Newspaper Page Text
LETTER from burke county.
I have been promising so long to write
you from this land of salamanders, gophers
and alligators, that 1 fear you think my
promises are made to be broken.
Perhaps some of your little readers may
wish to know what a salamander is. They
are small animals living in the ground, like
the mole, and are about the size ol a large
rat. They throw up their small mounds
of earth all over the woods, and are some
times very destructive to seeds planted in
the ground. The gopher is something like
the terrapin. They too burrow in the
ground and their holes arc sometimes
twenty or thirty feet long. They are very
strong: a moderate sized one is strong
enough to carry a man on his back. They
do not make good horses, if the rider is in
much of a hurry. There were a great
many in this country before the war. The
yankees, however, almost destroyed the
iast one of them during the war. There
was a stockade of prisoners near here, and
a few of them were out on parol, to assist
in providing rations for the prisoners.
These hunted up caught and ate every go
pher in reach. This country is neither
level nor hilly. The impression on looking
over the country, at first sight, is that it is
level. Instead of a range of hills or ridge,
it is composed of sinks, hollowed out in
the shape of a basin. Many of the sinks
fill up with water, which does not dry up
all summer. Most of these ponds of any
size have been drained, and put into culti
vation. I know of one ditch over thirty
feet deep for the purpose of rendering one
of these ponds fit for cultivation. The
draining of these ponds have rendered this
County, which was formerly regarded as a
graveyard, as healthy as any section of the
State. In some places, however, it is still
quite sickly. The soil is sandy—in some
places the clay is near the surface ; such
lands produce cotton finely. The farmers
here are paying much more attention than
formerly to making their farms self-sus
taining. Very little corn is brought into
the County, and, until the war commenced
in Turkey, you could buy as much as you
wanted at sixty-five cents per bushel. It
is a great County for chickens and eggs.
I know one family, that sold last year
about fifty dollars’ worth of eggs. It is
also a fine country for cattle and sheep ;
the wire grass when young affords fine
grazing for sheep, and the cattle eat it all
summer. It grows all over the woods Bor
10 inches high.
It is a great country for fish, judging
from the number I see going out on excur
sions of this kind, and by the samples that
have been sent me. I went out early in
the season on a spring branch two or three
times, and caught each time enough for
breakfast. We caught then the “red-eye,”
“war-mouth,” “log-perch” and “ rccl
bellies.” These are all varieties of the
perch family. Now, they catch bran, cat,
red-horse and jack. Many of your readers
will be surprised to learn that we have to
purchase our worms in Augusta. There is
a kind of ant here that destroys nearly all
the worms, and besides, they do not grow
well in this sandy land. Each man that
pretends to fish at all, has a box in which
he rears and takes care of his bait. At
this season of the year, they use the “ Ca
tawber ” —or rather “Catalpa —worm
for bait: it looks very much like a cater
pillar.
Very little interest was taken in the
Convention question. Until they began to
draw the color line, a majority of the
whites were opposed to the Convention ;
but the drawing of that line on this ques
tion, changed the votes of all who were
opposed to it.
It is very dry down here and crops are
beginning to suffer. We have had two
light showers lately that has improved
matters wonderfully. The gardens are
completely burnt up.
Allow me to say “ The Sun ” makes its
visits regularly every week, and always
brings a cheering ray to the household.
Long may it continue to shine. D.
Hope.
When the farmer’s ground is hard and
cloddy, when his cotton is dying, when his
corn is frightfully small, must he despond
and quit the business ? He must not; but
he must labor on, and hope. When the
teacher tries, month after month, in the
best way he can to advance a dull pupil,
and does not see success, must he cease.'
No; he must be doubly diligent and perse
vering, and finally success will crown his
efforts. When a man is overtaken in a
fault, and the cold world seems to scowl
haughtily at him, and every one he sees
seems to be his enemy, must he give up to
be nobody and to do nothing ? No ; he
must hope, and labor, and study, and do
every kindness to every one he can, and.
after awhile, by so doing, his honest efforts
will be, under a kind providence, crowned
with the very best results. When the stu
dent studies diligently and uses every fa
cility for improving his mind, and he can
see but little improvement, must he cease
studying ? No ; he must study more,
think more, try more, and hope a great
deal more, and he will soon discover that
his labor and hope have been of great ad
vantage to him. When the merchant,
81.50 A YEAR.
through inadvertency, credits many who
will not, or can not pay him. must he de
spond and cease merchandising? Indeed
he must not; for we need merchants and
cannot do without them. He must try to
be more cautious, and let his misfortunes,
instead of allaying his ardor, add tenfold
to his energy, and at last success will be
almost certain to coine to his rescue, and
his hopes will be realized beyond all his
expectations. C'raftsville.
Ills Postal Card.
Detroit Free I‘resa
At ten o'clock yesterday forenoon a man
wearing a doubtful look appeared at the
stamp clerk’s window in the Post-office,
and asked for a postal card and facilities
for writing. lie was a long time getting
ready to put his pen to the card, and he had
only made a stroke or two when he called
out:
“ Ilow do you spell ‘ Jim?”
“Why, J-i-m, ofcourse,” answered the
clerk.
“ Don’t look as if it was right,” said the
man. as he held up the card and scruti
nized the word. “ Sure you havn’t made
any mistake?”
“ That’s the way, of course.” growled a
bystander. “ How else can you spell the
name?”
“ That's so—how could I?’’ smiled the
man, as he looked again. “ I’ll put J-i-m
against any other style of spelling every
time. Now, his other name is—is .
Well, knock me down if 1 haven't forgot
ten ! Why, hang it, I have known him for
ten years, and now I can’t think of his
name ! Jim—Jim—Jim—J-i-m —yum 1”
He looked around in a helpless way, and
one of a small crowd finally said :
“You can write the message aud think
of the name afterward.”
“So I can. 1 want to say to him that
his wife is sick abed, his landlord is howl
ing around for rent, and that] he’d better
come home. How do you spell it?”
“ I’ll write it,” answered the clerk.
“ He couldn't read your shearography,”
said the stranger. “Jim isn’t much on
education, and I have to write just as
poorly as I can or lie couldn't make out
a word. Less see ! Do you want to start
on with P. S., or what?”
“1 should say: ‘You are wanted at
home to once,’ if it was me,” suggested a
car-driver who was after a stamp.
“ Twouldn’t do,” sighed the man, shak
ing his head, “I wouldn’t dare spring
the thing on him suddenly, or he’d make
for Canada. The place to tell him to come
home is down here at the bottom.”
“ Where is he ?” someone asked.
“ Why, in in in why, blister
my ears why !”
“ I’ll bet you've forgotten the place !”
shouted the car-driver.
“J-i-m, Jim—J-i-m, Jim., and lie's in—
in—J-i-m, Jim !” gasped the man as he
looked around with an appeal in his eyes.
The crowd mentioned twenty different
places, but he shook his head at each one.
“Ifyou can’t think of his name, and
can’t remember his address, how are you
going to send the card?” asked the clerk.
“ That’s so—how am I?” sighed the man.
“If you was me you wouldn’t send it,
would you ?”
“ T don’t think I would.”
“ Then 1 won’t. If his wife can think of
his name and the place where he is she’d
better write it.”
When lie walked away lie carried his hat
in one hand and scratched his head with
the other, and muttered :
“ J-i-m with a great big ‘ J,’ and Blis
ter my ears with a great big “ B.” and 1
ought to have written his name down on
the door or somewhere. Less see ! J-i-m,
and he’s l-n in—in,” and he disappeared
up Congress street.
Maternal Remembrance.
Child's World.
A lady was riding in her carriage among
the mountains, when they came upon an
old woman, with a funny little hood on her
head, and a staff in her hand, walking on
alone. She was neat and clean, and her
skin was soft and delicate, but her back
was bent, and she was barefoot.
The lady saw she was shoeless, and
stopped her carriage.
Here is some money,” said the lady in
a tender tone.
“ What for?” said the woman, looking
up pleasingly.
“ To buy some shoes for your poor feet.
Do you want a pair of shoes?”
The woman laughed a little low laugh,
which seemed to come from a heart tilled
with simple happy thoughts.
“ Don't you want a pair of shoes?” ask
ed the lady a little hurt.
“ I s'pose I do,” said the woman ; “ but
I didn’t think of anybody's giving them to
me.”
“ Take this bill, please, and buy you a
pair,” said the lady.
u God bless and reward you !” answer
ed the woman, heartily,
The carriage drove on, and the lady sank
back on her seat with tears in her eyes.
“ 0,” said she, “ I thought I saw my
own mother m that dear old lady. She
has just such a sweet face and pleasant
voice. You don’t know howl felt when I
thought of my mother, old and feeble,
walking with bare feet over the rough rocky
road.”
If we all saw fathers and mothers,
brothers and sisters in the poor, and the
cold, and the hungrj r , what a world this
would soon be.
-
Ladies ! If you want the gentlemen to
admire you, take Dr. J. 11. McLean's
Strengtheng Cordial and Blood Purifier.
It will give you health, strength, vitality
and pure rich blood. Dr. J. H. McLean's
office, 314 Chesnut Street, St. Louis, Mo.
HARTWELL, GA„ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20. 1877.
The €’****.
Blest they who seek.
While iu "their youth,
With spirL ‘meek,
The way to truth.
To them the sacred Scriptures now display
Christ as the only true and living way ;
His precious blood on Calvary was given.
To make them heirs of endless joy in heaven.
And e’en on earth the child of Cod can trace
The glorious blessing of his Savior's grace.
For them he boro
His Father's frown;
For them he wore
The thorny crown ;
Nailed to the cross,
Endured his pain.
That his life's loss
Might be their gain.
Then haste to choose
That better part.
Nor e'en dare refuse
The Lord thy heart,
Lest ho declare,
“I know you not,”
And deep despair
Should be your lot.
Now look to Jesus who on Calvary died
And trust in him who there was crucified.
Ciive ll 2 su n I,lft.
Few Orleans It *nc Journal.
Give him a lift! Don't kneel in prayer,
Nor moralize with his despair;
The man is down, and his great need
Is ready help—not prayer and creed.
’Tis time when the wounds arc washed and
healed,
That the inward motives be revealed ;
But now, whate’er the spirit be,
Mere words are but a mockery.
One grain of aid just now is more
To lnm than tones of saintly lore;
Pray, if you must, in your full heart;
Hut give him a lift—give him a start!
The world is full of good advice,
Of prayer, and praise, and preaching nice ;
But the generous souls who aid mankind,
Are scarce as gold and hard to find.
Give like a Christian—speak in deeds ;
A noble life’s the best of creeds ;
And he shall wear a golden crown
Who gives ’em a lift when they are down.
All
Condense and transpose the following
lines; each line to make a distinct and
proper word :
1. Toll free gin.
2. Nice tape.
3. All can owe.
4. 0 try a lid.
5. A man less.
6. I distill a ton.
7. Ten charms.
8. I term sin.
9. It groans.
10. 1 can rest. Lee.
Two weeks given to answer. Key to
the anagrams will then be published.
How 'file I,iuli!t l-'ish.
There are generally about six of them in
the bunch, with light dresses on, and they
have three poles witli as many hooks and
lines among them. As soon as they get to
the river they look for a good place to get
down on the rafts, and the most venture
some one sticks her boot-heels in the bank
and makes two careful steps down—then
suddenly iinds herself at the bottom with
both hands in the water, and feeling that
everybody in this wide world is looking at
her, and she never tells anybody how she
got there. The other girls, profiting by her
example, turn round and go down the bank
on their hands and toes, backward. Then
they scamper over the rafts until they find
a shallow place where they can see the fish
and shout, “ Oh, I see one !” “ Where ?”
“ There.” “ Oh, my ! so he is.” “ Let’s
catch him.” “Who’s got them baits?”
“ You lazy thing; you're sitting on my
pole !” All these exclamations are gotten
off in tone that awakes every echo within
a mile around, and sends every fish that
hears it into “galloping hysterics.” Then
the girls, by superhuman exertions, man
age to get a worm on the hook, and throw it
in with a splash like the launching of a
wash-tub, and await the result. After a
while a feeble-minded sunfish contrives to
get fastened on the hook of a timid wo
man, and she gives vent to her tongue—
“ Oh, something’s got my hook?” “Pull
up, you little idiot !” shout five excited
voices, poles and hooks are dropped and
they rush to the rescue. The girl with
the bite gives a spasmodic jerk which
sends the unfortunate “ sunny ” into
the air the full length of the line, and he
comes down on the nearest curly-head with
a damp flop that sets her to clawing as
though there were bumble-bees in her hair.
“ Oh, murder ! take it away ! Ugh, the
nasty thing!” Then they hold up their
skirts and gather about that fish as it skips
over the logs, one all the time holding the
line in both hands with her foot on the
pole, as though she had an evil-disposed
goat at the other end. Then they talk over
it : “ How will he ever get off?” “ Ain’t
it pretty?” “Wonder if it ain't dry?”
“Poor little thing; let's put it back?'’
“How will we get the hook from it?”
“ Pick it up.” says a girl who backs rap
idly out of the circle. “ Good gracious,
I'm afraid of it ! There, it’s opening its
mouth at me.” Just then the “sunny”
wriggles off the hook and disappears be
tween two logs in the water, and the girls
try for another bite. Hut the sun comes
down and fries the backs of their necks,
and they get three headaches in the party,
and they all get cross and scold at the fish
like so many magpies. If an unwary chub
dares to show himself in the water they
poke at him with poles, much to his dis
gust. Finally they get mad all over and
throw their poles away, and eat enough of
dried beef and rusk and hard-boiled o”;gs
to give a wood-horse the nightmare ; after
which they compare notes about their
beaux till sundown, when they go home
and plant envy iu the hearts of all their
muslia-de-lnine friends by telling what
“just a splendid time ” they had.
Tlie Oriental Riikliicmn.
A good citizen of Crogham street was
reading the other day of a good Persian
gentleman who always walked about with
a smile on his face. W hen this Persian
was asked why he always looked so happy
when other men looked sad he replied :
“ 1 smile because it may ho sunshine to
some poor soul surrounded by shadows.”
It was very nice in the Persian, and the
Crogham street man said he’d be hanged if
he couldn't outsinile the Persian or any
body else walking around on two legs, lie
at once began to smile at his wife. She
stood it for a few minutes, and then ob
served :
“ What’s the matter, William—got the
colic again ?”
“ 1 smile because I want to carry sun
shine to your darkened soul.” he replied.
She wanted him to understand that fifteen
minutes at the wood pile would help her
more than all the grins he could grin in a
straight week, and when ho went into the
kitchen to smile some sunshine at the hired
girl, the wife followed him and raised a row
that put dinner three-quarters of an hour
behindhand. However, one can’t get the
hang of Oriental business in a day, and
this man tried it again on the street ear as
he came down town yesterday. < Ipposite
him sat an old woman with a basket, and
he undertook to smile the shadows from
her heart. She watched him for two or
three minutes, growing mad all the time,
and presently she asked :
“Do you think you know me, that you
are grinning across the aisle, like a circus
baboon ?”
“ I smile, madam, because—because ”
he stammered, forgetting what the Persian
said. “ I smile because ”
“You are grinning because I’ve got sore
eyes !” she shouted.
“No, madam, I smile that I—that l ”
“ I’ll not stand it!” she cried, and she
hammered him with the basket until he
escaped off tin; platform.
“Now grin over that, will you!” she
called after him as she shook the basket in
the air.
“ The Persian who went around smiling
was a fool and Pm his first cousin !” growl
ed the man, and he quit smiling and picked
a light with a harness maker.
A Flue I>i*tinclion.
New York World.
A young man whose attire was clean
and neat, and whose appearance was rather
prepossessing, stood before the bar of the
Jefferson Market Police Court yesterday
morning. Hy bis side stood a young man
of about the same age, witli a coal black
face and wooly hair, and who was dressed
in all the gorgeousness of a “ swell.”
“ What’s your name white man?” asked
the court.
“ McFinnigan, sir.”
“ And yours, my man and brother?”
“Gawge Washn’tou Jones, sah.”
“ What was the matter, George Wash
ington?”
“Sah, I’ll tell yo’ de truf, sah. I was a
goin’ up dc street, sah, las night, when 1
met this man an’ I kine’ ofjostled agin ’im,
sah, an’ he turn’ right roun,’ sah, an’ fetch
me a clip on de nose, sah, den I calls an’
offsa’ an’ had dat man arrested, an’ dats
all dc troof, foa’ God, sah.”
“ llow was it McFinnigan?”
“ Shure, yer Oner, an’ it was all the
nayger’s fault, sor. I was cornin’ down
the av’nie quiet as a lam,’ sor. sayin’ no
thin to nobody, whin that spalpeen came
forninst me, sor, wid his clbie, an’ 1 up an’
hit ’ini upon the spur av the motnint.”
“ No, sah, he hit ine on de nose sah !”
“ On the spur of the momint.”
“ On de nose, sah.”
“Never mind line distinctions,” said
Hia Honor, “it costs a man 810 in this
court to hit a man, whether it be upon the
spur of the moment or upon the nose.
George Washington you arc discharged.”
A swarm of B s.—The following is a
swarm of B’s worth having :
Bpatient; B prayerful; B humble, B
mild, B wise as a Solomon, B meek as a
child ; B studious, B thoughtful, B loving
B kind, B sure you make matters subser
vient to mind. B cautious, B prudent, B
tasteful, B true. B courteous to all men, B
friendly to few. B temperate in argument,
pleasure, and wine. B careful of conduct,
of money, of time. B cheeful B grateful,
B hopeful, B firm, B peaceful, benevolent,
willing to learn ; B courageous, B gentle,
B liberal, B just, B aspiring, _ B humble,
because thou art dust. J> patient, circum
spect, sound in the faith. ! active, devoted,
B faithful till death ; B honest, B holy,
transparent, and sure. B dependent B
Christ-like, and you'll B secure.
-
“ Bangs ” sends us the following compo
sition on rabbits, by a school-boy of his
acquaintance : Babbits is generally about
the size of a cat. They ain’t so useful to
catch rats as a cat, but they will pull the
bark off of my grandfather’s pear tree,
and he got mad, and kicked the stuffin’ out
of him, and skun him. Babbits’ cars is
long, so you can pick cm up easy. A rab
bit often has red eyes, but if a girl had red
eyes she’d look bad, you bet. Me and an
other boy done up some hoss radish in a
cabbage leaf, and gave it to Mr. Hacketi’s
rabbit to eat, and he jumped over a clothes
line and run into the kitchen and upset a
bucket of syrup all over his hair, and he
was a sick-looKin’ rabbit, and don’t you
forget it, I’d ruther be a dog than a rabbit.”
SEMI-ANNUAL CON V ENTION.
l*roeeellnK* of lli Animal Hlnif.
iiilt Con trillion oT Hurt County, Held
nt frtvldcMCt I'hurrh, May 8,1*77
The Convention was called to order by
the President, W. V. Vickery, who opened
the same with prayer.
The list of delegates present, as follows :
Reed Creek School —Mr. 1,. T. Fisher
and Miss liosa Weldon.
Provide nee Church —J. A. Parker, C.
M. Ledbetter, J. H. Thomison, Misses E.
A. Gwinn, Ella Reeder, Tilda Pearman.
Rted't School —Mrs. E. 11. Vickery,
John Moore, Misses Nancy Burton, .Sarah
Isom.
llcthcsda Church School —J. G. Thorn
ton, Miss L. C. Thornton.
On motion, received R. L. Madden and
J. G. Madden, from the musical fraternity
of Hanks County.
Music, led by G. W. Weldon, thirty
minutes.
After one hour for dinner, the Conven
tion was called to order by the President.
The following Committee on Order was
appointed : G. W. Weldon and R. L.
Madden.
Lessons in singing, by the whole Con
vention, led by J. 11. Thomison, twenty
minutes. H. 11. Pearman, 20 minutes.
Recess, 20 minutes.
Lessons in singing by the whole Conven
tion, led by Isham Dyar, 20 minutes; 0.
M. Ledbetter, 15 minutes ; J. S. Moore,
lf> minutes; L. T. Fisher, 15 minutes.
Recess, 15 minutes.
Lessons in singing by whole Convention,
led by F. M. Estes, 15 minutes; J. V.
Brown, 15; F. M. Brown, 13; G. W.
Weldon, 15.
The Convention then adjourned till the
next morning, 9 o'clock.
The Convention met this morning (Sun
day, May 6), according to adjournment,
aud was opened by prayer by Isham Dyar.
Croat lioud Society—A. W. Gulley, T.
11. Brown, Misses M. E. Gulley, C. M.
Watson.
Cross Road Sabbath School —J. L. Wat
son, M. P. C. Temples, Misses J. A.
Neese, H. A. Harris.
Lessons in Singing by the whole Conven
tion, led by R. M. Adams.
The Committee on order reported the ex
ercises for the day.
Lessons in singing by the whole Conven
tion, led by the following gentlemen, 15
minutes each: H. M. Holland, M. R.
Vaughn, J. W. Suit.
Recess, 15 minutes.
The Coirvcntlon was called to order by
the President.
An essay on music was delivered by A.
G. McCurry, alter which a motion was
carried that the thanks of this body be
tendered A. G. McCurry.
A motion to call for correspondents from
other Conventions was carried.
Received T. A. McFarland audit. M.
Adams from the Franklin County Conven
tion as correspondents.
Lessons in music, led by J. P. Weldon,
15 minutes ; James E. Vickery, 15; G. W.
Weldon, 15; T. A. McFarland, time not
limited.
Recess for dinner, one hour.
Convention called to order by President.
Changed time of meeting from Friday
before the 2d Sabbath to Friday before the
4th Sabbath in October, 1877.
Gave an opportunity to every one to join
the Convention. Names of those joined :
J. B. Moore, 11. P. Skelton, J. 11.
Thomison, J. A. Parker, Misses M. M.
Brown, N. M. Brown, T. E. Duncan, M.
A. Duncan, S. C. White, M. E. Brown,
L. C. Thornton.
Lessons in music, led by Isham Dyar,
W. E. McCurry, W. V. Vickery, each 20
minutes.
Recess, 10 minutes.
Lessons in music, led by T. A. McFar
land and M. R. Vaughn, each 20 minutes.
After which the following resolution was
adopted :
Resolved, That the thanks of this body
be tendered to the friends and citizens of
this vicinity for the kindness with which
they have received and entertained the
Convention during the present term.
Adjourned, to meet at Line Church on
Friday before the Fourth Sunday in Octo
ber, 1877.
M. V. VICKERY, President.
J. E. Vickery, Secretary.
NUMBER 43.
Tlae Uoimoii Answered.
Up in New Hampshire, where I used to
live when a boy, (says Gov. Noyes) there
was an old deacon who was a great deal
more pious than honest. He was an old
hypocrite, and when he had done any par
ticularly mean thing he eased his consci
ence by going out into a field, along one
side of which was a stone wall, and kneel
ing beside it, praying the Lord to topple it
over on him if he hail done anything of
fensive to Him or wrong in his sight.
Well, we boys found it out, and one day
when we saw the deacon making for the
stone wall, we got on the other side and
waited—He knelt down according to his
usual custom, and went through his usual
formula, closing w ith the petition to have
the wall toppled over if he had done any
thing wrong. And we toppled it. Jump
ing out from under the stones, the old man
cried, in tones of mingled disgust and
alarm, —
“ Good gracious ! Can’t you tell when a
man is joking?”
The pooreU tea— Pover-ty.