The Orangeburg democrat. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, November 19, 1880, Image 1
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"Vol. II. ORAN?EBURG, S. C, EKIDA]r, NOVEBMER 19, 188?. 3STo. 4=7.
Fires that Cannot be Quonoh'ed.
Pottsville, Pa., Nov. 2.?The
failure of all the attempt to extinguish
the Ore which has been ragiug in the
Keeley Tun colliery for several weeks,
it is feared, will add another to the
perpetually burning mines that now
exist in the Pennsylvania anthracite
regions. The greatest of these is
probably th'U in tho jugular vein,
near Coal Castle, this county. This
has been burn/ng since 1835. Lewis
F. Dougherty opened this vein in
1833. The upper drift of tho mine
was above water level, and a huge
fire was kept in a grato at tho mouth
of the mine in winter to keep the wa
ter from freezing in the gutters. One
night in the above year the timbers
of the drift caught fire from the grato.
Wheu it was discovered the fire had
been curried down the air hole to the
lower drifts, and was beyond control.
Two miners entered the mine, hoped
to recover their tools. They never
came out. The mine was abandoned.
No efforts was made to mine any of
the coal near the burning vein,
although it was considered the best
coal in the region, until 185(1. Then
Johu MeGinnis put in a slope on the
east side of it, below water level.
He struck the vein at a place where
the coal was so thick that two miners
could keep a large breaker supplied.
"When 400 yards of gangway had been
excavated the heat from the burning
Dougherty ,mine began to bother the
miners. MeGinnis attempted to open
an air hole. The heat became so
great that the men were paid double
wages to induce them to work. They
worked entirely naked, and were re
lieved cyety ten minutes. Finally
the heat became so idense that work
was abandoned. The mine was hood
ed. After being pumped out, men
could again work for a few da)s.
The mine was flooded nine tin es.
MeGinnis finally failed, and the mine
was then abandoned. The fire has
been raging in the vein ever since, j
An area of half a mile in every di
rection has been burned. No vegeta
tion grows on the surfr.ee. In places
the ground has caved in, folding
chasms a hundred feet deep. There
is but a thin shell ofehrih over the pit
of fire. At night blue, sulphurous
flames issue from the crevices in the
ground. It ic dangerous to walk
across the spot. Several persons
have mysteriously' disappeared in the
vicinity during the past twenty years.
It is believed that in a majority of the
cases they have fallen into the burn
ing mine. Dougherty, the original
proprietor of the mine, attempted to
go across once. He sunk to his
armpits through the crust, and was
only saved by courageous friends who
ventured to his assistance. The
stone8on the ground arc hot and snow
never rests there. Kain turns to va
por as fast as it falls on the roof of
the burning mine. Millions of
dollars' worth of the best quality of
cont have been consumed by the lire.
The Summit Hill mine, near Mauch
Chunk, has been burning for twenty
five years. It is believed that this
mine was set on fire by discontented
miners. Thousands of dollars have
been expended in fruitless efforts to
entinguish the fiamcs.
The Butler mine, near Pittston,
has been burning three years. It was
Bet on fire by a par y of tramps, who I
built a fire in the mine in 1877. The
fire is in the upper drifts. It is con
fined to an area of forty acres by an
immense ditch forty feet wide, which
was excavated between the burning
drift and connecting ones. The dig
ging of the canal cost 8f>0,000. But
for that obstacle the fire would have
communicated to some of the most
extensive mines in the Lackawana
valley, and a subterraneous conflagra
tion would have swept under the
whole of West Pittston. Miners
worked in the lower drift of the But
ler mine since the fire broke out, but
there arc but forty feet of rock be
tween them and the field of fire above.
The water that trickles through the
roof is scalding hot. The tempera
ture is so high that the men can wear
but little clothing.
How a Husband Was Lost.
When the late Lafayette S. Foster,
at one time president of the United
.States Senate, was a young and rising
lawyer, he wooed ami was engaged
to a young lady whoso family enjoyed
a larger social prominence than his
own. The wedding day had been j
fixed and the couple were talking
over their prospective tour, as a part
of which young Footer proposed I hat
they should spend a few days with his
parents, who resided in a town some
distance away. The lady rather re*
j luctantly consented, but said : "I will
go with you this time, but in tho fa
ilure you must not expect my visits to
your parents to be very frequent.
You insist remember that our associa
tions have been very different." Sur
prised and shocked by this coldblood
ed depreciation of the father and
mother whom he loved and honored
the young man paced the Hour the
sport of seething and conflicting emo
tions. Finally, taking his hat lie
turned to the young lady and said :
'?I am glad I have found you out in
time ; you may go to the deuce.'* The
rebuke might not have been choice in
style, but it was earnest in spirit.
Thenceforth their ways lay apart and
she was not the gainer.
What BeatUs.
With California and Oregon given
to Oar Held, General Hancock has still
o'jc hundred ami fifty electoral votes,
and il the thirty-live of this State
were added be would have exactly
the needed one bundled and eighty
live. New York, therefore, could
have elected him, Il depended upon
this S ate to name the next (President
and she has not itumed the Democrat
ic candidate. Why? I5ecau.se the
majority that Democrats fairly looked
for from this city tailed tbiougb the
treasonable disorganization of the
Democratic vote that was biought
about by Kelly's machinations ; be
cause, in short it did not suit Mr.
Kelly to have the Democratic party
iwin, if it had to do this at any ex
pense whatever to his private schemes
for obtaining control of our munici
pal twenty millions. That, General
Hancock could and would have carried
this state but for tho disorganization
and demoralization of the Democratic
vote of the city brought about by Mr.
Kcllcy see ma to he demonstrated by
the returns. The result in tbie Stale j
would be changed by a change of les-*'
than twelve thousand votes.?Xcoii
York Herald.
"I W?nt to Be an Angel."
Tho importance of tiuicncsa in per-!
sonal effort for the good of souls was {
effectually learned by acity minister's
wife the other day. She was enter-J
tnining the infant class in her parlor, j
Among the "infants" was n sweet
little three-year old cherub, with llow- J
icg browd curls, large blue eyes, fair
complexion, and despite her blue silk
dress and long sash, a pure bcavcnli
ness of expression They had j;;&t
sung "1 want to bo an angel," and
bad returned to their sport. And
uow, to begin the loving lure for that
young soul, already to mortal view
so near the pearly gate, the good wo
man held out her hands with che most
winning grace, and asked in her soft
est tones: "Dora, dear, do you want
to be an angel?" Looking up Inno
bor suddenly interrupted game,
the incipient angel slightly "took
down" her fascinated hostess with
the outburst, "Oh, go to grass;
don't bother I"?Congregationalism
It is so slange ! Wc sec a million
faces, we bear a million voices, we
meet a million women with flowers on
their breasts and light in their fair
eyes, and they do not touch us. Then
wc sec one, and she holds for us life
or death, and plays with them idly so
often?as idly as a child with toy!?.
She is not nobler, belter or mere beau
tiful than wore all those wc passed,
and yet the world is empty without
her.
One cannot always be a hero, but
one may always be a man.
Are Wo to Have an Empire.
A correspondent of the New York
Star writing from Syracuse, N. Y.,
asks :
Are the Republican leaders plotting^
Imperialism? I am impelled to this
question by a revelation made to mo
which, means that the next President
of the United Statee will be a man
who was not voted for. On Monday
night, before the election, at a late
hour, I was sitting in one of the ho
tels at Syn euoc talking with a prom
inent Republican politician, a gentle
man thoroughly acquainted with all
inside rualtei s of the campaign, when
the eonvcrsaibin turned upon the vis
it of Grant to Syracuse, I asked :
"What is tho secret of Grant's in
terest in Garfield's success?"
The gentleman did not reply at
once. Finally he said, with a signifi
cant movcinent4of the head, "He has
an object."
Not a little surprised, I enqn red :
"How is that?"
"It would no' become me to tell
talcs out of school," responded the
other. "I am too good a.. Republi
can."
I pressed the gentleman, and all
last he said : "I do not feel hound to
keep the secret, as I was opposed to j
Garfiuld. Mark me well. U. S. Grant',
will bo the next President of the Uni
ted States!" j
I,asked for ??n explanation, and the1,
gentleman replied: "You doubtless]
remember the famous conference at
Mentor, at which Gartield, Coukling,
Grant and Logan were present?"
I nodded affirmatively.
"Well* at that meeting a gigantic!
job wao put up. It was arranged thntj
Grant should ho PrcsiJent and Gar
iield Vicc-Presideul."
"How could that be accomplish
ed ?"
"Easy. All that would be ucccn
sary would be for the electors to ca:.t
their lmllota for Grant ami Gar held."
"Did Gurdeld coueout to this dis
position of himself ?"
"He hud no alternative. Without
Conkl:ng's aid he caw that it was ab
solutely impossible for our party to
succeed."
"What is to be done with Arthur?"
"He will be provided for."
"Will tha. electors consent to cast
their ballots lor Grant and Grar?eld?"
"In return the gentleman asked :
"Does the Republican parly want to
lose Coukling and Graut?"
"Why did not Coukling come to
Syracuse with Grunt, as first an
mm i cod?"
"For the reason that he is not in
good accord with the Republicans
here. The delegation frdin this dis
trict went against Grant at Chicago."
"Do you know this to be true?"
"Yes."
"How?"
The gentleman wns silent.
"Did you hear it from an elector?"
'?I have alrep.dv told you more than
I intended," be answered ; "but as 1
am opposed to a third term, I cannot
restrain my feelings on this imposi
tion."
Later developments recall it vivid
ly to my mind. Other remarks were
made, but they wore of no import
ance. I cast about, and as the result
of my observations and enquiries, I
obtained what I consider to bo abso
lute proof that the plot was entirely
the work of Coukling. I believe that
the National Committee is in the
league with Coukling, and from the
disclosures I think that a sullicient
number of electors have promised to
assist in carrying out the scheme. I
have evidence in my possession that
as soon as it is fully developed will
prove beyond a doubt that Conklii'g
is planning to steal the Presidency for
Grant.
General Hancock makes the fourth j
defeated Democratic candidate for j
the Presidency now living. The oth- j
er three are General McClellan, who]
was beaten in 18G I ; Horatio Scy-;
mour, who ran in 18?8, and Mr. Til
den. Gen. Grant is Iho oniy cx
Prcsi lent living.
?tn-? ?- -
Freo Speech.
Mf. Edward Atkinson, of Boston,
made a speech at Atlanta, Go., a fort
night ago, in the Senate chamber,
iho roost prominent State officials be
ing present. After givinj? tlic audi
enco a most dismal and plain-spoken
sketch of their own condition under
slavery, he said, among other things,
that ?bis own observations told him
tlmt "the progress of the colored peo
ple.,of the Atlantic States is one of
tho. marvels of economic history."
This! however, cannot be true, if wc
arevf9 believe Mr. Sherman's and Mr.
Davvjp'o accounts of the negro in those
Stat?B, neither of whom, it must be
ad muted, has made any observations
on the matter at all. Mr. Atkinson
also but in a good or bad word foi
the carpet-baggers by alleging that
the lfiajority of the while men in the
carpet-bag legislatures which piled
up,the largo State debts after the
war/were natives. This, however, is
not'flaying much for them, for, if wc
remember lightly, there were at one
lim&only six whites in the South
Carolina Legislature. The worst car
pet-baggers wore not in the legisla
lureti, but devoted themselves to
"manipulating," "mind-poisoning,"
and hond peddling outside. Mr. At
kinson, whoso address was mainly
devoted to the methods of cotton cul
ture, and manufacture, also enforced
in eome very vigorous language the
necessity to material prosperity of
lclfiug every man" who come amongst
liiciTJ to say his say without let or
hindrance, and ir.vitcd them, if they
wanted to "jaw back," to come up to
Newj. England and "search out its
vvea?t places." The hardened and
diabolical crowd, instead of precipi
tating themselves on the speaker with;
pistols and bludgeons, according to'
ttioS? nature a* described by "staffI
correspondents," only laughed and
cheered. He told a good story of an
old colored man at Columbia, S. C.,
who accounted for Hie overthrow of
the Chamberlain Government by Bay
ing that the reason was "dat you'
can't put ig'nnnce ober intelligence
and make it stry."?X. Y. Nation.
Judfjo Cooke. j
Kx-Judgo Thompson 1J. Cooke was)
a candidate for the Stato Senate nsj
an independent Democrat in cousc-l
quonce of a burning desire to test!
some question evolved from the inlri
cats depths of hia mysterious inner
con&ciousncso. We trust he has found
the answer satisfactory. Oh the face!
ol the returns ho has 2,'l 18 votes inj
this county. Eleven of the candidates j
on bis own fusion ticket ran ahead of I
him. including Mr. Speer und two
gentlemen who had declined being
candidates. Absolom Hlylhe bad the j
glory of healing the ex-Judge by sev
en votes. Col. Perry, the slraighout
Democratic nominee, S^eat him by
2,201. Only two names on his ticket
are credited with loss voles than him
self, and he is b'7 behind the highest.
The returns indicate not only that be
failed to receive any Democratic
votes, but was scratched by some lie
publicans. The lest has been satis
factorily decided.? Greenville X- ws.
Wo Bulldozing.
Elizabeth j October 2(5.?The man
agers of the Singer Sowing Machine
Company's Works, in Elizabothport,
have at length taken a decided stand
against Iho efforts, of the unscrupu
lous men who have been attempting
to frighten their Democratic employ
ees into voting the Republican ticket.
A hi b ollleial of the com many has
promulgated the following notice,
which appears in the journals here,
and has been circulated among the
men : "No bulldozing or coercion of
employees is or will be tolerated, but I
the men around will be left f reo to
the exercise of their own convictions,
unawed and unsolicited by the compa
ny to do otherwise. Further, the
managers promise to reinstate any
employees' who may have been dis
charged on any political ground what
ever, if such there be, and the boss or
foreman who so offends will himself
be discharged."
A Masonic Incident.
A few nights ngo there was a meet
ing of Oostanaula Lodge F. A. M.,
for work in the third degree and there
was quite a largo attendance of the
mombcrs of both the ci'y lodges.
When the lodge was called to refresh
inent, Dr. Janes, W. M., arose and
stated that there was a poor woman
and her two children in the city
whoso deceased husband was not an
alii Hated Mason, but nevertheless,
the lady and her children are in des
titute circumstances, and needed as
sistance. I le staled that free trans
portation bed been procured for them
and their household ellects to a neigh
boring JrUate where they executed to
meet relatives, but they had no mon
ey with which to purchase suitable
clothing in which to make tho jour
ney. He then asked the brethren to
contribute according to their means.
The scone that followed made every
one in the room feel proud. At once
hands were thrust into pockets and
the money, was handed out faster than
Dr. Janes could receive it. One bro
ther, a nobleman, who is a poor man
working upon a salary, and who has
a family' dependent upon him, gave
live dollars, and others gave accord
ing to their means, until more than
enough was quickly obtained. Yes
Leiday the tnomy with a note attache,
was sent to the widow, and upon re
ceipt of it she uttered her thanks by
bursting into tears. Thus again ha.
Masonry exemplified its teaching^
and its cardinal points of faith, hopr
and charily, "that tho greatest of
these is charity." Perhaps if we
could know the truth, the recording
ungcl has inscribed this upon hU
book. It is certainly worthy of it, and
reflects credit upon the brethren who
participated. To preach charily is
good, but to practice itTis, far better.
-Rome Tribune.
Gen. Hancock and the Army.
The New York Evening Post, Rep.,
says : "Should the forthcoming report
of the General of the Array prove his
last?and It is confidently announced
from Washington that Gen. Sherman
has determined to go upon the retired
list next spring?it will give to both
Gen. Sheridan and Gen. Hancock a
step upward in military positiou' if
not in nominal rank. The title of
General was conferred specially upon
Gen- Sherman, ami thus does not pass
loa successor; but, in the event of
his retirement, which the law enables
him to do on the completion of thirty
years' service, Gen. Sheridan will take
command of the army at Washington
and Gen Hancock, by established cus
tom, will succeed at Chicago to the
important post now filled by Gen.
Sheridan. Tho country will be ioth
to lose from its active service the
distinguished officer now at the head
of its army; but it will be glad ; to
see any possible additional honor
open to the gallant soldier who by nu
means loses his place in the hearts of
his countrymen because of his defeat
in a political election."
The Nott House.
A Washington special to tho Bos
ton Herald say s: Three Republican
members elect of the Forty-seventh
Congress?Mr. Frye, of Maine, Mr.
Robeson, of New Jersey, and Mr.
Morton of New York?are under
stood to be candidates for the U. S.
Senate, and, if elected, would mako
vacancies in Congress which would
have to be filled by special election.
In the other event?that Mr. Morton
should accept a positiou in tho Cabi
jnet?a vacancy would occur in the
I New York delegation which would
have to be filled by a special election.
The fact that a lew Gcenbackcrs elec
ted to the Forty-Seventh Congress
will probably hold the balance of
power in the organization of the
next House, in connection with possi
ble election of Democrats to fill the
vacancies in New York and New Jer
sey, causes great anxiety here among
Republicans., who hope to elect the
next speaker, and through him to or
ganize tho committees and control
the business of the House of the For
ty-seventh Congress.
Whiskey.
Fonsrrn, November 3.?A tramp
; printer by the name of Caldwell waa
knocked off of tho railroad by n pas
senger train. He was brought to
town in an unconscious state, where
died bo in a lew minutes.
The man referred to was not named
"Caldwell" and was not a printer.
Seventeen years ago he occupied a
place of some importantce under the
Confederate government, having been
incapacitated from active service by
honorable wounds. Of the best'Vir
ginia blood, inheriting a brilliant in
tellect, the possessor of unusual ac
quirements, handsome in feature and
courtly in address,he was asocial fav
orite, and seemed destined for.succe?a
in life. Having a fare talent for
journalism, he entered upon it after
the war. Then ho disappeared from
general public view. Two month ago
he entered The Daily N^ws office, an
unkempt, abje?t, shivering tramp,
sunk far oclow and away from, his re
dact! home circle, and old friends.
Ambition lost, hope gone, and respec
tability only a bitter memory, ho
"moved on" upon his weary, aimless
journey, as very a wreck as qvejc,drif
ted lonely and forgotton on the cold
waves of a silent and desolate sea.
An outcast, having no fellowship with
those like him, and only a maudlin
envy of those from among whdor he
fell, he went on and on to new scorns
and rcbufTs, seeking nothing, and with
never a hope of comfort or rest.>J
His long tramp is over. A soon-to
be forgotten heap of earth somewhere
?ides what is left from pryingj eyes.
Friends and family will forget 4him
except to wonder of his fate and
think of him as they knew him, in
his strength ami beauty, in the past
that seems already so misty i and
strange. Few will know that the, roans
of uncleanly rags and bloated flesh
that lay beside the railroad track and
found a stranger's grave in Georgia,
svns the remnant of the accomplished
gentleman and the brilliaat journal*
ist. " i
Let it %o. One life ruined does
not count for much amoug so many,
and twenty years hence there will be
no record that he ever lived or flour
ished, except chance vague recollec
tions. Had it not been for whiskey,
however, the man might have -been
strong and great and his name hand
ed down with honor.? Greenville
News. t M i
A Sohomo for lbs Future.1
"Galh" writes to the Cincinnati
Enquirer and forecasts the policy of
the Radicals in this way: "HamrJtbn
is considered to be the link that the
late General Forrest: wa3 between
Mississippi and South Ca:oliha"-a
sort of ku-klux fomcnter and Organ
izer. They regard Forrest as having
put bis rough, barbaric energies ifito
the ku-klux, ami Hampton ns being
more polished and subtle, but of less
principle. His vanity to make pub
lic speeches and figure in ihe .No?th
has reacted on the tolerably fair i in -
prcssiou he made ns a mere (Senator.
But the next Cangrcss is Republican.
Not improbably they may throw, eve
ry one. of the members from the states
alleged to habitually cheat or intimi
date the negro vote out of their seats,
and order an investigation into $he
past four or five elocttpns." , , J(1.)Jf
To Doy and To-MotroW.
To-day we gather bright and beau
tiful llo\vcr8?to-morrow' tueyv are
faded and dead.
To day a wreath ol leaves shades
us?to morrow scar, and fallen, iBey
crumble beucath our tread. ?noJ
To day the earth is covered with) a
carpet of green?to morrow it ins
brown wi'h the withered grans. 10*
To day the vigorous >talk only,
bends beforo the gale?to-morrow,
leafless and sapless, a child "may
breuk the brittle stem. rihtitux]
To day the ripening fruit and. wp
ving grain?to morrow "the land i.-i
taking its rest after toil.*'
To day we hear sweet songsters'ofr
the meadows and forests, tlm. ;bnzz
and hum of myriad insects-^tcj mo|\
row breafeuo soltly, ill nature' hushed
and silent. ,u
To day there are cattle upon a
thousand hills?to-morrow they,fall'
by slaughter. (i . . i