Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, March 06, 1901, Image 1
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.