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The Christmas Fiddle. Thoro's Bomethin' In s flddlo's sound tho Somehow shakes an* thrills My soul with Bweetor musio than tho song o wbippoorwlllB, Ortho wild no tos o' tho moi kln'blrd whet spring is in her prime, Dut best of all i love Vm when thoy'ro playln Cbrlstmus timo. When the onblu fires are blazin' an' the bolly borrles red With tomntin' sprays <>' mistlotoo are hangln overhead; When a follor'8 eyes are ohaslu' o' tho dim ples o' tho girls, An'ho's lost his way fororor In the tangloo' their ourls. Then 1II ko to hosr tho flddlo an' its every tuno U Bweot: Thoro's a twinklo In ray oyos then an' a ildgot in my f? ot; When thoy range the girls arouu' mo for tho danoiu' soon to be, Its' a a lleluia season to the vory soulo' mel When I seo tho old-time fiddler who has hoard tho fiddle sing For many a frosty wlntor? In Hummer time, in spring, Cay by his coat an' strike a note, it's " Broth ron, bar the doorl" For 1 know that trouble's comin' on that cabin's sandy floorl Whon I hoar that: "Swing your partuors 1" 1 feel my pulsoa bound I My arms Jest lull o1 swoetuoss an* tho room a goln' round I And, I,mill's to tho center I" an" "Hands round 1" thrllis mo through, Fora glrl'B hand's mighty tender In tho brown, broad palm o' yon! Tho heavy hall may pattor on tho shinglod rOOf Uliovo; Tho snow may beat tho songbirds from tho windy liest? tlioy love; Tho cows may miss tho olovor on tho hlllstdo an' tho lea, lint in Joy Cm roll in' over vhon tho flddlo sings to mo 1 But It's always swootor, swootor whon tho holly's bangin' high An' the Christmas lamps aro lighted In tho windows o' tho sky; An'I think if I was uyin' I would still bo foolln' prime < As tho livoltestaiigol!lyin',wlth a flddlo Christ mas time 1 ?Frank L. Stanton. BILL ARP AND HIS WIFE. QUIET TIMES AT THE OLD HOME 8TEAI). Tho Children uro Scattered and Gone ?The German Opera Makes. Him Tired and Mlcopy. Half a chicken?half a dozm bls ouits, a little hominy and butter and a small pot of colfee. It has boon about forty years since wife and I sat down to as Jlttle as that. Of course it is enough for us, and m n-e than enough, but It looks hi stingy ; only two of us row, except when wo send ofT and bor row a grandchild?our homo daughters and the little orphan have gone to Flor ida for the winter. My wife says sho hears the rats galloping iu their rooms upstairs overy night. They hare found out tiiat tho girls have gone. My wife wasn't suro that rats mado the racket, aud so about midnight, when doop sleep falleth upon a man, but not upon a woman, sho aroused mo and asked what it was. Being prema turely deaf on rats, I couldn't hear anything; but to satisfy her I took the oandle and wont upstairs in my noc turnal garments and hunted all over the rooms and closets and undor the bees, and found nothing, of course. I didn't oxpeot to find -anything. She is just lonapme and Bad, that's all, and sho didn't like to hear mo snoring while she was ruminating about tbo scattered children. All of the ten have left us at last, and by and by old Father Time will separate us too. Of course we could go and live witb somo of the married children, and they would be glad to have us ; but I nevor saw an old couple that liked to give up tbelr homo and Ureside. The hab its of forty years arc hard to be broken. Half a ohiokonis enough, but even that is a sign that we are alone? we two. I didn't feel like saying graco over such a stingy meal. ".Why didn't you cook it all, Aunt Ann," said t. "Cos it'll bo better for supper, sir," she said. But we send for a grand obild now evtrj day or two and swap them around, and thoy are always glad to come. My wife's greatest pleasure now is petting the grand children. She says she is nearly blind, but I see hor sowing on something overy day?fixing up something for their Christmas gifts. A child with out a grandmother docs not havo its share of happiness. Every grand mother iu a Eugene field, though they can't make pooms of their feelings. I was talking about Flold the other day to my frlond Ferris in George Adair's office, and he said ho used to set type with Field for The St. Louis Times, and the boys always bad a good time in iefliing with him. " What's that ?" said I. " Well," said be, " we didn't throw dice for the cigars, but wo threw em quads." "What's that?" said I. "Well," said he, " type-sot-? ting is counted by tho ems. It is a \ quad piece, and there are three* little nicks on the phunk, and lolling was played by taking up a handful of quads at random and throwing them down upon the table, and the one who showed up tho fewest nioks lost the wager. 1 romeraber that Field was generally the unluoky boy, and had to pay the cigars. There were seven of us who generally spont our leisure time together after our night's work was done. There was Helny Huff and Patty Smith and Dummy Edward* and the Monk and Betsy ileyd and Gene and mysolf. Bttsy was a boy. None of us were bad or wild, and Ueno was as amiable as he was unluoky. There was raoro in him than wo knew then, and I always felt a pride In having been one of his companions. You know that ('barley Lewis was another type-setter and took his pen name of ' M Quad ? while on The Detroit Free Press. Setting typo is a good sohool for a boy. Ho is obliged to learn lit* erature whether he wants to or not, and thero is many a one who has made his mark besides Ben Franklin and Eugene Field." " But what about tho 1 quad ? " said I. "Oh, that Is a Latin word and means how many. We were paid not by the number of ems, but by the measure of them. It took two e's or threo l's to make an em." " Angelina," said I (when I feel very loving I call my Angelina, like the hermit.) " Angelina, my dear, wouldn't you liko to go to Atlanta ana hear Damrosoh opera? You haven't heard an opera since I took you to hear Son tag and Steffanoni and Max Marotzek in New York in ?853. Just think of it- -that was forty-two years ago." " Oh, it costs; too muoh money," said she. " Only *2," said I. "Two dollars foi a good seat In the balcony. Suppose we go and hew " Siegfried." "Jessie ought to go," said she "Jessie understands nne music am nevor baa heard an opera on th< stage." That settled is. I had heard i hinted around that my wife would 111? to go, but wouldn't ask me?so I ha* to ask hor. Wo have been. Venl, vidi audi?and I am satisfied. Four hour on a hard wood seat will satisfy an: veteran?evon if the angels were mak g music. It was all German to d Jenny Lind fing once music. I understood ! and filled trie with uuuttorablo rap ture and ail I could do was to weep wltb emotion. But this German bush dobs tired me awfully and I slept right good at times. I can sleep bolt upright and nevpr move. When the music was soft and sweet I enjoyed It, but I oouldn't see anything hardly. Sieg fried was mending an old broken sword and I liked that old-time black smith shop, but there was a tall wo man in front of me with a big black ostrich feather in her hat and she bobbed it around so I didn't even see the anvil out in two. It's an outrage. The lady behind me had no such ob stacles. There are no feathers on my head. The olink of the hammer and and tho scroeoh of the file were good and tho mnsio ohlmod with both de lightfully. Siegfried is a good black smith and ought to follow the trade in my opinion. I wish they would sing in English. I'll bet there were not ten in a hundred of that audience who who understood a word that was sung; They go there because it is considered the thing to do. It is fashionable. Of oourso there was sweet music and so there Is in a ohuroh or in the parlor or in a minstrel, show and it don't drag along for hours. Siegfried had to kill a dragon and it took him a half an hour. It was a drag on sure enough. I oould have killed him in a minute with that magio sword. But the birds did sing most swoetly and that lady that was hidden up in the trees?ah, that was delicious. I liked that. The drums and horns ail hushod for that. Sometimes when the whole orchestra was in full blast fiddling and blowing and drum beating for dear life an 1 stopped all of a sudden it soared me. I thought something had bursted or tho boiler had collapsed or the air brake oome uncoupled. The suddenness- always awaked me and once I jumped so my wife noticed it and askod what was the matter. I told her I had a slight palpitation and was threatened with heart failure, whloh 'I am. At times it seemed to me tho musicians were trying to drown the voice of that woman that Sieg fried found asleep or dead in the woods and sang oher to life again, but they eouldn't do it. I never heard such a vioce in my life, but I was sorry that she was lamo. She couldn't walk at all hardly. My wife says she was juat tangled up in her shroud or maybe she had been dead so long she had lost tho use of her extremities. She was the star?ono of tho great singers of tho world they say, but sho couldn't do ustice to herself with all those horns a blowing. Sieffried had found her asleep in the woods reclining on a mossy bank, and as he bad never before seen a woman ho thought she was an angel and wanted to wake her but wits afraid. For a long time he tiptoed and olroled and at but ven tured to touch hor and his plaintlvo voice seemed to plead with her to awake, but sho didn't. By and by he got bolder and leaning over pressed his lips to hers and drow back as if he hud committed the un pardonable sin. Well, of course, that waked her?of course it did ; and after shehad come to hersolf' she looked lov ingly toward him and be^an to Bing? and oh, suoh notes. J. don't know wu&i she said and I don't care, but thor?> '"as love '.a it?lots of love and he caught lue malady and sang buck at her and just such melody I never hoard. It took him too long to wako hor up, though. I think I would have waked her in half the time. But all operas have an end some where, and this ono finally olosed just in time for us to lose our train and we had to wait nearly three hours for tho next ono. This vexed me and I con sidered myself the injured person, but I didn't complain?no I never complain. My wlfo and daughter say that it was grand, and as I went there to please them it is all right with me. It was grand, gloomy and peculiar. They had read the opera before and knew what tho singing was about, and they told mo how Tannhauser and Lo hengrin were composed nearly fifty years ugo and were introduced in Paris and Vienna and nobody liked them, and they went dead and slept for thirty years until Liszt took hold of them and received them out of his great regard for Wagner. He educat ed tho musical world up to Wagner's standard and now they are played by the week in Baireuth, the greatest musical center in the world. By tho week is meant that it takes a whole week to go through one opera, for it is not cut or abridged like it is over here. The company will play all the morn ing and have a recess for dinner and continue in the afternoon and again at night and the next day and so on until the whole thing is finished. Merciful fathers?what would bocome of me if I had to endure the like of that. Bill. Arp. a Tribute to Robert O. Win throp.?At the latest meeting of the trustees of the Poabody educational fund a committee was appointed to draw up a tribute to the memory of the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop. That committee consisted of Chief Justice Melville W Fuller, the Hon. William A. Courtenaj, of South Carolina, and the Hon. Joseph H. Choato, of New York. Charles E. u Wingate writes from Boston to the New York Critio : " I have just seen a copy of that trib ute, and quote one strong paragraph. Judging by its style, I should say that tho memorial was written by Mr. Choato. After speaking of the warm personal friendship of Mr. Peabody, the founder of the trust, with Mr. Win throp, illustrated by the appointment [ of tho latter as one of the original trus tees and permanent president, the trib ute says: "His lofty character, his courteous bearing, his uniform kind ness in all his dealings with the trus tees over whom he presided, endeared htm to each member of the trust as warm personal friend, and the light whloh his experience and knowledge shed upon every question that arose for deliberation always made tho task of his associates an easy one. We felt1 that whatever Mr. Winthrop approved, after the study and reflection which he insisted upon giving to every measuro projected, must of course bo right- It was a very great thing for an institu tion like this to be presided over by suoh v. man, who for a quarter of a cen tury was willing to give to its continual service the best powers with which he was endowed." Guiana was discover od by Colum bus la 1408. Dutoh settlements wore founded in 1480. In 1505 Sir Walter Raleigh landed in tho country to search for gold. British Guiana has an area estiraatod at 09,025 square miles. In 1851 tho population was about 148,000. The English made c.o permanent settlements In Its early history. After various ohangos Eng land made an arrangement with the Nothelands in 1814 by whioh thoy re gained possession or the territory, whioh is now oalied British-Guiana. They have enjoyed undisturbed posses slop since that date. Sugar is the ijyfct country ?-? NOT A 1)1 SHUNTING VOICE. The Senate Passes the Bill Removing Con federate JDIsahllitles. The United States Senate engaged in a work of reconciliation on Christ mas Eve by passing the bill removing disabilities of Confederato soldiers. The proceedings were as follows: Mr. Hill (Dem.) of New York asked the Senate to take up and pass the bill introduced by him last week to repeal the statute whioh prohibits ex Confederate officers who had previously been commissioned officers in the United States army or navy from hold in" positions in the army or navy. Mr. Sherman (Hep.) of Ohiodeolared himself as heartily In favor of the bill, but thought that it should take Uu> ordinary course and be referred to the committee on military affairs. Mr. HU1 argued that the bill was a simple one, and needed no considera tion by a committee. Ho thought it would be a good thing, just before ChriBtmas, to make this presont to toe old Confederato officers who had fdr morly held commissions in the United States army. Mr. Chandler (Rep.) of New Hamp shire favored the bill and declared that it ought to be passed and passed to-day, It was simple in Its oharacter. As tho Senate had, the othor day, unanimously, without distinction of party, come to the support of a Demo cratic President when ho announcod national principles in relation to Vene zuela, so he bopedi that to-day with out delay, without oritioism, without amendment, freely and generously, this bill might bo passed oy tho af firmative votes of overv Senator. Mr. Gray (Dom.) of Delaware, while favoring the bill, agreed with Mr. Sherman that it should be referred to a coinmltteo In the regular way. Mr. Hawloy (Hep.) of Connecticut, while favoring the bill, justified tbo act whioh is now proposed to repeal. It was proper legislation at the time it was passed, but that time had now passed away. Mr. Daniel (Dem.) of Virginia favor ed tho bill and presented -resolutions of the Virginia Legislature favoring its passage and the Pretidont's mes sage. Ho said that when the Confe derato soldlors laid down their arms, they laid them down and wero done Qghtiug. Tho disagreeable memories of the war were obliterated, and ever nnco the moo of tho South and of the North wore ono oooplo with a common Bouutry. It should not bo forgotten, lie said, as to tbo young men who bad been oducatcd at West Point and An aupolis, that the expenses of those in stitutions had been contributed to pro jortlonably by their own Status. Mr. Sherman submitted tbo motion A) refer the bill to the committee on nil!tary affairs. Mr. Voorhees (Dem.) of Indiana was nclined to favor the motion to refer, to attached no groat importance to ihe bill now except as an oxpression of nationality, brotherhood and total re conciliation. Ho called attention to he fact, howovor, that Confederate ?flloers of the highest rank who had eslgned their commissions in tho Jnion army, Longstreet, Joe Johnston, daury and otbors, had boon confirmed >y tho Senate for many important yosltiuns. Mr. Platt (Hop.) of Connecticut ox dalned that his objection to the bill ast week was merely to a technical mint, not as to its merits, for ho favor id it. But yot, bo said, newspapers in he South had taken ocoaslou to laud dr. Hiil. to condomn him (Mr. Platt) is wanting in every attribute of pat ?iot ism and to apply all sorts of epith )ts to him, being caroful to send hltn a narked copy of eaoh paper (laughter), lo had examined tbo bill and was atlsfied that It was now in proper orm, and that it, would offectuale the mrpose which its author had in view md he was so full of forgiveness this norning?the day before Christmas? hat he was willing to join the Senator rom New York in presenting this Christmas gift to thoso officers who lad fought in the Confederate army md who he was suro would rejoice to Ight In the army of the wholo of the tountry if the opportunity presented tsolf, of which be bolievee there was 10 prospect at present. Mr. Allen (Rsp.) of Nebraska ox iressed his belief that tho bill would 10t havo been hoard of if war had not >een threatened, and if Pre3ident ZUovoland had not boon ''twisting the iritiah lion's tall.'' He hoped, how >vor, that the motion to refer would bo withdrawn and that tho bill would be passed at once. Mr. Hill said he had not supposed hut the blli would havo occasioned tuoh a long debate. Every Senator 3 ad beard tho bill read ; every Senator understood; yot for diversified reasons, 10 Senator wished it to pass immedi ately. It would-have to bo referred to i committee which knew all about It, but whioh would havo to take some time to consider it. Why, he asked, 70 through thoso useless forms ? Ho oad labored under tho idea that If last wook the Senate could afford to take ud and pass the Venezuelan commis sion bill, involving consequences of peace or war, without action by a com mittee, it would not scruplo to pass this little bill aud to give to those old Confederates that Christmas presont. He thought that the spectacle was one of straining at a gnat and swallowing a oamel. He remombered that the Senator from Ohio, Mr. Sherman, had moved to refer that bill to the 00m mittee on foreign relations ; but he had not pressed that motion nor voted for it himself. As to Mr. Platt's re ference to newspaper articles lauding him (Mr. Hill) ho said that ho would like to havo seen somo of those com tilimentary notices, as ho saw few such n print nowadays> (Lffugbter.) After further discussion,, a voto was taken on Mr. Sherman's motion to refer the bill, and tho rosult was Yeas 8, nays 30?less than a quorum A subseqent roll call showed the pro8enoo of 47 Senators?over a quorum ?and thon Mr. Sherman withdrew the motion to refer and the bill was road a third timo and passed. ?The Seaboard Air Line has given sixty days notice of its intended with drawal from the Southern States Frolght Association. Vico Presldont St. Johns says Cuit the Seaboard with draws because o organization has not been completod, In that a new ar bitration committee has boon elected and there is a deadlock over tho mat ter. He declares that some of the stronger lines are not disposed to treat the weaker lines fairly. The with drawal of the Seaboard will be apt to lead to a rate war, ?The fact that there will be two moons in December for tho- 'first time since Christ's birth, 1896 years ago, is tho cause of some speculation among thoso who are superstitious as to whother or not tho event may not por tend the second coming of the Mossiah. ?It is a common fact, but not gen erally remembered, that a cook will not orow unless he oan throw baok ids head. If acock Is abut ovornlght in la low coop whoro he cannot stretch Aok hlsneek, tlvre will be no crowing I tbo morning until the bird is re urn." FORT HITMTKIi TO BB M ANN Kl > The War Department Will Repair ehe Historie Fort and Butld. Bat terirw on bulllvan's Island. 8peoial to The News and Courier. Fort Humtor -is to be rehabilitated and armed for the protection of the city of Charleston. That old fortress that played such an important part in the opening of the war for Southern independence is again to be fitted with ten-lnoh rifles and be equipped for the defenoe of Charleston harbor. Tho proieot has been under consideration at the war department for somo time past, but the question was brought di rectly to the attention of the Secretary of War, Gen. Miles, the commanding Eeneral of tho army, and Gen. Craig 111, the ohief of engineers, by Repre sentative Elliott, who represents the Charleston District. Gen. Miles has recently been South, and is heartily in favor of the restoration of the old forti fication to a warlike condition. It is not known whether the renovation of Fort Sumter is due to tho threatened confliot with Great Britain, hut the proposition meets with tne cordial en dorsement of all of the officers named. There is something like $75,000 avail able for tho fortifications in Charleston harbor, and the Secretary of War is willing that the money should be ex Kended upon Fort Sumter, and a land attery on Sullivan's Island, in the same harbor. Siuce the close of tho war Fort Sum ter has been almost deserted .by the Government troops. For many years past an ordnance sergeant has lived there as a sort of watcher of the rapid ly decaying government property. 1 ime has made but little impression upon its stout walls, but the etemonts have played havoc with the interior and the exposed portions of the struc ture. It is estimated that the fort can be placed in good condition and made quite formidable without the expendi ture of a large sum of money. The principal outlay will be for guns. It is a remarkable coinoidenco that Fort Sumter, the first fortification to figure in tho late war, is now the first point of defonce to get ready to resist foreign invasion. Even if there should be no occasion for conflict, it is con tended that Fort Sumter should be re stored to its normal condition, ana maintained with the same caro and fi lollty that is employed upon the forti Ications in New York harbor. Repre tentative Elliott was highly gratified it the success of his visit to the war lepartment. and he proposes to push ihe matter to an early settlement. While at tho war department Col. Slllbtt met (.'apt. Abbot, who is in , sharge of the river and harbor im provements in and around Charleston. 3apt. Abbot also agrees with his su- ; )eriors that the fortifications in Char- j eston harbor should be rehabilitated. ] i) addition to equipping and arming i ?'ort Sumter it is also proposed to build \ hree batteries on Sullivan's Island for , funs and mortars. The work on Sul- < ivan's Island has been delayed by the ; lilllculty in fixing the price for tho i property needed, but it is understood j hat Capt. Abbot expects to have tho ' natter adjusted so that work m-iy , lommonce without farther delay. is t o sending troops to Sullivan's Island, '? Sen. Miles says he is fully in sympathy < vith suoh a proposition, and ho will do \ dl in his power to have the new batter- j c3 garrisoned without dolay. Upon i rxaminationof the subject it was as ortained that there are now on Sulli rau'f< Island buildings belonging to tho ' government, which may bo used as j quarters for the troops. Tho site for me (if the now battorios is quite near Port Moultrle, and the other two are 0 bo located according to tho judgment ' ?f tho chief of engineers. All of these latteries will bo armed with ten-inch ?ifles. Some time ago Col. Elliott asked the > Jocretary of War for a report on the , >rojeet contemplating the improve nent of navigation between Charleston oui Beaufort by means of a out through tonwiok'e Island. The proposed im- ! >rovoment was recommended several rears ai?o, but it was not provided for ! pecause of the large cost involved. 3apt. Abbot has just submitted his re- ' port on tbe project, which be says can ' po completed at a greaily reduced iguro as compared with the original ' istimates. For from $25,000 to $45,000 1 channel of from forty-five feet to nine .y feet can bo cut between the points ' mmed. Backed by Capt. Abbot's re port, Col. Elliott will press the matter ' pefore the river and harbor commit- 1 ,eo. THIS OPENING OF BILiTIMORR. Vande-bills Beautiful House and Grounds Near Asheville. Georgo W. Vanderbilt, tht youngest member of the great New York family >f millionaires, formally opened his country homo aoar Asheville on Christ mas Day. All immmodiate members of the Vanderbilt family now in this country were guests of " Biltraore House." Among them were Mrs. Wil liam H. Vanderbilt, mother of the owner of Blltmore ; Mrs. Bromloy, his aunt; Mrs. Kissam, Miss Klssam, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Vanderbilt, Mr. and Mrs. W. Soward Webb, and their daughter and son, Cornelius Vander bilt and family, W. K. Vanderbilt, W. D. Sloane aud family and others. All of these persons traveled in their own private oars, and brought with them an army of servants. For two weeks previous G. W. Van derbilt had personally dlrootod a corps of oarvers, jointers, decorators and florists in giving tho finishing touches to the great mansion, and it stands to day, in connection with its surrounding park and outlying hunting and fishing preserves, tho most valuable as well as tho most extensive private proporty in America. The house tract contains 8,000 acres, upon whloh seventy-five miles of unrivalled driveways have already been constructed, while tho hunting preserves embrace 87,000 acres, in whioh is included Mount Pisgab, one of the most prominent peaks on Ashevillo plateau, whloh boasts the highest point east of the Kooky Mountains. For two weeks provisions of all kinds have boon arriving in carloads, confec tions iu hundred pound packages, game, fish, fowls of all sorts, frozen moats in oarloads, all giving intima tion as to the bountiful good choor which 1b tube dispensod. At 11 o'clock a Christmas troe was given all em ployes on the estate, numbering be tween 300 and 500. Barren? of mistlo toe and wagon loads of holly and cart loads of packages wero put Into this feature, and the banquet hall was crowded with eager, happy faces for more, than two hours. After .the Christmas troe a bountiful dinnor was spread. While the con pany now at Blltmore is made up exclusively of members of tho Vanderbilt anally, the fesivities will broaden towards the oloso of the weok, when a large Loom pan v of Mrs VnndcrblltV Now YJHBfemlt) W1U be his guests/for porl^H ?ttMtjt^hc tlmo will % spontM hunting aflbk^l Hhooting?j TO MIO KT THG EMERGENCY. The KopublicaiiH Report Bond and Tariff Bllla for the Relief of the Treasury. The Democrats wanted the ways and means committee to postpone action on the tariff and bond bills, but the Republicans ordered them to be re ported by strict party vote. All the members of tho committee, except Mr. Grosvecor, of Ohio, and Mr. MoLaarin, of South Carolina, were in attendanoe. The session lasted two and a half hours. The Democrats made a general protest against both measure). ? The tariff bill was first considered. As each section was read Mr. Turner, of Georgia, moved to strike it out, the Democrats voting in the affirmative and tbo Republicans in opposition. Mr. McMillln, of Ton uessee, thon entered an earnest plea for more time in which to consider both bills. Ho argued that this bolng a holiday the departments were closed; that it would be impossible to secure from the treasury department before Tbuisday the data necessary to sup port the Democratic contention, and closed with a motion that further re consideration of the measure in com mittee be postponed two days. This motion was defeated, as was also his motion for twenty-four hours' delay. After this, discussion, for a while, became general. Tho Demo crats contended that tho treasury now contained a oash balance of $170,000, 000; that this was ample to meet any deficiencies whioh might arlso for several years ; that tho receipts before the olose of tho fiscal year would equal expenditures, aud that no tariff legis lation was necessary. To this Chairman Dingley responded with a general disclaimer. Ho stated that $70,000,000 of tho amount was in greenbacks, which bas not been re ceived as revenues, but which wero redeemed with gold, and that they be longed practically to the redemption fund. Thoy wero a part, really, of tbo cash balance, and ought not to bo used for current expenses. He showed that the greenbacks wero uped as au " endless chain " to draw gold from tho Treasury, and approved the policy of the Secretary in looking them up. The purpose of the tariff bill, Mr. Dingley contlnuod, was to furnish the monoy needed for the expenses of the Government without trenching on the gold reserve, or the greenbacks which had been redeemed in gold. He ad mitted that in offering thoso revenue measures the Republicans havo waived, for the moment, their protec tion principles and they made this con cession, hoping that the President would be equally unselfish In. putting his own objections behind Mm. Mr. Dingley insisted that the bill was not Intended as a party measure. It was, bo explained, non-partisau in charac ter, and he hoped that it would poll Lhe full vote of Congross, in order to save the credit of the government, which, according to tho President's message, and disclosures made in pri vate by Secretary Carlisle, was in ejreat danger. The condition of tho Treasury, he insisted, demanded prompt action. Every day's delay ttddeu to tho embarrassment of the administration. Inasmuch as no re vision of the tariff was attempted in the. measure in question no discussion in commlttoo at this time was neces jary. Tho Republicans, ho said, In con clusion, had taken the tariff law of 1801 as a basis, and, according to the importations for that year, tho new bill would add $10,000,000 annually to the revenuos. Of this sum $12,000,000 would be derived from duties on raw wool, $14,000,000 on manufactures of wool and $14,000,000 additional from tho horizontal increase on the remain ing schedules, oxcopt sugar, which was not changed, and lumber, tho duty on which would be 60 per cent, of tbo McKinley tariff rate. Tho first and only broak in tho Dem ocratic column was the motion of Mr. Turner (D."m. of Ga.) to strike out tho second section of the bond bill au thorizing tho issuance of $50,000,000 certificates of indebtedness. On this motion Mr. Tarsney (Dom. of Mo.) voted with the Republicans and the amendment was lost. Thereupon, Mr. McMillln (Dem. of Toon.) offered an amendment that tbo certificates Issued should be subject to taxation as are the greenbacks and other moneys, but this amendment was also rejected, the Republican? voting against it. EARLY COTTON FACTOR!KS. The Pioneer Was the Burnt Factory in Spartanburg County?Some Facts About the Builders. Maj. Wm. Hoy in Carolina Spartan. Mr. Editor :?I havo been called on for information with regard to the pioneer manufacturers of cotton in South Carolina. The first factory for spinning cotton that I over hoard of was what was somotimes called tho Burnt Faotory. It was In operation before 1816. At that time Weaver, tho proprietor of tho factory, was on 8aged in a lawsuit with McDowell, of har lesion. McDowell died that year and his exeoutor carried on the Bult and gained it. Whon tho factory was burnt, I do not know. Weaver after wards built a factory on one of tho prongs of Middle Tygor, in Greonvlllo County. The Hills must havo come to Spartanburg about 1817 or '18. Major Henry came with tho Hills and was for sometime engaged with them in spinning cotton on Tygor. He quit the business and was a lawyor in full practlco as early as 1822. When the Rev. Thomas Hutchings oame to what is now called Pelham, I do not know. His was tho first faotory 1 ever saw. I recollect seoing it as early as 1822. Mr. Hutchings operated tho faotory to some time neur 1830, ho took Into partnership Josiah Kllgore, who had plenty of capital, and thoy mado it a succoss. It might, Mr. Editor, bo of some in terest to some of your readers to know how the faotory was operated. I heard KUtfort? say that it took $20,000 a year to buy tho cotton. That would pay for< 500 bales, whioh number is now spun at I vizor in five days. To turn this twonty thousand dollars baok into cash tboy would havo to transport their thread by wagons to Western i North Carolina, East Tennessee and a great quantity to tbo lower part of the State. They bartered a quantity of their thread in East Tennesseo for flax thread. They sold flax thread to the shoe makers and had a large amount woven in the country looms, paying a skein of cotton ? thread for weaving .a yard of oloth. Pelham, Mr. Editor, is about sixty yards inside tho Groen villo line. When. Mr. Hutchings sold his faotory on Enoreo he built anothor at a place now called BatesvlUe, on a large crook a short distance from what is now Hates villo. Ho waa- running that factory in 1833. Tbg preoise tlmo he BoijLJt, I do not /now, but he".:|waH capital that built the factory belonged to those men. A lawsuit in equity resulted in Mr. Hutohings losing his case and the factory in some way fell Into D. W. Moore's hands. Mr. Uutoh ? ings then quite the factory business and went to preaohing in Charleston and Savannah with great success. I , knew of his paying some of his former debts with money he received for preaohing at those places. Not far from 1837 Mr. Vardry MoBee i built a faotgry on Reedy River, not I far from Greenville. This was a brick I building and was the best house that had been put up for cotton factories in I the Stato. I think it was about 1837 i that ?r. Bixlags came to Spartanburg and originated what was then called Bivingsville. That was tho most ex tensive exterprise in the manufacture of cotton that bad been originated in tbe State. From some cause a lawsuit sprung up, much, to the iujury of all parties concern in it. Some time about :40 or '47 Dr. Bivings oame to Middle Tygor and built a factory, then called Crawfordsvllle, now called Fair mont and operated it to tho end of the Confederate war. ' At what time Valley Falls commonced business, I do not know ; it was running during tho war. Simpson & Downs once had a faotory on Kabun's oreek, Laurens County. It was Baid ithat it was not a financial success. I bellevo that it was burned. Tnoy wero both lawyers. Both were afterwards* candidates for Congress. Simpson succeeded; Downs failed. There was once a small factory on a prong of Reedy River, In Groenville County. A man by tho name of Berry was concerned in it. I saw a small factory on a big creek two or three miles below old Pondleton. It is woll know that there wus a large cotton factory near Columbia, on Saluda river, several years before the Coufederat war. Nicholas Vlcolo Van Patton, after going three times to England purchasing machinery for parties at tho Nortn, camo to what was then known as Cantrell's shoals on Enoreo and put up a cotton faotory. VanPutton was said to be the best mechanic In the world. After a short timo ho piled up his machinery and wont to work the third of a century trying to establish porpetual motion, spending thousands of dollars without success. There are few places, Mr. Editor, so weil adapted to manufacturing pur poses as Cantrell's, or VanPatton shoals. The entire fall is said to be fifty feet. Tho river approaches the fall in a horse shoe shape making a peninsula of fifteen or twenty acres, j 13y making a solid dam, tho peninsula ?dm ui be made a water reservoir which, . >y tunneling on both sides of the ? *ivor tapping the reservoir, two addi- j donul falls could be secured. By mak- , ng tbe dam high enough to catch the j light and Sunday How of water six j actories, each as large as Pelham, \ sou Id be operated. , Vaucluso, in Edgefiold County, has ieon a cotton manufacturing establish nent for more than half a century. I pelieve It Is the only concern in this ( State that ever was attempted to bo ? iperated by slave or negro labor. The . experiment signally failed. The , legroes robbed tho factory and burnt t, or attempted to burn it and wero langed. When a Northern member , >f Congress told McDuflie to build a actory, put his negroes to work in it J ind get the benefit of a protective aritr, he replied by relating tho Vau sluse matter and showed that the thievish and treacherous character of mo nogroes made them unfit for manu 'acturlng purposes. - ?, . ? * -?i - A WAR OF J>ESTUUOriON. CSttban Insurgents Burning Towns and Plundering and Laying Waste i the Whole Island. Key West, Fla. Docember 2(5.? 1 fVdvicos received from Cuba to-day ' mat a battle occurred yesterday after- ' loon between tho vanguards of the 1 nsurgents and Spanish armies and 1 mat tho Spaniards wero repulsed. 1 3ol. Pratt, who commanded tho 1 Spanish vanguard, was killed. Mar tinez Campos was present and directed 1 me retreat of the Spaniards toJovel- J lanos. Campos'a forces are now en- ' trenched at that place, expecting to t)e attacked by the Gomez's main army. Campos has armed all the civilians In Tovellanoa and is forcing them to do military duty. 1 Advices recoivod by Cuban leaders via Olivette confirm tho report of the capture of tho town of El Roquo by Uomez, us announced in these dis patches last night. With Gomez wero Seraiin Sanohcz, Agulrre and Quarez. The Spanish regiment stationed at El Roque surrendered without firing a shot. Ail of them wero paroled, except twelve, who wore charged with having poisoned the water in tho re Bjrvolr of the town. Thoy wero tried, convicted and shot. After taking a. I the arms, provisions, etc., found in tho town, the insurgents sot firo to it and then loft, goiug in tho direction of Quintana and Jovollanos. Tbe van guard of Gomez's forces under the commend of Lacreto has ontered tho town of Quintana botweon Matanzas and Colon and destroyed by fire the largest sugar plantation on the island. The train that left Colon for Matan zas was detained at Qintana by the insurgents. A column of smoke could be plainly seen from Jovoilanos. The general supposition is that all planta tions In that district have been de stroyed. Maceo and his forces havo encamped at the plantation Al Harraonia. and Gomez has established his head quarters at the plantation La Espano, belonging to Romero Robledo, of the Spanish Cabinet. All telegraphic communication be tween Las Vilas district and Havana has been destroyed by the insurgents, and no trains havo passed over tho road sinee Saturday ladt. Tho railroad stations at Madunaaud Toca belonging to the Unitod Railroad Company havo been destroyed by fire. Tho insurgents undor Nunez havo enoampod at tho plantation Revido, and destroyed all tho cane. The forces of Antonio Maceo and Qutntln Bandera compose tho rear guard of tho army under Gomez. The Spaniards prohibited all publlo entertainments on the 25th and Order ed all saloons closed at 12 o'clock at night. Lacrot, with a large force, is march ing towards Guinea. Tho insurgents assort that no orops will bo gathered this year. Gomez has notified Campos that it is his in tention to destroy all the sugar cane, to prevent its being gathered. The sugar being exported now is takon from the ware houses and is part of last year's crop. - ii ?i- - ?Tho Btory is told of a canny Scot, who having recently lost his wife, was receiving tnecommlsoratlon of a f rioud. " Yod havo a great trial, Mr. Camp belt, 'f " Yes, sir, you may woll say that," was the reply. \ And then paus _ lngf jylth^a^iako of IiIh head : " Not HUHHHH Bkreat trial, but letnaa ^kof vorra com^tf| A WARNING TO PAT PBOPLIS. The Anolent Ideal of Hen my Must be Revived. I A Berlin professor has just, dis covered that for fat persons to employ noy means whatever to reduce their flesh is likely to injure their health und ?horten their lives. The Literary Digest quotes the abstract of the pro | lessor's article, and comments as fol I lows : I " Fat men, do not try to make your solves thin. It is thus that Professor . Eulenbourg, of Berlin, adjures you in : one of the last numbers of the German Medical Weekly. It is oot that he would advise you to persist in your obesity, but he has discovered that ail the ni' ans that you may employ to be rid of it would have the effect of ruin ing your health, and oven shortening you lifo, Against all these he would pluco you on guard. For example, ho is indignant that permission should bo given to German druggists to sell, without an orler to the first comer, tablets and potions whloh might per haps cure obesity, but which injure the organism and produce grave troubles of the neivcs and the blood, for all of them contain some poison,' and it would be much better to bo fat and boaltby than a loan valetudinarian. Among other examples of the disas trous oiTcots of the cures of obesity, Dr. Eulenbourg cites the case of a well known dramatic artist, who, not con tent with the opulence of form whloh Nature had given him, became so thin that he died in consequence. But it is not the treatment alone that is dan gorous. Scarcely has the man tho op portunity to enjoy his diminishing oboslty, boforo disquieting symptoms begin tboir appearance, his humor alters, he becomoB nervous impres sionable, and from day to day he has no more the feeling of being in his natural state. "It seems to be clearly proved that wo cannot mako ourselves thin with impunity. Nature croates the fat and tho lean, and it is the part of wisdom for one and tho other to resign them selves to their condition. But just here humanity seems to fall, and it is to be feared that the most serious dis coveries, as well as the most daugorous advertisements, will fail to prevent people who are too fat from making themselves thin, no matter how. Why did not Professor Eulenbourg, instead ' of discovering tho dangerous chemical ' properties of the remedies for obosily, j try to discover that obesity was grace- ' ful, and more. beautiful than tbo op- ' posito"" state ? Upon this condition ? tilono would his advice bo hooded. 1 Aud after all, who can provo the I sesthetlo superiority of tho thin over 1 the fat? That's but a matter of fashion, the result of a new taste, that ' may change from one year to another. * [s it not time to honor tho ancient 1 ideal of fat beauty? Would it not pre- 1 .-cut the disastrous elfucts of all the ?" "omodles for obesity." The Cost of Bau Roads.?The , jflieo of road Inquiry of tho Dopart- } neMt of Agriculture has completed an \ interesting investigation relating to i -he use of tho common roads of tho [ United States. Returns have been , received from about 1,200 counties, ( diowing tho average length of haul t from farms to markets or shipping i points to be 12 miles ; tho average weight of load for two horses, 2,002 ( pounds ; and the average cost per ton t per mile 25 cents, or $2 for the entire rt haul. Estimating the farm products 2 At 219,824,227 tons in weight and mak ing estimates on other article- carrieu i over tbo publio roads, it is calculated H that the aggregate expense of this . transportation In the United States I- , 8u40,414,(J()5 per annum. Reports have c been asked from tiio United State v BOnsula abroad of the expense of haul- o lug where tho roads are good, so as to d render possible a calculation which t will show how much of this largo out- v lay is due to bad roads. Tho estimate ? is ventured, however, upon informu- t tion in the offico of road inqury, count- i ing the loss of time in reaching i markets, the enforced idleness and the < wear and tear to livestock and hauling \ machinery caused by poor roads, that < two-thirds of tho cost might be savod \ by an improvement of the roads. 1 A Qukstion in Theology.?F. K. i Van Tassel, a local missionary in Ul- ( ?ter, contributes to tho Kingston Free- | man an article from whloh we tako Uho following story : " As I passed through Hasbrouck. I saw a churcK in an un finished condition, and inquired what t church it was. 1 learned that it was ; Mr. Hamilton's. This leads mo to | speak of this second Robort Collyer, a , blacksmith And a preacher. One day , a minister of the Methodist Episcopal denomination came to havo his horse shod by Mr. Hamilton. Knowing his Baptist proclivities, he thought to joke him. Said ho, "Is this a Baptist shop?" "It is, sir," Bald Mr. Hamil ton. " Well, I want Methodist shoes put on my horse." " AH right, sir." The sturdy blacksmith, with a smile, went to work, turned, calkod and fitted the shoes, then laid thorn down and waited saying, "Will tako somo time to cool, sir; you will have to wait a little." " Why don't you dip them into tho tub?" said tho Methodist man. "Oh, that would mako them Baptist shoes, sir 1" said Mr. Hamilton. Tho joko had gone far enough by this time, and tbo Methodist brothor replied, "Oh, well, dip them anyway ; I'm In a hurry." So tho Methodist horse wore Baptist shoos ono time, and was no worse for it. A Dismal FAILURE.-?One of tho most amusiug stories of tho day treats of mistaken philanthropy. At a cer tain army post thore was a Bontry on duty near tbo hospital. Tho surgeon was preparing to go to bed inside, when he was annoyed and alarmed at the sentry's coughing. His expe rienced ear told him that the man had a sovero bronchial aflliction, needing a strong remedy. He debated awhile with himself, and then going into tho disponsing room, compounded a powerful mixture. This he took outside to the sentry with in structions to swallow It lmmodlatoiy. Tho man refused. Tho surgeon in sisted and finally commanded tho man to take tho medicine, which ho did, with muoh grumbling. Then the worthy surgeon wont to bod, pleasod to hoar no more coughing. Next morning to his surprise tho commaddlng officer Bent for him and Bald that tho sentry had complained, declaring that the surgeon had forced him to swallow something ho thought was poison. An investigation follow ed and revoaled the fact that while the surgeon was mixing the medicine, tho coughing sentry had been relieved and consequently the remedy had been given to the wrong man, A TAltlFF MKA8UKI Revenue Increased to Meet- tl Defloit?The Dill Passed by a ParJ Vote. Washington, Deo. 26.?-The Hou] today responded to the appeal of, President by passing the tariff the operation of whloh is lit two and a half years andi' designed to raist. $40,0X>WO<J relief of the Treasury. Tho i will be passed to-mOrrow. to-day was on party 'lines, exceptions. The Republk voted for tho biH, except Bat Montana, who did not vote, Democrats and Populists agt save Newlands, (Pop. of Neva! voted in favyr of tho measure. The special ordor'under whi| bill was brought to a vote at 5 this evoning, after three and hours of debate, was ironclad, character and compelled the m? to adopt or rejoct It without <j tunity of offering amendments tl kind. Although there was the] liant sotting that usually accompli a held day in the House, tho dt^ lacked muoh of tho spirit and whioh gonerally characterizes a p* san battle in tho lower branch of " gross. Even the preliminary skirt over tho adoption of the rule, wil ordinarily precipitates tho. flerc wrangling, passed off quietly, debate itself was participated *in tbe leaders o publicans conto necessity of th to supply t livery spoa posed moasi teetion bill emergency lines. It w notably Mij Hopkins ai the passu? measure a regained Tho Demo there wu: Treasury bill to in wise holp relief dos" Secrotary took par Lhemselv )ol liver 'risp an? MF. Turner oT^thel rats car 'led gtT tho honors. Tbl assed today repeals tho present tS aw until August 1, 1898. It restore! ixty percent, of the McKinley rated m wool and lumber and carpets mm* nakes ? horizontal increase of thoj present, j rates in all other schedules,] xeept silgar, or l? per cent. Tho liba'l passage of tho tariff bill I as mupjh confused and individual' ounts iM> not tally with tho otlioial eoord. \a<i vote as it will appear to morrow An tho Congressional Record hows the/ ayes 2127, nays 81. Won disks of the Mississippi. writer In Logman's Maguzibo says: lississipm has in tho course of uges transport id from tho mountains und pigh land within its drainage area suff icient mi torial to make.-lUO,UUO square lilosof n*w land by filling up anestu iry which) extended from its original (>ut fall to{ tho (iulf of Mexico for a cngth of pOO miles and in width from 0 to 40 i miles. This river is still inuring Jolid matter into tho Gulf, rhere it is spread out in a fan-like hape ovor an extended coast lino, lepositint? 862,00Q,000 tons a year, or ix times as much soil as wus removed n the construction of tho Mnnchustor bip canal, and suflicient to make a quare mile of now land, allowiug for ts haviugj to fill up tho Gulf if elghty\ yards. Sot astnoss eived wiii ome of thi aova. thar ??hole, of i lit yt\\e ldjwest niter in I la carried on UT >f America, or say for penny porlton permilej |>( half the total dist /mild be no less a sum iOO a year. TbroughJ bus formed the river wUtlng and turning by" ?nds until it extends learly 1,200 miles, or m? the point to point longtj jontinuallyi place and ? A Hop hi ter L. Mi mending it the Journa 30uraging \ situation ii read with i Politic; better con tho last flv? various pol disposed U cultivate I There is i that provai taot and at In tho eon had a tend and allay fa tho poople aroused froi Intimated in is high tlni And all of fooling has name of ou people froi country froi " Wo can opinion of place of rei to win and outsiders, wholesome Thoy aro r? and oxtorn and to brin of the Stat the olectiou vontlon. Sot State wore, free to say t good mon thai tholr best oil fare of our pC) build up ou A Gkkat turers' B( Southern ind| tho decision? Up award the1 tlcsbios to t| building und garded as a duntrlal int illustrates til of Southern i| ability to urn sections been] tagos of this The opening 000 hotel jus Va., followir oontly opci^ Ii cost ovor