The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, September 20, 1883, Image 4
s ni itotsrs.
Thete lads carry samples for commercial
drummers in the Western cities. A reporter
interviewed one recently which disclosed
the fact that he is a shtewd chief, with
well-dedned business ideas -and a thorough
knowledge of all the ramifications of his
"trade."
"Well, youngster," said the reporter,
"how's traflo this season?"
"'Bout up to the av'rage," was the
serene reply.
"Have many regular customers?"
"Yes; thirty or forty."
"kiow many regulars and transients do
you do business for in the course of a
year?"
"Two or three hundred."
"Is the work bard?"
"Sometimes pretty tough."
"Tell me exactly what you do."
"Well. I come down to the tussell at 8
o'clock In the morning. If any of my cus
tomers show up I'm all right for the day;
but if they don't, why I ketch on to some
other feller."
"Hew do you grade your charges?"
"Oh, we've got a reg'lar price list-scale
of prices, you know."
"And that is?"
"Carryma' notes ten to twenty-five cents,
'cordin' to distance; luggin' samples thirty
cents an hour or $1 60 a day. If we carry
two hours straight in the morntn' it's $1.
If we go out both forenoon and afternoon
it's only $1.50."
"Have very long days?"
"Not more n four or five hours with any
one customer?"
"How do you J11 in the remainder of the
time?"
"Runnin' errands. (Excuse me; there's
a feller tippin' me the wink now.")
And the leader of the guild darted away,
to receive instructions about the delivery
of a letter. He disappeared, but in about
ten minutes he returned and silently inti
mated his willingness to renew the inter
view.
"Got thirty cents for takin' that note
down to Guy Hinchman'a," he remarked in
a confidential tone. "day, young feller,"
he exclaimed, as if suddenly struck with an
idea, "are you a interviewin' me?"
"Perhaps."
"Well, I've been acquainted. with you
so long I guess 1 won't go back on you
now. Ask me sometbin' more."
"Have you ever been to school?"
"Sh'd think so-seven years at the
Bishop and Irving, and 'm gon' to the
night school this fall."
"Good idea."
"Think so? Well, I guess so, too. A
feller can't git too much learnin', not by no
means."
"What drummers-that is to say, what
lines of business-do you like best?'"
"Joolry men."
"Why?"
"They stay in the stores the longest;
they're lib'ral, and we're more liable to
git extry from 'em. If they do a good trade
they don't mind an extry half dollar. Why
Frolick, my friend from blew York, who's
in the jewelry line, sends nie a new suit of
clothes every Christmas, rog'lar. Hie's a
dandy, he is. There's other good fellers,
too, but he's my partic'lar pard."
"Don't you tackle some heavy loadsi"
"You're shoutin'. The Just job a-carry
in' I ever teck was flatirons-patent flat
irons. They broke me all up," he added,
in a mournful tone, as if recollection of the
incident had something of the pathetic in
it. "Linen's heavy, toc-next to joolry
but we git used to It, and doi't mindi a
pretty big lug."
"Does the custom of showing samples in
the agents' rooms at the hotel interfere
with your profits?"
"'T1 used to, but that's played out now.
Merchants won't go to the rooms any miore,
so we've got to go to them. We find our
trade a good deal better for it--sell more
goods and git through with a town quick
er'n we used to when we had sanple-rooims
so much."
"How much money do you make?"
"I av'rage about $9 a week. Pretty fair,
ain't It?"
"Don't you have any diull seasons in
your line?"
*.Of course, from about Christmas to,
say the 20th of January, we don't do
nothin' to speak of; and then agmn we have
a dull summer season. We're jest gittin'
over ft now. Business Is very good. th~ough.
I don't complair. (There's another feller
wants mec. Go '1 day, misater. il see
you tuture.'')
And the boss oi the sample toters agaim
whisked away on an errand for a dude,
whose hair was ported in the miiddle and
the ends of whose mustache tickled his
cars.
Blloosing.
The balloon In which the Count doe Dion
and M. Rtmibielusky recently made an
aEcension fr(m Paris prese.nted several
novel feature' of great Interest and value
to the study of' aerial navigation. Tlhe
principal of these is the invention of the
Comtne de Dion himse.f. It Is a double
balloon, so to speak. Over the ordinary
oiled silk, o1 which the balloon proper is
made, is a cevering of white calico whiich
extends over its upper half. From this
outer covering a long funnel of oiled silk
extends downward, and connects 'with a
'ventiating mBehIne attached to the outside
of the car, which, by turning a cran,
sands a blast of cold air out of the fut nel
and underneath the outer layer. The object
of this is topiace a layercof cold air between
the two coverings, which shall preserve t he
gas In the balloon from being unduly
influenced by the rays of ti.e sun. Anotner
novelty was the method of attaching the
car to the balloon, the cords being arrangedi
in a ecientific system of triangulation,
enabling the weiglit of th ecar to be equally
distributed around its circumference antd
keeping It in a perfectly horizontal position
insspiteoof any shif ting of weight wlthiiiit. In
nautical parlance, the balloon would always
be trimmed, The anchor itself was another
novelty, consisting of a nuimber of formi
dable,-looking flukes so arranged that they
could not fail to hold, or at least catch In
any obstacle which they might meet. It
was attached to a powerful hawser which
itself weIghed 120 ki',grammes. TIhe
anchor looks as If, with the vast balloon
exertiug its power above it, it could uproot
a forest or unroof a house with ease. The
car is of extremely neat basket-work, light
and yet strong. It is comfortably lined
with padded uray American oloth, with
cane seats. Over the lockers at each end
it is oblong, and there was ample room in
it for the four aeronauts, their scientific
Instruments, laid out on a wicker table,
and for the hampers of proviaions wIth
which the travellers were to make good
cheer betwixt earth and heaven. 'rho
solentitic instruments are of the finest
quality, and comprise a hygrometer for the
measurement of the moisture or dryness of
the atmosphere, a psychrometer for meas
uring 'the tersston of aqueous vapor, an
aneroid barometer and ant extremely sensi
tive metailic thermometer. The scientifie
equipment of the balloon was compbeted
by some beautiful little eleottic lights,
with their compleihent of charged batteries,
among them being a tiny electric bull's
eye lantern, the rays of .which could be
directed tup on the balloon and search Out
any weak spot which mignt require atten
'ion,
Courting WithbihA ftbeeh.
Courting, from all accounts is a pret
ty tough Job in Mexico. '1hle young
man is first supposed to meet the young
lady on the plaza. They never speak,
but they always gaze at each other as
they pass. When the lady does not
make her appearance on the plaza the
young man will repair to the street
fronting the house, and walk up and
down in front of it for several hours.
He will always gaze earnestly at the
window as he passes. The young lady
and her female friends are inside, and
she will return his glance. After 10
o'clock the young man will go home.
This performance is continued for a
couple of months, and at last the young
man will knock boldly at the door and
ask for the lady of the house.
Be will tell her he is in despair.
That her daughter is an angel
from the Paradise valley of Heav
en; that she is beautiful beyond
compare; that she is better than she is
beautiful; that he is wildly in love with
her, and that life has no possible inter
est for him unless he can win her. He
will then tell of his prospects in life,
what he is possessed of and hopes to
be possessed of. If this latter part is
satisfactory to the mamma, she will
commisserate with him, tell. him that
she has noticed his attentions to her
daughter, and finally conclude by invit
ing him to the inner circle and introdu
oing him to the young lady in the pres
ence of the assembled family. The
grandma (if there is a grandma in the
family) will sit between the young
people and witness their cooing. All
the rest of the family remain in the room
also, unless they are otherwise engaged,
but under no circumstances must the
young people be left alone a second.
This, you will admit, is pretty tough,
but that is not half what the young man
must suffer before the padre closes the
bargain and gives him a proprietary in
terest in his lady love, It, percharce,
the young lady has a pair of big broth
ers-and such is generally the case
the unfortunate swain is expected to
treat them to mescal and cigarettes
every time they meet. It a circus or a
theatre company visit the town it is the
prerogative of the young lady to ask all
her female relatives to accompany her
to the show, and the young man of
course is expected and required to foot
the bill. But the worse part of the
business for the love-sick young man re
malns to be told. He cannot walk by
the side of his affianced on the way to
or from the theater. She will start off
ahead in company with some femalo
friend, while the young man will bring
up the rear on the arm of his grand
mamma, or some equally venerable
dame. This is the recognized and in
violable custom of the country, and
while it exists the American young man
will not be a social success in Mexico.
He cannot stand the racket. If the
young couple are very spoony they can
be married in six months, tl'ough well
regulated society demands a twelve
months' courtship.
The wedding is a simple affair enough,
but usually consists of two ceremonies.
There must be a civil marriage under
the law, and the ladies invariably insist
on a religious ceremony afterward. The
marriage ceremony is conducted cheap
ly, though I have been informed of a
few instances where the grooms weore
Americanus, and wore, consequently,
bled to the tune of $200. When thre
young couple are married they cain en
joy the first real privacy of this acquain
tanceship. Not even an hour iefore
they are married will they be allowed a
few moments ot uninterrupted converse.
All the tender nothings and sweet bill
ing arid cooing habitual to lovers in the
United States are deniedi them, unless
they choose to indulge in such luxuries
before witnesses. Tais rule of etiquette
is carried to such an extent that a young
lady's reputation suilers it she is seen
for a moment alone in the company of
a young man. As an illustration of this
I will give a little personal experience.
There us a young girl in the family,
about 20 y ears old. Bhec was educated
in San iFrancisco, as were her mother
and lather, and as a consequence thle
are somewhat more progressive in cer
tain mat ters .than their i.eigh bors. 1
formed the acquaintance of the family,
and was invited to make a visit. I cabll
ed at the house a 2 o'clock in the after
noon. The mother was busy, and left
the young lady to entertain me in the
parlor. Soon a nueighboring' woman
arrived unannounced. A look of terror
seized my fair vis-a-vls, and with a flut
ter she p>ointed to an adjacent door,
and begged me to retire hastily. I <tid
so, the door was closed immediately,
andi I found myself in a bed-room,
There was no window, the only ventila
tion being the door opening to the sit
ting-room. Thiis being closed, you may
lmagine my condition, with the ther
inometer J. 05 decgrees in the shade.
There, however, 1 had to remain for full
forty minutes, when the visiting ladly
took her departure. When the dooer
was opened I was in a very amiale anct
a very warm condition. Apologies, how
ever, weue profuse. Both the mother
and1 daughter spoke at the same time.
Tney said that they f ormerly lived in the
United States, and consequently wore
net so rigidi in enforcing parlor rules
when Americans were the visitors. But
the sudden appearance c.f the neighbor
ing woman struck terror in the young
lady, and in pitying tones she Informed
me that if she was seen alone with me
in the parlor her reputation would be
torn to pieces in twenty-four hours.
Such Is the rigidity of etiquette in that
count.ry.
A Thirniing sceno.
At Perranporth, near Trut o, England,
the dIriver of a wagonotte party, wander
ing on the beach round his retreat out
off by the tide. Ho essayed to climb
the cliffs, but when half way up he
found progress impossible. !!ti ledge
on which he was supported would only
give space for one foot, and the groundi
to which he clung above was loose and
crumbling. For sonme hours he endured
this suspense, when the visitors descried
him from above. The news spread and
a crowd congregated, but none dared
venture along the slight edge by which
alone the man could be approached. To
have thrown a rope would have been
useless, for the elfort to catch it would
have certainly caused the poor fellow to
fall. A coast guardsinan named Began
volunteered to be let down 100 feet over
the face of the cliff, and whlp he de
scernded the excitement was quickened
tenfold. By a sudden effort the coast
guardsman clasped the man with a
strong grip, and they swung off the
ledge together. Even then the danger
was net at an end, but a descent was
safely effected to a lodge below, whence
access to the summit was gradually
gained. The spectators collected a good
round sum for the gallant oast-guards
enan.
An Indlan Seare.
'rbe Lake Street House, dhloago, one
of the earliest hotels of Ohicage, 'of
which the bibulous Mark i$aubien was
mine host, stood near the river, oii Lake
street, ald was, ber>iaps, the most po9u.
lar hostelry of its-time in the'oity. It
is not generally known that' this touse
is still in existence, but such is In reality
the case. It was removed one blook
northwest of its original site. where, in
a much-improved and remodeled state,
it now stands, bearing no suggestion of
antiquity in .its outward appearance.
Many incidents are related of this hotel,
and of the scenes and incidents which
occurred there. Some of these are well
worth repeating, but limited space for.
bids the mention of more than one.
Quests who stopped at the house and
were given the best chamber sometimes
had a strange and startling experience.
A man would go to bed and sleep sound
ly until just before dawn; when he
would be awakened by a cry of "Indi
ans, Indians. ' At the same time some
one would rush into the room, snatch
the bed-clothing from the bed, and dart
out again before the astonished guest
could get his eyes fairly opened. With
visions of infuriated savages, glancing
tomahawks and flowing blood, the terri
fied man would jump ont of bed, hurry
himself into his garments and bolt out
of the room, confident that a terrible
Indian massacre was in progress. But
imagine his overwhelming amazement
and confusion when, on rushing into
the cuisine of the hotel, where breakfast
was in course of preparation, he would
be oorlly Informed that he was alarming
himself without cause-that there were
no signs of an Indian outbreak or any
disturbance of the peace whatever. To
make the mystery more dense, nobody
could tell him who the person was that
had wakened him in such an outrageous
manner. He would question everybody
about the hotel, but each and all of
them would wear a look of hopeless be
wilderment, and either pronounce the
whole affiir a perplexing puzzle, or in
sinuate that he had been dreaming.
This same thing occurred at different
times, and with different guests, always
with the same result, The victims gen
erally arrived at the conclusion that it
was a practical joke, perpetrated by
somebody in the hotel for his own indi
vidual amusement. One night a man
stopped at the house who had heard
about this trick, and was prepared to
bsWfe the joker if any attempt should be
made to deprive him of his morning
nap. Sure enough, shortly before day
light, he was aroused by a terrible com
motion. His door was thrown open and
somebody plunged into the room, shout
ing in thrilling tones: "Indians, Indi
ans; quick, for your lives! The Indians
are upon us!" The bedclothes were
whisked off the bed, and the mysterious
intruder vanished. The man coolly
rose, picked up the bedclothes from the
floor, put them back in their place,
crawled into bed again, and was soon
enjoying a comfortable nap. Some
time later a hand shook him gently. He
looked up into the anxious lace of the
landlord. "Say, mister, it's 6 o'clock;
you'll have to get up."
"Why, what's the matter?"
'-Well, breakfast ought to have been
ready an hour ago, and we can't finish
it till you get up."
"Do you take me for the cook?"
"No, but I want that sheet you're ly
ing on. It's the only one in the house
that can ibe used for a tablecloth, and we
wvant toe set the table,"
That .was the explanation. The Indi
an scarc wvas a ruse to get the sheet for
the breaktast table.
LU rning Ulothing.
It is well to know that fire makes
headway more rapidly In burning clothes
when the endangered person Is standmir
up. The difference in progress between a
nurning Jamplighter of twisted paper, held
in tne hand perpendicularly, Ilamne down,
and in the same paper laid liat on a marble
heartn can be seen in a moment. The
first thimg to do 'when clothing catches fire
Is to lie flat and 'cover up the flames, if
there is nothing within reach to smother
it. if, as it is probable, there was a bed
in the room where Miss Alanship was
standing, gettimg Into the bed, between
the biankbts, and rolling up In them,
would have been a sure way of putting
out, the fire In a burning skirt or sleeve.
The worst, tne vely worst, thing to do
'v as to run down stairs. Openmng the
door made one draught, the flight down
stairs another, andl rushing out into the
street, In the last frenzied moment, the
worst of all. The Impulse to get out of
doors is very strange in all such cases,
because within the house there arc always
means for putting out a Bire, and outside
there arc rone. Rugs, rag carpet torn
oft tbe kitchen floor, a heavy overeoat,
blankets fronm the bedit, even pieces of
bedside carpet, put round the person In
the twinkling of an eye, while water
pails andt( pitchers are thiere to hand,
rnady to be emptied. In every case let
the person whose clothes or hair has
cauight fire throw herself flat on the floor
and roll upon the flame. It there is any
thing in the room of thick woolen or
carpets to smother It, even a gossamer
waterproof cloak, snatch these and
smother the fire while calling for help.
If the fire has caught the hair, bury the
head in bed-clothes. Fire cannot burn
without air, and by shutting out alt air
from the flames, they must go out. But
an open door fans the flames and a stand
ing position gives them headway. Girls
are mutch more liable, frocm t,heIr long,
flowing hair, their cotton aprons, and,
altogether, thinner and more loosely bouf..
fant dress, to be set on fire than boy's,
whose stout cloth jackets are not easily
ignitedI. The rules for putting eut fire in
burning clothing may not be taught in the
normal school, but every teacher ought to
know them, and so thoroughly that even
the fright of mounting flames will nt
drive them out of niindl.
The London Engineer, in referring
to the power of the albatross,lts weight
of twenty eight pounds, its wings thIr
teen feet from tip to tip, and Its ability
to keep in mction for a whole day says:
"We have in this bird a machine burn.
ing concentrated fuel in a large grate at
a tremendous rate, and developing a
very large power in a very small space.
There is no engine In existence which,
weIght for weight, gives out anything
like the mnechainical poweor exhibited by
the albatross,
,We wvore taught tnat the ability of
flies to walk on the ceiling was owing
to a powver in theIr feet which enable
them to hold on by suction. But Mr.
H1. De Wits, of the Berlin Society .of
Natural History, has discovered an ex
udation o1 a sticky matter from the
foot of a fly by lnstenmng the Insect on
the undler side of a plate and viewing it
through a microscope. The adhebive
mat ter seems to pass dollh throiih thd
hollow of the hair, ?r6bably.the samei
method of holding on applies to all In.
yeN twW On Trees.
A }ntilti> case t at came up from
t olwer CQud a finaing of facts
by Ju1o -Culver, been on trial re"
cently, befOie the supreme Court of
Errors, in Conn@ot ut. It concerns a
iovel in4ustry, u ard of outside this
c'hnty-the artigo 1 'propagation of
oysters on trees.
Poquonoc R1ver| is a broad arm of
Long Island 8outd, penetrating the
Connecticut coast 'few miles east of
New London, div ding the great level
sea meadows for t ee or four miles in
lard. The tide r s the whole length
of the river. For years the waters of
the Poquonoc Riter have been noted
as producing the at delicious oysters
known in the wor . They outranked
the famous "Blue oints," selling read
ily at $10 a barrel 'hen the latter might
be bought for $5. 1 On account of the
thick black mud tbat plastered the bed
of the river, and which is fatal to oys
ter culture, only a'small margin of the
bottom, a rook strip far in shoret
could be utilized y the oyster-growers.
Annually the oys rs that had attached
themselves to the rocks and other ob
structions over this district were
knocked off and ld at tempting pri
ces, but there we not enough of them.
It was not until three or four years ago
that a speculative and inventive Yan
kee devised a plan for extending the
oyter cultivation upon the mud bot
toms. He went into his woods and cut
down a forent of tough, wiry white
birches, dragged them to the banI,
bore them In his boAt upon the river
and dumped them overbua, taking
care that they should be left at proper
intervals on the bottom. He had an
idea that the oyster spawn would come
sailing along in the season, catch hold of
the birch boughs, and grow into a fa
bulous fortune for him. The idea was
a good one, but not perfected. le al
lowed the birch to lie a suitable time
and then pulled thei up. Every bough
and twig' was thick with half-grown
bivalves, but the weight of the growing
shells had dragged the brush down
into the fatal mud, and the oysters had
perished by the million.
Enlightened by his failure he made
another trial. lie planted the birches
upright on the bottom, setting them at
an angle with the current. The sub
merged trees, as described in the judi
cial linding, were from fifteen to twenty
feet in length, and the butts, wihich
were three or four inches in diameter,
were thrust three or four feet in the
mud. Their tops just pricked through
the waves at low tide. It is stated In
the report of the Oyster Commission of
the State that each female oyster will
produce in the bieediug season from
9,000,000 to 40,000,0U eggs, which
float with the current and a' tach tlm
selves as spat or spawn to any obstacle
they encounter. in the breeding sea
son that followed the planting of the
birch trees, millions, billions of spat
came floating down the current of Po
quouoo River to the submarine forest.
It was just what they wanted-a ready
made home. They drifted as thick as
snowilakes to the bending boughs and
pliant twigs. Singly they vero so
small as to be almost invisible, but
their legion speckled the trees with
brownish patches. Finally every branch
and twig was covered, but apparently
there wvas no diminutioni in the army
of floating immigrant,s. The new..comn
ers multiplied on thme speckles already
attached unt there werd dozens in a
bunch, it requires two years for an
oyster spawn or spat to reach maturity.
From a mere speck it' will gro w in a
month or six weeks to the size or a
quarter of a dollar. .in twvo years an
acre of brush willi produce 1000 bushels
of full-grown oysters. TIhe trees bowed
under their load of growing shells, but
the elastio wood kep)t the fruit clear of
mud. At the end of a few months it
was seen that the oyster orchards pro
mised an astonishing harvest. All the
oystermen along the river were anxious
to try their hand at the niew atyle of
oyster farming. Under the law of the
State the mud bottom on each side of
the 100-foot channel was staked and
set off in plats to a dozen or more appli
cants to be planted wvith oyster trees.
Soon both sides of Poquonoc Rivr,
from Its head for a long way toward
the sea, was bristling with sunken
birches waving an ebbing and flowmng
welcome to the drifting spat.
Among the marine hiorticulturists
was Oideon F. Raymond, the plaintiff,
who in the years 1879J-80-81 placed
upon his plats, in all, about (5700 white
birches. Onie encouraginig crop of oys
ters had beeni gathered from the trees,
the forests replanted, and the cultiva
tors were looking forward to a second
and larger harvest, when an event oc
curredl which p)rovoked the p)resent suit
in Court, and has nearly ruined the
business of raising oysters on trees, in
May, 1881, scarlet fever and diphtheria
broke out in the village 'and neighbor
hood of P?oquonoc anid soon assumed
the most virulent character. T1he d.is
eases raiged1 through the spring and
summer. Out of lifty cases twentv'
terminmated fatally. Tihe dlistress was
terrIble. Tme village wams barred ott
from the rest of the worldi. Few per
sons dared to cross the plague-stricken
district. Out-door work was in part
or wvholly abandoned. Tihe streets
were seldom disturbed except by the
passing of a funeral train. Often in
the same house two and three persons
lay dead at the same time. Tne well
had all they could do to wait on tihe ill
imd bury the d6hd. in the general ter
ror and fever of excitement some imagi
native person rushed to the conclusion
that thme p)estilence was caused by oys
ter brush decaying on the mud plate.
lie whispered his suspicion abroad. In
a moment the villagers were aflame
with resentment againust the owners of
thme oyster-beds. ".Lull up the trees at
once and burnm them on the river banks,"
w&s the wild demand. .Few men were
calm enough to investigate or brave
enough to resist the popular clamor.
in the town of Groton, in which is
Poquonoc village, the belectmen and
Peace Justices constitute the Board of
health. ~Nearly all the members were
either large oyster bed owners or sym
p)athizers. Tihey were impelled to make
an investigation. They pulled up soe
trees. Th'ie odor from them was not
unwholesome. 'They examined a filthy
pig-sty anid said in their report: "Here
lies the cause of the epidemic." "Down
with the oyster-brushi Board of Hecalthl'"
was the last Reply of the stricken vil..
lagers. An appeal was sent to D)r.
Charles WV. Chamberlam, Chairman of
the state Board of Heoaltu. Hie visited
and examined the oyster plats. ito re
turned to ilartfordi and wrote back an
order that the Local Board remove'the
trees at one,.say4nig thab the rotting
brush had poisoned tihe air. The Lo
cal Board proceeded to act, but were
met by am ijunction served by the
tihermen who owned the beds. There
upon the citizens . held a special town
meeting, electing anti-brush men as
ofidewi Who formed a iiew Soard of
Healtli . Tho fiU oart dlled A hear
ing, at Which the' antlabrush nien weoe
represented by the Hone Thomad M,
Wailer, the present Governor of the
State. Gideon F. Raymond appeared
with the other oystermen in 6pposition.
The excitement at the hearing was so
fierce that Mr. Raymond was, glad td
escape from the audience-room and
from the town.
The Board decided that the brush
must be taken up. W. S. Fish and
Thomas W. Noyes were appointed a
committee to execute the task. A
dozen men were hired to pull up the
trees. They worked industriously from
late in the autumn of 1881 till the spring
of 1882 before their work was accom
plished. The trees were found to be
covered with oysters in all stages of
growth. Every bough and twig was
bent with the load. They were thrown
in a rattling heap on the shore where
they were frozen and died by the cart
loads. It was found that most of the
crop of the year 1879 were fit for mar
ket, and many of the year 1880 were in
like condition. The oysters on trees
planted latest, though only a few weeks
old, were as large as silver quarter dol
lars. Many were found no larger than
a shad scale. Raymond promptly
brought suit against the Board of
Health, claiming $25,000 damages.
His legal statement was first, that the
Board was not a legally coitituted
body; second, that they were respons
ible as a Board for any mistake they
might have made, and, third, that it
was conferring extraordinary powers
on any Board to authorize them to des
troy property merely at their own ca
price. The case came before the Su
perior Court in New London last fall.
The Court-room was thronged. The
most interesting evidence for the oyster
brush men was furnished by Captain
James M. Buddington, of Groton, a
polar whaler and explorer and owner of
an oyster forest. He estimated that
500 bushels of oysters had been les
troyod on the Raymond lot alone,
though the greater part of the crop was
not a. quarter grown. He said that he
had- seen from fourteen to twenty five
bushels of oysters oi a single tren. le
presented in Court two or three twigs
of birch that were loaded with oysters.
During the trial the merits of the PY
quoioc River oysters were thoroughly
discussed. In the opinion of one ex
pert cultivator their delicious flavor
was due in part to the strong solution
of iron brought down in the streams
from the rocky hillsides of inland,to wns.
All the witnesses asserted that the Po
quonoc oyster was entirely free from
the hard substance that injures the
quality of other kinds. One Poquonoc
enthusiast said that they were the finest
oysters in the world on the half-shell.
''iie scarlet fever and diphtheria ceased
to be epidemic in Poquonoc on Septem
ber 1, 1881, though cases of malarial
fever, an unusual disease in the town,
appeared later.
Wolves and Doge.
H1ow is it that th$ wolf of Russia is so
aich more formidable an enemy to the
human race than his French or German
brother? Writers and novelists of all
ages have accused this ubiquitous quad
ruped of treachery, stealthiness and
ferocity, until children, who take their
impressions from books and not from
experie!nce, have come to regard hira as
the incarnation of that ism mean, blood
thirsty, tricky, and dangerous. "Truth
compels me, however," says Lieutenant
Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, of the
U.itel i tatei Army, "to affirm that of
all tne carnivorous animals of equal size
and strength he is the most harmless to
beast and the least dangerous to man.
Ho will not even attack when wounded;
and though he will snap at pursuing
dogs in self-defense, he never follows up
the advantage given him by his sharp
teeth and powerful jaws, but takes to
Iight as fast as he can." These words,
written about the buffalo womf of the
American plains, tall, gaunt, lean and
hungry looking, may with equal truth
be applied to his congener in Brittany
and k'oitou. In the former province
wolves are rarely seen, although they
commit terrible nocturnal depredations
among sheep, ealves and dogs. Such,
however, is their cowaraice, that every
Breton farmer is in the habit of sending
his flock of sheep out to pasturage dur
ing the day with a little chid, jften a
girl not more than 6 or 7 years of age,
in charge of them, and nothing is more
uncommon than for the hungry marau
der, who lies licking his chops on the
edge of the adjoining thicket, to issue
forth from his fastness and pounce upon
a sheep so long as the intantile repre
sentative of 'the lord of creation is close
at hand. At night, however, the wolf
is bolder, and will scale walls and1
scratch his way through the thatched
roof of the sheepfold to get at his prey,
Strange as it may seem, the dog-es
pecially if he' be .of the smooth-haired
breed, like the pointer or fox terrier
has more attractions for the "canis
lupus," wvhose relative or descendant he
is generally believed to be, than the
woolly sheep. "When a wolf is hungry,"
writes an English gentleman who has
long resided in Brittany, "and smells
an appetizing dog, he wilt spring upon
him and carry hiam off, even under the
nose ;of his master. It is certain, in
fact, that the wolf prefers a dog to any
other pre.y. When I was at ilnelgoet
three years since a wolf jumped over
the wall of the hotel yard and carried
off a dog whose piteous howls awoke
the entire village. An empty collar,
suspended at the end of the chain, and
covered with blood, bore testimony to
the untimely fate of its late wearer."
The lively author of "Wolf-hunting in
Brittany relates that a Breton peasant
named Antoine lived some years since
with his wife in the Forest of Dualt or
"Black Rock." A heavy snow-storm
had fallen to the mountains, and for
several nights in succession Antoine
found it necessary to protect his there.
sheep by admitting them to his hut.
Six or seven wolves paced around hls
dwelling all night, uttering the most
dismal howls; but a large wood-fire and
the presence of man kept off the fam
ished besieger s. At last the peasant
and his wife fell asleep, and the fire
burnt low. A sudden dash was made
at the roof, and ive jaunt wolves leaped
down into the hut. Before Antoine
could strike a light the three sheep were
devoured and a favorite little dog was
swallowed at a gulp, and then she in
vaders sprang upon an old oaken cup
board and disappeared through the
roof.
Professor Treadwell, of Massachu
sette, found that a half-grown American
robin in confinement ate in one day
sixty eight worms, weighing together
once and a half as much as the bird
himself, and another had previously
starved upon a daily allowance of elit
to ten worms,or about 20 per cent.of his
own weighta
AGRIOJU 1,
h Irstw yeai's of the ads of an
apple tree is the moat important period
for exercising bare and difigenoe in re
gard to prunlog. A well-known pomo
logist once said that he could grow a
model apple orchard. and -ney-er prune
with any other implement than a lack
knife. He would begin with the tree
as soon as it was taken from the nu'rse
ry, and would at once begin to form
the future top. Then is the time to
avoid crotches, which will be almost
sure to split in after years, and to begin
at the top at the right height and in
the proper shape. One is apt to begin
at the top too low; it looks bighe* on a
small tree than on a large one.. It may
not be desirable for the general grower
to undertake to do. all his pruning by
means of a knife, but he can always use
it to good advantage. Excessive prun
ing of large trees should always be
avoided.
Tau striped bug, wuich destroys
young plants, is a great obstacle to en
oumber culture. Various expedients
are resortetl to in attempts at protection
against this pest. An efficient remedy
is sprinkling the plants and surface of
the hills, while wet with ashes, soot and
superphosphate. There is probably no
better remedy than soot when this can
be obtained in sufficient quantity. Box
es with mosquito-netting or glass for
the top are cheaply and readily made,
and when placed over the hills prevent
the bugs from their work of destruc
tiod.
EARLY HomNG.-By this we do not
mean hoeing early in the season, but
early in the morning. In the early
morning the dew is on and this is charg
ed with an auailable amount of ammo
nia, which, of course, feeds' the roots
below. If the surface is neglected a
crust forms and the air does not circu
late in the soil. Get the farm hands to
begin work a couple of hours earlier in
the morning and give them the same
time at noon to rest.
STIR THE SoIL.-This cannot be too
strongly urged upon farmers. Thor
ough pulverization of the soil is some
times worth an extra dressing of ma
nure. Two fields, lying side by side,
were sown in wheat. One was plowed
and harrowed the usual way while the
other was harrowed five times. The
result was that the latter gs,ve seven
bushels more to the acre than the for
mer.
OSIoxENs, when first hatched, should
not be hurried out of the setting nest.
For twenty-four hours at least from the
time the earliest.. commence to show
themselyes, it is better to leave them
under or with the hen mother. They
need no food for from a day to a day
and a half usually, When they get
strong en' ugh to venture from beneath
their mother's wings it is time to move
the brood.
A Du PAGE, ILL., farmer claims that
for three consecutive years he has ob
tained sound apples free from worms on
trees in his orchard by sowing three or
four quarts of salt under each tree,while
the fruit on trees not so salted was all
inlared or ruined by the codling moth.
The ground in this case was under cut
tivation, and he had never tried the salt
remedy on trees growing in grouud that
was seeded down. It will cost butlittle
to try the salt remedy, add now is the
time to do it.
VER careful experiments made in
New York last season show that the flat,
culture of potatoes prodncess the finest
tubers and the largest yields. The best
results followed the Dutch method of
planting, which consists of keeping the
surface of the ground level, planting a
single eye in a place, covering it six
ir-ches deep and allowing but a single
stalk to grow in a hill, which are a foot
apart each way.
A conIimsroNDENT of the Farmer'.
Review has preticed during several
winters the plan of keeping apples in
dry sand, poured into the filled barrels
after storiig in the eellar, and finds It a
"decided improvement" on any other
ever tried, the fruit remaining till late
spring"as crisp and app)arently as tresh
as when first gathered." He does like
wise with potaLtoes, and uses the name
sand year after year.
THIsTLES IN OAT.-When thistles ap
pear in oats their tops may be mown off
a week or two before the oats shoot up
into heaoing. At this time the thistles
are sev(ral inches higher than the oat
loaves. If cut thoun, blossomnidg and
seeding are not only preventad, but the
short stubs of thistles fall out of the
bundles in binding and leave the straw
clean.
1VOLEs PnoTEoT STRAWnERRIES.--An
Indianapolis, Indiana, fruit grower says:
"Last year I put twelve moles in my
strawbeiry patch of five acres to catch
the grubs, and they did the work. I
never had a dozen plants Injured during
the summer, either by the grubs or
moles. I know some people do not care
for moles on their farms, but I want
them in my strawberry patch."
'inn practice or some of the best far
mers.*now is to keep pigs through the
summer on green food, cut and carried
to the pens, with a little grain,and what
milk can be spared after cutter- making.
Spring pigs are thus mrnde to weigh 200
pounds at seven months old, and,except
in the last month, they get little grain.
The best time to gtell such pigs is at the
beginning of cold weather, usually in
October.
MELON YINES.-A writer states that
he has positively driven bugs away
from his vines by putting a gallon of
clean sand around every sine. Where
sand can be obtained this is a very con
venient protection against a very bad
enemy, and a single trial may satisfy
any oi.e whethor it is dffect'.al.
THE fat on a cow known to be a jarge
and rich milker will mostly go into the
cream pot (during the season. It is
never safe to buy a milk cow In poor
condlition,as she will require heavy feed
ing, or make poor thin milk.
OuT grats when in bloom, and it will
make more nutritive hay than If cut
later. The amount of water has di
minished, and therefore shrinkage will
be less. In late-out hay the increased
fiber makes It more Indigestible.
As soN as onions show signs of mag
get work, pull the affected Ones by the
roots, and carry them from the field.
Children can do this work, and many
onions can thus be saved, as no worm
can destro m thn . lepat
THE VERDICT
THE PEOPLE.
BUY THE BEST!
Ma. J. 0. IIoAO-Dear Sir: I bought the brat
Davis Machine mold by you over flive years ago for
my wife who has given it a long and fair trial. I
am well pleased with it. It never Rives any
rouble, and is as good as when first bought.
J. W. Bot1'o0.
Winnsboro, S. C., Aprh 1888.
Mr. DoAo: Teu wish to know what I have-to say
In regard to the Davis Machine bought of you three
years ago. I feel I can't say too much In its favor.
I made about 580,00 within five months, at times
running it so fast that the needle would get per
fectly hot from friction. I feel confident I could
not have done the same work with as much ease
and so well with any other machine. No time lost
in adjusting attachments. The lightest running
machine I have ever treadled. BrotherJames and
Williams' families are as much pleased with their
Davis Machines bought or you. I want no better
machine. As I said before, I don't think too
much can be said for the Davis Machine.
ltespectfully,
li.LEN STSVENSON,
Fairfhld County, April, 1883.
Mn. BOAO : My macitn gives me perfect sati
faction. I find no fault with it. The attachments
are so simple. I wish for no better than the Davis
Vertical Feed.
Respectfully.
MRs. R. MIIJ.ING.
Fairfield county, April, 1883.
Mn. BOAO: I bought a Davis Vertical b'oed
ewing Machine from yoit four years ago. I am
elighted with it. It never has given me any
rouble, and has never been the least out of order.
It is as good as when I first bought it. I can
cheerfully recommend it.
iespectfully,
MDs.j1. J. KiaND.
Montlcello, April 30, 1881.
This is to certify that I have been using a Davis
Vertical Feed Sewing Machine for over t w,years,
purchased of Mr. J. 0. ioag. I haven't found I t
possessed of any fault-all the attachments are so
aimple. It never refuses to work, and is certainly
the lightest running in tle market. I consider it
a first-class machine.
Very respectfull
MINNi il1. WILLINovl.
Oakland, Fairfield county, 8. C.
MR DOAO : I an wen pieasett in every partieui
with the Davis Machine nought of you. I think
a first-class uiachine in every respect. You knw
you sold several machines of the same make to
different members of our families, all of whom,
as far as I know, are well pleased with them.
tespectfully,
Mis. M. H. Most .Y.
Fairlield county, April, 18S3.
This isto certify we nave has in constant use
she Davis Machine bought of you about three years
ago. As we take in work, and have made the
price of it several times over, we don't want any
beer machiine. It is always ready to do any kind
of work we hlave to (10. No puckeringor skipping
stitches. We can only say we are well pleased
andi wash no better machine,
April 25, 18t3..UT* IEWrI N tTu
I hayc no fault to ind withi my machine, and
don't. want aniy better. I have made tae price of
it neverat. timles by taking In sewing. It is always
ready to do its work. I think it a flrst-class ma
chine. I feel I can' t say too much for ihe Davis
Vertical Fced Machine.
Mas. Tuo0t As SuiTe.
Mit. J. 0. BIoA--Dear Sir: It gives me much
pleasure to testify to the merits of the Davis Ver
tkia Feed Sewving Machine. Th'ie machine I got of
you about five year. iago. has been almost ia con
stant use ever since that time. I cannot see that
it ia worii any, andit has not cost me one cent for
repaiirs since we have had it. Am Well pleaseid
and doin't wish for any better.
Yotirs truly,
hODT. CRAWPORD,
Granite Qcarry, niear Winnsboro 8. C.
We have used the Davis Vertical Feed Sewing
Machine for the lust five years. We would not
have any othier make at any price. The machine
has given us unbounden satisfaction.
Very respectfully,
Mns. WV. K. TiUtNERt AND D)AUogTgss
F"airilili cotunty, n. U., Jan. 2T, 1858.
Having bought a Davis Vertical Feed Sewing
Machine from Mr. J. 0. Bioag some three years
ago, and it having given me perfect satisfactIon in
every respect as a lamily machine, both for heavy
and light sewing, and never ne ded the least re
pair ini any way, I can cheerfuly recommend it to
any one as a first-class machine in every particu
lar, and think it secondi to none. It is one ot t1he
simpiest nmachines made; my children use it with
all ease. The attachments are more easily ad
justedl andl it does a greater range of work by
means of its VertIcal I'eed than any other ma
chine I have ever seen or used.
Winnshoro, h'airiield ot . y'Tn10 As Ow!Noa,
We have had one of the Davis Maclines about
four years and have always found it ready to do all
kinds of work we have hind occasion to do. Can't
see hant the macline is wvorn atny, and works as
well as when new.
Mas. W. Jr. CRaWPORn,
Jackson's Creek, FairfIel county, 8.'C.
My wife Is highly pleased with the Davis Ma.
chine bought of you. She wotuld not take double
what she gave for it. The mnachine has not
been otut of order since site had it, and she can de
any kind of work on it.
Very Itespectfull35' .Pag
Monteello* lairfleld county, 8. C. F a
'he Davis Sewing Machine is simply a (mreas
Itidgoway, N. C., Jan, 10, 1as's.A.oow .
ha onu a ai eng DMacltine conat.
ly fr the past fouir years, and it has never needed
any repairs and works just as well as when first
practical wok Dudo (1t easier ani bettr tha
any machine site has ever used. We cheerfully
recoimmendc It as a No. I family machine,
Your tru.y,
Winnaboro, S. C., Janm. 8, 1JAR. Q. DAVIS.
chine reay do al indis of to work Imhav ad
easlon tode. I cannot, see that the machine is
Worni a particle and it works as weid as when new,
Rtespectfully,
Winnsboro, S. C., April, 1883,1..GonN.
ao. I have never regrtte baigi,adti
away areay for an ldof faiy sewig aeith
Very respectfu fil,
Fairfneld 13 n. Ma-hi 1-888..LDD