Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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4L4 rjRjWEE LY E ITI NJ INNS IM,S. .. K A ult AY, ANU RY 8,189 1VO HALF AND HALF. 0 THE LIBERAL VIE IVS OF A "HARD MHELL" PREACHER. A Sermon Upon the Different Denomi nations into Which the Christain Church is Divided. A lady correspondent of an ex change gives a sketch of a sermon she heard in Georgia, from which we give an extract: The preacher was apparently about fifty years of age, muscular and well proportioned. On enter ing the pulpit he took off his coat and hung it on a nail behind him, then opened his collar and wrist bands, and wiped the perspiration from his face, neck and hands. He was clad in striped-cotton home spun, and his shirt was of the same material. He had traveled several miles that morning, and seemed almost overcome by the heat. But the brethren sung a couple of hymns while he cooled off, and when he rose he looked comfortable and good natured. He had preached there once or twice before, but to most of the audience he was a stranger. Hence he thought it necessary to introduce himself as "Old Club Ax Davis, from Seriven county, a Half Hard and Half Soft-Shell Baptist." "I have given myself that name," said he, "because I believe the Lord elected me, from all eternity, to go ahead in the backwoods and grub out the path and blaze the way for other men to follow. After the thickest of it is cut away, a good, warm Methodist brother will come along and take my trail, and make things smoother and a good deal noisier. And after all the under brush is cleared out, and the owls and wolves are skeered back, and rattlesnakes is killed off, a Presby terian brother, in black broadcloth and white cravat, will come along and cry for decency and order. And they'll both do good in their spore. I don't despise a larnt man even when he don't dress and think and do as I do. You couldn't pay me enough to wear broadcloth, summer nor winter, and you couldn't pay a Presbyterian brother enough to go without it in dog - days. "God didn't make us all alike my brethering; but every man has his own spere. When God has a place to fill he makes man and put him in it. When he wanted General Jackson, he made him, and set him to fightin' Injuns andthe English ; when he wanted George Waitte field, he made him to blow the Oospel trumpet as no other man ever blowed it; and when he wanted Old Club Ax Davis, he made him and sent him to grubbin' in the backwoods. "But my shell isn't so hard but I can see good pints in everybody ; and as for Presbyterians, they are a long wvay ahead of us Baptists and Methodists in some things. They raise their children better than any people en the face of the earth. Only a few days ago a Methodist class -leader said to me: 'Brother Olub Ax, I was born a Methodist, I was raised a Methodist, and by the grace of God I hope to die a Methodist ; but, than kGod, I've got a Presbyterian wife to raise my children.' And I believe, my brethering, if the Lord should openithe way for me to marry agin, I d try my best to find a Presbyte rian woman, and run my chances of breaking her into the saving doc trines of feet-:washin' and immer.. sion afterwards." Just at this point he was inter rupted by two spotted hounds that had been continually runnieg up and down the pulpit stairs. One of them jumped upon the seat and began to gnaw his coat-tail, in which was something he had brought along for lunch. He turned slowly around and took him by the ears and tail anid threw him out of the window behind him as easy as if he had been a young kitten. The other took warning and got out as rapidly as possible, though not without howling and yelping as if it had been killed. He then turned to the audience, and said, smllgl: "St. Paul exhorted the brothermng to 'Beware of dogs.' I wonder what he would do if he wore In my plaoq this tnornaiIig. It appbara like I am compassed abo4t with dogs, as David says he was." li ie . had searcoelv.' commenced preachIng a*nbd 6 hr wuas a terrible squealing and kicking among the mules and horses that were tied to the trees close by. He put his head out of the window and said: "No harm done, my brothering. Just a cretur with a side-saddle on has broke loose. Will some brother head the animal ? for no sister can walk home this hot day." Quiet being restored, he con tinued : "Well, my brothering, I will now try to say what I allowed to about the Presbyterians. "As I said before, they raise their children a heap better than we do. They behave better in church, and keep Sunday better, and read the Bible and larn the catechism better than ours do. I declare, my broth ering, their children are larnt that Westminister Catechism by the time they can begin to talk plain. "It ain't threo weeks since I was out cattle huntin', for two of my yearlings had strayed off, and I stopped in at old Brother Harkey's, on Mill Creek, and took dinner. He's a deacon in the Presbyterian church over thar. Well, as true as I stand here, my brethering, Sister Harkey had her little gal a standin' right before her, with toos just even with crack o' the floor, and her mouth turned up like a chicken when it drinks, and she was puttin' this question to her out o' that catechism: "'What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification ' "Now, the question itself was enough to break the child down; but when she had to begin in and say that question all over (for that's the way it was in the book), and then hitch the answer to it, which altogether made this: -The benefts which in this life do either accom pany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification, are peace of conscience, joy of the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.' I thought the child was the greatest wonder I'd ever seen in all my life She tuck it through, too, without balkin' or missin' the first word, and she spoke so sweet, and she looked so much like a little angel, that be.' fore I knowed it the tears were a running down my checks as big as buck-shot. I've seen the day when I could have mauled and split a thousan' rails quicker and easier thati I could have larnt that thing and said it off like she did. "Now, ny brethering, that child didn't understand or know the meaning of one word o' that. It put me up to all I knew to take it in myself. But just let that Pres byterian grow up, and every word of that catechism will come back to her, and her character will i stiffen up under it, and she'll have the back-bone of the matter all her life. "Now, I can't put things into my children that way. Nothin' don't stay somehow. It's like drivin' a nail in to a rotten log. "I tell you; my brethering," he continued, "if our childre~n had a little more catechism, and the Pros-! bytorians a little ?ss, it would be better for both. -Theni, we don't pray inl our families like they do, I know their prayerir are mighty long -they pray all over creation ; but, after all, it's the right way. It's better than prayin' too little. "Nowv, my father and mother weore good Biptists, and raised their chil dren to be honest and industrious ; but I never heard one of them pray in my life, and I was most a grown man before I ever prayed a prayer myself, and it was in this wise. "There was a big meetin' over in Elbert county, and I know'd a pretty gal over there that I wanted to see. So I borrowed a little Jer, sey wagin, which was. o stylish thing in them days, and went over to her house and stayed all night, and en gaged her to ride to meetin' with me next day, which was Sunday. "We went and had a glorious time-and I might as well saiy right hero that she was afterwards my wife ; but a comin' home.[ met with a powerful accident that I never got over to this day. As I was comin down a steep hill, some part of the gearing.gave way and let me out of the wagmn on my cretur's heels ; and, bein' young and skeery and not much used to wheels, she wiggled and kicked, and tore from one side of the road to the other, till I pitched head foremost as. much as ten feet into a dee p gully, and it's a iniracle of mer.cy,that rmyinook wasn't broke on the spot. "Expeotin' to be killed every mainit, I thougas1Iout to.ask the Lord for meravy Bnt as I-had nevar prayed in all my life, I couldn't think ol the first thing to say, but tho bloss in' my father used to ask boforc eating, when lie had company and which was this : 'Lord make uh thankful for what we are about to receive.' "Now, my brethering "do you 'sposo any Presbyterian- raised boy was over put to such a strait as that for a prayor ? No. lie would have prayod for himself, and gone ofl after the Jews and hoathons, whilst I was huntin' up and gittin' of that blessin'." TuE LATE BEv. DouoLAs.-The late Hon. B. B. Pmiglass, of Vir - ginia, is said by ,those who know him well to have been in his day one of the most brilliant mon in his Stato. In the power to grapple with logal quostions and in skill as a do bater ho had few oer1s and no su periors. His physirge was of the strongest and his longest and his long and terrible periods of intoxi cation soomed to have no offect in diminishing his strength. Many stories are told of his physical powers. Among others is one of the last campaign. His competitor made an allusion which touched old Bov.'s Virginia sense of honor. The noxt moment the spoakor was shot from the platform by ono vigo rous blow from Douglas. The un fortunate man had an arm broken, but Boy. was not injured in the least. In his cups he was an ex coedingly dangerous man. On onc or two occasions last year he visited the reporters' gallery for the pur poso of chastising some writoi whom he imagined had put a slight upon him.- Wish. Uor. Boston Hferaldl. How THE NEGRO SENATOR FEELS. When a place on the blaine Com mittoo was offorod Mr. Bruce, oi Mississippi, lie replied that he real. ly did not soe how any good coui result from the proposed investi gation. Perhaps, lie said, therc have been some frauds. It woulk he strange if there had not boon but his people had just made th< second largest crop of cotton evo grown in the South, and that cir cumstance furnished ample evidono< to his mind that, they wore quito at prosperous as the laboring classo. North. This being the case, th< colored people ought not to b< stirred up by political excitement which could do no good, and mighi do harm by arousing anow the feel, ings of suspicion and dislike of th< whites, which were dying out witl: the prosperity of the Now South Those sentiments were felt to bc full of the good sense which MIr Bruce has always shown in speakinE of affairs affecting the South and hit people.-W afrshinyton Letter t< ATew Orleans Times. 0, WOULD I WERE A Boy AGAIN. John Barney was called up bofor4 Justice Mose to-day, charged witl assault on Richard Smith. It ap pea.s that Smith d Barney wer walkingalong B stroet when tho; camne upon a number of boys playing imarblos. As both men had in thoil e'irlior and puror days of the rep)ub lic played marbles themselves, the; became much interested in th< game. One of the boys knockoi twvo taws out of the ring and yellei "Dubs I" while another shrieket "Fen dubs I" The first boy made gr-ab at the taws, when Smith go excited and seized him by the col. lar. "Drop that boy 1" shoutec Barney-.who by this time was al aglow with enthusiasm-at th< same time knocking Smith dowvn Mr. Smith testified that the bo' who knocked the taws from the rinj had failed to yell "Dubs I" in time and he had therefore determined t< prevent his grabbing the mnarbles Mr. Barney, on the other hand swore positively that the first bo: did shout "Dubs" loud enough to bi heard a block away, and in ampl< season. About a dozen boys testi. fled as to the way Barney knockec Smith down, and all looked as wis< as owvls as they gave their respec tive versions of the "Dubs" proposi tion. They were about evoni; divided, but Barney was fined. The editor presented a bill fo eight years' back subscription. Th okj farmer, was first amazed, ther indignant. He put on his specta eles, 'solutinized the bill, "and afte: assuring himself tlaat it was genuine he exolaimed : "I've been support in' this yere paper for nIigh osit, eight years, and I never had no suol thing as that flung at me before TIll stop' 'supportin' ' '. He no only withdrew his .vuelugble. s~up port, but failed to pay the~ bill. WALL $TRIECT FLYERS. [I1o the New 'rk Ilicator.] But little is known of what are tormed Wall Street Flyers by the outside public, or rather by people not familiar w ith stock operations. Nor is it partcularly desirable that such of our readcis should become acquainted, in a practical way, at least, with such unprofitable com inodities. In order that our un itiated friends may know, theoroti. cally, what a Wall Street Flyer is, we will stato that it is a transaction in the way of a stock speculation often entered into by a Wall street operator, for the object of securing a certain sum of money out of said transaction, for a specific purpose, and without encroaching upon funds already in hand. That is, the spec ulator hopes to make his flyer pro, fitable; and, if so, he proposes to give the result of the venturo for the object in view when the trans action is made. If the experiences of the average operators of Wall street in regard to the ultimate ro salt of their flyers were published they would fill many volumes, and afford a good deal of amusement, as well as food for reflection for those who have not yet known what it is to lose money in stock gambling. There is nothing more common among Wall street mon than to say to their broker that they want to take a flyer for a specific purpose; and ofteig no sooner said than done. Some customer will want to make his wifo particularly happy on going home in the afternoon by presenting her with a five hu-drad dollar bill to buy a camel's hair shawl ; another will fix his mind upon stopping at Tiffany & Co's., on his way home, to buy a handsome pair of solitaire ear-rings ; then, again, another will say ho intenus taking home a 5-20 United States bond, .for his wife to lay aside for a rainy day; in fLut; there is scarcely an end to the vari Otis objects for which tho proverbial flyers referred to are indulged in. In very many cases flyers are taken with the view of bestowing charity. by the presentation of any profit which may arise, to a lone widow or some other object equally deserving. We would be glad to be able to be.. lievo that such flyers are generally successfull, but experience has shown to the contrary ; and the widow and orphan upon whom the Vall street operator, in the good ness of his heart tried to bestow his charity, has in most cases been doomed to disappointment, because the venture taken in this behalf has turned out a loss instead of a profit. Tn such cases it would have been better, of course, if the broker with good intentions had put his hand in his pocket and contribited a cer. tain amount, instead of ~risking on the floor. The writer has not been without his own (.xperience in this respect; a and he could relato some amusing, i though quite expensive incidents of the kind which havo'come ,homo to y him. Before alluding to a few of , the many unprofitable flyers of 9th.. ers, which have often been related by - parties who indulged in them, he .will content himself by referring to , the cost of a dozen shirts, which a he undertook to paly for out of the I p)rofits of a flyer for a special pur I pose. A young friend wvho had "got I a-point" camne to us and said that i. he wanted to buy a dozen new t shirts, remarking at the same time that if we would buy him a hundred l Northwest common and give him 1 the profits on it, he wvas satisfied he a would be able to pay for the shirte. .Our young friend wvas porfeotly. sin Score, and believed in wvhat lie said, Sbecause he happened to be in a broker's office, where some promi, non01t operators wore buying North . wost for a rise. The result of this ,flyer wvas that the dozen shirts, in , stead of costing eighteen or tweTy a dollars, cost nine hundred I As is y often the case, a screw got loose in - the Northwest pool, and instead 'of I the stock going up it went dowvn a with a run. A broker who happened .. to be passing A. T. Stewart & Co.'s - one day with his wife, said, Come, let us go in here ; I want to buy you a eamel's hair shawl. No soonmer said than done: and the shawl was bought for seven hundred and fity r dollars. Now, wife, said the Wall a street husband, I am going .to take e a flyer to pay for that shawl. And - sure enough, the proverbial flyer r was taken, and resulted in. the 'aforesaid shawl costing seven thofsi'k and five hundr'ed 'dollars, instead of the price received by Stewart & Co. sAnother caso 'yhi'h o#me 3 .~ our khowledge was wl ere"a 'Mfepd t of oui-s oWned1P,e?yV fg 7j~r gdi ', horses worth several::ti tfth ~dbji lars. It oncuned tonhMm to talra a flyor to buy a handsome pair of blankets for his horsos. Instead of making profit enough to buy the blankets, he lost his liorsos' Now while we havo cited a fow * of the many unprofitable flyers, it is but fair that we inform our readers that we have somnotimios hoard of trans, action, for a specifie puoposo, real izing a handsomo profit. We shall content oursolvos with ah ilusion to ono which we hoard as having boon takon by "Old Unclo Daniel Drew.". The fhio brown house he formerly owned and occupied,'on the corner of Union Square and 17th street, was paid for out of the pro ceeds of a purchase of two thous and shares of Erie, which "Uncle Drew" is said to have bought for this purpose. He had no desire to buy the house at all, but to help a friend out who was compelled to sell it, the veteran speculator agreed to pay fifty'-sovon thousand dollars for it. Ho thoroupon directed his brokor to buy thd two thousand shares of Erio referred to, and the rosult was a'profit sufficient to pay for the house, for which he after wards refused three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. LAw OP THI STATM AN ACT to provide for a Roassess mont of tho Roal Estate of this State, to fix the Standard at which Property shall be Assessed and to Amend the Law in Relation to the Organization of the State Board of Equalization. Be it enacted by the Sontate and Houso of Reprosontatives of the Stato of South Carolina, now met and sitting in Geneaal Assembly and by the authority of the same : SECrioN 1. That there shall be a valuation and assessment of all lands, and the improvoinonts there on, within this State, by the proper authorities, in the year one thous and eight hundred and seventy. nine, at the same tim'o that the as sessment of personal property is made, and in the manner abid ac cording to the- rules prescribed for the assoss+ment of real -estato. SEo. 2. That all propftty shall be valued for taxation at its true -value in money, which in all cases not otherwise specially provided fou by law, shall be held to be as follows, to wit : for personal property the usual selling price, .on the usual terms of similar property at admin istrators' or executors' sales at the place where the return is jAhde ; and for real property, the usual solling price, on the ternis of siiail4ri pro porty at sales for partitior ' under the order of the Court, at the pThce where te return' is 'to: be made. If there be no- usual solling price, then at what is honestly- be, lioved could be . obtained for the. same at a fair sale under the condi tions before mentioned. SE. 8."The,State Board of equal ization shall consipt of on member from each county of the State, to be selected for the respective counties, by the county board of equaliga$ion for the year in wvhichi the Stato, board convenes, and the selection certified to the comptroller goneM1 on or before- the mneeting of the State board. SEc. d. The comptrollor..gqnoral., shall submit the said coi'tiflodtes -of election, and the absttacts - f reol property transmitted to liifn by the county auditors to the State board when it convenes ; and shall -traAs, mit its decisions to the county auidi tors, who shall forthwibh' confdrz their action thereto. - " SEC, 5. All acts and parts of' acts inconsistent or repugnant to :this act are hereby repealed. ' Approved December 24, 1878. AN ACT to require the County Audi-e tors to attend at bertain places for the assessment of Taxes. Be it enacted by the Senate and -Huse of Representatives of ' the Stato of South Carolina, now met and sitting in General Assemrbly,, and by the authority of the same: SEoTION 1. That the cOuntyv agd1.. tor's of each county be, and hereby are, required, for the purpose of asessing taxes, to attend at a cond. venient point in each township two' or moret days, if necessary ; 'and for the balance of~ the time allowed -by law they shall be and remain at their respective county seats,. SEo. 2. The sed |@#d1t0r, or 'their assistgnins, shall gve -thirty 'days' public notice of the days -upon which they will be at the -gae designated in the, fhrat soctlok\ of Sm.8All,acts or 'p) ~'~ Tihcounihtehtith 'tl4 a - Nyr> by repealed Approved December 2M. 1878