Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Ghoat That He Saw BY JOHN 8WINTON. Ab i have never been a reader of ghost stories, I cannot say whether auy oxpenoD.ee like jthat of which I am about to tell has ever fallen to tho lot of any other mortal. shortly before the American Civil War broke out, forty yea. b ago, I Was living in tho South, at the picturesque capital of the??L'almetto St ito." What kind of a place the city cf Columbia may now be I cannot say, for the old city of the uame that 1 once know was burned during the period of hostilities. But, when 1 lived thero, the Curolin iaus always extolled their capital and were proud of its fame as the most beautiful cilv iu tho S?rth. I bearded' at tho Mansion House, a large and ralber stalely doinicilo near the bead of Main s'.rcet, not far from the broad avenue on which stood the residences of the plantation aristo* cracy, who were tbe owners of herds <>f negro slaves. It was a typical Hpouthcm domicile of tbe kind that Vised to be raised by tho plauters a ? hundred years ago. In front of it, and on both of its oides, grew stately old trees, which embowered aud shaded it; tho pillars at its entrance were festoon* ed with evergreens; the balcouy was like a flower garden. From my win dow I saw tbe palmettos and magnolias which grew in the court; I paw also a fig tree, the ripe green fruit of which was a dainty that I sometimes plucked at sunrise, ere yet Ueorge, a watchful young slave of the house, had got out of his cabin, and while yel his owner was dreaming. The master of the Mansiou House was a grim old ?* Colonel" of Irish birth, who had formerly served In the foreign wars of the British army, and whom, after these in my years, I re member only as a choloric veterau at once iron handed toward tho slaves of the establishment and indulgent to ward (he members of his family. There was a social commotion in the Colonel's household one autumn day. Word had been unexpectedly received that some friends of. the family were coming up from their plantation on one of the Sealslands, where tho long staple cotton grows, to spend a week with the Colonel's people at Columbia; l and the thought had suddenly entered tho head of the Colonel's wife that there was not room to spare for all of them at that time in the Mansion House. Thoro was something like a domestic panic, and it came suddenly, without warning; for the visitors from the coast were to arrive by the evening train. They had to be made welcome whatever happened. No apology for lack of accommodations was to bo thought of. For " Southern hospita lity " in the ante-bellum days was al ways ready for any emergency; it sur mounted every circumstance. One of the Colonel's daughters, who seemed to be in much distress, sent word to me that there was something of an unpleasant kind which I, as a friend of the family ought to know. " We are in a slate of perplexity," she aaid. She then told me of the situa tion in which the household was placed, and how the embarrassment bad arisen. Her lather had talked of going quietly to a hotel for a week, but the visitors would surely hear of it, and be uneasy. He had also spoken of staying for some nights in an old haunted house, long deserted, which stood beyond a clump of woods within sight; but he, tho an old soldier, waa very nervous, and got so alarmed lest he might see the white ghost always there at midnight that he yielded to the remouslranees of his wife. All the other notions that came into his head had to be abandoned for one reason or another. The visitors must not know that the Colonel's fami ly had been put to any trouble on their account. As I had previously heard of the haunted houso, tho I had never seen it, I told tho Colonel's daughter that I myself would like to offer relief by staying there for a few nights, as I was not afraid of ghosts, and did not be lieve in them. My ?fter was promptly and gladly accopted by the Colonel, and my quarters in his mansion were made ready for the visitors in time for their reception that evening. The perplexi ty was ended. In the afternoon of the day of per plexity the Colonel told Black George to carry a cot, a small table, a chair, and a candle to the haunted house, for my nee. As the ghost was never seen there in daylight, the slave was not afraid. About ten o'clock that night I left the mansion and set off in the direc tion which George pointed out, saying "Bight up thar,' Massa," as he giggled in the manner of his wooly-heodcd race.. I took with me a lantern, a pistol, and a novel. Ho, with a stqut heart, a Arm tread, and a disdainful air, I made my way along a time-wot n path, through the clump of woods, beyond which I now taw a lighted candle in iho abandoned house, which was said to be haunted. It was a rickety old two story wooden ^rookory which, as I had learned, was ?Ma^^homo of a slave-trader, but iMttgp occupied for near-1 ?kor since the time ?kdreadful murder Hkuhost of whom. Bays appeared ^fflWiuhu^ht, robed H plenty of stories By had been scurcd HBR^ie biding in the B^KajMr^Mrd the wall ?tt^ftbe &&A hills, ?fcriMving their ^when all, I should Boo a ghost, I would shoot it on tho spot. The moon shone aloft as I approach ed the haunted house- some time afior tou o'clock. Near the place, which was all cluttered up, thero were stumps of dead tiees, woatherbeateu logs, tangled weeds, stones, boulders and rubbish. I saw, too, that thoro wore rats and had been told that thero voro bats. A black grimalkin prowlod aud mowed. " Silence brooded," as tho poet says. The old Congarco ltlver rollod sofily. Thuro was no other house, in sight. Tho town lay off aud scorned as if a hundred miles away. I noticed that ono sido of the descrt I ed house stood slant, that the front door of it was badlv batiorod. that lifo pauos of glass4 in tho windows wero broken and bosmudgod, that tuauy of the old clapboards wero rotted off, and that everywhere there woro wrack, spider wobs, thortfs nnd confusion. The place was musty. Il looked dismal. Jt was forbidding. f. doubt whether I would over have thought of staying ihcr', oven for a night, if I had known all about it be forehand. Black George, who had gono with mo so tar, told, mo that ho had " shook out " tho place, had Used up every thing, and had made a shakedown for me on the second elory in a very nico room. About thin ti.no tho darky becaxo uneasy. He was shivering. Ho pala vered aud laughed. " Do yo' hoar dat eater-wauling, Massa ?" ho atked. Ho looked up at the moon. Suddonly ho lau off through the woods and weeds toward the Mansion IIouso of his masterj anxious to got to hie. cabin of safety before midnight. 44 De Lawd save yo I" ho cried, as he struck out aud off4 Hot no delusion for mo! Away with humbug I All darkies aro superstitious; they see invisible tbiugs at night. I entered the haunted houaa and climbed the rickety stairs to tho second story. Here I saw my toom, in which, as I noticed, there wero a front wiu dow aud a rear window, tho former on aline with the shaky bulcouy. The place looked as if it might suit mo, and be comfortablo enough. The tallow dip was lighted, and stood on a small board tablo, near which a chair had been set. As for tho shakedown, it was all right. Thero was a log lire on the health, somo of tho smoko from which went up the big broad chimney, which was heavy with ancient soot. I' opened a closot, and thero, in a corner, lay a few withered bones which looked like tho relies, of a lost lifo. I was not alarmed by tho sight. My reason served me then, as it had done hoforo. It was time to bo level-headed. Foolery was out of place. Already, as I stood beforo tho fire, in sight of the shakedown, glancing about, I began to feel drowsy. I re solved, however, to stay up for yot an hour, or even till midnight, that I might find out for myself whether the house were certainly bauntod, and that I might put an end to tho foolish ghost stories, a hundred years old, which had for generations scared evorybody, es pecially the -darkies, of whom there wero many thousands in Columbia. I made up my mind that, if a ghost should appear when the clock struck twelve, I would send a bullet through its head. I sat down in the chair, and began to read the novel that I had brought with me, and which lay on tbe table beside my pistol. Tho very unit pago captivated mo, and I was suro that I would pass a tranquil hour in following the plot. After a while Hooked at my watch. It was not far from midnight. I turned over the leaves of tho novel, the opening chapter of which I found to be very fascinating. ? I soon had a strange feeling. I bo came conscious of the presence of somo moving or fluttering thing. It did not teem to be of human kind; it was of an unnatural character. A shiver passed over me. Dut, as I had heard that there were bats about tho old house, I thought that perhaps I had been stirred by the fluttering of one of them. I continued to read the novel. I saw that a few moro ticks of my watch would bring me to tbe miduight hour. The tallow candle tlickored. When I looked toward tho battered window I noticed that the moonlight was ob scured by a heavy bank of black clouds. I looked again. My eyes were riveted, for there, on tho edge of the balcony, peering through one of the broken panes of glass, stood a sheeted ghost, a skeleton in white, grinning at me. Fluck is the thing at such a moment. I had lots of it.. In a cautions way, I laid hold of my pistol, rose to my foot, set aside my chair, and advanced toward the front window. The ghost was out of sight. As I stepped back io my chair near the tablo, I again saw the. solf-same ?;bost at tho rear window, with ravaged ace pressed against ono of tho panes of glas?. ' I was sore in a moment that it wafc the faco of a woman. Her lips moved; she was gibberiug; she would spoak to me. She beckoned to mo with hor bony hand. Somehow, at that instant she reminded mo of a corlain youug woman of another timo, who, after i fallen in love with her, turned from me, married another suitor, and killed herself. 1 took Homo otops in the direction of the flibbertigibbet,, who now sprang' off and away in a U tah, aeemlugly to ward ndnwi that loomed up in the sky. But instantly I saw tho ghoat again at the frontrwindow, standing on the dilapidated balcony. X turned my head, and it then looked in at the roar window- It wan to be seen, almost ai the same instant, at both of the win &4pws; but it was approachablo at nolth ?wNfthem, ^^jas bewildered. It buy? that tho abandoned ^indeed, haunted by the B^^oman who hod boon fe^hu wired years bo ft.v.I! indigestion j dyspepsia biliousness and the hundred and one slmi J lar ills caused by impure blood i : or inactive liver, quickly yield i to the purifying and cleansing : pro dirties contained in $arsaparHla QUART BOTTLB. It cures permanently by acting naturally on all organs of the I body. Asa blood-cleanser, flesh- j builder, and health-restorer, it has no equal. Put us in Quart Bottie?, and sold at $i each. { "Till! MICHIOAN ORUO COMPANY," Detroit. Mich. ? Tak? LIv?rette? for Llrer Illy. ajo. ? For Sale by the Laurm? Drug Com pany, Laurens, 8. C. The chair on which I had boon sit ting fell. Tho tablo tumbled over. Crack! wont tho pistol, which had been cocked. " Good mornin' Massa!" cried Black George, who bad come to tell mo that broakfast was roady up at tho Mansion House. To my wonderment, I saw that the morning sunshine flushed tho world. It was broad daylight. I had fallen asleep iu tho chair soon after I sat down in it at ten o'clock the previous night, and had slept there till morning. I bad not road even one of tho pages of the novt 1 which now lay on the il )<>r. I had sc. mi never a ghost, other than tho nightmare, at tho window at midnight. Tho logs in tho liroplaue wore burn ed to ashes. Tho tallow dip was out. Tho pistol lay near the novel on the lloor. Tho mocking bird sang in the clump of woods. 44 Do folks is a-waitiu' fo' ye!" said Black George. 44 Bacon an' eggs, cof fee an' corn dodgers is on do table; an' I'll tote yor things." It was at Columbia, tho capitbl of tho old Palmetto State, in tho year bo foio tho war, that tho affair of which a narrative is here given occurred. After its occurrenco I mado no self stultifying attempt to shaltor tho ghoAt stories that clustered around tho aban doned here, which, I may say, has not been haunted of laic years, for it was burned by Sherman's army oarly in tho year 1805. I spoke, not a word to tho Colonel, or to any one elso, about the terrifying experiences of that spectral night. Not a soul alive over till this time hoard of them from me. But you may bo euro that I never slept another night in the hauntod house behind tho clump of woods, which had been abandoned evor since the night of the murder of a woman then; a buudred years ago. A Vkry Surkwd Play.?It is told in Washington that Sonator Welling ton of Maryland, whose party status is quite as uncertain aa Senator Mel /m rm's, forced recognition from tho Re publicans and could havi secured it from the Democrats, by a vory shrewd play. Whenth) distribution of co ? mi tie places svas under consideration, according to tho story, Wellington was notified by the Republicans that no provision would bo made for bim. Thereupon he asked Senator Jones, the so-called leader of the Democrats, what ho might expect from that side of the chamber, and was informed that he could not expect Democratic adop tion. Ho announced to the lenders of both parlies that, since, in his situa tion, his usefulness to his Stato had practically departed, ho would at once tender his resignation to the Governor of Maryland, who, he understood, would appoint as his successor former Senator Arthur Pue Gorman. This caused a great Hotter. Tho Republi cans have a wholcsalo fear of the as tute Gorman, and had no stomach 'or his presonco in the Senate at this ses sion, IIio prospect of his appearance at the next session being sufficiently dis turbing. Jones, for his part, saw his leadership of tho minority- imperfect and impotent as it is?departing im mediately upon the appearance ofGor* man, and be was in no mind for this. Bolh the Republican and the Demo cratic loaders, therefore, revised their declarations to Wellington and' from each side ho was assured that commit tee places wotlld be found for him. I Ho chose the assignment of the Re publicans. " The few have no right to the lux-] uries of life while the many aro denied its necessities," Bays Elizabeth Cady Stun ton. There, is a good deal of truth ind wisdom in this, but in view of the fact that the system has boon in vogue siuco the beginning of time, we don't see lust wnat wo are going to do about It. The German Empress has tho finest pearl, necklaco in existence. It con tains three world-famous necklaoes. One of them formerly belonged to tho ox-Quecu of Naples, and another adorned tho imago of tho Virgin oi Atakha. The entiro necklace is Jsaid i to be worth $600,000. Bays a rural editor: " Owing to the overcrowded condition of our columns, a number of births and deaths were unavoidably postponed, this week." CASTOR IA For Infants and Children, The Kind You Have Always Bought l^eari tha fTX ^//1T%? + si " BLTyl, A IIP TAX/K8 ABOUT CHRISTMAS. He Gives the History of the Great Annual Festival?Old Father Time's Problem. Atlanta Constitution* Nearly sixteen hundred years have passed since Christmas was first celo bratod by Christians. During all theso long conturies thoy have not failed to meet somowhere and pay revcrouco to tho day that somehow was chosen as tho birth of tho Saviour. It is not nt all ccrtaiu that tho 25th of December was Iiis birthday, but Unit dors not matter much, so that (lie Christian people obeorvo eomo day and show their gratitude. Iudecd, (ho Greeks and the llucsiansstill eclebrato tho ?ih of January and call it Christmas tor thoy have never yet adopted tho now oalondar established by Pope Gregory XIII in tho year 1C82. Now, it is im portant for tho young people and many of tho old ones to know that for nearly sixteen conturies old Father Timo has been gaining a littlu every year on tho exact timo that it takcB tho earth to go round tho sun. This gain bad amount ed to about twolvo days, so tho Pope, who wan a great and wise man, issued his mandate that timo should bo sot back, and it was sot back. ? A? the Hornau Catholic countries conformed al once to this new dato, but the Protestant couutncs woro jeal ous of tho Pope, and so Germnuy would not conform until tho year 1700. Great Britain and Ireland refused to conform until the year 1752, aud tho Amcricun colonies put .it off a few years later. Greece aud Russia have not conformed yet, bnt they will. They are getting tirea of having to put two dates to all thoir letters and commercial transactions with othor countries. When General Young was our consul at St. Petersburg nil his letters that wero written homo had two dates tbat woro twelve days apart. One ho marked "N. 8.," for new stylo, and tho othor "O. 8.," pfor old stylo. England had to abandon another raeasuro of time, for until about two hundred years ago tho new year begau on the 25th of March. Somo coun tries began it on Easter day. 1 tell you, my youug friends, old Fa ther Timo has had a porplexing prob lem to keep his calendar straight. Tho day u8edlio begin at (5 o'clock in the morning. Tho week began on Mon day. Tho Jews had twelve lunar months of twenty-eight days, and ovory third year had thirteen to make up for lost lime. For centuries thoro wero only ten months in tho year among tho Greeks and Hornaus, and February had thirty-six days just like ull the other montho. Hut popes and emperors rulod tho civilized world, and changed tho measures of time to suit thoir own whims. Tope Gregory was a 8cnolar, a mathematician and a promoter ot public education, and he knew ;that tho calendar was wrong, und was getting moro so every year. It was a bold stroke of power, but ho was backed by all tho groat astrono mers of Europe, and ho set tho clock back, and it stands. But what about Christmas? It has to bo written about ovory timo it comes round, for thcio is a now gener ation of youug people coming on ovory year, and they must bo taught to know as much as thoso who are older. This is the most important event that cv, r happened in tlio history of tho world, and every man and woman and every boy and girl who cau read should bo as familiar with it as thoy oro with the spelling book. The word " mass" docs not literally mean birth. It means ??dismissed," and came into uso because after any servico in the Ro man Catholic church tho priost would say the congregation is now dismissed. In Latin, it is >' mass." Hence, there was high mass and low. mass and can dle mass und Michael mass and Christ mas?a dismission and benediction af ter worship. For two or threo centuries after Christ His followers had so many ups aud downs thoy could not establish holy days or feasts or festivals, bomo emporors wero kind and tolerant and some were cruel aud persecuted them. Daring the reign of the Em peror Diocletian the Christians of Homo determinod to celebrate Christ mas in their own church where they had been permitted to worship, but Dioclotian had taken a great disliko to them, and after the church was full ho sent soldiers there and locked tho doors and set flro to the building and burned them all alive?men, women and children. The wretch died soon after, but it was many yoars bofore Christians dared to celebrate Christ mas again. This was about the year 810. Hut the utmost efforts of kings and emperors to extinguish Christian ity tailed. The more martyrs, tho moro Christians. They seemed to thrive on persecution, and hence it was said that" the blood of tho mar tyrs is tho seed of tho church." Just think bow much we have to bo thank ful for in this age and in this land of religious liberty. Mo martyrs, no per secution, no inquisition, but evory rann and woman can worship Ood accord ing to thoir own conscience, with none to molest or make them afraid. The turrets and spires of beautiful churches adorn our land in every city, town and village, and aro a silent guarouteo of good will and protection to evory stranger th<\t comos. But Christmas has had no good timo in coming down to u* through the ages. In aomo countries it win made a frolic?a bacchanalian revel. The gay and dissipated danced to the musie of silly and profuno carols und dese crated the day with wino and irrever ent song. This desecration got to be so universal and so shameful that many good Christians ceased to cole-1 brate it. The 1'uritann refused to observe it and so did tho peoplo of .Scotland. The Scotch do not observe it now. Well, it is a desecration even here, for it is made a day of thought less feasting and frolic instead of a day of thankfulness. Christmas trees and gifts to tho chlllron are very proper and ??ifta to tho poor are especially so, butali the day long our gratitude to God for Hh gooInoss should be upper most in tho minds of all intelligent peoplo. The children, of c/rtirso. wo must hwmor to U|fp^'Oc?nr>^^a^ Claus and his reindeer, for lie is sup posed to bo a great ami good old man who loves them nud is wonderfully rich. His Russian name is St. Nicho las and his Dutch name is Kiiss Krin gle, and for fifteen hundred years ha has been kuown as tho patron saint of all good childrou. Ho is no myth hut was a veritable bishop in his day, ai.d was not only devoted to little children, but look pleasure in helping young men and maidens t? mate and marry. The mistlotoo feature of Christmas came down from him, it is said, ami if a young man and maiden will plight their troth, that is, become engaged on Christinas day while standing under a mistletoe bough, they will never for sake their lovo nor bo divorced. This in enough for mo to write about Christmas. The book4 have many pretty stories and poeniB about this ever memorable day. The most beau-I tiful and impressive of them all is the 1 ono Written by Clement 0. Moore, be- ; ginning M 'Twas tho night before Christmas/' Tho next best is by a I Virginian lady, " IyhIo Fe.stetits." . Her maiden name, was Nccly, but sbo for soiiio reason swapped it off for some ) outlandish jaw-brenking name thai l don't understand. Her poom on Christmas is an exquisite gem. Tho last jorso says: - " Let nono unchristniasscd go, Lot nono from auy door Unwarmod, unfed. No kind word said IIolplcBS bo turnod away For Tbino own sako wo pray. Thnt is tho best part of Christmas? making others happy?and if 1 was a law-maker 1 would make iho whole week a holiday and givo a good dinner to tho poor and even to tho prisoners in jail. Aud nobody should dun anybody or write a dunning letter to disturb his tranquility. I received one this morn ing. Tho clans huvo begun to gather at tho family mausion and the ma ternal ancestor is happy, and trips her light fantastic toes all over'tho house. It docs uot cost anything to run Christ mas at our house, for tho children bring their rations with them, and one of the far-away boys writes: 44 Hire another servant or two at my expense. I don't want daddy to havo to bring in wood and coal any more, and I want a Sunday dinner every day in tho week." Bill Aiip. FROM A BACHELOR'S VIISW. Marriages aro not always unhappy, l'euileiico nearly nlwnys peeks be tween tho lingers which h holds to its faco. Engaged peoplo aro always in other pooplo'a way, but not so much as other peoplo aro in their wny. Tho wonu>n who sheds tho most tears in tho theatre where tho horMno is pursued by wieked blander is tho one who pulverizes tho reputation of her nearest, neighbor tho next day. About tho timo a man has ono foot in tho grave from old age ho begins to talk about us boys. Women like to go to Turkish baths becauso they learn so many truths thero about other women's feot. A woman's way of being extremely nico to a callor whom sho wants to like her is to let her hold the baby for a minuto. A woman can always tell when a man is in love with hor by tho way she think i ho pictures her to himself stand ing in a great shining light. If a man id only careful to carry a woman's picturo and lock of hair in* sido of his waleh-casc he can treat hor moat any ways and sho is suro it is a sign of bi3 love. Being happy is mostly not being un happy. It's tho cook who c.ui understand best why tho man of tho houso who is dead is tho happiest. Usually there is discord in the hearts of tho church choir, howover much harmony in their voicos. Some women have ^ot to quarrel with their husbands if tho only reason thoy cau find for it is that ho isn't quar rolsomo enough. Thero is charity for sin, but none for sinners. * It takes nino tailors (o mako a man, but one woman can break him. Wbeu you heat a girl over twenty live say sho would liko to sec a man who could manage her, it is generally a sign that she would. When n woman has a secret to kocp sho seems to think tho only way sho can do it is to get somebody right away to help hor.?Now York Press. During tho year 1000 tho coal mince of Montana produced 1,003,773 ton? of bituminous coal. Tho market for the most, if not all, of this coal was found in tho Mute. It brought to the mine owners last yoar tho good round sum of $2,300,054, ou a capitalization of #5,700,500. Tho amount of money invested in cool mines was considerably increased during tho year by extensive improvomonls on various properties. Tho previous annual report sltowed a production of 1,357,427 tons valued at $2,130,004. This gives an increase in the valuo of tho output for 1000 of $238,000. An English paper noloa it as a cu rious lact that although tho eagle is Ihe national bird of ihe United Stales, and, therefore, desorving of peculiar honor, yet, in point of fact, the bird is nearly always ruthlessly killed when the opportunity offers. This state niont seems to bo impressive until it is remembered that whoncver thoy havo a chauco Englishmen ruthlessly kill tho lion, which symbolizes the greatness and power of the British Empire. The Wo?' s Greatest Cure for malaria X , Tot All former Malarial pojaon .ng Uka John??n'? Chill and Povj Toolc A taint of Malarial poison ^?:ln ypjr blood m?anatnlh?ry und failure. Blood medlclneapan'tcur* The antidote 8 TONIC. Malarial poisoning. \ for it la JOHNSON aetabotUe&Jfar. Costs 5? Conti |f |<(irM. INDUSTRIAL AND GENERAL I White (lowers are tho moat odorifer ous. It is illegal to practice hypnotism in Hi lgium. One llfleonth of (he inhabitaits of Spain are nobles. Thoroughbred dogs aro less intelli gent limn IUOUgrcl8. Quite GO por cont. of the property of Knglatid is insured. Ncnrly all the royal parsonages of Kuropo aro cousins. London requires 000,000 cows to sup p'y it with dairy produce. Colored races never have bluo oyes. Their eyes aro always dark brown, , brown, brownish, yollow or black. I The contract for building tho largest | cantilever bridge in the world has been ' awarded by tho Wabash railroad. The uow btiucturu will spau the Mononga hel i river. President Roosevelt is to he presont cd with an Arabiau saddle horse by Captain John C jbb, an American, who lias been a resident of Morocco for thirty years. According to tho last census sixty six per cent, of tho men between tho ages of 17 and 35 are unmarried and the average ago at which the 34 per cent, murricd was 25 years. Sweden has 2,303 miles of .govern, ment and 4,387 miles of private rail roads. The government has not yet succoeded in acquiring the lallor, al though efforts have been mndo to do so. Senator Clark, of Wyoming, predicts that his State will soon be tho wealth iest in tho Union. His prediction is based ou tho discovery of a deposit of platinum in a Wyoming copper mine. lu Eugland, when: the government owua Ihc telegraph lines the newspaper rate is 4 cents per hundred words. This would permit of the telegraphing of an one-thousand word letter for 40 cents. -*Ono of I ho most curious plants in the world is tho toothbrush plant, a species of creeper which grows in Ja maica. By cutting a pieco of tho stem and fraying tho ends tho natives make a toothbrush. On a rural free delivery routo ro cenlly esti blished in Kansas there wero three subscriptions to daily papcra. Within a month thero were Kin aud the subscriptions to weeklies had in creased fourfold. 11 is eeliuibted that 1,000,000,000 acres of land nie deviled lo the culti vation of tobacco. TThe woild con sumes each year 0,300,000,000, pounds or nearly 2,K12,500 tons, worth 52,000, 000 pounds sterling. A Missouri saloon kcepor has an nounced tbut, not only will he sell no liquors to minor and inebriates, but he will refuse to si li liq'ior to any man whoso wife advises him that her hus band has come homo intoxicated. Miss Mary Mildred Leo, a daughter of (ton. Kotiert E. Lee, visited tho State Senate at Richmond, Va., and was introduced, the Sonnte taking a recess of flvo minutes in order that the members might bo personally pre sented. When llniled Stales Ambassador White was introduced to Count Von Moltko as a man who was born at 11 onier, and had been president of a University at Ithaca and a resident of Syracuse, the former inquired if it would bo proper for him to address Mr. Whito in Greek. Ethan Alieu IIilehcock, Secretary of tho Interior, had a grocery and provis ion store in St. Joseph, Mo., when a young man and sold provisions mostly to pioneers passing through that city for the far West. Ho wont to China afior selling out and returned to St. Louis a wealthy mau. li ia said by a correspondent of Hie Haltimoro Sun that West Virginia is rapidly becoming more and nioro Ihe Mecca of the negroes of the South. Tho climate of the Stale, as a whole, is congenial to this race, and tho groat coal and coking industries in operation in almost every county, together with tho extensive railroad construction being carried on, furnish ready, as well as lucrative, employment for negro laborers, of whom 15,000 arc employed in tho mines. Tho per capita of currency was $28.73 on Decomber l,on a popula tion basis estimated by the treasury at 78,324,000. The total amount of money in circulation was also larger than at any olher period in the country's his tory, being $2,250,250,230, as com pared with $2,168,70l,3<?7 on Decom ber 1, 1000, an increase of $01,404,803. Tho amount of money held in the treasury as assols of the government ?7as $280,005,000, which was a de crease of more than $8,000,000 since November 1, due to bond purchases. A valuable sword and Biblo belong ing to the late Hear Admiral John W. Philip have been sent from the Brook lyn navy yard to tho Smithsonian In stitution. Tho relics have been pre sented to the institution by Mrs. Philip, who is now living at Annapolis, Mil. It was said at the yard that another sword, which Was prcsonted to Admiral Philip by tho citizens of Texas shortly before his death, and which is said to bo worth $10,000, will also bo present ed to the Smithsonian Institution by Mrs. Phlhp. The moet honlthful place in the United States to live in is Marion, Iowa, according to reports recoived bj tho marine hospital service fro.n 1,100 cities and towns having a population of 100 or more. Marion has a popula tion of 4,100, and there wore only six deaths in 1000, making the death rate the phenomenally low figure of 1.40 ptr 1,000. The town in the United States having the highest ratio of mor tality last year was Carlvlo, 111. The population was 1,874, and the numbei of deaths 100, making a death rate of 08 81, , lUanta* ^^^^^^^^^ ^ ipwsgg" Crying lor p^.^fl ihclHflon" BL fcwfftT^'* JEa become n i>ro KL ^S*T JH verhlul phrase to cx ? jtisB& Pr?-'s'1 V"' lut'Hty of EHHHtfdM I mere aesire- There BflBBHHHRHHfl are a great pie wlic think It is as useless to hope tor health as to cry for the moon. Th.cy have tried many medicines and many doctor?, but all in vain. A great many hopeless men add women havo been cured by tne use of Dr. Pierco'a Qoldou Medical Discovery; people with obstinate coughs, bleeding lflnes, night sweats and other symptoms of dlscaso which If neglected oV rniskillfuUy treated find a futal termination in consumption. "Goldeu Medical Discovery 0 has a won derful healing power. It increases tue nutrition of the body, and so gives strength to throw off disease. It cleanses the blood from poisonous impurities and enriches it with the red corpuscles of ltfntth. It {s not a stimulant, but a strength giving medi cine. It contains no alcohol, neither opium, cocaine, nor any other narcotio. Sometimes the extra profit paid by inferior medicines tempts the dealer to offer a substitute as "just as good? as "Dis covery." It you are convinced that "Dis covery " will euro you accept nothing cl?c. ?I was lu poor health when I commenced taking; Dr. Pierce'a medicine," writes Mr, Himer Lawlcr, of Volga, Jefferson Co,. Indiana. ?I had stomach, WMuay, heart, and lung trouble. Was uot able to do any work. I had a severe cough and hemorrhage of the lungs, but after usIur your moalcine o while I commenced to gain In strength ana flesh, and stopped cough ing right away. Took about six bottled of the ' Qoldeu Medical Discovery' then, and 'ost npring I had Ortppe, and It etttlaa on my lumrs, leaving me wltn a severe cough. I had vhc iloctor, bat he didn't seem to help me any ; ao commenced your med- ManBn? dne again and look ? thre? or rour bottles of the ' Discovery ' niui two BCTtfticMBr "iiifeS vials of Dr. Pierce'a Pul- K Ht\ m flMMBSj lets, and tliut ?tralffht- H^'^L./ ^a xs?ar encd me up. I feel like Ik Jf^/rC VrnfA n dl/fcrc nt pur son. I Mux ^^?'T\ ^-IffjA gladly recommend your pf--?" nicdlclue to nit suffer- BUBk y> ^ era, Ibr I know It cured H ^^^^ ant Pellets cure con- u WSJ yfi stipation by curing fta ? Wr^^*^( cause. tt^W I i IN A HUMOROUS VKIN He: 44 So your married life is not happy? Well, you have my regrets." She: "Oh, I don't need them; I have enough of my own." "I wonder why they haven't started any yellow journals in Cuba yet?' 441 don't believe thoro are enough Americans there to support one."? Life. 44 Do you think a man haa a right to open his wife's letters?" 44 Well, he may havo the right; but 1 don't sco how he could have tho cour age.-Tit Hits. 44 Man always wants what he hasn't and fails to appreciate what ho has." 41 Yes; that's what keeps tho inar ringo bureaus and the divorco courts going."- Chicago Post. 44 I've never been able to save any thine," complained tho poor man. 44 You have probably paved yourself a lot of worry," replied the rich man.? Philadelphia Record. 44 A public official," exclaimed the ordinary man, heatedly, 44 should be our servant. Hut is ho?" 44 Hardly," ventured the suburba nite. 44 He stays with us too long for that." 44 Don't you miss your husband very much now that he is away ?" 44 Oh, no I At breakfast I just stand his newspaper up in front of a plate, and half the time 1 really forgot he isn't there."?Exchange. 44 SligKens* wife makes him got up and kindle tho flro every morning." 44 Well, it's his place to do it." 44 Hut that isn't why ho docs it. He knows she'd make it too hot for him if ho didn't."?Philadelphia Bulletin. "An' dcnSanty Claus he come down dc chimbly?" " ])oan ho git his face all black wif soot ?" "Wal, he doan mind dat when he's a-callin' on cullud chillun'."?Puck. " Do you moan to say that Erastus Pinkncy sells his vote ?" " No," answered Mr. Jim Colliflowor: *? I wouldn't say dat 'llastus soils his voto. Hut he's willin' to hire it out 'casional ly to select parties." ?Washington Ktar. "Did you hoar the thundor last night, Emilie?" " No?did it Ihunder?" " Yes, frightfully." "Then why didn't you wake mo? -You know I can't slcop in a thundor storml" ** Do you expect to have any serious opposition to your election next time?" asked his friend. " Yes," answered Senator Sorghum, " about tho usunl amount." " How much iB that ?" "Oh, about $15,000 or $20,000 worth." " Is my hat on??" begin Mrs. Collingwood, when her husband in terrupted: " Yes, your hat's on straight. Como along, or we shall bo lato." " If it'B on straight it won't do. Wait a minute, till I g > back into the house and tilt it a little."?Dotriol Free Press. m Doro ain't much sympathy in ?Iis word, an' dat's a fnck," said M-ander ing Mike. *?t took dat policoroau t'nto mo confldonco. I told him dat 1 had all de troubles extant?dat I was jes' a collection of sorrows." ?? What did ho do?" " He looked mo over, an' den said it was about timo for him to tako up a coll ction." " And now that you are through college what aro you going to do?" asked a friend of tho youthful candi date. *? I shall study mcdlclno," was the grave reply of the young man. " But isn't that profession already over-crowded ?" asked the friend. "Possibly it is," answered tho know ing youth, 41 but I proposo to study medicine just the same, and thoso who are already in tho profession will have to take their chancea."?Tit-Bits. j^, lhi * 1 ha Kind You Han Always 8*01 Small crops, unsalable veg etables, result from want of Potash. Vegetables are especially fond of Potash. Write for our free pamphlets. GERMAN KALI WORKS, 93 Nassau St., New York. POINTED PARAGRAPHS. Some pooplo laugh at old jokes be cause they know tboy arc jokes. Just so It is a wedding trip, a woman isn't particular as to tho route. Most of tho songs sung on tho stage by request aro at the request of tho singer. Every timo two girls kiss each other in public they lmngmo tho men aro en vious. A man would doubtless be just as ir ritable as a settiug hen wcro ho placed in a similar position. Fewer actors would be out of work if there wore not so many people ou tho stage who aro not actors. An optimist says that pessimists arc hopeless fools. ltca8on is a man's guard and moral principle is his safeguard. If you are not up and doing you will soon bo down and done. Women arc curious about every thing; men aro curious only about wo men. Homo men get into ollico with very Hille opposition ami get out willi none at nil. Tho Individual who gets into the habit of giving way to depression is on tho broad road to ruin. If a mau is a chronic grumbler it al ways makes him happy to lind a but ton off his coat when his wife is busy. There is no law to prevent a wo man kissing a pug dog?but just tho same it's a mean advantage to take of the dog. When a widow makes up hor mind to marry again the selects the man and then proceeds lo lind out what ho likes best to cat. Where Women Rule.?The Uni versity of Pennsylvania sends its repre sentatives throughout the world in quest of knowlcdgo, and one of them has been telling recently of an experi ence on the Wanamakcr expedition in the interest of the department of ar chaeology to the land of tho llopi In dians, in Arizona. Jn describing some of the curious customs prevailing among the llopi Indians, Curator Cullinsaid the women are held in higher eslcom ihan in most Indian tribes, and (hey, rather than the men, do the wooing. When a Hopi maiden decides which of tho eligible young men of the tribo sho wishes to marry, she goes and sits in his house and grinds corn until bo is sufficiently impressed by her industry to marry her. After the ceremony, winch is an elaborate ono, the couple go to live in the wife's house. If she tiros of her husband she can obtain a divorce by merely throwing bis saddle, out of the house. Aftor marriageN tho house, fields, and all their property, except the herds, belong to tho wife. The Hopi's are very indulgent parents. The right of the children to do as they plea c is never questioned. This certainly is an ideal country for women who like lo have things their way, and doubtless the children would enjoy regulations < f this kind. This is very different from all the traditions about the treatment of tho women among Indians, as they aro usually pack-horses and tlavcs of their hus bands. Some of our Western States have a reputation for easy divorces, but tho llopi plan of tossing tho bus band's effects out of doors, is both simple and summary. Tiik Joy ok OllRlSTMAS,?If tlio birth of tho Son of God into our world wns nn event of such extraordi nary interest to tho inhabitants of heaven that an angelic messenger was dispatched to announce it to the shep herds who wcio watching their llocks by night on tho hillsides near Bethle hem, and if " suddenly there was witli the angel a multitude of tho heavonly host" saying: " (ilory to God in tho highest and on earth pcaco and good will towaid men," surely tho recurring annivorsaiy of that cvont should bo an occasion of gratoful rejoicing on our earth. Mankind have a more immcdiato and vital interest in that advont than tho angels. It is tho necessary precursor to that other event?the death on the cross?around which gather all tho hopes of our fab len humanity. It was a part of tho ocouoi.'y of grace that Christ should be " born of a woman, born uuder the law, to redoom thorn that wore under the law," that ho should be born in " tho likenoss of sinful flesh." that in the same flesh 116 might " put away sin by tho sacrifice of himself." Tho birth of our L?t^Josub Christ is_ that great epoch in the world's hist from which nil that went before tlguio and point out. It is the second birth, from which its 111 tion boriows all its signify Christian Advocate. No won lcr it is difucullto Filipinos. Under tho preec rangement it is right .lot) sugar to come in free, tho Philippine article without paying the ' Tk# tu ?lall* ?tgatturt m