VOL 1. IANNIN(i, CL ARENIDON COUNTY, S. (, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1886. NO._23
THOUGHTS FOR TIL mON-m.
IOE bEA*O.NABLE *t (GGENTION*-RO
HIGH AU'TIORITV.
What Work the Gwni Farmern xhmaid Do it
the Month of May--kn tntere4tin;: Article
Fronw an Intelligen:t Writer.
(W L. Jor.es ir the May cuii'& -
The earth is now warm wnough for
grass and weeds to grow rapidly. Thcy
cannot be permitted to share with the
crops the plant food in the soil; extermi
nation of them is now the order of the
day. How to accomplish this economi
cally, rapidly and without injury to
young crops is one of the nieest proldems
the farmer is called upoln to - solve. In
the recent progress of agriculture. the
old-time method of running around
young plants with a narrow scooter. hav
ing a board nailed to foot and beam on
one side to prevent throwing dirt on the
little plants, first gave way to the sweep.
The latter shaved the surface nicely, and
with its wing running quite fiat threw
verv little dirt. Moreover the siding
furrows swept out the middles at the
same time, a great advance over two
siding furrows with scooters and sibse
quent breaking of the middies with
shovels. But with the nicest work of
the sweep, there is still a narrow strip
along the 'ne of plants which is undis
turbed, and upon which grass can tirmly
fix itself. T- destroy it, the hoe was
called into requisition. This involved
heavy expense, unpleasant contact with
labor and great demand for hands to
chop out cotton. Next caie broadcast
cultivation .vith the harrow in the first
stages of the crop, with heel scrapes and
cultivators later. This is as far as we
have advanced; indeed, most farmers
have not yet reached this point, and the
method is not yet, perhaps, fully per
fected. But from the very nature of
things we must advance in this direction
-machines, implements, horse-power,
must supplant hand labor more and
more. How to cheapen production is
the problem of the hour. Our fathers
pushed labor to 'the utmost in clearing
forests and cultivating virgin soils. Since
the war the use of fertilizers has been
developed to great perfection; and now
surroundings demand the most ext(nded
use of machinery and horse-power. All
departments of industry are moving in
this direction, and agriculture cannot lag
behind. Cautiously, wisely, judiciously
it must go on.
Our readers will remember the articles
published last year in the Cultivator on
broadcast cultivation with the harrow.
The points which seem to be well set
tied were that obstructions must be re
moved-trash in the shape of corn and
cotton stalks cut up or knocked to pieces
.and buried by breaking land with large
zurn plougbs; beds, if any, to be low
and leveled down with harrow immedi.
ately after planting; if rain foIows plant
ing quickly, harrow as soon as dry
enough, never allowing a crust to form.
As soon as cotton begins fairly to come
up, run harrow obliquely across rows
never in the direction of the rows-in
four or five days run obliquely across
again in the opposite direction, so that
these two harrowings may be at right
angles to each other. In three or four
days harrow again across the last. These
harrow~ings must begin early and be re
peated rapidly to thin out the cotton,
which they can do whilst the plants are
very youngand tender-when still yel
low. 'When older and tougher they will
be pushed aside often without being de
:stroyed. The cotton now being consid
erably thinned, grass and weeds thor
oughly kille , and the surface nicely
pulverized, te crop is in condition to
be easily cultivated with sweep or scrape.
It is said also that in the condition left
by the harrowings a good hand can chop
to a stand two acres of cotton a day.
If the soil is supplied with humus, and
the land well prepared, cultivation should
be very shallow from the start. In hard
soil, disposed to run together after rain,
a deep plowing is perhaps admissible
when the cotton is very young, but not
otherwise. In two experiments made
successively in 1884 and 1885 at the Ala
bama Experiment Station, to test effects
of deep and shallow cultivation, there
was a difference respectively of 8.5 and
109 pounds of seed cotton per acre in
favor of shallow cultivation throughout.
The two plats were prepared, manured
and cultivated exactly alike, except that
when the cotton on one plat was about
a foot high it was plowed deep with a
long seoter and scrape, as is frequently
done by farmers, and its roots considera
bly cut. The scrape should always be
attached behind the foot of the plow,
not in front of it, and the scooter used
with it should be very short, just long
enough to keep the point of the plow
root from striking the bottom of the fur
row. Another interesting experiment
made at the same station illustrates a
point we have often urged, to-wit, the
importance of pressing or tirming seed
in the soil to insure prompit gernunation.
Cotton wvas planted in two adjacent rows
on the same day with two different cot
ton planters, one covering the seed in
the usual mianner, the other throwing
thie dirt into a ridge over the seed andl
.then passing it down on the seed by a
roi2kr rigidly attached to the nmachine;
ivea~r wvas dry. Where the roller
.Iressed the dirt uplon the seed, a stnmd
was sesrea: n ten days: the other did
.not come up edil after -a rain had fallen
.and some twenty- four dlays after being
planted.
Inventors have not as vet givenl up1 the
-hope or the possibility of perfecting a
.machine for chopping cotton. There is
.every probability that one can loe made
which will " bunch" cotton satisfactorily.
*But the sam end might be reached by a
pia. dmnning the seed in hills. , The
mere buncing, however, is not thc most
important thing to be compassed; kilflng
the grass along the line of drill and
thinning the bunch out so the plants
will not crowd and dwarf each other are
the main disiderata. This, it strikes us,
the harrow will do better than anything
else. After the harrow has done its
work, then probably a chopper might be
used advantageously. The bringing to I
a final stand will probably always re
quire some hand labor, but, aside from
this, cotton cultivation ought to be done
exclusively by machines. We have no
doubt the proper implements for the
purpose will be forthcoming in due
time. Machine-made cotton alone in
this country can compete with that raised
by cheap labor in India and elsewhere.
It is of the first importance that, the
early workings of crops should be re
peated at short intervals, and thorough
ly done. Now is the time to kill grass
with least, labor. If allowed to get a
strong foothold, it will take three times
as much work to kill it next month as is
required to do it now, to say nothing of
the injuy done by robbing the crop of
food, and the bruising and disturbing of
the plants in getting the strongly rooted
grass away frozi them. At least once in
ten days the harrows or plows should
pass over, and whatever hoe work is
needed be given without hesitation or
delay. If the ground happens to be
drv. don't be deceived into the belief
that the crop is clean because the young
grass is covered with dust and is not
plainly visible. We have seen many a
crop ruined by carelessness just. at this
point. A aV 'Iay checks the growth of
grass and hills the farmer into fancied
security. A wet June follows, the grass
springs up like magic and he never
catches up with it again.
If the harrow has been properly used
in the corn field, that crop will now be
perfectly clean and so far advanced that
there will be no further difficulty in
covering up young grass or weeds even
with a scrape. We know from repeated
trials, even on bottom lands that are so
liable to become foul, that a corn crop
may be made with the plow alone. It
can be done even with ordinary, old
time plows; start before grass makes
headway; Aith a turning shovel begin in
the centre of the middle and bed up, the
wing being turned away from the corn.
The last furrow, when a middle is com
pleted, will side the corn very elosely
and throw just enough dirt to cover up
young grass without covering the young
corn. The next working: with a short.
and broad turning shovel, begin next to
corn with wing towards it, and throw
dirt moderately to the plants. These
two workings should be given before the
corn is ten inches high. After that the
scrape will do all that is necessary.
Where corn is planted in the water-fur
row, a proper running of the scrape will
cover up all grass from the beginning to
the end.
The first of May is the best time to
sow the first crops of forage corn, sor
ghums and millet. Supposing the land
to have been broken some time ago, it
should have received two broadcast har
rowings to keep the surface clean and
mellow. This is especially necessary for
all of the sorghums, because the plants
are small at first and grow off quite slow
ly. Hence early working with the plo~w
is difficult and not satisfactory if the
land is grassy. These crops can't bear
the expense of hoe work; therefore the
necessity for having the land in finest
order at planting time. Lay off rows
three feet apart; drill the seed of sor
ghumis rather thinly and cover lightly
with a board. For fodder corn proceed
in like manner, but p~ut in from two to
two and a half bushels of seed per acre.
As soon as the plants are up, and will
bear it, side with scrape, set to rnn very
flat; two or three plowings will suffice,
and if the land was in proper condition
at the time of planting, no hoeing will
be called for. German millet may be
sown broadcast if the land has been well
prepared and is in fine tilth; a half
bushel of seed per acre is sufficient. Suc
cessive plantings of above crops every
two or three weeks to the first of August
will enable a farmer to feed his stock all
through the summer on green forage
more cheaply than on anything else, and
with great benefit to their health. Cut
and partly cure-say exposed to sun and
air for one day-before feeding; this will
reduce the water in them and render
thm less laxative. Any disposition to
scour may be prevented by a mixed
ration of dry and green forage; perhaps
this is preferable from every point of
view. Cheap stock :eed is like cheap
coal for an engine, it reduces the cost of
production of everything raised on the
farm; and we must bear in mind that
money saved is eq1uivalent to money
made. If one can reduce the cost of
producing cotton a cent a pound, it is the
same to him as if he sold for one cent
more per pound. An abundance of cheap
forage makes less grain necessary. When
not at work, stock may be kept with lit
tle or no grain if fed full rations of good
forage. If you have prep~ared for a
large crop of cotton, cut it down and
plant a portion of the cotton land in
these forage crops, they will pay you
better than cotton.
Clover and orchard grass will be ready
for the mower by the end of the month.
Cut after the dew is off and cock up the
sane evening all that is mowed before one
o'clock. After hay is well wilted it
Ishould never take the dew. The above
applies more especially to that cut with
a mower. Spread out in a uniform lay
er not in swaths, like that handeut, it
dries very rapidly on a bright day. If
hand-cut, and the swaths are very heavy,
the cocking may be deferred to the after
Inoon of the next day; but if this is done,
it is better to turn the swaths over in the
evenin ad let the nrisd bottom nor
tions take the dew. Both grass and
elover make a better quality of hay if
nut rather early; the quantity. however,
will be rather less. When a fourth of
the heads turn brow is prolablV the
best tinw to cut clover: when in full
bloom the tile to cut grats. As soon s1
the i'lowi Clover begins a liew growth
topdress it with a hundred imuds of
plasteUr to the acre.
Every one who raises hogs ought to
plant largely of the St. Domingo tyl of
sweet potatoes for fattening them in the
fail. Considering quantity and quality.
we know of no other food so easily and
Aheaply raised for the purpose. If the
potato and corn are dried at the temper
ture of boiling water, three 1mshels of
potitoes will contain as much dry matter
is one of corn: not as ranch fat or
:ibuminous matter in proportion as Irl,
but more of the starch group than corn.
Peas would make up the deticiency in
the potato admirably: the two would tit
well together and make an almost ier
feet ration for fattening hogs. HaVe a
potato and pea patch in the sane en
1losure, so that the hogs may eat of each
it will, and you have the foundation for
-heap pork. If the Spanish ground pea
ucceeds as well generally as it seems to
lave done in some localities, it might
take the place of the cow pea, especially
n lands containing lime. Clover for
pring, Bermuda grass for sumnmer, peas.
groundpcas and potatoes for fall and
,arly winter, make provision foir nearly
the whole year. Let us strike for inde
L)endence in this and every other depart
ment of farming.
Bear in mind that grain harvest will
soon be at hand and arrange work ahead
with reference to it. Get crops clean
nd well worked now, so that they may
bear a short neglect during harvest.
Some enterprising man in every neingh
borhood ought to be encouraged to buy
i reaper and cut all the grain just as
parties now do the threshing. Tn other
words, a traveling reaper ought to be a
regular institution. Farmers can ill spare
the time from their crops to harvest
grain, and cradlers are getting more cx
icting and exorbitant in their demands.
he practice is becoming quite general
to cut oats when the grain is in the
"dough," and cure it like hay. Cut, and
illowed to take the sun a day without
being tied ill) in bundles, it becomes
uficiently cured to be tied up and
shocked in the usual nuinner. Or it may
be cured like hay and stored away in
bulk in stacks or barns. ft makes an
excellent feed.
Fall oats were quite generally killed
Lb the severe weather in January, but
here the land has not been plowed
since, an occasional stalk of oats may be
found which has survived the cold. It
would be well to take care of these and
gather them carefully when ripe. Their
survival indicates a hardiness of consti
tution which will stand extreme cold,
and a very desirable strain of winter oats
might be propagated from then. The
matter is worthy of trial. With us the
mercury fell to zero; the red rust-proof
oats was entirely killed, with the very
limited exceptions noted above: the win-.
er grazing oats was also very badly
killed, possibly a tenth escaping. Tf a
variety of oats that can stand the cold of
zero is not to be had, what grain can be
substituted for fall oats? Rye will stand
any degree of cold; can it h~e utilized as
stock feed when mature and ripe? Would
it be practicable to thresh and grind the
grain, and chaff the strawv forage? Or
could barley be utilized in place of oats?
We think the latter is used largely as
stock feed in California- how is it man
aged? Can any one tell us?
TrHEi '.01THERA BA PTI5T..
conenion--Putingi~i th IDeIaletion IPJ a
The Southern Baptist Convention will
meet in Louisville. Ky., on May 8~ next.
The Rev. Dr. Cooper. of Richmond,
Va., was selected to deliver the Conven
tion sermon. Sonme time was devoted to
the Cuban mission. 'The question was
whether the foreign or home board
should take charge of it and prosecute
the work. Able speeches were made for
both boards, but it was decided by a
large majority to give it to the home
board. An amendment to the constitu
tion was adopted so as to require dele
gates to be appointed by the 1st of MIay
of each year, and the representation to
be one delegate for every one hundred
dollars p)aid into the treasury by the 1st
of MIay of each year.
A report on temperance, pledging
members to work for the suppression of
the whiskey traffic, was adopted.
The Convention adjourned sine die on
the 11th inst.
Telephonue Men Dlrownied.
E. Y. Hinkle, of Baltimore, General
Superintendent of the Washington Tele
phone Company. and William C. R.
Stumps, M1anager of the lines in
Winhester, Va., nearly lost their lives
on last Thursday night while crossing
Opequan Creek coming fronm Berryville.
Hinkle cut the horse from the wagon
and with Stumps, who has only one
hand, clung to the animal and were
brought safely to the bank. Hen-y
3ayhew, repairer of the lines, remained
in thet wagon andl was drowned.
-A silver tobacco box which John
Alden carried in his pocket when, in the
courtship of 3Miles Standish, he present
ed to Priscilla 3Mullins the Captain's
proposal of marriage, is now the proper
ty of MIrs. 31. MIc~adden, of Allegheny
City, Pa., a descendant of John Alden,
belonging to the ninth generation in the
regular descent. Her little silver tobac
co box is a curiosity to visitors. It is
supposed to be nearly three hundred
4d E%,E1 . ATrLE.
\n E- oa i enerore the G:u-rnarIy Bre-eder'
- t-ociation.
Among the various breeds to, whielh
po)iilart atteniioni has lit-e called in re
eeit years, there is iolle desennrg a
higher place in publie t-stimatioi than
the Giuernsev. whether for dairy pur
poses or the later garnieret profit as a
beef animal; and yet. perhaps, notwith
standing such strong chims upon the
farmers and breeders' attenition, no0
breed is so little generally known. Not
only are there very niy who hate
never seen a Guernsey, bit there are a
vast number more who have never seen
the milk or butter. and a still greater
number who have never eaten Guernsev
beef. - Those who have not, have yet to
see the deepest colored milk and eream,
the most golden colored butter, reqIur
ing no aid from coloring matter either
in summer or w\inter, and to taste the
most highly-flavored beef in existence,
having a peculiar flavor of its own.
This breed may be said to be tlw hap
py medium between the diminutive Jer
sey and the huge Friesian, and com
prising tie merits of both breeds. It is
thus par-excellence the farmer's breed.
especially for the butter-making farmer.
Docile to an extreme, bearing neglect of
care well, it yet repays careful attention
and good feeding with as much interest
as can be expected of any bovine race.
COLOR OF THE BnEED.
Ev-n to the fastidious, whom nothing
but a solid color will pk-aise, its rich
golden-hued skin will prove attractive
and recommend its pleasantly combined
hues of yellow or lemon-fawn and white;
for in no other breed will there be found
such an exudation of butyraceous mate
rial filling the pores and the hair with
unctious matter, producing that soften
ing effect so dear to the hand of the ex
pert and to the breeder of butter, at
least, as a general rule in this breed, it
being the exception in other breeds.
While to the practical man, who knows
that color of the hair has not the slight
est influence upon the yield or constitu
tion, the cLarmiing, softening effects of
the blending pi the golden fawns and
white are sources of perpetual delight.
ORTII OF THE BREED.
As this is as old a breed as any other,
has been kept purely bred as log, and
was imported into this country as early
as the Jerse. there must be a reason for
its 1eing comparatively so little known
and extended. The earliest settlers in
the sea-board districts were Dutch,
Swedish and English. They naturally
brought with them the cows from their
homes, and thus, with the intermingling
of thLir eattle. there sprung up what is
now termed "Native Race." As it was
found desirable to improve upon these
with pui-bred stock, the Devons, the
Shorthorns, the Jerseys and the Guern
seys were imported. The latter two in
the first quarter of this centdry. They
at once attracted great at.ntion for their
richness of yield. Each breed was im
ported indiscriminately from either
island under the generat name of Alder
ney. As they became fashionable in
England. and as each island restricted
importation. the true distinction finally
culninated in the formation oft clubs for
each breed. The -Jerseys, from their
great beauty, as well as merit, have t. en
the lead. Their praise has been herald
ed in every manner. and being mlore
finely backed tup by records of great per
formance. the breed has a permanent
hold in this country, and as merit is
guiding selection now-, its claims to value
will increase. Thus, also, it is with thle
Guernsey. The earliest importations
made by Colt, Biddle, King andi others.
have been imintained by niWny oIthers.
But for many years past those who were
developing the Guernseys in this coun
try, were too busy enlarging their herds,
and having none to spare, did hut little
to call attention to thenm. But as a
knowledge of their merits spread, deal
ers have steadily been increasing their
imortations. anld breeders have gone
over and made selections, until now there
is 1beginning to be a supply for the rapid
ly increasing demand.
As the island has a history of over
two thiousand years. as the eattle have
strongly marked peculiar characteristics,
maintained by a rigid exclusion from the
island of any other breeds, it seems not
worthi our while to enter into the dis
puted question of the origin of this
breed of cattle, but to content ourselves
with their excellence as we find themi at
this day. We may, in passing, state our
belief that they- are of Norman origin.
though there is some testimony which
might lead us to suppose they nmighit
have originally been brought there by
the Danes, or at least that somc anunals
were imported 1by tho D~anes and mixed
with those found on the island. As
Normandy and Brittany are the nearest
coast lands of France with which there is
constant communication, and as the
presenlt Norman breeds, the Contentine
and the like, arc very- similar, alnost
equally noted for their rich dairy (quali
ties, and yieling nio st sup~erior butter.
that known as coming from Isigny and
Baynt and bringing the highest price in'
the nmarket-I say these points should
have great weight in ascribing the main
origin of the Guernsey breed to Nor
mandy. Be that as it may, the most
unrejudiced minds, after becoming ae
quainted with all the meiits of Guern
se, must admit that they have no su
perors in their peculiar traits.
TRAITs OF TIHE BREED.
These may. be summed up in few
words. The Guernsey gives a larger
quantity of milk than any of the breeds
which give rid h milk; she maintains thle
quantity for ac longer time, more eon
tinuously; it is the deepest, the richest
in color of all rmilks; it is usurpassed in
-yi of butte i les hn five quarts
having made a pound of butter, even
with the few tests that have been made;
the butter is the highest and deepest
tone of all self-colored butters; the but
ter will go farther; it has a peculiar rich
flavor and aroma: the beef is remarkably
juicy and well interlaid with fat of the
deepest color, tender. and of the highest
flavor. and tle cara-'s dresses well and
profitably. Considering that there are
but 1L,00 hiead of cattle on the island,
and that there muiust be more or less close
interbreeding, the Guernsey cow is a
very sure and regular breeder, and re
produces herself and her fixed types
ith exactitude: her docility and gentle
ness, most important traits in a dairy
breed, are remarkable, and the males are
o'f an amiable and gentle disposition,
seldom becoming oross ,r desiring to
real il.
Ti size. avoiding tile diminutiveness
on the cle hand and the gross size on
the other, the Guernsey is of the size
asiest maintained for good returns; and
when killed for beef, cuts to profit; as
xen. while not quick-stepping, they are
patient and assiduous.
The color is peculiar, mainly running
in shades of orange and lemon fawn,
either in solid masses or prettily broken
with masses of white. Formerly black
and brindle were more common than at
the present time. The skin is usually of
so rich a golden color as to be unrivaled
aind extraordinary. Its unctiousness
mellows the skin and softens the hair
and exudes iu a yellow butyraceous se
eretion. The golden rim around the
eves, the collections in the ears, and the
dandruff at the end of the tail, all pro
claim the wonderful richness of the ani
mal.
POTENCY OF THE BREED.
The long continued similar course of
breeding which the Guernsey has under
gone gives it that power -which we term
potency; the ability to produce like, to
repeat itself, whether upon members of
its own breed or upon those of other
breeds. It is this quality which renders
the Guernsey bulls so valuable to stamp
their get with the peculiar richness of
the breed; this is so lasting that it takes
generations to breed it out. We know
of an instance where a bull was intro
duced twenty years ago, and the butter,
as marketed from his descendants, shows
the rich color and the good flavor to this
day.
The continuity of her yield is one of
the most valuable traits of the cow, for
by this pertinacity up to her cahing
even, the mod rate milker in this length
of time catchf up aiid yiel-;s in quantity
more than the cow that milks well for
three or four months, or that goes dry
for two or three months, gradually fail
ing up to the time of stopping. This is
especially valuable to the owner of but
one cow, and where he owns two cows
and insists upon their taking a natural
and needed rest of six weeks or two
months, he can arrange it so as always
to have his milk and butter. Like the
hare and tortoise, it is the steady milker
that beats in the long run.
GENERAL PURPOSE MERITs.
The Guernseys are hardy and tough,
and therefore fitted for any section of
this country. and we know of no breed
so fitted for the raiidlvinereasing dairies
of the West, the far W~est and the
Northwest. On their own island they
are exposed more or less every day in the
ear, in the day time in the ho~t suns and
at nighit to the heavy dews and to the
atmoshere heavy with cold and damp
ness, provocative of rheumatism in the
inhabitr uts. lTe farmer and the dairy
man want a cow cof good size they can
trn for heef, that while alive will pay
well in milk and butter. This seems to
be a sine qua non with farmers of the
East as wel as of the West. If these
cat tie on a small island ure exposed to
the bleaching sun and to such withering
blasts that I have seen whole hedges,
trees and shrubs blackened by them as
by a devastating fire, can stand such
c~ages. they- are well fitted to the heardl
life n maenv of our unsheltered farms.
hihIed Hecr IBetrayer.
Robert Wright was shot and killed at
Elizabeth, Col., on last Wednesday, by
a woman from D~enver, whom he had be
traed, andi who came on a morning
train from that city, accompanied by
her brother. After her arrival she went
to Wrighit's place of business and asked
him to marry her. Upon his refusing
she fired three shots at him from a
Colt's forty-five calibre revolver, two of
them taking effect. one in his head and
the other in his chest, and he dropped
dead. The woman claims to be the
mother of a five-weeks-old illegitimate
child, of which Wright wa-s the father.
He had often promised to marry her,
but always failed to keel) his word. She
made up her mind to kill him if he again
refused to keel) his promise. After the
shooting the woman and her brother en
tered a carriage and drove to Kiowa.
where the former gave herself up to the
onicers. b ut refused to give her name.
-(ieorgia niewspapers are lamientin g
because the Giovernor of their State gets
$3,(J00 a year, while his necessary ex
pnes are reckoned at $6,000. The
Vermont Executive gets but $1,009.
But, then. the Vermont chief magistrate
has no great wear and tear in office, ecx
cept to face the 1,000 men, each of
whomi claims to have elected hinm and
prpssto direct all his movements.
-A number of girls in New York, who
understand stenography and Spanish.
are getting good salaries from merchaut-s
and others having trade with Mexico.
This indidate-s that trade with that
country is growing, and that it is equitC
worth the while of women who wvork toc
diversify their stock of information.
Spfanish is a language very easily learned,
three months being ample time to acquire
enough of it for the purpo se-s of correC
spndnce.
GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE.
Him Acceptance or the Command of the Conred
erate Army of Virginia.
(From the Chicago Tribune.,
"Did I ever tell you," said ex-Senator
Pomeroy, of Kansas, to me the other
day, that I was present when the com
mand of the Confederate army was offer
ed to Genera] Lee?>"
"No."
"Well, T was; I stood within six feet
of him. Nobody in the party knew me
as I had just arrived in Washington from
Kansas, and was almost an entire stranger
here. Kansas was admitted, you re
member, during the last days of Buchan
an's administration, and Lane and I
were elected to the Senate. We came to
Washington with a lot of Kansas fellows
to see what the secessionists were doing,
and were on the cars when we heard that
Fort Sumter had been fired upon.
"But I am going to tell you about
Lee. I was keeping a diary then, as I
have ever since, and do now. Only the
other day I was reading it over, and it
recalled to me that about the 16th or
17th of April, 1861, a committee of
twelve men came up from the secession
convention, then meeting at Richmond,
and stopped at the hotel where I was. I
used to circulate around among them,
trying to find out what they were up to,
and discovered that they had come to
see General, who was over at Arlington.
One afternoon about 4 o'clock they start
ed off in carriages, and a friend of mine
and I got in a buggy and followed them.
We joined the procession before it got to
Arlington, and acted just as if we were
a part of their crowd. When we reached
the old mansion General Lee, who was
evidently not expecting any callers, came
out in his dressing-gown and slippers,
and I tell you he was as noble a looking
a man as ever I saw. He had been sent
for by General Scott, and came from
California, you remember, to usehisinflu
ence to prevent Virginia from going out
of the Union, and while he had not
made any public declaration, people gen
erally understood that he was opposed
to secession, so we watched what was
going on with a great deal of interest.
"The chairman presented the dele
gates to the General one by one, and
when they had been introduced he be
gan a speech which I wrote down as
nearly as I could remember it in my
diary that night. It was very nearly in
these words: 'Gcneral Lee, we are au
thorized by the convention now in ses
sion at Richmond to convey to you an
expression of the confidence and esteem,
as one of the most esteemed citizens of
Virginia, and to tender you the com
mand of the troops that have been raised
to protect the old State from the p(ril
which now confronts her. We are en
couraged by the belief that you, as a
son of Virginia, will respond to her caill
and direct the military forces so as to
prevent the military in-asion of her
sacred soil. We know that large bodies
of troops are being organized in the
north for coercion of our people, and
they will be resisted by every patriotic
citizen of the Commonwealth. The con
vention at Richmond is awaiting anxious
ly for our return with your answer, as
your acceptance will give strength and
encouragement to the people.'
"To this Lee respondled briefly and
directly. He stood a mioment with a
determined expression upon his face, as
if the mind was fully made up, but he
was not certain ho~w to e'xpress himself.
Mv friend and1( L fromt what we had
heard, expected that lhe woul decline
and tell the committee to go home and
abandon the seceslon programme. lie
started out all right in his reply. 'Gen
ilemen,- said he, 'I am opp1osed to war,
althoughl bred to the protfe!ssion of arus.
I am especially opposedl tto civil war, to
strife between brothers. I regret that
one section of this country is arrayed
against the other.
"U1) to that," continued Mr. Pomueroy,
'1 thought he was goimg to decline, btt
his next wordls scaredl me: 'I heard the
voice of Virginia,' he said, 'of the meth
er that bore me, whose soil is as sacred
as the ashes of my father buried there.'
'He's gone,' I said to my friend, 'he's
made up his mind,' and his next words
were: 'I cannot resist the call of the
sovereign State to which I owe my first
allegiance; but remember, gentlemen, I
shall draw my sw'rd in her defense, and
with the prayer that we, in defending
our rights. may not be compelled to shed
the blood of our b~rethren.'
"He then said that he would go to
Richmond at once and report in person
to the government.
--The next morning everyb~ody knew
that Lee had gone to .Richmond, and
within twenty-four hours the newspapers
contained his order upon assuming com
mand of the Virginia troops."
\r-tE!hciat Teeth a Prehiktoric Product.
D~r. Van 3Marter, of Rome, has pub
ished atn interesting account of the cvi
deuces discovered by luim of prehistoiec
dentistry in Italy. Ini the museunm of
Cornelo ITrquinlius, a city on the 31edi
teraneatn coast, he found two specimens
of ,nienit dentistry, which the 3Mayor' of
tht Lcity ctities were found upon01 the
frt opening of the bturied Etruscan
tom'abs, andt Profe'ser Hleilbig gives as
sranlce that these were virgin tombs,
dating back four or five centuries before
the Christian era. In one of the sliei
meuis the two supleiotr central incit-ors
are bound by a 'banad of very soft gold to
teeth onl either side; the artificial teeth
are well earved,. evidently from the teith
of some0 large atuiiid. One other ara iti
ial to oth was held by the same bad,
ut it is km D)r. Van MIarterhbasin his
own pmossessiton a skull in which the iirst
uppt~er imolar on the right side is missizag.
and which shows plain marks of an
alveolar abscess. proving conclusi' ely
tothache awong the Etruscans.
THE RICHNIOND CONFERENCE.
Matterm of Interent to the Methodist Church
Cqnsidered and Decded.
In the Methodist Episcopal General
Conference last week the Manual of
Discipline by Bishop McTyeire again
came up under a motion that the Col
lege of Bishops be requested to publish
their decisions. After considerable dis
cussion the matter went over without
action. It was manifest that the greater
part of the delegates are unwilling that
the Manual shall serve as a final arbiter.
A large number of amendments have
been offered, looking to a change of
Discipline, but so far little disposition is
manifested to make changes. Dr. Ed
wards. of Virginia, introduced a resolu
tion proposing a chnge in the order of
divine service on the Sabbath day. An
animated debate followed. Drs. McFer
rin, Kelley, Young and others spoke
earnestly against the resolutions, which
was finally rejected.
The committee on episcopacy reported
in relation to episcopal residences that
in their opinion there should be a Bishop
from each of tb great sections of the
country.
The Rev. Dr. John Miley, fraternal
messenger from the Northern Methodist
Church, was introduced to the Confer
ence. Governor Foraker, the other
fraternal messenger from the Northern
Church, did not come.
A large congregation attended Cen
tenary Church to hear addresses by the
fraternal delegates-the Rev. Mr. Briggs,
of the Methodist Church of Canada, and
the Rev. Dr. Miley, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. The addresses were
all admirable, and were most attentively
heard.
The report of the committee on foreign
missions, to which was referred the reso
lution in reference to the appointment
of a superintendent of foreign missions,
recommended non-concurrence. Adopt
ed.
The committee on church extension
recommended that the request for the
establishment of a woman's department
of church extension, for the purpose of
securing parsonages for the church, be
granted.
Mr. Peterson, of Virginia, from the
committee on Bibles, submitted a half
dozen reports in relation to changes in
Discipline. He also submitted the re
port of his committee in regard to the
memorial of the Missouri Conference
asking that the word "South" be elimi
nated from the name of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, and report
upon the resolution providing that
church members signing petitions fcr
the sale of intoxicating liquor may be
dealt with as the case may require. To
this resolution the committee recommend
non-concurrence.
The session of Thursday was consum
ed in disussing different features of the
Manual of Discipline. It was resolved
to elect c'nr niew bishops on the 18th
instant.
iENSATIONS OF HANGING,
A New Mexico Man' Experience at the Hands
of a Mob.
Theodore Baker, a New Mexico man
who was recently hanged by a mob, but
was rescued and cut down before life
was extinct, gives this account of his ex
perience to a newspaper correspondent:
"A little further on we came to a
telegraph pole. From the crossbar
swung a new rope. On one end was a
big slip noose. They led me under the
rope. I tried to stoop. down and pull
my boots off, as I had promised my folks
I would not die with my boots on, but
before I could do it the noose was
thrown over my head and I was jerked
off my feet. My senses left me a mo
ment, and then I waked up in what
seemed to be another world. As I recol
lect now, the sensation was that every
thing about me had multiplied a great
many times. It seemed that my five
executioners had grown in number until
there were thousands of them. I saw
what seemed to be a multitude of anima
of all shapes and sizes. Then things
changed and I was in great pain. I be
came conscious that I was hanging by
the neck, and that the knot of the rope
had slipped around under my chin. My
hands were loosely tied, and I jerked
thema loose and tried to catch the rope
above me. Somebody caught me by the
feet just then and gave me a jerk. It
seemed like a bright flash of lightning
passed in front of my eyes. It was fol
lowed by a terrible pain up and down
and across my back, and I could feel my
legs jerk and damw up. Then there was
a blank, and I knew nothing more until
11 o'clock next day.
I"My first recollection was being in the
court room, and saying: 'Who cut me
down? There was a terrible ringing in
my ears, like the beating of gongs. I
recognized no one. The pain in my
back continued. Moments of uncon
sciousness followed during several days,
and I have very little recollection of the
journey here. Even after I had been
locked up in thiL prison for safe keeping
for a long time I saw double. Dr. Syma
ington, the prison physician, looked like
two persons. I was still troubled with
spells of total forgetfulness. Sometimes
it seemed I didn't know who I was."
-ASpnsh vessel laden with molas
seswen aso~eon the Florida coast
some days ago, and all but one of the
crew escaped. thanks to the assistance of
the residents of thatt neighborhood.
Wheu the wreck bro'ke up and casks
of mtok began tocome ashore, the
captini anid the-nw stood byV with
awst and b r.k :. :a a fa.-t as they
came within reach. reinsing even the
empty casks to the mlenl who so recently
helped to save their lives.