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HOYT & 00., Proprietors. ANDERSON C. H., S. 0., THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 14, 1871. VOLUME VH>"JT0. IL Letter from Senator Scott?A Plea for Ex? ecutive Interference. The following letter from Senator Scott, Chairman of the Joint Investigating Commit? tee, was received by President Grant on Fri? day. It is probably the key to the telegraphic report that martial law would probably be pro? claimed shortly in certain counties of the Oiste* lb the President of the United States : See. : Since the return of the sub-committee, Bent to the State of South Carolina by the Joint Committee of Copgress appointed "to in? quire into the condition of the late insurrec? tionary States, so far as regards the execution of the laws and the safety of lives and proper? ty of citizens of the United States," communi? cations have been forwarded to me from citi? zens of Spartanburg and York counties, and from the officer commanding the United States troops at Yorkville, which 1 consider it my du? ty to lay before you with this letter. The sub-committee visited both these coun? ties and took testimony in them. That testi? mony has not all been printed, but with this I forward the testimony of Rev. A. W. Cum? mings, of Spartanburg, and of Colonel Lewis Merrill relating to York county. That of Dr. Cummings shows that from Oc? tober last until July, when the committee was there, outrages had been committed upon two hundred and twenty-seven citizens, whose names are given, two of whom had been mur? dered. This list does not embrace all the cases that had occurred, and the deputy marshal in that county testified that the actual number j largely exceeded this. Some forty or fifty persons were before the committee, who proved the outrages committed upon themselves and others by bands of armed men in disguise. The extent of this violence was so great that leading citizens of that coun? ty were informed that if any of the witnesses who testified were interfered with, or if any outrages of a character similar to those proven were again committed, the fact would be repor? ted to the President, that he might consider the propriety of exercising the full extent of the powers conferred upon him for the protec? tion of citizens of the United States against snch lawlessness. It is due to these citizens to say that they promised to exert their influence to repress disorder, and I have since seen pub? lished notices of meetings held for that pur? pose. Before the committee left one witness, who had been examined, reappeared, and testified that he had bought a gun, returned home, and had been whipped by armed men in disguise from whom he escaped, but who took his gun away, and threatened to his family that they would kill him. I forebore to report this case, I hoping that the promises of leading citizens would be fulfilled and be effective to stop fur? ther violeuce. On the same day that the committee left Spartanburg the county court assembled. As an evidence of how Jar the State law is effec? tive in reaching such offenses, I quote an ex? tract from the report of the grand jury, made under daJe of July 20 : "We regret to report that we have heard of a I number of outrages having beeu committed in various portions of the county, but express the hope thac the good and influential men in every part of the community will unite their efforts in preventing ever)' infraction of the law, and In assuring to all perfect security in their per? son and property." This ir the notice taken of such a state of affairs as that presented by Dr. Cummings' tes-1 timony. No man has yet been convicted or I punished in tha t county for any of these offen? ses. Dr. Cummings' letter, of the 10th instant, shows a number of outrages committed since the committee left. One of these, as appears by the affidavit of Dr. Bates, was of a most I brutal character. One of the witnesses before the committee is also stated to be a refugee in I Spartanbunr, having been threatened with J death, Colonel Merrill's testimony gives the names of sixty-eight victims of violence in York county since October last, six of whom were killed, and shows the actual number to have been from three to four hundred. His letter, and that of Hon. A. S. Wallace, which I in close, inform me that since the committee left the Ku Klux have renewed their deeds of vio-1 lence and crime in that county, whipped in? fluential men "for no other cause than their political opinions and the color of their skin," and burning a negro school house. The state of insecurity was, I am satisfied, as great in Union county as iu either of those ] Above named, one witness having testified that j the county was in effect under Ku Klux rule; that no order issued by the Klan would be dis-1 regarded. As showing the state of feeling in that county, the number and power of the or? ganization, and especially to give the names of those who think it no part of their duty to have such offenses as are committed by the Ku Klux prosecuted, I submit to you the testimony of R. W. Stearns, Esq., a prominent Demo? cratic lawyer of that county. I have no report of any renewal of violence in that county since the visit of the committee. Information has been sent me.of occurrences I In Chester, Fairfield, and Newb^rry counties, Which would indicate that the cessation of law? lessness is but temporary. J The state of public sentiment in the coun? ties of Spartanburg, Union, Laurens, Newberry, Chester, and York is such that if these atroci? ties continue, there is no hope of protection from the local tribunals, and 1 earnestly invite your Excellency's attention to the testimony submitted with a view to action for the protec sion of those who have so long suffered without redress. The cruelties that have been inflicted in 8partanburg and York counties are shocking to humanity?crimes that ought not to go un? punished iu any civilized country. Their per? petrators are at large and un whipped of justice. Although inquiry has been made in their midst, and the enormity of their crimes expos? ed, and the consequences of their repetition foreshadowed, the members of these lawless or' ganizations have again resumed their arms and their midnight raids of brutality and assasiua tion. In these counties of Spartanburg and York crime has run riot with impunity. All warn? ings have been disregarded, and the efforts of the well-disposed citizens have proved ineffec? tual. I submit whether the time has not come, in view of these facts, when the people of these counties at least should Ijc informed by piocla uiation that the limit of endurances has been reached, and that the whole power of the Gov? ernment will be exercised to protect its citizens in the enjoyment of the rights and privileges guaranteed to them by the Constitution. Reluctant us I am to do so, the facts proven before the committee in those counties; the state of feeling existing there; the warning given the citizens; and, in the face of this, the speedy reappearance of the same criminal dis? orders which defy the execution of the laws, rendering life insecure and property of but nominal value, impel me, injustice to the suf? fering people who have endured so much, in mercy, even, to thoso whose sympathy with or| , indifference to these wrongs may arouse a re? taliation more terrible than they dream of?a I retaliation I would go to any lawful limit of power to prevent. All these considerations induce me to call your attention to the facts contained in the testimony, letters, and affidavits submitted, and to ask whether they do not justify such procla? mation as to these two counties as is required before the exercise of the power conferred upon you by the fourth section of the act of April 20,1871. As there are outrages reported in other coun? ties, and there is some hesitation among the military officers as to their rights to arrest per? sons found armed and in disguise upon the highways until after called upon by the civil authorities, let me also direct your attention to whether you have not the power of issuing ex? plicit instructions giving authority, under the third section of that act, to the military to make arrests of persons found in disguise aud armed, and to hand them over to the marshal, directing the military officer to lodge such in? formation with the United States District At? torney as will enable him to proceed at once and obtain the evidence upon which to prefer indictments. Martial Law. As will be seen in our columns to-day, Sena? tor Scott, chairman of the Ku Klux committee, has had an interview with President Grant, and as the result of the communication which the Chairman submitted to the President, martial law may be declared at an early day in several of the upper Counties of South Carolina?es? pecially the Counties of York and Spartanburg. At our present advices, this letter of Senator Scott's has been referred to the Attorney Gen? eral, who is to take action concerning the ap? plication of the Ku Klux law upon the state? ments contained therein, and as soon as that official has made a report the proclamation will be issued, While fully conscious of the futility of any? thing we might say upon the subject, we can? not, on behalf of the good people of York County, refrain from entering ourprotest aginst such action by the executive, feeling fully con? scious, as we do, that it is entirely unwarranted by the circustances, and that the condition of affairs in our midst has been grossly exaggera? ted. It is not uncharitable to say that the wit? nesses, in many instances, who were examined by the committee in this place, overstated facts, and that in their zeal to make a good case, the majority of the committee, when they made their report, and Senator Scott, in his recent letter to the President, gave full play to their imaginative faculties, with the view to bolster up the tottering temple of Kadicalism and strengthen the chances of Republican success in many of the approaching State elections which arc considered doubtful. Senator Scott insists that from information recently received from this County, he learns that since the committee were here, "the Ku Klux have renewed their deeds of violence aud crime, whipping influential men 'for no other cause than their political opinions aud the col? or of their skin,' and burning a negro school house." The source ot Senator Scott's infor? mation is, doubtless, better than that enjoyed by others and no doubt his informant* possess facilities deuicd the less favored for obtaining the news, as is apparent from the fact that af? ter the most diligent inquiry, we have been un? able to procure any authentic facts to warrant the Senator in his assertion that deeds of vio? lence and crime have been renewed. The statement that a school-house was recent? ly burned in this County is erroneous. It is true that a school house was torn down?the result of a feud between two rival factions, each one tending for the possession of the house in which to conduct a school for colored chil? dren. As the facts arc related to us, it was a matter in which the white oitizens of the neigh? borhood had no concern, and certainly in which according to the common usage of the mean? ing, Ku Kluxism had nothing whatever to do. We make no attempts to conceal acts of vio? lence that may transpire in this section, and invariably publish all authenticated reports that reach us; and, in another place, we publish an account of two "outrages'* perpetrated in this County within the past week. We sup? pose these occurrences will, in due time, be re? ported to the astute Senator, who is so extreme? ly solicitous for the maintenance of order in York County, as the most ghostly Ku Klux trage? dies yet enacted. But are such acts confined to York County ? to the State of South Carolina ? to any Southern State ? or, (excuse the compar? ison,) to any State of the Union? Bad men are in all communities. Robberies and mur? ders are planned and executed almost daily in every State; and wc submit that only the most tyrannical spirit would prompt the convenience and hardship to which a whole community would be subjected by the enforcement of mil? itary rule or martial law, simply on account of the conduct of a few, who would transgress the laws and evade punishment just as readily were martial law declared as they now do. We have read somewhere that it is well for a man to cast the beam from his own eye be? fore he attemps to pluck the mote from the eye of his neighbor. This injunction, doubtless, escaped the attention of Congress at the time the Ku Klux law was enacted, and it has cer? tainly passed away from the memory of Sena? tor Scott altogether. We would, therefore, most respectfully suggest to the honorable Senator that, so soon as his arduous labor of hunting up and collating cases of crime in South Caroliua is concluded, he turn his atten? tion to other sections nearer his own proper bailiwick. His native State, Pennsylvania, will furnish ample material for the exercise of his peculiar talent, and should he exhaust the fertile resources there at his command, let him turu his atteution to the more enlightened New England, and, our word for it, he will find a task to which the cleansing of the Augean sta? bles was a mere circumstance.? Yorkville En? quirer. A National Agricultural Association ?In order to secure unity and harmony iu the promotion of agricultural pursuits and especi? ally to consider all questions proper for increas? ing the advantages offered by science, skill and experience in developing this great industrial interest of our country, by a concert of action that has long been deemed necessary for its material advancement, the Tennessee Agricul? tural and Mechanic Association has, after ma? ture deliberation and consultation with the Ag? ricultural Bureau at Washington, determined to invite a congress of the various kindred societies throughout the United States, to meet in convention at Nashville, Tennessee, on the 3d day of October, 1871, for the purpose of forming a National Agricultural Association. ? A cynical man says the reason women are so fond of writing letters is that they rejoice in the opportunity of saying all they wish without the possibility of an interruption. ? A gentleman who had been victimized by a notorious borrower who always forgot to pay, j called him one of the most promising men of I his acquaintance. , From the Keowee Courier. Tennessee River Railroad Company. j The annual meeting of the stockholders of j this company was called and convened, after due notice, at Franklin, N. C, on the ? day of May, 1871, but on a call of stockholders it was ascertained that a quorum was not present, and the President being prevented from attending j by pressing business elsewhere, it was resolved that the meeting be adjourned subject to the call of the President. Purs; int to this resolution, the President called a meeting of the stockholders at Frank? lin, N. C, on Tuesday, 22d August. On the assembling of the stockholders, on motion of Mr. N. G. Allman, Cant. J. h. Robinson was called to the chair, W. N. Allman, Esq., re? quested to act as secretary. The books were opened and a number of shares subscribed. A majority of the stock being represented, the President, Gen. J. W. Harrison, submitted a report of the condition and prospects of the company, with many important suggestions, and closing with an appeal to the people along the line to aid the company by subscriptions of money, labor and bonds. President Harrison's remarks were charac? teristic of the man, and throughout were full of suitable suggestions in regard to the rich a^d varied resources of this mountain country in stock, grain, minerals and timbers. He also called attention to the report of the Chief Engineer, Col. Low, in regard to the narrow gauge, which showed conclusively that under all the circumstances by which the company is surrounded, the narrow gauge is specially and peculiarly suited to its wants, and tne character of the country through which it passes. In a word, the remarks of President Harrison were to the point, his argument conclusive and clear, and the unanimous impression made on our citizens was that the company were fortunate in having the services of one so able and inde? fatigable, Prof. C. D. Smith also addressed the meet? ing on the mineral and other resources of this section, earnestly advising the people to seize this opportunity of securing the completion of this great road. Prof. Smith then offered the following: Resolved, That a committee of three be ap? pointed by the chair, to report upon" the sug? gestions and views submitted by the President. Adopted. The chair appointed Messrs. C. D. Smith, J. Johnston and J. C. Crawford. Mr. Wm. Sloan offered the following resolu? tions which were adopted: Resolved, That a committee be appointed by the chairman to confer with the County Com? missioners as to what terms the vacant lands of Macon couuty can be transferred to the Ten? nessee River Railroad Company. Resolved, That it be referred to the President aud Directors of this company, the propriety and policy of letting contracts for construction, to be paid from one-third to one-half in the stock of said company. Resolved, That the President and Directors of this company are hereby instructed, in any arrangement which may be made for the con? struction of the road through this State, to 6ee that the rights of this company, in the appor? tionment of the debt and assets, shall be strict? ly observed. The chairman appointed Messrs. C. D. Smith, W. H. Higdon and W. N. Allman as a committee, to confer with the County Commis? sioners, in pursuance of Mr. Sloan's resolution. On motion of Gen. Harrison, Capt Robin? son, chairman, was added. Prof. Smith, chairmau of the committee to report upon the views and suggestions of the President of the road, offered the following res? olutions : Resolved, That whilst we regret the difficul? ties and delays which have attended the con? struction of the Blue Ridge Rrilroad ba South Carolina, and the connecting route, yet we are satisfied that the President has accomplished all that couid have been done, with proper prudence and caution, looking to all the cir? cumstances. Resolved, That the question of adopting the narrow gauge, now under consideration by the Blue Ridge Railroad company in South Caroli? na, be referred to the President of this compa? ny, with power to act. Resolved, That the necessity fhr aid in sub? scriptions of money, labor and bonds, by the people along the line, is now most urgent and imperative; and the citizens of Macon and ad? jacent counties are earnestly invited to respond, if they really desire the speedy completion of the road. Resolved, That the President is hereby re? quested and authorized to appoint one or more active agents to canvass the several counties for subscriptions. Resolved, That the stockholders of this com? pany will co-operate with, and aid, to the extent of their means and influence, any responsible association, who may have, or will undertake the speedy completion of this road. Resolved, That the President of this compa? ny is hereby authorized, if, in bis judgment, it is expedient, to confer with the Presidents of the Northeasthern, Augusta & Hartwcll rail? road companies, and other coporations in Geor? gia, upon the subject of a union of interests in a trunk line from Clayton to Knoxville,. upon proper terms. The resolutions were unanimously adopted*. The stockholders then proceeded to elect, by ballot, officers for the remainder of the year.? On counting the ballots, the following "gentle? men were elected : President?Gen. J. W. Har? rison ; Secretary and Treasurer?W. H. D. Gaillard ; Directors?J. S. Cothran, M. C. But? ler, Heury Gourdin, J. W. Dobson, J. R. Siler, N. G. Allman, W. L. Love aud C. D. Smith. On motion of Mr. Wm. Sloan, the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, That the chairman of this meeting, together with the local director, be requested to appoint some day in September next, for a mass meeting of the citizens of this and adja? cent counties, on the subject of procuring aid for this railroad. On motion of President Harrison, the follow? ing resolution was adopted: Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting are hereby tendered to the chairman and secre? tary for the prompt and able manner in which they have discharged their respective duties. On motion of Mr. J. Johnston, it was re? solved, that the secretary transmit a copy of these proceedings to the If. 0. Citizen, Keowee Courier and Athens Watckmnn, with a request to publish the same. The meeting then ad? journed, subject to the call of the President. (Signed) J. L. ROBINSON, Chm'n. W. N. Allman*, Secretary. ? Nashua gentleman said to an old* lady who had brought up a family of children near the river: "I should think you would have lived in constant fear that some of them would have got drowned." "Oh, no," responded the old lady, "we only lost three or four that way." ? A distinguished clergyman in one of our eastern cities was met by a dilapidated individ | ual, with a llask of whiskey in his pocket, who I inquired : "Sir is this the nearest road to the alms-house ?" "No, sir," replied the clergyman, I pointing to the bottle, "but that is." Dangers of Inappropriate Clothing. A considerable part of all sickness and loss of life may be traced (if we go back to ulti? mate causes) to inappropriate clothing, as often, perhaps, as to inappropriate foodj we will not say as often as to inappropriate drink, as tiie latter alone undoubtedly carries off more human victims than any other cause of disease and death. Inappropriate clothing is, first, clothing out of season; insufficient in quantity and quality during cold weather, uncomfortable by too great quantity and wrong quality in hot weath? er. With insufficient clothing in cold weather, the animal heat must be kept up at the ex? pense of a portion of the food which otherwise would be utilized for nutrition ; and it is well known that, in order to make animals prosper in cold weather, they must be kept warm.. Too warm clothing in summer produces ex [ cessive perapiration, causing weakness, and the rapid cooling of the body incident to sudden removal of superfluous garments renders the wearer liable to serious sickness. The popular notion of the injurious effect of sudden changes in temperature is erroneous, as experience proves in regard to those who by their vocation are exposed in this way. Pro? longed exposure to too great a heat produces serious derangement in the portal system, de? fective digestion, diarrhea, or even sunstroke; while prolonged exposure to cold, so as to cool the body, causes either rheumatism, neuralgia, cough, catarrh, pleurisy, or some other result of catching cold," in accordance with the pre? disposition of the person; his weakest part will suffer, whether it be lungs, digestion, ner? vous system, muscles, or any other of the won? derful complex aggregate which constitutes the human body. This notion of the usefulness of gradually cooling off, has) ?when carried into practice, often injurious results; it is well enobgh to be governed by it when overheated ; but we have seen young ladies, preparatory to a sleigh-ride, leave the comfortable fire in the room, and go in the cold hall-way to cool off, so as not to move too suddenly from the warmth into the cold air of the street. The result was, that when they reached the sleigh they were almost benumbed with cold, and became so thoroughly cooled during the ride that the results showed themselves in severe \o\ds; while those who ? kept near the fire, stored up as much heat as they could, and then wrapped themselves well up in their winter outfit, returned with health increased by the invigorating power of the cold air. But there are other points in appropriate clothing to be observed, bes'des those of Deing adapted to heat or cold, and which are also too much neglected, principally by females. It is forgotten that every feeling of discomfort is an indication of nature of impending injury to the system ; if persisted in till one "gets ac-1 customed to it," as the phrase gocs^ then it is I erroneously supposed that there is no more I danger. Many injure their health, producing dyspepsia, etc., by not wearing suspenders; I but, in place of this, have certain portions of I their clothing kept in place by being adjusted above their hips by being simply close fitting. I This produces a pressure on stomach and liver which begets a scries of troubles, from which many a sensible and honest physician has re? lieved scores of patients by no other remedy than advice according to the principles stated. I In regard to females this habit of pinching the waist is a crying evil about which so much has I been Baid that it is unnecessary to add any-1 thing, except the declaration that we join our i voice in protest against it. A great deal could bo said concerning the choice of appropriate clothing for those enga? ged in different pursuits of life, A badly adap-1 ted suit of clothes may not only be dangerous to health but even destructive to life, and often the means of sudden death. In machine-shops where there is running gear, the operatives J should have no other but a close-fitting dress, j without unnecessary appendages; there are I scores of instances where a part of a coat was J caught by a belt, axle, or any other part of the J machinery. In this respect the female dress I with its long skirts is ill adapted, as it is a con- j tinual source of danger,*not only from moving machinery, but from fire. A short time ago, the dresses of two ladies were caught by a re- j volyjng shaft on board of a steamboat, and both were killed before the machinery could be stopped; while quite recently a woman em* ployed in a Jersey City factory was in a similar I way shockingly mutilated, as the motive power J , in this case came from a neighboring block, and could not be stopped until after a long de? lay. It is now exactly ten years ago that a young, promising steam-engineer, in one of the principal buildings of New York City, was ! lubricating a long shaft near the ceiling, which communicated power from his engine to anoth-1 I er portion of the building, when the points of his long, flowing silk necktie, were caught around the shaft and he was strangled before the cravat gave way. We mention these cases, which might easily be multiplied, as serious warnings; and wish to impress upon our readers who are engaged in work among moving machinery the great necessity of having properly adapted clothing. ?Manufacturer and Builder. Singular Case of Ffmalb Adventure, Devotion and Death.?One of the most re? markable instances of woman's attachment to man and heroism under adversity came to our notice to-day. To begin at the commencement we will state that in ISu'O a young lady in the city of Auburn, New York, the daughter of wealthy parents, eloped with a young man named Niles, a railroad engineer, and both pro- j ceeded to Cleveland, Ohio, and afterwards to Toledo. They were pursued by an infuriated brother of the young lady, and in the latter place, to avoid detection, after the marriage ceremony had been performed, the young lady arrayed herself in male attire. In this dis? guise, and while selling apples, she passed her brother several times on the street without re? cognition on his part. Shortly afterward, early in the war; the two went South to Nashville, Tennessee, where Niles procured employment as a locomotive eugincer, his wife engaging as fire? man, still keeping up her disguise. Between Nashville and Chattanooga a shot from a rebel inflicted a serious wound upon the engineer, and he was taken to the Government hospital at Murfrcesboro, Tennessee. His wife followed, and to her careful nursing Niles owes his life. When sufficiently recovered to endure the hard? ships of traveling, they returned to Cleveland. A few months later "the alleged gold dis? coveries at Mandock, Canada, attracted them thither, and the wife accompanied her husband, still in masculine garments. The vicissitudes of her career, exposed to hardships and acci? dents, were too severe, however, and a few weeks since she died at Cleveland, after a brief illness. Niles, who is now in this city, is a man of about 40 years of age, and docs not re? fer to the heroic devotion of his wife but in terms of the wannest admiration.?Othkosh Northwestern. _ _ ? "My son," said a man of doubtful morals, putting his hand on the head of a young ur? chin, "I believe ?Satan has got hold of you." "1 believe ?o, too," was the reply. J The Burning- of Colnmbia-Who Did It! The Plantation, published in Atlanta, Geor? gia, contains in its last issue the following com? munication, signed "R. A; Ai," in reference to the burning of Columbia: A few weeks ago I saw the announcement of the sudden death of Mr< T( B: Nickerson, the former proprietor of Nickersoii's Hotel, at Co? lumbia, South Carolina, and more receutly in charge of the Screven House, Savannah. I saw this Hews with regret, as he was a warm-hearted, amiable and benevolent marij and his aptitude for his profession Was remafkable. I have heard it said that there were more men born to make good Presidents of the United States than there were to be good hotel keepers. Mr. Nickerson certainly was one. During the war, he kept the best house in the Confederate States, and although he was known to be a Unionist, yet his uniform kindness to our sol? diers made him very popular. He accumula? ted an independent fortune, much of which was invested in his hotel. When Sherman was at Dalton, I happened to be in Columbia, and Mr. Nickerson asked me if I thought Sherman would ever reach Atlanta ? I replied yes. He then said : "Do you think he will get to Columbia ?" I replied: "If he ever passes Kennesaw Mountain, he will sweep over the country like the waters of a mill dam broke loose, and the very point he will make for will be Columbia." At this, Mr. Nickerson looked concerned, and he asked me, in a very earnest manner, what I would advise him to do in such an event. Said I: "When Sherman gets here, make friends of the mamrtiOn Of unrighteousness} place your house, your horses, your wines, and everything else that you have At his disposal, and ask biro to protect yoU; This is the ouly course for you to purslie. This may save you; I know of nothing else." In due time, Sherman reached Columbia; the city was sacked and burned, and Nicker? son, like every body else, lost all he had. After the surrender, at Charlotte, I was returning home, and, in passing through Columbia, called on Nickerson. He was living in a small house on the outskirts of what was once the city. He looked haggard, and, I may almost say, despair? ing. After bidding me welcome, he said: "Well, Colonel, I took your advice. When Sherman got here, I turned over all I had to him and his staff. I wore mvself down in waiting on them, and at 8 o'clock iil the even? ing I went to my room and put on my slippers and threw myself on the bed for a short nap. I had scarcely composed myself, when Isaac, whom you well knew as my billiard marker, came rushing into my room and si id to me: 'Mr. Nickerson, you had better get " frs. Nick? erson out of this "hotel; they are going to burn this town at 9 o'clock!'" He says he was so bewildered, that he simply remarked: "Great God, no 1" "Yes. they are/1 said Isaac; "because I heard General Barnes and the officers say that the fire would commence at 9 o'clock, while I was waiting on them at supper." Nickerson said the boy's manner was so earnest, and his expression so indicative of alarm, that he rushed down stairs, and, as he approached the office, he saw the staff officers examining his horse blankets. "Great heavens, gentlemen, what does this mean?" They snccringly replied} "We just thought we would appropriate these, as you will not need them any more." He then went to General Barnes and begged him to save his house, which ho agreed to do, and ordered a detachment of men to be in readiness. Nick? erson then commenced to collect all the blank? ets and had them saturated, and even procured an engine. Sure enough; at 9 o'clock, the rockets went up, aud in ten minutes t?e whole city ftfts in flames, and thousands of poor women and chil? dren were running to and fro, shrieking and screaming in despair and alarm. Nickerson succeeded in preventing the flumes from reach? ing his house for some time, until a band of soldiers come rushing into the house and called for him to bring out a Confederate flag, which they had heard he had. "Bring it out, d?n you, or we will murder yon." He brought it out, and they tramped it under foot and then Eroceeded to cut the nose and fire his house.? [c said: "In ten minutes more, I was a ruined man. I stood bewildered and broken-spirited, looking upon the charred ruins of all that was left me of a long life of energy and toil." And yet Sherman says Hampton burned Co? lumbia I Cundurango Exploded?The September number of the National Medical Journal, of this city, gives a quietus to the commercial speculation in cundurango, which a King of charlatans and jobbers have attempted to im? pose on the public, as a cure for cancer, by per? sistent and shameless exaggeration. There has not been a single attested case of cancer, treat? ed with this vegetable, which has resulted in any beuefit whatever, and all statements to the contrary are wholly unfounded. We say this with emphasis, because the marvelous state? ments about the pretended virtues of the plant, originating in a ridiculous and apocryphal story from Ecuador, were fabricated and sent out from here, which is the headquarters of the de? ception. All the experiments made by reliable medi? cal men with cundurango, in the navy, in pri? vate practice, and now in the New York Hos? pital, prove it to be imposition, hardly worthy even to take rank with Helinbold's Btichu. It is well knowu that a company was organized to put it on the market like, any other patent med? icine, and all the recent puffery and misrepre? sentation, were manufactured in that interest only, with utter indifference to every instiuct and feeling of humanity. No language is too strong to brand this im? posture with the detestation which it deserves. When men thus prostitute an honorable profes? sion, and trade upon the afflictions of life for mercenary ends, they become pests of society, and ought to be excluded from the pale of hon? orable recognition. The Department of State, which indirectly lent its authority to this cun? durango business, owes it to truth and to the unfortunate victims of cancer, to publish im? mediately the medical reports which have been made upon the subject. Any suppression or concealment now, such as is known to have been urged by interested speculators, would in? vite the. gravest suspicion as to the motive of withholding information which belongs to the public.? Washington Patriot. , ? Recently one of the Western river steam? boats grounded, and the sudden stopping of the machinery alarmed an old lady, who exclaimed. "What is* the. matter? what is the matter?" "For Hod's sake, tell me the worst?" exclaimed one more anxious than the rest. After a short pause a hoarse voice from the deck replied: "Nothing, madame, nothing, only the bottom of Ibo vessel and the top of the earth arc stuck together." ? An Indiana paper refused lately to pub? lish eulogies gratis, but added : "We will pub? lish the simple announcement of the death of any of our fricuds with pleasure." Southern Democrats Repudiating A. H. Ste? phens The Richmond Dispatch, Wie of the ablest Democratic journals in the S?uth, is disgusted at the indiscretion of Davis, Stephens, Toombs and others of its party friends. The Dispatch days.' Hon. A. H. Stephens keeps up his war upori the "new departure;" fie has no idea of sur? rendering. What good purpose he hopes to ac? complish we cannot say. The only effect of his arguments will be to produce disaffection in the ranks of the Democratic party; for it is as certain as any future event can be that the Democratic National Convention will next year adopt a platform in which one of thd planks will be a plain, candid concession that) the new Amendments are part and parcel of the Federal Constitution. We canuot imagine a single good reason why anybody should object to such a course; Mn Stephens declares that he does not think that amendments ratified by fraud and force are valid, and that in this opin? ion he expects the Supreme Court of the United States to agree with him whenever the question of the validity of the new Amendments shall be passed upon by that tribunal. Conceding that the Amendments are invalid, and that thd Supreme Court will ultimately decide that they are so, we cannot yet see in the admission any reason why we may not acknowledge that at present the Amendments are to all intents and purposes valid; for inasmuch as both the Ex? ecutive and the Legislative departments of the Government have, in the most solemn form, de? clared that these Amendments were constitu? tionally ratified and made part of the organic law of the country, it certainly cannot be wrong for the people generally to own the fach And is it not a fact? Have not Congress and the President solemnly declared, according td the forms required by law, that the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments have been constitutionally ratified ? Are they i,ot, then, at present as truly parts of the Constitu? tion as any other article in it, and this not? withstanding that they may have been ratified at the point of the bayonet? They are; and if Mr. Stephens could demonstrate, as plainly as he could the simplest mathematical proposi? tion, that these Amendments have never beert ratified in the manner and form demanded by the Constitution, they would still remain parts of that instrument, which all the Executive ; officers of the Government would be bound to respect ?s slich until the proper judicial tribu? nals should have overruled, in a constitutional and lawful manner, the decision of the Execu? tive and the Legislative departments of the Government. If Mr. Stephens himself were a Federal Executive officer he would be com fel led as such to treat the act to enforce the" burteehth Amendment as a constitutional law* The "new departure/' then, as we have often said, is simply an acknowledgment of the exis? tence of facts which cannot be ignored by sensible men. The Supreme Court will hardly get its law from a Democratic National Convention. If its opinions or decisions could be influenced1 by a party platfbnn, they would be worthless at best, ana would certainly be upon the side of the other two branches of the Government. If they cannot be so influenced, and if the fact hi that the Amendments are for the present at least parts of the Constitution, where is the harm in saying so ? We fear that we will have to write down Mr. Stephens as an im practica? ble. He is playing into the hands of tie Bd publican parly. He and Messrs. Toombs and Davis have always hitherto managed to' say or do something just in the nick of time and of the right sort to blight all the prospects of the Democratic party for success. ScfiRES on Railway Cars.?Mr. Howells, iri his genial half-story and half-essay,- '"their Wedding Journey," in the September AiittitliCi sketches as follows the everyday scenes on the care, which everybody will recognize: "Yes, it is a very amusing world, if you do not refuse to be amused; and our friends were very willing to be entertained. They delighted in the very thick-fingered old ladies who bought sweet apples of the hoys who come aboard with baskets, and who were so long iti finding the right change that our travelers, leaping in thought with the boys from the moving train, felt that they did so at the peril of their lives. Then they were interested in people who went out and found their friends waiting for .them, or else did not find them and wandered discon? solately up and down before the country sta* tions, carpet-bag hi hand; in women who came aboard, and were awkwardly shaken hands with or sheepishly kissed by those who hastily got their seats for them and placed their bags or their babies in their laps, and turned for a nod at the door; in young ladies who were seen to places by yoang men, (the latter seemed not to care if the train did go off with them,) and then threw up their windows and talked with girl friends on the platform without till tho train began to move, and at last turned with gleaming eyes and moist red lips, and panted hard in the excitement of thinking about it. and could not calm themselves to the dnll level of the travel around them ; in the conductor, coldly and inaccessibly vigilant as he went his rounds, reaching blindly for the tickets with one hand, while he bent his head from time to j time and listened with a faint sarcastic smile td the questions of passengers who supposed they I were going to get some information out of him; I in the train boy, who passed through on his ' many errands, with prize candies, gum drops, pop corn, papers and magazines, and distribu? ted books and the police journals with a blind impartiality or a prodigious ignorance or a supernatural perception of character in those who received them." Old Shoes.?You probably think that if you look very sharply at an old shoe, when you throw it away, that you will know it again if it ever comes back to you. Put that does not at all follow. One of these days you may bnttoft your dress with an old pair of slippers, comb your hair with a boot, or grasp a cast off gaiter while you eat your dinner. You don't see how this can be? Well, we'll tell you. Old shoes are turned to account by manufacturers in the following manner: They are cut iuto very small pieces, and kept for a couple of days in chloride of sulphur. The effect of this is to make the leather hard and brittle. Next, the material is withdrawn from the action of the chloride of sulphur, washed with water and dried. When thoroughly dried, it is ground to powder,"and mixed with some substance likd glue or gum, that causes it to adhere together, ft is then (Missed into mould and shaped into buttons, combs, knife-handles, <&c. So you see how it may come to pass that you will comb your hair with a boot, and fasten your clothes with a slipper. ? A woman has no natural erace more be? witching than a sweet laugh. How much we owe to that sweet laugh ! ft turns the prose of onr life into poetry; it flings showers of sun? shine over the darksome wood in which we are traveling; it touches with light even our sleep, which is the image of death but gemmed with dreams that arc the shadows of imuwrUlity.