smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1870

WOrKlnSman!


A few words with you to-
night.


DO not waste time to read
this just now, but


After your days work be
done.


And now-sit down on the
door.step-or on that hard
bottomed chair-or on that
log-or on that box just by us.


This is the weather to ripen
the wheat into start the
grain along-to call the corn
up about the ears.


And a good'time to NOW. 1t
is such fun to swing the Scythe
all day, Out while the dew
glints like diamonds, and the
bits of grass stick to the wet
scythe,blade. At work while
the sun is rising high overhead
while the Jug orpail of drink
is warming under the heat
which laughs at shady places
at work till noon. And then
the dinner. A good boiled
dinner such as the farmers
wife knows how to prepare.


You had it hot to-day. So
has she been at work over a
hot stove. The breakfast dish
es-the milk-the churning--
the preparation for dinner
the hot work over a fire lest
dinner be not ready when the
men come.


And the men come in from
the field. How good the basin
of cold water feels as it cools
the sweating skin. And that
drink from the north side of
the we'll !


And the dinner-its relish
The men talk about the work
the taxes-th!e newspapers
the nigger-the President-the
dog-the cucumber bugs, and
so on down the scale, in order.
The good.wife-the girls all
listen-too tired and cooked to
eat.


Now for the grindstone. The
fork and rake, the wagon, the
painting train, the hot work Of
the afternoon,


The wife clears off the table,
saves the pieces, looks at the
milk in the cellar, sweeps the
house, mends clothes, prepares
supper, and after it is over be.
gins her Irregular work."


And all you men are tired.
So we will not ask you to read,
but will talk with you. Per.
haps you are a Republican.
We will not long detain you,
for the tax collector will scold
us if we bother you, and his
master, the bondholder, will
"damn" us for attracting your
attention, and call us disloyal,
as we are to a "disloyal" Gov
ernment


1t is hard work to make
money. 1t is hard work to
pay the store bill, to pay for
beef, to pay for the pork, the
scythe, the ak, the plow, the
dray, the fanning.mill, the new
harness, the tailors bill, the
wagon-maker and mender. But
you can pay all these men if
you work.


Then you pay the


School tax,


Church tax,


Poor tax,


Road tax,


Bridge tax,


District tax,


Town tax,


County tax,


Bounty tax balance,
State tax,


National tax,


Interest tax,


Revenue tax,


Income tax,


Production tax,


Penalty tax,


And show your receipt there
for !!


This is just one years work.
Not much for a willing man,
who is rich, but quite an item
if you are not. A nice little
gantlet to run, but you must
nm n without n whine. or
Year: 1870

We have had, for eight or ten days, ga
cold snap, covering, we calculate, more than
four-fifths of the area of the United States,
leaving Alaska out to itself in the cold. From
our observations and recollections of years
past, however, "a cold snap" at Christmas is
no extraordinary thing, but is a visitation to
be expected, as is, too "a warm SPELL" with
snow and rain and slush, about New Year.
But why so? Briefly it is because the Earth,
in its daily revolutions on its axis and in its
yearly circuit around the glorious Sun, comes
about the 2lst of December to what we may
call careen from the northward, like that of
ship tacking on high wave. Hence these
rough, cold winds from the North Pole about
Christmas. Within eight or ten days, the
Earth having settled upon her keel again. we
have the reactionary winds from the South,
and hence the warm spell about New Year,
with its snow, sleet, thaw, rain and slush
The rule, we think, is established, and fail
ure is only an exception to the rule.
Year: 1870

Inc recent contribution of fifty thousand
dollars by William M Tweed to the poor Of
the Seventh ward might have been all very
"eii II there had not been so much parade and
ostentation about it. The Scriptural adjura-
tion, ''Let not thy right hand know what thy
left hand doeth, has been signally dsregarded
in this case, and exposes the donor of the con-
tribution to the imputation of having some hid
den and selfish motive in making it. There
are, no doubt, hundreds of private citizens Of
New York who have made as munidcent dona-
nations to the poor and the world has never
known word OF it. In the present instance
the contribution, it appears, is to be placed in
the hands of committee, with Mr.. Tweed
himself as the honorary head thereof. Who is
to know how, when and where the money is
expended, or whether it is expended at all, or
whether the bulk of it does not find
its way among the feeces Of Mr..
Tweed's myriads of ''pet lambs?" Taken in q
political point of view, the notoriety given to
this affair will have the effect of causing the
people to think that the charges of corruption
against the Iammany ring are correct, and
that this Tweed fifty thousand dollar gift en-
terprise is simply salvs to cover numerous
jobs and contracts and schemes for public
plunder, for which Tammany has been re-
peatedly arraigned before the bar Of public
opinion. Instead of having beneficial, it is
more likely to have damaging effect upon the
political plans of Tammany. Will not people
say, swell, what of this fifty thousand dollar
donation? Is it not only restoring to the
people an atom, small as single sand upon
the seashore, of what is their own? Has not
the donor given as much for private stable
as he has appropriated in this pompous way
for the relief Of the poor of the Seventh ward?
Why, the price of one of his horse blankets
would keep whole family in the ward in pro-
visions for month.


But, whatever its political effect may be, il
would have been much wiser for Mr.. Tweed to
have made his contribution quietly and unos-
tentatiously, than to have had it emblazoned
to the world in the glaring manner it has
been,
Year: 1870

STEAM CoMMUNICATIoN WITH MOBILE.-The
Mobile Register strongly advocates the perma-
neut establishment of regular steam line be-
tween that city and New York. Steam communi-
cation between the two ports is at present very
irregular, and regularly established line, start
ing on advertised days, is great desderatum.
II is to be hoped that some of our enterprising
shipping merchants will take the matter in
haud--if they have not already done so-and
supply our friends in Mobile with all the steam
communication they desire. We understand
that the subject is under advisement in re-
sponsble quarter.
Year: 1870

NILSSON IN CHICAGo-A SPLENDID OvA-
TIoN TO HER.-The Chicago people do every
thing ON grand scale. Successful as Nils
son has been, and much as she has been hon
ored in other parts of the country, the ovation
to her at Chicago last Thursday eclipsed
everything of the kind to her since she has
been in the United States. There are good
many Swedes in Chicago and they resolved
to give their charming and popular country
woman grand reception, and to crown her
with beautiful gold wreath. The whole
scene was exciting and enthusiastic. Both in
the conception Of it and carrying it out there
was vein of poetry and classic beauty that
carries the mind back to the classic times OF
Greece when Sappho and other famons women
were honored and crowned in similar man
ner. Nilsson wins all hearts wherever she
goes She has learned to love America al
ready, aud it is not surprising that she has
when such heartfelt honors are spontaneously
accorded to her.
Year: 1870

Miss Catharine Beecher and Mrs. Livermore,
both women Of strong minds, had little tussle
in Boston on the question Of woman suffrage.
They were both eloquent. They had each
their strenuous supporters, but the genius of
the Beechers was on the right side Of the ques-
ton. Her arguments were clearly to the
point. What q woman can do to advance her
position by obtaining the privilege ofvoting she
can do as well now, by exercising her irresis-
tible influence upon the men who have votes.
Miss Beecher cohtended that women can get
all they require by keeping in their proper
sphere and using their power over men
voters and w-makers-almighty Joves as
they are. The answering argument Of the
enthusiastic Mrs. Livermore was but the old,
vague, wearisome story of woman's ''wrongs"
in the abstract, half of which are imaginary,
and the other half of which are probably
brought on by the restless and discontented
of their sex, who can never be happy unless
they are the heroines of some little domestic
trouble, which they delight to bring before the
public in some shape, sometimes i'll the
lecture room and sometimes in the court room.
The common sense view Of this question of
woman's right to suffrage is pretty fairly
embodied in Miss Beechers views-namey,
that woman to-day, in our community can
obtain all the rights and privileges necessary
fer her comfort and the maintenance of her
proper position in society without the exercise
of the suffrage. Rely upon the chivalry Of
the men, who are invested with the power to
make woman a queen among gods, aud there
will be no disappointment. They have
crowned her already and they are loyal to
their professions This is the philosophy Of
Miss Beecher's argument. 1t is a new and a
strong point in this smuch-vexed question of
woman suffrage, and we commend it to the
consideration of the dissatisfied males and
females who are worrying the public with the


incessant cry Of womans rights and woman's
wrongs
Year: 1870

1t is not often that Christmas is stretched


out to so long term as it has been this year.


One day usually suffces for a full religious


and secular celebration Of the great festival
event Of Christendom, and the devout religious
services of the clergy, the jollier merry-mak-
ing of the laymen, the 7e Deum of the cathe-


dral organ and the dreadful clatter Of the fan
tastics' horns are usually commingled together
within brimful limits of one happy day. But
this year we have had more generous libation


of the festive season. We have had two days
and q half of Christmas-for we must count
Christmas Eve as part Of the grand occa-
sion-just as they have three days of election
in Georgia. We have had Lenten and
carnival Christmas; only the Lent and carni-
val have changed places in this instance, and
Lent has come first. One day of the
festival has been devoted to the worship of
the Deity whose birth gave it to us, the other to
the creature rejoicings that the glad event
and our rollicking separate, and the general
verdict Of tired humanity is that we would
rather take them in the usual way hereafter.
The occasion Is so inlaid with Mosaic work
Of religion and rejoicing together that it seems
like dissecting Christmas to set aside day
for each. Charity and Christianity and good
cheer, all mixed together, make good Christ
mas, and to take one on Sunday and the others
on Monday is like the whiskey and sugar and
lemon that only require mixing to make
good punch.


The day yesterday was devoted to the mad
merriment Of the fantastcals, the matinees,
the balls and the pleasure taking world gene
rally. The indispensable Christmas tree was
set out with its wondrous fruits, the jolly
Santa Claus was dashng from house to house
all day with his marvellous cargo
for good children, and the graceful
skaters were gliding in their many -colored
garbs over the frozen mirrors in the Park
Charity, that glory Of New York, was busy in
her noissess way among the poor-at the
overflowing dinner tables of her institutions,
at the humble hearths of the tenement houses,
among the shivering Arabs on the quiet
streets-wherever want could be found there
Charity came with her open hand. Church
services, merry making, rejoicing, dancing,
fashion and jollty are always "great" in
New York on Christmas Day, but the greatest
Of these is charity. And so the second day
New York awaits with some apprehension the
approach of that other festival, dear especi-
ally to New York, Of the New Year.
Year: 1870

Our local columns have recently contained
accounts of the arrest of several respectable
ladies on charges of shoplifting. In each case
the charge has been dismissed by the sitting
magistrate, and the respectability of the ac-
cused fully established. These arrests were
made under system now in vogue in some Of
our large stores of feeling clerks for detecting
shoplifters. II is poor system at best, for
none but the most expert in the detective busi-
ness should be employed in this delicate
service. In the cases under consideration the
regular detectives should have been sufficiently
well acquainted with human nature to have
discovered at once whether they had or had
not innocent persons under arrest. 1t is no
excuse to say that it is next to impo ssible to
discern respectable lady from an accom-
pished thief In London and Paris the
police are expected to know enough about
their business not to make arrests upon
frivolous charges when the evidence Of crimi-
nality is manifestly wanting. Is it not some
what singular that with all the vigilance exer-
cised by these shopkeeping clerk-detectives
not single case. of actual shoplifting was
made out as having occurred upon the same
premises during the days these respectable
ladies were arrested and placed in humiliating
confinement?
Year: 1870

THE CRY ON SKATEs.-The ponds in and
around the city are now in fine skating order.
In the phraseology of the rink, ''the ball is
up" Many Of the ponds were kaleidoscoped
with gayly dressed performers on Sunday,
youthful adventurers upon the virgin ice
being OF course most numerous. The severe
cold snap of Sunday night, however, put the
rinks in order for the opening Of the carnival
YESTERDAY. We thus have fair start for a
good Christmas skaing season. 1t is to be
hoped that every one will be in fine spirits to
enjoy this splendid hygienic amusement. A
good season on the ice is better than an army
of doctors, and worth more than fifty miles
long OF drug stores.
Year: 1870

The HERALD Of yesterday contained the
explanations Of Count Benedict, the late
Ambassador Of France at the Court of King
William. The explanations are full of inte


rest. Some of the explanations are not reve-
lations. 1t was well known that France was
instrumental in putting an end to the war of
1866. Benedict lays the blame of the war
entirely on the French people. He denied
that there was any insult either given or expe-
rienced at Ems. When the report got abroad
to the effect that there was bad feeling between
himself and King William no one was more
surprised than the King himself More than
that his mission to Ems was complete sue
cess The father Of the Prince Hohenzollern
wrote to the Cabinet at Madrid intimating that
his son was no longer candidate for the
Spanish crown, and King William was spe


cially desirous that it should be known that he
acquesced in the renunciation. But the
demagogues Of the Corps Legislatf must hum
BILE Prussia by exacting promise that no
prince of the house of Hohenzollern should
for the future consent to mount the throne of
Spain. King William would not yield and
Napoleon yielded to the mob. The result
behold it! As we have always said, France
deserved punishment. Now that she has
received it let us hope for an early peace.
Year: 1870

HOPEFUL FOR ENGLAND AT NEW YEAR.
England is heartily tired of the Alabama
claims controversy, and ready to pay any i'm
partial money award" and SO forth. This
cheering declaration is made by London
newspaper which processes to speak good
deal by authority. Confess your sins at
least once every year" was church command
in the English catechism long previous to the
days of Henry the Eighth. The present symp-
tom Of return to the ancient and honest rule
OF discipline is very hopeful. The bill is
ready.
Year: 1870

THE King ELECT OF SPAIN was to have
taken his departure from Florence for Madrid
in the evening. Enjoying his festival dinner
at home? A good idea, particularly for a
foreign Prince when about to make his resi-
dence in Madrid. 'sNe place like home"
Year: 1870

TIE ANNExATIoN OF WEsToHEsTER.-
full report Of Committee Of Property Owners
in ForGham against the proposed annexation
of Westchester to New York is published
elsewhere. Evidently New York must expand
Westchester county, whether there is annexa-
ton or not
Year: 1870

The work Of taking the census OF
Iowa has been completed and we are
now enabled to give the returns from
all the counties in the State, which
show total of l 1857 1893. The gain
column is interesting to look at show
ing as it does an increase of OIL, ,45O
in ten years
Year: 1870

4 Before Commissioner Shields.


The United States Us. Hoffman ana Others. This
case was set down for further hearing yesterday.
put when called on it was found that the principal
witness for the prosecution was est, compelling
Assistant District Attorney Purdy to ask Tor
further adjournment. This was opposed by air. Bell
for the defence, out after sOmo argument and state
ment on the part OF the District Attorney that not
able TO produce witnesses and proceed with the
on any day TO which 10 might be adjourned the
charge against the defendants would he Withdrawn,
Commissioner Shields on that condition, adjourned
till to morrow, ~ one r. NJ
Year: 1870

The following record VIII show the changes In the
temperature OF the weather for The past twenty
hours In comparison with the corresponding day OF
last year, as Indicated by the thermometer at
Hudnups pharmacy, HERALD Building corner Of
A INN of
Year: 1870

The Austin (Texas) Journal
relates the following:


In 1887 or 1888, the county of


had just been organized,
and the first District Court was
held in a small room that had
been used for a grocery. 1t was
fall term, a severe norther was
blowing, and there was no fire.
place or stove in the room. A
desperate was on trial for one out
of the many murders he had COM
mitted, and the Judge and jury
were impatient to end the
case. The county was sparsely
settled, and consequently too poor
to make adequate arrangements
for the comfort Of prisoners: SO
when the jury brought in a YER
dict of guilty, the judge in pro-
nouncing sentence upon the cul-
prit said: "Bob Jones, you have
had a fair trial you have been
found guilty, and the court ad-
judges that you be hanged by the
neck until you be dead; but as
the county is just organized, and
affords no conveniences to lodge a
prisoner, with any degree of CON-
fort-there being no suitable
building, no bedding, not even
blankets, the court does hereby, in
consideration to his personal COM
fort, order that the prisoner be ia
ken to the nearest tree, and there
be hanged until he be dead, and
may the Lord have mercy on his
SOUL" The Sheriff then borrowed
a lariat from bystander, Put il
over the culprit's neck, and led
him out to tree a few feet from
the Court House, threw it over
a limb, and suspended the prisoner
till life was extinct.
Year: 1870

The Washington correspondent
of the Cleveland CO., Herald says


"The gambling dens are not all
broken up in Washington, many are
in fullblast and they reap their har-
vest during the sessions of Con-
gress, and it is lamentable to know
that many of our lawmakers, who
stand high at home with their con-
stituents, are addicted to the no
torious vice. A few evenings since
two Western members parted with
five thousand dollars at the boards,
and it is rumored that they under
stood very well the inside work
ings of the whisky ring. It is said
of a former Northwestern mem
Der, that he got the votes of near
ly all the Methodists in his district,
he was such an earnest exhorter
among the brethren in that denom-
ination. He also managed to get
a good share of the votes of an op-
posite class by frequent libations
to their health in whisky. When
he got here the gamblers stripped
him, and the whisky rings sub
sequentIy built him up.


at is now time that the peo-
pie make inquiries into the moral
character of the men they send
here to represent them ?"
Year: 1870

Louis Napoleon some years ago
took it into his imperial head to
offer one hundred francs a year
to every male subject born on the
Prince Imperiars birthday. He
has now got SO sick of that job
that he has discontinued the pen
sions. The reason OF said sick
ness is briefly this: The French
women are cute females, you un.
derstand, and they went for those
little pensions with alarming reg
ularity. They had reduced the
whole business right down to an
allspice SO much SO that the num-
her of infants born on the Prince
Imperial's birthday was simply
astounding. This sort of thing
continued until the pensions ag-
gregated three hundred thousand
francs a year, when Louis cried,
"Hold, enough y
Year: 1870

y
Now God be thanked! ThatHe has given
Blest boon to saint and sinner
A day Of rest-one day in seven,


Where toll is not the winner;
Rest for the tired and jaded brain,


The wearied hand, on Sunday,
That they may gather strength again


For toll renewed on Monday.
The merchant, in his counting-room,


The clerk, o'er desk and ledger,
The artisan, at forge or loom,


The ditcher and the hedger-
The laborer, who must toll and slave


From early dawn of Monday
Until the week sinks in its grave,


Ali cry THANK God for Sunday p
The day that lifts the weighty chain


Which all the week hath bound us;
That respite gives to heart and brain,


From thousand cares around us;
That in the toilsome march of life


That bids us take, for one day,
Rest from the battle and the strife;


Oh God be thanked for Sunday
If thus by all one day Of rest


Be hailed, as respite solely,
How to the Christian doubly blest


Must be the Sabbath holy;
As, in faiths light, he lifts his eyes


To that bright world where, one day,
He longs to spend beyond the skies,


One blest, eternal Sunday
Year: 1870

The New York correspondent:
of the Boston Journal says "the.
drinking customs of New York
are fearful" and for illustration
adds: 81 met the other day in
the street quite a well-kDowr
minister who was SO drunk that
two friends could hardly hold
him up, and his language was
neither chaste, reverent nor de-
cent"
Year: 1870

An Indiana widow and widow.
er, with a number of children
each, got married lately. They
lived happily together, and sp-
peared to enjoy themselves until
they sat down to the first meal
When the man asked a blessing.
including bis own children but
not his wife's, the lady balanced a
bowl of hot soup on his head and
be is now coaxing new head of
hair to grow.
Year: 1870

They permit polygamy in Fee


jee, and the missionaries there are
trying to induce the natives to give
it up. A short time ago one of


the missionaries made convert,
and this convert swore a solemn
oath tina: he would forsake poly
gamy forever. He had 81 wives
this convert had--and so he
went right home and got up the
biggest free lunch that was ever
heard of in that part of the Pacif.


lc Ocean. When his relations and
friends and the missionaries came
to partake of the delicacies of the
season from his festive board this
convert drew aside a curtain, and
there were 26 of his wives impaled
on revolving spits, all done nice
and brown, and trimmed with par
sley and slices of beets, and fanci-
ful designs in white paper. The
missionaries went home and sent
their regrets, but all the Feejee-
ians turned in, and it is estimated
that those 26 women were effect
ually divorced from that converted
Pagan in space of time that
would make a Chicago judge turn
yellow with envy. AS feed it
was very successful, but what that
convert wants to know is, why
those missionaries refuse to permit
him to come in and teach Sunday
school class? He feels hurt at
their colduess and indifference.
Year: 1870

At a wedding in the arisiocratic
city of Pittsburg, when the justice
told them to join hands, the NO
man was very indignant, and
said she "guessed she knew what
to do, as she had been married a
dozen times before" The groom
tried to get out of it by fainting,
but the bride made him stick to
his bargain. The question is,
where are the previous twelve. 0,
woman, what a riddle you is
Year: 1870

A man who died in Pennsylva-
MIA, the other day, made will in
which he left his wife one cent,
bis brother a few dollars, and FIVE
thousand dollars for the erection
Of a monument to himself.