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THE SUNNY SOUTH. ATLANTA GA^ BATPRDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 6, 1890.
by a niiltML Thoiriawtiiiy-
■banded by Colonel WMMi if we
cin’t get back onr flare, I am fled there
1* no lawto pnnM tbe oM soldiers from
returning tM iwordi Mm Arp Hn
she wlihto she o old got book her bmtl-
fal little work-table that the telegraph
opr rat or carried off Ho wrote her once
that he woald pay for it, bat wonted to
keep it m • trophy, bat he boo nororooat
the money or the table either. It le
drawing interest, I reckon.
Bill Abp.
jHE(5l/kTFpf
PtflLOSOPH^
I V*PVrtgltied by Me muttor.J
1B7 special arrangement with the author and
AM “vJoDstliHtloa, Bill Arp’e letter* will be
enhllihed a* heretofore in the Spent Soptb,
end will eppeer the one week In each tpaper.j
One hundred dollars principal and $200
tnterest*and still a running. A kind
lady from Louisiana has sent me a' Con
federate note dated August 30, 1862 It.
is a promise to pay $100, with Interest at
2 cents a day. These bills were called
seven thirties bscause the interest was
-$7 30 a year. They were printed on the
best of bank note paper and had John C.
Calhoun’s likeness on one end and Mis d
L’b-rty on the other. Calhoun was dead
and Miss Liberty ditd, too, about 1865
The kind lady who sent me the bill wrote
that she round it among her father's old
papers, and as my came was on the back
ot it, she sent it tome. I don’t know
whether I endorsed it or not, though it
does look like my .denature. I don’t
know whether she holds mo responsible
or not, though I freely admit that t was
one of the fellers who ra'sed the racket.
Nevertheless, I will pay tae note accord
ing to contract when it fails due, which
is to be six months after a treaty of peace
has been made between the United States
and the Confederate States. It has not
been made yet. and the note is not due,
but it is drawing interest, and ought to
be very valuable for the money kings do
say that the Ion ?er a note or a b md has
to ran the more valuable it is. This note
may ran on forever, and there it no tell
ing how much it is worth. This Con
federate promise to pay revives many sad
and sweet me norles. Tney were sought
for with eagerness by those who had a
surplus of common currency and wanted
to invest It. Our folks dident want any
more negroes, nor any more land, and so
they bought these interest bearing notes
and hid them away. I expect old Major
Otll bought this one from me But the
smart men, who dident abound in pa
triotism, dident want any kind of Co 1-
federate money or bonds, and so they in
vested in land s at enormous o’li'es A
common farm,that was worth $2 500, won I
bring $25 000. A big pile ol money will
tempt most anybody, whether tne money
is g od or not. One of our patriots, who
had faith like a grain of mus ard seed,
sold his farm and stock and negroes all
in a lamp for $150600 In Confederate
money and filled a trunk with it, and
would take it out and count it oDce a
month. Later on he put it in bonds of
$1,000 eacti, a d he loved to count them
and look at the coupons and figure up
the interest and long after the war w is
over he believed that those bonds would
be good some day, aud be redeemed with
the cotton or the gold that he said was
over in England. As the months rolled
on and the Yankees were closing th> tr
anaconda coils around ua, anc falUi was
weakened and hope was turning to de
spair, our Confederate money would
hardlv bay anything. In the spri ig of
’65 it took $100 to buy a load of saucks or
a bushel of corn and *250 to buy a pair of
cotton cards. I saw a man pay $5 000 for
a pound of opium that had run the
blockade and ne sold it to the opium
eaters on the sly tor $10 in gold and felt
rich. The money got so bad that it took
a sight of it to carry on the limited com
merca of the country, and so the govern
ment at Bichmond kept on rolling it oat
of the machines and didn’t take time to
coant it, and Mr. Memminger couldn’t
tell whether he had issued 3)0 millions
or 3,000 millions. As the war neared its
close the money business was like
schoolboys playing tag. Nobody wanted
to be the last man caught with it. It
was played aronnd fast. Just like young
folks play thimble at a party. Aud ail
this time the soldiers ~ere paid off in
this same currency at $10 a month. The
$10 would’t pay for a ti 1 wineglass half
lull of red 11 >uor. You see, the glass
tumblers were all played out, and the
liquor man used tin onss made of scraps.
T.-u penny nails were worth $1 a piece.
I know a wealthy man who built a nice
lencc in front of his house aud pinned
the palings on with pegs because he
couldn’t get nails. She soldiers saw that
Confederate money wasn’t even fit to
put up as an ante at a game o’ seven up.
A $10 bill didn’t make tne game interest
ing. They were ashamed to send their
monthly pay home to their families for
it wouldn't buy anything aud would just
be an aggravation.
But the boys kept on fighting all the
same, and the home folks kept on suffer
ing and dividing until tnere wasn’t any
thing left ta divide, for Sherman had
been along here and made a war path
fifty miles wide, and gobbled up every
horse and mole, and cow and sheep, and
chicken, and shook his ramrod at the
buzzards. When my folks got home from
rannageing there wasn’t but one cow in
the county, and she was hid out in a cane-
brake, and it took $3 090 in money and an
old execution for $590 and thirty yards of
factory shirting ta ouy her. After the
war that ex- cutton was collected with all
its interest and so the co w-ssller lost his
Confederate money but got about $800 in
greenbacks for her and she wasn’t a Jer
sey either. Those antebellum debts were
awful hard to pay after the war was over.
1 know it by experience. When the war
broke ont 1 owed about $3,000 and was
mighty good for it. Duriug tne war I
wanted to pay It in Confederate money,
but my friends wouldn't take it and after
the luss was over I couldn t, and it took
me tea years to get rid of the load. I al
ways thought that Colonel Fort was rignt,
for he said we were all ruined and ought
to wipe out the slate and burn up the
notes and accounts and mor.'gages and
let everybody begin anew aud start even
with the world. Fori was sorter list- my
self—he ow t d about as inauy es he didn’t
owe, and had noebiug to pay witn. Just
think of a tnousand millions of money
wiped out in a mouth. Taluk of 10.000,-
000 of people without a currency! Wnen
the collapse came, 1 bad $18 in green
backs, ana was next to the nones t man
in town. Bob Hargrove had $19 and he
strutted ar und like a moated bond-hold
er and opened a s tore aud bad half a box
of rotten tobacco and six bm.c'ies of fac
tory yarn ana four bolts of brown shirt
ing and some jug ware for Uls stock, Tne
jugs were lor sorghum molassts, I sup-
poie. ,
everybody went work Tne
SOlJi^rs Droujnt bac z s >me old worn oat
army s ock. The letugees s>oa began to
return and brougnta-iongs jmecattie and
hogs and cbicaens a*id digs and oar
foias in She man s belt got a siarton the
up rrade, and ever since then tney have
been multiplying *nd replenishing in an
industrious manner. Toe memories of
the war are fading away, foremost or
them Who fought it are dead. Old father
Time has smoomed o ?er tne strife and
we are making friends and onr old s >ld-
iers wi i soon ne drawing pensions aud
back pay all thesa neastnelrs. I reckon
they will, for time softens the heart and
tenders the feelings of tne bitterest fo;s.
A federal soldier was In Rome the other
day seeking investments, and says he
would like to find the lieutenant colonel
of the Thirty-third Georgia regiment,
who was cep ured, or wounded aud cap
tured, at Antletam (S larpsburg), and
ynn sent to tne ho»piud and afterwards
to prison, and gave ms sword to a federal
who was in tae same hospital. The fed
eral soidler’e name is Draper. He.wants
to return the sword to tne oificer, If living
or to hie family, and I win be glad to
1 am the lientenant colonel’s name. The
scabbard of the sword had been struck
For the Smnrr sooth.
THIS LONK OUTOGKNAKIAM-
L
’Twas early mom
Iii the leafy month of J tine;
The sky was bright above-
Au old man Bad, forlorn,
Sat in his rustic chair,
Beside his cottage door.
Four score years have blanched his hair,
Which long and lank hung o’er
His shoulders broad and high.
Four score years had dimmed his eye;
And 00 his cheek and on r.is brow
Were deep traced iu tows oi the plow—
The silent, unseen plow of Time.
His iaithful staff was in his hand,
Wore surfe than charmed wizird wand
To guide his'Ottering steps.
He hears the gentle morning breeze
Salt murmuring through the trees—
He felt it cool his brow, so calm;
He felt it soothe his cheek, like balm
The swallow twittered
I11 the cottage caves:
Fsch songster poured his throat,
Amid the rustling leaves,
In joyous bursts of song,
And chief among the throng
The bird of mimic note.
He heard them not or seemed
Not to heed the melody;
But listless, only dreamed.
His look was far away,
And memory fond memory,
Long lost or gone astray
Was gathering up tne past,
In pleasing, sad review.
His life he lived an w;
He lived again his Toyhood days,
So full of glee
Crowned with "quips and cranks”
And jollity— . „
T cn man bo ta s hours and marriage bcllit—
‘ A fair and loved and loving wife.
Who faithful cluag to him through life
Until she calmly, sweetly died.
He thought of all and sadly sighed.
II.
’Twas summer’s eve
In the leafv month of June;
High rode, in azure deeps, the moon;
An old man sat in his rustic chair,
Beside his cottage door,
By the soft sweet evening air
His straggling locks were stirred,
While ptst the wheeling swallows whirred;
I11 chattering Hocks or by the pair;
Aud bright-plumed birds did chant
Their lays co j jubilant,
Or flashed like gleams of light
Amid the foliage geen.
Now in. now out of siaht,
Darting the boughs between.
The golden sun w-s sinking low
In the far west, and len* a glow
To dying day-the er mson sky
Blushed roseate, while purpling clouds
Like gorgeous drapery.
Clouds motionless of changeful hue,
Crimson, scarlet, uurple. blue,
Each vied with other to display
Farewell honors to the king of day.
lie heart! the feathered minstrelsy
Bat heeded not—
He saw the glory of the sky,
The grandeur of the setting sun,
But heeded not—his dreamy eye
Looked far away—looked far beyond
The gorgeous scenes of varied hue.
Agaiu fond Memory brought to view
The long lost wife—“not lost
But gone before”—he thought
Of ioys forever fled,
Of tears together shed—
The church yard where she slept,
The tears he sorely wept
To see her face no more
Upon life’s dresry shore.
He thought of lovely children gone—
James in manhood’s prime and John
His darling boy, with sunny brow,
Called in the flower of youth to bow
His head in death, and Mary. oo,
With curls of gold and eyes of blue.
All gone! all gone, forever gone!
He last all, still left alone.
nr.
’Twas dewy eve
In the leafy month of June;
Climbed o’er the hills the full round moon—
The old man sat oace more
Bes'de his cottage door
With head and body bent,
Upon his stafl'he lent,
Aud lonely was the look he wore.
The swallows nestled in the eaves
The warblers nestled ’moiig the leaves;
No sound was heard,
But all was still,
Save the plaintive notes
Of the whip-poor-will.
“Why left” he said,
* Why linger here,
“When all are dead,
‘ When all are there?”
With trembling hand and weeping eye
He pointed upward to the sky.
A silent Mess»n>:ar. unseen, -
Alighted from (he skies,
And gently touched ais heart
And softly cl >sed his eyes
Long ere morning streaked the east
His feet had touched the golden shore.
Joyous the welcome—clasped the hands,
No* weeping there—no parting evermore.
Next morn they found him dead—
His chin was resting on his breast,
His hand still grasped the stall’,
But he had gone to rest.
They made his grave
Beside his wife
And laid him down
As he had lain In life!
80 let them sweetly sleep.
So let them gently rest,
Till Resurrection morn
Shall wake them with the b!est.
W. S. Fleming.
Columbia, Tenn.
Famous Prospect Park
IT IS THE CHIEF BREATHING SPOT
IN THE CITY OF BROOKLYN.
It I* Abo Notv /%* the Place When
Patriot* and British Fought the Battle
of Lon, Island—How t* Looks and How
It Is Cared For. ** v
ft is trne that the city of Brooklyn has
several parks, and that the number is
shortly to be increased by one. Yet it is
also trne that of tho number only one
may justly be called famous. This is
the great Prospect park, which more
than almost any other pleasure ground
in America owes its attractiveness to nat-
IT CAN BE INCREASED TO ALMOST
ANY PROPORTIONS.
smd*pmerons cityhas QQQ]Q AMlID6Dt
been so backward in the work of estab-j wiaaai w aaiuiuiilvlll
Kdiing and beautifying park lands. The
commissioners themselves s.#d in one of
their latest reports: “Laying ont of
eight the parade ground, which is not
available for the general popular use,
and the distant Coney Island concourse,
we have in all our parks 660 acres, as
against more than 6,000 in New York,
8,000 in Philadelphia, 3,000 in Chicago,
2,300 in Boston and 2,200 in St. Louis
In other words, onr available park area,
as measured against the average of that
of these contemporaneous and not re-
PARK DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS.
are’s own adaptation. It cannot be
said that the city—well up in the second
rank of American cities—has paid all the
attention it should have paid to the
question of pleasaunce, but, on the other
hand, it would be wrong to say that the
matter has been neglected.
Large as is the area of Brooklyn—it is
spreading rapidly to the east and south
—there are only 685 acres of parks to be
set down to her credit, and of these 70
acres consist of tho Coney Island con
course, in the town of Gravesend.
There are a hundred acres in smaller
inclosures, of which Fort Greene—now
called Washington park—is perhaps the
best known, marking as it does a spot of
Revolutionary fame. These smaller in
closures, however, are scarcely more
than “squares,” excepting the Parade
Ground and Washington park.
The real park system of Brooklyn em
braces Prospect park, two boulevards,
each more than 200 feet in width, called
the Ocean parkway and the Eastern
parkway, and the concourse, on the
ocean front. To this has been added a
plot of forty acres adjoining Prospect
park, which has been set aside for a pa
rade ground for militia regiments. The
parkways are respectively 5J and 2J
miles long.
To this is to be added, almost imme
diately, a new park not yet named, which
will probably be called Stranahan park.
VALLEY GROVE BRIDGE.
in honor of one of Brooklyn’s best known
citizens, J. oi. T. Stranahan, tu tvhosa
influence and efforts the city is mainly
indebted for Prospect park, he liavin
been among the foremost of those who
advocated ii\s purchase and improve
ment. K
Prospect park itself is aud will doubt
less always be the principal pleasure
ground of tho city. As was just said, it
owes more of its attractiveness to nature
than to art, but nature has been lavish
with attractions. The ground was se
cured at about the time of the breaking
ont of the civil war, before the original
forests which stood within its area had
been destroyed, and many of the old for
est trees still remain within the hundred
and odd acres of woodland that form a
synonymous with the “rich planters be-
THE GEM OF TENNESSEE VALLEY.
It is in the Valley of Tennessee, a name j ° qq le original cost of the 510 acres of
Prospect park was nearly $ 1.000,000, and
. more than $5,000,000 more has been
menta in the New South are apparent, j epent in the work of construction and
Dayton, a city of 6 000, surrounded by an maintenance. The construction, or lay
out, delayed by the war, was not
inexhaustible supply of c^al, iron ’and
timber, is the ‘‘G=m City of the Valley,”
and offers unparalleled opportunities to
Northern men, money ana brains. Two
lurnaces are now in full blast and “be
hind in orders,” Among the other in
dustries now in operation are two flour
mills, pump worfts, planing mill and
fairly begun until 18GG. Once begun it
was prosecuted with considerable vigor
for some eight years, but since then there
has been less activity, attributable, so it
is said, to the limitations placed on the
brick works, with a cast iron pipe works, 1 annual appropriations,
a stove foundry ana a huge rolling mill T ,,„ '.L„ p t]ie ,„ r v most aoTee .
underway. A strong Nortuern syndicate ihe surtace ot tne pars it, most agree
has been formed to promote the interests ! Amy diversified. In addrncu to the
of Dayton December 3, 4 and 5 To hundred acres of woodland there are
accommodate those desiring to attend ! 70 acres of meadows and 77 acres of
the sale, the Cincinnati, Hamilton and 1 l k n , courses Over 250
Dayton Railroad will sell excursion ; Kes , an 1 ', er ,
tickets at one fare for the round trip ' here 3 have been laid out m planta
tions all points on the line on December ' tions. There are also some twelve
2 and 3 For rates and farther lnforma
tion call on or address any C. H. and D.
Agent, or E O McCormick, General
Passenger and Ticket Agent, CiLCinnati.
Send fora handsome album of Dayton
views. Ample accommodations at the
hotels for all.
miles of drives and bridle paths and
A week or more ago of a bngnt sunaay
morning, while the organ at St. Thomas'
was pealing forth the voluntary and ths
people had risen to their responses, a J
curious and most wonderful thing hap
pened. Iu the middle aisles, just a seat or
two from the front, is one long pew simply
upholstered in dark leather that has for a
year been quite empty, but which bears on
it a silver plate holding a name well known
in Wall street. The pew’s owner we all
know has made a pile of money. He has
a family consisting of a wife and two
daughters, who for the last year or two
have lived abroad. Often have we won
dered if when they came back to America’
would they gain an entrance to tho upper
circles, and much speculation concerning
the pew and its holders has been indulged
in by inattentive worshipers.
Sunday before last curiosity was in one
way satisfied and again whetted anew, for,
as the services began, the double green in
side doors oi* the church flew open, there
was a tread of feet and up the way came
first his lordship—the most prosperous
man in kite street—rigged out in London
clothes, a flower in his coat, and followed
by madam, radiant in much -rich silk of a
Bolter tone, and half leaning on a gold
beaded, tortoise shell stick. Behind her
came the daughters, types of English maid
ens, severely gowned, prim and haughty;
but public astonishment stopped not there,
for in the footsteps of the daughters moved
with stately stride a gigantic footman in
full regimentals, his high nose held well
up and a bag of books on one stout arm.
The family filed into the pew, settled
themselves, the footman unbent, opened
the silk embroidered bag, doled out the
books and noiselessly stepped back and
down to another empty pew, where ta
humbly said bis prayers. Service over, he
collected bis books and charges, marshaled
them out to the street and followed them
three blocks to Fifth avenue, watched the
entire way by an amazed audience of St
Thomas’ frequenters.—New York Coe.
Chicago News.
Not a few of the phrases in use at this
dav originated with Lyly, and are found
in his “Euphues,” a popular book pub
lished in 1580. Among them might be
mentioned “caught nappiDg,’ “a crooked
stick or none,” “brown study,” “catching
birds by putting salt on their tails, ’ eto.
VSTLLINK ENTRANCE SHELTER,
nearly as many miles of walks in tlie
park limits. Two hillg, Lookout and
Breeze, so called, are perhaps more at
tractive tlian any other features, the
views from the summit of the first one
especially being remarkably beautiful.
There are several features of this park
which are of great historic interest. It
was on the high, heavily wooded ridge
that passes through Prospect park that
the battle of Long Island was fought in
177G. It was understood when the park
was projected that the historic features
of the site of the battle should not bo
obliterated, and that the remains of the
old redoubt which woro still visible
should be carefully preserved. This
-T,
A MUSIC PAGODA
mote cities, is less than one-fifth, while
as compared with that of principal Euro
pean capitals it is reckoned as being not
more than one-ninth.”
It is true that Vhere seems to he an
awakening from this apathy beginning.
An appropriation of $.500,000 was made
some two years agf> for the purchase of
more parks, and clife fruit of this will
soon be seen in the establishment of
Stranahan park; but what is needed,
and what is being irrjed strenuously by
some of the most public spirited citi
zens, is a constant and greatly increased
expenditure for maintenance and re
pairs. To tills a liberal and even gen
erous response is expected soon from
the municipal authorities.
The commissioners themselves, from
the time of Mr. Stranahan to the present
board, which consists of Messrs. George
V. Brower, Marvin Cross and Charles
H. Luscomb, have been zealous in ad
vancing the work. They have been ably
aided by the veteran Anenrin Jones,
whose fame as superintendent "of parks
has spread all over the countiy. The
illustrations show various objects of
picturesque interest hi Prospect park.
David A. Curtis.
Just at Present, However, the United
States Is Not Spending Much Money
on Explosives and Deadly Weapons.
Resources in Case of Emergence
Notwithstanding the many Ajmericon t«.
ventions relating to ordnance made daring
the last quarter of a century, the army of
the United States is very poorly equipped
with weapons, both larg-t and small. This
condition is not in the least due to the in
activity or the policy of the ordnance de
partment., but exists because of a lack of
appropriations. It happens that the
economical policy has been a wise one, for
the United States has not needed any guns
of late with which to defend her dignity,
and during the last twenty-five years such
improvements have been made in small
arms and cannonrthat thosa which might
have been made or purchased ten or
The Kentucky Convention.
The constitutional convention of Ken
tucky, which lias been in session at
Frankfort, the state’s capital, since Sep
tember last, marks an epoch in the his-
BJIONSTON
S$0UNG.
tory of the commonwMilth. The dele
gates were chosen by v.ste of the people
at the August election, one from each
legislative district, a bill providing for
such an election having passed tho last
general assembly. This bill had been
pending for years.
Cassius M. Clay, Jr., of Bourbon
county, son of Brutus Clay and nephew
of the noted diplomat and abolitionist,
Cassius M. Clay, was elected president
of the convention. A man of affluence,
in the prime of life, of marked individu
ality and intellectual force, Mr. Clay is
a power in tho land.
Governor S. B. Buckner represents
Hart county. His Mexican war record,
his services in the regular army in the
Indian country and liis identification
with the “lost cause” need no comment.
Another member,’ J. Proctor Knott,
Buckner’s gubernatorial predecessor, is
one of the most brilliant and versatile
men in the state. Charles J. Bronston,
of Lexington, commonwealth attorney
for the second term in his district, lias
also made his mark at the convention.
The same is likewise true of Col. Bennett
H. Young, president of the Louisville
Southern road. An adjournment will
not be had for some weeks yet.
SPRINGFIELD AND SMOOTH BORE GUNS,
fifteen years ago would now be obsolete.
Tho conntry, therefore, has been saved the
expense of experiments, and has had the
good luck not to have had its unarmed con
dition taken advantage of.
When the war closed in 1SC5 the gov
ernment had on hand vast supplies of
arms and ammunition. During the con
flict the Springfield muzzle loading rifle
was the chief small weapon in use and
proved very effective. Hundreds of invent
ors were at work during that period en
deavoring to perfect a magazine gun. It
was not used much then, and it has not
been adopted by the American army yet.
Boards of ordnance began discussing
guns in 1S68, and in 1870 tlie modified
Springfield rifle was adopted as the small
arm for the infantry and cavalry. The old
mnzzle loading weapon vva3 altered into a
breech loader, and that is about all the
change made up to date. The government
still has thousands of the old “muzzle
loaders,” and these are for sale to all who
care to buy and will go through the for
mality cf writing to tho chief of ordnance
at Washington and applying for permit
sion to purchase. lit reply the applicant
will receive tin order on the nearest ord
nance storekeeper to sell at $1 each the
number of guns lie may wish. Various
Grand Army post3 are equipped in this
way, which lias also served many farmers
to provide themselves with weapons. The
old smooth bore Springfield makes a fine
shot gun and carries with great force and
accuracy.
During the war the field artillery used
chiefly the Rodman three inch rifles and
the twelve pound bronze Napoleons. These
guns are still in use, and the ten batteries—
that is, two companies to each of the five
artillery regiments in the army—are now
supplied with these same guns. The last
congress appropriated $20,000 for the pur
chase of machine guns, and such an appro
priation has lteen made annually for sev
eral years past, so that about seventy-five
such guns—each one costs about $1,000-
FRIENDSHIP OF TWO REPUBLICS.
Brazil and tlie United States Give Greet
ing to Each Other.
The United States of Brazil and tho
United States of America have been ex
changing unusual compliments, waiving
THE GATLING MACHINE GUN.
have been bought and issued to these light
batteries and to several artillery companies
of state militia.
Neither the magazine rifle nor the ma
chine join has j-ver been thoroun-h’y - ested
in actual war, though the Turks at Plevna
had several thousand of the former. The
mitrailleuse which the French us.d against ]
the Germans was of course a machine gun, I
but its effectiveness was inconsiderable
compared with that of tlie-’weapons of to- 1
day. Some time ago, while on a visit to j
Hartford, I went out to the Colts’ armory j
on the invitation of Dr. Gatling, the in- |
ventor of the arm which bears his name. !
He showed me how rapidly he could fire the
gun. IIow fast that was I can’t begin to ,
say, btft bullet followed bullet so quickly
that there seemed no appreciable space be
tween the discharges. lie placed a three
inch plank of oak against the target and
began firing at it, moving the gun so that
each bullet struck just next to where the
preceding one bad entered. The board,
some twelve inches wide, was cut cleanly
across, just as though a crosscut saw had
been drawn through it.
Then to show how accurately the weapon
could be used the inventor aimed it at a
certain point on the board. He fired sev
eral shots, and when we examined the
target there was only one little hole just
large enough to admit the first bullet
fired. The doctor, who, by the way, has
the most kindly face I ever looked upon,
smiled sweetly aud asked whether I thought
a regiment could charge a battery of such
guns. “It would kill every mother’s son
of them,” he added. This remark sounded
very grim and bloodthirsty. But Dr. Gat
ling counts himself a philanthropist, for
he holds that the more horrible war is
made the less war there will be.
It is not necessary in the new order of
things for the American government to
make the same preparations for equipping
its forces with small arms and with ma
chine guns as in the case of heavy guns to
be mounted in forts and used aboard ships.
The plants owned by private concerns in
the United States are now sufficiently large
to enable them to supply vast quantities of
material upon short notice. But in tho
case of heavy guns the republic has not
had until recently plants with facilities for
making these monstrous instruments of
warfare. Congress has appropriated ample
sums for this purpose, and there are now
and the absence of smoke are at the ex
pense of the pressure on the barrels of
the guns. If it turns ont that the smoke
less powder, in case of rapid firing, bursts
the weapons it is likely to be more danger
ous to friends than foes. If the pressure
exerted is constant, and if the explosive
proves to have the advantages which the
Germans claim for it, the guns could of
course be strengthened.
With the infantry and cavalry armed
with magazine guns, the light artillery
supplied with machine guns, the forts de
fended with great cannon which send
missiles accurately from five to ten miles,
and all of these using a powder which
makes uo smoke to betray the situation of
an enemy, the whole tactics of war will
have to be changed. Bat in talking with
army men I have failed to find a single
one who would say that he was looking
forward with any interest to the practical
test in actual warfare of these recent in
ventions in the art of killing.
JXo. Gilmer Speed.
OUR QUIZ COLUMN.
GENIAL “MRS. PARTINGTON.”
The Story of His Rife as Quaintly Told
by Himself.
Among hundreds of similar autographic
treasures that have come at various times
into my keeping
is a letter which
was not written
for publication,
but from which I
am impelled to
transcribe certain
passages. At my
earnest solicita
tion Mr. Shilla-
ber, who died the
other day, m tlie
summer of 1880
jotted down some b. p. sniLLABER.
personal recollections of a life that was
full of events. Concerning my request
he writes: “Like the charity scholar learn
ing the alphabet, I am a little in doubt
whether it will pay to go through so much
to get so little, bnt your friendly wish
mnst not be slighted.” He then and thus
blithely continues:
“I was torn, as the old family record de
clares, July 12, 1S14, in the ancient town of
Portsmouth, N. H., and no better or fairer
place conld have been selected for the pur
pose. My schooling was desultory and im
perfect until, at half past 15 years of age,
I became an attachment of the press—^The
Palladium and Advertiser, printed at
Dover, N. H., for which paper I worked
upward of two years. It succumtod to
disastrous fate, and my regrets went with
it.”
During the years 1831 and 1S32 Mr. Shil-
laber was associated with the local press of
his native town. He then went to Boston
and finished his trade as a book printer.
“In 1835,” he says, “I became free, and all
my energies were devoted to sustaining the
proud position of a ‘jour.’
“In October, 1836, bleeding at the lungs
caused me to voyage to Demarara, in Brit
ish Guiana, where I remained until July,
1838, a subject of William IV and of Vio-
toria, helping to print the government
Gazette. When restored to health I sailed
back to New England and got married,
the wisest act of my life. Book printing
not being remunerative, in 18401 associated
myself with The Boston Post, in which of
fice I continued uninterruptedly for ten
years. The ‘Partington’ papers were com
menced (in 1847) for my own amusement.
Their success in The Post led me to other
efforts, made anonymously.
“In 1850 I found myself (like the young
partridge which hides its head under a
leaf, thinking itself unseen) very widely
known. In fact, my name had a celebrity.
There were new duties to perform. I had
a new position to maintain and new pow
ers to exercise.”
Mr. Shillaber had contributed to The . nuo,
Saturday Evening Gazette and other lit- mother?”
THE PRIZE STORY.
Hiss E. E. Garnett, Dunnsville, 7a.,
Carries off the Prize.
Among so many bright and interesting
stories it was no easy matter to select
any particular one for the Prize Story.
But tbe author of the weird legend of
the Plseatawa has been adjudged the
prize by an impartial committee. This
story, so often told in rhyme, is brought
out by this charming little authoress
with bold, swift touches and in soft and
glowing language. Wo c mgratnlate onr
young friend upon her success and mail
her, at ones, the promised book.
And now a word to the nnsaccess'nl
competitors. Seme of your stories were
really oreditable productions, and will
appear in other departments of the pa -
per. Do not despair on account of this i
your first failure, but combine study
with painstaking literary effort, and we
predict that the next generation will
“Hear the world applaud the hollow ghost
Which knew not the living woman."
GOOD-BY.
Ned, Avondale, Ala.
Name of author unknown.
GOD S ACRE.
R P 8., Allendale, S C.: Where can
I find verses entitled “God’s Acre?”
Will some of our readers please give
him the desired information.
G0N3 UP SALT RIVER
Mary Christian, Tenn.: What does the
expression “gone up Salt River” mean?
It is generally used to denote political
defeat, but is also used to signify ob
livion.
FEN IANS, j
Talbot Wright, Kansas City, Kans:
Who are or were the Fenians?
In 1865 a company of Irishmen In ths
United States nutted aud declared they
would free Iretahd. They were called
Fenians.
COKNCR ACKER S. — COPPERHEAD3,
V. T. W., Mo.: Who are called the
C irncrackars? also the Copperheads?
Comcrackers is a pseudonym of the
Kentuckians; Copperheads of N orthern
sympathizers with the South in the civil
war.
ALL QUIET ALONG THE POTOMAC.
Mrs. Vaughn, Miss : Wao is the auth
or of the beautiful little poem “All quiet
along the Potomac? ”
This little poem is styled “The Picket
Guard” and Its author is E .hoi Lynn
Beers.
HOBSON’S CHOICE.
Jack Windtnan: What is meant by
' Hobson’s Choice?”
Take what is offered or go without.
Tobias Hobson, an English stable keeper
male whatever customer came to hire a
horse take the oue nearest the door.
A GDOD MOTHER.
Willis H., Tona.: Wao is the author of
the line, “Hippy is he with such a
erary periodicals, and in partnership with
Charles G. Halpine (afterward famous as
"Private Miies O’Reilly”) he started Th*
Carpet Bag, a gloriously short lived satiri
cal newspaper. It was in 1S54 that he pub
lished “Tlie Life and Sayings of Mrs. Part
ington anil Others of the Family.” The
initial sr. es of this volume exceeded 30,000
copies! ft* author had returned to The Bos
ton Post in 1853, and for three years did
local reporting for that daily. In 1856 Col.
Lord Tennyson, Xtwa3thu3:
Hippy he
With such a mither! fnith in womaukind
Beats with his blood, and trust in all things
high
Comes easy to him, and though he trip an! fall
He shall not blind his soul with clav ’’
TAMMANY HALL.
Reader: I see a great deal about Tam
many Hall and its leaders, Etplaln the
William v7. Clapp offered him the associate ! term to me for Heaven’s sake?
editorship of The Saturday Evening Ga-i Taoimxuy Hill is a section of the
zette, which Mr. Shillaber accepted, and : Democratic party in Now York City and
another genial comradeship of ten yearn ! ,, ca , la(J fro u th9[r pla33 0 f meeting St.
ensued. When, in 1SG6, Col. Clapp sold _ . ., ” ,
The Gazette Mr. Shillaber’s regular active 71 ^ 18 th3 Pxtco:i of thia
connection with the press terminated. I P ar ^y* He waa an Indian chief whosa
However, up to the time of his death h* j real name was Tlmanund.
did his full share of literary work for many
noted journals. Henry Clav Lukens.
A Novelty In Lighthouses.
"TIannaford electric and automatic
lighthouse” is the full title of an inven
tion which comes from New Zealand, and
is among the first fruits of English civili
zation and science in that far off Austral
asian land. Consul Connolly at Auckland
has sent to the state department at Wash
ington a sketch and descript ion of it, with
the enthusiastic indorsement of many prac
tical engineers and electricians who have
examined it. Mr. Hannaford claims that
his machinery will send forth electric
WELL OF ST. KEYNE.
Mrs. Jankins, Vs.: Waersi3 the we’i
of Ss. Kiyna and what pewir is ascribed
to it?
F.e upon you, Mrs. Jsnkiusl Y>u are
notsearehlug for the well of S;. Keyne
in this day o'“Woman rule,” surely. If
so however you will find it in Cornwall
aud the Sr3t o’ a married couple to taete
of its waters will “wear ths breaches.”
E TIQUETTE.
M. Atidsrsen, S C.: I3 it etiquette for
a gentleman to raise his hat to a lady
wnen oisling her iathestrest ifshe does
not even loos at him.
A salutation andsr such circumstances
would le of little usi. Utless you have
cause to think that the lady la question
desires to ‘‘cut’’ you it would be perfect -
lyproper however to rarie the hat, and
thereby attract her attention.
THE GGRDIAN KNOT.
John Wallace, M133: Wnat is the Gor
dian K lot?
Tuis term is generally used to express
dim eulty or obstacle. Tradition tells us
that Gordias Ki ng or Phrygia consecrat
ed to Jupiter a wagon, the beam aud
yoke of which were tied together by snoh
an intricate knot that no one could un
ravel it. An oracle having foretold that
he who could untie this knot would be
master of Asia, Alexander out it asunder
with his sword.
A HEAVY COAST GUN.
building and have already been built can-
non.of heavy caliber and enormous range.
Nearly all of the big guns now mounted
upon American fort3 arc long out of date
and useless, except for firing salutes and
drilling tlie men in tbe handling of artil
lery. Many of tlie smooth bores have had
rifled tubes shrunk into them, and in that
way the range and nenetratine nower have
been increased. But even thus improved
they would be inadequate in case of war.
Not only lias there been a great revolu
tion in gun malting, but the explosives
used are in many instances much different
from the old fashioned kinds. When the
war was over the government had a vast
quantity of powder on hand. This lasted
for twenty-three years and was used up in
TITE nANNAFORD INVENTION,
flashes plainly discernible for thirty miles.
The cupola revolves and the lamp with
it, bnt the arc within does not and is
always broadside to one desired direc
tion, the lens pulley at its back facing
the land, so that flashes can be sent in .
that direction at will. The flash signals *
ets? ! f-r’
- 1 in the center of which was a burning g»s
NATURAL GAS.
Reader, Wyo.: Waen and by whom
was natural gas discovered?
Columns of fire issuing from the ground
were discovered and reported by ths
earliest Jesuit explorers. George Wash
ington sought in 1775 to have set apart
and reserved to the publio forever
sent, which is of great importance in case
of shipwreck or war. The arc is automatic
and does its own lighting or extinguish
ment to tbe minute. But the great novel
ty and most valuable feature is the wind
mill attachment which generates the elec
tricity and the storage of the latter to such
ample amount that it would not run short
of 15,000 candle power even in a six months'
calm.
ADMIRAL DA SILVEIRA.
the rigid etiquette that rules in naval cir
cles and taking extraordinary pains to ex
press mutual good will. President Harri
son exceeded the usual courtesies by direct
ing Rear Admiral Walker to proceed to
Rio Janeiro and salute the new republic.
The admiral reached there last June with
his sqnadron of evolution, and when he
pledge, for it was a pledge made to the entered the port the Brazilian forts hoisted
public by those who took the initiative the American flag and saluted before the
in establishing the park, has not been squadron had time to firet pay its respects Krcm , ucal ... t—— —
kept There is nothing now remaining *° the port according to the usual rmo. n military wor k waa employed by the en- discovered by the late Gen. Fremont in 1843.
to designate even the location of the re- to the universal custom for the port to gj neep3 for luting. The supply some
doubt, and much of the earthwork that J wait t ^ e salute of the me time ago ran so low that salutes and other
stood for nearly a century was destroyed Snguu^nsteaS P™ 1 ? ornamental uses of the material
in the work of laying out the park. It ofX thirt^n Slf ^cordto toT^r were omitted. It has never been the cue-
is true that a bronze tablet was placed admiral tom of tire government to keep very large
upon a large granite twwlder near by, but A. soon as possible the new republic Sreto. 10 'Instead"*^
the inscription on it is said to be in, fitted out >ts fl^h^he Aquid* powder it iathe policy of the
accurate. This seems especially unfor- tan, and sent it with the corvette Gum- ord nance department to gather great
tnnate in view of the fact that on thia F® ^ ew ... « quantities of niter and issue it to contract-
bluff occurred the first meeting of the in command and c »8 . ors when necessary. No private powder
duty of presentingto President Hamson a „ nbpr nfF nrd hand the
time
regularly organized Continental army maker could afford to keep on hand tl
with the British fore Itw„abloedj .iter iUrel, to„ hr ti.
battle and a memorable defeat for the , lies. The Brazilian ships reached their °„ ar ' . , , „
patriots. donation after a stormy passage, and , Experiments have beet.and are constant-
The old Litchfield mansiotf, also of were given a glorious welcome by the ' ,,"b "J^nr^rT
historic interest, has been refitted, and American squadron and by the fortsin the tho’snrmriield armory this explosive
serves now as the headquarters of the wafl'tte^drf’Uth “to^rS has tried°very fully With smalfarms,
Park department of the city. courtesST* I and the results are satisfactory as to the
In the way of statuary Prospect park I “ cha ” Ke of compllmellU and courtcsi “’ | great velocity produced, but this velocity ,
The Wonderful Snow riant.
The snow plant which grow3 iu the sier
ras at an altitude of 8,000 feet above
sea level grows under deep banks of snow
and flowers as soon as the snow melts.
The flower stems consist of partly crystal
lized sugar, and are said to taste when cook-
r ed sweeter but not unlike asparagus. Tha
target practice, the Indian wars, firing flower resembles the hyacinth, but is far
salutes etc., while a great deal not suited more beautiful. This wonderful plant was
Turkey's Government.
Briefly stated, the government of Turkey
consists of the sultan, who is supreme and
absolute in theory, if not entirely in prao-
tiee. The legislative functions are per
formed by two bodies, one the council of
ministers, which consists of the respective
ministers of state, such as the minister of
foreign affairs, the minister of the interior,
the minister of public instruction, tho
minister of war, of the navy, etc., and tte
spring that he regarded as one of the
greatest of our national wonders. The
first U3e of gas for domestic purposes in
this country was made iu 1321 In the vill
age of Fredoaia, N. Y B nt for hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of ysars the gas wells
in China ha76 supplied cheao fuel aud
light to the dwellers in their vicinity.
TO MAKE OILCLOTH.
Wuiiatn B., lad.: How is oilcloth
made? I have never heard or seen a de
scription of its making.
The body or the oilcloth is what Is
called the burlaps and is made of jute
and Imported from 8 ictland. Tais fa
bric is limp and is stiffened by passing
through a mixture of staroh and gloo
and over hot rollers, coming out, It might
be said, laundried. The beet grade of
oilcloth recalves five or six coats of paint
and the thickness of each coat of paint Is
governed by a steel knife. Ths opera
tion of coating the first quality olloloth
occupies a week. Waen dry the cloth is
ready- for the printers. Fjr every color
in pattern there must be a blook. 8 trne
patterns containing many colon require
from twenty-five to thirty blocks. The
sheik ul Islam, who is head of the religions I printing is done on the top floor so that
orders. The counci of ministers is pro- j tho olloloth ean hang for a distance of
sided oyer by the grand vizier, the highest flft y l6 et to dry. Coming oat from the
official in the empire The council of state _ U varnished. Next It Is
consists of some thirty members, compria- . V * a “ ‘ , .. . .
ing_the leading men of the empire. Every trimmed and the doth is raady to o
law^has to be passed by both these bodies^
and then receive the sanction—styled tl
irade—of the sultan.—New York Herald.
shipped. This Is an imperfect descrip
tion of the various operation* to be un
dergone in malting oilcloth.