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PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE
IN THE HOUSE.
IN THE SENATE
Wednesday.
i he work of organizing the
of representatives for business
notification to the governor
Wedneaday.
Senator James J. Fiynt of Griffin
was elected president of the senate.
U' i Itnilt >r< •
“3s„" r.»za-rr . Th r
1,1 B ' desolation by Mr. Barrett of 7!. ,h d i atrlot . cal . led ,ho 8Pnat e to'or-
dcr. Rev. J. W. 0. Watkins led
uteph ns tendered th© aympathies of
,I U . house to the family of Honorable
0n ,v-r Cleveland of New Jersey,
whose death Wednesday morning was
announced.
M, Hall of Bibb moved to take up
,„.',.oe bill No. 18 known a 3 the nntl-
‘ bill. The motion appeared to be f "I ra » trlb ' ltP
if the result was not. an- r nominations of
in
Senator Paul W. Akin of the forty-
second district elected to succeed his
brother, Senator John W. Akin, was
sworn In. President Pro Tent Steel
s|>oke of the death of Senator Akin
paying him a high tribute. He then
carried, but the result was not «n-J®T "® n, ‘"* tlon * o' hl » «"cces-
nminted, m Speaker Slaton ruled the £?': *' pnat0 ' , W ' lke * of Seventh
-utter out of ordar at this time.! tb * name of Senator
-1 v naor momhAld n/«n» navi * ’ * ' * " '.'III Ol 11
The six new members were next . . ■ . —-
-.worn In by Chief Justice William H. li Pt heforp ,he 8Pna, °- There were
?' ? flVR seconds to the nomination and
the twenty-sixth dis
and
KI Rev. W. A. Parks, chaplain of the ?. enat ° r ^ nt , wa * '">animou7ly“elcct“
house, tendered his resignatlou, and J The ,1PW
Kev M 1 F Eakea of Morgan county S2“! n ‘ 1 of ? e " ate , mada an elo-
"2 ."pointed his successor. ' p g ec 'f upon asai,ni -
Thc house then adjourned as a tok- fl w t ° f Har '
eu <-r respect for the memory of the "" °' d Conf . ed r “ t ® ve , t8rnn . w “°
members who have died since the doorko ’l> ei ' was
„n.t of the last session.
elected doorkeeper.
After the house had been notified
Thursday. ,kf * senate was organized, a Joint
In iue big cool hall of the house of committee was appointed to Inform
representatives Thursday the mem- Governor Smith that the legislature
hr - observed the second day of the ^ us *" session and ready to receive
gerund session by doing little and that bls message. Secretary Joslah Carter
little easily. j P re80nt ed the governor’s message,
\ message from the senate was re- w'nlcu was road,
celvi d, a resolution providing for a Senator W. C. Martin of the forty-
joint committee f|;om two houses to , ,d district . Introduced resolutions
nepare a memorial upon tae death of °/ rp Kret on the deatli of ex-Presldent
’resident John W. Akin. Cleveland, which were adopted by a
The reading of new bills on Intro- Ils r i 1 ' K \ otp
ductlon and their reference to commit- ,, e death of Senator Akin was for
m's occupied a large share of the *, announced by Senator T. S. Fel-
m ening session. A new flood of bills der <)f ,he twenty-second district who
deluge.1 the desks as on the first day. introduced resolutions of respect
11pon the motion of Mr. Candler of which were adopted. The senate then
DeKalb, the governor's message re- “dJourned at 11:30 a. m.
ceived on the previous day was read. Thursday
Mr Pope of Brooks offered a resolu- .... y '
tioa, which was adopted, that the ball *» WIia t<* «pent iwo busy hours
of tne louse be given to the Georgia Thursday, killing two bills, receiving
Woman's Suffrage Association on the four new ones and tabling half a dozen
iimhts of July 9 and 10. others as well as receiving a number
VV
.. . , . Vl ‘ivia oo nv ii ah n it i> mi, u iiJliun’I
Out of respect to the memory of John of nominal* ms from Governor Smith,
' Ak,n .i. p f!fL d / n _ t .® f < Vi® bP . n . !U 7 ,he which were laid over until Friday.
lt'.use adjourned at 11:45 o'clock.
The first bill of the session for tail'd
Pdjjay reading in the senate was a measure
house assembled at the usual P rov 'dhig lor an increase in the sala-
Jiour, 10 o’clock, Friday morning !i i03 °. f ,be BU l ,, ; eme court Justices
* ft'iini ( I IWIIl nun iii.iiniilli. H’hrt
Prayer by the chaplain was followed f l .' > , ni to , annually. 1 he
of tin
bill was introduced by Messrs. Ste-
Uuder the“headiig°of TepoVts ph « n “* ' Valker - Knight Wilkes, et al.,
ig committee, Mr. Alexander a " d had b ? en favorably reported by
by the roll call and reading
journal
ot standing
of li’Kalb, chairman of the committee
on Western and Atlantic railroad, said
that lil.s committee reported to the
th > committee on general judiciary.
Mr. Feld »r and Mr. Camp vigorously
opposed the increase. One of the an-
house the bill, recommending the ex- ,boiH ' Knight, agteed to let the bill
tension of the railroad to the sea, and g0 ov ; ei '' ™ r \ Knight's motion to table
. ... ... ’ vi' n j In at It Iminir ilm mm.nu.* / i f # I- -»
al-o ,h ■ bill jirovldlng for the issuance waj , lo3t ' l .\ bP ‘ n « , the , l , 1 urp0> «* the
. i * .. _ .. . aonntp PViflpnt v tn kill I in hill mi:.
ot bonds to secure money for the con
struct jn of the extension. Mr. Hall
of Millh announced tnut at the proper
time lie would present minority re- . . , , ...
P both bills. Mr. Alexander of Increase the sa aides of appellate court
senate, evidently, to kill the bill out
right. Mr. Wilkes spoke in favor of
the increase. The bill was kill’d by
a vote of 27 to 5. A companion bill to
l l K illi also presented a Joint revolu-
timi recommending that the entire leg- . . ,
i ire g„ to Chattanooga on July 3 ! e88 l ni i l0, ' tan . C ® wa ®. lpad _ a . t . bl, ' d 11 m "
judges was killed also.
A number of other hills of more or
i" liwpect the state's property in that bu l none of u th ' ni were acted upon
vi'y. Mr. Alexander moved the adop- ,„ At . ! l0< J n senate ad J° urni ‘ d 111
adop
tieii ot the resolution.
Mr Heard or Doolv and Mr. Hall of
In ib opposed the passage of the roso-
hl| lon. Mr. Candler of DeKalb and
-Mr. Porter of Floyd favored the lm-
until
10 o'clock Friday.
Friday.
President Flint's gavel fell In the
senate promptly at 10 o’clock Friday
speetion. The fall for the ayes and morning. After prayer by tho chap-
He: . was not sustained and upon viva lain the journal was read and confirm-
v0, e. th - original resolution was ed. Senator F?lts of the Nineteenth
voce
11 'I’led. Speaker Slaton announced 1 moved to reconsld *. me action of
lh" committee assignments of the new the senate on Thursday on the bills
lm inb -i's (i,3 follows:
with reference to the bill to increase
■M: McFarland of McIntosh, bnnks the salary of supreme court justices,
and ha.iking, appropriations, counties which was defeated. Mr. Williford of
au 'l r!, unty matters, railroads, temper- Hie Twenty-eighth called attention to
"n • and special judiciary. Mr. Ar- the fact that the bill does not carry
'mill of Walton, banks and banking, any present increase. Mr. Camp of
-"u. : it agriculture, penitentiary, man- theThirty-flrst, who, on Thursday, vig-
utactures, W. and A. railroad aiid ways orously opposed the increasts, stated
mi! in.'ans. Mr. Crawford of Bartow, that he believed tlie bill should bo ro-
K mi a] agriculture, special agrlcul- considered. Mr. Felder of the Twen-
tl i'' • education, school for the deaf, ty-second district also opposed vlgor-
,3nc e and pensions. Mr. Mat- ously the reconsideration and also fa-
ti" .vs i ; t Laurens, general agrlcul- vored abolishing the oftlce of compiler
>ur.v lallroada, penitentiary, pensions, of colonial records, and retaining tiie
miporations. counties and county mat- office of special attorney to the railroad
■dr. Cannon of Rabun, general commission. Mr. Hayes of the Tliir-
u* 1 multure, pension, counties and teonth declared that iie opposed the
; ’ .‘W' matters, penitentiary, roads Increases, and proposed further to vote
U'"t bridges and mines and mining, to reduce the number of railroad com-
\ Wynne of Pulaski, general agrl- missioners from five to tnree and to
1 mi: , pensions,, special judiciary, also cut out the special attorney,
"'inpiuauco, toads and bridges, game Messis. Felts, Dean, Martin and Over-
a:i1 ’ street spoke In favor of a reconsidera-
ibl ‘ following bills, which came tion. The previous question was call-
<IV 'r Lorn the last session, were read ed, and an aye and nay vote showed
Till* . ,1 i . . . . . t in i. ..i
th. <1 time and passed: that the bill had been reconsidered
, . bil1 t0 amend the criminal code by a vote of 19 to 15.
1. mg to Hens for rent and advances A-s president of the ssnate, Mr.
aiaue by landlords. Fiynt nas yielded all of his committee
A hill to amend, the criminal code anpolntments. Senatoj- Hawes of El-
lnaking —' • - - ’
Hiking criminal the sale of mortgag- bert succeeds Mr. Fiynt as chairman
I" 1 l"'"l , erty before payment of" the of the Western and Atlantic comrnit-
mot'.gage debt. * tee. Senator Paul Akin succeeds Mr.
to make penal the procuring Fiynt as vice chairman of the commit-
1:1 uiev upon a mortgage, when the tee on general judiciary. Mr. Akin
Jn.'-t I>ei ’ ty Inu V t eage<l shall have been lias been appointed also to the coiumit-
j n stroyed, without first inform- tees on penitentiary, railroads and
^ 'he holder of the mortgage of the 1 constitutional amendments. The sen
ate unanimously voted to accept the
j- A ‘''solution to pay Mrs. O. M. Case invitation of the Western and Atlan-
''''Veiling liouso burned by convicts tic committee of the house to visit
>t Ue farm. All these bill's were in- and inspect the state road's terminals
'"meed i,y Mr. Hines of Baldwin, in Chattanooga on Friday, July 3d.
I'h . nines or
until ?» UBe ad i°anted at 12:30 o’clock | The senate, by a vote of 20 to 15, de-
- n - U! . A1 °nday morning tu io o'clock
EDUCATIONAL society oeficers.
elded to adjourn until Monday.
dents of the Georgia branch, recently
elected: First district, George J.
A C. Candler Elected President T C Baldwin of Savannah; second district,
Erwin Treasurer.. ’ I J. L. Hand of Pelham; third district.
-•I 'liita, Ga.—At a recent meeting Thomas G. Hudson ot' Ellavill.’; foitith
^ 'he Georgia branch of the National district, l\ R. Gordon of Columbus;
? ucliJ ty for the Promotion of Indus-, fifth district, K. G. Matheson of Atlan-
eililL 1 ® ducatl °n, Asa G."Candler***was
'"'I President and Thomas C. Er-
8 l,„ ' ea8u rer. The approaching ses-
hintV * he SOclet
will be held In At-
vemb .: m tlie 12th, 13th and 14th of No-
The
following are the vice yresl-
ta; sixth district, C. B. Willingham of
Macon; seventh district, W. W.
Brooks of Rome; eighth district. Harry
Hodgson of Athens; ninth district, Dr.
Jeff Davis of Toccoa; tenth district,
M. L, Duggan of Sparta, and eleventh
district, V. L. Stanton of Waycross.
BUNDS FOR FITZGERALD.
Sewer
and
Water and School Bonds
Were Carried.
I Tile' work on the Laying of the foun-
! dations for the Cherokee mills, Grif-
1 flu’s seventh mill, ha.s begun, th? ma
chinery for which 1ms been ordered,
‘•'.izgeraui, Ua —Fitzgerald voted aiul tiie wheels of which will beset
m''{ J0, L H L nver l>omls by a vote of 365 turning in the course of a few months.
4 I: -25,000 water bonds by 369 to
• i.iO'OOO school bonds by 366 to 7,
The farmers Institute held at Cor-
A a t , ola * o1, dD4 registered voters.'dele under the auspices of the Georgia
t, to ‘date sower system, with eigh- state college of agriculture proved a
, ' 1 milos of pipe, will be put in, and success. The •prominent speakeis were
,l' Wi ‘ter main will be extended to Professor M. P. Jarnigan, professor of
^ a.nie extent. A modern high animal husbandry; Professor E. L.
: ’l building will be pat up to meet j Worsham, editor of the Southern Cul-
growing need.-i of t'.m schnnk i tlvator.
Carrie.- and Patron Moved From Cum-
mlng, Ga., to Atlanta.
Atlanta, Ga.—The large number of
news and class publications centered
in Atlanta has been augmented by the
removal of the business office of the
Carrier and Patron, from Cununlng,
Ga , to Atlanta.
This paper has been edited and pub
lished at Camming for about eighteen
months by J. B. Patterson, but its rap
id growth and extension of circulation
made it necessary for t.ie management
to secure headquarters which otter bet
ter facilities for conducting tho busi
ness in a modern way.
J. A- Rasbury, president of the
Southern Trade Pr ss of Atlanta, pub
lishers of ice, a monthly t'.‘ad r ' journal,
and other periodicals, hus bought an
Interest In the Carrier and Patron and
W'lll assume the duties of business
manager, with the hnadqnarteis in the
Brown-Randolph building. Tiie edito
rial department will remain as hereto
fore, at Cumml.ig, with J. B. Patterson
in complete charge.
The Carrier and Patron 13 a month
ly newspaper In the interest of car
riers on the rural free delivery routes
and farmers throughout the country.
It enjoys the distinction of being the
only paper representing thj Interests
of both carriers and farmers whom
they serve, and whose interests are
Identical in many ways in the United
States, and the only mral free deliv
ery paper of any kind In the south.
Mr. Rasbury stales that every means
will be taken to extend the paper's
circulation nnd influence, which
already covers every southern state
and many northern and western
states.
A MESSAGE
Come %loiu\ come from the fortresses or granite
^ Walling Imlt the worth out. half the skies away;
x.iinoK mu 1 me worm out. nan me sales awa
Come where (lie low limit, op n by tie- shore-side,
Offers to Its children what a tree land may!
Broad land, level land, leagues ot grass and clover.
Ranks of shining corn-blade nnd tall tossed plume,"
Dark cedar sentinels lor long tiles of forest,
Goldenrod afire In a smoke of aster bloom.
Wide land, winds' land, level for their coursers
\\ uonr< fi.e'er they come with smell of soil or sen;
North winds, west winds, whatsoe'er their quarter,
Straight rush their cavalcades straight, strong, free.
Par mystic meeting-place of world's marge and heaven.
Curves the horizon line, ju'iteot to the view;
H.ll crest nor mountain breast breaks the mighty circle -
Round lies the planet 'heath a hemisphere of blue.
This Is the glory ol the level-lying wide lands,
This Is the splendor that no sleep lands know:
Glory of tho paths where in clear hemli-M-les,
World-rim to world-rim, the constellations go.
Glowing red, golden bright In the sumptuous west land
When the sunsets blossom, they bloom around the sky-
Greon and amber northward, rosv In the east realm,
Amethyst where amethyst the southern waters lie.
Thunder drums, levin swords, musketry or raln-hursts—
How the midnight battle-crash the whole vault tills!
Da> brings the pageant ot the white cloud masses,
viler than snow-cmhastloned hills.
Lordlier nnd lovl
Seents of the salt la-eeze and scents ol the clover,
Wild rose and clothru and hayherry's breath.
Glamor of the sea-shine, witchery ot mist wreaths —
Hark! they are calling and the summer Imstcneth.
Colne, dear, come from the shut nnd hampered valleys,
Come where the waves on the long beaches run, •
Como where the bosom of the warm earth Is breathing
Cool breaths of ocean In a broad sweep ot sun!
-From The American Magazine.
How the Lig'ht was Turned.
AGRICULTURE COLLEGE.
fiy C. H. CLAUDY.
Bill Presented to Legislature to Re
lieve Financial Difficujtiss.
Atlanta, Ga.—What promises to be
one of the most Important measures
to come before the general assembly
this session is that which will provide
for the maintenance and support of
the eleven congressional district agri
cultural schools and the $100,000 agri
cultural college at Athens.
They are all In readiness to be open
ed on the llrst of September, but there
is not In sight sufficient funds to keep
them in operation. It is up to the leg-
isture to do some tiling and act quick
ly, in order that they may not be kept
permanently closed.
At these schools agriculture, cattle
raising, dairying and the like i3 to be
taught. Soil tests are to be made.
Experiments in cattle raising are to be
had the year round and small dairies
operated.
Dr. Soule, the dean of the agricul
tural college In Georgia, is a warm ad
vocate of the use of cotton seed meal
as a fertilizer filler and has made
many tests in which has proved to be
tne superior fertilizer. As a cattle
feed for dairying and work stock, Dr.
Soule declares there Is none superior,
and he has facts and figures to prove
that it is less expensive and most nu
tritious of all cattle feeds.
PEAR CROP VERY VALUABLE.
Far Greater Demand for the Crop
Than the Supply.
Albany, Ga.—Tiler? are men in
south Georgia, figuratively kicking
themselves because of present forceful
reminders of pear orchards to which
the ax was ruthlessly laid In the nigh
ties,
There is not and will not be for
many years to come a glut In the pear
market. It Is the fruit for which there
Is far g""8!er demand than the supply
will fill, and it Is a demand so Insist
ent that It is found profitable to pull
the fruit when it is but tw'o-tbirds
grown and ship it to the markets
where it is in demand.
TIE
UN TK.U K.
Attempt to Wreck a Crowded Street
Failed—No One Injured.
Macon, Ga.—A car on th a Bellevue
line, crowd’d with young men and wo
men, bound for the Log Cabin c ub,
narrowly escaped being dumped Into a
ditch. On rounding a curve the motor-
man caught sight of a crosstie that
had been placed on the tracks nnd
brought the car to a stop only a few
feet from the crosstie. The sudden j
stopping of the car shook the passen
gers up considerably, although no one j
was Injured. Two cats cn the Long '
Belt Hue were thrown from the track
as the result of brick and door knobs j
being placed on tho track. The city '
detectives and police are inveetigat- l
ing the case.
STATE GLEANINGS.
President H. E. Choate of the At
lanta Credit Men’s association recently
addressed the national association of
credit men, at their convention in
Denver, on trade conditions in tiie
south.
Quite a number of Georgia cities
are now advertising bonds for sale,
the result of recent elections, and be
fore long will be building schools,
streets and sewers and making other
public improvements with the pro
ceeds.
In Savannah a company lias been
formed for foreign shipping and will
operate ateam3hij)s to European ports,
recalling the interesting fact that the
first .earner that ever crossed ihe At
lantic ocean to England sailed from
Savannah.
Atlanta is to have a new medical
college. It will be known as the “Hos
pital Medical college.”
Iron mines around Cartersvllle are
resuming operation, as are other in
dustries in that section.
Governor Smith has sent the follow
ing nominations to the senate; Mrs.
Maud Barker Cobb to be state libra
rian for the term of four years from
June 25th, 1908. Hon. K. J. Hawklna
to be judge of the city court of Dub
lin for the term of two years from
December 6th, 1908. Hon. J. W. White
to be judge of the county court of Jef-
feison county for the term of four
years from June 3rd, 1909. John R.
Phi.lips, Esquire, to be solicitor of the
county court cf Jefferson county lor
the term of four years from June 26i.h,
1909.
Eight or ten short, sharp blasts of
a discordant whistle. Instead of the
three solemn notes of salute he ex
pected, made Alec jump flora his chair
to the window. “It's the Newport,
Tom,’ he said. “Let’s get the boat
out.”
Outside Uie little lighthouse a sullen
sky and a purring, sluggish sea gave
promise of bad weather. Close by
passed a freighter, from the deck of
which fell a package to the water be
low. The kindly captain was sending
a present of some kind to the light-
keeper and his assistant.
The lwo men swiftly lowered their
small boat, picked up the package,
'gave a friendly wave of the hand to
the departing vessel, and returned.
Cob's Point Light, commonly called a
‘‘bug-lig'ht,” or, more properly, a screw-
pile light, was nothing but a tiny two-
story house, with eight sides, mount
ed on eight iron legs sticking up out
of the water. It marked the limits of
the eastern channel and the entrance
of the river from the bay. It was a
particularly lonely bug-light, because
it was four miles from the shore
where the town of Wlnton stood, ami
on tiie other shore, Coil’s Point, was
nothing but a lonely fisherman's hut.
And to row four miles is no joke even
in smooth waters.
"Papers ami a piece of beef—yester
day’s paper, too. Now if the weather is
favorable, I’m going ashore today or
bust?” It was Tom, the keeper, speak
ing. He had a sickly wife and two
children ashore, whom he had not
seen for a week. “And the weather
man says ‘colder,’ ” he announced,
gleefully. "No ice will come for a day
or so, then, and if you will just take
un extra trick for me, I'll go now, and
get back at midnight tonight or to
morrow morning.”
"Of course,” answered Alec. "Bet
ter keep a sharp lookout, though; drift
ing ice is nasty 10 row through.” Bui
Tom was already making preparations,
nnd did not hear.
In a few minutes, in tho liitle row
boat which was their only means of
communication with shore, Tom had
put off for his long row, leaving Alec
alone to tend the light
Alec looked incuriously at tiie sea
and sky, and entered the house. Storms
lie did not fear. But ice—the ice which
right break up and come down from
the river—that was another matter.
The little screw-pile lighthouses are
built on piles, their steel framework
screwed tightly down and no sea or
wind can do much to them.
But ice collects among the spider-
like legs and cross-beams, which give
the light its name, and pushes upward,
up And to the side with irresistible
force—and when the light tips and goes
the keeper is usually drowned. But,
worse than all, tho light goes out.
And for a light to go 014, particularly
on a bad night, is lute signing llie death
warrant of who knows how many ships
and men?
Cob’s Point Light was a revolving
light of the fourth order. It showed
red for ten seconds, a blank for ten,
and a white for twenty seconds—then
a blank of twenty and repeat. A cage,
with four lenses and prism sets, re
volved about lhe burner, and alternate
lenses were red and white, and faced
inward, so that they acted as reflectors
and threw the light back acros the
flame.
The whole was worked by clockwork,
but bad to be watched all night, for
fear of some accident like a melted
chimney or a hit ot' dust in the mechan
ism.
Now it happened that this was one of
the times when the weather prediction
was wrong. It turned warmer—much
warmer—and it also rained. And by
morning Alec could see that tho ice
was coming. Already stray chunks
floated by, and farther out, in the chan
nel, he could see great jagged masses
from the edge of the ice-bank up tiie
river, floating heavily down to sea.
Still he did not anticipate any
trouble. He had seen ice go out be
fore, he felt it seize the lighthouse in
its mighty grip and wrestle with it,
only to leave and seek other victims.
But that was in a slow break-up. If the
ice came down too fast—if it piled up
on the projecting 1 ledges of rock and
wedged beneath the house faster than
tiie water could free It—if by any
chance a wind should blow from tiie
son'll and push against tiie ice, then
there might be trouble.
At seven o'clock Alec had the light
cleaned and refilled nnd Ills simple
breakfast cooked and eaten. House
work took the rest of his hour to bed
time-eight o'clock—ami then ho lay
down by the bell rope nnd went to
sleep. As a matter of fact, three men
usually man such a lighthouse, but one
was off on leave, and tho head keeper,
as lias been said, was away. Alec could
not watch the light all day and all
night too, so tiie couitesy of the salutes
had to go by default. All such light
houses salute passing steamers, with
three strokes of their fog-bell, and the
omission means either absence or inat
tention.
Alee slept until two o’clock, when Ihe
noise of the ice roused him. The
house was shaking violently, shudder
ing like a stromj mail in the cold—
groaning and moaning and creaking,
like new cordage at sea. Outside there
was a mass of ice tossing on the flt-
ful swell from the bay, and grinding,
crushing nnd turning, in its struggle
for liberty and open water. And there
were over a hundred miles of it be
hind to come!
For Tom to get back was impossi
ble. No rowboat could push through
such a jam; in fact, a steamer would
make but poor headway against it. Yel
nothing ever stopped the big inter-city
boats, Alec reflected, and the bay-line
boats wfluld not hit the ice anyway.
So lie had nothing to do but face an
other night with the light.
But it was to be a diffierent experi
ence from tiie night before. By six
o'clock the ice was massed beneath the
house, completely covering tiie pro
tecting ledges of rock, and the wind
was from tiie south. It still rained,
and the violence of the ice-pound was
greater every minute. By seven o’clock
the lamp rocked so that. Alee had to
replace three broken chimneys in five
miniates—a tiling that was unheard of
In cold weather, and that could only
have happened from excessive Jarring.
By eight o'clock Alec had to forget the
ice—his every minute was spent on
the lamp. Now it was a new supply of
chimneys to be brought up—a tortuous,
if short, passage it was, down through
the roof to tlie top floor, and from there
to the floor below. He brought up
three spare burners and wedged them
in the light-room with the spare sail
of tlie rowboat and saw that his pock
ets were well filled with matches. He
got all the chimneys he could use,
packed, ready to hand, and provided
himself with a bottle of drinking water
and some bread.
“Better do ihese things while there
is time,’ he said to himself. "If this
business keeps up, i’ll have to turn
her by hand before morning.”
He meant that if the violence in
creased much, the clockwork, stroug
as it was, might tail, and require that
he turn the rage by hand.
Why, if the light stopped turning for
one night would it matter much? It is
like a street sign. If you are In a
strange city, and are told to follow a
certain street, and suddenly the sign
changes, you-are lost. The lighthouses
are the street signs of the water. Each
individual light is marked on the chart.
And If a mariner saw a stationary red
or white light, where he expected to
find a revolving light, lie would hunt
for the nearest stationary light on his
chart, and decide he was out of his
course. That is, he might do that—
in which case he would be wrecked,
in all probability. But the marine
service knows that, acts of providence
alone to the contrary, the lights will
turn and burn according to schedule.
Anil at 10 o’clock Alec’s prediction
came true; the clockwork did not break
of itself, but two of the screw pile
legs, strong as they were, gave way,
and slowly but surely the Ice lifted 1 p
one side of the house, and slowly but
•urely it tilted—tilted until 'tiie floor
was like the roof of a nouse, and Alec,
hanging on with one hand, could see,
hrouglr the storm glass, the light
striking on the water which was be
neath.
Patiently Alec waited foe develop-
-
-A
ments. That he was In imminent peril
of his life he knew well. That th© light
was In imminent peril of going out or
ceasing to revolve he also knew. Yet
with the knowledge that with an ax
and a rope he might wreck the lower
floor for a raft for himself, he held to
his 1 >ost on the steeply sloping floor,
and worked over the mcchantsm to
make the cage turn again. For of
course the tilting had fouled the
weight-line, and there was nothing to
turn the light now. Nothing? No,
but some one to do it for the ma
chine-some one with a cool head and
a lirave heart.
Finding he could do nothing with his
hands, Alec hurried down the broken
winding stair for an ux. He pulled at
the splintered boards which blocked
his path, tore ills clothes nnd hunds
on splinters nnd nails, and, with infin
ite difficulty, made his way across the
sloping floor to return with tho prec
ious tool. Getting back was worse
than going down, but he managed it.
With the ax he soon loosened the pin
which held Ihe rope to thp drum, and
then it was free. "Now for tho light.
A new chimney—hope it doesn’t break
—a match—scratch—it’s lit.”
Then, watch in hand, he turned the
cage, steadily and slowly, one full
minute to the revolution—ten seconds
of red, ten seconds of blank, twenty
seconds of white, twenty seconds of
blank—and so on lndlfinitely.
What was he thinking of all this
time—this young longshoreman who
drew forty dollars a month for the
privilege of working day and night in
a lonely station set in the middle of
tiie water? Himself—<tlie light—Tom
—the ice—his danger? "If the good
Ijord'll only keep that light from tip
ping any farther, nnd keep the ice
from climbing up any higher, I reckon
l can worry through.”
That was his thought—to keep the
light turning—to keep faith with the
department which had trusted him,
and wt;h the one, mayhap the hun
dreds, of vessels on the bay which
would look for the light and steer by
it.
His position was cramped in I lie ex
treme. He had to lean against the
storm glass and work with his arms
above him, or else, climbing above the
light, to wedge himself against the
pedestal and hung on with one hund.
Either position cramped him, nnd one
made him very warm. So he settled
on the lower side and bore the dis
comfort.
All tills time the ice was beating and
pounding, the broken house swaying
and lurching; and Alec, inside, felt
that any moment It might collapse and
plunge him Into th© Ice and water.
So the night wore on. At three In
the morning he had to stop turning the
light for a few minutes and rub his
back and lojs, so cramped by the po
sition he was forced into that the tor
ture was unbearable.
“Guess a couple of misses won’t
matter," lie said. "Any fool would look
hard at a light on a night like tills."
And then lie was at it again. "Only
three hours more now. Hope nothing
breaks after all." •
Nothing broke. The machine-like
motion never faltered, the^ice, released
by the giving of the two logs, did no
further lifting of moment, and morning
dine at last.
Stiff and sore, a bad burn on one
hand, where lie had lieen thrown
against tho light when changing sides,
Alec ciambered down, and weakly—for
ho was exhausted—rang the fog bell
tho quick, sharp strokes which betoken
distress. An early morning boat hoard
and reported at the city, twenty miles
below; und at eleven o’clock came the
powerful lighthouse tender—with re
pair men and a doctor—to make Cob’s
Point light whole again.
Medals? No. He did Ills duty.
Purse? From whom? l>o you sup
pose the boats which passed in the
night knew? How could they? Pro
motion? Yes, a little 011c,—from sec
ond to first assistant keeper, and the
promise of more in time—but that was
all. All, except the knowledge—present
if unforinulated and unspoken—that by
sticking to the light, and managing
alone to turn it, under unheard-of dif
ficulties, he had played his part in a
great system, and proved anew that
men could not exist if it were not for
radnhood.—Youth’s Companion.
Chinese Doctor’s Prescription.
The brilliant Chinese Ambassador,
\Vu Ting-fang, was recounting to a
group of correspondents—but not for
publication—his view of a certain sel
fish politician.
"In short," said Mr. \Vu, “the man
reminds me of a doctor of Shanghai.
"A mandarin came to this doctor for
advice. He could not sleep, had no ap-
petite, suffered a good deal from de
pression, and nevertheless was taking
on fat at an alarming rate.
“ ‘We’ll soon put you In condition
again,’ said the physician. ‘What you
need is exercise—good, hard exercise.
Four times a week you can come here
and put in the morning polishing my
floors.’
" ‘But why not my own floors?’ tho
mandarin inquired.
“ ‘Mine,’ said the physician, ’are
larger.’ ”—Washington Star.
Local Opticn Puzzle in Illinois.
The city of Litchfield is both wet
and dry. The city is located in two
townships. The major part is In
North Litchfield and the balance is
in South Litchfield. At the recent
election North Litchfield went over-
while South Litchfield township went
for saloons by a majority of 982.
People of that city now are wonder
ing where they are. Saloons in
Uouth Litchfield, in which is located
the saloon part of the city of Litch
field, will not be disturbed and the
probabilties are that many of the sa
loons voted out of North Litchfield
will move across the railroad and do
business in saloon territory.—Carlin-
ville Democrat.
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