Newspaper Page Text
JrHR Bllllwfllt
VOL. XXII
IE BI Mil ffl 18.
By Henry M. Stanley, Author of “In Darkest Africa’’
“How I Found Livingstone,” Etc.
For The Constitution,
At a camp on the upper Congo, in 1577,
Chakanja drew near our tire as story-te’l:ing
was about to begin, and was immediately
beset with eager demands for a tale from
him. Like a singer, who always professes
to have a cold before indulging us, Chakanja
needt'd more than a few entreaties; but.
finally, after vowing that he never could
remember anything, he consented to gratify
us w th the legend of the Elephant and
the Lion.
"Well.” he answered, with a deep sigh,
“if 1 must, I must. You must know we
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“BEHOLD A GROW N LION, AND LIONESS REGARDING HIM STERNLY.”
A T aganda are fond of three things -to have
a nice wife, a pleasant fariu, and to hear
good news, or a lively story. I have
beard a gn at many stories in my life, hut
unlike Kudu my mind remembers them
not. Men's hands are not the same, any
more than - hearts are like. But I
take it that a poor tale is better than
none. It comes back to me like a dream,
this tale of the Elephant ami the Lion.
I heard it first when on a visit to Ga
bunga's. but who <an tell it like him?
]f you think the tale is not Will told, it
is my fault; 'mil. then, do not blame me
ton mm h. or 1 shall think I ought to blame
you tomorrow when it will be your turn
to amuse tite party.
•■X. w op . . nl - ears'. A huge and
Foiir-'empeted elephant went and wandered
in t'ne forest. Lis inside was slack for
want of juicy' roots and succulent re'.is,
but his head was as full of dark thoughts
jis a gadilv is full of blood. As he looked
tip,; way ami that, h i observed a young
lion asleep at the foot of a tree. lie re
garded it for awhile, then, as he was nt a
wicked mind, it came to him tnat he mig.it.
as well kill it. and he accordingly rushed
at it and impaled him with his tusks, tie
lifted it with his trunk, swung it about,
atul dashed it against tin* tree, and after
wards kneeled on the body until it became
as shapeless as a crushed banana pulp.
He then laughed and said ’Hal Ha’. 1 his
is a proof that 1 am strong. I have kiiled
a lion, and pimple will say proud things
of me, and will wonder at my strengtn.
..£. res , , | fiber ci pliant came up
au ?. l fir t Elephant, ‘what 1
1 a ve done. I' was I tha i d iuu. i
biH-i him <>ii lii-li, ami i’». he h<-> line *t
tott n banana. Do you nit think am very
g? Come, b OW. and give me
som • creitit lor what i have done.
■ Elephant No. 2 r. ph -d. It is true tnat
you are strong. but that was on y
a voting l: >n. i hete ate oth
~r s ‘ot his kind, ami 1
have seen then; who would give you consid
erable trouble.' .
10, Ho.' laughed the first klepant.
‘(let o,it. stupid, you may bring his whole
trim- here amt 1 will show you what 1 can
do Aye! and to your dam to boot.,
•AVhat. My own mother, too?'
•••Y. s. <io and fetch her if you like.
“‘W 11. well.' said No. 2. 'you ar far gone
; fare yon well. ’
-No. 2 pr< ' i- d on his wanderings, re
solv'd in ms own mind that i! he had an
he w.m1.l wmi &••!!•.• to
t. st the blister's strength. No. 1 call
ed out t > him:
•••Awa.> you go. Godby to you.’
“A iitti -way on. No. 2 Elephant met a
lion and lioness, full grown, and splendid
creatures, who turned out to be JI he parents
of the youngser win. had beifit slain, ami he
said to them, after a sociable chat:
•• ’lf you go further along the <>a,h 1 came,
you will m "1 a kind of game which r>-
• ptires killing badly. He has just many.-d
your cub.'
•’Meantime. Elephant No. 1 chuckling to
bin self very conceitedly, proceeded to the
pool near by to bailie and coo) himself.
At every step he went you could hear his
•Jia. ha. hallo. 1 have killed a lion!’ While
he was in the pool spurting the water in a
shower over his back ho suddenly looked
up. and at the warm's edge beheld a grown
lion and lione-s regarding him sternly.
•••Well. What do you want?' ho asked.
‘Why are you standing there looking at
•• ‘Are you the rogue who killed our
child?’ thev asked.
•‘ ‘Perhaps, I am.’ he answered. ‘Why
do you want to know?’
“■Because we tire in search of him. If
it be you that did it. you will have to do
the same to us before you leave this ground.’
"Ho. ho!’ laughed the elephant loudly.
‘Weil. hark. It was I who killed your cub.
Come now, it was I. Do you hear? And
if you do not leave her'' very quick. I shall
have to serve you both as I served him.’
■■'l'lie lions roared aloud in their fury, and
switched their tails violently.
" 'Ho. ho!' laughed the elephant gayly.
‘This is grand! There is no doubt 1 sh ill
run soon, they make me so skeery.’ and he
danced around in the pool, and jeered at
them, then drank a great quantity of water
and blew it in a shower over them.
“The lions stirred not, but kept stead
of him but the tip of his trunk. When he
rose again, the lions were still watching
him, and had not moved.
••■Ho, hoi’ hi' trumpeted, ‘still there t
Wait a little, 1 am coming to you.' 11 • ad
vanced towards the shore, but when ho
was close enough the lion sire sprang into
the air, and alighted on the elephant s
back, and furiously tore at the muscles of
the neck and bit, deep into the shoulder,
fastlv gazing at him. planning how best
10 attack him.
‘•Perceiving that they were obstinate, he
threw another stream of water over the
lions and then backed into the deepest part
of the pool, until there was nothing seen
The elephant retreated into the
I deepest part, of the pool again
I and submerged himself and Ills
I enemy, until the lion was compelled ■
to abandon his back and begin to swim i
' ashore. No sooner had he felt himself r<- j
• lievo'l than he rose to the surface and hast-- ,
j ly followed and seized him with his trunk. ;
j Despite his struggle; he was pressed be .
, neath the surface, dragged miller his k'.ecs ;
and trodden into the mud and in a short time .
the lion sire was dead.
"The elephant laughed triumphantly and
I cried: ‘Ho. ho, am I not strong, Mr. Lion? '
: 1 lid you ever see the like of me before. Two
| of ymt. Young lion and I’a Lion are now i
i killed. Ma Lion had you not better try now !
| just to see if you won’t have better luck? |
i Como on. old woman, just once.’
i "The lioue-is fiercely answered, while 1
I she retreated from the pool, ‘Hold on where i
■ you are. 1 am going to find my brother ■
! ami will be back shortly.’
, “The elephant trumpeted his scorn of i
; her kind ami seizing the carcass of her lord,
‘ filing it on shore after her and declared his i
i readiness to abide where he was. that he '
■ might make mash of all the lion family. j
t "lit a short time the lioness had found '
j her brother, who was a mighty fellow and i
' full of light. As they advanced near the I
! pool together they consulted as to the best |
I means of getting at him. Then the lioness I
j sprang forward to the edge of the pool. Tile |
. eleplmn’ retreated a short distance. The i
i lioness upon this crept along the pool and I
I pretended to lap the water. The elephant I
; moved towards her. The lion waited his i
j chance, ami finally with a great roar, I
j spramx upon his shoulders and commenced 1
i tearing away at the very place which had i
i been wounded by lion sire.
j “The elephant backed quickly into deep j
i water and submerged himself, )>ut the lion
I maintained his hold and bit deeper. The !
j elephant, then sank down until there was .
! nothing to be seen but tlte tip of his trunk, j
I upon which the lion, to avoid suifeeatmu. |
I relaxed his hold and swam vigorously to- I
wards the shore. The elephant rose up and I
as the lion was stepping on shore seized him
and drove one of his tusks through his body, I
'i ,
“DROVE ONE OF HIS TUSKS THROUGH HIS BODY.”
but as he was in the act the lioness sprang
upon the elephant’s neck and bit. and tore
so furiously that he fell dead and with his
fall crushed the dying lion.
"Soon after the close of the terrible com
bat Elephant No. 2 eame up and discovered
the lioness licking her chops and paws and
saiii:
“ Hello, it seems there has been quite
a quarrel here lately. Three lions are dead
ami here lies on of my own kind stiffening.’
“ Yes,’ replied the lioness gloomily, ’the
rogue elephant killed my cub while the lit
tle fellow was asleep in the woods. He then
killed my husband ami brother and I killed
him. but 1 do not think the elephant has
gained much ly fighting with us. 1 did not
have much trouble in killing him. Should
you meet any friends of his you may warn
them to leave the lioness alone or she may be
tempted to make short work of them.’
“Elephant No. 2, though a' patient person
generally, was annoyed at. this and gave a
sudden kick with one of his hind feel, whieli
sent her sprawling a good distance off, and
asked;
“ ‘How do you like that. M:i Lion?’
“ ‘What do you mean by that?’ demanded
ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1893.
I the mi raged lioness.
“‘Oh. because 1 hate to hear so much
bragging.’
I ’• ‘Do you also wish to fight?’ she asked,
i “ ‘We should never talk about doing an
1 impossible thing, Ma Lion,’ he answered.
| ‘I have traveled many years through these
I woods, and 1 have never fought yet. I find
! that when a person minds his own business
I he seldom comes to trouble, and when I
I meet one who is even stronger than myself
! I greet him pleasantly, and pass on, and I
should advise vou to do the same, Ala
Lion.’
“ ‘You are saucy. Elephant. It would be
well for you to Think upon your stupid
brother there, wTio lies so stark under your
1 nose, before yr.’u trouble one who slew him,
' with your insolence.'
I “ ‘Well, words never yet made a planta
tion; it is the handling of a hoe that makes
fields. See hero, Ma Lion, if I talked to
1 you all day 1 could not make you wise. I
will just turn my back to you. If you will
' bite, me, you will soon learn how weak you
are.’
“The lioness, angered still more by the
elephant’s contempt, sprang at his shoulders
and clung to him, upon which he rushed at
ft stout tree, and. pressing his shoulders
against it. crushed the breath out of her
body, and she ceased her struggles. When
he relaxed his pressure, the body fell to
the ground, and he knelt upon it. and kneaded
1 it until every bone was broken.
“While the elephant was meditatively
standing over the body, and thinking wiiat !
misfortunes happen to boasters, a man came I
along, carrying a spear, and, seeing that!
the elephant was unaware of his presence,a
he thought what great luck had happeuedfi
to him.
“Said he. ‘Ah. what fine tusks he has. l 3il
shall be rich with them, and shall buy!
slaves and cattle, and with these I will geill'i
a wife and a farm,' saying which he ad-tl
vanned silently, and, when be was neai*
emmgh. darted Ills spear into a. place behind
the shoulder.
“The elephant turned around quickly and, c
on beholding his enemy, rushed lifter and, i
overtaking him, mauled him until in a fowl
moments he was a mangled corpse. f
“At this time a woman approached, and.
seeing four lions and one elephant, and her j
husband dead, she raised up her liar,ds won-v
daringly and cried. ‘How did all this happen?’ ■
Thi> elephant, hearing her voice, came from I
behind a tree with a spear quivering in his 1
side, and bleeding profusely. At the sight*
of him the woman turned round to fly, but I
the elephant cried out to her. ’Nay. run n<’L %
woman, for I can do you no harm. Tin.
happy days in the woods are ended for
the tribes. The memory of this scene will «
never lie forgotten. Animals will be at con- 1
Stunt war one with another. Lions will no J
more greet elephants, the buffaloes will be 1
shy. the rhinoceroses will live apart and
man, when he comes within the shadows, j
will think of nothing else than his terrors, |
and ho will fancy tin enemy in every shallow', i
I am sorely wounded, for thy man stole up |«
to my side and drove his spear into me, and
soon I shall die.’ .
•'When she had beard these words the wo- fi
man hastened home, and all the villagers. J
old and young, hurried into the woods by j
the pool, where .they found four lions, two j
elephants and one of their own tribe ly':''—•
still and lifeless.
•'The words of the elephant h.avcihOUsu
out to be true for no man goes nsjtro otiTj
into til' - silent ami deserted woods but e , rj
feels as though something was Imuntift.,*?
him. and thinks,of goblinry, and starts at''
every sound. Out of the shadows whiehj
shift with the sun. forms seem crawling and ,
phantoms appear to glide, ami we are in ft
fever almost from the horrible illusions of
fancy. We breathe quickly and fear to
speak, for the smallest vibration in the
silence would jar on our nerves. 1 speak the
truth, for wlit'ii I am in Ihe wools near the
night, there swims before my eyes a multi
tude of terrible things which 1 never see
by the light of day. The Hash of a fire-lly
is a ghost, the chant of a frog becomes a
frightful roar, the sudden piping of a bird ’
signalizes murder, ami I rum No, no, not
woods for me when alone.”
And Chakanja rose to his feet ami wet>» ,
to his own quarters, solemnly shaking h:s
head. But we all smiled at Chakanja, and
thought how terribly frightened he would be i
if .any one suddenly rose from behind the)
dark bush and cried “Boo!” to him. ♦[
AN EPISODE OF WAR.
LOOKING DEATH I I SELF IN THE FACE.g
I
From The Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette.
The thirty-eight of ns were confined in a/l
large room, and it was the fourteenth day);
after the Spanish gunboat captured our littlc'j
steamer before we received a bint, of what
fate had in store for us. Then .an oltiier^ e ;
entered, called on us to pay strict, attention,
and announced that we were to be taken out I
and shot on the morrow. An hour later lie re-J
term'd to explain that he was mistaken. The)
gracious and merciful Spanish government,,
would be satisfied with six lives instead of J,
thirty-eight. We had killed six of the crew
of tlie gunboat before surrendering, and it
was to be a life for a life.
“Gentlemen, it will be by lot, of course,”
he continued, as he bowed and smiled on
every hand, “and 1 am here to oversee the
drawing. See! I have here thirty-two 'white
beans and six black ones. I will put them in
a cap, and each gentleman will 'step up and
draw as his mime is cubed. ’’
When he had announced that all were to be
shot, I heard no lamenting. On the contrary,
men moved about, saying that it was what we
bail bi'eii expecting, ami that we would die
like men. Lips were compressed, but 1 did
not see one pale face. Titis new announce
ment created something like a panic. Only
six were to die. Thirty-two would be scut to
prison, but all would live to see home and
friends again. Itt sixty seconds tlie face of
every man was ghastly. In two minutes ail
were trembling. Miid-eyed men glared about
them like wild boasts driven to bay. ami there
were lips which bled from the hard set teeth.
“Gentlemen, my clerk will call tlie roll,
and you will draw the beaus.” said the
officer, as he made ready. “Each man must
show his bean as he draws, and those who
draw black ones must stand over by the win
dows. Now', then, are you ready?”
The clerk could speak and write English,
and ho had our names in alphabetical order.
The first name called was that of Anson,
and lie hesitated a few seconds before ad
vancing. Did any one hope lie would draw a
black bean? I believe that, every man of us
hoped so! It would better our own chances.
The man walked slowly forward, made a
great effort to control himself and made his
draw. It was a white bean.
Anderson eame next, and lie drew his death
warrant, as also did Bagley. Then twelve
men drew white beans in succession. When
it came my turn there were there three blacks
and fourteen whites still left in the cap. I
drew a black. That fact did not shock me, as
I had almost expected my ill luck from the
start, but it hurt me when the men almost
applauded. Only two blacks now to thirteen
wliites! The very next man also drew a
black bean ami tlihre was a. cheer. Only one
to thirteen now!
It was a singular fate which loft that last
black beau in the hat. Twelve names were
called oft ami twelve men stepped up and
drew, and all drew white. It was the death
warrant of the only man who did not put
his hand in the cap. As soon as Hie draw
ing was over the thiry-two fortunates shook
hands and congratulated each oilier, and
smiled and laughed. That was only natural.
After the first ebullition of feeling they turn
| ed to give us their heartfelt sympathies. We
not removed from Hie room. They would
rconit' for us soon after daylight.
Miiat were our ifeelings? The first sensa
tion was that of a man coming to after a
tilfall which had deprived him of consciousness
p].'>r a minute. The next was to doubt it’ we
.(I lad not been asleep and dreamed it all. Af
;hif,'r that one man sat down in a corner and
g.'ept. A second lay at full length on the floor
with his face to the wall. A third cursed
>• and inveighed and hoped for vengeance.
pfAVithln three or four hours there came a
Cfeeiing of exultation. I helive that every
Iman who goes to the gallows has the same
I slept well that night. I was still
sleeping when the soldiers came to march
if tlie six of us to tile execution ground. We
I shook hands all around, but only here ami
■ there did one of the men* trust his voice to
■.speak to us. Those who were Io live seemed
I most affected. Their faces were very pale,
I and their lips quivered.
I '1 wo by two. with soldiers on every side,
’ we walked, with heads up, but. hart no word
|.for each other. There were scores of citi-
Jzens out to see us, lint we kept our eyes to
■ the front. Halt! We have reached the
• grounds. I had thought of the six of us
J Standing in front of six new made graves,
phut there were neither graves nor coffins.
, They stood us with our backs to a brick
' wall. I noticed a hundred sears on that wall
i and knew they had been made on just such
!• occasions as this.
“Gentlemen, your eyes the blindfold!” said
>,an officer as In* eame forward with several
' men behind him.
Tlte last tiling I saw was a platoon of
l twenty-four men forming up in front of us—
i four to a man For perlmps ten seconds I
at Hie thought of Hie bullets striking
perhaps ten more I prayed that tlx y
> s,lrf ’ WO|R of 1L hands
'"'t' l ih" hands of the men each side of
>flite, lor we were not bound. I said. “Good
by” to each, ami tiny returned it, and I
heard the others .q.eaking a last fat-ewel?
word. I herd tile last man walk away when
the last victim had been blinded. I heard
Hie platoon moving up nearer. I heard one
street boy shouting to another that lite sol
diers were about to lire. There was a deep
silence for a few seconds, and then I heard
advancing footsteps. Sonic one seized my
arm ami I was hd away to tin right ami the
hankerchief removed. It was (he officer
again, ami he turned me over to two soldiers
witli tin- remark:
“He is but a boy, ami the governor cum
’ mutes. Take him back to prison.”
I had not gone gon feet wlien there was a
crash of musketry ami my five comrades lay,
dead at the base of the wall. Was 1 rejoiced?
Strangely emmgii, no—not for hours ami
hours. I had been so near death that 1 was
dead to myself and all around me.
ja i.’her loaf.
An afternoon .as ripe with heat
Aa might the golden pippin be
With mellowness if at my feet
It droppi d now from the apple tree
My hanmioek swings in lazily.
* * » * » t ,
Above me drifts the fallen skein
,7 Os some tired spider, loopial and blown
As fragile as a strand of rain,
Across the air. ami upward thrown
By breaths of hayfields newly mown—
So glimmering it is and line.
I doubt these drowsy eyes of mine.
I have no care; I only know
My hammock holds and hides me here
In lands of shade a prisoner;
While lazily tlie breezes blow
Light leaves of sunshine over me,
And back and forth and to and fro
I swing enwrapped in some hushed glee
Smiling at all things drowsily.
—James Whitcomb Riley,
A Financial Interview.
From The Detroit Free Press.
A certain Michigan congressman, who was
in Washington a month ago at his boarding
house, had a visitor one evening about G
o’clock who wished to see him at the front
door. He did not know tlie caller.
“Well, sir,” he asked, “what can I do for
you?”
“I came to interview you on tlie financial
situation,” was tin' reply.
“Oil, a newspaper man? Excuse me.” said
tlie flattered M. ('.. “come right in my room.”
ami before tlte caller could oiler any protest
tlie M . had him inside.
“Here, take something to drink,” he went
on, “and make yourself comfortable.”
Tlte visitor took a regular stovepipe slug
and made himself comfortable.
“So you want my opinion on the financial
situation?" resumed the Al. C. “Well, what
do you want, to know?”
‘J he visitor, to the surprise of the congress
man, got up out of his ehair.
“I did want to know,” lie said, edging over
toward tlie door, “if you could lend me a
quarter, but, since 1 got that slug of liqtfor, 1
don’t care a continental whether you do or
not. Good evening.” and before tlie M. C.
had recovered from tlie shock the visitor had
departed.
A Foreign I. ■ ngii.-.g<>— l<» Both.
From The Detroit Free Press.
‘Hie pretty girl at Gid Point was just hop
ping mad. so she was.
“What's the matter?” asked a young man
whom she had only met that evening.
"Those foreigners are too horrid for any
thing.” site exclaimed.
“What have tl-ey been doing?”
“IX’hy, that officer I was speaking to asked
mo if I spoke French.”
“And do you?”
“Why, of course I do. Hadn’t I been
speaking French to him for half an hour?”
A Possible Application of tlio Telephone.
From The Inter Ocean.
“Why is Blinker working so hard to learn
the deaf and dumb alphabet?”
“His wife has fallen a victim to tlie crino
line craze and he can’t get within speaking
distance of her.”
THE COnONVILLE COLONELS
Aly first day in Cottonville was spent in
search of information.
I was going to hang out my shingle in the
little town, and as there were not more
titan half a dozen lawyers there, I thought
that my chances were rather promising.
“Cottonville, sir, is holding her own, ’ said
the landlord of the hotel where I had en
gaged board? l “Yes, sir, there is no doubt
about that —she holds her own.”
“What is tlie population?” I asked.
“Six hundred and sixty-six by last years
census.” was the reply.
“And how many by the former census?”
“Just the same, sir,—as I said before,
Cottonville is holding her own.”
“Bitt it doos not look like progress,” I
said, “for a town to gain no inhabitants in
ten years.”
“Olt. it, is all right,” laughed the landlord,
“we don’t want any boom. We are going to
hold our own, you know.”
After dinner I took a walk down the one
j business street of the town ami made stir-
I ther inquiries. Tln’re W’Jre two weekly
papers and tlte editor of ’i’lie Bugle informed
me that he had (»(’>(> subscribers in the town
ami county. Eive minutes later tlte editor
of Tin' Trumpet fold me that, his circulation
j in tlte same territory was GG6.
1 called his attention to the fact that the
I Bugle had tin- same number of subscribers.
“Yes, I know,” lie responded, “we run
along very evenly. Cottonville is about,
equally divided and the county is the same
way in everything.’
I waiked off meditating. It beat any
thing in my experience.
Strolling along a back street I suddenly
became conscious that somebody was trying
to attract my attention.
He was a rosy-faced old gentleman, with
a genial smile playing around the corners of
'his mouth ami a good-humored twinkle in
his bine (‘yes.
When he caught my inquiring glance he
introduced himself ami told me that I had
done tlte right thing in deciding to locate
in Cottonville.
“It is tlte garden spot of the earth,” said
: Colonel Biggers, for that was his name,
i “and if you will simply assert yourself
you will do well here.”
Titis was rather mysterious and as I
showed a desire for further information,
| the colonel carried me to his oflice, where he
I was kind enough to give me the dots, as he
| expressed it.
What 1 heard set me to thinking. Colonel
Biggers warned me in a fatherly way against
: Colonel Stiggers.
"Whatever you do,” said he. “don't got
1 mixed up with that Stiggers gang. They are
' public enemies, sir, working against the
best inti'iests of the town and county. Why,
sir, they oppose me in an underhanded way
iii everything."
Looking at his rosy, smiling face, I felt
that the Stiggers gang must boa danger
ous crowd and I inwardly resolved to have
very little to do with them, it was plain
to me from what Colonel Biggers said that
Colonel Stiggers and his followers were re- I
sponsible for the iack of progress that char- '
tielcrizc I Cottonville and the thought made I
me indignant.
Colonel Biggers was disposed to be very I
friendly and 1 met him half way. Before !
we parted we felt like old acquaintances. I
The colonel was a public man. He had held
various offices and his experience ami knowl- ,
edge of the world made him a delightful
companion.
Leaving his office, 1 continued my stroll
armtnd town. One thing disturbed me a
little. Some of the citizens were pleasant
emmgh, but others gave me very black
looks and seemed disinclined to talk. As
I had iteen introduced under favorable cir
cumstances to most of them, I could not
understand why any of them should give
me the cohl shoulder.
But as the days, weeks and months
rolled on everything became clear to me.
1 had been in Cottonville a week before
I met (Jolonel Stiggers. The colonel had
avoided me at first, but 'having learned that
I was a tolerably clever fellow he made up
his mind to cultivate me.
Stiggers evidently felt interested in me.
He talked like a man of broad and I'beral
views and his frank, open countenance im
pressed me favorably. In the course of our
talk we found that we agreed on many sub
jects and it worried me to think that Colonel
Biggers was so badly wrong in his judgment
of his fellow-townsman.
Colonel Stiggers and the gentlemen with
him delicately intimated that when I first
eame to Cottonville they had feared that I
was in danger of being misled by Colonel
Biggers and his associates.
“Watch that Biggers ring,” said Colo
nel Stiggers, “yon will find that they are op
posed to progress, against every public im
iprovement and working for their own
selfish interests.”
As I became better acquainted I found
that two factions existed in the town and
county. They were about evenly matched.
'The courthouse was located on a back street
because the Bigger and Stiggers
people could not, agree about it.
The principal of the high school was changed
every year for a similar reason. The streets I
were growing up in grass and weeds because |
Biggers wanted one kind of pavement, while
Stiggers wanted another. It. was impossi- I
ble to hold a county fair or a church so- j
eiable because each party tried to control, i
A’oung people fell in love and their matches i
were broken off by their cruel parents |
because one family stood by Biggers and '
the other favored Stiggers. For ten years t
no new house had been biult, no old one !
had been painted and no fence had been re
paired. The citizens were too busy with
the affairs of Biggers and Stiggers to look
after such matters. The quarrel was felt
even in the collection of street taxes.. A
Biggers town marshal would get after the
Stiggers men one year and the next a Stig
gers marshal would force the Biggers men
to pay up- There was the same trouble
over the dog law, and the pound became
an instrument of partisan oppression.
When the judge held court in (Jottonvillo
it was easy to see that be and the solicitor
were embarrassed. It was hard to tell to
what extent the Biggers and Stiggers in-
IltioHee would el'fect i.idi«'tments, jurors
and witnesses.
When Biggers ora Biggers man went to the
legislature the Stiggers ticket of county
officers would be elected and the next time
the Biggers county ticket would be elected
while Stiggers went to the legislature.
At times I was ready to swear by Big
gers and than I would change my opimona I
PRICE 5 CENTS
I and go over to Stiggers. It was hard to
tell which was the better man.
'lite fetid between the Cottonville colonels
drew everybody into it. If a lawyer or a
doctor sided with Biggers the Stiggers men
would not patronize him. A merchant had
to keep his month shut if he wanted the
custom of both factions. ’I he congressman,
who visited the town to see about, his re-elec
tion, had to confine himself to sonorous
platitudes. He knew all about
factional division in the county
and if he took a drink with Big
gers be dined with Stiggers; if he shook hand.'
with one he immediately hunted tip the
other; if he slapped one on the back he gave
the other a friendly dig in the ribs.
I had been in Cottonville a year when
we took a town census. The result showed
GGG inhabitants.
At first 1 had a lot of Biggers clients and
then the friends of Stiggers. My conserva
tism and love of fairplay finally caused mo
to alternate from one colonel to the other
so rapidly that the citizens were unable to
understand my position and my patrons all
deserted me.
I gave the matter my serious considera
tion. Not a nail had been driven in the
town in more than ten years and there was
no sign of a change for the better.
| 'l’lie best, thing to do was to seek another
field, and I moved to a distant city.
Not long ago I met a Cottonville man and
asked him how things were going in his
settlement.
Well,” he answered, “Cottonville is hold
ing her own. Biggers is on top now, but
we are going to send Stiggers to the legis
lature next year."
“How many people live there now?”
“Six hundred and sixty-six.”
“You hail that number when I was there
ten years ago and also ten years before that
time.”
“Yes, I know, but you see we are hold
ing our own.”
“See here,” I said sharply, “you know
what the trouble is?”
“Certainly,” said the old fellow, smiling,
“it is because our people don’t pull together.
They are so tangled up with the tiffairs of
Biggers and Stiggers that they don’t look af
ter their own business. I tell yon. squire,
the worst thing in the world is a little coun
try village fend. When our Cottonville
colonels finish their war the town will be
gin to prosper and not before. All that we
cat? do now is to hold our own. That’s the
size of it, squire!”
I felt that he was right. If Biggers and
Stiggers are on deck when the next census
is taken I will wager a good round sum
that the populgtiQa of Cottonville will be
just 666. Wallace I*. Reed.
Concerning I inmigration.
From The New York Sun.
The southern governors, who have held a
conference for the encouragement of immigra
tion to tlie southern states, strove to account
for the fact that so very few of the foreign
ers who land at this port go to any of these
states. They gave many theories upon Hie
subject, and we do not think that any of
them explained the puzzle. We can make a
suggestion that may be serviceable to them.
Instead of indulging in theories that are un
satisfactory and worthless, let them send an
inquiring agent to Ellis island, when the
steerage passengers come ashore, to ascertain
from tlie immigrants themselves why they
do not go to the southern states. Within the
past few weeks more than a hundred thou
sand immigrants, most of whom would tie
desirable settlers in any part of the country,
have landed upon that island; and. if the
experiences of this year correspond with
those of the last year and of previous years,
not more than a thousand of them all will,
go to those great and fertile and thinly pop
ulated states, the governors of which held a
conference in Richmond ax few days ago.
Why? This is the question for the agent to
put to them, if ite can speak German and
Swedish and Italian and English. In the
course of a few months this agent can get a
vast amount of interesting ami important iu
foimation, at first hand, at Ellis island. He
can correct the theories and answer the
questions of lite southern governors.
Last year, out of nearly four hundred thou
sand steerage passengers who arrived at this
port from foreign countries, only 4,155 were
hound to ten of the states of the south. Why
so few? Ask the parties concerned.
“Darn the Rail read.’’
From Tlte Eastman, Ga., Times-Journal.
lie was long, lean and lank, and his wifa
was vice versa.
lie ambled into the Eastman office of
the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
railway and asked the agent:
“Hain’t the East Tennessee left for He
lena yit?”
“No. my dear sir, it hasn’t.”
‘‘Gimme a ticket to Helena."
“Can’t do it now; wait ’till nearer train
time.”
He walked off and began mumbling some
thing about the "agent.”
Presently he put his head in at the win
dow and shouted:
“Can I have dat ticket now?”
“Yes. sir.”
“How much is it worth?”
‘Fifty-eight cents.”
“Ain’t that mighty high?”
“It is the regular fare.”
“Fifty-eight cents jest to hell—”
“Here’s your ticket.”
“Make it. just a half.”
“Say, do you want the ticket?”
“But, stranger, can’t me and the ol
’oman go for a dollar?”
“No. you can’t; so take the ticket or get
out of the way.”
"But if is not far to hell—”
“Shut tin; 1 am tired of your trouble.”
“Well. 1 guess I'll take it, but darn me
it's powerful costin’ to ride on your darn
old eyars anyhow."
He took the tickets and went out and
“jined” the <>bl ’oman and both 'lowed that
the railroad “was a darn stingy shebang.”
IXusinens Opportunities.
From Judge.
IwA a I
I
w.
A great opening for a pie bakerjx