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@he Art (Staines Sentinel.
JOSHUA JONES, PUBLISHER.
VOL. II.
J Growth.
How, winds, your rage but shakes the tree
And roots it surer in its place!
Scatter your rain, yo clouds, and free
The buds that wait your frowning graco I
Roll down, 0 river, to the sea
And widen in your onward race!
Peace through a sunny span may keep
His garden in some quiet glen,
"Whilst others sow for him and reap
Attend his flocks on moor and fen;
^jt>e f The flowers strife of Peace are death and sleep;
of living makes us men.
Ah, joy it is to win the goal
By tireless work and dauntless will,
Yet may the life rise orbed and whole
From clouded hopes, and loss, and ill;
Our baffled toils upbuild the soul,
And failure so is victory still.
—A. St. John Adcock.
Sarah Barton’s Pension
BY ANDREW DOWNING.
It is not believed that patriotism
alone prompted Henry Barton in 1862
to enlist in an Illinois regiment. In
fact it is recalled by some of the
neighbors that ho and his wife Sarah
did not “get along well” together
about those days.
The cause of contention—if such
there was—is not known, save that it
might be summed up, perhaps, iu the
word “incompatibility,” a mysterious'
something which often drapes very
thinly a closeted domestic skeleton.
For he was an ignorant, selfish
man, much given to causeless jeal¬
ousy. And Sarah was the very opjio
site in character, being patient, dis¬
creet and womanly. Moreover,she was
well educated,aud the marriage would
seem to have been ill-assorted. But
I will tell the story and permit the
reader to draw his own conclusions.
The man enlisted. The little wife,
with tearful eyes and a heavy heart,
bade him good-by, and he was soon at
the front. Left alone, with two small
children, and an eighty-acre farm to
care for, and with rather slender means
at her command, it is no wonder that
she thought to herself that her service
would be tho harder of the two. But
she was plucky aud resolute, and
wonld do her best.
The soldier was sparing of letters to
. his family. Sometimes weeks and
even months marked the intervals of
their coming. And very little money
.. was enclosed in them.
In July, 1863, the regiment was at
. Nashville. Mrs. Barton had received
no letter from her husband for nearly
three monthsjbut one morning tho
news came through a, neighbor—home
on furlough from the same post—that
Barton was sick in the hospital at that
place. About a month later she re¬
ceived notice from tho hospital sur¬
geon that the husband was dead and
had been buried in the Nashville cem
tery.
But Barton was not dead. In truth
he had been very sick with typhoid
y if ever, then convalescent, and finally
. ordered to report to his captain
*jvas
jJot duty the following morning.
* He did not sl*eep well that night,but
lay awake for hours pondering—schem¬
ing, it would seem. Upon the wall,
at the head of his bed, was tacked a
card giving his name, Henry Barton,
his company and regiment, and the
nature of his sickness. This rule was
generally observed. The cots were
close together, there was just room
enough to allow the attendants to pass
between them. Barton was in the
“Typhoid fever” ward, as it was
called.
Sometime after midnight he awoke
from a doze. Listlessly his hand fell
upon the cot nearest him, upon which
was a Pennsylvania soldier. His fin¬
gers touched the man’s face. It was
cold. He investigated and found him
to be dead. None of the nurses
seemed to have discovered it.
Almost instantly he formulated a
plan, and, tabout as quickly, began its
execution. He wanted to desert from
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IS THE SUPREME LAW.
FORI' GAINES. GA., FRIDAY, APRIL 17. 1896.
tho army; it would appear that he
wished to leave his wife also—or
rather that he did not moan to return
to her. The plan was a shrewd one
and everything favorable to its ac¬
complishment.
Rising from his couch, and dress¬
ing himself hastily, he lifted tho dead
man from the cot and placed him up¬
on tho one ho himself had vacated.
The lights burned dimly and he suc¬
ceeded in finally getting out of the.
building unperceived, aud finally out
of the city.
The next morning the attendants
of the hospital discovered that the
Illinois soldier—known by tho record
at the head of his bed—was dead.
Search was made for the missing man,
and as he could nowhere be found,the
Pennsylvanian was reported, officially
as a deserter, while tho Illiuosian,
Henry Barton, was recorded as
dead.
I have said that the plan of the de¬
sert© rwas a shrewd one. Lot us
analyize it. The only chance that
could prove unfavorable to the
venture was that the nurse, who had
waited upon both patients, might
detect it. But he was aware that the
hospital was crowded and the attend¬
ants overworked; that the dead sol¬
dier would be buried, probably, that
day without being seen by any one
who had known either of them—
and he was willing to take tho risk.
He realized, too, beyond a doubt,
that being officially dead nobody would
pursue and arrest him as a deserter ;
and further, if they arrested him as
the Pennsylvnnian he could not be
identified as that individual. He
made no miscalculation in the matter,
and was soon hundreds of miles away.
Years afterwards Mrs. Barton filed a
claim for pension as the widow of
Henry Burton, submitting the usual
evidence to substantiate it. In due
course of time the pension was granted
granted at the rate of twelve dol¬
lars j)er month for herself and two
dollars per month for each of her
children, with arrears, at the same
rate, from the date of the soldiers
death. This allowance placed her in
very comfortable circumstances. She
was enabled to lift the mortgage that
was on the farm, aud deposit, besides,
quite a goodly sum in the bank against
the “rainy day” we have all heard
about.
Meantime another very worthy little
woman in one of the valleys of the
Alleghany Range, in Pennsylvania—
and whose husband also had been a
soldier—did not fare so well. Be¬
lieving herself to be a widow she,
too, applied for a pension; but
her claim was speedily rejected on the
ground that record evidence in the
Pension bureau showed that the sol¬
dier deserted from the army in August
18G3, while an inmate of the Nash¬
ville hospital.
When her grief was yet new Mrs.
Barton had resolved that she would
have,the body of her husband re¬
moved from Nashville and buried in
Illinois as soon as her means would
allow it. But the lapse of years and
the cares of her daily life made his
memory nebulous and dim whenever
it happened to rise before her and the
idea of a re-interment was abandoned.
She reasoned that the expense would
be great, and that it would do no
good ; he was dead, and man y others
who were even better husbands and
oldiers than he must sleep in South¬
ern graves until the resurrection
morning, She would not disturb
him.
So it is, ever, and has been. How
soon, after death, even the greatest
naan dwindles into significance. How
speedily and surely, when he is asleep
in his little dormitory in the church
yard, do the people among whom he
walked in life—whose activities and
recreations, joys and sorrows he
shared—forget him as though he
never existed. How soon even those
near and dear to him lose sight of him
or at best are bound to him by only a
ghostly and fitful remembrance grow¬
ing fainter aud fainter as tho years go
by. Is it not better so?
Some months ago an army comrado
mot Barton upon ono of tho crowded
thoroughfares of San Francisco, and
knew him. “I am aware that you
have been dead for thirty years,” ho
said to him, “but all tho same you are
Henry Barton and you wore iu my
regiment in the army I”
Aud Barton,finding concealment no
longer possible, told the whole story,
and it was speedily transmitted to a
prominent attorney iu a Western state.
That gentleman who had been their
colonel iu the army, succeeded,
through a deal of correspondence, in
straightening out tho matter iu the
pension office in tho interest of right
and justice. Iu other words, the
,
rightful and 'only pensionable wid¬
ow in tho case, tho Pennsylvania
woman, now receives a pension, whilo
the name of Sarah Barton has been
dropped from the rolls.
Tho attorney told me the story. He
says that Mrs. Barton would have
been prosecuted for criminal practico
in the matter, but when it was shown
to tho officers of tho govern¬
ment that, although technically
guilty, she had perpetrated tho fraud
ignorantly aud unintentionally—tho
husband being tho real ofi’onder—tho
case was dropped. Aud no attempt
was made to collect from her tho
money she had received as pensioner.
I am glad of it. Yet, somehow, I enn
not help thinking that in this particu¬
lar instance tho blind goddess will
never have her scales properly bal¬
anced until Barton, tho deserter, sh^ll
have received his dues, and tho little
old woman in Illinois, and that other
little old woman in Pennsylvania,
whom ho caused so much trouble and
sorrow, shall know “for sure” that
•1 iis Nemesis has overtaken him. But
I may bo wrong.—Monthly Illustra¬
tor.
Ways of the Moose.
Ambrose seemed to know a great
deal pbout moose, after all. He told
the boys how, back from the narrow
valley and tho swift, winding stream,
the country was all a wilderness; hill
sides clad with birches, maples, and
evergreens, and resting at their feet
little lakes, so numerous that no man
knew how many there were. Often,
where these lake were shallow, tho yel¬
low pond-lily with its oval leaves
crowded the surface. At other sea¬
sons the tender bark of mountain-ashes
and moose-woods are the favorite food
of the moose; but now there is noth¬
ing he likes so well as the long tubu¬
lar roots of tho lily. In tho very
early mornings and in tho evenings,
about the time of tho harvest moon—
the full moon nearest September 21—
a hollow sound, not unlike the sound
of distant chopping, may be heard.
It is the sound of moose calling to
their mates, or the angry challenge of
fierce rivals. /It is this sound which
the hunter imitates to attract the
moose. But there are only u few
places where tho moose will answer—
shallow spots in certain well-known
lakes, and it is said to be nearly use¬
less to call anywhere else.—St. Nicho¬
las.
Mortars 580 Years Old.
A Mr. Dunlap, who lives in the
Butte Creek section, remarks the
Portland Oregonian,reports a curious
find near the foot of Mount Pitt.
While grubbing out hazel brush ho
made an excavation four or five feet
deep. In the hole he found two stono
mortars bearing the date 1316, one of
which was eighteen inches across.
I he pestles lay close by, and also a
stone slab having the appearance oi a
petrified board. This wa3 covered
| with different figures.
ONE DOLLAR PER ANNUI-
Cure for Cracker Stealing.
A country storo is the scone of many
curious happenings. Ono of thoso
occurred in a small village in the up*
per part of old Dutchess county. The
clerk was a bright, smart, active coun¬
try lad, who was equal to all emer¬
gencies. IIo found that a certain den¬
izen of tho place, “Jake Drown,” al¬
ways found a convenient sitting on
tho counter in tho farther part of tho
storo near thocrackor barrel, and that
when tho clork’s eyes woro not upon
him tho old man’s position allowed
him to pilfer a number of biscuits.
Tho clerk soon grow tirod of this, and
ho arranged a good-sized noedlo with
a spring in a liolo in the counter un¬
der tho oil cloth covering with a long
string, which could bo pulled at auy
point in tho store.
Ono extremely hot day in June tho
old man entered tho storo aud took
his position as usual ou top of tho
counter near tho cracker barrel. Tho
clerk was apparently ongagod with a
customer, but hiul his eye on “old
Jake,” and when ho was reaching for
tho crackers the string was pulled.
“Jake” went up in tho air, landing ou
his feet in tho middio of tho storo. Ho
felt for the object of attack, ho wear¬
ing only overalls. Not being re¬
warded in his search he mounted tho
counter tho second time and was about
to make another attempt at cruckor
raising when lie felt another thrust,
which lifted him in tho air again. Ho
started for tho attic above tho storo.
His prolonged absouco causod tho
clerk to go up to tho attic (whero ho
found it as hot as au oven), to see
what was going ou. Ho found tho
old man distracted and nearly dis¬
robed in tho middle of the floor,
shaking his overalls furiously. The
sight was laughable. Tho clert asked
him what was tho matter. Hu re
plied:
“This morning whilo mowing iu tho
meadow I struck a hornet’s nest, and
ono of tho pesky things lias crawled
up tho leg of my overalls and has
struck mo twice, and I’m hunting for
it.”
The clerk wore a smile.—The New
York Mail and Express.
A Novel Smoke Consumer.
A ue\v smoko consuming device has
: just been tried in Pittsburg, Tho
construction of tho device is simple
and inexpensive An automatic ur
rangement is attached to tho doors of
the furnace, and is regulated by tho
steam pressure to increase or diminish
the ingress of air to tho firebed as
needed. When the coal has become
incandescent tho amount of air is di¬
minished by tho closing of tho vents
to prevent the cooling of the fire by
the air blowing over it. Iu the center
of the firebox is au arch, which
becomes incandescent, aud tho heat
from which burns tho gases contained
in the smoke when the proper amount
of oxygen is mixed with it.— New
York Telegram.
His Rifle Shot the Nliute.
A young man named James Cox,liv¬
ing near Parachute, has a bullet in
the calf of his leg, us the result of a
singular accident. Whilo hunting, ho
leaned his gun against a rock and sat
down on the steep hillside just above
it. The gnn slid down the hill, dis¬
charging itself as it went. The ball
struck Cox’s boot and buried itself in
| Salt Lake City tribune.
An Attempt.
Mrs. Brown, —How would you define
“tact”?
Mrs. Jones.—I should say tact is tho
ability to make your husband believe
I that he is having his own way.—Puck,
* Old Orchard, Me., has a woman
painter of a now kind. She paints
houses and barns and fences, and does
it for a living, and makes a good liv¬
ing at it.
NO. 15.
A Story About Tho Saltan.
Why doos tho Snltan allow what waft
once a respectable fleet to rot to
pieces anchored off Stamboul ?
Simply because ho considers an
ironclad a dangerous instrument in
the hands of any Minister or tho
resolute Commander.
It is truo that there are no ships
to guard his coasts, but also there
are nono to steam up the Bosphorus
aud throw a sholl into his place, and
that is tho first object to bo thought
of.
Tho incident which lod to tho order
for tho extinction of tho Turkish navy
was as follows: A transport was
bringing a number of time-expired
men homo, whou they respectfully
mutinied, and begged their officers to
go below, as they wished to do some¬
thing which might not be approved of.
Some non-commissioned oflicors then
took command and anchored off
Doima Bagtchon, and after firing a
small salute, bogan shouting. “Loug
livo tho Sultan 1”
This demonstration caused immedi¬
ate confusion at tho paJaco and vari¬
ous high officials were dispatched to
parley with tho mutineers but they
insisted on seeing tho Minister, and
when ho at last appeared they said
they know tho Sultan had given
tho monoy to pay them, but that they
hud not received it, and they would
not badge until they did.
No arguments were of any avail,
and tho money had to bo sent for and
distributed after which the men
weighed anchor with a cheer, and
gave up the ship again.
The Sultan, however, reflected that
what a transport had done peaceably a
heavily-armed man-of-war might do
with evil intent, and calling Hassan
Pasha to him, he declared that ho
wanted no more navy.
In this light-hearted manner a
branch of national defense, which has
been tho pride of its officers, was
sacrificed to tho royal fears for per¬
sonal safety, and Hassan Pacha, who
has steadily carried out his master’s
program, has ever siuco been in
high favor, and is, to all intents aud
purposes, Minister for life.—London
Standard.
A Ceylon Nettle.
We got up hill pretty well, and
wore just beginning the descent of tho
ridge, when W., who was leading,
called out, “Ware Mousu! u cry that
most planters know tho meaning of,
for the inousa plant is the most fear¬
ful of nettles. In appearance it is the
most harmless of things, with large,
smooth, durkgrecn leaves, of a long,
oval shape, slightly pointed at tho
ends. It is the sort of a leaf that you
would pick, because of its shape and
size to put in your hat on a hot day ;
hut only touch it, aud you will re¬
member it to tho end of your life. It
raises a red patch thut burns und in¬
flames, aud every time the part is
washed, for days and sometimes weeks
after, tho pain is renewed with all its
vigor. Some idea may bo gained of
its virulence when it is considered
that in the “colapse” stage of Asiatic
cholera it is not unusual to use this
leaf, applying it by flagellution along
tho spine. When this does not wake
the patient, ho is bound to die.—Out
iug.
Conclusive.
An Irishman and a Frenchman were
ono day having a dispute. over tho
nationality of a friend of theirs.
“I say,” said the Frenchman, “thut
if ho was born in Franco he is a
Frenchman. ”
“Begorra,” said Pat, “if a cat should
have kittens in the oven would you
i call them biscuits?”—Toronto (Cana
ada), Christian Guardian.
There are no fewer than 521 for¬
eign doctors established in Paris,more
than a sixth of all the practicing
physicians.