Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME V.
VISITED BY A GHOST
A PROMISE MADK IN LIFE KEPT AF
TER DEATH.
What the Spirit Said.
“Did you ever see a ghost?”
“No.”
“Did you ever see any one who had
seen a ghost?”
“I can’t say that 1 ever did,” the re
porter replied.
Whereupon the gentleman said that in
the person of one of the officers of the
city government could be seen one who
had once had a veritable interview with
a spirit from the other world. The re
porter visited the gentleman.
“Yes, sir,” he said to the reporter, “it
is the truth. I did once see a ghost, or
have an interview with a spirit. At least,
1 think l did. 1 may have been dreaming;
1 don’t know. Bat it was a most remark
able, a most inexplicable dream, i r what
you may choose to call a dream, that
was fulfilled in every detail in a most ex
traordinary manner. And I don’t think
it was a dream.
“It was at the time of the war. I was
on the Confederate side in the war, a sol
dier in the First Maryland Cavalry. In
the same company with me was a gentle
man from California, whom you may call
Coplestcn. I'd rather you wouldu’t pub
lish his real name. He was a splendid
follow, and before long we became very
intimate, and gradually grew to be most
devoted friends. He was the bravest of
men, buV at the same time unusually
warm hearted and affectionate, and our
affection for each other was something
unusual among men.
“One day we were together in a pretty
hot fight near Greenland Gap, Hardy
county, Va., during Gen. Win. K. Jones’
raid, and, as we had no artillery with us,
our regiment was dismounted and detailed
to storm a church in which a body "of the
enemy had entrenched themselves. It
wa< a nasty piece of work, and the pros
poors wore slim of getting back alive. As
wo went at it Copleston turned to me and
said: ‘Look here, old fellow, lot s promise
each other that if one of us is trilled with
out a chance to say good-bye, he will .’onto
back again to bee the other, if such a
thing is possible.’ I understood him and
promised. We got off this time without
much damage, but it was understood be
tween us that the agreement v.as lasting.
“Not long after this we were separated.
He was sent off with a detail for scouting
work up the Mississippi, and before he
ot back I was captured by Averifi at
Moorfield, after the Chamlx rsburg raid-
They sent me to Camp Chase, near
Co'uuibus, Ohio, and here I lay for a long
time, with some fifteen or twenty thous
and other prisoners, hearing little or
nothing of our men on the other side ot
the Pot. mao, and then only from (be new
prisoners when they were brought into
camp. Of Copleston we heard nothing
at ail.
“In Camp Chase we lived in big bar
racks, about three hundred men in a bar
rack. In the one in which 1 was, uio.it
of the men were Marylanders of our old
command. We slept in bunks around
the room, and the room was Leated by
three big stoves. One night l was sitting
by the at.ve nearest the door, thinking.
It was late, and ail the others were in
their bunks asleep. I sat there alone for
some time, looking at the fire and lost in
thought. Suddenly I felt impelled to
look up, and there, just in front of me, on
the other side o> the stove, and between
it and the door, stood Oopleston.
“Were you alarmed at all? '
“No, I was not alarmed, only greatly
surprised. There was nothing to alarm.
It was only Coplestou, dressed :n the same
gray suit and black felt hat. I thought,
of course, at the instant, that somehow
he had been captured and brought a
prisoner to the camp, and had only just
learned where I was. I exclaimed, ‘Why,
Copleston, when were you brought in?’
and tried to rise up and shake hands with
him. I could not move.
“Copleston looked at me sadly fora
moment and then said: ‘No, I was not
brought here; don’t you remember our
agreement?’
“ ‘Great heavens!' I exclaimed, ‘were,
O*
you :
“ ‘Yes,’ be said, ‘I was killed to-day.’
He then w T ont on and told me all about it.
One day he and one other of our men
were surrounded in a house near Luray,
in Page county, Va., by a squad of
Fedcr. .-, ar.d after a little fight, in which
Cop; ,stou was wounded in the leg, the
two were captured and taken into the
enemy’s camp. They were heid for a few
days, and wore then sentenced to be shot
as an act of retaliation for some sins laid j
at Mosby’s door. A sergeant's guard
took them into the woods, and with some
touch of pity offered to let them run the
gauntlet, Indian fashion. The other man
accepted this slight chance of escape, hut
was slot as he ran- Copleston refused to
move, and was killed where ho sat on the
ground.
“All this, sir, 1 assure you, was told
me by this strange visitor. As lie finished
he said: ‘Should there ever be any other
occasion for me to see you, l will come,
and then disappeared, not going out by
the door, but simply fading away. I was,
of course, strongly moved, but shortly
after that I retired to my bunk. The next
morning I told the men in mess of the cir
cumstance, and was of course laughed at,
“Three weeks afterward fresh prisoners
were brought in from the Army of I ir
ginia, who, with other news, told of
Copleston’s death, just as 1 had already
heard of it from himself. The men of the
mess no longer laughed at my story.
“I do not pretend to explain this at all.
I think it can’t be explained, iam not
superstitious, I think, and, as 1 aid be
fore, may have dreamed it, but even then
it, would be a very strange dream.” — Ex.
THU WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
The preparation of a plan for the
strengthening of the foundation of the
Washington monument is tedious work,
and necessarily requires considerable time.
Col. Casey and his assistant, Col. Davis,
have proceeded so far that, though they
have not completed their work, a general
idea of the plan which they will submit to
the joint commission for their approval can
ho given. Competent authorities have
given the opinion that the base is not
sufficiently strong for the monument to be
completed to its proposed height— 500
feet. The recent examinations made by
Col. Casey corroborate this opinion. It is
known that the base is perfectly able to
sustain the monument in its present con
dition. The pressure now upon the clay
below is five tons to t'.o square foot. If
without in any way fixing the base the
pile should be run up to 500 feet, the
pressure per square foot would be about
eight tons and a half. This it is unable to
stand. The plan is to so strengthen it that
when 500 ieet is reached the pressure shall
remain as it is now--fivo tons to the
square foot. In order to do this the base
will t e extended laterally on either side a
distance to be determined by calculations
not yet completed. It is also proposed
to extend the base downward. This docs
not, however, mean the undermining of
the whole monument and the downward
extension of the whole base. It i intended
to make such extension under the four
sides near the edge-, and riot under the
whole base. The depth of this extension
has riot yet been calculated with exact
ness. Concrete is to be used in carrying
out this part of the pbir. Although the
officers are mat ing such haste as can bo
made in a work which requires so much
exactness, it may bo the last < f August
before work is commenced. The founda
tion is of Potomac gneiss rock, HI feet
square, buiied eight feet below the sur
face. The iioivht of the present super
structure which is 55 feet square, is 174
feet. The amount i far expenflod is
$2.11,00!), and the amount appropriated
for its completion is $250,000. The
monument will be finished in heavy blocks
of crystal marble from Maryland, laid m
courses of about two feet, and backed to
the required thickness with gneiss to
mako the inner surface vertical, the outer
face receding at a very slight angle as it,
j rises so as to give the form of an obelisk,
j The int rior of the monument will be
provided with an iron stairway to enable
parsons so desiring to make the ascent.
Col. Casey estimates that the monument
can be earrie j to the proposed height in
two years. W'is/unr/ton Star.
In Kinderhook, lew York, recently,
two young men were enamored of the
same maiden fair. She made - her selec
tion, and the rejected suitor challenged
his successful rival to a duel. They stood
a moment confronting each other on the
field of honor wi .h the weapons of death
in their hands: then, their courage oozing
out at the end of their fingers, they flung
aside the pistols and rushed at each other
for a fist-aud-scull fight. After a short
and desperate struggle, the favored suitor
was victorious, ar.d made the other then
ami there relinquish all claim to the
maiden.
The tallest story of the St. Louis heat
L the ..tat me tit of tb ■ - Dcm.naot
that live chickens were batch,-i from eggs
■ on their way to n: root, while packed i:i
j clo.se pasteboard boxes.
.
SUMMERVILLE, GEORGIA, AUGUST 15, 1878.
A PLEA FOR Ttn-i CIULHIUON.
Grown people too often forgot that the
children aro entitled to a certain amount
of consideration as well as themselves. As
a rule, adults respect each other’s wi lies,
yield to each other’s fancies, or even
humor each other’s whims without com
plaint, but towards children they exhibit
at times a strange spirit of intolerance.
If wo take up the last new book, wffaro
careful not to rornovo the mark placed
there by some other member of our family;
for the same reason we return the paper
to the sitting-room table or the inkstand
to the library; we avoid occupying the
chair by the sunny window because it is
II ’s favorite and accustomed seat —
and so on, all through the house and the
daily life, we are scrupulous in regard of
others’ rights and comforts.
But all this is dropped with the chil
dren. Over iu the cornor Ned and Rob
bie have made a train of cars out of three
chairs, an old parasol, and some odds and
ends of various sorts. They are deeply
interested, and happy, as a matter of
course —children always are happy when
they aro busy—and no one is the worse
for their harmless play, But just now
one of the grown people surveys the lit
tered corner with horror, and on the
impulse of the moment begins “clearing
up.” The parasol and the various
belongings of the engine aro bundled out
of the room, the chairs are whisked
abruptly into their places, and the poor
children admonished “not to make such
a muss again!” Is it to bo wondered at
that they feel themselves unjustly treated,
and are indignant?
Again, Johnuio is building a wonderful
fort with hi i blocks, atid adds story after
story with aim ist breathless eagerness to
the somewhat: haky structure. Presently
his mother or his sister enters the room,
and shoving a chair or pushing a table
into more convenient position for Accuse,
utterly demolishes poor Johnnie’s archi
tectural triumph! At his cry of dismay
someone exclaims, perhaps, but is an
swered coolly: “Oh, it is nothin only
Johnnio’s blocks wore knocked over; he
can soon put them up again!”
Aro we quite sure, we older and wiser
folks, that we would like to hive our
blocks knocked over so ruthlessly or our
vexation treated so lightly?
The upsetting of that carefully con
,-tructed fort was as trying to little Johnnie
as the unraveling of your intricate crochet
or knitting work, or tho ho'pnless blotting
of your just finished letter, would he to
you. Remember this when you are
disposed to banish the playthings to the
closet sometimes, because they take up so
much room, and be patient with tho
children’s fancies. Be patient, evott
though they litter their allotted corner
sadly, and overflow upon the neighboring
space. Show due consideration for (heir
play.-, and privileges, and they will learn
to be considerate and careful in turn. —
(J hrixliun In/ ili'ynicrr.
BLI N T D HUT LSJbI tJL.
The Walton county Vvlette is respon
sible for the f 'Mowing:
“.There resides in this county one of the
most ro.mark;T i Mind men we ever heard
of, named WnYiK When fivo years of
age a cow horned him in the eye, putting
it out, and soon afterward he lost the
sight of the other thfough sympathy with
the wounded one. Nothing daunted, he
learned the wheelwright’s trade, and to
day makes as good a wagon or buggy as
anybody. lie‘lays off ’ his work just as
other workmen and a sharp scratch
awl —am] can make as good a joint as any
workman. He married soon after ho at
tained his majority, and has raised a large
family of children, has bought and paid
for a good plantation by working at his
trade, and is one of the best and most
successful farmers iu his neighborhood.
He is to-day independent and still making
money as a wagon maker. He does all
his laying oft in his shop, and enjoys a
good patronage. His sense of touch is
simply wonderful. After the wood work
of a vehicle he makes is completed, he
has it ironed, and is quick to detect the
lea.-.t flaw about that part of it. It is by
moans of his acute sense of touch that, he
is enabled to do such superior work.
This fudy illustrates the truth of the
adage, ‘Where there’s a will there’s a
way.’ No hing but an indomitable will
and untiring energy could ever have ac
complished these results. He made a
proper use of the talents given him, and
achieved success —although blind as a
stone.”
A gentle: ; m from Haralson was asked
the question, “are you for Lester or Fel
ton?” ilis only reply was. “I was iu the
war for four yea. ;.’'
A GOOD SITUATION.
WASHINGTON V SPLENDID METROP
OLIS.
Tho Capttstl Well Sltuatod and a Deftirablo
Place to Live in.
If the absurd idea of removing the
national capital to St. Louis had not al
ready been exploded, it would have
melted down in the recent heated term,
during which that city lms more than
sustained its reputation as the hmto in
the country; and not only tlio most tin
comfortable, but the most dangerously
and fatally hot. The project of establish
ing the Kxecutivo departments, and of
Congress meeting in that torrid tempera
ture, would deter even the ambition of
statesmanship and thegrecd of office seek
ing. The fatuous declaration of Jefferson
touching tho office holders, that “few die
and none resign,” would be contradicted,
for many would dio and multitudes of tho
survivors would resign rather than enduro
a summer iu St. Louis. The contest over
the original site of the capital produced a
serious crisis in the young republic. The
selection was, on the whole, wisely made.
Tho climate of Washington, although
oppressively hot in the summer months,
and although subject to malarial influ
enoes, which will gradually disappear, is
a healthy one. Considering the number
of people gathered there from all parts of
the country, many of them without their
families, and many of them compelled to
greatly change the order and habits of
life, and considering also the badly venti
lated halls of Congress, the sickness and
mortality are less than might ho expected.
The vast investments of tho government
in public buildings, which vie in splendor
with the stateliest edilioes of Kuropoan
capitals, would of itself bo sufficient to
retain tho seat of government where it
was originally fixed. As the city grows
in magnitude and in elegance, the wisdom
ol the fatheis in its peculiar laying out is
vindicated. Ti u., and to be laughed at as
“the city of magnificent distances;’ ’ but
tile distances are fast filling up with
superb buildings, public and private,
while the open spaces of refreshing green,
at the angular intersections of streets, and
tb “: quires and circles reserved for public
u:add immensely to tbo beauty of the
city. }; i i.f if* ■ • aro admand with
statues in bro'i’/.i; and marble; and other
works of art commemorative of great
events and great men in our history are
i projected. The scientific and literary at
tractions oT the Congressional Library,
tho Smithsonian, the Observatory, the
Coa t Survey, draw and detain many
j visitors, while tho Art Gallery, founded
I by the munificence of Mr. Corcoran, con
! tains one of the finest collections in the
country. Altogether, Washington, in its
transition from a straggling, overgrown
village to a splendid metropolis, has be
come a de.siraele place to live in, apart
from its political character and the tradi
tions that cluster around it, and the
American people would not consent to its
removal; an! if they would, they could
never agree upon the new location. Kvett
if any State would cede exclusive jurisdic
tion over a large city, tho opponents of
any one location would outnumber the
friends of a removal. The capital is very
well situated, and is perfectly safe where
it is l’ruvidunM Journal.
IITIKI) TO 111-: A FA It.SI 1.11.
In an old book on agriculture, written
nearly two thousand years ago, the author
declares that he has known professors of
all kinds, even to those who promoted
gluttony and taught the m-jhteonteir.ptible
of vices; but of agriculture he says, “I
have never known any that professed
themselves to be either teachers or stu
dents.
While the world has progressed some
what during the period named, and Pro
fessor of Agriculture r now an un
known title, slid won i .ri all candor
admit that a vast nut- city of people
believe in tho old saying, “That any fool
can be a farmer.” Doubtless, many of
our readers will declare that they bciievo
it. takes a smart, intelligent man to make
a good one; and, while we agree with
them in this, we must still assert that
actions speak at lea: l as loud as words in
this matter, and are overwhelmingly on
the fool’s side of the question.
Now, we propose to offer some facts to
prove that the vti-t majority of iitvinors do
not believe that agriculture is a prole vsion
requiring any special culture or education;
(. if tl:i* i.iii, tY ; - „..u!d t-e
.-peeia'iy trained f-.r the bud.-/ -s, orf ---d
to become good farmers. Then; me. it
is true, u lew men in what are called
Agricultural Colleges, who profess to be
preparing to become farmers; hut these
are so few in number that there will not
be enough to til! the positions opened for
teachers, much less to furnish practical
workers in the field.
AY hen a man desires hi son: to enter
any of tho learned professions, ho sends
them to a college, or good school, then
gives them years in which to study the
particular branch ol'soicncc or art selected,
never expecting them to become successful
except through close application, and
:iiu , a lot: 1 lee; r and laborious
application. Ifa > dio ministry,
he mu i needs l ead theology, and this calls
for books by the dozens and hundreds,
with h cost money; and the same is true
of law, medicine, or even to become a
successful merchant. But how is it with
farmers generally? Do they purchase an
agricultural library as part and pared ol
the outfit needed for tiro furtherance of
the object they may have in view? A few
may do it, but the sale of even the best
wotk ;r< It.ting to the subject, shows that
nine out of ten never invest a dollar in
aids to success.
Then, again, who would employ a
doctor that did not take and read the
medical journals which give tho latest dis
coveries in the use of drugs and chemicals,
and the treatment of'diseaso? llow would
a lawyer appear in managing a ease before
a judge or jury, who did not know tho
latest laws enacted by our legislature?
But, what shall wo say of our farmers,
when not a million out of the six millions
in the United States subscribe for and
read an agiieultural paper of any kind?
Is it any wonder that farmers aro swin
dled, or that they fail to make money?
The wonder is that they manage to live
ot all.
When those engaged in agriculture will,
as a class, read, study, and become as
well informed in regard to their calling ns
those in other professions, then, and not
till then, can tin y claim and maintain
(heir rights in competition with those
who now control them. Kurd Ncto
Ywltcr.
• &*— :
One of ike ; r at .ul.netio.j > of !'. T.
Itanium’s show e m.:i. ted for u long time
of lli" two sisters, Minnie and Lnvinia
Warren. Minnie was the youngest of
eight children, all of whom wore of ordi
nary size except the two mentioned above.
Minnie was-!0 inches in height, and never
weighed more than 15 pounds. 1! r face
w.n: handsome and her disposition was
pleasant. About a year ago oho married
another of Barnaul's dwarfs, whom ilar
uuin had reeln isteiin'! Gen. Grant, jr.,
not thinking bis original name, Newell,
Mulicicntly attractive. On the 23d nit.,
she gave tilth to a el,lid, and died in a few
hours. The child lived but a few minutes.
It weighed 5 pounds 10 ounevn. Minnie
was 27 years old. Her older sister,
Lavinia, married Genera! Tom Thumb
several year. ago. Probably Mr. and
M. . Nowell wi re the smallest couple that
have over married. Marco Polo mentions
a pair whom he saw in Tartary, 25 years
old, oik; J 2 inches high, the other If.
The Kean oq'lived tin,::, to marry, and
: sir f. . h son win „ inches high,
re. Polo's nm .lives, however, must
be I ,'... . with a few grains ol allowance,
and this may be one of that class.
Washington’s female lawyer, Mrs. Ilolva
A. Lockwood, who by her persistent
knocking at the doors of Congress for
admission to the Supreme Court has be
come somewhat famous, has two important
eases pending before that court, which
fcli. is ilebarr* and from pleading on account
of her One is a Cherokee Indian
claim. Involving three million dollars. Mrs.
Lockwood is now in the fifth year of her
practice, and has all the business she ean
attend to. When she began liei property
consisted of a lev feet of real estate in a
cemetery; now she is worth twenty thous
and dollars, arid her practice brings her a
yearly income about five times as largo as
the salary of a clerk in tho Treasury
Department, .'ho is :■ widow, nearly fifty
years of age, and very attractive.
One of the best ways of inducing the
need of troops in To:;:; ■is to I bin out tho
white thieves who inasq.isi.;.■: in rod
n*'<■ ri . iv " ■ •!■ a a•• f and
into near the Pecos, and the cry was
rai ed of another l ridiau raid. A cool
observer notice 1 that all live of the hi: h
wayiiiG.i were infiesh paint, fro -h feathers,
anil new outfits all through, like tho
newest sort ot a wood, it Indian put out in
front oka new eigar store These fellows
were will;.' ravages, not red ones. If a
few mo'. and ..leans and mock In
dian-,, .. ... r ;sm in-.- si 1 Dihrell,
are cleared out from 'j •., the army
li.ere .v.Uiiid the linu.lei' a 1 deal
more tranquil. A"■ 1 ,„k
NUM BElt 33.
ACROSS PI UPON 10S.
In the case of the Dickson libel in the
I’oliee (lourt yesterday, the small boy who
carried the note made it quire amusing for
the audience and provoking to the usually
placid Prosecuting Attorney. The exami
nation was in this shape:
“Where do you live?”
“Right across the street from Mr.
Dickson.”
“W here does Mr. Dickson live?”
“Ii: ot across the street from us.”
“But tl 'n't wlmt 1 want,” and tho
1 a to grow red and perspire;
“tell me where you live?”
“I live with my mother.”
“Where diesyout mother live?”
BR'clit across the street from Mr.
Dickson ”
Then th > Prosecutor sworo out habeas
corpus against tin witness and served him
with a man dam us.
—O . ♦ to.
The Bank ot France has lately resolved
not to pay counterfeit bills. A great deal
of objection is made to this measure by
the French press, which see iu it an attack
on that confidence which is requisite for
paper circulation. It is objected that
even should there he considerable losses
now and then to the bank, it at the same
time benefits by tho largo number of bills
which are lost or destroyed in one way or
another, and which are never paid. It is
' the business of the bank to havo its notes
so made that counterfeiting is impossible,
and only experts can tell a genuine bill.
There is already a kind of panic among
business men, many of whom refuse to
take the bills, alleging that they aro too
be. y to examine their genuineness.
On the 7th ulf,, lightning struck a Ireo
in the yard of Mr- Stephens, in Atlanta,
and leaped to tho house. .Mr. Stephens
v as lying down reading. He felt a terrible
shock, ai.d tho whole room scoured to bo
in a blaze. What look and to him like a
ltr.ae bid! offiie pa •■i.dorg to the cen
tre of tho room, c I exploded. Mrs.
"t. ■j.l i< ■ 11 ■. was knocki.! down by tlm stroke,
and L i- ri lit side was paralyzed. Her
■ Upper was torn off, and tho ball of her
loot \va seriously burned. Thu children
were not 1: art. The feather bed on which
Mr. Stephens was, raved him from
serious injury.
■—♦ i-)pl - -JUT. - . *
11, Albany Adrcrtr.n advertises tho
f:o l that some nights since, as n party of
young imv, wove taking a colored band
around that town upon a serenade fro’ie,
the : uitar player thought he saw a log
lying across tho sidewalk, and tried to step ■
over it. Just as ho got one le ; across,
*1 1 . oi and log nae up>, landing the
liiiis: on his face and sending bis
'•immo-iI instrument spinning on ahead.
The h : turned out to be a cow which was
having a nap across tho sidewalk.
The Portsmouth (N. II.) limes says:
“At I’ve iLaeh, a young man, who was
.inoking, li.-d considerable difficulty in
making lr- cigar burn after it bud been
partly con g g and, picking it to pieces
foun 1 i ’ wiapper a 22calibre
pi-tol . i. ■ ith tho bullet pointed
toward i,. .a h end oft! ■‘weed.’ The
cartridge was considerably boated, and
would no doubt have soon exploded had
the cigar continued to burn.
One more of the terrors of death is on
the eve of removal by an invehtion which
is being quietly exhibited in Columbus,
Ohio. It i somewhat on the torpedo
principle, and being placed ir. tlie grave
with the corpse at the burial proposes to
shorn and frighten Mr. Body-snatcher to
death while engaged in the hideous act of
attempting the resurrection of a stiff.
The ( inciunati Southern railroad can bo
completed to Boyce Station, near Chat
tanooga, by August 20th, 1870, for
$1,672,000. A bid for this amount has
been put in by It. 11. Huston & Cos., and
accepted by tho trustees, subject to a vote
of t' e citizens of Cincinnati approving
the issue of the bonds. The election will
be held ii two or three weeks.
“In,' red Bm ;dav“ write., as follows to
a Surat<-' . acw.-papr r: “Mr Editor: In
readi’-g your account of tho burglary at
Kg >vi a riling In,use, on Washington
street, you say 1 overlooked a lady’s dia
n.oil . wor.lt thou nid.-c the statement is
incorri ct. i ,-aw, examined, and left them;
they were paste. Your account is no com •
plirnent to mo.”
St. cw.ill.) aid: on's . • . Confederate
cloth, ’.-.l.ich ha.i -vcral bullet holes
i Urexi.r it, i • n<nv among the relics in the
arm.,/..!' w Torn's Old Guard, Col.
V : Y of Jackson's staff, having pre
.jrvi.d them meanwhile.