The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, January 29, 1908, Image 4
that takes the origin back to about
tbe year 400, which would seem to give
it good deep roots. This is the story
as told by the tradition mongers:
One day, as St. Patrick was strolling
along the shore of Lough Noagh, he
was accosted by St. Bridget, who with
much weeping and wailing declared that
the sisters in her nunnery felt them
selves to be deeply abused because
they, as women, had not the privilege
of popping the question. At that time
celibacy, although approved by the
Church as the proper life, and conse
quently made binding on the individual
by a private vow, was not enforced by
a general and absolute rule of the
clergy.
St. Patrick was sternly resolved up
on celibacy for himself, but he was so
moved by the lamentations of St.
Bridget that he offered to help out the
nunnery ladies by conceding to them an
occasional enjoyment of the privilege
of proposing. Being an ecclesiastic,
his thoughts naturally turned on groups
of sevens; so he said they might pro
pose once in seven years.
Seven years! No wonder St. Bridget
demurred. A girl who was 14 when
one of these privileged years came
would be 21 before she would get
another chance, and all the best years
of her life for that special purpose
would be gone. For at that time a
woman of 21 was as much of a matri
monial antiquity a3 a woman of 31 is
today.
Consequently, so the story goes, St.
Bridget threw her arms around St.
Patrick's neck and exclaimed:
"Arrah, Pathrick, jewel! I daren't
go back to the gurrls wid sich a pro
posal. Mek it wan year in four."
To which the genial saint replied:
"Biddy, acushla, squeeze me that
way again and I'll give you leap year,
the longest one of the lot."
Thus encouraged, and bethinking her
that she herself had no husband, St.
Bridget forthwith proposed to St. Pat
rick. But he had taken the vow of
celibacy, so he had to soften his refusal
with a kiss and the present of a silk
gown.
"And ever since then," says Walsh,
who tells the story in bis "Curiosities
of Popular Customs," if a man refuses
a leap year proposal he must pay the
penalty of a silk gown and kiss."
However, there is a limit to this obli
gation, for other authorities say that
the lady cannot claim the dress unless
at the time of the proposal she is the
"wearer of a scarlet petticoat, the
lower portion of which she must ex
hibit to the gentleman, who by the law
of leap year is compelled to present to
the lady the dress which shall cover
the petticoat."
This reference to the "law of leap
year" is more serious than might be
supposed, for it is declared that the
women proposing was actually upheld
by laws in Scotland, France and Spain,
"while in England the custom was so
deeply rooted that it needed no laws to
uphold it.
In 1228 a law was passed in Scot
land making a man liable to a fine of
not more than on<j hundred pounds for
refusing a woman during leap year, un
less he could show that he had proi>osed
to somebody else prior to leap year, or
had been engaged by some other in
quiring woman.
That there is something inherently
perverse in leap year seems to be at
the bottom of all the superstitions
about it. For instance, in Great Brit
ain the country folk used to declare
that peas and beans twisted the wrong
way in leap year and that buds set the
wrong way. There was an old belief,
too, that children born in leap year
were unlucky, because the year was
divisible by four, which was an un
lucky number:
One thing is certain, the 29th of
February is more scantily provided
with saints than any other day in the
year, St. Oswald being the only one in
the calendar for that. day.
. ..'s, claim this
Kiouml for placer mining."
When the reader's mind had recov
ered from Its earthquake of astonish
ment the miner made a snatch at tho
placard. A pricking thrill went through
his Angers, as though they had taken
llherties with on electric battery. The
luminous writing was gone, hut In his
ears roared the flowing water of the
sluice and through the roar the sharp,
clear cut tap, tap, of a pick. Agalu the
flash of warning light?and before him
stood Tom Bowers.
The California miner is no coward.
The rifle was lifted, fired. With a yell
of rage the ghost, brandishing pick
and shovel in excited arms, pursued
the trespasser.
A race between life and death in a
new sense was the ono that followed?
all the way to Tike City. There the
other miners, celebrating a new And
by a dance in a saloon, were suddenly
alarmed by terrified screams. 'Running
out, they found neither man nor ghost,
but tossed upon the ground a rifle and
a pick and a shovel with tho initials
T. B. cut in the handle.
A legend of an entirely different type
is connected with the game period of
California history.
During the rush for gold in the fifties
a party came west by the Glla river
route. The heat was intense. The sup
ply of water gave out. On the hot,
barren sands Just below Yuma tho
dying cavalcade pitched their desper
ate camp.
In the silence of the early night from
one of the wngous came the prattling
voice of a little child lifted in prayer:
"Do, dear God, give us water, and I
never will be naughty again."
And scarcely had the petition gone
up to the stars when the sound of
running water was heard, and up from
the dry, hot sands bubbled a pure, life
giving spring.
The water of this New river, as it
was called, swept north for twenty
miles, at one place spreading Into a
deep lake two miles wide, but when
migration went by the northern route,
the pretty tradition naively ends, no
longer needed, the New river's spring
dried up.
I'erhaps no more desolate spot can
he pictured than Death valley, with
Its terrific heat, Its lack of water, tho
Roda dust of Its plains strewn with
mummified animals and the bleached
bonos of lost prospectors. But fair
find fertile once lay the valley, a flour
ishing piublo ruled over by a bcautl
f?l quecB.
Alas, tho beauty was only skin deep,
and ambition alone ruled a cold, cruel
heart. A palace to Burpass the houses
of tho neighboring Aztecs was her
dream, and she cared not how many
lives might be sacrificed in speeding
the labor.
Foi miles the tribe carried stone and
timber, and when they faltered by
the wayside she lashed their naked
backs. So sacred was royalty regard
ed that her people dared not protest,
but in her zeal to have the palaco
erected before accident or possible
death she, had forced her daughter
even to Join the throng of workers,
and when the lash was lifted against
her own flesh and blood tlie princess
turned before sinking down in death
from exhaustion and cursed both her
mother and the' kingdom.
The gods answered quickly. The sun
sent down a heat so fierce that the
streams dried up, vegetation became
scorched, the animals sought new
abodes, while queen and people died
as though by plague.
But In the midst of the desolation
tho palace half completed may lie seen
to this day?If fortune favors the trav
eler with a mirago.
An amusing ghost story haunts the
early history of Hanta Barbara Island.
Such wero the awful noises heard
by ships In passing that every sailor on
board devoutly crossed himself, con
vinced that it was the headquarters of
swimming and flying mounters. Un
fortunately for the sailors' yarns it
was latterly discovered that some ship
wrecked cats had landed on tho Is
land, their numerous progeny living
sumptuously on dead fish and the eggs
and the young sea fowl.
Long before the first white man en
tered Kern county that locality wajf
V , ?
ue
j au- j
. their
.?riniuat
<rc8 from
-hvlud
d
? CS
>ath
.o the
i and
UxfT.
h the
hoi- j
? here j
jko of
touring
.to miyi
Los Au
ow.
;ter Meets
ficcr.
.u?a, Walter
? i negro character of
>ti several years, was shot
...od by Deputy Sheriff Hutto,
who was attempting to arrest Lowe.
The negro was raising a disturbance at
another negro's house, when the officer
was called in. When ordered to give
up Lowe drew his pistol, but the officer
was too quick for him and fired first,
killing Lowe almost .instantly.
Lowe served a term in the peniten
tiary for killing another negro in this
county several years ago, and he it was
who precipitated a small riot at Water
loo some years ago, when one negro
was killed and another was seriously
wounded by a citizen who used a Win
chester. But Lowe escaped. He was
a notorious gambler and desperado, and
made a deal of trouble wherever he
went outside the penitentiary, where
he was a "trusty" for a number of
years.
Lou J. Bcaucliamp.
Lou J. Beauchamp, a very popular
md beloved lecturer of the American
platform, will appear in the City Opera
House on Thursday evening, January
30, at 8:15 o'clock. His subject will be
"Take the Sunny Side." This lecture
is very popular, and has been repeated
time and again at many places. This
is the only lecture given by the local
Lyceum management during the pres
ent season and will please all who hear
it. It will be humorous, as well as in
structive, and is calculated to please
a'l classes of hearers.
Seats reserved at the Laurens Drug
Store Wednesday morning, January
38, at 10 o'clock. General admission,
50 and 25 cents.
The DeKoveii Male Quartette.
When the DeKoven Male Quartette
was here they received such tumultuous
applause that they expressed a desire
to return again in the spring. The sug
festion did not need to be made, for
alisbury was too much delighted to
allow these men to stay on the road
without giving them a return date.
They will be here again in March. This
is undoubtedly the best quartette that
has ever sung in this city. The eleven
numbers on the programme received
thirty-five encores. Miss Van Home's
readings took remarkably well, and she
was called back again and again.? Salis
bury, N. C, Evening Post, Jan. 23,
1907.
This Quartette will sing in Laurers
on Monday, the 17th of February, un
der management of the Civic League.
Resolutions of Respect.
Wadsworth Farmers' Union, No. 277,
recognizing the true worth of our de
ceased brother, A. C. Workman, de
sires to give expression of its love and
confidence in him; therefore
Resolved, That in the death of our
brother, A. C. Workman?one of our
charter members?we feel that we have
lost one of our brightest and most loyal
members.
Resolved, That we desire to express
to his family, and to the world, our
high regard for him, as well as our
confidence in his honesty of purpose, in
tegrity, high sense of honor and loyal
friendship.
Resolved, That we desire to hold up
to the world his clean, exalted, gentle
manly life, and point to it as one wor
thy of imitation.
Resolved, That we extend to each
and every member of his family our
heartfelt sympathy, and pray that the
richest blessings of Him who doeth all
things well may rest upon them.
Resolved, That these resolutions be
transcribed upon a page of our Minute
Book, and that copies be sent to his
family and the Laurens county papers
for publication. R. G. Wallace,
J. L. Crawford,
T. P. Davis,
J. E. Boyd,
"~> D. R. Crawford,
January 17, 1908. Committee.
A Chfld Killed by the Storm.
In a severe wind storm at Fort Mill
last Sunday night the house of Mr.
Elijah Merriit, a young farmer, was
blown down, and one of the timbers
falling across the bed where his twelve
year-old daughter was sleeping, the
child was instantly killed.
The wind blew with terrific force
here Sunday night, but wo have heard
of no casualties.
Very Important Meeting.
The Daughters of the Confederacy
will meet with Mrs. Capers Hellams
next Monday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
Several important matters will come
up at this meeting, and all members
wno can possibly do so are urged to
attend.
TITLES OF_LOHG AGO
Some of the Ancient Styles of
Royal Salutation.
rANTASTIC AND RIDICULOUS.
on at On* Tim? the Appella*
Applied to the King Became
ierviU That Philip III. 8up
d Them?Cacaar and the Title
one In his quniut essay on
.ture," printed with long s's In
? ear 1802, says, "It Is a very
?nlent piece of knowledge for
jereon upon a journey to know
.e compellntlons with which It Is
i>n*per to address thoso ho happens to
meet by the way." Tho author fouud
himself well or ill used in proportion
as he1 happened or not to suit his salu
tations to people's Ideas of their own
rank.
"It may not be Imprudent," he says,
"to accost a passenger with a title su
perior to what ho may appear to claim.
This will seldom fail to diffuse a won
derful alacrity in his countenanco aud
;>e perhaps a method of securing you
rom any mistake of greater hnpor
uice. I was led into these observa
">ns," he remarks, "by some Bolid
es I lately underwent on account
? ignorance in these peculiarities.
..g somewhat more versed In books
an I can pretend to be In the orders
of men, it was my fortune to under
take a journey which I was to perform
by means of inquiries." After enumer
ating tin- mishaps that befell him on
account of misplacing the titles
"friend," "honest friend," "honest
man," "dame," "madam," "sir," "sweet
heart," etc., he says naively that ho
was within a foot of rushing down n
precipice by calling another "for
sooth."
"When you reflect upon this subject,"
he continues, addressing the public of
his day as a sympathetic friend, "learn
to be wise from others' harm and do
not forget to observe decorum on ev
ery occasion. In the meantime you
may If you please consider tho vast .
Importance of superior titles when
there Is no one so Inconsiderable but
there is also a mind It can Influence."
The Princess Elizabeth in an un
dated letter from "Ilatfllde" sends by
request her picture to Queen Mary and
concludes the carefully worded epistle
with: "Aud thus I will (trobllng your
malestle I fere) end with my most
hmnble thnnkes, besechlng God long
to preserve .vou to Iiis honor, to your
consort, to the renlme's profit and to my
Joy. Your Malestle'o most humble sis
ter and seruante."
St. Foix tells us, says the elder Dis
raeli, that kings were usually address
ed by the titles of most illustrious,
your serenity or your grace. The ap
pellation of your majesty was estab
llshed by that Tiberius of France,
Louis XVI., whose manners were of
the most sordid nature. So distinct
were once the titles of highness and
excellence that when Don Juan, broth
er of Philip II., was permitted to take
up the latter and tho city of Granada
saluted him as your highness it occa
sioned such serious jealousies at court
I that had he persisted in it lie would
have been condemned for treason.
Uutll tho reigu of Constant lue the
prefix illustrious belonged only to
those who had made a splendid reputa
tion In arms Or In letters.
In Spain the affectation of titles
grew to such a degree that Philip III.
published an act which forbade servile
and ridiculous attributes, reducing
them to the simple "the king our lord."
Ferdinand aud Isabella were high
nesses only. Francis I., who styled
himself the first gentleman In his king
dom, saluted Henry VIII. as your maj
esty.
Ancient Portuguese writers give fan
tastic accounts of tho kingdom of Mo
nomotapa, "a native African kingdom
famous for Its gold mines, lying In
tho lower Zambezi basin and chiefly
In the present Mashonaland. Tho king
of this region is surrounded by mu
sicians and poets, who thrive in his
atmosphere and who adulate him by
such refined flatteries as the lord of
the sun and moon, great magician and
great thief.
"The king of Persia Is called 'branch
of honor, mirror of virtue, rose of de
light.' Ills majesty of Ava Is called
God and in his correspondence with
royalty styles himself king of kings
and Insists upon being obeyed, as he
attends to tho preservation of animals
?an ambiguous conclusion, to which
foreign royalty might reasonably ob
ject, lie Is also regulator of tho sea
sons, tho absolute master of tho ebb
and flow of tho sea, brother to tho
sun and king of the four and twenty
umbrellas. To mark his dignity tho
four and twenty useful nnu often ple
beian articles are always carried be
fore the august monarch.
"Tho most striking titles of tho king
of Achcm are 'sovereign of Hie uni
verse, whose body Is as luminous as
tho sun, whom God created to be as
accomplished as tho moon at her plen
itude, whose eyo glitters like tho north
ern star; n king ns spiritual os a ball
Is round, who when ho rises shades all
his people.'"
In tho age of Augustulus "your eter
nity" and "your perpetuity" were not
unusual titles. A law of Theodore tho
Great begins, "If any magistrate, after
having concluded a public work, put
his naino rather than that of 'our per
petuity,' let him bo adjudged guilty of
high treason." When Caesar had con
quered Homo and was put to dine with
tho gods he had tho good tasto to in
sist on tho removal of his new title,
"demigod," from Ida statue at the
capital.
Somo Note? on "Origins."
"ITumpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall,"
etc., has come down to us from the
days of King John. "The Babes In
the Woods" dates from the fifteenth cen
tury, being founded upon facts, an old
house near Wayland Wood, Norfolk,
having the wlvcde story In carvings on
a mantelpiece. "Llttlo Jack Homer,"
"Little. Miss Muffet, "Old Mother Hub
bard," "Mother Goosey" and "Goosey,
Goosey Gander" are each traceable to
the sixteenth century.
"Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, Whero Have
You Been?" belongs to the reign of
Queen Elizabeth." Three Blind Mice"
first appeared In a music book dated
1009. "A Froggle Would a-Woolng
Go" was licensed to be sung as far
back as 1009. "Boys and Girls Como
Out to Play* and "Luey Locket Lost
Her Pocket" both hall from the period
of Charles II. And, last of all, "Cln
derello," "Jack the Giant Killer,"
"Bluebeard" and "Tom Thumb" wore
published by their author, Charles Per
rault, In tho year 1007?London Notes
and Querle?.
ELECTRIC ?TI1EBKHTW
BITTERS ANDKIDNJ
New Arrivals at
J. E. Minter & Bro's.
Fancy stripe Mohairs in Brown, Navy, Black, Cream and Gray. The newest thing in Spring Dress
GooJs, worth 85c yd., special price 69c yd.
WHITE GOODS. The newest things in stripes and barred muslin, at special prices 15c, 19c 25c
and 30c yard.
LACES and EMBROIDERY. Just received a big shipment of fine Embroidery and Laces. The
latest designs and at special prices. Embroidery at 10c, 15c, 25c, 39c, 49c and 69c yd. Allover Embroid
ery at 49c, 75c and $1.00 yd. Laces, 4c, 5c, 8c, 10c and 15c yd.
Extra values in every Department. Do your shopping here this week and next week.
J. E. Minter & Bro.
The Reliable Store.
Mr. Qiles L. Wilson Succeeds Hollcman.
Columbia, January 25. ?Mr. Giles L.
Wilson, of Spartanburg, will succeed
Mr. Lee G. Holleman as State bank
examiner. The appointment was made
today by Governor Ansel on the recom
mendation of the executive committee
of the State Bankers' Association.
A tickling cough, from any cause, is
quickly stopped t)y Dr. Shoop's Cough
Cure. Ana it is so thoroughly harmless
and safe that Dr. Shoop tells mothers
everywhere to give it without hesita
tion even to very young babes. The
wholesome green leaves and tender
stems of a lung-healing mountainous
shrub furnish the curative properties to
Dr. Shoop's Cough Cure. It calms the
cough and heals the sore and sensitive
bronchial membranes. No opium, no
chloroform, nothing harsh used to in
jure or suppress. Simply a resinous
plant extract that helps to heal aching
lungs. The Spaniards call this shrub
which the doctor uses "The Sacred
Herb." Always demand Dr. Shoop's
Cough Cure. Palmetto Drug Co.
Final Settlement.
Take notice that on the 29th day of
February, 1908, I will render a final ac
count of my acts and doings as admin
istrator of the estate of J. Randal
Murph, deceased, in the office of the
Judge of Probate of Laurcns county at
11 o clock a. m., and on the same day
will apply for a final discharge from
my trust as administrator.
All persons indebted to said estate
i are notified and required to make pay
j ment on that date, and all persons nav
ing claims against said estate will pre*
' sent them on or before said date, duly
proven, or be forever barred.
W. G. MURPH,
Jan. 29, 1908. Administrator.
25-lrn.
Big: Clearance Sale
Will Close Saturday.
Three Great Trumps for Thursday,
Friday and Saturday.
White Homespun only 5c yd. Check Homespun
only sc yd. Calico only 5c. Only 10 yards to
customer.
Big Bargains this week, come get
your share.
J. L. Hopkins.
New Postal Ruling
New Postal Law as it Affects Newspapers.
"A reasonable time will be allowed publishers to secure renewals
of subscriptions, but unless subscriptions are expressly renewed, af
ter the term for which they are paid, within the following periods
dailies within three months, triweeklies within six months, semi
weeklies within nine months, weeklies within one year, semimonthlies
within three months, monthlies within four months, bimonthlies with
in six months, quarterlies within six months they shall not be counted
in the legitimate list of subscribers, and copies mailed on account
thereof shall not be accepted for mailing at the second class postage
rate of 1 cent a pound, but may be mailed at the transient second
class postage rate of 1 cent for each four ounces or fraction thereof,
prepaid by stamps affixed. The right of a publisher to extend credit,
for subscriptions to his publication is not denied or questioned, but
his compliance or noncompliartce with this regulation will be taken in
to consideration in determining whether the publication is entitled to
transmission at the second class postage rates."
Kindly turn to the address label on which is printed your name
and the date to which you have paid for the paper. If you are in
arrears please remit all arrears by April 1st at latest as on and af
ter that date we will be required under the above ruling 4:0 drop
your name from our subscription list. \.
We do not wish to loose a subscriber, remit now before it slips *
your memory.
Yours very truly,
THE ADVERTISER
Laurens, S. C.