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4 THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: TUESDAY. MAY 13,1884r- TWELVE PAGES.' THE CONSTITUTION. • Entered at the Atlanta Port-Office u second-claas Bull m.Ilf r, November 11, 1878. WmI't CsiUlellts *1.»» Per lun. Clnbeof Dtp, tl.00each; clohtol ten, 11.00 cub and a copy tothcgi-licr-opof cinb. ATLANTA, QA., MAY I*. 1884. THE CONSTITUTION THE PltlCE. HOW TO GET IT. The price of the Weekly Con stitution is $1.25 (one dollar and a quarter) a year, to single sub scribers. It is sent to clubs of 5 or more for $1.00 each one year. It is sent to clubs of 10 for $1.00 each, and one extra copy Is sent one year to the getter up ol the club of 10. If you send for one paper only, or for less than five, send $1.25 each. If you send for five or more than five, send $1.00 each. If you send for 10 or more names send $1.00 each, and and one extra name free for every $10 sent. No varia tion from these rules. THB DBMOCRAIIC CRISIS AND MR TIL- DSN. Tbs.defeat of tbs Morrison bill will hardly tend to alley tbebitterniM between the dem ocratic factions But its defeat removes the tariff liaut from undue prominence In tbe campaign. With tbe subordination of this Issue another comes to tbe front—that Is, administrative refoim. Above any other man in tbe coun try Mr. Tilden is tbe representative of ibis issue. If tbe party will place itself on this Issue, and make Mr. Tilden lls leader, It will make an Irresistible appeal to tbe people. Tbe man and tbe occasion meet. Never did a parly need more urgently tbe over shadowing strength of one great leader, in whom all factions bave confidence, and to whom all elements of the parly turn. Never did a leader stand bead and shouldeis above blsfellows more distinctly. Let tbe democratic parly declare for ad ministrative reform —whicb means reduction of tLe government expenses and consequent reduction of the tariff—put Mr. Tilden at tbe head, and It will carry tbe country over whelmlngly. THB SOUTH QBORQ1A PRU T QPOW. HRS- CONVENTION. The South Georgia fruit groweis* conven Uon, whicb met in Valdosta last Thursday, was woll attended. A number of railroad rep resentatives were present and the conference between tbe two interests was full and satis factory. Tbe committee on acreage reported that about 4,103 acres on tbe Savannah, Flor ida and Western railway aro planted In mol ons, distributed about as follows: Albany 430 acres, Camilla 300, Bsinbrldge 100, Thom, asvllla 330, Boston 200, Dixie 273, Ousley 451 Mcltae 130, Quitman 200, Valdosta and neigh- borhood 820, Naylor 75, Stockton 110, Dupont .18. Ware county estimated 100, making a total acreage of 4,335, or about 3,000 less than last year. There has been an increase of acreage in Dough erty and Mitchell oonntlee. While the acreage la less than last year, it Is mostly in charge of experienced planters, and It is be lieved the melons will be superior in quality and fully equal in quantity to those of last year, thus Increasing the profits. The committee bn transportation reported that they would shortly bsus a circular con taining a list of the shipping points northand west, tbs population of each town, a list of reliable commission merchants, and a sched ule of freight rates. Tbs rates have been fixed on a basts of one oent a ton a mile on car loads of 24,000 pounds. A resolution was adopted asking tbe railroads to make their rates on a basis of 20,000 pounds to tbs car. The Valdosta Times says tbe convention was harmonious throughout, demonstrating tbe fact that tbs members bave entire confi dence In the permanent suocees of tbe enter prise In which they have invested their money and energy. Tbs convention will hold its fall meeting in Thomasville on the first Thutiday In Heptember, COTTON MILLS IN THE bOUTH. The faith of Invtaton in cotton mills estab lished where the plant is grown shows no abatement In the lint four months of this jrar a large number of new mills have taken shape, and tbe capacity of many old mills has been enlarged. The enterprlsee of these four months Include the mills named below: Columbia, Tenn - re.im.ooo 200.000 re. 51000 - 100,000 see* 04.000 are *00,0l« re... loo UM reerere.es. 700,000 Durham, N. i: Trenton, Tun...— Dalton. Ga. . Griffin. Ua — Roanoke, Va .t —............... Borne. Ua. enlargement — Ooluabui, Cotumboa Oa — —.. Darmgtoti.s. O.. — Z.7.7! mm Mew berry. 8. C— ..— — lOCfctDUIB. M re *00.000 • ee.eeres* 100000 Yadkin Falla. N. C ere... 100 010 Nashville, Terra. enlargement 100,001 Mountain island Mills, N.C., enlargvmsm.. 10',MO Talla'1. sa, ala. 100,0u0 Kmi.ivi.le. Terra.. —.... 133.000 I^neAbait, Vu Z ioo'tw Augusta, os., matey Mill, enlaittaseui 300.00! Among the mills that are adding to their machinery abould be mentioned the River side, at Usnville, Vs; the Adams, at Mont gomery; tha Mathews, st Be'.ms; Morgan's, at Lvnral Bill, N. C.; Gywn, Harper A Co's, st 1‘attenon, N. C.; the Athens factory latbisstate, and the Charleston mill. These lists do not include any enterprise that la merely talked about or projected, but is made up of enterprises for which ground has been broken, or mills that bars Increased their rpindlas and looms. The activity that exists in the building ot notion mills in the aoulh at such a time as tbs present, lean indication of tbs boom that awaits us when trade becomes brisk. Whils the south is building new mills the north it eteadily shutting down old mills. This pro ease seems destined to go on until the sooth controls ell kinds ot cotton goods fully as much as she now docs the coarser gisdei Where cosrse goods are mode to advantage, there toon or late will fine goods be menu- factored ; and when we ere able to both pro duce and manufacture cotton we need not look for any other or better baste of prosper ity and wealth. SPRING PARAGRAPHS. The people of the earth (end of other plan ets, for aught we know to the contrary) are never at a lose for uneasiness or restlessness. Tbe other day we were clamoring for the spring, which seemed to be hesitating wbeths er to honor April or pntoff its appearance until June; but now spring Is here end well advanced. Miss Jenny Wren is escorting, with many fretful quips and much queralous pride, a newly-fledged brood of yonng ones through e covert of blooming blackberry bushes. The song sparrow is even ahead of Mies Jenny, end the bluebird it making ar rangements to go to bonsekeeping the second time. Bat now that we have tbe spring, end the beet ol the spring to boot, wbst are we to do with it? Some of tbe older villains lathe play of life ore already beginning to yawn and make mouths at tbe eesaon. Some think the days are too long, toms that they are too warm, and o-.hert that they ere two dry. So that, in tbe midst of ths restlessness end uneasiness tbst accom pany sit seasons that visit tbs worldlysmind- ed, the question crises, wbst ire ws to do with tbe spring? Well, let us be generously selfish. Let us enjoy it to the utmost ours selves, snd divide what is left with the boys and the girls, the birds, the bees end tbe flowers. At least we can pretend to generosity, for, whether we will or not, the youngsters will enjoy themselves. They have already begun to slice the season into picnics end frolics, end long walks, and they make a dictionary of tbe flowers that grow and speak of love by means of tbs roses and tbe humbler blos soms tbst grow about the garden. Poor dears! theirs is tbo age of romance. The time will come when they will be content to sit in the back porch and talk feelingly of tbe drouth and the prospects of the Irish potato crop. But let us not envy them their thoughtlessness now. They need not know for several years just how much butter to put on tbe asparagus, or how. much bicon ought to be boiled witb the spinach. Tbeas details are for gray heads and flinty hearts. The young ones will have as much as they can do to keep clearof seed ticks. THE JUNK CQNVEN rlON. Mr. Blaine has been a power in two repub lican national conventions. In 1870 he was the leader against whom ths other candidates combined, resulting in the nominstlon of Ilsyes. In 1880 Grant bed the leading place, snd Blaine named the candidate. This year Ibe man ol Maine is slronger than he was in either 1870 or 1880; he la the leader, snd the chances are that if he cannot seoure the nomination he will become the senior mem- her of the combination that will name the candidate. At first In the convention the greetquestion will be, can Blaine win? A few ballots will doubtless determine whether, from tbe south ern sqatds, be osn gel enough votes to give him ell told tbe necessary number. Bo will need for tbit purpose from lo 75 votes, and If the bread-and-butter brigade front the south become satisfied that Arthur can under no clrcumstanees be nomi nated, it la not Improbable that Blaine will get what he sorely needs. Bow long Arthur will remain s candidate after his candidacy becomes hopeless, la of course e very import ant feature of the problem; but it is safe to assume that be will not withdraw at an op portune time for Mr. Blaine. When tbe time for combination arrives, It will be "anybody to beat Blaine" on tbe Ar thur and Edmunds side. But the Arthur end Kduiunde forces will not be able when com bined to control the convention, er to nomi nate either of the principals, and it is very difficult to see where an Arthur-Edmunds movement would get any recruits. Blaine on the oilier hand can no doubt enter into e combination st any time he sees lit that would control the convention as surely as he controlled the one of 1880, when he nominated Garfield over the heeds of the 306. 8uch e combination would draw in the friends of Logan end tiherman and Ketrchlld, It not Hawley. We may be sure, therefore, that either Blaine will be the republican nominee, or else he will name the winner. He stands e better chance to securt ths nomination than he did In 1870, end falling to win the chief prise in the lottery, be has even a better ehanoe then he had in 1880 to name e presl deuL He is the prcldent-nraker of tbe re publican parly. The Blaine sentiment is morally sure to control the convention, sim ply because it will be impossible to unite all the opposition elements. Tbe ex-secratary and book maker Is closer to the presidency to-day than he ever baa been; and if It were not far the rising up of “the old ticket” on the other side of ths house, he could safely consider himself at the gates of tbe mansion upon which be has so long wistfully gsssd. TltB LOSS or THB FLORIDA In mld-occsn, where there is certainly an abundance of set room, and on a night that though moonless was dear, the see being ee smooth as glass, two vessels cams together, snd ons hundred end thirtyaflve livea were loeL To say that such an accident occurred etc time when there was no disturbance in sir end water end no cloud in the sky, is simply to sty that somebody blundered. Such so accident could not hive occurred without gross negligence on the pert of the officers of both the berk end the steamer. Even if tbe Florida was not properly constructed for the service she wu engaged in, yet a collision on e clear night necessarily Involved negligence. There was criminal negligence on both of tbe colliding vessels. No matter which wee most at fault, there Is no reason why tbe one in mid-ocean »hould net have avoided the other. If the sight had been dark or stormy or foggy, then a collision might have occurred in which ons of the vessels could bave been free of blame. But never tn such s night as the third officer of ths Florida speaks of, when the two veamte wars brought together end both went down almost Instantly. Tbe cate is ons that calls for s rigid Investigation, end ell the punish ment that tbe lew admit! of. Tbe captain of the berk is among ths saved, and hie story of tbe disaster may go far towards clearing np the mystery of a collision in mid-ocean. Tbe officer on duly on tbe Florida does not seem to bave been among those landed by tbe Titanla. It may bo difficult to ascertain the troth, bat it is due to the people on both sides of tbe water that no effort be spared to reach it. If such sudden and appalling dis asters in mid ocean are unavoidable, the people who travel should be placed in pos session of tbe fact, and if they are not un avoidable then steps should be taken to locale the blame in the right place, end to make this sad and disastrous voyage aleieon tbst officers end men will not forget in a generation. , THB WALL 8TRBBT FAILURES. The failure of the Marine netfonal bank, and the euspension of Grant <fc Ward created a Hurry, but there was no general panic, snd no probability of one. Ths people are so well heeled and so conservative in their operations that tbe failures, large as they were, brought no thought of widespread disaster. Ten years ago sneb was not tbe case, and a failure of this nature would probably have preclpL tated t crisis in all commercial matters. As tbe facte leak out it is seen that tha New York failures were due to natural causes— that the concerns now closed np were mush- roomy, unbusinesslike and exceptional. The Greats were but silent partners in the wild cat broking firm. Tbe active partners were James I). Fisk, a real estate speculator, and Fred Ward, a speculator in stocks and a spendthrift. Fisk was also president of the Marine bank. The aflairs of tbe firm, of the bank and of Ward and Fish as individuals were hopelessly entangled. Trnst funds were used by both to serve the bank's necessities or their own speculative operations. Their spec ulations turned sgsinst- them as the prices of securities shrank, end the result was e hope less collapse of all the mingled interests. The villisnsare of course Fish, the unworthy bank official, and young Ward, who does not now seem to have a redeeming qnnllly,. The victims are the Grants, who should have kept out of Wall street altogether. Tbe firm was never trusted by the strongest and best in formed men In financial circles, because its affairs were conducted in a hazardous and un- business-like manner. No doubt there will oc other failures before fall in the neighborhood of Wall street, Tbe shrinkage of securities during the put two years has been something enormons and un paralleled, and it will be strange Indeed if it does not lesd to other failures in tbs circle that James It. Keene and yonng Ward belonged to. But tho country can stand such failures without fear or trem bling. Business is not over brisk but it is ufe. Tho country hu become rich and strong. It is not scared every time a specus Inter topples over in Wall street. It really takes very little interest in Wall slreet at all. Nor do the holders of securities caro much about Ibe .'allure ofbroksrs or even of banks. Tbe depression in tbe prices of stocks after the recent failures wu not greater than It fre quently Is when there are no failure to dis turb the street. Altogether tbs letson of the New York failure is one that will give peo ple faith in the strength and stability o^the country, and will perhaps have an influence to drive out tbe longing for sudden wealth speculatively acquired. REAL REFORM. The defeat of the Morrison tariff bill is no more significant than its passage would have been. Its defeat simply means that there are a number of democrats in the honso who do not believe In pulling fruit before it is ripe. So far M is known, tbe bill repre sented no principle beyond tbe vague for mula that tariff reform is both dvsirable and nsceasry. The measure itself wu meant to be, If Its champions are to bo believed, u a sort of ambitlobs advertisement of tbe Inten tions of the democratic party. So far u practical tariff reform Is concerned, it hu never been claimed that the Morrison bill wu at all adequate or satisfactory. It wu a compromise at all points—a compromise pre pared by men who refused to compromise witb their fellow democrats on s mere ques tion of poiloy; apiece of necessary bun combe ; a meuure u inapt and untimely u lo seem fatuous. Nobody drssms tbst e bill so inadequate would have been seriously voted for by reel tariff reformers if there bed been the slightest bone that it could become a law. Under ths circumstances wears not dis posed to grumble, but ths bill itself and the surprising heat snd fury of those who cham pioned it are still matters of intarsaL The mysterious always possesses some element ot Intercab It tbe bill bad received tbe unanimous support ot ths democrats in tbe home tbe country would be no nearer tariff reform to-day than It Is now tbst ths bill is defeated, and those who, with clamorous cries and furious gestures, have bean insisting upon passing ths bill whether or no bsvs simply placed themselves in the attitude o(soldiers who fire ofl their guns before going into battle. Their claim that the bill was in tended to advertise the purposes of ths dem ocratic party so far as tariff reform is con cerned, is supremely absurd, in view ot the democratic niatlorm, eepecially tho platform upon which Mr. Tilden wee elected in 1870, No amount of speech-making in con gress or editorial writing outside of it can change ths actual condition of things or alter the facts of the iltuatioo. It must be perfectly clear to every voter who is. Intelligent enough to understand the importance of bringing about a radical change In the admintetnilon of public affairs, that any real reform In tbe tariff, or in any other direction, must be preceded by that most important of ell re form!. the reform of the government which the people contemplated end hoped forwben they selected Mr. Tilden aa the representative of the democratic party, to take charge of the edministntlCn of public affairs. This is ths ons reform that must precede all other reforms—upon which ell other reforms de pend. indeed. It it more Important by far to ths voters and tax payers of the country to place the democratic party in charge of the government, than to bead ths ah in behalf of a tariff reform that cannot, by any poasi- bility,' be pat in operation. Rabbit stew is said to be e very toothsome dish; bat what it I rabbit etew without the rabbit? Mr. Morrison and his friends claim to have prepared tbe warm water and the con diments necessary to tariff reform, bat these things were prepared long ago by tbe democratic party. The rabbit necessary to make the dish complete is the election of a democratic president—the control of public affairs by a democratic administration. When this, ths most important of all re forms, it broaght about, all other necessary reforms will follow as a matter of conne. Apart from this, ths talk of tariff reform is simply tbs silliest sort of clap trap, without meaning and without purpose. We have al ready seen it used, one day to further the interests of tbe whisky ring, snd another day as a peg upon which to bang buncombe speeches. Tbns ftr, all the reforming of the tariff hu been in the interest ot the politi cians. It wilt be time enough to talk of tar iff reform in the interest of the people after the people have signified their desire to be benefitted by piecing the democratic party in power. For onr part we are willing to compromise. We are willing to give Mr. Morrison and his friends all the credit for patriotism they may have tbe nerve to claim if only they will give their attention to the success of that practical reform whieh contemplates a total change in the corrupt methods of the republican party. Let us place the demo cratic parly in power, and there will be no quarreling, so far ss democrats are concern ed, in regard to the nature and extent of the tariff reform. If a saner programme than this can be devised, we are willing to indorse It. GOOD ROADS FOR OBOROIA. A writer in the Washington (Wilkes county) Gszstte, who Is in favor of better roads, is of the opinion that the old road law is good enough if only it could have tbe proper public sentiment behind it for its en forcement. It will be observed that the “11” is as big as any if one is likely to ran across. Thera is now and has been, and will be for several years to come, a deplorable careless ness on the part of the people of tbe state with respect to the condition of the public roads. Public sentiment 1s no more important now than it was in,tlie days when Alexander conquered tbe world. That ferocious man accomplished hta ends by mesas of pluck and petsistence, and pluck and persistence lodged in the personalities of a few men ore far superior to public, sentiment, insomuch as such men either make or control public sentiment. The old road law was bad enough, but the methods of enforcing It were worse than'the law itself. It was never adequately enforced for the reason that those who bad ohargs ot the matter could never bo brought to understand or appreciate the relations which exist between good roads and the prosperity of communities; they could never be made to understand that good roads are civilitem—adding not only to tbe wealth but to tbe intelligence of the people. The new road law is probably no better than the old one, but it need be no hotter to be good enoegb, provided that those who bave charge of the matter shall enforce It strictly, impar tially and with an intelligent purpose. We have often wondered how our people managed to get along before the railroads relieved tho pressure. Cotton and other pro ducts was waggoqed from Gwinnett county to Augusta, and, below Greanesboro the Au gusta road was crowded with teams and wag ons going and returning from what was then the principal Georgia market. 8omo of the reminiscences ot those days are exceedingly interesting, bat memory am} tradition both agreo in the assertion that no good Christian dared to wagon his cotton to Au gusta. Such an experiment would have been fatal to bis piety. In most sections of the state the wagon roads are no better now than in tbe old times, and as bad roads cannot be regarded from any point ot view as a means of grace, it will hardly be claimed by reflecting per sons that the Christian civilisation of the stato is showing any very remarkable growth and development, at least not so far as the public roods are concerned. l’abllo sentiment is always ready to in dorse wbst is right. It is ripe forgood roads, as we in Fulton county have already demon strated (on s small scale) snd propose to demonstrate on a still larger scale. It is as capable of demonstration in any county of the state aa in Fulton, end we do not know of any farmer in this section who objects to or would place the slightest obstacle in the way of perfecting the system of permanent roadways which hu already been inaugura ted. Tbe system can only be perfected grad ually, but this (set, so far from being an ob jeelion, is really a method and a means of growth. The rotds in Georgia are bad or worse, u tbs esse may bs. No road can be a good road when the element of permanence does not enter into its condition. It is within tbe power of the people of every county in the state to make their roads permanently good. Taking it for granted that good men areas- lec ed to manage tbe affeirs of a county, it is an easy matter to make permaueat roads even under the old law. Five, four, or even two miles of road can be permanently improved every year, and for thia purpose tbe old law laugooduany; all that is needed is a change of system. Properly managed, ths roadways of every county in the state could be brought lo perfection within a period of, say, ten, tit- teen or twenty yesra The system once per fected would be practically permanent, and thoae who organise and carry ont the improve ment will have the pleasure—and it ought to be e very greet pleunre—of knowiog that they have left to their posterity a legacy worthy ot the foresight and enterprise of an energetic generation. Fnlton county te adding something every year to its system of macadamized roads, and in the course of a very few years its public highways will be models for the rest of tbe stele. We can only hope that tbe example will be followed. It will be an easy matter for adjoining countiu to lake np the work where Fulton leaves it, end thus give to themselves end to the people at Urge the insatimable privileges and advantages which grow out ot good roads. This te a matter which concerns tbe people of the whole state, and it la important enough, in onr opinion, for the legislature to make e state matter of It, end thus meet the expectations of the dormant public sentiment that is anx ious to approve and endorse a practical move ment in this direction. SHAKSPEARE AND THE NEGRO DIA LECT. The work of the Shakspeare specialists grows and expands, but never cnl mlnates. The commentators flock around his plays and poems In constantly increasing swarms. They find confusion In simplicity, and give wild and wonderful meanings to phrases that ought to be clear enough to those whose minds are not unsettled by the so- called culture of the time. It is difficult to find an edition of the plays that Is not bur dened with worse than useless footnotes, and where tbe footnotes are absent, words are stabbed with an obelns as a token of obsenri- ty. To fitly characterise the work of thoae commentators would be to compose s history and warm it with satire invented for the occasion, for the Shakspeare specialists have created a literature of their own and the results ot their perplexity would fill a library. This will go on,to ail appearances, as Jong as there are men anxious to make themselvei notorious by airing an unreasonable con tagion of the mind. One of the latest Shakspearlan discoveries possesses a passing interest for tbe readers of Tax Constitution. Professor W. Taylor Thom contributes to Shakspearina for March an eesay the title of which will Indicate the nature of bis discovery. He calls it “Some Parallelisms Between Shakspetre's English and the Negro-Engllah of the United States.’’ Professor Thom draws npon “The Tar-Baby Story,” and “How Mr. Rabbit Lost his Fine Bushy Tail” in the first volnme of Uncle Remus. Thus, when the old man says to the little boy, "He come mighty nigh it, honey,” be has the authority of Bbakspesre, who uses “too nigh yonr person,” and "Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprns.” Uncle Remns says, “Brer Fox went to work and got him some tar.” In Macbeth, Shakspeare says, “Let every soldier hew him down a bough.” Then there is the negro expression, “ he lay off in de hashes fer to see w'et de news gwinster be,” which is paralleled in Hamlet “which for to prevent I have in quick determination thus set it down.” Tho negro says, “Like he wuz 'aton- lshed;” Shakspeare says, “Like as it wonld speak.” The tendency in the darkey’s speeeh to attain strength and clearness prodaces the effect so familiar In Sbskspeare’a English. “De tar baby, she sot dar, she did, en Brer Fox, he lay low." In I. King Henry 8econd, Shakspeare says, "The skipping king, he am bled np and down.” The double negative is illustrated thus: “tar baby ain’t sayin’ noth in’.!’ According to Shak-Deare, “The man that bath no music in himself, nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,” is os bad as Brer Fox is supposed to be, “Brer Fox sorter cbnckle in his stomach, he did." Hamlet says, “This to me in dreadfnl secresy impart they did.” When tbe negro uses “learn” for "teach," be has the authority of Shak apeare, who aaya in the Tempest, “Tbe red plague rid you for learning me yonr lan guage. moughtn clamor in a vault that mongbt not be dietin' gulshed," says Uncle Shakspeare, thongh, as Professor Thom points out, thia form of "might" is older than Shakspeare in tbe literary language. Tho illoalratioDS we bave given are all quoted by Professor Thorn, and he gives other parallelisms which we have not space to present here. It will be seen, however, that this essay 1s in the nature of a philo logical study rather than a commentary on Shakspeare; and for this vouchsafe- ment let ns return thanks. Bat, Profes sor Thom would have made his article moro interesting as a philo logical stndy if he had cat loose from Shake- jieure end ventured to explore the literary language of the period lying between Chaucer and Shakspeare. Wo have already given in these columns, in response to the balf-hu morons comments ot one of onr northern exchanges, some parallelisms between the English of Chancer and the Vlrgiola-Georgia dialect of the negroes. Professor Thom more than hints that excursions into this field of study will richly repay the philologist, and, in onr opinion, It wonld lead to a dearer un derstanding on the part of "cultured” people of the simplicity and homeliness of Shake- pasre. There are two other points of interest which Professor Thom neglects to touch on. When Costard In iv, U, 150 of "Love’s Labour Loat”( Globe Ed.) goes running off ths stage orylng, "8ola! sola!” what is this but the "so long!" “so long!” of the negroes? There hss been some con troversy ot Iste as to whether the banjo is the favorite musical instrument of the ne groes. In “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” iv, i, lit (Giobe Ed.) Bottom, the well-known English Athenian, remarks: “I have a reasonable good ear in music. Lei ns have the tongs aud the bones.” Were tbe negro minstrels abroad in 8bakapeare'a time? Among the ceuntry people of Georgia the tongs, at e pinch, are used as a musical in strument to this day, serving in place of the triangle to accompany tbe fiddle. They were to nted, may it please tbe commenta tors, uot in ancient Athens, bat in the Eng land of Shakspeare, end that the bones were employed then asan accompinament to rural music there can be no doubL BCHOBS FROM THB PEOPLE. Patron. Cedartown, Ge : te the report ot Dr. Louebridge alluded to tn yonr tesue of April 10 for utolu Atlanta? No; It U a public document. Write to yonr eon- greet man aad ask him to set yon a copy. B. H., Arlington. Ga.:—L What was tbe name ef the first steammrat navigated on the Hudson by Robert Fulton ? a. Who projected the Argonauuc expedition? t. Can you give me a skeicaol the Ute ot fichwanti, tbe inventor of gunpowder? I. The ClermoaL 2 Peltes, the ruler of Iolena commlwtoncd Jason to take command of an ex- [•edition la search of the tabled golden fleece. X We cannot find anything about gehwaati in the cyclepedtax But he was not the Inventor of gun powder. II. A.B.. Vlrege, Ga.—1. What Is the popnletlon ot Nashville. Tena.? 2. Waal te Atianla'e area In equtr-miles? X Why Is Atlanta called the gate city cf the sooth? 1. It U estimated tt about 51,000. 2. The dteme- tertsthr.e miles and the circumference nine, gqnare that circle, end the result will be the an swer. X Because the paeMngem and frelsht traffic of the north and weet and the south have to pees through Atlanta going aonth, or going north and weet. A. B-. Rome, Ga.: Are there any tarantulas In the sooth? None of tbe genuine. There te a variety of the tarantula In several southern stale*. about two inches long, having legs spreading at least four Inches. It has whitish legs, white sides, whitish dote and llaeson the belly, snd is of s mouse color on top, and black or brown underneath. It seldom bitet, and while pobououa its bite 1s rarely If ever Ga.: 1. Can you give me 2. Do you know if bo Is now at bis borne? L Rev. T. De Witt Talmage. Brooklyn, N. Y. 2. He le probably at borne. J. M. B.. Smyrna, Ga -te there a book or pam phlet published br Professor Gremmler predicting erest sickness, death and destruction from 1883 to 18a7? Extensive cxUacie weie copied by the news- papers a few years ago from Professor GremmlePe predictions, bat there Is no pamphlet on the sub ject to be bad. 8. H.. Opelika. Ala : Wbat le tbe literal political and social meaning of a “crank?" Something bent, twisted or turned, Is ope mean ing of the word. In old limes It meant a cheat or Impostor. At present It te epplled to persons who am unbalanced, extravagantly eccentric, or labor ing nnder a mild meala. Gnttcau was a political crank, and Oicar Wilde was a social crank. A. C.,Ttvares, Fla.-Wbyis the London Times called "theThunderer?" From 1810 to 1840 Edward Sterling wrote editori als for the Times with lo much boldness, freshness, point and vigor that be was called "the Thunder er,” and In a short time the neme was applied, ball in admiration, half in mockery, to his paper. A. H. B., Moseley's Bluff. Louisiana-1. Can yon give me the address of s firm having magnets lorsale? 2 Where Is tbe island ot Jersey? I. Order from any book or hardware store. 2. It Is one of the Channel Islands, and Is near inern- aey and tho coast of France. Enrroas ;Co»snTt;rioN: Your correspondent of the 6th Inst.. Itom Arlington, Ga.,-evidently In tended to a>k ebout tchwaix. not Schwuna Bchwari (Bertbolol) wu a Fret citesn monk, bora in Ficiburg, Germany, who, cccnpted with chem istry, invented gnn powder, about the year 1830. Respectfully, A Reader, corn in Giumasy. Jonesitotto, Os., May 8.—I see In this morning's paper that sc mo one predicts that 88 miles will win your great reportera's walking match. There 1s a man here, 48 yexrs old, who -ttys he will walk to Atlanta (20 miles) In lour hours, rest there two hours, urn! back to Jouesboro alt Inside ot 12 hour?. He will take tbe wagon road without any kind ol training. He will do this on a small truer, or ho will take the trip with any other man 48 yean old for the fun of it. Ths boys must beat 40 miles, or some old man will take their laurela Subscriber, Lumpkin, Ga.: Pleaio explain the meaning of the last line of the followingverse: " There’s a wall In the mansion, A tear aud a sigh. And the car and the cart Go noiselessly by. Tread lightly—tread softly— Still the noise ol your feet. For death Is about ut— ■There's Un In the street.’” It refers lo the ten placed In the street to deaden the sound ol pasting vehicles. It explains wby “the car and the cart go noiselessly by.” T. H. G , Greenville, Tenn.—Where docs Mccha coffee come from? From the province ol Yemen, South Arabia. It tskeslts name from Makha, the ablet port of ex portatlon on the Red sea. J. C. A., Thomson, Ga.:—Who first produced electric light? The first successsul display was made In 1810 when Sir Humphrey Davy with a battery of 2,COO elements produced an eleclrte light with an aro three Inches long between carbon points. 3. P. R.. Forsyth. Ga.: Please give a few facia about ths origin of the temperance movement. Old temperance aocletlca In Georgia pledged the member! to drink only so much per day. Tbe • Order «f Temporsnco" In Getmany fa 1600 bound lls members never to beoomo intoxicated, and uot to drink over fourteen caps of wine perday. In „ - r . ., , j . 1620 a society was formed In New Jersey, tho mem- He thought en den agin he which agreed not to dtlnk more than a hall htn't," remarks Undue Remus. A p, n j 0 j rom or whisky per day. These early so- cletlee paved the way for total abstinence. Starrs Dsebts ItssabUcsa Satcrsa From tbe Cloctunatl Commercial Gazette. Nxw Yoix, May 8 —“I am ont ol politics at pres ont," remarked Emory A. Storr-, as bo stood In the rotund! ot the SL James hotel this morning. Then he added with a entile, “1 can give bat little Information as to.bow tbe battle ragea Everyday every hoar, every week brings about changes In tbe situation, and It will take a good man to make anything like a close goes! as to whom the repnb- rlcanawill nominate at Chicago. I conf.sslam at sea on that score,’’ “How about the stories going tho rounds tha yon and Logan don't speak as you pass by, and that 11 yon go aa a delegate, instead of presenting his name before the convention for the presiden cy, you will oppose him?" '■ItI go te the convention,” responded Mr. Storra “I will not present the name of General Logan. This will not be became there has been any personal misunderstanding between us, bat It will be became I will not be selected for that purpese." -'Whom will the majority o! tho delegates form your state vote t«r when tt becomes apparent that Logan has no show?’ "Blaine. Arthur wilt get a fow, bat Blaine will get tha lion's share." “Wbatdoyou think of Blaine's chances ol suc cess from today's outlook?” “As I said before, lam out el politics Just now and am not aa well po»-c<1 a-some others. It Blaine doca not receive the nomination on the third bal lot, It Is my opinion that hit naan will becrlttlcaL He bu a host of friends, and will be hacked by a powerful delegation: hnt I'm afraid Arthur’s •irength hu been underestimated. Then, yon known, there are others in tbe field—the two Baer- mans, Edmunds aud Lincoln." “Do you count Lincoln in among Use candidates for first place on the ticket?" "1 do. Furthermore, I believe that If, alter a good many ballots without result, a boom 1< start- ed for Lincoln be will carry the convention by •term. Mark my worda and see It I'm not light. Lincoln Is en able men. and possesses strontcom mon stnse and a lavel head. Edmonds wlll mako a good fight" “At to unnt?" • “I remind you again, tbla te a-go-ai you-plcaia- for all ages, aud dark horses may win u they htva heretofore.” “Do you regard the election of a republic tn can didate snored regard eraol tbe man?" "No. »tr. There te a possibility ol nominating a man that would bring a third candidate In the field, aud In 'hat way the democrats might carry the elecitor,” PRESIDENTIAL CALCULATIONS. Mr. Irtkar Flaarva kla Naadnallei IhaFaa-th lialiet. From the Cincinnati Newt Journal WAiBiaiiTON, May 7.—Mr. Arthur has bean very reticent oc poUttcal toplca He bu not rude and will not make an official anaonnetmentof his can didacy for the pretldc-ncy. To-day the News Jour nal correspondent learned f rem a high authority at tha white house that Mr. Arthur 1s not the disin terested speetetet ol the battlefield he appeare. Sir. Blaine. It teems keeps a private hook, and Mr. Arthur 1s not above It. He bu a table written out oa a Urge sheet ot paper giving a list of tha aamae of the delegates and alternates to the republican convention. Op* posits each name that ha cooaldan friendly to himself he hu written “A" in red Ink. A star marks ibe Its: ot doubtful delegates and those who would be Uk*ly to change to Arthur In cat ; of a -pith According to Urla estimate Mr. Arthur fig ure* ont for himself 323 vote* on the first ballot, »nd 430 votes on nos later than tbe foarth billot. Tee president believe* the! he will be nominated on cither the third or fourth ballot This tut hu been p.-epeted by tome ol toe prteldent’e New Y'ork friends, end te probably an exaggeration of Mr. Arthur's real strength on tne first ballot by as *eul thirty votea Ths Last Ilsurs sf Cksrlcs O'Csssr. Nantcczxt, Maas., May 10.—(.'bailee O'Concr wu taken with a sever* cold about two weeks ago. His condition did not excite apprehension, u he had been frequently tit before, nts recuperative wu u greet u his mental vigor. It te now feared he Is suffering hie tut lllaeia Bines hit sickness ha hss taken Utile nourishment, and U rapidly fill ing. Last Monday Bishop Heudtlekaoo, of hsvl- denee. twitted by Rev. rather C. MeSwtaay. of ibis parish, administered to him the test sacrament of ths Roman catholic chnirh, line* which time O'Concr hu been calmly awaiting the end. He ts perfectly ctmelon*, end bnt foe ate grew vitality would have tnccnubtd already. True morning be la very low.