The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, November 21, 1894, Image 1
e til at chutan and
THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Hatab?ished April, 1850.
"Be Just and Fear not-Let alEthe Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's .and Truth's."
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jone, 1366
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1894.
New Series-Vol. XIV. No. 17.
O- O ?J
rnblishe? Every "ffefoesday,
KT, O. Osteen,
SUMTER, S. C.
TERMS :
* Two Dollars per annan)-in advance
ADVERTISEMENT:
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Every subsequent insertion. 50
Contracts for three months, or longer will
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Tl HEM .ULAN
fy ALFRED E. OAL??0OT.
[Copyright, 1S94, by American Presa Associa?
tion.]
CHAPTER UL
* : Among the thousands of refugees who,
in the early months of 1861, crowded
into Kentucky from the mountains of
Tennessee and North Carolina there was
- not one who attracted more attention
; and cared less for it than Captain Hugh
Beatty. The loss of his sons and the
fortitude with which he bore his trials
were well calculated to stir the sympa?
thy of all who met him, but this soon
gave place to an intense admiration for
the^old man's devotion to the cause of
the Union and his readiness to give up
all that remained to him for the success
of its arms.
At the beginning of the war our re?
cruiting officers were very particular as
to the physical qualifications of the vol?
unteers, and all men under 18 and over
45 were regarded as disqualified for mili?
tary duty. It took us two years to learn
that boys of 16 and men of 60 or more
might make good soldiers.
Although "a risin of 73," and with
grandsons strong enough to fight, there
was not at Camp-Dick Robinson in Jan
nary, 1862, a better rifleman than old
Hugh Beatty nor a man in the ranks
who was capable of rendering : bet?
ter service to the cause that was so dear
to his heart Great, then, was his dis?
appointment when he was told that he
could not be enlisted.
At the old man's request I introduced
him to General Thomas, and I recall
as if I had heard it yesterday, the pur?
port of the conversation between these re?
markable men, each of whom represent?
ed the best types cf the trained southern
soldier and the untrained southern
mountaineer. At this time General
i. Thomas was about 40, tall, powerfully
built, and with a face that showed the
kindliest heart and the most masterful
intellect. He understood the volunteer
soldier as no other officer of prominence
did at that time, and so he had no bar?
rier of bayonets to fence him in from
the men. He heard their stories without
the intervention of red tape, and he
made himself accessible to all without
permitting familiarity from any. The
soldiers of the Army of the Cumberland
were looking around for an idol, as sol?
diers will, and they began by giving
this calm, kindly man their confidence,
a confidence which gradually deepened
into the love of sons fora father, and so
it came about that he whose home was
childless found an army of boys who,
with, mingled love and reverence, called
lum "Pop,"
Old Hugh Beatty had no idea of the
social distinctions that divide men into
classes. He would have been uncon?
strained in the presence of a king, or if
he gave their differences a thought it
would be tb feel pity for the prince who
could not be his own master, and who
was so unfortunate as to have been born
outside the Cumberland range There
was a dignity about the old mountaineer
that commanded respect, nor was there
any boorish familiarity in h\s treatment
of others. He shook hands with General
Thomas, and sitting down facing that
officer he began in his intensely earnest
way:
"Gineral Thomas, I'm in a d-d bad
scrape, and I've come to see ef so be
you can't help me out. "
"I shall be glad to aid you, if in my
power, " said the general.
"Waal, hit is in yer power. "
"Please tell me in what way," and
the general smiled.
"I come from Batty's crick. 'Tain't
called after me. My dad was the man,
and he was kilt way back when the
Cherokees was in the hills to the south.
We uns down our way is pur ty much
all Union, and when we seed that tho
rebs was 'bleged to conscript us, me and
my boys and a lot of neighbors lit out
and agreed to foller the no'th star till
we uns found the flag and men ready to
fight fo' hit"
"That was a noble resolution," said
the general.
"We uns had a h-lof atimegittin
har. Hit was nigh most four weeks of
starvin and marchin and fightin. Three
of my five boys and two of my grand?
sons was kilt, yet we uns didn't never
give up, and I'll tell yon fo' why, gin?
eral. Yon see, I was in command. The
boys knowed I'd been a sojer 'wayback
with Ole Hick'ry, and they knowed ef
any man in &e mountains could fetch
'em through-why, he was a man of just
my age and heft "
"And from what I have learned,"
said the general, "you did your duty
like a man."
"Yes, gineral, like a full growed
man!"
"Certainly."
"And not like a d-d ole fool, or a
babby. ea hez tobe, fed on stuff that
don't need n? chawin. "
"Of course, " acquiesced the genere
"Look me over, Gineral Thoms
Look me np one side and down t
other, good and hard. "
The old man leaped from his chai
He was straight as an Indian, considc
ably over 6 feet in height, there was ]
? fat on him, and every muscle, as 3
braced himself for inspection, stood a
j like wrought steel.
General Thomas obeyed the old mai
and his fine eyes lit up with admirati(
as he said:
"You have been a powerful man j
your time, Mr. Beatty. "
"In my time?" repeated the old ma
"Yes, when you were younger,
laughed the general.
"Gineral Thomas, by G-, I nev
was a braggin nor a bettin man, and y(
don't look like ez ef you was any si<
yo'self, though I'll allow you'd be
d-d hard man to tackle without ou
side help, but if so be I can't take ar
two sojers a-wearin blue in this h'j
camp and down 'em as fast ez they cs
git up, and without a-shuckin my coa
or you can go out thar and whistle r.
two officers, and you needn't be 'tickh
to get small sizes, and if I can't pi
'em both to wanst on my knee ac
lather 'em like h-"
"But, my dear sir," interrupted tl
astonished general, "I am quite willie
to take all this for granted. Now, te
me what I can do for you. "
"You are not willin to take all th
fo' granted, " said the old man, his ey?
flashing and his voice trembling wit
excitement "I come up h'ar-a-refi
geein, with sich of my kin and neigl
j hors as is left I led 'em to the ole flag
and thar was tears in my eyes whin
f seed her a-flutterin ag'in the sky, like
I angers wing, but they wasn't the teai
? of a child or of a weak ole man. Whe
II left the mountains and looked to Go
I and the no'th star to guide me, I wasn'
! out s'archin for a nuss and a hospita
! cot Gineral, I come h'ar to fight fo' th
I flag and to lay down my life, if she'
j needed, fo' the Union. Ain't that fa'
; and squar', and man toman? Can't yoi
j understandJiit?"
"I certainly can, my friend, and ther
i is no man who appreciates more full;
I what tite noble mountain men lik
yourself are doing. "
f*That,8 right, ginerail" cried ol<
Hugh, and in his delight he reached ou
I and seized the officer's hand. * 'Now yoi
know what I'm hean fo'?"
*4 Yes; to fight for the Union. "
"Yes, to 'fight fo' the Union ever]
day in the week and twice on Sundays
ef need be. To^fight fo' the Union fron
July to eternity, ef so be hit takes tha
time to git the flag back to whar sh*
hez a right to float fo'evah and fo'evah
Amen!"
* 'But no one opposes your doing this, '
urged the general.
"But thar does some one oppose
though!"
"Who?"
"A d-d little cuss ez I could hid(
in my pocket They calls him a muster
in officer. I'md-d sorry I didn't piel
him up and spank him good whin he
told nie I Was too ole to fight, and sc
refused to give me the oath. But T took
hit all the same, and I reckon he won'1
have more oaths in a yeah than I ?rec
into him in five minutes. And then, ei
hit hadn't a-been for Colonel Speed Fry
-he's a white mau, he is-they'd had
a guard to drive me out of this camp!
That's why Tve come, gineral, and lei
me say thar ain't so many good men
a-hankerin fo' a fight that you uns can
afford to kick 'em ont like a dog whin
they does show up."
"Come with me, Hugh Beatty, and I
will be your military godfather, " said
General Thomas, and he shook the old
mountaineer's hand and led him to the
quarters of the mustering officer, and
that night I met the captain disguised
in an army overcoat, and he was as
proud of his muster in as a West Point
cadet is when he gets his first commis?
sion.
Through Andrew Johnson, who soon
after this became military governor of
Tennessee, Hugh Beatty was commis?
sioned a captain, but his knowledge of
the mountains was so great that, iustead
of being assigned to a regular command,
he was detailed to act as guide and
scout with the brigade which, under
Colonel Garfield, began a spring cam?
paign in 1862 against the Confederates,
who, under Humphrey Marshall, occu?
pied the mountains along the head wa?
ters of the Big Sandy and extending
down to Cumberland Gap.
When the Union forces under our
General Morgan seized and fortified the
gap in the early summer, Captain Beat?
ty applied for and received a month's
leave of absence. At this point he was
only about 35 miles from his old home,
and although that territory was sup?
posed to be inside the enemy's lines the
desire to see his wife and "to Tarn how
things had gone with the wimmin folk
and the chillen ovan on Batty's crick"
was too strong to be resisted.
The old scout knew that if he com?
municated his purpose to any of his
friends in General Morgan's army he
would be restrained. He still had with
him the ragged butternut clothes in
which he came through with his kins?
men to our lines, and arraying himself
in these, and with an army rifle, he
started from the gap and eluded our
pickets and those of the enemy, then in
; some force over in Powell's valley.
It required no ordinary daring for
this enterprise. The enemy's scouts and
bands of guerrillas, organized to plun?
der and murder the few remaining
Union men, were then ruthlessly raid?
ing the Cumberland plateau. The con?
duct of Captain Beatty and his friends
1 in fighting their way out of the state
had already made them well known and
hateful to their opponents in that re?
gion. Had. the qld_ soldier gone in in '
! ?nifona and backed by comrades it is
doubtful if any of the enemy in the
mountains then under the lead of his
infamous namesake, Tinker Dave Beat?
ty, would have taken him prisoner, or, if
they did so, it would only be to hang
him after they had submitted him to
insult But going within the lines in
citizen's dress meant that he was a spy
and would be treated as such if he fell
into the hands of even those regular
Confederate organizations who acknowl?
edged what is called "civilized war?
fare."
In this Captain Beatty may have been
rash, but he was not blind to the dan?
ger of his position. "I felt right smart
safer, " he said when telling of the ad
? venture, "than ef I'd had a crowd along.
I could always keerf o' one man better'n
two, more particklar whin that one
man's myself.
"Even befo* the wah, " he explained,
j "the mountains was never crowded with
people, but I could always tell whar a
light and a welcome could bo found on
the darkest night " But now even the
sparse settlements were abandoned and
many of the little log houses, clinging
like odd eyries to the mountain side,
were deserted.
The rutted trails told of more fre?
quent travel, bat except in odd places
no corn had been planted, and the pota?
to fields of past days were breast high
j with weeds.
An awful dread for the fate of his
loved ones-he gave no thought to him?
self-filled the old man's heart as he
neared Beatty's creek. He traveled at
night hiding himself by day among the
higher rocky peaks, from which his
coming frightened the wolf. He saw in
the distance men dressed in butternut
but he did not dare to make himself
known, fearing that they might be
friendly to the south.
About 3 o'clock the third morning
after leaving the army at Cumberland
Gap the old man reached the site of the
! stillhouse on the creek, about a half
mile below the settlement The build?
ing was gone. He struck a light and
looked about him Charred timbers were
all he saw. He grasped his rifle, set
hard his teeth and started up the creek.
The barking of a dog in the distance
gave him a little comfort, for it told
there were people left in the old home
The half moon came over the moun?
tains, revealing the line of log cabins
above the bed of the creek, but tho store
and the mill were gone They, too, had
been given to the torch.
With his heart leaping till it swayed
* him, the old man turned to his own
house He heard the whining of a dog.
Then, with a bark of joy, the animal
leaped up and began to lick his hands,
and this assured him that his worst
! fears were groundless.
He hurried on, and he heard the voice
of a woman coming from the darkness,
where heretofore a light had over guided
! his night approach.
"Hugh! My ole man, I-I knowed
yer step!"
Weaker than himself, but as brave,
she came out in her thin calico dress,
and her thin arms were about his neck,
j and the gray strands of her hair fell on
his face with her kisses and her tears.
"They're been raisin h-1 h'ar sence
you uns left, " was what she said when
she could get her feelings under control.
He did not need to be told who "they"
were He had seen war. He knew what
to expect as to the destruction or appro?
priation of property by the enemy, but
he could not have anticipated the worst
The old woman led him into the
hotise, but she refused to make a light
fearing that it would attract the atten?
tion of "Tinker Dave's men, " who were
then swarming in the mountains.
She gave him some cornbread to eat,
explaining that the enemy had plun?
dered the store and left them only a lit?
tle meal. And as he munched the hard
bread hythe fireless hearth the old wife,
with no emotion in her voice, for she
had her feelings under control again,
told him the worst
Diphtheria, though that was not the
name she gave it, appeared on the creek
early in the spring, and nearly all the
He struck a light and looked about him.
children and many of the mothers had
died for the want of proper treatment
Some of the daughters-in-law had gone
back to their folks, but of the 12 houses
that 10 months before had been full to
overflowing with women and children
nine were empty.
In the midst of this plague the enemy
appeared to complete the work of de?
struction and to carry off and spread the
disease. The remaining women had
buried the dead as best they could up on
the hillside, and they tried to plant a
little corn, but it was hard work with
all the mules and the oxen ta.ven away.
And when she had told him all this
and tried to still his groaning by laying
her hand on his shoulder and whisper?
ings hini not to "take on so powahful '
tao?'she went ont to summon Andy'
widow and the others that were left
It needs no lurid coloring to intensif
this picture. It is better represented b;
the more than silhouette blackness ii
which that old man and his wife an?
the little group of women and childrei
found themselves. The captain told o
the death of his boys, and, except for ?
suppressed sob or the exclamation of tb
word "GodI" forced through the closed
set teeth, there was nothing in the man
ner of the group buried there in th<
darkness to tell of the fresh thrusts t<
hearts already wounded unto death.
And then they told him of their trials,
not by way of exciting sympathy or con
trasting suffering, but because theil
hearts were full and till death must re
main full of the one subject.
There was no chiding, no complaint,
no wishing that one course rather thar
another had been taken, nor were the3
sustained at this time by the sublime
faith which glorifies martyrdom and
renders torture a delight to the religious
devotee. Each had acted as he or she
thought for the best. The result had net
been as they could have wished, and so,
like fatalists, they accepted the present
without complaint, but it was not ir
the nature of the race to yield without
resisting. They would keep right on,
doing tho best they could and fearlessly
awaiting the end, be that what it -might
Not the least sad feature of the old
patriot's visit to his mountain home
was the fact that, instead of being able
to assist those who so sorely needed it,
his presence added to their already seri?
ous burdens and helped to decrease the
little stock of meal they had on hand
He could not stay in his own house,
but had to hide up the mountain, where
the old woman and the others visited
him at night. He brought with him a
lot of Confederate money, which was
very .abundant in our army at that time,
and this the captain gave his wife, hop?
ing she might find it of some use, as
greenbacks had no value in that part of
Tennessee at that time.
As it would be cruel to remain where
he could not help and where the danger
to himself added to the anxiety of his
wife and thc others, the old captain de?
termined to make his way back to Cum?
berland Gap before one-half of his 30
days' leave of absence had expired.
Heavy of heart though Captain Beatty
was, he did not permit his own troubles
to blind him to the duty he owed that
cause that grew dearer to him in propor?
tion to his sufferings for it
At this time, August, 1862, Kirby
Smith, with a corps, was moving up
through east Tennessee for the purpose
of co-operating with Bragg, then prepar?
ing for his great foraging raid into tho
blue grass region of Kentucky. One
purpose of Smith's campaign was to
surprise the Federal garrison at Cum?
berland Gap. Captain Beatty was less
cautious on his return, and so he ran
against a courier hastening in the direc?
tion of Knoxville. A fight followed, and
the Confederate's horse and dispatch
bag were the spoils of the Union soldier.
The old captain reached the gap camp
in safety, but what effect his informa?
tion had on that campaign I cannot pre?
tend to say, but certain it is that Kirby
Smith neither surprised nor captured the
Union troops under Morgan, though he
did succeed in running into Kentucky
and running out again.
I next met Captain Beatty when, in
October of the same year, we were push?
ing Bragg's raiders back, and they had
como to a halt along Chaplain creek,
near the village of Percyville. The old
scout was temporarily assigned to duty
on General Jackson's staff, and he and
I slept on one blanket the night before
the battle. The old man had stood the
fatigue of that torrid and dusty cam?
paign as well as men one-third his age
-better indeed than the strongest men
in the new levies who had joined us at
Louisville, and who were to take their
first hard lesson in war on the morrow.
"I tell you, "said the captain, "hit
always ages mo to see we uns a-marchin
fo' the north. I come most nigh losin
heart durin the past two months when
tho rebs seemed to have everything pur
ty much nigh thar own way right har
in Kaintuck, but now that were a-driv
in 'em south, instead of them a-drivin wc
unsno'th hit's kinder more comfortin. "
He had already told me of his visit to
Tennessee and how he had met his sur?
viving kinsmen with General Carter
and told them the news.
"Once our folks gits into aistTennes?
see," he continued, "FIT 'bout give up
sojerin and go back and kecr for the
wimmin and chilien on the crick. Hit
won't be long after that till the bottom'll
drop outen the hull d-d thing, and
then they'll be sorry they ever started
hit. And I say, my son, ef so be you
could come over and visit me when
things is kinder quiet again we uns'll
be mighty glad to see you. "
There were men at Perryville who
had been at Donelson and Shiloh, and
who subsequently were engaged in the
bloodiest battles in the west, but ask
them the hardest fight they were ever
in, the fight most trying to the active
participants, and they will say without
hesitation, "Perryville." The roads
were ankle deep in dust, the streams
were arid ruts, and the springs and
wells had gone dry, so the men and ani?
mals suffered intensely for water.
Hundreds of soldiers, blue and gray,
were killed at Perryvillo in their efforts
to reach tho water, and they fell on
their faces and drank it, after the tepid
little stream had been choked up with
the dead.
The enemy fell back tho next morn?
ing, and we had orders to follow them
in tho direction of Harrodsburg. I was
about to mount my horse near a field
hospital that had been erected just back
of where General Jim Jackson, was
killed the day before, when an orderly
told me that Dr. White wished to seo 1
me;
I hurried back to the clump of trees,
-where White and his assistants were at
work, looking like sanguinary monsters.
"Captain Beatty heard you were near
and wanted to see you, " said Dr. White,
and he pointed to a figure on a stretcher
near by.
I drew down a cloth that had been
thrown over the face to keep off the
flies.
The old man appeared to be asleep,
but there was a red splotch and a jagged
tear on his breast
"Captain Beatty, old friend, I am
here!" I called.
He made no response. I took his
hand, and it struck me that hot morn?
ing as being the coldest hand I had ever
felt
I pushed back his hair and touched
my lips to his forehead. The bugles
sounded the "advance," and I felt as I
rode away something of that dead sol?
dier's ceaseless yearning to hurry the
old flag back to Tennessee.
THE END.
One Way to Fry Chicken.
Cut up the chicken an hour before
cooking and lay it in salt and water..
Take it up, wipe and dip it in a batter,
made of 2 eggs, a little flour, pepper
and a little nutmeg. Fry in part lard
and part butter. Put the chicken on a
hot dish. Pour off the contents of the
spider and make a gravy of cream, but?
ter, salt, pepper, thickened with flour
wet in a little cold milk. Let it boil up
and pour over the chicken.
HUNTING, FORSOOTH i
Tile Xovement In England to Stop the
Cruelties of Misnamed "Sportsmen."
The .Royal Buckhounds have com?
menced the season of hunting the tame
deer in Windsor park and the adjacent
country, although over a year ago the
government promised to consider the ad?
visability of abolishing this misnamed
sport, and although the queen herself
is known to regard it with anything but
favor. The Humanitarian league has
again taken up the subject, and to Lord
Rosebery will shortly be presented a pe?
tition in favor of the prohibition not
only of tame stag hunting, but of all
kinds of so called sport other than fail
hunting.
The practices aimed at by the peti?
tioners include pigeon shooting and
coursing hares and rabbits within in
closures. The petition is signed by
9,000 humanitarians, headed by George
Meredith, the novelist, and the list con?
tains the names of all the best known
poets, artists, writers and dreamers, with
a good mixture of practical politicians
like Timothy Healy and John Burns.
London Letter.
Ninety-six Weds Seventy-four.
The oldest bride and groom in this
county aro Mr. and Mrs. John Shilling.
Mr. Shilling is in his ninety-sixth year,
while the bride, Mrs. Ruth Sears, is
over 74. They both live on Sugar Loaf
mountain, in Grant county, and have
known each other for more than CO
years. They courted 54 years before
making up their minds. Tho wedding
took place at Zion church, and the cer?
emony was performed by the Rev. Mr.
Randall. Before the ceremony che bride
and groom were both baptized and ad?
mitted into the church. Tho wedding
was a typical mountain affair, the at?
tendance embracing several hundred
friends and relatives, many of whom
rode 40 and 50 miles on horseback over
the mountains to be present at the cere?
mony.
Mr. and Mrs. Shilling are as energet?
ic as the average middle aged people of
the cities.-Parkersburg (W. Va) Dis?
patch.
She Want9 Her Leg.
One day last March a Belgian lady
fell from her carriage in Brussels and
received injuries which necessitated tho j
amputation of her leg. The surgeon who
performed the operation, considering
the amputated member his property,
placed it on exhibition in his anteroom,
with an explanatory note, giving tho
name, age and address of its former pos?
sessor. When the lady's husband heard
of this, considering such an exhibition
improper, ho went to the surgeon to get j
back the leg. The surgeon refused to
give it up, but offered to remove the
notice This was not satisfactory, and
the matter has become a cause celebre
in the courts of Brussels.-Brussels Cor?
respondent.
-
Espionage at Constantinople.
Strong protests come from both the
foreign and native inhabitants of Con?
stantinople against the oppressive poli- I
cy of espionage recently enforced by
the sultan's government, says a corre?
spondent The minions of the sultan
even scent political conspiracy in a gar?
den party or a ball. Sometimes such en?
tertainments are prohibited, andat others
insult is added to injury by an order
that a representative of the palace be
present. The latter step was adopted re?
cently at the annual distribution of
prizes at the English high school for
girls.
Matchmaking Abroad.
An international matrimonial paper,
printed in three languages, is about to
make its appearance in Berlin.-Jour?
nal of Education.
Highest of all in Leavening Pow
POKER IN THE CABINET.
A Member of the Same, Who Wasn't Talk?
ing About Herbert, Tells Tales.
"Gresham," said a prominent mem?
ber of the cabinet, vainly searching in
his pocket for a nickel with which to
pay his fare in the last night car after a
pleasant little evening at the White
Honse, and who then gratefully thanked
a newspaper correspondent for handing
the conductor an extra nickel, "Gresh?
am says that he doesn't play poker for
the money there is in it, but I notice
that he wins all the chips. "
The secretary was lost in thought for
a few moments. Finally he shook his
head sadly, sighed heavily and contin?
ued:
"Secretary Gresham is, in my opin?
ion, ina ?mest poker player in the
country. ? "i^ve seen a great many stiff
games in my life, games played by
men who had for years made their liv?
ing at it. And I have seen some pretty
desperate chances taken, too, but never
nave 1 seen a man so thoroughly at
home at a game cf poker, so cool and
collected at every stage, as our secretary
of state In this opinion I am sure that
I would be indorsed by every member
of the cabinet. Even thc president him?
self would, I am sure, second my views
on this subject, although he thinks he
knows a thing or two about the game
himself."
4 'Has the president played the game
long?" the newspaper man inquired.
"Oh, no," said the secretary; "I
don't believe he ever played the game
at all until he went down the river last
year and took Gresham and Carlisle
with him. When he came back, he
didn't talk about anything for months
but poker. He hinted one day that if
I'd como up in the evening he would
give me a few points about the game. I
went up. The next morning the presi?
dent had to send to the bank for money. "
"What did the president say when he
arose from the game?"
"He simply said that it was easy to
Bee that I'd been taking a few lessons
from Gresham, and then ho said good
night"
"Can all the members of the cabinet
play?"
"They can; but, like the man with
the dish of crow before him, they don't
hanker af ter it It's too expensive. The
great poker players of the president's
official family are the president, secre?
tary of state, Carlisle and Morton. They
play for the love of it Morton is not
what one would <;ay in the language of
the street an 'cut cf sight player, ' but
he is a pretty good all around hand at
the game, and then he doesn't have to
live on his salary. Carlisle is a shrewd
player, but lacks nerve. The president
is a great bluffer and seldom stays out
He's the biggest winner of the four, ex?
cept, of course, Gresham. Gresham
Eeems to win all tho time."
"Do they play o? ten?"
"Well, they devote about all their
spare time to it. It's become a hobby
with the while of them. I don't want
to be understood as insinuating that
they play night after night or that very
large sums change hands. It's merely a
gentleman's game. They like it It af?
fords them the necessary relaxation aft?
er a hard day's work, and it's perfectly
proper and correct"
"Does Lamont play poker?"
"Well, as my friend Goldzier would
put it, 'Lamont do play a few poker, '
but it's not his hobby. Politics is La?
mont's bobby."
"How about Herbert?"
"I'm not talking about him. " Then
he winked tho other eye and left tho
car.-Washington Cor. Rochester Post
Express.
The Snow Flower.
A traveler in Siberia tells us about a
wonderful plr.nt found in the northern
part of that country, where the ground
is perpetually covered with a coating of
frost and snov;. It is called the snow
flower, and the description of its birth
and its short life reads like a fairy tale.
He says it shoots out cf the frozen soil
on the first day of the year and attains
a height of 3 feet. On the third day it
blooms, remaining open for only 24
hours. Tl: cr. the stem, the leaves and
the flower are converted into snow-in
other words, the plant goes back into its
original elements.
The leaves are three in number and
the flower is star shaped. On the third
day, the day the bloom appears, little
glistening specks appear on the extremi?
ties of the leaves. They are about the
size of the head of. a pin and aro the
seeds of the flower.
It is said that some of these seeds
were gathered onco and taken to St Pe?
tersburg, where they were buried in a
bed of snow. The first of the following
year the plant burst forth and bloomed,
justas it does in Siberia-Philadelphia
Times.
Self Crucifiera.
A remarkable sect has just made its
appearance in the Volga province of
Samara, in Russia, of which, as far as
is known, only women can lie members.
These sectaries make a point of what
they call "self crucifixion. " They feed
exclusively on grass, herbs and berries,
and subject their bodies to all kinds of
self imposed tortures. They are opposed
to the Russian clergy and to the worship
of pictures.-St Petersburg Letter.
er.-Latest U. S. Gov't Report
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