Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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I . , ' ^ ^ ^ ~ ISSUED SEMI-WEEKL^^ ^ * l. m. 0EI8TS sons. Pnbu?her?. } % Ifamilg JBftrsgapfr: |[or the promotion of the JJotitical, Social, ^jricultnijal and dJontmeyial Interests of the feogle. {TEK8?NOLK'^pAi.VriAvKc!li^VA!ICI!' ESTABLISHED 1855. - - YORKVILLE, S. C.7fT]TrbXY, OCTOBER^7)7^1907. NO. 86. norther; FROM THE RONANTI THE NOVELIZATI* CHAPTER XV. Ghastly Tidings. It was Sunday, the twenty-fifth of June, that day which will always be memorable In the annals of history, when one of the most gallant officers that ever gave his allegiance to the United States, met his death, fighting against more fearful odds than the Greeks had to encounter at Thermopylae or the famous Light Brjgade at Balaklava. The Indians were on the war path, there was no doubt of that. Settle??? ?? ?.. oAifiomont nntlvln? ranch nifiii aivn ocuicuiviivi v?.?v ...a after outlying ranch had been attacked. and at least, after much discus-1 slon, much shilly-shallying among the powers that be at Washington, It was resolved that some decisive action must be taken. This was good news to both officers and men, who had hitherto been forced to act only on the defensive, but alas, as the events proved, the decision came too late. Moreover. some one blundered and blundered Inexcusably. Still, on this Sunday afternoon, nothing of this was known at the camp upon Goose Creek, where was In command that brave, intelligent officer, General Crook, to whom the Indians had given the name of "The Gray Fox." a sobriquet which had been enthusiastically adopted by the men of the United States army. The Gray Fox knew that action was at last-to be taken, that very day in fact, and as a war-horse sniffs the battle from afar, so was this gallant soldier eager, alert, anxious for the moment to come when at the head of his men he could move forward to deal out merited retribution upon the cowardly redskins for their savage depredations. There was little, however, on General Crook's face, as he sat that cloudless day In front of his tent, to show anything of what he was evolving In his brain. Near him stood a young officer to whom he had been Imparting certain Instructions, and some distance back, but still within call w^s an orderly, waiting for such commands as might be given him. * ?? J Not far away, monotonously mm with no object whatever, carrying cannon balls back and forth, under the guard and watchful eye of a soldier, was a young man. who, with eyes never raised, performed his task, as heartbreaking a one as that of Sisyphus of mythology, continually rolling up the stone which as regularly fell back. This young man was Wallace Gray, who, as Horton had surmised, had been condemned to that punishment worse than death?the pyramids. "You thoroughly understand your instructions, lieutenant?" said General Crook. , "Yes. general." "Give your men all the rest you can between this and marching time," knowing :.'ull well what may be before them. "Orderly!" The msji called for stepped forward and saluted. "My compliments to Captain Strong. Tell him to report to headquarters at once." The orderly again saluted and departed to fulfill the command given him. "By the way," continued "The Gray Fox," turning again to Lieutenant Varnum, "any news from Fort Terry?" "Nothing, general, since the main k body under Captain Marknam moveu north to reinforce Gibbon. The wound received by Colonel Gray at Rosebud of course kept him behind." At this, the condemned man paused In his monotonous task and, with a cannon ball poised in his hands, stopped to listen. "Colonel Gray is an old anil valued friend of mine," said General Crook. "I trust the wound may not prove serious." "Sh!" said Varnum, warningly. with a glance toward Wallace, who at once resumed his occupation. "Beg pardon, general, but he may hear us." "He! Who?" exclaimed the general in surprise. "The prisoner." "Well, what then?" Varnum approached close to his commanding officer and said in a tone which could only reach the ears of the person addressed: "It is not generally known, but he is Colonel Gray's son." This was news to Crook, and voluntarily he cast a quick glance at the young man, moving back and forth at his cruel, fruitless task. "What? the deserter?" he exclaimed, in-a shocked, incredulous tone. "I thought his name was Jordan." "That was the name under which he enlisted." "A son of Colonel Jack Gray a coward and a deserter! Varnum. I can scarcely believe it." "It is true, nevertheless, general." Crook knitted his brows in reflection. He knew Varnum, and was quite sure that he would not make such a statement unless he was absolutely certain of its truth. "I'm!" he said at last. "He has been in your charge. I believe?" "Yes, general. for the past two weeks." "What has been his conduct?" "Toward the end of the first week, he acted like a madman and begged and prayed to be shot. Since then, a singular calm has settled upon him. He has spoken scarcely a word for four days. He neither eats nor sleeps. The guard finds him like a dumb animal, waiting every morning, patient, ready to be led to his task, and when night comes it is difficult to make him understand that it Is time to turn in. He can't last much longer. You will pardon, me. general," feeling that he was rather over-stepping the bounds of his authority, but yet his pity getting the better of him, "I'm not softhearted or much given to sentiment, but It seems to me that here is a case v 4- rights* C AMERICAN DRAMA. ON BY A. D. HALL. where clemency would be no mistake." The general was rather Inclined to agree with him, especially taking into consideration who the sufferer was, tut he did not say so in words. "I will inquire into the matter," was his brief comment. "That is all, lieutenant." After Varnum's departure. Crook turned and looked Curiously at the young man who was undergoing his terrible sentence. The latter, moving backward and forward, seemed to be utterly oblivious of the scrutiny to which he was subjected. The general made a motion to the guard, who approached. "Bring your prisoner here!" The guard went forward, and touched on the shoulder the man In his charge. Wallace, who was just about to pick up one of the cannon balls, turned and looked at him in a dazed sort of way. The guard pointed toward General Crook. But even then, the unfortunate young man did not seem to understand. "Lead him here!" commanded Crook. The guard took Wallace by the arm and led him forward until he was In front cf the general. He stood there 9taring -blankly and stupidly before him, mechanically turning the cannon ball round in his hands. The general pitied him from the very bottom of his heart. He knew well how terrible was the punishment which had been inflicted upon him and how it almost inevitably led to either madJ ness or death. He motioned the guard to retire, and | then asked in short, quick tones of command in order to arouse the man before him from his confused condition: "What Is your name, sir." Wallace raised his dull, listless eyes. "Ralph Jordan," he replied, automatically. "That is the name under which you enlisted. What is your real name." "Ralph Jordan," in the same expressionless tone. "Answer me truthfully!" exclaimed the general, sharply. "Is not your real name Wallace Gray?" Wallace moved his head, and, after looking about him with eyes which did not seem to take in anything within their vision, answered stupidly: nui i iv# n. "Are you not the sen of Colonel Gray?" "Not now." with a slow shake of his head. The general was moved to the most Intense pity, but he went on, apparently remorselessly, yet knowing that this was the best course to take. "You were tried and convicted of desertion by a military court presided over by Colonel Gray. You were returned to me for sentence and punishment. There have been times, and not many years ago, when for such a crime you would have been shot." These last words pierced Wallace's brain and, melting the icy band which had been compressing it, brought him back to his senses. A Hush stole into his cheeks and a faint light into his eyes. "Yes, yes." he cried, eagerly. "Shot, but they wouldn't do it. I wanted them to, but they wouldn't do it!" And then he sighed heavily. General Crook looked at him narrowly. He found difficulty in understanding. This was certainly a most extraordinary criminal. At last he said, very deliberately: "What promises can you give me of soldierly conduct in the future should I restore you to the ranks?" "None," was the hopeless answer. "None!" repeated Oeneral Crook, In blank amazement. "None." "O-ray," after a pause, "your father is well known and esteemed by me. I would go to great lengths, even stretch discipline, to do a service through you to him." Wallace dropped the cannon ball to his feet, and exclaimed with the most intense earnestness: "You can do my father a service, sir. one for which he will never cease to thank you." "And that?" asked the general, wondering what could be coming next. Wallace extended his hand, with a gesture that was almost tragic, toward the horizon. "See, the day is drawing to a close. Tho son Is coiner to rest. For ten lone days it has set thus upon my punishment. and tonight it is going down blood red. The first day I was strong: I built over a hundred pyramids; the second day eighty: today I have built only fifteen. You wish to do my father a service. Then keep me at work all night, all tomorrow, and I promise vou a glorious row of pyramids. Then when the sun sets again, my labors will cease, and I shall be at rest." "You wish to die?" "Oh. with all my heart, with all my soul." was the passionate reply, spoken with such yearning that it was impossible to doubt the truth of the words. "I have prayed to God that He would so lift from me the bitterness of my degradation. Rut it comes so slowly, so slowly." Hardened veteran though he was. The Gray Fox was moved more than he would have liked to acknowledge, and there was a suspicious moisture about his eyes. He scarcely knew what to reply, and he was thankful to be spared this infliction by the sudden appearance of an officer who came rapidly forward and saluted, evidently anxious for a consultation with his superior. "Guard. remove the prisoner." commanded the general, "and tell Lieutenant Varnum to keep him in the guard house tomorrow." The guard conducted Wallace back to his work. The young man's head sank upon his breast, and, with the former hopeless expression, he again betook himself to his task. The general turned to the officer whose name was Strong, and whose fine face full of character did not belie his name. "Any reports from your scouts, captain," asked the general, thrusting aside the emotion which had momentarily threatened to over-power him i and becoming once more the calm, well-poised commander on whom so much depended. < "Not yet, general. I have been expecting them for the last two hours." "Your men are in good condition?" I "Couldn't be better. They're burning with impatience to be off, and i there seems to be considerable disappointment among those who are to be 1 left behind." i "Aha!" ejaculated Crook, with a gratification he made no effort to con- 1 ceal. so pleased was he at this display I of bravery by the men under his com- i mand. "iney naven t rorgoi me siap we grot on the Rosebud. You under- 1 stand the plan of action? There must be no mistake tomorrow. The blow must be so swift, sure and overwhelming that the twenty-sixth day of June will go down In Indian history to the last survivor of the race." "At what do you estimate their strength, general?" asked Strong, his eyes gleaming at the prospect of battle. "Anywhere from twenty-five hundred to four thousand fighting men. A general opinion prevails that It is less than that, but I don't care to be outnumbered a second time." "And the hour for attack? Daybreak tomorrow, is It not?" "The understanding upon that point was thorough. Monday morning, June twenty-sixth, was the day agreed upon. Barring accidents, at the first peep of dawn tomorrow our turbulent red friends will meet with a swift and awful judgment. If " He was Interrupted by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, and an orderly came rushing around the tent. "General, a scout has come with a report of the greatest importance." ? "Bring him here immediately." 1 Strong was about to follow, but the t general stopped him, ordering him to remain as there might be necessity for { immediate action. The scout was Horton, who arrived breathless and covered with dust. f "General Crook, you know me?" he asked, with difficulty, so exhausted t was he. "I do." replied Crook, recognizing < him at once as a man who had done t valuable service for him some years g before. "You-have serious news?" c "Rouse your men, general!" gasping l with excitement and lack of strength, g "for the devil has taken possession of 3 his red imps, and hell is turned loose g over these valleys for a holiday." "What is it, man?" cried General ? Crook, wrought to the most Intense I pitch of suspense. "Speak!" "Just a minute!" Then, as soon as he had partially recovered, he proceed- s ed to tell his story. It appeared that g 011 the day when Colonel Gray and the c men under his command were about to start to join General Crook, the In- ? dians in some way learned of his intention and also of the strength of his f forces, and about four hundred Ogal- t lallas surrounded the fort and fired it. 3 Colonel Gray and his men managed to ] cut their way through them, and reach- g ed the bluffs back upon the Tongue river. There, intrenched among the ? rocks, they had succeeded in keeping \ the Indians at bay ever since. * f The general had listened with rapt 1 attention. "How long can they hold g out?" he asked, as Horton paused in 1 his recital. "As long as mortal man can go 1 without water. The last drop was ex- g nausieu iweniyiour iuiuim uk""Poor lads!" "Last night," continued the scout. "I climbed the bluffs, secured a pony and l made for your camp. We'd all have made a rush for It were It not for the 1 women." "Women!" cried the general and t Strong in unison, while their cry was re-echoed by another, which proceed- i ed from the prisoner, who was within earshot and who had a more personal l interest than they in this information, l "My God! Are there women?" "Of course. When we abandoned the fort we could not leave them behind." j "Orderly," commanded General Crook, with that quick decision which l was one of his prominent characterls- ] tics, "instruct Lieutenant Varnum to order his men to horse at once." < "At what hour was the concerted attack to be made upon Sitting Bull?" asked Horton, as the orderly started ) off on his errand. "At daybreak tomorrow." i An expression of horror swept across the scout's dark face. I "Then a terrible mistake has been made, and at least one detachment of < cavalry has been swept from the face ] o' the earth." I "Horton!" cried Crook, excitedly. "What do you mean?" ] "That the attack upon Sitting Bull ' has been made. Oh, General Crook, it 1 was a cruel command that sent three hundred men to attack six thousand." "Where?" ' "On the Little Big Horn." "There has been some terrible mis- I take, as you say. Go on! Tell me all ' you know." And this as rapidly and tersely as possible Horton proceeded to do. He I had found that Crook had struck camp on Goose Creek and so set out to find him. He discovered a trail at ' three that morning, and knew it was I t Ko ivtnebo r*f fho I t'nn shoes. At break of dawn, he looked down into the valley, and saw an Indian encampment that stretched for miles up and down the stream. All was quiet, every soul asleep. Suddenly there floated up to him the strains of a rollicking Irish melody. The reds heard it as well, and in a moment the scout saw hundreds, thousands of the blanketed rascals hurrying to and fro In alarm. The song ended in a ringing cheer and about three hundred cavalrymen dashed into view from among the scrubby trees that lined the bank and charged the village. For a moment the reds seemed paralyzed with surprise; then it appeared as if every shrub and blade of grass turned into a painted devil, and the morning was filled with the roar of battle. Horton waited for no more, but dashed down the slope to join the fight; only to realize, however, that the brave fellows were in the jaws of death. The balls whistling around him thick as hall told him that he was discovered. One struck his revolver and hurled It from his hand. It would have been the. madness of folly to have remained longer. He wheeled and Btarted for the heights again. Reaching an elevation, he turned In his saddle and looked back. A cloud of smoke hung over the village through which flashed the glittering sabres and the darting glint of steel. Riderless horses galloped about In frenzy. Then came a lull In the firing. Then there was one more volley, a few spattering shots, one wild; exultant yell from six thousand savages, and then?, silence. Horton paused. His terrible story was finished. The general's rugged Tace had become more and more set, more and more stern, as he listened. "Were you close enough to see what "egiment they belonged to?" he asked. "No, general." "Stop!" with a sudden suspicion which was very close Indeed to the truth. "You spoke of hearing an Irish song, as they made the charge. Did . ou recognize the air?" "Yes, general, it was 'Garry Owen.'" "Custer!" cried Crook, rage and ioitow filling his heart at the massacre ?f this, the bravest and most dashing jfflcer In the frontier sendee. But it , vas not the time for mourning. That vould come later. Now all must be iction. "Captain Strong, let every man be n his saddle In fifteen minutes. Let he men know what has occurred. Tell them our destination is the Big riorn Valley; tell them our battle cry s 'Remember Custer!"' Strong started off on a run, and the reneral turned again to the scout. "Horton, how long will it take to each Colonel Gray?" "We'll have to approach over the duffs, sir, but, by hard riding we can nake It by 10 o'clock tonight." "Is there no nearer way?" "Yes, through the canon, but there ire reds behind every ledge of rock, t would be a miracle for a white man ;o pass over that gulch alive." "Can Colonel Gray hold out until aid :an reach him?" j Horton shook his head douDtruuy. "I cannot say. He is wounded and" trowing worse for want of attention." "Have you no surgeon?" inquired he general, in surprise. "No. The chief surgeon died sudienly just before the attack was made lpon the fort. His wife was very ill it the time and continued so for some lays after we were encamped upon the duffs. As soon as-she was out of danger, the assistant surgeon, John Swift- * vlnd, an educated Indian, disappear- i >d." . , "The scoundrel!" cried the general, ingrlly. "But you can't change an i ndlan." At this moment the bugle call ^ 'Mount!" was heard, and almost initantly the orderly appeared with the innouncement that the men for Col- , inel Gray's relief were in their saddles. Horton started to go, but the general stopped him. "Here," he said, with that thoughtulness and generosity which ever dlsingulshed him. "You say you lost rour revolver; take mine. Now, go, iorton. and God grant we meet tgain." Again Horton turned, but as he did 10 he caught sight of the prisoner, vhose hollow, sorrowful eyes were ixed upon him. This brought to his ecollection something which in the (xcitement of the moment he had alnost forgotten. "General," he said, "will you allow ne to speak to the prisoner? I have message for him." "Yes, yes." replied Crook, shortly, 'but be quick. Lose no time." Horton crossed over to where Walace was standing. "Gray," he a&ked, gently, "do you <now me?" Wallace with an effort drew himself jp erect and saluted. "Will you not shake hands with ne?" The poor fellow looked at him,, as If it- could not believe the evidence of lis ears. "You would take my hand? Mine?" "Try me," replied Horton, with a *mile. In silence Wallace took the proffered land and pressed It. There was no need for words. "Gray, I have a message for you," continued the scout. Wallace's eyes kindled. "Ah!" he cried, eagerly. "From my father?" "No. From a woman. Can't you Tuess?" Wallace's lips formed rather than pronounced the name?Florence. "Yes," assented Horton. "Listen closely, for I must be off. These were tier words: "Tell him to be brave, to tie strong for my sake." "Brave for her sake!" repeated Wallace, with a bitter, hopeless laugh. 'My God! the mockery in that word tirave." "No," replied Horton, earnestly. 'She meant it, for she believes in you." The bugle call sounded "March!" 'We all believe in you," he added, hurriedly, but impressively. "Goodby, and remember her words." He strode rapidly away, leaving Wallace with a dawning hope in his heart which had been absent from it for many a day. "Be brave, be strong for my sake," tie murmured. "Florence, with God's help, I will!" (To be Continued. The Book For Him.?"Here, clerk, I'm in a hurry. I want a book for my 1 1 .1 Klc Klrtk.lov And T IIUrtUiAUU. 11 n inn I'll uivmj. want it for a present. Show me what you have and be quick about it. Nothing too expensive, mind you, and I don't want anything too cheap, either; do you hear? He's a mild-mannered man. and not fond of sports, so don't show me anything in that line. For goodness sake, don't offer me any of these trashy novels, and no matter how much you try to persuade me, I won't take anything in the way of history or biography. Come, now, I'm in a dreadful hurry, and I've already wasted too much time here. Of course, you don't know my husband, but from all I've said can't you suggest something appropriate?" "Yes. ma'am. Here is a little volume entitled 'How to Manage a Talking Machine.'"?Tit-Bits. Time may be money, but it isn't so scarce. SENATOR JOSEPH B. FORAKER. HUNT FOR NOAH'S ARK. Expedition Going to Yukon to See If It la There. I 'Mount Ararat With the Ruins of Koah's Ark on It, Discovered In Yukon" was the headline that appeared In a Dawson newspaper some few years ago. And, while a controversy may well be waged as to the meaning and original purpose of the great ruin that Indians declare exists on the top of a mountain far In the interior of northern Yukon, the management of the Alaska-Yukon-PaCiflc exposition which will be held at Seattle in 1909 intends to sift the story and if there is any ruin to have photos and plans of It at the Pacific world's fair In order that archaeologists may be able to give an intelligent opinion, says a Seattle (Wash.) correspondent of the St. Louis PostDispatch. The story of the first discovery of the alleged Noah's Ark is of Itself a classic In the north. In the early days of the Klondike rush a brilliant coterie of writers gathered in the new camp. Of those who have since given to the world their Impressions were Jack London. Rex Beach, Jack Corbett, ex-Senator Jerry Lynch of California and others. But in the newspaper world off*> Dawson?then particularly bright?the particular star was one Bernard H. Moran, or as he was known from Point Barrow to Atlln, "Casey" Moran. As a reporter Casey was unexcelled anywhere. There are whole weeks in Dawson when telegraphic wires are down and no news whatever arrives from the outside world, when the trails are snowed up completely and no one either leaves or enters the city and when the most recent newspaper of the outside world Is some two or three months old and every one has read it twice at that. Getnn f o /lallv nnrlor hoco clrniim stances is no Joke. But the inevitable, ubiquitous Casey was always there with the item, the speculation, the suggestion. A man that has succes3fuly been street preacher, whisky smuggler, walking delegate, mining broker, Ice trust magnate and boat builder could always evolve enough news, whether or not the real article was In evidence. It was one of these times, and the editor was troubled. "Casey," said he. "the paper is going to the dogs. People blame us for the wires being down and the roads being impassable. Go out and get an article that will make 'em sit up, that will be talked of from the aurora borealls' northern limit to the southern cross." This was an order such as Casey loved. He grabbed a pad, pulled on his parka, and In a minute the 65 below zero fog had closed about him. The story appeared the next morning. That night a tribe of interior Indians had arrived in Dawson, and Casey caught them within an hour after starting on his search. They told him of a trip that winter after food far into the heart of a country no Indian had ever penetrated before, away past the circle and east of the Mackenzie. It was a country supposed to be haunted. At any rate, the Indians and Eskimos gave it a wide berth, and only necessity of food drove them Into it this time. And they told how they finally reached a great mountain on whose top were the remains of a vast building "like a hundred villages built on a great canoe," as one of the chiefs described it in the vernacular. The building had been turned to stone, but was once wood, so the tribesmen declared. And when Casey had found a family Bible?one of the old kind with pictures of the scenes in the Old Testament?and turned up the drawing of Noah's ark one and all of the a si iirltVi untiufQPtlnn I li iucrmutrii gi uiucu mm and declared the boat on the mountain was very much like the picture. Moran got affidavits from the Indians. and the story traveled all over the world. The noble red men stuck to their story notwithstanding the most jealous questioning of newspaper rivals who had been scooped. And. while many will call Moran's getting the story luck. It is the sort of luck that Moran always can be depended upon to dig up. He never waited for it to come to him, but always went to it, and by 1909 the great exposition which will demonstrate so many things concerning Alaska and Yukon may depended upon to have investigated and put the seal of truth or the mark of falsity on this the finest newspaper story that the north has ever produced.. tiv Old age Insurance is compulsory In Germany, and the cost of carrying the insurance is shared by the government and the employer. It Is claimed that only one out of 250,000,000 passengers on English trains meets with an accident. OLD WAY8 OF FIRE MAKING. Queer Methods of Striking a Light In Primitive Times. Looking around upon the civilized races of mankind today, one's Imagination Is sorely taxed to picture a time when the ready means of striking a light was not available. Yet It Is certain that such a time must have been?far back in the dim ages, when man roamed the wilds and dwelt In holes and caves of the earth, scarcely more advanced In his domestic arrangements than the beasts of the field, writes Percy Collins in the Scientific American. In what manner the value of fire as a servant first dawned upon the mind of man must ever remain mysterious, but at all times there must have been fires and great conflagrations kindled by natural means and entirely without the aid of man. Thus, the effect of the lightning stroke, of friction caused by falling rocks or the chafing of limbs and stems In the dense forests, or the volcanic overflow of the smouldc.ing furnaces within the globe would from time to time display the properties of fire before the wondering eyes of primitive mankind. Probably man first feared fire, then began to worship It as a god terrible and omnipotent to destroy. Then, his fear departing from him, he began to employ fire to benefit himself and his tribe, using It for cooking and warmth. Notice that he did not at first make fire. He took It from Nature's hand, so to speak, just as he gathered fruit from the forest boughs. There Is direct evidence of this In the traditional history of many races. For example, the T'llsnglt family of Indians In southeastern Alaska say that the raven gave them fire, and have an elaborate folklore descriptive of the bird and Its flight through inky darkness bearing the divine spark In a box. The fire was religiously preserved and fed. and members of the tribe took of It for their domestic hearths. These and similar fables of the preservation of fire In a box, and Its being borne from tribe to tribe, or family to family. are reminiscent of the unquestionable fact that man knew and employed fire long before he had discovered the means of making It for himself. Probably the first essays of man as a fire maker were confined to the friction of sticks. There are just three ways In which one piece of wood may be rubbed upon another, namely, by moving with the grain, or "ploughing;" by moving across the grain, or "sawing," and by twirling a pointed stick within a wooden socket, or "drilling." All these methods have been used by early man. Neither the first nor the second method, however, was brought to a high state of perfection? or, to be more precise, they both reached perfection In rudimentary form. The fire blow, which was widely used among the Indo-Paclflc races and sporadically In America, consists of two parts; first, a stout piece of thoroughly dried wood perhaps three feet long and two Inches In diameter, which forms the hearth or stationary part; second, a smaller stick of the same kind of wood about a foot long, cut wedge shape at Its lower end, the edge forming a very obtuse angle. This constitutes the working part, or plough. It was rubbed violently backward and forward on the stationary piece, cutting a groove running with the grain for a distance of some four Inches. Minute shavings were tnus detached, and in the hands of a skillful manipulator these were soon heated above the point of Ignition. Fire making by sawing was a Malay device and has never perhaps been successfully employed save in countries where the bamboo flourishes, the reason being that bamboo is the only really suitable wood. Two pieces are taken, one with a sharp edge, the other with a notch cut In It nearly, but not quite severing the substance. After sawing for a time the floor of the notch is completely pierced and the heated particles fall below and Ignite. But the most important method of primitive fire making is that of drilling. In its most simple form a stick of dry wood Is twirled vertically between the hands upon a very dry and partially decayed lower platform. It lr extremely difficult to obtain flre in this way, as modern experimenters may prove for themselves. Yet there Is a certain knack about the operation, and this once being mastered smouldering wood dust may be created with comparatively little labor. - U/vM,At,AH fhat thA flr? 11 is ciear, uuncrci, *????. drill could be made more effective and rapid In action In several ways. One such way calls for the co-operation of two individuals, one of whom supports the vertical spindle by means of a socketed rod, while the other wraps a cord about the spindle and pulls it backward and forward as rapidly as possible. A further complication of the Are drill was the application of the bowstring?similar to the drilling appliance used by the Jeweler. The socketed rest for the vertical shaft was then held by one hand, while the thong was alternately pulled and slackened with the other. Thus a saving of labor was attained. The forerunners of the comparatively modern flint and steel as a means of striking a light were flint and pyrites. or two pieces of pyrites. These were struck together and the sparks thus generated were caught among a little dry moss. The Esquimaux from Smith Sound to Bering Strait use this method. A very complete strike-alight, set, including flint, pyrites and tinder in little bags and a leather pad in dainty little bags and a leather pad to guard the fingers, comes from Cape Bathurst. Evans points also to Kuegia and the European archaeological sites for the antiquity of this method. Modern forms of the flint and steel are well known to most people from examples preserved in museums. There Is the very old type of wooden box. perhaps the earliest strike a light set made by civilized mankind. With this are certain small angular pieces of stout paper, the tips of which are dipped in sulphur. These are the most primitive kind of match known. They were used for generating a flame, by application to the smouldering tinder. Genuine specimens of these matches are now extremely rare, though "faked" ones are often offered for sale by dishonest dealers in curios. Another and more compact type of tinder box Is of metal. In the bot torn is seen the old dry rag, used as tinder, and upon this the flint and steel reposed when the box was not In use. Still more interesting Is the Ingenious strike a light made in form of a pistol. The flint is worked by the trigger and strikes upon an upright plate of steel, throwing the sparks through an opening upon the tinder contained In a narrow box which takes the place of what would be the barrel In the case of a pistol. This contrivance Is a relic of the old stage coach days. By means of it a light could be struck In a high wind. The matches ! which were then used were strips of thin pine wood, the ends being dipped In sulphur.. One other tinder box may be mentioned, namely, the "Chamak"? still in use among the Himalayan tribes. It is a little leathern pouch containing flint and tinder, while the steel is a strip of metal riveted along one side of the pouch. It is of small size, suitable to be carried about the person. In conclusion we may dwell briefly upon the developments of the match < proper as perfected by civilized man. Phosphorus was discovered by Brandt In the seventeenth century, and was used as a means of obtaining Are shortly afterward. But its costliness, together with the danger attending its use, militated against Its popularity. But In the year 1806 the Parisian Chancel Introduced the so-called oxymuriate match. It was a slip of wood tipped with a mixture of chlorate of potash, sugar and gum. To Ignite it the match was thrust into a bottle containing a piece of asbestos saturated with sulphuric acid?an awkward arrangement, especially in the dark. Then came the "Promethean" matches, whose career was short lived. They were a kind of paper cigarette, dipped In a mixture of sugar and chlorate of potash. Rolled within the paper ' was a tiny glass bulb filled with sulphuric acid. To strike these matches the tip was compressed between the teeth of pliers. Ey this means the bulb was broken, the acid liberated and subsequent chemical action caused Ignition of the paper. ' - ?* ??- ?I xne nrsi reuny pmcu ;ai muu? match, however, was invented by John Walker of Stockton-on-Teeg In 1827, and by him named after Sir William Congreve of rocket fame. It consisted of a splint of wood, first tipped with sulphur and then with a chlorate mixture. These matches were drawn rapidly through a piece of folded sand paper to Ignite them. It Is curious to note that a tin box containing seven dozen of them, together with the necessary bit of sandpaper, cost one shilling. Finally, after endless experimenting inspired by handsome prizes offered by America, England and other enlightened countries, the non-phosphorus safety match was brought Into being, putting the top stone, as It were, upon man's monumental struggle with the problem of striking a light. It Is a curious comment&ot. on the old world's slowness of Inventive genius that the first practical match should have been made less than a century ago. MIGHTY NEW BATTERY. Electric Device Gives Tremendous Power, 8ays Its Inventor. Frank C. Curtis, Inventor of the new battery expected to supplant present devices for the furnishing of light, heat ana power, recenny gave oumc remarkable Instances of Its ability, according: to a Milwaukee special dispatch to the New York Times. "For power purposes," he says, "eighteen cells 4 by 4 by 18 inches, weighing about twelve pounds each, or a total of less than 250 pounds, were used to run an electric runabout In the streets of Milwaukee over 150 miles with one charge of the chemical solution at a cost of $1 for the change of solution. "Eight cells 4 by 5 by 12 Inches were used in connection with the motor of the submerged type and propelled the boat for nineteen hours consecutively, or a distance of about 150 miles. "Six cells' of this battery were put or an electrical piano in- conjunction with a small motor and have been In constant use, furnishing power for the piano for upward of four months, and are still In active use and have been recharged within that period at Intervals of two months. It Is equally successful In lighting experiments. "The invention is the discovery of new alloys to form the electrodes, both negative and positive, and also In the combination of chemicals used In connection with the electrodes. The decomposition of the chemicals in solution furnish the electric current in as large a quantity as may be desired. The power battery Is composed of material that will last for many years, the solution and lonite being the only parts to be acted upon. "There Is no disintegration of any ii- ?.? rarts of the cell except the ionite cylinder. which will give 20,000 ampere hours before it Is consumed. The size of this cylinder is 12 by 12 inches by one-quarter inch and can be replaced a* the present market price at a cost not exceeding 20 cents per cell. These lonite plates are produced direct from the ore by an electrolytic process which precipitates the metal from its sulphides In the form of a sponge, which lr rolled Into sheets. The process is Inexpensive and produces an alloy consisting of zinc, aluminium and cadmium, which is not acted upon by the ionite solution when the battery is not In use. When it is In use It has the property of decomposing the lonite solution, which action furnishes 20 per cent of the energy produced by the battery. The ionite solution, being cheaper than the metal, furnishes a cheap fuel for the production of elec trlcity. "Both solutions cost not over 5 cents per cell for renewal. "The negative element consists of a round element which Is composed of a specially prepared graphite. These are treated with an antimony solution and are then treated with a second solution, which leaves the antimony In an Insoluble form. "After one year's testing, the element being In constant use, there has been no perceptible deterioration of the graphite or Its antimony celling, and It is found to have the same capacity as when first put in use." Many a man who merely passes the hat gets a reputation for philanthropy. DIRECT TO CON8UMER3. Interesting Suggestion* to Farmers' Union Business Agent. We understand that Mr. W. C. Moore of Greenville, business agent of the State Farmers' union, will leave for Bremen. Germany, In a few days for the purpose of trying to perfect arrangements with cotton exporters on the continent whereby the Farmers' union may. sell cotton direct to the exporters without the Interference and expense of the middle men and speculators. We hope Mr. Moore will succeed. The efforts of the Farmers' union along this line should have the sympathy of every legitimate business Interest In the south. Such an arrangement, If made, would be of great benefit to the farmers, and whatever benefits the farmers will help every other Interest. If Mr. Moore succeeds In the prime object of his visit, we hope he will then call on the officials of the North German Lloyd Steamship company, at Bremen and talk with them about handling this export cotton through the port of Charleston. Charleston Is nearer the cotton fields than Norfolk, Baltimore or New York, and not appreciably further from Bremen. There would be a shorter railroad haul to Charleston than to the other ports, and consequently cheaper freight charges, while the ocean freight charges would not be any greater. Moreover, Charleston Is a South Carolina port, and Mr. Moore, as a patriotic South Carolinian, should do whatever may be In his power to build up our home port. If Mr Moore will call on the officials of the North German Lloyd company he will find them to be v^ry charming men socially, as well as keen, alert business men, ready and anxious to talk business. He will find, perhaps somewhat to his surprise, that they are quite well Informed as to conditions in the south, and particularly as to the city of Charleston. They will tell him that they believe the south Is the coming section of the United States, and that they are anxious to get a line of their ships established to a southern port They will tell him that they will put on a line to Charleston if they can get any sort of guarantee or promise of support in the way of freight shipments for their steamers. They will tell him, also, we believe, that they have been trying to get a nromlse of this kind for some time, but have not been successful. Perhaps Mr. Moore can help them along this line, and If he can succeed in getting a steamship line established between Charleston and Bremen he will do a great service not only to the city of Charleston and the state of South Carolina, but to the farmers of the south as well. And we would like Mr. Moore, while he Is at Bremen, to take some little trips out Into the farming sections of Germany and study the life and habits and conditions of the German farmers and stock raisers, and then go back to the steamship people and talk with them about immigration. The Farmers' union, we believe adopted some sort of resolutions against immigration last summer, and of course, we know that Mr. Moore Is not going to Germany to try to encourage Immigration, .but he ought to study the question while he has such an excellent opportunity for doing so. He will be bound to admit, If he acts on the suggestions that we are giving him, that it would be a great thing for this state if we could get any number of thrifty young German farmers scattered around on the farms In South Carolina. If Mr. Moore makes as thorough an investigation as we hope he will make, we believe he will become quite an enthusiast on the subject of German immigration. Of course he will find that the prosperous, middle-aged German farmers do not want to pull up and go to a new country, but he will also find that many young German farmers, of the very best stock, are leaving and going to other parts of the world because they can not get the opportunities they want at home, and he will be gnxlous to have some of these come to South Carolina. If Mr. Moore will then talk over the matter with Mr. Von Plattenberg and Mr. Von Kloch of the steamship company, he will find them very intelligent and sympathetic to a / marked degree. He will And that they have a good understanding of the needs of the south, and of the kind of immigrants we want here. They will tell him, we believe, that the people who came over on the Wlttekind were mostly Belgians, and of a not very desirable class at that, and that they advised against bringing these people to South Carolina, believing that they would not suit us and that our conditions would not suit them. Mr. Moore will also And that the steamship people have exceptional opportunities for encouraging the better class of Immigration to this state?immigrants who are not paupers, and ?1? Vn? a a "riff.rn.fT' OP Willi CCtll 1IUI wv viawuvv. WW .... _. "scum"?and that they will be glad to co-operate with the people of this state in securing for us a good class of new citizens. He will be told, of course, that it will take some time to bring all this about: but he will be convinced, we are quite sure, that it will be to the best Interests of this state to make an intelligent effort in this direction. Much Is being said now by Ignorant men In opposition to immigration of any kind, and we would like a man of Mr. Moore's intelligence, and especially one who is identified with such a force as the Farmers' union, which has put Itself on record most unfortunately in wholesale opposition to immigration. to make some study of this important matter under the exceptional advantages that he will have. The establishment of the direct connection with the European cotton firms Is of supreme Importance. So also Is the establishment of a steamship line between Charleston and a northern European port, and sp also Is German Immigration. We say. again, that we hope Mr. Moore will succeed In the prime object of his visit to Germany, and we also hope that he will be able to do something with the other two matters.? Anderson Dally Mall. iff Even a family tree may occasionally need a little pruning.