The Montgomery monitor. (Mt. Vernon, Montgomery County, Ga.) 1886-current, June 01, 1887, Image 1

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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,