Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

OLD CLUE A [Backwoods Sen Year Associate lief om Says an exchange: The following article has been sent to us, as a clip ping by an elderly lady of Philadel phia. She says she has preserved it for about twenty years, and that a number of people have requested its republication. It is an account of a sermon said to have been heard in Georgia nearly a half century ago. The preacher was apparently about ?fty years of age, large, muscular and well proportioned. On entering the pulpit he took off his coat and hung it on a nail behind him, then opened his coilar and wrist-bands and wiped the perspiration from his face, neck and hands. He was clad in striped cotton homespun and his shirt was of the same material. He had traveled several miles that morning, and seem ed almost overcome by the heat. But the brethren sung a couple of hymns while he was fanning- and cooling off, and when he rose he looked comforta ble and good-natured. He had preached there once or twice before, but to most of the audi ence he was a stranger. Hence he thought it necessary to announce himself, which he did as "Old Club Ax Davis, from Scriven county, a Half-Hard and Half-Soft Shell Bap tist." "I have given myself that name," he said, "because I believe the Lord elected me, from eternity, to go ahead in the backwoods and grub out a path and hl&ze the way for other men to follow. After the. thickest of it is cut away, a good, warm Methodist brother will make things a little smoother and a good deal noisier. After all the underbrush is cleaned ' out, and the owls and wolves are skeered back, and the rattlesnakes is killed off, a Presbyterian brother, in black broadcloth and white cravat, will come along and cry for decency and order. And they'll both do good in their sphere. I don't despise a larnt man, even when he doesn't dress and think as I do. You couldn't pay me enough to wear broadcloth, summer nor winter, and you couldn't pay a Presbyterian brother enough to go without it in dogdays. "God didn't make us all alike, my brethren, but every man has his own sphere. "When God has a place to fill He makes a man and ?.?uts him ?D it. "When he wanted General Jackson, He made him and sets him to fightin' Injuns and the English; when He . wanted George Whitfield, He made him for to blow the Gospel trumpet as f no other man has ever blowed it; and when He wanted Old Club-Ax Davis, He made him, and set him to grubbin' in the backwoods. "But my shell isn't so hard but I can see pints in everybody; and as for the Presbyterian, they are along way ahead of us .Baptist and Metho dist in some things. They raise their children better than any-other people on the face of the earth. Only a few days ago a Methodist class-leader said to me: "Brother Club-Ax, I was born a Methodist, and by the grace of God I hope to die a Methodist; but, thank God, I've got a Presbyterian wife to raise my children.' And I believe, my brethren, if the Lord should open the way for me to marry again, I'd try my best to find a Presbyterian woman, and run my chances of breakin' her into the saving doctrines of feet wash in' and immersion afterwards." Just at this moment he was inter rupted by two spotted hounds that had been continually running up and down tht. pulpit stairs. One of them jumped up on his seat and began to gnaw his coat tail, io which was some- ! thing he had brought along for lunch. He turned slowly around and took j him by the ears and tail and threw j him out of the window behind him as ! easily as if he had been a young kit- ' ten. The other took warning and got out as rapidly as possible, though not I without howling as if he had been half : killed. He then turned to the audi- ; ence and said, smilingly: "St. Paul j exhorted the brethren to 'Beware of j dogs.' 1 wonder what 'ne would do if ' he were in my place this morning, it appears as if I am 'compassed about with dogs.' as David said he was." He had scarcely commenced preach ing again before there was a terrible squealing and kicking among thc horses and mules that .vere tied to trees close by. fie pitt his hoad out of thc window, and said. "No hann done, my brethren. Just a creature with a side-saddle on has broke loose. Will some brother head thc animal, for no sister can walk home -this hot day?" Quiet being restored, li?- again con tinued; "Well, my brethren, ? will now try to say what I allowed tn say about the Presbyteri a ns. ?"As 1 said before, they raise their children a heap bettor titan wc do. Tiiey behave better in church, and keep Sabbath better, and read thc Bible and learn the Catechism bett?r than ours do. I declare, my breth ?-AX DAVIS. non breached Fifty s -Ago. ml Prcshjierian. ren, their children are lamt that Westminster Catechism by the time they can begin to talk plain. "It ain't three weeks since I was out a cattle huntin'-for two of my yearlings had strayed off-and I stop ped in at old Brother Harkey's, on Mud Creek, and took dinner. He's a deacon in the Presbyterian church over thar. Well, as true as I stand here, my brethren, Sister Harkey had had her little gal a-standin' right be fore her, with toes just even with the crack o' the floor and her hands was a-hanging down by her side and her mouth turned up like a chicken when it drinks, and she was a-puttin' this question to her out o' that Catechism, 'What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption or sancti fication?' "Now' the question itself was enough to break the child down. But when she had to begin and say that question all over (for that's the way it was in the book) and then hitch the answer to it, and which all put togeth er made this: 'The benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanc tification, are peace of conscience,joy in the Holy Ghost, increase in grace and perseverence to the end,' I thought the child was the greatest wonder I'd ever seen in all my life. She tuk it right in, too, without baikin' or miss in' the first word. And she spoke so sweet and she looked so like a little angel ?hat before I know'd it the tears was runnin' down my cheeks as big as buckshot. I've seen the day when I could have mauled and split a thou sau' rails quicker and eaiser than I could larn that thing and said it off like she did. "Now, my brethren, that child didn't understand or know the mean ing of one word o' that. It put me up to all I know to take it in myself. But just let that Presbyterian young un grow up, and every word of the Catechism will come to her, and her character will stiffen up under her, and she'll have the backbone of the matter in her life. "Now, I can't put things into my children that way. Nothin' don't stay, somehow. It's like drivin' a nail into a rotten log." This last remark I never forgot. For thirty years afterwards, as I would stand at the blackboard trying to fix rules and principles in the mind of a dull pupil, this remark would come back to me with its peculiar per tinency. "I tell you, my brethren," he con tinued, "if our children had a little more catechism and the Presbyter ian a little less, it would be better for both. "Then we don't pray in our fami lies like they do. I know their pray ers are mighty long, and they pray all creation: but, after all, it's the right way. It's better than prayin' too lit tle. "Now, my father and mother was good Baptists, and raised their chil dren to be honest and industrious; but I never heard one of them pray in my life, aud I was most a grown man before I ever prayed a prayer myself, and it was on this wise: "There was to be a big meetin' over in Elbert county, and I knowed a pretty gal over thar that I wanted to go to see. So I borrowed a little Jer sey wagin, which was a stylish thing in them days, and went over to the house and stayed all night, and en gaged her to ride to meetin' with me next day, which was Sabbath. "We went and had a glorious time and I may as well say right herc that she was afterwards my wife-but comin' home I met with a powerful accident, that I've never got over to this day. As I was comin' down a steep hill, some part of- tho ?carin ga ve way and let me and the wagin on my cretur's heels; and bein' young and skecry. aud not much used to wheels, she wriggled and kicked and tore from one side of the road to the other, till I was pitch head foremost as much as ten foot, into the deep gully, and it was a miracle of mercy that my nock was not broken on thc spot. "Kx pee ti n' to lu; killed every min ute. 1 thought I ought, tn ask thc Lord for mercy; but, as I had never prayed in my life, I. couldn't think ol' the first thing to say, but the blcssin' my father used to ask before c?lin* when we had company, and which was this: 'Lord, make us thankful for what we're about to receive.' "Now, tn}' brethren, do you s'posc any Presbyterian raised hey was eyer put t'i such a strait as that fdr a pray er? So. Ile would have prayed for himself and gone ol! after the dews and heathens, whilst 1 was a Ii ti II ti II * tip and a gcttiu' oil that blessin . - *'lf that girl could learn tn bc pum-tual I believe 1 could marry her." "Possiblyif you asked her to meet you at the altar she would bc on time." BEARS AND HORSE FIGHT. Jim Bell's Wild Animal was Backed to win, ami lie did. Fully 150 typical mountaineers hun ters, trappers and tarheel loungers, were congregated about Simpson s store, the only place of business within 20 miles, when I arrived last Satur day, says a correspondent writing from Simpson's Corner. Having a curiosity to learn the cause of the odd combina tion, I inquired of a long-limbed, red headed, butternut hunter. "Wal,'stranger, there's goin' toc?me off right away the gosh durndest fight you ever saw right here at the cor ners." "Who are the contestants and what arc they going to fight for?" "Thar ain't do who 'bout-it. Its old Jim Bell's stalyun that's goin' to lambaste Jam Carter's two big bars, an' let me tell you, stranger, it will bc a fight to 'member for manya year, an' I'm a bettiu' on the stalyun." "A horse to do battle with two full grown bears? "Why, my friend, the bears ought to be able to tear him to pieces in a jiffy." * "Say, stranger, it's 'parent you don' know that hoss. "Why, that stalyun is the biggest devil this side of ole Xautchalah. Thero ain't no livia' critter on four legs can down him. That stalyun's wiped out half a dozen bars, killed a painter an' near 'bout cleaned out the creek of men and crit ters the last year. He's dang'us as din'mite. an' nobody can handle him 'ceptin' ole Jim's boy. Jack, an' how'n thunder he doe/ it nobody knows. Sum folks say he hypn'tizes the boss. Mebbc he docs; anyway, he's the only human that can handle him." ""Where can I find this terrible ani mal?" ?'Right over there in that pen." re plied my informant, pointing to a big stockade of heavy timbers a short dis tance down the creek. When I climbed up ano1 stood upon a wide shelf or string of logs which ex tended entirely around the G0-foot stockade and looked over at thc occu pant of the pen I was forced to con fess that the hunter had not exaggera ted, at least so far as the horse was concerned. Thc animal I looked upon was a wild stallion of the mountain breed, common in the highlands of North Carolina. Although not above 14?. hands in height, he was certainly thc most vi cious aud savage-looking brute of thc equine species I had ever looked at. He was black as a coal, with-long mane and tail and with limbs of per fect symmetry, arid but for the man ner in which he rolled his eyes and curled his lips above his long, glisten ing teeth as he snapped at thc people on the shelf, making them dodge down out of reach, he would have been a perfect beauty. As it was. his actions showed him to be a devil in carnate. I had scarcely taken all this in when four men came up leading two tremen dous bears, either of which would have tipped the scale at 400 pounds. The crowd followed close behind, and almost before the men had opened two small gates at the bottom of the stock ade to let the bears in a human belt encircled thc stockade. Thc bears were let in at opposite sides, and al most in a flash there began thc most terrific and bloody battle I had ever seen. I have witnessed in thc Old North State and in the mountains battles be tween catamounts and bulldogs. I have seen a panther pitted against dogs, bears and catamounts, and once witnessed a battle royal in Texas, in which two big bears and a panther fought a drove of peccaries, but in com parison to the fight which followed all of thc above seemed placid as schoolby play. The bears had barely time to .straight en up after their entrance before the black stallion gave a snort of rage and bounded toward thc big bear, which stood almost below my feet, liruin saw him coming and rose to his hind feet, his little yellow eyes snapping with rage aud hunger. Thc horse was too quick for him. however, for before the bear could strike with his power ful arms, thc stallion reared up. drove both forefeet squarely into the bear's face and neel:, knocking him six feet away. Wheeling like lightning, the enraged stallion gathered to kick, but before he could launch out, bear So. - came up on a gallop, and just as the horse's heels left thc ground thc boar gave a quicli snap, catching thc hide about ii foot above thc fetlock, and tearing away a strip of hide a foot lung andan inch in width. With a scream ol'rage and pain thc horse bounded into the air ele ti" uver the bear, and whirled, it ap peared so quickly was it dunc, almost in midair, and before No. '1 could lace about the stallion s sharp teeth closed over omi ?d' its cars. A snap, a rip ol' tearing licsh and one ear and a big piece nf hide were gone. Th" beal-, growling with rage, was on its hin?; feel in a second, but only in time tn receive a vicious kick with both hind feet, which set it over on its hack. As before, the horse was compelled to whirl about to face a sec ond enemy, for bear No. 1 had gotten on his feet and was rushing to the fray. Then, for two or three minutes it appeared-but which probably was not much more than as many seconds -there was a mixup of hide, hair and heels, mingled with growls, savage snorts and snapping teeth. One bear was down and badly hurt. The other bear, No. 2, was bleeding profusely about the head and one of his legs seemed to be crippled. As for the stallion, he was fearfully torn on every one of his four legs. But before I could take in the full , extent of injuries given and received by the three fighters, they were all , again on the move. The bears this time separated to attack the stallion from different quarters, but they met with a ring general, for the horse whirled and charged directly at one of them, as the bear attempted to gain his bind feet he wheeled and launched both hind hoofs with a sickeniug thud against his ribs. I could plainly hear the snap of broken bones as the bar toppled over, but before the stallion could dodge or throw up his head out of reach No. - struck him on the nose with his claws. Down went both, hoofs and claws flying. A second after the horse, which now seemed a mass of torn and bleed ing flesh, bounded into thc air and came down with all four feet on his prostrate foe, crushing bone, flesh and muscle beneath. Then, scarcely giving his dying fos a glance,- the crazed stallion sprang at his other en emy, who was trying vainly to regain his feet. Again the stallion sprang into the air, with his four feet gath ered into a bunch, and again there was a sickening crunch of bone and flesh. Both bears were now dead, crushed and kicked into two bloody masses of wool, bone and flesh. At his last dash the horse walked away a few steps, then, turning, stag gered up to the first bear he had knocked out, knelt down and literally tore skin and flesh from thc bear's body; then with bloody head and glis tening teeth the savage brute managed to stagger over to the mass of wool and flesh, which he served in the same manner. After tearing and battering the body into a mass of broken bones and mau- ? gled flesh, the stallion tossed his head from which the bloody foam flew in long flecks, gave a neigh of triumph and fell lifeless to thc ground. Thc stallion had won the battle, but it had cost him his life.-Philadelphia Press. - - mn- m mm* - Ten Beaus for Every Girl in Idaho, j With thc bachelors outnumbering the maids in every State in the I nion it ought to bc easy for the unmarried woman to secure a partner anywhere, but the region where bachelors are most in excess is. of course, the most favorable to the spinster, since, thc abundance of unmarried men gives her a wider range of choice. F rom a mat rimonial point of view Idaho is the best State of the I'nion, for there thc number of bachelors is to that of the maids as 1G.5S4 to 1,42(1, each unmar ried woman in Idaho, therefore, having 10 or ll bachelors, not exactly at her back, but available as a husband. From most points of view the west is the Mecca of thc young unmarried wo men, for not only are there more un married men in the western States, but a li ving is more easily made in thc west than in thc east, and there fore the western men are more addict ed to matrimony. - A young minister had gone to the home of his boyhood to preach, and, of course, the villagers were full of curiosity to hear him. At the close of the service, one of the deacons en gaged thc young preacher's wife in conversation, "lt was a strange coin cidence,'' said he. "that your husband's text was thc one from which his father preached his last sermon in his pul pit." "Indeed." said thc lady. "Well, that was strange." "I hope," she con tinued, "it wasn't the same sermon." "Oh, no," said the'deacon in a depre catory manner ; "his father was a dreadfully smart man." 1 have been afflicted with rheuma tism for fourteen years and nothing seemed to give any relief. T was able tn bc around all the time, but con stantly suffering. 1 had tried every- ! thing I could hear of and at last was j told to try Chamberlain's I 'aiti Halm. I which 1 did. and was immediately rc- I lie ved and in a short time cured. I ! ani happy to say that it has not since returned. -JOSH. KIM ?AR. ' ?' er niau town, Cal. For sale by [lill-Orr Drug Co. - Thc pearl oyster begins tn pro duce pearls when it is six or seven years old. Billings on Jfash. Hash is made uv kast-off vittels, homogenius, abnormal, and at times uneak in its nature. Hash haz dun njore to push thc human family than enny other kind of mix phood. It will be impossible to lay down enny spe cific rule, to create this abtrusc, and, at the same time, gentle phood. Enny thing that will chop fluently will pro duce hash. No one has taken out a pattent yet for the production ov this promiskious viand. Hash rei|uires but little cooking, but may be compared to a foundered horse-goes best when I it is well warmed up. For the krea shun ov hash, tallent is ov more im portance than genius. Finally, hash may be likened unto the human family -from sum stand points it iz fair, from others it iz bad, and from all, s u s p i s h u s.-. lt >sli Bill in y s. Pitts' Carminative is pleasant to thc taste, acts promptly, and never fails to give satisfaction. It carries children over the critical time of teething, and is the friend of anxious mothors and puny children. A few doses will dem onstrate its value. Iv. H. Dorsey, Athens, Ga., writes: "I consider it the best medicine I have ever used in my family. It does all you claim for it, and even more." - It is estimated that one crow will destroy 700.00U insects every year. DR. R. F. ?IWER, "Physician arid S TUA r* ?re on, OFFERS his profesional services to tbe citizens of Anderson and sur rounding country. Can be found, when not professionally engaged, at hi? residence near the new Flour Mill. Feb 22, ISO!i 35 , 4* Valuable Lands Cheap. PARTIES desiring to purchase good Land near Abbeville at prices rang ing from ?6.U0 to S 16:00 per acre will do well to consult the undersigned. Localities healthy and water fine. WYATT AIKEN cfc CO. Feb 22, 189!) :)5 _ NOTICE. ANDERSON, S. C., Feb. 2?, LS9U. WANTED during the coming Sum mer 2000 Cords good Pine and Oak "Wood. 1500 Cords Pine, 500 Cords Oak. Pine cut 4 feet long, Oak S feet. Wood to be cut now and delivered at my yard before Sept. 1st. Parties desiring to ship can reach my yard either "%er Savannah Valley or Blue Ridge R. R. Will pay Cash for same along as deliv ered to suit convenience of parties. If I you have wood to sell see the undersign ed. Am in tho market for Pine Wood all the tune. EOB'T. E. LIGON. F*b 22. JC??I 35 5 IMPORTANT! I am better prepared to sell you a P?ANO, ORGAN or SEWING MA CHINE than ever before. I have noth ing but new goods. If you think from $50.00 to ?75 0() is worth saving in the purchase of a Piano see me New Home Newing Machines Soi) no New Royal ?25.00; NeedleR for any Machine 20c. per doz. Oil 5c. per bottle. Shuttles for N. Home Machines Yours for the highest grad? goods at lowest prices. M. L. WILLIS. Drs. Strickland & King DENTISTS. OFFICE IN MASONIC TEMPLE. ?*r- Gas and Cocaine used for Extract ns Teeth Notice Final Settlement. TllK undersigned, Administrators c. the Estate of William Riley, deceas ed, hereby give notice that they will on tho sib day April, ls,!)!), apply to the .1 udge bf Probate for Anderson Coun ty for a Final Settlement of said l?state, and a discbarge from their ollie? as Exec utors. J. G WILEY, W. M. Ri LEY; Administrators. March s, ISMS :>7 "> XT?'tT t?i'c l*i'cS-caitioii and Cure o? the Pi-ovailent Troubles . . - GRIPPE, COLDS, And their accompaniments. Neuralgic Pains, Headache, Pain in che Limbs, Atc alni (ist a Speeilie. This remedy s h 11111 ? 1 he in every household. EVAMS PHARMACY. CLEANSES THE LIVER AND BOWELS ARD FORTIFIES THE SYSTEM TO RESIST PREVATHHG DISEASES. EVANS PHARMACY, Special Agents. When the weather prohibits Bicycling it's our opportunity to talk '99 Models. '99 Viking AND Crescent ce? "A Represent ever practical Bicy cle improvement of the year. Right in PRICE and unap proached in QUALITY, Now have their ?99 Models on exhibition, and invite every one to come and examine them. W. W. SULLIVAN, Manager Bicycle Department. D. S. V ANDI VER. .E. P. VANDIVER. We want to figure with ycu on FLOUR, COFFEE, MOLASSES,. TOB CCO, and all kinds of GROCERIES and STAPLE DRY GOODS and SHOES. Don't fail to see us on GUANO, ACID, GERMAN KAINIT, NURI ATE OF POTASH, *>r anything in the Fertilizer line. We can save you money on high grade goods. If you want to settle what you owe Brownlee ? Vandivers you will have to do s:> quick, as we expect to place the Accounts in the hands of an Attorney for collection March 1st by suit, if necessary. Yours truly, VANDEVER BROS. IF you have a Stove to buv SAVE MONEY by getthfg the latest improved, the largest oven for the least money. I viii take your old Stove in part payment on a new one. Crockery, Tinware and Glassware, Lamp Goods5, A full and complete Stock. Bring me vour HIDES and RAGS. JOHN T. BURRISS. N. B.-Prompt attention to all Repair Work, Roof Painting, Plumbing, &c. Over Post Office. Thone No. 115. ATTISON f AGENT, LIFE, FIRE, ACCIDENT Call for nice Calendar. Office always open. rf THE FE&5CE AftSO SLEEP! . . . WH I f.K tho profession passes if you want to. Nobody wiH jlisiurb you. i?ut if you aro alive to your own interests aro use yourself, shako oil' slumber, climb into ?ho band-wagon and wend your way with the crowd to OF Wi LL. R. HUBBARD! They that want tho best and prettiest to bo obtained in Diamonds, .Jewelry. Silver ami ?Mated Ware, Watches and ('looks thai will keep time ami arr backed with a pi i aran tee, Kino China and i.'lnsswaro and beautiful Novelties, know that to Will. 2\. Hubbard's is the place t<> go. They that want honest treatment know that this is the place to lind it. All i?oods aro just as represented, and are fully covered by guar antee Tho young man who has a cir! ami wants to keep ber goes there. Hubbard will help you keep: nor. Tho young married couple goes there to beautify their little home. H ubbard beautifies it fbi* you. Tho rieh people go there, because they Can alford it, and ibo poor ir'"? there, also, because they eau alford it. .13?- KvervtbingNEWand CP To OAT IC. KNC;KAVI NU I*KKK. ? Jewelry Palace, next to Farmers and Merchants Bank.