University of South Carolina Libraries
LIGHTNING AS .What tb.e Weather H News sud Washington, March 15.-The we?th- ; cr Bureau has just brought to a cou ch: ion au investigado* of the utmost interest, relating to jlestruotiou of life by lightning, which has been in pro gress for the last eleven years. As a result, it finds that from 700 to 800 lives arc lost in this country each year by thunderbolts, and that the mor tality from this caus? ?B sufficiently greater in some regions than in others to make it worth while for residents ol' electrically threatened districts to take spcoial precautions. Tabulation of deaths is not yet completed for the last year, butin 1900 no fewer than 713 persons in the United States were killed or fatally injured by lightning. Of this number 291 wera killed in the, I open, 158 in houses, 57 under trees, ' and 50 in barns. Just how the re maining 151 died ia not known. In addition to the above 973 persons wore more or less injured in 1900-by light ning stroke-57 of >hem in barns and 2(J under trees. It is unfortunate that people are so addicted, when a thunderstorm comes up, to seeking shelter in haren and ii der trees, because, aa is shown by he above figures, death frequently ornes in this way. Men, like ani als, are killed by thunderbolts, not ingle, but in bunoheswhen they hud le together. A tree particularly is a rst-ra ce thing to avoid when light ing is abroad, and it is most injudi ious for persons under such oiroum tances to orowd together under hreshing maehines, sheds, or in 'grand stands" at rac o tracks or ounty fairs, especially under or near he flagstaff. In the United States thunder storms re frequent over all of the territory ast of the 100th meridian. West of hat meridian, oxcept in the Rooky lountain region, tho f requency steadi uiminishes, until along the Pacific oast such a phenomenon is rarely ob erved. The three greatest thunder torn regions are in the neighborhood f Florida, in tho middle Mississippi alley, and in the middle Missouri alley. Florida, which has the high st average, shows a record of about r ty-fi ve such storms annually; the ther two ' regions 35 and 30 respeo vely. The greatest number ci fatal light ing strokes ooour in the Middle At ntio States. The Ohio Valley and ennessce come next, and the middle nd upper Mississippi Valley a oloae ird. During tho five years from 896 to 1900 the greatest number of eatha (186) occurred in Pennsylvania, llowed by ' Ohio with 135, and In iana, Illinois and New York with 124 ch. The utmost fatality of a single roko occurred at. Chicago, where even persons, huddled together in a no-lined shanty under a pier, met stant death by a kingle bolt. The belief that, the chance of injury y lightning in cities is less than in untry seems to be rather general, t the weather bureau experts say iat it has no basis in fact. It is true lat the modern oity building, with |s metal covered roof and steel frame, a fairly good conductor of eleo icity, and on that account is in much as danger of receiving a damaging roko than an isolated dwelling in ie open rural districts. Also, the Multiplication of telegraph, .telephone id eleotrio light wires in cities helps carry ott the surplus electricity iring a storm; but, should a really [eat storm cloud with a tremendous )re of energy approach, all of the ires in New York would not prevent from discharging right and left. I lt has often been suggested that the )vernment ought to make experi ments on a large scale, with a view to baining knowledge that would re? ir life and property more secure dur* jg thunder storms. Unfortunately ie phenomena of lightning are mani sted in such a gigantic way that boratory study is of little use. It true that small lightning flashes n be produced in the laboratory, ith the aid of a mode-, n alternating achine and a "transformer,'V but a shtning flash of a. mile or moro in ngth so vastly transcends the feeblo )ark induced by tho electrician that ?ry little is gained by observation of ie kind. A current of 10,000 volts will iump 'rosa a space of abouthalf an inoh ?twoe? two metal points?, and hence is inferred that a lightning flash hieh extends from a passing oloud to ie earth below must have an eleotrO otive force of many millions of volts, ben it is considered that many 'under storm clouds are att least a Hs above the earth, it ia obvious i?t the onergy evolved ia gigantic deed. Respecting the cause? cf thunder 'd lightning almost nothing is ?t>wn, strange to s?.y. Certain con tions of heat, wind aud moisture, A DESTROYER. ureart Bays 3Jbout lt. 1 Courier. obviously present in tho formation of thunder storms, have to do wiih tho phenomena developed. It is suspect ed that motion of some sort is ac countable in the premises-either mo tion of the wind, causing friction be tween tho air particles, or motion of the molecules of water vapor when condensed into a liquid to form rain. But there, is not always rain when there i's lightning, though a partiou I lar?y heavy downpour is lieble to fol I low immediately upon a shook of thunder, and, in short, the matter is a good deal of a mystery. In Kansas and Colorado tremendous wind storms some times occur, carry ing dust in columns fully 1,000 feet j high, and accompanied by flashes of light, which apparently start from no particular place, but pervade tho dust everywhere. Yet there is no light ning, properly speaking. Persons ex posed to these storms become so strongly charged with eleotrieity that sparks pass from their bodies to any metal objects. What is the meaning of these storms, meteorologically speaking? Nobody knows. The weath er bureau does not pretend to be able to say. As a result of its study of the sub ject, the weather bureau gives tho following advice to the people: Do not stand under or near trees during thunder storms, or in the door ways of barns, or dose to cattle, or near chimneys and fireplaces, or close by the terminus of a wire clothes lice. Avoid suspending the clothes line be tween a oorner of the house aud a convenient tree; rather let it be hung from one tree or post to another. On the other hand, there is not muoh PCL.EC in going to bed, orin trying to insulate oneself in feather beda. And it is an absurdity to suppose that small articles of steel have the pov^r to attraot lightning. Just before and during thunder storms many people suffer from a nervous depression, whichisnot easily accounted for. Others are frightened, tho? -.gb for such fears there is no suf ficient reason. It should always be remembered that one who lives to see ?he lightning flash ueed not concern himself about the possibility of per sonal injury from that flash. Lightning, when it strikes a person, frequently causes a temporary paraly sis, stopping the breathing and the heart-beat. If the victim is left alono he is . likely to die. But there is a good chance of bringing him back to life if proper means are taken. Hot flannels and bottles of hot water should be applied, to keep up the warmth of the body, and the limba should be rubbed energetically up ward, so as to force the blood to the heart and brain. As soon as the pa-. tient can swallow, a small quantity of whiskey . or coffee should be given. Encourage sleep, and above all send instantly for a physician. Danger, of Colds sn? La Grippe. The greatest danger from colds.and l? grippe is their resulting in pneu monia.. If reasonable oare ia used, however, and Chamberlain's Cough Remedy taken, all danger will be avoided. Among the tens of thous ands who have used this remedy for these diseases, we have yet. to learn of a single case having resulted in pneumonia, which shows conclusively that it is a certain preventive of that dangerous malady. It will ouro a cold or an attack of la grippe in lee's time than any other treatment. It is pleas ant to take. For sale by Orr-Gray & Co. A Double Team. A man who was bicycling in South ern France was pushing his machine up a steep hill when he overtook a peasant with a donkey cart. The pa tient beast was making but little pro gress, although it was doing its best. Tho benevolent oyolist, putting his I left hand against the back of the cart and guiding his maohine with the oth er hand, pushed so hard that the don key, taking fresh oourage, pulled his load successfully up to the top. When the summit ./as reached the peasant burst into thanks to his ben efactor. "It was good of you, indeed, mon sieur !" he protested. "I should nover in tho world hav". got np the hill with only ono donkojr."-Youth's Com panion. Nothing so thoroughly removes dis ease germs from the system as Prickly Ash Bitters. It gives life and action to the torpid liver, strengthens and assists tho kidneys to properly cleanse tho blood, gives tone to the stomach, purifies the. bowels, and promotes goon appetite, vigor and cheerfulness. Evans Pharmacy. - It ia said tho happiest man in Georgia haa six fiddleu, ten ohildren, thirteen hounds, ? deaf and dumb wife and & moonshine still that has never }>eo? spotted by tho govern Waif a Mill?n Hons. The town of Petaluma is ruled by 500,000 bons. But for these naif a million of hons tho town would never have been what it now is, and the egg and poultry raising industry of Peta luma would never have hatched, so to speak, and reached its present immense proportions. The hens know it, and henoe there is no spot in the place th ac is forbidden to them. They greet tho visitor aa he steps from the train and they cluck at him as he departs-that is, if ho doesn't at&y and go into the poultry business in this favorable spot, which many finally do. Twenty-three years ago thore wero not moro than a hundred or two chickens to bo found in or around Petaluma. Now more eggs and poultry are shipped from that point thea all the other towns of the state combined, and tho poultry randi es vary in size from a backyard to a hundred aores or more. No person having a scrap of land to sparo is without a flock, of heos. The few figures following make tho egg business appear a very much more dignified occupation than it is popu larly supposed to be: Tho shipments from Petaluma last year were 2.600,000 dozen eggs and 30,000 dozen of poultry. As high as 14,000 dozen eggs have boen . shipped out io one day from tho Petaluma market alone. Petaluma's proud position as the egg centro of the Pacific coast is not the result of accident, but is due to a combination, viz.: right soil, oool summers and favorable location. Nearness to the San Franoisco market and the extremely low freight rates afforded by. reason of the competition between water and rail transportation are other important factors in its de velopment. The poultry idustry has been the means of making muoh otherwise worthless land muoh more valuable. Tho big Coiuii rancho of 10,000 aores I bas recently been subsidivided and I sold out in small holdings. To drive through it now is to find a veritable poultry city. The White Leghorn fowls, among the best layers known, aro kept to nearly the entire exclusion of other breeds for the egg business is really more promising here than the poultry Bide of the industry. It is a pretty sight at the feeding time of 6,000 or 7,000hens on a many acred ranoh. Perhaps the chicken houses, each with its nearby colony of 10 or 150 ohiokens, are scattered over many aores, sometimes amid the green of a foothill orchard. There ia a rush and a flutter of a living cloud of white as the man starts out from the feed house with h or s o and sled to make the round of the tiers of houses, scattering feed and gathering the harvest of eggs aa he goes. The length of this trip varies, of course, with the amount of land oc cupied, but the feeding sled some times makes a circuit of a mile. The hens sro fed generally only onoe a day, with the addition of a lunoh of green feed at night.. The sled is loaded with four barrels of water, five sacks of wheat and a mash composed of three sacks ' of coarse middlings and 40 pounds of either out green bone or ground fresh meat, which is mixed with skim milk that bas been allowed to sour. On a big ranch it takes from Ca. m. until ll to complete the feeding and watering and a sufficient quantity is put out to last 24 hours. Seventy-five hens are roosted in each house, and the houses are built on runners. , The colonies are from 40 to 500 feet apart, and the hena being well sup plied with feed, are content and do not wander from one oolony to another. An interesting feature of this open colony system is that eaoh fowl knows and goes unerringly to its own partic ular colony house for roosting at night. In 1900, $20,000 was spent with the merchants of the town for chicken feed. This was outside and above the feed stuff which some of . the large poultry raisers import from San Fran oisco. Small oyster shells are brought into this town of hess by thcaohooner load to furnish the biddies, with the lime wherewith io produce a proper eggshell. Th? oost of feeding one one hen well, and strike the happy medium o? success in feeding, is about 65 centa per year-from tbat to $1, A man will go into a store in Petalu ma and buy $500 worth of chioken feed and pay cash for it aa readily, and perhaps mere so, than he would boy his wif s a silk gow a. The best argument as to profits is the fact that everybody in the town is in the poultry business in some form, and they all stay in and enlarge each year. . The average profit per hen is $1 to $1.50 net per annum. Ono man about thrco miles from Petaluma. has succeeded by apedial care, neatness and good selection of fowls, in making his hens pay a trifle over $2 each per annum. If' the'eggshells wore only as valuable aa tho eggs, what a dupli cate store of richea would accrue to many. The incubators leave behind them a vast number of shells, which are carted away by the wagon load for use in . the tanneries, or are crushed and fed to their near relatives, tho chicks. Perhaps the biggest wagon load on record was made by the shells left by 45,000 chicks hatched by in cubator. Encased in wire netting, j thoy resembled a case of hngc pop corn.-San Francisco Call. A Psychological marvel. . i It is asserted on good authority, that some 4A miles north of Leesville, S.C., lives u mulatto, Major Perr>, oallcd alike by whites and blacks tho * sleeping preacher." He, together, with his wife is totally illiterate. His years number about 45. Some 12 years ago tho phenomenon to which thia article calls attention first began to be noticed. When a young man, ho felt that a "call" to preach waa his, but it was j disregarded. He but seldom attends church. Each night, Friday alone excepted, and that not always, about 15 or twenty minutes after retiring (about 8 o'olock is his rule) ho begins to preach. He first announces his text, chapter uud verso or verses in I tho Bible correctly, after whioh he reads the text; always justas it is in , tho word. Ho then "lines" out aud sings a hymn and prays, after which tho sermon proper begins. The ser mon is better than tho average, abovo tho reach of the average negro preach er at least. It is grammatical and logical and lasts from. 45 minutes to 1 hour. Sometimes, during his delivery of the sermon tho muscles cf the body, especially the arniB and neck contract producing a cataleptic condition. This stops the sermon. Tho attacks last for a minute or so and aro driven away by the wife, who strokes with her hands the parts af fected. When the tendenoy to cata lepsy is banished, he resumes his discourse, beginning exaotly where he left off, even though it was in the middle of a sentence. During thc summer, about a certain time each year, he holds his protracted services, sometimos getting pretty "loud," a characteristic of his race. At these special times he delivers two sermons and invites "mourners" to come to the altar; sometimes he will ccasoand go through the motions of drinking water. He takes a short recess be tween the delivery of his hermons. It may be added that Major does not boloDg to the church, in fact is irre ligious. He cannot be convinced j that he preaohes ic his sleep. Tho best class of white citizens for miles around visit his cabin to hear him. Leading physicianshave vainly endeavored to awaken him while t in this abnormal state. After finishing the sermon he is easily aroused. They have pierced his muscles with sharp instruments, made loud noises, even placed cotton between his naked toes and burned it (oausing him great pain after returning to consciousness), but without avail. During tho time of prcaohing it is an impossibility to stop him. Occasionally, while driv ing along the public road, he enters this voluntary trance and delivers a sermon, or if he happens, inside a ohmoh he is liable to fall asleep and begins a sermon himself, in which case the preaoher in the pulpit dc siatfl. Major Perry is certainly a psy chological marvel and as such should be studied by science.-Newberry Ob server. / To Core a Cold In Ooo Day. Take Laxative Bromo Quinine Tab lets. All druggists refund the mone if it fails to oure. E. W| Grove'y signature on every box. 25o. - A foql's modesty is never allowed to overshadow his inability. Hie Coming of Spring. Io an**rticle on "The Coming of 3pring," in tho March Woman's Homo Companion, Ernest Harold Baynes gives tho following description of tho year's now birth: As tho last snow melts away into tho singing soil tho gentle voicrt of spring is heard calling softly to tho sleeping flowers. Well they know that Voice, and well they trust it, for presently they push their way upward through the loose, warm earth and assemble in tho valleys, on sunny, sheltered slopes and in tho lee of bat tered gray stone walls. The hardy May flower pushes its way under tho pino needles; the frail hep?ticas peep with their blue eyes from beneath tho withered leaves, and soon thc woods, so lately whito with suow are flecked by countless thousands of anemones. Later in the year thero will ho moro flowers, larger flowers and brighter and wo may lovo them all, but none can thrill us like these Si&l born chil dren of spring. Other and grander ones will follow, but they will lack an indescribable something which neith er color, fragrance nor beauty of form can make up for. If wc wish to enjoy this "coming of spring" we must ch ise a morning when the air is bal l-., and when tho bluebirds ar* sing ing and walk well into the country. As wo pass through a little town per haps wc shall seo lawns sprinkled with crocuses-white, purple and cloth of gold-and dark borders will be lighted by lines of nodding daffo dils. Here and thero a magnolia dis plays its wealth of bloom or stands half despoiled in a fairy ring of petals. In one garden a snowy spiraea shrub is blooming, and in another tho wind is scattering the golden blossoms of forsythia. Tho hedges of Japanese quinoe are just beginning to show color, and in tho orohards cherry, j peach and pear troes arc in bloom. She Coaxed in Vain. He was a popular young dentist, wjth clientele among the Bmart wo men, one of whom had been protesting for an hour that he was killing her. But he kept very steadily at work, with a soothing word occasionally, and as ho said, "That will do for to-day," ho added, "Now, I didn't really hurt I you, did I, Miss V.?-' j "N-no," she admitted reluctantly, I "but I always felt as if you were just going to." "That is it," said he. "Now, thero is ono infallible sign for which a dent ist always watches when he is working on a lady's teeth and which she gives involuntary when she is hurt. She i cannot help giving it and when I Bee I it I always stop." j "Tell me what it ?s?" she inquired eagerly. "Wo never tell," he replied with an inscrutable smile. "Why?" t "Because you would immediately try to counterfeit it."-Washington Post. Bloating after eating, indigestion, flatulence Or water -brash, may be quickly oorreoted through the uso of Prickly Ash Bitters. It strengthens digestion, cleanses and regulates the bowels. Evans Pharmaoy. - A dog ?6 not allowed td trot j across some of the strongest suspen j sion bridges in the world. The vibra I tion whioh his motion produoes is dau ' gerous to tho structure. The dogs aro carried over in vehioles. A oat walk ing aoross a floor of a brick building shakes it more than many people tf^4kOT.8'?fe#n'lf/kB94> Is the name sometimes given to what H IBHIB4?B IBSIIB^ is generally known as thc BAD DIS VVflBiyUlVU^ EASE. It is not coffined to dens of ? vice or the lower classes, ,The purest Riife?l?l ? ? ?fel^Aift fleeted w^ If I WU 1 VlvVli brough handling the clothing, drinking from the same vessels, using the same toilet articles, or otherwise coming in contact with persons who have contracted it. It begins usually with a little blister or sore, then swelling in the groins, a red eruption breaks out on Ten year. ^ x contraote4 a bad oaBe the body, sores and Ulcers appear of Blood Pdlson. X was under treatment in the mouth, the throat becomes of a phy aidan antill found that ho could ulcerated, the hair, eye brows and *V"f T> E?iJHS beffan t?kinK . "i " - .'i 7U2 %J^A t^^,,,,-,^ ?.B.S. I eemmenoed to Inprove at onoo la3hea fall out ? the, blood becoming and ln a very shorfc tlmo all ovidenoe of more contaminated, copper colored the dlseaoe disappeared. I took six bot* splotches and pustular eruptions and ties and today am sound and well. sores appea?ipon different parts of WaU' Morristown, Tenn. the body, and the poison even destroys the bones. S. S. S. is a Specific fof this loathsome disease, and cures it even in the worst forms. It is a perfect antidote for the powerful virus that pollutes S_ i the blood and penetrates to all parts of the system. JuF**3 Unless you get thi9 poison out of your blood it will ruin you, and bring disgrace and disease upon KM)] your children, for it can be transmitted from parent to child. S. S. S. contains no mercury or potash, but is guaranteed a strictly vegetable compound. Write for our free home treatment book and learn all about Contagious Blood Poison. If you want medical advice give us a history of your case, and our physicians will furnish all the information you wish without ady charge whatever. THE SWIFT SPECIFIC CO., ATLANTA, 6A. D. 8. VANDIVER. J. J. MAJOR. E. P. VANDIVEP. Vandiver Bros. St Major., - DEALERS IN BUGGIES, SURRIES, PHOTONS, WAGONS, Harness, Lap Robes, Whips, Etc. ANDERSON, S. C., DECEMBER, 1901. We are overbtocked both on Wagons and Buggies, and are specially anxious to turn them, cr all of them we can turn, into cash before Xmas. Now is the time to get a good Buggy or Wagon CHEAP. Yours truly, VANDIVER BROTHERS & MAJOR. 1?. S.-If you owe us rjiy thing please pay up AT ONCE. DIRECTIONS-One every night. 25c. By mail. EVANS PHARMACY. IT Vir ginia=Car ?lina Chemical Company, CHARLESTON, S. C. RICHMOND, VA. ATLANTA, GA. Largest Manufacturers of Fertilizers in the South. Importers of .'. . Pure German Kainit, Muriate of Potash, Nitrate of Soda, Sulphate of Potash. It is important in buying your fertilizers, not only to buy goods ot established reputation and high grade, but to buy where your wants of every character can be supplied. We are in position to furnish all classes o goods and in such quantiti s as buyers desire. It will pay you to see us before purchasing. Address Virginia'Carolina Chemical Co. Charleston, S. C. Send (ot Virginia-Carolina Almanac, (ree (or the iikinc. . Attention, Farmers ! We have just received one Car Load of Fancy Winter Grazing Oats. Come quick and secure some of them before they are all sold. O. D. ANDERSON & BRO. ONLY li FEW DAYS TO CHRISTMAS ! WE have a nice lot of Rockers, Pictures, Mirrors, aa well as a large lot of Bed Room Suits, Parlor Pieces, Hat Racks, Wardrobes, Chiffoniers, La dies' Desks, all of which would make a nice XMAS PRESENT. We realize the hard times and have made prices to suit. We want yon to come in, take a look, buy if you can, but if you can't it will be all right. Very truly yours, PEOPLES FURNITURE 00. $&. COFFINS and CASKETS furnished at any hour, day or night. LANDRETH'S . Fresh Onion Sets, AND OTHER SEEDS, - AT Orr^Gray & Co. CELEBRATED Acme Paint and Cement Cure, Specially used on Tin Roofs and Iron Work of any kind. For sale by ACM PAINT & C MENT CO. Reference : F. B. GRAYTON & CO., Druggists. Anderson, S. C.