Newspaper Page Text
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EDITORIAL PAGE
THE SUNNY SOUTH
DECEMBER 22, 1906
U/ye SUNNY SOUTH
Published Weekly by
Sunny South Publifhing Co
Busine/s Office
THE CONSTITUTION BUILDING
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
i iIpJm
I®
I conquest—if peace and contentment and happiness,
do not sit at the heart's gates? . i
j What avails the smoking, steaming plenty at our
I own tables—if crfi the outside the children of the
I poor shiver in the cold, and look with dim eyes on
the joy of other people? #
Do' you not see why you should live,in the next j
few days, in. Chris'* las-land ? Why you should lay I
aside self-indulgence, and sharp criticism and lack J
of charitv—and just take the world as you find it? | tic Keal j n the yard. He had been won.
I Look at the mirth ot the child, as lie seampt rs . j )a y attention, just then tiio
| across the cold floor of Christmas morning, and j young enamored edged u.p closer.
Entered at the yostofflee Aflnnra, Ga^Maecond-class mail matter drags dowll^ the lieavil y-wcighted stocking to ex- | half ghd .^‘y’ will haveto penalize 1 you
Warned.
(’From Puck.)
-the two—were sitting on the rus-
niarch iii, 11101
* j
The Sunny South is the oldest weekly paper of Literature, i
Romance, Fadt and Fiction in the South It is now re* j
Stored to the original shape and will he published as for• I
merly every week Founded in IS74 It grew until 1899, I
when, as a monthly, its form was changed as an experl* j
ment It now returns to its original formation as a •
weekly with renewed vigor and the intention of eclips• '
ing its most promising period in the past•
In Christmas Land
FEW DAYS—and we will all be in
Christmas-land. It is not a far-off
country with a separate sun and
solar system. We need not go
down to the sea in great ships to
reach its generous confines. Xol
trans-continental train stands, with
impatient puffing engine, to whirl
us away over hill and vallex and
broad .prairie, and finally land us
dusty and begrimed under strange
skies and a new flag. Christmas-
land is—just the whole world, at
tins season, of ihc year. Laws,
' es, it has a code of its own. But the code docs
not repose, volume upon volume, in some dim
library, where scamper rats and beetles and where
plods the weary student, trying to find a meaning
out of the confusing mass of statutes and contra
dictory pronunciamcntos. It has just one law. has
Christmas-land. And that is—love. Under its
single heading, there arc grouped divisions innu
merable. But. one by one, they surely find a com
mon meeting place and merge into that force!
which, with gentle rule, governs the world!
of today and yesterday and tomorrow—j
all one under the eves of that Father in whose'
sight Time is but a name and Eternity a mvstcrv I
past the penetration of human ken. If a man love.j--a
if a woman love, neither one will offend, i i, through
impulse, through misjudgment, through human
weakness, they do offend—love is there to repan
ilic damage done, to heal the hurt, to hide the
wound with roses and to scatter bergamot.
Thai is the law of love, the law of Cod. the law
of Christmas-land. Except that
Christmas-land is all about us. T
to north, th
plore its bulging recessed.
Did you ever see a more perfect picture of happi
ness, of innocent satisfaction reaching its highest
development ?
And what made it possible?
The love of someone else.
! The love that looked ahead, and denied itself,
! perhaps, and. made preparation lor the pleasure of
i others.
1 That is the chief lesson of Christmas, and the
main law which governs in the holly-girdled pre
cincts of Christmas-land.
Love for others. Forgetfulness of self. Ignoring,
for a little while only perhaps, the sordid cares and
ambitions that sit too heavily upon us, and that
are often not worthy the attention we give them.
Invade Christmas-land today and tomorrow and
as long as the blithe spirit of the holidays reign
with a care-free supremacy. Swear allegiance to
the yulelog. and Kris Kringle and—the Christ—and
catch the true spirit of each in their varying mirth
and their sweet lasting- reverence.
JI 'Belated Divorcee
ELL, the divorce evil has reached a
climax. W e were under the im
pression- that it had wreaked about
as much mischief as fell within its
possibilities and that, henceforth,
the pendulum must swing back to
ward a wholesome reform. But our
hearts are assailed with a grim
foreboding and our optimism dealt
a blow in the solar plexus bv a story
that is going the rounds of the press.
It is to the effect that a ladv some
what past the tender age of to;,
years has applied for—and obtained
Let the thought seep gradual!v into
•our mind and play ping pong with vour peaceful
'.low ol thought and your niekle plated ideals, it
‘ltd with ours. Yow, if the lady in question had
been twent} or thirty <>r fortv—in our exuberant
generosity, we would even have conceded her half
a century—we would not have been so cverlasting-
at this season. My kflummixed had she waltzed blithclv into the
the cast, to the Moil! where separations are granted while vou wait
] three feet for holding
Gulf.
(From Exchange.)
“They are distant relatives.”
“Indeed! Ahotit how distant?”
“According to Bradstreet’-s latest, they
are about ten million dollars removed.”
The Origjjial Politician.
(From Exchange.)
“Who was -the original politician?”
a-sks aeorrespondent. Why, old man
■Noah. He. controlled the floating vote.
Taking- His Pleasure Sadly.
(From London Paper.)
From an advt.—
“If you shoot yourself and have not
used 's Ammunition you have missed
one of the pleasures of life.”
A British “Jungle? 1 '
(From Punch.)
Chicago must look to its laurels. The
Strand Magazine publishes the following
advertisement of a maker of pickles:
“During the year 1905, 126,000 visitors
passed through our plant.”
In Trade.
(From The Cleveland Leader.)
Mr. Hans—Doc. I ain'd got much money.
Vill you dako my hill oat in tirade?
Dr. Gans—Why, I might. What's your
business!
“I'm del- leader off her liddle Gherman
band. Ve'll play in front off your house
effry efening.”
Measure for Measure.
(F-rom London TitTBils.)
“And the name is to be—' asked the
suave minister as he approached the font
with the precious armful of fat and
flounces.
“Augustus Philip Ferdinand Codrinton
Chesterfield Livingston Snooks.”
“Dear, me!” Turning to the sexton: “A
little more water, Mr. Perkins, if you
please.” *
Mech?.nic?.l.
(From The San Francisco Call.)
“That's my best work." said the .poet,
after reading the verses to Critiek. “I'm
flunking of having it copyrighted.”
"Copyright?” said Crittiek. "If I wore
oil"I'd have it patented.”
The Bells of the Christmas
i.
These are the Bells of the Chritsmas—
They are ringing the wide world along;
From many a steeple
They call to the people
In rhythmical echoes of song
Over the cities and sunshiny jdells
The musical notes of the Bells—of the Bells.
II.
These are the Bells of the Christmas—
They ring o’er the wearisome ways;
They are ringing of love
From Faith’s Heaven above—
Of joy for the incoming days.
Over cities and dreams of the dells
The musical notes of the Bells—of the Bells.
ITT.
These are the Bells of the Christmas—
May they sing to the sorrowing breast;
May they claim all the strife—
Mav they sing of a life
In beautiful gardens of rest.
Over the cities and sunshiny dells
May we drift to sweet dreams with the Bells-
with the Bells.
—By FRANK L. STANTON.
Chrisfmas in the South
Yesterday and Today - &
By GERTRUDE ASKEA.
Written for Tlie SUNNY SOUTH.
- - p and down the negro
The Waiter.
(From The Washington Star.)
Of a political transaction that had a
suspicious look. Senator Beveridge said
one day:
west. to north, the south—in tho mansion with iisUold her woes, “knocked” her ‘"oid man" to her' " Tho ."f h in 'be thing there is nothing
. , . , . I, r w ion which wc can lav our hand, it certain-
mam twinkling lights, and the' cottage with > content, «i n c 1 I lopped oitt «i 111 with a dc-jiy appeal**? fishy, fi reminds me of a
steady-beaming ravs, Christmas-land stretches its! erc.e in her hands Washington waiter.
t ^ • * _ , ” | * , ii,- 4 . , - j “A gentleman, after eating- a good din-
Dcnign government. l>iit that a woman, presumable a great-great*
Within the personality of Christ—the greatest grandmother, crowned with grav hairs, so feeble
gift in the history of the sad, glad ages—love) that she had to be assisted into ihc courthouse. I
[should find it necessary to recite her marital in-
jjuries. ;tnd demand restitution from a gaping jury
—the thought gets out an injunction against our
[appetite for Christmas turkey, and makes the glad-
■■ags of our best girl look like the bespattered apron
which covered the cook of the four hundred and
fifty-filth wife of the renowned King Solomon.
\\ hat s to become of- our reverence for age. If
jage is so frisky as this?
Must wc revise our traditions which picture the
-cached its climax. 11is was the love that knew all,
that understood all. That could reach down and
quiet the child, crying vaguely for what it knew
not. ! hat could enter ilic- heart of the embittered
man or woman, sorrowed bv loss, hardened bv
pQverly. calloused by wrong—and work therein a
transformation only possible to the \ll-Knowing
Lower that set the stars in their places and that
transcend human understanding at its most
sublime heights.
* In Christmas-land there is—there should be, I lady past the eightieth year as sitting bv the tire-
ratlier—no sorrow, or stinginess or suspicion or [side, toothless jaws wagging, wrinkled” hand ex
shadow of sin. The sun that shines from its bright pended in maternal blessings on the head of everv-
blue heavens, is the sun of the Christian religion. ; body in general and nobody in particular
i hat fact does not moan that it shanld not shine [ \\ ltilc in its place wo see an alimonv-huntin 0 -
over Hebrew, and Mohammedan and Pagan and j dame, striving In put salt on the tail of a fast-van-
Buddhist. as well. hslting matrimonial alliance, exposing the injuries
For what more desirable than at one time in the clone her pulsing young heart to a hardened mob of
year the world, without regard to the boundaries of; court room spectators and giving a slv wink to the
creed or country, should lay aside its pursuit of j beau of 150 years of age. who sits in the far corner
selfish interests and join in a celebration the end j ogling sympatln from his spectacled optics?
and aim of which is the happiness of other people? 1 Down with divorce, if it has reached this degen-
AX hat avails wealth, or ambition, or bcautv or crate stage!
Leaves from 1 an Old $crap Book
By A GEORGIA COLONEL.
{ FIND nothing move interesting' in tile
ol.l war scrapbook than an account
of the siege and l'all of Vicvksburg
in July, 1853. T reproduce the clipping
in full:
THE SIEGE AND FALL OF VICKS
BURG.
"The southern papers publish some ac
counts (die first front southern sources)
received from -■onfeiiorat-- officers who
But
help I
j a besom of destruction.
(.uuld reacli them.
“To add to the horrors of die siege
some of die enemy's gunners took spe
cial pains to level their pieces at the
buildings which were marked by yellow
flags as hospitals. The shells, indeed,
spared no house in the devoted city.
.Mon on their knees at public workshop
were killed lty diem, the sick w< re
killed on their beds, and many
who lay down a . night to sleep, undis
turbed. slept die sleep that knows no
were paroled at Vieksbm-g of the suf- ' waking. I tie women and children, who
feeing there before the surrender. The j Persists in remaining in the <'ity dm-
! mg t.u* siege, :u ted m a m-roi-* man-
Atlanta Intelligencer publishes a highly nPV01 . disturbing die officers with
interesting narrative from Colonel Wat- ! their fears and alarms, but shared in
kins, who participated in the defense i die hardships and dangers of lie gar
rison. A kind Providence, however,
threw his broad aegis over them, and
scarcely one of them perished.
“One night the colonel was wakened
out of sleep bv the sound of a coming
Pemberton’s army commenced entering [ shell which, in his excited condition,
1 icksburg, until the 4th day ot July, I j ie imagined was going to fall on him.
when die place was surrendered, an in-j He quickly hobbled out of bis tent, in
of the city, from which we make some,
extracts:
“Night and day for forty-eight days, j
counting from the I7di of May. when
cessant bombardment was Jtept up by the !
enemy, both from die gunboats in the
river and die land batteries which Grant
had planted in the rear. On several oc
casions die colonel counted die number
of shells tiiat fell in die space of five
minutes, and there were 65, or 13 a min-
uate, constantly falling into the city from
the 300 cannons that was pointed against 1
it. During the whole of these forty- ,
eight days die men remained in the
ditches with no other shelter from die
rain or the fierce rays of die sun, witli
the thermometer ranging at from 90 to'
100, but such as a blanket afforded, and
living the whole time on one-fourth ra
tions, or four ounces each of bacon, pea
meal and rice. The severity of hunger
led to the issue of the flesh of die mules
ills wounded condition, and saw
about 50 feet over him a large 200
pound shell, whicli fell some 10 feet I
into the ground, tearing out a hole in ;
which a wagon Tiiglit he buried, and j
shaking the earth for a considerable dis-I
tanee around. As a general thing, how-1
ever, the bursting of shells in the city j
did not in'terefere wid.i ordinary busi- j
ness, and but little attrition was paid j
to them.
Before die capitulation the miners and I
sappers of ihc enemy and
own army had got within 10 paces of
each other.and whilst they were working
under ground the picks of each could be
heard by die other, each striving to get
his mine in readiness before die other.
The colonel says that when die enemy-
sprung his mine, which produced such
whicli had been left in the city, the most disaster, in two hours more ours would
of the mules and horses having been have been sprung to die great detri-
driven out in order that the provisions
of the garrison might last the longer.
The men during this long period_ of suf
fering and anxiety, were not without
https trt renef, but me nope was of that
Ena srnicn being long deferred “mak-
rth r.ie heart sick. " They well knew
the importance of the place they were
garrisoning and defending and rumors
would often arise which their own ex
erted imaginations greatly magnified,
tiiat Johnston had an'army of 100.000
men, tiiat. Longstreet was in tiiat army,
•occupying the center of it. as is the cus
tom of tiiat distinguished general, and
even at times it would be imagined that
the reports of friendly cannon were
beard, and that. Grant and his whole
army would soon be swept away as with
c-ers in Grant’s army. From those ne
learned that the ditching and mining ol
the enemy had been performer- exclu
sively by negroes, there being as ltjany
as 5,000 in tiiat army. General McPher
son. tli« general who superintended *-*e
departure of our men from tne city, was
w iling 'that all tile negroes who chose
might accompany their masters. It was
nothiftg but right, he said, that freemen,
as he contended they were, should make
their own selection to go from or re
main in tlie city; but in this determina
tion lie was overruled, and only the ser
vants of the officers were allowed to go
out if they chose. Colonel Watkin's ne
gro man was offered every inducement
by tiie Yankees to remain with them.
Finally, on being promised, if lie would
remain, a plantation on tlie Mississippi,
after the war was over, should be given
him. lie replied, as any other negro would
have done, “Of what use would a planta
tion here be to me without negroes to
work it-V So he accompanied his mas-
P ass | ter out of the city.
“With another negro in the employ ot
the yankees the colonel conversed, and
learned tiiat. although he was in that
service, his heart was not in it. He
complained bitterly of tlie heartlessness
of tlie yankees towards himself and his
family, and expressed his determination
to run away from them on the first op
portunity that presented.
“Colonel Watkins, in these conversa-
hose of ourj tions, had an opportunity of learning tlie
falsity of a report tiiat lias been circu
lated to tlie effect tiiat Grant had sent
in a flag of truce to bury tlie dead ot
the federal army tiiat fell in tlie first as
saults on the city. The flag of truce was
sent out first by General Pemberton, who
offered the previlege td the enemy ol
■burying his dead.
"Wo came near overlooking a fact that
the colonel corroborates by his testimony
—that the men, much as they had suf
fered. were opposed to the surrender ot
Vicksburg, in many cases denouncing it,
or else complaining 'bitterly of it.”
LONGSTREET’S ARMY.
I find tlie following clipping in the old
which was taken from The
Courier and was part of a
letter written on December 11.1863. from
have been sprung
meat of tlie enemy.
“On tlie 3d of July, General Pember
ton determined to hold out no longer.
The food was nearly exhausted, and the
soldiers Had become worn out from ex
cessive fatigue. To cut their way out
was impossible. No help was at hand.
He therefore resolved to obtain me best
terms in a capitulation, and accordingly j scrapbook
sent a flag of truce for tiiat purpose, it j n, ar i e .ston
is not necessary to publish the honorable
terms which' General Pemberton oh- - near Hogersviile, Ten.:
tamed from the onemj-. J hey orm one om> to calI lhe at _
ol tlie relieving: features ol tins other- ; . , ^ .
wise wholly lamentable affair. These; tention or our people at home. There
terms being arranged, the men stacked l a ' -e at Utis moment from three thou-
their arms on the 4th. i sa ud to thirty-five hundred barefooted
“Colonel Watkins had an' opportunity i men in this army. Some of them are offi-
after the yankees reached the city ot I ■*
conversing freely witli tlie federal otu- ’ Continued on Fourth Page.
said to this waiter:
“ 1 am sorry 1 can't give you a tip,
but 1 find I have only just enough money
to pay ihe bill.’
“Tlie waiter seized tlie bill hurriedly.
" 'Just let me add it up again, sir,’ lie
muttered.”
Needed It Badly.
/ j From Life.)
Spirit—Is tills heaven?
St. Peter—Yes.
“1 was afraid of it. Goodby.”
“Why—aren't you coming in?”
"No. thanks. During my life T played
;he harp on an excursion steamer, ami I
want a rest."
Caution.
(From Exchange.)
“Sister Henderson," said Deacon Hy
pers, "you should avoid even the appear
ance of evil.”
“Why, Deacon, what do you mean?”
asked Sister Henderson.
“I observe, tiiat on your Sideboard you
have several cut-glass decanters, and
that each of them is half filled with what
appears to be ardent spirits.”
“Well, now, Deacon, it isn’t anything
of the kind. The bottles look so pretty
on the sideboard that 1 just filled them
half way with some floor stain and fur-
! niture polish, just for appearances. -
“That’s why I am cautioning you, sis
ter.” replied tlie deacon. “Feeling a
trifle wpak and faint, I helped myself to
a dose from the big bottle in the mid
dle.”
And So It Goes.
(From Comic Paper.)
First Automobilist—What was tiiat place
we just passed through?
Second Automobilist—Rhode Island.
A Slight Hitch.
(From Life.)
Stranger—Sir, do you remember giving
a poor, friendless tramp 50 cents one cold
night last winter?
Jones—T do!
“Sir. I am tiiat tramp; that 50 cents
was tlie turning point in my career; with
it r got a shave, a Shine, a meal and a
job. I saved my money, went to Alaska,
made a- million dollars and last week I
came back to New York to share my
millions with you. But. unfortunately,
I struck Wall street before I struck you—
and—have you another 50 cents that you
could conveniently spare, sir?”
•\Vigg—The last I saw -Toungpop was
talking yon to death about his baby.
■How did you get rid of him? Wagg—
Git. some fellow came along who had
just bought an automobile, so I intro
duced them, and made my escape.—Phil
adelphia Record.
r ‘Is Muffler getting a pretty fair salt
ary?” “Oh, t yes; enough to keep body
and soul and automobile together."—
Life,
Caslteton—About how much does it cost
to run .a steam yacht? Highblower—If
it makes any difference to you. yon can f
afford it.”—Judge.
Mr. Widwer (introducing the second
Mrs. W.)—Come, children, and kiss your
new, mama. Elsie—My gracious! if you
took her for “new” they Stuck you, pa.—
Philadelphia Press.
Ethel—Bob asked Edith to marry him
and go to New Zealand. Jack—Not a
bad idea; Bob intends to stay in Eng
land, I presume.—Illustrated Bits.
"A New York magistrate sentenced his
cook to jail for ten days.” “He deserves
to rank with tiiat stern # old Roman fa
ther who sentenced his own son to
death'.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
“Pop!” "Yes, my son.” “What is a
grass widow?” “A grass widow, my son.
is. one who makes hay while the sun
shines.”—Yonkers Statesman.
Mrs. Jenner Lee Ondego—Have you ever
tried to <si g\ h friendly relations with!
those pale, overworked salesladies in t”e j
big stores? Mrs. Seldom-Holme—Ob. yes;
especially tlie givis at the bargain count
ers. I’ve tried to get close to them many
and many a time, but tlie crush is al
ways too great for a little woman like
me.—Chicago Tribune.
| themselves, although the slrangei %\us
given a cordial welcome, and made 11
; feel at home. The pleasures were sint-
) t ]e but more enjoyed than if character
down tne negro | .' ze j ])y the )l£lIvl work that home people
quarters goes tne glad i ; 11in!, necessary to have a good time,
cry tiiat tomorrow will . \\> may say that this old south fos-
l_>e Christmae. The pick- tered indolence, and was marked b\ a
annies with each little i .‘lowness that never counts for much m
pig-tail s.Pktng straight : money-making, bur we should remeuibct
out from the round, black j fhat U ’“^i o firm sTnd noble
, , ! is todav. It gave us oliLalrors and noote
.leuus. echo tin- jojoue , men . u sUosvp(1 us tender and true wom-
sound and wonder what i n _ wh(J s< , nt Uleir sons forth to battle
will be their share of the | wI ’ th smjIe on their lips, although tlteii
.gifts hanging on tlie tree j ncarts lU ere bleeding. Washington and
in o!' masr's home. They ; T.ee were of this hallowed time, and 0,1
i iheir Christmas celebrations were lust
be a | such kind and beneficent masters to all
' the country round.
But while there were slaves the poorer
white people had little showing. I licit
gifts were necessarily of the very hum
bles kind. The country was chiefly agr
ricultural in its pursuits and the negroes
did the work. Now the children of that
very class give the nation its vitality.
Tiie poorest mechanic gets pay for his
know tiia! up at the “big
house” there
general jollification and giving of pres
ents and file slick little faces fairly shine
with anticipation as they try to obey the
command to be good or "they won’t git
nothin"tall fur Chrismus Icssn't hit be
a switch."
At the “big house" all is excited com
motion. In the old-fashioned kitchen
with its sooty, wide-open f rcplace and
immense Dutch oven ihe turkey is
crumpling up its slowly browning skin
and tiie dressing sizzles and pops in the
hot gravy, while mince pies and cakes ot
all kinds are spread out on the side table
ready for icing.
The young daughter of the house flits
about from parlor to parlor, first placing
i piece of mistletoe over the door and
then racing away to taste the creations
of tlie kitchen, much to the outward dis
turbance of Mammy Jinny, who, how
ever, thinks there is nobody in the whole
would like her young mist is.
At last the day diaws to a close am*
nil is finished. The tree is loaded down,
the walls are covered with evergreens
and vines, Uio pantry is full of good
things to eat, and as tlie snow begins
to fall slowly the plantation people fall
asleep to dream of the morrow and its
gifts.
Christmas morning dawns slightly
cloudy, 1ml the sun struggles forth and
shows a world covered here and there
with patches of glistening white. i ms
was all needed to make it an ideal day,
for seldom have wc a white Christmas
in the south.
The servants gather about the parlor
doors and in the halls, anxiously waiting
for tiie master to begin tlie distribution.
There is candy for the pickaninnies, blue
and red calico dresses and gay ribbons
for tlie women, perhaps a little money
for tlie men, and eggnog and brandy for
all. Inexpensive presents? Yes, but it
is not tit*' amount of money spent that
counts for most. It is the loving re
membrance, for the “gift without the
giver is bare.” And besides. In those
days the demand for handsome presents
was not so great as it is now. with
many bowings and scrapings of their
thanks the darkies go back to the long
line of cabins and proudly show forth to
(•aeli other what they have received,
with hearts full of love and an earnest
desire to serve this kind master who
looks out for their wants as if they
were little children.
HOME PRODUCERS.
In those ante-bellum days there was
wealth, but not as .we look upon it now.
Every plantation produced almost all it
consumed, and the owild* was referred
to as a good liver. Elegance was more
sought after than gaudy luxuriance, an.i
good solid home comfort and hearty hos
pitality than style and show. Million
aires did not hang on every other bush,
out the gracious invitation and the whole-
souled welcome more than made up foe
the display tiiat so often marks the
Christmas celebration of later days.
Then, the huge fireplace that took up
half the side of a room glowed with thu
light from an armful of pine knots, and
was the radiance less bright than now,
when the candelier throws out countless
scintillations of gas and electriciy? Pei-
baps there iwere move shadows on the
wail, but they only made the fire briglite-
’>y contrast.
The decorations were holly and vines
fresh from the woods, symbols of that
Cld pagan idea of joy. and never was a
prettier picture than that furnished by
the dancers as they went gaily through
the Virginia reel to the Inspiring strains
of the fiddle in tiie tiands of a black
expert, whose bow seemed call forth
all* the wild spirit of frolic crammed into
Lhe toes of the young people. “Pardners
all!” oallea out the master of ceremo
n es, an imposing old negro, in his eve
ning dress of mas’rs’ second best. ‘‘Ro,\
ir. your lady!” and then a generhl sachet-
tng follows all around he room. Little
they know of the modern German, and
loss they cared for the. orchestra of out-
day.
The ^cavalier spirit of Hospitality and
love of fife, for its own joy made the
•plantation tlie center of social life.
Towns were few and far between* Neigh
bors came from miles aroiinjl to join !:i
ihe parties, to ho in the hunt and to help
decorate the ■church, for the master al
ways insisted on a strict observance of
the religious part of the day. It was a
continual house party for almost a
month*, and little wished tlie happy farm
ers for the far distant town with its |
[heaters and other attractions. They
Railroad Travel
In th& Mountains, High
• Above the Clouds
IlfeRE is a dizzy, thrilling
time in store for the in
dividual who travels ove r
tiie new Argentine Central
railioad, which lia.s just
been completed in Colorado
and which climbs up one
of the shoulders of Gray -
peak until it reaches the
appaling altitude of 14.007
feet above sea level.
Aside from a railroad l ;i
South America widen
crosses an Andean pass
some 500 feet higher than tlie end of tt -■
Argentine Central, this Colorado road s
tiie highest actual railroad in the wo
It i- nearly as high as the world-famous
cog road up Pipe’s Peak and is more r.i.n.i
400 feet higher than the celebrated June
Iran railroad in Switzerland, which is
the marvel of European engineers. Gray s
peak, whose grim ton this n ew railroad
comes within 200 feet of scaling, is high
er than Pike's Peak and is one of t'.e
mightiest mountains on this eonthien:.
Years ago it was used as a government
weather bureau observatory and the ruin
ed building is still on tlie peak. Ad
joining Gray’s Peak is Torrey's.
SIGHT WELL WORTH JOURNEY.
These giant peaks, of exactly tlie fame
height, are connected by a slightly de
pressed ridge, making- a great saddle,
and the sight of these mighty twins of
tiie range, streaked witli huge banks of
eternal snow, is alone worth tiie journey
to tiie end of the new railroad.
This new railroad to cloudland if th
lesuil of the foresight uuq piuek of on-,
man. E. J. Wilcox, one <•• Denver's s,; •-
eessful mining magnates. Six years ag.>
Mr. Wilcox began buying up and develop
ing mining properties in the Cray's Peak
region. Soon he controlled a large num
ber of properties under > •■ name of (ho
Waldorf and Manhattan g mips.
The problem of transporting lire v. • c a,
serioiig one and Mr. Wilcox began t fig
ure oti a railroad conm ■• g with
Colorado and Southern a; s ivpr pi :i; , ,
15 miles away. It is ai S. ver Pin e
that tlie Colorado and Sou::,, ru makes :. •
celebrated Georgetown b#m. which whi
always be regarded as one of tiie great
est feats of engineering in the world.
Silver Plume is at. the bottom of a an-
yon, tlie mountains rising . hues: -in.cr
to a tremendous height.
In order to make this tir.-t < zz .
out of Silver Plume. Mr. W ux la d his
tracks in a series of swip-i '.cards, h
tiie trains literally climb a :i g • of •:
until they reach the top ol the vnllr
overlooking Silver Plume. And :i...
top of the climb is one. of t he grand-st
sights ever vouchsafed to man.
After a pull of several miles .;• s ift
grades tlie train reaches Commo: . ■ n
tunnel, one of tiie Waldorf prmc
near tiie timber line. Here tiie crow g
difficulties of travel begin Mount M
Clellan. one of the shoulders of G y's
higher aild
;• impo.-
th
Peak, rises some 2.000 fee,
to scale it looks like a sin
it.\'. But the engine rush--
per cent grade and the Just
begun. There are four swile!
the Commonwealth tunnel ••
labor on Saturday night and on Christ- j the mountain, and the grade-
mas eve we may see him on the streets, j age nearly 8 per cent. This
his pockets bulging with inexpensive j the train climbs 8 feet on: ■>:
toys, liis hands full of bags containing dred ii advances. In fam.
gaily painted candies and alluring min-j road from Silver Plume t
iature Christmas trees. He has a lioli- ! top averages a 6 per cent g: -.0
day and lie and his family, in their best j is something hitherto unheard
attire, wander forth on tlie thorough- j i ailroad construction. Tin- •■■..!'■
fares and gaze to their hearts' content! are s.> numerous as to leave ;. v
at the shop windows and have a smile | s ' on 'bat there is not n stra:g..
for their richer neighbor as he enviously
watches them and wishes that his joy
could be halt' so real.
~ IN THE COUNTRY.
Out In ihe country lhe children of the
humblest farmer in the little log' cabin
hang up their home-knit stockings and
can hardly wait for day to come lo view
the contents. They know that a gen
erous being. “Santy Claus,” by name,
will come down the chimney with a big
pack of goodies on his bach, and their
f.-iith in him is supreme. For weeks be
fore his coming they are seized with an
unn countable desire to keep clean faces j jes, and some
and to fill the wood box daily. Con 1 - I Denver can br
m-
the entire railroad, average 30 deg; -
AMID A SEA OF PEAK,S.
Soon the train is above timber line a
a veritable sea of peaks bursts
tlie vision of the beholder. On cv»
hand the gaunt granite heads of mo .
tains lift themselves like petrified wa
Far to tlie nortli can be seen tiie in-
tains in tlie adjacent - s tate of Wyomii
while to tlie west can he made out :
Gore range, well toward the T'tah !
If the day is elc-ar a bright yellow str-
can be discerned between the utb-rm-
peaks fifty miles to tlie east. Th
streak is the vast plain east of tiie R-
lays the smoke 1
discerned. As tr.inj
pany manners are much in evidence to- 175 snow-capped peaks have b* - i: -
wards the home folks. They invest their I ed from the end of tiie Argentine (”--i'.
before irksome duties with a pleasure i toad, to say nothing of numberless ot.. .-
never dreamed of before. In fact, they j peaks above timber line,
had no idea that work could be so pleas-; Tiie bald side of the mountain has bee
a! -t. j honeycombed with mine tunnels an
And when at last the long-hoped-for! shafts. Some of the properties .-r i .
morning comes, the little tow heads are j the “iprospect" stage, while others ar-
in ecstatic raptures over the mucli-covet-! paying as high as S500 a day. Th. g i
ed nuts, the highly prized "store bought” 'he mine dumps tiie train threads its
candy, ihe French harps and the woolly | way and soon the last switchback -
frogs and mice. No household is too j been made and the last grade climbed.
The passengers tumble out and are es
poor to forego Its annual cake—molasses
though it may be. and tlie luxury of bis
cuits three times for this day of days.
In homes such as these is found the
true ehirstian spirit, for every neighbor,
or even passerby is invited in and given
some of the cake, and tlie precious candy
is divided.
Tlie young people ga tiier nightly for
candy pullings, and if the preaofcer is not
too strict, for' an old-time “breakdown”
dance. The married women have quilt
ing hees. and the men gather for one
grand hunt.
So often those who are possessed of
more money than otherwise lose sight
of the true meaning of tlie time in their
strenuous endeavor to give costly gifts
and to outshine each other socially. But
tin's is not always tlie case. The religious
significance of tlie day is beginning to lie
more appreciated and every cjiurch lias
exercises to commemorate tlie birth of the
Christ-child, and every city gives to its
poor and unfortunates. The street waif
verted to an bandoned mine whose work
ings, owing to the -dripping of water
and the constant action of frost, have
become coated with snow and witli
crystals of wonderful formation. Tlie
gleam of candle light against these crys
tals makes a wonderful sight.
BREATHING IS DIFFICULT.
This mine was tiie first silver mine
opened in Colorado. Ore from it w: -
shipped across tlie plains by ■--; it >
transportation long before tlie first sr.,
coacites were run. Tiie pioneer miners
who were looking for silver only, had ii"
idea, they were working in a dislri -t
which would some day become a great
gold mining center.
So quickly has the last ascent been
made that tiie traveler hardly realizes
that lie is 14.000 feet above sea level.
But as soon as lie takes a few steps
alonig tae side of, the mountain he finds
out. His breath comes in sobbing gasps,
his knees grow weak an 1 his heart
is remembered and pinched little faces ! b° a ts as if it would lea]) from his breast.
brighten with joy of a lost or never
known childhood as they receive presents
that they Tiad looked at with longing
eyes in the shops but had never dreamed
of having for their very own.
As southern prosperity increases, more
general becomes the custom of giving
gifts. Vigorous and alert, the' young na
tion makes of its Christmas a serious
matter of one (Thy in the year remember-
its friends and also a joyous time of
He must stop and rest every few feei.
Even old and experienced mountaineers
cannot climb without stopping to breathe
at such a tremendous altitude.
This little fifteen miles of railroad cost
more than $250,000 to build. It is nar
row gauge and every foot of the road
bed has been firmly ballasted. The en
gines are of the Shay-geared type—a kind
ot engine that, like Kipling's -crew guns,
can “climb up the side of a sign-boar«
throwing aside fTs work and relaxing a . nd trust b° stick to the paint.” The
into a spirit of hospitality and love to
all. While we can never quite appre
ciate the Christmas of days “befo’ do
wah,” we can approximate its generous
heart by putting the spirit of good fel
lowship into our gifts.
COMPARISONS.
A New York lawyer wa s cross-ques
tioning a negro witness in one of the
justice courts not long ago. says The
Philadelphia Press, and was getting
along fairly well until lie asked the wit
ness wliat his occup-a tion was..
“Jse a carpenter, sail.”
“What kind of a carpenter?”
“They calls me a jackleg carpenter,
salt.”
“What is a jackleg carpenter?”
“He is a carpenter who is not a first-
class carpenter, sail."
‘Well, explain fully what you under
stand a jackleg carpenter to be.” in
sisted the lawyer.
“Boss. 1 declare I duniio how to ’splain
j ; ny mo’ Yept to say hit am jes’ the
! same diffunce ’twixt you and er tir.st-
and their ftienils were sufficient .unto class lawyer.”
eight drive wheels are geared together so
the pulling power is enormous. And in
•case the engine should leave the track
tt always leaves away from the outer
edge, so tiiat it will not plunge into an
abyss. This makes travel over the dizzy
railroad absolutely safe.
COULDN’T HELP IT.
A well-known Allegheny clergyman re
cently spoke at a religious service in tiie
pententiary in Woods Run. He noticed
that one of the convicts seemed extraor
dinarily impressed. After the service he
sought him out and continued the good
work by remarking:
"My friend. I hope you will profit by
my remarks just now- and become a new
n.an.”
“Indeed T will." was the cheerful reply.
“In fact. I promise to you that I will
never commit another crime, but will
lead an exemplary fife to my dying
day.”
“I am very glad (b hear you say tiiat,”
said the clergyman, "but are you certain
you will be able to keep the promise?”
“Oh. yes.” said tlie convict. "I’m in
jail for life?'—Harper’s Weekly.
'I