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u , I i I i i VOL. IX. I III LL Altl?'M LKTTKR. "An album's puires tHl of many a friend Lost to the sight, but to the memory dear." Those lines are the beginning of some verses 1 wrote in a school girl's album fifty-four years ago. The little hook is near me now. It is oltjl and war-worn and it makes me sad to turn its leaves and read the pretty verses that adorn its pages. The authors were her best friends and all arb dead hut one?the one now writing this letter. "Friend after friend depa-ts ?who has not iost a friend?" This album was captured during the uncivil war and carried away to Bnbylon and kept a prisoner in a strangle land for twenty one years and then was returned through the mail. Iti takes conscience a long time to biing repentance to some people. Tha^. school girl is my wife?she is now sitting by her window sewing, making !a little dress for a grandchild. Will she never stop making little garments? 1 asked Jessie last night how many garments it took for her little Caroline in each and every year, And she counted them up?eight little) dresses, ton petticoats, four pair day drawers, two pair night drawers and one cloak ?say twenty-five garments for winter and as many more for summer, and she makes most all of them herself. My wife has done all this, for ten children until they were fifteen years old. Fifty times ten makes '500, and ,">'((1 times l"> makes 7,otH) garments and she still keeps working on. But sllfi is not worn out. nor thin nor n?ln nor haggard nor is her eye dimmed when she has on her gold-bound glasses. Oh, these good old mothers. Mine did (lie same thing for her Hock and my wife's mother the same for hers and so do they all?except some. I loved my mother dearly, but it grieves me sometimes that I did not love her better, for I did not realize how much she did for me and how her very soul was wrapped up in her children. Stop young man, stop ami think, when you are far away from home rollicking and frolicking with your gay companions?stop sometunes, stop and think of your good mother and write to her a loving letter. Hopeful and sad she waits for every mail and never despairs. But about albums. A friend has left bis with me for perusal?one of these old time mental photographic albums with about twenty questions to be answered. I have seen them before aud was amused at the answers, but this one interested nie for its pages contain an autobiography of many noble and notable men. It tells a condensed story of their emotional and mental character. When a man of thought is asked to write an answer to a question he is both cautious and sincere. He knows that he is making an exhibit of his inner life to every one who reads it. This album begins with Alex <>....1....... ten ?I .? < i> pir]Mirii3 111 ion iiuu men IOIIOWS witli Robert Toombs, Herschol V. Johnson, General Kirby Smith, James K. Randall. Richard Malcolm Johnson, li. (}. ('. Lamar, Richard H. Clark, John B. Gordon, Thomas M. Norwood, Rev. M. Palmer, Henry S. Foote, Logan K. Bleckley, Robert J. Hurdctte, Paul H. Hayne; Joel Chandler Harris, Wallace P. Reed, Mrs. Octavia Walton Lo Vert, Judge Hook, Richard A. Proctor, the great astronomer, and others. Every name is noble and notable, and their answers are indexes to their characters. Stephens's favorite books are Milton, Pope and Shakespeare, bis heroine Rebecca in "Ivanhoe;" his hero Washington; his occupation reading and fanning; his best trait in man is truth, and in woman modesty. Toombs' favorites are Shakespeare and Tom Moore, Gibbons and Maeauley; his characters in fiction Rienzi, in history Socrates; bis favorite occupation building air castles; best trait in man justice, in woman charity; the sum of human happiness is to make others happy. Governor Johnson likes Pope, Milton and Bvron and Swedenborg, knows nothing of romance; bis best characters Washington and Jefferson; his accupation reading and writing; the highest traits truth and benevolence; his watchword dntv J ' Kirhy Smith likos Gray, Young and Tennyson, Scott, Irving and Macau lev; his favorite characters Sir (iullahad and St. Paul; his favorite occupation ''making love to my wife;" his best traits in man are truth and honesty; tue sum of happiness contentment. dames It. Kamlall likes Shakespeare and Byron, Bulwer, Thackery and Macaulcy; his favorite character in romance is Warington in "Pendennis," in history Fenelon; occupation reading and writing; the highest trait in man devotion to principles, in woman modesty; the sum of human happiness is resignation. li. M. J oh son liked Byr> n, Seott, Keats and Mrs. llemans, Macaulcy, Bulwer and Goldsmith; historic character Aurelius; occupation scribbling; sum of happiness consciousness of God's favor. L. (J. C. Lamar liked hest Byron and Burns, .Vlaei'.uloy. Bulwer and Plutarch; best characters Greatlieart in "Pilgrim's Pr> gross," in history Wellington and Hampden; his favorituoccupation teaching in college; thejBuin of human happiness the love of (lod. - ; L. -J FORT F Rev. B. M. Palmer prefercd Shakespeare, Milton and Wordsworth, Bacon, Bulwer, Scott and Goldsmith best characters William, Prince of Orange, Washington and Lee; his favorite occupation preaching the gospel; best trait truth; sum of human happiness a good conscience. R. J. Burdette liked Mrs. Browning, Carlyle, Thackeray; his favorite character Colonel Newcome and Cromwell; best trait sincerity; sum of happiness a home full of friends. Henry S. Foote liked Shakespeare and Byron, Macauley and Tacitus; his favorite characters Old Mortality and Washington; the sum of happiness. conjugal felicity. L. E. Bleckley chose Shakespeare, Byron and Tennyson, Hamilton, Mill and Pascal; his favorite characters Don Quixote and Marcus Aurelius. John B. Gordon preferred Shakespeare, Macauley and Carlyle; his favorite characters Washington and U: . r *: ?2 v nn>. 11 in luvurive utxujmuun ruining tine stock; best trait.in man, integrity, in woman tenderness. T. M. Norwood, Shakespeare and Byron; best trait in man honor. Wallace P. Reed likes Shakespeare and Maoauley; best character is Napoleon; hest trait, justice; sum of all happiness is a happy home. Joel Chandler Harris prefersShakspears, Scott and Thackeray; hest charters, Jefferson and Lincoln; favorite occupation, looking after my roses; best trait in man is honesty; sum of human happiness to be at home. All of these men name the sweetest words in our language and also the saddest. Amony the last are lost? forever lost?it might have been? friendless?hopeless?forlorn, and one says most of them begin with the letter I), as disappointment, dismay, destruction, despair, debt, duns, death, damnation and the devil. There arc other writers in this album, but space forbids. These are enough for a young man to choose from. From these he can make up a good library, for there is not a questionable book among them. Shakepeare and Macauley are in the lead for authors and Washington for character, truth for the best trait in man and modesty in woman. About half these men likeit the enrlv mnrn unit the other half the twilight, except, however, L. (J. C. Lamar, who says his favorite hour is 1 o'clock at night. (1 never knew before that he played poker.) Of three sixteen notable men just half are dead. Their record is made up and the book isclosed. Their intluence upon the present generation cannot be estimated nor overestimated. No great or good man or woman has an adequate idea of what lie or she is worth to mankind. Last Sabbath we heard a very grand discourse upon environment from Rev. Mr. Mumford, who has established that industrial school near Macon for the rejected children of the state, those who are under the ban and whom nobody wants and nobody cares for?the children of drunken or disreputable parents and whom no orphanage will receive. The eloquent and earnest preacher declared in words that burned: "Men and women are not born, they are made! Made by their environments, their parents or their early associates." He is going over the state gathering up the friendless and pleading with the good people to give these children a chance. "Give every friendless child a chance," he earnestly exclaimed. His text was "Rear ye one (lfintlior'u Kiirilnnu u vwl an fulfill ? law of Christ." It is a hardened heart who can listen to him and not give something. There should be another question in that album, what is the worst and most prevalent trait in mankind? And I would answer, "selfishness." Bill Ari\ Simplicity and OntrntHllon al Fuller a 1m. Jewish American. The simplicity which marked the ancient Jewish burial ceremonies has much to commend it, even to us. The inexpensive coftin and uniform linen shroud served to emphasize the equality of all in death. As things are to-day the rich tax their brains tc invent new funeral fineries, and the poor impoverish themselves to keep up with their wealthier neighbors. ^durational Teat. The Superintendent of Schools of Spokane, Wash., desirous of testing the powers of composition existing in a class of S-year-olds, requested that three sentences tie written, each to contain one of the three words bees, boys and bear. A small girl laboriously concocted the following sentence: "Bojb bees hare when they go in swimming." tli-Klnlcy ?? He Kniprror Over lain ml* of ttir Srmn. Washington, Feb. 23.?The Senate decided to insist upon its amendments, the appropriaton bill land conferees were appointed. Mr. Pettigrew offered an amendment to the Spooner amendment to the oppropriation bill, in reference to the government of the Philippines. It provides that the title of the President of United States snail hereafter !?e: "The Presideut of the so-called American Republic and Emperor of the Islands of the Seas." I ' Mil \)RT MILL, S. C.. WED LKiTTICH rilOII SA.tl 1*. JOMKM, | Smvm i lie World Never Nerdrd (>l?l j KnililDiicd 7111 in in l?'? mid llnddloN I.Ike ll Nee?l? Tliem Today, The Alanta Journa . Tbe peodul mi of human affairs ' swings rapidly these latter days. Sometimes a fellow has to hold his breath as he looks on. The saying that "if you let it alone it will let you alone" is a great big whopping lie, hut it is a lie that has been told so often that the maioritv <\f the nonnlo in thin onnnlrv j j w. rv f,w ----- | believe it is true. A fellow said to me j the other day that if a man will let 1 whiskey alone it will let him alone. ! This is the whoppinest lie of all. A many home and many a man has let whiskev alone and yet because some- i body else drank it a husband has beeu | shot down a d the widow anil orphans ! have been left homeless and penniless. 1 Sometimes a good mother that always j let whiskey alone finds that it is wrecking her boy and won't let her alone, and tnis is true of the other deviltries ! of life. Tragedy and comedy. There are ! many things to laugh at and others that make your blood run cold. What a tragedy the papers this week report of the gruesome iind out near llolton. Tnese horrors are not accidents or the mishaps of a day; they have their roots running backward and running downward. Society is getting more corrupt, modesty and purity are standing at less premium, decency and sobriety are spurned by many who would tie esteemed respectable. When a woman loses her modesty she has already halt way lost her virtue. When n man has j a bottle of whisky in one pocket and a pack of cigarettes in the other he has j very little move to lose except his soul. | This world never needed the old.fiish- I iuued mammies and daddies like it needs them today. We have substitutes for them called mammas and papas, of which I am whom, and they are a sorry set. Buggy and bicycle riding, ballrooms, etc., however nice they may seem, they are like the old woman's collards when ehe said, "if you cook tliese old 1 blue stem collards before frost bites < them if \ on don't put heap of grease in them you will find after you have eat them that they have got the very devil ( in them." Buggy riding ami ball rooms j need grace instead of grease ami a great j leal more grace than goes to that phase ot life. 1 tell you the young bucks and buckesses are up to snuff those days. : I noticed a report in the New York World the other day of the woman who dined at the fashionable restuarants in New York, that 73 tier cent, of them took wine and whiskey with their dinners. I said it and stick to it that ' when a woman is full of wine she is not able to take care of herself properly in ; the midst of this crooked and perverse generation. But while theyoutig folks, so called, are having a good time, there [ are bleedinir hearts behind them suffer- I ing untold agonies, and 1 have said it j and stick to it again, that the greatest mystery in God's economy is that the innocent must suffer with the guilty, not j>erchance like the d g Tray who went in had company, for he ought to have been licked for having gotten with that gang, but the innocent, who do not consort with the guilty. Mothers, wives, daughters, husbands, sutler because of the guilt of another whom God has hound to them by ties of consanguinity. If the devil doe3 get his dues and gives some people their dues, there is going to be a picnic some day in Pandemonium. I have long since abandoned from my mind the thought that the devil will get anybody whom he ought not to get or that he will do any more to tht m than he ought to do. But 1 have laughed much tma week 1 over the hoard of trade valentines ami the Georgia minstrels. That's comedy, gentlemen, pure and simple. The more I think about these things the funnier they get. I don't howfunny they are, however, to "Harry Hunt" and "Joel Atkinson," and then to think about Mayor .Minis being troubled like he is (when he came into the mayoralty with a bottle of coh gne in one hand and his curling tongs in the other) ami all about a 21 years' franchise on a short street. You may say to Mayor Minis for me that his trouble has just begun, and that if his hair is not naturally curly he will soon have trouble enough to make it curl naturally, ami he will find that rose wafer won't do to scald hogs in. He must remember the other crowd had the mayor last year, no matter who has got him this year, and time about is fair play, anyway. But them valentines?mv. don't tlm> i?.> fi>r l'!.,PLr well as the rest of the boys. If I had nothing to do but enjoy fun I would move to Atlanta. A fellow can have it there every day, and all he wants. The constitution ?>f the United States guarantees to the |>c-opie the right of petition, but that's as far as the guarantee goes, and it also gives people the right to peaceably assemble. Why don't one or the other of the street car companies employ Sister Nation with her hatclu t; she would open up an avenue I like a Missouri cyclone for the boys Would'nt she go for the mayor, though, and if she just knew who cussed and who didn't cuss, from the governor down, she would exhort them nil in the language she used to the TopekA joint- ! ists, ' my poor hell-bound friends, I I LL T NESDAY, MARCH (>. li have come to talk to you ahout the way you live." But I think the office of governor is too dignified for valentines, especially valentines with cussing in them. 1 wonder if Mayor Minis cusses. ii ue is very mucn iu me uaou 01 cussing I know he cussed when that big I petition came at iiim?not from wrath, hut just from habit. Old Uncle Simon LVter Richardson used to say thHt "any ] man who would cuss would steal." I never agreed with him fully; 1 just most agreed with him. Hut it is so] much easier to catch a fellow cussing than it is to catch him stealing?that is to say, he is so much more private about his stealing than he is about his cussing. No gentleman will cuss before a lady, and the average fellow won't "take things" before a lady or a gentleman. either. Some folks emphasize j what they say by putting in cuss words. That's like a fool knocking himself down every few minutes to show the] world ho is a good boxer, or like a dog biting himself to show that he is a biter, but there are a heap of folks in Atlanta that cuss, and if the mayor and governor do use a byword occasionally j they won't be ostracised on that account, but I wish they would quit it, and if the reporters would not report it few people would know about it. I am off again for ten days through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois aud am no longer a farmer. With sore muscles and sore hands 1 have retired f >r a spell. Yours, Sam I*. JoNKfl. 1'. S.? I see where a preacher in St. Paul says that Sister Nation is crazy. I would love to see her run in on him. j He would do like the the Dutchman saloon keeper in New Orleans said he would do when the reporter asked him, "Mr. llance, ii Mrs. Nation were to come into your saloon to beak it up, what would you do?" "I would go out at the back door just as cawick as I could." S. P. J. IC it'll oil niMro>?>ry Kc|iortc<l Ncur lilllil'* *1 Oil II ?III . WVrd has been received that a rich oil well bail been found near King's* Mountain, the fimous revolutionary battlefield, and there is great excitement in the community. The oil was discovered by R v. 1*. R. Klam, a Baptist minister, of a speculative turn i f mind, and without announcing the fact ot the discovery, he immediately get the mineral rights f.?r ten thousand acres 111 York county, S. and the adjoining counties of Ciaston and Cleveland in North Carolina. The oil has been examined by the State chemist, who pronounced it of excellent quality, and samples will he sent to Washington for further examination. Farmers who have been excited by the tind are making extensive borings in the hope of striking rich gushers. The York reports, while not positive, indicate that the further examination will show a chance for profitable returns. Cnrm,i:U',p? Clio. Andrew Carnegie, steel king, owner of a mansion in 1'ittshurg, a eastle in Scotland and building a home on Fifth avenue, New York, of which the rulers of ancient (Jreece anil Rome might well he proud, will, when he retires from business, devote a million dollars a month to gifts. Mr. Carnegie will retire with au income of $15,000,000 a year. He has told his friends that he is calculating upon at least a millon a month for "libraries and organs." This will leave him with only $'>,000,oho a year to live on. There are a number of men who believe thai Mr. Carnegie will not be long out of the harness, even if the steel deal is carried through. Ill* Neck llrokcii l?> kicking ?i ? I??S. lies liter, Xei> . Special. August Koerwith, a German farmer living north of here, broke his neck this afternoon while kicking at a vicious dog. Koerwitz had just come to town and hitched his team. He started to cross the street whon the dog ran at him. The farmer made a vicious kick. The ground was icy, and Koerwitz slipped and fell backward, breaking his neck. lie died instantly. Koerwitz was ~>0 years old. Wi'Bvcr* on 11 strike. (iKKKNSHORO, Feb. 26 ?Dissatisfaction among the employes of the Revolution cotton mills culminated in a strike of all but six of the weavers. The dissatisfaction arose over a change from day payment to payment by the piece. Weavers nave already been employed to take the place of over one half the strikers. There is no strike among f I! i#Til t i II'H in n?i\r .l?n,arlio..n? I J -'I'".'..."" the mill. A country editor has his opinion of the kicker mu<1 in not afraid to express it. Thus he says: "Whenever you tiud a man finding fault with a .ocal paper, open it up and ten to one he hasn't an advertisement in it; live to one he n< ver gave it a jnh of work; three to one fie does not take ihe paj?er; two to one that if he is a subscriber be is delinquent; even odds lie never does anything that will assist the publisher to run a good paper, and forty to one that if the paper is a good one and full of life, he is the most eag^r to see the pajier when it comcj out." IMES m. AN KXIII AUKDIX Alt V IASK or 1IIMTAKKN lUKNrrn. How 4i?,ortci> Joliiiotoii Scrvotl l-'.l-lu Vcnrm in rhicc <>l t'li rl*?t oplit-r )t<-t<-li l?*r? Nt'iir Hitlci^li, N. RAi.KK.ii, N. C., March 2.?An extraordinary case of mistaken identity has just been developed here before Justice Montgomery, of the supreme court, in the case of George Johnstone, a white man, who has been unlawfully confined iu the penitentiary for the past eight years. Fifteen years ago a young white man by the name of Christopher Betchler was convicted in Shelby, N.C., of an aggravated case of stealing, and was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary near this city. Betchler was the son of German parents who had resided for many years in the town of Rutherfordton. His father?Augustus Betchler?was a jeweler. After gold was discovered iu ltutuerford, Burke ami McDowell counties, in 1S4'J. old man Betchler was authorized by act of congress to coiu gold dollars, and he bought the dust from the miners and coined it into dolla s as high as the fifty dollar piece. "A. Beteliler" was stamped on each coin and they were worth live cents more in the dollar than the coins of the United States mintage. These e tins to this day are known as [ the "Betchler dollars,'" ami are now t ; preserved by those who have them as | rare coins. After the war the Betchler : I family moved to Spartanburg, S. C. There were several sons ami daughters, ; all handsome and well educated. I ' Chris," as he was called, turned out to be the "t lack sheep" of the tlock. After he was sent to the penitentiary he remained there two years and then made his escape. In 1S?J3 Captain J. M. Fleming, who was warden of the penitentiary when j "Chris" Bitchier was received there, 1 and who held this position until ls'.'o, was in attendance on the sii|a*rior court of lvniiili il lib eiintitir ?l 1 jliolmrii u? ? I witness. While there a man known hh (Seorge Johnstone whs the plaintiff in a cvi.se which involved the title to 700 i acres of land on which gold in consider' aide quantity had hecn found. Reining saw this man and made inquires concerning him, and found that be bad ! located in Randolph county some time during USSS. It was in 1887 that , Retchler escape d from the penitentiary. Fleming was positive that Johnstone j was "Cnris" Retchler and so elated, j Oil the trial of the laud ease Johnstone j was asked if he was not "Chris" Retch 1 r, and if he had not been convicted of stealing in Shelby in 1S8."? and sentenced to the penitentiary for ten years, and had escaped therefrom in 1887? I Of course Jonstone denied bitterly all | this and said he was an entirely differjent man from Retchler. The defendants | in the laud ca*e had Johnstone arrested as an esciped prisoner. Johnstone 1 sued out a writ of habeas corpus hut I could not produce any witness beside himstlf to disprove the positive asser j | tion of Fleming that he was "Curis" i j Retchler, and the udge refused to dis' charge him and ordered that he ho rcI turned to the penitentiary. The arrest and decision ot the judge caused Johnj stone to lose the land suit. A* soon as j | .lonnsione reached the penitentiary be j ; dent f?>r a lawyer, but had no money to | pay liiiu. He give the lawyer the a.I- : i dress of a number of people in Mont- ; joinery county ami that of a man in | Atlanta, whom he Haiti knew him and i would swear he was not Itetchler. The j lawyer wrote twice to each of these I ^ parlies and did not receive an answer to I a single letter that he wrote. The fail- j j ure to have hi** letters r? turned or to receive an answer from either of the par- j : ties to whom he h?d written did not i 1 impress the lawyer in favor of Johnstone and he gave no more attention to : the ease. Knur weeks ago Colonel dehorn 1.. i Harris, a man of 7'd years of age, who formerly resided in Kutherfordton and knew the Itetchler family we'l, went to I the penitentiary to examine the manu facture of hriek, which is carried on in| side the stockade. W hile in the yard lie saw a tall white man at work ami ' inquired who he was and was told that j he was "Chris" Itetchler. Col. Harris i then asked ami was allowed to talk with the prisoner, lie stated to Col. Ilnrriu ll < fiii'lc liorotti ut if/..I Ia I identification as "Chris" B-tohler and t linked Harris if lie knew lieteliler. Harris replied that he had known nil the family for fifteen years before the war and while they lived in Kiitherfordton He whh then asked if he, the prisoner, was "Cnris" Uetehh r, and Harris unhesitatingly declared tliat the prisoner was not Uelchler. A lawyer was then employed and another writ of habeas corpus was i.-siud by Justice Moutgomi try and the prisoner was brought la-fore him. Captain Fleming swore that he j tadieved the prisoner to he "Chris" Ih-tehler, and that tie had known him as a prisoner in the penitentiary for the two years he was in the penitentiary, i :iat he had escaped and remained at large until lh'.C'., when he was arrested at Ashehoio and returned to the prison, and that the resemblance of the prisonrr to Uetehler was very striking Cd. Harris was then put oil the witness stand ami 'old of the young hoy "Chris" Beiehier he had known In fore the war for fifteen year?; how he had seen him grow up to he a man, and that he knew him perfectly w? 11 and could notbemistakeu, and that the prisoner before the i 1 ? NO. 51. court was r.ot "Chria" Betchler, aud that since he had Been the prisoner iu the penitentiary he had thought the matter over and bad talked witli bts wife about the case, and that there waa a ttst that would certainly show whether the prisoner was Betchler. Harris then HKKt'ii the prisoner to exhibit his right leg above the ankle for examination. The prisoner complied with this request and Harris made an examination and said that the prisoner was uot "Chris" Betcliler because Betcliler had the scars of a had dog hite on his right leg which he received when he was a boy not over ten years old, and that Harris had killed the dog. On this evidence Justice Montgomery discharged the prisoner from further imprisonment. The attorney of Johnstone is now awaiting a decision of the Supreme Court in another case as to whether the State s prison is such a corjioration as can be sued. If this decision is to the effect that the State's piison can be sued the attorney of Johnstone intends to sue for a large sum in damages for the false imprisonment, which lasted eight years. A ll<>) I''IikI* I'oc TIioiimuml In Hie ( II ! 1?1I?C IV?'H|I. A package <>t (tie Cuited States mail containing certified checks anil cash amounting to more than $.">,000 was swept out as rubbish from the Charleston, S. C., postollice Sunday. Monday morning while playing around a lot where garbage is piled Carl San berg, a lad six veais old, found the packageand opened the letter without realizing the value. The boy gave the letters to his grandfather and the loss was not known at the postoflice when the package was returned. All of the letters came from It ?ck Hill, S C. Two checks payable to bean r at any bank were drawn by the State Treasurer to Wintlirop College for the scholarship fund, and the loss of this would have caused trouble to the institution. Carelessness on tliepartof the postollic Jerks was resjiousihle for the disappearance of the mail, and an investigation has been ordered. The porter whose duty it is to sweep out the oflice declared that lie had often found valuable mail in the waste baskets. Millionth he ditl not see the package in question. Tlir It-xT War. The Boor war lias now lasted nearly a year and a half. It has passed through three stages, which may he known aft' r the names of the commanders in chief of the British army during those periods?the Buller stage, the K ilc i ts stage and the Kitchener stage. The lirst was characterized by disheartening and almost continuous defeat of reinforcements under the most brilliant of British strategists; whereas fighting had been carried on in British colonies, the territories of the two Boer republics were now invaded, their capitals anil much of their forces captured. The third stage, despite the generalship of the grim conqueror of the Soudan, has been in:.rk< d, for the most oart. bv a return of the Boors to otiensive tactioH and h con si ipicnt reduction of the defensive, Cape Colony has been invaded at three points, and General Do Wet himself led last week's eolumu across the Orange Hiyer. A Stale stock Uu, North Carolina will have n general stock law applying to every county anil township in the State; that in, if the General Assembly passes the hill which the Senate Committee on Propositions and Grievances has decided unaninionsly to report favorably. This bill was introdne* d by Senator Speight, of E Igecomhe, and as stated above, brings all |>arta of North Carolina under the law preventing stock from running at large. Senator Arrington, of the committee, offered an amendment providing that the commissioners of any county could exempt tlicir county or any part thereof from the stock law, if they so desired, and authorizing tli" commissioners t ? levy a 8|a-eial i x in iny territory thus exempted to en el t fence around the same. This at ? t-udiueiit was adopted by 111? committee and will he reported with the hill to the Senate t.eday. Many of the counties in Eastern Carolina are not now under the stock law, and this hill will excite universal interest. Indeed the Senators would not he surprised at a tlood of |>etitioiiM pro and con. Tin- Kettle kimI Ilie Pol. A college professor, who prided him* self on liiH correct Knglish, heard his wife remark "I intended to tell Jane to bring a fresh bucket of water." "You doubt 1< sh mean a bucket of fresh water," correct d the professor. "I wish you would pay some little attention to jour rhetoric. Your mistakes are curious.'' A few minutes later the professor said: "My dear, that picture would show to better advantage if you were to hang it over the clock." "Ah," she replied, quietly, "you doubtless mean if I w. r? to hang it above the clock. If I were to hang it over the clock we could not tell the time. I wish you would l.e more careful with your rhetoric my dear. Your mistakes are curious." And the professor all at once became very interested in his book. A double wedding might he properly called a four-in-hand tie.