Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY, S. C., JUNE JO, 18f>7. StOUIES AND SKETCHES. Lifa aa They Live It ia tho Rocky Croak Country. The Amcrleun Iloy untl llio W alt-rii.flon \ in«—"The .Moat I*o- lift-Nt Mnn"—The Time to Have ritw. strangest Hit is one of the most things in the round discovered world to me how deep und constant and fervent the aver age American boy loves the red and juicy fruits of the watermelon vine. I don’t to say have any serious objec tions to watermel ons now, and can most in generally always climb up around my slmre if everything comes plum hardy and convenient. l!ut I don't hunger and thirst and pant for the fruit of the vine like I use to hack there in my boyhood days. Sometimes T do raley wish that I could git as hungry and eat as much, and then feel as snug und comfortable and happy about it as I did when 1 was nothin but a plain and healthy human boy. He Dtdu’t Have* the Heart. One long and hot and swellry sum mer day some six or seven years ago, 1 was makin a trip through the coun try somewheres dost along about the border line between the states of Ala bama and Mississippi. The road wt s tremendius rough und lonesome, but along towards noon I rid by one of the most loveliest little valley farms I had ever seen in all my born days. I was so busy lookin at Use grow in crops and the oozy fixments around the place till I rid right up in ten feet of a year- lin boy before I know* <1 there was such | u human bein in all them parts. There , want anything partielar notorious about the boy’s general uppearments. With his homespun breeches und his home-knit galluses on, and a wool hat whieli had long since went to seed— he was a fair sample of the hundreds and thousands of country boys who are comin along with tin* risin generation to fashion the future and shape the destiny of this great country. But in other ways that boy was a plu perfect picture of sulTerin and sorrow, and I couldn’t help from slowin up long enough to find out what was the matter with him. He was hunkered down in the cotton patch, jest over the fence—in the brilin hot sun—cryin and blubberin and goin on like his heart would break, and sweatin forth great drops of perspiration as big as glass marbles. He was so busy with his troubles he didn't see me till I belt in my horse and sjmkc—whieh I never jsaw him till I heard his sobs and sighs 4and moanin just over the fenee. \ ‘'Hello, ther», Buster!” says f,speak- in as bright and cheerful as I could. “What seems to be the matter with you this large and lovely summer day?" he was u fair sample of the hundreds “Hit’s a plenty the matter, mis ter, a God's plenty,” says the boy, as he turned around and squeezed the back water out of his eyes with the knuckles of his left hand. “Well, out with the tale of woe," says I. “Tell me your troubles, and then if you don’t seo what you want ask for it." “You see this here cotton patch, mister?" Yes, I saw the cotton patch. “Well, tho old man turned me in hero day before ylstlddy mornin to chop out this cotton. Hit w as in the general or ders that I must cut up every water melon vine in the whole two acres, or take a lickin for every one 1 left. Hit lias been worse than sheddin eye teeth to carry out them orders, and I have been aehin all over from that minnit till now. Down there by that old gum stump I found one orful pritty vine. Hit was sorter hid out amongst the bushes, and consequentbdly I left it, thinkin maybe the old man wouldn’t find it. But he come out here this mornin rosin about and pirootin around, and by hokeys he found it.— which he didn't do a blame thing to me then but give me the most hellatious hard lickin a white Ixjy ever toted out of these woods. “We have got a regular watermelon patch over there on the hill, and if the season’s but right I reckon we will have dead oodles of ’em when they git ripe. But they do grow so rank and rapid down here in tin: bottom, and it don’t look to me like it would hurt nothin to leave a few here and fling them in for good measure. “You can see I am not done ehoppiu flic cotton, and here is the last and longest and the finest watermelon vine in the patch,” the boy went on, be tween his sobs, as he pointed out a pnr- ticlur piouiibiit vine. ‘‘l<ook at thi blooms and young uns on it, won’t you? Hard ami unreasonable uint the w ords, mister, but 1 have got to do one of two things to-dny—chop up that watermelon vine or stand and take an other lickin. Whieh would you do, mis ter, if you was me?" “Spit in my hands and shet my eyes and chop it up,” says 1. “ ’Tain’t no use in talkin’, mister, 1 jrst simply ain’t got the heart to do that. Two licl.ins ain’t but twiest as bad as one, though I know the next one is bound to be a shirt-scorcher. Hit’s orful, orful, orful, any way you take it. Say, mister, if you ain’t in too much hurry, would you mind to dismount and chop it up for me? You can take my hoc and do the bloody work whilst 1 look tother way.’’ So, as nothin else would rrrvver, 1 dismounted and got down and took the hoe. The ]*oor, unhappy boy turned his back and w ept w hilst I chopped up that “lonely watermelon vine." Then as I mpunted end rid on towards the sunset hill* the boy breshed the tears away end resumed. “The Most Politest Mnn.” In my day and generation, first and last, I have been about considerable. And I reckon what little 1 haven’t learnt in regards to dogs and horses and men and things in general was tore out of the books many years ago. But I do think the most inditest man I have ever saw since here I have been is old Col. Jcems M. Hunter—whieh the colonel now lives on his fine plantation over on Bear Creek, and on the interest which ids money draws, lie is one of these old-time, before-the-war gentlemen— Col. Hunter is—and without any doubts the most serenely and superbly jwilite aid rooster you would meet up with in x whole year’s travel. Now in his old days the mnlnest weak pints with Col. Hunter is his longtoddy and his fine saddle horse. Along in the past Christmas he lit out one day, and the next news we got he had went over to “Old Kaintucky" and bought him self rich with the finest saddle horse that money could fetch—a big brown geldin with black trinunins and a blaze face—“us graceful as a deer and as gen tle as a eat.” Now every mornin by the first crack of day the old colonel io up and out takiu his mornin ride and braggin on Brown Tom to everybody that will give him a chance. One mornin last week he met up with I,i -v Scroggins down at the old Beech Ford, and nothin would do but Blev must halt and git down and pass on all the strong' and wiimin pints of that fine saddle horse. “Have you got your weapon with you, Blev?" says the colonel. Nat urally of course Blev had hisslx- shooter strapped under his h ft arm. “By gads, Blev, I don’t raley believe Brown Tom would git skeered of a c y clone spiked with cannons, hut I never did try him to see how he would stand fire. I wish! you would please Ik- bo kind, eondeseendin and origin as to shoot off j o ir weapon, so I can see vv hat he will do." At the word Blev went down after his weapon with great glee. With pure delight and from common eussedness he pulled the trigger quick and steady, and bang! bung! bang! bang! bang! bang! spoke the sixshooter fast and furious ami loud. And then conse quentially when the echo from the last shot died out down the swamp and the smoke cleared away, the old colonel was piekln himself up out of the middle of the road, whilst Brown Tom was burnin the w ind for home. There was mini on the colonel's clothes, and mud in his eyes, ami mud in his long white hair. He want to say bad hurt, but the j whole thing was so suddent and sur- j prisin til! it knocked his breath out S for u few minutes and took several new I stitches in his back. But even then aiql there—under the circumference of such painful sur- roundins—Col. Jcems M. Hunter didn’t ; forget that lie was u ♦horoughbred and 1 r.atuml-l>orn southern gentleman. He pulled himself together as best he could i and stood there stilT and straight aa a 1 gun stick, wiped the mud out of his | eyes with his coat sleeve, made a low ! and gentle bow at Blev and said: “I am much oblceged to you. Mister Scroggin*—very much oblceged to you, sir.” “Yon are more than welcome, colonel," Bays Biev. Then the okl colonel give Blev tho part in salute and limped off down the road towards home, with “Brown Tom" three miles ahead. and it want no trouble for him to froth and foam at the mouth like a man in the last agonies of death, vvhilrt every mus cle in his boily quivered and jerked like his time had come. And now. white people, you never saw such another seatleration and con- fusionment as we had right there—with the screamin amongst the women and the men stnmpedin with the general ex citement. I screamed for more room and fresh air. but by this time we had room and fresh air a plenty and to spare. "Hit's nothin but a fit, ladies ami gentlemen," says 1—“nothin but n :it— whieh he takes one every time he gits too hot since he got bit by a mad dog last fall.” The mad dog part was a new wrinkle of my own. but Andy he caught on quick as lightnin and snapped and snarled to beat six bits, whilst the wom en broke out in a fresh place and took another spell of sereamin. Before you could say seat with your mouth open there was three or four empty seats around, and 15 or 20 dif ferent men run to the cooler to fetch some water. But Andy was uptosnnft and at the sight of water he set in to yelpin and barkin and had three more hard spasms. When the last lit wore off I got another man to help me and we picked up Andy and gently laid him on a seat. Then I set down by him and took his head In my lap. One good lady sent me her bottle of “smellin draps.” and another kind-hearted old soul, wjiich had hid herself behind Koine trunks in the baggage car. sent me her turkey tail fan to fan the “pore fel!<-r" with. So with plenty of room and fresh air, Andy soon cooled off and settled down and got ns still and snug ns a tabby eat in the rm : i bum-1. “If I didn’t cook that crowd t<> a eraeklin th<*n three r.ecs v ouldn’t beat two pair,’’ says Andy, as we h-ft tie ears.’ And tho hand played "Dixie.” Kt’Fra ARE AT CENTENNIAL Bartow Man Ploasad with Ilia Trip to tho Tennessoo £hcw. Ill Go Hack Airain Soon—Trip Tnu^bt llliu Mucli und Ho Tell* of It lu tin In to rest Is s Manner. Man never gets too old to learn, and if he is agood learner he is a good teacher. ■ Shakespeare says “knowledge is the wing vvitli which we lly to Heaven,” ! and, as Heaven is where v\e all wish to ! go, it becomes us to acquire knowledge. Lord Bacon said "knowledge is power," 'and so it was a day well spent, for I learned much in one day at the Tennes see centennial—so much that I a;n go ing to return very soon and take mo/e lime and acquire more knowledge. I sometimes think it a great pity that by the time a man becomes lit to live his time is out and he has to die. If the okl men who have made good use of their time and talents were given a new lease—another three score years and ; ten. and had the vigor of their youth ! restored—what a world of wisdom | would they accumulate. We would all ! he Solomons and write proverbs. Wbat ' farmers we would make; what invent- i ors; what teachers; what preachers; i what scientists. Maybe Providence j cut us down to 70 years for fear we would learn too much of His mysteries and once again eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. I was ruminating about this while listening to the earnest discourse of Col. Killebrevv, who has charge of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis and the Western & Atlantic railroad exhib its at the exposition. Now there is a man who, as Paul said to Timothy, inag- nilics his ofiee. It is like going to fc< hoo! to hear him explain and expat late and philosophize upon tilings that ordi narily would attract no special atten- THE MAID AND THE DOMINIE. ! ti,m ' if/‘very man in charge of a spe ck 1 exhibit had his enthusiasm the ex- Tbo Time to Have Pits. Kvery time I go to town here of late I hear j*-<>p!e talkin about the big show whieh is now goin on over-bi Tennessee. Do you know I would love the best in the world to sec tho sights of that show if I was already’there—if I didn’t have to take no long trijm gwine und comin. But the longer I live the more I want to hang around and keep in sight of the home Imse. and the more I hate to strike a crowd ami git myself into a jam -particular in hot weather when a man needs all the fresh air he can find und hut previous few clothes. (lean on down to my dy in day 1 will recollect what conic to pass onest upon a time w hen me and Andy Lucas took up n notion that we inought as well go to Montgomery and take in the* Fourth of July jollification. It was a scorchin hot day, and when we got on the rail road train it did look to me like every- Ixidy und all their kiunery hail took up the same notion—that they moirght ns well go to Montgomery that day and join the jubilation. Kvery ear was packed :uid jammed and crowded to the guards. Me and Andy wedged our way’ to the inside and then stood there packed in with the mob like so many sardines. Now in tlie main time Andy had went ahead and tanked up for the special oc casion. And bavin hit off *°veraJ large plugs of “white ink,” he was hotter than i u fox. to hear him tell it. lie stood there for 50 or P) miles I reckon, steamin and blovvin .and sw esitin like a free nigger on • ■lection day. But finally at last he turned and said to me, «nys he, in n low whisper: “Bufe, if fhere in anything in my feelins blamed if we haven’t took the w rong train, und instid of goin to Mont gomery vve are on our way to that on- pleasunt country’ where they tell me nil liars and fiddlers and horse traders go, und where they don’t wear over emits nor shovel any snow to speak of. I'll be eternally buttersinnshed and gonned up if I can stand this any longer. Homebody will have to make room and give me a seat to set down in. You m-ollect what the Good Book says about a time for everything. It is my time to have a lit. 1 rather hate todo it, Bufe. but let me tell you I jest simply ean’t stand the jam. When 1 take the lit you must stay with me und make out like it aint the first time. Heream for more room and fresh air und put mo Taoriijbt He V, nh lioln^- -» I'avor and sin- Didn't ’ udeeelve Him. Hko was a modest-i ppearing girl, and as pretty us a girl well could lie. Her great blue eyes looked out from under her new Easter bonnet in a way liable to bewitch any man. .She came into the k’nion station the other afternoon and : lowly descended the steps, apparent ly unconscious of the many admiring glances''cast in her direction. In her arms were many bundles, all of them mail, but of such odd shapes that they were difficult to carry. As the young woman took her foot from the last step of the long stair way a look of perplexity flitted across her face. Then, us she started to cm s the waiting-room, those who were watching her saw something on the lloor, where she had dropped it. A dozen men started forward to pick it up, saw what it was, and then maneu vered bo that it would appear as if they had not noticed it. The young lady, aware of her loss, kept straight on, and never looked behind her. But there was one man there who had seen the article fall and he went after it. He wore the straight collar and jK-euliar garb of the clergy, while glasses told of that most embarrassing of afflictions, peap-sigh ted ness. Ban ning quickly’ to the little object that lay ro harmlessly upon the floor, ho picked it up and hastened after her. lie touched her on the arm, and, lift ing his hat, he said: "I beg your pap- doa, my dear young lady, but you dropjx*d your—" It was then that ho saw for the first time what he had picked up. He was holding the little hand of black with a red bow on it in full view of those who were in the waiting-room, and ho did not know what todo with it. The young woman’s hands were occupied with bundles, and ho felt it- would scarcely l>e right to drop it or put it in Ids jjookot. For perhaps n moment he stcKsl there blushing. He tried to sjx*ak, but the best he could <U> was to stammer out Bonn* unintelligible syllables. In the meantime the girl stood speechless. First she tluslicd and then grew pale. Then her face seemed to indicate that she was amused at tin* clergyman’s emlwirrassment. Then, with a suec*t smile, she dropped her bundles on u seat. and. taking the cir clet..she said: “It’s so good of j’ou. My brother Tom would never have for given rne if I lost one of the sleeve- holders Ids flnanc«*e sent him." And she gathered up her bundles and left. St. Louis Glol>e-Democrat. J, Sit ion would not only be ■ a grand suc- CCtiS, bn t would diffuse mo; re hnowledge atuo: •g men than any nil ui lar display lias <■ \ ej • done. No w. for instance, when w e [inused to look at come tobacco 1 hat V as hanging from th e rods he said: T1 •at tobacco pYew on wry poor land. T he best to- lutceo al wa vs grow s on jxx ;r land.” In- deed it seems provjilenti: il that poor land is good for somethin r*. PROGRESS IN SUNGERY. A Sew French Method Which May I>a Avvcy with Amputation. A new metliod due to l>r. Beclmi was recently described before the Drench congress of surgery, by which, it is claimed, a large proportion of limb* now amputated can be saved. Whatev er the extent or gravity of the lesions. Dr. Beelus does not amputate the injund limb, hut wraps it in antiseptic suit- stances, by an embalming process, leav ing- nature to separate the dead from the living tissues. This method is less fatal than surgical ex a res is. and pre serves for the patient, if not tlu- entire limb, a mueh-lurgvr jiart than .’imputa tion would have left. After the skin bar. been washed and c T e a j 1S e,) from all fatty sulistanees by her, a jet of hot water 00 to 62 degnvs (’. (110 to 144 degrees), but not higher, is used to irrigate all tin* injured sur- focesaiul penetrate the bellows ami de- taclied part* of tho wound. This re moves clot* and washes away foreign bodies, together with micro-organisms. At this temperature hot water is anti- H-plic; it is hemostatic (blood-stanch ing), and helps to eon)|*ensitL- for the loss of heat from bleeding. Hcsulta , obtained are raid to be* icnjurkaTile.- on n seat ns soon us you can. Now watch ( . : <<lco ]nU . r •I 1 ft * * * ’em scatter." Then Andy rolled his eyes way I sick in his head and took on a dead set gaze for all tho world like a dying calf, groaned nod reeled and fell in a flt. He was always splttln cotton, anyhow, Work of u Pearl Direr. A pearl diver counts it u go*sl day’s work if he collects anything ow 200 pairs of shells. Botnctimos as.many as 1,000 have been found. Tho sandy, gravelly land of Cran berry county, in north Georgia, grows the finest tobacco in the world, and it command.* the highest price. The soil is not rich enough to give it a dark color, and lienee it is pale and sickly, and lias the consumption, so to speak. This tobacco grew upon land that is 80 per cent, silica—sandy land—poor, white land, as your l^urtow county farmers call it—you have lots of It down there. I have seen it, and it can be ltought for a song, hut there is more money in it than in your valleys and river bottoms. The sand 4hat. is in Florida soil will make tobacco growing a success there. I have been experi menting in tobacco growing and cur ing for years, and know whereof I speak. There are thousands of acre!* in north Georgia that are just suited to it, and all those poor white lands in Cobb county are just waiting for it. Some of that land along our railroad that will not grow corn high enough to shoot an ear or make a tassel, would grow the jiMr-T aristocratic tobacco. We paused again to look at soma little pyramids of broken rock, end I learned that it was phosphate u reeent discovery in counties contiguous to the railroad. “There are millions of it and millions in it.” said the colonel. “As is usual, these discoveries were accidental. Some mineral exports were pros|K*oting for zinc, and were at a loss to account for these singular deposits. They have had them analyzed, and they are prv;- noiinced by reliable chemists to be the very finest grade of phosphate rock, running from <)4 to 8.'* jx-r cent., and some of tlie strata are 12 feet thick.anti underlie thousands of acres. There are no plMxiphatcs in Florida that willcom- pare with them, and moBt of it can lie mined with a pick—a single hand tak ing out six tons a day.” After inspecting many kinds of ores and minerals, such us iron, manganese, bauxite, gold, silver, ochre, corundum, etc., much of which was from our coun ty of Bartow, we were shown the great est variety of useful and ornamental woods that has ever been exhibited in this country. And also ths: variety of farm and garden products is admirable. Just think of one farmer on a little plat of 25 acres exhibiting 7^ specimens that were grown upon his farm. Seventy- eight different produets, useful for man or beast. And another man sends sjwci- mens of 00 different wfxxls that grow upon his land. Then there are several hundred botanical pictures of the flora of Tennessee that were gathered and painted and framed by Gen. Kirby Smith. But it would take too much spare to describe or even to catalogue the liiimlrixls of interesting things in this magnificent railroad show. It would make i good exposition of itself. Of course it has cost money—much money to get up such an extensive col lection. but if indicates the far-seeing policy of Mr. Thomas, the best railroad magnate <.f the south. For two years past he h :s bed in his employ Col. Killc- brew. who is without doubt the most efficient and best educated teacher and promoter of agriculture and mineral ogy in the state, a mnn of large and lib eral enterprise, a cultured scholar who can talk science w ith the scientists and practical farming with the humblest farncr. He had charge of hath these departments in the lin t Atlanta expo sition. He has traveled mulcbaek over Mexico, inspecting the silver mines for their owners. He has more recently invaded ti e homes of the settlers in Colorado und Kansas and other north- we.’tom ■tr.tcM and communed with them about our climate end lands and laws, ard tliey listened to him gladly, and the result has lieen the loratlon of 1.5C0 families along the line of this rall- ; read from Nashville to Atlanta. Fif- . teen hundred families within the past : two years, and the cry is: “Still they I conic.” lie is the most ardent and the most successful colonizer in oil the south. He is tae best talker 1 ever lis tened to, the most earnest, convincing ’ and entertaining; and yet he has no land for sale nor any interest in the sales. His work is for the railroad aqd for humanity. The condition of thou- i sands of those western settlers is most pitiful. Think of 100 horses selling at auction for $87. less than one dollar a head. Think of 1,000 selling for less than $3,000. And so these people arc closing out and coming to Tennessee and Georgia and buying small tracts of land within easy reach of the rail road and in live years’ time these 1,500 families w ill probably ship their prod ucts of grain and ?iay and meat and mules to an amount that will give for each family an average of $100 in freights to the road. This alone will make $150,000 per annum to be added to the freight business of the road. This is Mr. Thomas’ far-seeing policy. With- ! in five years’ time it is expected that 10,COO families will be located—trans ferred from the cyclones and droughts and blizzards of tlie west to tlie genial climate of the south. We see that the Seaboard line is now pursuing the rame policy. The Georgia Southern & Florjda railroad began it years ago. and improved Cyclonetta as an object lesson to immigrants to show them what could be done. It was u successful experiment, and Mr. Spark.; showed his wisdom and sagacity, but the road’s creditors forced it into the courts and crippled its resources, and even made war upon Mr. Sparks for his so-called extravagance. But I had only a day to spare at the centennial, and all of that was spent in one building, for I could not get away from it. It is a thing of beauty, as well as of interest and instruction, for the ornamental work that graces the arches : nd pillars and cornices is most lovely and elaborate—a master’s hand has planned and executed. Tlidre, too, is the plaster bust of Mr. Thomas and his | handsome portrait on the wall, that were presented to him by his employes as a graceful tribute and an evidence of their devotion to him. What a blessed thing it is in these days of (trikes, and wrecks, and receivers, and of w ar to the knife between capital and laborer, to find a man—a magnate— w ho controls thousands of men, doing it so peacefully and considerately, and at all times sharing their respect and their devotion. I shall return again next week and take in the exposition. I w ish toTpend one day in that Parthenon, the most ex quisitely beautiful pern of ; rchitecture I ever saw, and its walls are adorned w ith paintings—great works of art by the modern masters, and many of them that cost thousands of dollar; have been loaned by their owners to en courage the exposition and implant a love of art among our people. Let everyone who can fro visit this admira ble exhibition. Let every family man take his wife, or his son. or his daugh ter. for it will pay in the long run. Sid ney Smith said that the companionship of a beautiful and virtuous woman was a classic education. Just so it is an ed- ucationto visit the exposition and study these object lessons and listen to the sweet and soothing music and rest un der the shade of the trces.-g-Bill Arp, In Atlanta Constitution. Two Letters from Texas. (Corresnondence of The Ledger.) Bums, Tex., June ff.—In your last, issue a letter from Omen, Tex., signed E. G. L. brings my mind back again to South Carolina and to me also are the scenes of my childhood very dear when presented by cher ished recollections. So fondly I too remember the old springs that afo located on the dear old homestead and I can imagine the old stepstono that approached tho parental roof that now occupies so vast pronor- tions of my heart and mind. But thanks to heaven the dear old silvery haired couple still hover around the old family fireside and I can see them in my imagination as they sit and commune with absent loved ones. I have not been absent so long as E. G. L. but the space of twelve years will make boys men and will bring many changes. The crops in this section are just simply fine. Corn was never finer, is silking right along, oats are as good as could be asked. Cotton is small but in a healthy growing con dition and if no disaster befalls, wo predict a ten million bale crop. We can now see party after party on their way to the Choctaw nation hunting and fishing, the territory being only fourteen miles away and game of all kinds abound. The hunters go rig ged out for tlie business and pre pared to stay from one week to two months just as they choose. Tho party generally consists of four to six white men and a cook. It is use less to say snakes are as thick as hops in tiiis region and the hunters are always provided with the neces sary antidote. Mr. Worth Duncan, an old Gafftey- ite.is very sick with fever at his h ime at No. M3 Clarksville street in this city. i note with pleasure the fast growth of your little city and trust the improvements will continue until you can boast of the banner county in the northern part of the State. Wo have a great many South Carolinians in tills section and several from around your place but I know noth ing interesting concerning them just now. Awaiting anxiously for the next “Lkdgku” J beg to remain,yours very truly, \v. n. g. GREATEST OF TUNNELS. It Is to C4>nn«H*t Rcuflnml with the \orth of Ireland. It is said that the British government is considering a plan for the greatest submarine tunnel ever attempted. It is toeonneet a j>oint ia Scotland just north of Point Patrick with a [joint in Ire land west of Garrickfergua. The esti mated cost is $35,000,000. The plan is being submitted by a syndicate. It is argued that the traffic would more than pay a handsome rate of interest on the investment. Tins would require a net profit of $2,100,000 a year. Other plans to connect the divided parts of Great Britain have been considered imprac ticable because of the nature of the current at the jKiinfs proposed. But the present plan is considered by many to Ik; feasible and the commercial eye of the English nation is not likely to allow the plan to fail if good financial results ran Ik; ho[K*d for. On a basis of miles, the new route would be longer than by sea voyage. But it would be available hi all kinds of weather, while the Irish sea is at no time a placid body of water. Further, it is much easier to ship fpxKls by rail than by water. There is a great saving of time in loading and unloading. Many of the railroad lines of England and Scotland run direct to Point Patrick and others could easily Ik* extended. A great infusion of coni- nvwial energy, which is now conspicu ously lacking, would lie given to Ire land. The method* of tunnel building in use at the present day have made such an enterprise possible and com paratively easy. nncLltilst l*rft> «*r \\ liools. To so great an extent have the Jaj(an- <*se adopted European methods and models ti>iit on enterprising Buddhist has adapted the bicycle to serve the needs of the praying wheel as used by the followers of his creed. Instead of attaching the written prayer to tin* customary wheel, which is generally turned by a convenient stream of run ning water, the new vogue is to fix the prayer to i he.hub of the bicycle w heel, so that the faster the rider can pedal the better he can pray. Although there appears to Is* a spice of sacrilege in the practice, it is ap|»urc>ntly catching on. lor rumor has it that American firms are already preparing machines with Buddhist collects embossed on the tires, so that the bicycle will become an instrument of pleasure and a prayer book combined. Bob Fitzsimmons wanted to make s heavyweight fighter out of Mahonej’, the giant pitcher of the Boston*. Bkookstox, Texas, June 5.—Wo are delighted with The Lehgek and would not be without it for anything. Crops are looking fine. Most of tlie people are done laying by their corn. Guts are good. The hay season has begun, and every one is on a rush to finish their crops to get on the hay fields. We have had good rains. Mrs I*. A. Duncan of Baris, is visi ting her daughter, Mrs. E. B. Humes and her grand daughter. Mrs. G. B. Estes, of Brookston, Texas. Her health is better than it has been for some time. .She will go from here to Bonham to visit her daughter Mrs. B. M. McCollough. Our neighborhood is thickly Settled but we hear of but very little sick ness. Worth Duncan, of Baris, has been on the sick list for some time. Fruit is plentiful, we have had some nice peaches. I like Texas splendid, the land produces well, everything grows so fast und with but very little work. Farming is quite different here to the way they 'arm in South Caro lina—tliey get a long so much faster. Our sacrimental meeting will be gin Friday before the second Sunday in this month at Brookston. Often do I think of our dear church, relatives und friends at Salem, in South Carolina. It seens somewhat strange for me to direct my letters to Cherokee county. Will some one please tell me a remedy for flees. They are our greatest pest right now’. I think this land must create them, and would be glad for some one to tell me how to destroy them. o. ». K. —— —• •- — To Abolfttli <Jre«K f* rater time* Greksviu.e, S. 0., June ih—A move ment is ou foot amoug the uonmembers of Greek letter fraternities in Forman university, the Baptist institution of tins state, to induce the rastees to for bid tlie existence of tne fraternities after the present session. The last gen eral assembly passed an act abolishing fraternities in the South Carolina col lege, at Columbia, and other state insti tutions, and this movement in Furman is an indirect result of agitation at that time. Cat In WngM Cnasns m Strike. Pittsbuho, June 2.—A 1U pdr cent cut in wages, affecting all men not un der the amalgamated scale, was ordered at Jones & Laughlin’s American iron works. As a result the open hearth- workers and some other employes, in all about 200, refused to go to work. The firm employs nearly 8,000 men. A Fatal Itollnr Eiploalon. Wkightsvimje, Qa., June 2.—Luka Harris, a negro watchman at the mill of T. W. Garoott & Co., was instantly killed, and Tom Hoghes, Charles Cum mings and Willie Christian, ail white, were terribly scalded by an explosion of one of the company’s boilers. The mill shut down Saturday in order to make some repairs, and as a consequence the operatives hud a day off. A large number of them spent the day outing at Love Springs, sev eral miles southwest of the city. The only incident that occurred to mui the pleasure of the participants was a slight runaway in which a young lady and three gentlemen were the most interested parties. One young man and his lady were thrown out. No injuries were sum tained beyond a slight damage to the<r clotlilng caused by coming in Contact with the mud.