The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, November 01, 1883, Image 1

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1'1 TRI-WEEKCLY EDITION. WINNSBORO, S. 0.. NOVEMBER 1L 18f3 SALSE 88 MY NEIGIUBOt'S GAtDEN. In the bound of mnine own enclosure The flowers are fair to see; But the rose In lny neighbor's gardeu Is fal er than all to me. So white and slender and stately, So gemmed with sparkling dew, This rose that blooms for another, Is the sweetest that ever grew. My heart to its grace and beant y Goes forth as to a shrine; And I sigh to its mystical fragrance "if It were only minel" And yet if not my neighbor, But I, in fee and thrall, Hold all that marvelous glory On the other side of the wall. I might, )erha)s, grow weary Of its royal pomn1p id grace And love with ny love some (Iaisy With a shy, uplifted face. For siic the gatos of Eden Wore shut on Adam and Eve, The flowers we havo are never So sweet as the flowers we leave. And rich within muy garden Though many a flower night be, The rose that bloomed for another Might seem the best to me. UPTIME FLUE. "You must have some rare experi ences to tell us, Mrs. Boswell," said persuasive Lieutenant Russel, while we waited for the mail stage. "You have . been at this frontier post vver since Captain Boswell was stationed here?" "Yes; we have been hero eight years," she replied, with the rare smile that glorified her face. "I have passed through many trying ordeals here, but I really think I bad an adventure in the east, before I married the captain, equal to anything that I have exIerienced.'' "Will you relate it, and oblige us?" urged Russel. "Mirs. ioswell," said Dan, the Irre pressible youngster of our party, "Jim,"' jerking his thumb toward the lieutenant, "is out west o1 purpose to spill ink for the Now York papers. You call beconie a heroine of romance it you will." "'I hank 3 ou," said our littlohostess. "I C oi't 1m1ind1 accepting the honor."' Three of us were sittig in an inner alpartmilent of the small frontier hostel ry. 'lie bar-room wvas packed with miners, and we had chosen to have our suiper served by ourselves, as we had appoIited to go on to Custer City in coil panly. - Mrs. Boswell was much below the Imedill size, quick of speech, light of movement as a bird, and graceful as a fawn. "I was in 18-," she began; "I had just made the acquailtance o1 Captain 8 Boswell, Ie having some business mat ters to arrmige with father, had called at our Iliace several tiues. Finally there caine a rare day in autumn, and - he and father were closeted tle greater part of the day, overhauling papers, t leolloraila, deeds and receipts. My fauter at that time was doing a great . deal of business as an attorney. "At teatime father said to ile: 'Bess, you w on't mind an evening. alone, so t lug as Thomas is about, 'will )ou.' "I said n1o, for although there were niny robberies being comnitted in the neighboriig cities, piivate families inl ti, suburbs felt Io fear. Our house t was a ittle from the cily proper, and a half mile front neighbors either way. t "'We find,l he continued, 'that the captam has got to liint ill) some more papeis concerning tile estate before lie can give Barron a satisfactory title. We shall go to Judge Whitcomb's of lice, and our search may be so success f ul that 11 o'clock wvill find us home again. Still we may be detained longer. Shan't I call anid tell your Cousin Milly to conie down aIai spenid thme niighmt with "oi'N o - es ' I contradictorily al sweredh. 'Do aIs you please; I am not ti mid in tihe least, wvith Thomas about.' "'But Cautaim Boswell is going to leave $5.600U here until lie returns,' ' "'Dues ainy one know about the "'Unly ourselves.' * '' 'lhmen I am not afraid. Blesideos, you aire hmkeiy to be back befor grave yards yawn and thiievesdo walk abroad.' '"Thomas brought thme h orso uo und, and while father spoke to hi m, I touclied the captain's sleeve: " 'Where is your money left?' e " '.in your lather's des5k in the lib. .c rary.' TIheni lie looked with a tender, iiuiring gfance into my face (how thme r little woman's cheek ilushmet at, the me- 8 miory) and said: '.Little girl, if you are ~ mn the least afraid we willi not go to ntight, although it is absolutely neces saily.' ( "I told him, honestly, that I was not 1 afraid. I never had that strata of timid- 11 ity mi my make-up peculiar to woinmn- 0 . ind; and( 50 they rode away. "I sang about liy work as 1 put ' things ini shape around~ the room, and I viewedi the brillialit Sulliseit, witliout a fear or care. "T1honius, our pe0w 1mngn~.Of-illwork, f way yery bjusy puttering about the i groundls, tying up' grapevines and mul11 ching evergreens. I knmew there was I soime coarse al'termath upon01 the lill that father was alixious to have put on ( the strawberry beds. and seeing Tiho mats go up thu-ce with his basket I tied a Hiearf over mxy head, took another badtet, and1( went upl to he0lp hi. "As I p'assed up the lull I saw ai man ' -In the highway speak to him. I' hesi.t tatt d about going on, but the man niade only a umomnit's patuse, and ten wenit I downi thme lill, and was soon~ epicvaled by &" turp ill tilg higliway.'' )V 'ho was that, Tihonmas?' I inquiyed. "'V)h, miiss, it, was a 11an1 from the mTills, saying that my brother has had a bad tall on the dam, and ms bellowinga *, for neto come and see h111m. I~ls legs Yhsmit Avill you do'' 1' '. ld the hhull4 I %cohhd niot come1 $) sep hm11 to-day-buit If I went4 miss, v oulil sure to be back by 1. 'of the cloci, it not earlier.' b" 'Yo ma go, Thomas, if your bean ay boug.' "'hut. any young lady "'4 Wever umind me In such a case as this.' I alwva wnt vey ten~a,.-hart *d. 'You may go, and- I will run right >ack to the house.' "He talked a few minutes more, was orofuse in his thanks for my kindness, nd then started down for the city. I ook up the two baskets, and went sing ng to the house. "I sat an hour by the open window, injoying Intensely this being alone, and he quiet beauty of this cool autumn veiing. "Perhaps you will wonder at this," nd the dimples played about her pretty nouth, "but little birds were singing new song in my heart, and the quiet et me hear the sweet echoes." "But directly I chided myself for be ng rather careless, as- the road was a horoughfare, and a chance straggler night surprise me. I arose, closed my vindow, and, obeying some strange, mnpressive power, I walked through he hall into the library, took my fath r's key from its accustomed place, Un ocked his desk, found the package of ive thousand dollars and placing it in ny bosom, relocked tIhe door, and re urned to the sitting room. I did not, ight a lamp; I had no need of a fire, as hat from the kitchen stove warmed he sitting room sutlliciently in this nuld vcather. "The house was old-fashioued, Very, vith a fireplace in the sitting room pening up into a chimney of capacity tlifllcienit for a foundry stack. We had ,heerful open fires later on; but the ouse being an ancestral pile, was get ,ing somewhat dilapidated, and the >artition separating the flues int the arge chimney had fallen in. Men had een sent out to clear the rubbish and nake repairs, but the work, half domne, vas suspended on account of the arri. ral of Captain Boswell and this import Lit business affair. "I would have enjoyed inmmeiniiely to Eindle a sparkling tire in the huge wide Ireplace, but as affairs were I could iot. So I mused in darkness for hours. really took no heed of time, until iy tuick ear caught the sound of a foot. all approachmng, close up to the door. tep, I could have taken imy oath. It vas so light an ecuo that I spraig to nly feet, tWinking that my Cousin Milly, bsent when liy fattier called, and re urning later had come downi to stay vitih m1e. "I sprang up with a smile to answer ter knock, albeit I was a bit jealous of er pretty face, but no knock came, nd the echoes died out, and altogether concluded that I had deceived 'myself Li regard to thei. Anyhow I would ight the lamp. I did so, and was star led to find it past 10 o'clock. I had otten sutliciently aroused froin my re 'erie to want a book from the library helves. I took up my lamimp and welit inging into the rooni. "I obtained the desired volume, topped down from the stool, an1id-. "If ever any one felt themselves dy. ig, I did at that moment. My song ied On ily lips, while a thousand boughts seemed to flash into my nind 1 one iistaint. Involnitni ily I gaspe(l, nmd twen with a strong effort of the MIll power, for which I am famous, [ ook up the song again and sang it to lie close. "Aniong other things I remembered liat the lock was off the library door or repairs. I remembered the late Less of the hour and the probab.'hty fiat all the people were iu bed and sleep. 1 reuenbered the footsteps in he dooryard, and-there was a fresh, ungent smell of tobacco smoke in time uom. A scent of smoke that was not Li the room when I was there aiid laced the package of money in my 050111. "Do you wonder that imy brain m celed nid my heart stoppedl beating for ani Lstanlt? .Besides, whioever thec robber mas, lie would- soon beginm work, not nowing how early my father and the aptaini might return. And I should1( e niurdered. Somnewhuere within a few ards, or a few feet of me, the robber ssassin was concealed-either in the ecess behind tihe cabiinet, or under the mng, draped, paper-stre wn table. "A faint sounid outside nearhy made rio drop thme lamp; still I had1( uncon ciously loft miy first song and wassinig ig: *For his birinc ai .soi~ile~r won hl AI( a winniing tongue tinid hei.' "'I knie w tha~t temporary salv~a tionl owver and liberty to leave that rooms, veni-dependedl upon nmy appiearing unm enscious of thme robber's p'roximnity. "1 got out of tihe lhbrary anid found iysolf ini the sitting-room. A hast~y lanice Lit the (leer showed tihe key aub ant from the lock. "Treachery?"' "I wond~er that this new revelation id not sliocate me. Thme man oni thme ighi way--the inju ired brothier-Thiomaus ad bet~rayed us. .le had1( overheard bout the monmey. A robber was ini the ouse and another was oiutsidle. My etreat would be cut off. Ilow tlioughits anm riot through tny mind. l4o W would hey kill me? WVould [ suffer long? At limt insant I was sure that [ heard ma aiint croak of tihe library door at the hr end of thme long hall. "One swifIt, dlespiriing glance airoiund 110, one wild idea of escap~e, andt I ex inguishied thie light upon the table, and rouchling in the firepmnce 1. restedI one 00t up)on time anidiron, swung out the roni crane, stoed~~ the otner foot upon lie strong sup~port, and rose up into lie flue. Sonmetmmung touched may hlead. L'hank G~odt 1t was tihe rope witll which nie dishoodgedl bricksm had beeni hoisted~ >it. (Grasping thtis care illy ~with may umands I he Id nlyself likfe a wedige in the pening. If Ilhad envied large, nioble ooking women before, I now laud rca on to be thaiikful for my diminutive orm and linety (1(1d pouids of avoir upois. "I had little tinte, however, to con tider aniything except the in'pmdien't inge (disindgig a fragmenut of irtek( og mortar, 11nd( thus discovering nly 11h iig-lacei, for tihe clock began vith sonordus peals to strike eleven. Jnder cover of its echoes there were iuick, soft step~s in the ihall, anud th~e .Iot of tlie oipter dQoor was Witlhdraglmi. the; huge 4lue mut hmave acted like a slephone, for I heard every sound with tearful distinctness. irst, there was ,pause by time door of the sittinig-room, hen breathing In it, then ivs.mlng. "I heard Thomas distinctly, when he said: " 'She Isn't here; she's gone to bed, but the money Is in the library.' "'Be cautious,' advised a strange voice, 'and we m.y not have to hurt her.' "They carefully retreated, and my heart struck off the seconds against my ribs in a way that wai suiocating, for I knew that their search would soon be over, and what tho? "In less than fivo minutes they were whispering In the room again. 'Coniound herr' aspirated Thiomas, 'she took the money with her.' " 'Then we'll have it if-' "The pause meant all that wor i could convey. "The cold swo:tt was coming out o every pore of my body. The (iust of tie creosote had peietrated miy mouth andt nostrils. and 1 had to take one luamd from the ropo in their absence and place a linger upon my lii Lo prevent 51neezi *g.lLjOiu~ iii~,jrvi 'Come, hurr-y,' was the angry watch wor d exclianiged betwell tlem i, and I heard the stairs creaking as they ascended to my chamb3r. Thomias was famlliliar with all tihe house. "Why did I not drop down and es cape outside? "4First, then, they had locked tile outer door and withdrawn the key to prevent a surprise from without. Se cond, there might be a third conteder ate outside. But the most important reason of all was, it seeie.1 to 11me, that I never could get out of the aperture that had allowed nie entrance into tile ehiiiney. I ran the risk of discovery and death ill any case. "Oih, why did not my father ant his companion return? It might be hours first. "They had found me absent fromi my chamber and the adjoining rooms. They no longer used extreme caution. They hurried from one apartment to the other. I could feel the jar of mov ing furniture, and closet doors were opened hastily. The upper part of tile house was ransacked, and then they came down stairs upon the run. Time was precious to them now. With dire fl oatls they rummaged the lower floors, and finally returned to the sit ting-roomn. "'I saw the light here last,' said Thoimas, moving with his lamp across the room, 'and here is the la nmp oi the table.' 'She must have got out.' "'No; I watched for her, and every window is fastened on the inside.' Then he continued: 'Curse herl she's a witchl' and bailled they stood and poured oaths after ile. 'I'd like to catch and knife her myself now.' How Ie ground it out betveen his teeth. "'Shall we search more?' "'It0 no use; we've turned over everything under which a mouse could hide.' "4 'What, then? Shall we waylay the old man and fix him?' " 'They haven't the merey; it was left here.' " 'Tao collar,' suggested the Voice. "Once more they dashed out, only to return ill hot haste now, for there was the trot and rumble of a horse and car riage oi the bridge between us and tne city. 'Stay,' urged the stranger, 'trump up 11some kind of a story, and we maty secure the money yet.' " 'I would.' returned Thomas, 'butt the girl's a witch, and I am just as sure thatslie is somewhere near us all the time, and would hanld ime over to juts tice' ."There was a scaiper outside and the sound1( of feet runininig toward tihe river caime downi the wide mouth at the top) of the chimney. Father and Cap tain .hoswell drove into tile yard andi up to the door, just as the clock struck twelve. "'Thomas!' called my father, in his ringinig tonles, 'come and take care of "Receivmg no response from his utsu al punctual factotun, lie sprang upi the steps, andi uttered an exclamation of horror at finding the doocr open. "'Iloswehl,' said he, 'we -certainly sawv a light here w~hen we camne down the hill.' -- "'Quick, Jason,' said tile captain, 'there has been fouil play here.' "'Foui play? My God! my po(or little girl.' "'Father,' I strove to call, but the first attempts, clicked in the dust and soot, enided ini a hysterical hliccouigh. "'Where is that? What is it?' called my distracted father, and both 1mn dlashedl for the library. "I nowv strove to dlescenld, but the movement brought dlown . bushels of miortamr anid brokeni bricks from all sides, andt closed up thme inue. I bethought me of thme rope, and by stickinmg my toes in here and~ there I wont up the cimi ney liamnd over liandt. "Agile us a cat, whlen I reached the top of the low chimney I sprang down t11pon the roof and began callinig loudly for father. ' ou should have heard them run through the house and halllo() before they locatedl liy voice. At last the cap~tainl came out of dooers. "Wiil you get nie a ladder, please,' said I, 'I want to, get dlown froni here.' "'A ladd~er, Jason,' shmoutedl the cap-. tain, 'the little girl is oin the roof.' "'JFor the love of hieavgn girl, how caine you thieret' sid my tatlher, as I hinded0( upon the grounid and began shaking the soot from my clothes, "'I wenit up thmere thirongh the chim necy, p'apa. Buit you had better put ump the horse-you wvill hav~e to groom hirn yourself to-night-and then .[ will tell you all about it. "The captaln led mze into the house, for JI was treonibling violently. '." Now,' said( father, being absent only a mnonmnt or two, without lettiing me hmave time to 1m101 the smut from my face and hland~s; 'nmow tell 115swhiat this means-my little girl climibing tile ridgepohe like a cat at ngidunight) ' "Ini a fe w xigonieuts mmgatters were ex "'Thorrgas, tile villaiinl' ejacullted, my fatiher; 'I'll have him if 1' have to brint lime two continents for hln, and he snail nave his deserts.' "Heo kept his word. 'Thonias got a ierm in ile sntein niaa "V hen I gave the captain his money I should have burst out into hysterlal sobbing only I remembered the soot In time to prevent shading myself in black crayon; and Captatn Boswell believed that stature and bulk were not always certificates of the beat materials, and-" *'And," linished Dan, our jeiter, "it may be said, Mrs. Boswell, that you actually flue to his #rrms." She smiled and bpwed. as the sonor ous tones of the driver came in among us : "Stagui ready, gentiemon. Alive at 101. The town of Wilton, Conn., enjoys the distinction of having among its un usually large number of aged citizens, a person who lived, beyond five score years, and who is probably the only centenarian at thi 5kun in Fairfield county, and proba' -y in the State. This is not new to the conimuiity i which she dwells, for everybody knows awil reveres Mrs. Clarissa Davenport lIaymond, who, humanly speaking, has fair chances of reachisg April 25, 1884, when she will celebrite her 102d birthday and enter upon her 103d year. Mrs. Raymond resides opposite the Congregational church in Wilton of which sli became a meniber before most of those who Surrouid her were born, in a imansion which tias about It lines of antiquity-just such a spot as a centenarian would choose as an abiding place. "Her girl," asI Mrs. Raymond faniliarly calls her, Mrs. Nathan Com stock, nov drawing nigh to seventy 111n years and a well preserved matron, keeps house, and she is assisted in that duty by a son, Mr. John Comstock nearly sixty years old and his wife, and when his son, Mr. Frank Com stock, aged thirty years, and his wife and children comio up to the old home from Norwalk to spend the lday, as they frequently ilo, tin scene under the old roof is one peculiarly interesting. Mrs. Raymond takes upon her knee children of the fifth generation, and talks to them of events occurring a great while ago, when she was a child, like thein-years before George Wash. ington had been thought of as a candi date even for President of the United States. By chance she might tell them of his first inauguration as President in New York, in 1792, when she was 1U years old, of his death and the sor row which an-colpanilied its announce mont, in 1799, when she was 17 years old. Favored ones are they indeed who can enjoy the privilege of listening to the intelligent narratives of their great, great grandinother, and this veteran, amiable in tile lingering twi light of the evening of a life so pro tracted, can interest those who are older by calling to their minds events, some of thoim historicall which she actually observed, but 'hich thny knew nothing of save in bo' , and she has frequently been known to correct the errors made by those who have gone into print as historians wearing the garb of authenticity, Mrs. .taymond is very genial, and rarely forgets a face she has once set eyes oil. She hears tol ably well, and ter sight is so acute that she can thread a coarse needle and read coarse print unassisted by glasses. She moves about the -house with a fir mer step thanit many who are fifty years her junior, and when conditions of weather permit calls on her friends residing neae, walking to their houses. :4he attends church seldom uiow, but her interest in the church has never flagged, and no mere welcome visitor is on her list than the Rev. Frank Thompson. A few days since she called ol Mrs. George. A. Davenport andl vividly described a thundl~er storm which took plate seventy years ago. One secret of Mrs. itaymnond's lon gevity may be compliance for ulntotld years with the ruld, "Early to bed," etc. In this particular ther habits have been reguilated1, as it wvere, by tihe clock, and as a consequence cacth morning's light, to tler, means glad ness, and "day's decline and darkness sombre" bring nieither (dread nor sad ness. When asked a (lay or two before how she felt, she saidl, "W~ell, as usual, though I believe I'm gettmng old." Mrs. Raymond thas noe lack of visitors, many of whom cad ll hmly that they may look upon the face oif a centena rian. She has a plecasanit word for each, and~ she nlever forgets to exiposs an affectionate persoinal regard for alt ther real friends. A lvya of Niagara. Tiwo Omaha capitalists and a banker, of Butte, Montana, have embarked in no less an enterprise than the purchase of a waterfall-the 1ig Shioshone--in Idaho. Until siz months ago the property was not "in sight" and Its exmstence was only known through the report of an occasional hunter, who, reaehing the edge of the basin which surrounds the approach to the falls, peered at them curmonsly at a distance of three-fourths of a mile and gainedl only an unsatisfactory Impression of a vast body of water, much spray and more roar. From the edge of this bisin there was no sure footing to a nearer point of view. Blasting and picking have cut a path through the rocky sides to the water's edge and the falls can now be a easily viewed as $lagara. The tBnak. river, whIch forms these fails, Is at this point a (loop stream, run ning for twenty-five mites through lava rocks hundreds of feet In heIght. At the falls, which' are 1,500 feet wlide and have a descent of 210 feet, the rocks loom up granelly to from 500 to 1,00.0 feet in lleight, T'heir brown walls 'are .utteriy bare and, except for a grassy plot ot a few acres, with a cog) sp'ing and a shady grove, wlicoh border the falls, the scene Is one of utter desolation. For miles beyonid the lava beds st-e'ch away, with only the sage brush andi cactus to relieve their barren waste. Three mites above are the T~win Falls, with a descent of Jda feet and cloven by a hiuge rock.. The river Is broad and deep between the Twin Fails and the Big Shoshone andI a boat ride along this streich Is exciting, but not neCessar~Iy dangerous. Perpendicular walls rise on either eide and a "hel" or a cornet peal echoes and rebounds a dozen times. deveral tourists who have visited the placd within a few weeks declare it a wonder and do not hesitate 'to. draw comnparlsons withkliganeat Mary Russvi Mlitiord. Many years ago some Americans who were traveling in England took a past-chaise, after the old-fashioned way, and had a morning drive to pay their respects to an old-fashioned woman who was living in poverty with her one servant in a cottage not far from the town of Reading. The word "cot tage" must have a little explanation, for with us it is so often made to mean a quite capacious house, almost a main sloa, or a villa on a moderate plan. This cottage was far enough from being ample; It was small and poor; to be plain, the roois in it were not much bigger than closets, and were close and stuffy, and in heavy rains the roof leaked. As the mistress of It once wrote about it. to..a friend it was a tight "squeeze," and slie added, "In deed my great objection to a small room alw4ys was its extreino unbe comingness to one of my enormity. I really seem to fill it-like a blackbird it a goldfinch's cage. The parlor looks all me. Nevertheless, 'the cabin ia convenient,' - as I said before. Its negative merits are very great." She had imanaged to make it-as some women can make the poorest plac-a "very nest of comfort;" and this is the cheery way sl describes it in one of those sketches of hors which so many thousands of persons have read: A cottage-no-a miniature house with many additions, little odds anI endis of places pantries, and what not; all angles, and of a charming in-and oultness, a little brick court before one half, and a little flower-park before the other; the walls old and weather stained, covered with hollyhocks, roses, honeysuckles and a great apricot tree; the casement full of geraniums (ahl, there is our superb white cat peeping out from among them); the closets (our landlord has the assurance to call them rooms) full of contrivances and corner cupboards; and the little gardsn behind full of common flowers, tulips. pinks larkspur, peonies, stocks and carna tions, with an arbor privet not unlike a sentry-box, where one lives ini a deli cious green light, and looks out on the gayest of all gay flower-beds. That house was built oi purpose to show in what an exceedingly small compass comfort may be packed. And that description shows the poetic side, and what a happy faculty she had, like Gudfrand's wife, ot mak ing the best of everything. It does aot look am if the place were poor, but it wats; though very picturesque with that old shed and granary overrun, like ill the rest, with untrimined and un Lrained things-as pretty a subject as m artist could desire. The American visitors found her that morning in the bit of front yard which kept her house from shutting right on the turnpike road. She was walking along a passage between two rows of geraniums as tall as she was, inipping off the decaying leaves with a p)air of scissors. She wore a cap, and mi snowy white muslin handkerchief wias pinned across the bosom of her cheap black gown; and on her plump hands she had mitts such as our grand mothers used to wear (and they have omne into fashion again), where the lingers were all free while the thumb [lad a little compartment by itself; it seems to me that they were of thick black crape with rows of white feather stitch down the back, and they did look so quaint, like the antiquated gentle. wioman who wore them. She was short nl stout, a "dumpling of a person,"' wvith a face as round and good-natured is Phebe Gary's; and as she slowly wvalked and snipped she was chirping ike a canary to a silky-haired spaniel who kept close by her gown, and an >ldl house-cat on the windowv-ledge. EIer voice was sweet; her manners were ,ha rmfing. The Last~ survivo,,s. Beavers are no0w so scarce that it seems hardly credlible that their dams mice lined all the river shores from [I udson's bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Like the Chinosegardeners who live on artill eial river islands, they certainly tried their best to be ini nobody's way; but at the current market value of their skins they could not be p~ermittedl to survive. And what has become of the wild pigeons that once darkened the sun wvith their endless swvarmn? There are a few "roosts" left in Arkansas, one or two in southern Missouni and West Virginia; in northern Ohio they are still hunited toward the end of the year, and fly fromi county to county in flocks of four dozen or so; but what is that to the legion that once traveled through the beech forests of the Ohio valley? Th'le naturalist, Audubon, once saw a swarm eight miles wide, as nearly as he could estimate. it, flying overhead at the rate of at 'least fifty miles an hour; and after sitting five hours with hisa watch in hand, hoping to see the end oaf the phenmomenon, lie got tired of waiting any longer, for as yet the swarm had not perceptibly diminished. Of their total number hardly one in ten thousand is now left. Ilow many' pounds of powder must it have talken to exterminate the rest? Still, our last wvild pigeons wvill out live the last huftaloos and last grizzly bears for in the warfare against a sui pierior foe caution is a better weapon than strength. Th'le forests of northern Europe were once inhabited by a light ing ox, the Ur or lAuer-Ochse, an~ ex tremely fierce I~rute, that often turned thme tables agaInst its wauld-he hunmters. But the invention of gunpowder deci ded its. (ne and the only wild speci mena are now found in the deep forests of eastern Cancasus. The grizzly bear has bholi driven~ backg to the Iracific slope, and seems to disappear fomstor than~ his blackC brother, WhQ has more talent for tree-climbing ecave-diggilng. Wherever gunpow, delr is used in thQ warfare of main against the beasts and hiirda of the wil (lerness, the art of hiding Is their best hope of escape, and ot all the forest creatures of this continent the last sur vivors will probably be the raccoon and the sanmrral. He was no Slouch. The other day Bill Higgonson, a well. known character of the Whito Springs neighborhood, came to the city in com. pany with several young ladies, to one of whom he was engaged to be married. Bill has always thirsted for notoriety. He wants to bo known by thW leading men in town, and to show people of his community that, although born in ob sourity and reared on the farm, he can address prominoet men in a familiar way. While the young ladies were at the hotel Bill went into a wholesale store, and approaching a man who sat in the office, said: "Cap'n, you can do me a big favor, if you will. I've got a lot of gals in town with me,.an' I wanter show 'em I ain't no slouch. I want 'em to go home an' say that Bill-that's me come to town an' was knowed by the big bugs. Now, I want to make this agreement with you. I'll go away, an' putty soon will come around with the gals an' come in here, slap you on the shoulder an' say, 'Old chap, how do you hok( out?' Then you slap me, an' sany, 'Why, Bill, old boy, I'm glad to see you.' -That will be blowel all over my country, an' will be wuth money an, character to me, lemme tell you." The gentleman said that he did not object to helping a young follow along, and that the aspiring William might come in and slap him, when he would go through with his part of the pro. gramme. Bill, highly delighted with the ar rangement, went to the hotel and told the girls that he wanted them to take a walk with him. As they walked along toward the store, Bill said. "Now I'm going to show yo:1, 'iza, that you ain't going to marry no slouch. i'll show you that your own Bill is lookod up to an' liked by the best of 'em." The girl laughed self-complacently, and declared that it was nice to marry a man that "wan't a stranger an' a slouch," When they reached the at ore, Bill con ducted the ladies to the office, where a man sat looking over accounts, lie was not the man with whom the arrange ments had been made, but Bill did not recognize the difference. Advancing. he struck the man a pretty heavy slad, and exclaime(: "Hello, oJ chap, how are you hold in' out?" The gentleman sprang to his feet and glared at William, but William, with. out embarrassment, punched him among the ribs and said: "Old chap, how are you holdin' out?" "Look out, here! What do you mean?" "No foolin', old boy, Don't you re member the agreement?" lie added in an undertone. It's me; don't you remem ber the man what seeI you jes' now?" as he fancied he saw a change of count enance, he jolted the gentleman among the truncate ribs and exclaimed, "How are you holdim' out?" The gentleman "hauled off" with an ink bott.e and knocked Bill down. The girls screamed and ran away, and Bill, as soon as he was able to regain his feet, sulked away. When he reahchd the hotel with his face all besmeared with ink, his betrothed ran to him, punched him in the side and said: "Hello, old chap, how are you holdin' outy" "This settles it with us," he said shdly, regarding the girl with a look that spoke of the melancholy yellow leaf. "Jest at the time I need your sympathizin' the most, when old frien's go back on me and kinock me down, you jine the enemy. Go and pay your hotel bill an' go home." "Ain't you goin' to pay my bill?" "Nary red.". "Would you sce me disgraced right in a place whar there's so many folks?" "That ain't my lookout. I ain't a goin' to pay nary red cent for you." "Then 1'll take all back an' I am sorry that I made fun of you." "Nuff said, Come an' put your head on this here manly shoulder," F'isin~g in the Geysera. "Speaking of fish," said the smiling stranger, 'if the President wants to have some genuine fun, he wants to east a line in some o' them geysers. Tuiat's where you get fish. I got in there once about a year ago, and ketched 1,000 smelts in an hour and a quarter! And trouti Well, I ehould whisper in an undertone! I'm shout ing, gentlemen, when I say a man can take trout out o' one o' them geysers that'll weigh half a ton. I've done .it."8 "I thought the water in the geysers was wvarm,'' chipped in an unbelieving listener. "Hot, stranger, hot," protested the unabashed Wyoming man. "And you pretend to sny those fish live in hot water?" "I never alluded to the possibility, stranger. I don't even thunk of it, Taieni fb~h I ketehed was dead, every dash of 'em was dead and cooked. There's were you get the bulge on all other kind o' ibam'u. You get the fish all ready for the tabhi 1" "That sounds reasonable," observed a keen-eyed man. "I tuink he's telling the truth. I say, how do yen catch those fish?" "With worms, stranger," responded the Wyoming man, eagerly, rejoiced to find a fricud in the crowd- '-You bait your hook with angle worms, and the fish takes right holuj as soon as your sinker touches bottom." "Then we are to understand that deadi and cooked nash will biteoat a hook, are io?'' asked the keen-eyed man. "In them geysers, stranger. They won't do it anywnere else. In them geysers they are hungry for worms, and beside that they ain't cooked until you land 'om. You see, the water at the bottom o' them geysers is cold, and it's the hot water at the top, together with the friction, that cooks 'em. You don't see it anywhere but in the geyserR, but there you never muss ltI" -Troy's (N, Y,) assessed valuation hasu been reduced 200,000 by the recent assesment THE VERDICT -OF. THE PEOPLE. BUY THE BEST! MA. J. 0. BOto-Dear Sir: I bought the first Davis Machine hold by you over five years ago for my wife, who has given it a long and fair tial. I an well pleased with It. It never gives any rouble, and is as good as when first bought. J. W. 1LOI.1AM. Winnsboro, S. V., April 18i$. Mr. DOAG: VOn Wish to know what I have to say in regard to the Davis Machine bought of you three years ago. I feel a can't say too nmuch in Its favor. Imaie about $80,00 within five months, at. times running it so fast that the needle would get per fectly hot from friction. I feel confideni I could not have done the saie work with as nation ease and so well with any other machine. No time lost in adjusting attachments. The lightest running machine I have ever treadled. BrotherJanes and Williaas' families are as much pleased with their Davis Mohilies 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. ,Itespectfully, El.i.EN 1THYMNSON, Fairfleld County, April, 1893. MR. DoAo : My macnano gives me perrect satis faction. I tind no fault with it. The attachnents are so simple. I wish for no better than the Davis Vertical beed. Itespectfully. AIR". It.1%IlimNo. Fairfield counly, April, IS3. M. BOAQ: I nougatt a Oavis vertical Feed ewing Machine front you four years ago. I ani elighted with it. It never has given me any rouile, and has never been the least out of order. It is as good as when I first bought it. I can cheerfully recommend it. Itespectfully, MAs. St. J. KIRKI.Axa. Monticello. April 30, 1883. This i% to certify that I have been using a Davis Vertic.i Feed Sewing Machine for over tw iyear.s, purclhased of Mr. J. 0. tioag. I haven't found It passessed of any fault-all the attachmuents are so simple. It neverlefuses to worK, and is certalnly the Ilightest runniug in the market. I consider it a first class muctine. Very respectfully MINNIS M . WILM.INoMAM. Oakland. Fairfield county. S. C. MAR 00AG: I am wen pleasa in every particut with the Davis Machine uought of you. I think a first-olass maci Ine in every respect. You know you soint several mnachines Of the same make to dilerent members of our families, all of whom, as far as I know, are well pleased with them. Itespectfully, MAS. M. i. MoDLtv. Fairfield county, April, 1883. This Is to certify we nave nai in constant use the 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 better machine. It is always ready todo any kini of work we have to do. No puckeringor skipping stitches. We can only say we are well pleased and wish no better machine, CATURPINK WVYi1.L.41N 49Tkl. April 2, 188, I have no fault to aind with my nachhine, and don't want any better. I have mile the price of It severa times by taking in sewimg. It is always ready to do its work. I think it a f1rst-class ma chIne. I feel I can't say too much for the I)ivi Vertical Feed Machine. MAs. THOMA9 SMITH'r. Fairfileld county. April, 183:i. MA. J. 0. 110Ao-Dear Sir: it gives me im-iolt pleasure to testify to the merits of the Davis Ver tical Feed Sewing Machine. The machlie I got of you about live years ago. has been almost In cont slant use evel iue tit time. I cannaot see that it is worn alny, and has not cost me one cent for repairs since we have hadl it. Am well pleased and doni't wish for any better. Yours truly, htinT. UCnAWmonn, Granit e Qcarrn. near Winnsboro S. U. We have used the Davis Vertical Feed 8owling Machino for the last five years. We would ntol have any otheor mlake at, any price. Theil maclhtne has given us unboundeta satisfac'tion. Very respectfully, Mus. W. K. TURINHR AND DAUouTE~us Fairietld county, 8. C., Jan. 21, 1898. iaving bought a Davis Vertical Feed Sewing Machine fromt Mr. J. 0. Hoag some three years ago, andt it naving given me perfect satisfaction ini every respect, as a tamnily macuine. 11oth for h~a y andi lilt so wing, andi nevor needed tihe least re pair In any way, I can cneerfulily recounmenad it to any one as a ftirst-clasis machin in every particu lar, anid thinik It second to none. It ls one0 of tihe simpiest mineils itmde; my13 chilireni use it witu alt eas0. 'Thle attachmieims are morelt easily ad justed andt it doei a greater ranige of work by means11 of its Vertical leced than any other a chine I liu.ve ever seon or used. Mins. TrnoMAs Olvitas. We have had one of the D~avis Machines abmout four years anti have always found ii ready to do all kinds of wortt we have hadl occasion to do. Cani'1 see that the machine is worn any, and works as well as whent ntew. Mats. WV. J. CniAwroRDl Jackson's Creek, Fairfield county, 8.'C. My wvifo is highly pleased with the Davis Ma chine boulght of you. She would nlot take double what sne gave for it. Trho machine has not been out of order since siho htad it, and she can do any kind of work Oil it. Very Ihespectfullly, JAs. F. Fas. Moant icello, Fairfld county, S, (1. The D~avis Sewving Machine is simply a (reas. Mas. J. A. (IOObwYN. Itidgeway, N. C., Jan, 10, 1883. J, O BOArI, Esq., Agent--Dear Sir: My wife has1 been usIng a Dlavis Sowing Machine conlstat ly for the past foulr years, and it hass never needed any repairs ant works just as well as when lirst bought. She says it, walt do a greater range of practikal work pand do it easier anti bet'kr than any3 mhiant sihe DsS ever used. We cheerfully recommtentd it as a No. I famaily machine, Your tru.y, Q.DV. Winlnsboro. S. C., Jan. 8, 1883. Mut. DOAC: I have always found my Davis Ma chine ready do alt kinds of to work I have had 00 Caslon to de. I cannot see that the machine Is worni a particle und( it works as wedl as when now. Itespectfuiiy,. Mis. It. C. GooDIHO. Winnsboro, 19. C., A pril, 18811, MR, Tl0AG: My wife has been constantly using the Davis Macline bought of you about five years ago. I have never regretted buying it, as it is always ready for any k.I nd of fami ly sewing, eIther heavy or light. It is never out, of iii or needitng ISepairs. Very respeotluliy A. W*LAW), Fairnield . t ., March, 188RR.