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.

I ? I I .wifsw** . -t ; . ..." ' .- ?<:- *-. . .< A. REFLEX OF POPULAR EVENTS. V*. V*x "* x * V?v . *.4.) J fr * ?*?'. 1 X. -s.: , ' - ? vf ?l'l ' -X. -t . .v ... ? 5 L l_ ?. <. juPf *< ' . . ? i. A_ _ ... , I. , VOLUME XV. GREENVILLE. SOUTH CAROLINA. APRIL 88. 1869. V No. 49. yr-)?.1 .in' ? I-'F -- HJP.i.i.. 1 ! 1 1 11 1 - - G . r. TOWN E 8. EDITOR. | J. C. liMT, Frs'r. wl Aasoelato Mltor. j SvuoivnoR Two Dollars par im?. AarsirunMTi iawrM at the rates ef w? dollar par eqasre of twelve Minion lines | <thls sited type) or lees for the first insertion, fifty sent* encl? for the nsond sad third Userfiians, and twenty-firs seats for sakmqsut ! Insertions. Yearly contrasts will M made. AH admrtlsatneals mast hewn the nsahw f Insertions marked en tkeas, or tkey will be I Inserted till ordered oat, and obarged for. ( Unless ordered otherwise, AdvertIsemsats SvUI invariably be N displayed." Obitnary notices, add all matters leering to j fie the benefit ef any one, are regarded as , Advertisements. < (From the San FrsntWeo Herald.) Sommntio History of an old Clock. 1 Inaqniet country town in Now , Hampshire, near the Maine line, < atands an ancient mansion, whose ' appearance and surroundings in- ] dicate its occupation for many , generations. Tail trees hare grown ] up around it, and a wealth of tan- , gled dhrabbery and vines lend it , an air'of home-like quiet, so com- ( mon to New England rural scenes. , The place is an old homestead of a | family named Dlasdelt, who, for , fonr generation^ iiave called it ( their homo. Within this dwelling, and forming a prominent feature j of ita antique appointments, J atands, like a grim sentry in his box, an old fashioned eight-day . clock. To a casual observer there [ is nothing remarkable in the np- ( pearance of this ancient time- , piece, for it is ancient, as the inscription across its face?"Niclio- , / las Blasdell, maker, Glasgow, j 1738 n?plainly toUs. Such clocks , are not rare in the old settled | communities of the East, bnt a pe- , cnliar value is attached to this particular clock.* Not only had it ixjen in the family for upwards of a century, bnt it was the h ndiwork ol their remotest ancestor in America. .Nicholas iilasdull, who made that c'ock in 1738, caiun to America with three brothers in 1 1740, and they b ought the clock with them. Nicholas had boon a clocktnaker in Glasgow, and had acquired a little property. Hut the brothers were young, enter* prising, and ambitious. Glasgow offered no inducements to active enterprise, and the news from the tar-on land of America was well calculated to stimulate their youthful ardor. They determined to seek their fortunes in the Colonies, and packing up their effects, including the new clock, they crossed the Atlantic, And settled in New Hampshire. Three of the brothers aied unmarried, but Nicholas took to himself a wile, and was blessed with a family.? Before leaving Scotland he had acquired a piece of land near the city of Glasgow, but as it was of no great value at tho time, lie made no effort to dispose of it.? Tbis property - was freqnently made the subject of conversation tl_ 4* Jt 4. - in ow uunuy; ana aner uia aeatn, even down to the present generation, the story of nis having left behind him a piece of land near Glasgow, has been told about the family hearth, with many carinas speculations regarding it But toe children now living thought but little of the story. Bitting by the biasing fire in the old home* stead, with the old clock staring down upon them, never pausing in its ticking. They have beard their mother and grandmother tall about the land that still stood in the name of Nicholas Blasdell, near one of Britain's largest cities, bnt the tbonght of attempting to gain its possession never entered their hcaas. Their Yankee predb lections were averse to rummaging over the musty past in svarcn of fortune, when in a new country, rich with undeveloped wealth of gvery description; and so they dealt actively with the living prea *h<s MU uie story ot vne Ulaagow property wm Marly forgotten. In the meantime the eity of Glasfo* harl been spreading with wonderftrt atridaa. Its popalaion had increased rapidly, its commercial intereata expanded, Immenao manufkotoriee had oprnng op, and from the qniet sea port of 1740. it bed beoorae the second oom tnercial e>ty of the kingdom of Great Britain. Ffcr beyond ite formal limits ?*..! ..I? La d L ft |?S1 AVOAtik/1 ABK/I p*tWJ pncB nmo 09011 ereciwi^ Ron I the firmer anbnrba were now the I centre of the chy. Had Nicholas I IWmMI W, .loping ? Kip V?n I WJ*h4e4hsmber, and open awakI in* ecdaarorad to find kia lot. it wJoHkai^ pmhMhlai rwitly. Yet there it *u u lie left it; still . itanding in his name, and reserved tor the rightful heirs whenever they should claim it. Around its limits, and lar beyond, the busy hum of trade would have greeted , his ears; immense bnildings would , have met his eyes on every side; , and he would have been lost in 1 amazement at the wonderful 1 changes that had taken place, aud very likely would have been slow | in apprec sting that it was not all , a dream. * , When Hie property became val* | nable and was needed for building t purposes, capitalists began to make i inquiries concerning its ownership, i The records showed its title, bnt i the owner could not be fonnd.? Search was instituted and contin* < ned for years, until it was definite* , iy ascertained that ha bad come , to America. A lawyer, sharp and , keen as a detective, was sent to the United States, some years , lince, to eudeavor to find the heirs of the estate. ftlasdells were plen by throughout the length and breadth of the land, and the task, is may be snpposed, proved a difficult one. The genealogy of each Blasdel! whom lie met had to be investigated, and |>erhapa after months of anxious search, it would be ascertained that the family was not the one he eonght. In the course of his inquiries, he learned of a married lady living in lili pis, whose' maiden name was Blasdell^ and he was not long in finding tier. He make known the object of his soarch. and waa rewarded by the intelligence that he had at last found a solution of his difficulty. The lady immediately told the lawyer of the old clock which the great grandfather had made and drought over from Scotland with him, and of the family tradition concerning the projierty near Glasgow. The mystery was explained at last. The lawyer ^>ed to the homestead in New Hampshire, tnH f lioro tn lie aaa.isbimiwl ?uw? no nvviioivniWI J'inLU, stood the old clock, its hands slowly revolving about the dial, and its huge pendulum swinging beck and forth. Tlroagh day* of ?orrow and of strife. Throngb day* of death, and day* ai birth; Through *r*ry swift TieU?ltud? Of ehang?fal ti??, nnohangad it stood; And a* if, life* God, it all thing* saw, It ealsly repeat* tlieso word* of a wo, y ore tot?NaT or 1 Rtrw?Pororor! The old clock had sol red the knotty problem. Musty docnincuts, that had remained untouch' ed for years, were brought to light; the identity of the family of Nicholas Blasdell was thoroughly established, and the heirs were made happy by receiving the information that their estate?comprised in the suburban lot of Nich olas Blasdell?was worth ?8,500,000, or $17,000,000. And now it may be asked, why is this romantic story published as an item ot San Francisco local news! The answer is this: One of our pioneer citizens, whose many friends will bo pleased to hear of hi* good fortune, is one ot the heirs to this vast estate. The family comprises the mother, two sisters, ana two oroiners, one o! the latter of whom it Mr. Samuel F. Blosdell, the delivery clerk at the California State Telegraph Office, on California street, who was made aware of his stroke of good fortune on Wednesday last. iduuncse hot Happiness.?The most common error ot men and women, is that looking tor happiness somewhere outside of usual work. It has nover yet been found when thus sought, and never will be, while the world stands, and the sooner the better for every one. It you doubt the proposition, glance round ainoug your friends and acquaintances, and se lect those who' *p|H?fxr to hsve the most enjoyment through life.? Are tjiey idlers end pleasure seekers, or the earnest workers! We know what your answer will be Of all the miserable human beings it has been our fortune or misfortune to know, they were the most wretehed who had retire I from useful employment, in order It* enjoy themselves. A Missouri law against prise fights iafticts a penalty of two jean* imprisonment, or $1,000 fine, dB prmaipeis ?aa SMisiiali mitts. AN" ACT to provide for the ctpof a Land Commts sioner, and to dq/tns hie powers and duties. scctiov 1. Be it mactetl by the Senate and House rf Representatives qf the State <>f South Carolina,, now met and sitting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, That the Advisory Board hereinafter created, is hereby authorized and required to appoint a suitable person to be known m the Land Commissioner of the Btateot South Carolina; said Corafnissioner, before entering upon the duties of his office shall execute to tlie people of the 8tate of South Carolina a written undertaking, with good and sufficient snretv, in the penal sum of twenty thousand dollars, for tho faithful discharge of the duties of his office ; said undertaking to be approved by the Advisory Board and filed in the iittlce of the Secretary of State.? Hit sa'ary shall be at the rate of two thousand dollar* per annum while on duty. Sko. 2. That said Land Commissioner shall hold his office at the pleasnro of the Advisory Board, and, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall take and subscribe the oath prescribed in the thirtieth Section of Article II of t.h6 Constitution, which oath shall be filed in the olBco of the Secretary of 8tate. Sko. 3 That the Governor, Comptroller-General, Slate Treasurer, Secretary of State and Attorney-General are hereby declared to be an Advisory Board to the Land Commissioner; and said Commissioner shall, in all the duties imposed upon him by the provisions of this Act, be governed by'their instructions and advice. 8ko. 4. That it shall-l>e the duty of the said Land Commissioner to purchase, orcansc to be purchased, anj* lands in any portion of the Stare, improved or unimproved, at such price as the said Advisory Board, may determine, not to ex ceed in (lie aggregate amount, in any one fiscal year, the par value of the public stock of this State created by the Qencral Assembly for this purpose. Src. 5. 'lhe Treasurer of the State is hereby authorized and di rerted to issue to the Land Commissioner bonds of this State in tiie sum of two hundred thousand dollars, with coupons attached, if in the opinions of the said Advisory Board so much be necessary, bearing six per cent, interest, the prin cipal payable in twenty years, at the financial agency ot this Staie, in the city ot New. York, the bonds to be signed by the Governor, countersigned by the Comp troller-General, and the c mponsto be signed by the Treasurer of the State ; the faith and credit of the State is hereby pledged to the payment of the principal and interest ot said bonds; and a suffi cient amount ot taxes is hereby levied to pay the intevest accruing on said bonds annually. Stcc. 6. All land purchased by said Land Commissioner shall be sab-divided into sections con aining not loss than twenty-five nor more than one hundred acres, to oe eoia ro actual settlers, subject to the condition that ono half thereof shall be placed under cultivation within i;ve years from the date of such purchase, ami that the purchaser shall annually par interest at the rate of six per cent, per annnm np?n any moneys remaining unpaid, ana also all taxes imposed thereon by the authority of the United States or of this State, and, in addition thereto, shall, in every year after the third from the date of aaid purchase, pay one fifth of the principal.? The titles to said land shall remain in the State nntil the amount of said purchase shall be paid, principal and Interest; but a certificate of such purchase shall be assignable at three years from date thereof: Provided* That iu every case when a person pnrcliasca more then one section of fifty acres, they shell pay on snch ex cess, one fourth cash, and the bal ance to be paid in, equal annual installments of one fourth the amount of the purchase each.year: Provided, That no person shall be entitled to purchase, in his own name or for his own eae, more than one hundred acres. I 8aa 7. Ite'isll be the daty of [the f*M Land Odcflmiasteoer to deposit with the Treasuiwr of the State ail moneys collected by him as interest due upon t >e sale of said lands., which shall be nsed by the Treasurer of the Sta'sin.the payment of the interest on the stocks and bonds of the State Issued for the purchase of said lands; and to invest in bonds of this State all moneys received by the aald Land Commissioner in payment for said lands as principal ; said State bonds to be deposited with the Treasurer of the State, to constitute a sinking fund fnr flto final ? >? >?v uiiui |"?j iiibhv kiiu njuemption of All stocks or bonds issned by the State for the purchase of said lands; the interest seeming on the bonds of the said sinking ?fnnd shall be applied to the payment of the interest npon the stocks or bonds of the State issued for the purchase of lands. Sko. 8 llie books and records of the office of the said Land Commissioner shall at all times be subject to the inspection of the Advisory Board, or any member thereof; and the said Land Com | missioner shall annually make a detaile i report of tho transactions of his office to the General Assembly. Sco. 9. The saitf Land Commissioner, in addition to the compensation hereinbefore prescribed, shall receive such fees as the Advisory Board may prescribe, not to exceed in the aggregato for each title the sum of ten dollars, the cost of all other paper* included. Said fees, also mileage and j?er diem, of the Land G?m missioner shall be paid out of the contingent fund of the State, to be paid by the Trt asurcr on the certificate of the Advisory Board.? And the Laud Commissioner shall be allowed such clerical assistance as may bo authorized by the Ad visory Board, which shall be paid in the same manner. Seo. 10. The said I and Com missioner shall not pnrchase from or sell to the State any land, neither shall he engage in specu'ati ns in lands, cither on his own iiVftlint or aa nnonl f/.? a?I? V* *?v IVI VFIIICI pel tone or cor jiorat ions; and, upon conviction thereof, for every such offence shali be fined and iinpris oned, at the discretion of the Court. Site 11. All Acts, or parte of Acts, inconsistent with this Act aro hereby repealed. In the Senate House, the twentyfourth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine. CIIAS. W. MONTGOMERY, President ut the Senate pro tem> FRANKLIN J. MOSES, Jr., Speaker House of Representatives. IIooFun skirts, says Harpers* Bazar, are being worn smaller, but they are not likely to disappear; on the contrary, the indications are that they will increase in size as the season advances. In Paris they are already worn larger ? They areso comfortable and withal so healthful that ladies will not read ily abandon them the for multifarious skirts of old; and they will Uijr oe ? permanent pari 3T the wardrobe for all time to come, varying in shape or size, but never entirely abandoned. A Paris journal says it lias been discovered that if the blades of cutting tools are steeped in an acid solution, composed of sulphurie acid and water, in the proport ion of one ot the former to twenty of the latter, they w ill only require to be finished on the hone; the length of immersion mnst be augmented, we are told, according to the fineness of the edge re auired, but nothing is said about le average time required. At any rate, it is an experiment any one can try. A biluakd congress, it is announced, will noon be held in Boston. Preliminary arrangements have been made, and committers appointed to raise funds, procure a hall, and draft rooms f<?r the New England billiard congress. Itr the shipping records of the last century aie found reports o small vessels?schooners and 1 sloops ?>f but twenty tons bnrden ?clearing from American ports 1 to Africa aud the West Indies.? A large number of the chips then ' afloat registered between sixty and ? ooe hood red tout. Singular Cue of Instinct In a HonsWe do not remember, says a Minnesota paper, ever to have heard of a more remarkable exhibition of equine intelligence than was communicated to us a few days since, by Mr. Allen, of this place. The circumstances, as tbey were related to us, were as follows: Mr. A. has had for a considerable time a span of sprightly littlq horses, that he oas never separated. In the stable, in the field, in the harness, they have always been together. This has caused a strong attachment to grow np between them. A few days ago, ho went with them out to Lake Minnetouka, on a fishing excursion. Taking them out of the carriage, he lod them down to the lake, and tied thein with stont ropes, several rods apart, on a strip of grass that grew upon the shore, and left them to feed. Returning to the shantv. he threw himself upon the floor to await the return of the party who had repaired to the lake to fish.? Not mtlch timo had elapsed before the sound of an approaching horse'* feet attracted attention ana a moment after one ot his span appeared at tlio door. The animal put his his head in, and giving one neigh, turned, and at a slow gallop, yet nnder evident excitement, returned to the spot where, but a few moments before, he and his companion had been fastened.? Surprised to find his horse loose, I and struck with hia singular conduct, Mr. A. immediately followed, and found the other lying in thewatir, entangled in the rope, and struggling to keep his bead from being submerged. While Mr. A proceeded to <3is engage the unfortunate horse, his noble benefactor stood by, manifesting the utmost solicitude and sympathy, an J when his mate was extricu'ed troin its perilous situa lion, and again upon its feet, the generous creature exhibited the most unquestionable signs of satisfaction and joy. That this intelligent animal should have noticed the misfortune ?t his mate, that he should know where to apply for rescue, and in his efforts should sunder a threefourths of an inch rope?and, finally, that he should exhibit so high an appreciation of the event, are circumstances to astonish ns, and commend themselves to the tho1 glitful consideration of those who would limit the power of reasoning to the 44 genus homo." Trtic Shooting Fraft.?This very remarkable tish is a native of the West Indies. Nature has constructed this aqnatic sportsman in a very singular manner, but one ad tnirahly adapted to his sporting f>redilections. The fish lias a hofow cylindrical l>eak. lie frequents the rivers on the sea shore in search of food, and trom the unusual manner in which he pro videa for his dailv Wants he de rives his name. When this hungry gentleman espies a fly or an insect not taking due care of himself but sitting on plants in shal low water, he swims away to the distance of four or five feet, and often of six feet, that he may take aim at his proy, when he has done so to hie satisfaction, he than with amazing dexterity and cleverness, ejects out of his month ono drop ot water, which is so well directed, and swiftly shot forth, that it never fails to knock the fly into the water and once there, all hope of escape is gone?the fish darts upon its prey and eagerly devours it; thns supplying us with another instance of ihe diversified mode in which nature qualifies its countless millions of creatures with the powers necessary for procuring food. A wild woman who was captured from the Indians on the plains, was brought into Jefferson City, Missouri, on the 18th instant, by a detachment of the 5tb United States Infantry. She was half clad and nearly demented, and a ' - - couia give no account of hersell further than (bat her name w&c Sarah Qriffin, and that she came from Ireland. It ia supposed that lie was carried off many yean ago by the savages and has lost bor reason by ill treatment. An ass covered with gold ii mere respected than a horse with A jKok saddle 60. Lafayette's Watch. Dr. John B. Wnrd, of Lonis' ville, Eentnckv, has in his possession an old English watcn, oue hundred years of age, which is claimed to be t.ie ono presented by Georgp Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette at the time of the surrender of Yorktown by Xj>rd Cornwallis .The watch is of the old English verge jattern, and is heavy with gold, the cases alone having $48 worth of the precious metal. Without, the outer case, it is about 4J inches in circumference and 1^ inches in dinineter.?? The crystal bears the Roman numerals, with figures above to mark the minutes. The outer case is elaborately worked, and bears a representation of a Roman soldier presenting a crown to a goddess. On the inner c?3e is the following inscription in German text: OEOUQK WASHINGTON TO GILBERT MOTTIKR3 DK T.AFAYETTfi. Lord Cormvaflis Capitulation York town. October 17th, 1781. Tlie works boar the name of E. Il&lifax, London, 1769. An outside copper cose belonged to the watch at one time, but this has never been in Dr. Ward's possession. The watch was taken to Louisville by a ]>olicemnn of that city, who bought it from a needy Frenchman in Sacramento, California, in 1858. Ihe Frenchman and the oflicer happened at the saute hotel, and the former being in need, wa9 glad to part with it for the sakeot a little very necessary money. The officer afterward pawned it, and it afterward fell into the hands ot auctioneers, who, in November last, offered it at auction. Dr. Ward, putting in the highest bid, secured it, and has kept ir up to the present time.?* lie has written to Paris to notify some ot the members of LaFayette's family, but none of them being in Paris, he has as yet been unable to reach any of them by letter. The watch is believed to have been taken at the time the house of La Fayette was mobbed, in 1794, during the French Revolution, as otherwise it could hardly have reached this side the water and got into the hands ot the pawnbrokers. inn most common error of metl and women is that of looking lor happiness somewhere outside of tisellil Work. It has never yet boon found and never will bo as long as the world 6tnnds. Of all the miserable human beings it has been our fortune to know, they were the most wretched who had retired from naeful employments, in order to enjoy themselves. - Sir WaItkh Scott was, in ono of his walks, leaning on the arm of his faithful attendant, Tom Purdie. Tom said: "Them are fine novels of yonrs, Sir Walter; they are just invaluable to me." I am glad to bear It Tom.* "Yes, sir; for when I hare bceti out all day hard at work, and come homo very tired, and take up one o' your x in nsit'cp uirecuj'," A* Irish gentleman residing in Cftnadft, was desirous to persuade It is sons to work as backwoodsmen instead of drinking champagne at something more than a dollar a bottle. Whenever this old gentleman saw >1 is sons so engaged, ho used to exclaim : "Ah 1 my boys, there goes an acre of land, trees and all 1" Ihrrk is to be a sharp struggle between Chicago and San Francisco for the trade of Idaho, Montana, Utah and the White Pino region?a trade sufficient to add largely to the wealth of the city that succeeds in controlling it. A. J. Wilt, once one of Mte wealthiest merchants of Memphis, became insane the other day, split , a friend's head open with a hatch. erf chopped the arm of anotln r almost on, and finally, exclaiming ' 44 Vain world, good-bye fM threw himself from the window on the , pavement, breaking his neck. A friend to everybody is friend to nobody. i A man is a man, though he wear a crown less hat.