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-', .Sfflg ■7 I . 4 ♦ ' ‘ 1- Vr ■ • ij J f : m I 4 \ L ! A. V £■& m 4% y ^ A jy k > * VOL. VI. STRANGE ADVENTURES ip OF A CASTAWAY. I* if The Robinson Crusoe=Like Experiences of Louis de Rouge - 1 1 mont on a Desolate Strip of Sand. i§ HIS PERSONAL NARRATIVE. H OW correct is the =3* ilp old saying that -- truth is stranger than fiction was |s|npwii 1 perhaps never wj 3 more clearly nor remarkably ■* borne out than £§11 in the life and adventures o f ‘ de Rougemont, concerning - . H8 land his experiences the news WM of England and of the Con have \nsiderable of late been devoting a portion of their 1 In Paris, the original home of igemont, the people have fairly gbiic wild over him, and are literally devouring everything that is written or printed about him. The interest displayed in other cities in the man and his history is very great; but in view of his astounding and amazing experiences it is not to be wondered at. In the Wide World Magazine there appears the first of a series of articles telling, in the words of de Rougemont himself, his experiences, The fact that after careful hearing and investi¬ gation such eminent scientists and geographical experts as Dr. J. Scott Keitie and Dr. Hugo R. Mill are Unagreed that M. de Rougemont’s accurate narra- but mtiv'j ^of is not only perfectly the highest scientific value, is par¬ ticularly significant, and will unques¬ tionably remove doubt that might otherwise be suggested in course of a perusal of the narrative. In all the annals of geographical science there is practically but one case that can be compared for a mo¬ ment with M. de Rougemont’s—but in that instance the man returned to ^ 8 civilization a hopeless idiot, having lost his reason years befoi e, amid his B appalling surroundings. In the case H^ij^'RDUKbmont astounding life he of comes two back and after one BBHp S&M years on a desolate, microscopical of sand, and of some thirty years cannibal chief in the wilds of un Bored Australia, in the full pesses- 88| |Bvithuut hi* mental anticipating faculties. these remark - adventures it will be well, follow the order as laid down by de figemont himself in his narrative ^Bsats Meily to chronicle the and the important in his earlier life events ^■'happenings, King short of many wonderful of them, which too, led his “adventures” proper. ^HaRTS LIFE AS a PEARL FISHER. Hk-n Kl in Paris in 18-14, he early with his mother to Switzer IVwhere he was educated. When Has nineteen years of age he was WA by his father, still resident in ance, to return to Paris as a con [ipt; |ed and but instead to this suggested his mother the ob sou laid follow his inclination to travel B see the world. To aid him in his fcpose [j she gave him 7000 francs, with this not unsubstantial sum e young man set out for Cairo, bnce going to Singapore. In Sing lore he met a Dutch pearl fisher, look ster Jansen by name, who was |- about for funds with which to fit R his forty-ton schooner, the Velel |d, so that he might set out for the k il fishing grounds off the south ast of New Guinea. An agreement entered into by the Captain with 9 Rougemont, with the result that in lahort time after the schooner set ill w ith a crew of forty-four all told -the Captain, de Rougemont, forty aud two women—and a dog. IfTiie fishing grounds reached, the hWe Hfehell-boats, crew each day took to the sev with the large whale Rf&ccompauying Ifttgemont, whose duty them, it leaving to de was re¬ vive the oysters with the from number the men he and de cedit each alone with the dog in the 8B|d. This was kept until up for prob- al e entire season, Jmtf JgPbout been $50,000 gotten. worth Then provisions of pearls ^Becoming sliort, the boat order made to replen- for the New Guinea main in „|ah stores before starting for home. While there, going over the oyster shells that were left, de Rougemont discovered three black pearls, which : valuable because of -are their particularly ’ the “pearl rarity. At once fejver” seized the Captain and crew anew, and nothing woixld satisfy them than a return to the fishing founds and that a renewal of of the the fishing black »the hope found, more parls might then—the be 1864— pi ttas year was ■pLon B, 0 in May, ended, and for the the season change should of been B> monsoon was actually due, and Beat But’s storms might spring up at a mo notice. To this fact, however, the Captain nor crew would f^jBeed&ivAnd pearl thus, lying in their in its greed shell a .seo'bottom, shjning these went men on, various ol their approaching “To thine own keif be true.and it 1 will follow, as night ihe.day, thou cans’t not then be false to any lUan.” LINCOLNTON, GA.. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER.®, 1898. doom—each day going forth in their little boats, leaving de Rougemont alone with his dog on the larger boat. One morning in July irjfer .they started out as usual—but they came back. A great tidal wave erturned their smaller boats, and w i they took to the whaleboat it was Jfcried out and out itable and out by into the the fcU ^ 'arently aiid fury illim- of sea, ami i the waves and wind [nevjermore re¬ turned. 1 Alone, save with thf”^ g as a com panion, de Rougemon the Velel land, saw the men c< Id out, nor could he give them an elp. Each moment the storm was wing worse, and it needed his everj ort to pre¬ vent this larger bW |om bts, being swamped. everything' Compass! |e rudder —in fact decks— was carried away by jgsgajapparently :j Ivaves, and had it not been fol providential oil made of breakinfffjgigBrge turtle f.lL i'dBch cask stilled of the troubled waters, ftagBoat would probably have foundeBBI IlonH^B’s Then began de 1 8 adven¬ tures proper. For .-y ;: days he drifted steering about to with take lf|||lmiveeps fe Tpee of the or oars rudder, passing at onSaJBe isSHs, between Melville and Bathurst but be¬ ing unable to land because of savages who threatened his life. Atlastonthe fifteenth day the Velellanl struck a reef and began struck to go him to pieces. 1 washed A monster wave ai him overboard, and so gr< ,t was its force that it destroyed fc ever the hearing of his right ear, : id, for a time, of his left. What lolowed is best told in his own words: HIS DOG HELPS HIM TO IAND. “By dint of tremendous svuggling I managed to get close u, to the shore, but found it utterly inpossible to essayed climb to up plant and land, legiK igjar ji || jPf jt back-wiB my ^ the irresistible exkau®| down, and in my despw^jfeSf' this filled me with occasion this back-wash ■ ing over into deep wate ff '/ am sure I should have byr had not my brave dog £ rescue and grasped me 1 which, I should have e^. very long, never having 1 my childhood. Well, m and tugged at me until hi j half way exertion through didn’t the biagl this seem much trouble exerted in swimminsl| myselfH “I then mil to allow of his letting go I took the end of his tail H teeth, this peculiar and I let him He help wasp rig way. sagacioui?' bly strong and Australian dog—and he sect joy the task. At length I self legs upon t. - on my though hardly able to body, mov haustion of mind and at length I had recovered to of the walk little about, island I made & 1 Bh|KH| or san which I did not I found realize myself. at that 1 ■8g»| I i 1 should have to spend a I t wo and a half years on done so I must have gone ii ■ It was an appalliug, drei H spot, without one single reliev.B growing upon it to ble monotony. I tell you B agonizing never describe months the they horrcISffj# ci^^H r as HE DESCRIBES HIS “iSL £ : i My island’ was nothi little sand-pit, with here aff its few parched tufts of surface. grass struggling “Think of it, ye who ha’| k the fate of the castaway ou a aud fertile tropical island mil tent! It was barely 100 iJm length, ten yards wide, and ofl feet There above the sign sea level of animal at luflj was no it, but birds were plentiful. My particularly pelicans. tor - island occupied perhaps ten and you may perhaps form s ception of my utto ^ny dismay to come across trace] water.” tS Shortly after the storm he take was from able it blankets, to go to food, the j I ever else he was able to layl J on. These he loaded constructj on a he had hurriedly turned to shore, “When the island,” de Rougemon® anotheH narrative, “I made suitf)jJ| it to find the most pitching wanderings my camp, and ^ of my that filled im. anguish of W ■ curiosity was \ man skull t circular hole V 1 Up] _______ feet deep. ctj I came to the must hats bd , beings with spades, antfl I commenced scratching up the sandwithmy fingers at one side, I had only gone a few inches down when I came upon a quantity of humau remains, The sight struck terror to my heart and filled me with the most dismal fore¬ bodings. “That morning I mij.de my break¬ fast off raw sea gulls’ eggs, but was unable to get anything to drink. Be¬ tween 9 and 10 o’clock, as the tide was then very low, I made my way back to the ship without much diffi¬ culty, and collected as many things as I possibly could to transfer ashore. I had to take dangerous? headers into the cabin, as the whole ship’s interior was full of water, but all I could manage to secure w r ere a tomahawk and my bow and arrows ■ ‘ ‘Among the things I. brought from the ship on a subsequent visit were a stone tomahawk—a mere curio, ob¬ tained from the Papuans—and hind of wood, a quantity of a special also taken on board at New Guinea. This wood possessed the peculiarity of smoldering for hours when once ig¬ nited, without actually bursting into flame. A FIRE THAT NEVER WENT OUT. “As the most urgent matter was to kindle a fire, I began striding experiments the steel with my two weapons, tomahawk against the stone one over a heap of fluffy material made by un¬ raveling and teasing a piece of blank¬ et. Success attended my patient ef¬ forts this time, and to iny inexpress¬ ible relief and joy, I soon had a cheer¬ ful fire blazing alongside my impro¬ I vised shelter—and, what is more, took good care never to let it go out during the whole time I remained a prisoner on the island. The fire was always my first thought, and night and day it was kept at least smoldering by means of the New Guinea wood I have already mentioned, and of which I found a large stock on board. The ship itself, I should mention, provid¬ ed with all the fuel that was required in the ordinary way, and, moreover, I was constantly finding pieces of wreck¬ age along the shore that had been gathered in by the restless slowly waves. by. “The days passed In what part of the world I was located I had not the jemotest idea, but I felt that I was altogether out of the beaten track of ships, and therefore the pros¬ pect of my being rescued was very re ‘a. J that often jfi - -|1 agony, more hysical pain. > a flagstaff on 3 island—poor y inches—and e down from signal of dis by some stray presence of a rd. nsIBLE. Baled at night, ^ Srightfully Rightfully cool hot H|y \ Jhe weight of person, so I Upshaw ^Sshoulders instead, and Bit , Boned clothes when a rent SH down through V | blister. On ;ing perfectly int sea baths I j bm the scorch ioes on to tell mm | to the ship Si Iliya e so stripped skeleton, not neglected but had got bre from the £ parallel walls, high, three l length. The he filled with Id and water, b. When the It a third wall sort of double jer Ling. which he fLE’s tl then BLOOD, began b, for to sub jitto I,' his liking. “I set my tngth decided ill xperiment. I with sand boughly wetted rs L blood, then puddle and led, and flour lithiu a very [to k nourishing transplant [turtles. This induced me to [nd lood-sprinkled I soon had' Ig in huge tur ell supplied come to the their young, n appropriate his own use. i Rougemont, 3 at and tinned boat) made it.” Continu s visited the and deposited ire in the moat '1 key only came t, at high tide, -W: a gf e qjfll deU- cacy I turned one over on its back till morning, when I dispatched it leisurely with my tomahawk, THREATENED WITH MADNESS. “The great thing was to ward off the dull agony, the killing depression, and manias generally. Fortunately I was of a very active disposition, and as a prthtime I took to gymnastics, even as I had at Montreux. I be¬ came a most proficient tumbler and acrobat, and could turn two or three somersaults on dashing down from the sloping roor of my hut. Besides, I became a splendid high jumper, with and without the pole. Another thing I interested myself in was the con¬ struction of a sundial. “But, in,spite of all that I could do to interest or amuse myself, I was frequently overwhelmed with fits of depression and despair, and more than once I feared I should lose my mental balance and become a maniac. A re ligious craze took possession of me, and, strive as I would, I could not keep my mind from dwelling upon certain apparent discrepancies in the various Apostles’ versions of the G.os pel.” RIDING ON TURTLES. De Rougemont then tells of build¬ ing, in a lagoon, a boat twelve feet long by four wide, only to find when completed that it was too heavy for him to drag over the rocks into the open water, and that the tide did not lift it high enough. “In this lagoon,” he says, “I played the part of Nep¬ tune in a very extraordinary way. I used to wade out to where the turtles were, and on catching a big 600 pounder, I would calmly sit astride on his back. Away would swim the startled creature, mostly a foot or so below the surface. When he dived deeper I simply sat far back on the shell, and then he was forced to come up. I steered my queer steeds in a curious way. When I wanted my turtle to turn to the left, I simply thrust my foot into his right eye, and vice versa for the contrary direction. My two big toes placed simultane¬ ously over both his optics caused a halt so abrupt as almost to unseat me. HIS DOG AND A TRAINED PELICAN. “One day I captured a young peli¬ can, and trained him to accompany me in my walks and help me in my fish¬ ing operations. He also acted as a ■hjspoy Frequently I would hide my¬ self in some grass, while my pet bird walked a few yards away to attract his fellows. Presently he would be joined by a whole flock, many of which I shot with my bow and arrows or lassoed. “But for my dog—my almost human Bruno—I think I must have died. I used to talk to him just as though he were a human being. We were abso¬ lutely inseparable. I preached long sermons to him from Gospel texts. I sang little chansons to him, and among these he had his favorites as well as those he disliked cordially. If he did not care for a song he would set up a pitiful howl. I feel convinced that this constant communing aloud with my dog saved my reason. “I knew very little about musical instruments, but as I had often longed for something to make a noise with, to drown the maddening crash of the eternal surf, I fashioned a drum out of a small barrel, with shark’s skin stretched tightly over the open ends. This I beat with a couple of sticks as an accompaniment to my singing, and as the dog occasionally joined in with a howl of disapproval or a yell of joy, the effect must have been picturesque if not musical. A SAIL SIGHTED. “Seven weary months had passed away, when one morning on scanning the horizon I leaped into the air and screamed: ‘My God! A sail! A sail!’ I nearly became delirious with excite¬ ment, but, alas! the ship was too far out at sea to notice my frautic signals. Altogether I saw five ships pass in this way during my sojourn on the island, but they were always too far out at sea to notice my signals. One of these vessels I knew to be a man-o’-war fly¬ ing the British ensign. BIRDS AS MESSENGERS. “The powerful winged birds that abounded on the island one day gave me an idea: Why not hang a message around their necks and send them forth into the unknown? Possibly they might bring help—who knows? And. with me to conceive was to act. I got a number of empty condensed milk tins, and, by means of fire, separated from the cylinder the tin disk that formed the bottom. On this disk I scratched a message with a sharp-nail. In a few words I conveyed information about the wreck and my deplorable condition. I also gave the approxi¬ mate bearings. “I may say here, that over twenty years later, when I returned to civili¬ zation, I chanced to mention the story about my messenger birds to some old inhabitants at Freemantle, Western Australia, when to amazement, 1 toy ; they replied that a pelican carrying a j tin disk around its neck, bearing a message in French from a castaway, had been found many years previously by an old boatman on the beach near the mouth of the Swan River.” For an almanac he put shells side by side in a row, one foreach day, un til/’the number reached seven, and tbjen he transferred one shell by an other place, representing the weeks, Mother pile of represented the months; and,. a*?/or the years, he track of them ley" making notches his bow. His peculiar calendar alv. ays checked"Jby tii e moon. II OF AN BETVGfS AT LAST. “Two interminabietyears had away, when, one day She weather sud¬ denly changed, and a terrible gale commenced to blow, which threatened almost to wreck my little hut. One morning, a few days later, when the storm had abated somewhat, I heard Bruno barking widely on the beach. A few seconds afterward he came rush¬ ing into the hut r and would not rest until I prepared to follow him outside. Before doing so,, however, I picked up an oar—I knew not why. I then fol¬ lowed my dog down to the beach, won¬ dering what could possibly have caused him to make such a fuss.. The sea was somewhat agitated, and as it wa3 not very light, I could not clearly distinguish things in the distance. “On peering seaward for the third or fourth time, however, I fancied I could make out a long black object, which I concluded must be some kind of a boat, tossing up and down on the billows. Then I must confess I began to share Bruno’s excitement, particu¬ larly when a few minutes later I dis¬ cerned a well-made catamaran, with several human figures lying prostrate upon it.” Here the narrative abruptly ends. BALLADE OF THE TOOTH OF TIME. Dim in the annals of bygone ages Trace their names where they first were laid; Poets, potentates, fools or sages Safely cloaked in forgotten shade; Bold and brave was the show they made, Lusty and gay in life’s young dawn, Now to ashes and dust tetrayed, While Time, like a rat in the dark, gnaws on. Words they scrawled on the world’s Wank pages, - Fought and feasted and worked and played; Earned their dole and have- spent their wages, Hushed their voices that wept or prayed; Into the bosom of silence strayed Worn-out children to slumber gone, Quieted now and unafraid, While Time, like a rat in the dark, gnaws on. Never a passion their rest engages Fame or fortune or humble trade; Shall they listen however rages The present hour with its turmoil swayed? Past and future together weighed Seemeth to them as a circle drawn; Little While they heed ar.u a :o undismayed, Time, like a r;,t i'^Jbe dark, gnaws on. envoy: 1 i Prince Death comet h ... Weeping blade, Ready alike for brain him,and; >,nd brawn, evade, And all shall meet none While Time,like a rutin the dark, gnaws on. —Beatrice St. George, in Vv man’s Home Companion. PITH AND POINT. “Gallagher is ■ o n d to ind a wife.” “What has he d ne: “Started a chain-letter proposii. —Chicago Rec¬ ord. An old lady, heai ng; somebody say the mails were veiy irregular, said, “It was so inmy ycung days; no trust¬ in’ any of ’em.” No one is so neeu rsed by fate, No one so utterly desolate. But some mosquito all unknown his Jumps in and chums him for Record. own. —Chicago If you want to jnlace a small boy in him one spot five minutes where yqfu hater, wil 1 be sure him to in find the pantry.—Tit-Bits/, put Cloir—“Wliat'is the use of stealing cake and then siiyi.ng your prayers?” Dolpli—“I’m pl-ayiing that you won’t want any.”—Line, j Clara—“Are ; L engaged to Doug- looks las for good?”, thii Bertrude—“It able SO. I don’t he’ll ever be to marry She—“Do dies! y< [ remember She—“Er- the-’ He—-“No uts now?” rands I asked ou do for me?” And he collapsed.—j weapon ■Boston Courier. Woman’s has been reckoned As a smile, X tear, a sigh; But her most Effective weapoD Is a iirst-clf« I 3S homemade pie. —Chicago News. Patient Doctor, (ini dentist’s chair)—“Ow, ow! Oh, what made that last jerk hurt los‘8 so Imuch?” Dentist—“Oh, you just W you; nerve.”—Harvard Lampoon. F—“Do Mrs. Trac 1. you-^realize, my dear, that yif I have never done any¬ thing to sav 'your fellowmen any suf¬ fering?” you?”—Lif. ? il fv.y—“Didn’t 1 I marry Visiting picky < Flyman—“And twenty so you were a for years. Was it re!igic:4 J, n that induced you to re¬ form?” Ref( rme d—“No; it was a saw¬ mill.”—Life. She—“W1 j a r, I wonder, that little men so. pften large women. ” don marry that He—“I iq know, unless it is the little fel d 0 ws are afraid to back out of engagem Wts.” Man (hurt | rr j e dly)—“Are you Mrs. Lawson, mi ■: Hi: ! “Yes.” .. Well, I’ve been band’s sent heeSffi ;|to lias tell been you that broken, your mum, hus¬ and I’m u , break it to you gently, mum.” ] head He—“5 |fo matter how good a man his s is, sliofl ijj is only good when on who own ilders.” She— “Ladies have shoulderfe hadji some men's differently.”—Boston heads on their think Transcri. pt. Physilk |.j aa _“Two of your fractured, ribs are broken, jH(- §||yonr right arm is one of 0 ur ears is missing,' and three j fingers I are gone.’ Patient—“How is 'the wl eel?” “Without a scratch.” i heaven!”—Detroit F ree Pcgw . NO, 22. SCHOOLING OUTSIDE SCHOOLS*. Germany’s Bandta of Tramp StuJ-snta* w Have a Goc<I Time. — A bicycle tour last July brought to» 1 oni- notice a feature of public eduea- J tion in Germany which might wisely % be- imitated in this country. We nr rived edge one of day the at Harz Gosl.y ami on the north¬ ern proprietor #£ our hotefl paring for the cominL j I They arrived the next their knapsacks, on foo, panied by three ball,/afj or fjpuri the large dining and beer, brief addreiisea Just! them and they sang triotie and folk songs. 1 lively but orderly F col morning they the gathered* ,*8 square, near most 8 building in the- tovjrn. tiM Interest which hacp were recounted top thifl songs were sung, afterwaB ilm prfl therland. We various excursions; in thffl jm Such companies of often Thuriaghin met with in the Jm forest. \jm of these ^srarneys are anjjj piH school life. The rimea from sma.il vl'llKi from the larger weckBp town*! route Is laid out beforehand. The pup® the region through woH pass. Its features of l toric, literary and tbeKH g are pointed out: to expecflBf what they may to see it. contribution Usually each toward pupiiBfH ifilll till the amount needefiriS course strict) eeonom the expense is small, in barns or in large 1 straw. They are ins outfits, and each bol requires strapped si! u They divide into I group marching read as bringing up the if scouts, and so> on. natural history, till they were made, thi ing of crops and honi r| They visit the mous in war, goverp have lived. They P’ || elated with places. aey, lasting hulli uii ays i' tjjjtkeir _ owj weeks, they return muni ties with many hew things terest to talk about anjl much vd their information. travels and They observations.! write essij outdoor study in Germany is co 1 ed important enough to be ma subject of an extended report in ume just issued by the English tion office. Maud Miller. I A Maud Miller in the summer' heat] f . Raked the meadow thick w it t\ whe IS .he lii ' The Judge rode slowly d 'Wii Smoothing his horse’s chestnut >■ saidjf 'H “With wheat at a dollar per." “This maid is about iii< ; for mi® Then he him, smiled at her and sh> hlusl^S And over the meadow ft-nee he clin|H ■ “Will you marry m<\ sw maid? s| said, and. .bey And she told him yes, were H . Alas for maiden, alas for Judge, i For old designer and wheat-field dru Lord pity them both and pity us all, all I ■ For Maud didn’t own th< wheat at And the Judge remark™ hen he learl the cheat: “Don’t talk to me about 'liar wheat!’ —San Francisco ArB< u; A visitor to tna Bril Museum i ports that he saw a reman stall ing before the bust o * .'in,in in a ci lection of statuary. Tb woman iva! represented in the a f coiling he: •hair. and. as the visit-r in mo up. tta countryman was saying to himsNl “No, sir, that got ain’t her t. no x> afi,! nature. of cia Sljj She ain’t uvou plus.”—T id-Bits.__!_____J GEORGIA RALROA —A IS l> Connections. For Information as to Routes, Sched*! —ule's and Rates, Both— Passenger and Freigh' Write to either of the undersigned. You will receive prompt reply an reliable information. JOE. W. WHITE, A. G. G. JACKS^j P, A, ^ T. P. A. A-xxgixsta, Ga s W WILKES, H. K. NICHOLS C. F. & P- A. G. A. Atlanta. Athene. W W. HARDWICK, S. E. MA S. A. G, F. Macon. M M. R. HUDSON, F. W. CO 8. F. A. BJ t: Milledge villa. !, ;-r -