smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

AN EsQUIMAUX HOUSE, OR HUT.-One
would think that, cold and dreadful as the
Arctic regions are known 10 be, tho inhab-
itants would need every comfort that could
bo imagined in the way Of house. But
no. The first thing the Esquimaux does
IN his home building Is TO clear away the
snow and ice from spot of ground of the
light size for his house. This he makes as
smooth as he can, leaving one end little
higher than The other. The higher end is
TO serve as parlor and bedroom the lower
as workshop and kitchen. Around this
cleared spot of earth blocks OF hard frozen
snow are laid in such a fashion that they
form low round roof resembling in shape
the half Of a hollow ball. By way of a
window, small square of rather thin and
clear ice is set into the wall.


On The side Of the house least exposed to
wind is long and very narrow passage
way leading 10 the open air. This passage
is so low that the inmates Of the house have
to crawl through il on their hands and
knees. The door is only loose block OF
snow.


These huls dn not appear 10 be very
charming residences, but there are two
good things about them. One is, that the
high winds Of that desolate region cannot
possibly blow hut over, though they may
bury 1t in snow; The other good thing is
that no one hut can he lived in longer than
season. TIE poor Esqumaux are, un-
fortunately, very dirty people, and il
they lived ever 40 long in one house they
would never clean it. Bni the snow-housC
finally cleans Itself in The most thorough
manner, for as soon as the warm days o
summer come it melts away, and lis in
mates must set about building seal-skir
tent that will shelter them till winter comes
again.-'Jdck in-the Pulpit" 81. Nichold
for January.
Year: 1876

The following plan ought to be adopt
ed another year by country people hav-
ing city kindred. It is furnished the
Kingston Freeman as worthy of public
consideration: A gentleman living up
the railroad, having been pestered by
his relations from the city coming to
visit him every summer, told his wife
last spring that there must be change
in things. If she had to work herself
half to death during the hot weather she
might as well get paid for it, so he
meant to advertise for boarders. The
good wife acquiesced, and the result is
they have filed their house with board
ers at ~ week, and the host of rela-
tives have to go somewhere else to
spend the summer, and pay for their
board. Why" said the gentleman,
"my wife don't have to work half SO
hard. These boarders are not near so
particular about having costly food as
our relations, and they actually help
around the house just as though it was
fun for them. Catch any of our COM
pany doing that. Not a bit of it.
They are always in the way, wanting con-
tinual waiting on, and never did thing
to help my wife--not even in washing
dishes. We will make this summer
nearly $400. and it will be clear money!
for our relations would have eaten JUS
as much as these boarders, besides max
ing more work, without ever contribut-
ing cent.
Year: 1876

It requires six men, according to the
San Francisco NeaUS Letter, to put up
car window. A young lady gets in, and
having bumped around in her seat for
about five minutes, she turns and re-
quests the gentleman just behind her to
perform that service. This is near
sighted individual, who peers around
the window frame some time for the
catch, and then-of course the window
sticks-ierks his finger half off and sits
down with red face, amid the giggling
of the schoolgirls opposite. Next, the
man in the front seat puts his lavender
colored knee on paper of cherries be-
side him, clutches and yanks at the
knob, and finally falls over into the
young lady's lap. The cause of all this
misery now remarks that sit doesn't
matter" and then smiles sweetly at a
pale young man with long hair. This
martyr turns white, rises, and buttons
up his coat for the death struggle. On
the eleventh pull he bursts a blood
vessel somewhere, and goes into the
toilet compartment to bleed. A simple
minded mechanic now comes forward
with his tool bag, from which he takes
a crowbar. just when he is about to
use this the conductor happens by, and
slides the window airily up with gen.
tie twist of the wrist.
Year: 1876

That the "hard times have seriously
affected that large and enterprising class
of our fellow citizens, the burglars, says
the New York Times, there is abundant
evidence. A marked change is plainly
perceptible in the manner in which they
do their work. Formerly the burglar
was usually an artist in his profession,
and showed a conscientious thorough
ness and nicely in its practice. He
effected his entrance into house in a
dexterous and workmanlike manner,
leaving no broken glass or smashed
panels to accuse him of clumsy incompe
tence. He knew what articles of value
to select, and how to avoid disturbing
the inmates of the house by rude and
inconsiderate noises. In no circum-
stances would he be guilty of wanton
and ungentlemanly destruction of prop
erty. If he found himself insulted with
plated spoons, and mocked by oroide
iewelry, he never showed his resent
ment by twisting the former and stamp
ing on the latter. If he thus failed to
meet with any adequate reward for his
midnight toll, he simply withdrew
quietly and inoffensively, and contented
himself with pitying the selfish parsi-
mony with which householders, rolling
in plated teaspoons, ignored the hard
working burglar, and left him TO suffer
in silence the pangs of disappointed
hope.


To this praiseworthy burglar of for
mer days has succeeded the rude pre-
tender to burglary, who cannot under
take the simplest job without showing
his incompetence and vulgarity. He
breaks into suburban houses by the
primitive process of kicking out the
cellar windows, and scratches the
matches with which he lights his lantern
on the spotless parlor walls. His first
idea is to rob the refrigerator and make
hearty meal, careless of the annoyance
which he thus inficts upon the thrifty
housewife, and of the disgrace which be
brings upon his art by subordinating it
to sensual qualification. After supper
he makes an exploration of the house,
soiling the carpets with tobacco juice,
and breaking the locks of desks and
drawers. If he finds nothing that is
worth stealing, he expresses his brutal
anger by cutting the pictures, scratch
ing the piano, and breaking the clock.
Before he departs he usually manages to
fall over enough furniture to awaken the
proprietor, and to thus promote that
want of harmony in the domestic circle
which inevitably occurs when husband
hesitates to accept his wife's advice to
go down stairs armed only with his
night shirt and capture burglar. The
contrast between this rufianly house
breaker and the skillful and accomplish
ed burglar is painfully forced upon our
attention whenever we read the police
reports, and thinking men naturally
asksthemselves what has been the cause
of this sad deterioration which apparent.
iy involves the whole profession.
Year: 1876

Four white men, while out hunting
about two miles from Deadwood, killed
a deer, ard while they were skinning it,
one of them saw an Indian approaching
them, leading his pony. He was prob
ably trying to surprise them, but, being
uncertain of their exact position, he lad
approached too near. and they discover
ed him first. One of the party snatched
up his shotgun, loaded with buckshot,
and fred both barrels, bringing down
the Indian and his pony. The confident
manner in which the Indian had walked
toward them had led them to suppose
that he was supported by a number of
others, and so they quickly retreated to-
ward Deadwood for re endorsements. A
party started out to scout the country
and, on reaching the spot where the deer
lay, the men saw the body Of the Indian
by the side of his pony, and, thinking
him dead, they rushed forward. This
action was fatal to one of the party, for
a shot from the Indians rife struck him
in the heart. A volley from the others
killed the Indian instantly, however,
and his body was quickly surroundedby by
the white men. The Indian had been
almost riddled with buckshot, OF shoul-
der and both legs having been broken,
yet he had managed to bandage his legs
and 20 take unerring aim with his
wounded arm. Knowing that his life
would be taken without doubt, he had
prepared to sell it as dearly as possible,
and, lying on his back, he rested his
rifle on his wounded legs and shot dead
the foremost of his assailants. In his
mouth was another cartridge ready to
reload. His rifle was the best and latest
breech loading arm issued to the army
in 1876, and it was probable that he had
obtained it in the Custer or Reno fight,
since an old bullet mark in the grip of
the stock showed that it had been in ac-
tion.
Year: 1876

The following record will show the changes In the
temperature for the past twonty-tour hours in
parison with the corresponding date Of ast year,
Indicated by the thermometer at Hudnut's pharmacy,
HIM IN Hntldi
Year: 1876

Tho following graphic account of the Cali
ifornia wheat harvest, from the columns OF
Appleton's journal, makes the Vermont way
of grading, binding by hand and threshing
with one or two.horse power seem slow in'
decd.


Suppose that upon one of the many days
of the harvest season you get out of bed at
au unusually early hour, and again climb to
the housetop.


Beneath and in front of you will lie, as
before, the pale, golden sea Of wheat, girdled
in the cool distance with tho purple noun
tains The air will be soft and delightful
to breathe the oaks upon the riyer-bank
will throw shadows across the roadway, aud
the rays of the sun will spread over the
enormous plain-a smile Of greeting for the
day.


You will sweep the horizon with your
glass. Hardly to be seen, even with that,
are some curiousy shaped dots, moving
slowly hther and thither. They seem to
crawl like insects, some going north, some
south, some east and some west. After u
while you will distinguish that nearly every
one of these dots is Of deep red color. A
little later you recognize the awkward shape
of the separators, aud the broad.topped fun
nels of the engines Throngs OF people,
most Of them in wagons, yet some atoot, fol-
low on behind. After a while all Of these
now widely separated groups will come to a
siandstill. They have taken up their posi-
tions for the onslaught upon the grain.fields
as deliberately and with as much thought as
batteries take up positions for battle.


When one Of these corps approaches its
station, a header, with its attendant wagons,
is sent forward to cut clear place in the
centre of the area to be worked upon that
day. The machine is pressed upon the
wheat, devouring 1t as it goes, aud then, haS,
ing accomplished a proper distance, turns
and works in circle, cutting out a bare
spot from three to five acres in extent. This
is the point irom which seventy acres oI
Year: 1876

The comparative exhaustion OF soil by
crops which mature their seed and those
which do not, is a question farmers cannot
afford to neglect. Mr.. Jerome Holden Of
West Westminster related to us recently an
incident which appeared to throw light on
the point. A piece Of land Of about two
acres on his farm was very heavily manured
(plpwed in) and planted to corn, giving
good crop. The next year it was sown to
wheat and stocked. About six years after
it was again maHured heavily, about half Of
it having fifty loads to the acre, and the rest
considerably more, the latter half being so
heavily dressed that it was with difficulty
that it was turned under. 1t was again
planted with corn, but the yield on account
of an untavorable season and other causes was
not good. The next year the part most
heavily manured was planted with corn and
the other half sown with four bushels to the
acre of corn, broadcast, for fodder, the yield
on both parts being very heavy The fod-
der corn made no ears and was cut when fully
tasseed. The next season the whole was
sown with wheat, The part which had
borne fodder corn the year before gave a
taller growth and longer heads, very evil
IDENTIFY heavier, better crop, although it
was not harvested separately, When it
came to bear grass, there was the same diff
ference. The crop on the fodder corn land
was much heavier Mr.. Holden accOuats
for it by the greater exhaustion Of the ele'
ments. of fertility in forming the seed on the
field corn, its effects being apparent in all Of
the succeeding crops in spite of the fact that
the soil was the same and had much the
heaviest applications of manure. He con-
siders fodder corn the most valuable croE
the farmer can raise for winter feed of stock
Thinks an acre Of it worth more than an acre
of corn.
Year: 1876

Grass seed may be sown at any time be.
fore the ground freezes. Whether clover
seed may not be sown with late-sown grass
seed, just before the soil is frozen up tor
winter, aud be all ready to germinate in spring
giving surer catch and better stand than il
sown on the snow or frozen ground 10 spring
without narrowing or other covering save
what it gets in the freezing and thawng and
spring rains, is a question we propose to dc.
termine by test. In theory it is sound.
Year: 1876

Our farmer readers will thank us, surely,
for printing in full Mr.. Hopkins paper on
kindness to animals There is a deal Of
truth and not little poetry in his treat
ment Of the question. Our farmers would
do well to consider the appeal to the purse
as well as to the higher sentiments, in favor
of kindness to the mute, trusting creatures
which Providence has placed in our care.
Year: 1876

In the new scale of points Of Guernsey
cattle, adopted by the Royal Guernsey Ag-
ricultural Society, in which thirty points
mark perfection, the head Is given seven
points while four are made to suffice for the
udder, teats and milk veins. 1t is notice.
able that the escutche on is not taken into
account at all.
Year: 1876

From the nature of things, the in
come of most Of the inhabitants of the
earth must be limited, and indeed within
very narrow bounds. The product OF
labor throughout the world, if equally
divided, would not make the share OF
each individual large. 1t is impossible
that every one should be called 0ch.
But it is by no means impossible to be
independents. And what is the way to
compass this GLORIOUS privilege, as
Burns appropriately designates 81 it 7
The method is very simple. 1t consists
in one rule Limit your wants; make
them few and inexpensive. To do this
would interfere but little with your real
endowment. It is mostly matter OF
habit. You require more, or You are
satisfied with less, Just as you have &C
customed yourself to the one or the
other. Limit your wants, estimate their
cost, and never exceed it, taking pains
always to keep inside of your income.
Thus you will secure your lasting inde-
pendence. Young men, think ''of this.
A great deal of the happiness of your
life depends upon it. After having your
money, spend it as you choose, honestly.
but be sure to make it first.
Year: 1876

This little sentence should be written
on every heart and stamped on every
memory. It should be the golden rule
practiced not only in every household,


but throughout the world. By helping
one another we not only remove thorns
from the pathway and anxiety from the
mind, but we feel sense of pleasure ipo
our own hearts, knowing we are doing q
duty to fellow creature. A helping
hand, or an encouraging word, Is no loss
to us, yet it is benefit to others. Who
has not felt the power of this little SEN
tence2 Who has not needed the en-
couragement and aid of a kind friend :
How soothing, when perple1ed with
some task that is mysterious and bur
densome, to feel gentle hand on the
shoulder and to hear kind voice whls-
pering: "Do not feel discouraged. L
see your trouble-let me help you. "
What strength is inspired, what hope
created, what sweet gratitude is felt, and
the great difficulty is dissolved as dew
beneath the sunshine. Yes, let us help
one another by endeavoring to strength
en- and encourage the weak and lifting
the burden of care from the weary and
oppressed, that life may glide smoothly
on and Die fount of bitterness yield
sweet waters; and He, whose wiling
hand is ever ready to aid US, will reward I


our humble endeavors, and every good
deed will be as "bread cast upon the


waters to return after many days, II not
to us, to those we love. p,
Year: 1876

A New York correspondent OF the
Cincinnati Gazette says: Every after
noon during the season couple OF men,
with q horse drawing close covered
wagon, are brought down In the muni-
cipal ferry and landed at Twenty eighth
street. All know what the wagon con-
tains, and at night its load is conveyed
to the different dissecting rooms. Three
students generally form copartnershlp
in the use of subject, which reduces
the cost to o very low rate. A subject
will. in cold weather, keep three weeks,
and during that time it will be thor
ouphly dissected. About five hundred
subjects are thus cut up for the benefit
of science every winter, In addition to
a large number sent to physicians and
to other institutions. They. are gener-
ally packed for shipping in pork bar
rels, and can be had in this shape at 50
per barrel. This facility in obtaining
subjects is a great assistance In the
study of anatomy. Formerly there were
such difficulties in the way Of procuring
them that there could be but little at
tainment in surgical skill. The late emil
nent practitioner, Alden March, has
told me that in the early years OF his
profession he was in the habit OF going
from Albany to Boston every winter with
a team and wagon made for the pur-
pose, in which he brought back from SIX
to ten subjects for his own use and for
his students. In such trips he was gen
orally supposed to be a peddler. A sub
ject would in this way cost $25 at Least ;
but at the present day they can be land
ed at Albany for S., including the
freight and price of the barrel.
Year: 1876

Those who have thoroughly investi-
gated the matter assure us that bread
made from fine white -four is "starva-
ton food" It does not contain the
elements necessary to properly nourish
and sustain the human body. If parents
expect their children to grow up with
good health, strong nerves, perfect
teeth, good eyes and hair, they must not
give them fine white flour bread as a
constant article Of diet. 1t is believed
that the prevalence of early -decaying
teeth and premature grayness and bald
ness OF the head are largely due to the
general use of white flour. The whole
of the wheat, reduced to,a uniform con-
dition, without loss or injury OF the food
elements, makes nutritious food, which
contains all the elements necessary for
growing and health. Fortunately many
people are beginning to understand this
important matter. s....
Year: 1876

Mr.. and Mrs. Ritter were middle
aged couple who had long been resi-
dents of Flatbush, N. Y. They were
people in comfortable circumstances,
and among the most respectable in the
locality. A difference in religious be-
lief was constant bone Of contention
between the husband and wife, and led,
indirectly, to double crime.


The night previous to the murder and
suicide there was, Methodist prayer
meeting at the house of neighbor, and
Mrs, Ritter, who had for some time
manifested great anxiety for her hus-
bands soul, wanted him to attend the
meeting with her. He declined, and
she went away alone, highly displeased
with him. Ritter spent the evening at
the house OF another neighbor, a mem
ber of the Reformed Church. The
Methodist meeting was out, and Mrs.
Ritter got home and abed before her
husband returned home. When he re-
paired to his bedroom he found that his
wife had locked the door on the inside
and positively refused to lethim in. He
found every other bedchamber IN the
house and every room with fire in
locked, and he was finally compelled to
90 into the attic. The night was bitter
cold, and he got but little Sleep 2Iai~


The next morning he came down and
found the kitchen unlocked, but his wife
not vet out of her room. She presently
appeared, and at once assailed him for
his persistent refusal to repent OF his
sins. Warm words followed, and at last
Ritter picked up q hammer that lay near
and exclaimed: .rt,-r. - go :.,la.l.a.3 ~


"We might better be dead than live
in this wsyl" -...,s., -....


He then dealt his wife several blows
on the head, and she fell to the floor.
Her screams were heard by Eli Eph-
grave, a neighbor, and he at once
rushed into Ritter's apartments. He
found the husband standing over the
PROSTATE form of his wife with the ham
mer raised as if to strike again. Eph-
crave seized hold of him and threw him
aside, and carried Mrs. Ritter into his
own part of the house. Ritter repeated
the above remark as Ephgrave went out
with the wounded woman.


He was left alone in his room but a
moment, but when Ephgrave returned
he found Ritter on his knees before his
bed with his head fallen over upon it
and blood streaming from his throat to
the floor. Ritter was taken up and laid
upon his bed. when it was seen that he
had cut his throat from ear to ear with q
razor. He died before physician could
be called, and his Sictiba died shortly
after.
Year: 1876

Samuel Haughton, author OF q work
on "Animal Mechanics, " writes to Ma
tire of the relative strength OF the hon
and the tiger :: 4" have proved that the
strength of the lion in the fore limbs Is
only 69.9 per cent. of that OF the tiger,
and that the strength of the hind limbs
is only 69.5 per cent. of that of the tiger:
1 may add that five men can easily hold
down a lion, while it requires nine men
to control tiger. Martial also states
that the tigers always killed the hons In
the amphitheater. The lion isr In truth,
a pretentious humbug, and owes his re-
putation to his imposing name, and ne
will run away like whipped cur under
circumstances in which the tiger will
boldly attack and kill"
Year: 1876

For the existing state of things, In
very many cases, farmers wives are
themselves to blame. They put too
much heart into their work, and not
enough brains. They set their affections
upon preserving an immaculate order,
upon doing everything which they con-
slider indispensable to good housekeep.
ing, with conscientiousness worthy of
higher object. They act the martyr,
utterly ignoring the fact that martyrdom
is only sublime when the object OF de-
votion is worthy of the suffering endur-
ed. II the farmers wife would use her
intelligence more, and consider that her
chief function in the family is to make
home, not to be mere housekeeper
to be mother, not a drudge to supply
her children's physical necessities to
be q helpmeet for her husband, not IN
one or two particulars merely, but In
all, then would come the beginning Of
better things, IF she would consider
that upon her depends in 80 great de-
gree the cultivation in those about her
of refined, aesthetic tastes, and the lift
ing up of the life into something higher
than the mere execution of life's chores,
surely she would not exhaust all her
strength upon that which perisheth with
the using,


I know farmers wives whose husbands
are worth from 800, 900 to $500, 600 who
are frequently without help, simply be-
cause good help is scarce, and poor help
not to be endured by them SO they
work from four in the morning until late
at night, and expect their neighbors to
commend them when they declare they
have not read book or paper for
months. There are others who keep
some help, but do not take the time
gained thereby for recreation or i'm
provement, but hold on to the old ways
of doing things which furnish extra
work enough to consume all the tune
gained; as, for instance, with q asewing
machine idle in the corner, they slt pa
tiently sewing by hand little calico
patches together, which are too small to
put through the machine, and which it
is perfectly absurd for any woman to ex-
ha1st her nerves over. 7et women,
oyerworked women, will commit this
folly, although a very slight exercise OF
their reasoning powers would suffice to
show them that when comforters can be
tackled 30 quickly, and when cotton and
woolen blankets and white spreads can
be- bought so cheaply, it is deliberate
murder of time and vital strength to
spend SO many precious hours over IN
significant, ugly patchwork quilts. Ag-
ricultural fairs should be ashamed OF en-
couraging such work by offering premi-
INNS for it.