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HOTT & CO., Proprietors. ANDERSON 0. H., S. C? THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 30, 1874. VOLUME X.?NO. 3. For the Anderson Intelligencer. THE DRAINAGE LAW AND THE ACTION OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. , Mr. Editor : The passage of the Drainage Law by the last Legislature, and its republic* tion in your columns recently, Induces me to pen a few thoughts; relative to the spirit and purpose of the law, and its proper administra? tion. The importance of such a law, as a mat? ter of public necessity, is of no recent origin, as the passage of a Ditching Law by the Leg? islature of 1856 fully attests. In all countries and at all times, the proper drainage of wet and marshy lands, has been a subject of so much importance as to enlist, in many cases, the support and aid of the government in con? junction1 with individual enterprise, to promote successfully the thorough drainage of marshy lands; and this, too, with a double purpose; first, with a view to the improvement of the general health of the country, and secondly, the proper development of the agricultural re? sources of the country. Holland, now one of the most prosperous and inviting regions; agriculturally, in all Europe, was once almost a continuous slough of marshy land, totally unfit for the habitation of man. But under a thorough system of drainage, she has become almost a paradise for the farmer. Many of the large cities of our own country owe much of their prosperity to the system of thorough drainage, adopted by their .municipal authorities. That the tho? rough drainage of marshy lands is essential to the iealth and agricultural development of any country, where such lands exist to any consid? erable extent, is a well established principle of science, and sound public policy. Within a very few weeks we learn from the public press, that a wealthy company of English capitalists have purchased large bodies of land lying on the Wateree River in this State, for the pur? pose of draining these large bodies of swamp lands lying on said stream, and recovering them to the settlement and cultivation of man. It is, then, no new or strange thing that the people of Anderson should manifest so much anxiety for the passage of a drainage law? such as has been adopted?as essential to her prosperity, in view of health and agricultural development. The provisions of that Law, if justly and impartially administered, must pro? duce general satisfaction; on the contrary, if caprice and prejudice are to govern in the ad? ministration of the Law, then all the utility'Of a good Law will be virtually nullified. Pre? suming that the first three sections will meet with general approval, we pass on to the con? sideration of the last and most important sec? tion of the whole Act, giving to the County Commissioners the power to remove mill dams, under certain condition, and upon paying a fair compensation to the owner of said proper? ty, to be assessed upon the property of those benefitted by the removal. The only condition which will authorize the Commissioners to re? move any mill dam, is the fact, that upon the evidence of physician, and other witnesses, the Board becomes satisfied that said property has become a public nuisance, from the considera? ble amount of sickness prevailing in said lo? cality, and that its further use would be hurtful and injurious to the community at large.? Under the old Law prevailing in regard to nuisances, they are to be peremptorily removed, even though the interests of private parties should suffer detriment. In the case of mill dams, such a result was generally regarded as a hardship upon the owners of said property, which they ought not to be required to hear. In no view of the case, was it deemed right and proper that the owners of such property should be required to make anything more than an equitable sacrifice with the rest of the community in getting rid of the nuisance.. Not; surely, that Baid property should be val? ued ?t ?m amount which it might be worth under other and more favorable conditions, but only such compensation as would ensure the owner of said property against serious or une? qual loss, said property having become, even in its lawful use, a public nuisance, and there? fore necessary to be removed. Such being a reasonable view of the spirit of the Law, we now ask a careful attention to the action of the County Commissioners in the only 'two cases which, as yet, have been brought to their attention, to wit: Rankings and Neal's mill dams. We wish it distinctly understood that we do not impugn the motives of the honorable gentlemen who compose the Board, but simply make a statement of the facts, part? ly from our own knowledge and partly from credible information, leaving it to the intelli? gent people of Anderson to make up their judgment upon the facts of the case. In their action at Bankings, the Commissioners met at the mill site, and afther acquainting Mrs. Rankin with the nature of their proposed ac tion, proceeded to view the premises, together with the conditition of the pond and its sur? roundings. It is proper to state that the Chairman of the Board, after a careful survey as aforesaid, with the other Commissioners, expressed himself as thoroughly satisfied that the dam should be entirely removed, and that his previous predilection in favor of a flood? gate was entirely dissipated. In this view he was sustained by the Board unanimously, and they gave a written judgment that said dam should be removed next November, upon the payment of twenty-eight hundred and fifty dollars as a compensation to Mrs. Rankin. It is well known that it was repeatedly affirmed by the Chairman, in their deliberation on this very important subject, that they had nothing to estimate but the mill eite, as there was no machinery claiming their attention. Such being the case, it was a matter of astonish? ment to all present?and that astonishment has become very general as the facts of the cases have transpired, and become public?that in their conclusions in reference to the Rankin's dam, they should have reached such an enor? mous amount. Such an amount was by no means necessary to ensure Mrs. Rankin against any serious loss, for she is the owner of nearly or quite forty acres of bottom land, lying at the head of said pond, which, if properly drained, and brought into a state of cultiva? tion, would add to the permanent value of her estate as much aa the mills were ever worth. Would it require an expenditure of one thou? sand dollars, then, to drain and prepare said bottom land for cultivation? Certainly not more, perhaps less. On what principle of equity, then, did they reach their high figures? Perhaps they greatly considered the losses* pecuniary, and otherwise, which the owner of said property sustained, in common, with other members of that ill-fated community, during the last few sad years of trial. If, in this dif? ficult case, the losses on the one side came prop ly under the review of the Commissioners, justice would seem to have required that the losses on the other side should have been also considered. I tot, in our judgment, the Com? missioners had nothing to do with the consid? eration of these matters at all, and should have confined themselves to the Law, and the condi? tion of things as they found them. Such, we trust, was the case, and such we were inclined to believe, until, in a few hours ride, the Com? missioners transported themselves to Neal's mill, where their course of action seems to have been entirely reversed; and a mill site I worth certainly as much as Mrs. Rankin's, with ! a merchant and saw-mill in running order, but I not in use at the time, because of a break in the dam, which could be repaired at a cost of $100, and without any previous notice to the owners of Baid property, they proceeded to order the entire removal of said dam, and assessed as a compensation the insignificant sum of $500. Insignificant, I mean, in com? parison with the parallel case. Why this great difference? Both cannot be right, and the probability is, that both are wrong. Before closing this article, I will give to your readers the probable effect of this high assess? ment upon the land-owners living above Ran? kin's dam. I will not speak of previdhs losses, for that has nothing to do with the case, but will confine myself to facts bearing upon the removal of said dam, and the drainage of said lands. The people living in said locality have already expended about $2,500 in cutting the main canal or ditch for the body of creek water running the three main prongs of Three and-Twenty Creek. Without au actual survey, it is supposed that the amount of bottom land thns drained will be about four hundred acres. Then the assessment of the Commissioners for the sum of $2,800, will swell the amount of cost of drainage of said lands to $5,350. Then the cutting of side ditches, and draining out old ones, (next winter's work,) it is supposed will not fall short of $2,500 more, making an average of about twenty dollars on the acre of bottom land, assessed as a tax on the owners of said lands, in order to get rid of a public nui? sance. Verily, if this is to be the principle of relief, the old adage is made true in th case of the Slab Town people, "Better submit to the ills you have than fly to others you know not of." But the people of Slab Town alone seem to be under the ban of the Commissioners, for scarcely had they cleared the limits of her territorial boundary than they immediately reverse their action, and assess, in a parallel case, the small sum alluded to above. We do not murmur that the Beaverdam people have been let off thus lightly, but think that there should be a show of consistency, at least, in the action of the Commissioners. 'Xet justice be done though the Heavens should fall." If there be inequality or injustice in the assess? ments alluded to, how is the matter to be rem? edied ? I know of no way except to appeal to the Circuit Judge. Let the matter be carried before him on the merits of each case. The Law is a new one and novel to the County Commissioners, hence, it is not wonderful that they should have made mistakes?indeed, it might have been reasonably expected. In this way the opinion of the Judge can be obtained as to the general provisions of the Law, and their application in these particular cases, and the community be generally benefitted thereby. We trust the Commissioners will, therefore, take this course, as there seems to be a good dead of dissatisfaction in the cases mentioned above. This course, on the part of the Com? missioners, would relieve them of a good deal of responsibility, and show to the community that they are willing to be corrected if in error. Besides, such a course would obviate all further litigation on this vexed question. j THREE-AND-TWENTY. j Patrons of Husbandry.?We give below the number of subordinate granges in the States of the Union on the 1st day of June, as shown by the official records of the National Grange: Alabama, 604; Arkansas, 421; California, 200; Connecticut, 3; Deleware, 10; Florida, 54;' Georgia, 640; Illinois, 1,481; Indiana, 1,968; Iowa, 1,994; Kansas, 1,333; Kentucky, 1,101 ; Louisiana, 128; Maine, 27; Maryland, 101; Massachusetts, 58; Michigan, 400; Minessota, 532; Mississippi, 592; Missouri, 1,929; Ne? braska, 587 ; New Hampshire, 31: New Jersey, 78; New York, 216; North Carolina, 399; Uhio, 947; Oregon, 164; Pennsylvania, 284;) South Carolina, 293; Tennessee, 933; Texas, 400; Vermont, 120; West Virginia, 55; Vir-1 ginia, 260; Ontario, 15; Wisconsin, 497; Col? orado, 61; Dakota, 55; District of Columbia, 1; Idaho, 7; Montana, 19; Washington, 38; Canada, 9; making in the aggregate 19,492 subordinate granges on the 1st day of June. Granges are being organized at the average rate of twenty-five per day, which, up to the present, would Bwell the number to 20,000. These granges, on an average, number fifty voters, and it requires no figuring to show that to-day there are in the United States 1,000,000 voters who are Patrons of Husbandry. ? The American Bible Society is going to supply all the railroad cars with Bibles. Is it their idea that railroad travellers especially need preparation for death ? For the Anderson Intelligencer. TO THE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY. While I am speaking to you I feel I am talk? ing to a select number of farmers, and I would do something for your good. You are no doubt aware that one of the prominent objects of the organization of Granges was intended to promote and encourage the mental improve? ment of farmers. In looking all over the United States, this lack of education among the farmers is no where made more clearly seen than in Congress and our Legislature. In none of the Congresses, for a number of years back, have there been at any one time, more than six to eight farmers, out of the two hundred and twenty who belong to that body ; nor more in our Legislature than about the same proportion. Lawyers, doctors and edu? cated ministers have been selected to make our laws. Now, the list of studies (called the curriculum) taught in our colleges, consists of Greek and Latin, Mathematics, Algebra, Nat? ural and Moral Philosophy, Belle Letters, As? tronomy and Chemistry. Now, this course is calculated to, and has made, learned lawyers, doctors, ministers and statesmen. But is there anything in this course to give a knowledge of' what, is necessary to make a successful tiller of tho soil ? To show you how different is the study which is necessary to make a successful farmer, I will proceed: Leibig, probably the highest authority on the subject of Agricultural Chemistry of any man of his day, says there are thirteen ingre? dients in the soil, each one of which every plant must have?in different proportions, how? ever?to bring healthy plants ; and if any one of these ingredients are lacking in the soil, the plant may nevertheless grow, but its seed will not germinate. To be an educated farmer, he must know how to analyze his soil, and see if any of these ingredients arc lacking, which one it may be, and how to supply it. He must know how to analyze the plants he wishes to grow, to see whether his soil is suited to its full development. He must know how to analyze manures, to select that kind which contains the elements necessary for food for his plants, and which may be exhausted by previous crops in his soil. He should under? stand mechanics, to know how to make his farm tools, and invent such as he may need to lessen manual labor and perfect his working. And to perfect his education, he should under? stand Mineralogy, Botany, Mathematics, Vege? table Physiology, Hydraulics, and, in fact, all the Sciences, for they all have an important influence to enable the farmer to draw from the earth the maximum of its powers of produc? tion. None of these Sciences have been taught until within the last six or eight years in any college in the United States, except Mathe? matics. You will from this exhibit see how illy adapted the education which the lawyers, doctors and ministers have received is to pre? pare them to make laws to promote the farm? er's interest. As a general rule, their profes? sion is their ruling interest. Nor do I meau anything to their demerit when I say that, as a general rule, their education unfits them from knowing either the- farmer's wants, or how to provide for them by laws. A doctor must find out his patient's disease before he can apply a judicious remedy. So of a law-maker. He must find out the necessity for a law before he can frame it to answer the purpose. How can a man be prepared to make laws for the benefit of the farmer's interest whose education gives him no knowledge of what the farmer needs ? How is this to be remedied ? In no way, I answer, but by the establishment of schools and colleges to teach the Sciences. Davy, of England, was probably the first by experiment to prove the inestimable value the science of Chemistry might be made to yield to Agriculture. Next to him Liebig and Bousengault, of Europe, have, so far, by analyzing the plants they grow, the soil they plant in, and the manures they use, have revo? lutionized the mode of agriculture in Europe, and so completely satisfied their people as well as Governments by their great experiments of the value of scientific teaching, that England, France, Germany and Prussia have, under the fostering care of Government, established all over their dominions scientific schools and colleges. Our Congress, under the influence of this teaching, have by law granted to each State 30,000 acres of public land for each mem? ber each State may be entitled to, for the ex? press purpose of establishing scientific schools and College? for the benefit of agriculture. And pretty much the whole Northern and Western States have by virtue of that wise grant established colleges for teaching the sciences in full operation. The grant to South Carolina, as she had at that time six members, was 180,000 acres. These were sold by Scott and his clique, and so manipulated as to put the whole amount in their pockets. This land sold even at 70 cents per acre, would have brought the sum of $126,000?enough to have estab? lished a first-rate college. If this had been done at the time, possibly as many as two hun? dred young men might have graduated, with a full knowledge of all that is necessary to ena? ble them to till the soil with success. Now, is this state of things to be remedied, or must we go on in the same ignoble way for one hundred years more ? But you will say, how are grown up men to be taught, for they cannot now go to school ? I answer, if they improve at all, they must improve themselves. And to do this, they must from necessity adopt some system for labor, rest and study. But let me, right here, try to overcome a prejudice in the minds of many farmers of this day. They have been raised to think that when their crop is planted they have got to work from day-light to dark to secure their crop, and also to gain the repu? tation of industrious men. But you will see by thinking and planning, and using labor saving machines, and working all by a system, that you can do more work in a day than you do now, and play half your time. It will take longer to cut down a large tree with a dull axe, than if you stop and grind your axe, and then cut the tree. And this simple illustration will apply to many more cases connected with farming than you have any idea of. Again, your plow-handle gets loose in the field?ham? mer and nails at the house?you must go for them. When you get there, the hammer is misplaced, and no one can find it. A fuss is raised, bad temper excited, the whole house thrown into an uproar?all for the want of some system, which gives to every tool a place. I Thus the plow stands still in the field, it may be for hours, the horse biting the corn down, and you at home madly wrangling about the hammer. If you adopt any division of time by a system, much time for reading might be gained, and many vexatious troubles occasion? ed by the want of it, saved you. You ask me what division of time do I propose? It is this : To so divide the twenty-four hours in such a way as to give so many hours for sleep, so many for labor, and so many for rest and reading. And I would recommend you to divide them thus : Get up at day-light regu? larly, feed and attend to your stock, rest or read till breakfast. Then plow till 11 o'clock. Then feed, rest and read till 3 o'clock p. m. This space will give you half hour to rest, half hour to eat dinner, and two hours to read. To determine what hour you should go to bed, you must first determine how many hours of sleep are necessary for your health. It has been said by some writer that eight hour's sleep is necessary for men, and nine for females. This you must find out for yourselves. You will find out by examining your Almanac, (if it is like mine,) that the length of the nights in? January is 11 hours?S for sleep, 3 for rest. February, 10 hours?8 for sleep, 6 for rest. March, 12 hours?8 for sleep, 4 for rest. April, 11 hours?8 forsleep, 3 for rest. May, 10 hours?8 for sleep, 2 for rest. June, 9 hours?8 forsleep, 1 for rest. July, 10 hours?8 for sleep, 2 for rest. August, 11 hours?8 for sleep, 3 for rest. September, 12 hours?8 forsleep, 4 for rest. October, 13 hours?8 for sleep, 5 for rest. November, 14 hours?S forsleep, 6 for rest. December, 15 hours?8 forsleep, 7 for rest. Carry on this calculation further. January has 31 days, and we have found above that after taking off 8 hours for sleep, there is left 3 hours for rest and reading. Thus then? Jan. 31 days, multiplied by 5, makes 155 hours. Feb. 28 days, multiplied by 6, makes 168 hours. Mar. 31 days, multiplied by 4, makes 124 hours. Ap'l SO days, multiplied by 3, makes 90 hours. May 31 days, multiplied by 2, makes 62 hours. June 30 days, multiplied by 1, makes 30 hours. July 31 days, multiplied by 2, makes 62 hours. Aug. 31 days, multiplied by 3, makes 93 hours. Sept.30 days,multiplied by 4, makes 120 hours. Oct. 31 days, multiplied by 5, makes 155 hours. Nov. 30 days, multiplied by 6, makes 280 hours. Dec. 31 days, multiplied by 7, makes 217 hours. makes 1476 hours of night in a year, besides 8 hours for sleep every night. Reduce these 1476 hours into days, and you have 61 days of rest time to study in every year, which extended to 20 years, makes 1220 days?3 years and 125 days. There is no telling how much knowledge might be gained by an industrious reader in that time. If this system be tried, much may be gained in the education of children by in? ducing one to read at night while the others work and listen. Good readers of both sons and daughters, reading alternately, may be made by this plan, and both the father and mother be edified by listening. I do not expect the division Of the day as I have suggested will suit every one, All I wish i9, to fix in the mind of every farmer the great advantage of system in all his management, and let him arrange tho division to suit his particular notion. Any system is better than none. But what books neust wc read says one, and where to get them says another ? Don't forget to read at least a chapter iu your Bible every day; then some book or journal on agricul? ture. And especially don't be afraid of "book laming." It is to books, and conversation with those who read books, that you go to get knowledge. Enquire of some man who does read, what book will give you most knowledge, and buy it for yourself and children, to have at all times handy. You cannot lay out your money for anything that will give you better interest. As to where to get them, borrow if you cannot buy. As to any scientific work on agriculturo, you must look to European writers, or American journals that copy from them. There are but few American writers who have written of the sciences calculated to teach a farmer. I am aware that it will be more difficult for mothers who are raising families to make any system that will suit all. Stili, any mother who so desires may partially adopt some sys? tem. At all events she may occasionally unite with whatever system the husband may adopt for himself, and thereby gain some time for reading. Particularly during the long nights of winter she may encourage the reading by one of the family, for the benefit of all the rest; while all the younger children may be habitually put to bed before dark. Gentlemen, tho plan is before you, and I beg you to try it. R. F. SIMPSON. ? A lady who had been teaching her little four-year-old the elements of arithmetic, was astounded by his running in and propounding the following problem: "Mamma, if you had three butterflies and each butterfly had a bug in his ear, how many butterflies would you have ?" The mother is still it work on the problem. The North Georgia Railroad. The annexed communication appeared re? cently in the Gainesville Eagle, and furnishes much information concerning the proposed railroad from Anderson to Gainesville. The writer is mistaken, however, in declaring an intention to run the present line along the old Blount survey, for thj charter contemplates a road by way of Audersonville, at the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers, which makes it impracticable to take Hartwell in the route across the country: Messrs. Editors: There will be a meeting oi the Corporators of the North-Georgia .Railroad at Carnesville, Ga.,ou the 1st Tuesday in Au? gust, prox. This Road was chartered by an act of the last General Assembly, from Anderson C. H., S. C, to Gainesville, and if it is ever built, it will run by way of Hartwell, Carnes? ville, and Homer, on what is known as the old Blount Survey, which was made prior to the war, for the Air-Line Road. The distance between Gainesville and Auderson C. H. is not exceeding seventy-five miles. The face of the country is generally smooth, and favorable for the construction of a railroad, and the region lying between the two points is certainly one of the finest in North-Eastern Georgia. Super added to this, the line from Atlanta to all the prominent points in South Carolina will be greatly shortened, except to a few places in the extreme Northern part of the State. The build? ing of this road may appear,-at least to its op? ponents, as something quite chimerical and altogether impracticable. Yet no good reason can be given why it should not be built, and that speedily. Without saying one word that would savor of flattery in regard to Gainesville, it is now a universally couceded fact, that she is growing beyond the expectations of her most zealous friends. She can no longer be consid? ered merely a town, but is indeed a city. The trade of all North-Eastern Georgia is gradually (as she grows in importance) going there. The immense wagon trade of North Carolina and North-Eastern Georgia, which formerly went to Athens, can find a market for all their pro? duce at Gainesville. Destined, then, to be a city of importance, one railroad is not enough for her enterprise and commercial prominence. And by the con? struction of the contemplated road from Ander? son, with a possibility of its extension to King? ston, thence westwardly to Rome, her impor? tance as a market, as well as for schools, and other extraordinary advantages over other places, then will be permanently established. Anderson, too, is growing rapidly, not only as a commercial centre, but in many other re? spects. The building of the North-Georgia Road, then, will evcutually become a necessity. Then, why not take hold of the enterprise at once, and arouse the public to the necessity of* its construction ? There is nothing that could possibly tend to build up the country more rapid? ly, than the building of this road. Look at what the Air-Line Road has done already for North East Georgia I The great changes brought about by this work, are astonishing. We cer? tainly have one of the finest sections of country on the continent, for natural resources. Our immense forests can never be utilized and made valuable, nor the thousands of acres of rich lands that are now lying idle and uncultivated, as well as the magnificent water-power for every kind of machinery and manufacturing purpose imaginable, until our population increases, and a spirit of enterprise, vim, and pluck seizes hold of the people. Then, when it is an admitted fact that a railroad brings with it population, enterprise and thrift, why should we delay to build one where a necessity exists for it? An? derson county, S. C, and Hart, Franklin, and Banks counties, Ga., will subscribe liberally in stock?not mere nominal stock, but good, pay? ing, bona fide stock?as no doubt the people of Hall will also. Let us take hold of this matter in earnest; and if we fail, we certainly can have the consolation of having made the effort. Banks. The Sun and the Earth. If the recent corrections of the sun's distances are finally established by the transit observa? tions of 1S74, this will really indicate that the sun is a spheroid 850,000 miles across, and that in mere matter of bulk it is so vast that a mil? lion and a quarter of earths would barely suffice to make up its volume. A much more satisfactory and philosophic conception of "the home rule" of the universe is secured, if a start is made in idea from this grand centre stand point rather than, in accordance with the more usual practice, from the earth. The source of activity and power is an orb nearly one million of miles across; and the pigmy earth, which is dependent upon that source for light, warmth life and all chante and move? ment of whatever kind, is suspended in space one hundred and eight diameters of that central orb way, and is of one million and a quarter times smaller dimensions than the sphere from which it receives these endowments. There is certainly more for the human intel? lect to seize when the fact is stated in this way, than there is when the sun is spoken of as a sphere ninety-two millions of miles from the earth, and as large again as the moon's orbit. It is a suggestive and noteworthy feature in the economy of nature, thatin the one instance which comes within the experience of man, the great source of impulse, energy, and power, is six hundred times larger than the en? tire cluster of subordinate worlds that are lit, warmed, and organized from that source. Such, in the marvellous scheme, is the ratio of power to result of active determining cause to passive accomplishment?six hundred fold to one. Fire eddies, thousands of miles across, and flame-tongues one hundred thousand miles high, whirl and leap in the sun in order that soft winds may breathe, gentle rains fall, verdant plants grow; and endless generations of an? imals succeed each other and run through the appointed round of sentient being, on the islet worlds that have been scattered through space, each at the appropriate span of remoteness that fits it to the end secured.?Edinburg Review. How to Keep Cool.?Never go in the sun ; it heats the blood. Food is fuel, and furnishes beat; eat no food. Clothes prevent the escape of heat from the body ; wear none, or only a loose shirt md drawers. Work heats the sys? tem ; do nothing. Sit in a draught. Reading, talking and thinking generate heat: do neith? er. Bathe every hour of the day. and take a shower bath between. Wear a cap with ice in it. Sit with your feet in a tub of ice-water. Call your wife or daughters when you want anything ; it is a cool operation. Drink iced tea, lemonade, plain soda, and such;?have a cool stream running in all the while. By ob? serving these simple directions one can get along without going away, unless the effect sends him off. ? When a youug farmer's wife made her first boy's pants precisely the same before as behind, the father exclaimed; "Goodness! he won't know whether he's going to school or coming home." Wonders of the Telegraph. Wednesday afternoon last, at the Broadway office of the Western Union Telegraph Compa? ny, attest was made of an invention which promises to be of almost more importance to the present age than were Morse's first achiev ments to the people of his own time. The test resulted successfully, and it proved that four messages can be simultaneously sent on a sin? gle wire in opposite directions, and with no more liability to mistake than as if an equal number of wires were used. To make the mat? ter clear it will be necessary to look a little backward. Morse took the first step in tele? graphy?and the first is always the greatest? by the invention of a system which messages could be sent between any two terminal points, and dropped at any way station on the circuit. The objection to this system was '-bat the trans? mission of a single message occupied a wire entirely. And though electritions were con? vinced that a different result could be attained, no one showed how it could be done until so recently as three years ago, when Mr. J. B. Stearns invented the duplex apparatus. That was the second great step, and it instantly doubled the capacity of every wire which ever had been erected. By the Stearns process two messages can be sent simultaneously on a single wire in opposite directions between any two Morse, had its objections?the message could not be dropped at any way station except by the use of a repeater. Nevertheless, the inven? tion was recognized as of immense practical importance throughout the world. Two days ago was taken a third great step, and one not inferior to either of the others. It needs only to be said of it, to recommend it to the least scientific, that in one instant it will quadruple the usefulness of the 175,000 miles of wire owned by the Western Union Telegraph Com? pany. It is a new process of multiple trans? mission by which two messages can be sent simultaneously in the same direction over the same wire, and either message can be dropped at any way station on the circuit. Nor is this all. The old duplex system can be applied to the new invention, and by the combination four messages can be sent simultaneously over the same wire in opposite directions between any two terminal points. And not the least recom? mendation of the discovery is, that it calls for no changes; the old Morse key is used, without the need of any new class of operators, (as in the automatic telegraph,) and with no duplica? tion except as to parts of machinery. The in? vention is the result of the joint labors of Messrs. Geo. B. Prescott aud Thomas A. Edison. Aud if not scientifically, at least practically, a great deal of credit is also due to the enterpris? ing policy of Mr. William Orton, the president of the company. Of course, it is needless to add that the new system will be speedily put into practice by the Western Union Company, by whom the patent is controlled. It will make itself felt in more ways than one. ? For instance, the Western Union Telegraph Com? pany, have been forced to erect 60,000 miles of wire during the last three years, and, of course, at an immense expense. An indefinite future like that could not be very satisfactory to stock? holders. But this year scarcely 2,000 miles need be erected, and every wire is practically four. But without further enlargement, and almost in the words of Mr. Orton, the discovery may be called the solution of all difficulties in the future of telegraphic science.?New York Times. Hand-Shaking.?How did people get in the habit of shaking hands? The answer is not far to seek. In early and barbarous times, when every savage or semi-savage was his own lawgiver, judge, soldier and policeman, and had to watch over his own safety in default of . any other protection, two friends and acquain? tances, or two strangers desiring to be friends and acquaintances, when they chanced to meet, offered each to the other the right hand, the hand alike of offense and defense, the hand that wields the sword, the dagger, the club, the tomahawk, or other weapons of war. Each did this to show that the baud was empty, and neither war nor treachery was intended. A man can not well stab another while he is in the act of shaking hands with him, unless he be a double-dyed traitor and villain, and strives to aim a cowardly blow with the left while giving the right and pretending to be on good terms with his victim. The custom of hand-shaking prevails more or less among all civilized nations, and is the tacit avowal of friendship and good will, just as a kiss is of a warmer passion. Ladies, every one must have remarked, seldom or never shake bunds with the cordiality of gentlemen, unless it be with each other. The reason is obvious. It is for them to receive homage, not to give it. They cannot be expected to show to persons of the other sex a warmth of gree? ting which might be misinterpreted, unless such persous are very closely related to them by family or affection, in which case* hand? shaking is not needed, aud the lips do more agreeable duty. Negro Disfranchisement by the Radi? cals.?The recent act of Congress, abolishing tke local government of the District of Colum? bia, absolutely deprives the negroes of the Dis? trict of the right of suffrage which the latest amendments to the Federal constitution con? ferred upon them. Whether the exclusive jurisdiction of Congress over the district con? fers the power to do this or not, the fact re? mains that there, where the Radical President and the Radical majority of both Houses of Congress have the best opportunity to judge the practical working of negro voting, negro legis? lating and negro office-holding, they have found it necessary to abolish the entire system and adopt in its stead a mode of administering the government entirely novel in our country. This is a remarkable fact. It may not indicate any revolution of opinion among the people of the North, or any doubt on their part as to the wisdom of their legislation for the Southern States ; but it distinctly proves that under their own immediate radical noses negro legislators arc not as pleasant as they think they ought to be among us. Ought not the poor deluded ne? groes to see in this act the falsehood and hy? pocrisy of the party of which they consent to be the abject tools ? A Beautiful Tribute to the Memory of gen. Lee.?At the Washington-Lee Universi? ty, Lexington, Ya., a student is each day de? tailed to watch beside the tomb of Gen. Lee. Every morning one of the students is posted at the tomb in the memorial room of the chapel, built under the supervision of Lee. He is styled a "watcher," aud his duty is to remain there during the day aud receive visitors, showing them the proper courtesy and attention. As there are nearly three hundred and fifty students, no one is on duty more than ouce a year. Thus the entire Southern people, through their representative in the University, are watching at the tomb of Lee, and their sons improved in manner and bearing by the sacred duty they perform, and their minds and heart3, benefitted by thoughts of the noble dead, But this system, like the