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BY CLTNKSCALES & LANGSTON. ANDERSON, S. C, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 8 1896. i Watch this Space Next Week. .THINK IT OVER I WILL. B. HTJBBABD, That runs the JEWELRY PA.LACE, next to Farmen and Merchants Bank, has, beyond a doubt, the Largest Stock oil. Jj V1VVUHJ This side of Charleston, Competition ain't in it at all, as I cannot be under? sold... BSr I bought these Goods to SELL, and If yon fail to get your share it's not my fenlt. Drop In and LOOK, even II you don't want to buy. Birtbday, Wedding and Xmas Presents IN GREAT VARIETY. ENGRAVING FBEE?Promptes? in everything. WILL. R. HUBS ARB, Jeweler. HAVE YOU SEEN We intend to make a run on Shoes from now until January 1st, 1896. JUST RECEIVED, Fifty Boxes Old Time Twist Tobacco, Iu 10 to 12 pound boxes, just the thing for Xmas Present to Father or Brother. We carry a foil line of Staple Dry Goods, Heavy and Fancy Groceries. In every department we give full value for every dollar spent with us. D. P. SLOAN & CO, AT Evans' Pharmacy No. 4 Hotel Chiquola, X OTJ will And a nice assortment of the latest 'get up" in? IXM-A-S GrOOIDS, Celluloidf Aluminum and Cut Glass Which will please the eye as well as the purse. Go and make your selections AT ONCE. Also, nice large boxes NUVNAIXY fASDY, suitable for your best girl. FINE EXTRACTS EVANS PHARMACY. NEW JEWELRY STORE ! JOHN M. HUBBARD, IN HIS NEW STORE... .IN HOTEL BLOCK LOTS OF NEW GOODS." NOVELTIES IN PROFUSION. JUST WHAT YOU WANT. ONE CENT TO $100.00. v /Bsr*No charge for Engraving. 0?r*The Prettiest Goods in the Town, and it's a pleasnre to show them. P. Sc?If you have Accounts with J. M. HUBBARD & BBO. make settlement with me at above pteco. JOHN 22. HUBBARD. Below we mention a few Goods on which .. WE CAN SAVE YOU MONEY! Doors, Sash and Blinds, Builders Hardware of all kinds, iyracuse Turning* Plows, Syracuse Subsoil Plows, Rubber Beltine, Leather Belting, Machinery Supplies, Pipe and Pipe Fittings, : Inspirators, &c. Sporting Powder Blasting Powder, Shot, Loaded Shells, &c. 4?* When in tbe market for any of the above named Goods, or any? thing in the Hardware line, you will do well to inspect our stock and get our price before yon buy. Yours truly, BROCK BBOS. LEE AND GRANT. BT CAPT. W. P. BARLOW. To give an authoritative decision upon the comparative merits of these two greatest of American soldiers, is beyond the power of any human being. We, poor, weak mortals, can only form a very plausible conclusion by a com? parison of the work done by eaoh, and of the difficulties under which each labored. I believe these two were not only the greatest of all American sol? diers, but the greatest of all in the world since Napoleon and Wellington. If the question were, "Which is en? titled to the most personal credit for his wonderful success in life?" I should unhesitatingly concede this credit to General Grant. For no Am? erican has been blessed with more ad? vantageous surroundings, from birth to middle age, than General Lee. His family belonged to the highest and most genuine nobility of old Virginia. All of his family traditions and social surroundings encouraged moral purity and a noble ambition to be the first among gentlemen in all that makes men gentle and manly. Lee was also blessed with poverty, and, therefore, protected from the, temptations which so often impair the faculties of gifted young men. And greatest of all, Prov? idence had endowed him with that patient fortitude, humility and sub? limity of character which marks the sincere Christian. In addition to all this, his father was a Major General in the Kevolutionary War and & per? sonal friend of Washington, his wife a wealthy grand-daughter of Mrs. Washington, he had a West Point education, personal experience in the scientific branch'of war in Mexico, 25 years experience in the army, perfect health and physical endurance. Is it any wonder that he was a patriot, a soldier and a gentleman? It would have been a reversal of natural law had he been anything else. Of General Grant it is sufficient to say that his personal experiences right up to the beginning of the war were precisely the reverse, except in two points: A West Point, education and the blessing of poverty. The son of a poor farmer, with no social training or accomplishments, no proud family traditions, awkward in appearance, diffident, afflicted with a weakness which reduced him almost to a social level with the vagabond?it is the greatest wonder in all American his? tory that he should rise from the social gutter to be the foremost citizen of this great nation, and to gain every promotion by merit alone. Silent and modest, he was an unknown quantity to his nearest farmer neighbors in St. Louis County, Missouri, and even to his own family. When he re-entered the'service in 1861 his father-in-law derisively remarked: "Well, the Un? ion is safe now. They've gotGrantl" As we judge a man personally by the personal difficlties which he sur? mounts, I concede at the beginning that Grant is entitled to far more personal credit than Lee. He is the wonder of this country. But following the same rule, when we attempt to judge of a General by the military difficulties surmounted? when we estimate his effectiveness by the work performed?there is another story to tell. Thi s can only be told by a fair comparison of the work of these military giants as related in the ample official and historical records. We will begin with Grant at Fort Donelson, which was the first impor? tant battle gained by the Federals. Grant was a modest man, under social tabboo from the regular army officers, and as unconscious of his own great genins as the infant in its nurse's arms. The old-school officers were under the spell of a stupid old maxim of war that one should over rather than under estimate the strength or ability of his enemy, but Grant was always free from military traditions, and was governed by his own common sense alone. He knew that the two ranking Confederate Generals at Don? elson were politicians, masked under the plumage of Generals, and boldly marched up to their fortified lines and invested an enemy whose numbers j were greater than his own, blustering and threatening until the gunboats and infantry re-enforcements arrived. The fleet arrived, attacked, and was worsted. Was^ Grant discouraged? Not in the least. He would apparent? ly make his raw troops assault an ap? parently impregnable position, and the matter of fact manner of prepara? tion made his ignorant soldiers believe that the thing was easily done. Just then the enemy assaulted and broke Grant's right wing, and in so doing gave him a bit of priceless informa? tion?their dead had full haversacks. Grant at once knew they were attempt? ing to escape, and the rest was easy. "This must be rectified," was his quiet comment upon his broken right wing. The enemy was beaten back inside his own lines. Grant's restored right be? gan a noisy imitation of attack, his left assaulted and carried some easy outworkB, and the demoralized politi? cal Generals, .communicating their terror to their troops, were morally and physically beaten. When all were equally green in the art of war Grant got the bulge," knew he had got it, and kept it. His "I propose to move immediately upon your works" settled the matter, gaining a compara? tively bloodless victory, and it was gained by Grant's sagacity and will power alone. And now comes a stronger test of character. The capture of Donelson was so easy, so simple, so devoid of the pomp and circumstances of war, that it was not appreciated in "scien? tific" military circles. The army cor? respondents spread Grant's name in bold headlines through the press, Hal: leek ("Old Brains") became jealous, and seized a childish pretext for plac? ing the first successful General under arrest when at the head of a victorious army. The professional course for Grant was to raise a howl, demand a court of inquiry, capture a grievance, force one's personality upon the world's attention and threaten resignation. The great soldier submitted without a word. But you cannot fight a man who stolidly refuses to lift a hand, and public opinion forced Old Brains to release Grant from arrest, but not to restore his command. Grant uncom? plainingly remained with the army until it reached Pittsburg Landing, serving under his former subordinate until the latter died, when he resumed the direction of matters by seniority, but was only nominally in command. Halleck only tolerated him. and was harsh and fault finding. The modest soldier felt this deeply, so did not assert himself, but kept his headquar? ters 10 miles away, trusting to Sher? man the encamping of the army near Shiloh Church. No soldier can study the great game of strategy when humil? iated by the- insolence of ofEce, and ^ this is ample apology for the total sur? prise and defeat of the Federal army at the first day's battle of Shiloh. But he held the river lauding, and that night, with only about one-fourth of his army remaining in line, being joined by Buel's army, calmly gave orders to attack and regain the lost camps at daybreak. There was no blunter, no theatrical appeals. Sim? ply a few words: "Prepare to attack at daybreak," then to sleep in the rain, sitting at the foot of a tree, sur? rounded by the debris of a defeated^ army, at the close of the deadliest battle since Waterloo, and differing from the beaten army at Waterloo only in having an unfordable river in the rear. And the silent genius snatched vic? tory out of the depths of defeat by nest day, sweeping his enemy from the field. Of course, he had superior numbers, but what Federal General ever afterwards equaled this feat with an equal advantage of numbers? With? out Grant's dogged common sense all was lost. The numbers were: First day?Federals, 37,331; Confederates, 40,335. Second day?Federals re-en? forced by 20.000. j Again the modest genius was thrown into the slough of despond. Ealleck came to the front, accumulating an army of double the strength needed, I shelved Grant into a sham "second in command" and began a scientific war against the silent forests of Mississip? pi by a system of regular approaches as laid down for siege works, over 30 miles from Shiloh to Corinth?a.cam? paign which in Europe would have been celebrated in comic opera. Grant had the very rare firmness to look upon this baby play without saying a word. He declined to make an official report of the Shiloh battle, but this was the only indication of his unspeak- ] able, contempt for a silly commander in-chief. To Ealleck's attempts to make him a scapegoat, to the frantic abuse of the press, he replied not a word. And there was probably but one General in America who could have equaled him in this great trial. This masterful forbearance saved him, for when the huge army was trans? ferred to Kentucky Grant was left in command of the outlying detachments around Corinth and was permitted the opportunity to slowly acquire the con? fidence of the authorities at Washing? ton. ; During the following months General Grant was slowly working out the I problem which defied the skill of the Engineer Corps and seemed insur? mountable?the capture of Vicksburg. This position was protected on its Tight flank for 100 miles by a swamp impassable for infantry or gunboats. All the rules of gunnery forbade the navy to run by the batteries. The iron-clad navy, and even the trans ports, finally did run the batteries and. Grant instantly took advantage of this by moving around Vicksburg, I resolved to march upon Port Hudson. But after lading on the east bank of the Mississippi he conceived one of the most daring campaigns in all mili- I tary history?to cut loose from hia I base of supplies and march to the rear of the enemyj where the penalty of I defeat, or even a serious check, meant actual starvation for his army. So apparently reckless was this move that I he knew "Old Brains" would instant-1 ly countermand it (as in fact he did), but Grant was out of communication with Washington until it was too late I to stop him. He had again trampled upon military tradition by placing a low estimate upon the abilities of his opponent. And he won, as genius always wins, when opposed by medioo-1 rity. Thus the second great success of the Federal army was achieved by I the quiet brain of Grant, and in op-1 position to the opinions of the best Genera's under and over him. In his quiet, plodding way, he was "superior I to the occasion." Of his next great success, the battle of Missionary Ridge, it is unnecessary I to occupy time, for the battle was won I by an accident?Sheridan's infantry I assaulting without orders. But it is I only the skilled fighting General who puts himself in the way of profiting by such ace'dents. j In the spring of 1864 we find Gen-1 eral Grant intrusted with a giant's task?Commander-in-Chief of all the j armies of the United States, and Gen eral commanding the Army of the Potomac, which was to grapple with j an army and General who had never known defeat. In the three years of war Grant's new command had never j been cheered by victory and had se-1 cured but two drawn battles?Antie tam and Gettysburg. In these two I alone had the Union troops retained their original position at the close. Although they were claimed as victo-1 ries for the U?ion cause, and were "strategical successes," to the men in fighting line they were only drawn I battles, while all others had been de- j cisive defeats. General Grant has been much cen? sured for sacrificing his men?"trad? ing off " three for one?in this cam? paign against Lee, but what else could he do? Tens of thousands of the vet? erans had gone home at the expiration of their three years' service; their places largely taken by boys, ignorant I foreigners, bounty men and "bounty jumpers." Their discipline, drill and equipment was superb, and the result proved that their courage was equal to every demand, but the enthusiasm of success was all upon the other side. Lee's veterans habitually marched four miles to their three, and on a rush would easily make three miles to their two. In Lee's army every bri? gade was commanded by a Brigadier General, divisions by Major Generals, corps by Lieutenant Generals, and the army by a full General?all tried sol? diers. In Grant's army half of the Brigadiers were at home, their brigades commanded by Colonels, Brigadiers commanded divisions, and Meade, a Major General only, commanded the whole under Grant. These Generals had neither the confidence of the Government over them or of the men under them. The army was simply a splendid military machine, devoid of life. In numbers, Grant's army was about double the strength of Lee's, but i? actual "fighting strength" it would be unfair to rate him at above four to three, and had he attempted to man? euver with his slow-moviDg troops againts Lee's trained racers?had he opposed his own admirable common sense methodic tactics against- the matchless skill of Lee, the odds would have been even, and it is probable that he would have met the fate of all of his predecessors in command. At least Grant seemed to feel this, for he remarked at the beginning: "Oh, no; I never maneuver." The resultR, while detracting somewhat from his military laurels, gave success, which, after all, is the sure test of merit. With a slow-moving army, splendidly disciplined, but devoid of enthusiasm, 1 capable of standing punishment to an extent never before known jq war,' General Grant took no chances, hut adopted the slow and sure means of success. And he was right. He had slowly but thoroughly learned his trade. When we turn to General Lee every? thing is different. He had no chance to serve an apprenticeship, like Grant, in the subordinate grades, but began as a full General. From his first great battle to his last?from the beginning of the war to the end?always con fronted by an army numbering three to his two, and sometimes nearer two to one?a single decisive defeat meant the loss of Richmond and destruction to his Government. Under similar responsibilities all Generals except Frederick and Napoleon have been prudent and cautious, but Lee could never afford to be cautious. In h first battle ("seven days" in front of Richmond), with odds of 11 to 9 against him, leaving one-third of his forces to cover Riohmond, with two-thirds he marched across an unfordable river around McClelland's right flank, broke the line of provision supplies, and by this daring strategy alone defeated the Cnemy. I say in strategy alone for in the aotual fighting Lee's losses exceeded McClelland's, and the Fed erals held their positions in every battle except the second at Gaine' Mill. Then Lee fell back to Richmond leaving one division of about 12,000 men to watch McClelland's 90,000 when Pope, with a new army occupied Culpepper, a point in the opposite direction from McClelland's position Reasoning that the fear of losing Washington was sufficient protcctio for Richmond, Lee marched after Pope, who, with odds in his favor of about 4 to 3, retreated behind the Rappahannock. A delay of two week would have given Pope three to one but Lee did not delay. Like Grant he placed a low estimate upon his op ponent's ability, and almost contempt uously sent Stonewall Jackson around by Manasses Gap, to Pope's rear, ex posing three men to the attack of eight. Holding Pope on the Rappa hannock by a noisy demonstration with Longstreet's corps until Stone wall got 24 hours' start, we have the strange position of 54,000 men sur rounding 63,000, the lesser number divided into two massess, one day' march apart, and a mountain gap be tween, which could be (and was) occu pied by the enemy. The methodic selfish General, who wants a "sure thing" in war, prefers being beaten according to regular rules to taking such chances. But the born genius foresees what his opponent will do in an unforeseen emergency and moves with confidence. Pope, with his con founded masses, made a rush for Ma nasses, where Stonewall stood them off for one day, until Lee could arrive Lee then placed Longstreet's corps in such a position that the battle of Second Manasses was won before the opening gun was fired. When Pope at last concentrated, again attacked Stonewall, Longstreet's batteries en? filaded the attacking Federals, Long street's infantry charged and repulsed Pope's left flank, and the battle was won. Of course, we oan charge up all lost batteries to the imbecility of the los? ing General. But what causes the brain power of an educated profession? al soldier to stampede but the skill of his opponent? Had Pope been attack? ed according to the rules of war, as he understood, those rules, he would not have lost his mental balance and his campaign. The next move into Maryland and the battle of Antietam offers little of a strategical or tactical nature for comment. It only shows Lcc's hardi? hood in refusing to retreat without a battle and in defensively engaging more than double his own forces in that stubborn contest. The offensive campaign failed, and the capture of 11,000 Federal prisoners at Harper's Ferry, while making the enemies' far greater than his own, did not com pen sate, for their losses could be easily replaced, while Lee'B could not. An tietam was a drawn battle, but was strategically a defeat for the Confed erates. I fear we must score one error against Lee. But Lee's maneuvering during the next three months?a sealed book to the general public?was little short of marvelous. When he fell back from the Antietam field his army was actu? ally reduced by losses in battle, star? vation and straggling to about 45,000 men. Yet he boldly confronted Mc Clellan with over 100,000 men just across the Potomac, and seemed anx? ious for a fight, even sending Stuart with his cavalry on a raid clear around McClellan. Lee so thoroughly bluffed the Federal commander that when the latter finally advanced he entered Vir ginia east of the Blue Ridge, using those mountains to protect his right from Lee with only half his own mem? bers. Then was exhibited a daring strategy which was almost comical. Lee's sick and stragglers had returned, increasing his force to 60,000, equally divided into the two corps of Jackson and Longtreet, while McClellan had 120,000. When the Federals moved south along the eastern slope of the mountains Lee moved south along the western slope, leaving Jackson behind near Front Royal, and with Long street's 30,000 crossed the mountains into Culpepper and confronted his enemy. Here was another strange military spectacle. An army 60,000 strong divided into two corps 60 miles apart, with a mountain range inter? vening, actually threatening the front and right flank of an army of 120,000, fully concentrated and commanded by a professional soldier of experience, who knew all the art of war which could be learned from books. When McClellan seemed ready to advance against Longstreet, Jackson sent a small division through the gap in Mc Clellan's rear and threatened his line of supplies from Washington. And should McClellan poke his head of column trough the gap to the west? ward to attack Jackson, Longstreet was ready on the southward to bite a chuck out of his tail. McClellan was paralyzed and would not move at all. Lee's quiet comment to Longstreet was: "I am sorry they have releaved your friend McClellan. If they con? tinue changing I fear they will get a General whom I do not understand so well." The great soldier showed no exultation over his own superior skill. Not a line in all his correspondence shows the quiet gratification he must have felt over this duccess in the fine art of strategy. When Burnside took command of the Federal Army he also inherited the prevailing fear of Lee. Instead of advancing directly southward to the front, where he could have engaged an enemy of only one-half his strength in the open, he preferred to move by his left eastward, interposing a navi eable river to protect that enemy from his own attack. What strange hyp? notic power is ifc whioh enabled Grant to addle the brain of Peraherton at Vicksburg, and how oould Lee succes? sively paralyze the faculties of Mc Clellan, of Pope and now of Burn ! side ? As the bird falls helpless into the jaws of the charming serpent, so fin? ally Burnside crossed the river at Fredericksburg and gave his magnifi? cent army up to useless slaughter. And that is all there is to be said of this battle. The only comment is that Lee did not wish to fight there. Cer? tain of success, he preferred engaging two day's march further south, where the open country would enable him to follow up the anticipated victory, as his letters written before the battle to President Davis explained. But his dislike to giving the country in rear up to the devastation of the Fed? eral Army prevented this move. After the battle of Federicksburg both armies were tied up by the mud? dy roads and remained in winter quar? ters until the spring of 1864. General Burnside joined his unsuccessful pre? decessors in retirement, and^General Hooker assumed command of the Array of the Potomac. General Lee detached Longstreet with two divisions for service in Southeastern Virginia, leaving 52,000 Confederates to oppose 120,000 Federals. And now we will see a campaign which for simplicity and daring auda? city surpasses anything in Napoleon's career. It can be told in few words. When Hooker had reorganized and completed what he called "the finest army on this plant" he sent Sedgwick across the river with 30,000 men to threaten Lee's front. Sedgwick was protected by heavy batteries on the heights in rear. Then Honker with 80,000 mftn made a night's march to the west and crossed, taking position at Chancellorsville, some 15 miles be? yond Lee's left flank, and solidly in? trenched. Lee's letters, written pre? viously, show that he expected pre? cisely this move, but from the difficul? ty of feeding his army had not recalled Longstreet. He felt fully able to meet Hooker with the astonishing odds against him of over 12 to 5. Leaving Ewell with 8,000 men in his old intrenchments to confront Sedgwick's 30,000, Lee marched straight into the wilderness which "protected" Hooker's masses. And here we have another of those astound? ing strategical positions, so far beyond the ken of the careless general reader: Hooker had about 60,000 men in line, intrenched, with 20,000 in reserve. Lee deployed 14,000 men oppositp Hooker's left wing and threatened instant battle by a noisy skirmish while screened from observation by this wilderness, which Hooker had chosen for his battlefield. Then Lee detached Jackson with 28,000 men to march around Hooker's right?the ob jective point nearly 20 miles away? 42,000 men surrounding 80,000 of "the best soldiers on this planet." To contemplate the mental resources of a General capable of taking such risks is like studying the immensity <?f space. And we must always bear in mind that the entire Confederate cause depended upon the success of Lee's army. One overwhelming defeat meant the loss of his cause. Jackson's corps, at 6 p. m., was in position, and the great battle of Chan? cellorsville was won before his skir? mishers fired their first shot. Such are the boundless results of military strategy in a master hand. This is the pith of Napoleon's remark ?read by millions but only understood by dozens?"In war men are nothing; a man is everything." In studying these magical flights of genius the average writer searches in his'own uninformed brained for the ?solution. The victory of Chancellors ville is attributed to stonewall Jack? son's daring and precision, and to the paralyzing of Hooker's brain at the critical time. Of course, to do skill? ed worked the skilled workman requir es the best of tools, and Stonewall was matchless in execution. But of what avail the best tempered tools when bunglingly used*? Of course such success as this re quires a paralyzed opponent. But what mysterious power is this which enables the quiet mind of one man to overcome the thinking faculty of a brave veteran soldier, the hero of many battles, his entire life spent in studying the details of his profession, and ready to give his life for success ? We may confuse the record with side issues to infinity and find no light. Week mortals may say that tall oaks are created by a happy combination of soil," water and air; plain common sense says that tall oaks were needed by God in his plan of nature, and He created them for a wise purpose. We may rest our claim of Lee's great superiority as a general right here. But a brief remark upon Get? tysburg, the turning point of the war, seem necessary. The invasion of Pennsylvania was a desperate move in "grand strategy" to relieve Vicksburg by threatening Baltimore and Washington. It failed through poverty of resources. Lee has been censured for "losing" the battle of Gettysburg. He did not lose that battle, for it was "drawn," both armies retaining their original position for 24 hours after, and each inviting attack.. Picket made his grand charge with 8,000 men, and 240 of them with General Armistead broke through the Federal lines. Lee ex? pected and ordered 18,000 men to do the work. The problematical effect of 10,000 more men, reduced one third by natural losses, rushing into the gap opened by those 240 heroes, will cause the military student to reflect that perhaps Lee was right, and at least that the desperate national emergency which Lee saw so plainly justified a desperate attempt. From Gettysburg to the coming of Grant nothing decisive occurred. The only item of interest is that the Federal Government at last found in Meade a General who could maneuver in Lee's fearful presence and preserve his own mental equilibrium. But a greater man than Meade, and a larger army than he commanded, was requir- j ed to finish the task. President Lin? coln wisely sent for Grant, for the first time conferred adequate rank on the responsible head, and also for the first time placed the soward and purse of the nation at his disposal. You cannot fence with a man who receives your deadliest thrusts with indifference, and rushes in for a bear hug. Grant's success had mostly been won by the skillful handling of super? ior numbers, and plain, hard fighting. He had too much sense to venture with his solid, slowmoving army into the inexhaustible realm of military maneuvers, but closed in for a death grapple, which was certain to win. Henceforth Lee was deprived of the use of his magical strategic powers and was forced to become a mere tactician and fighter in presence of another who was his equal in these minor points, In this commercial way of making war the capitalist wins. But Grant was the only Fed? eral General capable of forcing the war into his own channel and holding it there. Both Generals were great in success and in reverses. Grant was especially great in his generous magnanimity toward the conquered after the war. Neither boasted of his achievements. Each was unselfish and forgiving. Grant might have developed un? known powers of strategy had he been put to the test. A man never does "better than his best," except under compulsion. Lee was under this compulsion from the very beginning. He was always forced to be superior to all opponents, always foroed to conquer any odds. One defeat meant destruction, and he was never defeated. Grant was the equal, perhaps the superior of Well? ington, but to find Lee's equal we must look to Napoleon alone.?Saint Louis Republic. Raw Material. We very little dream of what the purposes of God are toward us. We are the clay, he is the Potter. The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. The business of life is the preparation of the raw material for the use of God in His wise and all com? prehensive providence. And what we call our trials and tribulations is only the fnrnace that rids the metal of its dross and fits it for a vessel of honor or sterling coinage?for our part in the great design. If we wilt and lie down in the trial we are simply passed by as condemned. If we stand the trial, show pluck, courage and essential character and value, we are used ; we may be subjected to still greater tests, but the trial shows of what kind we are, and whether we can be promoted and used. Faith and self-reliance are identical. Self-reliance is faith in God. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool. Our own part is of the earth earthy. The divine part of us is the Spirit of the living God, and on that we are to rely, our best selves. Enthusiasm is God within. The fire is to try every man's work. Tbewood, hay and stubble, the lights parts, are consumed. The true metal gleams brighter for separation from ths dross, from the corruptible, The spirit re? lieved from the burden and pressure of sense, enjoys its best freedom. And the flesh absolutely subordinated to the spirit fills its most dignified of? fice. Nisiparct, imperat: Unless it obeys it governs. The contest between flesh and soul makes the battle of life. It is the highest manhood not to know when we are beat. If we fall it must be with the back to the field and the face to the foe. If we are to sink let us go dowD, all in order. If we are to die let it be in Harness. When Xenophon found himself in the heart of Persia, in the midst of the enemy with his little band of Greeks, and was given the command he ap? peared before them in his very best array. If he was to triumph he would triumph handsomely, if he was to be a sacrifice he would be a worthy one. He gave a splendid key note of bravery to his followers. The pudding of the metal, the per? fection and test of the raw material, is the great business of the gre at God, the Master Workman. Individuals, families and nations are worked, are melted, are stirred, are turned over, are subjected to heat and cold, to wet and dry, to darkness and light. They are wrought: they are seasoned for the designs of Heaven. * We start life with one set of ideas, and ere we are under way, everything ; is changed. God's purposes towards us were established before we were conceived in the womb, and this pre? paration of us begins with our con ception, goes on through infancy, and continues on forever. The efforts of our parents, our teachers and ourselves are merely working the raw material, helping its quality, its character. The best education generates power and tempers our metal. Practically it is very important to know how to take and make the best use of adversity and hard dines and real sufferings and pain and trial?to be wrought. It is not only to know how to bear, to be patient to submit and meekly say, Thy will be done. But it is to accept them as kindly, wisely as positive and unmis takeable blessings what seems to the common eye quite the reverse. It is to be bright, vigorous, plucky, even joyous, in sustaining, in contending, in planning, in making the very best of the least and most hopeless things I and conditions as most valuable and important. It is to go right on with our work adjusting and designing it for the best conditions of prosperity. It is pointing in the right direction. It is designing under the worst cir-1 cumstances exactly as if everything were going well. ? It is ploughing in spite of the cold. It is not observing the'clouds or regarding the rain, but sowing and reaping as good sense sug? gests and waiting upon God, as the eyes of servants looking to the hand of the master or of a maid to the hand of her mistress; consulting only for duty and honor and manhood ; keeping innocency and taking heed to the thing that is right, assured that that shall bring a man peace at the last; as liv? ing sacrifices for the great High Priest, as wrought material for the Master's hand.?Greenville News. ? One of the most remarkable pro? ducts of Nevada is a species of wood known as mountain mahogany, which when dry is as hard as boxwood, very fine grained, of a rich red color, and in weight very heavy. It has been used for boxes for shafting, and in some instances for slides and dies in quartz batteries. It burns with a blaze as long lasting as ordinary wood, and it is then found almost unchanged in form, converted to a charcoal that lasts about twice as long as ordinary wood, giving also an intense heat, greater than coal gives. Another no? table species of wood, having extraor? dinary durability, is said to be the quebrache wood, of Argentina. Posts that have been in the ground 150 years, in soil alternately sodden by tropical rains or parched by intense heat, are found to be in sound condi? tion. The wood is also described as free from attacks of insects, does not decay, and is not compressible, and weighs nearly 80 pounds per cubic foot. How's This. Wo offer Oae Eusdrtd Dollars reward for any case ' f Catarrh that cannot be cared by Hall's Catarrh Cure. F. J. CHENEY 4 CO . Toledo, 0. We, the undersigned hare known F. J. Cheney for the ast 15 yean, and hellere him perfectly honorable In all business transactions and finan? cial ly able to carry out any obligations trade by their firm. West & Trua.t, Wholesale Drugrists, Toledo, 0. Walwnq. Kisnan & Mahvix, Wholesale Drug, gists, Toledo. O. Ha'I's Catarrh Cure is taken internally, acting di.-ectiy upon the blood and mucous surfaces o? tbx system. Tnatlmonlals sent *" 00? by Delate, 7*. BILL ARP'S LETTER. He Doesn't Believe There Will be Any War .With England. Atlanta Constitution. They told me of various things they would like to have for Christmas pres? ents for friends and posterity. They wanted seventeen I think. Of course I listened in a subdued manner, but an elephant had trod on my pocket book and it was so fiat I couldent see through this business. My wife said that handkerchiefs were a good thing ?nice handkerchiefs were always in order. She had some in her trunk to send to the boys. There are various things in that trunk. It is a sort of subtreasury, a cache, but it won't hold enough things for the grandchil? dren. Dolls and baby carriages and jumping jacks and picture books had to be bought and some nice linen handkerchiefs. Well, as I was turn? ing the Norcross corner I heard a squealer squealing handkerchiefs. There was a stack of them on a box and a crowd around and he was pass? ing handkerchiefs along for examina? tion. "Genuine linen, pure Irish linen, all guaranteed, only 5 cents apiece. Examine them, gentlemen. These are Exposition exhibit goods that we are obliged to sell out, for we are going home. Home, sweet home," etc. Never heard a man squeal more sweetly. I was shy at first but took hold of the handkerchief. It was good size and nicely bordered and looked like linen and felt like linen, and I heard a man say "This is linen, shore." So I thought I had found the very thing my wife wanted and 1 ! told him I would take ten. "Thank ' you, sir," he said politely, and he j took them off the folded pile and wrapped thorn up and I put them in my little grip and handed him a dol? lar?a silver dollar. He dident Iband back the change, but leaned up close to me and whispered, "You are a family man, I reckon." "Yes," said I. "Well, I will give you twenty more for the other half dollar," said he. So I took them and put them all in my satchel. Good gracious ! Thirty linen handkerchiefs for a dollar. Enough to keepall the grandchildren's noses clean and leave some for me. I was proud. When my wife opened the package she was horrified. "Why they are all cotton and the veriest, thinnest, slazi est cotton at that. You have been, cheated again as usual." That ras cally squealer had handed round a nice linen handkerchief as a sample and wrapped up poor thin cotton ones so quick we dident suspect anything wrong. But they will do for the noses. I reckon. In fact, I rather like them for my grip, and I carry two all the time?one for each side. And I bought a beautiful little doll car riage with a parasol over it for 9,0 cents and a lunch basket and a mice that runs around on the floor and a spool case and some other little tricks and came home happy, for Christmas is a season to make others happy. On earth peace, good will to men, and especially to the children. Yes, that's it 1 On earth peace! We are not going to have any war with Eng? land. But I'll be dogond if Johnny Bull shall step over here and take land that don't belong to him?land and water, for there is the mouth of the Orinoco that ought to be opes and free to our commerce. War is a hor? rible, devilish business and it ought not to be considered seriously. No, sir ! We are not going to have any war, but I'll be dad blasted if Johnny Bull shall have anything over here that don't rightfully belong to him? the greedy old rascal. The fact is, I don't believe thoso English know where Venezuela is or who Mr. Mon? roe was, but they have got a big map and stake out the earth and olaim to the stakes. Fifty years ago they put down their stakes on an island in the Caribbean sea and the island sank in an earthquake and went down and England is still guarding the hole and waiting for the island to rise again. That's what a man told me. But the idea of war with our old mother. God bless her and blesa her noble Queen, who for over fifty years has been a model woman?a noble hearted lady of the olden times?an illustrious example of good, old-fash? ioned, honest motherhood ; had nine children right straight along and nursed them in the old-fashioned way and give them castor oil and salts and sung to them at night just like we do. I have great respect for any woman who has raised nine children, and I have 10 per cent, more respect for a woman who has raised up ten, like my wife has: but I'll be ding-donged if Johnny Bull, or any other bull, shall put a chip on our hat. We are going to investigate. Our committee will go over there and report and maybe by the Fourth of July we will know some? thing about this business, and then we will let it fret along for a year or two and fix up an arbitration, and by the year 1900 the dispute will be set? tled. That's the way we did the Alabama claim and the Bering seal fisheries. We needent be in any hurry about fighting. In fact, it looks like sacrilege for Christian nations to talk war during Christmas times. We ought to have waited until the Fourth of July?that's the time to crow?but old Johnny Bull had better mind how he steps over our hemisphere. The old rebs have had their disabilities re? moved and they havent forgotten how England treated us thirty-three years ago. I predicted that Congress would turn our boys loose just as soon as war was threatened. That was nice, was ent it ? So generous, so magnani? mous. After waiting thirty long years they did it in a day without debate. We dident ask it and they shoved it on us. Sherman, Tom Reed & Co. got together the night after Mr. Cleve? land's war message and said if we should have war with England, where are we going to get our mercenaries from. We can't get any more from England or Ireland or Germany or Spain, where we got them during the last, and we will need those rebels down South. The fact is, they are the best fighters the nation has got. We had five to their one in the field and then it took four years to subdue them and they have put 900.000 o:f our men on the pension rolls, besides what they killed. The fact is we are just obliged to have them and now is a good time to tender the olive branch. That's what a man told me they 3aid. Now if they will put our one.le^ged, one-armed and one-eyed and diss.bled veterans on the pension rolls too, we will have some faith in their magnani? mity, but not until then. It wouldent be any very big drain on the treasury, for we havent but about 100,000 vet? erans left, all told, and not more than one-fourth of them would bo pension? ers. Our boys have been dying for thirty years,bqt somehow pr other theirs don't die but keep on multiply-* ing. There is another thing, about it. That resolution was too short and too' stingy of language. It ought to have had a preamble and some words -that indicated, regret for the long delay, j In fact they should have apologized 9 and begged our^pardon and done the I clean thing while they were at it. ? My fear now is that if the war blows over the Grand Army will raise a rum-1 pus about that resolution and have it| rescinded, just like they did the order for the restoration of the rebel flags. They have had all the offices and-afti the pensions so long. They don't want us to have anything. But we'll get even with them in the long run. See if we don't. Lots of their best people are moving down South and in a few years will become as clevergen tlemen and Christiantf'a^'lJfftriots^a we are and can raise their children in a moral atmosphere. Our climate and .1 our society has a wonderful effect on Northern men. "Well, of course, about half of this is a joke, and I don't want to make I anybody mad this'Cnristmas, but the other - half is in earnest. The best thing General Grant ever said was : "Let us have peace," and he wouldent have said it if ho hadent -been a gen- - tleman. I have had a hard time of it to-day. My wife said^that I must "pnt*in^that pane of glass upstairs before. the chil? dren come. Jessie was" coming home to stay awhile and, of course,*would bring her baby, and Lreckon her hus? band would be apt to follow'along. , Well, of course, the pane,mustlje put in, for if there is any bad sign abosfc.; a house it is a broken panje.-wjfch a bag or some rag!hsta?k"i'n the hole. : It is a sigu that the inanfof the house ain't much account. -It's as bad as a front gate that won't open or shut easy or a front door with a knob off. This pane was out in'thc upper sash and I never realized what a critical job it was until I got at it. I came very near falling out of the two-story" window, for the work had to be done from the outside. I?had to hold on with one hand and work with the other and at last had to give it up. So I got the step ladder and took out - all the stops and pulled the sash inside j the room hanging by the cords, and j my wife she helped me and the ladder/; cracked and creaked amazingly, but we finally got the glass in and tacked, and puttied all right, and ths sash put back, and the stops replaced, and I. thought I was done, but she wanteu^ the old shades taken downaadrsome new ones put up, and I h?atft mount the old step ladder~again. She never lets me know all that she wants me to do for fear of alarming'me,^and that's why she kept the new "shades hid out until I had put in the window pane. But I got through safely at (las^aad^ received several benignant ?nilc?. By this time I was so nervcjss that when I tried to write I couldent hardly hold the pen and that's what is the matter with this manuscript.. I can't read it myself and will excuse any mistakes your typo makes. Oh, these women who are always fixing up some? thing. They make me so tired. T:.t'?; I gave her a nice work basket for Christmas, ?I did, and another was sent to her from Florida, and she is happy too.; the fact is, we are all happy right now. Bill Abp. All Sorts of Paragrtp^sT^ ? The average man counts time by pay days.. ? Never fail to be punctual at the time appointed. ? They say now that the Spanish. soldiers in Cuba sell their arms and ammunition to the insurgents. ^ - ? The Gutenberg Bible in the Brinley collection at London cost a. sum equal to $10,000 in United States currency. ? What is gossip ?", reflected,, preacher; and then he ansf^ "It's putting two and two and making them five." > ? A Wisconsin man whose" serted him forty-two times in two years lost patience with^ she lit out the forty-third 1 entered suit for divorce. ? When Mile. Christine,' derful two-headed colorec rides on the European ra has "heaps of trouble" witfi conduc? tors who try to levy-two fares from the fteak. ? At a recent family reunion in Kentucky there was one man 98yeaaJ old that weighed but 63 pcms^BBSf lady 2 years old that weigliea^W pounds, and women with 12 toes and 14 fingers. ? For a pain in1 tho chest a piece of flannel dampened with Chamberlain's Pain Balm and bound on over the scat of the pain, and another on the back between the shoulders, will afford prompt relief. This is especially." valuable in cases where the pain it caused by a cold and there is a dency toward pneumonia. Forss Hill Bros. ? At a church festival in Michigan a fellow who was to have a hatchet stuck in his back in some private the? atricals allowed the board which was concealed under his coat to slip, and, when, the fellow chopped him with the hatchet he gave a.yell like aCoi manche Indian and sunk 1H3eTiiHg""on" the floor. Several ladies in the cast fainted, and the melodrama had both a melancholy and dramatic climax. ^ ? The months may-speed as they, will. The days may come and go like lightning flashes. Age may creep on apace and youth hasten to middle life. November blasts may chill and Decem? ber snows cover the sod like a shroud. It matters little. There will be other' years in other climes, and the wori we leave unfinished will be brought to completion when the grass has grown on our graves. ? Among the South Carolina ex? hibits at the Atlanta Exposition is a silver vase with a history. It was given by the ladies of South Carolina to General Andrew Jackson, in timst^ to be presented to the bravest, of the Palmetto Jlef ican war. general ble to dedide^whicL of that heroic ban07^_ eluded that the vase shouloTgo last survivor. There are still 25 mexnT bers of the regiment, including one negro, in the competition. ? Many merchants are well aware that their customers are their bdsd friends and take pleasure, in supi them with the best goods obtaf As an instance we menti'c Cameron, prominent dr Flushing, Michigan. "We have no hesit mending Chamberlain' dy to our customers, cough medicine we have ? always gives satisfaction." ? at 25 and 50 cents per bottle Bros,