University of South Carolina Libraries
BY E. B. MURRAY & CO. ANDERSON, S. O, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 8, 1685. VOLUME XX.?NO. 26. ALWAYS FOR DRUGS, MEDICINES, PERFUMERY, Extracts, Patent Medicines, A F?LL hue of Paints, Varnishes, Combs, Brushes, Hair Oils, Bay Rum, Toilet Articles, Perfumery, Face^ Powders, Fine Toilet Soaps, Tooth Powders, Tooth Brushef, La dies'Hand Mirrors, Razors.Shaving Setts, Trusses, Shoulder Braces, Snp Pure, High Toned Flavoring Extracts, Baking. Powders and Soda, Pepper, ? Allspice, Ginger, and Finest Teas in the market Cigars and Tobacco. Best Coal Oil Lamps and Lamp Goods, and every variety of choice Goods and necessary articles usually kept in First Class Drug Stores and used in families. PATENT MEDICINES, all the Standard and Reliable ones kept i n stock. The sweetest and most deli? cate Perfumes and Odors, and a full line of Colognes and Toilet Water . always in stock. Chapped hands, face and lips are very prevalent at this; season of the year, and nothing will cure and pre? vent this annoying affliition so effectu? ally as a box of Camphor Ice, Cosma line, or some of our pure Glycerine. FANCY GOODS and Sundries, and a thousand and one other arti? cles of general use may be found in our complete stock. S?T Oblige us by giving us a call, and you will be surprised at our LOW PRICES and superior quality of our Goods. With the compliments of the Season, we are yours, ?c-> WILHITE & WILHITE. Jan 8,1885 35 Dozen "NIMROD" AXES, SO,000 lbs. STEEL FLOWS, lOO STOCKS, TO BE SOLD AT BOTTOM rJtlCES. In Great Variety. TABLE CUTLERY, Of all Grades. BUY OUR "BOSS" HAND SAW, Fully Warranted and sold for $1.50? GUNS, AMMUNITION AND~ul IMPLEMENJLS. HARDWARE OF EVERT DESCRIPTION. . -?;-?c?-. ??r Call on ns. Try us, aud you will always be pleased. 'SULLIVAN & BRO., Look for tlie the SIGHV of tlie CIRCULAR SAW. Dec 18,1884 23 GOODS WERE NEVER SO LOW. This fact We are prepared to Prove to our Friends and Customers who may favor us with a call. AYfE are now receiving the largest and most carefully selected Stock of General Mer V V chandise which we have ever purchased, and will make it to your interest to call and examine for .yourselves. We have added t the lines usually kept by us many new. and desirable ones, embracing? Ladies' Dress Goods, Flannels, Suitings, Shawls, &c, And the best CORSET on the market at 00c, worth $1.00. Also, a A LARGE LINE OF READY MADE CLOTHING, HATS, TRUNKS, UMBRELLAS, BLANKETS, SADDLES and HARNESS. Also, the Celebrated "NEW GLOBE" SHIRT-the king of all Shirts. It needs only to be worn to be appreciated. We ore agents for the Celebrated Misbawaka Sulky Piows, Cultivators and Hand Turning Plows. The "Whito Hickory" and "Hickman" one and two-horse WAGONS, every one of j which we guarantee. The attention of Ginners and Farmers is called to our? COTTON SEED AND GRAIN CRUSHER, By which you can crash your Cotton Seed and make your Fertilizer. Get our prices on Plantation and Gin House Scales, Cotton Gins, Foed s and Con? densers and General Farm Machinery. ??' . : We are at all times in the Cotton Market, and will do you right. We will pay all ties who owe us for Supplies and Guano an extra price. A large lot of BAGGING and TIES at lowest prices. McCULLY, CATHCART & CO, 12 THE MANUFACTURING EXEMPTION. Mr. Scudday'a Reasons for Favoring a Repeal of the Existing; Lair. Mr. Editor : In your issue of Decem? ber 18th you mention the fact that I spoke in the Souse of Representatives in iu favor of repealing the law exempting factories from taxation. In the article you express your satisfaction that my views did not prevail, and you speak of the law as one highly beneficial to the State. Whilst the House by an over? whelming vote killed the exemption, yet, since your article has put me before the people as opposing a measure of such benefit to them, I think it but just to them; as well as to myself, for you to al? low me to present to them my reasons for the position I occupied. This is only what I desire. I have no idea you mjant to provoke a newspaper controversy, nor do I mean by this communication to do so. Perhaps I can best accomplish my desire by asking you to publish the speech referred to and leave the people to judge the correctness of my position. H. G. Scudday. Me. Speaker: The ingenuity dis? played in the arguments of the friends of the Exemption Law to-day, is only sur? passed by the ingenuity displayed in 1873, when its friends succeeded in placing it upon the Statute Books of this State, in the face of the express mandates of the Constitution against it. Their speeches are as remarkable for what they do not tell us, as they are for what they assert. Whilst the climax of their argument has been that "foreign capital will seek Investments in our State," yet it is quite remarkable that we have not been told on this floor of a single factory in South Carolina that has been built by foreign capital. Nor have we been showu that enough foreign capital has been added to home capital in build? ing factories to justify taking from the treasury annually such a large sum of money tbatshould remain thereto lighten the burden of taxation upon the people. It boa developed here that one foreign capitalist did pat forty thousand dollars in one factory, but be did not do it until be was given the exclusive right of handling and patting the goods upon the market when manufactured, with the right to retain large commissions for his work. He may not have known of the existing law. The gentleman who last spoke made use of one remark that completely shat? tered the force of bis speech. He said "money is powor." Yes, Mr. Speaker, money is power, and little does it need the arm of legislation to Bnstain it. Another remark of bis made the injustice of the present law even-more glaring than ever. He said "he favored the exemption because when factories are built the poor by hundreds could get employment." He failed to tell us that the Exemption Law said to the wealthy corporation, with its magnificent buildings, you need not pay your tax, and that it said to those hun? dreds of poor people who really need aid, and who furnish the physical labor, with? out which the factories could not exist, yon must pay the last farthing of your tax. My friend could much better show his sympathy for the poor by advocating an exemption from taxation for the ope? ratives of factories. The gentleman from Greenville (Mr. Ansel) places himself in an amusing po? sition by bis advocating the Exemption Law. Two session's ago when he felt that the welfare of the people of this State demanded it, he stood here and labored zealously for the Railroad Com? mission Act, even when he was told that its passage would drive foreign capital from Railroad enterprise in this State. Then it was duty to ignore tbe claims of foreign capital in order f.o protect tbe in? terests of our own people. Now the in? terests of foreign capitalists seems to out? weigh in imporiance the interests of our own people. Again it is somewhat amusing to notice how extremely anx? ious he is to benefit the people, even at the expense of violating the terms of the Constitution, and yet when the opportu? nity is offered him by complying with its requirements to benefit the people, as for instance the maintenance of the South Carolina College, we find bim opposing it with a consistency that Is indeed strik? ing. I shall notice only one other point of his before noticing the more important issues of this discussion. He favors the exemption because be is an advocate of a diversity of industries in South Caroli? na, and thinks it will develop them. I assert that the remedy the gentlemau suggests is worse than the- disease. Whenever the government takes under its wing any one department of industry, bestows upon it favors, which it denies to others of equal merit, or enters into a sort of partnership with it, by legislating to increase the ordinary profits of that industry, you at once create a govern? mental monopoly as it were, and destroy the very possibility of a healthy develop? ment and growth on the part of the other industries that are denied such favors. My position is, that the. surest way to in? duce a diversity of industries in South Carolina, is to secure the protection of the rights of all, and to show favoritism and partiality to none. If, however, Mr. Speaker, this House is determined to violate the principle 1 have just announced, and foster any one department of industry in this State by tbe strong arm of legislation, let us have an eye to the one most meritorious. Let us foster tbe one that contributes most to the welfare and support of our State. This is not a manufacturing State and we can never hope to make it one. We can never com' Qte with the manufactur? ing States of hot England. It is purely an agricultural State, Now, sir, it would be but a just recognition of this fact, and that the life blood of this State comes from that department, for us, if we have any special favors to Bhow, to give it the benefit of them. ^ The day of the necessity for the exemp? tion of factories has long ceased to exist in this State. In 1873. when the law was enacted, who filled the seats of this Hall? Who occupied the chair now graced by you ? Property in South Caro? lina, as well as personal rights were in jeopardy. Foreign capital would not seek our State. Perhaps it was policy then to enact Buch a law. But, sir, I make it as the proudest assertion of my life, that South Carolina ha3 been re? deemed, regenerated and disenthralled. And now with honest home-rule, the adaptability of our soil to tbe culture of cotton, and the thousands of natural water powers in our State, are they not in themselves sufficient to induce capital here? What is it that developed manu? facturing industries in North Carolina and Georgia ? I am informed they have no such laws and yet they double us in those enterprises. In fact such Exemp? tion Laws are found in very few of the States of this Union. And where they do exist, manufacturing does not keep pace with those States that do not have such laws. Ar .?her argument in favor of this ex? emption is, that factories when built add to the taxable property of the State, in? creases the value of adjacent lands and a fiords markets for the farmers. This may be true. If bo, then is it right to discriminate against railroads. For the same reasons they are more entitled to the exemption. There are ten times more foreign capital to day in this State invested in railroads than in factories, but I dare say, my friends would not ad? vocate their exemption. It is hero that the hideous form of protection is seen. The very same principle that arrays the Democracy of this country against the Republican party, and yet, in the Demo? cratic State of South Carolina, while with our Hps we are denouncing the protective system, we are allowing this law to re? main on our books, which savor9 of the strictest protection. Beautiful consist? ency 1 Be the benefits of the exemption what tbey may, there is a question at the bot? tom of this matter, that outweighs all other-, in importance. It is the charac? ter of the means to be used in bringing about the results. I might accomplish much good at your County Poor House with iftbousand dollars, by feeding and clothing the poor?yet this would not make it right for me to rob a Bank to get the money. Can this exemption stand the teat in the light of the Constitution of this State, which each of us have sworn to support? If not, then it is a solemn duty to oppose it, however bene? ficial the results may be. In legislation, the end can never justify tbe means. But, Mr. Speaker, the friends of tbe exemption have undertaken to ignore tbe constitutional objection, by saying that the Legislature is no judicial body, and that the law now on the books is for the construction of tbe courts. An ingen? ious evasion, a subterfuge! Not being able to meet it, they evade it, and here to-day we defy them to answer it. Has the Constitutional objection pnused be? yond the consideration of this House? I assert, that when a bill is introduced to repeal an existing law, the law is revived in all its bearings, and its merits are brought before tbe House as if it was an original question. I am still more sur? prised at some who intimate that we can with impunity, ignore tbe Constitution altogether in this matter. This must arise from a misapprehension of its char? acter. ??Mr. Story tells us, that a Con? stitution is a barrier between the people and t hose who would usurp power. That ii; is a limit fixed, witbiu which those who exercise tbe Legislative, judicial, and executive functions of tbe government, must operate. We perform then the highest duty we owe our con? stituency, when we preserve intact tbe fundamental law of the land, and com? ply with the oaths that are required of us as members of this House. With this view of the Constitution before us, it is necessary to read only one or two Bee* tions of it to determine our duty. I call your attention to tbe imperative langnage of Section II, Article 12: "The property of corporations now existing ? or hereafter created, shall be subject to taxa tion, except in cases otherwise provided for in this Constitution." Section V, Article 9, prescribes what property is exempt, viz: such as schools and the property of penal and charitable institu? tions. The Constitution does not exempt Factories, but on the contrary provides for an equal and uniform rate of taxation on a'l other property not exempt. Can anything be more express or mandatory than the sections quoted ? Therefore having no authorky in the Constitution for this exemption, are we to usurp the power to do so? To pre? vent usurpation of power, Section IV, Article I of the Constitution says: "All powers mot herein delegated remain with the people." They have never delegated to us the power to exempt Factories from taxation, and they alone possess ft. Until they in the exerciee of their re? served rights amend the Constitution allowing this exemption, I cao never give my vote or influence to the existence of such a law. Mr. Speaker, these are ray views after much serious thought and meditation. I am not opposed to Fac? tories, or to the material progress of my native State. Not that I do not love them, but that 1 love a compliance with my sense of duly to the Constitution more. This bill will not effect existing Factories It is right for the State to' maintain good faith with them. I do hope it will pass and the Exemption Law be repealed; The advocates of the ex? emption remind me of a man trying to cap a muttering volcano. Sooner or later it will betepealed. I firmly believe that the people will rise in their indig? nation, and with the power they, possess, will wipe from the Statute Books of this State this law, which savors so strongly of strict protection, and every letter of which is glaring with injustice and dis? crimination, and which has not tbe slightest foundation in tbe Constitution of this State. [The exemption was killed in tho House by an overwhelming vote. Tbe. oldest an d most distinguished Lawyers of tbe House, endorsing tbe Constitutional objections raised, voted for its repeal. In the Senate it liked one vote of being repealed.] H. G. S. Profitable Cotton Raising. The Atlanta Constitution records the results of a competitive trial in profitable cotton raising in Georgia, in which seventy-live planters participated. A fertilizer company in the State offered $800 in gold for the best yield of cotton made on ground enriched with their fer? tilizer, and four Jersey bulls for the best yield produced by .clubs. The highest yield was 1,345 pounds of lint cotton to tho acre, or three and one-half bales of 450 pounds each. The lowest yield was 430 pounds, or a bale to tbe acre. The average of the seventy-five farmers was 774 pounds, or nearly two bales to the acre. To Becure this, they used an aver? age of 888 pounds of the fertilizer, which cost $16.i54. The cotton brought $69.66, leaving a. net profit of $44.12 to the acre, the cotton seed nearly paying for the cultivation. "At a bale to the acre above the cost of tbe fertilizer, anv farmer can get rieb," says the Constitution, and the seventy-live made more than that aver? age. The returns from tbe State show that on an average three and a half acres were required to produce a bale, or seven acres, under the old method, to secure what the new method produced from one acre?a demonstration of the profits of "improved farming" which will not be lost on i;he planters of the cotton belt. The corn premiums produced results equally gratifying. There were sixteen contestants, and tbe average yield was eighty-one bushels to the acre, the first premium being taken with 116} bushels. The interest in those contests, and their success, prove that the Southern planters are "abandoning the loose, old plantation methods, and are beginning to see the profit and comfort in small farms well tilled." A steady following of this sys? tem will pay that section better than all the politics it ever indulged in. ? Tho centre of our population haa for a century moved westward with ro markable regularity, beginning atapoint on the eastern sbcre of Maryland, and reaching one ten miles west of Cincin? nati. It is calculated, however, that pro? gress in that direction is stopped in con? sequence of the rapicVgrowth of many Atlantic coast cities and the advancement of some of the southern-State*. CHRISTMAS CHEER. The Happiness of the A rp Family. Atlanta Constitution, It is the same old story, but it is a good I one. We have passed another milestone j in the journey of life. Christmas has ' come again and now it has gone. How j short these miles are getting as we near , the end. They used to be long, very long, to me. How that, I wonder! They say tbat time passes swiitly when we are j happy, and it is so, I know, for an hour or a day. but it is not so for a month or a year. Tbe flight of years is measured by our age. Childhood is happy and bright, ' and to happy children the sun "does nev? er rise a wiuk too soon, nor bring too long a day," but the yearn seem almost an age?an age of pleasure. Time shrinks up as we grow old. Everything shrinks. The trees are not so tall nor the hills so long and steep. The rivers are not so wide and the creeka have become branch? es. Indeed, the great big world that used to strain our comprehension and excite our wonder is not much of a planet now. On Christmas night, tbat is the night before Christmas, Mrs. Arp and I took our patriarchal stations in the big arm chairs by the parlor mantel, and with patient and serene dignity prepared our? selves for coming events. We let the young folks manage these things now and they give us no trouble. There was a goodly gathering of children and grand? children and kith and kindred, and all of them were arrayed in Sunday garments, and the little chaps' faces fairly shined they were so clean, and their fond moth era looked upon them with a visible joy and a maternal pride, when all of a j sudden our blue-eyed daughted opened wide tbe door and exclaimed: "Old Santa Claus has come." Merciful good? ness, what a fuss 1 It looks like a cyclone j had struck in these parts and was ex? ploding right here in the parlor. 1 can't here anything for the tumultuous confu? sion of infantile voices, and the grown up ones are no better. Old Santa Claus has just come into the room and emptied his basket, and now the little 'in horns are tooting and tbe harps are blowing and tbe boys are popping paper caps in little iron heads fastened to a string, It is all mixed up with "oh my, oh isent it lovely, bless his heart. Look at my slippers well I declare," and the women folks are showing their handkerchiefs and shawls and perfumery, and sofort?, and the men and boys are taking on over their cuff buttons and handkerchiefs and cravats, and one boy has got a new gun, and another a fine book, and another some? thing else, and there are firecrackers by the peck and ever and anon there is a grand racket in the front yard, for they are popping them in a barrel, and here they go and there they go, ail on the tramp and everybody talking at once, and I think I hear a baby squalling and a wounded boy a bawling, and now of course Mrs. Arp is calling, and the jum? ble is appalling, and amidst it all I am still calm and serene, for Christmas comes but once a year, and let's have fun and frolic and good cheer. But by and by the program changes and the plays begin and big and little run round the row of chairs to see who will be left out when the music stops. It makes the old house quake when they all throw themselves into their seats lumul tuously, ands-ever and anon I hear an old chair crack and now and then a little chap gets run over and retires with a groaa, but it is all right I reckon for it is Christmas, and it is free for all. They jammed me up in a corner with my little table and all I can do is to look on and feast my soul upon their happiness for it all carries me back to the days of my gushing childhood when I never got tired of such frolics and loved the nights that brought them, when hide and ceek was a glorious joy and the little Jack Maring;'II a drama of delight. Oh would I were a boy again just now, not for life, but just now. I would like to feel as I used to feel when all was bright and gushing and exultant, and there was no apprehension of trouble or grief or dark shadows to come. Such thoughts do come and go in spite of us and they ? ellow us down aud prepare us to let go our hold upon earth when our time comes. I thank the good Lord for so gently tempering our life that w 3 become reconciled to the change in due time. When we are young and bouyant it is all right we should ex* claim : "The world is very lovely Oh my God, I thank Thee that I live. But when we get old it is just as sweet to sing: "I would not live always, I ask not to stay." And now the music has beguu and I am called.to help for they are getting up a family dance and Mrs. Arp and I al? ways make the music. They let us do that?we are still useful and it would be right hard for these young folks to get along without us. Mrs. Arp's fingers are still nimble and as gracefully touch the ivory keys, as when I first worshipped at her shrine thirty-six years ago and went into raptures over Kathleen Mavourneen and her beautiful hazel eyes?not Kath? leen's eyes, but Mrs. Arp's. And she just nearly died over my soft dove like notes on the flute as I carroled "The Sweet Vale of Avoca," or "The Irish Emigrant's Lament." But now when the young folks wish to dance, we cheerfully respond aud play a medley that ba*? neither beginning nor ending, for it just goes on and on and round and round, and is a fantastic fan? tasia that is an original mixture of Dix? ie and Run Nigger Run, and the Bob? tail Nag and Come Out of the Wilder? ness and the Arkansaw Traveller and Highland Fling, up in a Balloon Boys, and some others of like life and key and measure. Oh, we make music we do, and the children always cheer us and thank us so rapturously that we try it again when they call us and get ready for the next eet. And now tbe programme changes again and we have music with song. Younger fingers touch the keys and the family choir gets round the piano and cheers the wee small hours with melody. The old standard songs are still welcome songs that never wear out, such as "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep," "Suwanee River" and "Annie Laurie," and there are some later ones that are full of sweet harmony, such as "I. Sent a Letter to My Love," and Punchinello and "when the leaves begin to fall." But all pleasures must close after while, and so, one by one, the little chaps surrendered to their drooping eyelids, and peace and quiet reigns. We did not gather all our children this time, for their business and engagements would not permit. But we i got together a goodly number, and scat? tered the extra beds all around upon the parlor floor, and Mrs. Arp's turkeys, that she raised, are being daily sacrificed upon the altar of paternal love. One of our farmer raised boys left us three years ago to seek his own fortune in the great city of Gotham, and he haB succeeded and is a Bohemian on a city paper and has come home brightened up with a new civilization and talks yankee and dresses yr.nkee and looks yankee, but he has the same loving soul in him and brings com? fort and unalloyed pleasure to his home. It ia amusing to see the wonder and ad? miration with which the younger chil? dren look at him -md listen to his chang? ed vernacular. One of them seemed a little troubled and said with serious con? cern, "papa do you think New York has done Rictor any harm?" "Why, no," said I, "what makes you ask such a question." '?Well, I don't know," said he, "but he wears that silk hat and he is so polite and he says he eats oatmeal at his board? ing house all the time, just like Rick folkB do." The boy was really alarmed for fear his big bud bad become demoralized. And now they will finish up the week with dog and guns. They promise to keep the table supplied with game, but though this is good hunting ground it is very poor finding, and when they do find it is very poor killing. There were eight of them after one squirrel this evening, and they scared him so bad with the noise of their guns that he finally ran down the tree and the dog caught him. But after all, they had a power of fun. Well, Christmas will be over when this reaches your readera. I hope they all had a good time and were happy, and now let me wish for you and for them a happy New Year. Bill Akp. A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY. Is the American Volcano froartd in North Cnro Una? Charleston News and Courier. The singular phenomenon which re? cently startled the people living near Elk mountain, in North Carolina, a brief account of which was published in the News and Courier a few days ago, deserves more attention than is likely to be be? stowed upon it. It is indeed but one link in a chain of such occurrences, and the series undoubtedly presents some features of sufficient importance to re? quire a careful investigation at tbe bands of scientists, geologists and others quali? fied to conduct such investigation in the most thorough manner, and thereby to trace tbe connection between the differ? ent phenomena, and, if possible, to dis? cover tbe cause of them all. A review of some of these occurrences will interest every person who lives between the Blue Ridge and tbe Atlantic ocean, at least, as this numerous cla; s may be fairly sup? posed to feel a special interest in the stability of the plateiu upon which they live and upon which they expect their children to live after them. Concerning the mo at recent disturbance in the mountains, Dr. J.S. T. Baird, wbo is evidently an int.: 11 igent and careful observer, and who wsis himself an audi? tor of what occurred, says: "Standing on an elevated point on my farm, with a full and unobstructed view of tbe entire Elk mountain range, and happening at tbe very moment to have my eyes turned in the direction of the point in question, it afforded me an ex? cellent opportunity to observe the whole phenomenon. The morning was exceed? ingly bright, almost ominously calm. At a point almost due North of my home, and seemingly just over the crest of tbe mountain, and at the hour above stated, there was what seemed to be a most terrific subterranean explosion, followed by a very perceptible jarring and trem? bling of the eartb for miles around, and a heavy rumbling sound as of the deep intonations of distant thunder, which came on with increasi ng volume for sev? eral seconds. Tbe sound proceeded with rapid undulations in an eastwardly direc? tion, following the course of the moun? tains, and seeming to traverse tbe deep bowels of the earth, until it reached a point on the horizon of our valiley about 45 degrees East from where it started, when it suddenly leaped forth from the bosom of the mountains, and, lifting itself above the horizon, pealed out upon the air like a mighty thunderbolt, and thus it ended as suddenly as it began. Mr. A. E. Hemphill, who was on the top of the mountain, in the immediate vi? cinity of where the first shock occurred, says that it seemed to be directly beneath him and the sensation was as though tbe whole mountain was tumbling from its foundation, with a fearful shaking and trembling of tbe earth. Mr. Steve Monday and Mr. James Edwards, wbo were on tbe mountain some two miles further East, describe the sound and tbe shaking and trembling of the mountain as most appalling and terrifying, even putting the leaves on tbe trees in rapid and lively motion. Other persons felt and heard the shock many miles away. The shock was repeated, with the same characteristics about sunset on the even? ing of the same day." These are no ordinary disturbances, common to mountain ranges; but rather, so far as is known, have been confined on this and previous occasions to that por? tion of the Blue Ridge which lies in tbe Southwestern part of North Carolina, and perhaps in the extreme Northeastern corner of Georgia. Very little has been made public in regard to the disturbances in Georgia, but there is not far from Tal lulah falls, in this State, a peak of tbe Blue Ridge known as "Sinking Moun? tain," which name has probably been bestowed upon it by reason of phenomena occurring at that point similar to those so frequently observed a lew miles to the Northeast in tbe same range. The disturbances at Bald mountain commenced ten or twelve years ago, and excited at the time considerable interest all over tbe country, as well as feelings of profound apprehension in those who dwelt within the circle of their mysteri? ous and threatening manifestations. It will be remembered that the mani? festations were of so frequent occurrence and of so violent character as to compel the attention of persons living at a dis? tance of forty or fifty miles from tbe mountain itself, while those who lived on or near it were so seriously alarmed that hundreds of families abandoned their homes and fled to other and distant localities to escape the danger which threatened tbem constantly by day and night. The panic was so general that, at oue time, all tbe roads leading out of the disturbed section were filled with fugi? tives, and they who, for any reason, were compelled to remain behind, were reduc? ed to a state of such confusion and ter? ror that they gave over all other pursuits and devoted themselves to religious exer? cises, firmly believing that tbe end of all things was at hand. It is easy to smile at their fears from a far and safe distance, but it is not to be doubted that similar shocks repeatedly felt in other portions of the country would lead to similar results among the more ignorant classes of the population at least. At the time of the shocks at Bald mountain it was stated that the beasts in the fields showed their alarm not less than did their mas? ters, and that horses halted, cowered and shivered in theis tracks while being driv? en along the public roads, many miles distant from the mountain, when they felt the mysterious tremor passing through the ground beneath their feet. Notwithstanding the large mass of testimony that was published from time to time in regard to the fact and nature of the shocks in the Bald mountain region, there were many persons who denied that any such disturbances had occurred. The Asbeville and Spartan burg Railroad was then beirig.construct ed on the other aide of the range eight or ten miles distant, and the wiseacres attributed all tbe sounds and shocks tbat were heard and felt to l:be frequent blasts that were made in the roclc beds along the line. After one such'shock, however, it was discovered that one of the numer? ous peaks of the Bald mountain group was rent in twain from summit to base, and the unbelievers were..silenced from that day to this. An investigation of the fissure caused by that shock sihowed that it was several feet wide and hundreds of yards long. A party of mountaineers, having provided themselves with ropes and candles, entered the cleft in tbe side of tbe mountain, and after going a short distance found tbat it widened into a great cavern. The appearance of tbe walls proved beyond question that the cavern was of very recent origin; frag? ments of rocks bung loosely overhead; tbe floor was covered with debris, and altogether the situation was so threaten? ing and uncertain, at best, tbat tbe ex? ploration was abandoned well nigh at its outset. It has never been pressed any further^ to the writer's knowledge. The impression made upon the minds of those who entered the cave waa that the "bot? tom of the mountain had dropped out, down to somewhere," leaving the peak little more than a rocky shell. On this theory the phenomena .bat had been observed for so many months before were accounted for. The inside of the moun? tain had been crumbling and caving in, piecemeal, and the fall of the masses in the interior had caused the shocks and rumbling sounds that had been felt and heard for miles around. The theory may j or may not be the true one. It will hold until a better one is offered, at least, and has strong support in some other recent occurrences in the same neighborhood. A few miles from Bald mountain, in another part of the same range, is another peak tbat has certainly caved in tbe way suggested. the nature of the disturbances that have occurred at this point is beyond question. The mountain baa caved and crumbled until it is as hollow as a bee hive, and a very badly cracked 'bee bive withal. Currents of warm air are drawn into crevices between tho rocks on the one side of the mountain, and pour out on the other side, as chill as a blast from an ice house. The outgoing currents creep along the ground and are distin? guishable in tbe summer time at a dis? tance of half a mile from the point of exit. So it is said. A fishing rod can be driven out of sight at many places, in the crevices between tbe rocks under foot. At one point a cross section of tbe ridge has fallen bodily a distance of per? haps a hundred feet?leaviog a gap through tbe mountain like a railroad "cut," tbe side walls of which are nearly perpendicular. Make two parallel cuts across and through a loaf of baker's bread, and then u.ash down the middle slice so formed and you nil! get a fair idea of what has occurred here. The loaf of bread is a mountain, however, and the slice is probably an hundred yards' long. At another point such a slice has fallen without exposing from above tbe gap which it has left. There is a slight crevice at tbe surface, indeed, but you would step across that without suspecting what was under you. Tbe crevice gradually widens as you descend the mountains, and you can go into it at one or two places. Looking upward it appeared as a broken thread of light extending along the roof of a cave of unknown proportions. The rock walls of the cave are broken and cracked in every direction, and the floor is covered with fragments that have fallen from above, and tbat keep falling. Tbe floor also drops away sometimes. You cannot go very far along the dark and dangerous road your feet are in, even if you wish to do so, because it ends suddenly in an abyss of which you can neither see the roof, llit sides, nor the bottom. Drop a stone ov? r the verge?you will never hear it strikt! There is no known bot? tom there; it, too, has dropped down to somewhere. There are other evidences of fin rest and uncertainty in the hearts of those everlasting hills. In one place a great body of water gushed out of the side of a mountain, breaking its way through the soil and carrying everything before it. The guides will show you "whirl? pools" tbat receive mountain streams and swallow them. Throw a st?ck into tbe little mealstrom and it will npin around a few moments aud then disappear in the vortex. These things are all peculiar and in? teresting and unexplained. If the same features and facts and phenomena were ?to be observed in the Harta mountains there would be legends about them, and Americans would cross the ocean to see them and write books about them. If they were located in the White moun-" tains, or the Catskills, or the Adi rondacks, there would be hotels and railroads all through the region to accommodate the crowds of visitors every summer. As it is, it is all in the "Land of the "Sky," and might as well be in the sky itself, so far as'our people are concerned. Girls in Odd Stocking!!. "Scarlet stockings? Yes, they're all the go," said a Chestnut street hosiery dealer yesterday. "But that isn't the latest craze by any means." "What is the latest fashion, then ?" "Why, on Saturday morning I had three young lady customers who came in and bought three pair of red and three pair of olack hose. I was somewhat sur? prised und asked the object. In each case I v as told that it was not the.proper caper to wear two red stocking^ now, any more than it is to wear two black ones." "Well, what on earth were tbey going to do?" "Wear one of each kind?a scarlet stocking on one foot and a black one on the other. It's a fact I assure you. And the fashion is gaining ground, for this morning I had several more customers on tbe same errand. Black and red, you know, are striking and at tbe same time becoming contrasts."? Philadelphia Times. An Enthusiastic Citizen. "Your house is afire, Colonel/' said a man approaching an acquaintance one night during a political "ratification" when the pulse of" many a man was fe? verish. "All ride, ole boy. Go up after while'n put her out." "But the roof was falling in when I left there." "Thad so? Cellar ain' hurtyit,reckon. Hoorah 1" "Nearly all of your furniture is de? stroyed." "Thad fact? Saved the well didn' tbey ? All right. Hoorah !" Tbe American is an enthusiastic citi? zen._ ? A zealous preacher, who loved smoking as well as he ought, in a heated discourse exclaimed, aiming his rifle at some of his hearers: "Brethren, there is no sleeping car on the road to glory." One of the party whom he aimed to hit responded: "No, brother, nor smoking car either." IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE. Clvil^Servlce Reform. New York, December 29.?The fol? lowing cor-cspondeuce explains itself: Nat'l Civil Sep.vice Reform Leaoue, Office 4 Pine Street, Nlw York, December 20,1884. Bon. Grover Cleveland: Sir: We have the honor to address you on behalf of the National Civil Service Beform League, tin association composed of citizens of all parties, whose sole pur? pose is indicated by its name, and which takes no part whatever in party contro? versy. The vast increase in the number of persons engaged in the civil service, and the giaVe mischiefs and dangers arising from the general proscription in the service which for half a century has followed a change of party control of the national administration, have produced so profound an impression upon the pub? lic mind that the first effective steps toward reform were taken with the co? operation of both parties in the passage of the reform Act of January 16th, 1883. The abuse which that Act seeks to cor? rect, however, are so strongly entrenched in the traditions and usages of both par? ties that there is naturally a wide-spread anxiety lest the party change ,in the National Executive, effected by the late election, should ?bow them to be insu? perable ; but believing as we do that the reformed system cannot be held to be securely established until it has safely passed the ordeal of such party change, and recalling with satisfaction and con? fidence your public expressions favorable to reform and your official acts as tbe Chief Executive of the State of New York, we confidently commend this cause to your patriotic care in the exercise of the great power with which the Ameri? can people have entrusted you. Respectfully, yours, Geo. Wm,, Curtis, President. Wm, Potts, Secretary. John Jay, Moorefield Storey, J. Hall Pleasants, \Y. W. Montgomery, Everett P. Wheeler, Frederick Cromwell, Mor rell Wyman, Jr., Carl Schurz, Silas W. Burt, *A. S. McDonough, Win. Carey Sanger, Wm. W.Aiken, Executive Com? mittee. president-elect cleveland's reply. Albany N. Y., December 25, 1884. Bon. George William Curtis, President, d'c.?Dear Sir: Your communication, dated December 20, addressed to me on behalf of the National Civil Service Re? form League, bae beeu received. That a practical reform in civil service is de? manded, is abundantly established by the fact that the statute referred to in your communication to secure such a re? sult has been passed in Congress, with the assent of both political parties, and by the further fact that tbe sentiment is generally prevalent among patriotic peo? ple, calling for a fair and honest enforce? ment of the law, which has been thus enacted. I regard myself pledged to this, because my conception of true Democratic faith and public duty re? quires that this and all' other statutes should be in good faith and without evasion enforced, and because in many utterances mf.de prior to my election as President, approved by the party to wl i:h I belong, and which I have no disposi? tion to disclaim, I have in effect promised the people, that this should be done. I am not unmindful of the fact to which you refer, tha: many of our citizens fear that the recent party change in the National Executive may demonstrate that abuses which have grown up in civil service .ire ineradicable. I know that they are ieeply rooted and that tbe spoils system has been supposed to be j intimately rehted to success in the main? tenance of party organization, and I am not sure that all those who profess to be friends of thisi reform, will stand firmly among its advocates when they find it obstructing their way to patronage and place. But fully appreciating the trust committed to ray charge, no such consid? eration shall cause a relaxation on my part of an earnest effort to enforce this law. There is a class of Government positions which are not within the letter of the Civil Service Statute, but which are so disconnected with the policy of an administration, that the removal there? from of the present incumbents, in my opinion, should not be made during tbe terms for which they were appointed, solely on partisan grounds and for the purpose of putting in their places those wbo were in political accord with the appointing power. But many now hold? ing such positions have forfeited all just claims to retention, because tbey have used their places for party purposes in disregard of their duly to the people, and because, instead of being decent public servants, they have proved them? selves offensive partisans and unscrupu? lous manipulators of local party man? agement. Th 3 lessons of tbe past should . be unlearned, and such officers, as well as their successors, should be taught that efficiency, fitness and devotion to duty, are conditionn of their continuance in public place, and that the quiet and un? obtrusive exercise of individual political rights,,is a reasonable measure of their party service. If I were addressing none but party friends, I should deem it entirely proper to remind them, that though the coming administration is to be Democratic, a due regard for the peo? ple's interest does not permit faithful party work to be always rewarded by appointment b3 office, and to say to them, that while Democrats may expect all proper consideration, selections for office, not embraced within the civil" service rules, will be based upon sufficient in? quiry as to fitness, instituted by those charged with that duty, rather than upon persistent importunity or self-solicitation and recommendations on behalf of can? didates for appointment. * Yours very truly, Grover Cleveland. Always look Under tho Sofa, The following from the Conyers Weekly is published vrith the hope that it may serve as a warning to spoony couples hereabouts : There is a certain boy who does not live a thousand miles from here that ought tobe killed. Last Sunday even? ing he crawled under the sofa, and when his big sister and her best young man were sitting as close together as possible, he rigged a slip-knot around their feet. When the old gentleman came into the parlor to look for his cigar stump they thought they would occupy separate pews. The young mad fell over the center table, and Miss-sat down on the floor with a concussion that dislocated her adjusta? ble bangs. The old gentleman thought Mr.-was drunk, and hit him with his cane several times before he could tear himself loose r.nd fall out of tho window. The match is declared off. ? The Russian government is about to build an eleven thousand ton iron clad, tbe cost of which is estimated at $3,250, 000. ? It does cot seem to follow that in order to be lorg-lived we must have long lived ancestor*. Sir Moses Montefiore, j aged 100, states that his father died at 44 1 yetfrs.