University of South Carolina Libraries
'-jrv **-"*^<' i% :i iiflfe^w^Hm?HiPlfiSCTBfffkiii^iM(yff~iff*Tflrra15B^ ~" " -*--*- " ~ y ^ VOL. X.?Neyt Series. UNION C. II., SOUTH CAROLINA, FEBRUARY 14, 1S79. NUMBER 7. -I- ?- - _ ' K.'.l ^ _ w * ' - *' ' . ,1 ? ,?. , I I - - : ! - ' -' - ? 1 . . 1 - .* ." * ' '- 1 - 1 '- 9. t - , '. THE OAMBETTA DUEL. | lit) rosu to his foct and assumed an atti- | Tlin t.w?..1,..!I.ft.li ?- ? i nnr ? ? ? 1 now aui rwain Distinguished Himself a? the Statosman~s Seooud. Mark Twain writes lor tlio February number of the Atlantic Monthly an uccouut of his participation in tho recent duel betwofu Gambctta and Fourtou. When lie bad heard of tho outbreak in the Assembly, he says that he called on Gambctta, whom ho found "steeped iu a profound French calm." Mr. Twain, after being embraced, began tho conversation : I said I supposed he would wish uio to net as his second, and lie said, "Of course. I said I must bo allowed to act under a French name, so that I might be shielded ^ ? from,obloquy in my country in case of fa?' "tal results. IIo wiuccd hero, probably at tho suggestion that dueling was uot regarded with respect in America. However, he agreed to my requirement. This accounts for tho fact that in all the newspaper reports M. Gauibctta's second was apparently a French man. First, wo drew up my principal's will. I insisted upon this and stuck to my point. I said I had never heard of a man iu his riaht mind iroincout W o to fight a duel without first making his will. IIo said ho hnd ucvor heard of a man in his right mind doing any thiug of the kind. When we bad fiuished the will, he wished to proceed to a choice of his ''last words." Ho wanted to know how the following words, as a dying exclamation, struck me: "I dio for my God, for my country for freedom of speech, for progress and the universal brotherhood of man 1" I objected that this would rcquiro too lingering a death ; it was a good speech for a consumptive, but not suited to tho exigencies of the field of honor. Wo wrauglcd over a good many ante-mortem outbursts, but I finally got him to cut his obituary doWn to this, which ho had copied into his memoradum book, purposing to get it by heait: "I die that France may livo." I said that this remark soeincd to lack ' relevancy ; but he said relcvaucy was a mattor of no consequence in last words?what you wanted was thrill. I then wrote tho following note and carried it to M. Fourtou's friend : Silt; Mr. Gambctta accepts M. Fourtou's .1.-11 ?J uuaneugc, auu auuiorizos mo to propose Plesfis-Piquet as the place of meeting, tomorrow morning at daybreak as tbc time,* ami axes as the weapons. I am, sir, with great respect, Mark Twain. M. Fourtou's friend read this note and shuddered. Then ho turned to mo and said, with a suggestion of severity in his tone : "Ilavo you considered, sir, what would be the inevitable result of such a meeting as this?" "Well, for instance, what would it be?"' "Bloodshed 1" "That's about the size of it," I said.? "Now, if it is a fair qucstiou, what was your side proposing to shed ?" I had him there; he saw he had made a blunder, so ho hastened to explain it away. He said ho had spokeu jostingly. Then bo added that ho and his principal would enjoy axes, and indeed prefer them, but uuch weapons were barred by tho French code, and so I must change my proposal. Aftor proposing Gatling guns, rifles, navy pistols and brick-bats, Mr. Twain left the choioo of weapons to tho other second, who fished out of his vost pocket a couple of little things, which I carried to tho light mill rlifinAvnrnil fn Kn niclnlo TKaw siogle-barrclled and silver mounted, and very dainty and pretty. I was not able to speak for emotion, v 1 silently hung one of them on my watch-chain, aud returned the other. My companion in crime now unrollod a postage stamp containing several cartridges and gave mo ono of them. I asked if ho meant to signify by this that our men were to be allowed but one shot apiece. lie replied that the French code permitted no more. I then begged hitn to go on and suggest a distauco, for my mind was growing weak and confused under tho strain which had bccu put upon it. IIo named sixty-fire yards. I nearly lost my pationce. 1 said : "Sixty-fivo yards with these instruments? Pop-gaus would bo deadlier at fifty. Consider, my friend, you and I arc bandod together to destroy life, not mako it eternal." But with all my persuasions, all my arguments, I was only able to get him to veduoo the distance to thirty-five yards; and even this concession ho made with roluotance, and said with a sigh : "I wash my hauds of this slaughter; ou your head be it." There was nothing for me but to go homo to my own lion-heart and tell my humiliating story. When I outered M. Gambetta was laying his last lock of hair upon the altar. He sprang towards mo, exclaiming ; "The weapon, the weapon, Quick I what is tho weapon 7" j "This !' and I displayed that silTcr mounted thing. lie caught but one glimpste of it, then swooned ponderously to tho floor. Whon he came to he said, mournfully: "The unnatural calm to which I have subjeoted myself has told upon my nerves. But away with weakness! 1 will confront y my fato liko n man and n Frenchman." [ tude which fur sublimity luts never bccu approched by man and has seldom been surpassed by statues. After a long siicuce lie asked : "Was nothing said about that man's family standing up with him, as an offset to my bulk ? Hut no matter; I would not stoop to uuiko such a suggestion; if he is not noble enough to suggest it himself he is welcome to this advantage, which uo honorable man would take." "At what hour is the engagement to begin ?" "At lialf-past 9." "Very good indeed. Have you scut the fact to the newspapers t" "Sir I If after our long and intimate friendship you can for a moment deem me capable of so base a treachery" "Tut tut! What words are these, my dear friend ? IIuvc I wounded yon ?? Ah, forgivo mo; I am ovurlondiug you with labor. Therefore go ou with the other details, and drop this one from vour list.? The bloody-uiiuded Fourtou will bo sure to nttcud to it. Or I myself?yea, to make certain 1 will drop a uoto to my journalistic friend, M. Noir"? _ "Oh, como to think, you may save y<rflp self the trouble ; that other second has informed M. Noir." "H'm ! I might have known it. It is just like that Fourtou, who always wauts to make a display." \t half-past 0 in the morning the procession approached the field of I'lessis-Piquot in the following order : First cnuio our carriage?nobody in it but M. Gambctta 1?nd myself; then a carriage coutaiuiug M. Fourtou and his second; then a carriage containing two poet orators who did not believe iu God, and these had MS. funeral orations projecting from their breast-pockets; then a carrier containing the head surgeons and their cases of instruments ; then eight privuto carriages coutaiuing consulting surgcous ; then a hack containing the coroner; then the two hearses; thcu a carriage containing the head undertakers; then a train of assistants and mutes on foot; and after these cauic nloddimr through the fiv a loug procession of camp-followers, police and citizens generally. It was a noble turnout, and would have made a fino display if we had had thinner weather. 'I'hn pnlleo nntiwiH fhof. ilia poklia li?.l mnsssd themselves together on tho right and left of the fijld ; they there'oro begged a delay whilo they should put these poor people in a place of safety. The request was granted. Tho police having ordered tho two multitudes to take position behind the duellists, we wcro once more ready.? The weather growing still moro opaque, it was agreed between myself aud the other secoud that before giving the fatal signal wc should each deliver a loud whoop to enable the combatants to ascertain each olh er's whereabouts. I now returned to my priucipal, aud was distressed to observe that he had lost a good deal of his spirit. I tried my best to heartcu him. I said : "Indeed, sir, things arc not as bad as they seem. Considering the character of tho weapons, the limited uumbcr of shots allowed, the generous distance, tho impenetrable solidity of the tog, and tho added fact that ono of the combatants j .1 ?i 1 - - i io uuu-cjcu, iiiu utuur t'ruM-u^uu auu ucnrsighted, it seemes to mo that this couflict need not noccssarily bo fatal. There aro chances that both of you may survive.? Therefore, cheer up; do not be down-hearted." Tho speech had so good an effect that my principal immediately stretched forth his band and said, "? am myself again; give me the weapon." I laid it, all lonely and forlorn, in tho centre of the vast solitude of his palm.? Ifo gazed at it and shuddered. And still mournfully contemplating it, he murmured, iu a broken voice : "Alas ! it is not death I dread, but mutilation." I heartened him onco. more, and with such success that ho presently said, "Let the tradegy begin. Stand at my back , do not desert me in this solemn hour, my friend." I gave liim my promise. I now assisted him to point his pistol toward the spot wbcro I judged his adversary to be standing, and cautioned him to listen well and further guide himself by my fellow-second's whoop. Then 1 propped myself against M. Oambetta's back and raised a rousing "Whoon-oe This was answered f'rnni out the fur distance of the fog. aud 1 immediately shouted; "One?two?three?;fire !" Two little souuds like tpit! rpxt ! broke upou my ear, and in the same instant I was crushed to the earth under a mountain of flesh. Buried as I was, I was still able to catch a faint accent from abovo to this effect : "I die for . . . for . . . perdition tako it, what ts it 1 die for ? . . . Oh, yes?France ! I die that France may live !" The surgeons swarmed around with their probes in their hands and applied thoir microscopes to the whole area of M. Garnbctta's person, with tho happy result of finding nothing in the nnturo of a wound. Then a scene cusucd which was in every way gratifying and inspiriting. ...? f..Uvnu?vio avii u|iiui uuuii utuur s nocks, with floods of proud and happy tears ; that other second embraced uic ; the surgeons, the orators, tho undertakers, the police, everybody embraced, overybody congratulated, everybody cried, and tho whole atmosphere was filled with praise and with joy uuspcakablo. It seemed to mo thcu that I would rather bo the hero of a French duel than a crowned aud sceptred monarch. Intkucui-tijual Tillage.?At our request the following was furnisnhed us by Dr. J. 1*. Stovcus, of Lee Co ., Ga., woll known as a prominent and scientific farmer iu Southwest Georgia. l?t is'ihteSS&lfrg as"* being the first effort wo have heard of to test by experiment the new theory iu our southern climate: "I was very much interested in Sturtcvant's "New Theory of Tillage" and tried an oxperiuicnt with it in my garden, on a plat of ground 105 by 45 feet. 1 broke up the ground with a turning plough; manured iu the drill uuifirmly over the plat with cotton seed compost, and then planted corn at intervals of three feet. The first working was done by siding with a long nar? row scooter, aud breaking out the middles With a six inch round shown! *\lnti.rh t .... ?. then selected three contiguous rows 1'or testing the after culture, which, at the sccoud ploughing, was done with the round shovel, ruuuing near enough to the coru to throw the dirt to the stalks. The remainder of tho plat I ploughed out with the sweep.? Just wheu the coru was ''bunching" to tassel, I gave tho whole plat tho third working prccisuly similar to the preceding, and runuiug near enough to throw the dirt up to the stalks of the experimental rows." The plat received no further tillage, and when tho cars of corn wcro fulfy matured, 1 counted those upon the rows that received the deep culturu, and each row yielded teu cars more thau cither of the three adjaccut rows that received the superficial culture ; and there was no apparcut difference between tho size and perfection of the ears of corn. I will remark that when the coru received tho last ploughing we had had no rain for ten days, and not uutil ten days thereafter, yet there was apparently no wilting of the leaves upon tho rows that received the deep culture. I had auothcr I)lnt nf with which 1 had commonccd a similar experiment, but personal illness compelled me to leave home for the remainder or the summer, and the experiment was not completed by uiy agent in charge of my business. It is my purposo to test the experiment upon a more extended scale the present yftar, although of course, without iucurriug any material risk.?J. 1\ Stevens, in Southern Cultivator. Breeds of 1'ouury for tub .South. ?i am otton asked the question, " What breed of fowls do I recommend ?" Boforc I can answer this question' I am compelled to ask auother. "Do you desire a fowl for eggs or for table use " Ther arc some breeds that arc classed as non-sitters. As they seldom manifest any desire to become mothers, no tiuio is )ost in egg-production; and hence, during the year, they lay many moro eggs thau those breeds that are all tho time getting broody and want tosit. As great layers, the Brown Leghorns stand at the head of tho list.? They lay a white egg of over moderate size, but not as large as tho Black Spanish, while tho Black Spanish chicks are very difficult to raise; tho Brown leghorus arc hardier and grow more rapidly. They are larger bodied than the Ilamburgs, and their eggs will weigh more to tho dozcu. Their party-colored plumage, beautiful combs, and proud carriage, make thorn particularly attractive. For a tabic fowl wo need something larger than the Leghorns. We need size and compactness of body; and ouo that will take on fat easily. Theso qualities wo find in the l'artridgo Cochin. For size of body and eggs, the Bruhuias head tho list. The chicks of these breeds nro hardy and very easily raised. They are good sitters and excellent mothers. Thj Plymouth llocks arc an oxccllcnt fowl both for eggs and table use. They are not as large bodied as the Partridge Cochins, nor either the l>a?k or Light Brnhmas, but thoy dress well, have yellow skin, flesh tender and juicy. Any of tho abovo breeds arc well suited to our southern country. It is timo our farmers were waking up to tho full appreciation of the value ofgood poultry, howls well kept, and properly attended to, pay as well, if not better, than any othor farm , stock, in proportion to tho money inves ted.?J. P. H. BltOWN, in Southern Cultivator When the train conveyiny GeneraJ,SJ>erman to the South stoppedat Kettle Hollow, Montgomery County, Virginia, Tecumseh walked out to view the sterile aspect of tha country. Seeing an old resident standing near, the Geueral inquired : "What do they raiso in this country, anyhow V* The aforesaid Kottle Hollow man replied : "They raiso h?II here about as quick as any place you ever saw." The general tucked his feathers and sought refuge in the car instanter. vuKiunt. or riSA IN SOUTH CAROLINA. It is well known that for many yours the | tea plaut has bccu grown in the South.? The plants flourish luxuriously in uiost parts of the Carolines, aud iu Georgia and Louisiana. Occasionally the leaves were picked aud dried for use, but the process was tedious and the tea strong and rank.? Last yoar, however, a quantity of leaves of the tea plant grown iu Georgetown, S. C., were sent to importers of tea iu Baltimore, aud by a member of the firm were made iutoexcclicut merchantable tea. Mr. Gillct Gill, of the firm of Martin Gillet & Co., superintended the drying, and was so encouraged by the rcsul^^' the experiment that he is now trnvollioPuirough the South | with a view to disseminating information relative to the cultivation of tea, and to . ascertaining what arc the capabilities of the . most favored localities. Mr. G ill had charge . of a tea factory in Japan, and is familiar | with the whole process of growing the plaut, ( picking the leaves and preparing them for market. He has ulrcady visited Charlotte, | Columbia, Augusta and lower Georgia, and , arrived in Charleston yesterday ou his way , to Georgetown. i There is 110 doubt that tlio tea plant will , grow well throughout South Carolina, and j belter in this Stale than in Georgia. The , plant is not iujured by ordinary cold weather, | bearing without daugcr temperature as low , as 2 deg.Fahrenheit. Such cold is au | auvantagc to the plant as it checks the j rapidity of development. It noeds no spo- | cial care, but Mr il ill finds that (he plaut < usually is not trimmed closely enough.? , The leaves used l'or uiakiug tea are only j oue or two and sometimes three leaves on | the extreme end cf each limb or branch, and . the object oi'thecultivalor, therefore, should , be to keep the plant down so as to multiply i the number of branches. This, also, rcii- ? dcrs the leaves easier to pick. The plant , can be raised form cuttings or form seed, } and requires no particular nursing. Plants { in hot-houses, free from the inllncnccs of ( frost, do uot bear as well as plants iu the , open air. I The common belief is that the manufnc- , turc of tea is atteuded with peculiar ditticulties. This is a mistake. The different , grades ol tea made in Chiua come from the | same plant. They are, iu fact, the same tea grown in this country should have the 1 same appearance as (Jhiucso tea. The | American tea isas fragrant and invigorating, , and, as avowedly American tea, will bring j ? --- -? - ' ? "? ?o iu?ii u |iucu us nit* mucin, luuncsc. or Japanese variety. Mr. Gill is confident that the c iriug and preparation can be done j with machinery of simple construction as | thoroughly and more cheaply than by hand. 1 The purpose is to form a company, itrtimc, j for the manufacture of tea, similar to the i companies established iu India, which pay i their stockholders dividends of 18 and 20 t percent. Our understanding is that Gillett ( & Co. will purchase, at tho rate of one dol- < lar a pound, such Carolina leaves as may i be properly picked and forwarded to them ] | for manufacture. I We shall await with much interest the I formal report to be made by Mr. Gill upon j his return, and it is to be hoped that, in ! the meantime, they who are now growing i tea plants will coulinuc their cultivation.? There is far less difficulty in making tea than in growing and preparing jute, and we see uo reason why Carolina tea should not soon be as well and favorably known as our famous long cotton.?Xeics and Courier. Set Up Youit l>.ut at Home.?The following excellent suggestion it; from a temperance lecture delivered iu Maysvillc, Ky., but it will answer equally well for Charleston : "Barkeepers in this city pay, on an averngo, $2 per gallon for whiskey, oue gallon contains au averngo of sixty-fivo drinks, and at ten cents a drink the noor nan nnw r-? I?J 80 50 per gallon for his whiskey. In other words he pays 82 for tho whiskey and $-1 50 to a man for handing it over tho bar. , Make your wife your barkeeper. Lend hor two dollars to buy a gallon of whiskey for a beginning and every time you want a drink go to her and pay ten cents for it.? , By the time you have drank a gallon she , will have 30 50, or enough money to refund , tho 82 borowed of you, to pay for another ( gallou of liquor and have a balance of 82 50. She will bo ablo to couduct future operations on her own capital, and when you become an inebriate, unable to support yourself, shunned and despised by all rospcctnble persons, your wife will have enough money to keep you until you get ready to fill a drunkard's grave." A lady taking tea at a small company, being very fond of hot rolls' was asked to havo another, "lleally, I cannot," she modestly replied ; *'I don't know how many I have eaten already." "/ do," unexpectedly cried a juvenile upstart whose mother had allowed him a sjat at tho table. "You'vo eaten eight; I've been counting." A Kentucky paper remarks that tho look of intelligence assumed by tho young lawyer as he sits in court should bo put a stop to. It is calculated to cause tho presiding judgo to loso confidence in himself, to make him helicvo ho doesn't know anything. A Widow Successfully Tracing Her Stolen Child.?A romance in real life, stranger than any fiction, lias roccutly had its dcnoucmcut, 0110 of the parties most interested being a resident of this city. This is a widow lady, whose name wo aro not at liberty to make publie for the present, who has recently discovered the wlicroabouts of a long-lost daughter, stolen froui her twenty-seven years ago, when an infant. The lady, though a resident of Springfield for some years past, is a native of lJartlprd, Conn., aud went witli her husband, after her marriage, to Western New York, which was then a good deal of a wilderness as compared with its condition now. Her first child, a girl, was born there, and sho was ou her way to join her liusbaud, after a temporary separation, when the infant was stolen from her during a long stage journey, and she has never seen the child since, though, as noted above, she has recently discovered that she is alive and living in Wisconsin, where sho is married and has lliroo children. The auguish ot the mother at losing her first-born child can be conceived but not described. A long fit of sickness followed, aud after her recovery all possible search was made for tho missing babe, but without success. But tlio mother never gave up hope of hearing of l?- ,.l;li o.,.i * ' v ..v.. vu>>v>, uuu uilvi twenty-seven years nau elapsed her l'aith and patience have at last becu rewarded. It seems she always suspected a man who carried her somo fifteen miles by private convevanco to meet the stage, when on her way to join her husband, >f stealing the child, with the intention of idopting it as his own. She now knows :hat he was the abductor. Ho gave it to hi accomplice, who took it some fifty miles across the border, into Pennsylvania, [vhcrc it was placed in a family, with a ?uui of money sufficient to provide for its vnuts for some tiuio. His evident intention ivas to reclaim the child when he could do ;o without suspicion. Hut the time never ;amc when he dared to do it, and the little ?irl grew up as the adopted child of the family, finally married the younger brothor jf the master of the house, aud removed to Wisconsiu, where the family is prosperous aud happy. Couunuuicatiou has been established for some months now between the mother aud daughter, and photographs cx.l ?v, ?1 -? ? the relationship, if any had existed before. They propose to have a meeting soon near the scene of their tragic parting more than a quarter of a century ago. What a meeting it will be !?Sjirinrjfichl (Mass.,) Union* Silver Will Ho for Him.?A Washington dispatch to a Chicago paper souio time ago stated that " Treasurer Gilfillan ins attempted to make Secretary Sherman's plan more successful by sending a great lumber of circulars to private individuals is well as to banking institutions, uotifying heui that silver in amounts of from 81,JUO to 810,000 will be sent free to any adIrcss." Sonic of the Western people have jotgouc dcyond what was said in the dispatch and grasped what was nicaut to havobeen said. As witnes? the following extract from a letter just received by tho trcusurcr from an Illinois back woodsmau : "I have iccu tho plan of Secretary Sherman, algo< tho plan of yours. Now I am a deserving poor man, with a large family and uo mouey ; and you say that you will send free to any address from 81,000 to 810,000.? I will take any amount from the lowest figure uauicd up to the 810,000, and will make good use of it. I thiuk if you want to give it away, give it to the deserving poor. I would, indeed, like to be one that gets some of the silver dollars. So let me, and scud as much as possible to a needy poor man, and do a God's blessing. Enclosed you will find the piece cut out of tho paper. My address is," &c. Poisonous Stockinos.?A dyer writes to a Now York paper as follows: So much has been said about dyed stocking poisouj ing, which remarks have been confined entirely to the medical profession, that a few words from a dyer may not be out of place. It does not appear as if any of tho gcntlomcn linve given the matter any really practical test in the way of chemical analysis, simnlv r^lvinc unon mere miesK-werb Af. I ?r f o O '9 ***" tcr many investigations tho writer has concluded that in the cases where bright anuiliue shades are desired, acids (principally sulphuric acid) are used to developo and brighten the colors, and the sintplo cause of so much trouble lies in tho fact that the acids have not becu rinsed out properly. When the stocking aro worn, perspiration releases the acid, which causes irritation of tho skin, and continued wearing naturally causes tho iflamatiou complained of. Again, if tho stockings aro (through an economical notion of the dyer) not properly scoured, they will crack off and color the feet, which, without the aoid, is perfectly harmless. In concluding, I can add this simple cautiou: Always wash thoni in soap and water before wearing. This will neutralize all acids in tho ~ 1 A at-- ? ? ? jraiu uuu icuucr 1110 ODJCCtlOCaDIC colored stockings perfectly sat* to wear. Man wants but little hero below; but wouian wants most everything she sees her neighbor have?excepting her toothbrush and youngest baby.