over
this arch is a tablet, on which is in
scribed, "Within this enclosure rest
the remains of General George Wash
ington."


In the ante-chamber of the tomb are
two marble sarcophagi, containing the
remains of Washington and his lady.
That of the patriot has a seulptured
lid on which is represented the
American shield suspended over the
flag of the Union the latter hung in
festOons and the whole surmounted as
a crest by an eagle with open wings
perehed upon the superior bar Of the
shield. Below the design, and deeply
cut in the marble, ia the name of
Washington. This sarcophagus was
constructed by John Struthers, of
Philadelphia, from q design by Striek-
land, and was presented by him to the
relatives of Washington. 1t consists
OF an excavation from a solid block of
Pennsylvania marble, eight feet in
length and two in height. The mar
bic coffin of Lady Washington, which
stands upon the left of the other, is
from the same ehiseI, and plainly
wrought. Both can be seen by the
visitor through the iron gate.


Who can stand at the portals of this
tomb, where sleeps all that is lert of
the mortality of the Father OF his
Country, and not feel the outgoings of
a devotional spirit-an Involuntary
desire to kneel with reverence, not
with the false adulation of mere hero
worship, but with the sincere SYM
pathies of soul bending before the
shrine Of superior goodness and great
ness?
Year: 1876

Is that the song we used TO sing,


In childhood's happy hour
When thou vert then in LIES brightspfing
Thyself The EaIrest flower?
Instruction thou didst blend with love.
Aud though our paths in life
May tend down different currents.


Yet oEr memories are rife.
And wen ever think Of those bright days.
ofsunny hope and Joy,
When pleasure shone with brilliant rays,


Without the least alloy.
Then life was young and JOY and miTth
On every breeze was borne,


For rs without thorn
Twas then we thought that every smile,
That every word, that every tone
Were WhatIthey. seemed deceit the while
To our young hearts was then unknown.
That artless trust gaYe life its charm,
And hope spread out one field of flowers
Our pathway so serene and bright.


No trace was left TO count the hours.
And stII for us In ripper years,


Are loving friends who know no change
We joy TO feel that some fond hearts
VIII never be estranged.
And above all our earthly love


Is that OF God who stOops 10 guide
Our wayward footsteps unto him


May We In him confide.
Year: 1876

A correspondent writes to the AL
0any Country Gentleman in the above
topic in q way that every farmer
ought to take notice of He SAYS:


In order 10 conduct farming opera
tlons understandingly and intelli-
gently, it is necessary to ascertain the
cost OF production by keeping accu-
rate account, as far as possible with
the farm as a whole, and with each
field in detail. To do this requires, in
the first place an accurate measur-
ment Of different fields. A-map- ol
the form should be made, and each
field numbered, with the number OF
acres also marked down. A farm ae-
count book should be prepared or
purchased, in which should be noted
the crop produced on each field, ebarg-
ing to its account the labor required
to produce the crop, together with
seed, manure, interest, taxes, etc.,
crediting the amount for which the
produce IL sold, or at its market value.
BY this course the actual cost can
easily be ascertained, showing how
and where the profits or losses arise,
afording an excellent guide for fu-
ture operations. An account should
also be kept with the farm, as with
an individual, on the above basis,
balancing the book at the end OF each
year, and taking an inventory of
stock, farm implements, etc., to open
correctly the account for the succeed
ing year. This method will dem0 0n-
strate conclusively whether farming
pays or not as far as that person is
concerned. Most farmers are very
careless about keeping any accounts
whatever, even with neighbors aud
others with whom they have deal
ings, which is very prolific source Of
trouble and vexation, often leading to
expensive lawsuits.


But farmers will say they have no
time to attend to such things, and
trust to luck and the honesty Of other
people to carry them through. Any
merchant or other business man who
conducted his affairs in such o Slip
shod, slovenly manner, would surely
fail, and certainly would not deserve
to succeed It will require but few
moments at the close OF each day to
note down the account of that day,
aud one years trial of keeping farm
accounts will convince most farmers
that it is very sensible and prOfita-
bic method OF doing business. /
would like to hear from others
through these columns on this sub
ject.
Year: 1876

You can buy a catfish pole for
twenty-five cents, and catch as
many with it as you can with a
jninted one that cost seventeen
dollars, but you can't take ii apart
and slip it under your coat when
you go fishing Sunday as you can
one that's in sections, and re-
ligious outside appearance is worth
SIC 75 to most men.
Year: 1876

The dispatches in our last issue announce d
the outbreak Of another revolution in Hayti.
The regular recurrence of revolutions in
Hnyd is not usually matter of surprise or
of comment, as they are only squabbles be-
tween different political aspirants for power
and place. In this case, however, there
seems to have been good grounds for disturb
snce- The Cabinet is very unpopular, and
has oppressed the people to such an extent
that trade has been embarrassed Those who
have protested have been arrested The
stata has not paid the salaries of the pero-
chid clergy for some time past, and the
churches have all fallen into disrepair. These
are the causes which have melted the reyo1u-
ton; but unfortunately there is little reason
to hope that things will be my better il the
re7olutionists aro successful,
Year: 1876

a BLOW AT OUR OFFICIAL TOWN THIEVES.
The Democratic Central Committee Of
Cook County have done good thing in max
ing an active movement to abolish the abom-
Unable township system in this city. This
should have been done long ago; but better
late than never. It should have been taken
in hand by the Republican Central Com.
mittee; but better "gifts from Greeks than
from nobody, no matter how stout our Trojan


hearts may be- We trust that the blanks
which have been prepared for signature will
be promptly filed up by our citizens with
out regard to any partisan considerations.
The law provides that, after a Ger
tain number Of signatures have been Sc
cured, a day shall be fixed upon
which the question Of abolishing the town.
ship organization shall be submitted to popu-
lar vote: We have hybrid system here at
present, lnasmueh as We have both townships
end a Board Of County Commissioners. Other
counties have either one OF the other. not
both. The trainers Of the new Constitution
thought that they had abolished the town.
ships here, and it's possible that the Supreme
Court would so decide, inasmuch as there
could be no tie with seven Judges. But the
easiest way to settle the matter would be to
vote On it. This is what the Democratic
Committee wishes TO bring about, and this is
what all good citizens should aid them in do
ing.


At present We have three sets of official
1oafers for North, South, and West Chicago,
respectively, who do little except blackmail
and steal. If the whole set should die to-
morrow the public would be considerably
better of, and the administration of public
AFFAIRS, instead of being inte1fered with,
would be aided These men arc nominated
BY grog-shop caueuses, and they are elected
by drunken mobs and paid ballo-box stuff
ers. There is but one poll in each town, 80
that it is easy for the 1oafers, seal
awaes, free-lunchers, blacklegs, and crin-
1nnl classes to take possession Of it.
There IS no pretense Of fairness. The
7oWdy who can marshal the strongest backing
OF fascals and pimps is elected, and the other
fo"dy is defeated. On the day of election,
the vicinity Of each poll looks as if ithad Just
neen the scene Of general jai1-delvary.
Most Of tho villains IRE armed, and nearly sll
Year: 1876

,Attempt to Break Jail.-On yesterday
morning Chief-of-P Police Lipscomb discov-
cred, upon entering the city station house,
that an attempt had been made by the pris..
oners confined to break Jail. But few would
have noticed that such an attempt had been
made upon entering the cell, but the prac-
ticed eye OF the Chief soon detected that
"something had drapped" out OF the
wall. He was puzzled by the queer
appearance Of rectangle in the side
Of the cell. It looked as nice as pie
lust out Of the oven, but it looked too nice.
Upon examination it was found that NUM-
Der OF bricks had been removed from the
side of the wall, and that hole had been
made sufficiently large for the admission OF
the body Of q large-size man. These bricks
had been carefully replaced, and the chinks
filled UP with crumbs Of bread, bits OF NOR
tar dust, etc. The Job was go well done
that suspicion was at once attracted to-
wards Loyelace Bland, who is q bricklayer
by trade.


Robert Quarles was supposed to be an ac-
complice In the matter. Had the plot sue
ceeded to the extent Of the prisoners getting
out there would have been but little danger
of their making their escape, as an officer
was on duty about the station-house at every
hour after that in which j" graYeyardst
.yawn,' and honest people are fast asleep.
Year: 1876

81 HAPpY CHILpREN--THE SQUARE. The lit
tie folks seem never to forget that ON


Wednesdays they can play and roll upon
the grass IN the Capitol Square as much as
they please. They had d Jolly time yester-


day, and enjoyed themselves not little,
The squirrels keep them company, and now
and then the children feed them with nuts.


By the way, prominent politician offered
one Of the squirrels n gravel a day or two
ago in place of q nut, and he bit him


through one Of his fingers. A wellknown


merchant tried the same game, and he was
bitten through and through the thumb, and
the squirrel, not satisfied with that, attacked


him furiously, bit him on the ear, and tie


gentleman had finally to use his cane. The


little rascals are beginning to feel quite at
home in the Square, and are multiplying


rapiily. 8 az 49, sg5as.
Year: 1876

SPURIOUS COMA new counterfeit twen-
ty-ive-cent piece is in circulation in this
city, though not very largely. 1t differs
from the genuine coin In appearance, being
OF bright lead color and lighter in weight,
but NAV be apt to deceive the incautious.
Year: 1876

It has puzzled many people to decide
why the dark wood 60 highly valued for
furniture should be called rosewood. Its
color certainly does not look much like a
rose, 80 we must look for some other
rea@on. Upon asking, We are told that
when the tree is first cut, the fresh wood
possesses q very strong, rose-like fragrance
hence the name There are half dozen or
more kinds of rosewood trees. The varie-
ties are found in South America, and in
the East Indies and neighb0ring islands.
Sometimes the trees grow SO large that
planks four feet broad and ten feet in
length can be cut from them. These broad
planks are principally used to make the
tops of piano-fortes. When growing in the
forest the rosewood tree is remarkable for
it's beauty; but such is the value to manu-
features as an ornamental wood that some
Of the forests where it once grew abund-
antly now have scarcely single specimen.
In Madras the government has prudently
had great plantations of this tree set out,
in order to keep up the supply.