Newspaper Page Text
Cocal Hews Items.
Mr. and M rs. F. \V. Towles from
Martin's Point S. C. sa* v siting ths
family of Mr. O. A. Towles at Cork.
liorsetradirig was largely indulged
in he: e this week.
Judge F. Z. Curry was in Macon
Monday afternoon.
Mr. J. W. Jones, after spending a
week at the Gamp-maeting is at the
old stand ready for business.
We think that bicycle riding should
be stopped on the sidewalks along
Indian Spring St., as it is just as
dangerous and annoying to pedestri
ans there as anywhere else.
Several new houses have been built
atl’epperton. The place keeps grow
ing and will soon be quits a town.
The new addition to the mill is pro
gressing rapidly and will probably
be full of machinory and running by
the time the now cotton crop is gath
ered.
Mr. Tobe Thompson is up from
Eastman, visiting friends and rela
tives in Butts.
Mr Guy Dance from Eatonton is
in Butts visiting—friends.(?)
Mr, M. 8. Barber forinerlyof Butts,
bow of Putnam Cos. is visiting the
family of Mr O. A. Andrews.
Mr. Eugene MoMlchael was down
from McDonough Sunday.
Mr. Athie Wright and family from
Birmingham are visltiug the family
of Mr. A. XV. Wright ia East Butts.
Mr. J. B. Barker who lives nef r
Eastman was in Jackson .this week.
The Camp-meeting which closed
last Sunday was very largely attend
ed. A consevative estimate places
the numbers who attended on Vnd
Bunday at 4,000 while probably 8,000
were on the grounds !lrd Sunday.
Barry Lee Bastor of the East Ma
con Bartist Church was in Jackson
Monday and cu’l lon the Jacksonian.
Little Miss Mildred Sloan of Macon
is spending u few days with Miss
Helen Smith.
Miss Bessie Bea Williams has re
turned to her home in Barnesville.
Miss Frances Arnold is the guest of
her Aunt Mrs F Z. Currv.
Miss Exie Hum entertained most
delightfully Monday evening. After
several interesting games of trail ices
and cakes were served. Miss Jane
Ham served frappe during the even
ing. Among those present were Miss
es Sa I lie Ma eFletcher, Francis Arn
old, Cleo Carmichael, Ezra Morrison,
Jane Standfield, Lollie Bloodworth
Mrs. G-. C. Combs, Messrs Frank
Smith Carmichael, Lamar Etheridge,
Otis Ham, Victor Carmichael. Henry
Byron, Hugh Mallet, Clayton Buch
anan.
Jackson will be well represented at
the different colleges of the State at
the coming Fall session. Miss Jane
Btatidfield will go to Washington
Seminary, Misses Annie Kate Wright
Grace Jarrell, Ezra Morrison to Bes
sie Tift, Miss Lois Biles to Shorter,
Mias ('loo Carmichael, Sa 11 io Mae
Fletcher, Dovie Bryans to Brenan,
Miss Bauline Mallett to Wesleyan,
Miss Mervin Jones to Agues Scott.
Messrs Jack Dempsey and Bob Har
din to Emory and Henry Byron and
Otis Ham to Mercer.
Tom McKibbon spent Sunday
w th bis parents.
Quite a number of the younger so
ciety set enjoyed a picnic at Indian
springs Tuesday, l’ho chaperones
were Miss Rloise Pound and Mrs. G.
O. Combs.
Messrs F. S. Etheridge and C, W.
Buchanan have returned from Nort! jj
ri.ld Mass. Mrs. Etheridge will \isit
her brother in Now Jersey bof ore r< •
turning home.
M iss Kosa Newton has returned
hwtne after n visit to Miss Alice New
t*u in Forsyth.
L.OST:--Bunch of keys
somewhere between Jack
son and Stark. Also pair
of gold rim eyeglasses.
Finder 1 please return to
Dr. C. A. Butner;
THREE SHORT STORIES FOR
LEISURE MOMENTS REARING.
The Go-between.
[Original.]
If the fool killer comes this way he’ll
sure enough give me an invite to put
my head on the log where I kill toe
chickens. I’ve not only made a blun
der, but a double blunder, Ju tryin’ to
help two people at once. There was
Charlie Burnes mopin’ around, pinin’
because had no one to help him run
his farm, no companion or nothin’, and
there was Susan Mutter with a step
mother and unhappy at home. I
thought they’d do well to marry, so I
butted in and arranged the matter be
tween ’em. I had no interest in it; I
only consented to be a go-between out
o’ the kindness o’ my heart. I’m an
old maid myself and wouldn’t marry
the best man on earth. I hain’t got
no oall to marry. I got my own house
and ground all paid for and SSO a
month from bond and mortgage be
sides. So I’m out o’ the matrimonial
question. But I’m not the only one
hi the world to be considered. Mebbe
what’d kill me might cure others.
Thinkin’ that a-way, I told Chariie
about Susan and Susan about Charlie.
I praised Charlie to Susan, and this,
together wMh the hard time site was
havin’ at hotne, made her powerful
anxious to git him. But somehow cr
’nother she got the idea that if lie
seen her he wouldn’t have her, so she
told me f could tell him if he’d take
in* - entirely on my recommend it ’u 1
lie a t). Charlie he thought if she
seen what on ungainly feller he was
she wouldn’t have him neither, so lie
consented. I didn’t see no harm in
this, for Susan was pretty as a poach,
and Charlie was as line a-lookin’ fel-;
l#r ever foiiered a plow.
The lnwriiln’ o’ the weddin’ I helped
Susan to git on a white muslin dress,
and when the other fixiu's was all on
she looked lovely. The clock struck
the hour for the weddin’, the house
was chuck full o’ the neighbors—l fur
nished the cake and things—and up
drive* CliarHe iu ilia two horse wag
on, with a suit o’ new store clothes
ou, lookin’ line and manly. I met him
at the door and tuk him in to the'set
tln' room, vrirere Susan was a-standin’
waitin’. Susan blushed a little, and I
seen a mighty pleased look come over
Charlie’s face. But there wasn’t no
time to git acquainted, for the parson
stepped in, and before they kuowed
It they was married. Then, after the
snack set in the dinin’ room, Charlie
tuk his wife out to the wagon and
driv’ off. followed by the usual shower
o’ rice and okl slippers.
Reckon you’ll say there wn’u’t nothin’
foolish about this, ami I don’t know
as there would ’a’ been if tt could a
been done without a go-between. Y’see
there’s a natural course sieh things
have to run, .list like measles. A
wrong treatment o’ measles is apt to
drive ’em in. In Charlie’s and Susan’s
case the courtin' and the gittlu’ used
to workin’ In matrimonial harness was
throwed ou to ’em all to onct. If the
courtin’ had been done in its proper
time, the new harness wouldn’t ’a’ been
so hard to get used to. As it was they
both of ’em kicked the traces.
It wasn’t three days after the wed
din’ when Susan she come to me all
afire, and she says, says she, “Miss
Shaw, what’d you go tie me up to slch
a man as that for?’’ “What’s the trou
ble?” says I. “He never speaks to me
at breakfast bo rnore’n if I’d come in
for hired help.” I don’t know nothin'
’bout men,” says I. “but 1 hearn tell
that they have all sort; o' ways about
’em that dau’t mean nothin’. If he don’t
want to talk at breakfast, wait till
dinner. Xobbe he'll have souiepin to
say by that time that's wo'th heatin’.”
Well, the went away only half paci
fies!, and pretty soon in comes Charlie,
and fit' wuMs to know what I had agio
hint to marry him to a woman who
talked all Vi*> time at breakfast—just
the time o’ day he felt chipper and
liked talkin’ himself—and wouldtht give
him n chance to got iu > word. I tele
him I was a woman myself and
knowed that there was times a woman
had to talk and times she had to cry,
and If he wanted to git one different
from this he’d have to git her ir.ule
to order.
For months they was a-runnin’ to me
complainin' because I sot ’em into a
fix, and I got mighty tired of it I
made up my mind sumpin had to be
done to stop it.
One evenin' I got out my mar* and
driv over to Charlie’s farm. Charlie
was a-sitiu’ on the porch smokin' liis
cob pipe, aid Susan was inside doin’
the suppec dishes. 1 set still In the
buggy, with the whip in my hand, for 1
knowed I was a-gotu' to do, and I
thought It ’ud bo prudent to be ready
to move suddeut.
"CharlieT I soys, says I. “I eome
over to *x your pardiug for tyin' y’
up with a gal that’s got one o’ the
wontf tpufttgs Lever hearu of.’’
THE RAID ON
MINERVA ISLAND. I
[Original.]
“Boat, ahoy! Any harbor on that
Island?”
“Yes. but you can’t go irr there.”
“Why not?”
“That’s Minerva island. Occupied
and managed by women. They don’t
allow any men there. Got guns
mounted to protect the channel.”
“Old girls or young ones?”
“Mostly young ones.”
That was enough for the yachtsmen.
A council was held, and it was deter
mined to make a conquest of Minerva
island or die In the attempt. There
were Lynn Pomeroy, Truby Miller,
Reid Scarborough and Henry Rud
dock. They had all been graduated
the preceding June In the same class
at college, and Pomeroy, the wealthy
one of the lot, had invited the rest for
a summer cruise on his yacht, the Vul
can. Ten minutes after the council
broke up they sailed between two
points of land up toward the harbor.
They had not gone far before a boat
put off from shore manned by six
girls in white, with blue sailor collars
and bine tam-o’-shanter hats with
white bands. They came alongside the
yacht, and one in the stern politely
requested the party to beep off. Pom
eroy bowed nearly to the deck and
declared that he had come to make
an inspection of Minerva island and
write up an a -count of it for the bene
fit of the women of America who were
interested in it. He was informed
that this would not be permitted.
Then, with a warning to proeed no
further, the boat was pulled away.
The yacht sailed en up the channel
between two forts. Suddenly a dozen
girls in each fort sprang to the guns,
and two shots were fired simultane
ously. One cut away the yacht’s bow
sprit; tiie other put a hole amidships.
This lookcxl serious. The wreckage
forward occasioned a loss of control,
and the yacht drifted down stern fore
most. As soon as possible the anchor
was dropped, and the Vulcan remain
ed hors do combat half a mile below
(he forts. Net having gnus aboard, an
offensive move was impracticable.
Soon after dark ITenry Ruddock, a
scapegrace of the first order and the
crack liar of his class in college, bid
adieu to his shipmates and, plunging
Into the water, struck out for the shore.
He got within a few yards of it when
he gave a cry for help. A bout put out
from a landing, ami, following his cries,
he was rescued. Taken ashore and
revived, he was asked to explain.
“Those men on the yacht.” he gasped,
“are a set of devils. Just because I ad
vocated letting you young ladies alone
they pitched me overboard, knowing I
couldn't swim a stroke.”
“The wretches!” exclaimed the girls
at once.
“How I got as far as I did I don’t
know. Permit me to thank you young
ladies for my life.” The last words
were spoken jn a tremulous voice, and
the girls simultaneously exclaimed:
“Poor fellow!”
Nothing was heard aboard the yacht
of the man who had been “thrown
overboard.” Ha was treated kindly by
the owners and defenders of Minerva
Island and at once started a violent
love affair (concealed, of course) with
the captain of the battery. The next
evening Truby Miller was pulled in
the dingey under cover of the darkness
past the forts up to the main dock near
where were the principal buildings of
the community. He. too, was “pitched
overboard” and, reaching the dock,
asked the first woman he met to ttike
him at once before the governor of the
island. The governor scowled, and Mil
ler told his story. He had swum ashore
to inform the ladies that the men on
the yacht were intending to tow the
yacht past the forts at midnight with
i the dingey. He had protested, but
without avail, and had then resolved to
spoil the game.
The governor informed him that a
searchlight was in position and would
j In? used if the night was so dark that
it would lie needed, but since the moon
I woy’-i rjscjat.lO. o’clock it would prob-
T hadn’t hardly got the words oat
o’ my mouth before Susan she comes
to the door wipin' a plate with v dish
cloth and fire in her eye. "Wliat’s that
y* say?" she says, mighty hot “I says,”
says I, "I've come over a-purpose to
tell you, Susan, that I’m mighty sorry
for what I done, persuadin’ you to
marry the wo’st man in the world to
git on with. He’s the eonsarudest”—
reached down for the iron
scraper beside the steps, but he was
too late. Susan shied the plate she
wus wipin’ at me, and It wont within
an huh of my nose. I give the mar' a
cut'with the whip and got out, follered
by most o’ the movables in the house,
Charlie and Susan both a firin’ at me.
I.aws a-merev, what’s this: "It's a
giri. We’ve named her Arabella Marie
after the dear woman who brought us
together.” LOfIENE C. ADAMS.
An Unrevealed Mystery
[Original.]
Few United States army people re
member the mystery which occurred
at Fort C. many years ago, a mystery
which has never to this day and doubt
less never will be revealed. Those un
der whose notice it took place are now
either on the retired list or dead. Yet
here and there dozing over a newspa
per at some army or navy club a white
headed old man may be found who can
give the circumstances.
One day away back in the last cen
tury guests were assembling at the
quarters of Colonel Athern. command
ing Fort C., to celebrate the wedding
of the colonel’s niece, Miss Roxana
Bonfield, with Lieutenant Reginald Al
len. Allen had secured a leave or had
been sent a-way on some duty—it was
claimed that he was purposely absent
—and was to have returned for a bach
elor farewell dinner he was to give on
the evening before the wedding. There
were no malls or telegraphs handy at
that time by which he eoald send any
word, and when he did not appear for
the dinner It was supposed he had
been unavoidably detained. But when
the garrison clock struck 12 the next
day, the hour appointed for the cere
mony, and he did not appear there was
a hum of surprise.
Allen never did appear again at Fort
C. The lady he was to have married
bore the slight put upon her so well,
never uttering a word of blame, that
she received the sympathy of every
one. Not a person at the fort wlk>
afterward met Lieutenant Allen—lie
offered no explanation of his conduct—
but gave him a dead cut. He remained
to the army only a year af-ter the day
he was to have been married, when,
finding himself tabooed wherever he
appeared among army people, he re
signed and disappeared.
Five years after her disappointment
Miss Bonfield.engaged herself to Cap
tain Gregg. The engagement occurred
just before Gregg was ordered tc an
other post. Certain young wags with
more love of saying mean things than
delicacy debated among themselves if
Crags would behave as ’.lien had be
haved. But Gregg, after being en
gaged for six months, during all of
which time he was absent from his
fiancee, returned in ample time for the
wedding.
There is no record that any disagree
ment ever occurred between Captain
am! Airs. Gregg. During, the first few
months of their marriage Gregg ap
peared as a devoted and happy hus
band. Then one day when he went on
duty he gave evidence of having re
ceived a shock. To inquiries as to his
health he replied that he was never
better. Nevertheless lie had a hunted
look and lost flesh till Ids uniform
hung about him in deep creases. While
the loving devotion he had shown hls
wife did not continue, he was perfect
ly respectful and attentive to her.
What surprised every one was that she
did not treat him or appear to worry
about him as a sick man. She seemed
rather indifferent than otherwise. Then
people whispered to one another that
she had never recovered from having
lost ly;r tir,st Uivty ,
ably not Se needed: She thanked him,
however, for his noble conduct and or
dered hira treated well till he could
be sent away.
No attempt was made to pass the
forts, and the next day a man was
seen from the shore to cut the dingey’s
painter and pull away from the yacht,
followed by shots. It was Scarbor
ough, who Came ashore with another
cock and bull story about the men on
the yacht and their intention to steal
ashore in a body and put the denizens
of the island to the sword. The crew
ori the yacht now consisted of rom
eroy who was obliged to fire revolvers
with both hands to make an appear
ance of men instead of a man. Then
Pomeroy deserted, and the four men
agreed to protect the women against
those who remained in the yacht, and
not one should get ashore if it required
all their four lives to prevent it. The
yacht was now lying at anchor with
out a soul aboard.
Several days passed. The yachtsmen
averred that the deserted appearance
of the yacht indicated some underhand
cutthroat scheme was to be perpetrat
or'. On the evening of the fourth day
the men asked for a boat to recon
noiter. It was given them, and they
left the dock, never to be seen on it
again. The next morning the yacht
was nowhere to he seen, and four of
the girls failed to answer to roll call—
namely, the captain of the battery, one
tutor and two seniors.
The governor called the community
together in the chapel and pointed out
th*e wisdom of their course in keeping
aloof from treacherous man. But a
guard of illiterate, red headed, snaggle
toothed men was hired to protect the
harbor. S. HUNTER HALSEY.
Miss Beckham left Monday for her
home in Concord.
M#. H. Franklin of Barnewila was
the ftresc of Dr. and Mrs. R. A. Frank
lin, Saturday and Sunday,
Mies Pearl Pearson returned Wed
nesday to her home in Roanoke Ala,
Misses Ezra Morrison and Sallie t
Mae Fletcher w:ll spend next week
with Miss Frances Arnold in Hamp
ton.
Robert Hardin isjfuest at the home
of Col. aodMrs. T. J, Dempsey.
Mrs. G. C. Combs of Atlanta is the
guest of Miss Cleo Carmichael.
Miss Ada Sam’s visitors Misses
Fitzpatrick and Lyons '
to their homes in Fitzpatrick and At
lanta respectively.
Miss Kate Pye is visiting her sister
Mrs. F. Z. Curry.
Miss Exie Ham entertained the
younger set of girls at Trail, Saturday
morning, for Miss Lollie Bloodworth
the guest of Miss Jane Stanfield. At
the elese of the games a delicious sal
ad course was served. Those invited
were: Misses Ezra Morrison, Lollie
Bloodworeh of Forsyth, Ina McMich
ael,Lucy Moore, Miss Gosset, Mrs.
G. C. Combs.
Mias Cleo Carmichael entertained
a few of her friends informally Mon
day morning for her guest Mrs. G. C.
Combs of Atlanta.
Miss Kendrick of Atlantasis the
guest of Miss Laura Harmon.
Thornton Buchanan is spending a
f 9 w days at home.
Mr. G. T. Fosset is in the city.
Mr. Walter Voazy of Gainesville
spent Monday with his sister Mrs. M.
E. Gunn.
Miss Mattisu Ham entertained in
formally Tuesday evening at bid dom
inoes her guests including Misses
Bessie Ham, Pearl Pearson, Tallie
Jolly, Messrs Add Nutt, Harold Mal
let, George Mallet.
Mr. W. H. Robinson and family of
White C.ty Florida will arrive today
to spend some time with the family
of D. J. Thaxtonon West Third St.
Gregg finally gor*a year's leave ana
went abroad—without his wife. At the
end the year he returned in foir
condition, but with something of the
hunted look left.
Iu six months he was sent to a re
treat. where he died a few years later.
Mi*. Gregg was now a woman of
twenty-eight. She had no children
and did not look her age. The unfbr
tuna*e ending3 of her love affairs bad
net Beemed to cast any cloud over her.
She was not at all depressed. She ap V
peared simply as any other young wo
man whose husband had died and left
her a widow. Her widowhood was
short. Ia eighteen months after Gregg’s
death she became the wife of Major
Thurston.
Thurston’s sister, an army woman,
begged him not to marry Mrs. Gregg.
But when the brother asked for rea
sons he got nothing except what has
been told thus far in this story—tluft is,
that the woman had been treated
shamefully by her first fiance and that
her husband had died of some brain
or nervous trouble. The major de
clined to act the part of the first and
saw no reason why he should fear the
fate of the second. The sister still
protected; but, without a reason, he de
clined to change his course. He mar
ried Mrs. Gregg and ten weeks later
committed suicide.
Thurston is not the first man who
has made a mistake by not heeding a
woman’s warning because no good of
sufficient reason accompanied it.
Women have been known to be right
in condemning a man from the shape
of his nose. However-, there was no<
the slightest proof that Mrs. Thurston
had any direct or indirect influence on
her husband’s suicide. What surprised
every one was that this climax to her
unfortunate matrimonial affairs seemed
to have no more effect upon her than
either of the other cases. She seemed
perfectly passive under each and al!
of them. Nevertheless she did not
marry again, though it was reported
that several men at different times
were attentive to her. It was supposed
that on learning her marital record
they desisted.
Mrs. Gregg-Thurston died when she
was past fifty. No explanation was
ever given of the blight that fell on
her lovers, but there was a story told
by the physician who brought her into
the world that her mother a few
months before the child’s birth had
been frightened by a snake.
May no't Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes'
character of Elsie Venner, whose
mother suffered a similar fright, the
child inheriting serpentine traits, ex
plain the mystery of Roxana Bonfield?
OGDEN LANCASTER*