Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, December 25, 1873, Image 1
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VOL. n^' NO. 12. PORT IiQYAL.^ 25, 187-S. ifj&^VSB: )
For His Sake.
Hold closer ptill my band, dear lovo,
Nor fear its touch will soil thine own ;
No palm is cleaner now than this.
r So free from earth-stain has it grown
Since last you held it clasped so close.
And with it held my life and heart.
For my heart beat but in your smile,
And life was Death, we two apart.
I loved you so. And you ? Ah. we1'!
I have no word or thought of blame;
And even now my voice grows low
And tender, whispering your namo.
You guageil my love by yours; that's all.
I do not think you understood:
There is a point yon men can't reach,
Up the white heights of womanhood.
Yon loye us.?so at least von say,
With many a tender smile and word;
You kiss us close on mouth and brow,
Till all our heart within is stirred ;
And having, unlike you, you see.
No other interests at stake,
We give our best, and count that Death
Is blessed when suffered for your sal;o.
A CLEAR CASE.
fallow
often do we hear men in other
pursuits?keen to detect trickery in all
callings but their own?denounce lawyers
for defending people whom they
have reason to believe guilty.
Did it ever occur to these critics that
it is no more the lawyer's province than
it is (heirs to pass judgment on accused
persons? That duty is confined to
legally constituted tribunals, bound to
hear both sides ; and so important is it
deemed that none shall be condemned
unheard, that if a prisoner be too poor
to employ counsel, the court must as
sign it to him, and be npon whom tbe
burden is laid is not at liberty to decline
it. Wbat a lawyer may thus
rigbtly be compelled to do, it can
scarcely bo wroDg for bim to do voluntarily.
So, at any rate, I reasoned on undertaking
tbe defence of Walter Warren,
against whom two indictments were
^ pending, one for theft, the other for attempting
to put off counterfeit banknotes.
Tbe proofs against bim left scarce a
loop-bole for doubt. He bad worked
liis way to be Mr. West's chief clerk,
and bad completely won the confidence
of bis employer. Tbe latter having occasion
to forward a large sum to a place
at some distance, selected young Warren
to carry it. When ready for bis
journey, the money, enclosed in an envelope
directed to the person to whom
it was sent, was banded to Warren, and
placed by bim in an inside pocket of
nis coat, where, be insisted, bo bad
found the packet safe ou reaching bis
destination, when be immediately delivered
it to the proper person.
On being opened, tbe envelope was
found to contain the correct amount,
but made up entirely of foryed bank- ,
note
Mr. West was positive that tbe bills
be bad inclosed were genuine?a point
on which a man of his experience could
hardly be mistaken. Besides, they ,
were on a different bank from that by
which the counterfeits purported to be ,
issued. He further remembered that, j
before inclosing the bills, he had, iu |
Warren's presence, written the address ,
of the gentleman to whom they were j
to be delivered on an envelope in which
he had intended to place them, but, .
having laid it aside temporarily, he was
WT unable to tind it afterward, and used (
another. The inference was that Warren,
having secretly possessed himself j
of the mislaid envelope, after sealing it .
up with the counterfeit notes in it, had |
substituted it for the genuine packet, j
whose contents he had appropriated. ,
Mr. West's statemcut was fully cor- .
roborated by that of a gentleman pres- j
ent at the time of the delivery of the (
money to Warren, and who had seen it ,
counted. \
In my conferences with the prisoner,
he strongly asserted his innocence, but .
could give no explanation of the mys- j
terious transformation which the money (
had undergone, from good to bad, j
while iu his possession. He had gone, .
be said, directly from Mr. West's office j
to the railway station, whither he had ,
been accompanied by the gentleman ,
who had seen him receive the money,
who had occasion to go a short distance (
by the same train. Mr. Allgood, the
gentleman in question, had, for a short
time, occupied the same seat with my
client, conversing with him on indifferent
topics. With that exception, Warren
had had the seat to himself during
the entire journey ; and he assured me .
he had not, at any time, suffered half
^ an hour to pass without ascertaining f
that his charge was safe. y
Mr. Allgood was a person beyond f
suspicion. True, he hud lived but a
ew months in the town; but he was a
man who carriol a certificate of charae- 1
ter in his face. It was long, thin, anil c
melancholy. It wore an expression of (
satisfied sadness, often observable in ,
those who, having no faults of their
own to be sorry for, overflow with sor- 1
row for the sins of others. He lived in I
a small house by himself: led a retired, 1
exemplary life; was devoted to his ]
books; taught in two Sunday-schools; <
and was a c mdidate for the next vacant <
deaconship. Warren himself would I
have scorned to hint at the possibility <
B of the contents of his pocket having '
been tampered with by such a man as 1
Mr. Allgood. I
Hi At last the ease came on. It was ;
called late in the afternoon, and when a '
ury had been obtained, the court ad- i
orned till next morning. i
The county-seat at which the trial was i
held, being several miles from the town i
L at which Mr. West and Mr. Allgood, 1
principal witnesses for the prosecution, i
resided, they were obliged to remain 1
over night.
Of course, I had no hope of a success- i
n ful result. I believed my client guilty, 1
H" ?J u. i;?,i i.? ??T.i
rttuu luin it*.- t u u \> iiru ue ouui
be wasn't.
I was wending my way to the court- 1
bouse next morning, not more at a loss
what to do to save my client, than
puzzled what to say to save myself fro jo
looking like a fool, when a* stranger
tapped me on the ahoulder. A few
I
words from him brightened me up considerably.
What they were will come
out presently.
The first witness was the gentleman
to whom the prisoner had delivered the
false bills, which were produced, identified,
and their spurious character
proven. I allowed the witness to go
without cross-examination, as I did Mr.
West, who was called next.
My client looked despondent. He
evidently expected a better show of defence
than I was making.
Mr. Allgood was then put upon the
stand for the prosecution. His evidence
tallied exactly with that of Mr.
West.
For the first time I rose to crossexamine.
By a few common-place
questions I drew out the facts of his
having accompanied the prisoner to the
station, and having, for a time, shared
his seat. I paused as if at a loss what
to ask next; then, as if suddenly recollecting
the circumstance:
" By the way, Mr. Allgood," I inquired,
"were you aware that your house
tens fiiitored last niffllt ?"
The witness started, as a man naturally
might at such a question.
" I?I was not aware of it," he stammered.
"It is nevertheless true," I answered,
"and a considerable sum of money was
taken from it."
The witness looked pale and anxious.
" What is the relevancy of all this ?'
asked the judge.
" I trust I may be indulged a moment,"
I said, giving his Honor a significant
look.
" Go on," he replied, evidently understanding
I had some object in view.
" Permit me to relieve your apprehensions,
Mr. Allgood," I resumed; " I
believe it is in my power to restore
your money. You will probably be
able to identify it."
His hand shook as I handed him a
goodly roll of bank-notes ; but his eyes
brightened as lie turned them over.
"I recognize them," he said; "they
are mine."
He was about to put them in his
pocket, but I requested him to hand
them back for a moment.
" I have finished with Mr. Allgood."
I announced.
" Have you any testimony for the
defence ?" inquired the judge.
" I have a single witness," I answered.
A messenger, wnom I had dispatched,
returned at this point with a stranger,
who, at my request, came forward and
was sworn.
" What is your name," I began.
" Thomas North."
"Did you enter Mr. Allgood's house
last night in his absence ?"
"I did."
" By what menus V"
"A skeleton key."
" Is the witness aware that his an
MWITS may ouiiutm^y cnuuinut unit .
asked the judge, sternly.
" He is quite advised of their effect,"
I replied.
" Did you find this money in the
house ?" I continued, exhibiting the
same bills already identified by Mr. Allgood.
" Yes."
" Did you find anything else ? "
The witness opened a valise, from
which he took an engraved plate, similar
to those from which bank-bills are
printed, together with a bundle of new
aotes, exact copies of those found iti
the packet which had been delivered by
the prisoner, and as basely spurious as
they.
" I found these articles in Mr. Allgood's
house," the witness answered.
" You mny now tell how you happened
to go there."
" This man," said Mr. North, pointng
to Allgood, "has long been susicctfd
of being a note-forger. The auhorities
had lost sight of him for some
:ime ; but recently his trail was recov?red.
I am in the detective service,
lud entered his house last night by authority
of the warrant which I here proluce.
An examination of the premises
joon revealed the proofs I was in search
)f."
That it was Allgood who had gotten
possession of the mislaid onvelope, put
the counterfeit bills in it, and, by a litle
dexterous manipulation, substituted
t for the one in Warren's pocket, was
uade additionally evident by Mr. West's
dentifieation, by means of a private
nark upon it, of one of the genuine
lotos found iti Allgood's house, as one
>f those placed iu the original packet
lelivered to Warren.
Warren went forth a free man.?
Lcdfjcr.
A Care for Leprosy.
Important experiments are, it seems,
icing made as to tko cure of leprosy,
tnd the Friend of India reports that
vhile Dr. Kenneth Stuart iu Calcutta
tnd Dr. Balfour in Madras in applying
ashew-nut oil to both the forms of lep osy
are meeting with only partial suc ess,
the Madras surgeon iu medical
harge of the penal settlement at Port
dlair believes that he has made a more
. aluable discovery in the samo direcdon.
He is of opinion that leprosy can
ae cured by the oil of the gurjun tree.
Every leper in the settlement is, it is
dated, being cured fast of this loathsome
disease. In no case has there
been the slightest failure, and the dis?ase
has been arrested at every stage.
" No doubt," says a correspondent,
" the matter will be fully reported when
the experiments have been completed,
fn the meantime, the doctor has very
wisely resolved not to make any stir
about the matter until his experiments
ire so completed as to leave uo doubt
respecting the nature of the cure as well
is its permanence. This oil seems to
be beueflcial to all descriptions of sores
and ulcers, and it has other properties
which will be fully disclosed hereafter."
Hie oil of the gurjun balsam or wood
oil has long been used all over India by
the natives for skin diseases and sores.
In the event of its turning out that
leprosy is curable, the discovery will
not only be valuable as regards those
afflicted with that disease, but it will
stimulate the medical profession to further
exertions to discover the antidote
to other diseases of a like nature, hitharto
eoiwidered incurable.
Sasby's Letters. ! I
' 81
The Philosophy of Samuel J. Lnmlitoiii { 11
and How It Worked. W
Samuel J. Lamisou was a young man j
of twenty when his paternal progenitor
was promoted to bo an angel and as- ti
sumed wings. Samuel did not weep at
his father's demise, for the old gentleman
had accumulated his ducats with
great care, and by great labor, and, con- p;
sequently, was very, very close with A
them. He was a singular old man. He b
never knew the taste of champagne, and h
always smoked a pipe. d
But he left young Samuel a fortnne nj
of an even hundred thousand dollars, E
which the young man lost no time in 11
transferring to his own keeping.
Immediately Samuel's relatives gath- f
ared about him to advise him as to what ic
to do with it. d
One said, go into a grocery business w
and become a merchant prince? An- p
other strongly insisted that his best si
hold was to go into railroads with his tl
capitul and be a Vanderbilt. Another tl
advised, with tears in his eyes, that he ft
go into dry goods and be a Stewart rfr a Ii
' In nn,'n {,
Uiamil. auu lei who iuviucu iu upiu- 11
ion as to whether he ought to start a b
daily paper or run a theatre; but Samuel si
dismissed him with a frown.I" He hates b
me, and would ruin me quietly," quoth ti
the sagacious young man. tl
" I shall do nothing of the sort," said d
he. " I shall adopt none of your sug- si
gestions."
" You will be mined if you do not!" n
shouted they all in a chorus. w
" As not one of you has succeeded in a
making a cent," retorted Samuel ; "it n
strikes me that you are fearfufly com- tl
petent to advise me. But I have marked d
out my path in life.
"What is it?" p
" I shall, firstly, get rid of all my t;
poor relations. Then I shall invest o
what the old m that is, my poor d
father left me, in safe security bearing v
10 per cent. d
" Good! that will give you 810,000 ft
per year." ft' tl
" True, but I shalfnot live on 810,000 u
per year. I shall live on about 820,000 o
a year. I shall have horsep, an interest d
in a yacht, shall join all the clubs, shall c
never drink water when wine is attains- r
ble?in short, I shall go for pleasure in g
every pessible way that pleusnro is to c
be had." g
" But you will run through your for- c;
tune while you are still young." J>
" That's the timo to run it through, i<
while I am young enough to enjoy it. n
What, oh idiots, is the good of a fine ^
dinner to a man whose stomach is worn n
out, and who is too much used '
up to eat it? Wherefore d
wine to him whose stomach enn't abide d
wine ? Wherefore anything to a man tl
who can't t ike anything ? I would pre- b
ferit, had I income enough to live just Q
as I desire without infringing upon mj b
capital, but as I cannot, I propose *t j 8:
live my life an j how. Fate has been ^
cruel to me in not giving me 8200,000. I
I shall never feel pleasant toward my n
deceased futhcr that he did not labor
Larder, and live more saving. Me lias
used me badly. But I am a philosophy
r. Samuel .T. Lamison proposes
now to drain the cup of pleasure to its d
dregs." il
Samuel went in, in Ihe language of a
the prize ring, in a very spirited style, jj
He kept a fast horse, he drank wine, ho .
gambled a little, and, if his feminine
friends had been virtuous in proportion b
to the amount of mo-iev lie spent 011 tl
them, Ciesar's wife would have been a c
drab iu comparison with them. But 8
they were not. On the contrary, quite 11
the*reverse. ; r'
He had a severe lit of sickness whi '1 b
nursed his estate a little; but he man- ta
i aged, by hard work, to get through with 0
j the most of it in about ten years. f(
" Your money must be nearly gone," b
said his friends to him one day. b
"I have about a thousand dollars a
left," said he. 11
" Horrible !" said they. j b
" Beautiful!" said lie. " My stomach b
is also nlmost gone. How lovely it is 8:
to have your money hold out as long as I1
1 your stomach. Had one given out be- e
1 fore tho other?1 shudder at the H
! thought. To have an appetite and no <1
I money?or to have 110 appetite and sj
I cords ?f money?I know not which is b
1 the worst. But with me it is splendid. w
i Tilings run in grooves, as it were. A b
few more dinners, a few more nights, 0
and my stomach M ill be gone, and my j w
money with it. But I hare had a good j j1
time of it." i'
" What will you do then ?" n
"Impious wretch, do you read the 11
i Scriptures ? 4 Suflicieut for the day is p
the evil thereof.' In my ease, I can -f
i testify to the truth of that passage eve / | b
day. Then ng iin, ' take 110 thought o' I'1
: the morrow." ft
As ho anticipated, in a few weeks 1 P
Samuel had not a dollar?not a cent t!
; left. Ho lived a few days ou credit, J ^
and then spent several days considering j 0
whether suicide l>y poison or drowning ( :l
i was the most pleasant. After giving ;
I the subject mature consideration, he i n
i concluded that he would not die at all,
and accepted a situation as a porter in ! s>
a wholesale grocery store, whose pro- w
prietor had known his father. ! n
He was rolling barrels one day, when I *1
his friends came in. . a!
"Ha!" said they. "You see, now, n
! we were right?you are brought down ci
to manual labor at thirty." tl
" Precisely what mypiiysicians would
have prescribed for a wasted constitu- P
1 tion like mine," said he, eh nully. 11
I "I am gaining flesh under it." J P
They came in again and saw him eat- J d
1 n.,.l l.nw, d
1UK "lunu I'HUU UI1U 1KIU1. ?
" Ha !" they remarked, " You ni , P
brought dow a to plain food. We told i 8'
1 you so." ?
"My friends," said he, impressively. j
"wero I the possessor of millions, I
should, after ten years of dissipation, n
i be compelled to eat plain food or die ir
Oh, ye imbeciles ! can't you sco thr, E
1 this is natural ? What difference does h
. it make whether I eat brown bread by lc
i the advice of a physician, or eat it be- k
, cause I can't get any other ? What ti
difference does it make whether I exer- o
cise my over-taxed body in a gymna- d
sium, where I pay for the privilege, or a:
exercise it by rolling barrels, for which ' L
2 \
get paid ? ' Exercise and plain food,'
lid my doctor long ago, ' is what you
tust Lave.' I am getting both, ye
idden-brained Job's comforters."
Aud Samuel worked on and got his
enlth, and finally got into business,
nd made money, and had another forme
to spend ; and he spent it.
Typhoid by the Agency of Milk,
Within the past few months, says
aper read before the Amciican Health
ssociation, the interest and impoitance
elonging to the subject of this paper
ave been curiously exemplified by the
iffusion of typhoid fever through the
a;ency of milk. Several outbreaks in
ngland have been imputed to infected
tilk ; but in the recent instances reared
to the proof of this having been
to source seems sufficiently conclusive,
his outbreak was in one of the healthsst
parishes in the West End of Lonou.
About 500 cases of typhoid fever
ere distributed in 101 families in this
arish. Of these 101 families, ninetyx
were known to have used milk from
le same dairy, the facts with regard to
le milk supply in the remaining eight
imilies not having been ascertained,
t was ascertained that in ono of the
irms belonging to this dairy there had
een cases of typhoid fever, and the
mitary conditions were exceedingly
ad. Others details, which I do not in oduce,
corroborated the conclusion
mt the diffusion of the disease was
ue to the milk supply, and no other
aurce was discoverable.
The infection or the contagion in
lilk is, of course, derived from the
ater used in washing the milk-cans,
nd, perhaps, in the dilution of tho ;
lilk. The diffusion of the disease in
tiis way, therefore, is through the meium
of drinking-water.
The discovery of tho causation ?f tyhoid
fever through this medium natrally
has led to the inquiry whether i
ther diseases may not be traced to
rinking-water which either contains
iruses of contagion or is polluted by
ivers kinds of morbific matter. The
icts to which it has been the object of
liis paper to call attention have opened
p a new field for investigation in etilogy,
and further researches in this
irectiou may shed much light on the
ausation of numerous diseases. Aleady,
in the opinion of many, there is
round for assuming that epidom'c
holcra is diffused by menus of contaion,
derived from the alimentary
anal, with which drinking-water is
ublo to become infected. This opiu>n
is based on analogical reasoning
ither than on logical proof. That
'ater polluted by any kind of morbific
latter may prove ah exciting or an auxiary
cause of an attack of cholera,
uring the epidemic prevalence of the
iseasc, it is highly probable ; but that
lie disease in this or in any other way
i communicable, seems to rnc to bo a
uestion concerning which tho most to :
e conceded is that it admits of discusion.
To enter upon such a discussion
ould not be a small undertaking, and
have already occupied as much time
s I have a right to appropriate.
Forty-one Honrs tn a Well.
The San Francisco Call of a recent
ate relates tho following story of what
; truthfully terms " a horrible fix," j
nd which serves as an illustraion
of what benefits may accurc from
iking a paper: "A man named
riicrline trim kr>nr?K a lino rnni'li near
' - "~0 ?
lie Golden Gate Park, met with an aciclont
the other (lay which nearly reultcd
in his death. H's house is sitated
a considerable distance from the
nail, ftud he lives alone, being ft gay
achelor. Last Monday afternoon,
bout three o'clock, Mr. Hughes had
ccasion to go to his well, which is a
jw paces from the house. While flxig
the ropo he fell into the well, and
rought up ftt the bottom, ft depth of i
bout fifty feet, much shaken but not 1
latcrially injured. His utter h dp- '
jssness completely overwhelmed him, !
ut at the top of his voice he began to '
liout, hoping that some one in the ;
ark would hear his cries. Monday
vening passed, and his cries for help
as unanswered. Tuesday and Tuesay
ereniug passed, and still no reponse
to his frantic appeals for aid.
[is feelings, while down in that well,
ith the cold water up to his waist can
e better imagined than described.
>u Tuesday morning (!. A. Friermnth
ent to Hughes'house. lie heard the
nfortuuate man's shouts, but belicvlg
they came from the park ho paid
o attention. He was supriscd the
ext morning on going to deliver the !
aper by hearing the shouts again,
'he paper which lie had left the day ;
nf/\rn iroa cfill Iviurr nn Htn utnnn 1
'his fact increased his astonishment,
nd, nfter listening attentively, curiosi-1
7 drew liim to the well, from which
le cries arose distinctly on his ear.
Ir. Friermuth was somewhat startled I
n learning what was the matter. After ]
few words h d passed, Mr. Friermuth
ucouraged Hughes to hold out a few !
loments longer, and jumping on his j
orse rode at full speed to obtain asistance.
In a short time he returned
ith two men, and Hughes was lished j
p from the well in a deplorable conitian
from exhaustion, with his face 1
s pale as marble. After his 4 inner
ian' had been fed, ho explained the
ircumstnncos to his rescuers, and stated
lat ho thought i,ome oae had set a
rap for him. He was under the imres.-iou
that his foot had caught i.
hook or something which had be
laced near the mouth of the well. /
iligent search w is made, but no evience
to confirm his suspicion of foul
lay was found. Hughes is a man of
irons constitution, but it will wroba
lytake Beveraldays to quiet his nerves."
Capt. De Martin, of Savannah, Gft.,
ow numbers among his stock an auiial
which is halt horse and half mule,
[e was foaled in Kentucky, and while
is fore-legs and body have all the
>oks, symmetry, etc., of a fine, wellept
horse, his hind legs and rear poron
of his body have the resemblance
f a mule, especially his 'ear appenage.
He is a very kind and gentle
nimal, and makes a first-class buggifc
u-o-mule. 1
The Prairie Duel.
Fifteen years ago, when the Great
West seemed to be much further west
than it does in these days of railroads,
that "belt all creation," a remote patch
or corner of one of the great prairies
was counted by the few hunters and
settlers occupying it as a district in itself,
and they called it Little Elk
Prairie. Among the half wild characters
who had built for themselves hovels
of driftwood and brush on this bit of
rolling plain was a huge hulking fellow
of mixed French Canadian, Indian, and
negro blood, whose namo was Beudbow
Laval. A complete savage in appearance,
his clothing, whether in summer
or winter, never consisted of more than
two garments?a ragged shirt and
trousers, the material of which was
rendered problematical by age and dirt.
The mass of woolly, iron-gray hair by
which his head was thatched was crowned
by something that had once been a
portion of a lmt ; and his immense
stockingless feet were thrust into rude
cowskin shoes, with holes cut in tljem
to accomodate certain peculiarities of
shape and pedal excrescence. From
his huge size and muscular development,
Laval was more than a match for
any one of the dwellers or mine .iuk
Prairie, none of whom were "chickens"
as regards physical strength. Entirely
devoid of education?for he did not
know one letter of the alphabet from
another?nevertheless the great coarse
fellow had a sort of chivalry about him
which might or might not have been
derived from his share of French blood.
His appreciation of the benefits and
etiquette of dueling was intense, and
ho had more than once killed his antagonist
in a fair fight.
A much more dangerous man to deal
with than Laval was Habakuk Sams, by
origin a Yankee, as his name denotes,
but a prairie man by predilection and
long residence. "Hab," as he was
called by the men of the plain, was a
thin, wiry man of middle ago, with a
brick-red complexion and very light
hair. He was an excellent marksman,
and had a reputation for courage,shown
in encounters with Indians and bears;
but he always preferred mild stratagem
to skill or strength for the discomfiture
of his foes. Ho had had several disputes
with Laval, on the common basis
of accusation that each was in the habit
of stealing animals from the other's
traps. This, in the code ?f the plains,
is an unpardonable offense. Men
caught in the act have frequently been
killed on the spot, and when the offender
was an Indian there are traditions of
his having been tortured before being
put to death. Whether Hab Sams had
evi r defrauded Laval by purloining fur
creatures from the traps set by the latter
never transpired. Put that Laval
was a fur-thief was established beyond
a doubt when he was seen carrying to
his hovel, one day, a black wolf, caught
in a trap set by Hab, and which the latter
had left there jmrposely to test the
r\f ln'q rivil 1 H;ib'? first idea
wns to fire upon the purloiner of his
property, aud so adjust the mutter
without auy need of further reference
or appeal. On further consideration,
however, he approached Laval, and,
taxing him with the theft, demanded
restitution of his property or " reason
why." "Take that, then," howled the
huge fellow, hurling the wolf with such
a force at Hub that it knocked him
down and sent him spinning a distance
of several feet. In a moment Hab Sams
had risen on one knee, and, taking aim
at his antagonist, fired, but without effect,
owing to the Hurry caused by the
suddenness of the assault.
On proceeding to reload his rifle, ho
remembered that he had no powder ;
but Laval was in a similar predicament,
for nil the powder in the place had
been expended in a recent hunt, and
they were awaiting the arrival of a
messenger with some from the nearest
trading-post. Drawing their knives
then, the two approached each other
for a deadly conflict, which would have
been an unequal one, however, owing
to the superior strength of Laval, who
was also a proficient in the use of the
knife. Knowing how slight his chance
was with such an antagonist, Hab Sams
paused, nnd looking fixedly at Laval,
said, " If you are a man, and not a cowardly
sneak, you will fight it out with
me in another way, and give me an
equal chance of my life. "What way do
you want to settle it, then ?" said the
other. " I'm as good as you anyhow,
and ain't afraid to get square with you
any way you please. Name your plan,
and I'll go you even on it." " Well,
then," rejoined Hal), " here's what
we'll do, if you have heart enough to
do it, ns I have. Let's go to the place
where tho prairie dogs burrow, away
over there. The rattlesnakes that live
there are big, and unfailing with thei'
deadly fangs. Let each of us choose a
burrow, lie down in front of it, thrust
his arm in to the shoulder, and wait to
sco which of us will die first. You're
too white-livered a fellow to figh
it out that way with me, eh?"
Fearful to buck out from this
uorrible proposition lest his repution
for valor might become tarnished
forever, Laval agreed to it, trusting
that, if one only keeps still, ruttlesnakes
are not apt to bite.
The matter was arranged as follows:
They were to meet next morning, half
an hour before sunrise, with one witness,
who was to actus ump're for both.
The burrows in which thev were to
place their hands were to bo selected by
this umpire, who was to see them properly
and impartially placed. There they
were to remain until the first ray of
nlmr?n liAflfTAn n
IfltJ MIIIl ItlUlIltfU Ill/UID l I1D IIUIIIIUU, u
few minutes before which it is the habit
of rattlesnakes to crawl forth from
tl eir dens. The umpire was to notify
them of the rise of the sun, at which
moment they were to be free to go their
ways, should they escape the fangs of
the venemous reptiles. The honor of
both was then to be considered as fully
satisfied, and fiom this there was to be
no appeal. It must have been a terrible
time, that quarter of an hour before
sunrise, to the victims of the etiquette
with which the duello ever has been
rendered remantia Perhaps Hab Sams
did rot feel it so acutely as his rival,
^yjMsons best known to himself,
tan^amof dawn flow redden
i ed upon the horizon, and at a word
from the umpire Hab Sams sprang to
his feet, expressing by a loud whoop
hsatisfaction at having come safelv
o * of the terrible ordeal. Net so with
his rival, who lay where the umpire
had placed him, motionless as a log.
On examination, it was found that he
was in a death-like swoon, from which
he was with difficulty recovered by the
free use of whisky. Sheer fright had
got the be' ter of the man's brute courage,
and brought him to the brink of
death. Hab Sams, as already hinted,
had reasons of his own for preserving
his eqnap'mity of mind throughout the
fearful ordeal. A little a?ter sunset the
- ? vnf^loanolroe
previous evening, ?ucu win mtuwu-uv.
had retired for the night, he took th<
precaution of stuffing a number of th<
dens in that part o" the prairie agreed
on for the rendezvous with a sort ol
weed that is most noxious to the snakes,
rendering them torpid for many hours
and unable to crt'wl or striLe. This if
how Yankee ingenuity triumphed ovei
brute streugth, and Bendbow was evei
afterwards obliged to knock under t<
Habakuk Sams, when personal fortitud<
was the subject in hand.
Counterfeit Notes ou the Bank of Eng
land.
" How is it," asks some person ii
the query-column of a Sunday paper
" that the Bank of England notes an
never counterfeited? In comparisoi
with our gorgeous bank-bills, they ari
simplicity itself." The question am
statement both imply misapprehension
Bank of England notes are counterfeit
ed?have beeu counterfeited ever sinci
they began to be used?and in the nu
merical proportions of the two are a
often successfully counterfeited as ou
own bank-notes. In spite of every prj
caution adopted by the Bank of Eng
land of the manufacture of its owi
paper within the walls of the gr
building; of the printing, water-lining
numbering, markiug, registering, sigr
ing and conutersigning under th<
vigilant eyes of ever present officials
?in spite of the most perfect mrchir
ery, peculiar ink, precise cutting
methodical adjustment of parts o
, every uote to its whole, lettering, pr'
vate indentmg, stamping, and im
pressing?the public is continually de
frauded by counterfeits. Nothini
shows this more certainly than thi
common English custom, well-knowi
of the holder of a bank-note indorsinj
his name on its back.
The day on which a forged note wa
fint presented at the Bank ol Bngiam
, forms an er.i in its history. It was ii
1758, and from that day until now, dr
i ring this pe*iod of one hundred ant
fifteen years there has passed no dccad
in which more than ?30,000 have no
been refused payment at the bank oi
the plea of forgery. Sometimes th
amount greatly exceeds this. In th<
first ten years of the present century i
, rose to ?101,601, and from 1850 to 180
?78,410 were stamped "forged" at th
hank counter. In fact the losses oc
curriug to that institution from forgei
notes are, and always havo been, com
mensurate with the greatness of it
transactions.
Vanderh'lt on Religion;
While I am on this matter, says a cor
respondent, I will relate a little inciden
told me by a well-known steamboa
captain. He said: " 1 am an cider i)
the Presbyterian Church. I made
profession of religion when I was ver
young. Vunderbilt employed mo I
run one of his boats. It was considere<
a great tiling for a person of my age b
have such a position. I was very prom
of it and tried to do my best. On
Saturday the agent came to mo am
said: ' You must fix your boat up to
day, for to-morrow wo are going b
send yon up the North River on an ex
cursion.' 1 thought the matter over
I was a young man. 1 did not wish t<
lose my position, and yet I could no
run the boat on Sunday. I said so b
the agent in a letter, tendered him ra;
resignation, and prepared to go home
I met the Commodore on the Battery
nesaid: 'Comedown and dine witl
mo to-morrow ; my wife wants to sc
you.' ' I cannot,' was the reply, 'for
must go homo. I havo got tlnough oi
your line.' 'What does that menu:
said the Commodore. I then told bin
the story. unit tejiow is a 1001. >v
have got men enough to run that boa
whose principles won't bo hurt. Yoi
go about your business. If auybod;
interferes with your religion, send then
to me."
Colorado Came.
A Denwr paper says : Tho game o
Colorado consists of buffalo, elk, blue!
and wlnte-tailed deer, mouutaiu sheep
antelope, cinnamon, black, and grizzl;
bear, wild turkeys, sage liens, blue o
mountain grouse, ptarmigan or monn
tuin quail, ducks of all kinds, excep
canvas-backs, geese aud brant, swan
curlew of "several varieties, and in tin
spring and fall snipe and plover for i
few days as they migrato north am
south: We have also a few Californii
and State quail, imported for breed?n|
purposes. The following fur-bearim
animals are numerous : Beaver, otter
mink, marten, weazel, red, gray, black
and silver-gray fox, besides many vari
eties that are supposed to be a cross o
the different distinct species ; also, i
! very small animal of the fox kind
| known here as the swift, the largi
1 gray and white timber wolf, white am
gray coyote, and black prairie wolf
panther or California lion, lynx, wolver
een, catamount and wildcat, badger
skunk, gronnd-hog or woodchuck, an*
j other minor species."
j Seven Men Smothered.?Seven men
who were engaged at Timber Limit, 01
i Black River, on Georgian Bay, Ontario
have been found dead in their shanty
It appears they had filled up a numbe
of bags of oats and made their bed
beside them. The oats tumbled over
and they, being unable to extricat
themselves, were smothered. Thei
remains were not discovered for som
days afterward*.
~ a
Visit to the Empire Coal Mine.
A correspondent of the Ition Citizen
describes a descent into the above*
, named coal mine near Wilksborre as '
i follows :
We gladly put ourselves under the
| guidance of the clerk in the office of
i this Company, while he led us out and
i back amid the blackness of darkness, a
- mile or more from the foot of the per'
pendicular shaft, 300 feet beneath the
, surface. This mine has been worked
; for fifteen years; its avenues and
) viaducts honeycomb the entire plateru -'4
> for a distance of one or two miles in
) different directions. Its full working
! force 'consists of about 500 men ana
J boys r d 50 mules; many of the latter
I are never brought to the surface. We
f saw one old gray beast, a veteran 1
, in the service, a genuine galley slave of '
, a mule, that had not seen daylight sinoe
i his stable was chiselled in the wall of
r anthracite fifteen years ago. But I an*
r tipinfttft.
) On the surface there was no land3
mark originally to indicate the presence
of coal underneath. Now, the usual
buildings, r.lth their machinery for
. hoisting and sifting, are erected over
tho opening, and the inevitable pile of
refuse dust lies heaped in the distance.
i The entrance is about eight feet square
, and tho descent perpendicular.
3 After indulging in a little natural
feminine shrinking, the ladies of our
1 party divested themselves of their hats
3 and cloaks, and, without other special
1 preparation, we took our places upon
the elevator with our guide. Each has
a miner's lamp in hand. All being
" ready the guide, by a touch, adjusts
o the gearing, and down we drop towards
the realms of Pluto,
s The descent is rapid but steady, so
r there is no jumping to catch lost
- breath. The sheet iron canopy, at
tached to the elevator, precludes all
9 ga"'ng upward. Our lamps emit a
ghostly light struggling against fearful
odds of ,cimmenan darkness. In
- a minute, or less, a peculiar sensa0
tion is felt in our ears, and we instinc;
tively look at each other with a com
mon recognition of the phenomenon.
, At that point, I locate the dividing line
f between the hum and buzz and racket
- of the outer world, and the deep, per
feet silence of the region below. At
- the foot of the shaft, which, in the
? Empire mine, reaches a depth of three
b hundred feet before the coal deposit is
a found, the excavations extend in main
J horizontal lines or canals for long dis'
.nces and in various directions. The
s height of these channels is gauged by
1 the thickness of the layer of coal, or
i about seven feet, and the width as ?.
- much or more, according to convenJ
ience.
e From these main lines, lateral chant
nels are dug at short distances apart,
a and between these again, transverse
o cuts are made at successive steps, as
o tho coal is taken away, care being tat
ken to leave pillars enough to support
D the mass of earth and rock overhead,
e In soino places, large, roomy excavationa
have been ducr. and the usual
1 columns of coal had given place to
- huge posts of wood, carried in from
s the surface.
The coal is broken from the solid
mass bj blasting, after which picks are
used to reduce the lurge pieces to sizes
that may bo readily handled. It is
immediately thrown into small cars,
1 holding about two tons each, and
t drawn to the foot of the shaft or elevaa
tor by mules. These railroads, having
a a three feet track, are extended
throughout the mine as far as tho excay
vations are made.
0 Mining is done by the ton or car1
load. No siugle miner, as a rule, can
0 work alono to advantage ; so thev com]
monly operate in companies of half a
0 dozen or more, and have their special
1 diggings assigned them. Two men only
find room enough to do the ordinary
0 work of excavating in a siugle partition
. of the rocky wall, whilo others wait
upon their work with mules and cars,
3 as above mentioned. These aro furt
nished by tho company owning a mine.
u In an hour's travel we saw only a small
y portion of the men then at work ; and
yet at no time did our lamps fail to reveal
the presence of some of them.
Ii They appeared, to our hasty glances, to
e look pretty much alike, begrimmed as
1 they were with coal dust from head to
i foot, while every eye looked vicious, V,
i' aud all tho surroundings easily Bug*
a gestivo of violence, robbery, aud pos- "
0 sible murder.
t Concerning the matter of drainage,
1 which requires the constant use of
y powerful foreo pumps, and ventilation,
a which is a consideration of chief importance
in the management of mines,
I will not lake time to enlarge upon
here. Our guide informed us that
from the bottom of the Empire mine,
f at a d'stant point which lie did not
k visit, another shaft was already sunk
to a depth of 300 feet, where another
' aud more valuable vein of coal was
y 1 about to bo opened and workod on an
r 1 extensive scale.
t Army Preparations.
, It seems not to be generally known,
0 says a Washington dispatch, that there
1 have been preparations quietly going
on under the direction of the Secretary
? of War, placing our arsenals iu condi1
tion to supply the wants of an army in
', the field in case of war, and looking to
, the condition of the armament of onr
- fortifications for the successful defence
f our harlior against a hostile attack by
a iron-clads. The ordnance departmen
, of the army is at this moment in most
0 active preparation for a state oi wer,
3 and is ready to supply an army with an
, entire equipment of war material, ineluding
the most approved breech-load;
ing arms and field and siege batteries
1 of artillery,with every kind of ammunition.
The telegraph has been vigorously
used urging forward every prepai,
ration to the extent of the orananoe
i appropriation. The ordnance officers
i, are fully alive to the gravity of the oc.
casion and to the necessity for ample
r preparation to meet all demands should
s war be the result of our {Assent com,
plications. While from the nature of
e the oase the navy had to take the active
r initiative, the War Department is fully
s alive to the crisis in quiet preparation
for the future.