Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, July 05, 1902, Image 1
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ESTABLISHED 1855. YORKVILLE, S. C., SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1902. ISTO. 54.
WHEN BOYS
BY JOHN EC
Author of "Helen's Ba
ington
Copyright, 1901, by John Habberton.
CHAPTER XII.
AFTER THE FIGHT WAS OVER.
last we were on our
' \V/ v own si(le of tlie l)r,(^e:e
?those who were left
of us. Roll call show[M/jted
thirty men missing
from the first compaM\JJ
ny. which had carried
ml v^Sli only men int0 ac"
'-J tion. besides several
from each of the other companies.
Some of the missing we found dead or
wounded in the creek and woods, with
a larger number of the enemy in the
same condition, but after a careful
count we found the Johnnies had secured
about twice as many prisoners
as we.
The proceedings of the next hour or
two would not have interested any civilian
spectator in search of t^ie glory
of war. Several mounted men who
had been hurried away to a farmhouse
known to be about a mile down the
road came back with all the farmer's
wagons, carts, colored men, spades and
picks. Into the wagons and carts on
a lot of pine tufts hastily picked were
placed the wounded and our own dead.
The colored men. under the direction ol
the farmer, who had kindly volunteered
to help, buried the Confederate
dead near the roadside. Some of the
wounded groaned terribly, and one
poor fellow almost broke my beart by
faintly screaming "Father!" every moment.
I didn't feel any better when
we learned that the wounded boy
whom we were about to cart away
was a son of the old man who was
preparing the dead Confederates foi
their last home. Then we knew why
the old man had offered to assist the
burial party and why he had looked sa
quickly and Intently through the gathering
dusk into the faces of the dead.
The bo.v had been brought in later
from the woods, and the father would
never have known of his presence had
It not been for his cries.
The nest scene was equally painful?
the old man begging, with tears in his
eyes, to be allowed to take his wounded
child to his own house and the major
Insisting on his duty to carry all
the wounded captives to our own camp.
Several minutes before the old farmer
had been to us only a stay at home rebel.
Now there wasn't a man of us who
would not have added our entreaties
to his had we dared. It was a great
relief to all of us when our assistant
surgeon, who had been rapidly examining
the wounded, assured the old man
that the boy would need frequent surgical
attention Instead of home nursing
if his life were to be saved, so he
would be better off in our hospital.
Then the surgeon offered the farmer
bis hand, and after a shake the old
man sighed:
"I'll take your word for It"
I couldn't understand why a mere
handshake was so convincing until one
of our middle aged chaps told me that
both men were Freemasons. But the ag
ouy for us was resumed after we started
for camp, for the major, though
true to the letter of his duty, was a
Freemason himself, so he halted us in
frout of the old man's farm long enough
to let the family come out and bid the
boy goodby, perhaps for the last time.
They came down with a lantern, for it
was now quite dark, and the mother
sobbed and wailed as she leaned over
the cart and did all her thinking aloud
and told how handsome and cheery her
boy had looked when he took diuner at
home a few hours before for the first
time in months. His pretty sister,
whom all of us had adored from time
to time as she stood at the farm gate
with her father to see the soldiers pass
by, prayed aloud for heaven's curse to
fall on the man whose bullet had pierced
her brother's lungs, and 1 am sure
each of us trembled at the thought that
the bullet might have been his own.
Near them stood a little brother and
sister crying in the pitiful, hopeless
way that my brother Ned did when he
first heard that I was going to the war.
Yet this was not the only family that
suffered by that engagement. Besides
the men killed outright, some of our
own comrades died afterward of their
wounus wuuoui raiuer, mouier, sisicrs
or brothers to say goodby to them. Not
all the missing were taken prisoners
by the enemy, and nearly half a year
of awful uncertainty and of frantic
letter writing passed before we learned
this through our captured men who returned
when exchanged. One of our
men, whose leg was broken by a bullet
and who then was knocked senseless
by a glancing shot on his head, floated
down the shallow stream some distance
before he came to his senses and
got ashore. Stanching his wound by
tying a strip of his shirt tightly around
his leg. he bound the broken limb in
twigs and then spent two whole days
and nights in crawling on his hands
and one knee to our nearest picket station.
several miles distant. In the early
spring a colored man who went to
the creek to fish found the remains of
one of our men beside a tree, a mile
below the scene of the fight, and
scratched on the bark of the tree were
a few words telling how the poor fellow
had died a lingering death from
wounds, exposure and starvation.
Yet the entire engagement, in which
a full third of the men on the
bridge were either killed, wounded or
captured within 15 minutes, was in
military parlance "merely a little
WERE MEN.
ABBERTON.
I
ibies," "George WasliEtc.
brush." Mention of it never got Into
the newspapers. There were thousands
like it, except for the falling
bridge, during the war, the results being
too small or gradual to be part of
the history which was being made by
some great engagements which proportionately
were not so bloody. Perhaps
the story of this one will explain
to some people why old soldiers when
chatting together about the war talk
much of the march and camp, but very
I little about lighting.
[ The fight at the bridge was the severest
engagement In which our company
had ever participated, so I ought
to have been so absorbed by it as
to be insensible to anything but my
duty as a soldier. I am glad to say
that I loaded, aimed and fired as carefully
as if?oh. as if it were the first
day of tlie "opeu season" for quail In
the woods and fields near Summerton.
Nevertheless 1 frequently detected myself
in the act of looking about me to
see what other men were doing. 1 saw
C/iOyiie luaunip ?iuu unug uo ymviuij
uud smilingly as if lie were merely
making out bills at the Summertou
lumber yard. Miek McTwyny was
handling his carbine as energetically
as if it were a coffee mill, yet in his
excitement he was discharging It In
the direction of the sun. the tree tops
and his own toes, as if the enemy were
atoms of the surrounding air and could
be easily hit by a man with his eyes
shut Meanwhile he was volubly cursing
his platoon in English and Irish,
with some assistance from the verbiage
of the holy Scriptures and the vocabulary
of the Bowery, for not firing
more rapidly and carefully.
"Look at that little dbivll BraJnard!"
he shouted. "He's puttiu' rebs into purgatory
as fast as if he was walkin' to
Sunday school in Summerton."
Braiuard: The sound of bis name
startled me and caused a guilty pang
as my having been concerned only for
my own life impressed me. 1 looked
quickly about for him and Just in time
to see him roll sidewise from behind a
fallen log. his face as white as the paper
on which 1 am writing. Killed?
No. he moved. 1 hurried to his side
and asked him where he wus hit.
"In the heart. Jack, but 'twas not the
enemy that hit me. 'Twas Mick McTwyny's
tongue. (Jreat heaven! I've
vowed my life a hundred times to the
saving of men?you know I was studying
for the ministry. But now I'm trying
to kill men! It's all?but why
aren't you firing? See that red bearded
face sticking out from behind a tree
on the other side of the creek? No, no!
Don't you fire at him! Here goes!"
Braiuard's lips closed so tight that
1 could not see their dividing line, so I
looked to war j tne conieueraie who a
rod beard, and a second after Braiuard
tired I saw the red bearded man clap
a band to Ids shoulder. Then the
angles of his elbows and knees indicated
that he had gone out of action aud
sat down behind ins tree.
At that instant Braiuard himself had
a strip of skin and a bit of flesh taken
from Ids cheek by a shot from the
other side, but he did not know of it
till the light was over. I was recalled
to a sense of duty by Cloyne. who
drawled:
"What are you lounging for. Jack?
This isn't a Sunday school picnic."
Quickly I covered my confusion by
regaining the cover 1 had left, but 1
was still curious to know what other
men were doing. The Baiaklava veteruns
were side by side on the ground
aud as flat as the head of a snake
about to coil, though they did not seem
intent on striking. Not far to my right
stood Phil Hamilton, handsome and
composed us usual, but in apparent
trouble with ids pistol. lie looked so
superb, with his clear cut face, erect
figure and broad shoulders, that for a
moment I wished my cousin May
might see him. Then 1 was glad she
could not, for did not Braiuard love
May. and was not Braiuard my dearest
friend?
Still, pistols are made only to shoot
? * ?C fllil
Willi. JUKI lilt' IIIUIlJl'Ill u 1 llilllivr 10 UK
time to use thorn, so I hurried over to
Hamilton and said:
"Take 1113* pistol and Rive mo j-ours.
Mine is in perfect ordei. and. as I
n W 'V
W* ft \1 '^1
"Hon't i/on fire at him!"
helped father when he was inventing a
revolver, 1 know something of a pistol's
works."
"Thank you, Jack." said he as coldly
as if he had been born and brought up
in an icehouse, "but 1 think I'll conquer
it in the course of time."
I was somewhat offended by his
manner, but I reminded myself that
there is a time for everything and that
in the thick of battle was not the time
to expect a polite reply, even from the
Chesterfield of Summerton. When
again I chanced to look toward Hamilton.
I saw that his face was very white
and he was looking at a card photograph.
1 could not doubt who the original
was. On our homeward ride big
Pat Callahan snarled:
"ina ye s see our swen commissary
sergeant behind the thickest tree thero
was? I'm thinkin' be was.afeard o'
gittin' his beauty spots scratched!"
"G'wan to blazes!" snarled Mick McTwyny
in reply. "Commissary sarjints
don't nude to fight if they don't
want to. Besides. It's better that
we'd lose the captain?yes, or the colonel?than
the mau that kapes us in the
best of grub that can be made of rations."
"I'm not sayin' ye lie." Pat replied,
"but if I had as little stomach for grub
as he has for fightin' I'd go to the hospital
and stay there."
After unsaddling I' was greatly delayed
in reaching the quarters, for 1
"went over" my horse very carefully
to learn whether he had beeu wounded.
Horses have their own reasons
for not reportiug "a mere scratch"
that might In time disable them.
Climbing our bunk ? Brainard's and
mine? whicl was at the top of a tier.
I sow my chum lying down, with a
pocket mirror in one hand, my cousin
May's portrait in the other and with
tears in bis eyes.
"Brace up. old cbap!" said I.
He quickly turned bis bands to bide
their contents, but bis face was too
honest to hide anything that was behind
it. Besides, be said in fragments
between sobs:
"I was homely enough before. Now
I'm disfigured for life. The surgeon
wouldn't deny it. and Hamilton ? be
always was handsome. Heaven made
him so. Therefore I've no right to
complain, but?but"?
"But you fought, and he didn't"
"Eh?"
"He didn't, 1 say. 1 was watching
him."
Brainard mopped his eyes with bis
hands and looked proud an Instant.
Then lie groaned:
" 'Tis a hard world. Jack."
The crudest thing about It was that
Braiuard was the only member of our
company that got a scratch, though
fully half of us. not being handsome,
like Hamilton, coveted the scar which
Brainard wore after his wound healed.
Among the half that did not covet that
Ted badge of courage" was Hamilton.
He never spoke of it, but many times
afterward did I see our handsome commissary
sergeant look at Brainard's
cheek with an expression that indicated
extreme satisfaction and triumph,
with a dash of contemptuous pity that
made me hate the man, though he had
always been so considerate of my abnormal
appetite that he bad slyly given
me double rations of hard tack when
we went out scouting.
riTiwrwi} viii
1 14U 44?.Aki
WHICH I HAD NOT COUNTED UPON.
NE day our company
vvns Rpnt out to rebuild
a ruined bridge, severif'
' nl m"(,R beyond the
l'/"- JSt Picket linos, which
\1 . \ would give us the use
fx|b/V?pF2K^v\ of a road by which we
might increase our ca^
? pacity for threatening
the eueniy. All the material, even to
the flooring, was to be cut from the
woods near the little river.
The first two days of this work would
have been very happy ones to me but
for a single circumstance. All day long
there wandered among us the farmer
who owned the young pine forest from
which we were cutting our timber, and
his face looked as if his family were
dying one by one. with no doctor or
medicine within reach. Ilad he last
his temper and sworn at us we could
have got rid of him and our uncomfortable
feelings, but he was a gentle, slow
spoken, tired looking man. like the
American farmer of almost any other
state, and he told us how he had been
saving that bit of woods from the time
he married, so that the timber upon It
should pay for educating his sons when
they grew up and also to give himself
and his wife a little money with which
to see something of the world after the
boys married and the farm was divided
between them. Now it all was being
swept away and without a word of
warning or n cent of pay.
"Well, sir." said our captain kindly,
"I'm awfully sorry for you. but it's one
of the fortunes of war. A full half of
my company are young men who ought
to be in college or learning some business
by which to live and perhaps provide
for their parents' later years; but,
so far as their own future is concerned,
their time is being wasted about as
thoroughly as your property."
"I suppose that's true," said the
farmer, looking around at the men at
work. "You've got some likely looking
young fellows. But that don't give me
back my trees."
"Very well." said the captain, "the
government will pay you the full value
of your trees if you will certify aud
prove that you are and always have
been a true and loyal citizen of the
United States and have never given aid
or comfort to the enemy."
The farmer stopped looking gentle
and tired as he replied;
"I've given the Confederacy my three
sons, and I'm proud of it."
"That's square, honest talk," saia tne
captain, "but It brings us back to the
fortunes of war again."
"I didn't bring on the war/- said the
farmer.
"I believe you," said the captain.
"I only went with my state." continued
the farmer. "Uod knows 1 never
wanted any war; neither did any of my
neighbors, except a loafer or two."
" 'Twas the Baine way with me and
my neighbors," said the captain. "I
suppose if we on our side and you on
your side had been more particular
about the men we sent to congress and
to the legislatures?If we had thought
more of our country and less of our
party, there wouldn't have been any
war."
"There's a right smart lot of sense In
that," said the farmer after a moment's
reflection. Then he looked sad eyed
nnd continued, "But it doesn't give me
back my trees."
As the farmer wandered away I offered
the captain- an argument or two
which seemed to me nrst ciass cuqcuh
of the rightfulness of his position, bnt
he smiled sadly and replied:
"It's of no use, my boy, to fuss over
a man's head when his heart's turned
upside down."
"But"? I began.
"Oh, go back to your ax," interrupted
the captain. "Any logic that I have
I need for use upon myself. If you
live through the war and have a farm
and a family of your own some day
and look back to this particular time,
you'll probably believe that I'm about
as unhappy over this work as the
farmer is at his loss."
I was made so wretched for two days
by this sad eyed farmer's manner that
I tried to devise ways of escaping it
It wasn't long before I found one.
Many of our logs had to be floated to
the point where we were massing the
timber preparatory for use, and it was
not easy for men walking along the
shore with long poles in their bands to
prevent an occasional log from drifting
out of reach, and escaping us entirely.
I suggested to the captain that
a single rowboat or a skiff would help
us greatly, and the captain agreed with
me. but wanted to know if I had never
heard that for military reasons all
boats on streams in a fighting country
were destroyed.
"If southern boys are as smart as
northern boys," said I, "I guess a boat
or two escaped and lie hidden away In
the bushes somewhere along the
shore."
I couldn't forget how many times I
had stumbled over boats while roaming
along the edge of creeks and ponds
not far ftom our village up north.
"Very well." said the captain, with an
odd smile, "if that is true and northern
boys are as smart as southern boys,
you may go aud find one of those boats.
Take two or three men with you. Don't
go without carbines. And be in a hurry
about it. We do need a boat."
Hurrah! Here was to be an outing
that would bring back a taste of old
times. 1 wasn't long In selecting my
party. Braiua4^*clmost danced with
joy when I asked him to come along,
and two other fellows about as old as
we begged to go with us. Just before
we started the captain handed me a
canteen of whisky, telling me not to
use any unless some one fell into the
water, in which case I was to dose him
frequently, a few swallows at a time.
We were on the search within a quarter
of an hour, and I felt a year younger
in each successive five minutes.
Blessed be nature! There Isn't much
difference 'twlxt north and south as to
the underbrush and dry leaves along
the banks of small streams during
winter. It was almost as Jolly a trip
as If we were out chestuutting In the
woods about Summertou. Once In
awhile we would startle a squirrel and
long to fire at him. It was so hard to
ho honn/1 hs tho rnlo to flrp flt nothing
MV UUUUU WJ fcMV * V..W %w ?- ? D
but the enemy when outside our own
picket lines! What enemy could hear
us, anyway? There was no road within
three miles except that which was
broken by the bridge. The temptation
to shoot became still stronger when we
saw the head of a deer on the other
side of the stream, but Bralnard reminded
us that the deer would do us
no good unless we could cross the
stream to get him.
So on we tramped. It was as good
as an excursiou. We continued to be
reminded of old times at home. In one
place were the remains of a toy boat
such as each of us had whittled from
sticks in other days. Then we came
upon a path which cattle and pigs had
made in tramping to the river to drink.
A little farther along was a little dock,
such as northern farmers with water
fronts generally have. All of these discoveries
had no suggestion of war
about them, and we all agreed with
Brainard when he said:
"I feel as if I weren't down south at
all."
Suddenly my heart bounded with Joy,
and I shouted "Hurrah!" for through a
screen of bushes I saw the side of a
boat. It was only a skiff, made of
about four boards, but hadn't just such
a boat often been as good as I wanted
at home? We surrounded it In an instant
and murmured a chorus of delight.
The oars were in it instead of
being hidden a little way off. as they
would have been had the owner been a
northerner, and It seemed In as good
order as if recently used.
"The captain ought to make you a
sergeant for this. Frost," said one of
the tinvs.
Flat bottomed skllTs make up In
weight what they lack in grace, so we
laid our carbines In a heap and began
to lift and drag. The boat was fully
50 feet from the water's edge, so we
had a great lot of tugging and shouting
of "Now!" "All together!" "Again!"
etc.. before we reached the water. At
last, however, we got it where a single
shore would place it afloat; then we
straightened our backs and took another
admiring look, while one of the boys
became ecstatic enough to spring In,
seat himself, snatch the oars and go
through the motions of rowing.
"Don't fergit to take yer guns with
ye." said a voice which none of us
recognized. We looked around quickly,
and there, kneeling right by our
carbines, were three Johunies, each
with his own gun at the position of
aim. And two of those three awful
guns were double barreled!
This was something that none of ua
had looked forward to. With one accord.
however, we began to look for- ;
ward to Llbby prison.
"Don't ye know it's a sin to steal
skiftsV" asked one of the Johnnies, still '
keeping his piece at the aim. I never
saw so unpleasant looking a weapon
In my life?two great, yawning, dismal ]
boles that ended in utter darkness and j
behind them two hammers within an t
inch or two of which glittered bright r
red percussion caps. I never again j
wanted to contemplate any kind of a ^
gun from that point of view. And bow j
<*vnrlnstinf?lv?it Roemed at least a thou* c
eand hours?that fellow held bis guD In
that one position!
"We were not stealing the skiff," said
Brainard after the silence had become
almost maddening; "we were merely
appropriating it. according to the customs
of war as recognized in all countries."
"'Proporatin'. eh?" replied the man,
relaxiug his aim, though bis comrades
neglected to follow his praiseworthyexample.
"Well, 'cordin' to the customs
of nations we'll 'properate you.
Come up here?one at a time."
Nobody moved.
"D'you hyah me?" shouted the Johnny.
"Yes. sir." said 1 politely as I stepped
forward.
"Gimme yer belt." said he. I obeyed,
and he bound uiy arms behind iny bach
We looked around quickly.
with It. saying as he did so, "You anfl j
bein' four to we uns three, we uns has j
got to be uiore'n ord'nary keerful." y
I didn't look at the other boys while ]
they were being bound. 1 was afraid ?
tbey might be looking at me. Besides, (
I had too much else to occupy my
mind. Capture meant prison, poor
food, perhaps sickness and death. It
certainly meant no more communlca* >
tlon wllh home for months. Probably
my parents would think me dead, and
they would daily wonder where and
how I met my fate. Oh, what an aw- f
ful load of punishment belonged to (
whoever was to blame for the war!
When all of us bad been bound, the ?
men who bad kept us covered with (
their guns arose, came In front of us t
and stared at us. Suddenly one of ^
them exclaimed: s
"It's a fact! I was doggoned sure of ?
ii irom me i usu
"What you talkin* about?" asked an- j
otber. ^
"This here," was the reply as 1 felt
a big hand ou my shoulder and looked (
up; "this here Is the little cuss that ?
got us coffee the night the Yanks grabbed
us three months ago. Mebbe you ?
didn't gtt some of it. I did, though,
an' I sbayu't never fergit It. I'm right
glad to see you again, my friend,
though 1 wish 'twas somebody else
we'd ketcbed."
I felt much better at once and then c
felt ashamed that the sound of a c
friendly voice had made me forgetful *
of the awful future before me.
"I)ou't look so down In the mouth,"
continued my old acquaintance. "We 1
ain't goln' to kill an' eat you. After we r
git you across the river we'll treat you r
as well as we know how. Won't we, 1
boys?" 1
"Of course," growled the leader of (
the party.
This was kind, but would their good
will be of any service to us in Llbby '
prison or Castle Thunder? Still, I
thanked him as heartily as I could and r
told him truthfully that if we had to i
be captured I was glad we had fallen i
Into the hands of some one who seemed c
to remember us pleasantly. Then my
old acquaintance became chatty and t
told me they had hung about the edge c
of our camp all tbeday before, trying t
to find out what we were doing, word
having been sent to their camp. 15
miles away, that a "lot of Yanks was
cuttiif pine by the river." They bad <
followed us. keeping on one flank as
my little squad went up the river, for
they wauled to learn what we were up i
to. They were glad they had seen us f
leave camp; otherwise they would have
missed their boat, on which they night- t
ly crossed the river to the house in E
which they slept.
All this was interesting, but It made t
cold chills play hide and seek all over ?
me. Suppose. Instead of following us f
through mere curiosity, they bad shot
us as soon as we were out of hearing (
of our camp. Ugh!
"Guess we'd better git across the rlver
now." said the man who seemed c(
leader of the party. "The Yanks '11 be ^
send In' out for these boys pooty soon,
like as not. an' we don't want to git Into
no muss."
TO BE CONTINUED. t
A Real laicot r
"What Is an exit, pa?"
"Exit. Freddy? Well. It Is a Latin t
placard hung around on the walls In I
theaters and opera houses to keep peo- ?
pie from thinking they smell Are."?In-11
AianapoliH Journal. jl
piscellatttous peadtog.
THE O. A N.-W. R. R.
it Haw Made Proxreii In the Face of
Great DIfllcultlea.
The news conveyed In a special from
Ldncolnton in today's issue of this pa>er,
to the efTect that the new road of
he Carolina and North-Western raiload,
standard gauge, is in operation
rom that town to a point near Dallas, <
vhere the line leaves the old road bed,
s of much importance to the western
itction of the state. The entire line,
rom Chester to Lenoir, a distance of
10 miles, will before many months be
n operation as a standard-gauge road,
he road-bed and trestles having been
indergoing repairs and alterations with
hat end in view for sometime. Heavy
alls have also been laid for a considerible
disance, and distributed along
ither sections of the line.
The most important fact connected
vith the development of tms Independint
railroad property, however, is the
hange of line from where it crosses
he South Fork river, three miles north
>f Dallas, to Llncolnton, a distance of
welve or fifteen miles. Leaving the
ild road-bed on the banks of the
itream, It goes up the river, passing
lome four or more cotton mills that
lave not heretofore been touched by a
ailroad, including High Shoals mills, i
laboratory mills, Lincoln mills and t
ithers, and enters Llncolnton from the j
ipposite direction of the old road. Only <
?ne station is abandoned by the change
>f route, that of Hardin, and It was of
mportance only as being the shipping
joint for a manufacturing concern
vhich now has a station at its mill
loor. The management of the Carolina
end North-Western, It is said, was
>aid a bonus to build the line via the
nills, and was under contract to opertte
a train by July 1st, and it is a credt
to those in charge of the work that
lespite the recent heavy damage ' by
ains, they were enabled to comply
vlth the terms of the agreement.
The Chester-Lenoir line has had a
food many up and downs, since It l>eeame
an Independent road, and Its evilence
of prosperity Is a source of gratflcation
to those who have watched
t since it attempted to stand alone.
The fact that it has been enabled to
idopt the standard gauge and change
ts route so as to become one of the
nost important cotton milling roads in
his section shows that the men backng
It know their business. Between
ts terminals the road now has probacy
as many cotton mills as any other
lne of the same length in the south,
ind Its future success seems assured.?
Charlotte Observer.
WIT AND WISDOM.
I Negro Preacher Understands the
Troubles of His Race.
The Atlanta Constitution has discovered
a Negro preacher who seems to be
reaching a gospel that Is calculated
0 benefit his race materially. His
lame is W. W. Lucas and he is field
lecretary of the Negro Young People's
Christian and Educational congress
hat will assemble in Atlanta in August.
This young Negro, who is deicribed
as a "Black John the Baptist,"
1 combination of Mark Twain, Sam
r on/1 \T r "Hnnlorr moHo o nnopph ,
n Mobile a few days ago, from which
The Constitution takes these extracts:
"A great hindrance to the progress
>f the race is the two by four bigoted
lelflsh, Ignorant Baptist or Methodist
>reacher. He is in every community,
ipposing every measure of progress.
"I have decided that the only way to
ret rid of the "Jim Crow" car is to get
id of the "Jim Crow" Negro.
"If I could use 200,000 bars of soap
in the unwashed Negroes that travel
in trains and hang around depots I
vould solve the Negro problem about
0 per cent.
"Lazy, ragged, barefeet fellows, longng
for silver slippers and long white
obes and counting themselves worthy:
jeglecting to provide a home for their
amilies on earth and yet claiming a
louse not made with their hands in
jod's heaven!
"The white man is trying to make this
(arth blossom as a rose and the Negro
s getting ready to die.
"The white man is organizing buslless
enterprises and the Negro organzing
societies to turn out at their fulerals!
Now, I object to a hundred
lollar funeral for a flfy-cent Negro."
Unquestionably this man possesses
>oth wit and wisdom. His talks are
alculated to do good, and he should
>e given the right of way.
t i
AA l l UOiivvu vnuiinuui
,'Ievelnnd Methodlat* Declare War
AKalnat the Weed.
The Shelby district conference of the
H. E. church, South, In session at
Stanley Creek, N. C., last week, adopt>d
resolutions condemning the use of
obacco as injurious to both body and
ioul. The resolutions are as follows:
"Whereas, It is no longer a question
hat tobacco is Injurious to the body
ind mind, and to some extent to the
ioul, and,
"Whereas, The habit of using tobacco
in any form, is a perfectly useless
>ne, and to many people very offensive,
i great waste of money, entailing disease
on posterity and enslaving its
ictims, and,
"Whereas, Good people everywhere
ire becoming very solicitous about
heir boys, demanding that their pas- <
ors enforce and confirm their teaching.
by worthy examples of abstinence,
n the total disuse of tobacco in any
ind all forms, and,
"Whereas, It is a conceded fact, that
he pew will rise no higher than the
mlpit, this being confirmed by the
Scriptural statement, 'Like Priest, like
'eople,' and by Paul's admonition to
["imothy, 'Be thou an example to the z
^ucvera, 111 wuiu, in uuuvci oauuit, in
harity, In spirit, in faith, in purity;
ind again in his epistle to Titus, 'In all
:hings showing thyself a pattern of
food works,' and,
"Whereas, It is our purpose as miniters
of the gospel, to set worthy exam)lfc8
in all things before our people, and
:heir children, and in no wise to abrogate
the teaching of parents to their
ihildren. Therefore, be it,
"Resolved, First, That by the grace
)f God, we will set wholesome examples
jefore all men, as overseers of the
lock, by abstaining from the tobacco
lablt, and all other habits inconsistent
vlth our high calling, as ministers of
lit; guayci.
Resolved, Second, That we will discourage
the use of tobacco in all other
Christians, by kind admonitions, by
reaching against Its use, and by proper
instruction to the people, as to the
njurious effect of tobacco on the sysem.
Resolved, Third, That It is the sense
>f the district conference, that no applicant
for license to preach, or for adnlsslon
Into the annual conference,
n-ho uses tobacco in any form, should
pe licensed or recommended to the annual
conference, unless they solemnly
promise to quit It, and that forever."
The King and the Bengar.
A rather amusing story is going the
ounds in the Danish capital concerning
:he king and his little adventure with
i smart beggar, says the Copenhagen
correspondent of the Paris Herald.
The Democratic habits of King Chrisdan
are well known. Many a morning
:he senior monarch of Europe may be
jeen walking about taking an early
constitutional. In some cases he is at:ended
by Prince Waldemar, and at
pther times he is alone but for a favorte
dog. The king on such occasions is
entirely unguarded.
v^ii uie uctttoiuii ui uiic ui U1C9C wtiiiva
i man approached his majesty. He
was a rough looking fellow, with all
:he suavity of the professional mendicant.
King Christian, like the late king of
Italy, is particularly kind to the poor
md he goes out of his way to notice
:hem and say kind words.
Taking off his hat, the man approached
the king, who, seeing he wished
to say something, encouragingly
isked:
"Well, what is it?"
"Please, your majesty," came the
somewhat astonishing request, "might
t ask for a picture of your majesty as
i souvenir?"
The king, rather taken aback at so
jnexpected a request and yet feeling
ileased at it, replied In a laughing
tone, "Quite so, but I do not carry my
Ikenesses about In my pocket."
"Excuse me, your majesty," said the
Deggar, with a knowing expression, "I
think you do. If your majesty will
mly look in your purse, you will find
me."
King Christian disbursed at once to
the extent of a 2 kronen piece, but a
ittle later the police, who had been
watching, quietly grabbed the man,
ind he was warned and lectured
igainst begging.
Persia a Storm Cbntrk.?Sensationalists
who delight in war's alarms are
low turning to Persia as the probable
icene of the next trouble of the British
ion. Having 125,000 men to spare from
South Africa, now is the time, say
these advisers of Lord Salisbury, to re
establish British influence in the doninions
of the shah and counteract the
iffect of Russia's diplomatic successes
n that quarter. All the northern part
>f Persia is falling under Russian iniuence.
By loans of money and bluffing
:he czar has induced the shah to grant
exclusive concessions for the construc:lon
of railways and for other purposes.
X Russian bank has been established
:o facilitate a monopoly of Persian
:rade in opposition to the British bank
it Persia. A British telegraph line
;raverses Persia and a British steamer
service exists on the Karum river, in
vestern Persia. In the eastern part of
:he country a traffic route has been
established between Quetta, via Baluehistan,
to Meshed, and a railroad is
jrojected. Something is being done to
etain the political and commercial inluence
of India in the southern part
>f Persia. India's "sphere" of influence
is supposed to extend as far west
is Koweit and Aden. Persia is an Inlian
interest, since Russia, in control
it Persia, would be on the flank and
even in the rear of Afghanistan and in
i position to assail India by sea. There
s talk of applying the principle of the
open door" to Persia and inviting all
lations to join in withstanding Russia's
alleged purpose of absorbing Persia.
But Lord Salisbury. It is believed,
las had his full of fighting in South
Africa and is not "looking for trouble"
lust now.?Baltimore Sun.
Longevity op Dogs.?The age to
vhich a dog lives in the ordinary
:ourse is always a somewhat interestng
subject, especially at the present
;ime, when so much is done in the way
)f breeding for early maturity. For
nstance, we have both collies and fox
erriers becoming bench champions before
they are well out of their puppyiood,
but it is sad to say that in a malority
of such cases the overshown dog
ifterward rapidly degenerates or dies
in early death. A correspondent writes
:o The Field of the death of his fox
terrier at the advanced age of 18 years,
laving been born in 1884. He was
;ither a son or a grandson of Brokenlurst
Joe, his late owner does not
tnow which. This is, no doubt, a case
)f unusual longevity, but instances of
logs living to 14 and 15 years are comrson.
Dr. Leeney recorded the death
)f a dog of Lord Ogilvie's at 23 years
)ld, it arising from an accident; while
VIr. W. L. Littleton-Geach about the
mme time mentioned two of his own
logs, one of which was then living
lard on to 20 years of age; the other
lad just died when over that age. The
veil known fox terrier Belgrave Joe
vas born July 31, 1868, and died Januiry
13, 1888, while another aged terrier
,vas one of a working stamp which
:ame from George Carter, or tne Melale,
born in January, 1880, and died
February 13, 1900. In several of the
tbove well authenticated cases of longevity
death either arose from aceilent
or was brought about by the
twner, owing to growing feebleness of
he poor creature. No mean can be
itruck as to the average age of the orlinary
dog, but this might be taken at
0 years as he is now.?Pall Mall Ga;ette.