Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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A Family Companion, Devoted to Literature, Miscellany, News, Agriculture, Markets, &c. Vol. XII. WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 2, 1876. No. 5 IS PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNNGI At Newberry,, S. C. BY TH09, F* GRENEKERt Editor and Proprietor. Terms,$2.50 per alknum, Invariably in Advance. DD; The paper is stopped at the expiration of time for which it is paid. 99 The X mark denotes expiration of sub scription. ittrn~ THE OLD GRIST MILL. BY R. H. STODDARD The grist mill stands beside the stream, With bending roof and leaning wall, So old that when the winds are wild The miller trembles lest it fall; Bat the moss and ivy, never sere, Bedeck it o'er from year to year. The dam is pteep, and welded green; Thle izates are raised, the waters pour And tread the old wheel's slippery steps, The lowest round for evermore; Methinks they have a sound of ire, Because they can'not climb it higher. From morn till night, in autumn time, When heavy harvests load the plains, Up drive the farmers to the mill, And back anon with loaded wains; They bring a heap of golden grain, And take It ho"me in meal again. The mill inside is dim and dark, But peeping in the open door, Yea see the miller flitting round, And dusty bags along the floor; And by the shaft and down the spout, and reminded the mate of his pro. mise. The following were his words as nearly as I can remembex them: About a half mile above the spot where we wooded, there once stood a snug house, and a nicely culti vated patch that belonged to An dy Robbins. He was a pretty in dustrious fellow, as the times went. His wife was a good woman, but, like all girls who live isolated lives, she had very little idea of the world; and beyond seeing a passing steam boat and her passengers, she had no idea - of what the world was like. Andy was a great hunter, and you couldn't find a better rifle shot than he was anywhere along the Mississippi. It was astonishing the number of squirrels that man would shoot in a day; if I told you, you wouldn't believe me. He always had his rifle with him, even when he went out for a stroll with his wife. Andy had one child, an infant about a year old, when bis troubles ame on him. I don't think there was anything he doted on like that little thing he usel to carry in his rrms to look at the boat wood 11g. It was an afternoon in October, when the leaves were just tinted with yellow and red, that Andy, Rvith his child in his arms and his wife by his side, started out to take L walk. The afternoon was calm as sleep. I recollect it well. Not a cloud ivas visible, and not a breath moved le water or stirred a leaf. The still iess was deep almost to melancholy, md it seemed as if nature had sunk o a repose from - which she could iardly be awakened. Andy and his wife walked down by he river f9r a couple of miles, and eated themselves beneath some arge trees where they passed the fternoon, and it was not until his vife called his attention to the rrowing darkness that he was aware hat a storm was at hand. "It certainly is very dark,"' he aid, "though it's not sunset yet. )ome, wife we must hasten h.cme, >r baby will have a wet skin." They rose and commenced to talk hastily. Every instant the larkness seemed to increase with' incommon rapidity, and Andy felt ery anxious for his child. There vas not a breath of air and the wa er was still and motionless; but ome bkight flashes in the west and ,distant muttering of thunder warn :d them to hurry on. Fast< r and faster traveled Andy ,d his wife, and now his house vas in sight and he would soon each it. He laughed and hugged1 ds boy to his heart. At length he house was gained, and Andy tood on the threshold, having giv n the baby to its mother. He as gazing at a queer shaped cloud hat was coming down upon them reryf ast. It looked like an invert d mountain. "What's the matter?~" called out ds wife. "What are you looking t, Andy?" He did not reply at once, but af er awhile he said: "Don't undress he baby, and don't you take off our things either." "Why, what's the matter, Andy ?" gain questioned his wife. "Well," he replied in a low voice, I'm afraid we are going to have a rhirlwind, and it may be necessa y to seek the old cave just back f the house, especially if yonder loud be a water spout." Mrs. Robbins went to the door nd gazed westward ; as she did so, er cheeks grew pale. "1 do believe you are correct," she id; "perhaps we had better go to de cave at once." Before her husband could reply Le storm burst upon them with all s fury, and they were compelled o retreat in-doors. Mrs. Bobbins lasped her child to her arms, while [e building rocked as if it were at ea. She gazed out of the win .ows only to see giant trees uproot d and carried through the air on the rings of the tornado. "Is2t not awful !" she asked ith trembling breath. Andy nodded; he was trying to 'ace the course of the cloud, but le air was so thick with leaves and arkness, that he was not able to an dozen yards beyond im. All at once there came an awful crash, the house was lifted from its foundation, and a piercing scream came from his wife's lips. The next moment the dwelling.burst wide open, and the water crushed the wreck as you would a handful of straw. I often have heard Andy relate his sensations. The first feeling he had was as if he were struggling for his life at sea. A huge wave dashed him high in the air as he shrieked the name of his wife. He heard the roar of waters in his ears and then he became insensi ble. He never knew how he escap ed, but his preservation was won derful. The following d a y , he found himself nearly a mile from his home, bruised and sore. As fast as he could he traveled to the spot where his house had stood, and looked upon the scene of desolation, making the woods ring with his voice as he called upon the name of his wife. For days after he traveled the country through, searching for those of his family who had been swept into the river- by the whirl wind. 'Twas hard to make him be lieve that he was alone in the world,. and it was only when the bodies of his wife and child were discovered, some days later, that he seemed to realize the fact. Some hands, on a boat buried the unfortunate ones near by where their bodies were found. Then it was that Andy Robbins built the sor ry old cabin you behold. It stands within a few feet of the spot where the grave of his wife and.child are made, and nothing can tempt the old fellow to leave it. Some years ago an eccentric bach elor died in New Orleans and left a good slice of his property to Andy Robbins. Many supposed this unex pected good luck would induce Robbins to leave his solitude and go t5 live in the city. But all such surmises were vain. The old fellow refused to leave his hau.nt, and heard of his good fortune without the least appearance of exultation. Andy Robbins was still living a few months ago, and should the reader ever pass along the Missis sipoi0 river, at the point I have indi catecidhe may see the cabin,and,per haps,its' occupant sitting on the river bank, looking as it were for those who will never come to. revisit him this side of eternity. CONCERNING 1EAR.-Targe ears, says a theorisb, mnountin~g his hob. by, hear things in general, and de note broad, comaprehensive views and modes of thoughts ; while small ears hear things in particjdar and show a disposition to inci vidualize, often accompanied by i the love of the minute. Large ears are usually satisfied with learning the leading facts of~ a case, with the general principles involvede, too i strict an attention to the enumera- a tion of details, especially all repeti- j tion of the unimportant, is weari- r some to th'em. People with such 2 ears like generality, and are uns ~ually fitted to conduct large enter prises; to receive and paoit mo ney in large sums ; they prefer to give with~ a free hand, without re ference to the amount. Small ears, on the contrary, desire to know particulars of a story, as well as the main facts; take delight often in examining, handling or construct ing tiny specimens of workmanship; are disposed to be exact with re spect to inches and ounces in buying or selling, to the extent at least of knowing the exact number over and under the measure given or received. People with such ears would in most cases prefer a retail to a wholesale business. 'Pompey, can you tell 'me in i what building people are most like- j ly to catch cold ?' 'Why, no. Me stran.-ger in de i town and can't tell dat..' 'Well, I'll tell you. It is the x bank.' 'B.ow is dat?' 'Because there are s o many drafts e in it.' 'Dat is good, ba can you tell I mie what make dare so man y drafts n it,'?' 'No.' 'Because so man; y goes dare, to AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR' THE SETTLEMENT AND PAYMENT OF CERTAIN CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE. Whereas there are outstanding j 3ertain legislative pay certificates, a Lreasurer's bills payable, and claims f passed by the General Assembly, s imounting in all to about five hun- i fIred thousand dollars, which ought i, bo be paid; and whereas there are y grave doubts whether the act enti- k bled "An act to provide for the set r lement and redemption of certain c .laims against the State," passed it the last session of the General s ssembly, became a law; f Be it enacted by the Senate and p Eouse of Representatives of the c tate of South Carolina, now met r ind sitting in General Assembly, a ind by the authority of the same: a SEcTIoN 1. That the Governor i be, and he is hereby, authorized r ind required within ten days from i bhe passage of this Act, to appoint c hree commissioners, who shall r onstitute a commission on claims. f SEC. 2. That the said commission ( are hereby authorized and required r o audit, as adjusted debts of the c State, all pay certificates issued by 3 Doth or either of the Houses of t fhe General Assembly prior to the t .ast preceding session which have s Jeen duly registered with the clerks t >f the two Houses, in accordance A wvith the terms of a concurrent reso- s tution of the General Assembly,pass- g d December 21, 1874,or which shall i be registered with the said clerks rithin thirty days from the passage h Df this Act, -and which shall be n -ertifIed -by +h- - - elera t. - bave been regularly and proper- 4 ty issued; also State Treasurer's due a bills and all bills payable which o bave been issued by the State Treas- r arer for money borrowed pursuant 1 bo the provisions of a joint resolu- k2 bion of the General Assem*oly to f provide for the paym~ent of certifi- t ates issued by the General Assem- r bly, approved March 12, 1872 ; and ~ iso all claims which by any action I prior to the present session, have e been defmnitely fixed in amount and I ordered to2ipaid:~ Provided, howev- t r, That nothing contained in this f section shall be construed to deny ' to the said commnission the authori- C ty to disallow, in whole or in part, e any claim evidenced by such pay ~ rertificates, bills payable, or such a setion of t? e General Assembly, a f the said commission shall ad- c judge the same to be fraudulent, or t shaifor any other cause adjudge the I same is not a just, valid and proper a demand against the State. SEC. 3. That the Attorney-Gener- 1 d is hereby authorized and requir ~d to attend the essions of the said ~ o0miio and reresent there a the interests of the ftate, and hal*receive such compej)ation herefor as shall be received by a. aembers of the said commission 'espectively. t SEc. 4. -That all persons desirous f securing the benefits of this Act hal surrender to the said commis ion, within ninety days after the assage of this Act, the pay certifi ~ates, bills payable and other evi- P lences of indebtedness in thieir pos ession which may pertain to their ~ ~laims ; but unless said claims are iled ivithin the time specified, f' they shall b e forever barred, ~ nd from thenceforth shall be null and void as against the State ; P and the said commission is hereby a uthorized and requircd, upon the t uditing and allowance o f said ( laims, to cancel all the pay certi- s cates, bills payable and other evi Lences of indebtedness which maay ertan to the claims so audited. C xid allowed,and in lieu thereof shall. S ssue to each claimant, or his as.. igns, a certificate of State indebted ess, which certificate shall be sign by the members of the said com- t aission, or a majority of them, and I hall set forth the amount ascer- t ained to be due to such claimant, f ,nd the terms and condition on C hich such certificate may be lawful- ia y redeemed under the provisions 14 >f this Act; and the said commission b hall, in all cases, forthwith deposit, is a the office of the Comptroller Gen- C ral, all such legislative pay certifi- c da0 hilla navyahIa and other Cmvi tt Lences of indebtedness so taken ul ,nd canceled, with an accompanying nemorandum, signed by them, or : aajority of them, showing their ac ion in reference thereto, and th( 3omptroller General shall file th( ame, suitably marked and endors d, in his office; Provided, however hat no claims shall be audited oi ,lowed unless the holders thereo trst agree to accept the terms o ettlement provided for in this Act Ind provided further, That all ev lences pertaining to any claimc rhich may be, disallowed shal e returned to the claimants, wi.. eason of refusal endorsed on saii laim. SEC. 5. That the said commissioi hall make all needful regulationE >r their government, and for th< roper presentation and proof o laims. They shall also keep E gistry of all claims presented t( nd acted upon by them, whethe: flowed or disallowed, in whole o: i part. They shall also keep E egistry of all certificates of Stat< tdebtedeness issued by them t( laimants. They shall also keep i ecord of all their proceedings, an< rom time to time make to th( kovernor such reports as he ma: equire, and when they shall hav( ompleted their labors they shal iake a final report of all their ac ions as a commission to the Comp roller General, who shall embod3 aid report in his annual report t< Le succeeding ~General Assembly a majority of the members of th< aid commission shall constitute s uorum for the~ transaction of bus iess. SEC. 6. That any person who ma3 old a certificate of State indebted ess issued by s a i d commissior rumuantiathe provisions of sectiox of this Act shall, upon presentii nd surrendering the same at th< ffice of the Comptroller General eceive for the same four Comptrol r General's warrants, number 1 , 3 and 4 respectively, each of then >r one-eighth of the amount o Le certificate of State indebted ess so presented and surrendered o. 1, payable out of the taxes t< e levied and collected for the fis al year commencing liovember 1 875; No. 2, payable out of th< axes to be levied and collecte< pr the fiscal year commencing No ember 1; 1876; No. 3, payable on f the taxes k> be levied and collect d for the fiscal year commencing ovember 1, 1877; and No. 4, pay ble out of the taxes to be levie< nd collected for the fiscal yea ommencing November 1,1878. Pre 'ided, however, That the amonnt 0 egislative pay crtificates, bills pay ble and other evidences of indebi dness allowed u.nder the proviE ons of section 4of this Act, shall no xceedthe sum of five hundred thou and dollars, nor the amount o Jomptroller General's warrants is ued for the same, the sum of tw' mndred and fifty thousand do] ars: And provided further, Tha LUCh warrants shl be issuec~i Se orU er in which the said cartif stofS te~ indebtedness shal e presented ana urrender. SEC. 7. That the sai comprol -neral's warrants shall bea - upo: eir face the declaration that thO ayment is secured by the leva f an annual tax of one-half of on iill upon the dollar, to be made os ae taxable property of the Stat >r the fiscal years mentioned 12 Lie .preceding section, which de laration, so authorized to be ex ressed thereon, shall be deemle< nd taken to be a contract betwee] Le State and the holders of suci imptroller General's warrants re pectively. SEC. 8. T h a t the Oomptrolle teneral shall keep an exact registr; f all warrants issued by him pm uant to the provisions of section 4 sf this Act. SEC. 9 That an annual tax of on( talf of one mill on the dollar upo: he taxable property of the Stat e, and the same is he&eby, levie o be collected for and during . th scal years mentioned in section this Act, for the purp-ose of pa: g and retiring the said Comptro ar General's warrants as: they ma ecome dne and payable.. And Shereby made the duty of ti lounty Auditors of th.e sever unt e in m1e S a to inde ti > ral annual levies, and of the Coun ty Treasurers of the several coun t ties to collect the same at the - same time and in the same man a ner as they may be provided for i the collection of taxes for other State purposes for and during the fiscal years aforesaid; and the pro ceeds of the taxes so to be levied E and collected, or go much thereof as i may be necessary, be, and the same are hereby, appropriated to the pay ment of the said Comptroller Gen - eral's warrants as they may become Idue and payable respectively. L SEc. 10. That the proceeds of the I taxes to be levied and collected pursuant to the provisions of this Act shall be kept by the State Treas urer separate and apart from each other, and from all other public funds, and shall be applied to the purpose for which they are levied >and none other. SEc. 11. That any State or coun ty officer who shall fail to comply with or shall evade the provisions of this act, or shall, directly or indi rectly, temporarily or permanently, a divert or embezzle the proceeds of L the taxes.levied by this act shall be a deemed guilty of a felony, and, up r on conviction thereof, shall be 3 punished by a fine of not less than i one thousand dollars nor more than - five thousand dollars, and be im prisoned in the penitentiary for not less than one year nor more > than five years. SEc. 12. That, for the purpose 3 of defraying the expenses to be in curred in carrying out the provis - ions of this Act, the sum of four thousand dollars, if so much be ne cessary, be, and the same is hereby, - appropriated, to be drawn on the L warrant of the Governor, counter .signed by the Comptroller. General, and payable~by tEe State Treasurer out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. SEc. 13. That in case any vacancy shall at any time occur in said com L mission by death, resignation or Eotherwise, the Governor is hereby -authorized and required to appoint another commissioner to fill such >vacancy within ten days after being - notified thereof. ,SEC. 14. That all Acts or parts ol Acts inconsistent with this Act be, i and the same are hereby, repeal -- ed. Yoms BABIEs EOT MY BABIEs. i Some thirty-five years ago, there - resided in the town of Hebron, I a certain Dr. T., who became very 7 much enamored of a beautiful - young lady in the same town. In f the course of time they were en - gaged to be married. The doctor was - a strong and decided Presbyterian, - and his lady ]ove as strong and de 3 cided a Baptist. They were sit Sting together one evening, talking f over their approaching nuptials, - when the doctor remarked: ) "I am thinking of two events - which I shall number among the t happiest of my life.''" 1 "And what may they be, doctor?' - asked the lady. 1 ."One is the hour when I shall cal] you my wife for the. first .time." r "And the other, if you please ?" 1 "It is when we shall present our r first born for baptism." "What, sprinkled ?". 'cjes, my dear, sprinkled." L"Never shall a child of mine be sprickled." -"Every child of mine shall bE - sprinkled." - "They.shall be, eh ?'' I "Yes, nay v. t"Well, sir, I .ean tell you, then, that your babies wo#'.t ibegy babies - So, good-night, sir."' The lady !eft th rXopi gaud :ta5 e doctor left thae house. r The sequel to this true story wa - that the doctor never married, an' the lady is an old maid. Doubtless Mr. U. C. Sample: i of Georgia, don't appreciate wha t e narrow escape he had from a fall i ing tree, which killed the two mnule he was driving. And yet U. C 6 Samples of such ingratitude con rstantly. y Over the porch of the Old Souti it Church at Boston is chiselled: "Be .e hold ! I have set before you an opei door," and under, on the door ii .e printed in emphatic letters, "Posi - tively no admittance." HIS STRIKES. "Is this New York, Detroit, Chi cago or Buffalo ?" inquired the next prisoner looking around as if his mind was unsettled. "This place, Andrew Bate, is De troit," replied his Honor, as he soft ly scratched his head. "It is a city of 110,000 people, nicely situated, contains a great many honest men, and is chiefly noted for the great ease and fluency with whici its hack drivers tell a man to go to Texas." "Well, I struck this town in the night," continued t h e' prisoner, "and I hadn't been here - an hour befor6 a loafer struck me." "Did you strike back ?" "Yes, sir, and then I struck out to get away from the police." "But the officers struck your trail, and,you were brought in, and here you are," said his Honor. "It strikes me that you are cor rect," smiled the prisoner. "Well, we will strike off on a new trail. I want to ask what you are doing here without money in your wallet ?" "I thought Id come here and wait around, Judge." "For what 1" "For any thing." "Micawber never lived here," said the Court. "There's nothing to turn up here. You might wait around here a hundred years and couldn't get a soft and easy situa tion, such as you probably seek." "I'd like to get to be a clerk in the post-office," said the prisoner. "Have you ever filled such a po sition ?" "No, sir, but rve written a great many letters and bought a good many postage stamps." "Up there where you are going after a painful pause. "there will be no waiting, not even for dinner. Days will pass swiftly by, and the June blossoms will be -winking at the green cowslips before you know it." "Hang your cowslips 1" groaned the prisoner. "Nevertheless, Mr. Bate, it is my duty to A. Bate you," answered the Court, "and I hiope you will re turn to the corridor quietly, peace fully and without giving Bijah any unnecessary trouble." Theiprisoner had to be hauled in by his collar and held up -against the wall for a few minutes, but when reason returned he -said he was thankful that he hadn't been hit with the crow-bar, as he knew he deserved to be. [Detroit Free Press. THE BEST WAY TO AD VERTISE, --The best and cheapest mode of advertising in the world is that in the newspapers. Seed str6wn there, if the seed is good for any thing, always brings up a crop of some value, most generally a hun dred fold. Placarding the dead walls, and showering the hand bills among. the people are auxiliaries in advertising ; but it is doubtful whether, as a rule, they more than pay the expense, while there is no doubt they are a nuisance. The blankest of dead walls is only dis figured by posters provoking,in the well regul ated mind a sense of aver sion to the man who advertises, and the articles upon whose excel lence he expatiates; while as to handbills, nothing so prejudices a citizen against going to see any show or-buying any goods, as the ugly slips of paper thrust at him from all quarters,eloggentlyrecom mending him to do those things. A resident who reached Detroit by a noon train lately, after an ab seca of two weeks, was met.at the depot by his eight year old son, who loudly welcomed him. "And is everybody well, Willie ?" asked the father. "The wellest kind," replied the boy. "And nothing has happened ?" "Nothing at all. -I've been good and Jennie's been good, and I never saw ma behave herself so .well as she has this time !" It is said that the Baptist min ister who is carrying on the pen fight against the Catholics at Tren ton, N. J.-, is so bitterly opposed to the Roman faith that in manu. script he will not cross his letter ADVERTISINC RATES2 Advertisements inserted at the-rat of $1.00 per square-one inch-for tint insadein, and 75c. for each subsequent insertion, '&ible column advertisements ten per cent on abXv4. Notices of meetings..obituaries and tibu 0 of respect, same rates per square as ordInaI7 advertdsements. Special notices in locaW-colamn, 15 centia perline, Advertisements not marked-with the num-. ber of insertions will.be -keptlIn til forbid and charged accordingly. Special contracts made. with large adver-~ tisers, with liberal deduedions-on above rates Done with Neatness and Dispatch Terms Cash. THE COLONELVS INVESTO RlENT* ~ Our friend, the old colonel4-y the Chicago, Joural is continu*lly making investments on a small scale, whichAifsappoint him in theirresults. He has. a spendthrift. of- a"'youiig nephew, who wrote to him. from St. - Louis the other.day, sayIng:_.. ,,DEAzuxqx-There is a fellow down here who offers to bet me a $100 -greenback that.nobody.will len d me that amount of money. Now, Ihave taken the .be.4 and- if you will write me 4 letter, incloding. adraft for $100, saying you leUnd it - to me, Iwill divide with'you equal.*, ly the $100 that I'* -W Mnb ro the fellow. I will send the $5Oby - the very first mail-sure"' He sent'the youngcaere tfhe. $A00. We happened- in' his.' 6ffice when he opened&thie -retuLrn .-Ietter, a day or two afterwvard,- iAloib $50. The b~olonel shook hii fatsudes -