Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

£avimnalt SATURDAY, DEI KHHKIt 11, 1*75. * SUancßirTlON*. (►Weekly New*, One Yenr gg (H( Weekly New*, six Month. .... .. ... . | OO Week,, New., T keee,Month. 50 New *’ one year, *lO 00; six month*, 00 ; throe months, %% 50. . one year, *6 00; *ix month*, *■' 00 ! 1,1 roc month*, $i bo. All Hulim ription* payable In advance. Paper* y mall are toi>pl a t the expiration of the time paid for without further notice. Subscriber* will pleaae obaerve the date* on their wrapper*. A!*TKKTIHKMKNTM. A AUK Ih ten moamirerl linen of Nonpareil Of Tub Wkhki.t Nkw,. h insertion, *1 00 per square. Übcral rate* fnade with contract adverttaera. 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 accompanied by a re**pom*i * e name, not for publication, but a** a guarantee ot good faith.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.