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THE SUNNY SOUTH.
I
4£4
4§4
' The report was followed by several
cries from behind.
•'That'll teach the pesky critters a les
son." observed the farmer, as he resumed
the reins.
Even as he spoke, they saw a flash in
_ the darkness to one side of the road, fol-
while the gnod old man was preparing a 1 instantly by the crack of a re
frown of reproof the young hopeful cried
out: "You tend to your preaching, daddy;
I'll keep ’em awake.”
JACK THE INVENTOR
BY EDWARD STRATEMEYER.
Author of "Under Dewey at Manila," "A Young Volunteer in Cuba,"
"Young Auctioneers," "Richard Dare's Venture."
Chapter XXIV.—Preclons Papers.
It did not take Jack very long to reach
the shore. He found Farmer Farrel. gun
In hand, stalking up and down impatient
ly. He had ordered the two prisoners into
th* rowhoat, and was lecturing them and
the hired man at the same time.
“You’ve been a mighty long while com
ing.'’ he remarked, as the dim rays of the
smoky lantern fell upon the young ma
chinist’s face.
“I couldn’t help it.” replied Jack, and
he briefly related what had occurred to
detain him so long.
They embanked at once. The young ma
chinist set out to do the rowing, but was
stopped by the farmer, who directed Tim,
the hired man, to take the oars.
“You’re tired enough,” said Farmer
Farrel. “Besides, we must keep a close
eye on these two, or they’ll be up to their
pesky tricks afore we know it.”
Tim pulled a good stroke. He was anx
ious to get out of such dangerous com
pany and be safe in his bed in the barn
loft once more.
“Isn't there some way we can fix this
matter up?” asked Corrigan, after a long
period of thoughtful silence.
“What do you mean?” asked Jack.
“Why. buy ourselvts off.”
“No, sir. not a bit of it,” returned the
young machinist, decidedly.
Corrigan winced. The prospect of going
to prison was not a particularly inviting
cue. “Oi say Jack, me b’y, if we give up
yer model will ye be easy on us?” put in
Mosey, who did not know that that pre
cious bit of property had already been re
covered.
“I have it already,” replied Jack. “I
don’t intend to be any harder on you than
you deserve,” he continufd. “You tried to
take my friend's life as well as mine, and
also set Are to Mr. Gray’s house, and
by using the match safe which belonged
to me. cast suspicion on my character,
which has not yet been cleared away.”
“Who can prove I set fire to Felix
Gray’s place?” demanded the Irishman,
blusteringly. His tongue was clearer than
it had been, but his head was as muddled
as ever.
“Perhaps I can.”
“Ye can’t nohow.”
“Well, we’ll sec. and it will go hard with
you unless you can prove otherwise.”
“Oi didn’t do it. It was Dennis’s work,”
howled Mosey, breaking down completely.
“Oi found the box. and give it ter him,
and he kept it. Didn’t he stale the model,
too. and run away wid yer sister? Oi
niver harmed a soul, save when I was in
liquor,” he whined.
“It's a lie!” shouted Corrigan, in a
rage. Had he been free he would have
struck down his confederate.
“It ain’t, it’s true, every worrud of it,”
responded Mosey, doggedly. “Ye always
got mo to do yer dirty worruk, and now
yer want me to stand all der blame. But
Oi won't do it. Oi’ll turn Queen’s evi
dence first.”
“If you turn state’s evidence you may
save yourself a heap of trouble,” put in
Farmer Farrel.
“Oh. Oi’ll do it. just moind me. if OI
don’t,” replied the Irishman, quickly. He
was thoroughly cowed, and his one
thought was how to best evade the clutch
es of the law.
“You mean dog!” interrupted Corrigan,
bitterly. “You shall pay dearly for this!”
and he grated his teeth together in ran
cor.
“I don’t think you will be able to do harm
for a good while,” sagely remarked Farm
er Farrel.
Corrigan became silent at once, and as
each one was busy with his own thoughts
the rest of the trip was accomplished
without further words.
On reaching the shore the party repair
ed at once to Parmer Farrel’s place,
where Tim. glad to be back again, hitch
ed up the team to the old family wagon.
"Is there a doctor anywhere near?” ask
ed Jack: “I promised to send one over to
the Island.” •
“Dr. Melvin live,* just up the road.” re
plied the farmer. “We’ll stop and tell him,
and Tim can row him over. Do you hear,
Tim?”
“Yes. sir,” replied the farm hand. “To
morrow morning will do. I suppose.”
“Tomorrow morning!” repeated the
farmer in surprise. “No. indeed, right
away. And if you can't get Dr. Melvin, go
over to Dr. Dell’s cottage. Tell him that
the man has a bullet in his shoulder.”
Much as he disliked the job. the hired
man did not dare to complain: so with a
heavy sigh he set off on his errand, trav
eling through the dark as fast as his
heavy boots would permit.
The family wagon contained two seats.
Farmer Farrel took the front one. with
Mosey beside him. while Jack with Corri
gan. sat in the rear, and then the horses
were started on the road to Corner.
“We will stop at the old mill and get my
model.” said Jack, on the way.
At the old structure everything was
dark and deserted.
“Say. Oi l! go along wid ve,’’ said Mosey,
a* the young machinist dismounted from
his seat. “There’s something there Oi
want to show ye.”
Corrigan wished to interfere, but Jack,
who believed that the Irishman was now
really inclined to render assistance, would
not let him.
There are some papers that belong to
Mr. Gray. Dennis stole them whtn the
house was burning.” said Mosey, when
he and Jack were alone. “Oi can’t read.
but Dennis said they’d be worth money to
us some day.”
"Where are they?" asked Jack, with in-
terest.
“Will you be aisy on me if Oi tell ye?”
asked Mosey.
“Perhaps I will.”
‘ Oi lI trust ye,” replied Mosey. “They’re
upstairs, under the figure.”
They ascended the stairs, and taking up
a board »hat Mosey pointed out. Jack
drew out a small, oblong packet.
“I can’t read it now,” said the young
machinist. “Come along. If the contents
are valuable I’ll see that you get full
credit for giving it up."
He put the packet in his pocket, and
taking up the model, made the Irishman
precede him down to the wagon. They
were soon on the way again, the precious
model safely stowed away in the front of
the vehicle.
“I guess Mr. Benton will be rather sur
prised when he learns the true state of af
fairs.” thought Jack to himself. “But his
treatment of Deb was shameful, and I
shall fell him so.”
As they passed an old barn near the out
skirts of the town all heard a loud cry,
the scuffle of many feet, and then the
door of the place burst open.
“Hello, what’s all this?” exclaimed
Jack. “Some one in trouble!”
Through the open doorway sprang a
tall man. He was but partly dressed, and
one side of his face bore a thick coating
of black. He ran directly toward the road,
and was followed by a dozen or more men
wearing masks.
Seeing the wagon he made for it as fast
as his legs would carry him.
“Save me. save me!’ he gasped. “Get me
away from these villains, and I will pay
you well!” and in frantic haste he clam
bered over the wheel and into the front of
the vehicle.
“What’s the trouble?” asked Farmer
Farrel in astonishment, while Jack took
up the gun.
"They want to td} and /rather me!” was
the panting reply. “See, they made a be
ginning.” and the excited individual held
his face up to view.
“Mr. Gray!” ejaculated the young ma
chinist.
He had not time to say more, for at that
instant 1 orrigan. taking advantage of
the excitement, hit Jack under the chin
with his head, and then leaped to the
ground. In doing so he fell, but picked
himself up quickly, and hopped as fast
as he could down the road.
A second later the wagon was surround
ed by the masked men, all armed and ges
ticulating wildly. #
“Give him up. Wiliington!” they yelled.
“Give up Gray, or we’ll tar and feather
the lot of you!”
I Best Cough Syrup. Tastes Good. Use I
■ in time. Sold by druggists.
Chapter XXV.—Love Your Enemies.
It was a thrilling; scene, the brawny
men, their intended victim, the would-be
rescuers, all in confusion.
One of the masked men attempted to
pull Mr. Felix Gray to the ground, but
the tool manufacturer held fast to the
front seat.
“Stop lhat!" roared farther Farrel.
"We want that man!" called out a per
son in the mob.
"No. no! Save me! save me!” cried Mr.
Gray, frantically.
“We will, not give him up.” exclaimed
Jack. "It's a shame to treat a dog; in
this fashion!”
"He threw ua o»t ef work. He won't
give us our money. He wants to starve
us and our families." called out several.
"Listen!" yelled Jack, as loud as he
could. “Some of you know me. I work
In the tool works; I haven't got my mon
ey. and need it as badly as any of you.
But I say you'll never gain anything by
acting this way. Let Mr. Gray go."
“\Ve want him and we're going to have
him." exclaimed the man at the wagon,
grimly, and he renewed his efforts to pull
the tool manufacturer from the seat.
•You shall not," replied Jack, deter
minedly. and raising the gun. he hit the
man a sharp blow upon the hand, which
made him instantly release his hold.
"Go for 'em. fellows!” the man howled
out. shaking the injured member in evi
dent pain.
The crowd began instantly to close in
upon the wagon. Mosey, in the excite
ment, tried his best to gain the ground,
but farmer Farrel had taken the precau
tion to tie the Irishman's feet fast to the
Iron foot rest, and he was unable to stir.
“We must get out of this!" exclaimed
Jack to the farmer. “Start up the horses.
Quick!”
Farmer Farrel needed no further urg
ing. Reaching over Mr. Gray's body, he
pulled up the reins and struck first one
and then the other of the horses with his
whip.
"With a bound the animals leaped for
ward. The man who had held a grip upon
the tool manufacturer's foot lost it. and
slipped under the vehicle—the hind wheel
passing over his leg.
The crowd uttered a loud cry. but were
too late to stop the sudden movement.
One of the men caught hold of the tail
board of the wagon, but a blow from the
young machinist's gun dropped him to the
ground.
On they went, farmer Farrel making
the horses do their very best.
Suddenly a pistol rang out. and Mosey
gave a cry of pain.
"Cl'm shot!" he cried, falling backward
upon Jack. "They've murdered me, so
they have!”
"Where are you hit?" asked the young
machinist, anxiously.
In the soide. Ol'm dy—in* "
Another pistol shot interrupted his
speech.
"Gittlng kinder hot." cried the farmer.
"Let me have the gun. Here, hold the
reins.” and he gave them to Jack and took
the weapon. "We'll see what a dose of
buckshot will do."
Bang!
volver.
"I’m struck!” exclaimed Mr. Gray,
villain has hit me in the shoulder!”
"Is It bad?” asked Jack, in horror.
"No. only a flesh wound, I guess," and
the tool manufacturer drew a sharp
breath. "Drive on. don’t stop!"
The command was not needed. The
team was now in full gallop, and three
minutes brought them into the heart of
the town.
“Straight home." replied Mr. Gray In re
turn to a question from Jack as to where
he should he taken. "And bring Mosey
along, the doctor can attend us both.”
This was done, and the family physician
pronounced the Irishman’s wound quite
serious.
“Yours will heal rapidly.” he said to the
tool manufacturer. "But your right arm
will never be as good as it was. That
workman may recover, but it will take
months."
The sun was just rising when Jack, af
ter a breakfast that Farmer Fan-el's wife
had compelled him to eat. took the boat
and rowed over to Blackbird Island.
Deb saw him coming and rushed out of
the cottage to meet him.
"Oh, Jack, such a time as we've had!"
she sobbed. "The doctor is here, and that
man Pooler has just died.”
“Pooler dead?" ejaculated the young
machinist, in amazement.
He entered the hack room. The doctor
and Meg were there, the girl's eyes swol
len from crying.
"Where is Mont?” he asked.
Meg pointed to the other door.
“He's In there, too,” she said, in a quiv
ering voice.
Jack entered the front chamber. Max
Pooler’s body lay on the cot, covered with
a white sheet. Beside it, on a low stool,
with his face burled in his hands, sat
Mont.
The young man’s eontenance was full of
emotion. He took the young machinist's
hand in his own. and pulled the covering
from the dead face before them.
"Listen, Jack,” he said in a low voice,
“I want to tell you an awful secret."
“Before this man died, he confessed that
he murdered my father. He was very
penitent, and he—he asked me to forgive
him.”
"And you " began Jack.
“I did forgive him. It was hard, but
"how could I" refuse a dying man?"
“You did right,” returned the young ma
chinist. "But. oh, Mont, I'm so sorry for
you! Did he tell you how it came about?"
"Yes. He used to be my father's clerk,
and avarice led him to steal. By some
means he imagined my father knew of
his doings, and was about to have him ar
rested. Half crazed by fear, he went on
board my father's yacht one night and
cast her adrift while my father was
sleeping In the state, rnnjrt. Thi
went over the falls. a.’d turned- u
we found 'her?”
"And your father?”
“Was found dead in the cabin. He said
my uncle suspected him, but as Mr. Felix
Gray was trying to rob me of my share of
the tool works property he turned the
tables, and threatened not only to expose
him. but to implicate him in the murder
as well. My uncle has been paying him
money for years to keep him quiet, but
part of this went to Mosey and Corrigan
as ‘hush money,’ so Pooler said."
"It's a strange story,” mused Jack.
“But that, isn't all," continued Mont.
“Before he died Pooler proved to me that
about one-half of his treasure .belonged
really to you.”
"To me!" ejaculated the young machin
ist. in utter astonishment.
Mont nodded.
"Yes. to you.” he said. "Pooler said
my father held It In trust for your father,
who was not a good hand at investing
money. The amounts were the proceeds
of several valuable inventions.”
“Then we are both rich," returned Jack,
with a broad smile. “I am glad of it, for
Deb’s sake!” he added, brightly.
A little later the young machinist re
lated what had happened on the road the
night before.
“And now we’ll have the whole affair
straightened out," he concluded. "I be
lieve your uncle has had all the ups and
downs he cares for, and will let you have
your own without much opposition."
“I trust so.” replied Mont. “I do not
care, as I said before, to make the thing
public, but it has gone far enough, and
both of us must have our rights."
"And then I must get the fire and the
model matters squared up and go to work
on a bigger scale.” added Jack. “I declare
I've had adventures enough in the past
four days to last me a lifetime!"
Five months have passed since the
above words were spoken. Mont is now
the sole owner of the Comey Tool Works,
and the Mechanics' Savings bank is once
again a flourishing Institution. Mr. Felix
Gray has relinquished all rights to’both,
and is content to pass the remain^r-et^,.
his days in helping his nephew along the
road to fortune.
Mosey recovered, and is now a steady
workman. He has signed the pledge, and
intends to stick to it. Corrigan was never
heard from after his jump from the wag
on. and no one has ever taken the trouble
to find out what became of him.
Jack is now superintendent at the tool
works, and besides his salary draws a
handsome. royalty from his father's and
his own inventions. Through Mr. Benton
—who was profuse in his offers of help
when he iearned the true state of affairs—
the patent planer was sold for four thous
and dollars, of which half came to the
young machinist.
‘ Deb—Jack's best girl—is now Mrs. Mon-
teray Gray, and though she lives in one of
the finest mansions of the town, is still
the true and faithful little housekeeper
she always was. Meg. upon whom Mont
has settled a neat sum. lives with her and
Miss Parks is a frequent and welcome vis
itor at the place.
A few weeks ago. while visiting at Cor-
ney. I met Deb driving out to Farmer
Farrel's place, and asked her how her
brother was getting on.
"Jack? Why, I declare you'd hardly
know him. he's so awfully tall! And he's
got a heard all over his lace. Business is
splendid, hut then Jack always said that
any one who did right, and stuck to his
work, would get along!"
And Deb is right.
(The End.
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References— The Capital National Bank,
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Orders for goods West of the Missouri river
most call for twenty-four bottles or more, by
freight prepaid by us.
Seed for beautifully lllestrated beeklet, free.
THE SOUDAN.
How Missionaries Have Been Shut
Out of That Territory.
From the Chicago Tribune.
General Lord Kitchener’s order closing
the Soudan to all missionaries came in the
nature of a surprise to those not familiar
with the policy by which England has
built up its great colonial empire. As
virtual dictator of the vast province wrest
ed from barbarism by the valor of Eng
lish arms, the Sirdar shows himself equal
to his still greater task of permanent con
quest through the agencies of civilization
by an order whose wisdom, upon mature
reflection, must be apparent even to
Exeter hall.
The policy which lies back of the Sir
dar’s excluding order is the outgrowth of
practical experience in India and Egypt.
England admittedly is the greatest col
onizing power In the world today, and Its
success in this respect among Oriental
peoples and civilizations is one of the
marvels of history. Beginning with its
first great failure in the loss of its Ameri
can colonies and the mistaken policy
which culminated in the Indian mutiny
and nearly lost it its Asiatic dominions,
England has been more than a century
learning its colonial lesson, but the peace
and stability of the British empire show
that at last It has been well learned.
This success in India. Egypt, and even
in Canada may be said largely to consist
in the tolerance and external respect, at
least, it has shown for the religious be
liefs and observances of the peoples it
governs. So it happens that Queen Vic
toria today reigns over more Mohamme
dan subjects than the sultan himself, and
that the followers of Buddha are as free
In their religious rites and observances as
the non-conformists or Established
Church men of England itself.
The extent to which this wise principle
of religious tolerance has prevailed in In
dia and Egypt has not been fully under
stood, except by those who have lived for
some time in the Orient. English soldiers,
in fact, went farther in this direction
than would have been easy or convenient
to explain before the brilliant victory of
Ozndurxnan made General Kitchener the
hero of England, whose requests and
edicts, whether for a college at Khartum
or barring missionaries from the Soudan,
are accepted as a matter of course. Eng
lish soldiers and rulers in India and Egypt
were the first to see that conciliation of
fanatical and religious prejudices afford
ed the best safeguard against continual
disturbances and rebellions, and General
Kitchener is simply beginning where his
predecessors as empire-builders arrived
only after costly experience.
The Soudon is inhabited by the most
fanatical of all Moslem peoples, whom it
is all-important its -new ruler should con
ciliate as rapidly and completely as possi
ble. To do this it is necessary, first of all,
to convince the dervishes and native
tribes that they will be left in the free
and undisturbed exercise of their religious
rites and faith. The changing of the ways
of thoughts and religious beliefs of a half-
civilized people is not a matter of a few
months or even years. It must be done,
if at all, by indirect and gradual processes
at the first. The printing press, the rail
road, the telegraph, schools and colleges,
and other secular agencies must
brought to bear before the last and most
difficult achievement of all—that of con
quering religious prejudices and errors—
can be attempted with prospects of suc
cess.
This is evidently the policy of the Sirdar
in the Soudan, as shown by the novel en
terprise of a college at Khartum and by
his order respecting missionaries. After
English authority and control are fully
established and the fanatical dervishes
understand their religion is to be respect
ed and protected by law it will then be as
safe to permit missionary work in the
Soudan as in India. But at present the
order of Lord Kitchener is eminently wise
and statesmanlike, and may be reflected
upon with profit by American churches
already preparing and eager to enter upon
missionary work in the Philippines.
ICDREFITS
When I say I cure I do not mean merely to
stop them for a time and then have them re
turn again. I mean a radical cure. I have made
the disease of FITS, EPILEPSY or FALLING
SICKNESS a life-long study. I warrant my
remedy to cure the worst cases. Because
others have failed is no reason for not now
receiving a cure. Send at once for a treatise
and a Free Bottle of my infallible remedy.
Give Express and Post Office.
Prot W.H.PEEKE, F.D., 4CedarSt v N.Y.
A Sad Trntli.
From the Chicago Post.
“In the spring a young man’s fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of love,” he
said.
She sighed and shook her head.
“That’s the trouble,” she replied. “They
turn lightly instead of seriously.”
For she was a girl who had been
through several spring engagements.
IH0BSTI1IESJLWIB TUBE
Some of the Hardships to Which Southern Women
Were Subjected—Everything Home Made, but
They Were Cheerful in the Love Work.
ANNISTON’S NEW MILL
Aninston, Ala., has secured a $25,000 oil
mill. The site has been selected and the
survey commenced. The buildings will be
erected and the pl^nt in operation by next
fall. The proprietors of this enterprise
are Messrs. Pinkard, of Opelika, Ala., and
Vernon, of Atlanta.
women ot'the 4outh have never been
awarded their just meed of praise for the
part they bore and the aid they rendered
the young and struggling Confederacy in
its fight for free institutions.
I wonder what one of our “fin de siecle”
young ladies of the present day will think
when I say that I have seen “The Girl I
Left Behind Me” adorned In all things,
from top to toe. in the manufactures of
the home, the work of her own fair
hands and that of her mother, sisters and
with the aid, perhaps, of her old “black
mammy” and of the plantation shoe
maker, and withal looking just as lovable
and fair and pleasing to the eye as the
modern belle of Fifth avenue, or of any
other avenue, as to that. Aye! more so.
For to the true southern man of those
times there was nothing in this world
that looked half so sweet, so lovable, so
fair and pure as one of the maids or ma
trons of his own loved sunny southland
arrayed in the results of the skill of her
own handiwork.
It may be that “Distance lends enchant
ment to the view.” but it seems to me
that the most lovable and sweetest sight
that ever blest these old eyes was one of
these same southern maids in her
“homespun.” It may be for the same
reason, or it may be that as we grow* old
we are apt to look back with a less criti
cal eye and dwell upon the pleasing feat
ures of our experiences, but whatever
may be the solution, certain it is that I
remember *the women of the south dur
ing the war times as looking more lov
able, more adorable, sweeter, purer, more
entitled to and more worthy of the whole
and sole love and devotion of man than
any of the sex it has been my fortune,
good or bad, to encounter since.
The wives, the mothers, the sisters and
the sweethearts of the soldiers of the
Confederacy have never been awarded
their just measure of praise for the part
they took and bore in our struggle. They
not only fed and clothed to a great degree
our boys in the field, but bless their dear
hearts they never forgot for a minute
their duty and privilege of looking sweet
and pretty all the time. Some of the
straits that they were reduced to to ac
complish this last were unique, not to
say pitiable, but they met the necessity,
they arose to the occasion, they filled the
breach somehow or somehow else, and
came off conquerors every time.
It will be the object of this article to
tell the present generation how this was
accomplished in some instances, and to
detail the “modus operand!” of the do
mestic manufacture of our southern wo
men during the war in some few particu
lars.
Before the third year of the struggle
had fully past it became almost an utter
impossibility for the dear creatures to ob
tain. for “love or money.” a single yard
of calico or other like fabric, much less
any silk or satin, with which aforetimes
they had been accustomed to adorn their
loveliness. The good women of our land
had expected such a condition, and. with
their accustomed forethought, had pre
pared to meet it.
So the old-time spinning wheels and
“jennies” were ressurected. the abandon
ed looms or the early days brought forth,
remodeled or built anew, and all over
the land were heard the sleep-inducing
hum of the wheel and the thump, thump
of the loom beam, accompanied by soft
melody of an “Aunt ’Mandy” or a “Black
Mammy.” making yard after yard of
Confederate gray for father and son. hus
band and lover in the field fighting the
country’s battles, or the finer “home-
spun” for the adornment of more tender
forms. « Many a gallant boy slept the
more comfortably on the snows of Vir
ginia wrapped in the blanket that mother
and sister had made at home, and he
fought the battles of his country more
cheerfully and braver because of the
knowledge that his perhaps now almost
threadbare suit of gray Jeans was the
handiwork of the same dear hands, with
the assistance of, mayhap, “a nearer and
-i
a dearer one.” It ’Was almost like “moth
er and sister” were ever present encour
aging him to do his duty well. No won
der the men of the south fought so well,
when almost every soldier felt that he
same underwear required especial care
and manipulations, for the true southern
woman, girl or matured matron bestowred
unusual care always upon this part of her
attire.
In the whole south there was not a sin
gle button manufactory when the war
broke out, and within a short while after
the commencement of hostilities, with all
our ports closed by blockade, the lack of
these useful articles was heavily felt by
our womankind, indeed. Many were the
makeshifts that they had to resort to to
supply this deficit. Cloth-covered buttons
became the fashion everywhere, and
round bits of wood whittled into shape
by the little brother’s shop-made knife,
covered with small pieces of “Papa’s blue
broadcloth, claw-hammer coat,” made
quite & presentable appearance on the
neatly-fashioned and nicely made dress.
Bits of the shell of the gourd, whose
brother was the water dipper, together
with various other like articles, furnished
plenty and effective buttons where the
men’s and boy’s garments were concern
ed, but when it came to their own best
dresses, something more showy and neat-
this shrub, which made .a brilliant black,
unattainable by any other material, and
furnished in combinations many other
shades.
With their spinning wheels, their looms
and their dyes they made all the clothes
the dear souls wore during the latter
years of the war. As well for their
“every day” attire as for their “Sunday-
go-to-meetlng” clothes, too, and bless
you, while some of it was “fearfully and
wonderfully made” and some like Jo
seph’s coat, “of many colors,” and some
even like the cattle that old Jacob tricked
his father-in-law, Laban, out of, “ring-
streaked and striped,” yet it served its
purpose well, and the dear creatures
looked just as lovely and as lovable as
any of these days.
With these native dye-stuffs and the
home-raised indigo they constructed,
built, manufactured or contrived Just as
beautiful costumes as the modern modiste
out of silks and satins. For their under
wear the same homespun, made of the
very finest quality of sea island cotton
and bleached to a snowy whiteness, and
the recarded linen remnants of towels
and tablecloths of better times, trimmed
with “tatting,” the fruit of their own
slender and nimble fingers around the
fireside, after the evening meal, as they
indulged in their innocent gossip of the
happenings of the imme<4jate neighbor
hood or thought and talked of the absent
ones on the distant field of duty. These
was thus, in a manner, accompanied by
his loved ones upon the field of battle it
self.
From the wool of the home flock of
sheep the materials were primarily ob
tained from which these articles of cloth
ing and covering were made, and little
else save the spinning and wearing was
required to convert the raw material into
the finished article, fpr the proper ad
mixture of the natural white and black
wool would give the gray of the clothing
and the stripes of the blankets.
But when it came to the adornment of
their own frailer and more delicate selves
it necessitated finer texture and more di
versity of coloring. There were no “Dia
mond Dies” in those days, and the re
sources of the three kingdoms were taxed
to the utmost to supply our good women
of “war-times” with dye-stuffs. Copperas
and alum were the “stand-bys” of the
minerals, while the white, the red and
the water oak. together with sumach,
the dog wood, the gallberry. the ash and
many another tree and shrub or the veg
etables were made to yield their hidden
treasures of coloring to our women when
on a dyeing expedition, and the animal
kingdom did not escape, for burned bone
was used in some of their manipulations.
In order to procure these it sometimes
cost our dear creatures considerable trou
ble. The women of my home county used
to make Journeys across two counties to
get the gallberry, especially the berries of
er was required. Vari-coiored threads of
wool yarn were gathered Into a round
ball and trimmed Into proper shape, and
while not very effective in themselves,
yet by the aid of the hidden hook and eye
or the concealed pin did effective service
in “make-believe.”
Their hats were made mostly from the
native palmetto, commonly called “per-
meter,” and when bleached over the sul
phur barrel, or by duys of exposure In
the Sunshine and platted into long strips,
after the manner known to initiated of the
day, made real beautiful and comfortable
head-gear for either man or woman. I
saw one of these palmetto hats made by
a young lady of Dayton, Ala., Miss Mary
Tucker, for a present to Governor John
Gil Shorter, of that state, which I think
was as pretty and neat a hat as I ever
saw before or since. This same palmetto
furnished the materials for their own
hats also, together with pine, oat and
wheat straw, cotton batting and many
other substances not remembered now
were made into very “loves of bonnets”
and hats by the southern women.
Bless their souls, the dear women of
the time drank their “okra coffee.” wore
their home-spun, worked and prayed for
the loved ones in the field, and amid all
their trials and troubles, never for an in
stant forgot their supreme duty of look
ing sweet and lovely amid it all.
Many and strange were the make-shifts
and devices to which they resorted to sup
ply their wants and fill the deficiencies. *
They made “coffee” of parched okra,
corn, rye and potatoes, buttons out of
anything almost, hats out of pine, oat and
wheat straw and palmetto, dug up the
ground in their smoke-houses and dripped
in their ash-hoppers and evaporated the
resulting lye to make their salt, and with
it all they kept their corn cribs and
smoke-houses full to overflowing. Not
only did they raise ample sufficiencies for
their home consumption, but they fed and
clothed to a great degree our boys in the
field, and always had plenty on hand to
satisfy the demands of the “tax-in-kind”
collector when he called for the govern
ment’s pro rata.
The women of the south during the
war! They have never received the praise
they are entitled to. Many a tenderly
nurtured and gently shielded woman of
the southland cheerfully went to unac
customed labor and uncomplainingly met
the necessity that a husband or a son or
a father or a brother might join the ranks
of his country’s defenders, and worked
and pinched and saved and suffered and
prayed in silence.
And they were brave, too, for I have
been living with one of them for now near
on to a quarter of a century, and al
though she was but a small “rebel girl”
in the war time, yet she has made me
step around quicker ever since than a
dozen “blue cotvts” c*>uid. or ever did.
All praise to the noble women of the
south during the war. No wonder our
soldiers in the field fought as never men
fought before or since, for they felt they
had left such women behind to fight for.
If our boys gained glorious victories at
the front, our women fought and con
quered equally as great by the fireside
and at home.
When I hear some of the croakers of to
day complaining about hard times and
not being able to get along, and all such
rot, I want to go out and kick myself real
good for being a man. and I tell them
they ought to Just think of what our wo
men accomplished during the war and be
ashamed and then go and hire a mule to
kick them well (for I don’t feel that I am
able to do the occasion justice), and then
go to work.
NICODEMUS FLEMING.
FORT PAYNE’S REVIVAL
A Strong Syndicate Has Secured
the Property and Wheels
Turn Again.
The industries of Fort Payne. Ala.,
which for years have remained idle, have
changed hands and the city presents the
prospects of extraordinary developments.
The old Bay State furnace has been ac
quired by the Republic Iron and Steel
company, which has also obtained control
of the rolling mills in the Birmingham
district.
The Fort Payne furnace has been
bought by E. X. Oullom, of Birmingham,
representing Boston parties, and will be
put in blast. The new flour mill is oper
ating very successfully, turning out 75
barrels per day from wheat furnished by
neighboring farmers.
Recently there was organized the Man
ufacturers’ and Settlers’ Aid society and
Mr. L. Scott Allen, of Boston, who was
former Boston advertising agent for the
Southern railway*, has been made secre
tary. He has moved to Fort Payne and
will take charge of the new organization's
affairs. A large syndicate is interested
in the development of this section, having
bought several hundred town lots and a
large acreage surrounding the city as well
as stores in the city.
Among the gentlemen interested in this
company are Former Senator M. C. But
ler, of South Carolina; Former Congress
man H. W. Howard, of Alabama; Gen
eral Charles M. Shelley, former third au
ditor under President Cleveland. There *
are also eastern and northern gsntlemen
interested, who are represented by the
gentlemen above named.
Books of subscription for the Sand
Mountain railroad will be opened on May
22. Those behind this road, which will
open up territory contiguous to Fort
Payne, are very enthusiastic in their pros
pectus and believe they will put the road
through.
D
R. DIX’S
Celebrated Female Pow
ders never fail, lo.ow La
dies declare them safe and
sure [after failing with Tansy and Penny-
rojal Pills.] Particulars 4 cents.
Dr. S. T. Egan. Revere. Boston. Mass
STOPPED FREE
ParaaKstlyCane
tesaatt; Prerente* De
DR. KLINE’S GREAT
SERVE RESTORER
ftusm. Mm, jpbpr*
>»HmrSinwny
Treaties and $i trial bettia
they psylacsiprras cb*r£»*«»V
D d to Pr Kline, Ltd. Believe*
931 Arch S*— Philadelphia, flu
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aai|CT UA1/C ACEST8 AT OSCE
IVI U w HAY £ to sell Saab 1.oc2cm
and Dear Holders. Sample Sash Lock free for two-
cent stamp. Immense .better than weights; burglar
proof. 810 a day. write quick. Address
BKOllAKD A CO., Dept. ?. Philadelphia, Pa.
$
instinct mm