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SATURDAY, DEI KHHKIt 11, 1*75.
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OOBRUPOXDIICB.
< orrewpondenr.- Aolicited ; hut to receive atten
! on, let tern must lx? accompanied by a re**pom*i
* e name, not for publication, but a** a guarantee
ot good faith.
All letter* should be addretwed to
J. H. RBTILL, Savannah, Ga.
The st. Loulh Convention.
In an editorial forecasting the action
of thin body, the New York Journal oj
Commerce stated very concisely and cor
rectly both the objects of the convention
and the conflict of views and interests
which it was calculated to develop. Says 1
the editor:
'1 be so called “National Kailroad Con
vention at Ht. Louis will be a stormy
one if the opponents of the cut-and
dried scheme obtain a bearing. The
complaint is by no means confined to the
fact that Ht. Louts naturally desires to
make herself the eastern terminus of the
Southern Pacific line, itival cities along
aippi greatly covet that honor {
fSHHkfeut elves, aud they will not be i
f l j
IF kd'srce that '
not ask cr claim to be the
eastern terminus.” Hut admitting this
self-abnegation of Kt. Louis to he truly
stated, there still remains a reason why a
large part of the South should be jealous
of the project in support of which the
convention was called. The purpose of
the meeting is to secure government aid
for the Texas and Pacific Jtoad, and that
is known to be under the control of the
Pacific Kailroad Company. The road, if
built, would be a prolongation of the
Pennsylvania line, and while it would bo
a great benefit to States lying on the Mis- j
stssipp', it would be of far less service to I
tho Southern States of the Atlantic tier.
Such at least are the apprehensions of I
people living in those States. They fear j
that if this road should be built under the
present auspices the really Southern lines
would have little to hope from it, and
that l nl .attractions aud discrimination
in freights the bulk of the business
_ would be diverted to St. Louis and Pitts
burg. According to this conception the
proposed road is really Northern —not
Southern in any true sense. These ob
jectors would have tho government pat
ronize the Now Orleans and Pucific, or
the Houston and Texas Central, or the
Southern and Pacific of California —
which are Southern enterprises in charac
ter, and uol merely intended to play into
the hands of a great Northern corpora
tion. Tho opposition is formidable, and
if it does not mauifest itself in forco at
tho St. Louis Convention, it will do so if
ever the subject comes beforo Congress.
Rival interests thus aroused may be re
lied on to do much towards tho defeat of
a scheme to which wo object, on tho
main ground that it depends on subsidy
(another word for corruption) for its
life.
And now that the convention lias con
cluded its deliberations, ami its reso
lutions indorsing Colonel Tom Scott’s
grand Pacific project entire have gone
forth, tho country will dosiro to know
how this result was accomplished, and to
what extent it may bo regarded by Con
gress as a true expression of the views
and wishes of the Southern States rep
resented in that body.
The “so-called National Convention at
Ht. Louis” was not “a stormy one” for
the reason that “tho opponents of the
cut and dried scheme” there developed
did not obtain a proper hearing. From
tho very liuturo of tho constituency of
tho convention—composed us it was of
State delegations, delegations from mu
nicipalities aud from corporations—it
not only was impossible for those who
opposed “ tho cut and dried schemo”
to obtain a hearing, but it was
also impossible in the vote by States,
upon tho question of tho passage of the
series of resolutions as, a whole, to ascer
tain tho strength of tho objectors. We
do not propose at this timo to dis
cuss the matter, but we do most
unhesitatingly declare it ns our conviction
that tho resolutions of the convention,
which have gone forth with the unani
mous approval of that body, do not express
tho views and wishes of tho majority of
tho Southern delegates, and should not
bo regarded by Congress as committing
tho people whom they represent to the
stupendous scheme of railroad subsidy
set forth in those resolutions. Our own
observation satisfied us that a majority
of the Southern delegations wore willing,
under all the circumstances- in view of the
largo subsidies which have been voted by
Congress for similar enterprises in the
North, in consideration of the greet
benefit which must result from the con
struction of a Southern transcontinental
trunk rood connecting the Pacific with
our Mississippi, Atlantic and Gulf sys
tems of roads, not only to the South, but
to the couutry at large, and in
view of the impossibility of build
ing such a road by individual enter
terprise to recommend the granting
of such aid by Congress as might
be necessary for the construction of the
proposed South Pacific main trunk
road by the thirty-second parallel line,
from some point on the Mississippi river
to the Pacific ocean, leaving all lateral
or local roads at either terminus to be
built by private corporations without
' government subsidy. Hud such a propo
rtion been brought fairly before the con
vention we believe it would have com
manded very nearly a unanimous vote of
the Southern delegates. On the other
haud, we have the same reason for be
lieving that had the seuso of the South
ern delegations been taken on the
resolutions reported by the com
-1 niittee the majority of votes would
bave b i against them. But the resolu
tions haviug been all cut and dried, and
presented as a whole, with a refusal to
consider them separately, all debate
being virtually cut off, and each State
being required to vote as a unit, there
•was no opportunity afforded for obtain
ing the true sense of the convention,
and the resolutions were adopted rather
by the silence of the individual delegates
than by their votes.
Under these circumstances the action
of the St. Louis convention, while it
developed a very general desire for the
construction of a Southern Pacific road,
and acquiescence on the part of the
people of the South Atlantic and Gulf
States in a proper and well guarded sys
tem of government subsidy in aid of
such an enterprise, conducted in good
faith, nevertheless it cannot, and we trust
will not, be regarded by’our representa
tives in Congress as an endorsement of
CoL Scott's project for the construction
of a Southern Pacific extension of his
great Pennsylvania monopoly, with gov
ernment subsidy and under a Southern
same.
It is expected that a quorum of mem-
of Congress will have arrived in
■Washington to-day. The Speakership is
Bie exciting question of the hour, in
!®ferenee to which the Democrats will
■id a caucus on Saturday night.
J. 11. ESTILL, PROPRIETOR,
Judge Black, nf, Pennsylvania.
As Congress is abou/to assemble, and
the political cauldron is beginning to
“boil aud bubble,” politicians are casting
about for the “ingredients” of the next
Presidential contest. We now look to
see the presentation of the names of
promiuent Democrats for the nomina
tion, it being pretty generally conceded
that General Grant has succeeded in
nominating himself for a third term, j
thus relieving the liadical party of
any further trouble in regard to
that matter. A few days since;
we published an article from
a Virginia paper, urging the peculiar |
fitness of Senator Bayard, of Delaware,
for the position of standard-bearer of the
constitutional Democracy and conserve,
tive men of the country in the next Pres
idential contest, which, in the opinion of
many, is to settle the destiny of the re
public. The Pittsburg Pod of Thursday
last contains a carefully considered arti
cle on tkA qaastioix of the Presidi t cy,
of Per ngyvePMa, for tme oernsfife ration
of tke Democratic convention. After
Kfatthg that Grant will undoubtedly be
the Republican candidate, and declaring
that the political institutions of the coun
try are in most imminent peril, the ar
ticle concludes : “Pennsylvania has not
yet presented a favorite son for the con
sideration of the nation at large, nor
would she in her behalf thrust a favorite
son forward, but, while discussing possi
ble candidates, it should not be forgotten
that Pennsylvania has a son than whom
none bear a prouder front. In the for
ward rank of statesmanship, a man whose
life has been as pure as his statesmanship
is far-reaching and comprehensive;
a man whose good advice has been
unheeded by the administrations of
the Inst sixteen years, but to whom
those administrations have gone in the
hour of peril to ask that the path of
safety bo pointed out; a man under whom
official corruption would not be permitted
to exist, much loss to flourish aud spread
itself like a green bay tree until it over
shadows the whole land; a man who has
been trained in the highest school of
statesmanship, who is acknowledged on
all hands to be the greatest expounder of
the age, and whoso already distinguished
services have crowned him with laurels
worthily bestowed; a man under whose
guidance the republic would be safe, and
by whom it would be brought back to the
true and ancient landmarks, so that it
might enter upon the second century of
its existence clothed with bright promise,
and surrounded by enduring certainty.”
The St. Louis Convention a Failure.
The Memphis Appeal zealously advo
cates the construction of a trunk railroad
on the thirty-second parallel, to connect
the valley of the Mississippi with the
Pacific, but it is not satisfied with the
action of the St. Louis Convention in en
dorsing Colonel Tom Scott’s grand sub
sidy scheme for extending the Pennsyl
vania hutrrd to .San Isrrgii, Speakiu_
of the convention, it says : “We have
only space to-day to Bay of the St. Louis
Convention that it obeyed Tom Scott,
and has confined itself to his programme.
He is happy, no doubt. He has won
against all opposition, and has had the
bankrupt Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
indorsed as worthy of Congressional aid
to complete its connection from Venita
to Port Worth, as the main branch of the
trunk line known as the Texas Pacific.
The South is “bilked” ngain. That is,
so far as a convention could consent to
such a process. Fortunately Congress
stands in the way, and the Southern peo
ple are not without the right of petition.
The next move is to unite Southern pub
lic opinion against Mr. Scott’s scheme,
and iusist upon anew project that shall
be altogether Southern—Southern not
merely in name, but also in location and
direction. The St. Louis Convention is a
failure.”
War of the Clans. —For some months
past, says a Washington dispatch, there
has been no secret made of the fact that
the Grants and the Camerons are “out.”
The President has for some time been
aware that it was entirely due to the in
trigues of General Cameron that the
anti third-term resolution was put
through the Pennsylvania Republican
Convention last spring. This was in re
venge for the refusal of the President to
allow General Cameron to control at
will the Federal patronage for Pennsyl
vania. Lately a movement has been
started by General Cameron to provide
for the election of the Pennsylvania dele
gates to the National Republican Conven
tion as early as next March. The object
of this is to secure an anti-Grant dele
gation, or a delegation which can be used
by the Cameron clique exactly as it may
further their interests. The friends of
the President in Pennsylvania are at
work to checkmate this move, and lively
times among the Pennsylvania Republi
cans may be anticipated. Already the
opponents of the Cameron faction in the
State are talking about the necessity of
sustaining the President. The result
will be apt to show how much real
strength the third term has in Pennsyl
vania.
Blaixe Stealing Grant s Thunder.
Ex-Speaker Blaine as a Presidential can
didate does not like the idea of the third
term people getting ahead of him on any
of the popular issues. Mr. Blaine is
now out with a proposition which he says
will settle the public school agitation for
all time. He proposes the following as a
constitutional amendment:
“ No State shall make auy law respect
ing an establishment of religion or pro
hibiting the free exercise thereof; and
no money raised by taxation in any State
for the support of public schools, or de
rived from auy public fund therefor,
shall ever be under the control of any
religious sect, nor shall any money so
raised ever be divided between religious
sects or denominations.”
The country has had some reason of
late to hope that the party with which
Mr. Blaine is identified were disposed to
cease tinkering with the Constitution.
But it is evident now that such hope is
delusive. No one dreamed that there
need be any “public school agitation”
until the idea was broached by the Re
publican party leaders. It has been
seized hold of first by President Grant
in the interest of his third term, and now
by Mr. Blaine, which indicates that,
whether or no, the people are to be
forced to make it an element in the next
Presidential campaign.
A correspondent of the New York Her
ald suggests as a popular Centennial ticket
Gen. Sherman for President, and Gen.
Joseph E. Johnston for Vice President.
Affairs In Georgia.
A Macon lover without skinned shins is
not thought to be in the fashion. This is
because the numerous yard-dogs in that
place take off their lob-chains after twelve
o'clock at night. Dogs will be dogs.
Senator Trumbull used to teach school in
Georgia. Several other worthy people have
been guilty of the same thing.
Mr. William S. Gresham, of Forsyth, died
in Lake City, Fla., recently.
Molasses elongations, interspersed with
fragrant dishes of goober-peas, are delight
ing tbe’young people of Liberty county.
. Twiggs county is bragging of the supe
riority of her turnips.
Mr. J. C. Cook, of Muscogee county, has
lost four thousand dollars by incendiarism
during the past month.
Notwithstanding the lateness of the sea
son Mr. J. W. Baggg, of Liberty county,
continues to pluck the coy tomato.
S Mr. R. F. Lester has assumed charge of
the Jesup Department of the Hinesville
’gfaseUe. He remarks in a casual way that
he means business.
A family from Missouri have located in
Wilkinson county.
. A flock of geese caused a burse to run
away near Ringgold recently. What’s horse
for the gone is horse for the gander.
Speaking of geese reminds us that a wild
Irtayv ' might wrim a“ |ri*asr tougth
on this prolific theme, but refrain for the
present.
The Macon Telegraph thinks we are en
deavoring to flank the Atlanta Constitution
on the Okefenokee business. Why, no—
not at all. On the contrary, the reports of
Colonel Clarke, Mr. Pendleton and Mr.
Haines will form an admirable supplement
to Captain Grant’s graphic sketches.
Burke Superior Court is still in session.
The criminal docket will be taken up to
morrow.
The Irwinton Southerner says that a negro
woman, the wife of a man who was sent last
court by Judge Bartlett to the chain gang
for shooting another negro, got someone
to write to President, Grant to release her
husband from bondage. The letter was
answered, and the President directed his
Secretary to inform her that he had no
jurisdiction over the State of Georgia, and
referred her to Governor Smith.
Macon lias had a jail delivery.
Wilkinson county contributes some more
healthy material to tho cemetery known as
Texas.
A colored infanticido has been arrested in
Macon. She is about twenty-two year*of
age, and says she killed her child because
she couldn’t support it.
Dr. Lewis D. Ford has been nominated for
Mayor of Augusta.
The Georgia Railroad is to have a fast
mail train. This movement is not in oppo
sition to the fast female trains.
Mr. Moses P. Green, a well-known and
highly-esteemed citizen of Burke county, is
dead. He was killed by falling over an ob
struction in his yard on the night of the
2th.
They are taking in Reynard in Wilkinson
county.
Another dead baby has been found in
Macon—this time a white one. Atlanta
Will have to hurry up with her fall returns.
Let the tuneful timbrel ring. A horse
thief has been captured in Augusta, tho
first iu many, many months.
Religious meetings are still going on in
Athens.
Tho Hinesville Gazette says that not long
. since Mrs. W. J. Warnell, of Liberty county,
saw an eagle catch a chicken. She iau to
drive tho eagle away, but upon her approach
it turned and made an attack upon her. It
became entangled by its claws in her dress,
seeing which Mrs. W. E. Warned ran to her
assistance, and by repeated blows from a
stick put an end to the existence of the
eagle. It was an unusually large eagle, and
had committed repeated depredations upon
tho poultry of Mrs. Warned and her neigh
bors.
Burglars are worrying Jesup.
Wilkes county grand jury : “We would
recommend our Representatives to use their
it*
ventioti -W-SitnS'-Uie work of the corrupt
Radical party, which framed the un
just Constitution under which we, as
Domocrats, still continue tojlive; and especi
ally the iniquitous homestead law, which
we consider unreasonably large for the
present impoverished condition of our
country, and entailing endless litigation and
unnecessary taxation, aud a premium for
dishonesty and the violation of contracts,
injuring the credit of the honest, industri
ous planters and crippling that of the mer
chants, and enforcing stagnation of the
mercantile and agricultural interests of the
country.”
Atlanta Constitution of Monday: Matters
were exceedingly quiet about the Executive
office yesterday. Concerning Treasury mat
ters there was nothing to be gleaned further
than that Mr. J. A. Richardson and Mr. W.
B. Lowe were named as aspirants for the
vacant office. The Governor has given no
public intention as to whom he will confer
the trust upon, but it is certain that he will
select the coming man within the next two
or three days. In the meantime Captain
Jones is preparing to deliver up the office.
Ho refuses to make any public statement at
present.
Alliens Watchman: It has been well known
for several vears that by some sort of chem
ical manipulation our sharp Yankee breth
ren have concocted a vile article of molas
ses, which can be detected by putting it in
tea, which it turns black; but we did not
know uutil recently that they “doctored”
sugar also. Such is the fact, however. We
have had two lots of brown sugar which
looked very woll to the eye, but which,when
subjected to the test, turned tea nearly as
black as ink. Look out for it. The Yankees
are a wonderful people. They manipulate
molasses, sugar, bacon, lard and everything
they touch—pressing the grease out of
bacon and extracting the oil from lard.
“Vat a countree, aud vat a beeples!”
Commenting upon the crop report of
Commissioner Janes, the Augusta Chronicle
says some interesting facts and figures are
given in relation to the production and cost
of cotton, as compared with other crops,
which show how much the people of this
State have been injured by their insane
devotion to the “staple.” The cotton
monomaniacs should read them, ponder,
and ceaso a policy which tends so plainly to
bankruptcy. The estimated cotton crop in
Georgia for the present year is four hun
dred thousand bales, which it has cost
eleven cents per pound to produce, or
twenty million dollars more than the
crop will bring on the home market. Ac
cording to this showing the planters of
Georgia have actually paid the enormous
sum of twenty millions of dollars for the
poor privilege of furnishing cotton to North
ern and European spinners! If they were
able to carry bn this work of charity per
haps no one would have a right to complain,
but as they are not rich but very poor, they
should cease to be philanthropists*,
and become farmers. While money
has been lost on cotton it has
been made on almost everything
else. Sugar cane has cost $53 7*6 per
acre, aud has brought $l3O 50, a net profit of
$76 80. Sorghum has given a net profit of
$24 74 per acre. Corn (at an average pro
duction of nine bushels to the acre), peas
and fodder, have yielded a net profit of $8 32
per acre. All these figures speak for them
selves, and it is easy work for a farmer to
ascertain how much he has lost by culti
vating cotton to the exclusion of everything
else. The true theory of planting is to
make cotton a surplus "crop. When this is
done the price will go up, and the money
for which it is sold be so much clear profit
in the pocket of the producer.
The Chronicle has this: The Treasury
troubles which commenced at the last ses
sion of the General Assembly will probably
terminate this winter in the election of a
new Treasurer and a full and complete ex
posure of the irregularities which have
characterized the administration of Treas
urer Jones. When the public has been
thoroughly informed as to the facts we will
be in a better position to pass upon the con
duct of the late incumbent and to decide
whether he has managed the affairs of his
office dishonestly or oifty carelessly. What
ever a subsequent investigation may prove,
no oue can question the wisdom "and the
propriety of the Governor’s action. He
could not have acted in any other way and
been faithful to his oath of office. The de
velopments made since the adjournment of
the Legislature rendered action by him ab
solutely necessary for the protection of the
people of the State. It was made known to
him that an actual deficit of over two hun
dred thousand dollars had been discovered.
This deficit alone more than exhausted the
Treasurer’s bond—if that bond had been in
every respect a perfectly good one. But of
the two bonds given by’the Treasurer it was
ascertained that the securities on one owned
very little property and that the securities on
the other denied their liability. Without
admitting the correctness or justice of this
latter plea, the circumstances of the case
made it the Governor’s duty to demand an
other bond. This he did, giving the Treas
urer, in accordance with the law, ten days
in which to prepare anew instrument. The
Treasurer was unable or unwilling to com
ply with this demand, and has been required
to vacate his office. A temporary successor
will doubtless be named in a davor two, and
then the matter will rest until the as
sembling of the Legislature. We under
stand that Captain Jones will make a full
statement to the public in a few davs. Gov
ernor Smith will also doubtless "give his
version of the affair to the Legislature.
SAVANNAH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11 , 1875.
_lt is said that the student* in the State
L Diversity have to spread the butter on
their bread mighty thin. The Trustees are
supposed to be taking steps to interdict frit
ters and mola-ses pudding. Joe Brown's
blue-stem coliards will be used at dinner
and fried over for supper.
Col. Marcus A. Bed, of Atlanta, whom
some of our readers wid doubtless remem
ber, in sending us an article for publication
—for which we cannot find room to-day—
eloquently remarks : “I am opposed to ad
captawlum, even if in a brother, and it is
high time the press should emerge from the
adme of sordid selfishness aud shake off
sene of the shackles that bind tbe spirits of
men like brutes, to grovel in the earth.”
Col. Morgan Rawls requests us to state
that, through the kindness of the officers of
the Western and Atlantic Railroad and of
the Central Railroad, he has succeeded in
effecting &u arrangement by which corn will
be transported at half freight rates for com
munities who failed, by the extreme drought
of last summer, to make the necessary sup
ply. Many of the lower counties failed to
make half a crop. He will goon receive a car
load, and then he will be able to give the
particulars, cost, etc.
Mr. W. A. Sorrells, of Madison county,
ought to be proud. He informed the editor
of the Athens Watchman the other day that
he raised a turnip this year which grew so
Targe that a shoat four mouths old ate a
hole into ta il'd, JtriCgr\wUttg in and sat
jfywW to* r, auger, TSffcAifaround and came
out at the saihehole.
A gourd six feet long is one of the prized
productions of Thomas county.
A Thomas county man curses the hard
times if he can’t have fried chicken on his
birthday. John Triplett’s birthday comes
only once every two years, and it 'must be
the abundance of fried chicken that is
nftking him so gray.
The editor of the Talbotton Standard has
recovered from his nervousness, and is now
writing about hoop-skirts, balmorals, pin
backs and bustles with a familiarity, free
dom and vigor that would do credit to a vet
eran.
The Augusta Chronicle learns that on last
Tuesday night a most brutal attempt was
made by two negroes at Millen to murder a
young white man named John M. Conner.
Conner, who is about sixteen years of age,
is employed by Mr. Daniels as a clerk in bis
store at Millen. On the night in question
he was walking between the store aud Mr.
Daniels’ house, when he was set upon by
two negro men, who knocked him down
with a brick, and then struck him two or
three times with the same weapon. They
took from his person two dollars in money,
and were searching for his watch when they
were frightened off. Young Conner is dan
gerously wounded, his skull having been
fractured. Ho is a very estimable young
man, and is liked and respected iu the
neighborhood in which he lives. The ne
groes who committed the foul deed were
arrested and lodged in jail.
Tho following personal paragraph from
the Gainesville Southron reacts like old
times—the good old times, w'hen every
editor of any standing killed a man a day,
and the more versatile one, two or three :
“The old skunk who told one of our farmers
on Friday that if be hauled his cotton over
to the depot to sell he would be liable to
prosecution by the Htreet Railroad Company
fordraying, is too mean to carry guts to the
meanest kind of a bear, aud our word for it,
he will not succeed in business when the
planters find him out, unless he quits
lying.”
The tax collectors have been ordered to
send all moneys addressed to the State
Treasurer to the care of the Comptroller.
The Atlanta Herald says that the number
of escaped convicts since the Ist of January
last is fifty-nine, only seven of this number
have been recaptured. John Howard has
lost thirteen in four months out of an
average of thirty-five. J. T. and W. D.
Grant have lost fourteen and recaptured
four out of an average of two hundred
and twelfty-five. F. J. Smith has
lost eleven, has killed one and has re
captured three. Dade Coal Company has
lost but one man, Wiley Redding, out of two
hundred and fifty-nine. N. E. Railroad
have lost three out of thirty. Henry
Stephens has lost six out of fifty, and has
recaptured four. Fields, McAfuwn-b' Cos.
ha ve lost two out of opo nuudred fe ‘..ilenry
' i'ayioVout dTloriy, has lost none. I
A negro child was found dead in Atlanta
the other day, which was supposed to have
been beaten to death by its mother.
Grouby, whom our readers will doubtless
remember as the rather eccentric editor of
the Blakely News, has been heard from
again. He prints the following “Notice”
over his own name in the Cutlibert Messen
ger : “On and after this date the under
signed gives notice that he will prosecute
any person selling him intoxicating liquors
of any kind to the full extent of the law.
This is not for tho purpose of injuring
whisky dealers, but to got sober and stay
so.”
Key West wants to sell Havana segars in
Atlanta.
Burglaries are still going on in Atlanta.
The following from the Atlanta Herald
will not be likely to excite surprise : “An At
lauta commercial traveler, in a store in La
Grange, the other day, slipped and fell, his
cheek striking on the edge of a marble slab
counter. The slab was broken in four
pieces, and the drummer, wiping out a par
ticle of dust that had got into his eye, quick
ly asked how much the damage was.”
A Columbus man who endeavored to shoot
an old lady is in jail.
Miiledgeville Union: Mr. J. N. Wood, of
this county, has made from sugar cane
grown on a piece of ground which measured
twenty-six by sixteen yards forty gallons of
excellent syrup. What part of an acre is
that? Farmers, let your boys, and girls too,
figure that out. Are wo right iu saying that
an acre that yielded syrup in the same pro
portion would bring, at seventy-five cents
per gallon (aud it is’ worth more), about
$350 ? If that’s so, what’s the use of fooling
with cotton.
Newnan Star : Wo noticed on tho street
the otner day a neat one-steer wagon, and a
neat, strong black steer between the shafts,
and a nice cotton covering over the ribs of
the wagon body, and a black-jack three
pronged stick, with throe red apples on tho
prongs, erected on the front end of the
wagon body as a sign. We determined to
see the proprietor, and he submitted to an in
terview ns easily as a candidate for Governor.
We said—Stranger, what have you got to
sell ?He said—l have got the yaller-skin redr
breasted shockly apple. We said—Where
did you come from ? He said—From the
upper ee-n-d of Haralson county, on the left
prong ot Turkey creek and close to Jack
mountain. We said—How many apples
have you got ? and how do you sell them ?
He said—l started with twelve bushel; I
retail them at fifteen cents a dozen, or two
dollars per bushel. I have sold seven
bushels, and will close out the lot in a day
or two. On inquiry we found it would take
him at least ten days to make the round
trip from home and back, but he would
realize on his load of apples near thirty dol
lars, and it didn’t cost a cent to make them.
He had made plenty of corn and meat, and
some cotton, but he hadn’t even had the
cotton ginned. He said it was penned up in
the field and he was in no hurry about it.
He said he would be down again before
Christmas ith another load of apples and
some bees-waxand honey and some feathers
and some other little tricks. He was well
dressed in home-made jeans, and was happy
as a 1 irk. We asked him when he would
bring bis cotton, and he said he didn’t know,
but if he got time to gin it, and felt like it,
he might bring it in some time next sum
mer after he laid by his crop. He seemed
to care very little about his cotton, and if
the cows had eat it up he wouldn’t have shed
a tear.
Beecher on the Bible in the Public
Schools. —In his Thanksgiving sermon
on last Thursday, the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher discussed the question of the
common schools, and notably the point
whether the Bible should be read in
them. He declared unqualifiedly against
it. There is no reason, he argued, why
the Jew should be compelled to listen to
or pay for the reading of the New Testa
ment, which he did not believe; why the
Roman Catholic should be forced to have
his children read, or listen to the reading
of, the Protestant version of the Bible,
which he did not-think correct; or why,
in localities where the majority was the
other way, the Protestant children should
be forced, in the same way, to read the
Douay Bible. “Fair play,” said Mr.
Beecher, “is the motto.” “But,” said
some, “will this not make our schools
Godless?” Yes, in one sense, just as a
hat store or furniture establishment is
Godless. The schools are not religious
institutions, and should not be made so
any more than a store. What would you
think of a man’s going into a furniture
manufacturer and asking the proprietor:
“Do you make chairs?” “Yes.” “Do
you make bedsteads?” “Yes.” “Do
you make Bibles?” “No, sir.” “Well,
then, I won’t patronize you. Your con
cern is a Godless one.” He believed in
inculcating principles of honesty, kind
mess, virtue, charity and the like, the fun
damental principles of true morality, bat
not sectarianism or even Protestantism.
These were topics that belonged exclu
sively to the different churches, and were
not properly a part of a common school
education.
THE OKEFENOKEE—WITHIN AND
WIT a OUT.
Sketches of Incident and Adventures
BY M. B. GRANT (PAUL TRANSIT). CIVIL EN
GINEER.
PART VI.
All our arrangements being completed, at
dawn we prepared to leave. In high spirits,
having very little idea of the perilous task
we were about .o undertake.
“Well, Mass Colonel,” asked Stepney,
“ what you gwine to do wid Boots? Poor
fellow!”
“I think we had better take him, although
we shall in that case have to share our scan
ty fare with him ; but perhaps he may be
called on to repay ns, for if wo should get
out of food we might be glad Ho have him
killed to save us from starving,” jestingly
replied the Colonel. *
Peter,Mass is we gwine
gentlemen, Adam.”
back sife, do’ I hjKspjEtSi I don’t like
dem owls and bars, riolww, no more
dem nasty alligators. Dey say dar’s
lots ob dem, and I don’t like you
all leabing, but I’ll stay here, massa, and ef
you don’t cum back I’ll take de mules and
hosses back safe to old Milledgeville, and
tell de ladies you all died like gentlemen.
Good-bye all—Mas Paul, Mas Beau, Mas
Kildare, Mas Ned, Mas Rover. De Lord be
with you all.”
A rather doleful farewell, but through
which we could perceive the sense of his
own security prevented Adam from in
dulging the full vent of his sorrowful dread
about our danger.
“Come, gentlemen,” said Stepney, “let’s
be oft, and stop dis lemoncholy chorius,” a
favorite quotation of his, acquired from
“Vilikins and His Dinah,” and equally
felicitously he applied it on suitable occa
sions, or the contrary. Like some other
people of my acquaintance—with a high ap
preciation of their own abilities—to Stepney
a poetical quotation was a poetical quota
tion.
As there was no authentic map of tbe
Swamp from reliable authority, after we
had passed through Billy’s Island, we com
menced to cut our way iu a northeast direc
tion, supposing Floyd’s Island must lie in
that direction from the scraps of informa
tion wo had collected, and being desirous of
an exact knowledge of this island, its size
aud position.
After the line was started the Colonel and
Mr. Rover went to kill a deer, tbe rest of us
chopping our way with our hatchets through
briers, bushes and trees. Chop, chop,
chop ! The sound for so many uneventful
days resounding in those woods still lin
gers in my ears. Being very much wearied
by our now work, about 4 o’clock >ie ceased
chopping, of course supposing we had gone
two miles. Imagine our feelings when, up
on examination, we found wo had only cut
and come through half a mile !
It would be well to describe the dense
thicket into which with our hatohets we had
carved this rude opening. If words can
convey a correct idea of it, the varieties of
growth composing it being those already de
scribed, growing over four ieet above it,
composed of mud, vegetable mould and
dried leaves. The mode of traveling here
must bo imagined. Every now and then one
of us would corite down on the flat
of our back from some limb caught
in our clothing aud the slippery foot
ing beneath us, the slightest obsta
cle or unexpected impetus being sufficient to
throw us; then up to our hips in some
unseen hole, and duriug all these ups and
downs still forcing ourselves onward with a
constant chopping and pressure through
bushes that were like a thick-set hedge;
here and there observing them matted
down by constant pressure, as though they
mi£;;.l be the sleeping places of °ars.
The Colonel and Rover, retn-ning from
■Hireir'iram, grv'uTeU Ks r "
“ Well, how are you getting on? We’ve
killed a deer, and, as we can 1 get no water,
we shall have to return to the island and
spend the night there, and, as we have
made so little progress with all the day’s
hard work, it would be as well to r* . .
and enjoy our vension, and make a R jsh
start to-morrow.”
“Mass Colonel, how far you tink we come?”
asked Stepney, in a dolorous tone.
“ Nearly three-quarters of a mile.”
“Oh, musaiful Moses! no iudder? An’
we ben a cuttin’, aud mishen’, and stribin’
de blessed day, an’ arter to-night we got to
sleep in dis yah place. Well, ef dat don’t
be a lemoncholy chorius, sure enuff.”
“Let us be off. It. is past five, and will
be too dark for pleasant walking in this
thicket ere long.”
Right glad we obeyed, and reached the
islind about seven o’clock, it having occu
pied a half hour to walk back the three
quarters of a mile we had cut through du
ring the day.
Beneath those noble pines we threw our
selves to rest for awhile, and then to work
again to make a fire,dress and cook our veni
son—the last we dared indulge a
hope to enjoy. Restored and in
vigorated by rest and a glorious supper,
some of the party proposed a fire hunt, in
which all joined except Beau Level and my
self, who openly acknowledged a preference
for rest and proximity to the lirs*after our
abominable clay’s work.
I must now relate the adventure that be
fell us after the hunting par ty had left us
and proceeded on their fire hunt some con
siderable distance, aud which prevented our
enjoying that repose the hope of which had
induced our refusal to accompany them.
No sooner had they left us, than after
building up a rousing tire, Beau said :
“Xrausit, I don’t know what you intend
doing, but I am going to sleep.”
“All right,” replied I, and forthwith he
threw himself into one of Vhose incompre
hensible knotty sort of postures that he
had a knack of tying himself up in,
which, to lookers-on, appeared the .cli
max of discomfort, but must have
been the reverse to him, as they invariably
had a sedative effect, and very shortly I had
conclusive evidence of his being asleep.
While X, resolving upon nothing, was over
come by drowsiness, and sat nodding near
the fire, in that dreamy state of half un
consciousness which is neither sleeping nor
waking, musing languidly over the past and
present—l was startled by Level’s terrified
awakening, saying :
“How far are we from the Swamp ? Tran
si t, did you hear that tiger?”
“1 heard an owl.”
“Itell you what, I heard a tiger!” Just
then I distinciy heard a stir in the bushes,
and that whining, child-like, crying noise,
peculiar only to tigers.
“By heavens, Beau, you are right; it is
one.”
“Well, look here ! Keep the fire going.
Look for your pistol.”
“Yes, I’ll attend to that”—both of us
listening as if we were all ears.
“Pile on some wood.” I did it.
“Curse the devil, I want to sleep.” Here
another cry startled us anew.
“Paul, pile on some more wood, can’t
you ? I wish the Colonel and the others
would come back. Here lam on a root.”
Saying this he got up and stealthily moved
around to my right, on the off side of the
swamp and tiger, which I silently observed,
and moved on the other side of him.
“Look here, Paul, you stay on that side—
your pistol’s the best*”
“I don’t think so; and if it is, you a*e
the best shot. You know you are.”
“You know better.”
“Anyhow, you’re the largest.”
“I don’t care if I am. Look here, the fire
is going out. By heavens, he'll have us !
No wood —the devil!” Another cry. “The
idea of a man’s leaving a comfortable home,
good bed, fine girls, and every comfort, to
bog and stumble throughTnud and bushes,
and be worried to death by ad and tiger
when he’s sleepy. This is too much ; I’ll
throw this overcoat on the fire ; that wil
soon make a blaze.”
“Don’t do that. Come, Beau, let us go
and get some more wood.”
“The devil you say! You go and get it.
Paul, old fellow (very affectionately), “I’ll
mind the fire; he’ll be watching that. You
know they pay the fire’ll keep ’em off; so you
can get the wood, and be back quick."
“Heavens, Beau, here are his eyes! Look
here!”
In absolute terror: “I swear it is ! Let
us fire.”
“No, Paul, no; not yet! we might miss
him, and he’d be on us then, sure. Oh !
the mischief! No wood —party not come—
tiger at us —away from home —the Lord de
liver us! If I get out of this scrape, catch
me in Okefenokee again I Oh, dear! I swear
it’s too bad!”
“Beau, I’ll wait no longer; see those
eyes ; I will fire i” So off I banged, one
barrel.
“Bow, wow, wow, wow; bow, wow,
wow!” and running toward us, came our
incomparable Boots, w agging bis tail.
How quickly was trrror changed to rage.
“Boots, you infernal fool, you!” exclaimed
Beau ; “you scoundrel, you scamp—it’s you
is it ?” seising him by the neck and laying
it on to him with a chunk. “Fool me again
when I am sleepy, wiil you ? —scare a fellow
to death, you dog, you!” and such a whip
ping as Boots did get might have been a
lesson of manners to him for the future; but
Boots, unfortunately, was of that uncommon
class of individuals who are not wise enough
to let their past misdemeanors and misfor
tunes act as incentives for future amend
ment.
“Well, Bean, I hope yon are satisfied ?”
“Yes, aud Boots, too—confound him ; and
weren’t we the two beat scared fellows that
ever lived?”
I acknowledged frankly that I was, and
was about addressing him with some other
remarks relative to our terror and its cause,
when I observed he w<s fast asleep.
In a few moments after the conclusion of
this scene the party returned, and I heard
their exploits recounted, and related to
them our startling adventure, over which
they laughed heartily.
We had actually heard a tiger, as we often
did afterwards, so as to become perfectly
familiar with their peculiar erv (there are
many about the Swamp, and their ferocity
at times is great); bat, unfortunately, Boots",
as usual, became the victim of his own in
discretion. Preceding the party on their
return, and the light of our fire reflected
from his eyes, naturally made us suppose
him the enemy of our’dread—the tiger we
heard.
The next morning we again started on
our explorations, no more to see open
land, palmettos, or enjoy a rest under such
grand old pines, until we reached the other
aide of Okefenokee, which should we ever
do 1 After several days of this plodding
life, we cam© upon some trees with the iu
tials of names of men of Floyd’s corps cut
upon them twenty years previously. The
heart-cheering that this simple incident
gave us can scarcely be conceived. Under
other circumstances, scarcely should we
have given a passing thought’ to this rude
carving of the names of persons unknown;
but in our dejected state of mind, as yet
having come across no signs of high land,
our spirits sinking lower day by day, what
at another time would not have elicited a
passing remark or a moment’s notice, these
rudely carv.-d names sent such pleasurable
thrills through us, revived such hopes within
us, and made us loiter and linger around
the trees on which they were marked, and
dwell lovingly on the names of men, our
fellow men, who, under other circum
stances, had stood upon this very
spot. Human hearts had beat around these
trees—human hopes and fears struggled
here. I felt that here we had met with a
literal illustration of Longfellow’s psalm, for
here were hand-prints on the bark of trees,
that some forlorn aud mind-wrecked broth
ers seeing, had taken heart again. Night
after night succeeding this break into our
monotonous mode of ’ife we made our pre
parations with few words ; the merriest of
us had become inclined to silence, and yet
in the quietude one could not but smile
to observe each one numbering over
the remaining biscuits aud slices of bacon,
and wondering how many more days wo
should have to pass here, and for how many
of these the provender would suffice.
“Here, Boots,” said Stepney, on one of
these calculation nights, throwing him a
small piece of meat, “here, dog, take ’em;
it’s nigh de last, but I reckon I’ll hab ’em
back when its time to eat you; an’ judgin’
from de present ‘pearance of tings, I tink
dat’ll be ’fore long.”
“ What’s that you’re saying ? ” asked the
Colonel.
“ I think, sail, Boots is in purty good or
der, and we ought to all try to keep him so
’fore we eat him.”
“Oh, I hope we’ll have no necessity for
that—poor fellow 1 Long may he live ; he’s
foolish, but faithful. Poor Boots! I think
we must be near Floyd’s Island, and, if so,
it cannot take us more than three days to
get out. We must keep up our spirits, gen
tlemen. It will never do to yield now, after
having accomplished so much. Oh, no 1 on
aud through must be our motto. How many
days’ provisions have we?”
“About three,” replied all.
We plodded on for three dava more with
out any change in scenery, with no relaxa
tion of effort—the same steady work of
chopping down and opening, and pushiug
through, on and over bushes and briers.
Now was shown the pluck and stamina of
each man. Here wo were disappointed in
the distance, as well as the amount of labor
necessary to clear it. Ten miles of our cut
down pathway between us and the camp we
knew ; how many divided us from the high
land on the other side we did not know ;
with only enough left in our knapsacks for
two day’s sustenance on short allowance, we
were sure.
Fortune favored ns; *ha yening we ar
rJ±vcn Floydtc.abo.’-t dud; and
we neared it the last rays of the set ting suir
were gloriously gilding the tops of the su
perb groves of magnificent live oaks and
magnolias aud noble pines that were scat
tered over its clear level and burnishing
brightly tho water that from the recent
rains covered the prairie on its eastern side.
So exhilarating was the effect of this vision
upon us, by contrast to what we had en
dured, that weariuoss and despondency were
forgotten, and we stood gazing, lost in
admiration of the beauty and gran
deur of this woodland scene,until the “oh—
whoo—whoo—whoo—oh whoo,” of a
hateful owl, startled us into a recollection
of ourselves and our circumstances. But to
these there was one glorious relief—a rest
for the night beneath those noble .oaks,
through which wo might catch a glimpso of
the sky, and on the solid earth 1 By con
trast, what a luxurious couch this made us;
earth, earth, earth—our mother earth—
sound, solid; not slippery, oozy
mud, nor rough branches and
leaves; and then a fire—a real bright, blaz
ing fire. By heavens! the prospect was
almost ecstacy; to have known the delight
the thought of these enjoyments gave us as
we cast off our knapsacks and threw ourselves
down for an anticipatory 101 l under these
frees, one must have passed through our
previous hardships. We forgot even to
think of hunger and lack of food,
or of our future; there was luxury in
that present dry rest—decent repose.
Follow what might afterwards—let fate do
her worst—we were here, around a bright
fire and on the dry earth; come what might,
Floyd’s Island was glorious. This island is
about three miles long, and a half mile
wide.
“Gentlemen,” said the Colonel, “ we must
determine on our course. We have one
day’s provision remaining—carefully used,
it may sustain us two. Shall wo give up
and return to camp, or go ahead ? I
say go ahead! For myself, I would
not yield; but as it involves some risk,
1 leave it with you now to resolve
upon our best course. To go back under
our circumstances is bad. It would delay
us three or four days. If we go forward we
may push through, and, I think, must in
two days; while if we return, there are ten
miles to scramble through, half famishing
as wo are.”
All cried, “Go ahead 1 Go ahead—never
return till we have once been through.”
“Gentlemen, I think you have decided
wisely, and I trust a merciful Piovidence
will guide us safely through; hitherto, dis
aster, and even our alarm at wild beasts has
only once been a little ludicrously excited”
(here Level and myself felt a slight sense of
the possibility of diminishing.) “Let us now
cook our supper, make a fair division of our
remaining provisions, try and get a good
night’s rest, and rise resolved under any
circumstances to see the outside by the
third evening; ’twere better to laugh than
be sighing. Hope on 1 Hope ever.”
“Dat’s so, Hass Colonel—best sort of ad
vice ; but I only got two biscuit and dish
yah one piece o’ middleu’, and dat goes
down dis very nigl t—de Lord willin’. Boots,
ole fel, look out for de mornin’, ease we
might have to eat you. Come yah ! You
want git off, an’ den our last chance would
be gone.” Saying this, Stepney attempted
to catch him, which the Colonel observing,
prevented with—
“ Never mind, Stepney, we’ll get out in
three days, and then we’ll make way with
the first mans corn crib we come to in a
way to astonish him. Let Boots alone.
How is it with you, Orange?”
“ I’m bery satisfied and hopeful, sar. I
know I kin last as long as enny, and I most
sure I kin hold out widout eatin’ for tree
davs. I sure ob it. Enny rate, noting like
tryin’ when you ’blige to.”
“Well, Orange,” said Stepney, “I tell
you what ’tis, now —talk about nig
gers and work; wbar’s de uso? Yer’s all
dese real gemmen starvin’ more and
takin’ more an’ any runaway nig
ger eber I see—let alone talk about gentle
men ob color livin’ comfortable at home.”
“Colonel,” Baid Beau Level, “I hope we
shall get into the prairies to-morrow even
ing.” (They, as I before said, lay lined
along the eastern side of the swamp for
three miles inward.) “Then,” Beau con
tinued, “we shall not have the bushes to
contend with, which will be a great relief.
Besides, we should come out entirely de
nuded if we have to tear through many
more. See, one pantaloon leg is gone to
tally, one boot top off, one Bleeve of my
shirt, too, my hat crownless—aud two bis
cuits, two more 1 ”
“Don’t talk,” said Rover; “behold me,will
you ?” and sure his plight was even worse.
Both legs of the pantaloons were torn from
top to bottom, and pinned together with
wooden pins. His shirt hung loosely around
his waist in shreds, cap minus the front
piece, and the reßt of us in not much bet
ter fix.
“Stepney,” said I, “you are worse off
than any.”
“How go, Boa*?”
“Well, you have lost half your wool.”
Snatching his ha.l from off his head, and
feeling it all over, he realized the lamenta
ble fact that the bushes had robbed him of a
part of (to him) his most inestimable posses
sion, Lis precious hair. His countenance,
after being oonvinced of the loss of this
Bummnm bonnm of his existence, can be
imagined but not described. It was most
tragically ludicrous. We could not help
laughing, but we sympathised with his posi
tive distress. His gravity and his grief
found vent in words.
“I kin stan’ all but dis. De berry hair
pull off a pusson head ; tored offwidout eber
knowing it for to triri de bushes in de
Swamp. When I git out I can eat my fill,
git new cloths, and ebery tin i else wanting;
but dis I wouldn't had’ it happeu for de
world. I bin takin’ so much care ob ’em for
six years, carding and combing ’em all dat
time for dis. Lord, Lord, Okeefenokee, ef
I nebber see you agin I cus for dis. Now,
de hair is gone, you kiu hab de cussed old
hat,” dashing it down and stamping on it.
“Lord, Lord, Lord 1 Well, if ebber 1”
Early in the morning, after a refreshing
rest, we left ihe sweet island to take the mud
aud bushes again with a terribly diminished
stock of provisions, but with brighter hopes
iu our hearts siuoe we had been once more
cradled on mother earth.
I Deglected to mention that on this island,
besides broken utensils, stone arrow heads
and other Indian vestiges similar to those
seen on Billy’s Island, we also observed
what we concluded mast have been
signals used among themselves—repre
sentations of arrows cut upon the trees,
some vertically, others transversely, besides
the stem of a large branchless tres, the top
evidently having been broken off in some
gale, with notches for climbing, regularly
cut it) it all tbe way up. As it overlooked
the prairies, we supposed it must have been
their lookout post. Daring the next day we
struggled on uncheered by any sign of high
land, but ere the close of the second we
came within sight of the prairies, which
convinced us we could not be far from fhfe"
outer boundary of the Swamp.
Our spirits began sensibly to drop, which
the Colonel perceived with evident uneasi
ness; but for which there was no remedy ho
could provide.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “I know you aro
all worn down, but try aud bear up. Pow
erfully the will can rule the frame. We
must be out to-night. Ido not think it pos
sible that we are tar from the termination of
the swamp; we must be near its borders—
only a little more endurance—bear up 1”
“Colonel,” exclaimed Lueknow, “I can do
no longer without rest. Let us rest awhile,
we may then be more able to renew our
efforts.”
‘T, too, Colonel, must rest,” said I, and
Rover, Level and Langhorne all joined in
this—“we must rest.” The Colonel
consented, being as glad to rest
as any of us, but feeling
it to be his duty to encourage and cheer us
on, and prevent us from yielding too much.
It was near 3 o’clock p. m. when the
Colonel, in an encouraging voice, called out:
“Gentlemen, rouse up. We are near high
land—our troubles are nearly over—deliver
ance is at hand. Tho appearance of the
prairies conviuces me we are near tho edge
of the Swamp.”
And we did. We arose and slowly, ac
cording to our strength, pursued our way,
each member of the party haggard-look
ing, pale and emaciated. Fatigue, expo
sure and hunger had set their marts upon
us. We were scarcely recognizable to each
other, and to look upon the weakened strug
gles of all saddeuea each. Evou Stepney
mad given in. His buoyancy had at last
failed him. He had given us no cheering
word, made no untimely jest all the morn
ing, but looked as if he had been bereft of
a bagfull, instead of a pound, of his pre
cious wool.
“Yonder is high land,” said the Colonel.
“Hurrah 1 hurrah 1 hurrah 1” echoed from
all sides.
Oh, joy 1 had the wedding day of each of
us arrived, wo could not have experienced
more joy than did the certainty of seeiDg
high land.
“Oh, gentlemen, we’ll have the lemon
cholly chorus,” cried Stepney.
“’Tis better to laugh than (bo sighing,”
sang out Beau.
“We are out! we are out!” shouted all.
We could scarcely realize that we were
out safely through tho Swamp—but at what
point ? After some consideration and con
sultation we laid our plans, an 1 soon found
that we were near one of our own stations,
made while running the line on this eastern
side, and from its number knew wo were
not far from the house of Mr. Hattocks.
Hither, then, we directed our steps, aud
arrived at 8 o’clock at night. Before we
reached it, however, the little strongth we
had remaining was brought iu requisifint;
• for defense against the dogs, who made a
fierce and furious a! ack upon us.
W!v>n our woiuy host,Mr. Hattocks, wsu
e- bha.t f t same meu
'had en r ll ,mr'l l TrnSi—hib~&oTlt!,
some weeks before, .he did justice to him
self and our hungry selves, by the noblfigt
hospitality to our whole party for two or
three days.
My first exclamation was :
“Do I look like you?” and each, I suppose,
hoped he was not as bad as the spocimina
before his eyes—himself to himself invisi
ble. For a wondrous change had our ter
rible swamp traverse effected in the most
elegant of our number. Could it be
otherwise. Our ablusions while in the
swamp were necessarly very simple. The
pouring rains, by soaking in the mud
aud dust that our damp clothing had ab
sorbed, had begrimed us all over. Our
hair and beards were of the roughest, and,
with our ragged habiliments, might have
induced others besides Mr. Hattock’s dogs
to believe us demons let loose from a
bad place.
“ ludeed! indeed 1” said Mr. Hattocks,
“since it is you, gentlemen, I am glad to
see you back—all of you ; but I assure you
it is more than I expected after I heard that
you had actually goue into the Swamp to
explore it. But here you are 1 Well, 1 re
joice at your success and your safety; but
you must have had powerful tough times ;
your looks show it. As long as I have been liv
ing here, I have never been in over two miles;
nor I don’t suppose if I were to live here a
hundred more, I should go in any farther.
I know you are all dry ; come and take a
drink ; it will do you good.” And we did.
The most temperate among us availed him
self of the quick relief a stimulant would
afford our jaded powers.
“Mr. Hattocks,” said the Colonel, “wo
must beg you to give us something to eat,
unreasonable as tne hour is, for we have
scarcely had any food for two and a half
day*.”
“You don’t say so ?” Then addressing his
wife, who, with the children had been look
ing on and listening with interest: “Stir
around and get a big supper ready as soon
as you can. These gentlemen are almost
starved, and you know how to feed the
hungry.
It required no second exortation. Mrs.
Hattocks and her daughters most heartily
set to work for our benefit. How lovely and
interesting they looked while thus engaged;
and when they returned with “ supper is
ready,” hardly could even our woltishly
hungry selves believe it, so quickly had it
been prepared, and all the better for the
haste. With little ceremony or courtesy
we set to and devoured no less the good
cheer provided. Several times we cleared
the table, which, by magic, Mrs. Hattocks
seemed able to replenish, for as often as
called for by our famishing wants, abund
ance came for us all. And then we laid us
down on comfortable beds, within the walls
and under (he roof of a house, and slept as
well as if we had been Robin Hood’s merry
men of the good green wood so long.
We rested three days, recruiting our
strength and spirits under Mr. Hattick’s
hospitable roof, who abundantly supplied
our whole party with proofs of the most lav
ish kindness and good-will in every way.
Never can we forget his noble entertain
ment of us. Long may he live, flourish, and
be blest.
In the account of our struggle through
the Swamp, I neglected to statejthat every
day the regular courses, distances and to
pography of the Swamp were taken, and at
different points samples of the soil were also
obtained, for the purpose of being analyzed.
Reinvigorated, physically and mentally,'
we bade adieu to our courteous and hospit
able entertainers, and began to retrace our
steps to our longed-for camp, through the
passage we had cut in the Swamp, being
bountifully supplied with provisions.
No incidents or remarkable events oc
curred; but we had leisure and opportunity
to examine and note along the route places
of interest and peculiarities previously un
observed. One thing particularly struck
us. Some of the notches we had cut upon
the trees as guide marks had been knawed
by gome animal since our exit. This
could only be done by bears, which
we were conscious were all around
us, but had seldom exhibited them
selves to us; nor could we understand
why they had followed our retreating steps
and regularly knawed these cuttings in
the trees, but evidently it had been done
for some purpose. We afterwards learned
that they did this to cause the gum from
the trees to exude more freely, in which they
rub their heads to keep off "bees when they
go after honey. Mr. Bruin is well known to
be a honey-lover.
Arrived at Billy’s Island—oh 1 happy con
viction that we had accompl shed our explor
ation—the consciousness that we had
passed through the Qkeefenokee more
than repaid us for the trials and privations
of the way; and now that they were over,
and we safe Headers upon earth again, ap
peared comparatively trivial,
At Lilly’s Island we observed several mat
ters unnoticed on our preceding visit. Here,
with little effort, a deer was slain and carried
with us to camp, to which we were hasten
ing with some anxiety as to the welfare of
those behind, and anticipating some pleas
ure from their congratulations.
Stepney, whose loquacity had received
some check Bince the loss of h ; s capillary
attraction, broke out in his old vein as we
approached the picket:
“Well, Lord ! yer we is all back safe, and
I sure I tought we nebber would a lib
to see dis day, when we bin on Floyd’s
leland. And Boots, too, poor fellow 1 you is
yer, too, widstandin’ contrary expectations
on de part ob some ob us, which needin be
ESTABLISHED 1850.
mention; but you look like you been stewed
on a gridiron. I reckon you been nigh it.
Well, well, de leraonchollv chorious is eber
for you as well as us; so gib a shout, dog.”
Just then, Boots, with his usual impetu
osity, left the party and charged up to
camp. Perhaps he did not altogether like
Stepney’s roasting allusions. At any rate,
he rushed up to the surprise of Adam
and Jeff. Adam took him up in his arms
and caressed him as he would have done a
child.
“You ver, Boots ? Well dog, whar’s de
yest ? Whar you come from ? Whar’s de
oders? Telljme—Mass Colonel, Mass Transit,
Mass Loughorue—all on dem. Whar is dey ?
How is dey all—eh, dog ?” Here we entered
upon the scene in propria persona, and
Adam’s joy was beyond words to express.
“De Lord, de Lord! you all back ? Is you
all back ? Is you all safe, for true ? Mass
Colonel, for true, is you all back safe?
Glad, glad, too glad. I never did spec to
see wunno no more ! Stepney, boy I Orange,
all yer ? Well, well, well. Blessed be de
Lord, his mussey, his mussey 1 I bin misera
ble since you bin gone. Only two lone
mens, two in dis lone woods. Mr. Hatch
been yer twice. He tell me, ‘ole man, you
better go back ; you’ll never see none of
dem no more—nebber. nebber.’ But me,
I conldn’t gib up. I say de Lord will
have mussey, and he did, and yah you is
all safe aud sound—safe and sound. I
know you all hungry ; I know you is. Jeff
git supper, boy. Lots a honey I got for
jmmi. Uob four triiA tttiw you boon gouu,
an’ a little pork, Mass Colonel. Desperation
bad hog, sur; had to kill him." The
Colonel had no heart to find fault. “Lord,
Lord, Lord, well if ebber.”
“ We have brought a deer, too, Adam ; so
we will live high.”
Adam, without waiting to hear any of our
adventures, content that wo were here, went
off to assist Jeff in getting supper ; in fact,
Adam was as good a cook as tbo other, and
prided himself on the bread he could make.
LETTER FROM JACKSONVILLE.
Aldcruuinic Nihilism—A Nice l.itlle if nine
— l Transparent as Variegated Soup—An
Investigation Invited—Yacht Skylark—
Steamer Hitchcock—Everything and
Everybody—Sundries—Marine.
[Special Correspondence of the Morning News.)
Jacksonville, November 29.
WAYS AND MEANS.
There is an abitrary but time-honored
apothegm extant which inculcates the ad
visability of going to your aunt and con
sidering her ways for some purpose or
other that I do not now recall to mind,
yet it is something about resolving your
self into a former Governor of Virginia.
Iu the event of not being blessed with an
aunt, it is deducible from the proverb as
a corallary 'that it may be in order to
consider the ways of somebody else.
Having, after due deliberation, arrived at
such a conclusion, I will occupy a brief
space in ventilating the serpentine course
of an erstwhile tax gatherer of Jackson
ville, who flourished some time after
his birth, and who is still, wonderful to
relate, in the land of the living, and also
in arrears to the city for money collected
during his incumbency. It often hap
pens that when an easy-going personage
fondly dreams himself all right he is all
wrong; about the hour when he labors
under the hallucination that he has sue
ceeded in concealing his tracks some
intermeddling spectator who has been
indifferently observing his evolu
tions, will agitate him out of
_his X.“-Gic£l security in a startling way.
These observations are but an additional
exemplification's? the fact that it is fa
tally unsafe to conclude that a man is
forever asleep hi exists
unaer a drowsy appcWanoih-
1873, a genius of complete aldermanie
proportions was eleoted City Tax Colleo
tor by an enormous majority of about
nine votes, and vacated the office in 1874,
leaving a deficit of about nine hundred
aud eighteen dollars. He is a chronic can
didate for alderman, and at present the soi
disant financier of the Common Council.
As such his financial schemes have all of
the brilliancy of a genuine diamond with
the inherent instability of an icicle. His
lanceolar ideas have made him a defaulter
to the city for several hundred dollars,
and we shall consider hereafter why it is
not liquidated.
ANOTHEB DELINQUENT.
The successor of the aforementioned
appropriator is also in default for between
seven and nine hundred dollars; but as
he claims that he holds himself in readi
ness to pay the city’s claims, the large
volume of human kindness in my compo
sition dictates that his case shall be in
vestigated in a future letter.
WHEBE, OH, WHEEE?
An innocent grand jury some time
since fell into the flagitious error of rec
ommending the speedy construction of a
new and spacious county jail. A three
mill tax was levied for this ostensible
purpose, bqt the ring in the meantime
proceeded to purchase the depreciated
scrip of the county, intending, prob
ably, to sequestrate this special
tax in cancelling that defunct
stuff. Per consequence, the question
will force itself upon us, where is the
county jail ? Unless a reply comes down
with surprising velocity it will be an
absorbing achievement to bring the
county ring down.
STEAM YACHT SKYLARK.
This vessel, which arrived in the river
last week, is owned by Mr. D. C.
Leech, a retired merchant, of 22 East
Fifty-seventh street, New York, and be
longs to the New York Yacht Club, the
colors of which she flies, and whose
uniform her officers must wear. She
will be used strictly as a private yacht for
pleasure on the St. John’s, and is under
the command of Captain W. H. Morris,
with Mr. W. C. Davis as Purser. The
Skylark is a model of beauty, magnifi
cently fitted up, is about eighteen
months old, eighty-nine feet in
length by fifteen feet beam, and
remarkable for speed. She makes
fifteen miles per hour easily, and never
having been distanced in a race flies the
champion penant of the N. Y. Y. Club.
Her burthen is thirty-six tons, and she
draws four feet six inches light.
THE UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY.
The Hitchcock is intended for the sur
vey of St. John’s river as far up as her
draught (four and a half feet) will allow
her to proceed, and will leave this place
for the upper St. John’s as soon
as the sun shines. The Hitchcock meas
ures about 112 tons, is 95 feet long* by
19 beam, is supplied with all necessary
appliances, and officered as follows: H.
G. Ogden, Assistant Coast Survey, Com
mander; W. J. Reynolds, Hub-Assistant;
F. H. North and \y. C. Miller, Aids, and
E. F. White, Engineer. She carries a
full crew, and will complete as much of
her allotted task as possible this winter,
and return next season to flnish the re
mainder.
UPSETTING A LIGHTER,
That life is a bark, which ever and
anon obstructed is, but still keeps moving
od, and ends by the vessel’s being up
set, for all on board to get dripping wet,
was fully exemplified by a mishap which
occurred at the ferry on Sunday night.
The lighter started under full headway to
this side of the stream, bearing up a
load of four horses, a mule, and
six suffragans. When midway be
tween the two banks the rickety
contrivance utilized for transferring
cattle sprang a leak and commenced to
sink rapidly. The animals and men
spluttered about in the water in a terrible
way, and the latter were picked up by a
passing batteaux, while the former very
quietly swam ashore. The lighter went
to the bottom and entailed, perhaps, a
killing loss' upon the great monopolist of
ferry privileges, Harrison Reed.
LARGE ORANGES.
Your correspondent has just been made
the recipient from Mr. Chas. A. Kinley,
editor of the Lake City Reporter, of some
magnificent specimens of the golden
fruit, grown in Columbia county. They
are of huge dimensions, weigh one pound
each, and for fine flavor cannot be ex
celled. They are an unmistakable evi
dence of Columbia’s capacity as an orange
producing county.
SUICIDE AT LAKE CITY.
A stranger named Grissom com
mitted felo de se by taking morphine at
Lake City last Thursday morning. He
hailed from Southwestern Georgia, and it
is assigned as a reason for his act that be
was a fugitive from justice from that sec
tion. However, this is mere surmise.
AUTUMNAL OAKNITUBE.
The usual number of obstreperous
characters, comprising benzinists and
petty disturbers of the city’s peace and
dignity, were up before the Police Court
last week. Some of them were
muloted for slight amounts,
others politely requested to room with
the town, and a few discharged. The
muuioipal calaboose was without a lodger
on one day during the week, and the
officer in charge, after having adminis
tered a scrubbing thereto, was congratu
lating himself ou the absence of occupants,
when his dream was rudely assailed by an
unconscious tippler who was driven up
ou a dray and incontinently dumped off
upon the clean floor.
TRAMPS.
A number of tramps have invaded the
classic shades of this metropolis, but have
thus far caused no damage.
CLKBK OP THE CIRCUIT COURT.
This redoubtable companion of the
greaser Archibald, to whom I made a
brief allusion in my last, accosted your
correspondent in a particularly burly
fashion to-day, with lightning in his eye.
He threatens to hold us responsible,
and in order to give him a cause I
propose shortly to shed a flood of
light upon his career. He was
politely notified that an examination
would be instituted into his proceedings,
but negatived the proposition by saying
that he had no desire to be investigated.
Higgins is not an isolated instance—none
of his fellows like their own histories.
INDICTMENT OF RICHARD ANDERSON.
Since writing Saturday I understand
that the above-mentioned nigger consta -
ble has been indicted for harboring a
criminal. I will keep an eye </u this
case. '
PERSONAL.
The brother of the late Professor J. H.
Ochus reaohed the city ou Sunday, and
will straighten up the affairs of deceased
as quickly as possible.
The many friends of Captain W.
Stokes Boyd, of Philadelphia, who was
recently married, will be pleased to learn
of his contemplated visit to this city
about the 15th proximo. He will prob
ably remain here during the season.
MARINE INTELLIGENCE.
Arrivals at Jacksonville for the past
three days: Schooners—Ella, Bath, Me.;
Savina Bell, St. Thomas, W. I. Depar
tures: Schooners—Kate Foster and Ad
miral, New York.
WEATHER.
Weather still gloomy, dark and dreary.
Adrianus.
ANOTHER CHARLIE ROSS AFFAIR.
A Child Liglitern ill until* Old Kidnapped
In Florida.
[From tlie Marianna (Fla.) Courier, 25.]
t Ou Saturday morning last, about seveu
o’clock, was enacted one of the most out
rageous and inhuman acts that this
community have ever been cognizant of.
Never in the primitive days of the
country, or in the palmiest days for
crime, was such a circumstance known.
While the Burgett family, living about
one mile from this place, were at break
fast, two white men came to the front
doorj of the dwelling and enquired of
young Burgett if they could get break
fast, and stated that they were wearied
and hungry. The family being poor and
having no accommodation for strangers,
he informed them that they had better
apply to a neighbor not far distant,
who would, perhaps, give them the de
sired meal. Bent upon accomplishing
their hellish scheme, and not to be
thwarted from their purpose, one of
the men asked permission to get a
drink of water, and accordingly young
Burgett took him to the rear of the house
for that purpose. During his temporary
absence the other man took up the child,
which was playing in the ball, near the
front door, and made his way as rapidly
as possible to the woods close by. As
young Burgett and the other man were
returning to where they had left thiß
villain, he discovered him moving off as
rmsnA-'Tsrp(jßSTiErir ?%i the child
this time his oomrad>l~~Hpra!ng "from the
bouse and followed. Young Burgett gave
the alarm, and the remainder of the
family (all women ) arrived in time only
Lo see them escaping with the innocent
babe.
The kidnappers were seen by several
as they crossed the road, wending their
way southward. Young Burgett informs
us that he would know them again should
he see them, but thinks he never saw
them before. After their departure the
following note was found on the floor,
which was evidently written in a dis
guised hand :
“ Be easy and contented abouUyour
child, it shall be treated well, an<l v yon
shall see it again in six weeks it is all
its good that we take it, it shall be
you in sit weeks, shall fair better than
with you.”
This summary mode of depriving the
young mother of her only offspring, is
certainly strange and must have a mean
ing, bui what that meaning is we are
unable to conjecture. However it may
be, the authorities should leave no stone
unturned, nor crevice unsearched in their
efforts to rescue the child and apprehend
the perpetrators.
So utterly fiendish, inhuman and iioinff"
ble is the crime, that we are unable to
command words bywhich to express the
indignation of ourselves and the people
at large. Should this go unnoticed, we
know not at wbat time and how soon
other mothers may feel this aching void
in their breasts. This occurrence is not
less alarming and significant than the ab
duction of Charlie Ross at Philadelphia,
and no doubt would create equally as
muoh clamor had its transpired in a more
populous country. We deem it the
duty of the County Commissioners to of
fer a suitable reward for both the recov
ery of the infant and the capture of the
offenders.
The Sherman and Johnston Episode
In the St. Louis Convention.
There were alsa episodes. Generals
William T. Sherman, Joseph E. Johnston
and P. G. T. Beauregard were the heroes
of a notable one. General Sherman had
entered early into the hall and had gone
upon the platform. Later it was also
moved that General Johnston also be in
vited to take a seat alongside of General
Sherman. Over this there broke out a
storm of applause. Before all min<!VH|HH
arose in a moment a picture of
It was a war picture, glorious with bat
. tie flags and stormy with steel. Hereja
; column drove onward or was hroken; there
the blue and the gray, under a powder cloud
that shut out hud, struggled in either
scale to hold its own with destiny; and
over yonder—when the night had fallen
—the dead lay out under the starlight,
waiting the resurrection. There was a
transformation, and the meeting of the
two Titans —the one the hero of the
march to the sea, and the other a hero,
also, of the same march. These were
the central figures of the scene. As they
stood up and cordially shook hands—
Johnston and Sherman—for the space of
five minutes the Temple shook with ap
! plause as though a storm was raging.
There was no longer any war in the land.
Two of the prominent men of the civil
strife,ooming together in the interests of a
restored Union, had met to set an exam
ple of fraternal intercourse and reunion.
The spirit of these two soldiers was com
municated to the delegates as if by an
electric spark, and the effect was magi
cal. Johnston was gray and cool; Sher
man bronzed and happy. Both were old
friends. What mattered the past? Peace
is to have her victories also, and this time
the Federal and Confederate can march
under the same flag to the Pacific. Im
mediately succeeding this greeting came
an ovation to Beauregard.
General Sherman met him as he step
ped upon the platform, shook hands with
him cordially, and led him to a seat.
There sat the trio, the past in the shadow
and the present in the sunshine. Was it
fate after all that had made commerce
more powerful than war?— St. Louie
Time*.
That notorious Spanish cut-throat,
Burriel, who so brutally i.utehered the
Yirginius captives, has met at least one
person in official position who appreciates
his true character. He is now the Cap
tain General of the province of Bilbao,
and recently attempted to call on the
British Minister, Hon. A. H. Layard,
who was passing through that country,
but that gentleman declined to receive
him. Serves him right.