The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, November 28, 1895, Image 9
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THE WEEKLY LEUOER: GAFFNEY, 8. C., NOVEMBER 28, 189S.
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Buy your Christmas Goods until you see mine and I’ll save you money on them as I bought
L them in New York [Headquarters] while there and got Extra Low Prices on them.
Wait till Christmas Eve to buy your goods of this kind, as everything will be busy and rush-
UUI1 L jng and you can’t get a selection. Last but not least,
Forget that 1 will have the largest and nicest assortment of Candies, Nuts and Fruits to be
LMJII L obtained in the city for my Christmas trade. Hoping you may profit by these don’ts,
1 am yours for Business,
SQUIRE RUFUS SANDERS
Discusses the Great Game of
American Politics.
Btev Seroirff’iii Wnltlu for tli* Cat to Jamp.
Strapplu l>elrif»ie« i ike i ueket Kiiitm.
Mow They rlayed the Gama la
“Them Good Oid Day*."
(Copyright, 1895.)
You have heard people talk about
them Rood old times that use to be,
when evorythinR and everybody was
honest—when they didn't have nothin
but straight goods in politics, and a
man could go
out and pick up
a good fnt office
without takin
on a Waterbury
movement and
h u m m l n and
huHtlin for it.
Maybe so, may
be. But I reckon
as how that
must of been
somewheres
way back down the dim and dusty lanes
of the past before my day and genera?
tion. As far back as I can now remem
ber, and so far back as the family records
run, American politics have always been
American politics. And in these pres
ent times if a man hunkers down and
waits for the people to come forth and
run him down and rope him into office
he Is more than probable to git barred
out as a short hor>o and left at the
hitchin post.
When the Slate Was Matte.
Uid you ever bear tell of how Blev
Scroggins win a great race in a dost
finish and got to be high sheriff of the
county? If you never did you ought to
know, cause that was way hack there in
them good old days what you read
about, when they say everybody toted
fair and square with everybody, and
American politics was as honest as
American sunshine.
When the campaign opened un that
year there was only two candidates in
the field for sheriff—Sam N 'tiles and
Andy Lucas—and I was for r,ue«- tlM
the. cows aome home and the evenin
stars sung together. Both of them was
good men, you understand—daylight
Democrats and game to the bone—and it
was pull Dick, pull d'vil as to which
was which and who was who. They
fought over every in h of the ground
and had the fight and the fun all ibeir
own way clean up till the convention
met to make up a ticket and pm it to
the old flag.
About ten days before the convention
was to meet Blev Scrog,' ns come over
to my house one n ghi and give it out
to me that be had a little scheme which
the same be wanted to lay down for my
consideration. We could talk it over
between ourselves, be said, and if I
thought the trick would win it was a go.
So after supper we wontout to the hors#
lot and had a long private confabula
tion.
“Rufe Sanders," says Blev, comla
right on down to rock bottom at oncst,
“I am goin to bo the next high sheriff
of this county. I reckon maybe you
hadn’t thought about it before, but it is
in the cards jest that away, and if you
will go in kersnooks with me, and vm
play the game dost and steady we can
cut the pot and swipe the winnins."
"But you ain’t out bi-fore the people
as a candidate, Blev," says I, "and the
convention is comin off next week.
How can you win when you ain’t entered
for the race and nobody don’t know you
are goin on the track? It raloy looks to
me like as if Sam Nellies and Andy
Lucas have g it the go and several leaps
ahead of you."
"Don’t be givln yourself any worri-
ment about them little things. Rufn,”
says Blev. "\ou are plum right about
Sam and Andy bavin the go on me in
the start, but where the race is wide
open and free for all, with straight
beats, best two out of three, it maybo
mougbteome to pass somehow or some
how else that the hindmost horse could
sweep the field and swing down under
the wire first. I have been plannin end
schemin and tlunkin this thing wbilet
you and Sam Net les and Andy Lucae
was all sleepin the sleep of th“ unjuat,
and the general opinion around Rocky
Creek is to the extent that whensomever
a man lakes down h s old musket and
starts out to shoot Blev Scroggins for a
fool he is jest simply yelpin on the
wrong trail. I have done been and
fixed up a slate to run In on the county
convention, and Rufe, let me tell you,
If the bamestr ng bolds, and the
breeebin don’t break and the traces
don’t fly up, I am goin to pull it through
like a daisy in the spring. And if the
slate goes through without a smaahnp
it will stand about ms follows:
"Blor Kcroggms for sheriff.
"Andy Lucas for first deputy.
"Imb #«ttlM tor moo«4 tdsMr
“Simeon Collins lor county judge.
"Bud Newton for tax collector.
"John Andrew Milligan for tax as
sessor.
"Will Tom Pickens for county clerk.
"Rufus Sanders for county commis
sioner.”
‘•-ettin Up ihe reg*."
lu the main time I reckon my eyes
must of got bigger and bigger as Blev
went on g vin out the slat", cause there
want a single randidiito in the whole
lotexceptin Andy Lucas nl Sam Net
tles, and they was both down for depu
ties under the sheriff. But Bb v lowed
it didn’t make a blame bit of difference
with him whether ih'-y was all candi
dates or not. 11>- kno\v< d "mest bella-
tious" well that ilo-.v would take the
offices if it was only fixed up so they
would come their w.»v.
"This is the way we will have to play
the game, Rufe," says Blev, "and If you
pull in with mo all the cards in the
pack can’t beat it. Me and you can
have things our own way right ht ro in
Pocky Creek, and we ran make turn ca>
jump any way that moeghi suit us h‘'t.
Now the thing for n e 1 you is to
stand shoulder to should r and lix up a
1st of delegates u i.i' U we ran ban lie
like so many sticks. It is now tin- busv
time of ye; r, and with bully W'-aib r
for farm woik some of the delo;:ttes
that don’t take much sto; k in tl.e treat
gam - of politics nohow u II want to
stay at home. In i at use they can
stay and keep tii" h r i . oik movin on,
but their vot» s w il o .m d our way
all tin-same. Well, the U> cky Creek
deleg.it on will go up solid for Blev
Scroggins for anythin' lie wants from
constable to presideni, and we can
throw them around in the convention,
first to one man and i Io n another, so as
to block the gam • and keep up the con-
fusi'Miment till they ail git sick and
tired, and then iho cards will run to us
like a shot. When dually at last the
break comes me and you and the other
members of the slsito wi 1 hob up like
so many cork stoppers and come out on
top, swituimn witiio.l gourds. Talk
about your full burU and your ten
strikes, but won’t t <at be bully poli
tics?”
"It is a fin'- game, Kiev," says I, "pro-
vidin wo can h mdle tdm documents so
as to make it come out like you say."
"Don’t put in so infernal many ifs
and amis." says "Bb v. "or you mougbt
jar my band before tin- game op ns up.
ft will work. Rufe, it will if we butonly
cut the cards and pull the strings
steady. I know you are for Lucas, but
you can jest simply sing that tune low
from now on t Jl the conv-nt on meets,
and then you can flop to Scroggins and
shake the earth, as it wre. In a reglar
scrub race w couldn’t pi iy the game
this way, but in oid rumnt to beat tbe
common en-my and have some honest
politics we an- tryin on tbe convention
plan this year. You must stay and re
main around here and bring Rocky
Creek around all rijln. I will give it
out that I have left the lh-ld in favor of
you, and then any thing you say will go
down with the boys. Now as for me, I
will bruise around keerless and ondif-
ferent lik - in the other heats and lot it
leak out that in cusc of a deadlock I
mougbt maybe come in as a dark horse
for the sake of peace and harmony and
tho anonymous success of our grand old
P»rty."
I.lke Nw^ppln rocrfei Knlvet.
Well, mo and Blev then went on with
the plans and sp» c fleations which he
btd laid down, and hetueen us w«* went
up to tbe convention with a delegation
which wo could handle like a crowd of
boysswappin pocket kniv<-s. Bb-v had
put his band into the g nne and shut me
out oncst with old man Jeems W. Stag
gers in a race for county coroner. But
now the past was past. We bad smoked
the pipe of pea< • and bur ed our little
hatchet, blade down, and oncst more
Blev Scroggins h id Rocky Creek Beat
in his vest pocket.
As soon as we got to the convention
Andy Lucas come around to the Rocky
Creek hoys and says to me, says he:
"Well, Rufe, old boy. how do w<*
stand on the question of high sheriff?”
"Solid for Blev Sro/giui," says (.
"But Blev aint in the race," gays
Andy.”
"1 know that, Andy." says I, "but we
can enter him upon the mi llowin of oc
ean,© i, as it were."
"Well, who are you for for county
judge?" says he.
"Blev Scroggins forever,” says I.
“How do you stand for collector?"
■ays be.
"Like one man for Scroggins,” says I.
"Who is your man for assessor?"
says be.
"All one way for Scrogg ns," says I.
"Who will git Rocky Cr> uk for county
clerk?" says bn.
*«•' XSwm. »»• • iu vyp, "ins, ’ says!.
"Who is your man for governor of ibis
great Stale?" says in-.
"A naan by the name of Scrogglni
tom JUakj Creek,"says L j
"Well, by all tne devils at oncst,"
says Andy, "who is tob the next presi
dent of the United States?"
"Bb-v Scroggins like a deer in a
walk," says I.
And right at that time I do believe
that Andy Lucas was about tbe mad
dest white man I bid ever saw, but he
didn't lose his bead and git one-sided
for a fight on tbe spot.
But durin all this time Blev Scroggins
he was mixin around amongst the vari
ous delegates and tradin on Rocky Creek
from the big bouse to the kit hen. Ho
made some sort of a deal with every
candidate in tbe field, givin one vote for
throe, and then trad- d the home dele
gation straight and solid to all the men
on the slab?. Old man Simeon Collins
and Bud Newton and Andrew Milligan
and Will Tom Pickens had all < ome m
with delegations which they could round
up any way they wanted to. So when
finally at lust the convention romo to
gether the old hen was on, and tbe gen
eral appearments to a mm on t h<* ground
floor was that she would lay a S iroggins
egg beforo tho sun went down behind
the western bills.
T)liig the Double How Knot.
To start out with tho convention put
on the two-thirds rule, and ti tho gen
eral surprise of tbe main c rowd old man
Collins went through for county judge
like be was shot out of a cannon. Tho
other candidate for judge was old man
Jerry Turner, and a better man never
breathed tbe breath of life than him.
But ho had been takin things easy and
sleepin on bis rights. He didn’t have
no opposition so far as lie knowed and
everybody bad said they was for him.
He didn’t come in that day till after tho
convention met. thinkin all ho would
have to do was to make a rmgin speech
and thank tho convention for die high
honors which they had heape I upon
him. And when the cat jumped the
other way old man Jerry looked a man
that had answered beforo he was calle-l.
Ho mounted his nag and rid off towards
home, and from that tune bcncelor-
wardstohis dyin day he never pulled
another card or played another hand in
polities.
But when the convention come down
to the qu-stion of shcr.ff Blev ho went
in for makin a deadlock. He throwed
Rocky Cre*-k, single shot, first to Sam
Nettles and then to Andy Lucas, and
got it back in seven scatterin votes from
the other Slate Ih-ats. As between Sam
and Andy the game stood about six
with one and one-half a dozen with tbe
other before tho convention, and by the
third ballot Blev bad the thing tied
into a double and twisted bow-knot.
Then ho set right down an I holt his
little hand steady, knowin full und well
that be could draw and fill it out when
things got good ripe and ready for a
stampede. H» had started in with
Rocky Creek solid, and old ma'n Collins,
after ho was shot through for county
judge, took and (browed the delegates
from Bark Log Beat in a bunch to the
Scroggins column That was in tbe
bargain, and he knowed that if a man
made a deal with Blev Scroggins and
then didn’t deliver tho goods bo would
be takin bis life in bis own hands, with
a]l the odds on the other side. So yon
can see Wherein Blev belt a hand that
would do to draw to. Tho knot was
tied hard and fast Tuero want but the
one man on the floor of that convention
that could out it, and his name was
Scroggins.
-‘Wnltlu For tti« « at to Jump."
So the game went on in that shape
for somethin better than fifty ballots,
and there want no change exc-ptin
when Blev waived bis hand at the boys
and throwed a few votes to Lucas or to
Nettles, runnin one up and droppin the
other down only to make them mad and
restless and nervious. As tho time
went on var.ous and sundry delegates
made a move to adjourn the convention,
but Blev would shake his head at the
boys, and there he set,
Presently I got scandlous tired and
dry and bongry mys If, unds i I went
around and told him to lot’s adjourn the
blame thing long enough fur the d le
gates to git a bite to eat and change
their breath anyhow. But liiev said no.
"If you want to jump this gam*-, Rufe
Sn.dcrs, you can do it," sa.vs lie, "and
tnen you will see how nice an 1 qiiD'k I
can smash off the tail end of that s ate.
Tbe onlyest way to win tins light is to
keep cool ..nd be easy till starve and
sweat the wnole con i-rn down to where
we can tun Hour w»y. Brace up now
and goon and hold Hock. Cr« ek in line
till 1 give tbe word. 1 can tell to a
minlt when to say the word uo. 1 am
in ih s game to win. 1 am only waitin
for the cat to jump."
8o I belt myself down as best I could
and kept Rocky Creek in line nil way
along in the shank of th - » vonin. By
*t«i» 11 mi> 44 very man ill the Convention
was hungry clear down to his hi-elr, and
so monstrous dry t 1 he was spiitiii
dust. That was tbe most wuansoinest.
Hottest, aryest, sickest crowa ot aete-
gates that ever got together in all this
pkasant strip oi country toexpress the
honest Wishes of the unterrified De
mocracy. But there set Blev Scroggins
as clam and cool as a cucumber, smilin
all over himself, and “waitin for the
cat to jump.”
Presently I saw Andy Lucas
and Blev holdin a private con-
Tabulation together, and then tor-
ecily Sam Nenl'S went around and
spoke a few words with "the gentle
man from Rocky Creek.” Then Blev
he smiled and nodded and waived his
hand at the hoys, and on tho next bil
lot he. cut the knot and went in for high
sh'-riff on first l ounce. And then, ac
cord in to arrangements that Blov had
no de, Andy was putinas first deputy
and Sam Nettles as second deputy.
After that the machinery worked
smooth and fast and Blev pulled tho
slate through w ithout a scratch.
That wa-> years and years ago, you
understand, and mayb* it don’t look
right for me to be tellm tales out of
school. But I now give out the mainest
facts in tin- case to show the risin gen
eration that American politics have
always been—American politics.
Rufus Sanders.
SWEPT bY S'lOitM.
Mach Damage Done by Wind and Itaia
Along the ‘Hilo ttiver.
CiucfsiiATi, Nov., 27. — The rain
which began here Friday stopped at
midnight after having precipitat'-d two
and a half inches of water. A high
wind cleared the sky and descending,
proceeded to clear iho earth. It came
in a series of hurricane puffs from vari
ous directions. Those blows followed
in quick succession, and they were as
capricious about where they struck as
they were in the diiection w.hieh they
took. The circle of hills protected tho
business section of the city, yet tho
storm swooped down and played havoc
with fences, roofs, signs, windows, tel
egraph and telephone wires and many
late pedestrians had to dodge flying
shutters and signs.
But it was on the river that the havoc
was greatest. There the wind had free
Course. Almut 12:d0 the first hard blow
came. It did its best for two or throe
minutes, straining the cables of the ves
sels m inred along 12 miles of river
front. At 1 o’clock it came still stronger
and stayed longer than before. This
time it got i!s wildest work in among
the beats. Only the mischief on the
immediate river front was ascertainable
because the telephone and telegraph
wires were down. Down fire river near
Rivordalo were moored the John K.
Speed, a big Now Orleans boat, the
Euek<-yo State, and tho large towboat,
W. W. O’Neill.
The first report from there was that
the W. W. O’Neill and the John K.
Speed had been blown together and
wrecked. Investigation shows that tho
O’Neill is unscathed and that the Speed
and Buckeye State had been blown
across the river and moored without
damage.
A little later, at the public lauding
near the Newport bridge, tho steamers
F. J. O’Connell and Kob Itov were torn
fri m their moorings and blown out of
tight at it terrible pace up the river, ami
at daylight they had not been heard
from. Anxiety for their fate is increas
ing by the fact that each has a watch
man aboard.
The same hurricane was encountered
at the same landing by tho Pittsburg
packet, II. K. Bedford, which was
steaming in loaded with passengers.
The Bedford was driven toward tho big
stone piers of the Louisville and Nash
ville bridge with ominous speed. For a
long time steam struggled against tho
storm for the safety of the panic stricken
passengers, and finally triumphed, laud
ing tin* human freight not 100 feet from
the big stone pier that had threatened
to dash the frail craft to pieces. At tho
same time the Horcnlos Carroll, a pow-
erful towboat, and the Bonanza parted
their cables ond were sent spinning up
tin* river in a very irregular course.
The big Carroll was finally stranded
high and dry on the landing at the foot
of Main street. The fitful hurricane
drove Hie Bonanza with a crash against
the Memphis wbarfboat. A cable was
made fast to the iron capstan on the
wharf and she was saved. How coal-
barges and steamboats farther up and
down tho river fared is not known it
this writing and the anxiety of river
men will not be relieved until definite
news is received.
While there was widespread damage
iu the city, it was all in a small way.
No loss of life or bodily injury is n*-
C n t'-d. The eastern fence of the loagn
ischall park was blown down. A por
tion of the nsifs of Odd Fellows' temple
and of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal
cliarch were blown off. A cabman who
was driving Through Newport was
shocked iut i uucoiiHciousneKs by a live
electric light wire falling on him. His
horse fared worse, it was killed.
- > ! ■■ ■■■'■' ■■■■ m, W
f*t€>Ain*hi|> rarlft Tn Drydork.
Newport News, Va.. Nor. 27.—Tho
steamer Paris of the American line has
arrived here. She was at once docked
at Hie yard of tho Newport News Hhip-
buildiiur and Drvdock coniDauv for un
overhau ing A large force of men are
at work on the vessel. The Pahs will
be at tho shipyard ten days.
EUGENE FIELDS’ DEATH
Sets Arp to Ruminating On tho Un
certainty of Life.
The Y oung nn«l Lovely Die Wlille the
Old Are Allowed to Item .tin—some
IteuiluiHceuce* of Grady—How
lie Got An “Ad."
Oh, what a pity of it; Eugene Field
is dead. When everybody loves a man it
Joes seem hard that he should die. Just
j iu his prime and getting riper, purer, mel-
j lower as years robed on. We of the
South had learned to love him, for he
was gentie and kind to us. lie loved
Grady and Grady loved him. i'hey are
together now svmewuere. 1 wonder how
their spirits met and what they said. It
is hard on the South to lose two such
friends, ihey were of the same age
lacking a few months. Love, kindness,
teimerness of heart are redeeming traits
iu human nature, and tuey huu them.
i was leading Waimce Ucvd's pleas
ant reminiscence of istnry urauy in last
Sunday s paper and it cat imu me back to
the hard days wneu Aieury, iiKe Field,
was struggling against late to make his
[lupcr a success, ine merchants had not
then learned the value oi advertising, and
lleury pleaded in vam tor a more liberal
patronage. A leamtig merenaut who
claimed to be ins mend stuouoruly de
clined to give ium a mg ’ad' and said
it would be money thrown away, for no
body read them.
! "Don't read them!” exclaimed lleury,
"don't read them! Weil, 1 wnl show
you."
Next morning’s paper contained a short
editorial on cals and toid how cat fur
had recently come into great demand in
fashionaoie circles iu .New iork and how
the long coarse hairs were eliminated and
the real fur was made into tippets and
mulls and every lasinomtoie lady wore a
feline, etc. Not tar on in another col
umn was a displayed advertisement that
said:
"WANTED—1,000 cats, for which 50
cents each wnl be paul."
Tbe merchant s name w as signed to it.
By noon the dais began to roll in.
Small ooys, white and biucK brought them
iu baskets and bags. For a while the
ourcliuut enjoyed tne joke, but soon got
tired and went away to dinner. By the
time he returned tne boys and darkies
from the suouros were coming in and tbe
sidewalk was blockaded. Henry had
laughed until lie was exhausted and sat
a window sill across the street, threat
ened. he said, with a cataleptic tit. Neigh
boring merchants and their clerks gath
ered around and laughed and shouted and
cried at every new arrival of cats. As
fast as the merchant drove off one crowd
another tilled tlnir places. He armed
himself with a big stick, but at lust he
closed bis doors in sheer despair and
night relieved him from the pressure.
But the next morning the catastrophe
. was worse. The catalogue was not end
ed, for the country people had heard the
news and brought cats iu on their wood
wagons and under their buggy seats and
tied up in cotton baskets like chickens.
Henry took his stand near by and leaned
against :i telegraph pole for support. He
! and Shanklin—dear old Slianklin—and the
folks who loved fun, were all there and
; while it was fun to tho hoys and death to
| the frogs, it was such a rare and racy
joke that the merchant couldent get mad
and finally surrendered. He made an
appropriate little speech to the crowd
and told Henry that if he would promise
never to do him so any more be would
give him the bigge.-t "ad" he had ever
bad in liis paper. Henry promised and
tie- ad was given. That illustrated the
mischief that was in his rollicking na
ture
But one evening Henry was sick und
left bis junior to make up the paper. It
was just on the eve of an exciting mu-
nicipul election and some bitter things
liad been published anil more bitter things
had been said. It was fe ared that some of
tbe contending parties would come to
I blows. A candidate who had been sorely
maligned wrote a bitter denunciation of
his opponent and took il to the junior
just before the paper went to press. It
was received and inserted and printed in j
about three hundred copies wlien Henry '
1 walked into the office to ki-i- what the
boys bad done in his absence. He read
tbe article and was horror-stricken. !
“Stop that press!" cried be. "Stop it; !
•top it. I would not have that article go
in for $1,000. Botli those men are my
personal friends mid they will fight.
There will he bloodshed either on the
•tree! or iu n duel. Itoth have wives
md children and it would be a shame to
widen the breach. How many have you
•truck off?*’
j "About three hundred," they said.
"Well, get your knivis ami scissors and
W’o will cut it out of every < ue and print ,
oo inure with that bloody piece in them." |
All ha mis went to work and soon had '
every paper perforated with a hole 2x4
inches, a ml so they w re folded and uriil-
ed. The two wond red, hut Henry Imd
*wurii nil IiiiikN to secrecy and not irore
• ban live of us ever knew what Imd htou
tut out. I mug years nfbr lie said to me
me day in his Atlanta office, "I believe j
I saved a inan's life thnl night, and it
mis a good spirit llml moved me to get
up off a sick bed und go down to over
look the paper.' '
Henry is dead and Sle iiklin. whom he
lovtol mol 11 winell and .1 dm Kihy und I
rei knn every' oily < Ise ho was conn eted
with his pa pi r. Its lr llur is ()e:ij und
bis sitter. Only his guod old Christian
noraer remains ot mat ramiiy. it seems
to me that old Father Time ought to take
os by our ages and let the young live on.
Eugene Field was not even sick nor fore
warned. This heart failure is getting
Harming. It is a good text for Moody,
r or nobody is safe nowadays.
There is another of that trio—Grady,
Field and Joel Chandler Harris, all
ibout the same age. Two shall be taken
md the other left. May the good Lord
•pare him till he sees his three-score
rears and ten; yes, till the red locks turn
*.o gray. It is a deeper grief for those to
lie who are in the prime of life and use
fulness. A young mother died here the
>ther day who all her life had been well
md strong, a good daughter, a loving
wife, and our hearts full of sympathy
went out to the bereaved ones. Only a
rear married and full of hope and jo.‘
md love. The child is there and the fatb-
tr's tears fall on it sometimes, but what
w home without a mother? After all
:hat we say about each other tho world
s full of sympathy and one touch of
inture makes us all akin. The sweetest
>ooms that were ever written were found-
»d upon love, and that is why everybody
loved Field. His “Little Boy Blue" is
.ove itself, and even his prose was full
if it. That sweet little story of “The Old
Man" will bring welcome tears from eyes
mused to the melting mood. Tbe poems
:hat have lasted the longest and still live
n our hearts are not the stately meas-
ares of Byron ami Shakespeare and Pope,
jut they are from Leigh Hunt and Cole
ridge, and Goldsmith and Tom Hood and
Burns and Jean Ingelow*. I was reading
‘The Fisherman's Prayer” aloud the
)ther night and had to stop before I got
through, for the little 0-year-old grand-
'■hild filled up and began to sob like her
icart would break. I learned the Hermit
when I was young and I love to repeat it
qow. Iliilb-ck and Bryant are grand,
Longfellow is beautiful and Holmes is
lelightful, but they don’t touch deep down
like those I have named. Genevieve and
tho Hermit and “The Song of the Shirt”
ind the “Catter’s Saturday Night” will
live as long as our language. A good
heart loves to weep sometimes. A man
who can’t shed a tear over poor Rip Van
Winkle is in a bad way for heaven. W ’1-
ter Scott says that the only time he ever
saw Burns was in a room where there
was a painting of a young mother with
i babe in her aims who bad just found
her husband dead on a battlefield, and
underneath tbe picture were these lines:
‘Bent o’er her babe, her eye dissolved In
dew,
The big drops mingling with the milk
he drew,
Gave the sad story of his future years—
The child of misery baptized In tears.”
Scott says that Burns could not conceal
bis emotion, but wept like a child. And
yet there are folk who fancy the painting
of a great battle with all its blood and
Mrnnge and misery! A. T. Stewart paid
$00,000 for one. It is now iu the Central
Park gallery in New York. The one that
Burns wept over ought to be right under it
as a contrast—an object lesson.
But we are calm and serene iu these
parts now. There is no war nor pestil
ence nor any great calamity. The land is
filled with plenty, and I reckon the people
ire thankful. Ihe good book says: "When
• man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh
even his enemies to be at peace with
him.” It does look like our enemies are
Harmonizing of late more than at any time
since the war. There is nobody breathing
9ut threatenings and slaughter against us
uow, except old man Hoar, and he is al
most dead. There was comfort iu what
Mr. Loomis, of Wilkesbarrc, Pa., said
when he got back home: “The South has
never had a chance since the war. Strij*-
ped bare as a bone—no money, no an
nuity, no pi nsious—it is past reason how
she has come to the front. Think of it!
The government has since the war paid
out in pensions alone $1,500,000,000 that
staid in the North. Of this vast sum tbe
South had to pay her part in taxes and
got nothing. Just give her $100,000,000
as a starter and in ten years the North
would t^gSttVher progress * • •
And we iQEMmpcIled to look to the South
for true American patriotism, 'they are
all Americans down there with their blood
pure through a century of American par
entage. It is refreshing to run up against
a whole community of pure Americans."
How is that fora manly confession from
a leading business man in a Northern
Republican city? I wish that he and all
such would come down hero and domicile
with us. 'they can bring their pensions
with them and scatter the money around.
So it circulates iu onr neighborhood it is
all right. May tbe Lord keep us humble
and happy.—Bill Arp, in Atlanta Consti-
tatloa
Fire In Flckens.
Pickens, S. C., Nov. 27.—Tom Hadf-
en’s printing office, Maria Griffln’i
dwelling and both of Haygood’s stores
were destroyed by fire here. Most of
tho gisxls were saved in a badly dam
aged condition. Insurance, $6,000 on
the sfi ires and $600 on the printing offlea.
The fire started in the printing office.
Ths Pope In No Danger.
Rome, Nov. 27.—Dr. Lapponi, the
physician of the pope, says that there ia
nothing a’lirming iu the condition of
Leo XIII. Ho deems it advisable, how
ever, that jis patient keep to his room,
owing to the cold, damp weather pre
vailing.
enrlhqiiMhe >n Greece.
Athens, Nov. 27 —Sharp earthquake
shocks were felt here and at Chatchia,
Livauia, TLotus and Corinth.