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CBAWFORDVI LLE ■ - GEORGIA.
geneuae news.
The hitaly oting population of Virgin
m is estimated at 234,000. Of this num-
128.000 are colored voters.
The Mississippi river has 18,571 miles
navi igable to steamboats, and 20,221
mih* navigable to barges.
The Texas pecan crop promises to lie
a very heavy one. Theiburdoned trees
are bending under the weight of half
grown nuts.
A National hank has just been or¬
ganized at Anniston, Alabama, with a
capital of $100,000, I). D. Parker was
elected president.
It is supposed that the building of
the Lady F.nsly Mining and , Manufac¬
turing Company will be located at Rns
Bclville Ala.
The AppokaYFla.) canal is being made
twenty three feet wide and seven feet
deep. It is thought it will have to be
further enlarged to seventy-five feet in
width.
The dried fruit trade of Statesville, N.
reaches annually into hundreds of
thousands of pounds, and it was never
any previous year anything like as heavy
as this.
Memwik Avalanche; Southern far¬
mers will hkve more ciush in the bank
this year thaip ever .before, even if the
cotton crop foe ’short, because they owe
Ichm to the merchant and have raised
more food tbw year than any previous
year.
Wilcox county, Ala.’, has a baby-lmy
DOW 14 montlis old, who weighs 08
jxmuds. Tho parents have been offered
#3,000 and oxpenoes tor the privilege of
of exhibiting the child tor the benefit of
the medical fraternity. They have fe¬
fused.
The E ufalia (Ala.) mils are putting
in a new set of mochineiry for making
patent process flour. When completed
the milis will have a capacity of 400 bar¬
rels per day, and will be tholawtappoint¬
ed in the country,
The Water Valley, Miss., Central is
not satisfied with the pistol Assessment.
It says: “The assessors in this state«an
only gather in their rolls a total of 227
pistols. We will venture th£ assertion
that about 10,000 lies have been told the
assessors about this pistol question.”
A special from Ayworth Ga., says:
• o iiuw P u ' to silver '•
juu u> opening a non mine.
His show so far is the best thing we
we have ever seen in the line. He has
got his shaft open and molten shows it¬
self in a pure state as it does near tlx*
surfaoo. Acwortb will have a genuine
Ivoom,
The two ootton mills in Natolios have
expended in that city in the past twelve
months over $300,000 for wages and ma¬
terial. They [have consumed nearly
70,000 bales of cotton ond turnon out 6,-
650,CKM) ynrda of cotton goods and cloth.
During the year Batches received -16,2(H)
boles of cotton, 14,566 more thiui any
previous year,
Tins trustees of a ooloriql church at
Wiuston, N. C., mortgaged the edifice
recently to secure $1,200 with which to
have an excursion 'to Columbia, Half
tin* amount required was deposited at
Winston to the credit of the Richmond
ami Danville Railroad. A special train
was sent to Wiuston to draw the money
and take the congregation, but it steam
back to Richmond when it was learned
that the trustees could raise no mere
--ash.
At a recent old men's gathering at
Lewisburg, Teun., 104 memlasrs were
present, the oldest being 10-1 years old
There were 114 between the ages of six
tv and seventy; 42 between seventy and
eighty; 5 between eighty and ninety; 2
lietween ninety and one hundred: over
100 one. Of this number 102 were born
in Tennessee, forty in North Carolina,
eight in Virginia, five in South Carolina,
three in Kentucky, one in Maryland, one
nGeinuuy, one in Ireland and three iu
Georgia.
Knoxvili.e Tnlmne: Yesterday Mr
Southv Nalsou a youth of 113 years of
age came to Knoxville “to have liis pic
ture took,” Mr. Nelson lives about five
miles'from the city though he
oornes to town. He was accompanied
bv his wito, a grain Ison, and a great
r— *•**« v,.uu*.-t Una t Itut grot “ j- gn.n.l
father.
At Edvard, Miss., two negroes nani
ed James King and George Gaddis w» r« •
ar.ostial ^charged with having robbe d
tire grave of Mi’s. Hattie H )\\ f 11. They
confessed their guilt, inhuming the offi
tlu body for t , ie pur
arm
which they usol in carry tlu-ir
profe fMO i *u nn conjurers,* One i i •
and the other shot iu his attempt t«- os
cape.
EDITORIAL .VOTES.
The New York Times is endeavoring
to boycott the nickel three cent piece,
which is so easily mistaken for the silver
dime. It came into existence with three
cent postage, and many people believe
that it should he retired with the same
Out of 700 specimens of French per
fumery examined at the Paris Chemical
Lalx>ratory, 207 were condemned as in¬
jurious to health. Of 3,891 specimens
of wine submitted to analysis, only 357
were pronounced gixxl.
A New York lumber dealer recently
imported, from the Pyrenes mountains,
a walnut log which is twelve feet long
and nine feet in di hi* e'er and weighs 22,
000 pounds. It is estimated to be worth
$2,000 as it lien, and when it is sawed
into veneering it will yield sixty-six thou
sand feet which will be worth $5,000.
There are custom-houses which pay
do lo tiie . later .
and others that not.
class belong the following, tabulated
from a recent official report for the fiscal
year ending June 30: Atlanta, Ga., col¬
lections, $21; expenditures, §1,068; 8t.
Augustine, Fla., collections, $133; ex
pend it ores, $2,228; York, Me., collec¬
tions, $31; expenditures, $312.
The largest cattle rancho in the world
is said to be that of Charles Goodnight,
at the head of Red River, Texas. He
Vegan buying land four years ago, secu
ring 270,000 acres at thirty-five cents an
acre. In the meantime the price lias
advanced from SI to $2 ]>er acre, but he
is still buying and controls 700,000 acres.
T<> enclose his landed possessions 250
miles of fence is required, On the
range he has 40,000 cattle.
The official statement of the cotton
crop of the United States for the year en¬
ding August 31, 1883, issued by the na¬
tional cotton exchange, shows a total
crop of 6,949,756 bales, including re¬
ceipts at the shipping ports 5,009,612;
and shipments by rail routes overland to
northern spinners direct from producers,
641,801. The report shows that the
southern mills consumed 313,373 bales.
Tho increase in the total crop, compared
with the previous year, was 1,493,708.
Tho takings of the United States spin¬
ners for the year were 2,073,096 bales,
an increase of 108,501.
A tabulated statement of tho receipts
and expenses of the average cost of col¬
lecting one dollar of revenue in all of the
custom districts of the United States for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883, has
bfein prepared at the treasury depart¬
ment. From this statement it appears
that $216,780,869 were collected at a cost
< >f $6,422,127. The cost of collecting one
dollar rangqfi in the different districts
from one “ *' '"h-t *
xyra, w iitty anu •./*., .*o\o -.n’f.w*
Atlanta, tho avtrage Cost in all of
districts being two cents, nine mills and
a fraction. In twenty-nine out of the
one hundred and thirty districts the cost
of collecting ono dollar was more than a
dollar, and in thirty of them it wus less
than ton cents.
ms roETKT
_ B oyftrd . Taylor _ , never fully . ,, reconciled ,
himself to the vocation of a prose writer.
He believed that the world should have
demanded nothing of him but poetry
Concerning this he used to tell a good
hSisflecturingteptorough the Wesb
era States ho was the guest, in a sinnll
city, of tlio chairman of the lecture com
mittee, a self-satisfied and prosperous
citizen, who met home Taylor his at the train, smartly and
carried him to own
furnished house. While waiting for the
evening repast the well-fed chairman
■aid, with manifest did notrememlter pride, that him. probably No,
Mr. Taylor did “Why,” said the
Mr. Taylor not. here this town
chairman, “you were m
ten years ago this very winter, this very
month, and stopped with me, as you are
stopping now.’’ Mr. Taylor professed The
his interest in the important fact.
chairman, glancing around on the
ohromos. the new carpets, and the glit
tering white walls of his home, said,
“Yes, you see I have been prospering
since then. Yes, the world has been a
pretty good place for me. It lias tor
you too Mr. Taylor. I have watched
your course ever since I got acquainted
with vou, ten vears ago, and I suppose
I am one of the few people wrote.” who have
read “What'” everything said'Taylor, you have “everything?”
“Yes, sir, everything I could lay my
hands on.”
“Then, said Taylor, think “perhaps of you
will tell m« what you my new
poem, * Lars V*
“Gosh 1 said the man, do you write
poetry? —Harper s Dratrer,
Rlflo Bought by China.
Five hundred cases of ammunition and
arms were sent on the Pacific Mail
Steamship Comstock, for Sau Frau
; thdr destination being China
n, e ammunition o*es had the brand
&£• k * wo'tniiaettt; eanoro. :r y.
svjrJs*
tl „ tm.nlh. twn'uw
made toC. Schmidt, Shanghai. During
that period cartridges' 249.000 Springfield rifles and
25,000,000 iu all have Wen
forwarded, besides from 500 to 800 bales
of cotton duck suitable for tents, by ex
press by each steamer, tor China, The
total value of the war material approxi
]Ualotj $5 000,000.
Whisky punches are not found under
oak trees, but a iuan kfiows that they
ache-horns the morning after he
has been out with the boys.—
lit u Id.
TUE BOY'S COMPLAINT.
Here are questions in physics and grammar
That wenld puzzle von somewhat, I know.
Can yon tell what is meant by inertia?
Can yon clearly define rain and enow?
Do von know thereV a valve in the bellows ?
Can yon tell why yonr clock i- too flow ?
Why the pendulum needs looking aftor? a
Perhaps it is swinging too low.
, ‘They waH call going up town in the evening,”
Da yon that bad grammar. [ s.y?
I'm Hire Mary Jones and her mother
Hay worse things than that every day.
liutls’posc “was" shonld subject be in “they,” the plural,
To agree with its old
According to rule—rny ! I've Jos' it,
There’s two per cent, gone right away.
And, now, only look at the par-ing,
It will surely take end, in every false rule:
And, down at the more syntax,
With authorities given “in full”
Arithmetic, my ! how I hate it,
I'm Btuyud at that in the class;
Ho how, in the name of creation,
Can I be expected to pass ?
Here's a ten-acre lot to be fenced in,
Here !s dntv to find on some tea;
Here’s a problem in old aliegation,
And a monstrous square-root one I see.
Can you tell who defeated the Indians?
Do von know who was killed in a duel?
Do you know what the first tax was raised on !
And how tome just thought it most pnifcl?
Perhaps I may pass on an average,
If three-fourths are right 1 11 get through;
But m.v teacher calls such things shabby, '
Ho wliat is a poor boy to do ?
Annie U. 3iheater.
Capturing a Still.
The other night, Major
who long ago won his spurs as an effi¬
cient revenue officer, related the follow¬
ing story: time had great deal of
At one we a
trouble with illicit distillers in Arkansnwr
There was one neighborhood especially
where it seemed impossible to discover
the outlaws. This community was away
up on White river. Officer after officer
had been sent up, and quite a number of
them are there yet, although the depart¬
ment did not receive notification that
they intended to leave the service. One
day the news came in that one of our
best men had just been killed at Drip¬
ping Springs, by which name the dan¬
gerous neighborhood was known. who I
was Bent for by the marshal, said:
“Major, you have had considerable
success in hunting for distillers. No*
ll a want you to find those fellows and
bring them to justice. Aa you know,
none of our men have been able to find
them and—”
“They’ve been found a trifle too often,’
I suggested. fact,” the marshal agreed,
“That’s a
“but not by the right man. Now I
want you to take as many soldiers as you
want, go to the place and break up the
business.”
I reflected for a moment and replied:
“I think that our mistake has been in
taking too many men. It is almost im¬
possible for a party of men to find a wild
cat distillery. Their approach is soon
heralded and disaster is certain to follow.
I will go alone and discover the Lest.
Then I can return and capture the •itire
outfit.”
“Rather hazardous,” the marshal’
thoughtfully scratching his head.
"Not adopted.” so dangerous as the cour*
erto _
__ 7 **-"- ,
:heiw I - start* •g 1 -
.ay I on my perous
ex .edition. went hto.se-heal'..ivudmy When’af la^I
p gross was very slow.
reached the place, I found a beautify],
rich country, with great hills and little
valleys luxuriantly carpeted with grass
icouid see no signs of lawlessness but
on the other hand I was kindly treated
I stepped at the house o a man named
Anderson, a well-to-do fellow, with some
education and a bnght-eyed daughter,
who seemed to be devoted to her faUi*.
I saw at once that Anderson w»an thafhe
honrgtln an, and when I learned
had lMH?n in the Federal arm v I felt se
our6 under his roof . still I did not care
to tell him my real business, but in
answer to a question, stated that I was
‘^“having regular*army w bem discte'.rged’teom
the from and especially desiring
a re st that dangerous activity which
officers '
all «rmv incurred.
sir vou are welcome at mv
bouse and Mvdaughter I hope you’ll find Jtnrowa vour stay
goTto peScttnfwm’ TeerZ/Zn- who
tribute to your enjoyment.”
“I understand’’looking at him, “that
MTera j government officers have beeii
kil^ .... . by.ilhoit . distillers m . this ... neigh- .
^ . ere< 1 Z
■ 1 • *
the distillers .. no doubt , , , considered ., . it . self- .
deiense. p m c i s,i »>e, Rl
Wll > a'lonir f P time T 1 tliink b la’-fore f fo Jf„, tb the t
government breaks it uj. is Q almo.
^possible to conduct a party of men
^ ^ yil Zdliee T,
nl1 hirn would be
•
to watch tor the whisky that’s sent away.
oapture the men handling it and oompel
them to show the exact location of the
distillery.”
Several days passed and still I made
no progress. I was not regarded in that
fight of suspicion which I thought would
characterize mv appearance among the
people, the and 1 was soon convinced that
farmers around were not in svmpa
thy with the distillers. Filially 1 told
Anderson my business.
“Well,” he said, “if I can do any
thing for you I'll do it cheerfully, but
tet me advise you not to go into the hills.
Watch * the river, as that is the only way
th CAn ^aiblv ship the stuff, 1 al “
Roil|g n]) tbe r - vor to . day after some
walnut lumbev, and it' von will aeeom
ar ™i ui.l.v «®u.. Xoi for iu'etu.m-at
'" 1,0l:,1 * u I'I’!.vui? \ 1:0 “ cheap coffins 1 } * for Tri the l 2 New
° rle ‘ ms warket ' iW S an epidemic,
it is almost impossible to get coffins to
the city fast enough, and at such times
1 employ quite a number of men. Come j
and I'll show vou mv place of business.’ I
The shop stood near the river bank,
Several workmen were employed in i
dressing walnut lumber. Coffins were i
stacked up all around, and a flat-boat ;
was heinc ! loaded with the deathly furni
ture. I did tut go up the river with ,
Anderson, but took a boat ride with his
daughter. She was Hot devoid of charms,
and she chatted gaily aa she rowed.
4< J want pa to leave this place,* she
said. “Mother pined away and died
from sheer loneliness, and if I were not
so light-hearted, I think I should go that
way too.”
“Do yon ever see any of the illicit dis¬
tillers ?” I asked.
“I expect I see them, but I don t
know them, of course. They are terri¬
ble when they get mad, but as long as
they are not disturbed you wouldn’t
know that they were in the neighbor¬
hood. When we moved here they re¬
garded pa with lingering suspicion, but
tinally, satisfied that he was in no way
connected with the government, they
dismissed their apprehensions and have
ever since treated him with the utmost
courtesy. Pa is making money out of
the eodin business, but it is such a grim
trade that I cannot half enjoy any finan¬
cial benefit that we derive from it. Say,
you’re hunting for the wild cate, aint
you ?”
“Hush, don’t talk so loud.”
“Nobody can hear us, but you are,
aint you?” I do think I
“Suppose tell were, ?” you
would any one
“I heard you tell father, but it’s all
right. I won’t say anything about it.
I haven’t any friends among the wild
cats, and for my part I wouldn’t care if
they were all in several prison.” days longer, and
“I remained
then decided to return to the city, report
unfavorably, adopt other measures, and
again take up the enterprise. Anderson
advised me to sell the horse and go down
with a flat boat load of coffins. I did
not like the idea, but reflecting that it
would be safer, I disposed of my horse,
and was soon ready for the voyage.
I bade my friends an affectionate fare
tevell, and stood on a coffin big enough
for the Cardiff giant, and waved my
handkerchief at Sophia Anderson We as the
boat rounded the bend. had started
ea rly, and by the time the shadows be¬
gan to lengthen, we were a long distance
from Dripping Spring. It seemed to
me that the men on tee boat watched
me curiously, for every time I walked
around it appeared that one of them fol¬
lowed me. My suspicions increased as
eykiiing Kinng came came on on and wl.cn I saw the
mAh engaged in a whispered conversa¬
tion, I was convinced that violence was
meditated. Happening to notice a cof¬
fin on which several others were piled,
I saw something Gripping from it. Just
then I looked up and saw a gun leveled
at me. In auother instant a bullet
whizzed dose to my head, so close that
I fell backward into the water. I did
not lose my presence of mind and kept
myself under water as long as possible. several
When I arose to the surface,
other shots were fired, and sinking reached again
I remained under water until I
the shore, which fortunately was not far
awav. when I arose under a thick clump
of willows. Through the gathering dark
ness I could dimly see the men, and
could hear the splashing of an oar which
I knew was manipulated to keep the
* -oat from floating down.
“I rockin’he’s all right,” said one of
e men.
“I know he is,” a grnff voice replied, an’
I drawed a bead on his head, a
-Vat Via hit a haffer dollar sixty
alon ..... J UIUx^m. teTjtemme -Mger
.
... -
brain, . e! Ws got any brain.
“I’d mther bet on the bullet than the
brain,” the fust speaker rejoined.
“We’ve got to be certain about these
things,” said a man who seemed to be m
orders authority- is. Git a boat TZ"^^rson's thar, Jack an you
an Tom paddle out thar awhile. Go
out thar to them willows
The boat was lowered and the splosh
,„ g 0 f the oars came nearer and nearer.
My heart beat violently. Great God,
the moon came out and shone fall on my
face. I eased myself down until only
the tip of my nose was above the surface.
“Thank heaven,” I breathed as a cloud
obscured the moon just as the boat
brushed the willows. They struck under
with their ol trs > actually struck me once
and just . as I r was about to seize the boat
au< ? e kBtoce8of turning it over
and escaping, one of them said:
"He’s all right, I tell you. Think I
can,t bit a man’s head ? Shove her off,
and * 1 breathed a prayer as the dip of the
oars grew fainter
I remained in this uncomfortable posi
bon about a half hour longer, then
drew myself out and was soon traveling
through * the woods. After a terrible
jou of hunger and fatigue I reached
Little ‘Rock and made my report,
Several days afterward I was again
en route tor Dripping Spring, this time
with a8trong pcise the of place men. where Touching I had
Wliite river near
fallen overboard, we dismounted to rest.
We had not been there very long until we
™ ^ ' coffin boat returning. I secreted
ordered my men to compel
the boat to land and to bring the men to
onr reatin « P !ll0e in * trnctin 8 them ** to
-
a form of interrogation. complied
yYhen hailed they readily did
atl( j approached the bank. They
no t seem to like so much attention, for
they did not move up the bank with any
great degree of alacrity. of
“Do you know,” said one my men,
“What became of a United States oflicial
named Griddlewood, who came up here
tune time ago?
“No, sir,” replied the captain of the
coffin boat, “but I heard that he had
bought a piece o’ land over the moun
fains an’has opened a farm.”
“Did yon ever meet him ?”
“Believe I did meet him once at Mr.
honse . ’Peered to me like
he was sorter in love with the Anderson
gal.” “Don't that I could find Lun,
suppose
do you?’ find him if wuster go over
“Mout yon
the hills.”
“That's unnecessary, I remarked.
stepping from behind a tree and con
fronting the villains. They threw up
their hands and prayed that tlieir lives
might be spared. We did not intend to
give them the least chance of escape and
-ecurely pinioning their hands, we took
them down to the boat, where after
gaining all possible information. I leu
them under a strong guard. We were
not long in gaming the neighborhood of
Anderson's residence. It was a late hour
at night, and we surrounded the hi >use
without alarming anyone. I instructed
one of my officers to call Anderson, and
again I secreted myself.
“Halloa!”
“All right,” came from within the
house, and pretty soon Anderson ap
oeared.
“Mr. Anderson, I believe,” said the
officer.
“Yes, air; won’t you come in ?”
“No, hardly got the time. I've come
to this neighborhood in search of Major
Griddlewood. Are vou acquainted with
him ?”
“Oh, yes, should say I am, for he and
my daughter are to be married soon.
I’ll show her to you. Here, Soph,” and
the girl came out. “Here is a gentle¬
man who is looking for your intended
husband. ”
“Good evening, sir. Looking f6r the
major, eh ? How I wish I could see
him.”
“Here I am,” I said, emerging from
my hiding place and confronting my
“intended” and her father. Anderson
actually fell on the ground and his
daugh ter uttered a shriek that made the
woods ring. They were soon made
prisoners and taken to the boat. Next
clay the distillery was easily found and
destroyed. The coffins were found to
be lined with tin, and although ominous
looking casks, were not bad as vessels
of shipment.
The prisoners were tried and punished
to the full extent of the law, and ever
since then, the Dripping Spring neigh¬
borhood has been one of the most or¬
derly and law-abiding communities in
the State.
LIMPY JOE.
The Boy Whose Mother Was Dead.
“Mister, mayn’t I sing in here?” in¬
quired an urchin, as, limping through
the doorway of a Madison street saloon,
he approached the bartender.
“Sing?” gruffly replied continued the saloon
man. “I don’t care.” he witn
a sneer, and turning to a customer
ragged in dress and rough in appear¬
ance, he handed a glass and bottle.
The boy limped to the rear of the
room, where were seated a number of
men engaged at card-playing. In ap¬
pearance he was a fair specimen of the
street Arab. Apparently he was not
more than twelve years of age. His
coat and pants were torn, his shirt rag¬
ged and collarless. On his feet were
shoes that in times gone by had been
used by a worldly man. His hat was
full of holes, yet beneath its tom rim
there sparkled eyes of blue, and ap¬
peared a face winning and beautiful.
Leaning on a table in the apartment he
began singing, “Oh, Where is My Wan¬
dering Boy To-night,” in the sweetest
voice. The twenty or more men in the
room stopped their talking and playing,
and listened to him. One verse he sang,
another, and still another, .and his hear¬
ers continued to listen.
“Here’s a dime, runty,” said a rough
A looking number individual, echoed breaking his sentiments the silence. and
followed with similar gifts.
“Where yer from, kid ?” asked one.
“I travels,” he replied. M lived in
New York once.”
“An orphan boy?” mother three
“I don’t know. My I
years ago, an’ my father drove. away.
He drank, he did, an’ he use. -o whip
i.r 1 dhari vstand..
Q ne be came homVdrunk, 1 an’ beat
my mother, an’ she died, an then he
: \3 £j£fn“! a- In’
7 ^ ^ ^eat white
! « :L me, ’ an’ I left. Once
“ . ^“^sdoot , d t had Lalt to
f ? d g Kansafi cit A
£ j g t to J
£o hear me gi i in a sal n an
k me home with him, ^ an’ took me to
. Sunda * scllo an - 1 used to
g but 1 oi tired, an’ left him.
* j n Bed to sleep in doorways to an’boxes, J
^ “*?*£*£ , , , d f j, „ th
P lace “ w eI l t J" to Denver an’ then I
mi ca ?VLL^ ^ 1 “i^riwyT”i^tewoga to New York “ * ’
,.mh What a sjer name, ooy . interrogated t ed
“"Joe Brown ; sometimes they call me
‘Limpy Joe.
The lad agam began singing, and
when he had fimshed.his listenersdi
vided their little money with lnm, and
one by one left the saloon. ‘LimpyJoe
followed, alone tor and the the scene following of his night babyhood styled
days.
Captain Webb and the Alligator.
Learning something of the tactics of
the alligator, says a southern paper.
Captain WebD never entered the water
without his double-bladed knife, which
he carried in a sheath bound to his side
by a slender belt. After an hour’s vigor¬
ous exercise iu the water one morning,
he climbed upon a solitary rock about 100
yards from the beach. While here he
noticed at a distance, coining in his di¬
rection, a large-sized alligator, and, con¬
sidering liis resting place an unsafe one
in case of attack by such a formidable
antagonist, he plunged into the bay and
started for the shore. Having his at¬
tention wholly centred on the enemy
first discovered, he paid little attention
to anything else, and before he knew
what he was about he ran plump against
another alligator that happened to be
resting quietly in the water in a shallow
place where the rushes partly hid him
from view. The alligator appeared to
be quite as much astonished at the un
ceremonious meeting as the swimmer.
Striking the alligator in the region of
the tail, he bounded back and prepared
for battle. The heavy wag of the ani¬
mal’s tail enabled Webb to throw him¬
self back far enough to be beyond aimed the
reach of the first blow that was at
him. A moment more and the alligator
rolled over and made a dive at him. His
presence of mind saved him. He stood
jq water, facing his enemy, with his
head and shoulders above the surface.
With his double-ended knife he received
monster, and when his jaws came
down the swimmer dived away, the leaving
^ n if e j n q je month of reptile,
transfixing both jaws and locking them
together. At this juncture the animal
first seen was rapidly approaching, shore but
the swimmer soon reached the
and, by means of a rifle, soon made vie
tims of both.
No pleasure is comparable to the
s + andin c ' upon the vantage ground of
trath.
Adopting Grandpa.
An old man—not ragged, b»t clad in
old and faded and time-worn garments,
and moving with feeble steps and weary
air—sat down under a tree on John R.
street the other day to rest a bit. Three
or four children were playing in the
yard at liis back, and directly a mite of
a girl looked through the fence and
asked:
“Would you hurt a little girl?”
“Bless me, no !” he replied. “Why
I’d even step aside to pass a bug or a
worm! No, child, I wouldn’t hurt a
hair of your head for all the money in
the world.”
' ‘Are you the anybody’s grandpa ?” she in¬
quired, as other children crowded
U P
“No—not now, child. There was a
time— dear me ! but it hurts my oldheart
to remember it—when children called
me grandpa. It was years ago—years
and years, but I can almost hear their
voices yet.’’
“Be you crying?” The will
“N-no. *cers spring up as I
recall the past, but I’m not crying.
There are days when I can’t keep them
back—nights when I am a child, but I’m
trying to be I’ll strong just now.”
“I guess come out and see you.
My dead.” doll’s broke her neck and is most
“Come right along, child ! I used to
mend legs and arms, and necks whin the
children brought their dolls to me.”
The little one passed through the gate
and sat down beside the poor old man,
and while he sought to save the life of
the “most dead” doll by means of a stick
and string the child observed :
“You must be quite old, grandpa;
you are all skin and i .one. ”
“Old? Bless you, yes ! I was 81 only
week or two ago. Yes, I’m poor in
esh as well as in purse.”
‘ ‘Soyour grandchildren had dolls, eh ?”
“Yes, dear—dolls and toys and fine,
clothes and books, and everything they
wanted. I was rich then. ”
“And did they comb your hair ?”
“Oh, yes.”
“And sing to you ?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I guess I’ll sing you a song,
for I’m going to ask ma if I can’t adopt
you as my grandpa. You must excuse
my voice, for I swallowed a pin the other
day and ma expects it to work out of my
shoulder this fall. I guess I’ll sing
about the three little graves. Don't look
at me or I shall forget.”
And in a voice full of childish quavers,
and frequently stopping as if to swallow
some of the words she sung :
“Under an elm three little graves—
Under the sod my children three
The years may pass, but my heart will grieve
And sorrow will ever rest with me.
“Under the elm I walked to-day,
1 looked-”
“Why, grandpa, the tears !” are just
running down your cheeks
“ Y-yes, child—I can’t help it! My
poor old life is full of graves and griefs r
“Is your wife dead ?”
“Long ago. the child.” children?”
“And all
“Dead or scattered. I am alone.”
“Well, that’s funny. You can wipe
your eyes on my apron, if yon want to.”
“Here’s your doll—good as new.”
"That’s nice. If I should adopt you
I’d keep yon mending dolls all the time.
Have “YevchUd. you got over ”, 1 crying ?”
“Well, then, must — be j ----— hungry.
you
I’m always hungry after a good cry.
Wait a minute.”
She ran into the house to retnr" with*
a generous slice of bread and butter and
a piece of meat, and as she handed the
food to the old man, she said:
“I’ve got to go in now, but we’ll re¬
member that I’ve adopted you as my
grandpa. Don’t cry any more, and
come back to-morrow, Good-bye,
grandpa 1” !”
“Good-bye who passed by old
And men saw an
man with his face in his hands to hide
his tears, and when they asked the
matter, a child who stood by explained:
“Why, sir, he’s crying because he’s
all alone in the world, and a little girl
has adopted him .”—Detroit Free Press.
A Typical Mexican City.
A letter from Chihuahua, Mexico, says;
I arrived a few days ago, and am now in
the engineering department of the Mexi¬
can Central Railroad, draughting, equal at
8150 a month in American money,
to $172.50 in Mexican silver and $186.30
in Mexican paper. We are to receive
our pay in Mexican silver dollars, so yon
may think of me, about the middle of
July, going for my pay with a wheelbar¬
row. It is hard for us to keep money
because everything is high and they ask
more than they expect to receive; and
also because one has a feeling that money
is worthless and will bear squandering.
Exchange for American money is from
1 j to 2 per cent. It pays to get Mexican
dollars in the States at seventy-five cents
and bring them back home, where they
are worth eighty-five cents. I have just
paid five dollars in Mexican paper tor a
poor washbowl and pitcher of earthen¬
ware, and eighteen dollars for a single
wool mattress. Board is thirty dollars
per month and very poor. Booms are
very hard to find. Everything is paid
for in Mexican paper unless otherwise
stated.
There is no place to spend an evening
except sitting on the plaza. The band
plays twice a week and everybody comes and
out. The city is well governed
quiet. It is very warm daytimes, but
cool nights. All criminals arrested, ex¬
cept those executed, are put to work
cleaning the streets under an armed
guard. The dirt is gathered into chopping small
piles and a man with board, a wooden gathers and
tray and a piece of it
carries it off in a tip cart drawn by a mule.
The country about the city is desolate
and barren in the extreme, and very lit¬
tle is raised except vegetables and fruit.
The city was built from the proceeds
of a silver mine near here, but as the
mine has been closed tor years, I do not
see what supports the inhabitants now.
Boston capital is opening the mine again.
The railroad is expected in to little be finished
to the City of Mexico a over a
year, a distance of eight Mexican hundred or a
thousand miles. The postal
system is poor. The mail is dumped
into a box and everybody in^ helps himself.
An opera has been progress here and
was supposed to be fine, but it was nol
equal to a variety show in the States.