Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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BY E. B. MURRAY & CO. ANDERSON, S. O, THURSDAY MOENING, JANUAEY 31, 1884. VOLUME XIX.?NO. 29 THE UKKNOWK FRIEND. An Incident of the Colorado Mining Com? pany. By William B. Parsons. Half-Moon was a new mioiug camp in a deep canon at the head waters of the Gunnieon. One of that adventurous class known as "prospectors" had, in the Fall of 18S1, wandered through that country, followed by a burro, which bore upon its back all his worldly wealth, and had brought into winter quarters in the valley of the Arkansas such promising specimens of brittle and ruby silver that many, seeing them, were induced to go in the Spring to spy out the land. And so it happened, on a March flight, in 1S82, that a dozen camp fires were bright* ? ly burning, a dozen tents were dimly outlined in the shadows and Openings of j the stunted pines, and forty or fifty men, in groups of from three to six, were gathered around the fires smoking their evening pipes and relating their experi? ences and wonderful finds of tho year be? fore. Among fifty men brought together from every, part of the world, in a wild country, by a purpose born, to some ex? tent at least, of selfishness and greed, some are likely to be found in whom brutishness predominates. There were several such in the camp at Half-Moon. The poets say. that communion with nature refines and elevates the soul, and leads men. onward and upward toward nature's God. The poets are somewhat wrong. The kindly spirit born and .reared amid the best influences of a city home, where.all the surroundings are of & refining character, will become kindlier [ and better as the years go on; while the dull man will become duller, and the mean man meaner, in the very presence and hash of nature. At least it is some? times so; and it was so with. Bill Lewis. He had seen nature in all her majesty, moods and aspects for more than thirty years ; he traversed the country from the . Missouri to the Pacific shore; lunched on the highest summits and camped in the deepest gorges. And yet his depravity was immense. Ke had been convicted of a dozen crimes, and committed a hundred others without con? viction. Each succeeding Fall had found Mm worse in every way than the preced kg Spring, and those who knew him biist frequently remarked upon the new and ever-increasing capabilities for sin which he was constantly unfolding. But he was not wholly bad. Perhaps no man ever was. There was a rumor among the miners, credited by a few, that once or twice during his career his rough voice had become gentler and the -.light in his fierce eye softer, when he had been surprised into' speaking of his mother. Where he had come from, "what made him leave," where his mother li ved, or whether she lived at all, no one knew or had the hardihood to ask. There was another man?or rather boy ?in that camp; but he could not be seen' that evening around any of the fires. He had come into the gnlch in a -' crowd of seven who had been on the trail some twenty days together, and Bill Lewis was another of the seven. His name was Zeno Brown. His comrades had failed to catch or comprehend his .first name, and he had come to be called r "Little John." He would have been remarked any? where in a mining region as one wholly OOt of place. He was light, delicate and fragile?though seemingly in good health before coming to the. gulch?and was illy fitted to meet the vicissitudes of a mountain life.; He might have been born for an artist or poet, or both ; be certainly was never intended for a miner. Everybody except Bill Lewis liked and pitted him. Bill apparently did not hate him; but he despised him for his soft, tender natnre; was in the habit of call? ing him "Susie'' and "Nellie," and other feminine diminntives, and never let pass an opportunity to humiliate and wound him. In coming into the gulch fhe party had an unusually serious trip. The trail was illy defined; the snow was deep and soft; they had been compelled to unpack their animals a score of times, ana.to Bleep in wet clothes and wet snow. For all this, however, most of them cared but little. They were not invalid tourists, and they had crossed the range too many times in bad weather to bo much troubled by ooe trip more. But with Little John the case was dif? ferent He had never before been thus exposed, and was evidently not sustained to any considerable extent by a hopeful spirit, and be had succumbed. He lay in his tent in bis rough blanket bed, sick, prostrated, exhausted. There was no physician there, although moat of] those men knew something of sickness, and in discussing his case, while none could say that he had this or that disease, all agreed that he was "clean gone and likely to croak." They bad been talking of him around the fire when some one, coming from a tent in a grove near by said : "I think Little John'll go up to-night. He's crazy now, an' thinks he's in Ohio; an' keeps talkin' of his mother." Bill Lewis, before silent and sullen, started up at once. ."I'll go see the kid,' he said. He went, and all followed in wonder. The bed was warm enough, and soft enough. But it''and its surroundings were terribly rough for one like him Ld his condition. The pale face amid the shaggy blankets, lit up by a tallow can? dle burning in a can ; the saddle*, rope?, kettles and tools scattered around among the bushes upon the earth floor?all to? gether formed a scene weird and impres? sive. As the man bad said, Little John was delirious and talking of his home and associates away back in Ohio, but most of all of his mother, piteously begging her to forgive him for deserting her, and never to believe him guilty. Beyond this brief hint there was noth ing intelligible in his sayings. Now and then a word of pity or sorrow was spoken by some one, but not a word of j hope, until suddenly Bill Lewis quietly, but firmly and confidently, remarked : "Pards I that yer kid must be saved. If you fellers have a mind to turn in an' help?well an' good ; but, anyhow, that kid's goin' to be saved for his mother !" It was thirteen miles east over the range to the nearest cabin. The summit was nearly fourteen thousand feet in height, and upon it a storm was raging. The spurs to the north aud west were utterly impassable. The only way out was down the gulch by the same route over which they bad recently come in. Al? though by this trail there would be no storm, there was worse. There were slides, precioices and difficulties innu? merable. Besides, it would only lead into the broad valley of the Gunnison. The range must yet be crossed to the east before a railroad town could be reached, or the advantages of shelter and medical attendance secured. They believed the boy would die before morning. How, then, could he be saved? Bill, seeing their questioning looks, answered them : "See here, pards ; the boy ain't near so sick as ye think he is. He's tired, wore out, an' teetotally discouraged ; but he's yoiiDg, ain't burnt out with whiskey I ?an' in my opinion is more homesick than sick. I've seen them fellers before. If we kin make him understand there's a chance of his gittin' home, he'll hang on so we kin git him home. I'll rig a litter on Balaam (Balaam was Bill's bur? ro,) an' we'll take him down the valley to Taylor Creek. A couple o' you fellers kin then cross the range by Brush Creek trail to Copper Creek, an' git more fel? lers thar', an' meet me an' the kid on the summit o' Red Mountain. Ther's an empty cabin at timber-line on the west o' Bed Mountain, an' meet me thar' an hour by sun to-morrow. If yer hus? tle yer'll git thar. Yer ought ter fetch up oy midnight on the summit." It is useless to attempt to convey an idea of what this plan involved. None but those who have seen these I vast stretches of rock and snow?save, perhaps, those who have contemplated for an hour Bromley's "Everlasting snows of Colorado"?can appreciate the magnitude of the undertaking. But they knew the boy must die if he remained where he was, and as the plan offered a possible chance of success, they adopted it. They were ready in an hour. Bill rigged a litter upon his burro, as Indians do, and in it placed Little John. At 11 o'clock the procession started down the gulch. There were two men besides Bill. While these went;, forward and picked out the trail, Bi 11 attended .to the litter. Their progress was slow, and their mishaps many, bnt without Berious accident they reached the valley at day? light, and at 12 o'clock were at Taylor Creek. Little John was no worse. He was partly conscious, and had been made to i understand that he was going towards j home. Bill's assistants were to - leave him at this point, and he delivered a last injunction. "Now, pards, let's have no hitches. I kin make the cabin in five or six hours easy enough, an' shall stop thar an hour to rest an' warm. If I kin make the nest two miles over the summit the thing's done. But it's no use talkin'? that's hell 1 If it's quiet-like, mebbe I kin make it. If it storms?God help us! You must be thar at the summit at midnight. If the snow's drifted bad, Balaam can't make it, an' we'll have to carry the boy. When you git thar, if it storms, hunt 'round, an' yer'll find me an' Balaam an' the kid Bomewbar in the snow. Now git; an'?an'?if you ever loved yer mothers?don't you fail 1" The two departed; reached and passed the summit before daylight had faded; and at 6 o'clock were in the timber of Copper Creek, on the eastern slope. In" a few minutes more they were in a snug cabin by a glowing fire, telling their story to four fearless, big-hearted miners. They all knew Bill Lewis, and thought he could win if any man could; but they had little hope of finding Little John alive. They all, however, willingly made ready to set out. They bad eight miles of comparatively easy trail, which they thought they could do in three hours in which to climb the two miles from timber-line to Bead Mountain summit. Without great difficulty they reached the foot of the slide in the time proposed. But discouraging, indeed, was the pros? pect upon arriving there. That dreary waste of snow, snow, nothing but snow, stretching up, up, up, at an angle of sev? enty degrees, until it faded io the uncer? tain light; the wind roaring far above their beads as it came sweeping over from the other side; all brought a swift sense of their own powerlessness as against the appalling forces of nature, which weighed down and discouraged them drearily. One by one they crawled up the fear? ful winding way. Not a word was spo? ken. No one had heart to speak or breath to spare. Even minutes seem long in a time and place like this, and it seemed an age before tbey saw the top, and, oh, how long before they reached it I They bad hitherto been warm enough. But when they turned the summit the cold west wind chilled them through. There was no snow falling, but the wind was driving and swirling the recent snow in small cyclones of arctic horror around tLcir (shrinking forms. In a moment tbey had abandoned every hope. There was no Bill Lewis there. There was no council held ; there was no time for that; but instinctively every man rushed forward for some slight shel? ter. Onward they went, at times easily and rapidly over the bard, old snow, and then struggling through deep drifts, until, some half a mile from the summit, they saw something dark in the snow ahead. It could be nothing else. But were they alive or dead ? Good faithful Balaam! no man shall abuse thee more! Brave Bill Lewis ! Thy sins be forgiven thee 1 Bill bad worked hi i way up from the cabin by tramping the snow in Iront of Balaam, a hundred feet at the time, and going over the ground several times, until the animal could pats through, and then repeating for. another hundred feet. This he had done in biting blast and blinding snow, never faltering, never de sparing, for six long hours 1 Bill's greeting was characteristic: "Well done, pardo! I know'd you'd come. The kid was better at the cabin ; but whether alive or dead now, I don't know. Look an' see." Little John was alive and warm. '"Now, pards, there's six o* you. Ba? laam's pretly nigh played out; Shoulder the ends of them ere poles, an' strike for Caspar's cabin?first trail to the left after ye strike timber. Balaam and I'll go back to the cabin, an' come over in the mornin'. You kin wait for me. I'll come?for I've learnt sumthin' at that thar cabin, an' Im goin' to see this thing through 1" The six men took up the litter, and Bill and Balaam went back to the cabin at timber-line. They had packed the trail pretty well coming down in line ; aod so, witLout special difficulty, though slowly and wearily, they gained the sum? mit, and the dreadful and critical fifty/, feet once passed, they felt that th'r troubles were ended. The next morning was a bright one on the eastern slope of the main range. Low down in the big timber, nestled in a warm pook, with an eastern and southern exposure, was a miner's cabin. Already the water was dripping from the roof-logs which overhung the front; the pile of mineral specimens on the rude shelf be? side the door sparkled in the sunshine; the dog basked upou the chips ; the bur? ros rubbed their necks together at the watering place; the fire was snapping in the rude forge, and a miner was heating and pounding his drills and picks. Oth? er men were sitting on the shafting tim? bers which were piled around, smoking their pipes and talking of the sick boy who lay within. Little John had already made his way to these strangers' hearts, He was not delirious now. But he was pale, and wore a hopeless look that was j pitiful. No one of them thought he had i yet come out from the dark shadow, and I there was a sadness in their faces and a hush in .their voices. After a few hours Bill came. Th? mi Den proposed to go to the railroad station for a physician and such delica? cies as mining camp? do not afford. Bill accepted the proposition in regard to the delicacies, but insisted that be himself would be nurse and physician. Under his rough but gentle care th? boy rapidly improved, and at the end of the week Bill called the two Half-Moon men out for a little talk. "Hev yer got any plans 'bout this kid?" Both answered that the; had not. They left everything to him. "Well, then, I her; an' I'm goin' to lay to you two what I've never said to any man for more'n thirty years, When they wuz all goin' to Californy, in '49, I wanted to go too. I wuz a kid, then, younger than this un. I lived in York State. There wuz on'y one o*me. Mother wuz a widow. She didn't want me to skip out, but I stole seventy dol? lars?all the money she had?an' lit out. I wuz goin' to go back in a year or two, with thousands o' dollars, an' make the old lady comfortable for the ba'ance o' her life. But somehow I didn't git back. Bimeby word come she died uv a broken heart "Ther' ain't been many nights since, pards, when I wuz sober, that I ain't aeen her; an', pards, so help me God I that night on Red Mountain, she went with me from the cabin at timber-line, an' all the while, back'ards an' for'ards, she walked beside me, an' helped me pack that ther' trail, until ye came. Then she went away. I could never done it alone pards?never! "Well this kid wuz clear-headed at the cabin on t'other side, an' him an' me talked an' talked. We've talked here. An', you Bee, he was a clerk or sumtbin' in a bank, back in Ohio; an' there wuz money stole! They took him up for itealin' it; but somehow they couldn't prove it on him, an' had to turn him loose. But many people said he stole it all the same, an' be couldn't bear the disgrace an' so come to the mountains. His mother's poor. What he got in the durned bank wuz all both on'em had. Since he come to P'eblo he's foun' out who did Bteal that money. But he hain't got a shiner to go back with an' aet himself right. That's how he's here. "Now, pards, I've got nineteen thou? sand odd in the Leadville Bank, paid in on my Beiden sale. I hain't got a pesky relation in the world, an' if I gtt my hands on that money I'll likely blow it all in. So I'm goin' to send that kid home, an' give ten thousan' to his moth? er. The balance is a big enough slake fur me; an' then, ye see, if I do a good thing for bis mother may be it'll count again the infernal meanness I did to mine.- So we'll take him down to Hay den's, an' one o' you can stay with him an' t'other go up with me to Leadville an' get some money an' a draft?I've got her name an' whar she lives?an' then we'll come back an' send him horn*, an' send the draft to his mother. D'yer see?" Three days afterwards tbey put Little John in a sleeping car, with a ticket and fifty dollars in bis pocket, and on the same day a draft for ten thousand dol? lars was mailed to his mother in a letter of remittance signed "An Unknown Friend," Two hours afterwards Bill Lewis in? sulted a respectable stranger and pro? voked a fight at the railroad station, and before morning was arrested for cutting a man in a gambling house. Gold in York County. . Yobkville, S. C, January 17.?Yes? terday morning two capitalists, Colonel Budge aud Mr. Samuel J. Beal, of Bal? timore, were examining a gold mine in the upper part of this county with a view of purchasing it, when they were approached by an oJd negro man who had lived near the place for upward of fifty years. The old darkey, Pompey Rey? nolds by name, told Colonel Rudge that he had specimens of gold at his house which ho had dug out the mine, and in? vited the two gentlemen and Mr. Arm? strong, the owner of the mine, to accom? pany him to his hut. Upon reaching the old man's abode they were shown some remarkably valuable specimens of gold ore. One nugget weighed over twenty pounds, and was found when as? sayed to give 68 per cent, of pure gold. Another piece contained over five pounds of the precious metal, while another yielded three pounds. Old Pompey did not appreciate the full value of his col? lection, and offered to sell it for fifty dol? lars. Colonel Rudge, however, declared he would not impose upon the negro's ignorance, and gave him five hundred dollars cash for the specimens. A thorough examination was made of the mine and a bargain was made whereby the two'Baltimore capitalists aud Mr. Armstrong are to own and operate the mfue-jointly. It i> to be called "Lily Langtry." From present indications it will prove one of the most valuable mines in the South. The mine is near the North Carolina line; in fact part of the property is in that State. Mr. Armstrong, in company with his two partners, has gone to Baltimore, carrying nearly half a ton of rock. Mr. Armstrong, who is an Englishman and a resident of Rich? mond, cam? to this country only a few months ago. He bought the valuable property for less than one thousand dol? lars. He declares that he would not sell it now for a hundred thousand. Messrs. Beal & Rudge are wild over the golden prospects. Unique Letter. Captain Levi Gunter receutly issued a commisson to a road overseer in his sec? tion accompanied by the following let? ter : Honored Sir?I have the pleasure of herewith enclosing your appointment to the lucrative office of road-overseer. Thank God you are at last in the line of promotion. "The paths of glory lettd but to the grave," but the paths of the public road under your supervision lead to Columbia. Remember that large re? sults often come from small beginnings. Garfield was once overseer of the road. Abraham Lincoln commenced life as a railsplitter, and died the death of a mar? tyr. While I can't bold out all these brilliant prospects to you, I can only ad? vise you to emulate their virtues and shun their follies. This office comes to you like the Presidential chair to George Washington, unsought, the office iu both cases seeking the man, not the man the office. Another similarity sug? gests iuelf to my mind?neither of you could tell a lie. Now, you will proceed to summons the hands in your beat, giv? ing them three day's notice to appear at some convenient place with tools for the business. None will be allowed to bring a turpentine hack or a shoe awl, but must come with axes, hoes and spades. In working the roads. l"';e death and taxes, none are exempt, -xcept from over age, and the Prince as well as the beggar must come or send a hand? Lexington Dis? patch. ? God'a almanac has but one day, that is to day ; Satan's almanac has but one day, that is to morrow. 1 "WONDERFUL GIRL. Ii It aisgrietlim, Spiritualism?or What ii It? Near Cedartown, Georgia, lives a girl named Lula Hurst, fifteen years old, who is the greatest wonder of the age. The Georgia newspapers for several weeks past have contained accounts of her mar? velous feats, and hundreds of people have gone many miles to witness her perform? ances. The Atlanta Constitution sent a member of its staff to investigate and make a full report and from this report, published in the Constitution of the 7th instant, we take the following extracts: This is what Miss Lula told me about the beginning of the mystery : "One night, about two months ago, I was sleeping with my mothor in my room. We had retired about nine, and were just getting off to sleep, when suddenly the bed set up a cracking and popping, the like of which I bad never hoard before. The cracking was in all parts of the bed?all over it. My mother scolded me for making a noiae, but I was inno? cent. I knew nothing of it. The noise, however, ceased, and we went to sleep. "The next night I was sleeping in the same bed with my cousin, Miss Wimber ly, wheu the same noises were repeated with even greater force. My cousin call? ed my mother into the room and we tool: the bed clothes and bedding off the bed. We examined them carefully and found nothing the matter as far as we could see, although we noticed that the pieces that I took off continued to crack as I was handling them. My mother said the noises were caused by electricity, but I of course knew nothing of that. Imme? diately my father and the family all de? cided that some odd powers were at work in me. Mother said, 'Lula put your hands on this chair/ I did so and the chair began to move around. It amused the little children and I kept it up for half an hour. My father thought it was a joke we were playing on him, and took hold of the chair, but he could not hold it down although I simply had the weight of my fingers on it. My father then be* gan to experiment and soon decided that there was no limit to it, as five men could not hold a chair upon which I simply laid my hands." The following story is told by the fami? ly and Mr. Hurst, and is vouched for by people who are ready to make the most iron bound affidavits as to its truth: Miss Lula found that by simply plac? ing her band on the foot of the bed it would roll around the room. One night she was sleeping with Miss Wimberly wbeu the bed began to crack and rap, and Miss Wimberly said : "Lula, you can make this pop any? where you want to. Command it to pop at the headboard." The command was given and "rap' went the headboard. A similar order was given for the foot board and the rap? ping was renewed there. Then in other parts of the bed, and even on Miss Wim berly'i face. Then Miss Wimberly said: "Lula, you can move thit bed. Tell it to move." "Move, bed!" said Miss Lula; and the bed movifcl across the room. And now let Mr. Hurst tell the next thfrig. He is an intelligent planter, a deacon in the Baptist church, and stands among the best citizens of his county. Said he: "The next morning I was taken into the room and shown how the bed was moved the night before while Lula was on it. That night I went into the room to see it done. After being in bed awhile Lula commanded the bed to move and it obeyed her command and moved across the floor. I then made her desist. The bed moved two or three feet. I pledge you my word and honor that what I have said is true." It was at Rome that I saw Miss Lula. I turned up at her hotel at Rome to-day at noon, and in company with brother Ponder, of the Courier, had a private seance for my own benefit. There was no deception in what she did for me. I watched her with my ea? gle eye. Her father and mothei and Mr. Pon? der and myself were in the room at the time with the young lady. Mr. Hurst laid an ordinary chair upon the floor on its back. "Lula put your hand on it," said he. The young lady stooped down, put the tips of two of her fingers to the back of the chair and immediately the piece of furniture began to back around the room at a lively rate as if slid along by some unseen power. The chair was then stood up and Mr. Ponder and I were asked to hold it on the floor. Ponder took one side and I took the other. We put our whole force to work to keep it still. Miss Hurst placed the palms of her hands on the back of the chair, and it was soon flying | around the room, overpowering both of j us, creating a big stir and nearly knock? ing us down. Miss Hurst then took the chair and placed both hands under the perforated bottom with her palms uppermost. She took no hold on it, but simply let it rest on her hands as a servant might have carried a waiter of flowers. Thus the legs of the chair were about three feet from the floor and the seat about four and a half. Ponder and I attempted to put it on the floor, using all our might and strength to do so, but the chair would not down. It continued to rise and fly around in the air with the news? paper men swinging on at each side. Mr. Hurst, a man weighing near 200 pounds, then got up into the chair and sat there as calmly as if be were a boy sitting on a gate post. Thus Miss Hurst supported the combined weight of the three. The total weight which she thus supported on the palms of her hands was nearly five hundred pounds, or much more than the weight of two barrels of flour. It was indeed astonishing, espe? cially in view of the fact that not a mus? cle twitched and the slightest flush did not mantle her cheeks. She was as calm and unconcerned as if she had been twirling a summer hat by its string. "Does it not tiie you ?" I asked. "Not at all," she replied. "Do you feel any peculiar sensations ?" "None whatever." "Doesu't it strain you ?" "Indeed, if this were a cane bottom chair you would uot see the slightest strain on the delicate canes." "What do you think of it?" "J don't know anything about it." I 'ook a heavy hickory walking stick and caught it near one end. Mr. J. N. Brown, of Chattanooga, caught beside me; Mr. J. W. Hinton, of Social Circle, and Mr. B. M. Cornell, of Goshun, Indi? ana, took the other side. Each couple faced the other. Weheldon with both hands, the stick firmly pressed against each man's chest. To my left the end of the stick projected a foot. Miss Hurst stepped up to it, raised both hands and touched the tips of her fingers to the end of the slick. In a moment it moved to one side. Then to the other, then up, then down, across around, aud the next instant that young girl by simply touch? ing the end of the Btick and keeping her hands there had four men floundering furiously around the room, and several times I was ten inches off the floor. How is that? Five men caught a chair and held to the floor. Sbe put her hands on it and as the men held it securely the chair was completely shattered in trying to get away from them. Another and stouter chair shared a like fate. A heavy bed? stead was made to run across the room twice simply by the laying on of her hands. I sat in a chair. She touched it, and dumped me onto the floor six feet away. All these tricks were repeated several times and fully convinced me that she possessed some remarkable power that I leave for the scientists to explain?if they can. I did not have time to see her attempt to move a bed by getting on it and sim? ply commanding it, as that required an hour or two more time than I had it my disposal. Neither did she attempt any spirit rapping. There is no doubt of one thing, and I mention it briefly for the benefit of those who may choose to itudy the matter, and that is this: Whatever inanimate object sho touched appeared to be charged with a force that impelled it to move and that too most vigorously, and always from her, and with an irresistible force. Her touch has no effect on animal objects. Some local wiseacres accredit her with animal magnetism, others electricity and still others the "odic influence" develop? ed. For my own part I have not made up my verdict yet. Russian Cruelties. The Richmond, Ky.. Herald, prints the following readable letter from General C. M. Clay, in defense of Russia and the Russians: "In your journal of December 12 is a paper which is a type of the malignant calumnies of the anti-Russian press for a century or more. I lived in St. Peters? burg for nearly nine yeara, and made Russian life a study, mingling with all classes for that purpose. I dined with the Emperor and Imperial family, and took cabbage, soup and black bread with the woodmen who came from the inteiior on'rafta. Perhaps there is no Araericau living or dead who can speak with more authority than I can on the real charac? ter of Russia. I believe there is no more charitable and humane nation on earth than Russia. I give the proofs. There are no deaths by absolute poverty in Russia, as in the great cities of Paris, Lou don, New York, and other European cities. Besides the charitable associa? tions established by law, the first nobles in Russia, men and women, yearly, by organized societies, collect funds by gifts, needlework, aud other methods, for clothes, soup houses and bread, which are distributed all winter in St. Peters? burg; and such methods are pursued in other cities. The infants that are drowned and thrown into sewers in Eu? rope and America are taken at a day old, if nepd be, and brought up at the public expense in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities. These children when grown up to a suitable age are put to service and may make a generous living. Rus? sia liberated her slaves not by war and gave them lands. America did neither. I dined with the nephew of Prince Del gorouk'y, Governor-General of Moscow, (Viceroy,) and a liberated serf or slave was at the table as a guest, and made the best after dinner speech on the occasion. The Russians open all their pleasure grounds beside the public parks to the whole people. They never bar the gates and close the doors against the "rabble" as in England and America. In summer the yards are open and the windows without blinds, that the humblest peas? ant may see and hear the music. On all great occasions of a private nature all the poor are feasted or otherwise entertained by suitable means. In England and America even house servants are treated with contempt, and my own fami? ly remonstrated on my return because I said good morning, as was my habit in Russia, to tbem. The Russian noblemen speak kindly always to their inferiors ; the Englishmen and Americans out of the South rarely ever. The Russian Em? pire is large and ?sparsely populated, so that the means of subsistence do not at all press upon the increase of population. In the large cities, as I said, no absolute suffering for the necessaries of life is pos? sible. Now as to prisons. There was at no time while I was in Russia, so far as I know and believe, one equal in its infamy to the Kentucky penitentiary. And Governor Blackburn deserves not denun? ciation but eternal honor for his man? hood and philanthropy, against the bar? barian clamors of the press, for his re? form. When I was in St. Petersburg the j cholera.was several times in that city of 600,000, and there was no more sensation than if the measles or whooping cough prevailed. Every subject of the disease was taken at once to wholesome hospit? als, well attended, and then, when conva? lescent, returned without charge to their homeB. The streets of St. Petersburg were a hundred times cleaner than the streets, alleys, and back yards of Rich? mond. They never burned down the pest bouses in Russia, as they did the other day in Madison county when small? pox prevailed. As to prisons, and Sibe? ria, I am glad to have au opportunity to refute some of the world wide calumnies of the anti-Russian press. Siberia is not so vile a country as the French penal colony of Cayeune, nor the original Aus? tralia of England. Threci Siberian born ladies married nobles in St. Petersburg; one the Prince Suworrow, the grandson of Prince Suwarrow of Napoleon's times ; the other sister married well, one an offi? cer in the staff of the Emperor. I have heard them speak of the '?Fatherland'' as would a Germau. And they were the descendants of Siberian exiles. I do not hesitate to say that of all the people I ever knew the Russians are the mo3t ge? nial and hospitable. It is true the ranks in Russia are very distinct and marked, but the humane spirit of Russia thaws all coldness,breaks all conventional bar? riers, and fuses the whole into one national feeliog as in no other land. That is the reason of the invincible courage of the Russian army. What calumniators call "stolidity" is unshaken and heroic patri? otism. I could fill a book of similar proof. ? Two gentlemen were walking along the street. Meeting a colored woman, one of the gentlemen raised his hat and bowed. "Why do you bow so politely to that woman?" asked the courteous gentleman's companion. "Because sho cooks at my house." Washington, D. C... May 15,1880. Gentlemen?Having been a sufferer for a long time from nervous prostration and general debility, I was advised to try Hop Bitters. I have taken one bottle, and I have been rapidly getting better ever since, and I think it the best medi? cine I ever used. I am now gaining strength and appetite, which was all goue, and I was in despair until I tried yc*jr Bitters. I am now well, able to go about and do my own work. Before taking it, I was completely prostrated. Mrs. Mary Stuart. MORMON WIVES. i Bill Arn on Joe Brown's Mormon Speech. Atlanta Constitu,.. . . ftf They fay that Governor Brown made ! a good speech against the Mormon hill, and I reckon he did. But if he pulled it down he had better build up a another one that will regulate them fellows. I've, uo respect for the Mormons. I'vejbeen reading about them and thiuking about them for a long time, and my conclusions are that their priests are knaves and their followers are fools. The whole ' fabric was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity. Joe Smith, the found? er, was a vagabond and a sheep stealer, but neither Joe Smith nor Rigdon nor any of the first set, ever set up polygamy as part of their pretended revelation. The first Mormon Bible said "no man shall have but one wife." Polygamy was never established until that lecherous old rascal, Brigham Young, got to be the head man and then he anuounced a new revelation which said the priests and apostles should seal as many sisters as they could maintain, so as to get 'em up higher in heaven. It was all to ele? vate the dear women and make archan? gels of them. The old hypocrits and deceivers imposed upon the credulity aud superstition of the women and they are doing it yet. Mormonism is a humbug and a fraud and their leaders know it. Webster says that the word Mormon means a humbug. Wives and tithes is their confession of faith?their selfish creed. I don't care anything about their tithes, but the poor, deluded, helpless women must be looked after. Where women is degraded no government can prosper. Turkey is called the sick man, and Turkey has her harems. The eastern countries most all encourage polygamy and they are far be? hind our civilization. Why, there is not but oue woman for one man anywhere in the wide world, and there never was, for there are 5 per cent more males than fe? males born into the world, and if it wasent for wars and accidents there wouldent be a woman apiece. Just think of a young, likely, vigorous feller going about weeping and wailing because there wasnt a woman for him. What a misera? ble creature. Well, if these Mormon el? ders and apostles and leading men who have fattened off of the poor are allowed to seal 15 or 20 wives apiece, somebody will be left out in the cold and have no wife at all. Suppose that all of our rich men in Georgia were to do the samo way what would our young men do? What greater calamity could befall our good county of Bartow if Dr. Felton, and Colo? nel Howard, and Mr. Dobbins, and Mr. Veach, and Mr. Munford, and Tom Lyon, aud General Young, and Mr. Jones should suddenly turn Mormonsand take a notion to about twenty wives apiece and seal 'em to the Lord. I don't think that some of these gentlemen wou'd need that many, but maybe they would think they did and that would be just as bad, if not worse. Governor Brown says we must guaran? tee to Utah a republican form of govern? ment, and therefore we must let them regulate their own social and ecclesiasti? cal relations. Now ray idea of a repub? lican government is that what is a crime in our State ought be a crime in all. There was an officer from Ohio in Atlanta the other day hunting for a man who had two wives, but if the feller had run to Utah and taken a dozen it would be all right. Well, there is no good sense in that. Our government ought to do all it can to insure strong, healthy chil? dren. We do that much for our horses and cattle, and hogs and dogs, and the best way is for one man and one woman >.o mate together and go to rais? ing 'em. That is nature and anything that is against nature is wrong. The Turkish harems don't turn out any good stock. In Thibet and Tartary they re? verse the engine, and one woman is al? lowed to marry several men, and she fre? quently calls for all the brothers in a family and lives with them time about, but the government don't depend on those sort of marriages for its soldiers, for they don't come. There surely is no happiuess for a wo? man when her husband's affections are divided with another woman or a half dozen women. There is no loving union devotion ; no tenderness. It is all ani? mal on the one side and woman is noth? ing but a machine.on -the other. There is no such song iu her declining years ?is? "Now we must totter down, John, But hand la hand we'll go And sleep together at the foot, John Anderson, ray Joe." There is no record anywhere in history of a happy married state where a man had more than one wife. Lamech had two, but the scriptures say nothing more about him. Adam dident have but one and Noah one, and they started the busi? ness of peopling the world. Old Father Abraham had one, and when he took another on, the sly old Auut Sarah got after him and she frailed out the second with a thrash pole and run her off. Jacob had two, and if ever a man deserved two he did; but they dident get along weil, even though they were sisters. Moses dident have but one. King David bad several, but he was curat with 'em, and actually committed murder to get one of 'cm, aud lived in anguish ever after, for he said, "my sin is ever before me." Old Solomon must have had an awful time of it, for he had a thousand, and they kept him so harrassed and be develled that he flew to his inkstand and wrote that he had found one good man, but a good woman in a thousand he had not found. Of course not. How could a woman be good when she was only a thousandth part of a wife. But Solomon repented of his felly and said it was all vanity, and advised all men to "live joy? fully with the wife whom thou lovest," and to "beware of strange women." I never think of these surplus wives who are sealed to the 'Mormons without a feeling of sadness and pity, for every new one causes the others a pang of shame. They are all in prison and their depen? dence is like that of the caged bird that tamely looks to its keeper for food. There is uo escape, for woman is a proud creature aud will suffer in silence rather than parade her folly to the world. Did you ever notice how a womau will suffer and be strong, especially if she has a child or children to keep her company? The Federal government ought to amend the constitution and declare that in these United States and Territories no man should have but one wife at a time. This much ought to be done for the pro? tection of women and for her elevation in society. There is no religion in this. Let them fellows believe in Joe Smith's bible or Brigham Young's amendments, if they want to, but I wouldent let them have but one wife. Governor Brown says we had better let them alone and work ou them through the pulpit and press. We might as well try that on the Mohaniedans, we have been trying it for forty years, we can't get at them that way, they wont hear us* But on tha con? trary, they send out (heir emissaries all over the world and compass sea and land to make proselytes. Why, a few years ago they took oil' a caravan of clever ig? norant people from Floyd and Polk counties, and still later they are working around us on the sly. Now I profess to fear God and regard man, but if one'of them was to come slipping around my house I'd get nabor Freeman and the boys and we would tar and feather him and ride him on a rail and leare him in a condition that would make Utah a very uninteresting place for him. So I hope that congress will fix up I some bill that will blot out this national disgrace and when they make it a law, then execute it. General Cummings was sent out there once with 2,500 troops to regulate 'em, but Mr. Buchanan weak? ened on it and advised a compromise and nothing was done. If our government is strong enough to subdue the Southern States and set four millions of niggers free, I reckon it can regulate affairs in Utah and free those white women. I reckon so. Bill Arp. Some Cold Days. It is a bit of coincidence that the com? et upon which Napoleon's soldiers gazed several years ago, when tbey were making that dreadful March from Moscow, which resulted in the death from cold and ex? posure of 400,000 men, Bhould be accom? panied on its reappearance with a bitter cold spell of weather. When it swept out of sight the world witnessed an un? usually severe winter. The incident, ae well as the present cold snap, recalls oth? er severe winters. In October, 768, and February, 7G4, the denizons of the cities of mosques and minarets were astonish? ed by a cold spell of weather, and the two seas at Constantinople were frozen over for twenty days. In 1063 the Thames was frozen over for fourteen weeks. In 1407 the cold was so intense in England that all the small birds per? ished, and in 1433 the large fowl of the air were driven by the terrible cold into the towns and cities of Germany. In 1468 the winter was so severe in Flanders that the wine distributed was cut with hatchets. The year 1658 was noted for cold weather in England. Thousands of forest and shade trees were split by frost, hares and stock perished, a line of stages ran on the Thames for several weeks and shops were built on the ice in the middle of the Thames. In 1810 the wolves were driven by the cold into Vienna, where they attacked men and cattle on the street. In 1810 quicksilver froze in the ther? mometer bulbs at Moscow. Or^ of the most remarkable changes of ter erature was witnessed at Hormey and Hammer? smith, near London, in 1867. The ther? mometer was three degrees below zero on the 4th of January and seventy-four hours later it had leaped to fifty-five degrees above zero. With respect to America some of the remarkable cold spells were as follows: In 1780, and again in 1821, New York harbor was frozen over so that teams were driver acroni the ice to Staten Island. The neighboring State of Indi? ana saw weather cold enough to congeal the mercury in 1855. The winter of 1881 was made memorable by cold weath? er. On the 13th and 26th days of Jan? uary many deaths occurred from the in? tense cold, and the residents of Mobile saw the thermometer sink to zero. A record of cold sieges would be im? perfect without a mention of tb? terribly sudden storm that swept over the coun? try in 1853, which had gone into history as the cold New Year's. A drayman was frozen to death in Cincinnati while driv? ing along the street; a man climbing a fence in Minnesota froze to death and toppled over into the snow, while the loss of human and animal lives in all parts of the country was immense.?Cleveland Herald. Starting a Fortune. Who is the wealthiest man in Califor? nia?" asked Gath of a well known Cali fornian. 'Jim Flood, worth $100,000,000; he is a liberal man and a shrewd one. He has built up on San Francisco bay a new port called Costa City, with magnifi cient storehouses and piers from which the wood of those rich counties is shipped direct to Europe and the world. O'Brien, Flood's partner, is dead and his fortune distributed. Mackey, one of the bonan? za crowd, is thought to be worth $60,000, 000, and Jim Fair worth perhaps $40, 000,000.' 'How in the world did Flood aud O'Brien make such fortunes ?' 'Just in this way, my friend,' said Mr. Hayneman, taking up a piece of paper and a lead pencil, 'Flood and O'Brien kept a saloon, and the drinks were twenty-five cents apiece. Fair and Mackey were miners who for some years did not strike anything very rich. So they gave mining stock for the drinks in? stead of money. The habit was to walk into the saloon with three or four friends, ask for the drinks and drink them: re? peat and say to the bar-keeper: This js mine/ and walk out. The barkeeper made four marks with a pencil ana a fifth mark across them, signifying $1,25 for each round. These rounds would go up to a pretty high figure, but on a cer? tain occasion Mackey or Fair would say: 'Well, Flood, we want to make a set? tlement for drinks,' and they would give their mining stock at a certain valuation current at the time, which Flood and O'Brien put into the safe. Behold I On a certain day metal ia struck in pro? digious quantities in the mines that Fair and Mackey own, and when Flood and O'Brien open the safe and count the stock they nave, it amounts to more than Fair and Mackey's, so when the mines were pouring out their million or two every week these saloon keepers who had been receiving twenty-five cents per drink for watered whiskey started a fortune." Equal to the Situation. "I've got some good news," said a handsome Philadelphia girl to her com? panion, who was visiting her from out of town. "What is it?" she asked breathlessly. "Why, George and his friend, Mr. Smith, from New York?that delightful gentleman we met last evening, you know?have invited us to take a sleigh ride to-night." "Am I to ride with Mr. Smith?" "Yes." "But he has only one arm." "That doesn't make any difference. George says he is accustomed to horses, and can drive with one just as well as he can with two." "It makes a great deal of difference," said the young lady from out of town. "One can not find any pleasure sleigh riding with a one-armed gentleman un? less"?and hero her face lighted up hope? fully?"she drives herself."?Philadel? phia Call. ? "Your little boy appears to be par? ticularly lively, madam." "Oh, yes," responded the lady, sweetly, "he thinks he is in church." ? The life of a woman can be divided into three epochs; in the first she dreams of love, in the second she experiences it, in the third she regrets it. Light on Bmrstcr, WASHINGTON, January, 19.?Judge Bond, who is known a3 a radical Republican, and whose methods on the bench in the circuit over which he pre? sides have provoked much criticism, has recently dismissed the election cases in South Carolina as having no foundation nor proper standing in court. The cases have been nursed with special care by the so-called Department of Jus? tice. Not satisfied with the services of the United States District Attorney on the spot, a lawyer of ability and eloquence and an extreme Republican in politics, Brewster, Attorney General, has em? ployed no less than five special assistant council to aid the prosecution : Dallas Saunders, of Pennsylvania, was paid $200 a month and his expenses in these cases. He began March 6,1882, and stopped recently. W. W. Ker, of Philadelphia, was ap? pointed Jan. 21,1882, with a retainer of $1,000 and expenses. W. P. Sydner, of Pennsylvania, was appointed in February, 1883, at $200 a ! mdnth and expenses, to aid the prosecu 1 tion. Benjamin Butterworth received a re? tainer of $1,500, Nov. 13,1883 "in the matter of the prosecutions of violation of the election law pending in South Caro? lina," but it does not appear that he ever went to that State or rendered any ser? vice, except to draw the fee. Emory Speer, present United States District Attorney of Georgia, was em? ploy: 1 as special assistant, but bis fee is not yet reported. All the cases failed before the juries that tried them, and the others on the docket were dismissed by Judge Bond. From first to last, in all their parts, these were political persecutions and nothing else. That fact was well known through? out the State and to the local District Attorney. Now that the trials are all over, and there in no longer any use in conceal? ment, revelations are made of an attempt? ed conspiracy in the jury room to con? vict some of the defendants and to let others escape, "to help the Republicans during the campaign of 1884." One of the jurymen charges that the officials representing the Government were privy to a caucus in the jury room where this subject was fully discussed in its partisan relations. . This discloitire,'following swiftly as it does on the heels of others made in the Star route cases, where spies and inform? ers were regularly employed by the De? partment of Justice, has naturally pro? voked resentment and indignation. The committee now investigating the De? partment of Justice can not pass this matter by without a searching inquiry, which will bring out the truth.?New York Sun. Railroads up Mountains. America is the scene of many notable railway enterprises. We have such a di? versity of surface that great engineering difficulties have to be overcome which are not thought of iu other countries. One of the most difficult feats is to get to the top of ? mountain in a steam-car. This has been accomplished frequently, however, and by different devices. At Mouut Washington the railway climbs the uprise, advancing forward like a cat climbing a tree. The iron clamps or claws are advanced and the train of cars pulled up by main force. It is a novel sensation to ascend Mount Washington, while the descent seems still more peril? ous. At Central City, Colarado, a dif? ferent method obtains. The cars move forward, then backward, but each change switches them off to a higher elevation. After plying to and fro like a bobbin in a weaver's loom, the cars at length reach the top of the mountain. It is now pro? posed to build a railroad to the top of Pike's Peak, the summit of which is 14,000 feet above the sea level?that is, 8,000 feet higher than Mount Washing? ton. In this case the road will run around the mountain, in a sort of spiral path until it reaches the top. The en? tire distance from the base to the sum? mit will probably be forty miles. When completed this road will be one of the wonders of the country, for the traveler in ascending Pike's Peak will meet at every mile a new scene, the one more picturesque than the other. The first twelve miles will be of surpassing beauty. Camping grounds will be located at vari? ous points, where people can live in tents, enjoying the pure air and weird grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, while in constant receipt by railway of all the necessities and some of the luxuries ob? tained in large cities. Another moun? tain railway will be up the Catskills, which will carry travelers to some of the grandest and most picturesque scenery in the world. An ingenious dreamer pre? dicts the construction of a railway ex? tending from Alaska to Patagonia and running on the top of the mountain ranges of North and South America. Who dare say that even this wild scheme may not some day be realized ??Demo real's Monihlrj for February. An Ugly Tale from Newberry, Columbia, January 14.?A shocking story comes from Newberry County. My informant is a gentleman who visited the spot to-day, and his account is corrobora? ted in its essential particulars by other advices. Mitchael Kinard, an old white man nearly 80 years of age, lives between Prosperity and Newberry, about 7 miles from the former place. He is a well to do, but has associated for years almost exclusively with negroes. He is a root doctor and is called by the negroes a ma? gician. He has been living with a negro woman for many years. He bad a white daughter, Laura, about 30 years old, who had recently come into some property. She lived in an outhcuse in his yard. On Tuesday morning last she was found lying dead in the fireplace of her house so burned about the face and up? per portion of the body as to be almost unrecognizable. Her father refused to admit any white person to the place, and one of the neighbors having his suspi? cions aroused went for the coroner who had to enter the house by force. He be? gan an inquest at which Doctors Mcln tosh and Gilder, of Newberry, were pres? ents The father said that the evening before his daughter had been unwell and that he had given her a powder to cure her, at first refusing to mention the in? gredient of the powder. He finally gave them as bay-berry, boneset, alder and schull cap. The physicians thought that there was no indication of poison in the powder or in the stomach, but tho jury were not satisfied, and sent the stomach to a Charleston chemist to have its contents analyzed. They will not render their verdict until the analysis is made. The father had declined to allow tbe body to be buried up to noon to-day. There is said to be much fealing on the part of the neighbors and strong suspi? cions against the father, which it is hoped may not be verrified. ? "This is the rock of ages," said a tired father who had kept the cradle going two hours, and the baby still awake.