The Manning times. (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, August 03, 1887, Image 1
--" .110h ~ r
VO. In MANNN.('AtNIN(WNYS.XWD SIA.A WT3iK NO3.
TIlki ES t )V 11- W- A 1.
A 1GLANCE AT CAT' i CON 1 I'
ATE !LA(! AT VA' IWNGTON.
The Story Told by These Mute ta.
of a Lost Caou--itaners of Sill. u:d
Banners of Tatter--t-ow ie F1:1A -re
iiepwt in the War Depart'aenit.
SLtuer to the N.w York war'd.)
WAImsNGTON, July 29.-Yesterdiy in
walking through the immense granite
pile of the State, War aund Navy Depart
ments, I was iken with the curisi to
see the battle flags whicii ha-ve s,- ,,
country'in an uproar. Turning to the
right from the maiu corridor t the
building on the second floor, I e'tred
the commodious apartments of the Ad
jutant General's office, and found myself
confronting at a corner desk in one of
the rooms, a rather statured man, Of
well-fed form and placid face, with his
-coat off like an ordinary clerk, bending
to his work, alternately mopping the
heat from his forehead and signin. or
ders. This individual looked as little as ]
possible like kindling the memLoris of a
great rebellion or starting the world on
flame in any quarter. The heat c! the
day seemed all sufficient for his energies.
All the same, it was General Dtm,
Adjutant General of the United States
Army, whose autograph oi a sli: of
paper addressed to Mr. Cleveland a few
weeks ago, and recommended the di:tri
bation over the country of a variety of
tattered bunting in the garret of the,
War Office, set the country by the ears
and is likely to play a considerable role
in a coming campaign for an Amencan
2resident. I had been told that Adju
tant General Drum was extremely .asi
tive to the inquiries of visitors con zern
ing this same banting. 1 was agre-ably
surprised, therefore, on mforMnas tms
gentleman ihat I had witai;ss i the i
old days of the rebcilion the speetaz' of
the arrival of n-any of these Ilas : th
War Department, fresh fro.1 tuie I tle
fields on which they were C ca"uried, indu
of my wish to again inspect thezm, a be
ing met with the blandest of siles ud
promptly put in charge of an att-.:n:ant
vitt, instructions to aid my mission.
Carried by an elevator live stories up,
under the roof of the War Dei a-ue,
almost burning in this Washingtou - n
mer weather, the key bei:g turne; by
my guide in the doer of an attic roa, .1
stood an instant later in a little ce
hardly more than ten feet square, n~riy
within reaching distance on ail
these battered mementos of tbe var.h
very mention of which has set air e the
hearts of sixty millions of peop- 'ew 1
rags saturated with the cxplozive v
of patxiotism! But the Lint ihogt on
seeing them in this ncnt up spac- of
attic is of the smallness of the eau!' to I
the size of the effect. The flags -::ed 1
about the room appear at ihst sight ouly
a handful at the most, but counted -pi t
rately there are 750 in all, over iLve Iun- I
dred of them being Confederate and the
remainder Federal flags recatured kom 1
their captors. One half oA the cLtirek
number are attached to their stava as
as they were originally taken, the dags
of the two sections being stacked in
separate masses against two sides of the t
room, facing the other half folded and .
protrading from pigeon holes on th.' on-. L
oosite walls. The sight of the stars and
stripes keep; always familiar. But the|
first look at the dark red heap of the !
Lanners of rebellion, piied here against 1
the side of the attic, blots ouit twe:>ty-|
;fve years from the memaory and brings
back as if it were yesterday, the red years 3'
when they waved at the head of their
regiments. There is hardly a flag among
them all that has not its history record
ed in the book in the hands of the keep
er of the r-oom. Nearly all are riddled
with bullets, and many, like those car- I
ried through such battles as the Wilder
ness and the second Bull Run, we re shot
literally into tatters and almost un
recozia ble sprays of rag.
Te contrast in the appeamnece of tue
Southern and Union standards is signti
cant of the history of the war. T"hilt
ter are rigged on clean polishe dpoes
and are of firm, rich material, many of
them of silk, showing an abundance in
the North of the fabrics of which they
continued to be made. The majority of
the Confederate flags are of the wretch
est shoddy bunting, miserable in color,'
as in substance, while great numbers of
them are mounted on rude, nnba~rked
gads and saplings, hastily cut from the
wooda on the march-recalling the
blockade and the pinching days when
war had fallen on a section without
manufactures, and the intense, desperate
purpose of a people forgot seemiiness
and absorbed every thought but the win
ning of their fights.
Many of the flags lying folded in the
boxes and taken out to be exhibited by
the guardian cf the room recall still
more vividly the narrow straits of rebel
lion on its last legs, being literally iude
pendent of discrimination in color and
made of patches from women's dresses
and underskirts of nearly every hue and 1
material--pitiful retainders of the Spar
tan poverty and courage that were still
to fail of their end. There arc somec ex
ceptions, however, in this storeroom of
battle trophies, to these mementos or
the sterner- aays of the war for the
South. The attendant drew from the
pigeon holes on the walls and unfolded
for my inspectionl three or fzonr magmni
cent banners of heavy silk, fringed with
tassels of gold and ornamented with:
pictures in oil and richlmabroiderings on
a field of blue. These flags rcpr-esen
the early and Lalec n days of the Los:
C2ause, when they were made by locA
associations of ladies and presc te dt
tho military organizations which care
them. On' of those 11ags belonged to
the Apalacehicola Guard, whose namei
stitched in gold letters on its ichus -ton
the exultant mottees: *In God is Ut;m
Trust '""Our Rlights We Wil "i
tain:" The finest of themi all isti
Norfolk Light irlillery, with an
jyrtrait of Washington in the certre
its ild, the mottoes on the revers. i
being the same as those of the flag ju
described. The days when the Co.f
crate armies could afiord suchi luxury
ensigns quickly passed away, howse
as is evidenced by this conlection, repr,
senting every period of the war. In ti I
beginning of the rebellion the design o
~hfan aried by the Southern reg- l
swas thit a th r and Uars
two red bars and -ne- white-chngin
at a later eriod !4 ar : with ,h(
Southerrn Cro..ss, roebling the Uliih
Union Jack. A study of the Te<Cd
kept by the W.ar Deprtment of tli
name and capture f ,1 of tl:-.- le
though a work o day', would be of in
tense interest to the vetcrau soldier. It
would recall to hi the episodes of tri
unmph on half the didlS of the rebellion.
The sight of the flags themselves would
do somethi'ng mure-tiikening his
heart-beats w1ith m ori's of the great
ti gt. Tat no.t . fe w ihese standards
have beln thr. e-tres or i v versona
the juncrous
bL;od-tis il mabeupon themr.
'he g'atv0, a 1, of ray o inom are
.g;al wvi: h the guwof bulets, the
ad in some instances icrcing th.eir
entres and remaiming inbedded iu the
vood. Everything. iii fct, in the ap
aearance of the whole collection, as it is
iled here in the narrow garret, faded
md suiled and tattered, shows that these
Ire no. banners of holiday parade, but
1ave passed through the fire and ex
remity of actual war-the sorrowful
veeds blasted and fallen from its wrath.
or Myself, ot a soldit r, but a residcnt
> Washington during the war period I
:ecalled the stirring inci nts of their
)resentation to the War Department as
:hty were brought straight from the
lelds of their capture. On one of these
>eeasions thirty of these standards, as I
:emember, were carried here two days
tfter the fight at Winchester by a (le
:ation of soldiers whose hands had aetu
illy sei::ed them in the fight, Custer,
ith his long, yellow hair, at their head.
Stanto, the grim Seretary, undnt,
oved rcsults and these were the palpa
xle evidences of triumph. Coming out
>f the lion's den of his oilice he took
ach soldier by the Land and welcomed
aem as a bc ly with a speech. As the
ttle group stood before his door listen
rg to his aldress, the captured stand
.rds held above their heads in the nar
ow hall of the old War Department
ade a pictures-ue cloud of c.>lr,
'hc, together with the entire scene. it
-a no. easN to forget. Wien the :;tir
vas o--er tie sA~ehers started again for
he field n Sianton. taking Cast-r's
trm, walked slov.ly down the stelp of
h , War 0.2e. 6"uch1 was his hauit with
nv of the irilliant leadeirs -f the war
Liei- a visit to his denrtme ut.
Wit m JA(SoxN A1mSr no'L.
he conoilt o dIen llt.
From the New York Financial Chron
c's cotton article of July 2:3 the follow
og upres are gathered relative to the
movement of the stale da.Lng the poast
vc.:
For the weck cnded July 22 the total
.c'ui:cs reachLed :3.23 hales, against
,000 b.les last week 1,261 bales the
>revious wCeek, ami :*.4 bales three
-Ccks smee; ma'-kng the total receipts
inee the 1st September, 166, 5,2.098
)ales, against ,,t12 bales for the same
.eriod of 1S85-G, showing a decrease since
epteber 1, 1?0, of ST,51i bales.
The total sales for forward delivery for
he ween ex. -1, ToO 1les. For iw
nediate delivery the total sales foot up
his week ,SiGJ baics, inetuding ,;,2u7
;ales for ex!-rt and 2,63. fer home con
The export. for the week reach a total
>f 18,t:n ba!cs, of which 16,654 were to
ireat lritnin, 40 to France, and 2,237
o the rest of the continent.
Thre imaports into continental ports
luring the wcek wcre 20,000 b.des.
.hese ilgures indicate an ingrense in the
:otton in sight of ~3,iu0 bales as con
>ared with the same date of 188G, an
ncrease of :33,;3t 2 bales as compared
vith the corresponding date of 1885, and
.decrease of 31;,023 hales as compared
vith 188~4.
The total receipts from the planta
ions since 1st Scotember, 1886, are
i,18h3, 226 bales; in 1i8$6 were 5,:388,372
yales; in 1884 -5 were 4,726,410 bats.
klthough the receipts at the outports for
he past week were :t,2i)5 bales, the actual
novement from the plantations was onl~y
-bales, the balance being taken from
he stocku e't the interior tow~ns. Last
rear the receipts from: the- plantations
or the same week were j,:32 b'ies, and
md 'er 1885 they 9038 bales. The de
~rease in amount in sight to-night, as
:ompar-ed with last year; is 110,8'2 b 'len
he increase as complared with 1884 5 is
1l5,312 bales, and the increase over
L8:3 is 701,025' bales.
The Chronicle says that the specula
:ion in cotton for future delivery at this
narket has been fairly active for the
reeck under review, but prices have
ihown a good deal o'f variableness and
rregularity, influenced largely by ma
iipulation by the regular operators.
-aurday: was rather firmer, but on Mon
lay the annou:ncement of the failure of
s house reported to have been a leader
in the elfort to "corner" this crop caused
a sharp decline in July and August op
:iou.s, and weakened the whole position;
but ou Tuesday a better report from Liv
rpool and the repetition of reports from
the SoJuthwest that damage was being
lone by drouth, with some accounts of
worms, caused an eqiually smart advance.
O~n Wednesday the early months opened
lower and the next crop dearer, when
the tone suddecnly chauged; there war
an active buying of .ugust, with the
next crop umore freely sold closing lower,
while this crop maintained a small ad
vance. Thursday an irregular opening
was followed by a general decline, attrib
uted to therort~ of failures at New
Orleans, the aket of tue :ecent shnre
decline. Friday the nmarket was Jull
and weak. Cotton on the spot has met
with a moderate demnand for home con
sumption(. Quo+ttons were reduced
1-16'. on Jond'y. Un~ Thursday a irg..
business was done for export, and up
!as were advanced 1-10e. Friday
ther'- was 1-11 ..inin and m~iddling up
lo * Purd t, ehi. ihat liie m'.
net 'a wot* 5 m s.Mn
Youth loks at the possible age at the.
nmi :hioc
j Ex 4.eriences n i , non Ii n:re1m i
After the Oce-pmntion of the (it-- rutal
Order of t-e Post Co:naeiitlr.
(,From- the urmdniy 'Nqws )I
IHaviug just read the interesting sketch
of "The Parish Church of St. Michael,"
by Mr. George S. Holmes, which forms
a part of the "Year Book" for IS8, and
having noticed a slight inaccuracy on
page 307 (in the extract from the cbron-!
cle of the venerable A. E. Miller) I am:
tempted to correct it while recalling
other incidents of the times referred to.
Ts statement is;
"The Rev. 1r. Howe oficiate;l at St.
Paul'S, with others, until some time in
February, S, when he left the city in
consequence of his objeeting to read the
prayer for the President of the United
States. The same thing occurred to the
Rev. 1r. Marshall, 1). 1)."
The facts are: 1ev. Mr. Howe did not
leave the city in February, and Dr.
Marshal! never left at all.
The Rev. Mr. (now Bishop) Howe had
been ofiiciating at St. Paul's for sonI
time when, on the morning of the 18th
February, 1865, the United States troops
entered end, while the tire which * burst
out at the Northeastern Railroad depot
was swecping before it the (then) well
known residences in Chapel, Alexander
and Charlotte streets. In this day of
terror and distress the Rev. Mr. Howe
brought comfort to many. On the fol
lowing Sundays those members of the
Episcopal Church, who were still in the
city, gathered around him at St. Paul's
and, on the 19th and 26th of February,
(which days were Sundays,) amid al
that was dark around them, had, at least,
the comfort of undisturbed religious
worship.
In the beginning of March, however,
Col. Stewart L. Woodford, commander
of the post, eent for Mr. Howe, and,
while cntirely courteous in his language
and mianner, insisted that the prayer
for the Prcsident of the United States
should be used, or MIr. Howe must leave
the city. As Mr. Howe did not concede
to an army officer the right to make
changes in the ritual of his church, Col.
Woodford notiiled hin that he would be
sent out of the city, with every facility
giveu him to reach his family; but. in
the Imean"iC, corseLted to his holding
services on the 5th of March.
On that day -Mr. Howe spoke feelirgly
to his congregation, explaining the pos
tion and taking leave of us-none knew
for how long. His tones and beari ng.
were so impressive that, on his retiring
to the vestrr-room, two otlicers ci the:
United Stat -s navy who had attended
the service hurried'after Lim aud ofl'red
to use their influence with Col. Woo
ford to indaec a recall of his or.er.
Thev were unsuccessful, and the next :
day, 'larch G, the Rtev. 3r. Howe was
sent by steaincr to (corgetown, S. C.
St. Paul's was then closed, but the cr- i
-iecs of our church were still held in thec
little st John's Chatel, Ilampstead, by r
that venerable, gouly man, i'r. AL.
Mlarshal? .
Here for weeks the saddened faces and e
still sadder hearts of those who, petnt up s
in Charleston, saw the enemy's :eel -1
upon her reek, and felt i themslves,
gathered from Sunday to Sunda% to,
pour out together their prayers and thc.ir
sorrows, their hoipes and the.r :ars.'
This place of worship being remot rms
the great highways of the city, and so :,
unpretending in itself it was hoped that v
religious worship there at least would be t
unmolested. Thee hopes, however, i
werc rudely dispelled when on the 9th t
I think) of April the church was closed i
and Dr. Jarshall given a week to decide T
whether he would take "the oath of alie
giane" and use the prayer for the Pres- r
ident of the United States or leave the
city. Dr. Marshall wrote to Gen. Hatch j
to expostulate. Here is the General's t
reply:
" HEADntraTEfls NoIRTHER~N DIsTICT,
DEPA~RT31ENT OF THE SOUTH.
CnamEsT'ON, April 25, 1865.
General Orders No. 29.i1
It has been reported at these head
qudarters that the Rev. Alex. WV. M1ar
sh all, missionary of St. John's Chapel,
Hampstead, has, in the Eervices of the
said chapel, since the occupation of the
city by the United States forces, omitted
the prayers for the President of the
U..nited States. In a writn communi
eation, addressed to the commander of'
the post of Charleston, he styles the'i
praye~r for the President of the Un ted
States a "political prayer." it is, there
'fore, ordered that he be sent beyond the!
lines of the army, and be forbidden to i
enter the city of Charlesto during its!~
occuipation by the United States troops i
without permission of the commander of |
'the district or departnment. It is further |
ordered that his personal property be;9
confiscated to the use of the United i
States Governmaent. In punishing the
no d of th e congregation worshipnping at
St. John's Chapel the brigadier-general
commanding desires it to te considereda
a warning to those who, attending the'
services for weeks, so far forgot their
duty totheir country as not to informi
the-military authorities of the conducet
of this disloyal priest, with other words
of warning added.
By commnand of
Brig. Gen. JorN HATer.
LvoNAR &i U. PERRY,
Acting Adjutant General."
Tis.)1 specimen of war literature, <ct
mult. 2l., was taken down at the time.
In the helpless and almost hopeless t
condition of the times, in dread of bi''
left withut a ciergymlan to bury or
deadI Dr. 3.'s friends induced him tto
submit. This tempered Hatch's anger. t
a nd be revoked the order, but Dr.3.
never used the pr'ayer until there was no
question1 as to the propriety of using it.
Befor the nert Sunday came round he
was irun ov.er by a cureless driver, and'
for months ceutined to 'n. bed of :ueg
Suimmerville, S. C., .July 10, 1667.
Al ftebd makes. 85 cash am
0.a1auc Novembe~r 1, at SPOt c::.sh priei
on a P.iano. $10 cash and balauce N
vembe 1, nt slot cash prices on at
IOrgan. Delivered, freig ht free. atye
nlearest deCpot. l'Afien days test tri1
and freight both ways if not satisfactory
W\rite for circulars.
N. W. TRUMIP, I
Columbia. S. C.
Indians never kisoe nhr ad:.
one who has eyer seen an Indian can blanm'
them much.
a few miles are so accustomed to tihe
thing that they never mind it or men
tion it. Conseqnently, wery few pcople
outside of the immediate vicinity, aind
the physicians who have attended them,
are cognizant of the circumstances.
People passing the house, especially in
the summer time, have been tilled N ith
curiosity by what they saw and heard,
and have carried accounts to distant
places. These reports are very vague,
for the passers-by have had no definite
idea )f the matter. They only know
that it looked remarkably strange to see
a father and his sons out in the field
plowing and sowing many rods apart,
yet eacli one laughing as though he had
heard the best joke in the world. Curi
ous stories are told of the travelers who
went that way. Several ye.irs ago two
young men came from the interior of
the State to attend a party at Easton,
Pennsylvania.
It was a warm night and they did not
start until late. They drove past tLe
house of the laughing family soon after
the regular nightly attack had begun.
The windows were all open, as it was
early summer, and every sound could be
clearly heard. As the young men ap-!
proached they heard the most unearthly
noise their ears had ever received. It
seemed like pandemonium, and the
youths felt sure they had struck the en
trance to Sheol.
The horse took fright and nearly ran
away with them. Coming to the con
elusion that at least the place was haunt
ed, they hurried home, and the next
morning spread the news. Parties were
formed to investigate the matter, but
none of them solved the subject until
informed by a man in the village near
at hand as to the nature of the case.
They were urged to remain reticent
about the matter, and have done so.
rHYsIcAL 1ITEcTs.
The years of incessant laughter have
told somewhat on the faces of the fami
ly, but'not so as to be very noticeable.
There are scores of lines under the eyes
and above the cheeks, caused by the
drawing up of the skin. Then their
mouths have become wider and they
keep them closed with difliculty. The
most marked result of the disease, how
ever, is in the voice. The entire famiy i
talk in the same tone, resembling as
nearly as anything the voice of the alto
singer. Males and females ha-ve tie'
same inflection anid intonation. Mot of
them have more or less trouble with
their eyes, several having become ve-y
near sighted. The pupils havo cou
tracted, and the entire eyeball is dirin.
ished in size. This is accounteu for by
the contraction of the eyes while laugh
ing, and the effort required in n
or reading while undergoing an atmek.
Very little physical annoyance is C1aued
the laughers. They read and -write,
sleep and work without any trouble.
The only thing they seem unable to do,
while attacked, is to cat, and th-.t can b
readily understood. Se--cral grind
-hildren have been born. and in all bIt
one instance, they were taken, soon after
birth, with stated attacks at the sane
hours as their parents. Of course they
do not laugh as the older ones do, but
they crow and espress all the sigus of
baby glee twice a diay, and never cry
while in that state. If the disease con
tinue in the new generation, the laugh
ing family may ultimately become a
laughing village.
The Tongue an Index of Character.
Nvords weigh character. The tulngue
is the tell-tale of the inner, the real life.
"y thy words thou shalt be justillie,
and by thy words thou shalt be con
demned." We may judge of the depth1
or superficialness of a person's characte
by the tone and trend of his conversa
tion. Those who live in a narrow, en
vious, selfish sphere, unmoved by high
aims and pure motives, take delight in
depreciating the reputation of a neig
bor, in giving a frealt vent and a new
version to adme petty gossip designe~d
only to annoy and irritate; if the rumr
is against a minister of the gospel o
some one in high standing in society,
the indulgence of their low taste is t'e
more keenly relished. Such busy-bodies~ <
in their intermingling, not only revea
the serets of the c'omunity, but dis
close to all the hollowness of their ro
fessional friendship, and the danger im-1
plied in making them a confidant. The
tattler is one of the pests of society. le
or she is a standing menace to all. Since]
Since the days of the Apostle James
there is no record of any such havingv
been cured of the evil. "For every
kind of beast and of birds and of ocr
pents, and of things in the sea, is tamed,
and hath been tamed of mankind' but'
the tongue can no man tame; it is a
unruly evil full of deadly poison.''
"If any man offend not in word, the
same is a perrect man." Let it be our
daily aim to attain such a high andf en
nobling state of grace. "In all tl
about persons let it be thcir nseries that
we hasten to disclote, their good deeds'
that we gladly unfold. In all discussion
on character let the good eome into'
prominence. In all our uttered hopes
for the future let our highest ideal re
ceive the emphasis. Let trhL and not
error, light and iot aarkness, love and
not hate, ibe our themes. So shall w~e
increase and perpetuate all that is good
by frank utterance, while 7:1-i will de
crease and Adizppear under the hiek
dr.pery of silence."-B~aptiht Weekly.
Near Shelby, N. C., are now~ opeu fo
the reception of guests. TJhese Springs
are two jilecs from Shelby, 54 miles wtt
of Charlotte, N. C., and within one mile'
of the C. C. Railroad. IHacks will be at'
station on arrival of every train. i
ties from WVilmington and along the ie
of the Carolina Central IRailreadcn
reach this delightful resort before dar
on the samie day. Within 12 hours ride
of Wilmington. The Cuisine is nuds
control of a Chief equal to any in thI
South, and no expenre shall 1.e spa':l 1
to provide the table with the best the
market arlords. Polite and attentie
servants in all departments. Col a'd
warm baths. White and' Red Sulphu
and Chalybeate Waters. A good sting
band secured for the season. A Bcowlir
Alley in good order. Livery aceomme
dations attached to the hotel. Parti..
can leave Charlotte each afternoon a
4.30 o'clock, and reach the Springs be
fore dark, the railroad schedule now 'e
ing better than it ever was before. A
dress S. McBm PosToN, Proprietor,
Rhelby. N. 0.(
A LAUG1lNl; FMIlLY.
A S'.isi ST1tANGE STOI:Y FRO3:
NEW JEiSEY.
A Fam ily With; a PcVciiar 3Ialaly--Laugh
ing in Church and iat Odd Thmes ani
Place--Carius Stories Told by People
NEw YoK, July 28.-The story of
Jersey's laughing family is certainly one
of the oddest that ever reached the cars
of a eorrespondent. That a family wit
such a p-.cidiar malady, and one sc
Aeemingly intelestilg to the medica]
?rofession, should have lived so long ir
i State prctty well populated withoul
getting into the newspapers, except in a
irief and remote way years ago, is de
:idedly strange. The family reside in a
arge, substantial house, not far from
:he Delaware river in Hunterdon coun
:v. The father and sons are farmers
md prosperous and well to do. The en
ire family are chronic laughers, having
in afiection of the muscles of the mouth
md throat that compels them to give
rent to ap)arcut merriment at stated in
ervals. The malady first appeared in
he father about a dozen years ago. le
vas usually a very (uiet man, enjoying
,un, but manitestiug his enjoyment with
>ut much L-o: -e. lie was seated at the
tinner table one day in the spring of
he year, eat:ng teadily and not engag
ng in any of the conversation which the
>ther meibers of the family were carry
ng on. Suddenly, without any cause,
ic burst into at loud lit of laughter so
:xtremely d'Iferent from his accustomed
augh that all were attracted by it at
mce. When atked what was the reason
f his sudden outburst he made no re
)lv, but continued his nerrimnent. Some
ifithe boys thought he had hysterica,
.nd pounded him on the back, but it
id no good. After a few moments he
ande motions for pencil and paper, and
6rote that he was una .e to control his
isibles, and asked them to send for a
loetor.
The rural physician came, but could
,ive no remedy that stopped the laugh
er. Peal after peal of what sounded
ike the heartiest kind of fun came from
im, and nothing would avail to prevent
t. The doctor finally came to the con
lusiun that he was the victim of a
eivous attack, and, leaving a nervino
lemrted.
siNGULAn TuoUbLE.
The father continued laughing until
bout sundown, when he su Idenly
toppCd and fell on the floor completely
rostrated. He soon grew better, how
ver, ate a .earty supper, and spent the
veIing much as usual. No signs of the
etarn of the trouble appcaring, he went
L bed and was soou fazt asieep. Along
bout " o'clock, however, his was awak
ned by his laughter, and the same
ymptoms as of the day before mani
ested themselves. He kept it up until
o'clock, laughing loud and strong. At
o'clock the noise suddenly ceased and
id not return again until dinner time.
.us it continued, reerring each day
hertly after noon and in the night about
o'clock, and has every since. As the
eek passed lie grew so accustomed to
le disease that he was caused very little
aconvenience by it. He did not get
ired out, as at first, and soon was able
o go about his work-sowing seed and
lanting corn. digging vegetables and
ratering the eattle--while laughing imi
aoderately. Hie could not talk while
nder one of the spells, but carried a
tate and pencil around with him, after
be fashion of a deaf and dumb person.
The trouble was very regular in its
oming and going, and only occaslonally
>roke forth at unlooked-for seasons.
)nce the old man was taken in church.
ast when the minister was e>xhorting his
carers in the most solemn strains, and
poiled the ecleet of the discourse, be
ides distur bing the equilibrium of the
lergymana. Another time he was found
y one of his neighbors along the road,
ying beneath a bag of flour, laughing at
terrific rate. He has been taken while
triving home from' the mill, and the
addennss of the sounds frightened the
lorse, causing it to rim away and dump
he man and part of his load out in the
oad.
For eighteen months the father was
he only one of the household afflicted
~ith the malady. Several of them had
omplained from time to time of an in
lination to join the father in the laugh,
'nt none of them did so;-antil nearly two
'ears after he was taken, when Susie,
he youngest child, suddenly burst into
,similar fit during one of her father's
.ttacks.
From that time on she has laughed at
.bout the same hours that her father
tocs. One by one the remaining mem
crs fell victims to the strange conm
)iaint, until two years ago there wa:. but
ne left free and that was Charles, the
'idest son. His long exemption led him
o believe he would escape the malady.
lut he was mistaken, and it is said he
aid his ilrst attack whIe proposing for
he hand of a girl at WXJikesbbrre, 1'..
co frightained wae th maiden by
Jharlens queer behavior that she run
rom the room, and it was5 a week before
he proper exla'nation could inducc her
osee him agai". Sh.e is now onc of
ie :amuiiy amd escaping the malady
iever minds the hideous chorus of
aughter which twvice a day iesounds
brough the hose it is regarded as
add that :wne of the neighbors should
Lure caught the infection, although
aany of them mingle constantly with
he fataijly.
KG 1:EMEld KNo WN.
Every thing possible has been done t<)
enmove or alleviate the malady, b)ut
~ithout any perceptible en'ect. Several
miiieat physicians fror- this city and
*hiadelphia are understood to have
isited the house and become interested
nm the case. They all confessed them
elves baled and wanted some of the
emily to come here to New York for
...,n. This they refuscd to do.
[heir noticeable misfortune has render
~d them very sensitive, and they \;ill
iot trmvel where they will be subjected
o iunblie scrutiuy and remark.
Th~ey go to chuirch or the store in th--~
rilage close by and attend social gath
irings occasionally in th a neighborhood
n the evenings, but o.'ily among life
Ho . . Comasinr c
Agriculture, Celubja, S. C.
in coplianue with your request, an
for the bene!lt of some of our farmer5,
will give you my c xpel iecue, and that c
some of my ntei"lbors, but more pa"
tieularly Liy w1, as 1 can spcak mor
delinitely, of the use of pine straw as :
manure. I have ben using it for six
teen years, iad for the riost of this tim
I hiave bcn using tenU cords to the acr
olr cotton, ani iith that amount (
:traw ai 10' li. ac';i phosphate, li'
ibS. 1.kit, and i buchcls of cotto:
seed, I nake a avemge of a ba!e of cot
on to r', .nd some years I get
'ale andi a Lal, ou what was 'aid to (
old worn out land, but by the use of th(
above I now have my hind in good heart
It is said by some farmers that straw wii
kill the cotton, but I have never had i
to kill my cotton, and would use doubl
the quantity that I do if it were so thal
I could get it to the land, as getting i
in the land is a small matter with us
We break the old beds down with si:
furrows with a seven inch turn plough
then open with an eight inch double
winged straight hoe sixteen inches long
thus it may be seen how I get in my tel
cords to the without trouble. It is said
by some that I claim too much for pine
straw, but this is a mistake, as I only
claim what the analysis, I believe, give:
it, about 8 per cent, potash; but to take
it at much less, and still I am an advo
cate for its use, for I elaim a good deal
for its percolating influence in the lane
-the samre that yeast has in our bread
for in tLis: it opens the soil and lets ir
the air and admits the gases from the
rain, which, in close clay soil, is very
necessary, and, as I think, in all soils,
whether it be clav or otherwise. Ther
are many obiections to the use of straw.
One add"ced by men of intelligence is,
thaL straw, when rotted, becomes sand,
which, according to my experience, i.
both false and true, for I claim that the
same soil tiat prodicea the grovth, when
rotted it w i ;e the sanac, eit;.er sand or
eay. I belive all the farmers know
that cult'n grown ou clay laud has a
yellow tige, produe.d by the clay; and
if our i eakes of the soil. uhy not
p~ti '.w
lt t- :e . .o )tier ian mi iy own
i.r'inc'. 'a spe'kin to. a well-to-do
farl on hl .'hject, he said he wouk!
straw. L' a oe that use it largely.
liat it ' um 'b a 1 1 ho we are to gtt
i S.ch 'uati? I Ca. o'l' say how
I do it at Ztis i", '' j. have in the
ootr ' lles, four feet
'ig ad four i'5 a. wi, 'de have been
rake i wh the tr '' as such that I
b'. d 1 Oti A'a wrk; and when
W i crop, wich ve usually do
abut thle th (if July, u, betweeu
that and the btle g:.th,::?ig, we get a!,
weueL. h i: n ~e we lirSt gxt
Si i ten twelve feet deen
w :17 ro'l the iene If t__is is not done
we could. ioeve get it from: the ;oods hi
the sprin., ad.. Iming it in*e lot, it is
ramped by t.e 1"kd thugh1 l no't
aut " '5A n n->. b. i account cf
1.pI, it beco.:s e atC.nd. o:.:.ca
etvo, does no'tg unti - i or
eC tiruo for pnin . 1 uva. le wron; .
but ' -hn 'ia r'Ao wy h:leisn
Lor fa sdi ceuete is not
outgi pat in Lh land, for it taeS a
arge kPuntit, ia bulk, to nhe a little
arth when rodAtte L!nd I ay this:
Ile more o'. . 0 the more holsphate
.1e =.y ith paying results Ii Le will
>l-y be sure and get thke straw well in
:he furrows. I have us d fr''y- cv larg
>iles to tiie ac'' for sweet p- laes, and
:his alone, anI mad;C very Ln, )otLatot s;
>ut I put two mules to the plough, and
ot the .straw well in the ground. Ther
e one fact aboutt straw that ma'y no be
enerally known; it is this: very soon
fter it is put in the ground it goes
:hrouigh a sweat, and does not get dry
mny more until rotted, at which time t
aave taken it up from the bottom of the
,lant furrow~ and foud that the decomt
')Osed straw was a network of fibre reoas
:hat have been feediung there throrngh
he season. Itat I naust say, b~fore [
:lose, that the iirst year in the use of
straw '.t does net pay so largely, but caent
mteceeinlg year will pay amore and more,
r this has bee-n my experience, and Mr.
13. M. Pitis, of sumter enty, gave me
he samie as J4:~ erienee, and he has
i boadcat wi good results, whtichi I
2ave never done. Now, in conclusion,
.et mte say, while the cotton panat is
:nade up of seveu eomposzct parts, and
)tne straw will and does constitute one
f those pars, a litle push and pluel;
ma y have that on hand in ti'.: turn
yard at no great cost.
Yours faith.lly, a .,
.hom 11. Df l:scii.mr.
.F ulton, S.., July 13,r1887.
if txenator Jual e:ilo.:crve co~
'o willCa.i cotinu to discover evidene: si
euite-s eti th negro, froma al'
-s- theS cati of .icridau, where
., inder emet to " a mora~tie Cio'
riatr. ii pa'':, 1.. uthernl Leade:.
,overnIor of the S'tate- 'lie always~
a.hows conisideratit 'os the colored4 p-.
1'ie and es ae re""dy to sp e'nA wor'ds
adun KuanOd e::conAgement1..i to) the.
We ly :.pyr ,nt the .Governo.'
*lb. r:-J.ti 1:a this regard, .d .e ay
teei asared tha his ur.a Lor increasll
ducational failities. for our poci>e W
cc remaembered. 1i shows that le '
preciate.s the fac tat h1 ith Ch..
M~agistrate of all th ppl of the i:tat:.
ma not of at:: opr'dicula party or cht:s
af peo 'le. 0alvestn N ews.
If t V 'cnetri rings 'n trees at0:
.:rr " i1e of their age. that mysten
.u...r...ur..near .aachester, Coii
:ountyp1 TeA. cle theUd Sto'
tort, iO ''f a' er :eie't origin. T*.
resgrwn on th'e ru'd stone w:
jar surrund'c the'ld structure show, b
Leair ring. ully ive 'hundred y'
rtowt. These treCs, tow being eK
3.way, ire the only wAitnesMs to the .
:>it te ston" wor. W iti their testimao:;
tiont'uari.mns ever land oat who bnult t.a:
old stone fort, and for what purpose'. I
any investigators wish to examine these.
trees, they should do so pretty soon, a s
they are rapidly disappearing.-South
ern Tmmherman.
SCIZOOLIIOY BLUNDERS.
Engiih as She Is Taught and Written In
England.
(From the Youths' Companion.)
The subject of schoolboys' blunders
has recently been agitated in various di
rections, and the collected result is ex
ceedingly amusing. Some of the very
best instances of inadvertently happy
phrasing come from English boys, and
are recorded in the Cornhill Magazine.
One youthful historian states, in exami
nation, that "a constitutlonal monarch
is one who has a good constitution."
Another seems a trifle vague about the
feudal system, and writes that "it was a
lat.v that every one should get up at 8 a.
m. to put out his fires." Perhaps a
philologist might think that the boy was
of French descent, from his referring
the word feud to feu-fire.
Passing on to the Bible history, we
find versions of the Beautitudes which
differ from those genarally received:
"Blessed are ye when men shall say unto
you, 'Raca,"' and "Blessed are the poor
in spite of it."
A certain passage in Xenophon tells
us that "on one occasion all the soldiers
escaped unhurt, but one man on the left
wing was said to be shot." A translator,
by transposing the words, made the
statement "that one was said to be shot
on the left wing," whereupon a clever
boy aptly remarked: "He must have
been a goose."
"One pupil, who was asked to explain
the mrning of the phrase, "the last in
firmity of noble minds," at once replied,
"the disease you die of."
Another youth defined "guerdon" as
"a large flat thing that you broil on."
This probably seems funnier to an Eng
lishman than it does to an American, for
the Englishman is apt to use the word
grill instead of gridiron.
Another boy must have been suffering
from pangs of hunger, for he wrote, in
answer to the question, "What makes
the tower of Pisa lean?" "because there
was a sore famine in the land."
ELECTRIC FIRE BALLS.
A QesLction Raised as to Whether They are
Not Optical Ilusions.
(From the New York Sun.)
In nearly all of the reports of personal
injury by lightning strokes victims who
recover say they have seen balls of fire.
The fire ball seems to figure conspica
ously in all stories of prostration by
lightning, and it would be interesting to
study this special phase of the phenome
na for the purpose of ascertaining
whether the fiery ball has any existence
except as the result of the bright flash
upon the optic nerves. Almost invaria
bly the persons who are close enough to
a flash of lightnIng to see this ball have
declared that it moved slowly, dancing
and bounding through the room or
across the field, aid in cases where men
and women have been prostrated and
subsecuently recovered they have as
sarted that the ball bounded slowly to
ward them and struck them full in the
chest. I recently talked with a man who
was in a factory which was struck by
lightning, and he told me that two balls
ol ure approached him from the end of
the room, slowly bounding along the
iloor; and leapirg almost to the ceiling.
Wfhen they reached him, he said, they
both struck him on the breast at the
same instant, and he fell insensible.
The factory chimney was struck on this
occasion and partly demolished. He re
covered in fifteen minutes and carefully
examinred his clothes to see if they were
!biurned.
I tirmly believe that the ball of fire is
merely an optical illusion, and that it is
seen only by persons who are not in the
direct line of the electric current. Has
anybody investigated the matter?
Labor Parties.
The political labemr movement is not a
transient phenomenon, destined to
speedily disappear, but a movement of
more permanent character, which will
continue in some form until its objects,
so far as possible, have been attained.
lor this reason it behooves our states
men, and the educated and thinkirg
class generally, to consider what they
ought to do in order to guide the move
ment aright. An exclusively working
men's party is an undesirable thing,
even if its aims are right; and no such
party can be maintained for any length
of time if an honest attempt is made by
the educated people to help the working
people improvo their lot. That much
may be accomplished, if all classes will
work together for this end, there can be
no reasonable, doubt. Moreover, the
duty cannot beshirked. 'The question
of improving the life of the toiling
masses is the main political aid social
problem of the age, and will remain so.
until it is solved-if solution be possible;
and it can only be solved by measures
that are just to all other pcrtions of
society. While American working men
are desirous of attaining their ends by
just means, they are liable to be misled
ioy their passions or their supposed in
terest, er by designing men who pander
to both, It is the duty of the business
men among us to do all they can to 1:elp
the working men in their legitin.ace
aspiraions, and at the same time to
show them their errors and rebuke them
whenc they go wrong. With. popular
cadtership of the right sort, parties made
up of laborers mainly would soon cease
to. exist, and working men would attain
their ends by means of parties composed
of all classes and aiming at the good of
all.-Te Century.
*All. Men Are Liars,"
Said David of old, lie was probably
promupted to make th~e above remarks after
trylag some unreliable catarrh remedy.
liad he been permitted to live until the
preat day, and tried Dr. Saige's Remedy,.
:.u might have had a better opmiion of mnan
dind. We claim that :wo cases of catarrh
ca I tititad the :magie 'eets of this
rflmedicine. CUe trial of it wvill
ou e u of its eilicacy. By druggists;
Gra.shoppers are destroying crops in
varios parits of Belgium.
Th Massachusetts Riepublican State
Co.nvention will be held in Boston on
Setem.nber 27.
A Lowell, Mass., dispatch says that
bour girls were drowned Thursday at
North Belerica, while bathing.
At linob Lick, Mo., a collision occurred
about 4 o'clock Thursday morning be
tween two freight trains, resulting in~
the death of three men.