Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, October 27, 1881, Image 1
lewis m. grist, proprietor. J ^it Jfnbepenknt jfamilti ftetosjjaper: Jot % |lromofioit of t|e political, Social, ftgricnltural ani Commercial Interests of t|e Sonfj). jTERMS--$2.i>0 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE,
VOL. 27. YOEKVILLE, S. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1881. HO. 43.
Selected fflftrw.
THE WIFE.
She who sleeps upon my heart
Was the first to win it;
She who dreams upon my breast
Ever reigns within it.
She who kisses oft my lips,
Wakes their warmest blessing,
She who rests within my arms
Feels their closest pressing.
Other days than these shall come?
Days that may be dreary?
Other hours shall greet us yet?
Hours that may be weary ;
Still this heart shall be thy throne,
Still this breast shall be thy pillow ;
Still these lips shall meet thine own,
As billow meeteth billow.
Sleep, then, on my happy heart,
Since thy love has won itDream,
then, on my loyal breast,
None but thou hast done it;
And wheu age our bloom shall change,
With its wintry weather,
May we in the self same grave
Sleep and dream together.
$lte J>tavu Idle*.
THE PEDDLER'S PRIZE.
A cold winter's night found a stage-load of
us gathered about the warm fire of a tavern
bar-room of a New England village. Shortly
after we arrived, a peddler drove up and
ordered that his horse should be stabled for
the night. After we had eaten supper we repaired
to the bar-room, and as soon as the ice
was broken the conversation flowed freely.
Several anecdotes had been related,* and
v finally the peddler was asked to give us a
story, as men of his profession are generally
full of adventures and anecdotes. He was
a short, thickset man, somewhere about forty
years of age, and gave evidence of great
physical strength. He gave his name as
Lemuel Viney, and his home was in Dover,
New Hampshire. j
"Well, gentlemen," he commenced, knock- i
ing the ashes from his pipe and putting it in j
his pocket, "suppose I tell you about the last I
thing of any consequence that happened to !
me. You see I am right now from the Far I
West, and on my way home for winter quar- j
tprs Tt was about two months ago, one!
pleasant evening, that I pulled up at the door
of small village tavern in Hancock county,
Indiana. I said it was pleasant?I meant it
was warm, but it was cloudy and very likely
to be dark. I went in and called for supper,
and I had my horse taken care of, and after
I had eaten I sat down iu the bar room. It
began to rain about eight o'clock, and for a
while it poured good, and it was awful dark
out doors.
"Now, I wanted to be in Jackson early
the next morning, for I expected a load of
goods there for me, which I intended to dispose
of on my way home. The moon would
rise about midnight, and I knew if it did not
rain, I could get along very comfortably
through the mud after that. So I asked the
landlord if he could not see that my horse
was fed about midnight, as I wished to be
off before two. He expressed some surprise
at this, and asked me why not stop for breakfast.
I told him that I had sold my last
load about all out, and that a new lot of
goods was waiting for me at Jackson, and I
wanted to be there before the express agent
left in the morning. There was a number of
people sittiug around while I told this, but I
took but little notice of them. Only one arrested
my attention. I had in my posses
f > j- r ;
sion a small package 01 piacarus, which ? |
was to deliver to the sheriff of Jackson, and j
they were notices for the detention of a noto-;
rious robber named Dick Hardhead. The
bills gave a description of his person, and the j
man before me answered very well to it. In i
fact it was perfect. He was a tall well-formed
man, rather slight in frame, and had the '
appearance of a gentleman, save that his face j
bore those hard, cruel marks, which an ob-j
serving man cannot mistake for anything but:
the index of a villainous disposition.
"When I went to my chamber I asked the 1
landlord who that man was, describing the I
suspicious individual. He said he did not !
know him. He had come there that after- j
noon, and intended to leave the next day.
The host asked why I wished to know, and I j
simply told him that the man's countenance
was familiar, and I merely wished to know if j
I was ever acquainted with him. I resolved
not to let the landlord into the secret, but'
hurry on to Jackson, and there give informa-1
tion to the sheriff, and, perhaps he might j
reach the inn before the villain left, for I had i
*" * MAMA M/] um iftr
uu uuuui iu icgaiu iu ins lucmuj.
"I had an alarm watch, and having set it
to give the alarm at one o'clock, I went to
sleep. I was aroused at the proper time, and
immediately got up and dressed myself. !
When I reached the yard, I found the clouds j
had all passed away and the moon was shining
brightly. The hostler was easily aroused,
and by two o'clock I was on the road. The i
mud was so deep that my horse could not
travel fast?yet it struck me that the beast
made more work than there was any need of,
for the cart was nearly empty.
"However, on we went, and in the course
of half an hour I was clear of the village.
At a short distance ahead lay a large tract of
forest, mostly of great pines. The road led
directly through this wood, and as near as I
could remember the distance was twelye miles.
Yet the moon was in the east, and as the road
ran nearly west, I should hare light enough, j
I had entered the woods, and had gone half a
mile when my wagon wheels settled, with a
bump and a jerk, into a deep hole. I utter- j
L ed an exclamation of astonishment, but that
was not all. I heard another exclamation
from another source.
What could it be ? I looked quickly
around, but could see nothing. Yet 1 knew
that the sound I heard was close to me. As
the hind wheels came up, I felt something
besides the jerk of the wheels. I heard something
tnmhle from one side to the other of I
my wagon, and I could also feel the jar occasioned
by the movement. It was a man iu
my cart! I simply knew this on the instant.
Of course I felt puzzled. At first I imagined
some poor fellow had taken this method to
obtain a ride ; but I soon gave this up, for I
knew that any decent man would have asked
me for a ride. My next idea was that somebody
had got iu to sleep ; but this passed
away as quickly as it came, for no mau would
have broken into my cart for that purpose.
1 And that thought, gentlemen, opened my eyes.
Whoever was iu there had broken in.
"My next thought was of Dick Hardhead.
He had heard me say that my load was all
sold out, aod of course he supposed I had
some money with me. In this he was right,
for I had over two thousand dollars. I also
thought he meant to leave the oart when he
supposed I had reached a safe place, aud then
either creep over and shoot me, or knock me
down. All this passed through my mind by
the time I had got a rod from the hole.
"Now I never make it a point to brag of
myself, but I have seen a great deal of the
world, and I am pretty cool and clear headed
under a difficulty. In a very few moments
my resolution was formed. My horse was
now knee deep iu the mud, and I knew I
could slip off without noise. So I drew my
I revolver. I never travel in that country
without one. I drew thia, and having twined
; the reins about the whip stock, I carefully
slid down in the mud, and as the cart passed
' on I went behind it and examined the
hasp.
"The door of the cart lets down, and is
J fastened by a hasp, which slides over a sta!
pie and is then secured by a padlock. The
i padlock was gone, and the hasp was secured
i in its place by a bit of pine?so that a slight
! force from within could break it. My wheel
j wrench hung in a leather bucket on the side
of the cart, and I quickly took it out and
; slipped it into the staple, the iron handle just
1 sliding down.
} "Now I had him. My cart was almost
new, made in a stout frame of white oak, and
! made on purpose for hard usage. I did not
! believe any ordinary man could break out.
| I got on to my cart as noiselessly as I got off,
I and then urged my horse on, still keeping
j my pistol handy. I knew that at the disi
tance of half a mile further I should come
I to a good hard road, and so I allowed my
1 horse to pick his own way through the mud.
I About ten minutes after this I heard a motion
in the cart, followed by a grinding noise,
j as though some heavy force were being ap|
plied to the door. I said nothing, but the
j idea struck me that the villain might judge
where I sat and shoot up through the top of
the cart at me, so I sat down on the footboard.
"Of course, J knew now that my unexpected
passenger was a villain, for he must
have been awake ever since I started, and
nothing in the world but absolute villainy
would have caused him to remain quiet so
long, and then start up in this particular
place. The thumping and pounding grew
louder and louder, and pretty soon I heard a
I human voice.
"Let me out of this," he cried, and he
yelled pretty loud.
"I lifted up my head so as to make him
think I was sitting in my usual place, and
i then asked him what he was doing there."
"Let me out and I will tell you," he replied,
"Tell me what you are there for," said I.
"I got in here to sleep on your rags," he
answered.
"Let me out, or I'll shoot you through the
head," he yelled." '
"Just at that moment my horse's feet
struck the hard road, aDd I knew that the
rest of the road to Jackson would be good
going. The distance was twelve miles. I
slipped back on the foot-board and took the
whip. I had the same horse I've got now?
a tall, stout, powerful bay mare?and you
may believe there's some go in her. At any
rate she struck a gait that even astonished
me. She had received a good mess of oats,
the air was cool, and she felt like going. In
Bfteen minutes we cleared the woods, and
away we went on a keen jump. The chap
inside kept yelling to be let out.
"Finally he stopped, and in a few minutes
came the report of a pistol. One?twothree?four;
one right after the other, and I
heard the balls whiz over my head. If I had
been on my seat, one of these balls, if not two
U/irv* trnnlrl l\ a xro nnna iK i-AlltrK mo T I
U1 llicill) TOUUIVI 1IUYU gvuu kill VUqII uiw* a
popped up my liead again, aud gave a yell,
and then a deep groan, and then I said, "Oh,
God, save me! I'm a dead man!" Then I i
made a shuffling noise, as though I were falling
off, and dually settled down on the foot
board again. I now urged on the old mare
by giving her an occasional poke with the
butt of my whip stock, and she pealed it faster
than ever.
"The man called out to me twice more,
pretty soon after this, and as he got no reply,
he made some tremendous efforts to break the
door open, and as this failed bira, he made
several attempts upon the top. But I had no
fear of his doing anything there, for the top
of the cart was framed in with dove tails,
and each sleeper bolted to the posts with iron
bolts. I had made it so I could carry heavy
loads there. By-aud by, after all else had j
failed, the scamp commenced to halloo whoa 1
to the horse, and kept it up until he became j
quite hoarse. All this time I kept perfectly
quiet, holding the reins 6rmly, and kept
poking the beast with the stock.
"We were not an hour in going that dozen
milp*?not. a hit of it. I hadn't much fear?
perhaps I might tell the truth, and say I had j
none?for I had \ good pistol; and more than 1
that, my passenger was safe; yet I was glad j
when I came to the old flour barrel factory !
that stands at the edge of Jackson village, j
and in ten minufes more I hauled up in front j
of the tavern, an," found a couple of men in j
the bam cleaning down some stage horses.
"Well, old feller," says I, as 1 got down, j
and went round to the back of the wagon ; i
"you have had a good ride, haven't ye ?"
"Who are you?" he cried. He kind of!
swore a little, too, as he asked the question. j
"I'm the man you tried to shoot," was my j
reply.
"Where am I ? Let me out!" he yelled.
"Look here! We've come to a safe stop-1
ping place, and nind ye, my revolver is ready :
for ye, the moment you show yourself. Now, j
lay quiet!"
"By this time the two hostlers had come j
up to see what was the matter, and I explain-j
ed it to them. After this I got one of them !
to run and rout out the sheriff, and tell what j
I believed I'd got for him. The first streaks |
of daylight were just coining up, and in half j
an hour it would be broad daylight. In less j
than that time the sheriff came, and two men ;
came with him. I told the whole affair in a J
few words, exhibited the handbills I had for I
him, and then he made for the cart. He told >
the chap inside who he was, and if he made ;
the least resistance, he'd be a dead man. I
Then l slipped the iron wrench out, and as I
let the door down, the fellow made a spring.
I caught- him by the ankle, and he came
down on his face, and in a moment more the
officers had him. It was now daylight, and
the moment I saw the chap I recognized him.
He was marched off to the lock up, and I
told the sheriff I should remain in town all
day.
"After breakfast, the sheriff came down to
the tavern and told me that I had caught the !
very bird, and that if I would remain until |
the next morning, I should have the reward ;
of two hundred dollars which had been of- j
fered. I found my goods all safe, paid the
express agent for bringing them from Indian-;
apolis, and then went to work to stow them
j away in my cart. The bullet holes were
found in the top of my vehicle just as I expected.
They were in a line, about five inch:
es apart; and had I been where I usually sit,
Itwoofthera would have hit me somewhere
I near the small of the back, and passed upi
wards, for they were sent with a heavy charge
1 of powder, and his pistol was a heavy one.
"On the next morning the sheriff called
upon me aud paid me two hundred dollars
I in gold, for he made himself sure that he'd
got the villain. I afterward found a letter
! iu the post-office at Portsmouth for me, from
i the Sheriff of Hancock county, and he inI
formed me that Mr. Dick Hardhead is in
prison for life."
So ended the peddler's story. In the morning
I had the curiosity to look at the cart,
and I found the bullet-holes just as he had
told us, though they were now plugged up
with vial corks.
IllisitcUiiucous flailing.
THE YOltKTOWN CENTENNIAL.
Yorktown, October 18.?Notwithstanding
a slight shower and subsequent clouds,
the scene on the river front to-day was inspiring.
Men-of-war, passenger steamers,
tugs and pleasure crafts were profusely deck.
ed with flags and streamers. Salutes were
constantly being fired in honor of arriving
i dignitaries, and the air was filled with music
i by the numberless bands, while the gay uniforms
of the Templars and military and the
great crowds of people who gathered to witness
the display contributed to make a scene
of great interest.
The steamer Excelsior, with the Yorktown
Congressional Commission on board, arrived
this morning and received salutes from Gen.
Hancock's camp and war vessels in the harbor.
Shortly after the Dispatch and Tallapoosa
hove in sight and were saluted by the camp
and gunboats. President Arthur left the
Dispatch about half past 11 o'clock and proceeded
to Lafavette Hall where he was re
ceived by the Governor of Virginia.
At one o'clock, Governor Holliday and his
staff in Lafayette Hall, which was beautifully
decorated, met and welcomed the Governors
of the States and other distinguished guests.
Gen. Hancock called and paid his respects,
and the interchange of pleasant greeting oc|
cupied the time uutil the arrival of Presij
dent Arthur and the French guests. At
12.30 P. M. a Masonic procession, under the
direction ex-Senator Withers as marshal,
inarched into the hall. President Arthur,
accompanied by secretaries Lincoln, Hunt
and James, was escorted to the stand amid
the cheers of the crowd.
The ceremonies were then opened with
prayer by the Rev. Dr. Nelson, grandson of
Governor Nelson, who commanded the Virginia
militia at Yorktown. He thanked God
| for the one hundred years of blessing vouch-1
I safed on this country, for Washington, for
| our allies and for our victory. He prayed
j for peace among all nations and for fraternal
I concord among the sections of our own counI
try. At the conclusion of the prayer the
i baud played the "Star Spagled Banner" with
! artillery accompaniment.
Governor Holliday then delivered the address
of welcome. Senator Johnson, of Virginia,
chairman of the Congressional commission,
made a few appropriate remarks, concluding
by saying that the column now to be
raised was to commemorate not only the victory
of the Colonies, but the part taken in that
vicinity by France. The recognition and
acknowledgement of aid given by France to
this country was a solemn duty left by the
Continental Congress to its successors, and
now, after a lapse of one hundred years, the
Congress of thirty-eight States and fifty raillions
of people is fulfilling that duty.
The corner stone of the monument was
then laid with Masonic ceremonies under the
direction of the Grand Master of Virginia, I
Peyton S. Coles. The gavel used was an |
historic one, made from timber from Comrno-1
dore Perry's flagship, the Lawrence, and was !
used on the occasion of laying the corner |
stone of the monument at Monmouth, N. J., j
and of the Egyptian obelisk in Central Park ;
in New York.
At the conclusion of these ceremonies, the :
Presidential party and the foreign guests re- j
turned to the war vessels on the river. Mili-1
tary bodies continued to arrive until late in the !
evening.
The first Delaware battallion, three bundred
strong, arrived to day. This is the first
and only National Guard organization Dela- j
ware has had since the war. The Niuth j
Massachusetts arrived this morning from !
Richmond, where they had been visiting, j
Their conduct was such as to call forth of- J
ficial complaint from Gen. Hancock to Gen. J
Grubb, the officer of the day.
Some of the Richmond troops did not ar-;
rive until late in the afternoon, having been !
detained three hours en route, and the three I
' . -?<r I
hundred vocalists who were to sing the JNa- i
tional songs set down in the programme for
the day, were also on the train with the Richmond
troops, and were likewise detained, so
that this part of the programme was necessa- i
rily omitted, much to the disappointment ofj
the people.
The pyrotechnic display to night was a |
success in every particular. All the war!
ships in the harbor were brilliantly illuminated,
presenting a beautiful sight. On the 1
flagship Franklin, lights were so arranged |
as to show the outlines of the ship and rig-1
ging with magnificent effect. There were'
also other designs, such as a brig and schoon-1
er apparently under sail. In addition to j
this a yacht anchored in the harbor sent up a j
constant stream of rockets, &c. The night I
was dark and the display was, therefore, most j
brilliant.
[Correspondence of the News and Courier.]
Yorktown, October 19.?A heavy shower j
last night lowered the temperature nearly |
twenty degrees and partially laid the dust, j
which had become a serious obstacle to com- j
fort. This morning opened fair and cool,:
and was ushered in by thunderings from the j
French and American vessels in York River
and from the batteries of artillery at the encampment.
Being the chief day of the celebration,
the programme has been elaborate
and extensive, and the crowd in attendance,
exclusive of the military, has been largely increased.
At 10 o'clock the French and German
guests were received on board the Excelsior
and thence were driven in carriages to La-1
fayette Hall, where President Arthur and |
? " * ' * ? n\ . 1 11 _ !
Cabinet, with a number or senators, neiu a
reception for about half an hour. The Presi-1
dent, leaning on the arm of Secretary Blaine,j
shook hands with the distinguished visitors j
from across the sea and afterwards received a !
number of prominent guests from the several '
States. Among these were Governor Hagood, j
Mrs. Stonewall Jackson and daughter, (the j
latter being with Representative Dargan, of;
Sumter,) Congressman Richardson, and oue |
of the Governor's aides. The President stood
at the north end of the hall during the reception,
immediately under two large portraits
of Washington and Garfield, bearing respectively
the dates 1781 and 1881. After the
reception the President walked out of the hall,
arm in-arm with Mr. Blaine, and was followed
j by the French and German guests, Cabinet j
officers, members of the Seuate and Gen. j
! Hancock and staff and Gen. Sherman and |
staff.
j The party proceeded across the platform to I
; the stand erected for the exercises of the day. I
As the President made his appearance, there f
' was a faint cheer, and two men hallooed "Hur- j
rah for Sherman" when that officer passed. ;
When Gen. Hancock reached the stand, how- j
! ever, three times three cheers were given with
notable enthusiasm, and when the General j
recognized the courtesy by raising his hat, 1
the applause became deafening.
Senator Johnson, of Virginia, the chairman j
I of the Centennial commission, called the j
; meeting to order, and Bishop Harris, of New i
York, opened the proceedings with prayer,;
during which he invoked the special blessing
of the Almighty God on Victoria and the
Republic of France. After the singing of
Puindexter's Centennial hymn by a chorus
of voices, accompanied.by the Marine Band,
President Arthur came to the front and delivered
an address, which in point of brevity
was a model. He occupied only five min|
utes, delivering what be had to say from
I memory. He had not learned it well, how!
ever, for he stumbled when he had gotten
! through but a few lines/and had to start over
and begin afresh to catch the thread. He
tripped up three times and had to repeat
over a sentence or two to get going again.
What he said, however, was to the point and
was received with generous applause. His
allusions to the French and German guests
beside him were especially applauded, and
were recived by the recipients of the compliment
with low bows and broad smiles. Mons.
j Max Outrey, one of the French dignitaries,
| arose to respond to the President. He prej
faced his remarks, which he read in English,
| from manuscript, with a bow, which brought
' his head in close proximity to the table in
I front of him. He is a dark-haired little man,
j striking ugly, but surprisingly graceful. He
j spoke pretty fair English, but his voice bei
ing weak, he was not iieard,. save by those
! immediftt.flv around him. He was received
enthusiastically, and at the close of his remarks
wa9 cheered vociferously.
Count Rochambeau, a descendant of the
revolutionary naval officer, followed Mons.
| Outrey, delivering his remarks in French in
! a quick jerky style, as if his sole object was
to get through with it. His allusions to the
kindly relations which had existed between
France and America for one hundred years
and his hope that the children of those present
would, with the same spirit, celebrate this
day one hundred years hence, was received
with great cheering.
Col. Von Steuben, the oldest living descendant
of the revolutionary Von Steuben, who
| was present with seven other descendants, responded
as the representative of the German
Empire. He spoke in German, and alluded
kindly to the progress and prosperity attained
by America during the century, expressing
the hope that the friendly relations always
existing between the Uuited States and Germany
would never be interfered with.
He was followed by James Barron Hope,
of Virginia, who read his Centennial poem
with fine effect.
The oration by the Hon. R. C. Winthrop,
of Massachusetts, which followed, consumed
the rest of the day, occupyiug two hours in
its delivery. The attendance at the stand,
which numbered fully ten thousand when he
started, had dwindled down to about two
thousand when he stopped, and the remaining
programme was cut to save time.
The singing of the odes and anthem was
not extraordinarily fine, the chorus numbering
only fifty or sixty voices, in place of the
three hundred advertised. It is a striking
fact that the majority of the people pay no
attention to the ceremonies, although they are
supposed to be the attraction. Out of the
twelve thousand soldiers in Yorktowu to-day,
not one hundred, outside of the regular array
officers, were present during the ceremonies,
and large numbers of civic guests, from all
the States, could be seen walking or driving
over the surrounding country, examining the
British batteries and surveying the present encampment
of the troops. The ceremonies are
too long and the people get tired of them and
leave before they are-half over. There is a
good deal of exclusiveness about the ceremonies,
and the seats are closely guarded for the
favored ones with tickets. Aside from a large
display of policemen, however, to keep back
the crowd, the arrangements are very common,
aud consist merely of a large board platform,
and amphitheatre of seats and a small woodeu
stand covered with flags. I have seen
Hampton speak from twenty stands in South
Carolina which would throw the one here in
.'? -i 1- 1 i .?r?i
IU6 snuuu uuin as iu size uuu lusieiui uauiation.
When it is considered that the Chief
Magistrate of the Uhited States and the representatives
from two of the greatest European
countries were invited to speak from
that stand to day, it is enough to make an
American blush.
At the South Carolina encampment to day
everything passed off without special incident.
The men slept all night and no sick are reported.
This morning they had stewed oysters,
hominy, bacon and beef with coffee.
The arrangements for getting the men their
meals have been much improved since yesterday.
A detail of four meu from each company
receive the food for their respective companies
from the caterer in bulk, and serve it
up in the tins. This saves long and weary
waiting. The men still have to hold their
plate3 in their hands, and will probably have
to continue to do so, as there seems no chance
of getting any lumber to construct tables.
The officers of the battalion and the officers
of the companies were invited to the headquarters
of the 13th New York Regiment
this morning, and were handsomely treated.
The Michigan troops and the Maryland troops
have also extended many courtesies. Lieut.
Vodges, of the 5th Artillery, who is well
known in Charleston, called on the South
Carolina troops to-day in company with Col.
Loder, who is in command of Fortress Monroe,
where Lieut. Vodges is now stationed.
They were received warmly and extended
earnest invitations to our troops to come over
to their headquarters and make themselves at
home.
The Chatham Artillery is the only Georgia
company present, and the only one which
will be here. They are located next to the
South Carolina troops to the east, and are j
nicely fixed. Governor Colquitt and aides j
have arrived, and some of his staff will occu-1
py tents iu theencampmeut. The Chathams, j
*- ? *- ? -1 ? " nn 111 AM A
RL noon lU'UUy, IIII'U a attiuic ui uuc uuuuivu
guns from two bras9 pieces captured from
Cornwallis, one hundred years ago to-day, and
presented to ihis corps by Gen. Washington in
1779. The guns have been in the possession
of the Chathams for niuety years, and are
the centre of attraction.
The South Carolina troops had a full dress
parade at 4 o'clock this afternoon on the parade
ground near the encampment. They
were reviewed by Col. Thompson and Adjutant-General
Manigault, and presented a
slendid appearance. It is in no boasting
spirit that it is said that the South Carolina
troops have attracted more notice and received
more compliments for their appearance
and soldierly bearing than any regiment on
the ground.
The Congressional delegation are very anxious
to leave for Washington to-morrow night,
and it is rumored to-morrow and Friday are
to be consolidated and everything closed up
by to morrow night. This, however, is not
definite. j. k. b.
IIow to Make a Fortune?Take earnestly
hold of life, as capacitated for, and
destined to a high and noble purpose. Study
closely the mind's bent for labor or a profes-1
sion. Adopt it early, and pursue it steadily,j
never looking back to the turning furrow, |
but. forward, to the new ground that ever re-1
mains to be broken. Means aud ways are j
abundant to every man's success, if will and j
actions are rightly adapted to them. Our
rich men and our great men have carved
their paths to fortune, and by this internal
principle?a principle that cannot fail to reward
its votary, if it be resolutely pursued.
To sigh or repine over the lack of inheritance,
is unmanly. Every man should strive
to be a creator instead of an inheritor. He
should bequeath instead of borrow. The
human race, in this respect, want dignity and
discipline. They prefer to wield the sword
of valorous forefathers to forging their own
weapons. This is a mean and ignoble spirit.
Let every man be conscious of the power in
him and the Providence over hira, and fight
his own battles with his own good lance.
Let him feel that it is better to earn a cru9t
than to inherit coffers of gold. This spirit
of self-nobility once learned, and every man
will discover within himself, uuder God, the
elements and capacities of wealth. He will
be rich, inestimably rich in self-resources,
and can lift his face proudly to meet the noblest
among men.
AN AMERICAN SAMSON.
A9 late as the year 1835, there lived in
Western Virgiuia, a man whose strength wan
so remarkable as to win him the title of "The
Western Samson." He knew nothing of his
birth or parentage, but supposed he was born
in Portugal, whence he wa9 stolen when a
child and carried to Ireland. His earliest
recollectious were those of his boyhood in
the latter country. While yet a lad, he apprenticed
himself to a sea-captain for seven
years in pay for a passage to this country.
On his arrival, his time and service were sold
to a Mr. Winston, of Virginia, in whose ser
vice ho remained until the breaking out 01
the revolution. Being of an adventurous
turn of mind, he sought and obtained permission
of his master to join the army, and
was engaged in active service during the
whole contest. Such was his strength and
personal bravery that no enemy could resist
I him. Pie wielded a sword, the blade of
which was five feet iu length, as though it
! had been a feather, and every one who came
in contact with him paid the forfeit of his
life. At Stony Point he was one of the
"forlorn hope," which was advanced to cut
away the abattis, and uext to Major Gibson,
was the first man to enter the works. At
Brandywine aud Monmouth he exhibited the
most fearless bravery ; and nothing but his
inability to write prevented his promotion
to a commission. Transferred to the South,
he took part in most of the engagements in
that section, and toward the close of the war
he was engaged in a coutest which exhibited
in a more striking manner his self-confidence
and courage.
' One day, while reconnoitering, he stopped
at the house of a man by the name of W?,
to refresh himself. While he was at the table
he was surprised by nine British troopers,
who rode up to the house and told him he was
their prisoner. Seeing that he was so greatly
outnumbered, he pretended to surrender ; and
the dragoons seeing that he was apparently i
peacefully inclined, after disarming him, allowed
him considerable freedom, while they
sat down to partake pf the food which he had
left when disturbed. Wandering out in the
dooryard, he was accosted by the paymaster,
who demanded of him everything of value
about him, at the risk of his life in the case
of refusal. "I have nothing to give," #aid
Francisco, "so. use your pleasure." "Give up
those massive silver buckles on your shoes,"
3aid the dragoon. "They were the gift of a
friend," replied Francisco ; "and give tbem to
you I never shall. Take them if you will.
You have the power; but I will never give
them to any one."
Putting his sabre under his arm, the soldier
stooped down to take thera. Francisco
seeing the opportunity was too good to be
lost, seized the sword, and drawing it with
force from under the arm of the soldier, dealt
him a severe blow across the skull. Although
severely wounded, yet a brave man, the dragoon
drew a pistol and aimed at his antagonist,
who was too quick for him, however;
and as he pulled the trigger, a blow from
the sword nearly severed his wrist, and
placed him hors du combat. The report of
the pistol drew the other dragoons into the
yard, as well as W?, who very ungenerously
brought out a musket which he handed
to oue of the soldiers and told him to use it.
Mounting the only horse they could get, he
presented the muzzle at the breast of Francisco,
and pulled the trigger. Fortunately
it missed fire. A short struggle ensued,
which ended in his disarming and wounding
the soldier. Tarleton's troop of four hundred
men were now in sight, and the other
dragoons were about to attack him. Seeing
his case was desperate, he turned towards an
adjoining thicket, and, as if cheering on a
party of men, cried out, "Come on my brave
boys! now's your time. We will soon dispatch
these few, and then attack the main
body!"
They did not wait to engage him, but fled
precipitately to the troop, panic-struck and
dismayed. Seizing upon the traitorous villian
W?, Francisco was about to dispatch
him : but he begged and pleaded so hard for
bis life, that he forgave him and told him
to secrete for him the eight horses which the
soldiers had left behind thein. Perceiving
that Tarleton had dispatched two other dragoons
in search of him, he made off into the
adjoining wood, and while they stopped at
the house, he, like an old fox, doubled upon
their rear and successfully evaded their vigilance.
The next day he went to \V? for
his horses, who demanded two of them for
his service and generous intentions. Finding
his situation dangerous, and surrounded by
enemies where he should have found friends,
Francisco was compelled to make the best
of it, and left with six horses?intending to
revenge himself upon VV? at a future time ;
"but," as he said, "Providence ordained that
I should not be his executioner ; for he broke
his neck by a fall from one of the very
horses."
Many other anecdote* are told of Francisco,
illustrative of his immense strength and
personal prowess. At Camden, where Gates
was defeated, he retreated, and after running
along the road some distance he sat down to
rest himself. He was accosted by a British
dragoon, who presented a pistol and demanded
his immediate surrender. His gun being
empty, he feigned submission and said he
would surrender?at the same time remark- i
ing that his gun was of no further use to hira
he presented it to the dragoon. Observing
that the dragoon was thrown off his guard,
Francisco, quick as thought, ran him through
with the bayonet, and as he fell from the
? *- .--i ?i ? i i.:?
Dorse, nc muuineu mm cuuuuucu mo icnt;ak.
Overtaking his commanding officer, Colonel
Mayo, of Powhattan, he gave up the animal,
for which act of generosity, the Colonel afterwards
presented him with a thousand acres
of land iu Kentucky.
The following auuecdote, exemplifying his
peaceful nature and his strength, is also told
of Francisco. How true it is we cannot say,
but we tell it as it was told to us many years
ago, while he was still living iu Buckingham
county:
One day, while working in his garden, he
was accosted by a stranger, who rode up to j
the fence and inquired if he knew where a
man by the name of Francisco lived ?
Raising himself up from his work, and
eyeing his interrogator, who appeared to be
one of the "half-horse, half-alligator" breed
of Kentuckians, he replied, "Well, stranger,
I don't know of any other person by that
name in these parts but myself."
"Well, I reckon you aint the man I want.
I want to find the great fighting man I've
heard tell so much about. The feller, they
say, that can whip all creation and Kaintuck
to boot."
"I can't tell you, stranger, where you'll
find that man. I don't know such a man,"
said Francisco, resuming his work as a hint
to the other that the conference was ended ;
but the Kentuckian was not be bluffed off,
as he would terra it. "Look 'ere, stranger,"
said he, returning to the charge, "What might
your name be ?"
"My name is Peter Francisco, at your service."
"Ah !" returned the other, "you're just the
man I want to find," at the same time riding
inside the fence, he dismounted and tied the
animal?a rough, ungainly Indian pony?
to one of the posts.
"My name is Big Bill Stokes, all the way
from Old Keutuck. I am the Kentucky
game-chicken, I am. I can outrun, outjump,
knock down, drag out, and whip any man in
all them diggings. So, I heerd tell of a fel'?>?
kora oknlll l?kf\ nnllM Dlllin ? 11 Orfl.
AWA UVTttAA 1IWO t, MW WU.V ? -- w
ation, and I thought I'd saddle old Blossom
and just ride over and see what stuff he's
made of, and here I am. And now stranger,
I'm most starved for a fight, and I'm bound
to see who's the best man before I go home.
It's all in good feeling, you know; and if you
lick me, why I'm satisfied. But?
"Stop a minute, stranger," said Francisco.
You've mistaken the man entirely. I'm no
fighting man at all; and if I was, I've nothing
against you to fight about."
"Well, I don't know. Is there any other
Peter Francisco in these parts ?"
"No?not that I know of."
"Well, then, you are the man, and you
must fight. I've come all the way from Old
Kentuck, and I ain't going back without
knowing which is the best man."
"But I won't fight. I've got nothing to
fight about, and I tell you I won't fight."
"Darn'd if you shant fight, stranger. I'm
bound to lick you if I can ; if I don't, you
must lick me."
By this time Francisco had become angry
at the importunity of his visitor, and determined
to put an end to the scene. Seizing
his antagonist, therefore, by the seat of hie
buckskin breeches and the collar of his hunting
shirt, he threw him over the fence into
the road. Then walking leisurely to where
his pony was tied, he unfastened him, and
taking him up by main strength, threw him
after his discomfitted rider.
TKa LT nn 111 nlr i n n I afl/1 kimofllf from tVio
a uo u^uiui^aiau i utobu uiuiovit iavuj vuv
ground, perfectly dumbfounded by such an
exhibition of strength ; and after rubbing his
eyes as though he thought he might not have
seen clearly, he mounted the pony, remarking,
"Well, stranger, I reckon you'll do. I reckon
it's about time for me to make tracks. If
anybody asks you about that fight, you can
tell thera you licked Bill Stokes most confoundedly."
Francisco was a powerfully built man?
standing six feet one inch in height?weighing
two hundred pounds. His muscular system
was extraordinarily developed, and he
had been known to shoulder a cannon with
ease.
+
JEFFERSON AND HENRY.
The following sketch of Patrick Henry by
his cotemporary, Mr. Jefferson, will be found
interesting. It is taken from a work issued
by a Boston publisher, containing the private
correspondence of Daniel Webster. In 1842
Mr. Webster visited Jefferson at his home at
Monticello, and afterwards wrote out the following
opinion of Henry, expressed by Mr.
Jefferson at the time.
Patrick Henry was originally a bar-keeper.
He was married very young, and going into
some business, on his own account, was a
bankrupt before the year was out. When I
was about the age of fifteen, I left the school
here, to go to the college at Williamsburg.
I stopped a few days at a friend's in the
county of Louisa. There I first saw and
become acquainted with Patrick Henry.
Having spent the Christmas holidays there,
I proceeded to Williamsburg. Some ques
tions arose about my admission, as my preparatory
studies had not been pursued at the
school connected with that institution. This
delayed my admission about a fortnight, at
which time -Henry appeared at Williamsburg
and applied for a license to practice
law, having commenced the study of it at,
or subsequent to, the time of my meeting him
at Louisa. There were four examiners?
Wythe, Pendleton, Peyton Randolph and
John Randolph. Wythe and Pendleton at
once rejected his application. The twoTlandolphs,
by his importunity, were prevailed
upon to sign the license ; and having obtained
their signatures, he applied again to Pendle-!
ton, and after much entreaty and many promises
of study succeeded in obtaining his. The
first case which brought him into notice, was
a contested election, in which he appeared as
counsel before a committee of Burgesses.
His second was the parson's cause, already
well known. These and similar efforts soon
obtained for him so much reputation, that he
was elected a member of the Legislature.
He was as weil suited to the times as any man
ever was, and it is not easy to say what we
should have done without Patrick Henry.
He was far before all in maintaining the
spirit of the Revolution. His influence was
most extensive with the members from the
upper counties, and his boldness and their
votes overawed and controlled the more cool
or the more timid aristocratic gentlemen of
the lower part of the State. His eloquence
was peculiar, if indeed it should be called eloquence
; for it was impressive and sublime,
beyond what can be imagined. Although
it was difficult to know what he had said, yet,
while he was speaking, it always seemed directly
to the point. When he had spoken in
opposition to my opinion, aDd produced a
great effect, and I myself had been highly delighted
and moved, I have asked myself when
he had ceased: "What the devil has he said ?"
I could never answer the inquiry. His person
was full size and his manner and voice free
and manly, ilia utterance was neitner very i
fast nor very slow. His speeches very short,
1 from a quarter to a half an hour. His pronunciation
was vulgar and vicious, but it was i
forgotten while he was speaking.
He was a man of very little knowledge of
any sort; he read nothing, and had no books.
Returning one November from Albemarle
court, he borrowed of me Hume's Essay in
two volumes, sayiug he should have leisure
in the winter for reading. In the spring he
returned them, and declared he had not been
able to go further than twenty pages in the
first volume. He wrote almost nothing?be
j could not write. The resolutions of 1775,
which have been ascribed to him, have by
I many supposed to have been written by Mr.
Johnson, who acted as his second on that occasion
; but if they were written by himself,
they are not such as to prove any power of
composition. Neither in politics nor in his
profession was he a man of business ; he
was a man for debate only. His biographer
says that he read Plutarch every year. I
doubt whether he ever read a volume of it
in his life. His temper was excellent, and
he generally observed decorum in debate.
On one or two occasions I have seen him
angry, and his anger was terrible. Those
who witnessed it were not disposed to rouse
i it again. In his opinion he was yielding
and practicable and not disposed to differ
; from tfis friends. In private conversation he
was agreeable and facetious, and while in
genteel society appeared to understand all
' the decencies and proprieties of it; but, in
his heart he preferred low society, and sought
it as often as possible. He would hunt in
the pine woods of Fluvanna, with overseers
and people of that description, living in a
camp for a fortnight at a time without a
change of raiment I have often been astonished
at his command of proper language.
How he attained a knowledge of it I never
could find outj as he read so little and conversed
little with educated men. After all,
it must be allowed that he was our leader in
the measures of the Revolution in Virginia.
In that respect more was due him than any
other person. If we had not had him, we
should probably have got out pretty well, as
you did, by a number of men of nearly equal
talents, but he left us all far behind. His
biographer sent the sheets of his work to me
.i ?..? l . 1_. J
aa iney were printed, ana at tne ena astea
my opinion. I told him it would be a question
hereafter, whether hia work ahould be
placed on the shelf of history or panegyric.
CHRIST NO WRITER.
One of the most remarkable facts in the
history of Christ is, that he left no writings
behind him, and the only record there is of
his writing anything is in the case where "he
stooped down and with his finger wrote upon
the ground." What he wrote then and there
no one knows ; though perhaps the most
plausible conjecture is that he wrote the answer
to the question, whether the woman
taken in the act of adultery should be stoned ?
"He that is without sin among you, let him
cast a stone at her." Hearer, did this straDge
fact ever occur to you, that the greatest reformer
that ever lived?professedly the divine
teacher sent of God to reveal bis truth
to the world?whose teachings have survived
the wreck of ages, and now command the
credence, the respect and the most profound
amiration of the enlightened world, and who
is claimed as the "author and finisher" of a
great system of faith and practice, has left
behind him no sentence of his writing, and
those unknown characters written with his
finger in the sand constitute the sum total
of all his writing of which there is any account?
Is there, or has there ever been, since the
invention of letters, or even rude hieroglyphics,
any such thing as a system of religion,
whose founder did not take special pains to
reduce his teachings to writing, and thus
give them the most exact and permanent
forms ?
The Bransbins have their Vedas, the Pourans
their Rhmayan, and their laws and institutes
of Menu, and these are all written and
preserved with the utmost care. The Chinese
have their books of Fohi, their founder, as
I oDentd and exDounded bv their crreat Confu
"i" ~ J O ~ ~
cius. The Persians have their Zendevesta,
attributed to their leader, Zoroaster, containing
the doctrine and laws of their religion.
The Jews had their sacred books; and Moses
and the prophets, and David, and Solomon,
put their teachings in writing, that they
might be preserved.
Plato and Pithagoras, and Cicero and Demosthenese,
wrote much. Mahomet wrote
the Koran, and gave it to the faithful as their
guide. The writings of Swedenborg are
voluminous; and in our day, even the Mormon
impostor wrote his books of Mormon.
But here comes one who claims precedence
even to Moses and Abraham, and especially
with claims greater than Solomon in his
own person, and announcing himself, as a
herald of a new dispensation from God, which
is to cast Moses and the prophets in the
shade, and prevail over all other systems,
and subdue our entire race, and yet this great
teacher wrote never a word, save only the
characters in the sand, which the next breath
of wind might obliterate. Who can account
for tbis procedure? Will it comport at all
with the idea that he was an impostor ?" Did
ever an impostor pursue a course like this?
Never. And it seems to us that in the single
fact to which we have alluded, there is the
impress of truth, and proof that his mission
is from God, and there it can stand upon its
own merits. So confident is he of its power,
that he is content to breathe it out upon God's
air, and leave it to live by its own inherent
and self-perpetuating immortality, or live
not at. all. And so be goes about doing good,
now teaching in the synagogue and temple,
now talking to his disciples as he sits on Olivet
or by the sea of Galilee, and now dropping
a word as he walks by she way. And
there is not manifested the slightest apprehension
that what he says will be lost. He writes
it not on stone or parchment. Nay, he writes
it not at all. He seeks only to give it a lodgment
in the hearts of the few disciples that '
followed him?to make them comprehend it,
and feel its power, and love it; and is willing
to leave it there to produce its fruits, and to
be written by the hand of affection, if it
should be written at all. And on those
hearts he did impress himself; and they, for a
the love they bore him, wrote the meagre
sketch we have of his life and teachings.
Rev. J. D. Williamson.
IS?* The statement is boldly made that
among the mummies recently discovered at
Thebes, is that of the identical "Pharaoh's
daughter" who rescued the infant Moses from
his dangerous hiding-place in the cradle
among the bulrushes. The body is that of a
lady of rare beauty, and is so perfectly preserved
by the embalmere' art, that it appears
as if only recently laid away. The coffin is
decorated with mosaic work of costly stones,
some of which has been chipped off by curiosity
seekers. Rameses the Second, the
father of this lady, is said to have bad many
wives, and to have been the father of more
than one hundred and fifty children. It is
supposed that many of his other sons and
daughters are similarly embalmed, and that
their mummified bodies will be found among
the treasures of this description, which are
now being brought to light.
VST" The word, "Piedmont" comes from two
Latin words signifying at the foot of the
mountain. It is applied to several regions
of the globe, which by situation are entitled
to the name. In fact, wherever there is a
range of mountains there is a Piedmont re*
orinn Tn this section the term is annlied to
portions of Virginia, the Carolinas and Geor- .
gia at the base of the Blue Ridge. Of course
there is no line separating this belt from the
one below it, but it is generally supposed to
embrace the hilly country extending forty to
sixty miles from the summit of the Blue
Ridge.
? m
"Don't waste your time in clipping off
the branches, but lay your axe at the root
of the tree," said the woodman to his son.
And the young man went out and laid his ,
axe ac the root of the tree, like a good dutiful
boy, and then went fishing.
I&* A Methodist Episcopal preacher in
Pueblo, Colorado, adopted the original expedient,
a few Sundays ago, of having the
choir sing the morning hymn from the steps
in front of the church, to attract the congreI
gation.
M