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About North Georgia times. (Spring Place, Ga.) 1879-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 4, 1889)
NORTH GEORGIA TIMES. c. nr. m«, | Proprietors. B. B. CARTSR, Under the Leaves. A. carpet all of faded brown, On the g. ay bough a dove that grieves; Death seemetti hero to have his own, But the Spring violets nestle down Under the leaves. A brow austere and sad gray eyes, Locks in which care her silver weaves; Hope seemeth tombod no more to rise, But God ho kuowoth on what wise Love for Love’s sun-liiue waiting lies Under tho leaves. —William H. Carmth. in Scribner’s. ; An Extraordinary Tale. The Port of Spain (Trinidad) Oasette publishes tho following extraordinary account of the depredations and capture of a monster snake: “During the last two months it has -been a matter of frequent complaint among the inhabitants of tho districts ■east and north of Arima that their do¬ mestic auimals of all kinds were being lost in a strange, unexplained manner, usually at niglvt. Scarcely a day seemed to past without a goat ora pig, a calf or a donkey being reported missing, and latterly even larger animals, some valu able mules and horses, had gone to join tho smaller domestic fry that had disap peared. Among the sufferers, Mr. John Agostini of Aripo, lost two mules within five days on his cocoa planta¬ tion, and Mr. J. G. de Cannes, in vis¬ iting somo young cocoa cultivation of his in Tururo, had lost his horse which he had left to graze for only half an hour, at a distance of about a hundred yards from the spot where he was talk¬ ing with a contractor. At first the peo¬ ple of the district wero inclined to lay tho blame on thieves of a novel and daring description, but tho evidence soon be¬ came clear that it was somo wild, mon¬ strous animal that was working tho havoc among tho stock. A strange feature of these depredations was that no trace of blood was ever found at tho spot visited, or in tho neighborhood, to show sign of somo struggle with a giant cayman or carnivorous beast, which the anoaster was '*at first supposed to be. Besides no animal of the size required to carry off a horse or ipulo xvas known to exist in the island. “In many of the cases, however, it was noticed that the ground under the cocoa tress and tho forest undergrowth showed signs of having been crushed, not trampled upon, by the body of some smooth but gigantic beast. Tho people began to watch at night, no alarm as yet making known the passago of the mon¬ ster on his raids, savo the barking of dogs, a few of which bad also disap¬ peared with dismal howls. It was also noticed that tho traces through tho vege¬ tation always stopped at streams, and seemed to vanish altogether after that. This feature was clearly established in the case of the Aripo, Turure, and Arima Rivers. Up to Saturday last tho beast had succeeded in eluding notice, trans¬ ferring his attention to quarters unvisited by him, as if aware of tho watch kopt for him in thcso he had already visited; and tho neighborhood of streams con¬ tinued to be his favorite resorts from the mountains north of Arima and Turure. “On Sunday morning tho inhabitants of Arima wero thrown into consterna¬ tion by tlio nows that threo children had ■disappeared in the ward of Guanapo during tho past week, and they were supposed to have bccomo tho victims of the raiding monster. Their names were given as Maria Concepcion, Marc An¬ toine and Carmen Baptista. Tho grief o f the parents and relatives of the missing children was described as heartrending in tho extreme. Mr. Harragin, tho Warden, accompanied by the magistrate and others, hastened at once to visit the scenes of the casualties. Tiie news was telegraphed to Port of Spain, and the Warden was instructed by the Governor to continuo his efforts to track tho monster, especially by collecting an armed posse and instituting cnergetie pursuit, “Later in thc._ afternoon news was brought from Aripo that two children, Paul and Rose Legrand, brother and sister, had been lost, ono on Saturday and one on that very morning. In this instance tho mother had been tho terror stricken eye witness of the carrying off of her little boy aged three years. It seems that'while sitting in a state of semi stupor, mourning tho loss of her little daughter Rose, five years old, who had disappeared in the grounds round her hut Saturday at noon without any trace being found of her, she was startled by the screams of her child Paul, who was playing a few yards from hor. Rooted with horror, who then saw her child en- SPRING PLACE. GA.. THURSDAY., JULY 4, 1889. vcloped in the coils of the upper part of the body of a colossal snake, which glided away with its prey into the depths of the forost. A number of residents of the district, armed with guns, to whoso ranks new accessories were continually coming, began to scour the country after tho snako, among them Jose Concepcion and Paul Le graud, Sr., fathers of two child vic¬ tims, on whoso grim features was writ¬ ten a quonchless determination to wreak ve.ngeance deep and dire on tho fiendish serpent. Dogs were liberally used in the hunt, but as often as the scent was obtained and followed for a short dis¬ tance some stream would disconcert the hopes of tho pursuers. A tendency was noticed, however, on the part of the many tracks to show an unmistakable direction toward tho mountains north of Arima. “The wildest and most absurd rumors now began to be propagated about the doings and victims of tho snako. He was given by one cocoa contractor, who saw him gliding off with his favorite pig, at least ono hundred feet. But it was gathered from Catherine Legrnnd, who had seen him at close quarters on tho occasion of tho carrying off her child, that ho must bo something be¬ tween forty and fifty feet long. It was also surmised from the imperfect de¬ scription sho gave of the approximate color, ring?, and spots of tho snake, that it was a survivor of tho extinct race of gigantic Huillias or looal anacondas, oc¬ casionally to be met with in the old days in tho Oropouche, Arima, and other rivers of tlic island. ‘ ‘The excitement in Arima was raised to tho highest pitch on Tuesday whon news was brought that the great serpent had been seen on tho Arima heights, and that two more children, — Juan Castillo and Fublo Hernandez,—had been carried off by him. Tho report of the occur¬ rences stated that the snake had been distinctly seen on two occasions; that, consequent on the nlarm given on the first occasion; the people were on tho qui vivo, and that a hunter, Emmanuel Caideron, had twice fired with shot into the beast as ho had half swallowed the cradicd body of young Hernandez, but with the only effect of hastening his pro¬ gress in the direction of Monte Bleu or Blue Mountain. Tho warden thought tho news serious enough to request, through the colonial secretary, some as tance from tho port of Spain, with rifles of greater penetrating power than the guns used by tho majority of tho pur¬ suers. Accordingly Sergeant Giplan was sent to Arima by the afternoon train with six policeman, armed with Martini Henry rifles, and his excellency tho gov¬ ernor added tho consideration of these extraordinary occasions to tho order of the day of the central agricultural board which held its first meeting on Wednes¬ day at noon, when tho colonial secretary brought forward tho question of the great snake, stating that ho had obtained all available information from the War¬ den up to date. Ho then described tho ravages of the monster, and concluded by a request for suggestions from mem¬ bers as to the speediest and best way of ridding the suffering district from this plague in serpent form. “Dr. de Verteuil stated as his opinion that tho snako was evidently a nuillin, or as tlio old native name in full used to he, Temccuilicahuila, with tho strength of five men. It had probably after feed¬ ing on deer and other forost prey, be¬ come acquainted with domestic animals in the opening of the country by culti¬ vation, and from that point to becom¬ ing a man-cator was only a step in its amphibious existence. Its wariness was no doubt duo to tho instinct in avoiding danger, as denoted by watchful prepar¬ ations on the part of man, so obsorvablo in the case of other well-known pests. He thought tho shooting down of the monster at the earliest opportunity the clear courso to bo pursued on the occa¬ sion. “A long discussion ensued on the subject, and tho board adjourned ou Messrs. Devenish and McCarthy stating that they would join in tho pursuit of the monster, and report fully on tho in¬ formation they gathered at the next meeting. At 6 P. M. Thursday morn¬ ing a motly cavalcade was seen issuing out of Arima in a northerly direction. They were the Warden and his party on their way to tho Blue Mountain, in tho neighborhood of which search parties had located the snake tho day before. He had been seen by one of tbo hunters to enter tho Guacharo caves in the hill separated by a hollow from tho moun¬ tain, and a cordon had gradually been formed round tho hill to prevent his sallying out. The Rev. Curo of Arima, whom they met on the way, further told them that ho had heard the snako had tried to issue from the caves on the southern side, but had beat a retreat in these dangerous recesses on being greet¬ ed with a volley. With tho Warden’s party were also the Colonial Secretary, Mr. McCarthy, Sorgt. Giblan, the armed police from town, and guides from among the residents of the Arima heights. But other parties were also on tho warpath, and tho party received several additions on the way. From, all reports it was now clear that the Iluillia was at bay. But how best to engage him and destroy him in the deep cavi¬ ties of the lull, where thero was even a rushing stream and a kind of Stygian pool, was the excited subject of discus¬ sion on the way. “The following plan of campaign was, however, finally agreed upon. Ho was to be shot down when and where to be seen, and dogs would bo used to traco his exact haunt and give notice of his coming in case of a rush outward. Besides the guides, Mr. Devenish was well acquainted with the immenso cnvo3 where, besides the weird Guacharo, the great serpent had now taken up his abode. Thcso caves, like many others in this island, had long been known to bo tenanted by tho gloomy Gaucharo or Diablotin. It was also said that besides their having entrances in each sido of the mountain a foaming waterfall ex¬ isted in tho concavities of tho interior, at the foot of which was a large pool, tho waters of which were supposed to flow through dark and sinuous subter¬ raneous passages to become ou the level of tho valley a tributary or perhaps the head waters of tho Arlina river itself. “Tho Warden’s party having reached the caves and another largo party hold¬ ing the cntranco on tho valley in tho northern side, a sort of forlorn hope by the Warden and principal for members of his party was organized for gradual entrance into the caverns as far as the light of day penetrated, preceded by a couple of dogs held in leash by guides. Nothing was noticed for somo minutes as tho party stumbled their way over tho rough rocks, savo the murmur of llie fall and tho mournful half screoch of the dismal Guacharo bird, so expressive¬ ly rendered by the Spanish word ‘ilante,’ But as they drew nearer tho pool at the foot of the waterfall tho dogs began to get excited and to evince a decided in¬ clination to run back. Thero was suffi¬ cient light streaming through tho en¬ trances to distinguish pretty clearly all objects in the interior in the direct line of the entrances. The party halted, both on account of tho unruly disposi¬ tion of the dogs and because one of the guides stated ho had seen something moving in the pool. “With rifles cocked, all eyes wore now fixed upon tho pool. Tho dogs now began to howl, and whether tho noise roused the tcrriblo occupant of tho caves or ho otlicrwiso became awaro of tho existence of tho party, the head *t a monstrous snake suddenly appeared on the surface of the pool, and two large and lustrous eyes became fixed with diabolical gleam on the intruders. An angry hiss, like the plunging of a red hot beam into the pool, is mod from the hideous head. A' muttered signal, and a volley rang with reverberating echoes through the caves. Largo stones fell upon tho roof, and tho startled Gimcharos flew wildly in all directions, uttering their dismal screech. The Iluiila had not been killed by tho bullets aimed at his head. With great rapidity he seemed to uncoil his length from the depths of tho pool, and with fully twenty-five feet of his body raised and curved forward as if to dart at his assuilers, he seemed to be emerging from tho pool. “A few whispered words notified half tho party to aim at his head and the . other half at tho central part of his body. The second volley produced the desired effect. The colossal snake leaped wholly out of tho pool, and with a few tcrriblo convulsions, in which he lashed the water and the floor of tho cavern, ho sank quivering to tho ground, a third volley for a quietus insuring his certain death. This fact was then made sure of, and the caves were soon invaded by the pursuers. “Tho monster was dragged out into tho level and found to measuro 47 feet, the thickest part of his body having a diameter of two and a half feet. In color, he was yellow in tho under part of his body, dark above, with dark rings encircling the body, between which semi-lunar gray disks served as spots vnnegnto tho skin, ne was opened with the maclietas of some cocoa praners under the direction of Mr. Mc¬ Carthy. In him there were found tho half-digested body of deer, and ; a a num¬ ber of forma pauperis forms, probably swallowed by him, with tho body of some unknown and unfortunate cocoa contractor. “By 6.30 P. M. the joyful concourse, dragging the monster, reached Arima, where the necessary steps wero taken to preserve tho carcass for display in tho Council Hall of Port of Spain. Tho ex citing occurrences connected with this monster are stilt the subject of general discussion and gossip. Tho island has not for a long time been disturbed by tragic incidents of this extraordinary nature.” Our Future Lumber Supply. Gov. Russell Alger, of Michigan recently said tlie^Nicaraguan Canal pro¬ ject would be, in a measure at least, tho solution of the proboin of tho future lumber supply of the United States. . “Very few people appreciate tho ex¬ tent and superiority of tho Washington Territory fir,” ho said, “ and the only reason it is not now brought East is tho necessarily high freight rates by rail. Som# of it now finds its way to New York by vessel but tlio voyago is a long one. For several years appreciating tho fact that Michigan and Wisconsin pino lands wero being rapidy exhausted, I have had my eye opon for new fields and three-years ago I visited tho Washing¬ ton region, making a personal examina¬ tion of the field. I think I am a fair judge of timber and I don’t hesitate in pronouncing tlio product of theso re¬ gions in cvefy way superior to our .Northern pine and other countries re¬ cognize the fact; Whilo I was in Taco¬ ma I saw nine vessels bound for Eng¬ land, Gormany and China loading at tho wharves. If the cnnal is built an c’nor mous lumber traific by water will spring up arid it will possibly come just at_tho thn<» we need it most.” * . Ho was asked when ho thought the present fields east would bo exhausted. “In one way,” ho said, “that is hard to say. In Michigan many owners have not good facilities for cutting tho tim¬ ber, whilo others are rapidly clearing fields and moving to new ones, but, judged by the output last year, it will not last more than eight years. In Wis¬ consin I presume it is the same. Wo al¬ ready feel .the effects of tho slope tim¬ ber,” continued General Alger, “in our own business. Fourteen years ago wo supplied almost wholly tho ship-build¬ ing firms of Now England and tho cast with spars and masts. Our trade in this direction has grown less and less until at p-esent wc havo altogether lost it. They all come from Washington Terri¬ tory, which supplies better ones than wo ever did.” V Hereditary Taints. One result of the labors of physiolo¬ gists has been the clearing of the men¬ tal vision, and tho gradual comprehen¬ sion of tlio great, pervasive and potential fact of “heredity.” “Tho sins of tho fathers shall bo visited upon tbo chil¬ dren, ” said Moses more than throe thou¬ sand years ago. Probably ho compre¬ hended in but a very small measure tho significance of his own utterance. Not only do parents transmit to their chil¬ dren their mental peculiarities, their moral tendencies, tho features of tho face, tho stoop of the shoulders, and the trick of tho gait, but they pass on to them their blood, their brain, their glands, their very soul and life. Wo do not mean to say that heredity is a tyrant from which their is no escape, and, that as is the parent in constitution and con¬ duct, so also must bo the children to the remotest generation. If that were ono of the discoveries of physiology, small thanks would be duo to tho science from overburdened man. But it is not so. The parent himself, as is well known, can modify and mako worse or better both his constitution and his character. Similarly, tho child’s constitution and character may bo changed, until, by the operation of the law bf heredity itself, a not very remoto descendant may be the antipodes of his early progenitors. The discovery of an existing inherited taint of diseaae or of vice in a child is not a cause for regret, but for thankfulness. Tho diseased taint itself is, of oourse, to bo deplored,and so is the inherited vice; but its early discovery is to bo hailed with gratitude as pointing out lines of physical and moral treatment which may load to the practical cnfeeblcment cf the taint, or even to its eradication. Vol, IX. New Series. NO. 22. SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS. Insulation seems to bo steadily grriw ing heavier. The discovery of tho celulnr structure of plantsis credited to tho naturalists of ^ 10 80vcnlecnt h century. Electric heat indicators for preventing spontaneous combustion in ships’ car S 0C3 nrc being generally introduced, It is found in practico that tho higher tho insulation the easier it is to maintain electric light circuits in running order | it i s believed that practical electricity j s a subject to which the architect of the future will have to pay particular atteu tion. Ithas been proved that inliotciimatos the preparation of wood with sulphate of copper or with creosote adds littio to its durability. Protracted experiments in Franco havo been made with tho potato with a view j toward a more abundant yield of starch producing roots. The polariscopo has recently boon ap¬ plied to a novel use in Franco in deter-' mining the temperature of incandescent iron and other metals. Ono danger to bo dreaded in tho em¬ ployment of unarmored submarine ca¬ bles lies in the readiness with which it may be damaged by a grapuol. Oxygen is now prepared in London at b cost of not more than $1.75 per thou¬ sand cubic feat, and it bids fair to come into extensive uso for Various purposes. It has been practically demonstrated that speech can bo transmitted by tele¬ phone, when the current is too feeble for tho most sensitive instrument to de¬ tect. An emergency stop where electric and automatic brakes woro used brought a train of 15 cars to a standstill in 680 feet, tlio speed of the train being 84 miles an hour. Do not approach contagious disqasos with an empty stomach, nor sit between the sick person and tho” fire, as tho draft from tho chimney loads tho contagious influences in that direction. Tho prize offered by tho French Academy of Sciences for a paper on tho transmission of power by oleetricity lias been withdrawn, no paper of sufliciont merit having been receive!. To tho changod condition of a vessol’s magnetism by ind uction during a longthy voyago may be attributed tho loss of more vessels than is usually thought to bo the case among mantimo men. Ono of tho richest floras is that of tho Capo of Good IIopo and Natal, in Af¬ rica, which figures up about 10,000 Bpccies. Australia also is rich in species, about 10,000 being already known. Some quartz crystals included in an exhibit of American jewel minerals, pre¬ pared for the Paris exhibition, are curious on account of their minute size and per¬ fection, they being 7500 to tho ouuce. In tho Vienna General Hospital a man lately died from cancer, who had been infcctod with trichnosis, twenty-fivo years bofore, and whoso body contained trichina! estimate 1 to number 4000 mil¬ lions. Dr. Rutgers, of England, after an ex¬ tensive serios of dietetic experiments, declares that a vegetable diet can easily be lived on, and that vegetable albu¬ men is, weight for weight, equal to animal albumen. Salt water is beginning to be a groat nuisance to tho oil and gas resources of northwestern Ohio. It is invading nearly all tho wells and making an immenso amount of trouble, some property having been altogether abandoned on account of its presence. In the new method of obtaining gas for balloons tbo hydrogen is gotten by beating slacked lime and powdered lime and powdered zinc, to bo enclosed in tho cartridge for safe transportation; by heating this cartridge in an appara¬ tus provided for the purposo, hydrogen gas is obtained in sufficient quantities to inflate an ordinary military balloon in throe hours. The Hot Air Cure. Hot air for consumption is the latest remedy now before the medical world. Weigert and others havo administered it by inhalation with remarkable reported results. Professor Kohlschutter, of Hallo, reports that air heated to 350 de¬ grees fahrenheit can bo inhaled by phthisical patients without any bad ef¬ fects, while the influence of tho inhala¬ tions on the tubercle bacillus seems to be really destructive. — Sanitary Engin ecr. Under the Laurel. Under the laurel last year’s May, We sat and talked till the day went oat, And you bound my temples round about With a wreath of roses twin’d with bay. Roses for love and bay for fame; For the costliest treasure at life’s command, A woman’s heart you had laid in my hand. And tinio would give me a soun ling name. Under the laurel—hush, ah hushl Memory lurks in the laurel bush. Under the laurel breezes blow Soft as they did in last year's spring; But, 0! what a different song they sing. For O, what a different tale they know. Lovo, ah, level it is life's one worth, Roses for lovo and bay for fame. Yea, time has brought mo a sounding name, But, loYo—they have laid it under the earth. Under the laurel—hush, ah, hush! Memory lurks in tho laural bush. Under the laurel next year’s May— Comes there a May to an aching heart f Ye--, and a hope and a glad fresh start; Thro’ the struggling years in tho narrow way, I will sit, perhaps, ns t day and sigh; But, only a few,more suns in the west, Let tlio years and tho laurels do their best, And under tho roses togethor we’ll lie— Under the roses, safe at last, When the crown of bay to tho years is cast. —Orelta K. Sell in Atlanta Constitution, HUMOROUS. An art center—The mosaic. Up to dots—-Telegraph operators. “A dead givo awuy”—Bequests by will. Always “making faces”—Tlio portrait painter. iftiss Wabash (of Chicago)—“I’m not going jo let Charley flirt with that girl. I’m determined to put my foot down on it.” Miss Custique—“How cruel you are. That would bo n crushor. ” “John,” said a Milknian-to his assis¬ tant, “go down and buy thoso two cows we were looking at yestarday, drop in at the store and ordor feed for this Vv-eck, and get a new sucker for tho pump.” ' * ’ Yeast—You havo a practicing physi¬ cian next door, I hear. Crimsonboak (hearing the sound of a piano)—Wo have a physician next door, but I think that is his daughtor doing the prac¬ ticing. Minister (who has just driven his horse to a wedding in tho country)— “Can I hitch out here! ” Prospective Bridegroom—“Well, no.’ Guess Sal and tho folks rather havo tho hitchin’ dono in tho house. ” “Bromley, did you toll Jono3 that I never told the truth?” “I said, on tho contrary, that you occasionally inadvert¬ ently told tho truth.” “Well, that’s something elso. I won’t allow any man to ultimate that I’m a constitutional liar. ” Douglass Jorrold onco made this re¬ mark about a man whom ho had repeat¬ edly written, in vain, for somo money: “I havo written him,” said Jerrold, to an acquaintance, “but got nothing.” -“Strange,” said the other, “for ho is a man full of kindness.” “Yes,” replied Jerrold, “un-remitting kindnoss.” A Remarkable Use for Silk. Ono of the most remarkable uses to which silk and other fabrics are being put of late is the vonceriug of fnney furniture. This latest wrinkle has not as yet gone into general use, but tho ex¬ tent to which tho idea can bo utilized appears well-nigh unlimited. The Phila¬ delphia Record in this connection says: In tho parlor of a house on West Walnut street, which is tonanted by a ■wealthy merchant, thero is a very beauti¬ ful display of veneering in silk and cretonne. The walls of tho large room are done in raised panels of plain wood, and over each of thcso panels a piece of silk, upon which is painted by liarfti a beautiful design of flowers is stretched and tacked on the back of tho panel, so that thero is not a crease to indicate tho presence of so foreign a substance. Each alternate panel is cov¬ ered with satin, and tho sheen is simply beautiful under a mellow gas light The idea has evon been carried to the fragile little tabic that stands in the centre of tho room. That is covered with satin, on which a pretty baby face is painted by hand, and the substance has been treated with numerous coats of trans parent varnishes which completely fill up the interstices in tho fabric until it can scarcely bo distinguished from highly polished wood. This system of decoration has been found to be quite as cheap as the wood-veneering, and in richness of appearance tho silk veneers appear fully equal to tho finest effects in woodwork. ‘
