Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, October 16, 1879, Image 1
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lewis m. grist, proprietor, j ^|n |nkpcntaf Jfamilp ftetospper: .for l|t promotion of tjje political, facial, ^jriraltural anb Coutmertial Interests of % Sontjj. TERMS?$2.50 A TEAR, IN ADVANCE,
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A SOUTHERN ROMANCEr
Daring the late war, about the year 1863,
a well-to-do family, consisting of husband,
wife and child, a daughter about four years
of age, settled in Walker county, Ala. They
stated that on account of the operations ot
^ the two armies on the North Carolina coast,
where they resided, they were forced to seek
a home elsewhere, and when they started from
their North Carolina home, Texas was their
destination, but upon reaching Walker coun"
ty, in that State, they found it to be a retired,
peaceable and prosperous community; and
hence they concluded to settle down there.
In addition to the family?Jno. H. Reynolds,
wife and daughter, as already stated?there
~ A *v?sxrkr? t V* Q 1 Q f f QT* XV Q C Q
were sevenu siaves. amuug mw handsome
quadroon young woman, who was
the maid of all work for the family. She
was kindly treated, however, and most of her
time was occupied in caring for Mrs. Reynolds,
who was an invalid.
? After the war closed, Dr. Reynolds conclu^
ded to remain in Walker county, as he had
secured a good farm and was in fair circumstances,
considering the losses entailed upon
Southern men. When Mr. Reynolds lived in
North Carolina one of his warmest and
truest friends was a neighbor by the name of
Henry Horton, who was also a farmer well-todo,
and possessing traits which render neighbors
much attached. The great desire of
Reynolds was to induce his old friend and
neighbor to sell out his possessions in Nortlv
Carolina and remove to Walker county, fo
assume the relations he occupied in former
da vs. Reynolds addressed many warm, gushing
letters to Horton, describing the beauties,
the riches and bright prospects of Walker
county. There was a farm near him that"
would suit Horton exactly, and, if the latter
_ did not have enough money to purchase it,
Reynolds would assist him. Finally Horton
yielded to the importunities of his old friend,
h In niiAnftKfw i'n YnrfK Popnlino unf]
OU1U UUb UIO iu A1U1 vu vvfiv*MUM
with his wife and son removed to Walker
county, where he purchased a farm a short
distance from where Reynolds resided. Being
thus settled down once more as neighbors
and frieuds, things went smoothly and prosperity
smiled upon the two houses. Mark
Horton, the son, and Jessie Reynolds, the
,, daughter, went to school together in the
neighboring village, and as the years wore od
they grew up to manhood ana womanhood
fondly attached to each other, a fact which
* . gave.the greatest satisfaction to Reynolds.
His wife had died about the time the war had
closed, and his daughter, being his only child,
retained all his affection, and he lavished
upon her every luxury that heart could wish.
The quadroon remained with the family,
while the other slaves scattered aqd found
new homes when the close of the war brought
their freedom.
When.the time came for Jessie Reynolds
to quit the village school and finish her education
at college, her father sought an interview
with Mr. Horton, and lost no time in
broaching the subject of the future marriage
of Mark Horton and his daughter. He reminded
the old man of the many years' friendship
that had existed between them, and how
happy he would be to have the son of his
dear friend and neighbor wtd his only daugh
'ter, who had now1* grown into a beautiful
young lady, the belle of the country for miles
around, the envy of all the other young ladies
thereabouts, and the most popular girl to
be found in the country. Mr. Horton liked
Jessie, "and so informed her father. But he,
thought both her and his sou too young just
then to enter into matrimony. He desired his
sou to make a mark iu the world before mar
ryiug. It was tonally agreeu, nowever, mat
Jessie should go to college for a* year, and
Mark should do the same. Upon their return,
should they desire to marry, the parents
would interpose no objections. The
young people were sent to college?one in
Kentucky and one in New Jersey. When
they returned from their collegiate studies,
they became infatuated with each other on
sight. Three months thereafter there was a
wedding at the Reynolds mansion, which
proved to be one of the grandest affairs of
the kind that had ever been witnessed in that
section. The loving pair were made man and
wife under the happiest and most promising
auspices. Each was heir to a comfortable
home and good income. All the neighbors
v thought that this match was the most appropriate
they had known, and everybody
predicted happiness and prosperity to the
newly married pair. The father of Mark
presented him a nice farm, and the father of
Jessie had a splendid residence built for them.
After a brilliant honeymoon, Mark Horton
and his beautiful wife concluded to settle
down on the farm which had been given them,
and Mark determined to adopt farming as his
business. Here all went merry as a marriage
bell. Prosperity smiled upon them, and in
due time a son was born unto them, an event
which was celebrated with great eclat, and
which brought unusual joy to the parents.
In the midst of all thiV happy condition of
things the whole neighborhood was thrown
into a state of utter confusion by the report
that Mark Horton had separated from his
wife, and that he had filed a bill for divorce,
alleging that a fraud had been perpetrated
upon him in the marriage ; that his wife had
negro blood in her veins; that therefore the
marriage was null and void. There were
hundreds of rumors, some ridiculous, many
malicious, and the remainder about as near
the truth as is usual in such cases. The
houses of Reynolds and Horton were in a
flutter, and were closed to all outsiders. The
case has just been decided, and the facts are
substantially as follows : During the early
v. part of May last the quadroon woman, Lucy
Shepherd, heretofore referred to, was taken
quite ill, and when it became apparent that
she could live but a few days, she secretly requested
Dr. Blackman, the physician attend^
iug her, to inform Mark Horton that she had
something of importance to communicate to
him, and desired him to call and see her at
once. Mr. Horton, in response to this request,
called about an hour after the request
was made. The woman begau by telling
him that she had kept a secret locked in
her breast for years, and now that she was
going to die she could no longer remain silent.
She did not wish to go to her grave as the
partner in a great fraud. She then inform
ed Mr. Horton that his wife Jessie was her
daughter, that she was the illegitimate child
of Reynolds, and that the secret which had
- so long been kept was the cause of the death
N of Mr. Reynolds' wife, who grieved herself
into an early grave on accouut of the fraud
which Reynolds was practicing in palming
off Jessie as his legitimate daughter. The
woman informed Mr. Horton that Jessie
knew nothing of these facts; that she was
perfectly innocent and believed herself the
legitimate daughter of Reynolds. She stated
that Jessie was born in Washington, N. C.,
after Reynolds had married, and he notified
his wife that she must adopt the child" as her
own and rear it as such. He threatened
both his wife and the mother of the child
with death should they divulge the facts.
Mrs. Reynolds died broken-hearted after
> years of grief and shame.
Mark Horton, after hearing the story of
the quadroon woman, at once went to Reynolds
and confronted him with the facts. The
latter did not deny the statement of the
woman, but told Horton that he had better
remain silent, as any exposure would bring
shame on both familes. But Horton belonged
to an old-fashioned, highbred family, and
pride was his most striking characteristic.
He notified Reynolds that he would send
Jessie back to him, with their child, and
that he would at once apply for a divbrce.
He then went back to his home, called Jessie
' into a private apartment, and there told her
the story of the quadroon woman, who was
I then dying, as he repeated the words she had
i spoken to him.
The wife was struck with terror and could
not utter a word. She acted for a while as if
she were bereft of her senses. When she became
composed she found herself and child
in her Father's house. She at once became an
object of pity and sympathy. She will see
no one, and passes her time locked in her
room with her child.
This exposure broke up the Horton family,
the old man selling out ana returning 10
North Carolina, and Mark having left a few
days since for California?after the court
had declared the marriage void because of
fraud. Reynolds is eudeavoring to dispose
of his property, intending also to leave the
country. He is blamed by everybody for
the misery he has brought upon his unhappy
daughter and .thp Hortons. .He attempted
to induce his daughter to contest the divorce
suit, but she was not in a condition to appear
in court. The case brought together the
largest crowd ever gathered in Walker county.?
Cincinnati Commercial.
ACCIDENTALLY *IN NOCENT.
lawyer's story.
' No lawyer likes going into court with a
thoroughly bad case?yet how can he help it
sometimes? I should have more patience
with the question, "Do you ever think it right
to defend a man whom you believe to be
guilty ?" were it less frequently asked by people
who spend six days of the week seeking to
get the upper hand of their neighbors, and
the seventh to circumvent their Maker. To
the honest inquirer I'commend the answer
Dr. Johnson once gave to Boswell: "Sir, the
lawyer is not the judge."
Was it my place, when George Gilbert's
little sorrow worn wife, with tears glistening
in her eyes, besought me to do^what I could
for her imprisoned husband, virtuously to
turn my back and leave her tired, struggling
heart to break or not as it might? I was
neither a priest nor a Levite to find a ready
excuse for passing by on the other side!
Yet what could I do ? George Gilbert had
been sent on a collecting tour, and had gambled
away money received for his employ
' Tfr it too o nluirw nooo nf DmKoT'/lpmonf
ClOa JL I >TUO a VUCV VA Viu wuu*vu*wu V|
and the penalty was a term of years in the
State Prison.
"I'm sure he never meant to be dishonest,"
pleaded the loyal little woman; "he was
tempted by a crafty and designing man, but,
instead of running away as others would have
done, he came back and confessed his fault,
offering to. let his whole salary go toward
making up the lost money, till every cenUwas
paid. Mr. Meek, the juniflr partner, was inclined
to be merciful; but Mr. Mangle, the
head of the house, who returned just then,
efter a year's absence, insisted that the law
should take its course."
I gave what poof consolation I* could, for
lawyejs, like doctors, must keep'their patients'
courage up at times.
"In the first place, I'll see Mangle &
Meek," I said. "Mr. Mangle may be brought
to hear reason, after all?it he can be only
made to see his interest in it." .
The pale and despondent face cheered up
little. My words seemed to have inspired
a sort of undefined hope, which I was far
from feeling myself.
Mr. Mangle received me with stony politeness-1.
"Young man," his manner said, "don't
waste time in appeals to sentinfent; you won't,
if you'll just look at me."
1 took the hint and came at once to dusiness;
repeated Gilbert's offer, and put it as
strongly as possible that more was to be
gained by leniency than harshness, all of
which Mr. Mangle listened to with a conscientious
scowl.
"I cannot be a party to compounding a
felony," he answered, with a solemn intonation.
"Nor have I asked you," I replied, a little
nettled. "I have merely mentioned a plan of
paying back your own, leaving it to your own
generosity and good judgment to press or not
press the prosecution."
"0, it's all the same," was the contemptuous
rejoinder; -"anybody but a lawyer, with
his head full of quibs and quibbles, could see
that. Besides, there's something rather cool
in the proposal to retain your friend in our
employ, under the pretence of working out
the money he has stolen, with the opportunity
of filching twice as much money in the meantime."
I felt ray temper rising and not caring to
imperil my client's interest by an outright
quarrel, I took a hasty leave.
Had I been in the prisoner's place on the
morning fixed for the trial, I could not have
ascended the court-house steps with more reluctance
than I did. And when I entered
the court-house, and found Gilbert and wife
already there, and noted the hopeful look
with which the latter greeted my coming, my
heart sickened at the thought of the bitter
disappointment awaiting them.
"The People versus Gilbert!" called out
the judge, after disposiug of some formal
matters.
A jury was immediately impauneled, and
the case opeued by the district attorney.
Mr. Meek was the first witness. The nervous,
hesitating manner in which he gave his
evidence would have greatly damaged its effect,
had it not evidently arisen from a disposition
to do the prisoner as little hurt as possible.
But no softening could break the terrible
force of the- facts he was compelled to relate.
In his partner's absence he had employed
George Gilbert as a clerk; had found him
competent and trustworthy ; had sent him on
i a trip to make collections ; on his return he
had acknowledged that, after receiving a considerable
sura, he was induced by a respectable-looking
gentleman, with whom he had
casually fallen in, to join a social game of
cards. At first they played for amusement,
! then for money ; and, after losing all his own,
j in the hope of retrieving his loss, with the
| fatal infatuation which attends the first infec|
tion of that dreadful vice whose end is swift
j destruction, he had hazarded and lost the last
j dollar of the money he held in trust for his
J employers.
Mr. Meek's voice faltered as he closed his
i narrative. He was going to volunteer something
about the prisoner's previous good character,
when a disapproving glance from Mr.
i Mangle brought him to a halt.
Just then the prisoner chanced to turn his
j head, and, catching sight of the senior partner,
who had just entered and was standing
j among the crowd, he started quickly, then he
j whispered hurriedly in my ear.
"Turn aside your face," I whispered back,
j The case for the prosecution being closed,
J "Have you any witnesses for the defence ?"
inquired the judge.
"I will call Hezekiah Mangle," I replied.
A buzz of surprise greeted the announcement,
in the midst of which Mr. Mangle
stepped forward and was sworn.
" rou have been absent for the past year,
Mr. Mangle ?" I began.
"I have."
"Traveling in different parts?"
"Yes, sir."
"The prisoner was employed by your partner,
in your absence, and was arrested about
the time of your return
"Such was the case."
"Have you ever seen him ?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"Or met him in your travels?"
"If he wilbturn his face this way, I can tell
better."
At my bidding, Gilbert turned aud faced
the witness.
The effect was electrical. Mr. Mangle
turned pale and red by turns.
"One other question, Mr. Mangle. Do you
recognize in the defendant a young man from
whom you won a thousand dollars at 'poker/
while on your, travels ?" and I named the
time and place at which the prisoner had met
his misfortune.
The man of iron virtue hesitated worse
than his amiable partner had done. He was
halting between a point blank lie, which
might entail the penalties of perjury, and the
truth, which would cost him money.
Cowardice performed the office of conscience,
and the truth came out. The firm's
money which George Gilbert had lost, had
been won by the senior partner; and the
court instructed the jury that inasmuch as
the sum in question had actually been delivered
to one of the joint owners, who was
bound to make account to his associates, the
prisoner could not be convicted.
"God bless you, Mr. Parker," faltered the
happy little wife. "I knew you would bring
us out all right."
THE VOLUNTEER SOLDIER'S LIFE.
THE MARCH, THE EXPERIENCE OF BATTLE,
AND THE DISMAL SCENE8 THE DAY
AFTER THE CONFLICT.
The career of a volunteer soldier is an epitome
of life. He rushes to arms with the ardor
of youth, ignorant, but eager and hopeful.
His mind, filled with visions of glory
and stern resolve, ignores the weary march1
by day and watch by night. He sees before
him, or thinks he sees,'a holiday campaign
crowned with victory; and a speedy march
home to the sound of triumphaut music.
Here, as in all other pursuits, the future is
mercifully veiled from view, and the imagination
is allowed to paint it in its own colors.
\\?ere it otherwise, could the unfledged soldier
feel in advance how heavy the knapsack
would become, and how sore the feet, many
would be loth to enlist.
The march in the beginning, even in day,
on good roads, was hard work, but in the mud
and rain, and in the night, it was toilsome in
the extreme. The want of sleep, together
with the frequent halts from the blocking oi
the road in front, threw men into incessant
"cat naps," from which they wgre incessantly
wakened to "move on." Night, under these
circumstances, lengthened out interminably ;
and when at last day broke it disclosed many
and many a straggler far behind the column,
stretched out by the roadside sound asleep.
Wheh these nocturnal movements occurred
in winter, detachments of the sick poured into
the hospitals from every quarter until they
were overflowed. They were as disastrous to
the column as a battle. The march, top, under
a hot August sun, kept up from its rising
to its resting, and often prolonged into the
night, amid plouds of stifling dust and torturing
thirst, must be experienced to be understood.
The uninitiated think the greatest
danger the soldier is exposed to i? on the battle-field
; on the contrary it is the least. The
popular misapprehension is caused by the
consolidated report sent out after an action
of the thousands shot down in a day; but
the decimation from exposure and disease
' thunder away again. He can see the infantry
reach a stone wall, and halt and open fire
from the shelter, or if an impediment be in
the way, he will see them sweep on to the
charge and close with the adversary. Soon,
however, the fight reopens on his own front,
and he sees no more of the battle on his right
or left; his faculties are absorbed in the combat
before him. The wounded, when in
| reach, are carried to the rear as they fall, or
| to convenient sheltered spots in the field,
where the surgeon awaits them, knife iu hand.
Many disabled men receive their death
wound as they are carried off; and where they
lie between two fires and cannot be promptly
reached, even die for want of attention. It
is doubtless a trying position for one to lie for
hours, wounded and helpless, on a field swept
by the enemy's fire; but to lie on debatable
ground, as many a poor fellow has done, and
see the dust puffs raised about him by bullets
from friends and foes, and listen to the his
of crossing missiles, is perhaps the crowning
horror of the war.
The day after the fight, if the enemy is
not pursued, is passed in burying the dead,
in getting up trains ffom the rear, and in
much needed rest. Lost comrades, if the'ac*
tion has taken place in summer, and over a
day has elapsed before their recovery, are
often found past recognition save by their
apparel, and the thinned ranks of the survivors
present a forlorn and doleful appearauce.
New. food for powder pours in from
the recruiting depots to fill tjie gaps; but not
till after a long period of training and experience
does' it fill the places of those who are
gone. Dead animals till the atmosphere with
nauseous vapors, and the troops are moved
out of the tainted air and camped on fresh
ground. Relatives appear to look after the
wounded and to recover the remains of the
dead. While the events are fresh, a detailed
account of their gallant deeds and untimely
fall are given the relatives to treasure in family
tradition.? Gen. Thomas Exoing.
SPINNING COTTOSTEOM THE SEED.
There was a time in the history of the South
when there was no cotton gin; yet women
spun cotton and made cloth. The seeds were
picked out by industrious fingers, and spun
into thread by the same motive power, turning
the old fashioned spinning wheel of one
spindle. The thread was then taken from
the "shuck broach" on the old fashioned "reel"
and "winding blades," made into hanks and
transferred to the old time "warping bars,"
thence to the "beam" and the "slay" and the
"harness" of the old fashioned loom ; and
then our mothers made the cloth to clothe
past generations.
In the course of time, the cotton gin was
invented, and machines also invented which
turned great numbers of spindles in one frame
for spinning lint. The gin superceded finger
picking; and the "mule," or frame ot
many spindles turned by water or steam
power, took the place, very generally, of the
old fashioned spinning wheel.
There are still places in the Southern
States where the needs are picked out by fingers
; and many places, principally among
the mountains, where the old spinning wheel
sings its daily song, accompanied by the beating
of the old hand loom. Thousands of yards
of cotton and woolen cloth are thus annually
manufactured by the industrious women
of the mountains. Their "Jeans" is about
the best sold in the markets.
Our people of the South will remember that
during the four years of civil war the old spinning
wheel and hand loom were re-instated in
nearly every household ; and the women of the
South, thus to a large extent,-made the cloth
that clothed themselves, their children, their
slaves, and their soldier boys.
The above facts should cause us to revert
to first principles in our seeking after the best
method of spinning cotton from the seed, at our
own homes, here in the South. We do not
that slowly swells into tens of thousands, passes
by without notice. But we, who have
closed our shrunken ranks as our comrades
dropped out by the wayside, know it, and.our
surgeons' reports attest it.
The battle-field as a test of endurauce is
overrated. The fatigue is not experienced
until after the fight is over, and comes chiefly
not from the battle itself, but from the toilsome
and broken marches that precede it. If
troops could be brought into action, fresh and
rested, after a good breakfast, we might concentrate
our attention on the battle. But, in
point of fact, they are not so brought on.
The supply trains have often been unavoidably
left far in the rear, the haversacks are
nearly empty, and the night before has been
in part consumed in getting the troops in
place. The excitement of the battle supplies,
for the time, the want of food and rest, so
that the actual discomfort largely precedes
the following fight.
The opening of the battle with artillery at
long range and the bursting of shell is rather
dramatic than dangerous. Cannon balls and
fmcrments of ahpll when thev strike do exe
cutiou, but they comparatively seldom hit the
mark. They are chiefly effective in disturbing
the nerve of advancing columns by their
sound and fury and occasional ghastly work.
The artillery does its real work at closer
range, with grape and canister; and when the
action extends into night, the bursting of a
shower of shells at short range lends to the
scene a peculiarly wicked and vindictive^spirit.
The first heavy loss in battle falls upon
the skirmish line, which, however it may protect
itself by intervening objects, is necessarily
constantly exposed in advancing to a
steady fire at rest. The advance of the skirmishers
is a beautiful and brave sight. It
would be painful to see them go down, had
one time, at such a moment, to indulge in
sympathetic feelings. I remember nothing
more touching than the narrative of a brother
officer, of the sight, as he beheld it, of a
line of skirmishers of the Irish Legion at
Missionary Ridge, perfectly aligned, at regular
intervals, with an officer in the rear of the
centre^ sword in hand?all killed. They
moved into the jaws of death in perfect order,
and offered, as they lay on the field in
the cold gray of that November twilight, a
tribute to discipline and manhood, such as
the world has seldom seen equaled.
When troops come to close quarters and
the battle begins in earnest, no one can see
much more than what occurs in his immediate
front. He can hear, in the pauses of the ac
tion before him, the roar of musketry to his
right and left, rolling far off until it seems
like distant thunder, broken by peals of artillery
that alike grow fainter, as they recede;
he can see, too, at times, advancing lines oi
infantry, with batteries unlimbered in the
rear, hurling overhead, at the enemy, a tempest
of shell to disturb and distract him ; he
can see the artillery suddenly cease fire; limber
up and gallop after their infantry, take
a nearer position, and in a trice unlimber and
insist that our women return to the primitive
mode of making cloth; but we do maintain
that it is better in many cases for them to do so.
Rather than spend their time in idleness, and
the meagre earnings of the male workers of
the family in purchasing imported goods,'
the women are wise who turn the old wheel
and beat the Did hand loom, as many are
doing to day. . But our main object in calling
attention to these firifc principles of thread
and cloth making is to mggest how easy it
is, without the discovery of' any new invention,
to put to work machinery, in every
neighborhood in theSouth, for spinning cotton
from the seed, in small home factories. If
the old spinning wheel, with one spindle, so
long met the wants of the past generations,
why would not a machine with two, six,
twelve, fifty or two hundred spindles, to be
turned by hand, horse, water, or steam power,
be just the thing demanded ? We need
110 invention. Just order or make your
"mule," specifying in advance the number ot
spindles to suit the plan of your factory, from
two spindles upwards. As to separating.the
seed from the lint, the common saw gin invention
is the best possible; and each party
desiring to start a home factory can order
a gin in size and cost proportionate to the
plan of the factory.
We visited and examined the Westminster
narrow gauge cotton factory, in Oconee county,
S. C., where two "mules," of 250 spindles
each, are made to spin forty bunches of yarn,
per day, from the seed. The factory is owned
by three or four adjacent farmers, who have
thus combined to spin their own cotton near
their fields. The factory is located on a small
creek, and the machinery is turned by a
twelve inch turbine wheel. The gin is a small
one like any other gin. The seed cotton is
weighed "and spread overman endless cloth,
moved regularly by rollers, from" which the
seed cotton is dropped into the gin. Instead
of passing into the lint room, the lint is carried,
by means of the "Clement attachment"
from the gin in rolls to the spindles. On the
very same principles a factory of ten or fifty
spindles can be operated. Just order what
you want.
The machinery of the Westminster factory
cost about 82,500; and the whole expense
for houses and everything, about $5,000.
But we are sure that factories can be started
with a capital of a few hundred dollars, on
the principles already at work.?Spartanburg
Herald and State Builder.
WOUNDS IN THE HEART.
Wounds in 1 he heart are commonly supposed
to be instantaneously fatal, but such is
not the case. Indeed, it is not possible, except
by some extreme violence, such as dynamite
explosions, to blot out a liumau life instantly.
Keeper Good's pistol ball went right through
the heart of Barrett, the Sing-Sing convict,
yet he lived four minutes. Portello's knife
cleft the heart of Bolander completely in
twain, in New York, but he did not fall dead
upon the spot. The instinct of self-preservation
remained, and even that horrid wound
had not deprived him of the strength to obey
it. He ran first toward a neighboring drug
store, then turned and ran down Fulton street,
and had reached a point, many feet distant
from where he was stabbed, before he fell and
ovnirort fin fVfYmnell. wlm was stabbed bv
Nichols, at Nyack, New York, though his
heart was actually cut iu two by the stroke,
rau several fteet after the wound was iuflicted.
A puncture of the heart is necessarily fatal,
but the victim is often conscious for two or
three minutes, though generally without much
power of motion or speech, save the first cry
of agony. This shows that the brain can act
even after the heart is destroyed. On the
other hand, the heart continues to exercise its
functions after the brain has ceased all action,
as in case of death from severe blows on the
head. The hearts of criminals, who have
been hanged, generally keep up their pulsations
for twelve or fifteen minutes, although
it is reasonably certain, when the neck is broken,
that they can receive no nervous impulse
from the brain during that time. The continued
working of the organ is attributable
to a residuum of nervous force. In the case
of some animals, this is sufficient to keep the
heart pulsating for hours after it has been
taken out of the body. The common notion
that the heart is a delicate organ is a mistake.
It is, on the contrary, one of the most robust.
Its muscular strength is enormous, and its
tolerance of disease is something marvelous.
Men and women, whose hearts have been diseased
from childhood, sometimes attain a ripe
old age, and many people with heart disease
live for years in almost momentary erpeeta
tion of sudden death, and then die of some
other malady. Only *a few of the many diseases
to which the heart is liable are inevitably
and speedily fatal. Most of them, even
of the organic diseases, are quite compatible
with long life. As to the functional diseases,
or derangement of the heart's action, without
actual lesion, they are devoid of danger,
though their pianifestatious aro commouly
more disquieting than those of serious orgauic
diseases.
ESCAPED THE ROPE.
In a recent case in the Recorder's Court,
Attorney J. W. Donnovan told the following
story, which is, Public Spirit, believes,
quite new. It hails from Texas:
One hot day in July, 1860, a herdsman
was moving his cattle to a new ranche further
north, near Helena, Texas, and passing down
the banksof a stream, his herd became miffed
*? ' -_.xi.xL_i. ?Ux
wiin oiner came mai were gracing iu ujo
valley, and some of them failed to be. separated.
The next day a band of a dozen mounted
Texan Rangers overtook the herdsman
and demanded their cattle which they said
were stolen. . .
It was before the days of law and courthouses
in Texas, and one had better kill five
men than to steal a mule worth five dollars,
and the herdsman knew it. He tried to explain,
but they told him to cut it short. He
offered to turn over all the cattle not his own,
but. they laughed at this proposition, and
hinted that they usually confiscated the whole
herd, and left the thief hanging on a tree as
a warning to others in like cases.
The poor fellow was completely overcome.
They consulted apart a few moments, and
then told him if he had aDy explanation to
make or business to do, they would allow
him ten minutes to do so, and defend himself.
He turned to the rough faces and commenced,
"How many of you have wives?"
Two or three nodded. "How many of you
have children ?" Thay nodded again.
"Then I know who I am talking to, and
you'll hear me." And be continued: "I never
stole any cattle; and I have lived in these
t r
pans over toree years. 1 came iroiu new
Hampshire; I failed there in die fall of '57,
during the panic; I have been saving; I
have lived on hard flare; I have slept out on
the ground ; I have no home here; my family
remain i^ast, lor i go irom piace 10 piace;
the clothes I wear are rough, and I am a
hard looking customer; but this is a hard
country; days seem like months to me, and
months like years; married men, you know
that but for the letters from home"?here he
pulled out a handful of well-worn envelopes
and letters from his wife?"I should get discouraged.
I have paid part of my debts. Here
are the receipts," and he unfolded the letters
of acknowledgement. "I expected to sell out
and go home in November. Here is the
Testament ray good old mother gave me;
here is my little girl's picture." And he
kissed it tenderly, and continued! "Now,
men, if you have decided to kill me for what
I am innocent of, send these home, and send
as much as you can from the cattle when I'm
dead. Caift you send half the value ? My
family will need it."
"Hold on, now; stop right thar!" said a
rough ranger. "Now, I say, boys," he continued,
"1 say, let him go. Give usvour hand,
old boy ; that picture and them letters did the
business. You can go free; but you're lucky,
mind ye."
"We'll do more than that," said a man
with a big heart, in Texan garb, and carrying
the customary brace of pistols in his belt;
"let's buy his cattle here and let him go."
They did ; and when the money was paid
over, and the man about to start, he was too
weak to stand. The long strain of hopes and
fears, being away from home under such trying
circumstances, the sudden deliverance from
death, had combined'to render .him helpless
as a child He sank to the ground, completely
overcome. An hour later, however,
he left on horseback for the nearest stage
route, and, as they shook hands and bade him
good-by, they looked the happiest band of
men I ever saw.
The Boy Who Backed.?A day or two
ago a lady living in Duffield street was summoned
to the door to see a boy, about twelve
years of age, who had a cheap hat-rack to
sell. When she appeared, he said:
"Madame, my fhther is dead, and won't
you please buy this hat-rack for 25 cents?"'
She was sorry that his father was dead,
but she didn't want the hat-rack. The next
. i I -1 . I- L _ i. _1.
day me same ooy anu ine same natiaua. ieturned,
and the boy said:
"Madame, won't you please buy this hat
rack, for my mother is dead, too."
She was so sorry that his mother was also
dead that she gave him a slice of bread and
butter, but she didn't want to invest in a hatrack.
Two days later the boy called again,
having the same identical rack under his
arm, and he looked the lady straight in the
eyes and said:
"Madame, won't you please buy this hatrack,
for my sister is also dead ?"
"My goodness! is it possible that you have
lost father, mother and sister in one week?"
exclaimed the lady.
"Yes, mum."
And what ailed them ?" she asked.
"I dunno, mum ; but I kinder feel it in
my bones that unless I sell this 'ere hat rack
afore Saturday night death will use up all the
rest of our family and be going for other
folks."
"If I buy this rack of you will you tell
me the truth ?"
"Yes, mum."
She handed hira a quarter and asked :
"Did your father, mother or sister die tins
week ?"
The boy looked at her, hesitated, and then
laid the quarter on the railing, picked up his
hat-rack and said, as he went down the steps:
"I only git five cents commish for selling
these racks, and I can't afford to kill off three
of the family and resurrect 'em again for any
such figger! Good-bye mum ; it's a square
back down on me !"?Detroit Free Press.
Store-Room and Stores?A clean, tidy,
well arranged store room is one sign of a good
methodical housekeeper. When stores are
put away at hap hazards and taken out at
any time and in any quantity, disorder and
extravagance prevail. A store room ought
to be large, airy, cool and dry. Such a room
is not often to be had, but even if a closet has
to be put up with, it may be kept clean.
Shelves should be ranged around the walls,
hooks fastened to the edges of the shelves.
The driest and coolest parts of the room
should be kept for jams, jellies and pickles.
All the jars should be distinctly labeled at
the front, so that they will not have to be
token down every time a particular jar is
wanted. Biscuits or cakes should be kept
in a closely-covered tin box ; lemons should
be hung in nets. Soap should be bought in
large quantities, and cut up in convenientsized
pieces, so that it may be dry before it is
used. Coffee, when roasted, should be kept
in small quantities; if unroasted, it will improve
with keeping. Stores on no account
should be left in the papers in which they
were sent from the grocer's, but should be put
into tin cannisters or earthen jars closely
covered, and each jar, like the jam, should
be labeled. Stores should be given out regularly,
either daily or weekly. In order to
check their consumption the housekeeper will
do well to keep a memorandum book, with
a pencil fastened to it, and in this book she
should enter the date on which all stores were
brought in or taken out. By means of these
memoranda she can compare one week's outgo
with another, and immediately diseover
any extravagance. A hammer, a few nails,
a little gum, a ball of string, a few sheets oi
foolscap, and a pair of scissors should always
be kept in the storeroom.
? ?
POINTS ABOUT PINS.
The first automatic pin machine dates from
1824, when an American (they are nearly
always Americans who do these things,)
named Wright', exhibited in London his machine,
which during the revolution of a single
wheel, produced a perfect pin. Of course, in
the long interval between 1824 and 1879,
many improvements have been made on this
machinery, and the one now in use is that of
' Messrs. Taylor, which is only twenty-four
inches wide, thirty inches long and eighteen
inches high?a veritable Liliputian giant. A
pin, divested of all sentimeht, is a piece oi
polished brass wire, tinned over, with a point
at one end and a head at the other, and is
produced thus: The brass wire is fed on to
the machine by a reel, and the first operation
ia t/\ ninn it o hnuil u-liinli is rlnnA hv t.llA WirA
being forcecTinto a recess, and there meeting
a steel punch aud die. The head on, the
wire is suddenly nipped in the middle, according
to the proposed length of the embryo pin,
and slides 'down a grooved incline into a
tray with a slit in the bottom. Through this
slit the headed pin wire is bound to go; but,
as the head prevents its entirely dropping
through, it is left dangling (though for an infinitesimal
period only) over a revolving roller
of steel, garnished with a number of teeth
like files. Before the pin has had time to
consider its situation, the end touching the
roller is pointed, smoothed and polished, and,
at the same moment that the operation is
finished, it is pushed through the slit by its
successor, following in the same track, and
drops into a tray clean jsthe new pin that it is.
The subsequent processes are comparatively
slight ones. They are brightened by boiling
in weak beer, so as to thoroughly purify the
surface, and then exposed to a solution of
grain tin, by which they acquire a coating
of that metal, and finally shaken in a barrel
with bran or saw dust, which makes them
pretty and bright. Perhaps not the least
curious part of the performance is represented
in the papering?which formerly cost both
time and money when done by hand. Twelve
sheets of paper had to be folded, in each
sheet of which there were twenty-four double
folds, and into these were stuck carefully
and laboriously 144 rows of pins, witb tnirtyniue
in each row, in all, 5,516. But by the
action of a very simple piece of machinery,
the paper, with the maker's name ready printed
on it and actually crimped, and the pins
stuck into it in rows, is done much faster tnan
these lines can be written. Perhaps the lady
readers of this article and pin consumers, as
all women are, will look with more respect on
these unconsidered trifles when they think of
the extraordinary ingenuity that has been lavished
upon them, and that, small as they are,
nearly a quarter million pounds sterling are
annually spent upon them by purchasers. Pins,
like needl?, have many other differences besides
those of thickness and length. Mourning
pins are not made of brass at all, but of
iron wire, and are "blued" by heating them
in a muffle. '.Then there are corker pins of
three and a half inches in length, hair pins,
safety pins for dresses and shawls, not to
speak of entomological pins, without which
the collector of insects is .utterly lost.?Exchange.
'? 4
Catching Cold.?This pertinent question
is just no$ engaging attention. There is another
question which should be answered first,
namely, What is cold ? The old idea of a
"chill" is, perhaps, nearer the truth than'the
modern notion of a "cold." The hypothesis
would seem to be that a "cold" is something
more than a cold, because, it is said, "You do
not catch cold unless you are cold." .The fact
is there are probably as many diverse occurrences
grouped and?confounded under the generic
title of cold catching as diseases covered
by that popular term fever, which is made to
comprise every state in which the pulsd. is
quickened and the temperature raised. By a
parallel process of reasoning, "cold" ought to
be limited to cases in which the phenomena
are those, of a "chill." When a person
"catches cold," either of several morbid accidents
may occur: (1) He may have such a
chill of the surface as shall drive the blood in
' i 1_
on the internal organs ana nana per some wean,
or disorder and influence some diseased viscus;
(2) the cold may so impinge on the superficial
nerves that serious disturbance of the system
will ensue and a morbid state be set up; (3)
the current of air which causes the cold may
in fact be laden with the propagating "germs"
of disease ; or (4) the vitality of the organism
as a whole, or of some one or more of its parts,
may be so depressed by a sudden abstraction
of heat that recovery may be impossible, or a
severe and mischievous reaction ensue. The
philosophy of prevention is obviously to preserve
the natural and healthy action of the
organism as a whole, and of the surface in
particular, while habituating the skin to bear
severe alternations of temperature by judicious
exposure, and natural stimulation by
pure air and clean water and orderly habits
of hygiene and health.?Lancet.
An Engineer's Need of Nerve.?Unquestionably
the bravest men in America are
those who stand upon the footboards of the locomotives
which draw the fast express trains.
But few persons are aware of it, but on leading
railways, where connections must be made,
if possible, only engineers known to be brave
and daring are given engines on express trains,
and, as soon as the engineer shows the least
timidity about running fast, he is taken from
his engine and given one on a freight train to
run. Two such cases have occurred recently
on Indianapolis railroads. Railroad officers
state that the first sign that an engineer is becoming
timid is that he will be five or ten
minutes late, possibly a half hour, for some
days or nights in succession. He is then
called to an account, and unless his reasons
nvn Anmnnninr. onntlier oncrinpfir IS CMVpn hlS
?iC VUMTlUWUig, UUVWMV. ? D-.
engine to run for a few times, and should he
bring in the train on time, the first-named engineer
gets a freight train engine to run until
he braces up. It is stated, however, that after
an engineer allows his timidity to get a fair
hold, he seldom so far overcomes it as to have
the bravery to step on an express engine and
run it at the speed necessary to make the time.
Quite recently, an engineer on one of the
roads running west from here, got an impression
that some accident was going to happen
him, and one night, when running a fast express,
he constantly lost time. At the first
station, when the train stopped, the conductor
berated him for running so slow. The engineer
actually shed tears, and owned that
fear had overcome him, and that he dare not
run fast, and at his own request, an engineer
of a freight train, which stood at this meeting
point, was given the train to run through.
The timid engineer has since run a freight
train on the road.?Indianapolis Journal.
m
The U. S. Supreme Court.?-The Supreme
Court meets in Washington about the
middle of this month, for its October term,
with a very crowded docket. The business of
the court is more than three years behind,
and the Judges are overwhelmed with work.
No cases can now he heard on an appeal
from a lower court in less than two years'
time. A great many different plane have
been proposed to remedy this difficulty, and
undoubtedly Congress, at the next seession,
will be again called upon to consider the sub
ject. One of the plans is that proposed by
Senator David Davis, of Illinois, himself a *
long time Judge of the Court. His plan proposes
an intermediate court, to be known as
the Court of Appeals, and this plan undoubtedly
is favorea by the Judges of Court who
were a long time Mr. Davis' associates. The
Justices believe that by the creation of this
intermediate court a large class of cases which
are now appealed to the Supreme Court would
receive their final settlement in the intermediate
appelate court, and that thus more
prompt decision| would be secured, while the
Supreme Court itself could be reserved for the
more important cases. The iustices of the
Supreme Court are among the hardest-worked
persons in the government service, taking
their regular Washington duties and circuit
duties tojfetber. They do not have even the
ordinary thirty days' leave-which is taken by
a government clerk.
'
Tried Once Too Often.?During the,
haying season, an honest ola farmer on the
Gratiot road employed three young men from
the city to help him cut and store his timothy.
None of them liked work half so well as
whisky, and a conspiracy was the result.
About noon one day, one of the trio fell down
in the field, shouting and kicking, and the
other two ran to the farmer with wild eyes
and called out that their companion had been
bitten by a rattlesnake and must have some
whisky. The farmer rushed to the house and
brought out a quart, and the three harvesters
got a big drink all around on the sly, while
the' bitten one had a lay-off of half a day.
The next forenoon a second was bitten, and
again the farmer rushed ibr his bottle. It
was a* nice little job for the boys, and on the
third the third one put in his claim for a bite
and yelled for the whisky bottle. The old
farmer took the matter very coolly this time,
and after making particular inquiries about
the size of the snake, the location of the bite,
the sensation, and so forth, he slowly continued
:
"Day before yesterday James was bitten
and drank a quart of good whisky. Yesterday
John was bitten and drank a quart more.
To day you've got a bite, and the nest thing
you can do is to smell their breaths and lav
in the shade while the rest of us eat dinner I '
TUa man mvt wall in Ion miniltofl onH Tint
AUC UIAU guv TTVU WU uuiuu?W| ?? >? ? ? another
rattlesnake was seen duridg the entire
season.
Sayings op the Late Wm. M. Hunt.?
There's a call for ever/ thing that's fine; but
there isn't a market for so much competition.
The individual is nothing. The men who
built the pyramids are dead, but the pyramids
stand.
I own all the greatness in Europe. I remember
the best pictures. They are mine{
but I'm willing those old kings should take
care of them. If you see a flower, pick it
and smell of it, that flower is yours.
Unconsciousness is superior dignity. As- .
sumption of superiority is the one thing* that
arouses my indignation. I have a feeling of
respect for a certain kind of humility. I-believe,
with Eosseau, that every one wejpeet
is superior to^us in some respect. I can't see
the first brutal -thing'm what is called the
brute creation. Every human being has the
elements of the animal creation.
The people who live by accumulated
wealth, with which they do nothing, are a
set of bugs. The community carries them.
Every time they die there's a song of angels.
If people respected "themselves there would
be no such class, for they are made such by'
being bowed down to. It's the giving muscles
that we ought to use, not the grasping.
Paralysis means having all the muscles turned
in one direction.
. - , t
True Politeness.?As to politeness, many
have attempted its definition. I believe it is
best to be known bv description ?definition
not beiog able to comprise it. I would, however,
venture to call it benevolence in trifles,
or the preference of others to ourselves, in
little daily, hourly occurrences in the commerce,
of life. A better place, a more commodious
seat, priority in being helped at the
table?what is it bat sacrificing ourselves in
such trifles to the convenience and pleasure
of others ? And this constitutes trte politeness.
It is a perpetual attention (by habit it
grows easy and natural to us) to the little
wants of those we are with, Dy which we
either prevent or remove them. Bowing,
ceremonies, formal compliments, stiff civilities,
will never be politeness; that must be
natural, easy, unstudied, manly, noble. And ,
what will give this but a mind benevolent
and perpetually attentive to exert that amiable
disposition in trifles toward all you converse,
and live with. Benevolence in great
matters takes a higher name, and is the queen
of virtue.?Earl, Chatham.
? ?
Soft Beds fob 'Children.?There are
differences in opinion in regard to the best
beds for refreshings sleep, some, advocating
soft and some hard beds. The difference between
them is that the weight of a body on a
soft bed presses on a larger surface than upon
a hard bed, and consequently more comfort
is enjoyed. Hard beds should never be given
to children, and parents who suppose that
such beds contribute to health by hardening
and developing the constitution, are surely
in .error. Eminent physicians?both here
and in England?concur in this opinion, and
say hard beds have often proved injurious to
the shape of infants. Birds and anijpals cover
their offspring with the softest materials they,
can obtain, and also make soft beds for them;
and the softness of a bed is not an evidence
of its being unwholesome. But if it is not
kept sweet and clean by daily airings and frequent
beatings, whether it is hard or soft,
it is surely injurious to health.
? ?
Paper Napkins.?Paper napkins are increasing
in demand. A Boston firm have
sold some 250,000 of them since they were
introduced about/a year ago. The place of
manufacture of paper napkins is not divulged.
They are said to be all imported
from Japan, but a suspicion prevails that
some or tnera are proaucea Dy ingenious
Yankee paper makers, who are well content
to monopolize their manufacture for the
present. The napkins are wholesaled from
$6 to $10 per 1,000, and are retailed from $1
to $1.50 per 100. . A party of 200 or 300
can be supplied with them at less expense
than would be requisite to "wash and iron a
similar number of napkins. By their use,
also, a host or hostess is relieved of all fear
of having their table linen stolen; and if an *
absent-minded guest does happen to put his
napkin in his pocket after he has finished
eating, he need not sutler any more remorse
than if he had pocketed an apple-core or a
nut-shell.
Stop My Paper.-?Some people think that
the way to make an editor view matters as
they do, and force him into measures when
things don't suit him, is to order him, in a
most peremptory manner, to "Stop my {>aper!"
It invariably follows also, that such
men, after discontinuing their subscriptions,
go about the streets and predict all sorts of
calamities to befall the paper. "It can't
live," and such like expressions. But we
have.a consolation. In cases of this kind?
and we can call upon the fraternity for corroboration
of what we assert?Uhe editor, no
matter how much he may be abused, almost
always lives to attend the-funeral and write
the obituary of all such people. Those who
think they can control newspapers for only a
few dollars a year, take warning.?Georgia
Home Journal,