Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

"Do thon Groat Liborty Inspiro our Souls and mako our livos in thy possossion happy, or our Deaths Glorious in thy Just Defenoo." VOL. XII. BENNETTS VILLE. S. C., MAY ll, 1887. NO. 22. Talkln? I? Their 8lcr-n. "You think 1 um dead," Tin) npplo tree said, M i)oonu?? I huvo never a loaf to show Jiecnuao I stoop, And TD y branches droop, Amt (ho ?lull grey mouses over tao grow ! i'm rd! lillvo in trunk und shoot; Tho buds of next May I fold away Hui 1 pity tho withered grda? at my root." "You lld uk I nm doad," Tho quick grass said, "licoauao I havo parted with stem and bindo I lint under t ho ground I nm Barn and sound, Willi tho snow's thick bltuikot over mo laid. t Vin all ulive, and ready to shoot, tthould tho Spring of tho Year Como danobig hero HUI ! pity tho dower without branch or root." "You ihii??c i am dead," A soft voico said, " Hiv ailso not a branch or root 1 own ! I never havo died, lint closo I hido Ju u plumy seed that tho wind has Bown. PtUi?ut i wait through tho long winter hours ; You will ?eo mo nenin 1 shall laugh at you, then, Oui o? tho eyes of a hundred flowcrfil" DOING- WASHING. "I shall charge seventy-five cents for I hal ?Swiss muslin dross, with the donn?es and tho lace insertion," said Ko sa m o nd Kayfortb, as sho shook out a whito, fluffy mass,aud pinned it deftly on a lino which was stretched from a .silver-birch tree lo a tall, young moun tain-ash. "It's worth moro than that, but fheso fashionable ladies aro so distressingly parsimonious in their ideas 1" Tho orango glow of tho sunrise was just flinging its sheaf of reddening arrows across tho wooded side of Spicc berry Mountain; tho birds wero whist ling their mating songs, and tho hidden waters of Splcoberry Creole wore swirl ing with merry music around tho ^gnarled treo-roots, and mos.s-coveted boulders that obtruded themselves av ross its current. Tho wild clematis and rank fox-grape vines that had wreathed themselves picturesquely above thc deserted charcoal-burner's cabin were fluttering their tendrils in tho morning breeze; and the fire of dead sticks was cracking bravely under a hugo kettlo, whero M iss Hay forth's second tubful of clothes was already boiling like a witch's cauldron, For she and Clara Seton, her room mate at collogo, had como up hero before tho dawn had unfurled its pearly banners, kindled their Uro and gone bravely to work. "Doesn't it soom ridiculous?" said Rosamond, ns she sorted out half a dozon or so of sheor* linen pocket handkerchiefs, and plunged them up and down in tho bluing-pail. "Last night, you and I woro waltzing in thc hall-room with those two young army officers; this morning wo are getting oui our wash. Just hand mo a few of those clothos-ph)3, Clara, please I How romance and reality do jostle ono another in this world, to-be-sure J These handkerchiefs will dry directly, the sun touches thom, and then wo can have the linos for. tho large articles. Aro you sure tho starch . isn't lumpy, Clara. ? Miss Cavendish is ; so very particular about her lawn wrappers. And how aro tho irons heating up ?" Clara Soton, wdio had just finished coiling tip her inky-black hali*, ?and had transfixed it with a long shell pin, peeped into an impromptu furnaco of. charcoal that glowed under tho slopo of ?i prodigious rock, before which half tv dozen flatirons were sot on end," ' They'll bo in primo order in half an horn,'' said she. "Do you supposo, Uosy, they'll ho lhere to-night again ?" "Tho flatirons?" "Xo. tho army ofllcors." "Most likoly," said Rosamond, with a clothes-pin in hor mouth, as she stood on tipt?o to'hang a ruffled petticoat to thc breezo. "I heard them ask Flora Foster if wo woro staying at thc Moun tain Houso." "Ob, did you? And what did sho say ?" "She said sho believed wc were camp ing out somowhere." "So wo aro," said Clara, laughing. ' And sho added-tho doar gossipy litt'c thing I-that wo wero artists, who spent most of our timo in skotching. There, Clara, tho clothes-lines aro full at last. Wo'll adjourn long enough to drink our cold coffee and cat somo bread and milk. Oh yes I wo'ro camp ing out- thoro can't bo any mistake about that," sho wont on, with a laugh, as the two girls sat down in tho shado ol (he hazel bushes to partake of their simple morning meal. "Hut I often wonder what tho Mountain Houso people- would say if they know that icc wero tho French lau nd rosses to whom tho landlord's wife sends their muslin gowns and Swiss polonaises to be done up." "What do wo caro ?" retorted Clara, willi a shrug of her shoulders. "Nothing iii tho world. But isn't, it comical, Clara, when ono thinks back j over it all ? JIow wo carno hero with our ensuis and our palettes and our color-tubes,, expecting to make our fortunes as artists, painting woodland scenes on birchbark, and reproducing the stinscls on bits ol' mill-board. And then we discovered that every farmer's daughter in the neighborhood was doing tho same thing, and that art was at a hopelessdiscount. And next-you re member ('lara-wo tried to play tho piano for the dancing, until thc colored fiddlers came over the mountain and underbid us altogether. And wo hud no money to buy our tickets back lo thc city, nor to pay our hole', bills, until-until - one fortunate day thc laundress lost her temper and left at an hour's notice, and I helped Mrs. Filch out of her dilemma !" "And now," said ('lara, "we are making eight or len dollars a week." "Out ot the wash-tub," said Rosamond, blithely; "and boarding ourselves. Oh, how thankful 1 am that 1 spent that long, dreary, dismal winier with old Aunt Abigail, in a haunted house where no help could bo induced to slay, and then and thero learned to wash and Iron equal to any heathen Chineo 1" "I believe, Rosamond," "that you would laugh at anything." "lint it is so ridiculous," persisted merry Rosamond. "To think of thc downfall that our lofty ideas bad. From artist lo washerwoman ! From Prussian blue and Venetian rod lo indigo bags and starch !" And she jumped up and ran back lo the boiler, which was now spluttering and bubbling like some infuriated monster. "It's boiling over, Clara-it's bolling over I" sho cried, in loud, swcot accents. "Help mc off with it --quick, or tho clothes will bo burned. "Allow me," spoke a calm, deep voice; and the next moment tho kettle was swung oft tho impromptu crane upon the grass below, and Rosamond Ray forth found herself face to face with Captain Alford, tho taller and handsomer of tho two officers willi whom she bad waltzed tho midnight before. While Karry Drayton, thc younger cavalryman, advanced through tho bushes, with his gun balanced over bis shouldor, and thc countenance of ono who was suro of welcome. "So this is camp !" said he. "Yes," said Rosamond, steeling lior solf to the occasion; "this ls the camp ! Won't you walk in, Captain Alford t And you, Mr. Drayton V" "Rut I shall bo interrupting you !" Rosamond smiled; a cheery sparkle caine into ber soft, dark oyes. "A little," sho owned. "Wo are always busy at this limo of day, Clara and I. In tho afternoon-only in thc afternoon-you will probably seo us at tho hotel, in our best frocks and with our hair out of crlmping-pins. Captain Alford glanced helplessly around. "Oh, 1 seo," said he. "Hut just boro you are-" "Doing tho washing,'' explained Rosamond, serenely, "Don't you sec tho clothes on tho lines ? And wo shall bo ironing iii an hour or two. We art working-boos, Captain Alford," "Couldn't wo help?" said Hurry Drayton, grounding arms at oner*. "I'm afraid not !" said (.'lara reddon ing. "Oh, Captain Alford," cried Rosa mond, unable longer to ropress hoi laughter, "don't look so bewildered, and PH toll you the beginning, tin m kid lo and tho end of lt at once !" "I suppose you aro doing this for s joke," said Captain Alford; "or as ? wager, perhaps. Ladles do sometime: bet, as I have beard." Rut Rosamond shook her head, stil with tho roguish dlmplos glcainiiif around her lips, tho diamond-sparkle: in her oyes. "No," said sho, "wo aro not doing i for a joko, nor yet for a wagor. Wi carno up boro as artists, but we soot found that wo should starve to deatl on art." And she told tho wholo of her simpl story. "No ono know it but Mrs. Field, tin landlady," said sho. "Not that wo an ashamed of it, but"-with a suddci rising of color to hor ohcoks-"oin doesn't Uko to bo talked about, yoi know." "Ashamed I" cried tho captain. " should think, not. Why, I ncvor sa\ such plucky girls in my life." "You aro regular heroines," ap plauded Mr. Drayton, Thov sat and talked until tho bin ? Blindo WS crept off tho mountain-side, and tho trump of Hie guido's footsteps on tho rocks warned the two ofllccrs that it was time to set forth on their day's expedition; and when they vanished into tho glens, Chira and Rosamond stood watching them. "Por tho last time ?"said Rosamond. Cara started; "Why V" said she. "Wliy, bemuse!" said Rosamond. "You will see. lt's very easy to talk, hut they will not como hack to us again. If (here's anything a man dislikes, it is lo see a woman strike out for herself." "Nonsense !" said Clara. "lt is true," nodded Rosamond, " You will sec. Bill her prophesies failed. The two liunters stopped on their way hack, lo leave sonic squirrels and a tempting branch of wild plums at tho charcoal cabin. The next day they strolled up again. "lt's a deal jollier lip hore than it is down at the hotel," declared Alford. "If we shant bute you," said Dray ton. And so they kept coming until tho end ol* tho season arrived, garlanded about with still night frosts, scarlet leaves and stealthily-dropping nuts. "Do you know," said Alford, mourn fully, "the regiment is ordered to Ari zona ? And I've got lo report at head quarters next week." Hosainond viewed him with sympa thetic eyes. "ls Arizona so very bad ?" said she. "l-l shouldn't mind it,"stammered the young ollicer, "if you wore going with me. Tell me, Rosa, would-would you bo willing to go to Arizona for my sake?" "But," faltered Rosamond, "what would Clara say to my leaving ber, when we've always boon in a sort of partnership, you know V" Captain Alford's arm stolo softly around Miss Rayforlh's trim waist. "But suppose you form a neto partner ship V" said he. "As for Miss Seton why thore's Drayton worships the vory ground she walks on, you know, Come I about Arizona ? It would bo the Carden of. Eden to mo if you were there. Won't you say yes, dear Rosamond ?" And how Rosamond and Clara re joiced in spirit that they had saved up enough money from tho proceeds of their summer campaign to buy two neat little trousseaux ! "After all," saul Rosamond, joyfully, "there is nothing liko being independ ent." ' "Harry says," whispered Clara, that 1 never looked so well in my lifo as when I stood thore hanging out clothes on tho mountain side." "And Will declares," added Rosa mond, "that ho foll in love with mo when I tried to lift tho big kettle off tho lire, and couldn't. Dear Clara, what fortunato girls we aro I" "And what happy girls wc are I" cried ('lara. Tito Suicide of Hindu Widows. According to a writer it has been almost a cruelty to forbid tho practice of suttee, or tho suicido of Hindu widows, whilo taking no steps to defend such unfortunate persons from the miseries to which they aro condemned by native, social law. The theory is, as enunciated by tho ancient Hindu lawmaker Manu, that "a virtuous wife ascends to beaven if, after tho decease of her lord, she devotes herself to pious austerity, but a widow who slights her deceased husband by marrying again brings disgraco on herself hero below, and shall bo excluded from tho seat of her lord." Boneo ho directs that sho shall "emaciato her body by living voluntarily on puro Howers, roots and fruits, but let her not, whon hor lord is deceased, overt pronounco tho name of another man. Let ber continuo till death forgiving all injuries, performing harsh duties, avoiding every sensual pleasure, and cheerfully practicing tho incomparable rules of virtue which liavo been followed by such women as wero devoted to only ono husband." These laws, though laid down nearly 2,500 years ago, aro still mercilessly enforced, and tho lifo of a Bindii widow is, in consequence, almost unboarable; lu fact, many cases aro known where death from exhaustion and starvation follows tho attempt lo obs?rvo tho prescribed routino of life. "For two days of each month, for instance, she must neither eat nor drink anything, no matter how fecblo may holier health. Otherwlso she loses "casta" and forc folts tho respect and caro of hor family. Wo advise all American widows to stay where they ate. All history is only tho precepto of moral philosophy reduced into exam ples, Thore aro now In this country moro han 225,000 patents for inventions. THF} WOMEN OJ? CAPE COD. ltcuulifiil Ci'CiiMires nt 1? and Old (ind Hazard at 30-Tho henson "Why. "If thoro was evoir a blighted raco of women," said tv Now York gentleman, recently returned from n visit to Capo ?o'i? "ii, ox isis in tho peninsular villages of Massaoh assets, which dopend on tho fisheries for tho support of their inhabitants. Xowhero clso in all Now England will ono seo so high an average of femalo beauty, especially in sym metry of form and freshness of com plexion; but it will not take one long to discover Unit this girlish beauty and freshness, while unusual and unexpec ted, is also in its duration very brief. Tito change produced in these girls by tho lapse of a few years is painful to observe. Xo matronly graces aro to be seen among them after their girl hood days arc past. That charming mkhllo ago of maturing womanhood, between tho freshness and buoyancy ot the girl of 20 and tho woman of ?15 or -IO, is entirely absent. The heightened color of tho cheeks is gone, the eyes are sunken, and wear a constant look of sadness and anxiety, (hay hair in heads over which a score and a half of years havo scarcely passed, and deep lines in tacos Which should show no traeo of ago for years to come, aro rather tho rule than tho exception. These women besides suffering from all tho inevitable sorrows which fall to woman's lot, no matter in what station sho may bo placed, have an added intense and perpotual sorrow all their own. Theirs is a lifo of continual suspense and anxiety, which is almost certain in timo to bo embittered by an overwhelming grief. Fair weather keeps hopo warm in many an anxious woman's heart; tho howling north-easter fills it with doubt and ?despair. Constantly watching by day, waking in tho night to listen to sounds from tho sea; whotlior they may bo tlie roaring of tho dreaded tempest or merely tho moan of tho surf on tho beach, is it any wonder that tho torturo cf mind and heart and tho strain of T?; ;''*v and vital force that must follow this porpotvml suspenso and longing destroy tho fountains of youth and beauty in these patient, suffering women and placo upon them tho marks of age while they aro yot young ? "Yet tho girls grow up with but ono thought of what their futuro lot will be, with ono object in vlow upon which their visions of happiness aro based. Go among any group of those bright girls, in any of tho villages of tho class I am speaking of, and you will find that niuo out of ton of them look forward to a union with somo one who will spend his life fishing in the .summer and coasting in tho winlor. The idea that there might bo any other futuro than tho ono which is to como to them as fishermen's wives or that tho lifo of a fisherman's wife is anything different from tho natural sequence of married life, never scorns to occur." O BID A II POISONING. A Supers! lt lou Which Flourishes in All ortho Wes) indian Islands. "Obcah is tho dread of niuo negroes out of every ton in tho West Indies," said tho Trinidad gentleman, whom, for the sake of convenience, I shall call Mr. Smith. "It is a nuisaneo to them and to tho whites, but all tho ?if forts of tho various governments to crush it out havo been unavailing. It has as many believors now as ovor, not withstanding the education of many of tho blacks, and wherever thoro is any conflict between tho two races it is still dangerous. I can not toll you tho de rivation of tho word. Obeah (which as you must havo noticed, is always pronounced 'oby') is not an Imaginary being of tangiblo tiling, but simply thc name of tho wretched system of jug gling and poisoning. Certain men among the negroes set up for 'Obcah men,' and profess to bo ablo to do mar velous things. I supposa thero aro fivo hundred 'Obeah men' on this island, lo whom tho oilier colored pooplo go for assistance and advice They havo to pay for this assistance, so tho conclu sion is inovitablo that the Obeah men go into it as a mattor of business, see ing a way to mako an easy living out of tho superstition of their contraries, They aro naturally shrewd follows, who know how to glvo somo impressiveness and plausibility to thoir nonsense Thero ls something liko a system in tho 'Obeah worship,' but lt hos so many variations that it is difficult to trace It is sub stantially tho samo in all tho islands, with such differences as each performer chooses to invont, In every Island, for Instanco, tinco whito cocks' hoads are used to bring troublo to an enemy. Thoro is no variation in thar. Though thoro is a groat deal of tho Obeah busi ness In Trinidad, this island is bv no means one of tho worst. It flourishes more in ilayti than anywhere else. In Jamaica it is very much on tho increase. There is no doubt that it carno original ly from Africa. JSfcarly ovory African negro in tho West Indies is a firm be liever in it. Thoro is a great deal of it in Sierra Leone, and thero it nourishes in its worst form, that of poisoning. Its "nonie in the West Indies ia St. Yin cent. Thero it is carried to a gloated oxtent than anywhere else, and old Obeah men for a consideration teach tho secrets of the trade to beginners and make them accomplished poisoners and jugglers. Pupils of these humbugs hayo spread through tho other islands, and ii 'St. Vincent Obcah man' is con sidered lin expert. There is very little poisoning done by them in tho West lui ies now (unless it may be in Ilayti), because thero is no occasion for it. In the slave times it always had to bo guarded against. Some of the Obeah men are very ex pert in preparing poison. They havo several kinds, to he used according lo circumstances. Ono of tho worst of them is made from tho root of the cas sava. They express the juice and allow it to ferment, and quantities of small worms arc soon seen in the liquid, ono of which taken into tho stomach is almost certain to causo death. One of tho worms is concealed under a thumb nail, which is allowed to grow long for tho purpose, and tho operator iii band ing bis victim a cup of coffee or somo dish of food manages to drop tho worm into it. In Jamaica almost every negro has growing in his garden numbers of arsenic boan plants, which aro noithcr usof ul for food nor handsome in appear ance, but the beans aro very poisonous. It is said, too, that a dangerous poison is made from tho liver and gall of tho alligator. Tho Obeah men aro also too handy in the manufacturo of narcotics. They could procuro opium without too much risk, but they know how to distill narcotics from various plants. Some of them seem to have a considerable knowledge of botany. They can lind leaves anywhere that if put into a water vessel will make tho water a deadly poison in a few hours. Others aro said to carry a snake's poison under a finger nail-a drop is enough, and a scratch from the nail will cause death in a few hours. I havo novor seen a woll authen ticated caso of this sort, but havo heard of them frequently. Kingsley in his visit to Trinidad picked up a number of cases of Oboah poisoning. Ho says tho habit of poisoning did not spring up among slaves desirous of revengo upon tho white master, but that it was im ported from Africa. Tho First I lilli ish Country Newspaper. In 1G0? appeared tho first country newspaper as tho Lincoln, Rutland and Staniford Mercury. Tho prospectus of ono of these early country papers, tho Salisbury Postman, "or pacquot of in telligence from France, Spain, Portu gal," &e., Sept. 27, 171?, ran thus: "This paper contains an abstract of tho most material occurrences of tho whole week, foreign and domestic, and will bo continued every post, provided a sufllcient number will subscribo for its encouragement. If two hundred sub scribe, it shall be delivered to any pub lic or private house in town over, Mon day, Thursday or Saturday morning by 8 o'clock in winter and by G in summer for Lld. each. Pcsides tho news, wc perform all other matters belonging to our art and mystery, whether in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, algebra, mathematics, ?S.e." 13y 1782 tho number of provin cial papers liad increased to SO. A vivid description of tho slate of tho roads in this country in winter time two centuries ago is givon in tho fol lowing extract from tho "Collections for Husbandry and Trade," Mr.i nU] 10, 10915; "The roads aro lilied wi tn snow, we arc forced to ride with tho pacquot over hedges and ditches. Tins day sovon-night my boy with' tho pacquot and two gentlemen were seven hours riding from Dunstablo to Hockley, but three miles, barely escaping with* their lives, being oflen in holes and forced to be drawn out with ropos. A man and woman wero found doad within a milo hence, and six horses lie dead on tho road between Hockloy and Prickhiil smothered." Weight of it ltoeoptioii Co.stuinn. A black silk reception costunio that glittered with jot tippod tho beam at thlrt.y-nlno pounds. I examined thoir construction to soo whore tho weight carno in. It lay a little in tho forest of steels, to some extent in tho balls of load that wore concealed about the skirt, and most of all, in tho jot. I saw a tailor gown of Ano wool that weighed twolvo pounds. Fiftcon, sev enteen and ninotcen wero tho figures of tinco othors respectively. I found nothing short ol' ten pounds. OAnitHSR PIGEONS. Their History and tho Manner of Theil* Training. It is not known with what nation tho uso of Hie earlier pigeon originated, hut thcro is no doubt tbat tho custom is very ancient. Thc Romans used thc birds fer this pm. pose, and Sir John Mandeville, ono ol tim earliest tr?velors from Europe to tho Orient, states that ho found them used in the samo way among the Asiatics. Wo havo the asser tion of tho poet Tusso for believing that they were so employed during the siege of Jerusalem in 1099, and it is an un doubted historical fact that they were used during thc crusado of St. Louis in 1250. Tho most remarkable instance of tho uso of carrier pigeons in modern times was during tho siego of Paris, in 1870. They havo been moro generally used in Turkey than in any other coun try for many centuries, and tho art of training thom is understood to bo car ried to its greatest perfection thore. Tho trainer takes tho pigeons when they havo acquired full strength of wing in a covered basket to a distance of about half a milo from their homo ; hero they are set at liberty and thrown into thc air, and if any fail in return ing homo from this short distance they aro regarded as naturally stupid, and no timo is washed in endeavoring to train thom. Those that do como home aro trained by hoing taken to gloater distances, progressively increased to forty or fifty milos. . When tho bird is ablo to accomplish this flight ho may be trusted to fly any distance overland, within tho limits of physical power. This drilling must be begun very carly, or even tho host breeds of birds will not become good carriers. It is tho genoral plan to koop tho birds iii a dark room for some hours boforo they aro used. They aro then fed sparingly, but aro given all the water they can drink. Tho paper on which tho message is written is then carefully tied round the upper part of tho bird's log or to., ono of tho largo feathers of tho tail, so as not to hnpedo its flight in any way. Tho feet aro washed in vinegar to keep them from getting too dry during tho bird's flight, so as to tempt it to descend to water and run tho risk of getting its message wet. The ordinary rate of flight for a carrier pigeon is from twenty to thirty miles an hour, though instances of much moro rapid flight aro on record. The pigeon, when thrown up into tho air, at first flics round and round, This ls ovidontly for tho pur pose of sighting some landmark that it knows. "When this is perceived the bird instantly flies toward it, and as other familiar landmarks como gradu ally into sight, continues its journey until its home is reached. If no landmarks is perceived tho bird is bowildored and lost and finally returns to the earth again. Tho Paris Stock lixohango. The scone upon the floor of tho Bourse flvo minutes before tho stroke of the clock at 8, not only u ba flies descrip tion," as tho roporters say, but must positively bo seen lo bo boliovcd. Ono would refiiso to credit any written statement of tho mad excitement that provails just as tho solemn functionary at his desk closes the record of the day's transactions. Grave and rovcrond seigneurs for tho moment becomo tho veriest schoolboys. Thc ordinary cool and ? calculating Semite loses his senso of calculation and discretion, shouts, vociferates, screams, pushes, jostl?s, howls, and throws bis bargain, written upon its paper, at tho scribe, who rot uses at tho latest moment to record lt. 'Tho shout ing or screaming is liko that in a great battle ; only tho smoko and bloodshed are lacking. Tho spectacle is ridicu lous, yet imposing. It gives to tho full measure of human littleness, yet illus trates ono of tho wonderful forces of tho human mind. Tho Paris Exchange lacks tho calm and solidity of tho groat Bourses of . Hamburg, Brcmon, Vionnn, Leipzig, and Berlin, but it is methodical, com mercial, mercurial. Ono feels that capital is thcro seeking its truo lovel ; that speculation ls at Its most audacious ? height ; that reputations aro risked, mado, and lost with consummate cool ness, donplto tho outward excitement ., that rumor rules, fact being secondary and out of placo. Tho wabbling flight of tho duck hos been adopted as a sobri quet for tho somewhat uns cady march of tho falso talos that hayo so much in fluence on tho Paris Bourse. Tho can ary has bocome an International syn onym. It (Hos every day and returns to its nest at night, aftor having caused tho most astonishing gains and losses. No ono ovor thinks of strangling lt, or twisting Its nock ; and on, tho morrow, with rofrc8hing impudence, it resume? its erratio enreor.