Newspaper Page Text
OGILLA DISPATCH.
OClIiliA, GEORGIA.
HENDERSON * HANLON, Publishers.
The cost of the world’s wars sinve
the Crimean campaign has been $12,-
2r.f*.000,000. That amount judicious
ly invested in arbitration would prob
ably have given the world universal
peace.__
in one respect, says Mature, tne
Madras university is ahead of English
universities, since it requires students
of history to possess some knowledge
of ethnology and comparative philo
logy, which is not the case in the
British institutions.
Fifty years ago the railroad freight
car cost $700 to build aud had a car
rying capacity of eight tons. Today
the latest improved fi eight car costs
$1000 and carries fifty-five tons, In
this differeuce the story of the devel
opment of our railroads is told.
Why throw rice at bridal couples,
anyhow? Why not split peas, navy
beans, dried corn hickory nuts, apples
or potatoes? Any of these would be
just as good as rice,and some of them
even better for young persons about
to begin housekeeping. If the cus
tom were broadened somewhat a young
couple whose friends and relatives
were sufficiently enthusiastic could in
this way gather in an assorted supply
of provisions that would be exceed
ingly handy to have in the house.
The burglars who robbed a New
York city dressmaker a few clays ago
of goods valued at a thousand dollars
had some feeling. The newspaper ac
counts of the burglary noted tha it
was the ninth time the place had been
visited by thieves, aud that each time
the dressmaker’s loss had been heavy,
and the statement produc.d a rein rk
able and unlooked for result. A few
hours iater two bundles were received
by her, brought by the cit ; express,
ami on opening them she found the
missing goods aud an anonymous let
ter expressing sympathy for her in
her previous losses.
Russia has recently ordered $20,- j
000,000 worth of American ordnance,
$7,000,000 worth of American steel
rails, and many million dollars more
in American products of various
kinds. As a consequence, our man
ufacturers are looking to Russia as a
great opportunity. A nation of 130,
000,000 people, with vast enterprises
on hand, needs a great many things
which the Americans can supply, and
gs the friendship between the two
governments has always been strong,
and was never closer than it is today,
it is quite probable that our relations
with that couutrv will contiuue to be
pleasanter than ever.
A suggestive feature of the remark
able development of American manu
facturing in the first half of 1899 is
found in the cotton-mill movemeit in
tbe southern states, At the end ol
the last fiscal year there were 425
mills in operation in the section,
which, with more than four million
spindles, had used more than a million
and a quarter bales. So far this year
fifty uew mills have been built, or pro
jected iu the South, representing a
capital investment of $ll,500,000,and
thirty-nine old mills have been im
proved at a cost of $5,600,000. The
new and improved mills will require
an aggregate of 1,100,000 additional
spindles, nearly as many as the entire
south had nine years ago.
The exact proportion of youthful
criminals who are moved to a change
of life by experiences in a reforma
tory is, of course, uncertain, It is
known, however, that the effort to re
form is in many eases unsuccessful.
Sometime ago a deputy at the Deer
Island prison in Boston harbor who
previously had been au officer at the
Massachusetts reformatory, was im
pressed by his recognition of many of
the prisoners as previous inmates of
the reformatory. An in juicy showed
250 of that, class of prisoners or about
twenty-five per cent, of the prison
population. That is regarded by the
officials as a continuing ratio. The
fa ts are not presented by way of crit
icism on the Massachusetts reforma
tory, or on reformatories in general.
As the officers say, a reformatory is
doing excellent work if it succeeds in
diverting from a criminal career one
fourtli of the young persons commit
t (1 to its care, aud itsexistenoe would
be justified and its work regarded *s
necessary, even if tho ratio of refor
mation was not higher than one in
t n
"i——
If yon desire to keep abreast e'
tho times, tab« yonr home paper
The subscription price Is low and y©
eannot afford to do without it,
COMBUSTION.
Some ten years since I occupied a
house that had a small garden entirely
surrounding it. The architect who
planned it evidently believed in high
rooms as necessary for our climate, as
each story was fully twenty feet from
floor to ceiling; consequently I could
look down from the second story of
my house into the yards and rooms of
my neighbors on either side without
any difficulty, and, in fact, could not
well avoid it. The house oil the right
hand, a queer, old-fashioned affair,
after standing vacant a long time, was
at length taken by an odd-looking old
man, whom I saw going over it one
day, and the next day it was occupied.
Not being of a Paul Pry disposition, I
paid little attention to my new neigh
bors; only found them quiet. The old
house had scarce more noise about it
than when vacant, and I congratulated
myself that some man with half a
dozen boisterous children had not
taken it.
But one day an old family servant
remarked: “Miss Jeannette, dare’s
somethin' odd ’bout dem folks what’s
done moved next door, shore, dere is,
honey; dey’s on’y got a scrumpled up
ole nigger for a servant, and she’s all
a hump behind, and looks like ole Sa
tan fer shore; you never see de ole man
and de ole woman at de same time;
de day you see de ole man you don’t see
de ole woman, and de day you see de
ole woman de ole man ain’t round, and
dey don’t go out no whar, only dat ole
scarecrow goes de errents.”
“Now, mammy,” said I to her, "you
just let our neighbors alone; they are
decent enough people, no doubt, and
you need not spend your time looking
after their oddities; you have enough
to do to look after your own.”
Old mammy shook her head, and,
mumbling her words after a petted and
spoiled servant fashion, went on with
her dusting, and I let the subject rest.
My attention being thus drawn to
them, I found myself looking out oc
casionally from the windows on that
side, noticing the house and its in
mates, and sure enough I never did
see the two old people at the same
time. Regularly as clockwork, every
alternate day I would see the old man;
then the next day the old woman; but
never the two together, just as if they
took turns in keeping guard over
everything. They were an odd-looking
couple—shaky, pale, and yet puffy an
bloated; and as for the old negress,
she was truly a daughter of Eblis, if
looks count for anything In reading
character.
One night, just about 11, the old ne
grees came rapping at the back gate
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A PALE FLAME CAME CREEPING,
and asked for me. Old mammy, who
had often said: “Dat old nigger next
door Is hoodoo, sartin," was really
afraid of her, and said; "My mistress
is jus’ ’bout gwine to bed; you can’t
see her, nohow, tonight,” but the old
negress told her to come and ask me
“if I wouldn’t please come in for a few
minutes; that master was on his day
and mistress was took mity bad.” As
she wouldn’t take no, mammy, much
against her will, did come and deliver
the message, and, bidding the old
woman to go home and have the gate
open for me to get in, I hastened to
change my dress for a loose wrappei
and followed her as quickly as possi
ble.
I found the old lady lying on a low,
narrow lounge in one of the lower
rooms. Her husband was not present
Bhe did not seem to notice my en
trance, but, lying back with eyes wide
open, staring straight before her into
open space, a look of unutterable hor
ror stamped upon her face. Approach
ing her side, I laid my hand upon her
forehead. It was clammy and had a
sticky, cold feeling that was unpleas
ant. She did not answer when I asked
her where she suffered pain, but
moaned in a pitiful manner that made
my heart ache to hear.
“Where is your master?” I asked
the old negress.
“In his room, mistiss; dis is his day,
and mistiss’ day to watch him.”
“What on earth do you mean,
auntie?”
“Dis is his day to get drunk and
mlsties’ day to keep sober, but her last
two days she’s been takin' brandy and
all at once she laid down thar and don’
just like you see her, till I got scared
and went for you, mam.”
“Do you mean to say that your mas
ter and mistress take turus in getting
drunk?”
“Yes, mam, I duz. He gets drunk
one day and she gets drunk the nex’
day, but her last two days to keep
sober she’s bin gitting drunk, too, so
she’s had a whole week. She’s bin
drunk and it’s made her 'pek, I
reckon.”
Though thoroughly disgusted and
shocked at such a tale of horror, I
still strove to help the hapless woman.
“Get some warm water for a foot
bath and we will undress her and get
her into bed, and then you will go
into my house and tell mammy to send
one of the servants for Dr. Arnault to
come at once.”
With the old negress’ help I gave
her a bath, undressed her, and laid
her upon the lounge; we could not get
her up stairs to her bedroom; the low,
pitiful moan being all the sound that
came from her lips, and on her face
seemed Indelibly fixed a look of horror
that fascinated me.
I could not keep my eyes off of her
her as I sat there alone with her.
While gazing on her face I fancied I
saw a faint smoke issuing from her
mouth and nostrils, and, as I leaned
forward, thinking fancy was playing
me false, a pale, blue, lambent flame
came creeping from the mouth and
played over her face, and In a moment
it seemed to gather over her whole
body; the ears, the eyes, the hands,
from the tips of her fingers shot little
flames. The whole body was covered
with the fiendish thing; the poor wom
an writhed in torture that was inde
scribable, and an odor that was filthy
in taste and smell filled the room, 1
could not move. I was utterly paral
yzed with terror, and when the doctor
and the old negress entered the room
I was in a dead faint.
They told me afterward that she
never spoke; the doctor could not re
lieve her, nor arrest the flame; water
poured upon it Increased it, and when
the flame died away there was nothing
left but the burnt and charred body
that crumbled beneath the touch like
so much cinder; and yet, strange to
say, the bed in which she lay was not
injured by fire, but covered with a
greasy soot that you could scarce wash
off.—New York News.
WHEN COMPANY COMES.
How the Country Hostess May Entertain
Most Agreeably.
“Begin to enjoy yourself when your
guests arrive—in fact, before they ar
rive,” is Mrs. John B. Sims' advice in
the Ladies’ Home Journal. “Do not
try to serve such an elaborate
dinner that the work of getting it
ready will draw so upon your physi
cal powers that they will be strained
to their utmost endurance, When
your visitors arrive greet them with
a hearty handshake; make them feel
that you are ready for their coming;
speak of the pleasure that you hope
the day may bring; compliment them
on their good appearance; notice the
neckwear, the dainty handkerchief; be
thoroughly interested in ’each and
every one.- When the time comes for
you to prepare the dinner and place
it upon the table leave your guests as
gracefully as possible. If the dinner
be not too elaborate and the mental
atmosphere be clear and bright your
friends will come again. ‘Eat to live’
and not ‘Live to eat’ should be the
motto of every household.”
HYDROPHOBIA.
It has been asserted by many friends
of animals, who rightly object to the
annual torture and slaughter of dogs,
and even by some physicians, that
there is no such disease as hydro
phobia, or rabies, as it is more cor
rectly called. >
Those who have studied the subject
carefully, however, are certain that
there is a disease of dogs, which is
communicable by one suffering from it.
to other animals and to man. But this
disease is very rare, and probably not
one person in a thousand bitten by
dogs is in any danger of it, and not
one dog killed among five hundred sup
posed mad dogs is really mad.
The word hydrophobia is a misnom
er, for a mad dog has no fear of water,
and will run through a shallow pool
without the slightest hesitation; the
fear is that of drinking water or of
swallowing- anything, either fluid or
solid, as the attempt is almost, certain
to throw the sufferer, man or beast,
into spasms.
Another popular error concerning
rabies is that it is a disease peculiar
to “dog-days.” Vital statistics almost
everywhere show that as many cases of
the disease in the human being occur
during the winter and spring as in
summer and autumn.
The only way of transmitting hydro
phobia is by inoculation; that is, by
the introduction of the virus into the
body through a wound of’the skin or
the mucous membrane. The most
usual way for this rare event to occur
is, of course, through the bite of a
rabid dog, cat or other animal. In
Russia and some parts of Europe peas
ants sometimes contract rabies from
bites of mad wolves, and this is said to
be the most rapidly fatal form of the
disease.
But not every bite, even of a gen
uinely mad dog, is followed by hydro
phobia. If the animal’s teeth, for in
stance, have passed through a man's
trouser leg or boot, the saliva, which
contains the virus, may be wiped from
the teeth. In the same way a mad dog
that bites a flock of sheep usually in
fects but «ne or two, the wool for the
most part removing the poisonous
saliva before the jaws close on the
flesh.
Rabies was formerly always fatal,
but thanks to the discoveries of Pas
teur, this result may now be prevent
ed through a course of “anti-rabic”
inoculations, provided this is begun
within a few days after the bite is re
ceived.
Paris has nineteen theaters and four
circus buildings.
BREAD 1,800 YEARS STALE.
It Wm naked lu rumpell Before the
Eruptions.
Sufferers from indigestion are ad
vised to eat stale bread; the staler
the better, they are told. There is in
the museum at Naples some bread
which ought to be stale enough for any
body. It was baked one day In Au
gust, 79 A. D„ in one of the curious
ovens still to be seen at Pompeii, says
the London Mail.
More than eighteen centuries, there
fore, have elapsed since it was drawn
“all hot” and Indigestible from the
oven. So It may claim to be the olfieet
bread in the world. You may see it
in a glass case on the upper floor of
the museum. There are several loaves
of it, one still bearing the impress of
the baker’s name.
In shape and size they resemble the
small cottage loaves of England, but
not in appearance, for they are as
black as charcoal, which, in. fact, they
closely resemble. This wa* not their
original color, but they have become
carbonized, and If eaten would prob
ably remind one of charcoal biscuits.
When new they may have weighed
about a couple of pounds each, and
were most likely raised with leaven, as
is most of the bread in oriental coun
tries at the present time.
The popular idea that Pompeii was
destroyed by lava is a fallacious one.
If a lava stream had descended upon
the city the bread and* everything else
in the place would have been utterly
destroyed. Pompeii was really buried
under ashes and fine cinders called by
the Italians lapilli.
On that dreadful day in August,
when the great eruption of Vesusvius
took place, showers of fine ashes fell
first upon the doomed city, then show
ers of lapilli, then more ashes, and
more lapilli, until Pompeii was covered
over to a depth in places of fifteen an-d
even twenty feet.
Other comestibles besides the broad
were preserved, and may now be seen
in the same room in the museum.
There are various kinds of grain, fruit,
vegetables and even pieces of meat.
Most interesting is a dish of walnuts,
some cracked ready for eating, others
whole. Though carbonized, like all
the other eatables, they have preserved
their characteristic wrinkles and lines.
There are figs, too, and pears, the
•former rather shriveled, as one would
expect after all these years, the latter
certainly no longer “juicy.” But per
haps the most interesting relic in the
room is a honeycomb, every cell of
which can be distinctly made out. It
is so well preserved that it Is hard to
realize that the comb is no longer wax
nor the honey honey.
A piece of the comb seems to have
been cut out, and one can imagine
some young Pompeiian having helped
himself to it and sitting down to eat,
when he had to jump up and fly for
his life. One cannot help wondering
what became of the piece—whether the,
young fellow took it with him and ate
it as he ran, or whether he left it on
his plate, intending to return for it
when the eruption was over.
AN AUTHOR
Who Wrote Books of Travel, Yet Had
Never Traveled.
New Orleans Times-Democrat: “I
used to know a man,” said a New Or
leans bohemian, “who made a living
writing stories of travel for boys. He
had never been out of Missouri in his
life, but he was famous for the graphic
fidelity of his description of foreign
lands. His reference library consisted
of exactly three works: An encyclope
dia, a set of United States consular re
ports, covering four or five years, and
a- copy of “Wood’s Natural History.”
If the scene of the story was to be laid,
for instance, in Borneo, he would be-,
gin by reading the Borneo article in
the encyclopedia; then he would turn
to the consular reports and look up all
the odd and interesting matter he could
find touching that particular island,
and finally he would get a description
of its animals from Wood’s. He wrote
at an old table on which was glued a
map of the world, covered with a sheec
of glass. This was constantly before
his eyes, so he couldn’t go astray on
geography, and, as I said before, his
descriptions were marvels of accuracy.
He could draw a better and more re
alistic pen picture of foreign countries
than travelers’ themselves. People
thought that he had been a great globe
trotter, and, crazy as it sounds, I be
lieve he actually got to thinking so
himself. The last time I saw him he
talked about Afghanistan in the easy
off-hand vein of a personal observer
If I hadn’t happened to know that he
had been living in St. Louis all his life
I would have sworn he had been
there.”
Broke Up the Show.
An actor tells of a tragic experience
he had recently while playing to an
audience in a little town in southern
Texas. In one of the scenes of the
play, in which he acts the villain, he
hides himself in a barrel, that he may
listen to a conversation between the
hero and heroine, whose future well
being he is trying to destroy. In the
town hall there was little if any
“property” material. A barrel would
do to conceal himself in, so a “hired
hand” was sent out to find one. He
succeeded. He slipped in the barrel
with ease. The man and the woman
appeared, and While they were in the
midst of an animated conversation
there came a howl from the barrel that
fairly shook the rafters. This was fol
lowed by the eavesdropper crawling
out with his hands to his face, and
he in turn was followed by a swarm'
of wasps. The wasps got among the
stage people and those in the audience,
which created so much confusion that
vne show was broken up.
A FORECAST
OF ANSWER
To Be Made By Kruger
Causes Great Stir.
COUNCIL OF WAR IS HELD
Between British ComniandeHn-Chief
Wolseley and Prospective Commander
of English Forces In Natal.
A London special says; A forecast
of the first draft of the Tfansvaal’s re
ply to the last note of the British sec
retary of state for the colonies, Mr.
Chamberlain, now under discussion by
the volksraad, has been received by
Mr. Chamberlain, but its nature is
not yet known.
At the colonial office a reporter of
the Associated Press was informed
that nothing will be given out for the
present. regarded significant, how
It was as
ever, that the nature of the Boer reply
was communicated to the commander
in-chief, Field Marshal Lord Wolsely,
who immediately summoned General
Sir George Stewart White, Y. C.,
former quartermaster general, the
prospective commander of the British
forces in Natal.
The tension now existing here and
at tho Cape may be temporarily settled
at any moment by the publication of
President Kruger’s reply. On the
other hand, it may be several days be
for the general public learns what an
sever the Transvaal has made. If Pres
ident Kruger has answered defiantly
it does not necessarily mean the break
ing off of negotiations. The British
would probably reply with an unmis
takable ultimatum.
It is scarcely to England’s advan
tage to bring about hostilities until
the reinforcements are nearer the
scene of action than they are at pres
ent.
Whatever the nature of President
Kruger’s reply, it is probable that sev
eral more stages of diplomatic pro
cesses will be gone through with be
fore there is definite war or peace, un
less, of course, President Kruger
should take the initiative and raid
Natal. It is the possibility of this
move that makes definite news of the
reply so eager and anxiously awaited.
The consul general of the South
African republic, Mr. Montague White,
said to a reporter of the Associated
Press Thursday: believing
“I have good authority for
that the Transvaal reply will be un
satisfactory to the British govern
ment.”
The Morning Post, in the second
edition prints a special dispatch from
Pietermaritzburg, capital of Natal,
s ayiug the reply is “truculent, loqua
cious and blasphemous.” Guardian’s
The Manchester corres
pondent at Cape Town, telegraphs that
the outlook is of the gloomiest, char
aster. »
The Cape Town papers themselves
take a more hopeful view of the situa
tion, basing their belief on the prob
able acceptance by President Kruger
of the franchise measures suggested
in Mr. Chamberlain’s latest dispatch.
But even they admit it is impossible
to learn or foreahndow President Kru
ger’s attitude toward suzerainty of
Great Britain, which, after all, is still
the main issue.
COMHISSION ORDERED HOT1E.
Our Representatives At Manila Re
ceive Instructions From /IcKinley.
A Manila special says: Col. Charles
Denby and Prof. Dean Worcester,
members of the Philippine commis
:■ ion, have received instructions from
President McKinley asking them to
return as soon as possible.
They will embark on the steamer
Empress of India, which sails from
Hong Kong September 26th. It is
not known whether the clerical force
will return with them or remain at
Manila. The commissioners have just
moved into new offices and had ex
pected to spend some months working
on the establishment of municipal gov
ernment.
NEQRO REQIMENTS ORDERED.
Will Be Designated the Forty-Eighth
and Forty-Ninth Infantry.
An order for the organization of two
colored regiments has just been issued
from the war department. All of the
field officers of these two regiments
are white men now in the regular
army. All of the company officers are
colored men who served in the war
with Spain in either the regular or the
volunteers. The regiments will be
designated the Forty-eighth and For
ty-ninth infantry. The Forty-eighth
will be organized at Fort Thomas,Ky.,
and the Forty-ninth at Jeffeison Bar
rasiks, Mo.
ALL patients succuhb.
Bubonic Plague Fearfully Fatal At
flagudo, Delagoa Bay.
Advices from Cape Town state that
in the Cape house assembly Thursday
the premier, Hon. W. P. Schreiner,
admitted that there had been forty
two deaths from the bubonic plague at
Magudo, near Lourenzo Marquis, Del
agoa bay. He said that every person
attacked had succumbed to the dis
ease.
ASK CLEMENCY
FOR DREYFDS
The Oourtmartial Judges at
Rennes Sign an Appeal.
DIRECTED TO M. LODBET.
Parisians Have No Fault to Find
With the Verdict.
A Paris special says; The court
martial, Monday afternoon, signed a
formal recommendation for mercy in
the case of Captain Dreyfus. Its ob
ject is to eliminate the degradation
feature of the punishment, Tho rec
ommendation was sent to President
Loubet.
Except for slight street disturbances
Monday night Paris has remained un
expectedly quiet, but this condition of
nffa rs is not likely to continue. The
long, heavy rain of Sunday, combined
with the fact that the leaders of the
opposing pasties were all at Rennes
prevented any organized demonstra
tion. Then, too, the general public
was delighted with the verdict as con
firming the prevailing opinion.
Now, however, they are beginning
to see the want of logio in conceding
“extenuating ciroumstances” to a con
victed traitor, a concession which ex
ercises doubt as to the strength of the
case against Dreyfus. Moreover, pub
lic opinion is being sobered by read
ing the comments of the world at
large and by the prospeot, however
remote, that the exhibition will be
boycotted, which would mean a loss
of millions to the country.
It is estimated that the last year’s
proceedings have cost the Dreyfus
party at least 1,500,000 franos. They
do not intend to let matters rest and
rumors are revived of the impending
arrest of General Meroier. He de
clares that he does not care what hap
pens, being quite sure that he has
done his duty.
It is understood that President
Loubet opposes such an extreme
course as prosecuting Meroier or the
other generals. He is rather inclined
to a conciliatory polioy, extending
even to a pardon for Dreyfus.
Tlio Dossier In Paris.
The dossier of the Rennes courtmar
rial proceedings was received in Paris
Monday night for submission to the
military court of revision, consisting
of General Marcillo, Colonel Courbo
housse, Lieutenant Colonel Lagrene,
Major Copp and Major Allard.
It is said that Mathieu Dreyfus in
tends to supplicate Emperor William
to order the publication of the docu
ments enumerated in the bordereau.
M. Demange has been blamed for
conceding so many points in his
speech, but it appears that he did so
in the hope of winning another waverer
among the judges, who, however,
finally joined the mnjority on condi
tion that the verdict would be accom
panied with the proviso as to extenu
ating circumstances.
Quiet at llenneA.
A state of calm prevails at Rennes.
All the troops and gendarmes quarter
ed in the town and its environs have
left and the jouralists and others in
terested in the trinl have departed
since Saturday. The cafes which for
the last few weeks have been thronged
by excited crowds are deserted.
Monday a solitary gendarme paced
up and down before the military
prison, and there was not a policeman
or soldier near the Lycee, which last
week resembled a barracks. Work
men were busily dismantling the
courtroom and packing chairs, tables
and benches on trolley cars outside.
Madame Dreyfus visited her hus
band in prison Monday afternoon, but
not the slightest interest was shown
in their meeting by the population.
She found him calm and in better
spirits than could be expected.
TEN THOUSAND TROOPS
To Be Sent at Once to South Africa By
English Government.
The London Cabinet has decided to
send 10,000 troops to South Africa in
addition to the Natal force already
there of 5,000 men, of which reinforce
ments 5,000 men will bo sent from In
dia, 900 from Eugiand, a battalion of
the Northumberland regiment, aud
the remainder from the Mediterranean
station. All go at once.
AGREE ON PARDON.
Paris Newspapers Publish News
That Dreyfus Will Soon
Be Liberated.
A Paris special says; The Matin
(newspaper) in its issue of Thursday
morning asserted that the cabinet has
agreed to pardon Dreyfus, and that
the decree would be signed onJSeptem
ber 19th. Many of the provincial pa
pers also published articles insisting
on the granting of a pardon.
The Figaro says that maDy officers
of the army are asking that Dreyfus
be pardoned.
JUDGESHIP FOR CHAHBERS?
Plans On Foot To Reward Former
Chief Justice of Samoa.
A private letter received iu Mont
gomery, Ala., from Washington con
tained the news that, a plan is on foot
at the national capital which looks to
the appointment of the former chief
justice of Samoa, Hon. W. L. Cham
bers, of Alabama, to the judgeship of
the middle Alabama federal district.