Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation.
About The Crawford County herald. (Knoxville, Crawford Co., Ga.) 1890-189? | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1891)
“The South,” announces the Philadel¬ phia Record, “will shortly supply the country’s lumber demand. There are 3500 saw mills running there already.” Of the $15,000,000 that Uncle Sam is going to deal out to the sugar planters, more than two-thirds will go to Louis- Sana, estimates the Commercial Adver¬ tiser. The Australian farmer is already en¬ gaged in turning his attention to th® cul¬ tivation of cotton, and every assistance is being given him by tho colonial author- Ities. ______ There are more women in British India (124,000,000) than there are men, women and children in Great Britain, France and Germany put together, with the population of several minor Euro¬ pean States cast in as well. One imperial heir in Austria killed himself under circumstances of disgrace, another fled into obscurity as plain John Orth, while still another is lying nearly dead. The haps of Hapsbnrg, moralizes Ihe Washington Star , are sadly numer¬ ous. According to reports, two-thirds of the students of the Old World have a rather brief and inglorious career. A London letter says: “One-third of the Btudentsin Europe, it is said, die prema¬ turely from the effect of bad habits ac¬ quired at college; one-third die prema¬ turely from the effects of close confine¬ ment at their studies, and the other third govern Europe.” 1 R. S. Hunton, one of the leading mine- owners of Colorado, says that electricity opens up a new era in tho production of silver. The reason of this statement is that many of the high mountain mines have been almost valueless because of the expense of transporting fuel to them. Now through the utilization of water power with the electric motor these mines can be operated cheaply, and a notable increase of output may be looked for. So evident is this fact that there has already sprung up a demand for electrical mining machinery in Mexico, and our American electrical manufactur¬ ing companies are now sending large quantities of apparatus thither. “The traditional bow and arrow of the American Indian,” said a Westerner, “are things of the past. The average Indian of to-day is about as skilful with a bow and arrow as a six-year old boy is with a toy pistol. It's very funny to see Easterners when they are traveling out West get Indians to show them how they use their old-time weapons. The Indian’s favorite way of exhibiting his skill is to ■hoot at a quarter or half a dollar stuck in a split' stick. The money of course, comes out of the ptffcbet of the Eastern man and the noble Red Man will shoot at it from a distance of a dozen steps and miss it with the most monotonous regularity. As the small boy would say, he can’t shoot a little bit. His weapons nowadays are two kinds, both adopted from the white man.- One is the rifle which he uses upon his friend the pale face, and upon his friend’s cattle. The other is whisky, which he uses upon himself, and it is quite as deadly to hire as bullets—provided he cau get enough of it.” I One of the phenomenal business de¬ velopments in this country in the las; few years, says the National Stockman , has been in growth of the dressed beef Industry. There has not been a year in Its history in which there has not been a substantial increase. Last year a total ol 3,730,000 cattle were slaughtered in the West, against 3,050,000 in the preceding year, an increase of twenty-two per cent. This fairly represents the rate of growth. Of this total by far the greater part is for consumption in this country, probably one-seventh of it going abroad, inasmuch as the aggregate weight of beef, exclu¬ sive of tallow, exported last year was 389,216,561 pounds. Of course American producers will be glad to see beef expor¬ tation increase, even while recognizing that the growth of the dressed beef trade, as far as it contributes to supplying the American market, is inimical to the in¬ terests of cattle generally. The industry, such as it is, with all its possibilities, is here to stay. To such a degree, though, has it interfered with beef raising and beef selling in the older States that it is desirable that legislation be provided, If each a thing be possible, to hold it in check. At all events, it is certain to be * great feature in the American cattle industry in time to come. WHEN DftEAMS ARE BEST. — ; From heaven’s high top, from earth's green breast, In softest influence stealing, A voice that rocks the heart to rest Sounds at the gates of feeling. “Thy feverish hopes, thy hurrying cares, Vain passion, doubt unseeing, Look, what a little part is their’a On the wide sea of being! ‘Time,” says the voice, “how brief a thing, Lost in the wave that bore it 1” My soul thrills like a trembling string And heavenly airs breath© o’er it. With many a fern the bank is set, Pale sweet-briar studs tho hedges, The lake, with many a silver fret. Laughs through its darkening sedges. Still, like a dream when dreams are best, Like perfume heavenward stealing, The voice of nature’s infinite rest Sounds at the gates of feeling. —Dora R.Goodale,Ncw England Magazine. A NIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE. BY MAURICE SILIN6SBY. During a visit to the West, happening to be in St. Cloud, Minnesota, I remem¬ bered a very pressing invitation I had not ioug before received from an old friend, a Mr. Westerveldt, who lived only fifteen miles from St. Cloud, in one of the infant settlements of the Pepin Valley, and I determined upon paying him a visit. I accordingly hired a carriage, and drove out to his residence, where I re¬ ceived a most cordial welcome from my old friend and his family, consisting of two daughters, whom I had last seen when only six or eight years old respec¬ tively, but now developed into full- grown, beautiful women. The days flew by with extreme pleas¬ antness amid a round of amusements. Although it was unusually cold even for January, no snow had yet fallen—or, at least, not any worth mentioning—and we are anxiously awaiting the first fall which might prove sufficiently abundant to awaken the inspiring jingle of the jleigh-bells. Helen and Mabel had contemplated a visit to some friends in St. Clould on the occasion of the first fall of snow which might yield them sleighing, and I promised to serve them in the enviable capacity of escort. I shall never forget the sparkling eyes and looks of pleasure that animated the countenances of the two young ladies when their father entered just before sunset one evening, and declared that there would be suow—and he reckoned a pretty good quantity of it before morn¬ ing; aud his long residence in the Terri¬ tory had ably qualified him to judge with correctness. Helen expressed the satisfaction she felt in her usual quiet way, while Mabel, more sanguine and demonstrative than her elder sister, fairly sheuted and danced about the room in delightful anticipation of the long wished-for event. And, to our united gratification, the next morn¬ ing showed us that the statement of Mr. Westerveldt had been prophetic, for six inches of snow had fallen during the night. joyous, All were now and after fast the cutter was gotten out and with buffalo robes, for the was below zero, with a fair prospect its being ever colder. A span of beautiful grays—the pride of Mr. Westerveldt—were to the pole; and cloaked, hooded, muffled, and mittened for the occasion, we—Helen, Mabel, and myself—took our places in the double-seated cutter. With a taut rein, and an encouraging chirrup to the horses, we were off like the wind, cleaving through the frosty like an arrow winged from a bow. In twenty minutes we had passed the only house on the road, and one of the young ladies mentioned the name of the owner—Mr. Jaggers. His ranch, farm, was extensive, and his attention, afterward learned, was chiefly directed to cattle growing. He had but one —a daughter—and she, the girls in¬ formed me, had but recently been married to Gilbert Lyon, one of father’s hired men. He was a smart young fellow, they said, and it was con¬ sidered a good match. After passing the house cf Mr. Jaggers we saw, at a considerable distance ahead of us, an ox-sled loaded with hay, and the oxen, a large and well-kept pair, driven by a young man in a farmer’s frock. As we passed the load, which evidently on its way to St. Cloud, Helen Westerveldt informed me that the driver was the Gilbert Lyon who had married Sophia Jaggers. good-looking fellow, He was a stout, with ruddy cheeks, and dark hazel eyes. He walked with a quick, elastic step, which, added to his otherwise prepos¬ sessing appearance, gave him a look of conscious power and independence. We reached St. Cloud about ten o’clock in the forenoon, and remained at the Hamptons’, whom we were visit¬ ing, until after tea. They tried to per¬ suade us to remain over night, assuring us we should freeze before we could get half way across the prairie. But with the abundance of furs and buffalo robes at our command we were confident that no such disaster could happen to us. We accordingly started cn our return just as the round, full moon carac palely blushing into view. It was intensely cold—I never knew it to be colder dur- Ing my sojourn there. Our breath froze as it left our nostrils, and hung in pen¬ dant icicles from our chilled noses. 1 was beginning to regret that we had not accepted the advice of our friends, and remained over night iu St. Cloud, when our ears were startled by a dismal howl at no great distance, which was quickly auswered by similar sounds far¬ ther off. I turned to the girls for an explana¬ tion, for the sounds were new to me, when I noticed with alarm that they were trembling violently, and what could be seen ot their faces was deadly pale. It was evident from their scared aud startled appearance that they -were terri¬ bly frightened. Helen—Mabel— “For Heaven’s sake, what is the matter ? Was there anything in what we just heard to alarm you thus?” I anxiously inquired. with “God help us!” answered Helen, a shudder; “the wolves arc on our track!” I had never before heard the howl of those prairie demons, which are coward¬ ly enough, except when driven by hunger, or raiding together in large packs. evident, from On this occasion it was the repeated howls in all directions, that we were literally surrounded. AVhat was to be done more than we were already doing? The horses, already frightened by the dismal sounds, were leaping over tho crisp snow in flying bounds, with nostrils distended, and manes aud tails coursing through the frosty air like streamers. The howls grew nearer, more numerous, more distinct and threatening every moment. Fortunately I had a revolver in my pocket, though I seldom carried one on an occasion like this. Every chamber I knew was loaded, and I thanked my lucky stars that it was so. If they over¬ took us some of them would suffer. The horses required no urging. was a sufficient spur. They sped on like the rushing wind, snorting in fear as they heard our pursuers. The circle was momentarily narrowing. Already a hundred gleaming eyes shot lurid fire out of the darkness. They were all around, and their long baying howls rang out on the frosty air like the peal of doom. Some were pursuing—some heading us off, and more pressing in upon our sides. We were literally surrounded— hemmed in—cut off from all outward succor, with nothing but our own hands, and a single revolver for defense. They approached us with flying leaps, their dismal howls terminating in sharp, short, angry snarls, as though they had bitteu them oS iu the impotenev of their rage, peril, I felt the full measure of our and was determined not to waste a shot. As near as I could judge we had made a little less than one half of the distance we were to go, and were pephaps with¬ in two or tl/ree miles of Mr. Jaggers’ here residence. If we could only reach we would be safe, but that was impossi¬ ble, unless we could fight or cut our way through the hungry, ravenous pack. I waited with all the coolness and cfc- liberation I could muster, until the fore¬ most of the pack—a long, gaunt mon- ter—was within three feet of the cutter. Then I fired,. taking accurate aim be¬ tween the two flaring green orbs. The bullet went crashing through the skull of the maddened brute, dropping him as though he never meditated mis¬ chief. Another leaped over his pros¬ trate carcass, and received a similar gratuity. Two shots were expended, and but four left. They were pressing in upon all sides. How could I husband them longer? I fired as fast as they came, and quick¬ er than I can tell it, the four remaining shots were expended, and lour more of the savage brutes were left behind, kicking and writhing in the snow. When my last shot was fired, I turned a despairing look upon my to trembling companions. in each other’s They were locked arras, and their faces were as white as ashes. One of the fiercest of the pack had fastened to the side of the cutter, and was tearing away at the shawls and wrappers that covered the shrinking form of Helen. I turned, shoving my left foot under the seat as I did so, to add to the force and momentum of the movement, and struck a terrific blow at the head of the ravenous brute. He loosened his hold upon the cutter, and dropped behind; but his place was filled in a twinkling by others of the hungry pack. My foot, in striking at the brute, had come in contact with something underneath the seat, and with the desperation of a drowning per¬ son I reached under and clutched it. I drew it out quickly, with some weak, faint thrill akin to hope. It was a han¬ dle to something I hart grasped. There was a steel-like* glimmer in the dim, white light of the wintry moon. Great Heaven! how my heart leaped. I held in my grasp a sharp, strong hatchet. I dealt my blows right and left—some¬ times with precision, oftener at random; and in five minutes more I had hewed my way clear of the ravenous pack. On rushed the noble grays at the rate of twenty miles an hour. Helen and Mabel saw that we had escaped danger, and in the sudden reaction from despair to hope, both sank fainting in the bot¬ tom of the cutter. There was no help for it. I could not stop to look after them in the midst of the freezing cold, and the danger of our surroundings but resolving to stop when we reached the house of Jaggers, I drew the boil&lo robes more closely around them;- and held firmly to the straining ribbons* A few minutes after this we passed Gilbert Lyon, seated on his ox-sled. We soon left him far behind, and five m\n- utes after we drew rein in front of Mr. house. The family came out and assisted me in getting the young ladies into the warm and comfortable kitchen, where at least a quarter of a cord of wood was blazing in the ample fire-place. The horses were driven into an ad join¬ ing shed, and warmly blanketed. Helen and Mabel were soon restored to a con¬ sciousness of warmth aud safety, after the terrible cold and fright they had ex¬ perienced. all seated around the When we were fire I related, to their amazement, our perilous encounter with the wolves. The young wife shuddered as I con¬ cluded, and wondered if Gilbert would be thoughtless enough to start that night from St. Cloud? I told her that we had passed him a mile or two back, seated ou his sled, but did not speak to him. About twenty minutes later we heard the oxen stepping briskly over the crisp snow, and all rose and went to the win¬ dow. When the team came opposite the door it stopped, but the driver, sitting bolt upright on the cross beams ot the sled, did not offer to rise. Mr. Jaggers went out with a lantern, and we heard him uttter an exclamation of surprise. Wo all rushed out and gazed upon the man. There he sat, im¬ movable as a stone. lie was frozen to death. We will not attempt to describe the grief and agony of the young wife when she fully realized the situation, but we will draw a vail over that great sorrow which so suddenly blighted her youngj lile. Ourhouse of refuge was now con¬ verted into one of mourning. At 9 next morning we reached home in safety.— Ne id York Weekly. Curious Legal Nuisances. The following .are some of the alleged nuisances for which injunctions and damages have been asked from sympa¬ thetic courts and juries. In a recent English case an enthusiastic amateur played daily eight hours on a violoncello, and on Sundays a little longer sometimes. To add to the misery caused, the player lived in a flat. The Judge before whom the case came decided that three hours was long enough for any human being to play on a violoncello, and the injunction issued. In a case before the Court of Common Pleas some time ago in New York a per¬ son was brought up for trundling in a carriage overhead his teething baby, both by night and day. The Judge, who must have been a married man, held that the noise wa3 not unreasonable, and refused to interfere. In another English case a chime of bells at Deptford was not allowed to ring because the noise was offensive to the majority of the property owners ic the vicinity. The uewspapers recently mentioned the sad case of a discharged chorister, who took a horrible revenge on the con¬ gregation by sitting in a pew and pur¬ posely singing out of tune. Whethei he was indicted or not for disturbing public worship does not appear. There are few annoying sounds which have not, sooner or later, been alleged as nuisances, but the courts hold thal many of them must be endured.— Medi¬ cal Record. A Snake Swallows a Cat. When Barney Conaghan, of Dunlavy & Conaghan, the Albany (Ga.) butchers, came down town to open up shop the other morning, he missed his cat, which usually greeted him when the shop was opened every morning. Mr. Conaghan thought that the -cat was out ou an early morning prowl, and busied himself around the shop for a few minutes put¬ ting things to rights, when suddenly his attention was attracted by an object near a meat block, which, at a glance, looked like a section of a cable rope in a coil. Earnestly did Mr. Conaghan gaze on the object for a minute, and then, as he realized what it wa3, his heart stood still with fear, and he gave utterance to an alarm that startled the early morning echoes, and brought Officers Raley and Barron double quick to his assistance. The object was nothing more or less than a monster rat snake, which, in the absence of rats and better employ¬ ment, had brought Mr. Conaghan’s cat under the charm of its magnetic eyes, and had then commenced the task of swallowing him, and was in a fair way of succeeding when the officers reached the scene and killed the helpless reptile, much to Mr. Conaghan’s relief. The snake was an immense reptile, measuring not less than eight feet in length, and if left alone for a short while longer would have succeeded hi getting on the outside of the cat with but little trouble .—Atlanta Constitution. Good and Bad Tea. “Not one man in a 'thousand knows good tea from bad,” said an old-time drummer. “Good tea is always bitter, and folks who don’t like bitter tea should drink something else. The impression prevails in some sources that it is the coloring matter that causes the bitter flavor, but it :s nothing of the kind. Coloring is very seldom resorted to now¬ adays, and the idea of Prussian blue being used to make the green more striking is absurd. Black tea is the most dangerous in this respect, but green is generally the natural tint. That green tea is man bitter than black is because the former is plucked when as its prime, while the latter is damaged in preparing for the market. St. Louis is a good tea city, and the grade of tea sold here is above the average.”— St. Louis Star- Sayings. SCIENTIFIC AND iNDCsiHL Blasting is done by electricity = - I he brain of reincreasiog B man exceeds twi„ of any other animal. ' 1 ” e A man breathes about twenty minute, 1200 times k or an hour. One dollar a minute is the char* using the new London-Paris teli> s line. The great telescope of Lord R Ireland, has speculum os , a six j ter, fifty-five feet focus. Pennsylvania makes fift v . tw every 100 tons of rolled iron i„ United States, and sixty-nine ! every 100 steel rails. It keeps tbiee large Chicago f busy to manufacture the aa headlights lanterj i 0com and railroad are used in this country. The { ies boys. give employment to 1100 me! A number of fine residences i Back Bay section of Boston 5 equipped with ar“ elevators operated electric motors. The machinery j, simple and compact, and the elev will carry two or three persons at speed. An English firm manufactures a bined oil engine aud dynamo, A number of these engines have b een and nies, sent where throughout they the various'] are said to be rj ated with especial economy for J plants. Phosphorus is now made by a ji electricity in England, the mixtui phosphoric acid being decompose< the heat of an electric arc embedde the mass. This local application of is said to be more economical than 1 ing in large retorts by the ordi process. Electricity has superseded power at the royal foundry at Wuri burg, the dynamo being driven large turbine water wheel. The sti furnishing the water is some dist from the works, the electricity b conveyed across the town by over] couductors. The current operates s twenty-five lathes and polishing chines. A Warsaw engineer has mventel new harness by which the danger oil ing horses is averted. It is so arraJ that by pulling a string which is I tached to the driver’s seat the horses! at once unhitched and the vehicle! brought to a standstill. The invenl was tried by the best horsemen in I city and found perfectly successful. I model of it has been sent to St. Petl burg with an application for a patl M. Mareelhacy has made some al tional improvements in diving appara which have received the authorities! approving dorsement of the French this arrange me ment, instead of thehel electric hand lamp, employed ordinal by divers, the plan is to affix povtea glow lamps at the top of the helmet, that the diver's hands are at all tin free for work. The lamp is conned by a conductor with a above battery the eitnerj cj shore or in a vessel as may be. telegraph] The practicability of been demj without wires has recently several strated by the success of Preece,J ex pa ments. Not long ago Mr. head electrician of the postal telegra system in England, succeeded in esta lishing communication across the Soil to also the Isle of the Wight, River and Severn, telegrapij withd across wires, merely using earth-plates at a ficient distance apart. It is now propos to make practical use of this system communication with lightships. A Canine Hero. A correspondent of an English the pap writes: “I recently witnessed lowing little incident on the Thami near Twickenham, when the river v full of land water, and therefore, re swift and dangerous. Two dogs, one large animal, the other a little were enjoying a swim near the bnu c, soon the little one was carried out so* distance and was unable to get ro * By this time the big dog had regain the shore, and, seeing what was PP_ ing to hfs companion, began run backward and forward in the mos citing manner, at the same time w pering and barking, and evidea-J a 1 knowing for the moment what 0 The terrier was fast losing streng ^ although swimming hard, " l !,, ^ rapidly carried down stream, longei dog could contain himself n ® gtrm Running some yards ahead of gling friend, he plunged into and swam vigorously straight o j he got in a line with the litth he j » , appearing behind him. Then carried _ w lowed himself to be (err j a first, until he got next to ? ° cleTe rei this being accomplished swim in ia ^ and began to ’ ° manner, $ ally pushing the little one ^ nearer to the shore, which f#c t* after a most exciting time. » _ this canine hero going so “ t # allow for the strong curre ’ , oDg ^ shown in getting a judgment pushing, cert.u and then the of a ^ to me to betoken instinct order.” J*j had outing for “I haven’t an •>“** years,” complained bad,” replied ;r busli* 2 ! “That’s too “I’ll rt sympathetically, there isn't 8^1 « vertisments and see if can excursion to a sale of lo— . to day.”— Wasp.
