Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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IIE . ENTERS A DEMIAL. Sermon Regarding the Diminishing of Sunday Audiences. Dr. Talmage Preenals Some - Hard Facts Showing Thav Cburch At tendance in Ameca Is Not in Decadence. [Copyright. 1901. by Louls KMopscl, N. T.] Wdahington, Sept. 15 Most encoraging to all Christian workers is this discourse of Dr. Tal mage while denying the accuracy of statistcs which represent Sunday au diences as diminishing. Text, ie brews 10:25, "Not forsaking the a sembling of ourselves tvugethet' Startling statements have been 've in many of the pulpits and in son Ql' the religious newspapers. It is harc over and over again that churn a' tendance in America is inl decadece. I deny the sta:ements by presenunr; some bard facts. No one wih" d spuze the fact that there are more cnurenes In America than ever before, one ce nomination averaging two new churches every day of the year. The law of demand and suppLy is as inex erable in the kingdo:n of God as It is In the world. More churches suppli argues more church privileges demand ed. More banks, more bankers; more factories, more manufacturers; more ships, more importers; more churches, more attendants. In all our cities within a few years ehurches have been built large enough to swallow up two or three of the old time churches. I cannot understand with what kind of arithmetic and slate pencil a man calculates when he comes to the conclusion that church attend anoe in America is in decadence. Take the aggregate of the number of people who enter the h-ouse of God now and compare it with the aggregate of the people who entered the house of God 25 years ago, and the present attend anee is four to one. The facts are most exhilarating instead of being de pressing. That man who presents the opposite statistics must have been most unfortunate in his church ac quaintance. You are not to argue adversely be cause here and there a church is de Ileted. Churches have their day. ometimes merchandise will entirely occupy a neighborhood and crowd out the churches and families ordinarily attendant upon them. Sometimes a church perishes through internecine strife. But there are no facts to over throw the statement that I have made in regard to the increasing attendance upon the house of God. Now, I am ready to admit, as every intellIgent man will admit, that there are churches which have been depleted, and it is high time that a sermon be preached for the benefit of young men Who- are just entering the Gospel min istry and for the warning of prosper ous churches as to what are the causes of decline in any case. If merchandise crowd out a church. that cannot be helped, but under all other circum stances decadence in church attend ance Is the fault either of the church or of the pastor. Churches are often cleared of their atidiences by the attempt to transplant the modes of the past into the pres est. The modes and methods of 50 years ago are no more appropriate for to-day than the modes and methods of to-day will be appropriate for 50 years hence. Dr. Kirk, Dr. McElroy. Dr. Ma son, Dr. De Witt, Dr. Vermilyca and hundreds of other men just as good as they were 3;ever lacked audiences, because they *ere abreast of the time in which they lived. People will not be interested in what we say unless we understand the spirit of the day in which we live. All the woe-begonish statistles are given by those who are trying in our time to work with the worn-out maochinery of the past times. Such men might just as well throw the furnaces out of our church basements and substitute the foot stoves which cur grandmothers used to carry with them to meeting, and throw out our organs and our cornets and take the old-fashioned tuning fork, striking it on the knee and then lifting It to the ear to catch the pitch of the hymn, and might as well throw out our mod -ern platforms and modern pulpits and substitute the wineglass pulpit up which the minister use d to climb to the 'dIzzy height of Mont Blanc solitariness and then go in out of sight and shut the door after him. When you can get the great masses of the peopte t~o take passage from Albany to Buffalo in stage coach or canal boat in prefer ence to the lightning express train which does It in four hours, then you can get the great masses of the peo pie to go to a church half a century be hind the time. The troubie begins away back in the theological seminaries, It is a shame that larger provision is not made for ministers of religion, for the sick and the aged and the infirm who have worn themselves out in the service of God. We have naval asylums and soldiers' asylums for men who fought on land and sea for our country when these men have become aged or crippled, an d It is a shame that larger provision is not made for the good soldiers of Jesus Christ who have worn themselves out in battling for the Lord. But lack of provision In that respect makes a tend ency to turn our theological seminaries Into hospitals for sick and aged and infirm ministers. When a man begins to go down, they give him the title of D. D. by way of resuscitation. If that fails, then the tendency is to elect him to a professorship in some thelogdeal geminary. There are grand exceptions to the rule, but it is often the case that the professorate in a theological sem [nary is occupied by some minister of the Gospel who, not being able to preach, is set to teach others how to preach. In more cases than one the poorest speaker in the faculty is the professor of elocution. We want n:: re wide-awake, more able-bodied, aide Boers Still Fighting. A diepatch from' Lord Kuchenr I from Pretoria, dated S-ptember 18, an nounces that the Ber on September 18, ambushed three companies of; mounted infantry with three guns. commanded by Major Gough, in the vicinity of Scheeper's Nek. After s -- vere fighting the Britith were overpow ered and lost their guns, the sigh's and breechblocks of which were first destroyed Two offiers and 14 men' were killed and five offcers and 25 mren wore wounded. Fve emeicrs and 150 men were made prisoners. Majior Gough, who escaped during ,the niabt reports that the Boers numbered 1,000 men and that they were c~mmanded by Gen. Botha. Gen. French report s that Commandant 8:nuts, in order to break through the cordon, rushed en a equsd ron of the Seventecnth Lancers ak Elandspoort, killing three cffit9sfn 20 men and wournding ore effcr an d 30 men. The Boers, who re dres"d in khaki, and who were mnistaken for British trcops, lust heavily. .Every subscribtr to tls paper ia requested to call and Ettle for~ the same. N3 honest man will read --.p.r ,ian reu nt pay fcr it C, ra tn s at n 'tis roteuraies-meIu 1ke Addison Alex ader,% who could during the week teach young men the theory o preacz Lng 3d then on Sunday go into the pu, pit an with the thu2nde. a.d li nirrg of Christian eloquence show thbci how. What would you zthnk of a fac uhv of unsuccessful merchauts trein young merchants or a of unsuccessful lawyers to tran ug lawyers? It is of~cn the ca!e that theologial senn:-,e . a na azd clilp hi--m ar.: squarehm m n and bore him and thns un 1 the sz , re out of him and he .s on:y a Copy of a ran who w-s e tar rate because Ie . e want Jess de.adwm in it theobogcal semi -e : ea g evange.s. A: a ie!ting of the general assem 'v of the Presayterian church of the Unite-d S:arcs a clergyman accus tomed on the Sabbath to preach to Sn alidence of : or 3-0 peop'e. in an audience room that could hold .500, was appointed to preach a sernon on how to reach the masses. I am toia the incongruity was too much for the risibilities of ima:y of the cierg in tihe audience. Now, a you.- L-man coming out :rom such bed ing i fluencI, how can he enter into the warts and the woes and the sympa thies of the people who want on the Lord's day a practical Gospel that will help them all the week and help them forever? Young ministers are told they must preach Christ and im crucitled. Yes, I but not as an abstraction. Many a inister has preached Christ and Him crucified in such a way that he preached an audience of 500 down to 200. and from 200 to 100, and from 100 to 50, and from E0 to 20. and on down until there was little left save the exton, who was paid to stay until the service was over and lock -up. There is a grea. d2t:. of cant about Christ and Elm crucified. It is not Christ and Him crucified as an ab straction, but as an Omnipotent sym pathy applied to all the wants and woes of our immortal nature-a Christ who will help us in every do me.stic, social, financial, political, na tional struggle-a Christ :ar the par lor, a Christ for the nursery, a Christ for the kitchen. a Christ for the barn, a Christ for the s.reet, a Christ for* the store, a Christ for the banking house, a Christ for the factory, a Christ for the congressional assem bly. a Christ for the courtroom, a Christ for every trial and every emer gency and ever perturbation. It is often the case that the dif ficulty begins clear back in the home circle with misapprehension as to which child ought to be consecrated to the ministry. John is a keen, bright boy. He is good at a barga4n. When he trades -at school, he always gets the best of it. Make h!m a merchant. He will soon gather a fortune and go right up to take his place among the commercial princes. George has great cerebral aevelopment. Phreno logically, language is large. Make him a lawyer. He will argue his way to the front, and he will take his place among the Mansfields and the Storys. Hernry ha: a large girtli at the chest and is military in his step and bearing. Send him to West Point. We shall see him yet a brigadier gen eral. William is fond of sketching ships, and he knows as much about a vessel as an old sailor. Make him a shipbuilder. The ressel that he builds will successfully wrestle with the Caribcan whirlwind. Aleck is not very well. Be has never had very good digestion. Since that last ma larial attack his spileen is enlarged. He has a morbid way of looking at things. He will sit for hours look ing at one figure In the carpet. His manners are so mild, so soft, so gen tle, so afectionate, so Heavenly, and he cries easily. Make him a minister. Now, my frier.s, that is a great mis take. If you want to coesecrate one of your sons to the Gospei ministry, take the one widest awa ce, the brawniest, the most brilliant, the most irresistible, the mo'st potent. A tremendous '~ork opens before a pro fe-son whose one object is to lift th nations toward God and prepare them for Heaven. Ah, my friends, churches will be largely attended just in proportion as we ministers' can meet theIr wants, meet their suferings, meet their bereavements and meet their symathies. If there be a church with small help, small audience, medi um help, medium audience: large help, large audience. If there be a family mn a city and three depots of bread and one depot has 100 loaves and another 500 loaves and another depot 10,000 loaves, the depot that has 100 loaves will have applicants, ta depot that has 500 loaves will have far more applicants, the depot that has 10,000 joaves wi.1 have throngs, throngs, throngs. Oh, my brethren in the Christian ministry, we must somehow get our shoulders under the burden of the peope on the Lord's day and give themn a good stout aft, and we can do it. We have It all our own way. It is a great pity if with the fioor clear nd no interruption, we cannot diur ing the course of an hour get our hymn or our prayer or our sermon under such momentum we can, by the help of God, lift the people, body, mind and soul, clear out of their sins, temptations gnd troubles. We must make our churches mag nets to draw the people thereunto, so that a man will feel uneasy if he does not go to chirch, saying: "I wish I had -gone this morning. I wonder if I can't dress yet and get there in time. It is 11 o'clock; now they are singing. It is half past 11; now they are preaching. I wvonder when the fok ilbe home to tell us what ws said, what has been going on." When the impression Is confirmed hit our churches, by architecture, by music, by sociabilty and by permao, Lee's Way. There are men and. meo. om are vry human and oth ers are more god ike We all rcmember the despatch sspra sent annoucing the destruio ton of Cervera's fl'et at Sraotia::o atd I asumng all the credit f .r it, though e wa far, far awry when the fi21titg wazoin on. Commnentin un S~ep st-n'- slfiines=, Eur'ne L Diier. one f Bimo's liter ati, says: "In stri in conrast was the conduct of General' Rnert E Lee, as told by his aseot oishd chief of staff. Colonel CharMs Mnrhal. On the morning of the 3-i o May, 1863 the flcal assault was made upon the federal lines at Chan cllosville Gcneral Lee accompsnied te troops in person, and as th'ey drove he euperier force of the enemy b ere tem he rode into their mis Hi prreetD ws the signal 'or one of t'-ome unconirolable cutburts cf enthusi tnwhich none csa apreote' wh nvo not witnestce. the-m. t vieo'ie troop'a wcre Crwtwmg rero ui v;' h scalamtioic, a ro'c on, crg tulrtiag Gerneral L:n u-or shall. bbiadz' th I- oslt a tae! ' 1 olace n~earth, then we w ii wazt twice asngainy ch hces as we haye r.ow, twlea .arge, ard then they will ct ha' = ac2mnoda-e the people. I say to Ie y mn who are en tIn e h s:ry, we must put on :::ore cZeny and :.nto our re' C o .'. ir s more vivacity if we wnt the people to come. You look it a chIrch court of any denomi ation of C'hr:stians. First you will sind .he men of large common sense and e4rnest look. The education of their minds, the piety of their hearts, the holiness of their lives, qualifv them for their work. Then you will find ia every church court of every denornination a grovp of men who utterly a:Laze you with the. fact that such seri-imbecility can get any pupts to preach in' Those are the .e :v forlorn sta t bta d :.ce. Frogs Lever croCin runng water; al ways in sag" t But I say to all Christan: w.r1rs to all Sunday school oeecrs t all eangelists, to ail ruisters of te Go1pe', if we want our Suiday sciooi and our prayer nmcetin:s an our churches to zather the people we nrust fresh en up. Why should we go away to g-t an ilus:ration ci ihe vcarr rs sufering of Jcsus Chilst when at Bloomfield, N. J., two little children were walk ing on the rail track and a train was coming; but they were on a bridge of trestlework, and the little girl took her brother and let him down through the trmstlework as gently at she could toward the water, very carefully and lovingly and eautious ly,, so that he mig'ht not be hurt in the fall and might be picked up by those who were standing near by; while doing that the train strek her, and hardly enough of her body was left to gather inte a funeral casket? What was that? Vicarious suffering. Like Christ. Pang for oth era. Woe for othe-S. Sukering for others. Death for others. What is the use of our going away of to And an Illustration in pass ages when in Michigan a mail carrier on herse back, riding on, pursued by tkse fames which had swept over a hun dred miles, saw an old man by the roadside, dismounted, helped the old man en the horse, saying: "New, whip up and got away?" The old man got away, but the mail carrier perished. Just like Christ dismount ing from the glories of Xeaven to put us en the way of deliverance, then falling baek in the games of sacrifce for others. Pang for others. Woe for others. Death for others. Vicarious suffering. What is the use of our going away of in ancient his tory to fnd an Illustration of the fact that it is dangerous to defy God when in the Adirondaoks I saw a fash of lightning and bolt so vivid I said: "That struck something very near?" A few hours afterward we found that two farmers that Monday morning had been seated under a tree, the one boasting how that the day before-on the Lord's day-he had got his hay in and so cheated the Lord out of that part of the time anyhow, and both of them laughing' over the achievement by which they had wronged the Lord of Bis holy day, when the lightning struek one dead instantly, and the other had been two weeks in bed when we left the Adirondaeks and has become an invalid, I suppose, for life. He did not maake as much out of the Lord as he thought he did. Was It any less an illustration fer my soul beoause I met the clergyman on his way home from the funeral, and he told me o the facts and said the body of the man who had been destroyed was black with the electricity? O Christian workers, we have got to freshen up. What is the use of our going back in the Christian clas sis to flnd an illustration of the vie torius Christian deathbed when my personal friend, Alfred Cookman, a few years ago went away in as im peial grandeur as did Edward Pay m-7 it any less an illastration to me and to you because I met him a few weeks before in fror t of Trinity church, Broadway, and I said: "Cookman, you look as If you were working too hard?" Where in all the classics is there such a story as that e, Coolkmnn when, in his last moment, he cried: "I am sweeping through the gates washed in the blood of the Lamb?" Oh, fellow Chrie iaL workers, what is the use of our being stale and ebsolete and enclent when all arsund us are these evidences of God's grace. God's deliverance, God's mercy end God's wisoma? We bave got to freshen up in our sermOns, freshen up in our songs, freshen up in our zeal, freshen un in our consecration, and if we do it, my brethren and sisters, we will no more have to coaxt people to come to chuch :hhan if you throw eorn on the grund you have to coax pigeons to come and eat it, no moert than you would have to coax a tired horse t-e eat oats you throw in his mnger. Yes, we must f-reshen up in our Sunday schools and in our prayer meetings and in our pulpits. It is high time that the church of God siopped writing apologies for the church. Idt the men who are on the outsid e, who de spise religion, write the apologies. If any peop'.e do not want the church, they need not have it. It is a free country. If any man does not want the Gospel, he need met have It. It is a free country. But you go out, 0 pe ople of (God, and give the Gas pel to the milloas of America who do wat it! It is h'gh time to stop~ skir mihing and brin y on a general engage ment. I wsant to Live to see the Ar mageddon, all the armies of leaven and hel in battle array, for Iknewer conqueror on the vrb!te horse will ga the day. Let the chlurch of God be de voted to nothin~g else, but goirightee to this concuest. wh' emotion,' say s Color! mi'rdall, he bade mc sry to Gereral Jackson that the vivcry was bi4, ami that the congraultioas were due t o him. At av3 ex.cesion to' the thoughts cf is extited mid I forgot the ge:ius that wn the~ tsy in my rcvnecrce for the gcrosit7 ihat refused its glory.' Gener! LPe rot only hs~d the generosi t to reiuse to a"- t giary that be ineed to him, bat he had the msgna nimity to take uou. hireself tho re pomnittility of. th'e Cr f.erate repulce tt Gettsburg, athough his rians h:d ban frust:at.. b" her-s. Ore werd would have relieved him of the respice sb~ity for th is dsaster. but that word berefused to utter." Look Here. Accordirg to some of the latect laws, 2esar publishers may ciuse indi adds.. vho ts'se a ~ppr and ref~te to e u1p. 0, it raud:, or 5Cends t s a card t-, the~ p:2ishers is liable to PLAYING CRAZY. Cz 9gz. the Atswi , R fuses tu. Ep k n Court WHE N HE W AA ARRAiGNED. Ab'.n Cnu-sl Has sE n Appiinted to D-fend Him, But Tr.ry Wi Fa-I to Say a tho V.ins-. Leon F. Czi1osz the asa:sin of Prcaident M1.-Kirnley. wai arraigned be f4re Jodg EiwA3 K Enerr in the ecunty court of Bff:lo, N. Y., at 3 o] c't Tuesd; aft rnoon on the indict r.rt fr the murderca in the firstdegree In fatal:y fhOtiog the president in the Tw pic of Musio at the Pi-- American eri os-ien on Sept 6 Again th) rlub ban pri-oncr refucd to pesd or even o ez tr s. w, r or scu d, and the Her'. Lo:uan L L css, x-upreme c ;urt jus t;:e, eer. d a of not guivy. The ued will be tried in the suprcme c:nt nrrt Mcnda- morning. UMows f ic.ked t. the city hall Tues d-y o seo the prisoner, bu; the uncer Et* surrourding the queszion as to whether or rot cnausa co,!i be secured fcr "iH ss.ved congCSior. of the court ro.]m ard corrder3 of the hall. The m-st notable i nidert of the day was theo hissig of the prinner b; tbe c:owds viao surged ar~urd him a he m bcing escorted 'eewn the stair3 still draprd in mourning garb. The -trong guaid of patrolmen and eputy sherli& h d b.- Cn dispos d of, so that tne people were able to get nearCr to him as he paksd to and fr,:m the court room. A; a reeult of the urging of President Mor, cf the E:ie c .unty bar es-oiia tion, Judge Lewis, one of the a'torneys zssigned as counsel Iy J adge E ary, Mor day. called at the Eie county j.:l at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon to see the prisoner. (s ngns r faecd to talk to Judge Lewis and even refuted to answer qretions s to whether or Dot le Wnrted ary counsel. Judge Levs ; aid that neverihel s he would apear for the priioner u on arraign ment Even if be dacided not ta accept 'he asdsnmcnt of the court. Absolu-ely no demonstration baving bcen made zgainst thc prisorer Mon day the authorities, decid:d that the strong guild as unnectssary Tuesday. Cz .igosz wa3 taken f am thi jail through the tunnel utd.r DZlaware sverue to .he city hali by Detectivas Solomon and G:ary, being handcuffed to the latter. In pa-sing from the basement of the city hall to the court room on the see ond ficor, Cz-!go:z was cmelled to pass c'ose to the black and white bunt irg with which the pillar3, ceilinge, windows and tairways of the city hall were draped wht re the body cf the pres idet-t was ]ling in sata on Sunda?, .dich garb will not b. removed until aftar the fun,,ral on Thurtday. These evidene s of the city's grief apparently made rnot the slightest impression on the piis oner and he gase no more heed to them or the large portraits of the resident tastily drajt d with American fbgs than he did to the q'xesnons of too c:urt or the dietriot attorcey. Tile prieoner entered ihe courd room jf-t aa the city hall clock was e riking 3 o'clo.:k and as mn~y of the speetato:rs as could surged into the court room be t ind him. A mnrmur ran through the audietci but the gavel of tho judge and the i staff c f the orier coon re stored order. As soon as Czolgosz was before the bar and the h'ndeuff s were rem~ved, Dstiiot Anorney Penney began the formal arraianment. He r.ad the prin cipal charges of the indictment in a voice of severity asd asked: ' Hw do y ou plead, guilhy or not guilty?'' N at a sotind was uttered by the pris oner. He stood mute before the bar of jutice, apparently continuingHis leint of insanity which was first noticed when he was taken into court Tues day afternoon. is curly hair was dis hveled and al~hough his linen was white and clean, his disordiered clothes ad the growth -of hi~s beard gave him an unkeniit appeararnee. Spec'a-of-s in te cturt somu comaented on th:e fact -htit he was shave~d, whion he has not been since the day of the shootirg, he would be a fairly good looking yung man. Althoug~h his manner :ias stuil onie of stubbornners he gave a lit de more evleence d e incern than upon his first preseneo in court. When Quns tions were being aeked of him rap.ily, he moiktened his lips witL his ton sue and scemed to be endeavoring to n,,in tain the appearance.of stolid inidiff r e ce. When the prisorner refused to plead, the district attorney asked him if he unerbood what had ben r-.ad and meivig no snsecr told him that he had ben inditcd for marder in the it drce,' and that he cou d ans-wer - c'o ".o." For an insta Z ol gesz gle.ncce act Mr. Penney sa it was hught h" intei ded t.> speak, but he (.id not Judec Le wis then addrensed the court at lei-gth? ssying that he had called uoGn the deedant, but had been un abe to scertain any wish on the de tendant's part as to the empicyment of consil. lHe said that his aneciate, Jdge Titus, nsin Milwaukee, but :hat i.e had appeared informally to en tr a pici of not guity on behalf of the deendant as the law require~d Euch a plea under the circumstances. He asked rermission to reserve the right to withdraw the plea and enter a special plea cr interpouse a demurc i after corsuiting with Judge Titus they shouli decide not to ask the court to assijn other counsel. 'ihe judge exp ressed his regret that his name had been mentionred in con necton initi this trial as he had been ut of practice for some considerable time and had a very strong repugnance to appearing althcough that was a rea son which would apply to every law yer. District Attorney Penney gave notice that he would move to have the indict ment transferred to the supreme court for trial arnd would also notice the trial fcr ne xt Monday morning. "I know of no reason why the de fendant should not be ready next Men day," rej,lie i Judge Lewis. Ar his re quest, however, the orders will not be entered until Judge Titus returns which will probablj be within a day or two. Judge Lewis said that he might also ike an order of the court fcor alienists to examine the prisoner as the district attoney had informed him that emi ent alienists had extamined the prison er on behalf of the people. This gave rise to the belief that a speciail plea of n-nity may be entered by the coun fer'the ddense.I "emve the prisoner," Eaid Jiadge Thiry, ued Czo-lgosz was taken back to the jail by the unacraround route, miui masing th arb of mourning. Ii STILL A PROBLEM. An Uausual Backwardness in the Cotton Crop The reports during the last ten days reflect a stage in the development of growing and maturing cotton that ususally occurs during the last days of August, and aecounts for the wide spread prevalence of rust and shed ding. Of itself it does not mark. any unulual deterioration, but cecurring to late in the season, it d yes indiiate an unusual backwardness of the crop, that makes the yield more problematical than generally is the case in the mi dle of S.ptember, atd more dependent on ao early or late frost whether the crop will be of a record bresking size or merely a full one. West of the Missiesippi, it seems, the repor's indieste a loss under lest year's yie d even with the increased acreage, whi'e to the eastward there will be a large exc-ss over last year. Sicce the rep.rts were received upon which the Sta'e summaries are based, heavy raii s have occurred over the eattern and central portions of the blt that lowered the quantity of open cotton in the bolls, but did no other material da-age except on bottom lands that were overfl~wtd Pieking has been re tarded by these rains and cotton which was opening fast will for awhile ma ture slowly, t0us keeping back the market Eupply for awhijo.- The condi tion of the c:op has bcen summariz.,d for the different S:ates as follows: In No:th Carolina the condition of cotton, a. reported by the depaitmeni of agrfoaiture, is the lowest through out the cotton belt, except in Texai and Arkansas. The weather canditicns cannot further benefitthe plants in this State, excps that showers would se cure better mat arity of the upper bolls. Cotton is opening very' rapidly and picking has become general; the results of the fir.t picking indicate a shorter crop even than anticipated; cotton gins are in operation and some new bales have been sold. Damage by shedding and rust has somewhat uiminished during the past week. In South Carolina cotton opened fast, except along the northern border coun ties, and some op3ned prematurely owing to rust that has increased rapid ly. The hot weather induced shedding, and stopped growth of young cotton. ' he crop is reported in a less favorable condition than it was a few weeks ago, and is not as heavily fruited as it prom ised to b ,. Ball worms have appeared in many sections and have caused much injury. Sea island cotton improved during the week. Picking has made f sir progress, although little has a3 yet been ginned, In Georgia with the excption of scattered showers dry weather pre vailed durirg the greater portion of the week rendering the conditions favor able for picking cotton and saving hay. Tae dry weather caused cotton to open very rapidly and did some damage to late growing crops, but in most in stances the temporary setbacks seem to have been overcome by reasonable showers later in the week. There is still complaint of rusting and shtdding of cotton in many coun ties and it is the universal opinion that the bottom crop will be somewhat be low last year while the top crop is in many sections almost an entire failure. In some counties conaiderable cotton has been ginned and mark-eted. In Alanama: Cotton continues to open freely, with picking being rapidly pshed; -many c implaints of rust, rot, and shedding are rec ,ived' with a gen eral admission that rust has damaged the staple very contiderably, so that the yield will be very lhght; there seems to be but slight prospects for a top crop. la Misiss'ppi: . dotton is opening very fast, and at many places over half of it is open. Picking was progressing very nicely until about Wednesday', since then very litdle nas been gathercd on account of the unfavorable weather. The excessive rains and continued damp weather during last half of the week have damaged tne crop consider ably. It is snedding over tne greater portion of the -S:ate; while in, many delta and northern counties it is rot ting and begieig to sprout from the open boils. Iu L-iuisiana: The early part of the week was generally favorable for cot ton picking, except in some northern parisnes where thec weather was show ry. General showers throughout the State at the close of the week material ly interfered with out door work. Pack ing was- rushed when the weather was favorable and is weli advanced in many loaliies. There are compiaints from some of the southern parishes tua bols are rotting as a resuit of continu ue wet weather and in some instat c;s the quality of the staple has been re ducen. Itust and shedding are repore ed from several parishes. a?portsirom doncodia state that late cotton wiii be a fair crop if fcost holds off sufficiently long. Tae yield ot cotton is generally belw the average. In Tennessee: Since the August rains, eteon has been making abnorm'ai euik grovah to the great detriment of fruitsge, besides, the yield has been much iessened by shedting forms and rust. In Texas: Although considerable damage, the results of heavy rains, oc curreQ in many localities of the State, the weatner during the week as a whole was more faporabie than otherwise to the farming interests of the S.ate, The drou-:n which. has prevasled for so long over the central, southern and toith western portions has been thoroughly broken, and exceptieg a few looautmes the moisture- has been ample f or the immeiiatc needs of all cror's. Farm work was greatly retarded nuring the week, cotton picking especially havng been interrup.:ed by the prevaiairg wet weather. W ashinig rains tinarc oj en cotton to a great extent, ar-d the ea4rly crop was generally damaged by the wet weather, which, in a measure, lowered the quaaiity of the staple, Late cotton has improved in some localities and some correspondents report the crop as blooming and putting on squares, but the general reports indicate that the crop has failed to respond to the moiet ure and that the season is too far ad vaned to hope for a late ceop. Tne benefit to cotton from the rains has been mere than overbilanced by the shedding and rusting of the crop. The boil weevil are sui!l working in late otton and consierable damage is re portedi from this source. T[he yield of ottn continues to be very unsatisfac tory and all farmers who have based their hope s upon this crop alone are much discouraged. In Arkansas: Cotton conti:"es to open rapidly, and in some localities thcn greater part is now open; picking pro gresscd rapidly under the favorable weather conditions of the first part cf the week, but has been sericusiy de iayd by the heavy rains of the last three or four days. As a rule the rains iave been rather injurious than other wise to the crop, boating the lint from thebels into the ground, causing it to OVER DIPLOMATIC He Tried In Vain lo Explain His Peculiar Actions. Mr. Meekton was gazing at his wife with tliat inane and amiable fixity which comes into man's face-when he has been napping and is ashamed of the fact. "Leonidas," she said sternly. "What is it, my dear?" be inquired, as he straightened himself up in his sleepy hollow chair. "What is the matter?" "Nothing is the matter," he said, growing red in the face. "I haven't intimated that there was anything wrong, have I?" "No. But you have been behaving rather queerly. Just now you gave a little start and exclaimed. 'Yes, Hen rietta, I agree with you, perfectly.' " "Well," answered he, apprehensiviRy, "there isn't anything in that to take exception to, is there?" "Are you sure you meant it?" "Every word of it." "You had given the matter due Con siderntion before you spoke?" "Certainly. Do you doubt it, Henri etta?" "'Oh, no. But I can't help attaching' some significance to the fact that I hadn't uttered a word during the ten ininutes previous to your enthusiastic indorsement of my sentiments." -Well, to tell the truth, Henrietta, I h'ad been asleep and something awoke, me. and I naturally supposed-that is to say, I took it for granted"-and then he gave it up.-Washington Sfar. The Eternal -Fitness. "You-you want to see .me?" said the business man, as he turned in his office chair at the entrance of a stranger. "Yes. sir," was the reply from the well-dressed, prosperous-looking caller. "I left your house half an hour ago." "H'm! One of my wife's relatives brother or something?" "No. sir, I am a tramp. I called there to ask for an old coat, and she hunted me up this outfit-overcoat, Dusiness suit, hat, shoes, everything. These things must have cost you at least $50O." "Nearer $100,' growled the business man. "Don't doubt it, but you see the fix I'm in? There is such a thing as the eternal fitness of things. I can't go around striking folks for a nickle In no such rig-out as this." "And no one would think of asking me to carry out ashes or shovel snow." "Well?" "Well, you'll have to give me a job or I shall have to return the clothes." The merchant scratched his head, sighed heavily, and, ringing his bell, he said to the boy who answered It: "Joseph, tell Mr. Markham to put this gentleman to work at $15 per week and advance him as fast as his talents and attention to my Interests seem to deserve." Hard to Explain Away. "I gave you a parrot as a birthday present, did I not. Matilda?" he asked. "Yes; but surely, Albert, you are not going to speak of your gifts as if-" "It was young and speechless at the time?" "Yes." with increasing wonder; "and it has never been out of this parlor." "There are no other young ladies in this house?" "No, there are not" "Then why-why when I kissed your photograph in yonder album, while waiting for you, did that wretched bird imitate your voice, and say, "Don't do that, Charlie; please don't.' " -Tit-Bits. Harmless Microbes. She was shy of the germs in the wa ter, she boiled and killed them by steam; She was shy of germs in the butter And microbes that flourish in cream; She was shy of the germs in the sir. loin Of germs In the marrowfat bone; She was shy of germs on her money And germs that you meet at the 'phone; She was shy of germs at the playhouse Of germs on the car transfer slips; But she wasn't a bit shy of the mi crobes, If there were any on Archibald'slips. -Chicago News. Washed Him Out. "I see that a Kansas doctor tried the other day to commit suicid' by eating a eake. of soap.' "And how did they save him?' "I understand that they found him when he was almost gone, but conclud ing that whiile there was life there was soap they attached a stomach pump to him and gave him a clean start in life." --Chicago Tinmes-Herald. Sarcasm. "Say, Chimmy, ain't yer rader young te'r be goin' inter long pants?" - An Ear Fcr Aspirates. "'Tain't only English people drop their aitches," said a little boy to the new teacher. "I never heard no Ameri can'pronounce the aitch in my name." ''What is your name?" asked the teneb'er. ".Tolhnnie," said the little boy -Harp er's Bazar. Better Than 3Medicine. "Aha!" shouted the patlent triumph antly as he rushed into the doctor's of lice. "I've cured that insomnia now. II sleep like a top." "How's that?" "I leave that loud golf suit of mine in another room whlen I go to fled." Uetroit Free Press Cruel (xlrJ.I "AMirabelle i" he sighed. "May]I not hope that you will be mine for ever?" "If you wish to hope that long, Mr. Sophtie," she replied. "I don't sup. pose I couid stop you."-Philadelphia Press. A sure Victim. She-A faint heart never won a fair lady, you know. Re-N-no, and a faint heart never got away from one either.--Judge. One step ,Above Begging. lorrowing is butt onie step above begging.-Chicago Daily News. One Man's Wisdom. She (after the proposal)-Are you n favor of a long or short engago ment? He-If you can cook I'm in favor of a short one. If you can't we had better make it long enough to enable you to learn.-Chicago Daily News. Like Your shadow. False friends are like your shadow -only with you in sunahine.-Chica stain. All sections, with a few excp tions, report the yield will be shorter than has bten expected A RENARKEIBLE STORY. Told by the Divorecd Husb nd of Amelii Rives. A Charlottesville, Va , special says: John Armstrorg Chanler, the divora! ed husband of Amelia Rives, row Princess Trc.ubetLksy, and who has been lost for nearly a year, many of hi2 friend thinking he was dead, arrived in this city this =orr.mng on the Southern train from Lyrchbur , where he bas been stopping at Arlington hotel for .six weeks. - He was met at the train and driven to the rcsiderce of his friend and coun scl, Caplain Mic,jih Woid 4. After a brief cUsuhation Mr. Chanier anzd Capt. Weeds took the train for Louisa Court Houte to attend the circnit curt for &Pearanoe in a civil proceeding, it i3 said, in behalf of Mr Chandler with reference to certain property in Loui-a C'ty ia whMcb ho is int:-risted. Hii attorncys are stantd to be Senator Daniel and his law partner. Frderick Harfer (f Lynchburg; Micajsh Wo: d i, commonwealth's atorney for Albe marle couutv, Charlottesville: Arm istead C. Gordon, city attorney of Staunton, and Augustus Van Wycke of New York. Tbese, it is said, have with Mr. Chankr's approval given out the following statcment: 402 the 21st cf March, 1897, Mr. Chanler. then a citizen of Aibemarle county, Virginia, visivng in N, w York, Wa3 cmmitted to Blooingdale aylum at Whiteplains, N. Y., on an crier of a jud-e of the supreme court of that State. "On Thanksgiving eve, 1900, after numerous iruitless efforts to sacure legal counsal. h.virg managed to bor row frm a friend a few dhllri, he escaped fron th.: aaflum a d went to Philadelphia. There un kr the guis3 to an attorLey rgra-entiag a elienm, b submitted his 04e to a distinguishcd neurologist, De. J. Madison Taylr, and upon D,. Taylor's ex;r.s--ion of will ingness to aasume cifarge of his allged client, he diselos:4 his identity. "In order to aff;rd Dr..Ta5lor ample time and opportunity for observation, Mr. Chanler of his own motion and without compulsion, repaired to a pri vate sanitarium in Pbiladelphia, under the charge of Dr. Taylor, and remained there for six months. "Daring this time, a number of emi nent alienists, neurologists and phy cologists were called in consultation by De. Ta5lor, and the records of the pro ceedings in L )uiea county disclose the unanimous opinion of all thise experts as to Mr. Chanler's sanity. "Liter, having plz d himself in touih with his counsel by. correspon dence, he came to Virginia and livei at L~nehburg up to Sept. 20, when be re turned to his home in Albemarle where he now is and where propedings will be instituted under the Virginia stat utes to demonstrate before a court of competent juiisdiction and in an af firmative manner, his entire sanity." Unique Concert-Old Violins. According to a German correspond ent, a concert was lately given in Ber fln which has a unique interest on account of the instruments used for the occasion. The first item on the programme was played on violins for merly possessed by his royal high ness, the late duke of Saxe-Cobuirg Gotha. They were a Stradivarius of 1723, a Rueggeri of 1667, an Amati eiola of 1680, and a Techler violoncei Jo of 1703. Other violins were: Ore formerly belonging to the earl of Fahnoith, a Carlo Bergonzi of 1733; a 1723 Stradivarius, made for and osyned by the king of Spain; Lor-d Nelson's AMati of 164S and his Sane tus Serafn of 1712. Voilin bows u.-sed were made by Tourte, and former ly owned by VieuxtempsLeonard a::d P'aganini, and the Y uillaumne bow, for mer-ly owned by De Beriot and Prince de Chimay.-N. Y. Sun. H'envy Railnfalls. Exceptionally heavy rainfalls often occur, som'etimes with disastrous ef fcets. For periods of five minutes rain falis have occurred at Bismarck. N. D., at the rate of nine inches per hour, at Jacksonville, F:a.., at the rate of s.even inchei, and at Galveston, Tex., a;t the rate of 6% Inches. In periods of 60 a-rutes rain has fallen at- these :hree stations at the rate of over two Inches per hour; at Galveston at the rate of 2% iu.eh e5. On e in ch of rain fa.:l is equiv alen t to 27,154 galions of 226.000 pounds on each ard every acre of the wetted area.. Rain fallj the rate of rtinr inches per- hour represents a. fall of . ocC pounds, or 4.0r3 gallons, per nin ute per acre. in five minutes. such a rain fall would cover each area of four square mi~es with 51.000,000 galons quanrtity much in excess of :he daily consumption of the city of Washing to.-Washington Star. An Unexpected Result. An amusing episode occurred at a political meeting at Lavendon dur ing the general election. After hear ing the speeches of the candidate and his supporters an aged conservative from Wolverton mounted the plat form and caused some mystery by dra matically holding aloft a walnut, when he proceeded to say: "This is a political walnut. The rough shell represents the radicals; the next, the thin, bitter skin, is the liberals, and the kernel represents the good conservative." A man in the audience cried out: "Now crack it." The Wolverton tory did so, when, lo and behold! the kernel was rot ten! The admixture of laughter and chagrin that followed may be imag ined.-London Spare Moments. Chinese Fun. A man asked a friend to stay and have tea. Unfortunately, there was no tea in the house, so a servant was sent to borrow some. Before the latter had returned the water was already boiling, and it became neces sary to pour in more cold water. This happened several times, and at length the boiler was overflowing, but no tea had come. Then the man's wife said to her husband: "As we don't seem likely to get any tea, you had better offer your friend a bath!" -History of Chinese Literature. Killed by a State Senator. Dr. John McKowen of Chinton, La , was shot and killed by Slate Senator R. Emers--n Thomnpson of E ast Filiciana parsh. L1. S' m: time ago Thtompson was arrested at thte intiantion of Me-. Kowen for the alleged luecny of part of a fence between Thompson's phe'e and the phntation of Mrs Pipes5, !fhe Fish7 of MsKowmn. Thiq breu-ht about bed felirg between T'homon and Mec o ea. Wedneeda:. morning the par ties met in the public road. Thompson claims McKowen amasltzd him ad SP;DER ARCHITECTS 3 Plans of the Most Dainty Souse in the World. There are few nienbers of the animal kingdom whose work is more marvel ois than that of the geometric spider and those related to him. Dr. Henry Laney ,of Cumberland, Md., who does considerable experimenting along sci entific lines for a pastime has lately been studying the thelyphonides, a .species of spider, that builds its web over the water along streams and riv ers, with interesting results. After securing the web, which, In Its natural state, is comparatively Invisi ble for photographic purposes, Dr. La ney proceeded first to make it tena cious by spraying It with an alcoholic solution of shellac from a medical ato mizer. Though still comparatively In visible after this treatment the web could be handled- with ease, without fear of teaiing it. To develop the beautiful work of the spider Dr. Laney with another atomizer sprayed the web with a solution of gallic acid, which made it appear as if frost had settled upon it. The web now seemed to be covered with the mornlng's.dew. To complete the effect Dr. Laney cap tured the spider, put him in the death box and then coated him with shellac. Deftly placing the insect in the web in a natural position, he was sprayed with gallic acid. Using black velvet as a background. Dr. Laney succeeded in photographing one of the. most beautiful and delicate pictures found In nature. Dr. Laney s.ays: "The spider displays wonderful Intelligence and mechanical skill in making these nets. Its instinct is far above that of the ordinary ani mal; indeed. It quite borders on reason. When a large spider desires to, make a web for himself and he has , some distance to stretch It, he does'- not swing himself, as most people suppose, and let the wind or his own momen tum take him where It will. He begins his web by starting the first guy very close up to the corner of the angle. Be attaches to the other side of the angle making a short guy. Each guy in creases in length, the spider always us ing the last guy made to carry the neit one over until he attains the position in which he wishes to place his net. The last guy may be ten feet long and the frst one only a foot in length. "When the guys are all fixed to ,bis' . satisfaction he proceeds to put In the network by starting from the center% where he attaches his web, then with circular motion traveling from guyt guy, spinning web as he goes and y its natural moisture sticks It to each guy, carefully carrying the web in his hind feet, to prevent it from touching except at the point desired by him When he has a small distance of the -5 inside completed he goes to the.outside of the net and finishes out any Irregu lar part of the net that does not come. within the radius of a circle. After the> circle has been attained the same ro tary motion is kept up until the netis finished to the center. -Here comes the most comic feature - of net building-the test of the durabil ity of the work by the spider himself. As soon as the net is finished, he puts every guy through the severest test by sharp, brisk jerks, seemingly suff cient to tear the whole net to pieces. If he finds the net is not taut, he wil go to the end of thd guy rope, stretch it until the net suits him and reattacbh the guy. If the net still seems loose from the center, the guy will be car ried from the center to some conveni ent point, to give the net its proper shape. "The nets are perched s'o as to cateld mosquitos and small insects. -The struggles of the prey generally serious ly damage the nets. The spider him self In the morning demolishes the rest of the web for the day, with the ex ception of the main guy ropes, retires to a secluded quarter .and again ~p pears late in the afternoob, about '4:30 or 5 o'clock, and renews his net..It re quires him about an hour and a half to construct the ordinary web. -This work is done every day, rain or shine, and both male and female spiders are. equally Industrious. The baby spiders are taught industry, beginning net building right after their birth. Whble building his net the spider takesnig~ notice of the accumulation of Inswe life In Its meshes, and when his work"' of building is finished he pounces up.K on them ravenously, consuming them In toto. You cannot ~ kick or blow these spiders out of their nets, nor can they be taken unawares. When they- .~ fall their own net Is attached to them and they can almost touch the water and then quickly run back on the silk en string which they spun while talk ' ng. The web is always attached to them. When the main guy of the net - becomes too full of Insect debris ft convenience and comfort, the spidek goes out, consuming all before him, and at the same time spinning a fine' web behind, entirely renewing 'the guy."-St. Louis "Bepublic." - An Interesting Dog. A very interesting dog, which once~ belonged to the late General Gordon, et the English army, better known asr "ChInese Gordon," Is being kept at the Gordon Boys' Orphanage. at Dover, England. It Is the property of Major Sell, of the King's regiment, who says regarding It: "The dog's name - is Wang. When General Gordon was re called from China to go to whartoum, about fourteen years ago, he brought three of the rare black Chow puppies bck with him, and when he arrived at Gibraltar he gave Wang to Sir ,Tohn Adie's daughter. Sir John was an old friend of General Gordon, and was then commanding at Gibraltar. Wang remained in the possession of this lady until her husband, who Is in the royal artillery, got a staff appointment in London, when he gave the old tiog to me. The other two puppies 'are .be lieved to be dead,-so that Wang is the only remaining one that General Gor don owned. Very nearly as Interesting as Wang. is the kilted boy who acts as his keep er. Robert Robinson. Three years. ago Robert's father turned the starving lad out of doors at Crewe, England.. The little fellow tramped from place to place, living as he could. Returning to Crewe he found that his mother was dead and the home that he had been driven from broken up. Tramping agin, he eventual'y got ,to London, and there a constable found him, a mere bundle of rags and bones, asleep at the foot of the Gordon statue In Trafalgar square. He was event ally taken to the Gordon Boys' home, and as Wang's keeper Is one of that institution's most honored inxmates. Not a Bad Argumenr. "If a wife is a good thing to have,w remarked the Observer of Events and Things, "why not get oneweighing 300 pounds? You know one can't have too much of a good thing."-Yonkers - Statesman. Apprehension. "Did you say you foresaw great dan ger in this new trust?" "I did," answered Senator Sorghum. "I was afraid for a little while that I would not be able to buy auy stock In it.-Washington Star. Downright Kard Work. "I may as well tell you, doctor, that I am engaged, and I have been sitting up late nights." "That ought not to affect you. It's pleasure, isn't it?" - "No, sir; business."-Town Topics. Beautiful AnCIent statue. The Greek inspector general of an tiquities states that the bronze statue of a youth recently discovered at Cer igo, in the Ionian islands, dates from the periodl of Phidias, and is the most beautiul relic of antiquity yet brla to n igrh t-Chicago Inter