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About Haralson banner. (Buchanan, Ga.) 1884-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1889)
Natlonal Flowers. In erown and seal the royal Rose it sign And symbol sweet of England's sover eignty; oOld France her banners filled with flour de-Lis, And German flags shake out the Corn-flow er’s shine. ; The Thistle is the Scotsman’s kingly flower, And Ireland proudly waves her Shamrock green. ; But io cur flag no one flower might be As emblem of our greatness, Splendid shower ; ste 8 All blossoms on our vastness—lily, rose, The thistle, shamrock, corn-flower, thou sands more, That grow from stern Alaska to Gulf shore, g And bloom by sandy beach or mountain snows; All flowers of use or beauty God bestows To grace our boundaries and their scope dis close. ~FEmily E. F. Ford in Harper's Weekly. o i WANTED--AN HEIRESS. BY EMMA A. HOPPER. ¢Here's a story for you!” said Mrs. Gerry to a literary friend, seated in her handsome parlor. Her jolly, matronly face broadened with smiles at an apparently diverting recollection. ¢“You wouldn't credit the incident if you read it; but as I was an eye-wit ness, I can vouch for it. You’ll be paid for listening; it's really too good! “I took what I called a wvacation af ter we got done with Asbury Park and Saratoga last summer. Mr. Gerry was going west on a two-week’s business trip, and said I: ¢¢ (I’ve worked hard this summer, and I'm going to take a rest. I've talked amiably to five hundred thousand peo ple I haven’t cared for; I've rowed and sailed all summer, though it makes me sick, and bathed religiously, when I hate it; I've chaperoned a million girls 'to doings of allsorts, and even succeed ed in getting one or two engaged—and I’ve earned a period of peace. I'm go ing to spend the two weeks of your ‘absence, Mr. Gerry, in a woodland re treat.’ ““Well, it wasn’t that precisely, but it ‘was passable. I went to a little hotel in the Catskills. I found too many peo ple there to suit me, though. Oid Col ‘onel Marlow came the next day-—an en tomological old crank, craving his par don; he carries a trunkful of dried | beetles and things about with him; and Harry Fosdick was there with his friend Mr. Pierson. | ! o] had met Fosdick before,and abom inated him for a conceited sprig and an heiress hunter. Mr. Pierson was a lank young creature, with an inane smile and a middle parting to his hair. ¢‘They were two of a kind, and most congenial, till the new waitress burst upon the scens. If the new waitress didn’t stir things up! ¢Polly, her name was. The other girls were the regulation sort, imported from the city, I imagine, frizzed hair, red jerseys, pert ways—you know them, ¢Polly was an oasis in the desert. Polly wasn’t exactly pretty, but she was a 8 fresh and blooming as a rose, as neat as wax, and as bright as a dollar. I fairly nabbed her for my table,and kept Jer; and we got to be very good friends, Polly and L #old Colonel Marlow was at my table. He mooned at me three times a day through his spoctacles, and talked moths and mosquitoes to me till I felt like one of his pin-stuck speci mens. ¢“But after Polly came the colonel bent the light of his glasses on her with vivid interest. Ithought at first that the old absurdity was in love with her. ¢But that wasn’t it. He followed me out to the piazza one day; he looked excited. ¢ ‘Mrs. Gerry,’ said he, ‘I have made a remarkable discovery—extraordinary! Do you know the identity of the young woman who serves at our table? ¢ q know she lives down the road somewhere,’ said I, ‘ina vine-clad cot tage, probably, and that the proprietor of the hotel, having bought butter and eggs from her father, made bold to 'ask Polly to fill the vacancy left by the sud ~den departure of a waitress, and that Polly being obliging and not too proud to turn an honest penay, came flong.” “Tho colonel looked sly. . ‘TRat's what the landlord has given g A sst s & fabrica- T, i ‘*wv’*’%jfifififikfiw You have heard of her! Bhe is heireas to half a million.’ I had heard of her. Bhe wasa friend of the Lemoynes, and the Le moynes are friends of mine. I laughed & full mmnute. ’ «¢The last I heard of Miss Gardner,’ said I, ‘she wasin Europe. I don’t ‘think she’s returned.’ ¢‘That young person is Miss Polly Gardner,” said the colonel, peremptori ly. = ‘“lrecognized her at a glance—at a glance, Mrs. Gerry." : ¢ “You are short-sighted, colonel,’ I ventured, ‘and perhaps a little absent minded.’ ¢¢‘Possibly, M. Gerry,” said the colonel with dignity, ‘the fact remains that I recognize Miss Gardner beyond doubt, strange though the fact may seem.’ : ¢ (She is, then, out of her senses?’ said I, patiently. ¢« trust not,’ said the colonel. ‘But Miss Gardner, Mrs, Gerry, is a whimsical young woman. She has a reputation for peculiarity. Her large and independent fortune has made her somewhat crochety. lam not greatly astonished at this freak, remarkable though it is. Evidently she has tired of gaieties, frivolities, and has taken this course for a complete change. I have read of such things,’ said the ecol onel, thoughtfully, ‘but never before have I seen it. If it were the act of any but an eccentric, self-willed young woman, I could not believe my eyes.’ ¢ ‘But nobody cutside of a mad house,’ said I, and considerably more in that strain. ¢All in vain. When the colonel be took himself and his butterfly-net and his bottle of ether into the woods, some time later, it was with his phenomenal belief unchanged. ¢ shall not accost her,” said he. ‘An exposure would undoubtedly annoy her.’ ¢ (Undoubteaiy,’ said I. “That's the first chapter of the com edy. To comprehend the sequel you must understand that the colonel is garrulous. When Isaw him talking to Harry Fosdick, and later to Mr. Pierson— when I observed them listening with open mouths and bulging eyes—l knew what he was imparting. ‘‘Now, I'm discrect and far-seeing. I kept my counsel and awaited develop ments. “Sure enough, the little Fosdick joined me in the parlor one morning. “¢That is a charming girl at your table, Mrs. Gerry,’ said he. ‘And a lady. Thatis evident. I may as well confess that lam much impressed with her. Some men would blush to confess it, Mrs. Gerry, merely because she has not a high social position nor money. I,’ said the little wretch, ‘am a man of more independence. I admire Miss Polly and I own it boldly.’ «Bah! how I wanted to take him by the collar and shake him. But I knew his sin would overtake him, for I knew his corrupt little head was teeming with thoughts of the Gardner half- million. Where pure meanness is concerned I am merciless. I own that I chuckled. “Then came along Mr. Pierson, of the lady-like hair. He referred to Polly in terms of warm approval. ¢ ‘When I marry, Mrs. Gerty,’ he re marked, ‘I marry the girl of my heart's choice, and not the parti indicated by worldly prudence. If it be necessary to slap society in the face, Mrs. Gerry, 1 shall do it.’ “If you could have seen him as he uttered it! His weak blue eyes tried to flash, but didn’t succeed, and he forti fied himself with the head of his cane. ¢ ‘Go on, addle-pates!’ said I, in wardly. ‘lt’s fun for me. Go on!’ “8o it was, and for everybody else; though with everybody else they got the credit of being honestly in love with my poor Polly. ‘I had the real enjoy ment all to myself. «Polly didn’t know how to take it. To have two fine young men of a sudden paying her all sorts of respectful atten tions—looking at her and smiling at her, hurrying through their meals in order to get a chance to speak to her, bowing to her as they would have to any lady when she entered the dining room—well, Polly was bewildered, that was obvious. *The frizzled and red-jerseyed wait powsas didu't lke, it . They - glggled | coohiat Polly endirsd in the kitchen, realistically before you! Try to imagine it! “Fosdick gave Polly fresh flowers every day, and. Pierson sent to New York for a box of the best confectionery. Fosdick hung about sedulously when Polly was on the scene; Pierson I sus pect of having sent notes to her by the bellboy. “Finally, as a desperate move—you wouldn’t have believed they’d have gone to such lengths on mere speculation— but Fosdick sent to the city for his | trap, in bold readiness for the next step in the campaign, and Pierson walked a ‘ mile to a livery stable to see if there were any suitable buggies for hire. ¢ ¢4 have relatives, Mrs. Gerry,” said Pierson, ‘who would be shocked to know of my honest admiration for a waitress. What do I care! Isnap my fingers at them!’ ‘‘And he heroically snapped. ¢t I do not ask myself what the world would say, Mrs. Gerry,’ said Fosdick— Fosdick grew most confidential toward the last—‘because I am not that kind of a man. lam my own master, thatshall be seen!’ “J presume they fondly believed that I repeated their remarks to Polly,know ing me to be on good terms with her. I needn’t say that I didn’t.’ “Of course it grew warm toward the climax. The hotel was agog with it, of course, and Pierson and Fosdick hardly on speaking terms, and Polly the ob gerved of all observers. ¢‘Polly bore herself well. You see, the meckest woman has a spark of coquetry, and Polly, I am convinced, half enjoyed it, in spite of her amaze ment and the spleen of the red jerseys. I haven't any proof of it—but Polly looked demure. ¢“‘Colonel Marlow and his insects took themselves off before the end came. ¢‘Well that he did! - I couldn’t have answered for the consequences if he hadn’t. ‘“Well, it came with a crash, and I had the real pleasure of witnessing it. I was reading on the side porch one afternoon, just the day before I came home, and Fosdick put in a sudden, hurried appearance. ‘¢« ‘Have you seen Miss Polly, Mrs. Gerry? said he, ‘l’m looking for her.’ ¢ Jsn’t that she?’ said I sweetly. «Polly was coming round from the kitchen court. She had her hat on and Pierson was with her. “Fosdick turned a little pale. Then presently the pent-up storm burst. I put my book over my lips and serenely lis tened. . ¢ ¢I have my trap waiting, Miss Pol ly,’ said Fosdick—actually he did, it seemed. ‘I wish the pleasure of your company for a drive. Imentioned the matter yesterday, you remember.’ i ¢t didn’t say I could go, Mr. Fos dick,’ said Polly. “I could see the poor girl was fright ened. Her voice fairly trembled. ¢ I'm going home today,’ said she. ¢« qf Miss Polly does remember,’ said Pierson, superciliously, ‘he will not be able to accompany you. I have engaged her company for the afternoon.’ ¢ Mr, Pierson,’ said Polly, faintly, T'm going home. I'm expecting some body to get me.’ ¢ (Not to-day, Miss Polly,’ said Fos dick. ‘Don’t tell me that you are going today. You are going no further than the Peak to—day, with me.’ ¢ 4 beg your pardon, Mr. Fosdick,’ said Pierson, glaring. ¢¢ ‘No more words, sirl’ said Fosdick, savagely. ¢Polly broke out crying from sheer fright, sidling up to me. I think Pol ly felt all through that affair that I was her friend. “A big fellow in a flannel shirt and a straw hat came around the porch just then, with a whip in his hand, light heartedly snapping it. . “A good-looking fellow, too, with light curls and sharp, dark eyes. ‘‘He stared at Polly, - standing there with her two adorers; but he recovered. ¢ ‘Come on, Poll,’ said he; ‘hoss’s a-waiting.’ ¢ ¢What do you mean? said Pierson, turning on him. : He began to look scared, and Fosdick was getting white about the gills. ¢ q don’t mean much,’ said Polly’s | young man; it had dawned upon me in | stantly that it was Polly's young man. |GI Tigot Biove when' 1.l weid ha, L T “Woe! the bomb' _had burst, Of course they looked ghastly. I won't dwell on the way they did look. “Only if Colonel Marlow had been there at the moment, I think his life would have been endangered. Making abject fools of two conceited and snob bish fellows at a time isn’t safe, you see. ““There was an awful stillness—which poor Polly didn’t fully understand. She thought merely that they had rather liked her, and were put out. She dried her eyes, and even smiled at them apologetically. ¢ think that attitude of Polly’s as that moment—her timid commiseration of them; hers, a penniess country last —was, after all, the bitterest drop in the bucket. They fairly writhed un der it! “Well, they went home-—or some where—on the evening train, They went together, but they didn’t go as friends, and whether they have made it up I don’t know. It wasn’t exactly a David-and-Jonathan friendship, any how, so it doesn’t much matter. “I gave Polly fifty dollars to buy her wedding-gowns with. I thought I had had enough enjoyment, on the whole, to warrant it; and you know I always pay as I go. “q should surely have attended the wedding if I hadn’t come away before it transpired; I had the most pressing invitation possible. I did a last wicked act; I made her promise to send invita. tions to Fosdick and Pierson; Itold her it was incumbent. I couldn’t resist it. ¢‘As for Miss Gardner, she’s in Europe still, so the Lemoynes tell me. If ever I meet her,and I mean to, I shall give her a good laugh with my little story. “And old Colonel Marlow—l'm just waiting to see him oncel” —Saturday Night. A Watchmaker's Tradition, In a recent conversation with a New York Star reporter a prominent jeweler of Maiden lane told the following story to explain why the Roman numerals printed on the dials of watches and clocks differ from those in common use. He said: : It is nothing but a tradition among watchmakers, but the custom has al ways been preserved. You may or you may not know that the first clock that in any way resembled those now in ugse was made by Henry Vick in 1370. He made it for Charles V. of France, who has been called ‘The Wise.’ ¢BO the story runs in this fashion, although I will not vouch for the lan guage, but put it in that of the present day: «Now, Charles was wise ina good many ways. He was wise enough to recover from England most of the land which Edward 111. had conquered, and he did a good many other things which benefited France. But his early educa tion had been somewhat neglected, and he probably would have had trouble in passing & civil service examination in these enlightened ages. Still he had the reputation for wisdom, and thought that it was necessary, in order to keep it up, that he should also be supposed to possess book learning. The latter was a subject he was extremely touchy about. ¢ Yes, the clock works well,’ said Charles, ‘but,’ being anxious to find some fault with a thing he did not un derstand, ‘you have got the figures on the dial wrong.’ . ¢ ‘Wherein, your majesty? asked Vick. ¢ «That four should be four ones,’ said the king. ¢ ¢You are wrong, your majesty,’ said Vick. ¢¢¢Jam never wrong!’ thundered the king. ‘Take it away and correct the mistake!” and corrected it was, and from that day to this 4 o'clock cn a watch or clock dial has been IIIL. in stead of IV. Thy tradition has, been faithfully followed.” B e ] A Fearful Threat. Irate Suburban Resident—See here; if you don't stop getting out that lawn mower of yours every morning at four o'clock, I'll—I'l1—" ‘ ~ Next Door Neighbor (defiantly)— Well, what'll you do? e |LS R—TU-—TII start my daughter to practicing on the piano every mom e *’“‘@% a%?;%w&“%”‘ \ v FAST MAILS. - Letters to be Carried Hundreds of Miles in an Hour. A System Which May Revolu=~ tionize the Postal Service. B A Boston correspondent of the New Orleans Picayune says: Within a twelvemonth from the present date mails will be carried from Boston to New York city in sixty minutes. 8o say the capitalists who are making arrangements. for the establishment of a transport line, on the so-called ‘‘portelectric system,” for the conveyance of letters and pack ages between the metropolis and the modern Athens. Even the least san guine backers of the enterprise are con fident that, if the expected public sup port is given to the scheme, not more than two years will be required at most for the establishment of the necessary plant in running order, to bring the two centers of population within an hour's distance by post. The said plant will resemble, as to its most essential part, a little ele vated railway, supported on a single line of tall iron uprights and stretching from the postoffice here to that on the island of Manhattan. Along the track on top runs a small car laden with mail freight, which at certain intervals dur ing its transit is seen to go under queer looking box-shaped arches. These box like arrangements contain each one a coil of wire, passing beneath the rail below and around over the arch, so that the moving mail carriage runs, as it were, through a succession of coiled wire hoops. And these latter communi cate the motive power to the vehicle. Such a hoop of magnetized coiled wire is called a ‘‘helix,” and possesses this peculiar property, that if a bar of iron or steel -be placed with one end near the center of the coil, the bar will be drawn into that center. Place a number of similar coils in a row and start an electric current through them, then apply the bar to the first coil, and by cutting off and letting on the circuit at the proper intervals, so as to disen gage the bar from the ‘attraction of one coil in time t> have it drawn on by the next, the bar may be made to move con tinuously through the hoops. In this way it is that the little mail car of mag netized steel is caused to pass along its rails through successive coils of boxed in wire, the latter being magnetized by a current from a dynamo, which the car itself shuts off and turns on automati cally as it proceeds. The speed to be attained by the car in this manner is almost in calculable. As is recognized in mechan ics, a constant propelling force is pro ductive of nearly infinite velocity, ob structed only be the resistance of frie tion. In this system the only friction comes from the air and the slight con tact of the car with the rails. Two hundred and fifty miles an hour is not thought to be an overestimate of the speed easily to be compassed by the portelectric post-dispatch. At the starting point the wire coils will have to be close together and on up grades; but elsewhere, and especially on down grades, they may be few and far be tween, the motive power needed being slight. Six stations, placed at inter vals between here and New York, will supply the requisite currents from dyna mos. Many experts think that the system is. destined to revolutionize the postal ser vice in this country. For instance, it is. expected that instead of mails hours. apart between Boston and New York, carriages will be sent over the tracks. from either end of the line at five-minute intervals, thus rendering unnecessary the waiting for mails to close, and giving people in one city an opportunity to read their letters two hours after they are written in the other. Once: prove the notion a success here and it ~will be quickly adopted everywhere. By applying it on a large scale, too, who knows that it may not serve for the transportation of passengers some dayt? At the rate of 9250 miles an hour ome could put a girdle around the earth in >; four days! Truly, it is a WGM oentiry welive dn. . .0 ety e s b e \m
