Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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JDquotqd io Agqiqiiltorii, gorfiqutlurq, gomqsfiq (gqonomg, ^olitiqs, nnd thq Current gfeum of ll?f VOL. XI.?NgWjjffiiES. UNION C. H., SOUTH <'A l{l''-Iffyfifoffi II i? ^imwql?n n t ? v *? j IS IT BETTER THAW BUTTER 1 Congressman Aiken tells us all about Oleomargarine. Washington, D. C., March 29, 1880 To the Editor of the Nicies and Courier : Your editorial of the 26th just provokes an article, not with a disposition to striko back, but to edify upon the manufacture of oleomargarine. The question of the adulteration of food is perhaps a legitimate ono for Congressional legislation, and through that chauucl this article of oleomargarine has been brought before two of the Congressional committees ?manufactures, and agriculture. Wherever manufactured each State requires that every kit coutainiug it shall be plainly marked "Olcouiargarino" beforo being exposed for sale. But no State can by law require tbo manufacturer thus to inarit it when he ships and offers it for sale in another State, ana hence Congressional interference is asked to prevent its shipment across State lines uuless plainly brauded. But to its manufacture. Every one who has sccu the inside of a beef knows that in the region of the heart of a fat beef there is a considerable quautity of fat, and that the "paunch" is enveloped in a thin film, which is known as the caul" fat. From these two sources come the material from which oleomargarine is made, tho simple process of which is as follows : This fat is washed, first iu lukewarm water and then in icy cold water to hardeu it. Then being cut into small pieces it is thrown into a hopper resting over a mammoth sausage cutter, which rocciv js it rapidly, masticates it thoroughly and discharges it into a largo caldron, or scries of caldrons, that are kept at a uniform temperature of about 112 Fahrenheit. This degreo of heat melts the fat and tallow, separates them from each /ifkai* an>l Am?m *1%a AIvmSma 1? j Vfciiva uuu uuui vuu Ulji iUU Ui UbUUl OU1IU matter contaiucd in the caul. The fat is the lightest aud floats above the melted tallow, and is drawn off" by meaus of a syphon into large troughs iu au adjaccut room kept ut a uniform temperature of about 80 degrees, in which temperature the liquid solidifies or becomes crystalizcd into a substance resembling granulated tallow. In this room is a table covered with a frame of moulds about the length aud width aud half the thickness of the old-fashioned brick moulds. In each mould is laid a piece of clean, heavy cloth or duck, and the mould filled with the granulated substance. Wrapped iu this cloth, making a block about the size of a thin brick, each mould is laid upon the follower of a press nearly uutil covered ; then a sheet of galvnuized tin is laid over these, and another layer of oloiJ* AUil tlrnn tin *n?l 04% An itItni*. nating until the pile is about as high us u baloofcottou and two-thirds as long. Steam is applied, aud the pile of blocks is subjected to a pressure of from 1,500 to 1,700 pounds to tho square inch. Each little block is pressed to about a half inch iu thickness, the residue b ing puro atearino, which is packcd(iu hogsheads aud sold chiefly to caudle manufacturers. The pure oil is caught in a gutter that encircles the press, anil carried off by pipes to uuother portion of the building. This oil is as translucent as the white of au egg, and perfectly tasteless, smacking neither of lard nor tallow. In the room to which the oil is taken straud a churn, capable of holding (525 pounds of the mixture of 500 pounds of this oil and 125 pounds of fresh milk. The dasher is vortical with horizontal paddles, and is w dried by steam. In the churn is placed whatever of coloring matter is needed to improve the color of the mixture. The chum stands upon a pedestal about three feet high, and has near its bottom a faucet. After the mixture is churned for ten minutes, lookiug identically like a cask of egg custard, the faucet is opened and a portion of the mixture is flooded into a largo box liu'd with metal, and coutaiuing about two, perhaps three, bushels of crushed ice. As the churn empties its contents into the box, a couple of stalwart un a keep the ice and mixture moving by stirring thorn together with strong flat-lined forks, and by the time tho churn is empty the box is full of a congealed substance exactly liko fresh yellow butter, aud the ice has been entirely absorbed. This box on small wheels is rolled off and emptied into a horizontal trough, through which runs an axlo with flattened toeth pro jccting from it, aud as the axle revolves these teeth press or work all the water out of the substance or mixture ; and from this trough it is taken by hand (its tirst handling) aud thrown upon a large table, backwards and forth, upon which, by means of cog-gearing, runs a heavy iron flanged roller, which works it that much more, and presses all the water out upon the tahle, which being slightly inclined allows the water to run oft'. At this working it is salted, and handled by turning it around and around so as to present every possible atom of it to the pressure of the roller, that it may be deprived of all its water. From this table it is thrown by band into a flue leading to a room below, where it is packed into kegs, boxes aud kits, marked and shipped. When it is sent to Charleston the euphonious name of Oleomargarine is left off j your green grocers .nd ripe-grocers buy it and sell it as butter, and your citizens eat it and eni >y it as (;gilt edged Goshen." I asked the president of the company lolinro vvfin liio hevt mirkel lie ronlied ",,w,w ",,v 'W w", ? ' ' i ' "the Southern cities, especially New Orloans." After the connnitteos had spent near two hours examining tliia manufactory and were talking of returning to Washington from Baltimore, where the factory described is located, the company insisted we should dine with them. The invitation was accepted, and as we sat down to dinner the ho-t announced that lie had by order of the com pany procured a few pounds of the best butter from the best eroamery in Delaware and as many pounds of the oleomargarine aud placed them iu cakes promiscuously upon the table. Withiu reach, to my right upon the table, was a round cake of beautiful butter. On my left sat a Northwosterc frieud who comes from a laud better than Gosheu, and within his reach to the left was a squaro cake of as beautiful, and perhaps somewhat darker colored butter. Whilo diuiug we enjoyed butter from both plates and pronouueed them both "gilt edged." Presently my Aldcrncy friend said, "Aiken, one of theso cakes is oleomargarine, ami I can prove it to you." Taking a little from the round cake and spreading it upou his brend, he remarked, "Now don't you sec that (his is butter? sec how beautifully smooth it spreads ?" Then taking as much from the square cako aud sprcadiug it, ho taiiL, "Don't you sco how Tatty aud globulous the surface looks? I am suro that is uot butter." Whcu we had dined the landlord was asked how ho distinguished tho cakes?? Said ho, "the square cakes are butter, and the round cakes are from tho factory and arc oleomargarine." Tho president of this company said be would defy the most delicate palate or most experienced eye to distingush his "hutteriuc" from the best dairy butter, uuless when subjected to melting heat, in which case butter would gradually soften, but in hottest weather retain some consistency.? Oleomargarine will melt if exposed to this heat aud run into oil. But ho averred that they had eipcrimented with it in every possible way iu comparison with butter of the purest quality, both ou laud and on sea, and AL^I 1 1' iiiuuu uiui uuucr oruiuary icmperaiurc sudjcct to any exposure the oleomargarine will keep sweet aud fresh where butter will become rancid. The manufactory iu Baltimore is the smallest in the United States, aud its daily product for eight mouths in the year averages thirty-five hundred pounds. It is not manufactured during the hot summer mouths. There are manufactures iu manufactures iu Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Pittsburg, Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville aud St. Louis, and the aggregated daily product reaches nearly half a million pounds. The greater portion of it is shipped abroad, aud chiefly to Berlin, Amsterdam aud other German towns, and Liverpool, and the supply has not equalled the demad iu auy of those cities. On my return from Baltimore I bought a cake of oleomargarine and had it subjected to the microscope aud analyzed at the Agricultural department. Tho microscopic examination made it appear very unlik s it contained S3 per cent, of fatty matter, 8 per cent, of water, 2 per cent, of salt, and 2 per cent, of animal matter. Of tho 88 per cent, of fatty matter 1)5 per cent, was butter. So it only lacked 5 per cent, of being the genuine article at the worst. One of the committee expressed it, when lie facetiously remarked, "I understand it all; we are living iu a progressive age, und the inventions of the day have enabled us in this iustance to 'go behind the returns,' we have gone to the fountaiu head, and by a mechanical operation produced from the same source iu an hour the identical substance that nature would have consumed twenty-four hours in produciug through the slow operations of lactification, if I cau coin a word, milking aud churning." So much for the manufacture and consumption of oleomargarine. V'ery respectfully, D YV V A TT A T U V M Bili< Ari? on the Press.?Your paper is a great comfort, to me ; iu every number I find something to put away iu mind and memory ; something that I did not know before, and which will bo of advantage to me iu time to come, if a man cau read he can get a good education b}' taking one good paper ; ho can keep up with the world, and make himself an entertaining member of society; lie can talk up a little on most any subject. Book learning is a very gocd thing, but I kuow a man who has a power of that, hut he never reads the papers, and he passes for a lool in his nahorhood.? Some papers arc not much account to appearauccs, but I never took one that didn't pay tne in some way a good deal more than I paid it. One time au old friend started a little paper away down in Southwestern (Georgia and sent it to mc,and 1 subscribed just to oncouragc liini, and so after a while it published a notice that an administrator had au order to sell several lots of land at public outcry, and one of the lots was in my county. So I inquired about the lot, and wrote down to my friend to attend the sale, and run it to fifty dollars, lie did so, and bid off the lot for me at thirty dollars, and I sold it in a month to the man it joined for a hundred, and so 1 made sixty-eight dollars clear by taking that paper. My father told me that when he was a young uian he saw a notice iti a paper that a school teacher was wanted away off in a distant county, and he went down there and got the situation, and a little girl was sent to him, and after a while she grew up mighty sweet and pretty, and he fell in love with her and married her. Now, if ho hadn't took that paper, what do you reckon would have become of me ? Wouldn't I be some other feilor, or maybe not be at all ??Dixie Farmer . ... It,,.,- ri? , ...a A.... ...Jw. i " wi<i n u iv/ioq. u v uiiu >? iiv proposes to grow Kentucky Blue (jrass, should first sow the land in cow peas, heavily. Then, in October, cut down and remove the peavines, and put in the llluc grass, at least two bushels of seed to the acre.? The peas will shade the land and destrov the weeds effectually. We hive proof el this by a tu.l experiment. MR. DODGE'S SUCCESS. . Our Sou'hern fellow-citizens oro accustomed to assert that the colored man has two glaring faults?that he will not work, and his presence casts such n blight upon chickens that no while uiau can profitably engage in raising poultry in tlio Southern States. Mr. James C. Dodge, who recently emigrated from Natick, Mass., to Laurel vilie. Ala., has signally refuted the popular Southern estimate of tho colored man, and has succeeded not only in keeping chickens, but inducing thirty-four colored men to work for him without wages. Mr. Dodge arrived at Laurclvillc lust Spring with tho iutcution of cultivating a farm. Tho local white population received hiui courteously and wished him every sue cess, hut they warned him that he could not iuducc a single colored man to work on his farm except at preposterous wages.? When lie casually .intfialnonj ilm of chickens, they assured hiir that thero was an African church within a mile of his newly purchased farm, and that ho might as well try to kcop icicles in a hothouso as to raiso chickens in such a neighborhood. Mr. Dodge was a stubboru man, and, withal, an ingenious oue. He determined to prove to the Laurelviilcans that he could do precisely what they said ho could not do. Accordingly, he offered to bet with Judge Slemons that ho would cultivate his new farm with colored labor, aud that he i would raise chickens without losing a single one by colored larceny. The bet was takcu, and Mr. Dodge went to his farm audbegau operations. IlfSL .? - *1 A *? ? * >> iiu me aiu 01 mo Jjaureivuio carpenter, Mr. Dodge built a magnificent chickenhouse, with accommodations for five hun- i drcd feathered guests. The wiudows were made so small that not even a consumptive colored boy could pass through them, and the door was of unprecedented thickness i and strength. In ouo side of tho chicken- i house Mr. Dodge required the carpehters I to leave a round hole of about two feet in < diameter, for a purpose which he declined i to explain. Much pity was felt for him by i his neighbors, on the grouud that he was i wasting his money in a vain attempt to Strug- ] gle against the chicken-stealing genius of the colored people; but Mr. Dodge"guessed" ( lie was all right, and "cnlc'latcd" that his I chickens wouldn't be stolen to any great i extent. When the carpenters had fiuished ] their work and had gono home, Mr. Dodge i unpacked a large bundle which he had re- t coived from the North, and after dark ho 1 filled his chicken-house with three hundred 1 chickens, and locking it securely, went to j bed. ? About 11 o'clock that night a leading i citizen of chickcu proclivities made his way < into tho chicken house through the hole 1 ?a i u ? uA . quietly at the folly of Mr. Doage in locking ] the door, and at the saino tirno forgetting ] to close the hole in the Bide of the chicken- ] house. When he had selected a dozen of the largest chickens, he undertook to creep < stealthily out of the hole, hut found his I ogress impeded by a series of sharp and pro- 1 jectiug spikes, lie then realized that he had been caught iu a trap of the same general nature as that pleasiug variety of mousetrap into which the mouse rcudily enters through a wire-lined passage, the poiuted ends of which prevent him Iroui escaping. The leading colored citizen's estimate of white intellect underwent a sudden change, and he sat down gloomily iu the corner of the chickcu-house to iuvont some plausible tale which would accouut for his presence when the inevitable moment of discovery should come. IJalf an hour later the minister of the colored church entered the chicken-house, and was warmly greeted by his predecessor, who was begiuning to feel very lonesome. From midnight until dawn the arrivals were almost incessant. The fact that three hundred chickeus were in Mr. Dodge's chickcnhouse was kuowu in every colored cabin within a radius of two miles, and the oppressed race had risen as one man and resolved to have those chickens. At halfpast three there was standing room only in the chicken-house, aud gentbmen arriving after that hour were compelled to return home disappointed. After a comfortable breakfast, Mr. Dodge took his shot-guu and the key of the chickcuhouse, and proceeded to ascertain what luck his trap hud brought him during the night. To his great pleasure, he found thirty-four able-bodied colored men in the chicken house, and, after the most careful investigation, lie ascertained that not a chicken was missing, lie put no unpleasant questions to the colored uicn^whoin he had caught, as to why they had crowded into his chickenhouse, but lie merely informed them that he supposed they had como to assist him in planting, and that lie was greatly obliged to them for their kind assistanco. At noon Judge Siemens and a dozen while Laurclvilleans arrived at the farm, and gazed with amazement at the spectacle of thirty-four colored men working energetically in thclield. When the Judgo was convinced that no chickens had been stolen during tho night lie frankly admitted (hat ho had lost his bet. Since that day Mr. Dodge has never lost a chicken. He has, however, only caught a few sporadic colored men, and has thus been obliged to hire most of his labor.? Nevertheless, he has successfully refuted the assertion that no white man can keep chickens in Alabama, and has on at least one occasion induced thirty-four colored innn fn U'.,rL Inr liini wit limit niv Wl.nl hnr I ...w.-uu. jr.v. his plan would be permanently successful if tried in other parts of the South is, of course, uncortuin ; but there is certainly good reason to suppose that it would greatly increase the security of chicken property-? , N. V. Times. ?? ? "T sot me down in thought profound this maxim wise I drew : It's easier to pay a man, thins lunik a man pay yu." I SLEEP? io Collins, a fif. ( Jr. William Colunty farmer who Millersburg oo j is puzzling the u irkablo example j, philosophy as h* bis young lady ,, birth, and on . ras confined to . ), superinduced 10 delicate nerr- ^ nsitive, indeed, Tl aud legs that s< d upon tlio af- m Team with paio. 8t Us Mills, who to daut since she sc lTHhasT^o^ bi appetite. On one or two occasions einee ce her first illucss there has been a relaxation qi of nerve pain and her liuibs and back have ea so far resumed their normal condition that i8 she has been allowed to leave her bod aud pi hobble about the house on crutches. About six weeks ago Dr. Eads noticed a gt strange phenomena in connection with the U{ disease, and called in the assistance of Dr. 8U Kenney of Paris- At frequeut intervals, th sometimes in the morning, but oftcncr in the early eveniug, Miss Collins appears to . fall into a somnambulistic condition, marked ^ by a complete physical and mental metamorphosis. These chaugcs from one condi- ** tion to anothor are very sudden. The girl 1 turns on her right sido, doubles her right tcl arm under her head and closes her eyes.? cv ilcr breathing is labored and spasmodic, a low moaning is heard, tho muscles ubovc mi her eyes twitch convulsively and the corn- Ju era of her mouth are drawn up. In this no abnormal state the sensitive nerves appear to become anaesthetized. A brisk rubbing wi ef the parts affected causes her no pain, aud tin ?ho has several times leaped froui her bed wo and walked about tho house, socmingly of without pain. Normally she is unable to no put her feet to the floor. - ji, The strangest phase of tho disorder, how- fW, ever, is the complete mental change which an Lakes place. She appears to change her i,0 dentity, and becomes in reality another t0( person. Normally she is a very modest, no morbidly shy, and retiring young lady, in;elligcnt beyond her years, choice iu her of anguage, of n deep reflectivo mind, and bnd of reading the higher class of prose 3 ' ind pootry. While in a somnauibulistio un itatc tier mind and manucrboth uudergo n adicul eliacgo. She acts like a child four or >r five years of ago, talks with an infantile a ^ isp, is erratic, reads nursery rhymes with mc ,aiiJ ?g hn** nnnthnr 'ca person, Sue calls IJr. EutJTTvtfa \nttr Her pa aud ma whilo in this state, aud her real on parents, grandpa aud grandma. wo Auothcr coudition of miud occasionally an Jevelops itself. She will sometimes call ho for her books and slate and proceed to btudy pa licr lessons, do difficult sums iu arithmetic, iu write letters to relatives, &c., all with her roi ayes closed eutirely. Sho reccutly wrote a sit letter of four pages to a relative and on reading it over, corrected several misspelled ms words. She is proficient iu the art of lace or making, aud mauages her needle as deftly j)U in the somnambulistic state as wheu in her an normal condition. Wbcu aroused, she is tiE always laughiog, and before waking has cj, frequeut romps with those near her bedside. tj1( She has no memory of her actions iu the ea somnambulistic state. Normally she writes tJl with her right liuutl, but when in a soni- 8ft nambulistic state vriles with her left baud altogether, and in either state peus a Guc. ^ but very different handwriting. Dr. Kenney | made a careful examination of her while in the state of somnambulism and is convinced Bt that her eyes arc really closed. lie has nr never come across a similar case iu his prac- (lc ticc and A-nows of no analogous case laid nc down iu the medical books. A representative of the Bulletin paid a tc visit to Miss Collins last Saturday, and is willing to be qualified regarding the truth 8U of this statement. Numerous tests were uiade to discover whether there was any lo decoption about her apparent souinambul- in ism. A book was hold in such a position d< that it would have been impossible for her ca to see it had her eyes been wide open. A page was selected at random ; without hes- ro itution she read it correctly, and described af a woodcut illustrating the story. A news- Bt paper article was read in iho same manner. Several articles were scattered about on the at bed within her reach, but so situated that 0L sho coui 1 not see them. When asked to 8ll doscribo them she did so instantly, picked up several when requested to do so, never 0J hesitating or making a mistake. Sho sue- ^ cessfully solved one of the combinations of the "13?1-i?15" puzzle, moving the numbcred blocks to their correct positions al- 0 though she could not even see the board. She .vrotc n letter to a young lady friend, holding the pen in her left hand. Kvery w letter was perfectly formed, and tho words " followed the ruled lines. Although this account appoars a littlo sensational it is nov- bl crthelcss true in every respect and not half d of her strange freaks have been described. .Miss Collins bears an excellent reputation c for truth, is a pretty, intelligent and lady- p like little girl, and is innocent of any attcmpc b at deception.?May?v!Uc (ICy.^) Bulletin. p Don't let us be afraid of enthusiasm.? There is more lack of heart than of brain, a Tho world Is not starving for need of edu- u cation half as much as for warm, earnest t, interest of soul for soul. Wo agreo wi'.h t( tho Indian who, when tnlkcd to about hav- r ing too much zeal, said: l'I think it is ,] better for the pot to boil over than to not ^ boil at all."?Cungrcgationalut. t A mule's head does not contain a brain ca- ' pablc of culture and refined renting, but it f is wonderful to what an extent the other , end of him can be reared. 3 SYNOPSIS OF THE BOAD LAW Compiled for the Uee of (he Superintendent! an< Overteers of the Roads. Each township in the county is a highwaj istrict, and under the supervision of a Super stendeutof Highways, appointed by the Coun y Commissioners. The Superintendent holui is office one year, subject to removal for cause (e has the general supervision of tho roads and ridges in bis district, and must report in writig once every three months to the County ommissioncrs their condition. He must diidc the highways in his district into suitable Mil ions of not less than two nor more than five illcs each, and appoint an overseer for ench ic'-ion. He shall also divide the hands liable the road duly in his highway district into |uals and assign an overseer to each squad.? H fur A? npflnlitMthln llin Imn.lo ? -* ? .V..V.V ??iv Hitiiuo outii UV noi^llCU their nearest road. Overseers to call out (he idges repaired, whenever he shall deem it neeissary, detcrmioing the number of days retired for each working, and the kind of tool ,oh hand shall bring. The repairs on bridges such necessary repairs as the hands can do to cserve them, or keep them in order. For neglect of any of the above duties the iperintendent is guilty of a misdemeanor, and >on conviction in a Trial Justice Court he is bject to a fine of not less than ten nor more an fifty dollars. The Overseers, when appointed by iho Supcrtendent, shall take charge of the squad of ,nds to which ho is assigned, appoint a warner, >rk the road under the orders and direction of a Superintendent. lie shall report all dcfnulrs to a Trial Justice for trial, and furnish the idence of such default. For neglect of his duties, he is guilty of a sdcmcanor, and upon conviction before a Trial stico is subject to a fino of not less than five r more than ten dollars. The warner, when furnished by Iho Overseer th a list of the hands, and apprised of the oe and place of working, shall prococd to irn the hands by giving them personal notice the time and place of working, or a written tice left at the residence, with some one of tcretion. The hands raustdiave not less thau live hours notice of time and place of working, d the kind of tool they shall bring. All ablediod male citizens between the ages of seven:u and fifty years are liable to road duty, for t more than twelve days in each year. The hands when warned of tho time and place working, and the kind of tool to be furnished, nil repair to the place and p.'oceod to work dcr the direction of the Overseer In charge, ly refusal or neglect to work (without justice excuso) subjects him, upon conviction before rrial Justice, to a fine of not less than five nor ire than ten dollars, or imprisonment of not s than five nor more than twenty days. e dollar per day for each day of working, by irking one day himself and furnishing a horse d plow or cart two days, a wagon and two rues, mules or oxen three days. All tines id for neglect of working, and commutation money paid, shall bo expended upon the ads in the district in which the parties role. The Overseers have authority to cut down and ike use of any timber, wood, earth or stone in near any road, bridge or cause-way for the rpose of repairing the same, but not to cut y trees reserved by the owners of the land for nber, or planted for shade, fruit or ornament, her in the field, around the spring, or about e dwelling house or appurtenances, or take rth or stone from enclosed grounds, without e owner's consent. In all cases compcution for timber cut and used shall be made tho owner thereof, if demanded by him.? ay person who shall hinder, forbid or oppose e Overseer in working the roads, or shall obruct the same with gates, fences, ditches or iv other obstruction, shall be zuiltv of a mis uncanor, and upon convictiou shall bo fined >t less than five nor more than ten dollars. Whenever any highway is suddenly obstrucd, by storm or otherwise, the Overseer having o charge thereof shall immediately summon ilficicnt force to open and repair the same. If the time required for this work shall bt nger than the hands are liable for road duly that year they shall be entitled to be paid one >llar per day for the excess, upon the certifr ,te of tho Overseer. If in the case of a sudden obstruction of the ad tho Overseer fail for more than one day, ter being notified of the same, to have '.he obruction removed and open and repair the road, !> shall bo subject to a fine of fifteen dollars, id if any hand fail, rcfuso or neglect to turn it and assist in removing tho obstructions he tall be subject to a fine of three dollars?such ies to be collected before a Trial Justice, and ipended upon the road in the district in which le parties reside. In case of removal from one county to an ,hcr, or from one highway district to another, le hand is entitled to credit for the number o ays he may have worked in the county or high ay district from which he had removed duriiq lit year. The residence of a person with a family shal o held to he where his family reside ; the resi ence of any other person, where he boards. School Trustees and Township Assessors ar xompt from road duty ; also any person no hysically able to do manual labor, the same ti o evidenced by a certificate of some practicin| hysician. A Labor Yirld ok Wiikat.?A short tirm go Gen. John Gibbon, of St. paul, Minn., inad< lie assertion that 100 bushels of wheat lia< eon raised on an acre of ground in the Tcrri Dry of Montana. Tlio statement having beei eccivcd with incredulity, he wrote to tho l'rcsi lent of the First National Hank in Helena fo roof. In reply lie received the certificate c he President and Secretary of the Tcrritorin 'air Association Ihnt one James L. Hay, of Lewi ind Clark County, was awarded first premim or the best acre of wheat, being lO'J bushels t he acre. This is believed to be the large; field of wheat on record. DEFERRED HEWS ITEMS. i Ex-Empress Eugenie end suite embarked on the 25th ultimo, for 8outh Africa to visit the r scene of the Prince Imperial's death. The Legislature of Mississippi has passed an j act imposing an annual tax of three dollars each upon all bachelors in that State who are over | the age of 25 years. It is to be presumed the otyect of the law is to encourage matrimony and to raise a revenue at the same lime. A Nkw Yobk Papkr Advances its Scnscair1 tion.?New York, April 1.?The Journal of Comntrec announces that in conscqueuco of the large advance in the price of printing paper and the increased cost of every department of news-gathering and publication it will return to its former rates.of subscription?$16 per annum. The previous rates were $12. mmt '*i his counsel was ending his defense (he prisoner rose, trembling in every limb, perspiration pouring off him, and he screamed in agony :? "I see nothing. All is darkness 1 I'm blind i I'm blind 1" There was great ezoitement.? The presiding Judge ordered a physician to examine the prisoner. He was found to be blind. A Batti.k With Mkxicaks.?Chicago, April 1.?A special from San Antonio, Texas, says that news comes froui Fort Elwell, Lasalle County, that a detachment of Hall's State troops had a fight on Monday morning at Crary and Case's ranche with Mexican desperadoes. The rangers attempted to arrest an offender and were attacked. .Thirty shots were exchanged. Two Mexicans were killed or wounded. A young man named Peter Johnson, recently from Philaphia, was killed by a stray bullet. Lynchku in Kkntucky.?New York, April 2. ?A special from Winchester, Ky., says : Ben Jnhnson, a young negro, was arrested on Wednesday for an attempt to outrage a rcspectablo young lady, lie had an examining trial yesterday and was held to answer to the circuit court an 1 sent to jail. Ho had caught the bridle of (he young lndy's horse at a lonely placo along the road and made desperato efforts to get her off the horse, but she struck him with her whip and escaped. It was with difficulty that tho negro was taken to jail. About 1 o'clock this morning a crowd of thirty armed men overpowered the guard at the juil and took Johnson, and, after trying in vain to get a confession from him, hung him to a tree in tho jail yard, where his body was found this rooming. Grant in Ohio.?Murat Halstend is putting in his very best work agninst tho third-termers in Ohio. He predicts that Grant would bo swamped in that Stale if nominated, no matter who the Democrats might run. "Tho Germans," "sands 6f 'thfrffl'^flO Wgtvfflfli TlUgnTJ1 'Ktfrtt'O lican will bo found voting for tho Democratic nominee. The cntiro body of Jews aro against Graut in this city, and you know they cast a large vote. I do not believe thcro are a dozen respectnblo Jews in litis city who could bo iuduced to vote for Grunt. With these influences in the Republican ranks agaisut him, what hope could his groomers havo of his winning the race ?" A Richmond Family Inukuits tub Piiksm of Fobtunatus.?A special telegram In yesterday's Commonwealth stated that Kokomo, Indiana, was excited over a fabulous estate in Holland, which is believed to belong in part to citizens .of that country. The story is that tho Kern family of Holland loaned a sum of money to the government, payable in niuety-nine years, and it is now due, making over two hundred millions of dollars. The Kern family came to Penc Bylvania in the years between 1722 and 1770, and heirs arc now scattered all over that State and the West, one branch of which has made ibo discovery, now residing in Kokoino. Mrs. Dr. Isaiah II. White, of this city, was a Miss Kern, a lineal descendant of the family of that name which settled in Pennsylvania. It is ! probable that there are a large number of per1 sons who will bo interested in this big bonnma, but the enormous amount, if they succeed in tecovering it from (lie Dutch government, divided among all, will make each member of the fam1 ily immensely wealthy. The claim Bcoms to rest on a surer foundation than that of the Jennings heirs.?Richmond Commonwealth, March 1 28. A Sai> Occurbrncb.?On last Monday after. | noon a most tragic affair happened on the plantation of Mrs. Frances C. Yongue, who lives in , the Northwestern portion of the County. Some ? timo during tho afternoon, a negro house in i Mrs. Yongue's yard, in which there were two I colored children, caught fire, and before any as, sistauce came the houso, with the children in it, was burned down. It seems that every person had left the premises, and the children being ( very young, about two and four years of age, f respectively, were shut up in tho house for safe . keeping. Mrs. Yongue's son was the first to , arrivo at tho fire, and when he broke the door open one of the children ran out of the house, 1 but fell dead when a few steps from the doer The other child was burned to ucam in ine house, which was so far consumed that its body (, could not be recovered. Mrs. Yongue experi* t enced great difficulty in saving her dwelling Q house, as the burning one was very noar to it. g Such shocking occurrences have been very frequent during the last year, and while they are generally accidental they should teaoh every c one to uso the greatest forethought. Upon no e consideration should childreu of such tender ' years be shut up in a liouso without a larger * person with them, especially when lhere is fire " in llio house.? Wutnsboro Newt and Herald, April 1. r - ? A Cnlifoi man's matrimonial advertised incut winds up as follows : "Fortune no ob8 jocfc, but should require the gal's relations " to deposit one thousand five hundred dol,, lars with me as security forhcr good behavior."