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NI2IV 8 & PUANTJSKS’ GAZETTE.
. COTTING, MS flit or.
No. 47.—NEW SERIES.]
NEWS & PLANTERS’ GAZETTE.:
■; ‘ I | —I
. terms:
Published weekly at ‘l’hrec Dollar* pet annum
if paid at the time of subscribing; or Three
Dollars and Fifty Cents, if not paid till the expi
ration of six months.
• No paper to be discontinued,unless at the
option of the Editor, without the settlement of
all arrearages.
ID” Letters, on business, must be postpaid, to
insure attention. ‘No communication shall be
published, unless we are made acquainted with
the name of the author.
TO ADVERTISERS.
Advertisements, not exceeding one square, first
insertion, Seventy-Jive Cents; and for each sub
sequent insertion, Fifty Cents. A reduction will
be made of twenty-five per cent, to there who
advertise by the year. Advertisements not
limited when handed in, will be inserted till for
bid, and charged accordingly.
Sales of Land and Negroes by Exec ulors, Ad
ministrators and Guardians, are required by law,
to be advertised, in a public Gazette”, sixty days
previous to the day of sale.
The sales of Personal Property must be adver
tised in like manner, forty days.
Notice to Debtors and Creditors of an Estate
must be published/orft/ days.
Notice that application will be made to the
Court of Ordinary, for leave to sell Land or Ne
groes, must be published for four months—
notice that application will be made for Letters
of Administration, must be published thirty days;
and Letters of Dismission, six months.
Mail Arrangements.
rOST OFFICE, >
Washington, Ga., January , 1843. $
MAIL.
ARRIVES.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at f>, A. M.
CLOSES.
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, at 12, M.
MILLEDGEVILLE MAIL.
ARRIVES.
Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 8, A. M.
CLOSES.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 11, A. M.
CAROLINA MAIL.
ARRIVES.
Monday, Wednesday; and Friday, at 11, A. M.
CLOSES.
Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 6, A. M.
LEXINGTON MAIL.
ARRIVES.
Tuesday and Saturday, at 2, P. M.
CLOSES.
Monday and Friday, at 9, A. M.
ELBERTON MAIL. f
ARRIVES. CLOSES: -
Thursday, at 8, P. M. j Thursday, at o, P. M.
LINCOLNTON MAIL.
ARRIVES. CLOSES.
Friday, at 12, M. { Friday, at 12, M
——————— eggflßeyeta^3—wy.
COTTING & BUTLER,
ATTORN IKS,
HAVE takeiman OFFICE in the rear of
Willis & Hester’s Store.
January, 1843. 28
CANDLES : CANDLES I ;
boxes best. Sperm Candles, at 33 cts. per lb.
10 “ Hull &. Sons best Patent Candles, a: 17
cents per pound, just received and ior
sale by HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1,1843. 40
Sugar and Coffee.
0 Ilhds. best New-Orleans Sugar at 8 cts. per
pound,
2 Hhds. 2d quality do. at 7 cents per lb.
2,000 lbs. Rio and Java Coffee, at 12.) cents.
1,000 “ Refined Loaf Sugar, at 12) “
1,000 “ best Steam-refined Sugar at 14)- cents, I
Just received and for sale by
•HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1,1843. 40
Just Received 9
OF the Athens Manufacturing Company, a
few thousand yards very heavy White and
Blue COTTONS, a very superior article for
Servants wear—low for Cash, by
HEARD & BROTHER.
July 13, 1843. 4G
ADMINISTRATRIX’S SALE.
WILL be sold on the first Tuesday in Sep- \
tember next, before the Court-House j
door in Appling county, agreeably to an order of
the Inferior Court of Elbert county, when sitting
as a Court of Ordinary, one Tract of Land, con
taining four hundred and ninety Acres, in the
fourth District, number four hundred and eighty
three (483,) of Appling county. Sold as a part
of the Lands belonging to the Estate of George
Wyche, deceased. Terms will be made known
on the day of sale, this 29th day of June, 1643.
AGATHA WYCHE, Adm’x.with
the will annexed, on the Real Estate
of George Wyche, deceased.
July 6. m2m 45
FOUR months after date, application will be
made to the Honorable the Inferior Court
of Elbert county, while sitting as a Court of Or
dinary, for leave to sell all the Lands belonging
to the Estate of John S. Higginbotham, deceas
ed, late of Elbert county, this 26th April, 1843.
JOHN G. HIGGINBOTHAM, ) . , .
JOSEPH SEWELL, ) Aamrs
May 4,1843. m4m 36
“Ej'OUR months after date, application will be
-*• made to the Honorable Inferior Court of
• Wilkes county, while sitting as a Court of Ordi
nary, for leave to sell all the Real Estate of John
’ S. Walton’s minors, lying in said county.
I. T. IRVIN, Guardian.
June 15,1843. m4m 42
FOUR months after date, application will be
made to the Honorable Inferior Court of
Wilkes county, while sitting for Ordinary pur
poses, for leave to sell part of the Negroes be
longing to the Estate of Abner Wellborn; late of ‘
said county, deceased.
NICHOLAS WYLIE, Executor, j
June 22,1843. w4m 43
BOOTS AND SHOES.
ICO pr. Kip peg’d. Brogans, at <sl to 1 124 cts.
100 “ Calf, Lasting, and Morocco Gaiter Shoes,
from $2 to 2 50 cts. per pair, a fine ar
ticle, and made to order.
15 dozen Ladies’ Kid Slippers and fancy Chine
Buskins at $1 to 1 25.
Ladies’ Calf and Kid walking Shoes,
Children’s Brogans and Slippers, of nearly
variety.
Just received and for sale by
HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1, 1843. 40
Georgia Mankecns.
100 pieces Georgia Nankeens; at $1 12) cents
a piece. Just received and for sale by
HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1,1843. 40
MclaSSCla, St,o,
15 barrels New-Orleans Molasses,
Cider and White-wine Vinegar,
Ginger, Pepper, and Allspice,
Wceding lloes, Scythe Blades,
Collins’ Axes, Trace Chains,
In Store and for sale low for Cash, by
HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1,1843. 40
Bles&elaeit Sheetiaag-’i,
A superior article, of 42-4 Sea-Isiand,
“ “ “ “ 12-4 Linen Sheetings
at 87; cents per yard. For sale by
HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1, 1843. 40
Mails! Mails!
25 kegs Nails just received, and for sale at
7 cents per pound by the keg.
HEAP ./ & BROTHER.
June 1,1843. 40
Sheetings and .shirtings.
12 bales Brown Sheetings and Shirtings, just
received and for sale at sto lOcts. per yard, by
HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1, 1843. 40
14m
20 cases latest style Hats, consisting of black
fasioliable Fur, Siik and Cassimere, ,
Black and white Broad-brim Hats, just received
and will be sold at 25 per cent, below the
ordinary pricer, by
HEARD & BROTHER.
June 1,1843. 40
ADMINISTRATOR'S SALE.
i/ST’i.LL he on the firs. Tuesday in Scp
* * ‘ember next, before the Court-House dour
in Washington, Wilkes county, between the le
gal hoars of sale, the follow ing property, to-wit:
One Negro Girl named Elly, about sixteen
years old, sold s the property of Edward
deceased, for the purpose o. paying the debt- •
said deceased, by order ol the Houurabie
inferior Court of Wilkes county, while sitting
for Ordinary purposes.
Terms made known on the day of sale.
FELIX G. HENDERSON, AdmV.
de bonis non.
June 29, 1834. 44
ADMINISTRATOR'S SALE.
ILL be sold on the first Tuesday in Ecp
* * tember next, before the Court-House door
in Cuthbert, Randolph county, a Lot of Land
known by number (131) one hundred and thir
ty-one, in the (8) eighth District of said count v,
as the property of James Sutley, Jate of ; :
county, deceased. Sold for tiie purpose of a c.-
vision, and by an order of the Honorable the lt
furior Court of Randolph county
JOHN M. CHRISTIAN, Adm’r.
Randolph co. June 22, 1843. 9t 43
GEORGIA, \ To Thomas O’Kelly and his
Elbert county. $ wife Elizabeth O’Kelly, Thom
as.l. Sandidge, Richard S. Sandidge, Albert G.
Sandidge, John Q,. A. Sandidge, Louisa A. Pace,
Elizabeth Jane Pace, and Martha Pace, heirs at
law and distributees of the Estate of Claborn
Sandidge, deceased, late of Elbert county, you
are hereby notified that we intend to apply to the
Honorable the Interior Court of Elbert county,
while sitting as a Court ui Ordinary, on the first
Monday in November next, for an order and to
divide the Negroes belonging to the Estate of
Claborn Sandidge, deceased.
JAMES M. SANDIDGE, ),, ,
ANDREW J SANDIDGE, < Adm rs
June 22,1843. ni4m 43
ADMINISTRATRIX’S SALE.
’ViI'ILL be sold on the first Tuesday in Sep
* * tember next, before the Court-House door
in Elbert county, agreeable to an order of the In
ferior Court of Elbert county, when sitting as a
Court of Ordinary, the one-fourth part of an un
divided Tract of Land, containing four hundred
and seventy-eight Acres, in Elbert county, ad
joining lands of William Penn, and others, and
one Negro woman by the name of Fanny. Sold
as the property of the Estate of George Wyche,.
deceased. Terms will be made known on the
day of sale, this 29th of June, 1843.
AGATHA WYCHE, Adm’x. on the
Perishable Property, and Adm’x. with the will
annexed on the Real Estate of George Wyche,
deceased.
July 6. m2m 45
‘C'OUR months after date, application will be
made to the Honorable the Inferior Court of
Wilkes county, while sitting as a Court of Or
dinary, for leave to sell a part of the Land and
Negroes belonging to the Estate of William
Hughes, deceased, late of said county.
BARNARD H. HUGHES, Ex’r.
June 22,1843.’ m4m 43
FOUR months after date, application will be
mdde to the Honorable the Inferior Court
of Wilkes county, while sitting as a Court of
Ordinary, for leave to sell the Real Estate be
longing to Mary Hughes, deceased, late of said
county.
BARNARD H. HUGHES, Adm’r.
June 22, 1843. m4m 43
EXECUTED AT THIS
@ IF F 0 © E*.”
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING.
WASHINGTON, (WILKES COUNTY, GA.,) JULY 20, 1843.
DttCsrcU.-mcouo.
From the Citizens Soldier.
THE GARRISON GHOST
OR THE RIVAL SUBS.
A SKETCH, BY THE COMPANY’S CLERK.
During the year eighteen hundred and
something, there was posted at old Fort
N , a company of troops belonging to a
regiment now experiencing the delights of
dying according to law, and being buried
according to regulations, in the pleasant
summer residences and sylvan retreats of
South Florida. It was officered by an old
bachelor captain, whose chief delight lay
in the gun and angle, and two subs, both
la(e graduates of “The Point,” an i who, of
course, could not appreciate the propriety
of being condemned, by the War Bureau,
to vegetate at a post better adapted to the
extensive rearing of cabbages than soldiers, j
The only society enjoyed by them was
found within themselves, and from a feeling
of ennui, dashed slightly perhaps by an e- j
motion •of spite against their superiors, they
devoted a major part oftheir time to prac- !
tising, with the field sixes, upon empty bar
rels moored in the lake, not one of which,
it may be well to state, was ever in the
slightest degree injured by their shot. But
ill due time a rather formal, though polite
note reached the post from the bureau of or
dinance, intimating that even contract pow
der was not to be procured short of some
slight disbursements, and that therefore the
gentlemen had liberty to suspend further
operations upon the unoffending flour casks;
so that the sons of Mars were left entirely
without diversion. You may well, there
fore, immagine their joy to learn that an
assistant surgeon, with a wife and an angel
ic daughter, had been ordered to the post,
and that he was to arrive early in the
month of June !
A few evenings previous to the antici
pated advent the young officers were seated
beneath the porch of their quarters, and as
every thing discussible beside had long
since been exhausted and worn to shreds,
the conversation naturally turned upon the i
important event about to transpire.
‘Well! De Lancv,’said the eldest, a tall,
fine-looking fellow, with the bronzed fea
tures of a southern clime, “as the lovely
lady must of course have one of us, and
can have but one, let us in the most ami
cable manner, push the siege to the utmost;
and as all is fair in love and war, and any
thing to relieve the tedium of our mushroom
existence is a godsend, let us at once be
come rivals—what say you ?”
“Fin agi it said the other, coolly tap
ping.bis boot with His rattan, “for as I saw
•r a: Washington, and flirted with her an
entire evening, I think I am a little in ad
vunoe of yourself, Harvey.”
‘Then let my” superior tact be offset u
gainst your prior attachment; and as we
•are both young, and, I flatter myself, good
looking, we stand upon aboutequal ground.’
‘Where be their quarters—did you
learn■?’ asked De Lancy.
‘Yes—in the old mess house ; and now,
by the by. I hope the family may not be su
perstitious,’ responded Harvey, with a sly
iook at his fellow sub.
‘Superstitious ! why what can there he
iti this old barrack to excite their fears V
‘Why—bless you ! the ghost !’
‘You speak as though he were a particu
lar and familiar friend of yourown—pray,
where does, his ghostship harbour V
‘Throughout the month of June lie ap
pears nightly in the old mess-house ; and
it is related pf the last detachment .posted
here, that their commander sought and ob
tained orders to remove solely on that ac
count.’
‘Thank heaven ! I am not superstitious,’
said De Lancy, a slight pallor, however,
overspreading his face, and giving the lie
to his words, ‘but, egad, should he- appear
to me, his wanderings may be stayed—l
shall assuredly fire upon him.’
‘As well fire upon the sprays of Niaga
ra ; for, as you must know, ghosts are sel
dom tangible—at least none that I have e
ver seen wore so,’ said Harvey, as he strol
led across the parade.
Foor De Lancy ! his superstitious fears
were wide awake ; and though as brave a
soldier as ever fought a Seminole, vet the
prospect of a tete-a-tete with a ghost w as no
joke, and he thought with a serious c ounte
nance upon tlie honors of such an encoun
ter.
Dinner was despatched, and the subs
were smoking their cigars under the porch,
on the day when the long-awaited coming
was about to be verified. Both were clad
in the undress of their profession, their tight
frocks buttoned to the chin, and presenting
rather an uncomfortable contrast with the
mercury at ninety in the shade, to their
ease-loving captain, who, with coat thrown
off, and attired in dressing-gown and slip
pers, was smoking his meerschaum, and
lounging out of a window nearby. A wag
on now came in sight which had been for
some lime rumbling down the road, and
piled upon it was luggage of that peculiar
description and look possedonlv by milita
ry traps. Another and another like vehicle
followed, until the captain bounce and from
his seat, exclaiming ‘Some mistake must
have been made—instead of an assistant
with a wife and daughter, we are going to
! have the entire hospital department on our
hands—but as I live, there is my old friend
Gayland !’ and the antiquated campaigner
leaped through the window to greet his ac
quaintance, who at that moment rode up on
a fine horse to attend to the stowage of his
I “belongings,” and the arrangement of his
| quarters. The young gentlemen threw a
! way their cigars, and. were introduced,
while all the available force of the garrison
was put in requisition to discharge the bag
gage trains. Soon all was arranged, that
is to say, the meuhles were all thrown top
sy-turvy into the building, in such an ad
mirable state of confusion, as would have
carried joy to the heart of the deity of Cha
os, and the coming of the ladies was pa
tiently awaited over a julep of Captain Sea
ton’s own concoction. At last they too ar
rived, driven into the parade by a negro
servant, who officiated over sucii an estab
lishment as never was owned by any one
save an army surgeon. Contriving to raise
a consumptive trot, the two animals who
drew the article facetiously termed a car
riage, brought it up in front of the mess
house with a grand flourish ; and as the door
was thrown open, all the gentlemen rushed
forward to assist the ladies to alight. The
doctor lifted out his lady, and each sub ex
tended his arm that lie might do the same
for the daughter, but the captain, whom old
acquaintance and advanced age entitled to
the privilege, trot only handed her out, hut
actually kissed her fair check ! The lieu
tenants looked foolishly at each other—
daggers at the captain—and loving at the
lady, although 1 shall not stay to describe
it, was overpowering. They followed the
cortege into the house, did their best at the
agreeable, and when they retired, found
that not only were they pleased, but that
Dan Cupid had actually shot each of them
directly through the heart!
Several days passed on, and Captain Sea
ton found that morning drills were dispen
sed with for rambles on the river hanks, or
excursions to the woods ; while evening pa
rades gave place to picnics, or rides over
the pleasant scenery in the vicinity. All
this was winked at, but one morning Cap
tain Seaton discovered that Mr. Harvey, in
lieu of mounting the guard at (lie proper
time, was actually engaged in pointing out
the beauties of the lake to a young female
companion, from the roof of the house, to
tally forgetful of all duty save that of a
cavalier amant.
‘Mr. De Lancy,’ said the old captain,
‘have the goodness, to apprise Mr. Harvey
that it is now half-past nine, and the guard
not yet mounted.’ Mr. De Lancy did so—
and assumed the duty of cicerone, vice Har
vy ordered to duty. As this latter descen
ded, lie met his captain in the passage, who
looked sharply at him, and accosted him
with—‘These continued derilietions will
not do sir—you need not trouble yourself
to leave the garrison for a week to come,
but confine your promenades to the limits
of the parade. Confound the youngsters,’
iie exclaimed, as his mortified sub left him;
‘one would suppose them both run mad with
their newlv arrived beauty.’
That evening Harvey was doubly pro
voked by seeing the lady ride from the gate
accompanied only by De Lancy, who, us he
thought, cast a glance, half of triumph,
halfofderisio.il, at him, as he rode by.—
‘Never mind, I’ll soon be even with you,’
he muttered, as he found himself standing
upon the wall, the limit of his domain, and
gazing upon the reoedirtg forms of Julia
and his rival. The ensuing morning, how
ever, the captain’s ire having subsided, he
released his lieutenant from arrest, and,
as if to conciliate him, insisted upon the
company of De Lancy on a fishing excur
sion. De Lancy, whose knowledge of the
piscatory art was rather exceeded by his
acquaintanci with the social amusements,
of the Grand Kliam, bottled down and
corked up his excessive wrath, in conside
ration of his captain, and taking his rod
upon his shoulder,sallied forth ; it was now
Harvey’s turn to laugh, and he did so with
right good will. And what a grim pleas
ure he had, as, in company with Miss Julia,
he passed their location, and saw his rival
seated upon a hot rock, with the most exem
plary patient cast of countenance, and en
deavoring to convince himself that he was
fishing!
‘All ! gentleman, what luck?’ Harvey
enquired, as they approached the Walton
iuns.
‘Glorious !’ exclaimed the captain ; and
he held up a fine string, while he tipped ihe
wink to Harvey to ask his brother sub the
same question.
‘And you—Da Lancy ?’ enquired Har
vey, in obedience to the signal.
•Not a bite! growled tiie other, looking
bayonets and regulation swords at Harvey,
while the captain thrust his tongue into his
cheek, and Miss Julia smiled. Now wheth
er it was that smile which seemed to he
all on his side, and in a manner accessory
to his own, or whether it was the peculiar
weather, or any other of the hundred cau
sesconducive to the full growth arid de
velopenu nt of Cupid’s plants, certain it is
that Harvey, on liis return from the stroll,
was in a most delectable and quiet over
powering state of love, and fearful lest
from its effects he might collapse a flue, or
in the plain parlance of the day, ‘burst his
biler,’ he determined on making a bold
stroke. What he did nous verrons.
The month of June was far advanced,
and the weather becoming excessively hot,
so that all midday exercises were interdic
ted, and pronounced a bore. Meanwhile
De Lancy was 4ting on finely, owing to
a temporary indisposition of his rival, and
every thing appeared, in his eyes, favora
ble. Late one sultry evening he strolled
into Harvey’s quarters, arid found him
groaning w ith the toothache.
‘All ! Ned,’ exclaimed De Lancy, ‘you
must relinquish the field—take up anew
position, as the English say when they re
treat ; Julia is mine, sir, beyond the posi
bilit y of a doubt.!’
‘Damn Julia !’ rashly imprecated the suf
fercr ‘What do I care whose she is V
‘ Tis well you do not, for she is mine, j
and lam glad to see you thus calm ; as 1
did not know that I should not have to shoot ;
you ;’ and ho skipped out oftlie room.
‘Not so certain—have my doubts,’ soli
liquised the patient, as he threw .off th
muffles about his countenance, and stood j
forth as handsome as ever.
When De Lancy had reached his room,
lie examined, critically, in his dressing- j
glass, a small plantation of whiskers, to j
which he had devoted a great part of his m- i
ergies for some weeks, hut which seemed
as yet to he iu that crude state denominu !
tod among the tillers of the sole, a. ‘slash j
ing.’ Having fully satisfied himself on i
this point, lie next proceeded to sc derober, j
which having accomplished, lie rolled int > |
hod. The night, as we have said, wassul i
the room close, and for the purpose of
ventilating the young gentleman had raised
up the sash. After turning over for about
the twenty-fifth time, his sleepless eyes ‘■
were attracted by a bright blue light, which j
shone in at liis window, and illuminated
the whole apartment whith a ghastly glare.
Then the aperture was suddenly darkened,
a rustle was heard, and the long-dreaded
object of his apprehensions appeared before j
him 1
“ Good Heavens ! the ghost !” h# ex- j
claimed, and drawing his pistols from be
neath his head, he discharged both at once
in the direction of the individual in white,
who stirred not save to “grin horribly a
ghastly smile.” and to toss upon the bed
both halls!
‘ Listen !’ said the minister-plenipoten
tiary from the spirit land ; ‘ twenty years
since your father, then a subaltern like
yourself, shot me in a duel at this very post;
since which I appear, on each anniversary
month of that event, to whomsoever dwells
within these walls. As his son, you shall
he subjected to my presence until you leave
the post. Promise ine that you will do so,
and l disturb you no more.’
1 1 e-ye-yes, most assuredly. I’ll leave
tomorrow; of course, anything to oblige
you, who have a prior right ; oil! of course,
but where do you stay—live—reside V
‘ Mortal, at present my abode is in the
cistern, .at the end of the mess-house, I
where ’
‘ Bless you ! isn’t it wet V gasped out !
•tiie poor haunted sub.
‘ Ignorant man !’ thiqk you that I, who
have lain in the grave Tor years, can feel
the damps of a poor human cistern V and
the water-proof charge d'affaires sneered in
quite a sardonic manner.
1 But it must certainly he cold—do take a
blanket !’ said the feeling officer, benevo
lently tendering some bed-clothing.
‘ No !’ shouted the ghost, in a most aw
fully sepulchral tone of voice, which made
DeLancy’s hair to bristle up with such vi- ‘
gor as nearly to dethrone his night-cap, j
‘No !’ and infuriated by the request, the
spirit seized a pillow, and leveled the |
young man to the ground. When he arose |
the apparition had disappeared.
‘Killed by my father in a duel, and at -
this post—never heard of it if n was so; j
but no matter, I’m off—and “his ghostship is |
welcome to the cistern’s quiet precincts for I
all of me.’ •
The next morning saw I)o Lancy on his
way to head quarters, situate about forty i
miles distant; and a few days later his post
was filled by a subaltern with three chil
dren.
The ensuing fall the quondam rivals met
at Old Point Comfprt, Harvey the husband
of a pretty blooming wife, whom he add tvs
ed as 1 Julia,’ and De Lancy still a bach
elor.
‘ Well, Dick,’ said Harvey, as he accos
ted the other, ‘she’s mine, you see !’
• Yes, Ned ; but it’s all along of that in
fernal ghost, no earthly means could have
done it.’
‘Does he still continue to inhabit the
mess-house cistern V enquired Harvey, fa
cetiously thrusting iiis thumb into the oth
er’s side.
De Lancy bolted.
A few days subsequently, he enquired of
liarvcy how it was that the pistols were
harmlessly fired.
1 Why your servant had previously re
moved the balls, at my request.’
‘ Damn the fellow—then had you not the
tooth-ache V
‘All a ruse!’
‘ Well, Mr. Harvey, you may consider
thisa capital joke, hut 1 must confess I can
not see the point of it !’
A Wife of the Proper Spirit. —The New
York Aurora is giving some reminiscences
of the band who went from New-York to
aid Texas. A journeyman mechanic form
ed one of the number, who went from New
York so suddenly, that he left his wife on
ly two-and ixpence lo support herself till
he came hack ; in fact, she did not know
what had become of him, and, like an in
dustrious woman, went to work to support
hersoU'and child comfortably, and laid up
money A'tout a year after his mysterious
disapw itice, she received a letter fioui
her “ ■ iord,” dated somewhere in Tex
as, see : g that he was almost starved lo
death, and requesting her to send him SIOO,
so that he might come home. His wife
very deliberately wrote in large letters un
der his communication, “ stay and be star
ved !” and re-directed the letter to his ad
dress in Texas. The husband has not
1 reached home up to this day
.Ti. J. k Pr liter.
SNAKE CHARMING.
From “ Extracts from my Indian Diary,'’
n the New Monthly May zinc.
When I was on General D’s stafi’ai
Tricliiriopoly, there was a dry Well in the
pai den, which • the favorite haunt of
snakes, and m which I shot several. One
morning 1 iscovered a large cobra capelin
at the bottom of this well, basking in tlu
sun ; hut while I ran to fetch my gun, some
of tin native servants began to pelt him
with stones, and drove him into his hole a
niong the brickwork, i therefore sent for
the snake-charmers to get him out. Two
of these worthies having arrived, we lower
ed them into the well by means of a rope ,
one of them (after performing .sundry meat:
tations, and sprinkling himself and his corn
panion with ashes prepared from the dung
of a sacred cow,) began to play a shrill
monotonous ditty upon a pipe, ornamented
with shells, brass rings, and beads : while
the other stood on one side of the snake’s
hole, holding a rod, furnished at one end
with a horse-hair noose ,
At first, the snake, who had been con
siderably bullied before he took refute in
ins hole, was deaf to the notes of the charm
er; but, after an hour’s con nut playing,
the spell began to operate, and ti snake
was heard to move. In a few minut more
he tli rust out his head ; the horse-hair loose
was dexterously slipped over it and drawn
tight, and we hoisted up the men, dangling
their snake in triumph. Having carried
nun to an open space of ground, they re
leased him from the noose. The enraged
snake immediately made a rush at the by.
standees, putting to flight a crowd of native
servants, who had assembled to witness the
sport. The snake-charmer, tapping him
en the tail with a switch, induced him to
turn upon himself; and at the same moment
sounding his pipe, the snake coiled himself
up, raised liis head, and appeared about to
strike ; but, instead of doing so, 1: remain
ed in the same position, as if fu.-cinated by
the music, darting out his slender forked
tongue, and following with liis head the
motion of tiie man’s knee, which he kept,
moving from side to side, within a few inch
es of him, as if tempting him to bitp. No
sooner did the music cease, than the snake
darted for ward with such fury that it re
quired great agility on the part of the man
to avoid him, and he immediately made off’
as fast as he could go. The sound of the
pipe, however, invariably made him stop
and obliged him to remain it! an upright po
sition as long as the man continued to pi at
After repealing this experiment several
times, we placed a fowl within his reach,
which iie instantly darted at and hit. The
fowl screamed at the moment he was struck,
but ran off’ and began picking among his
companions as if nothing had happened. I
pulled out my watch to know how long the
venom took to operate. In about half a
minute, the comb and wattles of the fowl
began lo change from a red to a livid hue,
and were soon nearly black, but no other
symptom was apparent; in two minutes it
began to stagger, was seized with strong
convulsions, fell to the ground, and contin
ued to struggle violently till it expired, ex
actly three minutes and a half after it had
been bitten. On plucking the fowl, we
found tiiat he had merely been touched on
th extreme point of the pinion ; the wound
not larger than the puncture.of a needle,
was surrounded by a livid spot, but the re
mainder of the body, with the exception of
the comb and wattles, which were of a dark
livid hue, was of the natural color, and I
afterwards learned that the coachman (a
half caste) had eaten it.
Tin charmer now offered to show us his
method of catching snakes, and seizing the
reptile (about 5 feet long) by the point of
the tail with liis left hand, lie slipped his
right hand along the body with the swift
ness of lightning, and grasping him by the
throat with his finger and thumb, held him
fast, and forced him so open his jaws, and
display his poisonous fangs. Having now
gratified my curiosity, I proposed that the
snake should he destroyed, or at least that
his fangs might be extracted—an operation
easily performed with a pair of forceps ;
but the snake being a remarkably fine one,
the charmer was unwilling to. extract his
teeth, as the operation sometimes proves fa
tal ; and begged so bard to be allowed to
keep him as lie was, that 1 at last suffered
him to put him in a basket and carry him
off. After this, he frequently brought the
snake to the house to exhibit him, and stilt
with his fangs entire, as 1 ascertained by
personal inspection, but so tame that he
handled him freely, and. apparently with
out fear of danger. On my return toTri
chinopoly, after an absence of some weeks,
1 inquired for my friend the snake-charmer,
and learned that he was dead, having been
bitten by this identical snake.
Matrimony. —in a circulating library of
five thousand volumes, four thousand and
some odd hue ireds describe how some man
and ivor. after various mishaps, got
I married. of plays. There cun . ce
!y bes, aso striking an illustr aof the
ruling ; ission in both sexes. ■ .s a shock
ing thing; .o surmise, but eiuiu the fact be
ascerta n i we would wager our existence,
that nil irried persons out often never
puss r. _k, alter ilie honeymoon, without
think who they would have, should the
loss • , heir present partners ohlig them t
lot. -it for new ones.
,ie largest diamond k ■:t isin the pos
si on of the Emperor of Brazil : it is vai
*. aat £5,500,000. Tne Emperor of Rus
sia has the next in worth.
[VOLUME \AVIII.