Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

PlUl.lSHKD EVERY THURSDAY HORSING. " . *- WM, BRADFORD, Editor. TEEMS OP STJBSCBIPTION: 1 Copy one year - - - * - ** 5S l « six montna - 11 •' one year ----- i“.oo TERMS—Cash In Advance. Address, ADVERTISER PUBLISHING CO., Ckdastowk, Ga Cedartown Advertiser. OLD SERIES—VOL. VI. NO. 31. CEDARTOWN, GA., OCTOBER 16, 1879. NEW SERIES—VOL. I. NO. 44. She ADVERTISING RATES. 1 Inch 2 lncf.es...... 8 inches % coinmn— i^co uam... l coiumn.... ff.ll m.i3 in. 6 m. i >, $2 50 *5 00 300 750 3 50 10 00 5 0ojl5 00 T 50 25 00 ‘20 00140 Qo $800 12 00 15 00 20 00 40 00 65 00 $12 00 18 00 25 00 40 00 65 00 loOOO LOCAL NOTICES—Ten cents per line for one Insertion. For two or more insertions, five cents per line each insertion. OBITUARY NOTICES—Charged at halt rates. THE WORKMAN TO HIS WIFE. Come. Mary, throw your work aside, And let your trouhjafbe; Leave care and toil and smoke awhile, And spend an hoar with me. Wehl seek the cowslip on the bank, The primrose iu the lane, And happy sights and sounds afar Shall make us young agaiD. It’s long, my love, since you and I Have beard ths blackbird sing. Or caught, by running brooks and woode, The glory of the Spring. It’s long since yon and I have trod The paths where hawthorns blow, Then Mary, fling your work aside, And let your troubles go. The trees shall bend to welcome ns; The flowers shall clasp our feet; The very bees shall hymn our praise, In murmurs soft and sweet. The winds Bhall swell, with ready voice, The chorus high and loftJ, And we’ll forget the world, my wife, And all its busy crowd. A thousand things await ns, iove— Bine skies and balm air. Green fields, whose very sight shall make The heart forget its care. Then never sigh, be glad to-day, Throw sorrow to the wind. Nor pause till w& have left our ills A Summer’s hour behind. SANCTITY OF AN OATH. “Abolish all legal punishment for per jury,” said I, dogmatically, at the end of a desultory argument with some of the other clerks in the San Francisco Mint, “and not one witness in a dozen would speak thG truth. As for their oaths—bah! They don’t care that for them”—snapping my fingers like the cluck of a hen. “I don’t know, boys,” said John Flem ing, who had taken no part in the discus sion, laying down his pen, and squaring about upon his stool; “I don’t know that I can sa} r anything on this question worth listening to, but if you will stop your con founded figuring a moment I’ll relate a lit tle experience of mine that may be of ser vice to this young gentleman who knows so very much about the nature of an oath and most other things.” There was a general snapping together of ledgers and all maimer of books ; Gov ernment clerks do not require much of. a pretext to stop work. We all gathered about John, like bees about Hymettus, and he began: I was a witness, once, in a murder case at Pinkerton’s Bluff, on the North Sandy, iust above the falls. Bob D , a friend of mine—knew him in the States—was charged with having killed Dave Thatcher, •knpwn in all that region 'as Bet-you Dave. He had been a born debator, had Dave. He was never known to agree with the opinions of any mac at the Bluff, upon any question under heaven; and he made use of the one argument—“I bet you five dol lars. ’’ The moment he heard any one make au assertion, express a belief, or hint a rumor ■—frequently before posessing his grind of the speaker’s full meaning—he’d bet him five dollars it wasn’t so! When nobody was talking lie would try in all indirect ways to entrap some one into indicating an opinion upon some subject, and then lie was down upon him with that everlasting wager. He would put up the money, too, and what’s more he would commonly win; unless there was a dead sure thing against him ; and this was so frequently the case that it kept him poor. If, in Dave’s pres ence, a man dared affirm that his dog was yellow, quick as ligiituing came an offer to bet him five dollars he wasn’t; and it came with such positive energy that if the man hadq’t seen his dog since morning it was ten chancfes to one that he would back down, of haggle for time to go and take another look. I-never saw Dave myself, it was after his time that I came to the Bluff; but the fame of his extraordinary wagers, and the no less extraordinary way in which he sometimes won them was in everybody’s mouth. On the fifteenth day of July, in ’58, Dave and my friend Bob D passed the >Vhole evening together in the bar-room of the Spread Eagle Hotel, and during the time Bob lost three straight bets with him. About nine o’clock they departed together, quarreling about the manner in which Bob had been silenced hut not convinced. Dave was never afterward seen alive: but the next spring a dead body, almost past recognition, was discovered hidden away in chapparal, near the side of the road over which the two must have passed to reach their houses, about two miles from town. Nearly everybody said the body was that of Dave, and as it had a bullet in it—not some old bullet, such as one might have somewhere in lus system, but a com paratively fresh one, which had passed through the heart—Bob was taken into custody, charged with the deed. In the mean time I hail moved up from below the falls, and as. the whole town had taken the other side I determined to stand by the friend whom I had known in the States. At the trial the court room was packed with people, aqd the tide of public opinion get so strongly Against the prisoner that the Judge had to draw his six-Bhooter a dozen times to keep order. After a score of wit nesses had been examined for the prosecu tion, every one of whom made things look very black for Robert, the State rested its case. Then the attorney for the defence arose, and simply said: “Your Honor, I shall make no prelimi nary statement, and I shall call bill one witness. By him I shall prove an alibi, or give.up the case.” “Eh! What’s that?” shouted the Dis trict Attorney, hopping upon his feet—as fussy a little rascal as ever snorted law be fore a deaf Justice of the Peace. “Will you prove That the prisoner was net on Spanish Town road the night of the alleged murder ?” “No! I’ll prove that the deceased was not. ’ There was a marked sensation in court as my name was called, and I was solemn ly sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, imd nothing but the truih. “At ten o’clock on the night of July, 15, 1878,” I began, circumstantially, 4> I was walking along the. river* bank, on the side of town opposite the Spanish Town road, and just above the falls. I w ouldn’t trou ble myself, if I were you”—turning to the District Attorney—“to ask what I was walking there for, because it isn’t anybody’s business. ” “I appeal to the Court Vi screeched the little rascal, springing to his feet, “if I’m to be insulted in this way ” “Keep still, will you,” said his Honor, “and let the witness proceed.” I had made a favorable impression at the start, and it gave me confidence. I resumed: “It was^ warm moonlight evening, and the mist rising above the cataract was less dense than usual ; so I could see tolerably welL J ust at the brink on an overhanging rock, I saw’ a tall bent figure in gray clothes, w earing a slouch hat—a very bad hat; 1 don’t see more than a hundred woree ones in the room. ’’ There was a smile all around, and then the District At torney asked me if I had know’n the de ceased, Mr. Tliatcher, in his life-time. I replied that I had not—had never seen him. “Remember that, gentlemen of the jury,” said he, with a conceited smile ; “remem ber the witness had never seen nor heard of the deceased. We don’t mean to contro vert the witness’s statement on that point, sir, ” he added, addressing the counsel for the defence, and smirking as if he had got hold of a good thing which he would hold in reserve as a final crusher.” “Cuss you!” roared-the Judge, “keep your mouth shut, will -you? The witness wdll proceed.” “I approached this person on the rock,” 1 continued, “and said, ‘Good evening.’” “ ‘Bet you five dollars it ain’t!” said he, turning sharply about. At this there was a general snigger from the spectators, and Dave Thatcher’s widow who sat near, looked up with a sudden hope in her face that was cheerful to see. I re sumed my testimony: “Do you see that oak on the other bank?” continued the man on the rock, pointing to a conspicuous pine. “I thought the fellow must be a mani ic, and I did not know just what to answer ; but presently replied that I was not certain whether I saw it or not—it depended on circumstances. “He w r as silent for some moments; then he shivered and chattered his teeth. “ ‘Snow before morning,’ said he. ‘Per- liaps so,’ said I, non-committally; ‘seems thickening up, but that may be an optical illusion.’ Then he wanted to know if I remem bered what year General Jackson was elec ted President—‘wasn’t it in '52?’ I told him I did not recollect. After a while he said carelessly: “ ‘They’re talking, here at the Bluff about running Ben. Franklin for next Presi dent. ’ “I made no reply. Then he came up to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. “‘See here, stranger, ’ said he, *ie there any subject you feel at home on ? Have you got any hobby—any opinions ?’ “ ‘I am not sure,’ I replied ; ‘some peo ple have opinions, and some don’t liave any. Some that do have them don’t have them all the time; those who have them all the time often forget them, ” “‘Well, I swear!’ said he disgusted, ‘I’m going to jump over these falls—bet you five dollars I will! ’ “1 said nothing and he continued : ‘I shall be exactly three seconds and a half getting to the bottom—won’t I, now ?’ “ ‘Possibly. Maybe a little more than that—maybe a little less—maybe just that. I don’t remember jumping over any cas cades myself. ’ “He gave me one look, laid off his hat, backed up to the brink of the precipice, anu dropped himself down, hanging on to the edge with his hands. Then he let go, fall ing three hundred feet into the boiling whirlpool below!” “May it please the court,” shrieked the little District Attorney, lunging forward upon his feet, “I want to put one question to this witness now! You say, sir, you had never seen the deceased Mr. Thatcher up to the moment you met him on the rock —and never heard of him—and never heard of any of his relations. Now’, sir, on your oath, on your Bible oath sir! how do you know’ that this man you saw go over the falls was Dave Thatcher ? How do you know it sir?” “I rton’t know it. I know it was not he. For just before he let go the rock he looked up at me, with his nose above the edge, and said: “You think I’m Dave Thatcher, don’t you?’ “I told him he might be, or he might not. “ ‘Just so!’ he said, desperately, as his fingers began to slip. Bet-you five dollars I ain’t.’ There was a good deal of loose talk in court after this, but the spectators w’ould not listen to it, and D —was triumph antly acquitted, being borne through the town on the shoulders of the jury, to the music of a brass band and the cheers of the whole population. But Dave Thatcher’s window persisted in putting up a handsome headstone over the remains of the unknown dead, and was going to have it inscribed with her late husband’s name, and what she still regard ed as the manner of his death, when Bob stopped the proceedings by marrying her. “I don't see what all this has to do with the question of the advisability of swearing witnesses in court,” said I when John had finished his yarn. “Don’t, eh? It’s got this to do with it. There wasn’t a prison in the State which 1 hail not broken out of a thousand times. If I hadn’t been put upon my Bible oath what was to prevent my telling a lie ?” The largest cultivated wheat farm on the globe is said to be the Grondin farm, not far from the town of Fargo, Dakota. It embraces some 40,000 acres, both Govern ment and railway land, and lies close to the Red River. Divided into four parts, it has dwellings, granaries, machine shops, eleva tors. stables for 200 horses, and room for storing 1,000,000 bushels of grain. Be sides the wheat farm there is a stock farm of 20,000 acres. In seeding time seventy to eighty men are employed, and during harvest 250 to 300 men. Seeding begins about April 9, aud continues through the month, and is done very systematically, the machines following one another around the field, some four rods apart. Cutting begins about August 4, and ends the fore part of September, succeeded by the threshing, with eight steam threshers. After threshing, the stubble ground is plowed with great plows drawn by three horses and cutting two furrows ; and this goes on until the weather is cold enough to freeze, usually about November 1. There are many other large farms in the Territory and in the neighborhood, and they are tilled in much the same manner as the Grondin. The surface of the land generally is almost level aud the soil rich and black. The pro duct of one field of 2,315 acres is 57,285 bushels—elevator weight—some twenty - five bushels to the acre. The average yield of the Dakota wheat farm is from twenty to twenty-five bushels per acre, and the concurrent testimony is that it is unequaled as a wheat region in the world. Slipper Throwing. | The ancient custom ot throwing an old 1 slipper after the bride as she leaves her home is still in many places believed to bring luck to the happy couple. But it may be questioned w’hetlier the old shoe ! was thrown for luck only. It is stated in the Holy Writ that “the receiving of a shoe | was an evidence and symbol of rejecting or resigning it.” The latter is evinced in Deu teronomy, 25th chapter, where the ceremony of a widow rejecting her husband's brother in marriage is by loosing his shoe from off his foot. And in Ruth we are told that “it was the custom in Israel concerning changing, that a man plucked off his shoe and delivered it to his neighbor. ” Hence the throwing of a shoe after a bride was a symbol of renunciation of dominion and authority over her by father or guardian, and the receipt of the shoe by the bride groom, even if accidental, was an omen ! hat the authority was transferred to him. How a Woman uoes to a Fir«. After standing at the gate and looking for the fire, and betting it’s on Fourth street, or the flour mill, or somewhere “so now,” she suddenly starts up as if an idea had struck her, and sl.e says to herseif, “I’m going to that fire, and it’s no use of talk ing.” Then she begins to get ready. She stands before the mirror and twists and turns her own hair in all manner of ways to see in what manner it will make the most show; then she spikes on one dozen of puffs, and bangs on the frizzes so they will look “like sea-weed around a clam,” and vowing that her arms are just ready to drop off, she casts one more aD- proving glance at her hair, and votes eight to seven that it will do. What dress to wear is the next question before the meeting house. To decide this momentus question, she goes to the wardrobe ; but like dame Hubbard, “when she came there, the ward robe was bare,” as it were,for all her dresses had been worn somewhere ^before. Final ly, she selects one, which, when ^buttoned up will not permit her to take a long breath although she affirms, and is ready to swear, that is “just as loose as can be,” but at the same time admits that when she gets that dress on she can never button her shoes; as shoes can not button themselves, they are buttoned by proxy, and with a hair-pin, as the buttoner is not in the place where “I al ways put it” She is also of the opinion that her feet have swollen by reason of hav ing worn around the house those big slip pers, and “you had better leave two or three of the last buttons unbuttoned.” She then proceeds to put on her outer garments and flatters herself that she will be ready in “half a jiffy.” At last the climax is reach ed when she goes for her new bonnet. She skewers it on the back of her head, and then looks fourteen ways to see how the tiling sets; turns sideways to take the bearings; then a little to the nor’-nor’-east and takes the latitude and longitude : then she pokes it a little here, bends it there, and mashes it indiscriminately, so that it will not look stiff and set; then she seizes a hand-glass and takes a retrospective of her head and all appertaining thereto. Now she adjusts her veil so that the lower edge will come exactly to the tip end of her nose; then she powders a little, so that her face will not “shine like a bottle,” smooths down the corners of her mouth, puts on her best smile, and sails out to find the fire. Lo! she starts, she moves toward the door, but returns for her gloves, and glances at the mirror to see if her rigging is all right. Again she heads for the front door, but comes back tor her handkerchief, and as she passes the dressing-case, she casts one lingering and positively last appearance look at her reflection, settles her collars, pulls down her cuffs, and making one final and successful scoop for her train, leaves the house. She is out, and so is the fire. Gambling iu California. Everybody did it. I did it myself. One day, going past the horse market in Sacra mento, when Ferguson was selling mules at auction, a little sharp-eyed man with long hair, a Panama hat, buckskin breeches and coat, with a fringe of buckskin strings around his collar, was playing the thimble game. Sitting on a tobacco box, lus thim bles the size of acorns, he played the game upon his right knee. The breeches were glazed and shiny with their accustomed use. Three tliimbles of silver and the lit tle joker—a small piece of putty of the size of a small pea. I watched him for a time with great interest. “Now you see it, and now j T ou don’t.” “Make your game, gen tlemen; bet an ounce you can’t guess where the little joker is. ” Times were lively in those early days of 1849, money plenty, and even body gambled. Passers-by stop ped and “gave the game a turn,” lost or won, passed on. Chuck-a-luck, A. B. C., three-card monte and the string game were being dealt in the streets aud in close prox imity. I fingered a great golden disc of South America in my vest pocket—a splen did Peruvian ounce I carried for a pocket piece; coin was scarce in those days, and Peruvian ounces were worth more than their weight in gold. I fumbled my coin; I saw the little joker, and guessed its loca tion every time. I fairly trembled with nervous cowardice; saw the little joker, and every time rightly guessed the thimble that hid it. Again and again the thimble was lifted, and I stood like an idiot, see ing the stream of golden ounces run by —too cowardly to risk my coin. It was not principle that kept me from gambling— it was the fear of loss. My father’s parting iug injunction, and mother’s prayers, my moral convictions and my cowardice all gone away at once. The flood gates open ed and my ounce came out. I planted it on the table; I saw the edge of the little joker under the middle thimble; it was a “dead open and shut.” He was a gambler, and I was* justified in betting on a certain ty. “Now you see it, and now you don't see it. Make your game, gentlemen ; bet an ounce you can’t guess where the little joker is.” It was no crime to steal ot a thief. He covered my ounce with another, and I lifted the middle thimble—great God! the little joker was not there. I lost my ounce and walked on, a sadder and a mad der, but I hope a wiser boy, with the re frain ringing in my ears, “Now you see it, and now you don t; bet an ounee you can’t guess where the little joker lies.” Gam blers were as generous as artful in those times of 1849. If there was a charity to be sustained, a church to be built, a poor devil injured in a mine or digging, lie was sent home by passing the hat among the ta bles. One day 1 was going up I street, not far from the corner of Second, in Sacra mento, when I heard loud aud angry words in a small tent upon the banks of the slough. * “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” caught my ear, and with the freedom born of curiosity I pushed the corner of the tent and looked in. On the ground and on his blankets lay an emaciated figure, over him stood a strong-bearded, heavy, well-dressed man. “A duced shame!” said the black beard. “You know I couldn’t beg, Jim.” “You could starve, though, and then let the story go home to the folks that I let you suffer when I had plenty.” “It don’t make much difference, Jim ; it won't last long. ” “I tell you Cnarley it makes a mighty difference, and it will last and you won’t die. Pluck up, old fellow. Scurvy don’t kill.” A smile stole over the wan face, and the thin fingers reached out for the strong hand of Jim, and down the cheeks of the stal wart gambler stole a furtive tear, which, turning away to hide, disclosed to him that they had a spectator. Turning to me: “I say, old fellow, you just run and tell Doc Russell to come round here right away. Doc’s playing faro in the Bella Union. Tell him to toss up his chips and come here.” In an hour the sick man was in a com fortable room, with a servent and a physi cian—every comfort that money could buy. J im Raines was a gambler and the young gentleman was an acquaintance same j town at home; had been schoolmates to- ! gether. Raines explained to me subse- j quently. “I never was so infernal mad in my life, as when I found Charley laying out there starviug lo death and dying, and not Jet me know. That’s what I call treat ing a fellow mean. ’8posin’ he had died, 1 never would have forgiven him.” If the anecdotes of the early California gamblers could be collected they would make a book, and could their lives be writ ten there would be many an incident of generous acts, many a story of pathetic in terest. Here is one from an old number of the Virginia City Chronicle: The case of John Burns came up before Justice Knox, recently. The man is one of those characters known as check guer rilla. He was accused of having picked up a $20 piece from the faro table at the Cap itol Saloon, the money belonging to a play er who was in a half intoxicated condition. Burns demanded a jury trial, and when the selection had been Siade each juryman was asked whether he had any prejudices against the game, the following were the experiences of the twelve: Juror No. 1—Have played a little; lost $1,200 at a sitting once at Simpson’s Cor ner ; had won the money at poker the night before; won it of the fellow who dealt the game. Juror 2—Have played faro some; lost nineteen straight bets at once at the Saw dust Comer—just my fool luck ; think the game is all right; used to play faro once, lait haven’t played now for over a week. Juror No. 3—Dropped about $40 once at Omdorff’s trying to call the turn ; no pre judice. Juror No. 4—Play faro occasionally when I have money; won $2,000 one night at the Palace—bursted the game; went back and tried to burst it a few nights after; had to spar for my grub all the rest of the week; think I could beat the game blind if 1 bad the capital; no prejudice. Juror No. 5—Am familiar with faro— slightly; stepped in Joe Steward’s one day and tapped the game $600 in one deal; called the turn for $100, and then quit playing because the limit wasn’t big enough; won enough to pay up that as sessment of $5 on my Justice stock ; think it a good game. Juror No. 6—Always liked faro when it was square; think there are some square games; but the splits give the game a big percentage. Juror No. 7—Got $5,000 out of the rise in Ophir and got ready to start to the States. (Here the juror wiped away a tear, and his Honor seemed much affected.) I struck one of the games—no matter which one it was—and in two days hadn’t a red cent. The remaining five jurors related their experiences in a most affecting manner, and but one was found who had any prejudice against the game—he said he never won a bet in his life; he always coppered and played open at the wrong time. He’s been calling the turn steady for two years, and never caught once. He thought faro was a swindle, but admitted that he had been playing it the night before. He was excused. George Kreitzer, the dealer of the game, testified as follows : “I was dealing at the time McCarty came in and called for chips.- He had won about $S0 when Tome first showed up; McCurty had the jack cop pered, taking in the tray and queen. The Court—Does the jury comprehend the situation ? The jurors nodded simultaneously, and witness continued: The tray lost, the jack wou. So it was a stand-off, and The Court—Is this point clear to the jury ? The jurors again bowed with military precision. Witness—Then, after two turns, he planked down a $20 piece on top of the chips on the jack, and this man Tome reached for it. As soon as I saw him muz zle the sugar I sang out, but he slid off and was getting off with it, when Officer Hanks snatched it and made him give it up. Jailor McCarty related the admissions of Tome in jail. He admitted taking the inohey, but excused his conduct on the ground that he might as well have it as the game. The jury stood eleven for conviction and one for acquittal, and being unable to agree were discharged, as was also the ac cused. Duelling. There has been a tremendous excitement in the army in Paris, caused by a silly and disastrous duel at St. Germaiu between two officers. It appears that one of these young gentlemen insulted the other at the table, whereupon a duel with sabres was fought m the presence of the usual wit nesses and the master of arms. Both of the officers were wounded at the first en counter and the witnesses declared honor satisfied, but the officer who had given the insult desired to continue the fight. The duel now became serious and the master- at-arms felt it his duty to interfere, but he was too late. The sabre of the insulted pierced the neck of the insulter, cutting several arteries, aud the unfortunate fellow died a few hours afterward. The Colonel of the regiment at once arrested the survi ving officer and witnesses and endeavored to punish the latter by giving them each fif teen days of prison; but the superior auth ority—that mysterious entity which does so many providential things in France—inter fered and the surviving principal and the witnesses were set free, the reason alleged being that it was not wise to compromise their future military career by imprisoning them for simply duelling. The Colonel felt it his duty however, to inform the oth er under officers of the regiment that the first among them that should provoke a new duel would be remorsely reduced to the ranks. I knew in the Russian army, a most amiable and accomplished gentleman who had been three times reduced to* the ranks for duelliing, and who, at the age of ; forty, was only a lieutenant, when he might have been a division-General, had it not been for bad temper, which was spor adic and came across his usual excellent disposition like thunder in a clear sky. A few such examples as this in the French army would settle the duelling question. An Irishman’s Pride of Hirtli. An evening or two since a son of Erin was telling a crowd about a man who fell into the South Utah shaft last winter break ing both legs and lying at the bottom of the shaft some three days before he was dis covered. He said: “It was only by the mercy o’ God that he was at last found. By a wonderful chance—divil knows what sint him!—a man wint into the tunnel gropin’ and gropin’ his way along toward the ould shaft in the Sure o’ the same. As he was stoopin’ along there in the dark he heard the call of a voice. It was faint like the call of a sick man or the groan of a ghost. Ti e voice was repeated. The man was bold in spite of his fright, and he groped ahead and soon came to the mouth of the winze. He listened and the call of the voice was repaited. It came up from the bottom of the ould shaft. “ ‘Is it there ye are ?” said the man at the top. “ ‘It is here I am,’ said the fella at the bottom. “Air ye far down V says the fella at the top. “ ‘I’m Corkonian,’ says the fella at the ’ bottom, and divil of a bit more do I know 1 of how the poor fella got found. ” A Struggle with a Ghoul. In 18601 was a student at the old “Farm ers’ academy,” at Goshen, N. Y., near New York city—at least it is about sixty-five miles from it. One night in November, Mart Paines and myself were coming home from a dancing party at Snake hill. The night was dark and cloudy, but the clouds were occasionally broken a little, and thus gave the moon a chance to peep out and show us our route. We were walking home alone, having left a group of girls behind in charge of Ned North and Bobby White, two of the boys who liked to be with the girls better than we did. In those days I was not very timid, and I was quite as strong as I am now, but a real, earnest, rough-and- tumble test of my strength had never been called for. We were trudging along ahead of the rest of our little party, when suddenly Paines startled me with a proposition to cut across lots and go through the cemetery, which would shorten our journey a little, and give us a chauce to get into town far ahead of our companions. When Mart and I got to the corner where the stile crossed the fence leading into the sfient dwelling place of the dead, I felt for my match box to get a “lucifer” with which to iiglit a fresh cigar (smoking is no new habit with me, you see), aud somehow I managed to drop the box, and as it struck the wooilen stile with a sharp, metallic ring, we heard a well-defined “whist,” that was half a word and half a low whistle of warning. We two lads instantly sunk to the ground, wiggled up close to the feace, and began to look and listen in or der to see where the noise came from. In a tioment Mart nudged me and whispered, “Grave robbers, by thunder ! ” And sure enough—as just then the moon came out aid we saw two villainous-looking chaps, \<lo, ;o my distorted imagination, at first looked to be about eight feet high. While the moon was shining they stood perfectly motionless; but a moment later, when it had withdrawn its light, they stooped down and resumed their disreputable op- pnf ions. By this time we got their bearings pretty wdl, anil I, who had been grasping Mart’s hand, suddenly felt him begin to tremble At tint 1 thought it was fear, but a moment latir I knew what was the matter when he fairly hissed in my ear: “Charlie, that is Any’s grave, and if you will stand by me I wiil kill or cap.ure the hellhounds who are trying to tear her out of it. them !” I had never imagined it before, but in a twinkling I grasped the idea of why he had been so sad since beautiful, haughty Auiy B died, and I was in a moment as amry as he was. We listened and w atched and made out that there w’as one negro and om white man in the graveyard—the negro bekig a certain big, splay-footed moke from “F.ildler’s Green, ” a classic portion of old Goshen, where the niggers have lived ever since their York state aucesters were set free: for you remember that slave-holding was once the custom in th>.t state. The otler chap was smaller, and w as evidently a man of the kind who preferred to let others do the hard work. He gave orders. Now thee grave robbers don’t dig open the en tire grave. They simply dig a hole in be side the grave, smash iu the coffin box and casket, aud with a hook or rope drag out the poor dead r.mnant of mortality, double fc up ::od thrust it iuto a bag, refill the hole, ie-place the tuif and drive off. By the time we got our plan of attack upon them digested they had dug their hole and w r ere making arrangements to smash the coffin with a sharp crowbar when we up and at ’em. The fence near the stile was broken down, and we bad each selected one of the square pickets as a weapon. They use oak pickets down there, Charlie; heavy oak, about an inch square, and they were excel lent things to break a man's head with, at least a white man's head ; but I found a col ored man s skull a hard nut to crack. We made a dash over the graves and were upon them before they got fairly turned to face us—for the scamps did not run, as I thought they would. I selected the wdiite man, but as we closed upon them I found I had the African to deal with, and I let him have it with all my might, stumbling as I struck, anil falling upon the ground with the ghoul on top, my head and his heels be ing in close proximity. To change ends was a short job, and just as I was fastening my grip on his throat lit? got one of his long arms bee and dealt me a horrible blow be tween the eyes, aud at the same moment I saw a Hash, heard a sharp report, heard Mart yell, and then all became confused, for I only knew that I and that terribly- strong black devil were locked in each oth er’s arms—that I had his head “in chan cery, and almost had one hand on his throat. I never shall forget the agony of those few momeils when we each fought for life. They seemed as hours as we writhed and struggled over the graves. If I could have got him by the throat I could soon have fix ed him, but we each had to use a hand for protection, and it soon developed into a mere question of endurance. I had no time or breatii to call for help, and, indeed, I am not sure that I thought of it. I only though: of how to choke off that black and hideous fiend, and at the same time keep him from rising to his feet to choke me off. 1 almost prayed for an arm six inches longer iu order to get my digits arwund Ills throat, for we were locked in such a queer shape that, although I had his head under my ann, I could not get my hands on his thoracic duct, and for a time I almost de spaired, until the big fellow, by an effort that must have strained his muscles not a little, managed to get to his knees. But I was too quick for him, and, breaking all holds, I sprang to my feet and struck him squire in the face. I could hit hard in those days, Cliarlie, and, after stagger ing, him, I closed with him again, and tak ing him by the throat I—well, I guess I banged his head over against the pretty headstone that is sacred to the memory of Major Winslow’s daughter. They told me afterward that Bob White and the girls heard Mart yell, and heard the pistol shot, and a moment afterward saw a man spring over the fence, leap into a wagon that had been standing in the shadow, then suddenly, with a cry’ of pain fall out again. A moment later hearing the negro and me panting and struggling in the graveyard, Bob had made a break for where I was, and had got there ’just as I had battered the ugliness out of the black ghoul’s head and had fainted away. Just then Mart revived (he had not been hurt badly, but a bullet left an ugly ridge along his right temple), and they tied ihe negro with liis^own ropes, and went to look after the white ghoul. He was there sure enough. 31art had broken his right fore arm with that oak picket, and the fellow did not find it out until he struck against the wheel in climbing into the wagon and the pain caused him to fall. The tumble knocked his head against a clod, and it made life a blank for him for a few mo ments. We recognized him as a nice young man who had been loafing about town for some weeks, and we thought he was too badly hurt and scared to need much watching. But while we were loading the negro into the wagon our “nice young man,” who was a professional supply agent for a certain college, had given us the slip; but we stayed by our colored friend until we saw him safe iiehind the prison bars that night, and if ever you are detailed to go down to Sing Sing to interview some great prison bird inquire for No. 2,821, and that is Nick Parmlee, the colored Orange coun ty grave roblier, sent up for a long term for that night's work. He killed a keeper afterward and they made him a “lifer.” I did not get out of bed after that for two days, and to this hour I am not over- fond of lonely graveyards. A Seasick Humorist. We left Portland in the evening and a bit of a storm. There was a heavy sea, with its usual depressing influences. The sea grew rougher, and as the pitching and rolling of the good steamer New York in creased my spirits did not rise. Your spirits are not apt to rise, I find. They are the only things about you that don’t rise, however. My subject of reflection having eluded my rather inactive mind, I became sensible of a kind of a sort of a languor that sug gested repose. I did not feel like standing up and singing. I wanted repose. I wasn’t particular what kind of repose that of the grave would have suited me perfectly well. But there was no grave handy. And when 1 went out and looked out to seaward and gazed at the landless expanse of angry, tossing waters, I didn’t see any material to make a grave. And then, when I returned to the stateroom, it began to dawn upon me, very dimly, that the repose was about as seldom as the grave. The ocean made me feel as though I hail swallowed it whole, and I was afraid I would have to spread a little to hold it. 1 believed I would retire and abandon the struggle with my feelings, for I felt I was on the verge of quoting poetry. I stood on my feet and took off some of ray things. Then I leaned up against the door and took off a few. Then I st<x>d on my head.and got off one or two. Then 1 lay down on my back and kicked off the rest of them. Then I looked up at my berth. It was 600 feet from the floor and was sMll going. I cast an anxious, despairing glance at it, reached out aud dragged a traveling shawl over me and tried to warble a merry stave of a rollicking sea song. When I bought my passage of the Interna tional Steamship Company, I did not con tract to sleep in a skjTocket, and that I should not get into berth until it came down close enough for me to grab at it. The sense of utter forloruess, the feelings of desolation and goneness; the impression, generally correct that every well person in the ship is laughing at you: the saddening thought that there is no chance of dying ; the depressing knowledge that there is no help for it, anyhow; the confidence that nobody is going to do anything for you, and the philosophical resolution red cent if they don’t; the hope that you will be over it by morning; the fear that it will last a week; the forlorn hope, now and then, that the pilot will get frightened and tie the ship up to a tree at some place only for a little while; the despairing sense of disappoint ment that steals over you as it becomes evi dent that the pilot hasn’t the remotest thought of doing anything of the kind; and at last the fervent, earnest, despairing wish that the boiler will blow up, the ship strike a rock, catch on fire, capsize, be run down by au iron steamship, get struck by Iight- ningand sink in 600 fathoms of water, and d# it all most powerful quick, too. This is the final spasm. Why, even after I fell asleep, I dreamed that I was a boy again ; a happy, guileless, barefoot boy, and that I was in Peoria, sit ting behind the woodshed in the old yard on 3Ionroe street, where the postoffice now stands, making, in boyish solitude, my maiden efforts on my first and most ser- reptitious cigar. And I dreamed that the cigar was just about half smoked out, and was lying on the choppmg-block beside me, and that the cuitain hail just rung for the second act. Wonderful Georgia Woman. A lady of the Seventh District of Worth County, Georgia, has become insane on the subject of religion. Her dementatiou was first noticed about a month ago, soon after the close of a protracted meeting at Union Baptist Church, near her home. She at tended the different services very regularly and seemed deeply impressed and troubled from their first commencement. A short while before the meeting closed, she joined church. Going back home, her incoherent, maddened and rambling conduct was no ticed by her husband and children, and they liecame terribly excited and wrought ap about it. She went raving about the house and yard with a bucket of water, baptizing every thing in her pathway. She baptized her husband and each one of her children, and while doing this sang ihe most beautiful songs—songs that she had heard but once or twice. Although an un lettered woman (her husband will swear this), she reads any chapter in the Bible readily, pronouncing correctly and distinct ly, paying attention to punctuation points, &c. She preaches nearly all all the wliile, anil, our informant says, uses the choicest words and displays great wisdom and knowledge in the handling of different sub jects. Although not a 3Iason, she knows all the mysteries of that mysterious craft by heart. Dozens of 3Iasons have gone to see her, and they all come away dumb founded. Her husband has come to the conclusion that she is a witch. She lia^ at tempted acts of violence, but as yet done no harm. He, with outside assistance, tried at one time to incarcerate her in one of the rooms of the house, but the doors became unmanageable and wouldn't stay locked. She hasn’t slept in eighteen days and nights, and during that time has taken but few morsels of food. This is one of the strang est cases we have ever heard of. Hun dreds are Hocking to see the frenzied wo man. The Queen—The Wife. Long years ago—but this is a bit of ex clusive reminiscence known only to a fe w- Queen Victoria iu the early wedded life, had one of those squabbles with her hus band, of the sort which will come .'bout sometimes, even between the most loving married couples. Chagrined and vexed, the Prince retired to his room and locked the door. The Queen took the matter quietly for a while, but after the . lapse of an hour she went to his door and rapped. “Albert,” said she “come out.” “No, I will not,” answered the Prince within. “Come, go away; leave me alone. ” The royal temper waxed hot at this. “Sir,” she cried, “come out at once. The Queen whose subject you are, com mands you!” He obeyed immediately. Entering the room she designated, she sat down in si lence. For a long time nothing was said. The Queen was the first to break the si lence. “Albert,” she said, speak to me.” “Does the Queen command it ?” he asked. “No,” she answered, throwing her arms about his neck, “your wife begs it.” —The Lutheran church in this coun try has 725,000 communicants. Koad Agents. The Tom Bell gang was for many years the terror of the mountain districts in Cali fornia and Nevada, and many tales are told of their lawless deeds. My father was in terested in the building of the Donner Lake wagon road, and in an encounter with this gang managed by strategy to save a large sum of money. He was traveling on horse back and carried some of the money in a belt and a portion in his l>oots. He was accompanied by a friend whose route lay with his a portion of the way, but to him he did not confide the fact that he was car rying any considerable sum of money, as his friend w’as naturally a timid man and he did not care to add to the fears which al ready possessed him. About ten miles from their destination their roads divided, the friend going to the place where the work men wete quartered and my father to the house of a friend where he intended to pass the night. He jogged along leisurely for a mile or more, and as it was now about six in the evening, was thinking of hastening his steps in order to reach his stopping-place before dark, not expecting an}’ trouble in daylight, when he was suddenly joined by a horseman. The civilities of the day were exchanged, and they rode on together, con versing upon topics of current interest, work on the road, mining in the neighborhood,’ etc. At length the stranger asked careless ly where he was going, aud asked if he was not 3Ir. , the contractor. Papa said he was not, but that they came up together, and they had separated a few miles back. At the next by-path the stranger left him, and he learned the next morning that Ills friend had been surrounded by road agents, and all his protestations would not make them believe that the right man had gone the other way. It seems they had a de scription of the man they wanted and of the road he was expected to go, but the coolness of his denial and his going another way coupled with the fact that his friend’s description was, in some respects, similar, threw them off the track. As this gang were robbers, and not murderers, probably saved the other man’s life, for at that time highwaymen were known to have murdered men simply because they had no money. A poor teamster on the mountains was once stopped by a couple of men and his money demanded, but when they found he had none they contented themselves with both kicking him heartily and cursing him for a deceitful beggar for traveling without money. One of my relatives, a brother-in-law, member of a San Francisco commercial house, has often said he would not submit to being robbed without resistance, but would be certain to shoot any man who at tempted it. He always traveled well-arm ed and fortunately never met with any rob bers until about three years ago. He had some heavy collections to make through the southern part of California, and in one town where he stopped hail several firms to call upon. As he came out of one place where he called he saw a man standing at the door, but did not think of it again until he saw him at a second place he visited. He had been conversing with a member of the firm-and said among other things he had ta ken a buggy to go to several small towns in the vicinity and would be back in two or three days, that he was then going to the livery stable for bis team. Just as lie turn ed to leave the store the same man passed out before him On his way to the livery stable he stopped Jit Wells' Fargo'S Co.’s express office, as was his custom, and sent his coin to San Francisco. A few hours after leaving town he, found himself on a pleasant but lonely forest road, and the day being warm, he was beginning to enjoy the coolness of the shade, when the horse sud denly stopped and refused to move. The rest I will tell, as nearly as possible, in his words: “As I raised my head to see what wjis the matter I was met square in the face by the barrel of a pistol. I had looked into many a one before, but this was the first one I had seen one with a hole in it large enough to crawl into. ‘Throw up your hands! ” As the lines were hanging on the dashixjard, I had nothing to hinder my do-* ing it at once, which I did, like a little man. The fellow’s pal then went through me, and while doing so, if my arms dropped tf little, ‘higher,’ was the sharp order, and up they would go as high as I could reach. I had only thirty dollars, which seemed to surprise them as they thought I had the money they had seen me collecting, so they cursed me and their luck, looked at my watch to see the time, examined my wea pons, and put them all back in their places, said that was a nice diamond ring for a poor man to wear, but did not take it, saying they only wanted money, as in these times such things always gave a fellow away. They then told me to sit down, gave me the lines and said if I looked back before I reached the next iiouse they would blow my brains out. I didn’t look back. ” When he came home he walked into the house and laid his pistols down, saying he would never carry them again. When ask ed why, he said “ ’twas of no use to carry weapons,” and told the story I have just given. It is related of Joaquin 3Iurieta, the famous bandit chief, that the day after one of liis most daring exploits he rode up to a saloon in a mining camp, went iu and drank with the crowd and heard his own story told over and over by the excited throng and what they would do if they ever met him. He asked if they had ever seen him. None of them had, but they could all describe “the murdering greaser,” and would be glad to meet him— the sooner the better. Joaquin then ordered a drink, went to the door and mounted his horse, rode up to the bar, leaned down and took the glass, drank to the crowd, tossed the glass on]t he floor, and quick as lightning drew his revolver, dashed the spurs into his horse and shouted back at them : “Car- rajo Americano ! Here is Joaquin 3Iurieta! ” And before the bewilded miners had col lected their senses he was out of sight. Tbe Irishman and a Snake. One day while working over a wheat stubble where a gang of men were shocking wheat that had just been bound, I heard a yell. One of the Irshman had been bitten by a rattler that was under a sheaf of wheat and had fastened in his arm as he picked it up. The poor fellow was scared to death, almost. lout with my flask (itheld a plump pint), and he put it to his lips, and when he took it down it was empty. Then we started him on a run for the hotel. I look ed for snake weed, but not a biade could I find. I believe that’s usually the way—you can’t find it when you want it. We got the man, whose name was Martin something or other, to the house, and there filled him up with more whiskey. At first it didn’t seem to affect him, and the ann kept swell ing and got black. But by’mby Martin be gan to get happy : then he got hilarious ; then fighting drunk ; and then finally fell off his chair, dead drunk. He was saved. The next day he was out with his arm iu a sling, and I found him over in that same wheat stubble slowly walking around, and gazing intently at the ground. “What are you looking for, 3Iart?” I asked. He looked up, winked slyly, and drawled out: “Faith, sur, O’im looking fur the boit uva shnake.” I took the hint and gave him a good swig of whiskey, without putting him to the trouble of getting bitten by a rattle snake in order to secure it. —At Chautauqua Lake there is a miniature of the Holy Land covering one acre of land. NEWS IN BRIEF. —Wm. Quimbv.of 3Iendbam, N. J., has 120,000 peach trees on his farm. —Herr Krupp spent $50,000 in enter taining at 3Ieppen during his big gun trials. —In the new Eddystone Lighihouse oft' the Cornish coast, the electric light will be tried. —London has 122 square miles of area, and if it were perfectly square would be eleven miles each way. —Sixty-eight thousand eight hundred and seventy-five barrels of oil were burned in the Parker fire of Pa. —The poppy is credited with monopo lizing 1,000,000 acres of the most fertile land iu India. —The Colorado silver yield for this year is variously estimated all the wav from $24,000,000 to $100,000,000. —There are 447 patients in the 3Ior- ristown (N. J.) Hospital for the Insane, and 434 in the Trenton institution. —Orrin Gotham, of Epping, N. II., ate 36 peaches on a wager, and they killed him. —The French Mint at Bordeaux has been abolished, and henceforth the coining is all to be done in Paris. —Iowa raised 2,950,000 hog3 the past year, leading all the States in the U u ion. —The official census returns show that the population of Kansas on the 1st of 3Iarch last was 848,970. . —The tobacco crop of the world amounts to 1,300,000,000 pounds. The United States produces nearly one-half. —Boston drinks fifteen thousand gal lons of soda and twenty thousand gai- lous of root and tonic beer every day. —The expense of President Gambet- ta’s recent fete in Paris is put at $32,000, which was defrayed by two patriotic lady admirers. —Six tanks containing 1,500 barrels of oil were burned at Red Rock, McKean county, Pa., on the 25th of August. —England enjoyed but twenty three hours of sunshine during the week ending August 13th, although the sun was above the horizon 105 hours. —Fourteen hundred boxes of cheese were ottered for sale at the Meadville (Pa.) Exchange on the 25th of August, but no sales were negotiated. —The total of the subscriptions col lected in England for tbe widows ami orphans of those who died in Zululand amounts to $60,000. —It is a singular fact that since 1S42 there have been yellow fever cases in New Orleans every year, with the ex ceptions of 1861, 1862, 1863 and 1865. —Peter Siple, of North Ferrishurg, Vermont, has six daughters who aver- j;ge 217 pounds each. His whole fami ly of eight persons weighs 1,762 pounds. —In 1807, when Daniel Webster lived at Portsmouth, be had a red mo rocco pocket-book, which is now in possession of Col. Hoyt, of Cincinnati. —It is reported that the various 3Ior- mon congregations in North Georgia are organizing for the immediate exo dus to Utah. A great many native 3Iorrnons will go. —The United States buys more and more Canada horses yearly^ In 1875 we imported only 214, valued at $28,955; wliile last year the number was 6,632, valued at $391,235. —Ninety persons exercising trades an l professions in Great Britain have incomes exceeding $250,000. About three thousand have incomes between $25,000 and $250,000. —Hitherto the Krupp firm has made and delivered to the various States of Europe and Asia more than 20,000 can nons, only a very slight percentage of which have burst. —The 3Iuuicipal Council of Paris has voted to turn out all the teachers of the public schools in that city who belong to the religious congregations, and ap point lay instructors only. —The people of the United States pay over $700,000,000 a year for spirituous and fermented liquors, and only $95,- 500,000 for education anil $48,000,000 for religion. —Unlike liis predecessor, Archbisho Bayley, the present Archbishop of Bal timore, is opposed to the "mple Gre gorian music. 3Iodern music will in future be sung in the Cathedral of that city. —The cranberry crop of Ocean coun ty, N. J., is said to be rumed, owing to worms, drought, scald and grasshop pers. Eagleswoixl township, producing annually 20,000 bushels, will not yield 3300 bushels. —31rs. Guinness recently gave a bail in London at a cost of $20,000. 3Ian- tel pieces of stephanotis, banks of gar denia, and blocks of ice into which flowers were frozen were among the decorations. —Professor Louth, of 3Iunich, Bava ria. has published a book to prove that a hieroglyphieal inscription on a mon ument discovered in Lower Egypt by 3Iaritete-Bey shows that the monument was erected by Moses. —On a recent Sunday evening, 1,200 persons in St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Rochester, Minn., stood up and repeated, after Father Turner, a solemn pledge of abstinence from all intoxicating drinks for one year. —The Rev. Ekwin Post, 31. A., mem ber of the New Jersey Conference, and formerly Professor and Vice President of Pennington Seminary, has been e- lected Professor of the Latin Language and Literature in Asbury University, Indiana. —The capital invested in British rail ways in 1878 was $3,500,000,000; the number of miles open, 17,333; the cap ital per mile, 201,505; the proportion of working expenses to gross receipts was 53 per cent; and the proportion of net revenue to capital, 4.25 per cent. —Excursions to Charleston at large ly reduced rates are being organized by the South Carolina Railroads, in order to induce country storekeepers to buy their fall and winter stocks in that city, instead of geing north or buy ing by sample from commercial travel lers. —According to the report of Fish Warden Orr, just issued, there were 100,400 shad caught in the different fisheries of the Jersey shore of the Dele ware during the past season. Of this amount 35,0(0 were caught at the Gloucester fisheries and Pea Shore, seventy-two gill nets were employed. —R. S. Slaymaker, of Kittanning, Pa„ possesses an ancient piece of fur niture. It is a chair which belonged to his great grandfather, General Persifer Frazer, of the revolutionary armv. It is one of six chairs which were pur chased when his great grandfather was married, and is estimated to be about 110 years old. —The owners of the Great Eastern have at last determined to convert the great ship into a meat-carrying trader between London and Texas. The re quisite alterations, which includes new boilers, will involve an outlay of $50,- 000; but as the vessel can carry 2000 head of cattle or 36,000 sheep, it is be lieved that the speculation should prove remunerative. s