smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

This from correspondent at Rivere
du Loup, Canada.


When the Grand Trunk Railway of
Canada was completed in 1860, many
farmers had never heard of, much less
seen, railway, but it soon got report
ed around that passengers conld travel
by it, and even cattle. A backwOOds-
man, who was indebted to acountry
merchant was pushed by the latter for
payment of the amount due, and the
only means of liquidating the debt was
by taking fat OK TO the Quebec mar
ket. For this purpose he tied his OK
to the back of his cart, and drove to the
railway station, a distance of nine
miles. On surveying the train and
seeing an iron railing around the plat
form of the hind car, he concluded that
that was the place to tie his OK, which
he accordingly did, taking a place in q
second class car himself forward. Pres
emily the train began to move off slow
ly. The speed increased; quicker and
quicker it went. The poor man got
very fidgety, the speed still increasing,
until large drops of sweat became visi-
BILE on his brow. BY this time the
conductor had reached his car to collect
his tickets. Nearly out of breath the
man ran to him, exclaiming:


My dear conductor, my OK will nev-
er be able to keep up to this pace; it is
not possible


'Your OK! Keep up TO this pace!
What do you mean? L don't under
stand you. Have you ali OK on bOard:'


Not on board, of course. / tied him
to the railing of the hind car


you tied your OK to the railing of
the hind car? Who told you to do so:'


NO one; but that Is the way we al
WAYS do in the country


OF course the conductor could not
stop his train before reaching the next
station, when, needless to say, on look
ing for the OK, they found attached to
the rope pair OF horns, with small
portion of the neck.


Mr.. Bergh could scarcely call this
cruelty to animals, as it was not inten-
ded.


The humane conductor made a col
lection amoung the passengers on the
spot, realizing larger amount than
the OK would have brought at market,
which he presented to the crest-fallen
farmer, who Immediately returned
home, vowing he would never have
oxen taken to market by railway again.
He has kept his word, and to this day
he leads his OK to market behind his
own cart.-Harper's Magazine.
Year: 1876

THE Washington Chronicle says: The House
Committee on Patents have refused to permit
the further perpetuation of the great sewing
machine swindle. For some years the poor
er classes have been the victims of extortion
upon the part of the combination of sewing
machine manufacturers. Controlling the pat
ents for the 'four motion feed;"' they kept
the price up to sixty dollars for a machine
that cost about ten dollars for manufacture.
Immense fortunes have been made at the ex-
pense of sewing women and the wives of me-
chanics, who were compelled to do their own
sewing. And these monopolists have had the
cheek to come before Congress and ask for
renewal of their privileges. The committee
have administered a proper rebuke, and next
year the best sewing machine will be some
thing that the poorest laborer can buy without
feeling the cost
Year: 1876

SCIENTISTS are not agreed az to
whether it was u shower of butchered
cows or frogs they were favored with
in Keneucky last week. A facetious
journalist suggests that the fiesh-fall
was from flock of spirits who got
fooling so much with materializing
that they couldn't getall of themselves
back into the spirit state before their
toes and fingers fell off. Or might
there have been, he asks, prize fight
in the moon and some fellow got
knocked clean over the side of the lu-
minary and come down like sausage
meat?
Year: 1876




IT is common to say the greenback notes
are secured by the whole wealth of the Ma
tion. In what way are they secured by it?
They are not redeemable at any particular
time, and the Government may consequently
postpone their payment indefinitely, 10 mat
ter how able 80 pay. They are not a lien or
mortgage on property, and even if they were,
there is no chance for foreclosure. They are
not as well secured, in fact, as the French as
signats, which were based on real estate, near
ly quarter of the entire property of the ma
tion being pledged for that purpose. The as
signats became absolutely worthless, and so
would our greenbabks but for the efforts
which have been made and are making to
maintain the national credit 1t is not the
amount of property there is in the country
that regulates the value of the Nations prom
ises, but the faith it keeps in making those
promises good. Credit is therefore every
thing inpublic finance, and to improve, re-
store and maintain credit are the first consider
ations of financial policy. Credit, in fact, is
of more value than all national possessions,
and is the keystone of the financial ARCH
o. S. Journal.
Year: 1876

The Democrats are trying hard to make
people believe that Preaident Grant frighten-
ed Marsh, the witness in the Belknap case,
away, when the fact is Clymer, the chairman
of the committee, had discharged Marsh, and
went so far as to help him collect his fee in
order that he might get off on the first train;
and that he actually did get off before the
President knew what the charges against Bel
KNAPP were, or that Marsh had testified before
the committee. 1t is also fact that the
President or Attorner General issued no order
whatever in the ease of Belknap. The truth
is, Clymer, for reasons that may hereafter ap-
pear, was anxious to get Marsh out of the
country, and he succeeded. The result is a
flat failure, so far, in the prosecution of the
ex-Secretary. The Judiciary Committee have
the articles of impeachment ready, but no ev-
idence to place before the Senate-Cin. Gaz.
Year: 1876

They have had a very dreadful
time at Perkins's With Perkins's baby.
IL seems that the child was verv rest
less and troublesome at night, and
they couldn't manage to make it
sleep even by dosing it with pare
gOric and other narcotics. Perkins
at last got perfectly desperate. He
remembered reading somewhere an
account Of the power of mesmerizing
persons, and it occurred to him that be
might mesmerize the baby and keep
it quiet 10 that manner. He hadn't
any great hopes of success, but one
night while Mrs. Perkins was down
stairs getting some sugar to put in
the paregorie, Perkins rubbed the
child's eyebrows and made some
passes with his hand, and to his graf
ifeation the baby suddenly went to
sleep


When they awoke in the morning
the child was still slumbering, and
Mrs. Perkins said she guessed it
must have gotten a tooth through,
which made it feel easier Perkins
said that he thought probably it had.


After breakfast be went up stairs
to see if it was awake yet, but it
wasn't, and so, after giving it TWO or
three rough shakes without arousing
it, be went down to get his bat to go
to the Office. Mrs Perkins called af-
ter him:


Don't slam the front door to wake
up the baby"


And then Perkins did slam it fear
fully, and he went away with gloom
IN his heart and horrible apprehen-
sion that that baby would never
wake up.


"What in the thunder ID we do if
baby should stay asleep and live TO
be fifty or sixty years old and not
get awake once." said Perkins to
himself.


The thought was maddening. 1t
haunted him for two or three hours,
and then be could stand it no longer.
He determined to go back to the
house TO ascertain if the baby bad
come back to consciousness. When
be got there Mrs Perkins said:


isn't it queer how long the baby
stavs asleep? He's never wakened
up vet Nervous exhaustion, sup
pose, poor little thing"


Perkins felt awfully, and he went
up and jagged a pin in the baby's
leg quietly. so that his wife couldn't
Year: 1876




About a year ago the ladies Of
certain Dorcas Society made large
quantity Of shirts. trousers, and socks,
and boxed them up and sent them to
missionary station on the West
Coast Of Africa. a man named Rid
lev went out with the boxes, aud
STAYED in Africa several months.
When be returned the Dorcas SOcie-
ty, of course was anxious 10 hear
how its donation was received, and
Ridley one evening met the members
and told them about it in a little
speech. He said:


"WelI, you know, We got the clothes
out there all right, an1 after a while
we distributed them among some Of
the natives in the neighborhOOd. We
thought may be it would attract
them to the mission, but it didn't, and
after some time had elapsed and not
a native came 20 church with those
clothes on, | vent ont on an explor-
ing expedition to find out about It,
1t seems that on the first day after
the goods were distributed one Of the
Chieis attempted 10 mount a shirt.
lie didn't exactly understand II, and
be pushed his legs through the arms
and gathered the tail up around his
waist. lie couldn't make it stay up,
however, and they say he went
around inquiring in his native tongue
what kind Of an idiot it was that con-
structed garment that wouldn't
hang on, aud swearing some OF the
most awful heather Oaths At last
he left it drag, and that night be got
his legs tangled in it somehow, and
fell over precipice and was killed. "


Another Chief who got one on
properly went padding around IN the
dark, and the people imagining that
he was q ghost, sacrificed four babies
to keep of the evil spirit


"And then you know those trous-
ers you sent Outy Well, they fitted
one pair on an idol, aud then they
stuffed most OF the rest with leaves
and set them up a a kind Of new
tangled idols, and began to worship
them. They say that the services
were very impressive. Some oi the
women split few pairs in bali, aud
after sewing up the legs used them to
carry vans 10, and ! saw one CHEF
with corduroy leg on his head as a
kind Of helmet


IL think though the socks were the
most popular. All the fighting men
went for them the FIRST thing. They
filed them with sand and used them
as war clubs ! learned that they
were so pleased with the efficiency OF
those socks that they made a raid on
a neie hboring tribe on purpose to try
them. and they say :hey knocked
about eighty women and children on
the head before they came home.
They ask me if ! wouldn't speak to
YOU and get you to send out few bar
rels more, and 10 make them a little
stronger SOS they'll last longer, and
said | would.


"This sOeiety's doing power oil
good to those heather, and I've no
doubt if you keep right along with
the work you will inaugurate gener-
al war all over the continent Of Airi-
ca, ami give everybody an idol Of his
owu. All they want is enough socks
and trousers. I'll take them whsn i
go out again"


Then the Dorcas passed a resolution
declaring that it would, perhaps, be
better TO let the heather go naked
and give the clothes 70 the poor at
home. Maybe that is the better way.
. PhiIa. Bulletin.
Year: 1876

IL uvw 0,ei thirty ytar> ~iar-


nr 81 th- 80 1T tr.u1l S,hir. d,-pu.
ate uad nu,dcrvgs tuels that ever
lOOk place was fought 10 Vicksburg
One Of the parties was formerly
New York boy, graduate from one
Of the Wall street banks After GIL
ing 81 The desks of that institution
with singular ability, from q collect
ing clerk up to the position Of first
teller; while still a young man, be
was appointed cashier Of bank in
Nicksburg, which gave offence and
caused much jealousy among the
the senior clerks Of that institution.
and they took every opportunity to
oppose and insult him.


This became 50 marked and nn-
bearable in its character, that the


President finally told the cashier that
be mus; resent it, and that he would
stand by him.


He had occasion soon after 20 give
one of the tellers a specimen Of his
skill in the art Of self-delense. This
resulted in a challenge for a duel,
which was accepted, and after three
days Of constant pistol practice re-
suited in the death OF the teller. He
had numerous relatives that one az
Ter another came forward TO avenge
his death, until four duels were fore


d upon the cashier from the natural
consequences OF the FIRST duel. and
"still there were more RichmOnds 10
the field"


A relative Of the FIRST victim, an ed
itor and successful duelist, gave out
a threat that be was coming 10 town
to ayenge the death of bis cousin
His great courage and desperate
fighting qualities had been frequently
tried, and were 50 well known that
something desperate must be done 20
meet the emergency, and il possible
to stop any and all future challenges.
The editor arrived in town, and lost
no time Ia sending his message,
which was as promptly responded to.
Early in the morning Of the same day
oil of the arrangements were made
for meeting at six O'Clock the next
morning.


After making some necessary ar
rangements in case OF death. the
cashier went to bed and slept until
a. m, having all this time forgotten
the almost worshipful love aud de-
yotion Of his wife aud only child,
who were in profound ignorance Of
his desperate enterprise lie silently
kissed them, and then the husband
and father stole away to attend the
bloody business. On arriving az the
appointed rendezvous be found a
trench dug six feet deep, two wide,
and twelve feet long lneo this dou-
bic grave the two principals descend
ed, each armed with six shooting ma
w revOlvers and having bowie
knives, with instructions to commence
firing at the word advance and finish
the blood work with their knives. If
their pistols failed to accomplish it.
At the first shot the editor was NOR
tally wounded He drew bis knife
and with the ferocity Of tiger
sprung toward his opponent just as
he had fred his second shot. He
warded off his blow with his pistol,
which had a deep cut in it made by
the heavy knife, showing what des-
rarafa If,ur IaJ hon ofn,oI ~ h.
adversary who fell dead at bis feet
The cashiers mind was 50 much dis
eased that be could not attend to bu-
siness, and by the advice-of his ply
sicians took a vacation and change of
scene lie came to this city and
died in a lunatic ASYLUM month af-
Year: 1876

In speaking of Winalow, that dcvout
parson and newspaper D}ah whocommitled
such large forgeries in Boston, the New
York Herold says, if all is true that is re-
ported of his escape, seems likely TO get
fairly away with heavy plunder; and
may, accidents aside, enjoy indefinitely
the fruits Of his villainy in foreign land
and snap his fingers at justice. Such a
result is demoralizing and encourages and
cultivates crime. 1t should be made i'm
possible, and it is not merely an advancing
civilization which seems to demand this.
but the great development of means OF
communication between different nations.
At the present time fugitive from Justice
can get to country in Europe easier than
he could have got from this city to Boston
4 century since; yet in that comparatively
handy asylum he is as much out of our
reach as he would be in the middle of the
Chinese Empire. Yet the nations which
thus afford an asylum to our rogues pos
sess the same civilization with oarselyes
have the same interest in the protection of
property and the administration of Justice:
and complain from time to time, as ron nd
ly as we may now, that we shelter persons
who have offended their municipal laws,
This anomaly seems to result from the
fact that the administration of justice has
not kept pace with the growth Of society
in other respects. In one hour we can
communicate with Europe and get an
answer; but the conceptions of govern.
ments as to extradition are nearly what
they were when this process required from
two to six months. Every govcrnmen,
that has any interest in the welfare of a
civilized people is the equal enemy Of
criminals, for crime is neither territorial
nor national; and State might as well
set apart portion Of its own territory and
declare that therein criminals shall have
immunity from pursuit as to neglect any
step for obtaining extradition laws, with
ont lugitives have only to run few stepi
further across the frontier. Extraditior
simply gives legal force to the general con
sent Of all sociei,s that men shall Eepun
ishcd for certain recognized crimes; am
wc do rot believe that sinala nation il
Europe would now refuse t, make a treat,
with us for thi' purpose.
Year: 1876

JFIT is the desire of the Republican
part to make anything like fair showing
in the next Presidential contest, they must
bring out better men than Morton, Blaine
or Grant. The next fight is to bea square
shoulder to shoulder battle Of argument
and reason, where tie soldiers and the
clap-trap nonsense Of sectional difference
will fare much better at home, splitting
constitutional hairs or beating the sword
into the plug ghshare.
Year: 1876

West Point is as good place to COM
mence cutting down the appropriations as
any, a reduction would not shut the door
against any one. 1t would be far better
if the law could be made SO that tie son
Of a wealthy man would have to foot his
own expenses and those who are poor
made the objects of the nations support.
No one denies the worthy object of West
Point as an institution for training the
military officers Of the country. But they
DO deny the service the appropriation per.
forms in many instances Of furnishing the
sons Of wealthy men with pin money.
Year: 1876

Within less than one months time the
United States Government has found it
expedient for the well being of Lewes as
Government station to make two changes
at that point. First Lightning struck Mr..
Lyons, one of Judge Fishers pets, and
now the head of ore Burton has fallen
into the axeman's basket with a heavy
thud. 1t does really seem after all the
frettings of certain contemporaries, that
the statement made in THE HERALD that
certain changes would occur had some
truth. But it is to be hoped that the ad-
ministration during the short balance of
lease upon life, that it has, can find some
one among the broad constituency in tbis
State 10 I'LL tie places of the decapitated
Year: 1876

If we could but purge the Government
Of some of those who live upon it to make
the most out OF it that they possibly can
and thereby disgrace their own position
and weigh the American character in th'
scales with themselves, we should avoic
many ofthe scandals that are coming on
constantly against government officers
schenck would make good subject t.
begin with.
Year: 1876

Scene at a Brooklyn wedding breakfast
Company all seated about the table. A
pause in the general conversation. Happy
husband, to his wife seven year old sister
at the other end of the room: "Well, Julie,
you have new brother now" Julie, eyes.
but mother said to papa the other day that


she was afraid you would never amount to
much, but that it seemed TO be Sarah's last


chance" Intense silence for moment,
followed by rapid play of knives and
Year: 1876

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania,
Justice Sharsw ood only dissenting, to-day


affirmed the Judgment Of the lower court in


the case of Henry Jones and the Mount
Moriah Cemetary. For nearly six months
highly respectable citizen OF Philadelphia


has been denied burial in his own lot in
Mount Morieh Cemetery, simply because OF


his color. His family have asserted their
rights and the Supreme Court has
affirmed them, in language which


gives no uncertain sound: The old


dictum of Chief Justice Taney that


the colored man has no rights which


a white man is bound to respect is reversed


by the strong and indignant words of the


Supreme Court of Penusylvania, and the


preposterous claim of the White Mans


Cemetery people is stamped with repro
baton that will be hailed with satisfaction
by every intelligent lover of justice and
human rights in the community. We have
only time and space, to-day, to express our
hearty congratulations with the family Of
Mr.. Jones that case where powerful cor
poration stood on one side and the private,
quiet household Of deceased oolored man
was on the other, and where victory hss


been won simply because it was right that
! it should be won.-PAiladelphia Bulletin.
Year: 1876

All the district courts are now supplied
with facilities to notify attorneys by means
of the district telegraph. All that is neces-
sary is to be certain that the clerk has the
proper address, q very easy matter for the
attorney.


Judge Lynch has issued the following
order, and probably other courts will give
similar directions:


Fourth District Court in and for the parish
of Orleans.-In order to perfect the system
of the American District Telegraph Com
pany, adopted for court service in the sew
eral district courts for the parish Of Orleans,
it is ordered by this honorable court that
the minute clerk thereof do fill ont Q notice,
giving the title of the case and the names
Of the attorneys representing both parties
to said suit, and issue the same at prac-
ticable time, say about ten minutes before
the actual trial of each and every case.
Year: 1876

Seymour for every convention of democrats,
and the disorganizers who were in sympathy
with Governor Tilden's plans availed them
selves of that charm to defeat serious nom-
ination. They threw in that name as the
cunning racer threw the apples before the
swift competitor to tempt her away from the
gcal.


There was more than mere disorganization
in their scheme. however, for it promised
this advantage to themselves-thati if they
could put their man in the second place he
might in one of several contingencies attain
the first place. 1t was, therefore, an attempt
to use Mr.. Seymour as a tool to utilize the
well-earned credit of his name for the pur-
pose of desperate personal project that
will destroy every man connected with it.
And the failure to give the State Committee
the usual authority to fill vacancies will,
perhaps, turn ont to have been part of the
scheme, which Mr.. Seymour's frmness has
SO promptly exposed.
Year: 1876

lations are restored to the great family OF
Baptists in tho North and South. The
Erdngelist halls the goodly prospect OF
organic reunion, and adds:-''It is a day to
expect the greatest and best events in the
churches, and among these are great recon-
citations among long and bitterly divided
households of the same faith and order.
The Observer also joins the chorus and halls
the event under consideration as another
evidence that the time has fully come for
burying the differences of the past and re-
storing the bonds of Christian fellowship as
they once existed among all the branches Of
the Church. The result of the deliberations
of the joint commission, says the Observer,
cannot fail to bring JOY to every Christian
heart, not only in the two communions rep
resented, but throughout the whole Church
of Christ, wherever the circumstances of the
separation and the promise of the reunion
are known. This result will doubtless be a
surprise as well as joy to large part Of
the Christian public. 1t was as little to be
expected in ard from this quarter as in any
branch Of the Church.
Year: 1876

Two more savings banks in the hands of
receivers. Pleasant news, is it not, for the
poor depositors? The greater number of
our savings banks fortunately, are sound.
But why were not all so? These banks are
under the special control of the State Super
intendent of Banking. He holds his Office
in order that he may by his vigilant scrutiny
of these banks protect the industrious poor
from loss. The law gives him abundant
powers to ascertain their condition at
all times, and to make suro that
the funds intrusted to them by poor
working men and women are sacredly
guarded. Yet five or six savings banks have
suspended since last fall, and in some of
them, it is now known, gross frauds were
for long time going on. Has the Superin-
tendent of Banking no responsibility in this
matter? He draws his pay; he has sworn to
perform his duty; he neglects 1t, and the
industrious poor lose their little savings
through his cold carelessness.


We have been waiting to hear from Gov
crnor Tilden on this subject He is the
Chief Executive of the State. The Bank
Superintendent is his subordinate. The
Governor is responsible that his subordi-
mates do their duties faithfully. But the
Governor is busy with politics. He does
not seem to care about the poor depositors.
At least there is no evidence in any net of
his that he either knows or cares about their
moneys. There is so much talk about re-
form in these days that We wonder some of
the reformers do not, for sweet consistency's
sake, look little after the hard savings of
the working men and women of New York
and see to it that the savings banks are
honestly conducted.