The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, May 07, 1896, Image 3
THE WEEKLY LEDGER;: GAFFNEY, S. C., MAY 7, 1890.
3
GALLUS*
locky Crook Still
b Storios.
iisr of MPoahencx**—
I land t'us.ilu — Tho
I Dead Dog—Two
rll Fools.
Ju C HU riplit. (louil to !
|iul rock bottom \w nri*
all “vain and i
fleetin wonns |
of the diifit,” as
Aunt Nancy j
Newton is so
wont to s.iy
—nothin more (
:mh1 nothin levs !
than, human
llcsh and blooel
and Ixjncs. And l
old man Josiah
.TcrrJgan ra a
rltfht. sm rt
In of people, lie* is :
L > rut Hark l/): r an 1
jay up y. iid, r in the. clumdi.
main time he is a full-blood |
If the human family.
I
f w Team'* a:i<l Hot Went Ivor.
neral w ay I know that Jocduh
isamiitkty (7«wh1 man—a plain,
I hnried. debt-jiayin man, who i
s (iotl ami Iowa hla country j
ves hls day and genoratIon to '
of Ids hvbln ability. He i» a |
feu words and full of busliwes. :
PB' ^er (ild do any talkln to speak of, j
lit tnj most in generally always meanfl j
that |he nij s. lie never was n man to .
kbblv in futun s, you unde rstand. It
litil spots with him. And tnkln him
^one side ami d >w v, the. other, there
iIj'i abetter fa; herora 1 letter husband,
to better m i; : !-or, or a bettor citizen i
*ywdien s i:. ! ■ ik i ky (. reek scttle-
irat tlnmtl:.:; arm .Josiah dernlpan.
Hut Jo; iah cut t > tow n one day last
»eo.k. He went in !;ia wr.jron and driv
l yoke of stu : . and Hlev Serojrplns he
Hint w ith him. ! t.as slnee leaked out ,
Ihrouph Itlev tl it. ( tie. of the deoeonn
of Hark Lo ; elmreli had a rouprh and
Jumble nn-us w ith his steers that day,
wherein Ids r !i;.d n rot a tremendiutt
!>iul sliock and strain aoid sluddn up.
And you must keep in mind, long-suf-
ferintf reader, that Josiah was drhIn a
loke of steer: and the weather lilt was
swelterln hot. I maybe mought lx 1
wrong—1 wouldn’t make out like I was
always right—but I have always belt
to It that if a man can drive n yoke of
steers In hot weather and tit the same
flint 1 corhre his remarks to pure Bible
language he has got more genuine re
ligion than the man that built the ilrst
church and lined the lint hymn and
preached the ilrst sermont.
From the way In which Hlev Scrog
gins has let the eat out of the wallet it
would seem like Josiah and his steers
had Ix-en movin along smooth and
jieaeoable enough till t.hej’ got down
there to Canev Branch swamp. By this
time, jyou understand, the steers had
got good and hot and h g-weary, and
noon as they caught sight of the cool
and refresh In waters of Canev Branch
they curled their tails and reached
their backs ami <juit the road and tore
oiT down through the swamp at a fast
nnd furious lick. Blev he jumped the
game and lit out right then and there,
but Josiah froze, to the ropes and fol
lowed Ids “cow’’ team” through three
acres of canobrakes and bamboo briars,
and he was still with cm when they
vent down into the water. In mnkln
the return trip from the sw amp back to
the big road it seems like Josiah man
aged ro as to git hls foot caught be
tween a wagon wheel and tho.eouplln
polo, and consequentially In the general
confusionment he got the heel of Ida
r.hore tore olT and t hree of hls texv tm-
Jinted. It was somewheres along there
— from the way Blev tolls the news—
that Josiah give up the light, as It were,
aixl let loose and fell and spoke out:
“l don’t want to say it—I would
ruthcr not say It—Hod knows I do raley
hate to say it, nnd I hope he will for
give me—but if I must—If I have got to
ray it—dam these steers!”
There has now been some talk around
amongst the members of Bark Logtotbe
extent that a church media will socn
be belt, wherein Josiah Jeringan will
have to “fess up,” or either take out
and quit. Of course It is none of my
business in regards to that. But. I do
hope they will all remember that Jo
siah was drivln a “cow team,” while
the weather hit w as scandalous hot.
voice. So consequentially wo didn’t
stay in sight of Sam and hls wagon
more than two or three miles. For a
while we could hear him jxqipin hr:
whip nnd eur. In and go ip on with his
mules, but by-and-by he got clean out
of hearin.
Well, me and the elder, wo. worked |
and w orried along as best we could for
three or four miles. We had it up and 1
down, in and cut, and over and under !
with them mules and that miserable I
had road. The elder ho would fumble
and fiddle and fool around, lolkin to the |
mules like they w’ere so many babies, :
and gal babies at that, till presently
we struck the Travis lane, which was
way yonder the worst piece of road on
the trip to town, and there we stuck
nnd stayed for two long and mortal
hours. It was the elder’s wagon and
the elder’s mules, but I told him if I
was a eussin man I would take his place
and carry on that branch of the busi
ness—at any rates till wo got out of
the lane and over the next hill.
Finally at. last it would seem like the
elder had run slap out to the end of
his rope, and I could see that he. was
lirin up considerable around the edges.
The next thing I took notice of be had
went down in his jxicket after a twine
string and put a new cracker on his
whip. Then he mounted the ofTmule
at the wheel nnd jest naturally made
his whip talk. And I om sorry to tell
you, that w ant all—not by a whole lot.
"As that reckless and wicked Sam
Nettles would say If he was here,” says
the elder, "git out of here, dndburn your
lon-yeaml, lousy pictures! (loslier-
mighty durn a muddy road and a lazy
mule In the wintertime! Pick up them
fret, dndburn you, and tighten them
traces and pull till the brccehin files
up and somethin freezes over! Pcmem-
mor w here you git your corn and bxl-
der, goidarn you, and tare out and go
to town! (ioshennighty durn road full
of mud and a male name Beck!"
Hid we git through that lane and
over the next, hill? We got through
that lane and over the next hill. Did
we go to town that day? We ■went to
town that very same winter day. And
Bam Nettles want more than a mile
ahead at the finish.
I neverdld talk it around in the settle
ment, and T don’t, say now that Elder
Newberry ever cussed any on Ida own
hook. Hut I never can forget one time
when a mighty change come over the
general tone of hls voice, and he
quoted Sam Nettles at hls mules to lx at
six bits.
Tl»c Value of a Hof;.
It It. ever comes to pass that you
mought want to find out somethin in
regards to the value of dogs, Bocky
Creek Is the place and Squire Dougin
is the man.
They had a little case up before the
squire last. Saturday, which r.ccordin to
Pony Burk it, the baililT, was “sot for
ten o’clock.”
From the general circumference nf
the surroundings and the evidence In
the ease, it turns out that .Tide Nabors
had shot and killed a spotted hound
.log, which the said dog belonged to a
man by the name of Handy Stribblin
ft would likewise also seem that In eon-
siilertion thereof, the said Handy Strib
blin had got out papers of compellmont
agin the said Julc Nabors, and put in ids
claims for damages to the tune of ten
dollars.
They had got through with all the
witnesses on both sides, when finally
at last Squire Doogiu called up Handy
Stribbll,., made him kiss the Bible and
put him on the stand.
"Mister Stribblin,” says the squire,
lookln wise and solemn as hi* could,
"from the facts and the law In the ease
what wats your spotted dog worth?”
"Well, to Ik- plum honest, squire, the
dog want raley worth a continental
durn, but since .Tide Nabors, was so
infernal mean nnd so all-fired smart as
to shoot the dog, I want the full value
of the animal.”
Now, If you don’t know all the men
r.s well as the facts In the ease, yr.i:
maybe mought not think that Handy
Stribblin got ten dollars for his dead
spotted hound dog. But he did
BILL ABB’S LETTER.
Ruminatos and Speculates Upon
the Patriarchal Days.
The Defense Kvc Aflpht Have Made for
Katlng of *l<c Forbidden Fruit—Adam's
Twenty-Three Daughter*—Mrn. Arp
and Her tirandehlld.
Some •‘Sccond-Ilaml CushIii."
That makes me think of the time
when me and Sam Nettles and Elder
Newberry went to town together, and
for the first time in my life I heard
some second-hand cnssln.
Sam and the Elder went in with the!-
wagons heavy loaded with cotton, and
I had took a sent and went along witn
the elder.
Mind you, it was then in the dead of
winter. The rains had fell heavy and
frequent, and the roads w:us sloppy and
poft enough to bog the shadow of a buz
zard. It was but only ton miles to
town, though at that time it took a
good team to make it through In a day.
Now Sam Nettles was a bad and wick
ed man, and every time bis wagon and
team got stallded and stuck in the mud,
or struck a steep hill he would putin to
cussln the mules and poppin his whip
till he made the air blue and they went,
out in a storm.
Understand me now, I don’t say Itwas
the cussln that got the wagon through,
and I know r.s well as anybody that it,
was wicked nnd wrong for Sam to be
goin on In that recklessway. But some
how or somehow else he was so handy
nnd so furious with hls whip anil his
mouth, and kept up such a roarin big
excitement till the mules jest naturally
got sheered and took the wagon and
tore out of there.
Now as to Elder Newberry, he wn.i
one of the l>est and most peacefulest of
men In the round ere a toil world for
common, lie wouldn’t -arry on very
much talk with his mules, and when he
did it was with a smooth and gentle
Two April Fool*.
For a common thing a mar. would
have to stay out mighty late nnd git
up tremendius soon to come out ahead
of Andy Lucas. But the news has
leaked out at last as to how Will Tom
Pickens let the great horse trader cut
the pot, and then lx*at him at his own
game, with “three cards up his sleeve.”
Will Tom had come up from Panther
Creek the day before and spent the night
at the Lucas place.
"To-morrow is the first day of April,”
says Andy to Will Tom, “and I want
stay over long enough to help me turn
a trick on Dr. Honeycut. I will git
sick in the morning—:«!(•!< alx*d and sick
unto death it would seem. Then you
can mount your horse and go a split!in
after the doctor. As to me, when the
doctor comes I will jump out of the bed,
cut the pigeon wing, drag olT a few
stanzas of somethin sweet and devilish
on my fiddle, and then saddle my horse
and lope off towards town.”
“By the seven stars I’m with you,
Andy,” says Will Tom, nnd then Andy
he jest naturally laid down and laughed
at the very thoughts of what he had in
soak for the doctor.
So, aecordln to their plans and
specifications, Andy he went to bed that
inornin, whilst Will Tom he rode off in
a HWecpin gallop. But the doctor never
did come. Will Tom had jist simply
whipped around to the. main road and
and went on back home to Panther
Creek.
Andy he stayed there at home In bed
—rollin and tumhlin and carrying on
j outrageous, and lookln for the doctor
| every minnit. He stood it as long as he
| could, and when finally at last the truth
i worked its way through his hair he was
I the maddest man that ever played the
fool in this country. Andy’s wife says
he was so furious nnd foair.in mad till
she was sheered he would hit, the baby,
and lie cursed Will Torn Pickens for two
mortal hours on a stretch.
Uukuh Sanders.
The peafowls stirred up a small gar
ter snake down in the grove and they
raised such a rumpus as to attract my
wife's attention. The reptile came slip
ping along through the grass toward
the house and she screamed for me, of
course. It came In the front yard and
I killed it by the stone step, bur my w ife
never believes a snake is dead as long
ns its tail wiggles. I had to keep on
killing It to satisfy her, nnd then hang
it up In a tree to make it rain. It is
awful dry up here, but now I reckon it
will just pour down some time. This
is the second snake that has over been
seen here, but my w ife says that she
knows that the place is just haunted
with them. They always go in pairs,
she says. “Moses mentions only one,”
said I, "and didn’t, mention any until
after Eve was created. Probably Adam
lived nnd worked hi that garden alone
for many years and lie got os sick of it
ns did Robinson Crusoe. Then Eve was
created for Adam’s express company,
and they got. along very well until thj
serpent beguiled her.” “Yes, and the
jxxir woman has to bear all the blame
of our sin nnd misery,” said my wife.
“Adam said: ‘The woman Thou gnvest
me did give unto me and I did eat.’ Why
dident Eve say the man Thou didsv
make me for did not protect mo from
the wiles of that smooth-tongued sor-
jx-nt. He let me cat first and take all
the risk of the danger. The old auto
crat. No tolling how long he had been
acquainted with the serpent, for he
knew all the animals and had mingled
w ith them .’ind had dominion over them
and had given them all names long be
fore Eve was created.” "No doubt of
It," said I, “for Josephus says that the
serpent lived in the house, with Adam
nnd was very handsome and very smart
and could talk. Perhaps they played
marbles together and went in a-wa.sh-
ing.”
"Yes," said Mrs. Arp, “and the Lord
gave the command to Adam about the
forbidden fruit long before Eve wa.i
born.”
"She WRvSent Ixirn," raid I.
“Pity she was not," said she. “Then
she would hn\e had a mother who
would have protected her from the ser
pent and from Adam, too. The jxxir
woman never even had a choice of
lovers nor a courtship nor a w edding.”
“Nor a trousseau, nor her picture m
the papers,” said I, “and she dressed re
markably thin, considering that, the
climate is about like ours. I reckon
that Adam’s family expenses were very
light, about, those, times. But later on
he caught, it, for Josephus says he had
?;t daughters, and of course somebody
put up a dry goods store in the neigh
borhood and sold finery. Fig leaves
played out early.”
“I should like to know where they
got any dry goods and finery or any
money to pay for it,” said she. "Tim
Bible says the Ixird made them ga**
meats of skins.”
"Yes,” said I, "made them for Adam
and Eve, but two or three hundred
years aftor that they had learned to
spin flax and goat's hair and silk and
weave it into cloth, and they made or
naments of gold nnd had preciotM
stones nnd made money, loo, .for Moses
says In the second chapter of (ieuesb;
Hint one of the four rivers flowed
through a land where the gold was
good and, there, too, was bdellium
and the onyx stone. Oh. they caught
to new fashions mighty fast, nnd cut
up scandalous, and Josephus says th.i
sons of (iod wen* fallen angels and they
saw- that the daughters of men were
fair to look upon and they mated with
them nnd raised a. crop of giants, nnd
cverylxxly got demoralized except
Noah and his family.
“Moses tells how that ‘wise-hearted
women spun with their hands and
made lieautlful ornaments for the tab
ernacle.’ Some of the necklaces taken
from the mummies areas fine ns are ever
seen at Tiffany’s. The ancients were
not behind us In fine fabrics and ornn
mental arts. We read of an ancient
Hindoo princess who came into court
on a state occasion and her father said:
"(lo Inok, my daughter—go br.ek and
dress yourself.’ And she. replied:
‘Father. I have on seven suits,’ hut they
were of muslin, so delicately fine the
king could see through them ”
"Well, that will do now,” said my
wife. . “The l.xiby Is waking up. Bring
her to me, please. The poor little,
thing can’t sleep long while rho Is cut
ting that other tooth. She is the livst.
and sweetest child In the world. 1 wish
she would cry and be cross a little some
times. Somehow I um afraid she Is
too precious to stay here long. Thin
here to your da.n-ma, darling.” And
little Caroline puts out her arms nnd
smiles nnd coos, and her dan-nui feels
her forehead and says: "I'm afraid she
has a little fever nnd has taken a cold.
When you walk out with her you will
not put on her bonnet. When a child
is teething you can’t be too careful
with them.”
The other day my wife was looking
all around the room for her s|X‘etaeles,
when suddenly she discovered that she
had them on and exclaimed: "Well, I
do reckon I’m the biggest fool In the.
world!” “No you ain’t, grandma,”
said another grandchild. “You are the
bossest fool in tlur world.” Her sjiee-
taeles have got too young for her. and
I must get her another ]>air. What a
pity it Is that these old grandmothers
have to wear out and pass away!
Mother Eve didn’t., flood gracious!
what a time she Iwul w ith her |xisterity.
Josephus says she haul CO children, and
if they hail eOapiece.aaid soon down tho
line and she lived as lung as Adam did,
there were eight generations in sight,
and that would make millions of (x-o-
pie. It would make u hundred millions
If each generat ion had uuily ton apiece.
But I must stop ruminating about
these sjx'eulatlotvs, for I hear Mrs. Arp
calling again on the piazza. “Is It the
other snake.?” said I. “No; hut the
baby is fretting and wants you to take
her and walk in the garden. Be sure
and keep her bonnet on. She is run
ning at the nose now, and she sneezed
awhile ago.”
“Sneezing is a good sign,” said T. "It
is a sign the cold is getting Ix-tter,” but
I don’t make my wife Ixdicve it. I
don’t believe she knows ns much about
raising grandchildren as she did her
own children. Certain it is that she
worries moire about them. When
Caroline’s mother goes visiting my
wife, is afraid something will happen to
the child before she gets back. Oh, my
country—it makes me so tired.—Bill
Arp, in Atlanta Constitution.
RAISED FROM THE GRAVE.
SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE.
Sam Jonos Advisee Pocplo to Tako
tho Middlo-Ground.
Too Many I’laco Partj-i'.iui Aiiovo I’alrlot-
Imu, mill Creed Alwjve Christ and HI*
Teaching*—Doit* Delight to
Hark and Fisht.
Extraordinary Experience of a Man Who
Wa* Shot and Hurled.
“Do you seo that mau in gray? lie
has had the experience of having been
shot, buried and resurrected.”
This startling declaration was made
to a reporter t he other day at the Unidn
station by a gentleman living in Green
county, 111., and a relative of the party
with the wonderful experience. The
story seems very improbable, but ap-
pears to be fairly well substantiated,
and a deeply sunken place on the fore
head of the “nun in gray” is evidence
of the allegation that he w as shot. The
man’s name was given, as Bob Nichols,
nnd his home as Granger county, Tenn.
Several years ago in his locality
moonshiners abounded, and their
illicit operations were carried on In the
mountain fastnesses with but very ir
regular molestations. About every set
tler was more, or less involved, and
•death was the. portion of the man who
interposed iui object ion or refused as
sistance. or cooperation. The revenue
officers, however, became apprised of
the condition of things in some way,
nnd-n series of raids were made, during
which nearly every still in the count}’
was capt ured and about all the popula
tion taken to Knoxville, either as de
fendants or witnesses in one. or a dozen
eases. Indignation meetings were held
and a price set. upon tho head of the
“informer." An active search was
made, and Nichols was arrested as the
guilty party. He had not been hi the
mountains a great while, and had asso
ciated with the jieoplc but very little,
didn’t drink much and was generally
set down us a suspicious character.
One night a party of men went to liia
house and, capturing him, took him to
a rock house or cave, where a trial was
had, a physician acting ns principal
prosecutor. It was shown that upon
several occasions he had acted un
friendly, and once had the temerity to
say that moonshlning was dangerous
business. This settled his ; guilt with
them, and he was sentenced to he shot.
When this conclusion was arrived at,
lie was taken out. nnd tied reeurely to
a tree, a board was placed on the top
of his head, and upon this board was
placed a few lighted knots of pine,
which illuminated the immediate sur
roundings and gave his slayer no ex
cuse for making a poor shot, of it. The.
men drew lots to see who should do
the shooting, and the physician “won"
—that is w hat he called it—nnd stopped
back ”0 paces, rifle In hand.
Nichols’ feelings during all the time
these preliminaries, were being settled
can be imagined, possibly, but even he
himself is unable to describe them ac
curately. He heard a report, saw a
flush, felt his head sting and burn, nnd
knew nothing more. lie was placed in
a shoebox brought for the occasion and
buried in a trench.
That, night, just before day, the phy
sician, who possessed a business soul,
dug up the box, took tlhe body and
.shipped it to a Cincinnati medical col
lege. And all nf the time Nichols was
unconscious. Arrived at the destination
the body was taken to the college and
laid upon a dissect lug table, where, for
the first time, consciousness returned.
Nichols heard one of the students say:
“See the blood flow; the man is surely
alive.”
The proper restoratives were applied,
and after a few hours the victim be
came thoroughly aroused from his
lethargic state. The college doctors
di<l everything jxissible to muse him
back to health, and succeeded,- too, so
far that after eleven years he is ns
strong and active as at ar y time of his
life.
He went to California, fearing to re
turn to his old home, but recently his
wife, with w hom he has kept, up a con
stant correspondence, and who eared
for their little farm and family during
his long absence, wrote and told him
that all the men who hail taken part
in his being shot had either died or left
the country, and she thought his return
would not raise a riot.
He returned to Tcnmsseo, became
reunited with hls family, sold his farm,
and was in this city the other day, cn
route w ith hit; loved ones to California,
where he will go after a brief visit
with the relatives mentioned above, in
Green county, 111., not a great distance
from the rock-producing village of
Pearl.—St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Indian Graveyard In Hllnnis.
An Indian graveyard was discovered
by workmen while, digging on the
banks of the Vermillion river, flvcmLes
north of Fairbury, 111., recently. Trees
of an immense size were cut from the
ground where the graves were found,
and the position the skeletons were
in denoted that the bodies were buried
in a sitting posture mid surface dirt
placed over them, as the black soil was
several feet dee]) and elevated Into a
small mound. Among the relies found
were a copper spearhead and a stone
pipe. A study of this collection will
probably show definitely to what group
of Indians these people were allied.
Hard mi Him.
He—Yes; everybody says my son got
his good looks fromfnic.
She lie niuwt JiaAe got all you had.
-•-Texas Siftings,
The middle ground between the two
extremes constitutes the soiidest and
safest ground on which we can walk
and talk and act. The world naturally
divides itself into classes and parties of
different creeds and dogmas. The
cranks are the extremists, the phil
osophers take the middle ground and
fools follow anything with a bell on it.
We are now enjoying a discussion on
gold-buggery on the one side and sdl-
ver-diggery on the other side, Secre
tary Smith representing one side and
ex-Speaker Charles F. Crisp the other.
At several points in Georgia they have
met in joint debate, Mr. Smith repre
senting the views of the nionometal-
lists, Mr. Crisp on tho other side the
views of the ultra free and unlimited
coinage of silver. They seem to be
making no converts, for if a man is for
the free, and unlimited coinage of silver
lie seems to be above logic and beyond
argument. He sees as clear as sun
light that all the woes and calamities
that have befallen the race since Adam
and Eve took their first fall In the
garden have been on account of Hie
demonetization of silver—the forbid
den fruit ilrst and demonetized silver
next. About all a man has to do these
latter days is to announce to the world
that he has found the secret of our
troubles and the source of our finan
cial embarrassment. I suppose any
other hobby would answer as well na
free silver. I remember when high
tariff was the thing that was crushing
the life out of America, hut w hen tho
tariff was lowered and things did not
move up then some other cause had to
he found for the trouble, and by many
it is said to be the monumental crime of
187J, which demonetized silver. Over
production and under-consumption
have nothing to do with the depressed
times. High or low tariff does not af
fect them, they claim. Men holding
ultra views may meet and discuss the
issues, but the great thinking mass will
split the difference on all political ques
tions and all financial questions.
It is equally true in the religious
world. Each sect and the representa
tive of each creed have their ultrv
views. The Presbyterians hold fast to
the doctrine of election and reproba
tion. The Baptists believe that, immer
sion is essential. The Methodists preach
and jiraetie’ falling from grace. Tho
Episcopalians stickle much for gown
nnd ritual and t.,-ostolic succession,
The. Universalis** relieve all will ho
saved. The hard-shell Baptists believe
but few will be. saved. An ultra Bap
tist. an ultra Methodist, an ultra Pres
byterian is in the religious world just
what the candidate or ehampion of
some political measure is. Whenever
the peculiar views of a denomination
are held up as essential lo the salvation
of a soul, he who propagates such a
thing is the merest crank. Who but
a bigot or a crank w ould believe or
teach that nobody is saved unless they
have been immersed in water? Equa'-
ly true, who but an ignorant crank
would teach or believe that infant bap
tism is God’s only method of saving
babies and men who have grown up
from babyhood?
The facts knock doctrines and theo
ries sky high. I know a fellow who was
baptized in infancy and who has grown
up toman hood in the Methodist church.
He is a pure, good man. flawless in life
and character, on his way to Heaven.
I know another fellow who was bap
tized in infancj’. Ik* is in the chain-
gang now. I know a man who was bap
tized by immersion by a Baptist
preacher—after he* was 21 years old.
He joined tho Baptist church. He is
to-day one of the purest, noblest men
I know. I knew another fellow that
was baptized by immersion after lie
reached manhood. He joined the Bap
tist church and they hung him.
Political creeds and principles, so
called, with church dogmas must, give
place to facts. Until the millenlum
dawns the. world will have its jKi.rtles,
both in church and state. The differ
ences between men nr>* bom of selfish
ness or creed or party vk*ws. Some,
men are democrats because their f;v-
thers lK*fore them were Jeffersonian
democrats. Other men are republic
ans because they believe tbo republican
party saved the country and is the fos
tering power to-day of all that is good
in politics and in the world. This state
of things has obtained in this country
until partyism has gotten beyond pa
triotism; until the church is bigger
than Christ, in the. eyes of bigots and
creed-worshqiers. The w isest states
men, the truest Christians arc not the
men who run into the ultraksms of ]>o-
litieal creeds or church dogmas, but
with a broader head and a deeper sym
pathy for humanity live and love for
the g<Kxl of humanity; and their su-
premest effort is manifested not in dis
cussion, but in doing for their country
and for their church, not in party km,
but in principle on the one side and
prayer on the other.
These ext rt* mists wherever they are
found may bumfoozle the ignorant, but
they cannot lead the wise. What the
world needs to-day is men w ho practice
what they preae.li—who demonstrate
and illustrate in their own Incs and
characters that they art* but Hie em
bodiment of what they believe, and
what they know—men stripped of all
guile, above party perfidy, who regard
partyism and creeds and dogmas as but
the skin of truth set up and stuffed
with sawdust and sand and only fit to
be relegated to the museums of the
country simply us relies of an an
tiquity when men did not know so
much fur the uplifting of the world
and glorifying God.
It is hard to tell now which is suffer
ing most from Its friends, church or
date. Wo arc divided into clicks mid
elans anil rings, mid the di.sturlieni of
the peace have multiplied until to-day
lKith the republican ami democratic
parties art: split and divided, and
churches split and divided among them
selves. In the. Methodist church wo
have the holiness and the unholiness
clicks and clans and rings. W’e have
the, pro-evangelist and the anti-evangel
ist clicks and rings. W’e. have dogmatic
doctors of divinity, from the peripatetic
dude in the pulpit to the ambitious new
beginner who is looking in the wrong
direction to see the thing he most de
sires. Each click and ring has its
champions, its cranks, with their dog
matisms. The democratic party to
day suffers more from the influence of
its friends than from any Influence tho
republican party can bring to lienr up
on it. Likewise with the republican
party. The devil first gets up discus-
j sions, then dissensions, then divisions,
i then doom, and then damnation. One
| follow s the other as legitimately as tho
j alphabet beginning with A follows on
with B and C and D.
How to split the difference is the
question. There should be no differ
ence between men who hold the same
essential creed and views. There would
lie no difference but for the vapor isms
of cranks nnd the selfish ends to be ob
tained by politicians and political heck
ers. The bitterness engendered, the
strife entailed, in both jxditical parties
and in tho churches i.s to be deplored
by nil thinking men and should lx* eon-
| demned, and all who contribute to
these dissensions should be condemned
nnd silenced. A partyism that is ai
| broad :us patriotism and philanthropy,
a creed as broad os Christ and as pure
n.s His teachings, ought to cover in hu
manity like, a mighty canopy, while the
i angels look on and say: “Howbeautiful
; and pleasant It is to seo brethren dwell
together in unity.’* I wish it could al
ways Ik* so that while men differ they
might differ ns brethren, nnd elimlnnto
personalities and strifes and bitterness
from their words and ways. The uncir
cumcised Philistines in both church
and state, enjoy a dog fight If the dogs
In the fight, have only two legs apiece.
They throw up their hats and whoop
and holler when preacher hits preachc*
or candidate hits candidate, and losu
sight cf the issues involved and throw
up their hots again for the man who
tears tho most hide off hls companion.
It is tho same spirit that makes tho
rabble around the ring throw up their
hats and whoop and holler when a Sul
livan <*r a Fitzsimmons has lx*atcn an 1
battered a fellow man almost to death.
Whether there lx* much dog in us or
not. we like a dog fight. And dogs de
light to bark and fight, for 'tis their na
ture to. But men should Ik* men.
With a head to*hink and a heart to feel
we should wisely follow that which is
right and sympathiz** profoundly with
an erring brother, constantly praying:
Oh, God, toaoh me to fori another’s woe.
To hide the faults I see;
That more;* I to othors show,
That mercy show to me.
Sam P. Jones.
LUCK IN THE MINING CAMPS.
Chance I* Often an Important Fact r In
the Fcir’une# of Gold Seekers.
"I could have owned half the Enter
prise mine at. Rico fori f a telegram
from Denver had not announced the de
cision of the doctors to use t he knife on
my baby boy for hernia, I lost more
than a million dollars, but I stopped
the. knife and my boy is healthy and
rugged.”
These were the words of a gentleman
seated with a group of prospectors a
few evenings ago which led up to a
number of stories relating to similar
incidents.
“I knew a man more fortunate than
myself, however, who availed h’s op-
jiori unity,” continued the speaker.
“Dave Brown, of Aspen, gave a pms-
jjrctor $73 worth of lumber and got one-
fourth of the Aspen mine. Brown was
then a store clerk. lie ia now a mil
lionaire, banker and operator.”
“It k; not alwnys marngvmrnt that
-ccurcu a fortune,” ventured another
of the group. “It was lack, p.ir.v aixl
simple t hat mode Dave Swiekheimer a
millionaire. Ho knew nothing about
mining, but a miner told him to sink
and he did sink, lie ran out of money
several times, but othcra who were n>-
tcrested in learning what greater
Jcpths would encounter on Dolores
mountain loaned various sums and at
last a lucky lottery ticket drew $4,000,
and this money reached the ore in the
Enterprise mine,”
“Yes, luck has a great deal to do
with it," raid the third speaker. “Sev
eral people in Durango had an oppor
tunity a few years ago to get into the
Columbus mine in La Plata for a few
lollars when the Dutchman who lo
cated it owned it, I know one Durango
man who had a good chance to buy the
mine for less tlum $.">00, the price re
ceived. who had spent twice as much
trying to find comethirg like the Co
lumbus.’’
“Chances like that are often over
looked in Durango,” said another of the
group. “There was u little fellow down
li/ore from Metjuiety a couple of years
ago showing some good kxiking ore
from a claim, which he offeixxl to trade,
n quarter of fora rifle. He went to the gun
*tore and all over town trying to trade
for a rifle, and t he kind of gun he want
ed w as selling in second-hand stores for
five or six dollars, but the little fellow
couldn’t get a rifle. I saw the property
last fall that he offered to trade and
«iw some of the ore roasted in a black
smith’s forge. Gold boiled out of it
eery freely and I doubt if all the guns
in the San Juan country would buy a
quarter interest in that property now."
—Durango ((’ol.) Democrat,
An I p-to-Date View.
Ethel—Do you approve of June being
married, to December?
Gussie—Yes; if I am the June, and,
;he December is worth
Town Topics.
a million.-
A Clear t ie /.
"Papa what is posthumous fame?”
“It is getting what, you want after
,ou have ceased to want it."—Chicago
Record.