Newspaper Page Text
Jtlontoontars monitor*
D. C. Sutton, Editor and Proprietor.
Somebody Pays.
Some find It convenient to live at their ease.
And al obligations to shirk;
On every occasion to do as they please,
And give no attention to work.
As idlers and sluggards, as loungers and
drones,
They follow their indolent ways.
By being thus lux, increasing the tax
That somebody pays.
Free lunches, free passes, they have at com
mand,
Rich gifts that to others are lost.
And gayly they feast on the fat of the land,
And travel regardless of cost.
But for all the line banquets, the wear and
the tear
Os public or private displays,
Though you may go free, ’t.s as sure as can
bo
That somebody pays.
Bome boast of the credit they freely obtain,
Tho taxes from which they’re exempt,
And to cancel the favors received, it is plain
They’ve nude u>ta singie attempt;
With honor at stake, they consent to remain
In debt to theend of their days,
And wi h insolent pride, a “free horse” they
ride,
For which somebody pays.
Some go through tho world with a niggardly
heart,
And carry n misorly pu~se,
While others, with liberal zeal, do their part,
And freely iheir treasures disburse;
And for hours of idleness we may enjoy,
For losses and needless delays,
For waste and neglect, it is well to reflect
That somebody pays.
—[Josephine Pollard.
DEAD MAN’S CANON.
It was a warm day in April.
Charles Lofteu took a car and rode out
tto llie end of the line, then he walked
•on for some distance and turned up the
iiill to the left and took the road which
leads down through Dead Man’s Canon.
As he walked down the rough road
lie noticed a little child playing around
a pilc of wood which her father had
been chopping.
Farther down he saw two girls at a
spring, and as the younger drank from a
tin pail she said to her sister, “What
splendid water that is.”
Two men who were drawing stone left
their horses an t went to the girls for a
drink.
Some negroes were laughing and
talking around a rough house on the
sido of the bluff.
All these things Loften noticed as he
walked, and he also noticed two men,
evidently tramps, who sat on a stone in
a lonely part of the canon talking in low
tones, which ceased entirely as he came
nearer.
Loften went on through the canon and
crossed the tracks to the brewery, where
he was going to look at some new ma
chinery.
After ho had examined the machine
he went up 01 the roof of the building,
from which there was in excellent view
-of the valley.
lie watched the river winding nway
past cultivated lands aud pitches of for
est, past sandy flats and rocky bluffs,
lie noticed the tall sycamores, with their
white bark, scattered over the valley.
In the distance he couldseo the piled up
stone and the tall masts of the derricks
for moving it where a great ridge was
being built, and near by the cluster of
houses covered with tar paper, where
the workmen lived. On tho other side
was the city with its towers and chim
neys, and over all the dark cloud of
smoke curling upward. And then there
was the river again, and more fl its and
more bluffs and more cultivated land,
forest and white-barked sycamores.
Loften went down and started for
hijme. As he went up the canon the
men still sat on the stone whispering to
gether, and again stopped when lie came
near.'
It was growing dark. The men who
had been drawing stone had left their
wagon by the road and gone for the
night. He met one old negro carrying a
pail of water. There was no one talk
ing before the house now. The spring
was deserted, and the water ran quietly
down the hill. The little girl and the
man who had been chopping wood were
gone too.
Near the head of the canon Loften
met a well dressed man going down.
They nodded as they passed anu said
something about the bad walking.
Loften noticed that black clouds were
gathering, and when he reached the top
of the bluff it was quite dark. He took
a car and went home, and as he went into
his house he heard the roar of distant
thunder.
As the flashes of lightning for a second
i lumined the iower end of Dead Man’s
Canon a well dressed man lay in the road
near the rock where the two tramps had
sat whispering together—but the tramps
were gone.
It was still moonlight when the quar
rymen started for their woik.
The storm had gone by and the sky
was bright with stars.
MT. VERNON, MONTGOMERY CO., GA., WEDNESDAY, JUNK 1, 1887.
As they entered the cauon the paling
of the moon indicated that tho sun would
soon be up and the sky was already
growing rod in the east. A light mist
floated among the tops of the sycamore
trees on the flats.
Suddenly the men stopped.
Right before them ou the rond lay a
man. His clothes were soaked by the
rain, which had fallen in torrents, and
his white collar and cuffs were soiled
with mud, Ilis head was covered with
mud aud blood, and an ugly gash in his
throat showed how he had died.
One ot them at once started for the
li w i to notify the authorities.
The coroner came aud took charge of
the body, and men were set at work to
try and discover the murderer.
Inquiry at the brewery brought out
the fact that a strange man had been
seen there late the previous afternoon,
and an old negro testified to having seen
him going up tho canon. A conductor
on one of the cars said that a man
answering the description given by the
men at the brewery and the old negro
ha l ridden on his car. A grocer’s man
who happened to be driving by had seen
this man and identified him as Loften.
When the officers catiie to his house
Loften was writing, and upon being told
that he was wanted went at once, think
ing there was some mistake which could
be easily explained, and it was not until
brought before the magistrate that he
learned that ho was charged with mur
der.
He told his story, as we have already
done above, and pleaded his innocence,
but the evidence against him seemed
too strong, and he was sent to prison to
await trial.
No one else had seen the two tramps,
nor could any traces of them bo fouud.
Loften lay awake all night in his cell.
He knew that he was innocent, but how
was he to prove it? He had always had
a stainless reputation, and now he was
in prison accused of murder I He
thought of the grief and shame it would
cause to his friends. Then he broke
down and cried like a child.
After that he remembered nothing.
Whon the jailer came with his break
fast he found him staring at the blank
wall of his cell. He spoke to him, but
the prisoner did not move. Loften
was mad.
He was committed to an insane asylum,
but the judge made a stipulation that If he
should ever recover his reason he should
be tried for murder.
For seven years Charles Loften was in
the asylum. He ate aud slept and was
taken out to walk by a nurse with some
of the other patients, but he never spoke
and he never appeared to notice any
one or any'hing.
At the end of seven years his reason
suddenly returned. Everything was
clear up to the night of his imprison
ment, hut of the time lie had spent in
the asylum he remembered nothing.
The court was notified that he had re
covered his reason, and a time was set
for his trial.
Ou the night before Charles Loften’s
trial a robbery was attempted in a neigh
boring town.
Between one imd two in the morning
the owner of a handsome place on the
outskirts of the town was awakened and
thought he heard some one moving in
the house. He got up and went to his
door and found that some one was mov
ing about in the library.
The house was lighted by electricity,
and by pressing a button at the head of
the stairs tho light could be turned on
all over the first floor.
Tiiis he did, and in an instant every
room was lighted.
Two men who had been groping about
in the darkness were at first blinded and
stupefied by the bright light coming so
suddenly, then they came to their senses
and ran, and as the proprietor hurried
down stairs he saw them running through
the house and escaping by a side door.
As the men crossed the yard the night
watchman saw them and fired his pistol.
The foremost man fell, but the other
made good his escape.
On the first day of Loften’s trial a jjiry
had been selected, a few witnesses had
been called and the court had adjourned.
On the second day of the trial,
just as the third witness was about to
take the stand, a note was handed to
the judge.
It stated that, on examining the
wounds of the burglar who had been
shot in the neighboring town two nights
before, it had been found that he could
not live, and on learning this the man
had made a confession.
He said that seven or eight years be
fore he and one of his companions had
murdered a man in Dead Man’s Canon
and robbed him of some valuable papers
which he had in his possession. He
knew that an innocent man had been
arrested, bat thought he would be ae-
“SUB DEO FACIO FORTITER.”
quitted. He had afterwards learned that
the man, whoso name was Charles Loften,
had becomo insane and had boon placed
in an asylum.
The man who listened to the story,
knowing that Loften was now on trial for
this crime, had sent lorn justice and had
the man make an affidavit, which ho had
sent at once to the court.
When the judge had road the noto tho
affidavit was sworn to, and Charles Lof
teu, after seven years’ imprisonment for a
crime he had never committed, was once
more at liberty.—[New York Graphic.
A Pretty Custom.
It was a pretty custom long ago for
lovers to exchange rings. The gentle
man did not have to spend a month’s in
come for a pretty trinket for which he
got no return, but he nlso wore aud
cherished a souvenir from his sweetheart.
Chaucer describes a heroine ns giviugher
lover a ring on which were engraved
suitable love mottoes and receiving a
like one in return. Shakcspere makes
more than one allusion lo this custom.
In the “Two Gentlemen of Verona” Julia
gives Porteus a ring, saying: “Keep you
this remembrance for thy Julia's sako.”
To which ho replies: “Why, then wo’U
make exchange; here, take you this,”
A “gimmal” or linked ring was then
invented which gave still greater force
and significance to the custom. It w.is
made of a doublo and often triple link,
which turned upon a pivot. It could bo
opened, showing three rings. A small
hand was attached to each outer ring,
which, when closed, caused the hand to
clasp, inclosing a heart which was affixed
’o the central notched dug. It was cus
tomary to break these lings asunder in a
solemn manner over tho bible. It was
always done in the presence of a witness,
who kept the center rink, the betrothed
couple reserving the two outsido
links. When the marriage contract was
fulfilled at the altar the three portions
were united and the ring used in the
ceremony.—[Jewelers’ Weekly.
The Hat’s Weapons,
The rat is finely equipped for tho pe
culiar life he is ordained to lead. lie
has strong weapons in the shape of four
long nnd very sharp teeth—two in tho
upper jaw and two in the lower. These
teeth are wedge-shaped, and by a won
derful provision of nature have always a
fine, sharp, cutting edge. On examining
them carefully, the inner part is found
to boos a soft, ivory-liko composition,
which can easily bo worn away, and tho
outside is composed of a glass-like en
amel, which is exceedingly hard. Tho
upper teeth work into the under so that
the centres of tho opposed teeth meet
perfectly in the act of gnawing, hence
the soft part is being continually worn
away, while the hard part keeps a sharp,
chisel-like edge all tho time, and at tho
same time the teeth nro constantly
growing up from the bottom, so that as
they wear away a fresh supply is ready.
Should one of these teeth be removed by
accident or otherwise, the opposing tooth
will continue to grow, and there being
nothing to wear it away, it will project
from the mouth and be turned upon it
self, and if it be an under tooth it will
grow so long as to penetrate the skull.
Salt.
A New York commission merchant
said to a Commercial reporter: “Tho
experiment of making solar salt has been
tried in this country but without much
success. The quality of the sea water
varies a good deal. It will deposit one
kind of salt on one island and another
perceptibly different, even to the eye,
on another island perhaps not more than
forty miles away. We do an immense
trade with the West Indies in salt. There
are a dozen places that furnish altogether
different kinds of salt, and each has its
particular use. One very fino and easily
soluble variety is used in the flavoring
of chewing tobacco. Not many chew
era know that, hut they would find out
very quickly that something was lack
ing if the salt should be omitted.
Some physicians have thought that the
presence of the salt makes the tobacco
very injurious.”
An Absurd Proposition.
Lily (secretary of the cooking class)
Now, girls, we’ve learned nine cakes,
two kinds of angel food and seven pics.
What next?
Susie (engaged)—Dick’s fatiier says I
must learn to make bread.
indignant Chorus—Bread? Absurd 1
What are bakers for?—[Pittsburg Bulle
tin.
Afraid to Pass Anything.
First director—l am afraid we shall
have to pass a divi lend again.
Second director—We can’t do it.
“No. The Interstate Commercial law
doesn’t allow us to pass anything.”—
[P.tteburg Chronicle.
CHINOOK WIND.
A Phenomenal Aerial Current
of the Northwest.
Its Sttdden Coming a Blessing to Blizzaril-
Striokeu Cattle Ranges.
Hon. Joseph Nimmo, Jr., who has ex
plored the “arid region” of the interior,
with the view of writing a book in re
gard to it, gives tho following descrip
tion of the Chinook Wind: Tho name
“Chinook Wind” is applied to an aerial
current from the great Kuro-Siwo of the
Pacific Ocean. During the winter
months this current of air occasionally
debouches over tho crest pf the Rocky
Mountains into the British Northwestern
Provinces, Montana nnd Wyoming.
Sometimes it extends far soutli into Col
orado, hut seldom much further enst
thanjthe western boundary of Dakota.
It is the rosult of simultaneous low ba
romoter east and high barometer wost of
the Rockies. The atmospheric cliango
which it produces is about as mnrkcd as
that which one would experience during
the month of January in pnssing from
Quebec to Key Wost. Tho coming of
tho Chinook Wind is always sudden,
and somewhat phenomenal. In the
course of two hours the thermometer
may rise from 45° below
to 45° abovo zero. Occasionally,
when the snow is dcop, and tho Chinook
Wind has an extensive range and is long
continued, the waters of the melting
snows pour down in torrents into the
Upper Missouri. The river 1b broken up
and rlsos above its banks. But as the
swelling flood reaches Dakota, it nrrives
at a point beyond which the influence of
the Chinook Wind has not been felt.
Here the ice is from three to four feet
thick, and as solid as a rock. But the
superincumbent waters tear the ice from
its fastenings to the shores, and a “war
of tho elements” ensues of surpassing
grandeur. A gorge is soon formed,
which increases in height until the great
ice-dam gives way, when the whole mass
moving on, again rips up tho solid ice,
Which is piled In enormous masses, fifty
to one bmndred feet in height, at points
along tho bends of tho river, until an
other gorge is formed, in its turn to he
burst asunder by the force of tho rising
waters. No railroad bridge, however
strong, could resist the forco of one of
these masses of ice.
But tho Chinook Wind comes alwnys
As a blessing to tho far northwestern
cattle ranges. Usually it is tho “break
up” of a blizzard. During these dread
ful Arctic blasts the cattle retire to the
coulees and sheltered valleys. After
they have cropped the grasses which
rc«r their heads above tho snow, and
have exhausted tho supply of sage-brush,
and other varieties of the Artemisia
family, tho internal source of heat giving
! out, the poor brutes arc forced to tramp
for life. Gathering in bands, they list
lessly Wander over the Vast ranges,
i drifting with the bitter blast. Some of
them have their tails frozen, which drop
off, and their logs become reddened
with frozen blood. The horns of others
freeze, and in time fall off. The dis
tressed animals bellow with agony as
they move on. Cows which have dropped
! late calves, and were in no condition to
“go into the winter," usually succumb.
One by one, cow and calf and weak
steer fall by the way, and speedily bc
! come the prey of wolves and bears
and mountain lions, which all the time
have hung upon tho flanks of the re
treating herd, waiting for “one who
drops.”
At such a timo the blessed Chinook
Wind arrives. The weary cattle snuff it
from afar, and come to a halt. Then, as
the warm air envelopes them, they lie
down to a long sleep. But the pangs of
hunger are upon them. As soon as they
are sufficiently rested they start at
once for the “Winter ranges.” These
comprise the areas remote from the
streams, which during the long dry sea
son of the summer months have tethered
them in their grazing. But now the
Chinook Wind has formed pools from
the melting snows all over the country,
where they may quench their thirst and
graze where they please. In the abun
dant pasturage thus opened up to them
they feed upon the highly nutritious
grasses peculiar to the arid region, and
are soon rcinvigoratod. But in the
course of a few days the wind changes.
An Arctic wave presses back the Chi
nook. And now, with well-filled
stomachs and paunches, the herd speed
ily seeks shelter, and once more is forced
to undergo the terrible ordeal of a
Northwest blizzard. —Frank Leslie’s.
It is said that a man could easily carry
$40,000,000 if the money was in SIO,OOO
bills. It is worth while for every man to
know this so as to prepared for an emer
gency,
A Strung!' Race.
Prof. Miguel Marazta, says Nature,
has tnado what seems a curious anthropo- j
logical discovery in the Valley of the i
Hebas (Geronu), at the cud of the Eastern
Pyrenees. There exists in this district
n somewhat numerous group of people, ,
who are called Nanos (dwarfs) by tho I
other Inhabitants, and as a matter of
fact, aro not more than four feet in
height. Their bodies arc fairly well
built, hands and feet small, shoulders
nnd hips brond, making them appear
moro robust than they really arc. Their
features are so peculiar that there is no
mistaking them among others. All have
red hair; tho faco is ns broad as long j
with high cheek-bones, strongly-de
veloped jaws nnd flat nose. The eyes
aro not horizontal, blit somewhat oblique,
like those of Tartars and Chinese. A
few straggling, weak hairs aro found in
place of board. The akin is pale and
flabby. Though the mouth is large, tho
lips do not quite cover tho lurgo pro
jecting incisors. Tho Nanos, who are
the butt of tho other inhabitants, live
entirely by themselves in Reims. They
intermarry only among themselves, so
tlint their peculiarities continue to bo
reproduced. Entirely without educa
tion, nud without any chance of improv- j
ing their condition, they lend the life of
pariahs, They know their own names,
but rarely remember thoso of their
parents; can hardly tell where they live,
and have no idea of numbers.
Treasure-Trove.
The holding an inquest upon treasure
trove is among the most ancient duties of
tho coroner. By a statue of Edward I
tho coroner was required, on being cer
tified by tho king’s bailiffs or other
“honest men of tho country,” to go to
tho places where treasure was said to ho
found and to inquire who wero the
finders. It is quaintly su ;gosted that it
may well bo perceived who is to bo sus
pected of finding it, “whore one liveth
riotously, haunting taverns and hath
done so a long time." Moreover, the
individual might bo npprebonded upon
this suspicion. But tho new regulations
Will probably supercede all these old
processes. In the future thcro will bo
little temptation to conceal treasure
trove, because the finder will bo quite
ns substantially rewarded by discovering
it to the authorities. In a recent case
tho treasury gnvc a practical illustration
of this. A number of old English gold
coins of various date were found by a
workman in some old oak beam which
was taken from a farmhouse near Luton.
Os these many proved of such rarity that
they were sent to tho national collections,
but the treasury gavo orders that the
finder should bo paid for them at the
rate of their value as old gold, wliilo the
remainder were returned to him,—[Cham
ber’s Journal.
A Talking Machine.
A new invention, called the grapho
phone, seems likely to overshadow the
utility of its predecessor wilh the re
vised name of phonograph. Its con
struction Is tho work of Mr. Hurnner
Taintor, Prof. Alexander G. Bell, the
inventor of tho Bell telephone, and Dr.
Chichester A. Bell, a prominent chemist.
The graphopouo is very simple, receiv
ing the sound waves from the voice on a
small preparation of wax ar.d paraffine
by means of a small point attached to
the diaphragm of the machine. This
wax and paraffine cylinder can then be
utilized at any time to grind out u repe
tition of the songs, laughs, whistles, or
speeches stamped upon it. It is re
ported to have worked very satisfac
torily, and stenographers think that it
will work a revolution in their business
by doing away with the need of amanu
enses. Two people miles apart, in busi
ness or social connection, by possessing
each a machine, can send the wax cylin
der through the mail, and so converse
with each other, while tho probability
of the price being low will make the
graphophone easily obtainable.
Preparing for Emergencies.
Thus far Germany has no colonies to
amount to anything, but the government
is raising a corps of old soldiers for
colonial service. When that corps is
mustered in, it will remind one of the
little boy who was overlooked at the din
ner table, and, in order to attract
attention, put a large dab of mus
tard on his plate.
“Whafs that for?” asked his father.
“That mustard is for the meat I’m
going to get after a while, perhaps.”—
Texas Siftings.
Cause for Absence.
Layman (to minister) —The bad
weather keeps a good many people away
from church, I suppose, Mr. Goodman?
Minister—Ye-cs; but bad weather
doesn’t keep as many away from church
as the contribution box does, my brother.
VOL 11. NO. 13.
Brave and llopelul.
Oh, it’s easy to be brave when the world Is cm
your side;
And It’s easy to bo hopeful when all goes
well.
But to laugh, and keep a stout heart tho*
trouble docs betide
Our hearts and homos, that's harder far to do
than 'tis to tell.
For 'tis Indeed a hero’s heart that can be
brave and gay,
With sorrow knocking at the door, tires dead
on hearth stones cold
And hopeful eyos in truth are thoso which
look boyond the gray,
Grim skies of Wintor, seoing Summer’s blue
sun-washed with gold.
—[Boston Budget.
HUMOROUS.
A smoke stuck—A bunch of cigars.
Ono aero is enough—especially if It be
a tender corn.
A man born at soa cannot be proud of
his native land.
Cyclones, like politicians, arc notorious
for laying wires.
A photographer’s negative—llis refusal
to give sittings on credit.
Onj thing about these cyclones is that
they always seem to bo in a hurry.
The king of Denmark wants soldiers
with large noses. Recruiting a bugle
corps, probably.
A little burn makes a big smart some
times. But even a big burn could not
mako some people smart.
Donkey parties are all tho rage out
West. It is tacitly understood that tho
dudes furnish tho donkeys.
It is not tho biggest things that make
the greatest commotion. Take a mouse
in prayer meeting for instance.
The ideal wifo gets out of bed, lights
the flro and has the breakfast prepared
before she calls the ideal husband.
A devoted swain declares ho is so fond
of his girl that he has rubbed tho skin
from his nose by kissing her shadow on
the wall.
Jenny Lind was at Cannes during tho
earthquake, but as she had brought down
many houses in her timo she wua not
disturbed.
A person may boa very poor pedes
trian; nevertheless, go as slow as he will,
and without any effort, lie can always
catch a cold.
“Madam," said a gentleman to a lady,
“pardon me, but your hair is coming
down.” “And yours, sir," replied the
lady indignantly, “is coming out.”
The economy of nature made a bad
break wlion it supplied pigs with tails.
A pig’s tail is of no more use to tho pig
than tho letter “p” is to pneumonia.
“This is one of the silent watches of
tho night,” remarked Kungie, as he
looked at his time-piece on arising this
morning and found it had stopped at
eleven p. m.
“A drop of ink may mako a million
think," says Byron. Yes, and it is apt
to make ono woman think enough for
tho oilier 090,999 when that sumo drop
ornaments her carpet.
Mrs. Henpcck: “I see that ono of tho
j convicted anarchists wants to got mar
ried.” Mr. lion peck: “1 wonder why
they don’t let him. It would be much
cheaper than hanging him.”
“Indeed, it happened in less time than
I take to tell it,” aid tho lady who was
considered somewhat of a bore. “Ob,
I haven’t the least doubt of it,” replied
; the patient and truthful listener.
A magazine writer says tliut blue oyes
indicate a mild and even disposition.
Black and blue eyes, it is presumed,
mean a combative disposition —and that
their wearer tackled the wrong man.
The Dried Currents Industry.
“One would hardly think that a sin
gle iudustry would support vast num
bers of people and form an im
portant product of an entire nation,”
said one of our leading grocers the other
day. “I am referring to dried currants
as the products aud Greece as the coun
try. To show how enormously her
prosperity has increased in this respect,
j 1 have simply to tell you that the crop
has increased from 12.000,000 pouniltln
1860 to 200,000,000 pounds in 1886. If
j it isn’t an important staple to Greece
I’m unable to say what it is.”—[Philar
delphia Call.
What Ma Said.
Bobbie was at a neighbor’s and in re
sponse to a piece of bread and butter
had politely said “Thank you.”
“That’s right, Bobby,” said the lady.
“I like to hear little boys say “Thunk
! y° u -"
“Yes, ma told me I must say that if
I you gave me anything to eat, even if it
wasn’t nothing but bread uu’ butter;
but if you want to hear me say it again
you’ve either got to put jmi on it or
give me some cake,” —[Harpers Bazar,