Augusta Washingtonian. (Augusta, Ga.) 1843-1845, March 01, 1845, Image 1

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PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY', BY JAMES McCAFFERTV, MACINTOSH-STREET, OPPOSITE POST OFFICE. Terms of Paper. —For a single copy, one year, Two Dollars: for six copies, Ten Dollars; for thirteen copies, Twen ty Dollars, payable in advance. Advertisements will be inserted at 50 cents per square for the first insertion, and 25 cents for each continuance — Twelve lines to constitute a square. A liberal deduction to yearly advertisers. O’ No letters taken from the Post Office unless postage free. Officers Augusta tV. T. A Society. Dr. JOS. A. EVE, President. Dr. DANIEL HOOK, J Rev. WM. J. HARD. > Vice Presidents HAWKINS HUFF, Esq. ) WM. HAINES, Jr. Secretary. L. D. LALLERSTEDT, Treasurer, managers : James Harper, E. E. Scofield, Rev. C. S. Dod, James Godby, John Milledge, TK!£ F A jails. _ From the Southern Recorder. To the People of Georgia. Fellow Citizens :—On the 27th tilt., a small number of persons assembled in Milledgeville, for the purpose of consult ing on the great interests of agriculture. After due deliberation, they adopted the following resolutions: 1. Resolved, That an agricultural Convention be held in Milledgeville on the sth Monday in March next, to con sist of delegates to be appointed on the part of the different counties, and such other persons as may be invited to par take in the proceedings. 2. Resolved , That the different coun ties be requested to appoint delegates ac cordingly. 3. Resolved, That a committee of three including the Chairman, be appointed to draft and publish an address, in order to promote the purpose of this meeting. 4. Resolved, That among other pro ceedings, the committee recommend the formation of agricultural associations, in the different counties, and agricultural meetings or associations, in the different judicial circuits. The undersigned are the committee under the 3d resolution. They regret that they have not been delegated by a larger number of citizens, and especial ly that they are unable to present the great interests of agriculture in so com manding a light as they desire. They trust, however, that the day of small things will not be despised; and they proceed to the duty assigned them. As inducements for our fellow-citizens to concur in the movement which has been attempted, they divert to the de pressed state of agriculture, the imper fect state of household economy, the praiseworthy example of several agricul tural associations, especially that of Han cock, which has exerted so beneficial an influence, and the stirring appeals re cently made to our interests and our pat riotism in several of our public journals. Let not the failure to get up a Conven tion on the 27th ult., arrest our efforts; more determined endeavors may yet suc ceed. It is only necessary to bring to gether the increasing friends of our en terprise. And we cannot but hope, with the intelligent editor of the “Southern Cultivator,” that, in a very few years, almost every county in the State will have its club, and that all of them will be but branches of a great State Agricultu ral Society. Let, then, our fellow citizens forth with get up county meetings and socie ties; which, like the Hancock Club, may do much good, if they go no farther.— But let them extend the good by meetings and associations in the judicial circuits if they desire it; though the committee are little apprehensive that these latter may interfere with the ultimate purpose of a State Society or Convention ; which they desire by all means to see got up. It is scarcely necessary to say that ag ricultural associations will be merely consultatory and advisory ; there will of course be nothing compulsory in any thing they may do. This is said in view of the purpose entertained in the attempt to get up a Convention on the 27th. It was thought desirable by some, in view of the low price of cotton, to in duce our farmers to reduce the quantity in order to improve the price. That this reduction would have this tendency there can be no doubt. The reciprocal influ ence of demand, price and supply is ob vious. An increased demand is followed by increased prices; increased prices by increased supply; increased supply by diminished prices; diminished prices by diminished suppplies; diminished sup plies by increased demand, increased pri ces, and so on. A reduction in the quan tity of cotton, then, would be followed by an augmentation of price; more es pecially as this reduction would enable farmers, to prepare their cotton more care fully for market. But even if the price of cotton should not be improved, the withdrawal of a part of our labor from the production, AUGUSTA WASHINGTONIAN. A WEEKLY PAPER: DEVOTED TO TEMPERANCE, AGRICULTURE, & MISCELLANEOUS READINGS. Vol. III.] would enable us to employ it more prof itably in other operations. It is disrepu table. as well as ruinous, to purchase from I others so many articles which might he produced bv ourselves. It is absurd to raise cotton at present or probable prices,! to purchase horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, ordinary clothing, or other arti cles, which might, and ought to be pro duced at home. The countless thou sands which are expended in this way j ought to he retained among us. And we are gratified to find that such is the pres- i ent tendency. To continue and increase this tendency is the desire of the com-; in it tec. It does not come within the present purpose of the committee, nor are they prepared to give the statistics which would sustain their views. They confi dentially rely upon the recollections of their fellow citizens, aided by the devel opements which are constantly mani festing themselves, to make the proper impressions. Among the objects to which a part of our efforts might he profitably directed, are wool, silk, indigo, tohaco, butter, per haps apples in some situations, &c. Even if these would not be profitable objects, the labor withdrawn from over strained effoits to produce cotton, would enable us to build or repair fences, build or repair houses, collect manure, ditch our hill sides, drain our low grounds, and constantly add to the value of our land and negroes, the intellectual and moral improvement of ourselves and families, and the prosperity and comfort of the community. Come up, then, fellow-citizens, to the rescue. Though miserably lacerated, good old Georgia contains within her bosom all the elements of a great repub i lie, and a happy people. All the inccn i tives of interest and patriotism call on you to say that her sun shall not decline in the gloom which threatens her. Your Fellow-citizens, RICHARD ROWELL. ) LEROY SINGLETON, > Committee. WILLIAM TURNER. ) Feb. Ist, 1845. Tile Idiot Hoy. We copy from (he United States Ga- I zette the episodical portion of a letter I from the editor, lately on a visit to the coal mines of Mauch Chunk. Those who do not read it will lose much. THE SUMMIT. This is the top, as its name (foi once in Pennsylvania justly applied,) indi cates. Here are the coal mines; here is the machinery for raising, cracking and sifting the coal. Here are the ap plicants for the business; and here is nothing that I could see but what had a relation to the business—the schoolhouse and church—being legitimate portions of [the mining interests. One or two hand some houses are here ; a tavern admira bly kept by Mr. Simpson; a dwelling belonging to some contractor or ofiiicer, and most of the rest are shantees, in the various meanings of that word. The coal here is not mined, strictly speaking—at least the soil and rocks are not undermined—but the whole super incumbent mass is removed to the extent of thirty acres, and the beds exposed, like a gravel pit. Here the workmen are employed in the open air, exposed of course to the upper temperature, and light. There are, we learn, about four hundred and seventy-five persons on the Summit. They live in peace; and we learn from the intelligent keeper of the “ Summit House” that temperance and constant employment were wonderful peace makers and peace preservers.— Busy, laboring people have too much to do in the day time to dispute and arc [ too glad to get to bed to quarrel. Having looked about a little, and ask- j ed divers questions, I joined the company at a well supplied dinner table, before going among the laborers. I have found it a goojd rule to do nothing upon an empty stomach—eating always excepted. Having discussed the viands of the host, our company set forth with my friend Foster as the well informed and polite cicerone. We made quite a display as we marched in rank entire up the road any thing like echelon, platoon or the movements, being inconsistent with the state of the pathway then moistened by rain. It was a pleasant sight to see com pany pressing forward to the wonderful exhibition of art and nature, the stupen- AUGUSTA, GA. MARCH 1, 1845. dous labors of man over the marvellous productions of nature. But somehow it is I seldom can be first in such things; perhaps mv mind is nar rower, suited to smaller fields of examina tion. and prepared for the impression of minute objects. My attention was arrested by a group of little children of both sexes making their way slowly to the afternoon school. [Some were bare legged, pretty ankles theirs—pretty shaped I mean—for the ! exposure to mud from coal dust was not favorable to color. Scarcely one was I fully dressed, and vet decency had con trived, with what was at hand to satisfy her fastidious eye, and innocence was there to gaze without a blush at acciden tal exposure. It was a merry group, gossipping about the events of the morning, or the large possession of one oft heir number who had acquired a whole half of an apple and was sharing the I wealth by sundry bites among the com | pnny. All was as happy as the idea of I going to school would permit. [Among this interesting group of juveniles, one of them the writer discovers, as he supposes, from the low forehead, nervous move ments and other eccentricks, to be an | Idiot, and he goes on to state as follows.] I was right—his face was completely idi | otic. He stood at a distance with a va cant stare at my little congregation. I t beckoned him forward for 1 love to hold converse with such; it is a sort of sym ; pathy which the weakness of one’s own j mind has with the wreck of that of oth ers. I felt at home with the poor boy, and did not envy the company that had stop ped to admire a drove of mules just ready for attachment to the cars. Mine was a part of my own kind and more fruitful theme for contemplation than theirs ; and so after a word or or two with the poor lad, I laid upon his hand a small silver coin. I thought for a moment that a spark of intelligence flashed from his eye. He continued however to hold his right hand extended, in the palm of which lay the money, and with the forefinger of the other he felt the coin upon which he gazed with a sort of sickening interest. At length he mingled in ihe group of school children and went round from one to the other pointing to his wealth. It was school time so they all set forth on [their mission. Turning my head soon after to see how my little friends pro* | ceeded, I noticed the idiot hoy still hold [ ing his freed hand extended, stopped sud denly, and seemed for a moment per plexed. At length he shut his hand close, turned round at the top of his speed, ran past me, and shot into a small shanty. I longed to know what influenced the lad thus to leave his fellows, but I did not venture into the shanty. As l approached that part of the road that turned down toward the mines, I felt a curiosity about some object at hand ! aud so I stepped over to the other side of the road where was a woman at work, with two little children, scarcely three years old, one on each side of her. Hav ing satisfied my immediate curiosity, I had a word or two that seemed due to the mother, so I asked about the family.— “This is your child,” said I laying my hand upon the curly head nearest me. “Yes: I have three older and two younger.” Drawing from iny pocket a piece of money at which, liberality would have turned up its nose, I was giving it to the child nearest to me, when the mother seeing the movement, directed my hand and the gift to the other one. “ Not this one,” said she, “ not this one if you please—this is mine—give it to the other. Poor little Mary is an or ; phan—she has neither father nor mother. Give it to her if you please. She stays j with us, and we do the best we can for her, but still she is an orphan.” Spirit of woman’s benevolence, that turnest aside from her own child to the hand of the orphan—the orphan that yet shares the bread and divides the affection of her own offspring, let my selfishness learn from thee! And as I gather up to minister to paternal pride, mayest thou direct my hand to the orphan and the destitute, without the ostentation that seemed to mark my present gift, and with the true benevolence that shone in the character of the mother on “The Sum mit.” Right marvelous was it to behold the laborers in the coal pits. A gang here was clearing away masses of earth; there was a body of men scraping up the re- fuse of coal. In another place the drill was plied for a blast; and ever and anon, [ a train of cars would dash by without the j least visible motive power, and almost di rectly opposite, a single car would be seen streaming towards a mass of coal. All I seemed instinct with life, all was anitna- [ tion; while at times “ the heavy mules securely slow,” was seen dragging up a train of loaded cars, that had descended without aid or touching. It was a won- 1 derful sight and right glad was I to keep clear of the mules, car, prick and blast: and while looking around for sabiv. I : saw the idiot boy in the midst of what appeared to he imminent danger. “ Get out,” said a miner in a tone that [ commenced with much severity, but seem [ ed to dwindle down into a cadence of kindness. “Go home,” said another, “ the rock will be upon you.” “Take that,” said a third, as he threw a piece of coal so wide of the hoy that evidently he did not mean to hit him. Still he stood gaping about in his usu al stolidity, his eyes and mouth half open, and evidently regardless of danger and motion. There was to be a blast and all must clear out, but the hoy stood firm. At length one of the miners cried out to the other, “ now is a good time, iet us go and carry off Katy.” Scarcely were the last words pronoun ced when a cloud seemed to pass across the face of the hoy, and springing for ward he ran up the cliff with the agility of a young gazelle. He ran faster than he did when I had given him the money. What had moved him? I enquired shortly afterward of one of the miners, how he got clear of the lad. “The poor innocent!” said he, “well perhaps he is as well off as the best of us.” “ But you would not like to become idiotic like him ?” “No—l would not, especially if I should have any remembrance of what I had been. But the poor boy waked up one day in his cradle in a fit; so violent was it, and so often did it return that he lost his reason almost in infancy. Never perhaps was a human being so much be reft ; he seems to have little curiosity and no attachment, all affection is cen tered in his mother, whom he calls ‘Katy,’ and his love for her is adoration ; he sits by the hour and gazes at the poor widow, and then goes and throws himself upon her bosom in an agony of affection. He seems to have some idea of devotion, and I have seen him imitate before her the action of worshippers in the church.— Tho whole outpouring of the poor boy’s heart is upon her; and his only joy is at tempting to administer to her happiness. He is a great annoyance to us down here, whither he occasionally wanders—as, knowing nothing of danger to himself, he is continually exposed to danger, and the only way we have of ridding our selves of him is to threaten some injury to ‘Katy,’ and though this threat is re peated as he comes, yet he seems not to doubt its sincerity, and he hastens away to stand guard over his mother, and pre vent her abduction.” So the mystery of the hoy’s retiring so rapidly from the school children to the shanty with his piece of money was ex plained. He was anxious to make Katy a sharer in his pleasure—give to her the inappreciable wealth he had acquired.— It is not often that the love of mother exceeds the love of God ; but He who permitted that short-reaching of intel lect will excuse the substitute and the poor idiot may have a reward for “ hon oring his mother,” when they shall stand rebuked who affect to “love tho Lord with all their hearts.” Heading too l*ast. There lived in the immediate vicinity a respectable man, who had become in terested in the subject of religion, and who had begun with some earnestness to search the scripture. He had read but j few chapters when he became greatly perplexed with some of those passages which an inspired apostle has declared “hard to be understood.” In this state of mind he repaired to our minister for instruction and help, and found him at noon on a sultry day in summer, labori ously engaged in hoeing corn. As the man approached, the preacher, with pa triarchal simplicity, leant upon the han dle of his hoe, and listened to his story. “ Uncle Jack,” said he, “ I have discov ered lately that I am a great sinner, and I commenced reading the Bible that I might learn what to do to be saved. But WASHIXGTOJiIAIV TOTAL ABSTINENCE PLEDGE. I We, whose names are hereunto an nexed, desirous of forming a Society for our mutual benefit, and to guard against a pernicious practice, which is injurious to our health, standing and families, do pledge ourselves as Gentlemen, not to drink any Spirituous or Malt Liquors, I Wine or Cider. [No. 33 I have met with a passage here,” hold ing up the Bible, “which I know not what to do with. It is this, ‘God will : have mercy upon whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.’ !AV hat docs this mean ?” A short pause I intervened, and the old African replied as follows: | “ Master, if I have been correctly in -1 termed, it has not been more than a day ! <>r t' v ° since you commenced reading the Bible, and if I remember rightly, that ssage you have mentioned is away yonder in Romans. Long before you get o that—at the very beginning of the | gospel —it is said, ‘Repent, for the king- I don! of heaven is at hand.’ Now, have : you done with that? The truth is, you read entirely too fast, lou must begin again and take things as God has been pleased to place them. When you have done all you are told to do in Mathew, come and we will talk about Romans.” Having thus answered, the preacher resumed his work, and left the man to his own reflections. Who does not ad mit the simplicity, and good sense char acterized in this reply? Could the most learned polemic more effectually have met and disposed of a difficulty ? The gentleman particularly interested in this incident, gave me an account of it with his own lips. He still lives, and will, in all probability, see this statement of it. Most readily will he testify to its strict accuracy ; and most joyfully will he now say, as he said te me then, “ It convinced me most fully of the mistake into which j I had fallen. I took his advice ! I saw its propriety and wisdom, I hope to bless God/orover for sending me to him. Hope. “ Cultivate the faculty of hope. It is better than money—for the more you use of it, the larger it grows.” Very true—there is nothing like hope fulness—hope on, hope ever. To be sure, most of us find that when our hope is realized, it is not the thing we ex pected it to he. The point has been at tained ; hut it is often that distance lends enchantment to the view, and we are rather disappointed in the results of our own success. But what of that ? Js it not a provision to keep us from indolence and stagation ? Away, then, after another hope—start hopes in succession, for the exercise and health of your spirit. Al ways have something to look forward to ; and cultivate the hoping faculty as an es sential constituent of happiness. He who is done with hoping is a living death. His vitality is exhaused, and grim des pair demands him as her own. Combat such apathy with all your might. Com pel yourself to lake interest, even if it be only in trifles. Be in this respect, as much like a child as you can : and if the prospect of a new hat, or of another pair of shoes, can tickle your fancy, why should you not enjoy the emotion ? Mis anthropy often affects to despise those who feel grent interest in small things; hut let it revel, if it can, in bitterness: the wiser part is to extract honey from every flower, however humble and insig nificant—a multitude of little hopes are pleasant companions, to swarm around our footsteps.— Neal’s Gazette. Test of lll.Breeding.. -The swagger er is invariably an impostor; the man who calls loudest for the waiter, who treats him worst, and who finds more fault than any one else in the room, when the company is mixed, will always turn out to be the man of all others the least entitled, either by rank or intelligence, to give himself airs. People who are conscious of what is due to them, never display ir ritability or impetuosity; their manners ensure civility—their civility ensures res i j>ect; but the blockhead or coxcomb, i Hilly awaro that something more than lordinary is necessary to produce an ef fect, is sure, whether in clubs or coffee rooms, to be the most fastidious and cap jtious of the community, the most restless and irritable among his equals, the most cringing and subservient before his su j periors. A Scotch writer, who seems to have had some experience to qualify him for speaking on the subject, says, “If you have not chosen a profession, do not become an editor. Beg—take a pack— keep lodgers—take up a school—set up a mangle—take in washing. For hu manity’s sake, and especially your own, do any thing rather than become a news paper editor.”