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The Morgan Monitor
VOL U. NO.il. *1 PLK YEAR.
r THE SONC OF WHEAT,
I had dreams when days were darkest—in the loneliness of night.
1 Aud was dreaming soil of the gleaming and the streaming of tho light;
the that whispered secrets to the blossom and tho leaf
Bent me shimmering, shining sunward to tho splendor of the sheaf!
The winds that tossed my tresses sang of treasures manifold,
And dew and star and sunlight gave their glory to my gold 5
And I heard far rejoicing, and the tempest-flags wore furled
And my golden banners rippled all my riches round tho world!
I heard the songs of cities, and in the shadowed dolls
The ringing and the singing of all the golden hells:
For I wove tho blue sky’s beauty, the sunlight and the rains,
In an nnswor to the valleys and the pleading of tho plains,
I have sweetened fervid Summers, I have starred tho Winter's snow
And gladdened homes with garlands, and made the hoarth-ilre glow
And my story is my glory, and my-triumph is complete—
They march beneath my banners, to the tlu-illiug song of wheat.
—Frank L, Stanton, in Chicago Timee-Herald,
Their Wedding
I3y LIZZIE HYER NEFF.
ISS MA’Y, oh, Bliss
Bla’y! Gome an’ sge
de cake. Hit’s done
•a icod now,” called
Aunt Mexico from the
foot of the stairs.
Mary had just been
and veil trying on her gown
in her room, but sho ran
briskly down-stairs in response to tho
summons, she buttoning her wrapper as
came, and followed Mexico into
the dining-room where the huge
bride’s cake stood in state on a small
table.
“O-li-li!” cried tho girl, rapturously,
“I never dreamed you could do it like
that, Aunt Blex. Why, it rnnst he
three feet tall! One, two, three—
there are seven cakes! And the icing.”
Mexico beamed with pleasure at the
result of her skill.
fectionate Mary gave Mexico’s fat arm an af¬
squeeze. “You’re a genius,
that’s what you are, you dear old soul.
I wish I could take you with me, to¬
morrow. ”
honey. “Po’chile, I reckon yuli does,
git But, la, yore ma, she couldn’t
used tub no other cookin’ now, no¬
how. An’ she might git one of thorn
no ’count yallali Jeffasons.”
• “I’ll lot you stay, auntie, if you will
work me one charm! I do want the
rain to stop. I don’t want to be tho
unhappy bride on whom the sun does
not shine. And the rain has COIQO
down for so long.”
“I ain’t no voudou, honey, an’ I
don’t know no spell fur de weather, no
way. But I do hope hit will clear up
fob yore sake an’ all de res’. De rib-
ber ain’ gwinc stan’ no mo’ foolishness
now. I see de ticllflowah go down dis
mohnin’, look Ink she walkin’ on top
do bank now.”
“Oh, dear!” cried Mary, running to
the front window. “I have been so
busy I haven’t looked out for three
days. How high the river is! There
is a flat-boat going down—on a level
with the hark! Ok, I wish it would
clear up! What if the boat couldn’t
make a landing to-night?”
“Well, honey, ef do ribber don’ rise
no higher'll what it is now, dey '.von'
be no damage,” said Mexico, sooth¬
ingly, as she walked away toward the
kitchen, with a last proud glance at
the white tower on the small table.
Mary stood at the window, with a
face full of alarm, watching the yellow,
turbid flood, that now and then
splashed over its banks.
The young girl had never seen the
river _ so high but ouce before, and she
remembered that experience with bit¬
terness.
While she watched, a mud-spatted
equestrian galloped down the road and
stopped at the front gate, springing
from his panting horse and entering
hurriedly.
Blary met him at the front door.
“Why, Mr. Burnett!” she cried,
“what brings you here in such a hur¬
ry?”
“I came to give you tho warning,
Miss Blary. The river’s on an awful
tear; risen two feet in thirty hours.
Cincinnati’s having a flood, and we’ll
have to get ready for the worst. It’s
going to rise hero six feet, anyway,
and no telling how much more.”
“Oh, dear! And how soon?”
“Right away. No, I thank you! I
must be going, for I promised to give
the warning at every house along the
river road. You’d better prepare for
a siege.”
“Thank you, thank you, BIr. Bur¬
nett, a thousand times. I hardly know
what to do about it. It- is so sudden
—and so awful!”
“There’s mOre folks feels that a-way,
but the ain’t a-waiting on them! Good-
day to you,” and the visitor was gone,
leaving a pool of black water where
ho had stood.
Two women were coming down-stairs
as Blary closed tho door.
“Mother, Bettie, you don’t know
what an awful thing is going to hap¬
pen!” sho said, with quivering lips.
“Yes, we heard what ho said, dear,”
replied the mother. “It is worse for
you than any one else. If it would
only hold off until to-morrow, I could
be reconciled.”
“What shall wo do?” wailed Bettie,
with white lips.
The mother sat down in the hall
chair and folded her hands. Bettie
went to the parlor window and looked
at the river. Hlie gave a frightened
cry, and: “It’s coming over the bank
now! Oh, mamma, what shall we do?”
Mrs. Galt wont to the window and
turned away Instantly.
“We must do something at once,”
she said, desperately. “I will send
tose to the quarry for some men to
t the furniture. ”
It did not take Mose long to bring
>nen from the quarry cabins, for they
had been idle for two day on account
of the flood in the quarry.
pld-Ias Then hi the oned pleasantwidejooms house, now de ck ed of the out
in holiday attire for the weeding, pre¬
sented a scene of vandalism distress¬
ing to the hearts- of those who had
worked so hard to arrange thorn. The
heavy carpets were ruthlessly torn up;
the piano was hoisted upon wooden
chairs, the dining-table was extended
to its fuH length, and piled with car-.
pots and furniture half way to the ceil¬
ing. The kitchen stove was carried
up-stairs and set up in a bedroom.
Within half an hour the house was
unrecognizable, As Blary came through
tho hall with a pile of books in her
arm, there was a vigorous clang of the
old knocker, and then a young mail
entered,
“Oh, George!” sho exclaimed; put¬
ting her books on the stairs, “isn’t it
awfuU”
He took her in his arms and kissed
her troubled face before he replied:
“But we shall be married just the
same, other. my darling. We still have each
Now, what can I do to help
you? Wo cannot spare a minute until
everything is safe.”
“I think we need wood for the fires
and the cook stove upstairs tho most
of anything now,” she said, gathering
up her books.
'Die young man started back through
the house, but before his footsteps
ceased to sound on the bare floors, a
thin stream of water crept under the
front door and flowed down the hall.
Before Mary had reached the top stair
there was a sound as of waves lapping
on the door, and ten minutes later a
soft swish upon the low window panes
allowed the insidious flood rapping for
entrance. In a few minutes the family
had to retire to an upper room to escape
the water on the lower floors, aud there
they sat iu grave council over the sud¬
den change of affairs.
“There is only one thing certain in
this state of things,” said George
Campbell, and that is, that there must
be a wedding here to-night. It is bad
luck to put off weddings, and we don’t
want to begin life that way.”
“And will you send for the minis¬
ter?” asked Mrs. Galt.
“Where are your boats?”
“Oh, wo forgot them! They are
tied at the boat-house—-if they are not
washed away. Why didn’t we think
to have them brought over to tlie
house?”
“But who thought it was going to
rise so fast?” groaned the mistress.
There was still a great deal to do,
and the water, after breaking the em-
battlement, which was a low one,
seemed to stand at a depth of two feet
in the house. The men could get
about in it with rubber boots, and
were hard at work preparing for the
worse. Tlie farming implements must
he iioisted above danger, aud food for
tlio cattle must bo secured. A bridge
of planks was made downstairs for the
women, and they were soon busy
carrying their household goods to the
upper floor. There was an old, dim
line on the outside of the house,
almost coincident with the ceil¬
ing, that marked tho line of the
greatest flood oil record, but that
was forty years before. The occasional
freshet had never since gone higher
than the hall wainscot—about three
feet. The afternoon wore slowlyaivay,
and toward evening Mary saw a num-
her of buggies laden with guests for
her wedding come down the hillside
road, stop at the sight of the yellow
flood that rushed with swift current
over the river road, then turn and re¬
trace their way to the safe highlands
from which they came. George had
gone for the minister, and an upper
front chamber had been' made as at¬
tractive as its superabundance of fur¬
niture would allow, for the wedding,
but no guest came, and when six
o’clock struck, George had not re¬
turned. The three women sat down
forlornly to the hot supper that Mexico
s pread on the top of an ancestral chest iu
the hack hall, but Mary was so anxious
about her lover that she could, not eat.
After supper they sat at the front win¬
dows and watched the signs of destruc¬
tion that began to float down the river.
At nine o’clock they lay down with
dread misgivings, but until nearly
midnight there was no sound but the
washing and of the water against the walls,
the bumping of loose planks from
tlie bridge in the hall against the
wainscot.
At midnight some one shouted for
Mrs., Galt, and she answered from the
window. Toiler surprise beseemed
to be very little below her own level,
“Hello!” said the visitor, and it was
George’s voice. “I have been helping
up at the landing. Everything is nn-
moving up to the lull They will have
to camp out. We took the sick folks
up to tho stone school-house and fixed
them as well as we could. Don’t you
think you had better go up to your
sister on the ridge J have a boat
here, and the water is going to be
POPCI.ATIO]S AND DRAINAGE.
MORGAN, GA.. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23.1897.
higher than it was ever known to be
before."
“Oh, no, we are safe here, and we
have plenty of everything; We must
stay by the place and the stock,” said
Mrs-. Galt: “Tlie Water has conic tip
fast, though: We Were Worried about
yoii: Aren t JmU doming in?”
“I don’t see how I can: , The water
is bvei- the front door dud riot up, to
the veranda rtiof. Are the horses tied
iri the Stable! 1 They arc making a
good deal of noise.”
“I supoose they are. I)o yt!U think
the water has reached them?”
“I will go and see,” said the young
mail, and Gait he remained paddled away.
Midi at the window,
looking with alarm at tlic rapidly.ris¬
ing water: A mari iri a queer 111,tie
Craft crept in over the front yard.
“Sister Galt!” he called.
“Why, brother Meeks, is that you?”
she answered.
“Yes, sister. Iremember about the
wedding, but at, that hour we were all
Could so busy in righting the water that I
not come, This is tho first mo¬
ment that I have had; Affi SoU till
Safe?"
Could “Oh, yes, have And very comfortable. We
not the wedding yet: It
was a cruel time for this calamity to
Como, but I suppose we never could
find the right time for misfortune.”
George came Around the house at
this moment, and was greeted by the
minister. “Ah, Mr. Meeks, you are
just the man we want. Now it is not
quite midnight, and if wo can get the
bride to appear, we shall be married
yet “I to-day, afraid Can you climb a post?”
mil not, under such disad¬
vantages, But I can sit here and per¬
forin the ceremony if yon arid the
young lady will eoiue to the edge of
the roof,” said the minister.
George tied his boat to the corner
column of tho veranda, and began to
climb to the roof. The girls had been
aroused by the voices, and were ready
to appear when he reached the top.
“I let the poor horses out,” lie said
to Mrs, Galt. “They were itp to their
necks in water, and would have been
drowned by morning, 'Riley can swim
to tho mountain now. Tue fences
won’t trouble them, Now I Want to
make sure of my wife before anything
else happens. Come, Mary, here is
the minister,” and he drew her gently
out upon the flat roof. Her mother
and sister followed, and the young
pair went to tlio edge where they could
see Mr, Meeks. He had been unable
to find a boat, and had made the peril-
trip in a horse trough, where lie now
sat rocking on the high waves of tlio
flood.
The sky was heavily overcast with
clouds; there was no light save a lamp
in the window; the stanch old house
was rocking alarmingly, hut the voice
of the clergyman was none the loss im¬
pressive as he pronounced the marriage
ceremony over the young couple bend¬
ing above him, and before the clock
within struck twelve they were man
and wife.
It was not a joyous wedding nor
were there there attendant festivities,
but the young husband drew bis wife
to his side with a whispered sentence,
that made her feel that she had a pro¬
tector in this hour of disaster, The
rain began to fall again and Mrs. Galt
insisted that Mr. Meeks should try to
enter and stay until daylight, Ao-
oordingly he paddled around to the
woodshed roof and climbed over it and
through the kitchen attic, the water
having risen within a few minutes so
much that this was easily accom¬
plished. Mexico had made a pot of hot
coffee, and liad an appetizing lunch
ready for the tired and hungry adven¬
turers. She had carried up the abundant
delicacies that had been provided for
the wedding, and she served some of
these things now, saying that this was
the only wedding supper the young
folks would have. For a few minutes,
in the warmth and cheer and lively
talk,the dread situation was forgotten,
but a crash below, a lingering,resonant
crash, called everyone’s attention.
“It’s the piano,” said Mrs. Galt. “It
has been floating for a long time, and
now it has bumped the ceiling. It
crashed into the big mirror some time
ago."
“Then everything down-stairs is
ruined,” said Bettie.
“Oh, yes,” returned her mother,
calmly. “The only thing I ask now
is to have our lives spared.”
A hoarse, deep whistle rent the air
very near the house, and tho group
looked wonderingly at each other.
“It is the boat going up,” said
George, “and she has come over here
to avoid the current. It is fearfully
swift in the river.”
The lights of the boat had a friendly
look as they passed, and for the time
the feeling of desolation passed, but
soon the darkness was unrelieved
again. A few minutes later a great
wave dashed against the house, that
swayed it hack and forth, and sent the
cups on the impromptu table spinning
to the floor. The little party looked
at one another, with a white panic in
each face. r Could , ., it mean—another - ,,
ita,e,l’S5,Uv T°'l “'l ‘5°
wall. 1 lio third wave came, tlio last
from the passing steamboat—the house
wavei ed, tipped forward, ......, ,, then careen-
“To tlnTroofl^To the rd! n n • .1
before she gets out into the current!”
shouted George, catching Mary and
Bettie in his arms, as they were thrown
in a heap against tho bureau. The
lamp had gone out in its fall, but the
#t*>ve was overturned and its door had
fallen open, though none of the brands
It was a wild struggle for tho next
few minutes, as the bewildered in-
mates groped in the dark for the roof
ladder, and finding it by pure accident,
for no one knows where to look for
amdiar objects in a house that has
turned on its side, the panic-stricken
r~v —~
people climbed out find clung to the
railing along the ridge of the roof.
Fortunately into the house but was drawn
out the eummt, gently who-
hied down the road, lodging occasion-
alty in a trees top or Stodd butdpuig against
a.buildirigthat Hiiii/ As still oil its side founda-
it tilted front side to the
furniture slid aci'os'fi the eliiUHiig floor
with mi ail hour. ominous crash. the Firioilty, building tf*
tdr oi ; two,
righted itself so that tlie shivering
occupants, Who had no time to protect
themselves against the rainy March
night, could Sit ttf the flat square in¬
side the railing of the root. MruA
clung tightly to her husband, \yliq was
the light and courage of the party.
shock After they lirtd gotten over Gefirge the tried first
of tlieir disaster;
fd encourage the tiuiid hues by Assur¬
ing them that they Were hi nrf immedi;
ate danger; and that when daylight
came they would surely bo rescued.
“The river has been rising fast, above
and spreading over the bottoms,” ho
explained, “and when it was crowded
into our narrow valley it rose into this
(lord: As soon as we get, down to tlie
Point at I’eunypackeis Bead; where
tliCrd is a wide flat; ivC Shall Most
likely strand; I rind we can at soon he bend res¬
cued. know everybody tho '
anyhow; My Uncle George owns the
whole place. ”
“I think those lights ahead are
from Pennypacker’s now,” said Mr.
Mocks.
“I don’t think we can have drifted
though so far as that,” replied George, “al¬
the current is swift oven here.
But we are sure to be in sight of tlie
landing by daybreak. I think we
arC riding so Steady now that I
might go down into the roouis arid
get the women sonic shawls; Where
would I find something, Mary?”
“Oh, no, no! Stay right here; We
shall surely go under if you leave ua,”
cried both girls. “And you never
could find anything, anyhow.”
“I know what J can find, then, and
that is the bedclotliiug. I can puli it
off tlie beds, Some good quilts would
be a great comfort.”
George was not a person to wait for
the execution of any plan, so it was
but a few minutes until each member
of the group was wrapped in a warm
blanket.
“I don’t know but we might as well
all be drowned,” whispered Mrs. Galt,
“for I don’t know how we’ll livo if we
don’t. Everything is swept away. ”
“We haven’t lost the house yet,”
said George, have cheerily.
“Nor we auy of us lost our
faith in God yet;” said the minister;
who had lost no opportunity to admin¬
ister consolation and cheer throilgh
that fearful ride. “Don’t you sec the
light of tho dawn, over behind the
hills?”
The tired family eagerly watched
tho pale light as it revealed the river
broadened to a lake, and filled with
the wrecks of other homes, tho bodies
of horses aud cattle, large trees that
had been torn up by the roots, and
now aud then a ghastly something
passed them that had yesterday been
a human being.
And then, just before them, not
half a mile aw ay, the long arm of
Pennypacker’s Point reached out into
the river as if to intercept them.
“Your uncle’s house is high and
dry,” said Mrs. Galt, looking at the
great brick house that crowned the
spnr.
“Yes,” returned George, “and IV <•
shall get there in time for breakfast.
There is a boat going into the landing,
the Ben Morgan, I think. Now, when
she starts out she will come round this
way to avoid the ripple, and the waves
sho makes will beach us pretty near
the landing. After that we are all
right.”
Every one was now too intent in
watching their uncertain progress to
talk. The Ben Morgan made her
stop at the submerged landing, pulled
out, and after a disappointing start
out toward the current, pointed her
nose into the still water of the little
bay, A high wave left her beak and
tho castaways held their breath in
suspense coming as they watched its curve
toward them..
It rolled nearer and nearer and dis¬
appeared under tlie house. The build¬
ing rose ou its swell, rocked unstead¬
ily, shor^l careened—and rode ill to the
Wien the third wave had come
and receded, the voyagers found that
they were once more on terra firma,
and iu less than eight feet of water.
“Thank the Lord!” exclaimed Mrs.
Galt, with the first tears that she had
shed streaming down her cheeks.
“Now we are sure of our lives at any
rate.”
George was wildly waving his red
and green quilt as a signal to some
one at the landing, who immediately
put off in a boat, and who recognized
George as he came within speaking
distance.
“It is my cousin, Henry Penny-
packer,” said George, “Hello, Hen¬
ry, how are you?”
“What are you running off with
that house for?” shouted Henry.
‘,p m «»',A on my wof iai nc r tour ” re-
tu ™«' *. I.« .Ir.»’noB.
i » ° 01 '' ,r' Como “ ,, of -
‘ ’
you, vo „ W(l we arc safo now; wo can go down ,
to the rooms again.”
The bed-rooms presented a strange
flrewooi^fmid 1 dRh?.!,"} tl 1 ^" " ki'''I'n'af’ a
diner which bad nliil 1 it
fewHoiEt es *, v ° S J Tl 1 8 J ' f "1
' 1 'It* e n v ?> J
j nresonDDilp was' ftl de'iiubt ’ * " ,
' nypacker
1 t t H
j to tho house in a most cordial manner,
George’s boat was now banging from
i the veranda roof beside Brother
I Meeks’s horse trough, and these, with
I Henry’s boat, served to carry the
j party over to the hospitable l.ome
that was open to them, and where
their kind reception put them quits
at ease, Henry sent out a man with
a stout Glide to tie the house to a tree,
that the next passing boat might
not float it away, and then' the visi-
tors were invited to a royal breakfast,
ienee They to recounted the hosts, the George night’s exper-
ending Campbell
the story with: “After all, WO
(Ivri rich hcRicte our. neighbors who
have' lost rtlh We have only to tow
our hem so' hack and begin again, for,
thank the' Lord,- there fire none of us
missing. Aifd I’mi Sure that, though
we hadn’t a wedding reception, we had.
a. wedding tour!”—The White Ele¬
phant.
To Cure Snoring;.
Dr. E, the J. Bormiugham, Chief Sur¬
geon ill' New York Throat and Nose
HespiUl, strtteg for the benefit of those
vVlicf suffer froni shoring' ilirtt it can he
cured;. It is Usually caused bf (mind
obstruction in the liose, which makes
it easier for a person to breathe with
his mouth open when asleep. Some¬
times the removal ol tlifl obstruction
does not stop the snoring, the habit of
hetiome breathing through the mouth having
too strong. If tho patient is
unable id break the habit without as¬
sistance, a small strip elf tjellitloid is
placed between the lips and teeth itiui
tied by a string aForirid tho neck td
prevent its being swallowed. This
corrects tlio habit in a short time,'
when its use may be discontinued.
The most common cause for obstruc¬
tions in tlio nose is tlio enlargement of
the tissues, caused by catarrh of long
standing. Polypi are easily removed.
Enlargement of various bones of the
nose is common, due to neglected
8olils< The septum is the bone divid¬
ing the two orifices Of tho nose, If
this partition is so belli as to obstruct
the orifice, it is sometimes necessary
to fracture it and i et it straight.-
Sometimes enlarged tonsils partially
close tho nostrils.
Riveting by Machinery.
In regard to riveting with com¬
pressed Santa air the master mechanic of the
Fe road is quoted as saying that
by the rise In the Santa Fo shops of a
stationary riveting machine thrice uieU
are enabled td drive 2000 rivets per
day of tori with hours at a cost of $4.75, as
compared 200 rivets per day at a
cost of $7 hv hand labor; the truck
riveters—the machine being operated
by two laborers at a total cost of $3
per day—drive 3000 rivets, as com¬
pared with 175 rivets driven by hand
labor by throe men in a day at a cost
of $6, while tho stayholt breaker makes
ail the average tank riveter saving of $8 per daily day, and
an average sav¬
ing of $10. Further, the mild ring
riveters will drive ns many rivets as
cml bo handed to them, and will make
a saving of $12 to .f 15 a day for that
class of work. Not only is this method
credited with the groat saving named,
says tho New York Sun, but is de¬
clared to insure every rivet hole being
filled entirely and insures tight work,
while of hand-driven rivets in mud
rings a large percentage invariably
leak.
Hotv Marie et Hunters Work.
Those Nobraska market hunters have
reduced the slaughter to an exact
science. Usually they travel in twos,
dogs. They carry a small cart and two good
A cow pony is attached to tho
vehicle ami tho hunters go into the
open country. They start the pony
on a slow walk, with the dogs ranging
100 yards ahead. With their guns
ready they walk on each side of tlie
cart a few yards. When tlio dogs
make a stand a wave of the hand stops
the pony. The men advance with
their pump guns. If not more than
half a dozen chickens rise at once they
wipe out the covey without moving
from their first stand. If it is a large
covey and the birds scatter over the
prairie in proper cover they pick them
up slowly until the whole bunch is an¬
nihilated. Nothing but favorable cover
for the birds can prevent the complete
destruction of a covoy when two mar¬
ket hunters flush a bunch. They get
$4 a dozen for the birds aud it is a
poor day’s work when they fail to get
five dozen fat chickens on a favorable
stretch of Nebrask prairie.—Chicago
Record.
TostlnK a Cri-iit Bridge*
The new Niagara bridge recently
withstood its official test in a very sat¬
isfactory manner. The designs called
for a strength sufficient tp withstand
safely a moving load of 10,000 pounds
per linear foot, with a deflection of
not more than four and one-half
inches. During tho test it was esti¬
mated that tho bridge was not loaded
over 7000 pounds per foot. This
great weight was made up of trains
starting from the Canadian side and
moving across to tho Americau, stop¬
ping several time to permit the taking
of levels. These trains were com¬
posed of several ton-wheel consolida¬
tion locomotives and coal cars carry¬
ing besides their usual rated coal load
increase of 60,000 pounds,rails placed on top to
the total weight. As tho
bridge had been in use for several
weeks the deflection under full load
was quite small, being only seven-
eighths of an inch ou one side aud
one inch on tho other.
Two-Room <; <1 T r ee •
In Ratibar, Hilesia, Germany, there
is a tree which has been trained to
form two rooms. It grows upon tho
banks of the River Oder. It is a maple
over 100 years old.
The trunk rises from the ground
much like that of any other maple, but
a flight of steps leads to the first level,
where tlie branches have been gradually
woven together until a firm floor has
been made. Above this is a second
floor, smaller in diameter and formed
in the same way. Around each floor
the branches have been woven into
solid walls, making two circular rooms.
Each of these rooms is lighted by eight
windows, which are cut through the
walls of branches aud foliage. ****!
T. P. GREEN. MANAGER.
DISCUSSES GHOSTS, THOUGH HE
DOESN’T BELIEVE IN THEM.
SOME REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES.
Fortum* ^‘IiAolmntfl Recites a Story—Wil¬
liam Jh Ac<iifrt(n(v>d WUti i\ Modern
"Old Mortality/’
“Old Mortality” was one of Walter
Scott’s ftlost, interesting characters.
This long-bertf'dcd, venerable man
spent all the latter years of Jiis life in
going about from cemetery to cemetery
in feehmeling and remarking the
marble slab's that covered tlio graves of
the dead. Not otilf that, Inlt he clean¬
ed them of the mould aud stain and
set them up square Sind level and did
it cut of respect for his de'rtd kindred
aud friends. Nearly fifty years ago I.
visited Laurel Hill, Philadelphia,- the beautiful home
of the dead of and the
first tiling that greeted me at the en¬
trance tviiK a brown-stone statue of
Old Mortality slab. Working A little on a dried weather¬
beaten marble up,
spectacled old gentleman big pockets with « filled pea-
jacket on and the at lets and brushes
with chisels aud in
and bid nigs, May lie he is there yet.
! don’t know, bn* f thought of him
the other day as I was wandering
through tlio silent city of the dead in
Myrtle Hi!) at Rhine, Ga. It has been
about, forty years since I helped to have lay
off that cemetery, and people
been Moving there ever since and a
good would motto bo io place over tlio gate
“For nit‘11 May eomo and
men may go; but I go on forever,"
An old time friend was with me, and
i can’t help but think of him as “Old
Mortality,’ for that be lias gi'fiveyard boon nursing
find cherishing it for over
thirty years and lias made It pin.cn of
beauty anil a joy forever. He lias long
since made reputation as an able law¬
yer and a learned judge, but I know
Hint he never took as much interests or
real pleasure in anything as In beautify¬ and
ing aud adorning that lifts lovely ro¬
mantic. place. He spent hundreds
of dollars there out of his owl! pocket.
His own lot, with its Italian marble
monument to the memory of his wife,
is a marvel of exquisite beauty. I saw
where he lmd righted up and placed a
now foundation under tho monument
of tho wife of a far distant friend.
Within the last year or two he lias
been to Macon and reformed and re¬
newed the mOiililUMits that mark his
parents’ graves. Helms been to Enton-
ton and worked oil those of his broth¬
ers and sisters who died in the long
ago, and.has placed tombstones over
the graves of his grand parents. Ho
talked to me feelingly about sonic ne¬
glected graves of our friends who
sleep in llie old graveyard at liomfi
that, nobody cares for and is well nigh
abandoned, “ When I get through
with them,” lie said, “I shall feel sat¬
isfied and take a rest from this busi¬
ness and endeavor to he ready for my
own funeral.” Tf ho is not Old Mor¬
tality now he will lie if he lives long
enough.
Wei), I like that. We all like it;
that is to say, all kind-hearted, ro-
floctive people. 80mo people are
afraid of a graveyard, especially young
people, who have a horror of death,
but it, is a foolish fear and wears oil as
we get older. When I was a youth at
a country school there was a braggart
sort of 11 hoy named Baldwin who said
he wasn't afraid of ghosts. Jim Lin¬
ton bet, him a dollar that he Wouldn’t
go down to the rocky field that night
and cul a sassafras hush that was near
an old grave and bring it to the house.
The money was put up. Just about
dark Jim slipped around and hid be-
Liml a rock pile that was near the
bushes that bad grown around the
grave. When Baldwin got there and
was about to cut tho sassafras Linton
said solemnly in a deep bass voice,
“Beware! that's my grave,” and Bald¬
win inn home with Jim after him and
like to have at
reckon it helped me later on, for my
wife lived near the village graveyard
and when 1 was courting her and
kneeling at her shrine I had to pftBB
near it every night or two audit was
a for test neither of my love and my devotion,
rain nor darkness intimi¬
dated me, which proves that love is
stronger than fear. Home moonlight
nights when I was a little premature 1
have walked inside of tint time-honor¬
ed place and eat upon the tombstones
and perused the epitaphs and the
epitaffy for it is a redeeming trait in
dead, our humanity to speak well of the
I don’t especially believe upon their tombs.
in visible ghosts, but
some strange things have happened
since tho Witch of Endor culled up
the ghost of Samuel. One night in
When 1 wan the little mill boy and
lmd to pass a country graveyard on the
way and happened to be lute in get¬
ting my grist from tlio miller it W/IM
a strain on my youthful courage to go
slow by the sacred mysterious place.
But go fast you can’t on an old sway-
back mare with a bag of meal under
you. For three or four years I was
°n the lookout for a ghost in tho twi¬
light, but I never saw one anil 1
Florida a number of us were giving in
our experience when my old college
friend, McKay, took bis turn. He is
too old to prevaricate or exagger¬
ate. He traveled in Europe with his
wife and educated his children there,
and for eight years lived in Italy or in
the cities among the Mediterranean,
staying sometimes several months in
one place. On arriving at Dresden he
sought for a pleasant house to rent and
found one on a hill in the suburbs, a
large, massive, rock-lmilt; mansion of
the olden time, lie aud his wife and
( !
'laughter wc-rc pleased with tlio place
and rented two items. The rooms
were high and largo and had a heavy
cornice about four feet below the ceil¬
ing. On this cornice and just over the
mantel was a portrait of a man. It
was an old oil painting and the mass¬
ive frame was fastened to a hook in
the ceiling. There was a piano in the
front room and a set of fine old-fash¬
ioned furniture. The landlady was a
sad featured old woman, The first
night of their domicile Mr. McKay
and his wife and daughter sat up
quite late and flie piano was tried anil
found to be in perfect order. When
they retired the lamp was shaded and
left dimly burning. About midnight
there was a racket up about that por¬
trait and it was seen to break loose
front the ceiling and turn over edge¬
ways along the cornice to the coiner
of the room and then came down with
a crash. "Why gravity didn’t make it
fall down by the mantel was the mya-
teiy. Next morning the servant came
and removed tlio portrait. Next night
after they had retired a heavy screen
that was.between tho bed and the
window galloped around to the foot of
the bed and fell with a crash, Tho
landlady came in the morning and re¬
moved it and said but little in expla¬
nation. Sho seemed troubled. The
next night Miss McKay, who was
gifted in music, played till quite late
and after sho had closed the piano and
joined in tho conversation with her
parents there was an awful crash in
the piano behind them. It sounded
like everything had been violently
broken the' by blows from heavy bludgeons
and blows were several times'
repeated and with crushing force.
For some minutes Mr McKay and his
wife and daughter looked and won¬
dered and said nothing. Then lie got
up and approached the piano and in-
spectod.it closely. jThcn he ventured
to open it and found every string and
every key in order. Tho next, night
about midnight there was a pitiful wail
of a child crying in the room. The
lamp w as turned up and a search for
tho child was made. Sometimes it
was in one corner, then in another,’
then up oil tho cornice and then out in
tho hall it rid away off, but its cry
was distressing’, as though in great
anguish. Tho landlady was rung for
and eamo and when asked about the
child said there was no child in the
house, lior did her neighbor have any
children. “Madam, did you ever hear
the crying of a child in this room be¬
fore?” She said she had, but it was a
long time ago, and he learned from her
(bat during the war with Napoleon trie
inmates of the house wore all murdered
for harboring some traitors. Tho man
whose portrait foil and his wife and son
and a little child. She thought, that
maybe the haunts had left the house
by this time or she would not have
rented it.
“Now,” said my friend, “this all
happened just ns I toll you and my
little wife will say to you that I have
not exaggerated it.” We looked at the
little woman and sho said “it was just
that way. ” Of course they moved the
next day. Yes, I believe Mr.
I)o I believe it?
arid Mrs. McKay; more than that my
mind is not satislied. — B ’ V* Akp, in
Atlanta Constitution.
SEVEN OF CREW PERISH, '
Schooner Bloodlioumi Totally Wrecked
INVar Capo Pine.
Advices from St. Johns, New Found-
land, state that the schooner Blood¬
hound is a total wreck near Cape Pine,
on the southern part of the peninsula
of Avalon. Her crew of seven men
perished.
SNOWSTORM IN IDAHO.
Southeastern SeeMon of tho Hlnto Will Bo
Gr«sUl,v IhunaRetl Therefrom*
A heavy snowstorm, beginning early
Thursday afternoon and lasting all
night, swept over southeastern Idaho.
It will do much damage, as much grain
and lucerne is still out.
EIGHT-HOUR LAW PARALYZED.
Jodan of Kansan City Rondoro a Killiiia
l>eei»ion.
Judge Wells, of tho Kansas court of
appeals, has rendered a decision which
several lawyers declare practically Kansas ren-
ders the eight-hour law in a
dead letter. .
A contractor named Billingsley, in
doing a job for Marshall county,
worked his men ten hours a day and
then made a claim for two hours extra,
which the commissioners refused to
pay. Wells holds that in working
Judge eight hours Billingsley
his men over the
not only subjected himself, hut
commissioners to prosecution.
GOBBLIN' HEARD FROM.
11(1 Wi-lti'H a Highly Sensational Letter to
I’ublUber Abell.
A Baltimore special issued says: United
States Senator Gorman an open
letter Friday to Edwin Abell,publisher
of tho Baltimore Hun, iu which he offers
to relinquish Maryland, tho leadership provided of Mr. the
democracy iu
Abell will accept it and support tho
democratic ticket iu tho eomiug state
and legislative campaign.
SO DRY MINERS RETURN.
Sul lufactoi’y AiTftnK«inMit8 Were JMarte
Regard* Wi ivtvn.
A Chattanooga dispatch states that
the Hoddy miners, who were out on a
strike, held a oonferenop with the op¬
erators through their executive com¬
mittee Wednesday at Rathhurn. After
sumo parleying the request of the meu
was complied with and with tho un¬
derstanding that wages are to bo re¬
duced if prices should decliue.
They at onco resumed their work.
Nearly 700 men arc affected by th«
pettleineut,
1