Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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EVEN WORSE THAN SLAVERY. GEORGIA'S CONVICT LEASE SYSTEM A DISGRACE TO THE STATE. Men Women and Children Legally Bought, Sold. Whipped and Worked There is not a Penitenttary in the State Cruelty and Inhuman Treatment. (Atlanta Letter in the New York Word ) November 16, 1864, Gen. Sherman moved out of Atlanta on his march to sea. In a few days he neared Milledge ville, the old capital of Georgia, where was located the penitentiary. The num ber of convicts serving out sentences was less than one hundred. The advent of the Federal army gave opportunity to Gov. Brown to increase his State force. These prisoners were given their liberty upon condition of enlisting, which they did cheerfully, and went off with the Gov ernor and his troops. When Sherman left Milledgeville the penitentiary was but.a shell, dismantled and of no use. Then the State was without buildings of that kind when business was resumed in the Courts after the close of the war. wHAT WAS TO BE DONE WITH THEM? It became, then, a question of interest what should be done with those sentenced to serve in the penitentiary. The plan was first tried of letting the county authorities of each county work them on the roads in a chain-gang, keeping them in the jails at night for safety. Of course, with emancipation the negroes fell into the enjoyment of the inalienable human right of 'going wherever they chose and drinking mean whiskey-as much as they could pay for or might be given them then throwing themselvesinto the des perate and quarrelsome elements of society. Furthermore, whenever they committed those petty crimes for which, in the days of their slavery, their master: administered home punishment accord ing to their judgement, these poor crea tures were arraigned in Court, and were soon under sentence for one or more . years at hard labor. The number of convicts was thus soon increased to sucb proportions that this system ceased to meet the publienecessity. The Govern or was authorized to farm them out for labor on public works. June 28, 1869, - Governor Bullock made a contract with Grant, Alexander & Co., a firm of con tractors of .tlante, by wh:oh they hac the use of these-c)nvicts for a time it the construction of railroads. ' EIASED OtT TO SLAVEnY. An Acttf the Legislature, approved. Dectmner 14; 1871, recognized this leane tdti April 1, 1872, and pruvidtd that they should be- farmit d out Irons that dat. under a contract for two years or less at not less tuan $25 per annum for tai. one. The Act rov:ded that this contract should 'ret quire 'e e haniane treatment of .he coiivets, their security and man agement in ac ordanee with the rule, and regulations (then) in force for -the control of tire convicts in e. !ar as the same may be consistent with the working of the O.-Lsviers on any public works IL then State of Geox ia." ihe State was to have no expense tteept the taiary of the principal keeper. witn an office At Atlau ta, and he was made also inspector o! tue convicts. It was further .provided "that the lessee of said convicts ehLall not be per minted to wgrk on the Sabbath day, nor shall corporal punishment be infilerei upon anty of said convicts unless the same shall be absolutely necessary to secnre discipline." THE rBM1TENTLnY coO NY. An Act approved February 25, 1876, provided for a lease of twenty years to one or more companies, who were to give a bond of $100,000). This Act in corporated this company as the Georgia Penitentiary Company, and it was not allowed to sublet or lease or hire the convicts to any one else. Other things b eqal the highest bidder was to There was tobe noexpenseto the State, except for a principal keeper, a chaplain and a physician. There were to be monthly inspections of the convicts without notice. This Act pr ided that the company leasing "shoed; at its own expense, se cure a site on some seacoast island, if practicable, and, if not there, at some other point, and erect a penitentiary with all necesary buildings, hospitais, &c, for the keeping of these convicts. -If the physician determined that someeee "competent to iabor on roads, anals, mines, quarries, and in making bricks," the company was allowed to use them in that way-the long-term men in mines. This is a adspicious section in this Act when itis realized that those who then had them under lease, and have since formed the company, were interested in coal mines in Dade County, in the con struction of several railroads, and in *briuekyards near Atlanta. It looks very much as if they had it inserted for their beneft, especiallyas for some unaccount able reaons the site for the penitentiary was never secured, and no such peniten tiary and buidings as were contemplated were evererected; and this railroad con struction, coal mining and brick-making have continued as before. - This Act re-enacted the provisions of the first Act as te treatment, &c, but there was another suspicious exception. -TEE TDM LIMT REMOvED. The time of working had been ten hours a day. This was stricken out, and it was provided, simply, that it should not be "unreasonable or oppres sive." In these day, when eight hours are considered enough for a laborer, one would have supposed these le sees would have been willung to let it remrain "ten hours," as it was, unless they had made up their minds to exhaust the muscles and energies of these unfortunates, and wished nothing but vague provisions of law in restraint of their will in this di rection. It must be borne in mind that the number of convicts in the State soon reached one thousand or more, and there are but few whites among them, comparatively speaking. The one chap lain who was to look after the reform of these one thousand prisoners and the salvation of their souls was to receive a salary of $500 per annum. liow he was to get at them in scattered camps -and discharge the duties of his position satisfactorily to himself, his church, hir employers and his God, it is difficult to corzive. An Act-approved April 28, 1877, pro vided for a physician. wAS THIS BUMANt TnEATarUIT? -The following facts as to one camp have been gleaned from a gentleman who was employed and on the ground in aposition to obtain the fullest inf<,r matimi as to the matters of which he spoke. The firm of Gant;" Alexander & Co., was desolved by the death of Alex ander. Thie survivors, father and son, - ~urchased aplantation known as the situated on the Ogeechee River, known for its fertility and the deadiy malaria of its surroundings. It had been abandoned almost by planters of the era of slavery because of the of the fatality to the slaves, for men who paid $1.000 or more for negro field hands did not seek places where death made such havoc with the profits of cotton-growing. Those, how ever, who could hire these poor convicts at a nominal cost were more indifferer.t. If they died their places were scon filled, as the Courts continued to "grind" and there were always enough to fill vacan cies. THE SLAVE CONVICTS' QUARTEBS. There was erected a stockade, the out side built of logs, notchel and fitted to gether, about fiity feet long. In the L. side on either side of an aisle, were low er and upper banks, the lower about one foot above the earth, the upper about three and.one-half feet above it. These were constructed of rough sheeting plank. There was no mattress or straw to sleep upon. One blanket was fur nished as a covering for each one in summer and a pair of blankets for each in winter. They slept with their shack les rivetet closely about their ankles, to which a chain was attached long enough to pass through the upright posts at the foot of these bunks and thence through to the post outside and locked. Two feet of space was allowed to the person.' If they turned about they were disciplined. Every hour in the night the guard looked through and pulled the chain to seif the convicts were still there. A fire was made of logs in this aisle. There was no ventilation specially arranged for, but a kind of bonnet at the top for the escape of the smoke. They slept in their clothes. The daily allowance of food was three pounds of corn bread made without salt, one-quarter pound of bacon given to them raw in the morning with the privi lege of broiling it on the coals of the log ire if they had time; quarter of pound of bacon, halt-pint field peas and one gill of black molasses for supper. For a long time this corn bread was cooked tor them by a convict whose legs were s, swollen and in such condition that he could do nothing else. No knives aid turks were given to eat with. The time from breakfast to dinner was about seven and a half hcure; from dinner to supper seven hours. HOW TEEY WORKED. They were aroused and started from the sto:kade as soon as there was light enough to dintiegui-h a man-chained togetuer till they reached the fields. .en the chaiu, thirty inches in length, was fastened to a belt about the waist till time to return to to the stocka(ie. Thus each one worked carrying ten pounds of iron with him. If rains pre vented cultivation of the crops they were kt-pt busy iu cleaning foreAt or other outdoor labor, and it their clothes be eame wet tuey were dries on them the best they could in werther too severe or .ho mules and .ock the laster were -:re: housed, but tie.convicts were made to earn their Uittle bread at:d h.aec.n. It I 'ne hud been cousxderej a fuithiul wo. - I er darung the- wek he was ai.owe- about un-eighth of a plug of the cheapest to :.acco on bunday. WHIPPED LIKE VERY SLAVES. Any guard who disliked one of these unfortunates had simply to give a hint, to the "whipper" and he coutld witness thl.convict's torture to his heart's con tent. This whipir.g was done with a leather strap with holes punched in it, .adminihered ona tue b are back, and each ',e of t. 'e noles would leave a bl'eter o. tao ualted skin. Wnen it was done, freaently the victem, almo~st uncon sions from his suffering, would have to be transferred :0 the rue hospital for treat ment by the physician, who rated him self at .ibout $25 a month for attention and killing or curzing these cnvicts. Of course such a place was ebliged to have a cemetery convenient, where, at rest from their tortures, the bodies of many were were put away, sometul- s two in a grave, in a plain rough pine box, WHAT A sPEc-TALE! What a spectacle the great State of Georgia presents to her sisters! The total number of convicts Ortober' 1, 1888, was 1,33 ; colored males, 52 col ored females, 149 white males. Tae 't.oor unfortunates are under lease body and soul to a corporation composed of mndviduals, some of whom are high in potiai place and 'in the counsels ol Christian churches, at work in mines, in the construction of railroads, in brick yards and on farms The law of 1876 bound the lessees in is terms to erect a penitent itry, yet no steps have ever been taken to do it. This is unaceountable to outsiders. It would appear that some one is a' fault. Who is it? There is no evidence that any thougt is given to the reformation of these peo ple. They have been brutally treated in tnd past, and are subject to tne some treatment now, in spite of the new laws which have been enactedto guard against it. The interest taken in them is that of the lessees and their hirelings. How to get the most out ol them embodies this interest. Here is a slavery worse than ever ex isted in these State. The owners have their labor at a nominal cost. They have had strieken out all provisions of the laws whch fixed the price for them or the hours of work. Convicts have been brutally punished, eveD murdered- They have been herded together, with no re gard to morals or effects. Children have been born in those camps. Women are sripped to the bare back, and strapped in the must cruel manner, just as the men are. The horrors of it 'ave crept out at times, but never will they oe known to their full extent. These lessees hve been enrnched by the destruction of the energies, muscle and blood of the convits, and now rank among the Mc Allister 400 of Atlanta, and can weli afford to employ hordes of lobbyists to work against any reforms proposed in the Legislature. Man, convicts have been kept in this seritude after their tenais have expired., 5ut no instance is known of any lessee ever having been punished by even a fine for this heartless c arrage. The con vcts have beer sold by one to anotLar of these lessees. A Disastrous Explosion. A white youth living in Carrion street, near Presiotent, namied Robert Camerorn, wa very beiay burned on C'nristmnas day. It seems hie wa'- fixingz a small Carnfonl anid bad so~e p)owder : ear him, when -a boy threwt lighted crac-aer near the poiwder.. A n explhoion ensueo, lijurin. toe youti" eyes, one very badly. an'd scurifving i.:5 face dreadfully.-Charleston World. A MIan Crushed by a Train. M)Inos, Dec. 2t.-f' oulis Elbridge, of ~orfolk, Va., was crushed to ceath while attempting to board ai freigzht train at this place la-st night. His ten-year-old son, who was with his father, was sent home by the eidzens of Mlarion. Why is "-naming the day" for the wed ding like a naval battle? Because it is a maytizianagement. POACHi:S OF ENGLAND. Vno They -ire a .w They lly rheir ':-farious. .': ocat 1(Un. Just as : liar may be something else be-icies a liar. so a poacher may ,. and u uair is, something else besides a '- Ver commonly he calls him m :hoe Short and inter -b art what hi likes best, and 1k .e n chlan.es his na:,ter. He ..w.lfo a farmer in order * the right of going upon certain :d then. after a careful survey, h .. ;.-"t gins where he thinks proper. T.... tred to work in a field next to a cr; is .:-hat lie likes best, and when his m;aer back is turned he notices the Sruns in the fence that divides the ild frmam the wood. At night he re turns to lhe scene of his observations and sp a l urse net over each run. lIe then goes into the covert and walks throught the side of it next to the fence, W hen the chances are that at least a hare or two will ii-comne entangled in his nl(,s. Tihe "innocent laborer" type of poacher somtimes carries a ferret and a rabbit net in his dinner basket, and seats him self on a hdge Iank honey combed with burr c to wie hi. id'i:day meal, with a result wh' h can easey hb imagined. Caaie rivers am.i hut chers' men often do a great decd of I.o:'hing. They are fond of :eeing greyhounds, and they train one dog to range while the other sneaks a at in readiness to run into any hare or rabbi: that may be turned to hiu:. Somei.. ~ they carry their greyhounds in a 1.'i spring cart. and when they see hare. i. in a fiild by the renadile they o a d send their dogs over the fence. Ti.-e gr'eyhoundis are taught to lt b' wcent as well as by sight. A still more favorite dog among poaclers of th1i sort is a lurcher, alhoe.-h many fear tc keep one. because his very existence is enough to stamp his owner as a man of dondtful character. Properly speaking, a lurcher is the result of a cross between a greyhound and a colly; but he is not alvays a first cross, and he frequently in herits a strain of some other breed. He is a desperate and deadly enemy to hares and rabbits. and he generally unites an excellent nose. and great speed with sur pri:ing sagacity and cunning. Of all things it is most important in a poacher's dig that he should never give tongue. We can rememIer the time when lurch ers tails used to be cut to give the ir ownie'rs an excuse for pretending that they were sheet dogs. In these days. however, sheep dogs are usually allowe'i to k~ep their tails, so there is no object in docking a lurcher. Colliers are much given to poaching iL some districts. Their favorite dog ib pre dced by crossing a very small r ho. u'd with a bull tcrr:er or spanie.I. Sanday is their great day for poaching. During the hours of divine service the. go .or wa.s in little parties .of three o four' aIong tublic foot paths. and :low t'eir i'op range in the fklds and t< dray: th hed:-crows. As everv tnms tr h ;d r,:-on for knowing a large n'_:r uf p elty poaching cases depend r-^1IL!I- te outstioni whae''r the cutlprii w- cr was not upon what he call th< --m pat h'' at the time the otense wa coitt ed. .A rat catcher and a imoh have many opportunities o! I . and owners of sheotings and gam ' would do well to keei a C.: c e U'o's p;.r:ons followia_ t' c: lrv;s. P-erhmi s the worst of al L.t.,.. f poachers poaching game ei -. kee er who hints at airy t i e :harp pra:cisc with rege s u -: ..tr.'sboundaric is never Z:> hi :: t his, own miaster's interest.; Y\e rieember a keper wvho wvas. eri plwOdC en ani outtyins i owlIn:; ~.'.t mile:s from home. Thie man had alwayst a ocx:d - ; of bijrd~s and sent a regulam supl for the table, but it turned cui that he. was one of the greatest poachen in the couty, and that he had lhilled ani rald thec neighhor's game, if not him mas ter's, -in considerable quantities. Saturday Review. S~ewinag Machine Kinks. It is astonishing that makers of sewinf machines d'o not put on a device to rais< the foot wirth the knee, simiflar toa swell t< an organ. It could be easily and simnpl5s arrange'd by eqnnecting the knee levem with the presser bar by means of a cordi (or say fine wire cord) about as follows: Fr:an the cord to presser bar gid.e. quilter screw head or the thread cutter, thence up oyer pulley lever or supporter, attached for that purpose at rear of thE face plate, thence to similar dcvice el rear of aran above its base, thence down through the table in a sheave pulley near the top end of right leg, thence across tc a lever about twelve inches long, set in a sloping position near the left leg of the sewing machine. The rear or upper end of the le.vem should be attached to the under sidle of table, so the front or lower end will rest against thme ,oerator's knee. Tlhus by a ltle practice the operator will soon learn to use suchi a devico. and have the use of thme riht I:and where it is much necded at Ithe wheeli and to hep guide the sew ing. It will1 do away wvith this everlast in-' grabbiang back to the foot lifter twice fo :-*v stop. Let tus tigure a little on this matter. Sa;' t1:2 5.W0,000 of machines are in use in thmis coumntry, the waste motions in reachtin:.; to lifters aniount to reveral hundred million motions per dlay that m'ighit be utilized to better advantage. and t he ine lost eaeh day would perhaps amot to thirty years to one individual. Pleare n~otice that figures don't lie, and twenty or thirty cents on each niachmine would save so much.-Sewing Machine News. New Occupation for Invalids. A new-. occupation rccomnmendcd fom semi-invalids by a Philadelphia writer im the making of artificial flies for flshing purpioses. The tools required are a small p"air of siusr"p scissors, a pair of spring ply r~s a long lin, and a small piece of cob ber'swax. The materials are breast and tail feat her; of fowls and game, with silvax and iadd aisels, a little fine sewing silk of aill clors, some Berlin wool, stained gut ..:. hooks of various sizes.-Chi cago Ti~us Fro . r Dell has constructed t mael im g the general princijies of thC typew. t. r. for. Lacilittig conlversat f or with deat liutes.. The ~n':cryof extracting oil fron: ceda ba~::,is growing to largte propor tous in ine Fairy Iamps ido not decrease in fashion able uopuiarity. They atre conveament, us'ful &nd e'?muce.:Ltd as well, atnd anc hoiuse is really coaipicte wiithout half-a dozen or them. There are fifteen thousand two hind:ed people in the various charitable and ;:%r matory institutions carried on by the city of New York. Bella-What are you making grimaces in the glass for, my dead? Delia-I am trying to practice a look of astonishment. Some of my friends are going to give me a surprise party tonight. Little Fred came down to breakfast with a had cold in his head. ".Bofe of my eyes is leakimg," :e told his mother, "and one f my noses don't gro." FACTS FOR FARMERS. A BATCH OF USEFUL AGRICULTURAL 1NFORMATION. The Season for Making Manure--The Farmer's Best Bank is His Manure Bank--Rome-Made Manure. (From-the Southern Platter.) Now is the time for farmers to be active and vigilant in their iforts to secure a good supply of those manures for the use on the next year's crops. The order in which they may be classed in respect to quantity may be stated as follows: Farmyard, stable, hogpen, ashbanks and house slops and poultry house. If properly handled, their merit in respect to fertilizing properties will be reversed in the order Lamed. This is intended as mere sug gestive note, and we hope will be ac cepted as such. The subject is one of such importance that an attempt to elaborate it would require more capacity than we claim and more space than we can now command. We may, however, venture to impress these few facts: Manure will compensate a farmer for all the labor and care he may devote to itsaccumulation. The manure bank, as has been quaintly said, is the farmer's bank, and pays the best dividends. All manure, as far as possible, should be kept under shelter; as the piles are added to by the changing of the stall and pens, plaster ought to be used freely to fix the nitrogen which is generat-d by fermentation; dry bedding of straw, leaves or other available materials in ample quantity should ;e supplied to the animals and removed to the manure pile as soon as it becomes foul; com posting with wood mould, scrapings from fence corners, or swamp-muck, in stead of simply piling, will increase bulk and hold all the gasses and juices of the animal deposits which have valuable fertilizing properties, and in this process also plaster should be liberally used; hen manure especially should be kept dry, and to insure this, the house ought to have a dry and hard clay floor-a plank one' wond be better-and the drop pings shovelled or swept with a stiff broom into a corner every few days and plaster sprinkled liberally over the pile with eacu addition thereto; an ash bed is a necessity where all ashes on the premises are to be deposited, as well as lhousp and kitchen sweepings, bones and slops, and to furnish sufficient supply of absorbent material, it will be well to add a load or two of occasionally. A meth odical system in all these respects will asto;ish a farmer as to how much and how valuable his manures will be. Handlina Manure. (From the .1assachusetts Ploughman.) The much vexed question of how to handle manure so as to get the beet re turns from (ur material and labor will never ue settled to the satisfaction of every ole. W here'manure is to be spread as top dretsing on grass land, it may with ad vaotage be hauled out and spread as :ast as made in late fall and winter. There will be no waste worth mention ing. The frost, snow and rain will break up the lumne and soak the solube parts into the soil, and in spring it will only be meo s-ury to run a bruoh harrow ove th w- fish breaking up the .r tupsr u any litter reuam sua we. cgthe mowing machine this should be raked up arad carted away. We would not, however, advise th' spr< adipg of manure in this way upox the lawn or fields very near the build ings. Ariicial fertilizers or wood ashe: will answer the purpose here, and pro duce a beautiful growth of -grass with out the nuisance of unsighitly and bad smelling dung near the house. When it comes to spreading manure for corn or potatoes, or garden crops, there is room for difference of opinior as to the best time and way of applying it. The best evidence, however, would seem to be in favor of hauling out thi manure at any time in the fall or win ter when the opportunity favors; spread ing it upon the land as fast as hauled, and plougliing it under in spring. This method has the advantage of being con venieint and economical of time, and it: advocates insist that there is no waste of manure by washing or leaching wortl mentioning. We would, howvever, hesi tate to apply manure in this way upon : hillside where it would be likely to wasl much. The market gardner is obliged fron the nature of his business to work dif ferently. He is obliged to work into th< soil such large quantities of manure foi most crops-p~rofitable only when growr quickly-that hie usually ploughs undel at every opportunity all the manure h can conveniently handle at any timn when the land is to be ploughed. At times, especially in winter and mid summer, he is obliged to pile a good dea of horse manure in the field near where it is to be used. The large piles heat ex cessively unless great care is taken t< prevent it, and a large lot of the volatil ammona of the manure is the inevitabol result. This is preciseiy the most valua ble part of the manure, and the mos1 importint part to be 'saved, To save i1 involves a~ good deal of labor and care, and this must be given at a season wher labor and care are most in demand foi other things. It is our belief that waste in this direction is not necessary, and ir order to avoid it we suggest the follow ing method: 'Throw the manure into a hog per sheltered by trees and let the bogstramj it down. D->n't thro w in too much, a once-about six inches at a time il enough. Fattenling lieg. -(Fron the Swine Breeder.) The process of converting grain int< pork by mneans of a machine called a hoj is by no means a difficult one. provide<i te machine is kept in ruuning order I is ' olly to suppose and expect thati hog canu convert any and all kinds o food into pork. It is neces~aary that,i we want pork, we must feed those food that will produce flesh anid fat. Whe-: hogs arrive at the proper age for fatten ing, see that every one is in a health; condtion and is hriving. The systen must be in perfect order that the foot iy' nothbe wasted. D~on't throw in t wagon load of corn, reminding you: ogs that it is all they will get for week, but gradlvally and systematicall; work them up to "trull feed." Do no change the diet too suddenly, and espe cialy use care in changing from greez to solid food. Adopt regular hours fol ft edng, and the aninials will learn t< expect it about that time ev:ery day With old bogs, food twice a day is oftei enough, but with young shoats I woulc advise feeding three times a day, asb. only feeding twice they overload theia stomach. The food should always b< given in a clean, wholesome condition, -nd nevailoedi to sour. The barrelh or vats in which the food is mimed should be cleaned after each feeding, and all surplus food removed. The main ob ject should be to keep your hogs with good healthful appetites. Hogs fatten best when not disturbed or excited. Never allow your pigs to run with the fattening hogs, as their running about excites the older ones. The importani thing now is to promote idleness and sleep I will urge a systematic course in feeding, using cooked or steamed foods, and having the greatest variety of foods. There is no doubt that ho, s can be fattned quicker and with less food if provided with good warm houses and the food given in troughs. Use liberally of salt arnd wcod ashes, cinderi, refuse coal, slacked lime, brimstone and charcoal about once a week, each in sunall quanti ties. Above all things see that your hogs have unfailing appetit:s and are in good condition physically. Breeding for Sx. Mr. G. T. Rankin, of Linesville, Penn., thus expresses himself in the Jer sey Bulletin on this vexed question: "My theory is that every other ovum dropped by the cow is of opposite s.x. If the last calf was a bull, the first ovum deposited, if impregnated, will be a heifer; and quite frequently the cow will receive service at from nine to twelve days after calving, but will show no signs of being in heat. Sometimes cows are in heat when in calf, and all these things must be considered, as an ovum is deposited every time a cow is in heat. I know by quite an experience that when the theory is properly observed we can breed sex at will." Mr. Sanders Spencer, in a lengthy paper read before the Institute of Agri culture of London, England, fully dis cusses the "influencing of the sex of off spring," and we transfer to the Culti vator two paragraphs from his interest ing essay: The system of attempting to regulate the sex by mating the female with the male as soon as the state of heat com mences, with the view to the production of a female, and at a later period for pro ducing a male, has a large number of adherents. Many apparently most care fully conducted trials have been given in the American agricultural papers, while some few of our own countrymen have given us the result of their experiments. Mr. John Slater, of Cordell Hall, relat E in a prize essay, written by him in 1871, that in a herd of twenty cows he had iol the last seven years been able to obtain a heifer or bull calf as desired, exced with Al.erney cows. The reason of the failure with these he stated to be that they "were timid and afraid of a big bull" (he used a shorthorn), "so that ht could not be sure of detecting when they first camne into season. In proo of this system a very inter esting report was written by a M. G. Couraz, in which he states that in twen ty-two successive cases he endeavored tc obtain iheifer calves from Swiss cows by a shorthora bull, and in every case he obtaired the sex desired. He afterwards bought a pure bred Southera eill, and was anxious to breed from her a bull calf; this time.tlie cow was served at the latter period of the heat arid a bull call was the result M. Couraz also tried tc breed eix half-bred calves for conversior into working oxen and was successful in fact, had no failures. I could give several other similar cases. THE CONFEDERATE SEAL. The Gift of Col. William E. Earle to the State or South Carolina. (Fro'm the columubia var 1Lssw.y The following letter was received today by Secretary of State Marshall: To Horn. Quitman Marshal, Secretary o. State. South Carolina. DEAR SiR: I congratulate you upo: your- election to your high office, and I au sure that you will till it with honior and credit. As a mark of -my ap~preciation foi v our re-instalment I desire to present thi odice, through its present incumbent, witi a fac-simile of the great seal of the Con feder ite States. - The great seal which was finally adopted by the Conflederate States of America was received from'England where it was m'ade, not very long before the termination o1 the tremendous struggle for a separate anc independiut government. It was designet -by Hon. Thons. J. Semmes then a Con fede rate Senator from Louisiana, and thi equestrian statue is copied from that o1 Washiugton, in the State House groundfi at Richmond. -at the time of the evacualion of-Rich mond, when our army was trudging through the mud and tighting its way tt Appomattox, the seal was overlooked it the hurry of packing, and the one wh< found it gave it to Col. John T. Pickett late of this city, a true and devoted Con federate, and soon after the war he sent il to England, had some copies made and gave me three of them. The great sei used prior to this one was a simple affair and there is a legend concerning it to thi effect that when the train was crossing thi Savannah at Lowndesville, rum-r spreac that hostile cavalry was near by on th< Georgia side, and the party who had charg< of the seal declared his purpose that i should never fall into inimical hands, and walking to the end of the ferry, droppet it as near to the -centre of the river as hi~ eye could measure. This representation of the seal is a me mento of a great and heroic struggle o; brave men and brave women for the sue cess of a cause then freighted with all thieil hopes, and dearest to their hearts. Ni soldiet who acted well his part in the worls whielt protracted the unequal contest 5( long has cause to blush for the result- bZ main possessed of power andl discrimina tionu and sound judgment of the motive: which impel the actions of men will ques - ion the devotion of an American to hi: re united country because of his loyalty tt the duty before him during that terriblh period. However men may differ as to thi policy and principles upon which ou: country 1s or -shou:d be governed, thos< who passed through that ordeal of dangel and privation, who fought and lost, wil cherish nith pride the memory of th< heroic endur'ance and manhood with whicl the struggle was upheld and maintained. With best wishes for your successs ia-al undertakings of life, - - I am, yours truly, WMi. E. EARLE. -WAsmixros, D. C., Dec. 22nd, 1888. The copy of the seal Sect to the Secrets ry of State is of polished bronze, and ui a !eather casc lined with green velvet, witl a g!as-s to protect the seal. It is about threc inches in diameter anc in its centre, surrounded by a wicath, it i: the equestrian statuC o1 Washington. O0 its outer edge there is the inscription, " Th tconfederate State:, of America, 22nd Feb ruary. 1862, Deo Vindirece." - It will be kept in the Secretary of Staten office as the property of the State. A~little Chicago gi-l recently defined ' puliage" as the art of making pills. A Columbia man is so modest that h< never changes his boarding place unti ater dark. It is easy to be noble among the noble The difficult thing is to keep the nobilitl ef one's nature unperverted nmong the pet ty and ignoble. When the roads are icy be sure that you horses are sharply shod, if you have a loac FOOD AND DRINK. A BOSTON PHYSICIAN GIVES AD VICE TO THE PUBLIC. A Mixed Diet Is Best for the Omniverous An ii,:i. .ian-Water During the Heated Term -- Concerning "Appetizers"-Be -ries-u-Cold Meals. While undeniably a mixed diet is the best for man. there is a mistaken notion, which prevails to a great extent, that :ueat should largely enter into the same. As a consequence, much more is eaten than is needed or can properly be dis posed of in the system. Never eat meat oftener than once a day, and very spar ingly in summer. Men of sedentary habits might with safety for several days at time during that season live on veg bles, fruits, milk, breadstuffs and f . of like cearacter, which are- easy of digs tn~. For those who have good reason to believe that their "kidneys ar weak." a diet largely made up of meat is ill advised. Those organs are intimately concerned in its disposal in the system. and hence are overtasked iU it is taken ib too great a quantity. Some drink too freely of vrater, espe cially during the heated term. There is, however. a class largely made up of women who do not at any time drink suf ficientiv of that eminent essential to health. As a rule they suffer from con stipation. Every one ought to drink about two quarts of water daily to meet the needs of the system. "Water is fat tening" is an expression of some truth. Very ylc:lhy people are proverbially thirsty, aidv:iia. they attempt a reduction in --e ' i"'n as much as possible the quantity; of fluids habitually taken i one of the recognized rules of treat ment. But a rigid adherence to it is dngerous for many. if not all. Un less advised by a physician to do dif ferently. they should drink all they crave, within reason, excepting during the hour before and the hour after meals. With the food only the smallest quantity of fluids possible is allowable. ICE WATER IN MODERATION. Much has been written for and against ice water. It is not only agreeable and refreshing. but harmless when used in moderation. In certain forms of dyspep sia characterized by flatulence-bloating, as it is popularly called-very cold water acts as an agreeable tonic, and quLckens gastric and intestinal activity in many cases if taken when the stomach is com paratively empty. If taken on a full stomach it, as a rule, Intensifies the trouble. Over indulgence is always harm ful. and it is especially so at meal times. For a robust person in hot weather to reduce one-half the quantity of food he is habituated to eating would be a most salutary custom, for he would then not only sufer infinitely less from the hea.t, but be :stronger and more active, both mentally and physically. Those espe cially who are wedded to their "appe tizers" would do well to forego them at least until cooler weather comes, and leave nature, uninfluenced by the seduct ive cocktail, to direct the quantity of food necessary for the body's support. That berries are healthf food can in truth be said, and yet some kinds should be denied people who have certain forms of digestive disturbance. Blackberries, for insance, which contain small seeds, to some extent irritate the intestinal canal. It is in that way that they are useful in constipation; they stimulate and auicken activity of the bowels. But if the stomach and bowels are what is gen erally termed weak, then in such a case they are likely to do harm. Very young children should, of course, be denied them. The arerage farmer knows as little of dieteties as an infant. He dilates on his wholesome food, which largely consists of oubstan'-e' which require for dligestion the stomach of an ostricb. '1a.in 1ving is all rigrht, but that does not mean that a man saould make a meal essentially on one course, varied only by a piece of pie or something of the sort. The great~rthe variety the better, as long as a'proper selection of the food is made. Soup is, by people generally, considered indispensable at dinne. It stimulates the stomtach and makes that organ ready for the work before it. For that purpose clear soup may properly be indulged is by nearly all; there are, however, com paratively few -who do not find soup thickened by stock meat, vegetables, etc., a tax upon digestion if "hearty" foods are eaten after it. It "sours on the stomach," and hence should be forbidden dyspeptics, for whom only clear soup is allorwablo. TROInLE WIH FATTY F'OODs. ofThe digestive organs find an admixture of everal fatty foods difficult to dispose of. The man who has fried fish, bacon, steak, eggs and dry toast for breakfast is made uncomfortable, and feels dull and heavy for several hours afterward unless he eats -:ery sparingly. With the butter, which is, of course, an essential, tigre are in such a meal.as generally prepared five different kinds of fat. And they are still more indigestible when taken hot. In this country there is a most decided prejudice against cold meals. Of course sonmc foods should be served warm, but none hot. Americans are scarcely satisfied with tea or coffee unless it is near the boiling point; potatoes, also, must be steaming hot. Dyspepsla is the natural consequence- The Eaglish in this respect ar-e a delightful contrast. People who are forced to be early in the morning at their labors would be muelebetter did they eat cold meats for breakfast, and how much such a custom would lessen the burden of their poor, overworked wives The question what shall we eat may be best answered by simply.quoting the fact that man is an omniverous animal. Why anid how much we shall eat can be set forth tolerably well by saying that it is p::t engineer would make his machine carriy I 00 pounds of steam when fifty pound:; would do the work in hand. An important duty of those who work with engines is to see that the fire is freed from clinker and ash. So waste must be regularly eliminated from the human sys tem. The skin, the kidneys and the bowels are the main channels for the es. cape of this, and when these sieves fail te act, the state of affairs in the body is very parallel to what would occur should a fire man fail to clean the grate, and presently the fire will cease to burn. - Boston Globe "-Let Her Go, Gallagher !" H-ere is another version of the orig~in of the exp:cssion, "-Let her go, Gallagher," from Mlontgomery, Ala.: "Squire Ben Screws is the genial and big-hearted magis trate of the city of MIontgomery. A c'l ored lady having indulged in very much intiamed language' towurd another of an equailly night shade of complexion, the agrieved one had her arrested and ar raigned for trial before the squire. One of the numerous witnesses was v-ery severe in her testimony against the accused, saying, among other things, that she used 'talk no lady can 'spress ' Trhis so aggravated the defendant thatt she went for the wit nss, regardless of surroundings. Tom G illagher, the Squire's bailiff, tried to stop the wool-pulling that ensued, and caught holid of the defendant's, arm, when the Squire, who likes to see fair play, and withal enjoys a good thing, shouted: 'Let 1. er gro. Gallagher.' This became a current saying here, and in time has beciome a cant phrase throughout the country."-3ilwau k; e Journal. "'Whatever is is right." This cannot be snad fihe left hand. A flroker'M First Fright. "I have frequently been caught short on the market and seen myself within an ace of being ruined." said a New street broker to a reporter: abut I was really scared only once in my life. and that was during Iy first day in the street. My father got me a place injthe office of an old friend of his, where I enjoyed the full confidence of my employer. I had been working only a few hours when he handed me ten crisp $100 bills and told me to deposit them in an uptown bank. I- put the bills in my coat pocket until I had finished writing up my books and tien- took a car going up town. When I entered the bank and put my hand in my pocket the bills were gone. I can't describe my feelings, for the simple reason that I hadn't any. I felt myself turned to stone. Bu:h in mind and body I was stupefied. When I had collected myself a little I went out of the bank with the expressed intention of throwing myself into the river. I knew not where I went or what I Was doing, but I found that I had re turned to the office. The broker was out when I got back. I was to. numb to be agitated, and no one noticed there was anything the mat ter with ihe as I put on my office coat and began poring over the set of books. It was not until I saw the broker coming in the door that I began to fully realize my position. I ran my hand wildly through my hair in a vain attempt to calm myself, and then absent mindedly put it in my pocket. The first thing I felt was the roll of bills. I had changed ily coat and forgotten all about it. The broker chided me for not going to the bank, but he never knew why the money wasn-t deposited unu -+ day. " New York Evening Sun, In Central California. Heretofore the eastern tourist has been accustomed to hear only of southern Cali fornia and its so-called semi-tropical cli mate, while scarcely anything has been said of the merits of the climate in cen tral California. To such an extent has this puffing of one portion of the state to the detriment of another section been carried that many of the eastern tourists now visiting the counties adjacent to the bay seem to be surprised that fruits of many kinds are grown outdoors until Christmas. Particularly is this so in re gard to grapes. Some surprise has been expressed that the fine grapes on exhi t.kion at the rooms of the state board of trade should be foundl outside of Los Angeles and San Diego counties, whereas the fact is that the best grapes grown :aywhere in California are produced out side of southern California, and those grown in Sonoma, Napa, Santa Clara and along the eastern foothills of the Sacra mento valley have never been surpassed an ywhere. Another fact worthy of becoming known is that there ripen in Butte county, G.;O miles north of Los Angeles, and at Los Gatos, in the Santa Claravalley, some ity miles south of San Francisco, the first orange crops of this season. They are of finequality and nearly two months earlier than the Riverside crops. In Santa Clara county some of the finest white' Verdel. Tokay and black Ferrara grapes get ripe and ready for the table at Christ mas. In this same county strawberries and raspberries can also be had up to the hl::idays.-San Francisco Alta. Something About Dyspepsia. Chronic dyspepsia is a functional, not an organic, disorder. If the eye could look within the stomach, in the latter case, it would see no explanation of the trouble, as in the case of organic diseases. At least five kinds of fluids co-operate juice. bile, pancreatic fluid and intestinal secretions. Indigestion, therefore, does not necessarily have its seat in the Two forms of it are specially recognized -gastric (that of the stomach) and in testinal. Each form has two prominent varieties: one in which the food is really digrested, while the person has a great sense of discomfort; the other, in which the food is not duly digested, while the person has comparatively little suffering. In the first variety there is an abnortnal excitability of the nerves of sensation. This is known as nervous dyspepsia. The more common causes of dyspepsia are excesses in eating, neglect of physical exercise, protracted anxiety, change from an active to a sedentary life, insufficient sleep, luxurious living.. No treatmecnt can here be described suited to individual cases. The chief thing is to find out and remove the cause. An overworked stomach should be re lieved by giving it only the work which it can do easily, and by furnishing to- it only that which is easily digested. Everything should be done to improve the general health. Change of locality and general surroundings is often a help. -Youth's Companion. Color ini Dress in New York. When we come to the question of color in dress, as i: n'opears relatively to the decorative tendencies of the New York street, we must look for -its mainspring. in scme' dc'ree, to American social con ditions. Amierican women, as a rule, makec more display of magnificence in the street than the women of any other nati~on. To thiem the street means a show, a parade, in which they play an implortant pu-t. In adopting the modern English ash'tic idea of color in dress, American womecn have applied it exten brilliant reds in street gowns and hats having spreadl throughout Europe is now nationalized on American soil, and adds cheerfulness to life and landscape. The apprcaching change in the costumes of men is lik~ely to result in a freer use of color. The English movement against the monotony of male attire is finding followers in 'this country, and already many meni are beginning to' appear in public in colors that were until recently tabooed.-The Art Review. Clock Bird of Afric. A missionary fi Africa was astonished while walking in a wood to hear a clock strike, though~ no human habitation was withiai miles of the place. He discovered that the neise proceeded from a bird known as the clock bird and called by the Spanish the campanero. The bird gives a note every few minutes which is idemtical with the sounS1 of a striking clock.-Chicago Times.. Doughniuts. One and one-h-df cups of sugar, one ta b'espoouful butter, rub into the sugar, one cup of milk, one egg well beaten together add as much flour as needed to roll out esiy, 'one teaspoonful of cream tartar, one-half slponful of soda, a little salt, and small quantity of nutmeg. Have lard boil ong hot, and stir frequently while cooking. Cut with round cutter, making a hole in the centre. Dried Preserves. Any fruit which has been preserved in syrup may be drained from the syrup, dried slowly, sprinkled with powdered su gar, anr1 packed neativ in boxes.