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o THE ATHENS GEORGIAN: JULY 24, 1877. Story of the R. R. Engineer. [Detroit Free Press.] “ Let mo put my name down first —I ean’t stay long 1” It was a red ribbon meeting, and the man wits a locomotive engineer, bronzed and strong, and having eyes full of deep determination. He signed his name in a bold, plain hand, tied a red ribbon in his button hole, and as he left the hall he said : «As the Lord looks down upon me, I’ll never touch liquor again !” “ Have you been a hard drinker ?” querried the man who walked beside the engineer. “ No. Fact is, I was never druuk in my life. I’ve swallowed consider able whisky, but I never went for enough to get drunk. I shouldn’t nms it or be the worse of it for an hour it' nil the intoxicating diink in the world was drained into the ocean.” “ But you seemed eager to s gn the pledge.” “ So l was, and I’ll keep it through thick and thin, and talk temperance to every man on the road.” “You must have strong reasons?” “ Well, if you’ll walk down to the depot. I’ll tell you a story on the way. It hasn’t been in the papers, and only a few of us know the fact-. You know I run the night express on the B Road. We always have at least two sleepers and a eoacli, and sometimes we have as many as two hundred passengers. It’s a good tv-nd, level as a floor and pretty straight, though there is a bad spot or two. The night express has the right o’ way, and we make fast time. It’s no rare thing for us to skim along at the rate of fifty miles an hour lor thirty or forty miles, and we rarely go below thirty. O .e night I pulled out of Detroit with two sleepers, two coaches, and the baggage and mail ears. Nearly all the berths in both sleepers were full, and most of the seals in the ooaches were occupied. It was a dark night, threatening all the time to rain, and j steam turned a lonesome wind whistled aroun ? the tab as we left the city behind. \Y<- were seventeen minutccdate*and th.it meant fast time all the way through.” “ Well,’’ he continued after a nm. ineut, “ everything ran along all right up to midgnight. The main track was kept clear for 11s; the engine was in good spirits, and wc ran into D as smoo.h as you please. The express coming east should meet 11s fifteen miles west ofD , but the operator at the station had failed to receive his usual report from below. That was strange, and yet it was not, and after a little consultation, the conductor sent me ahead. We were to keep the main track, while the other train would run in on the side track. Night after night, our time had been so close that we did not keep them waiting over two minutes, and were generally in sight when they switched in.” “ When we left D——, wc went ahead at a rattling speed, fully be*> lieving that the other train would be on time. Nine miles from 1) is the little village of Parto. There is a telegraph station there, but the operator has no night work. He closed his office and went home about 9 o’clock, and any messages on the wires for him were held above or be low until next morning. When I sighted this station, I saw a red lan tern swinging between the rails Greatly astonished, I pulled up the heavy train and got a bit of news that almost lifted me out of my boots. It was God’s mercy, as plain as this big depot. It was the operator who was swinging the lantern. He had been roused from sleep by the whis tles of a locomotive, when there w as not one within ten miles of him. He heard the toot! toot! toot! while he was dressing, and all the way as he rau to the station, thinking that he had ; been signaled. Lo! there was do train .there. Everything was as quiet as the grave. The man heard his instrument clicking away, ,and leaning his ear against the window, he caught these words as through to : * *J /. r ’Jfl “For God’s sake, switch the East ern express off. quick I Engineer on' 4im‘d -tot the Western express crazy drunk, and running a mile a minute!’’ “ The operator signaled us at once. We had left D nine miles away, and the message couldn’t have caught us anywhere except at Parto. Six miles further down was the long switch. It was titue we were there, lacking one miuute. We lost two or three minutes iu understanding the situation and in consulting, and had just got ready, to switch.in where we were when the head-light of the other train came into view. Great Heaven! but how that train was flying. The bell was ringing, sparks flying and the whistle screaming, and not a man of us could raise a hand. We stood ther-i on the main track spell-bound jas it were. There wouldn’t have been time, anyhow, either to have switched in or got. the passengers out. It wasn’t over sixty seconds before that train was upon us. I prayed to God for a breath or two and then shut my eyes and waited for death, for I hadn’t the strength to get out of the cab.” “ NY ell, sir, God’s mercy was re vealed again. Forty rods abore us, that locomotive jumped the track and was piled into the ditch an awful mass. Some of the coaches were considerably smashed, and some of the people badly bruised, but ho one was killed, and of course, our train escaped entirely. Satan must have cared for Big Tom, the other engiueer. He didn’t get a bruise, but was up and across the fields like a deer, screaming and shrieking like a mad tiger. It took five men to bind him after he was rnn down, and to day lie is the worst lunatic in the State.” “ Tom was a good fellow,” contin ued the engineer, after a pause, “ and lie used to take his glass pretty reg ularly. I never saw him drunk, but liquor kept working away on his nerves till at las’ the tremens caught him when he had an hundred and "fifty lives behind his engine. lie broke out all o‘ a sudden. The fire man was thrown off the engine, all on,. and then Tom •lanced and screamed and carried on hke« fiend. He’d have made awful \v0rl4 sir, 'but for God’s mercy. I am trembling yet over the way he came down for us, and I’ll never think of it wilhout my heart jumping for my throat. Nobody asked me to sign the pledge, but I wanted my name there. One such night on the road has turned me against intoxi cating drinks, and now that I’ve got this red ribbon on, I can talk to the boys with a better face. Tom is raving, as I told you, and the doctors say he’ll never get his reason again. Good-night, sir—my train goes in ten minutes.” went 1 I The want of employment in New York is shown by the fact that a large number of men aro engaged catching dogs at thirty cents a head. They ap pear to be quite; willing to run the risk of being badly bitten and of con- trading the hydrophobia for the com pensation received. At last accounts forty-six dog catchers had been bitten no less than 240 times, or an average of five bites to a man. It will not be surprsing if quite a number of cases of hydrophobia arising from these bites are soon reported. The oldest living ex-Congressman is said to be Artemas Hale, of Bridge- water, Mass., aged ninety-four, who was Representative from the State from 1845 to 1849. In 1864 he wasa Presidential Elector. That was a scrupulous young lady in Boston, who refused lo meet her lover—Justus his name was—at home becuase she had heard her minister say that Justus should always be meet- ed out. It takes longer to write “ sage” than any other word in tao English lan guage. Because, after you make the first “s,” there is an “age’’ before yon can add the final letter. Martin Institute Commence ment. The annual sermon of- this institu tion was preached by Rev. W. F. Glenn, of Marietta, Ga., on Sunday, July 8th, from the text: “ I pay unto you, though he will uot rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needeth”—Luke xi: 8. The sermon was appropriate, recommended by research of thought and that best of all scholarly and clerical attainments, clearness and directness. lie following, programme of exer cises was observed: . JUVENILE EXHIBITION—MONDAY EVE NING. Headers—Miss Alice Fanning, Miss Eugenie Harrison, Miss Ella McDon ald, Miss Leila Faust, Miss Gertie Pike, Miss Cora Pike, Miss Blanche Thompson, Miss Lulu Oak^s, Miss Fannie Turner, Miss Lucy White- head. ' v Speakers—Willie Bailey, Eddie Bailey, Gussie McCarty, George Sil- man, Henry Shackelford, Toinmie Shackelford, Frankie Shackelford, Charley Thompson, Johnnie Turner. PRIZE DECLAMATION—TUESDAY. D. W. Bailey, Jefferson—Speech of Patrick Henry. W. T. Bennett, Jefferson—The South. • J. N. Boggs, Jefferson—South Car olina during the Revolution. J. B. Brooks, Jefferson—The Hu man Mind. L. F. Daniel, McNutt, Ga.—Call to Americans. G. W. Glenn, Jefferson—Eulogy- on Lafayette. C. F. Holliday, Jefferson—Flog ging in the Navy. J. M. Hunt, Jefferson—Napoleon Bonaparte. M. T. Nunnally, Monroe, Ga — Future of America. Marcus Pittman, Jefferson—Spur- lacus to the Gladiators. J. Y. Williams, Danielsville, Ga.— On Slander. ORIGINAL OCATIONS—WEDNESDAY. J. L. Davenport, Point P^r. Ga. —Room at the Top. " J. P. Faust, Lexington, Ga.—Lost labor. F. A. Glenn, Jefferson—I love thee next to Heaven above, Home of my Fathers, thee I love. W. T. Harrison, Jefferson—Faith. W. V. Lindsey, Jefferson—Our Native Land. J. N. Ross, Jefferson—Man the Architect of his own Fortune. N. T. Sharp, Jefferson—Power of Habit. J. C. Shirley, Hartwell, Ga.—The Power ot the Human Mind. G. P. Shelton, Bold Spring, Ga.— Aspiration. A. C. Stevens, Jefferson—Intem perance. J. J. Strickland, Ditfhielsvillc, Ga. —War a Demoralizer. Afternoon, 34 o’clock, Anniver sary of Martin Literary Society, Address, by F. A. Glenn. SOPHOMORE EXHIBITION —WEDNESDAY Miss Ellen Shirley, Hart Co.—The Golden Moment is now. Miss Alice Wills, Jackson county—. Where Self leads, our Steps will ever Stray. Miss Idaliah Weir, Jackson county —To Forgive is Divine. Miss Docia Harrison, Jackson co.— Man Conceals, but Time Reveals. Miss Lena Wills, Jackson co.— Kind Words are More than Coro nets. Miss Mary Lou Bush, Jefferson— ’Tis Home Where the Heart is. Miss Georgia Faust, Lexington, Ga. —’Tis Sweet to remember. Miss Dicie Sherley, Hart co.— Where there’s a Will, There’s a Way. Miss Rebecca Poole. Hart co.— Never too Old to Learn. Concert by Music Class. SENIOR AND SUB-SENIOR EXHIBITION— THURSDAY. Miss Ella Smith, (Ex.) Jefferson, GRADUATES. Miss Mary Caritliers, Jefferson— Oft let me wonder hand in hand with thought. Miss R<>sa Poole, Hart county— Diving, and finding no pearls in sea, Blamo not the ocean, the faults is in thee! Monday and Tuesday were set apart for the examination of the stu dents, divided into three classes, Primary, Intermediate and Ad vanced. MjssMarge Oyr, a lady to whose womanly graces is superadded higli Thbash’s Consumptive Cure.— Sure cure foe consumption, branch tis, coughs, croup, colds, and all lun t affections. Restores lost voice, etc. Call at Dr. Ed. 8mith’s drug store. Dr. King’s old stand, and get a trial battle for 50 cents. 1 Large size $1 60 situ? uobnivqo bo# .f«evo«p**r -,01?! . ard, Banks county— Let us never vainly stray ' In search ot thorns from pleasures way. Miss Mollie Poole, Hart county— Tho’ dim our eyes, wo may yet so© our duty every hour. 1 , u . Miss Floy Howard, Brit. Hondu ras—Perhaps and Might, how they puzzle all. ...... sciences,- presides over the primary department. All the essential condi tions of success in this department were present: First, culture to direct (only cultures can impart cul ture : Second, the formative period of the mind ; consequently the exami nation of this division was satisfactory in full, as it only could he. Then came the intermediate and advanced divisions, with an opportunity to de tect, upon the one hand, collusion between teacher and pupil, if such existed; to ascertain, on the other, the extent to which the “ Cramming Process'’—so common—had been in dulged. If any pupil entertained the hope of leniency or collusion, the nnexam pled coolness with which Prof. Glenn led the nnsnspecting into snares and gins, dissipated such ex pectation, thinking and a recourse to fundamental principles as a guide, were tho only expedients possible from the toils and mental gymnastics in- which the -learned principal de? lighted. If any were “ crammed," tor a siege, Prof. Orr entered severe ly /a o judgment, thus advertising the possessors of strong memories, that such stores might be exhausted, and tnat such preparation is incompetent to the elucidation of elementary propositions. Prof. Orr reminded us rof an astute attorney sitting over against a truthful witness plying ques l.o is with such skill and tact, that an analytical knowledge only of the subject could suggest the answer, , The y,oufh under instruction de veloped an intimate khowledge of the principles in which their texts were grounded and as seamen, who having ventured too far into the mainland, upon assault, flee for refuge under cover of their gunboats; so these young aspirants, grappling with the concrete and practical, in every time ot trouble beat hasty retreat to the abstract and theoretical, that from the vantage-ground of settled princi ples and general truths they might proceed to the solution of difficult questions. It was evident to the easual observer even,that the stu dent* of this school, male and fern- le, are taught to think, and that, too, in aocordanco with the laws of thought, the only road to learning or success. The examination was honest and felt to be so by visitors and students. The value of this feature is incalcula ble, whether considered as affecting independent and original thought on the part of those taught, or tho cul tivation in them of true virtue, itself a priceless element of education. The char cut stamp of the bright coin of honesty in the teacher on such occasions, and in school life, makes men and women. As all kinds of dishonesty destroys our pretenses to honest principle of mind, so this genuine stain]) iu teaching is the specific difference between a true educator and the money-seeking time-server; between solid worth and superficial gaudiness. The high aims of teachers find their culmina tion and reward in the formation of character, discipline of mind and the amelioration of individual life; the selfish impulses of charlatan instruc tors, realize their highest hopes in outward display and sordid }>elf, ill- gotten, because obtained at the dear price of ft deterioration of morals, of poor scholarship, and of the sum of human happiness. It should be remarked that the declamation, essays > and original speeches were good. The articula tion, self-possession and spirit in which they were rendered, signalized the painstaking and care bestowed upon this much-neglected and most impor- XOU- H.H.h Uh tant branch. To note the compara tive excellence where all did so well, would uot be just. It was remarked ** that one unacquainted with the school, would suppose that it consisted o. natural orators.” Many ot those young men, in. life, will be able to express the thoughts that burn in their own breasts, instead ot asking others to rise in political 9* religi o us assemblies and say whaV thi^r so much leeL -The prizes in elocution were deliv ered to Miss Ella McDonald, Master Charlie Thompson and Mr Marcus Pittman. These prizes were delivered by Mr. W. 8. McCarty who related their origin and defined their object, possible ?” gasped attain-mm* •■* * k " ~i— ung ^ ur bistoiy to Roman days. ...... .. . I lie little speech was as happy as it inpYfwllorl 1 : / ! r \ \ iff 1 •;"/ was unexcelled. / T HlHTilY The Anniversary Address of Mar tin Literary Society was delivered by Mr. F. A. Giehn, at 3| o’clock, Wednesday afternoon, subject— *’ Nothing reasons less than the spirit of party ” Mr. Glenn was elected from his own society to deliver this oration, and it was well done. His hearing, his noble and generous senti ments, so fully sustaining his proposi tion, have won him a laurel, in our opinion, not his last. The concert, in charge of Miss Myrtie McCarty, the highly accom plished “belle of Jefferson and of Georgia.” was excellent. Considered as the first appearance of these pupils in public after only a few months’ in struction, they reflected high credit on their instructress and honor to themselves. Col. Henry Perry’s address on Thursday, illustrating the “ superior ity of cultivated intellect over physi cal force,” was a rare,: intellectual treat. When published, ‘ as we un derstand it may be, it will speak for itself. The last crowning act was the de livery of diplomas to Miss Mary Caritliers, of Jefferson, and Miss Rosa Poole, of Hart county; by their be loved preceptor and principal, Prof. John Glenn. The benediction pronounced, the school separated to meet in the lall to add another year of labor to tlie glorious prestige of the past. — The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, The annual Convention convened at the parlors of Fork’s Hotel at 8 P. M. yesterday. This organization is largely and favorably known throughout the Southern States as one of the largest and mostfloiuisliing ot southern college fraternities. Dat ing back as far as 1850, it now num bers in its list of more than one thou sand members many of the most tal ented and influential men in the coun try. Having chapters or lodges in many of our most promiuent educa tional institutions, and alumnus chap ters in many of our cities, it is doing a great and good work among the young men of the country. Delegates were present from eleven colleges, and having a quorum, the Convenlien completed its organiza tion by electing the following as offi- eerst for he ensuing year—viz: Ma jor Robert H- Wildberger, of the Kentucky Military Institute, presi dent ; John Glenn, of Washington. Lee University, vice-president, A O. Murphcy, of the University of Geor gia, and A. J. Crovatt, of Bruns wick, Ga , secretaries; R. II. Peek,of the Virginia Military Institute, cor responding secretary; and M. T Freeman, of Mercer University, war den. After appointing the usual com mittees, aud some time spent in the discussion of matters of 110 special interest to the public, the Conven tion, having received advices of more delegates to arrive to-day, adjourned over to 9 :30 A. M.—Richmond Dis patch. Scene in a Detroit Court. [ Detroit Free ITtss.] “My brother died, you know,” began Ephraim Cowels. “JYes, brothers are dying all around us,’’ replied the court. “ If I had any brothers I should expect them to ■ake their cnnncfs with the rest.” “ He died, sir, out in Springwells, and I was going down to the funer al.” “ Of course you were, Mr. Cowles, and of course you felt very sad at the had news. But you didn’t get down there.” No, poor John ! I didn’t!” ex- you were trying to bite the bar tender’s thumb off, and he was getting ready to gongc your eye out.” “ Is that Ephraim. “ I’m telling you nothing but the best brand Of truth to be had in the market. You bad already demol ished two tablets and broken several bottles of rare old wines made of alcohol and logwood.. When a. man is going to his brother’s funerai, and the horse runs away, you can’t tell what strange things will follow.’’ “Well, you seem to know best about it,” said- the .prisoner; as. he but toned his coat. “I’ll go down and tell the man that I didn’t mean to bite bira.** " “Oh, mj'YGu won’t. I sent him your regrets an hour ago, and. in- termed him that he could draw on von at three days’ sight through the House of Correction. Thirty days is the figure.’’ “ And I’il go up as soon as I see about the funeral.” “ Delays are dangerous, Mr Cowles. You had better go right up right away.” “ I won’t 1’’ “ But you will!” And so he did. It made Bijah red iu the lace to lift the fellow into the buggy and tie his-legs around one of the seats, but the law must be en forced if the effort snaps oft’ every suspender button in the great west. Sequel to a Divorce. Mrs. Martha A. Berge, of St. Lou is, recently obtained a divorce from her husband, Louis Berge, for inhu man treatment and on other grounds. The lady had a little property of her own which, when the divorce was granted, was decreed by the court as entirely hers, her former husband having no claim thereto. Notwith standing this, he seemed to think her possessions were still his whenever he could lay his hands on them, and a few days ago he entered her room and helped himself to 81,400 worth of jewelry. She promptly had him arrested and has indisputable proof of his crime. On his preliminaav examination she gave in her testimo ny against him, and when she retired from the witness stand the following conversation ensued between the two: “ Have you no pity for me ?” said he. “ Had yen any pity for me when you made my life miserable for eigh teen years ?” replied his wife. “ Have you no love?” “Love!’’ with a sarcastic laugh, “ love. Oh, no, that’s dead long ago —you killed it.” “ NN ould you send mo down to a prison cell?’’ “ N\ hat is a prison cell compared tt .lie hell yon have k**pt me in all these years, you, who killed my father and our child. Yes, I would send you to a prison cell.” “ But my misery, my misfortune- will nothing move you ?” “Nothing. You have brought this upon yourself; you can take the consequences.” A mansion now building in New York has a Pompeiian room, the woodwork of w hich is of ebony, with ivory inlaid figures, and panels of amaranth wood paiuted by hand. The furniture is upholstered with raw silk of reseda tints, bordered with crimson velvet. An Irishman once ordered a pain ter to draw his picture, and to repre sent him standiug behind a tree. In 1864 Crook and Seigel moved simultaneously on the railroad connec ting Richmond and the southwest and up the Slmnandoh, their operation b< • ing designed to help Grant by crip - pling and confusing the enemy. Crook was fairly successful in destroying the road, but Seigel was forced by Early ... to retreat. Colonel Strother (“ Porte claimed the prisoner, wiping his eyes Crayon’ ), who was on Seigel’s staff, on his sleeve. “ I met with a bad» , , ,, . . , , accident, sir. The horse ran away | rcrnai ^ e( ^ ^at the only difference he- and threw me out.” “ Correct, Ephraim, entirely cor rect, hut wasn’t it funny where you landed. You were thrown a mile and a half to a foot, landed in a Woodbridge street saloon on your feet, and you walked directly to the bar aud said you’d take some sugar in yours.” 0 *• Was I in a saloon ?” asked the prisoner, seeming greatly aston ished. ij,:-, i-j-i, “ That’s wheio you were, my boy, anl it wasn’t a first-class saloon, tween the two commanders was that while Crook was tearing up the road, Seigel was tearing down the pike. —The Philadelphia Press says that while there is depression in the dry goods trade, the mrnufactures cf that city are in a remarkable flourishing condition, some ot them doing a better busines-i than at any previous period. The production this year is estimated at 8660,000,000, against 8552,000 last either. When our folks first saw vou year. r:V .?• V-S'*?ai triy ,<*»«• =A