HI- IS NOT A PESSIMIST. Enthusiastic Florida Editor Believes1 The World tirows Better. Oca In Dan nor. I believe that men and women me better than they ever were j before 1 believe there is less cruelty, less debasement and debauchery, lees intolerance, more intelligence, more culture, more refinement, more piety, a sweeter sense of existence, a better conception of; God and man's duty to man than in any other age. I believe that a free, unshack led press blazed the way and is at least partly responsible tor this state of things. I believe that we today are living in the golden era of the ?ages. i believe that men are bigger in brain power, bigger in tneir moral perceptions and more physically perfect than in any other age. Contrary to the law of optics, humanity has a tendency to enlarge everything that is far off and to belittle everything that is near by. There is a popular l>elief that not only the statesmen but the warriors of the olden times were giants and the soldiers of the present day would faint under the fearful burdens of the steel armor in which they were clad. Many of these steel trappings are preserved in the museums of Europe, and it is found almost impossible for the soldiers meas uring to the stature now required by our military regulations to squeeze into these ancient relics. Our soldier boys are taller, broad er shouldered, more robust, can endure more fatigue, and in discipline, bravery and daring are moie than the equals of their ancestors. According to the legend that reaches down to us, the Swiss soldiers passed for "giants among giants." With their heavy cross bows, see what a stalwart race Sir Walter Scott made of them. Yet Machiavelli says they were "all little men, dirty and ugly." And why should they not have been? in mediaeval tunes nygiene was something deplorable. The barons ate too much, the peas ants not enough. Gymnastics were neglected and bat hing little known. Population wascrowded into towns and cities practically without sewerage, ana beasts of ten occupied tue same shelter, producing tilth, vei mine und disease. How could that manner of I living grow giants? But 1 believe we are growingj them now. If not, we are on the' right road to do so. i believe j that our attention to diet and ' hygiene, the gymnasium, base ball and football in our schools, our practice with dumbbells Indian clubs, golf and the bicy cle and other athletics indulged in by both men and women are the agencies for making giants of our race. I believe if men and women j could forget their dignity and, j like boys and girls, woufd run, and romp and skip and jump, keeping their joints supple and muscles flexible, rhumatism and lumbago would be diiven off and they would be as lithe and active at 80 as the average person at 50. There yet remains much to keep the unshackled editor busy. Scientific investigations are vet j in their infancy, and the higher peaks of knowledge cannot yet be seen even with the aid of an intellectual telescope.. Squalor, wretchedness and disease still exist to degrade our eiviliration and negative and eham our religion. Our metropolitan dailies are largely owned by trusts and do 1 not voice the sentiments of those 1 nominally in control ol them. I rejoice that the weekly press almost as a unit remains free, unshackled and outspoken, and if, as Thomas Jefferson said, "a nation with a free press and ' without a standing army is safer 1 than a nation without a !ree press and with a standing army," then n great opportunity and a great responsibility rest upon the country weekly. The editor of the weekly news paper is ethe sentinel on the watchtower! It is his high prerogative to preserve the ark of constitutional liberty. It is his duty to see that we are not driven bv nnfavoring winds awav from the chart and compass of the founders of the | republic out upon the restless waves into unknown seas and upon hidden rooks. If a free, unshackled pi*ss is more powerful than a standing army, it should stand forpeace and be the preservitor tlereof. It should decree that there shall be no more wars nor rumors of v irs. It should change Mrs. Julia Ward Howe's "Hut tie Cry of the Republic" into a "Proclamation of Peace." It should decree that the last verse of that hyiun shall read as follows: In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea. With a iflory in hie bosom that transfigures you and me; As he died to make men holy, let us live (not | die) to make men free! Genius and Personality. Says the London Daily News, in the course of an interesting editorial article on "Genius and Personality": "The most curious fact in the history of literature is that Shakespeare made so slight an impression on the mind of his con tein poruriee?Shak e s p e a r e, i the man; that is, not. Shakes peare, the dramatist. Hen Jon son dwarfs him; or, rather, the stainp which Hen set upon his world remains as distinct as that of Drake, Kaleigh, Elizabeth her self?while the most of what we know of Shakespeare is just Den's testimony. It is not a question of greatness; it is a question of personality. Some people are born emphatic, some make their way easily through the world without elbowing, jostling, puff ing or shouting, and, though they reach the highest pinnacle j of all, their passage is compara tively unregarded. When Diony sus, In "The Frogs," went down into Hades to bring back a poet he found a terrible uproar. Kb- | chylus was disputing with Eurip ides for supremacy, but of Soph ocles there was no talk. "Easy he was on earth, and easy he lives below it." Michael Angelo is a figure familiar to any imag ination and so is Titian (thanks,! perhaps, to the triumphant J splentlor in him of the character-! istic beauty of old age); but! Raphael is vague to our concep tions. In all ways of life the j same observation holds. Marl-1 borough had a greater genius! than Wellington, one would say, | but a far less striking personality. Julius Ca-sar survives as a man clear to an understanding. Au gustus is as hard to realize as Shakespea re. To compare Horace with Virgil in this context seems unfair, for Horace drew his own portrait as no one else could have drawn it; yet it is pretty plain that to us, as to their contem poraries, Horace is Horace first of all, a little man with an agree able philosophy of life, and after that a poet; but that Virgil is and was to the world at Targe only the author of certain poems Carlyle will survive, in all proba bility, as Jonson does, a figure so well known as to remaiu al most contemporary, when Car lyle's own writings are no more read than 'Itasselas' or 'The Lives of the l'oets.' With these men the personality is more than genius. It was helped to its effect by a superficial singularity; but the personality was t he thing. The essence of their genius was better seen and felt in the impress made by them on other lives and minds than in the work created out of their own brains that can be judged in detachment. A Racing, Roaring- Flood. Washed down a telegraph line which Chas. C. Ellis, of Lisbon, la., had to repair. "Standing waist deep in icy water," hej writes, "gave me a terrible cold 1 and cough. It grew worse daily. J Finally the best doctors in Oak- > land, Neb., Sioux City and Omaha said I had Consumption and | could not live. Then 1 began using Dr. King's New Discovery and was wholly cured by six bot tles." Positively guaranteed for Coughs, Colds and all Throat and Lunp troubles by Hood Bros. Price 50c. Most Likely. Wife?I somehow just feel in my bones that we will go to Europe this Summer. Husband?In which bone do you feel it most? Wife?Well, I don't exactly know, but 1 guess it's my wish bone.?J udge. Stops the Cough and Works off the Cold Laxative Bromo-Quinine Tab lets cure a cold in one day. No Cuce, no Pay. Price 25 cents President McKinlev has given f.5,000 towards the erection of a new hotel at Canton, Ohio. If troubled by a weakdigest'on, loss of appetite, or constipation, try a few doses of Chamberlain's Stomach and Liver Ta ?lets. Every box warranted. For sale by Hood Bros. Ransom's Brigade at Plymouth Fight. A Hunt* Journal. I notice iu The Journal of the 22d of February an article from Edwin G. Moor*;, the heading of which reads: "Hansom's Brigade at the Buttle of l'lymouth. North Carolina." Hie account of the demonstra tion mude on the evening of the 17th of April, 1804, against the southern portion of the town bv i Company A, of the Twenty-fourth North Carolina regiment and Hansom's brigade is true, and it was here, as on all former and subsequent occasions, they ex hibited that same heroic courage and bravery that so character ized the southern soldier during this conflict. Hut Comrade Vtoore seems to have forgotten that when Han som's brigade was swung around in the rear or to the eastern part of the town late in the afternoon of the 19th Company E, of the Twenty-fourth North Carolina, Captain Lane, was ordered for word on skirmish and to recon noiter the enemy's position at the creek. Lane deployed his men and established his line and awaited the darkness for further action. At dark this writer was given four men and ordered to the creek to ascertain if possible if the bridge across the same hail been burned. The timber on either side of the road having been cut by the ene my made it impossible to ad vance except by the main road. On reaching to within 100 yaids or less of the creek 1 discovered the enemy in force and in action. We OOuld see them by the bright light of the moon. I halted my men and ordered them to remain until 1 could report back. After making my report Captain Lane ordered me to report to General Hansom, whose headquarters were in a little hut just in rear of our line. On reaching Ransom's j headquarters I found him and Lieutenant Applewhite, of the Texas Zouaves and a volunteer aid on Ransom's staff, alone. General Ransom askedineagood many questions relative to the chances of going to the creek un-1 observed by the enemy. Apple white proposed that he and 1 should go alone to the creek. To j this Hansom objected, telling ! him that he would not have one j life lost that night unnecessarily to the glory of beating the Yan kees in l'lymouth the next morn ing. Ransom, however, yielded later j and Applewhite and myself set out for the creek alone. We had not pone very far when we were halted by two men. I knew one j of them to be General Dearing of our cavalry. The other man 11 did not know. Dearing asked us I where we had started and on) being told said he would go with us. We four went the road direct to the creek, and on reaching the creek there was not a Yankee to be seen. The bridge had been' burned and on the opposite side i1 was a small boat fastened to the j bank. Dearing says: "Thereareji only four of us. Who shall swim i the creek and get the boat?" No > sooner said than the man we : didn't know says: "I will, gene ral," and in he went and brought j it across. Dearing stepped in and was pushed over the creek, j] (This unknown man to us was a hero and 1 have put myself to 1 some trouble since the war to n And out who he was, and am j 1 satisfied his name is Cavenaugh, i' of Onslow county,North Carolina. 1 and that he wuslivingafew years I ago. This daring feat has been 1. claimed by others.) At this mo-! merit Captain Lane, with Com- ' pany E, of the Twenty-fourth, j came up with a pontoon, which was pusher! across the creek and Lane ordered his company to; < cross over, after which he ffave the order to deploy on the right and left and advance. Then it j. was that we received the tire of a ' regiment of Yankees behind | breastworks some 40 yards in our front. Company E withstood this raking fire for some minutes, advancing all the while, until! reinforced bv a company from ' the Thirty-fifth North Carolina.! which gave a yell as they came across the creek, whereupon the ' Yankee line brokeand fled within , their forts, Company E losing i three men in this action at the ? creek. Lane followed the enemy to the ! hedgerow, in plain view of the i enemy's line of works, where he | < remained during the night. At ' the dawning of daylight the next \ morning Captain Durham came , forward and took charge of the I line of skirmishers, as Comrade 1 Moore -truly says, and led us in , advance of the mainlineof battle , to the first fort. Sergeant Daniel i King, of Company E, who was ' killed a few days later at Drewrey j Bluff, Va., was the first man to i mount the works and demand its surrender. Company E lost in this churge 16 men. But Com rade .Moore suys that after the enemy was forced back from the creek u line of skirmishers passed over and took position at the crest of a gentle rise, etc., and that Company A, of the Twenty fourth, was detached for this purpose. If Company A was detached and advanced in front of the main line, where was it next morning, when Captain Durham took charge of the skirmishers? Where was it when the first line of breastworks was taken? I am the man that took charge of Captain Durham's horse when he roue up and took charge of the skirmish line, and know that he and Lane led Company E in ad vance of the main line against the first works, as before stated. I know that Comrade Moore and his Company A, of the Twen ty-fourth, did their duty, no mat ter what ymrt of the line they occupied, but Brother Moore should be generous enough to give crevlit to whom credit is due in his account of this the most splendid victory ever won on North Carolina soil. 1'osterity should know the facts. W. N. Rose, Jr. Overshot, N. C. The Best Remedy tor Rheumatism. quick relief from pain. All who useChamberlain'sPain Balm for rheumatism are de-' lighted with the quick relief from pain which it affords. When speaking of this Mr. I). N. Sinks, of Troy, Ohio, says: "Sometime ago I had a severe attack of rheumatism in my arm and! shoulder. I tried numerous reme dies but got no relief until 1 was < recommended by Messrs. Geo. F. Parsons & Co., druggists of this place, to try Chamberlain's Pain Balm. They recommended it so j highly that I bought a bottle. I was soon relieved of all pain. I have since recommended this lini ment to many of my friends, who agree with me that it is the best j remedy for muscular rheumatism in the market." For sale by Hood Bros. A Slow Traveler. The Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer-j Sun has an account of a voyage which bids fair to string out like that of the Children of Israel in i the Wilderness. In June of last! year an old Hungarian launched a little houseboat on the waters of the Chattahoochee river at Gainesville, in Hall county, intending to float to the gulf, which he expected to reach in about 14 days. Last week he tied up at the first dam above Columbus, having consumed over nine months covering less than I half his journey. This man has had a lonely and | rocky road to travel. At one] time he ran high and dry on a rock and had to wait three months for a rise in the river be fore he could get his boat off. ' He is a small man, practically a cripple, and has lived entirely j alone, asking no help from any- J one, which accounts for Ins remaning so long grounded. At various other times he would get aground and remain days or weeks in that position. He lives j principally on fish, and stated j to a reporter that he had left his boat but once during the entire time. If he can get safely over the several dams at Columbus he will have practically no more trouble, unless he runs into the bank of the river.?Montgomery Advertiser. Thouaaols Have Kidney Trouble and Don't Know it. How To Find Out. Fill a bottle or common glass with your water and let it stand twenty-four hours: a sediment or set tling indicates an unhealthy condi tion of the kid neys; if It stains your linen it is evidence of kid ney trouble; too frequent desire to pass it or pain In the back Is also convincing prool that the kidneys and blad der are out of order. Wi.i io Bo. There Is comfort In the knowledge so often expressed, that Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root, the great kidney remedy fulfills every wish In curing rheumatism, pain In the hack, kidneys, liver, bladder and every part of the urinary passage. It corrects Inability to hold water and scalding pain In passing it, or bad effects following use of liquor, wine or beer, and overcomes that unpleasant necessity of being compelled to go often | during the day, and to get up many times during the night. The mild and the extra ordinary effect of Swamp-Root is soon realized. It stands the highest for Its won derful cures of the most distressing cases. If you need a medicine you should have the best. Sold by druggists In SOc. andjl. sizes. You may have a sample bottle of this wonderful discovery ind a book that tellsg nore about It. both sentl ibsolutely free by mall, MAr... n. trill . -? ? runner or Hni? w Ina^lUat -o., Blnrhamton, N. Y. When writing men tion reading this generous offer In this paper. INFORMATION. Several people have been in our store recently, and, upoo seeing our goods, would say that they did not know that we kept so and so, that they had gone elsewhere and paid much higher prices for articles not as nice as ours. Below we give t? partial list of what we carry. BED ROOM SUITS. FROM $7.50 TO $35. Our $35 suits are as nice as you can buy in many places fox forty-five or fifty dollars. Bureaus from $3.50 to $15.00 Straight Chairs(Solid Oak) Bed Steads from L50 to 15.00 from 48c. to $2.50 each Rockers from 75c. to $4.50 Window Shades, 15c. to $100 We Garry a Nice Line of EXTENSION TABLES, Center Tables, Dining Tables, Wardrobes, Trunks, Tin Safe?, Glass Door Cupboards, Single and Folding Lounges, Carpet, Matting, Rugs, Floor Oil Cloth, Etc. sewing Machines. to the Royal St. John ?????? Fully guaranteed at from $20 to $35. We also curry the New No. 9 Wheeler & Wilson Sewir% Machine?ball-bearing and rotary motion. One-third faster, one-third lighter, one-third less noise, than any long-shuttle ma chine made. The Wheeler & Wilson is positively the highest grade sewing machine made. Call and see us. Yours truly, The Smithfield Furniture Co SENSIBLE TALK FOR SENSIBLE FARMERS In buying a machine the buyer should be posted. The good point* of the Osborne are too numerous to mention. They are evident to> every r an that compares with other makes. This is no bare assertion, but has been proven time and time again. LETmESHOW YOU The Osborne Columbia Mower, The Neatest, strongest and most modern on the market. AN OSBORNE ATALO IE ICR 7 1 WHO WANT IT. ?FOR SALE BY? H. D ELLINGTON, HMITIIKIEI.l), N. C. For Washing Clothes, The Chinese Peerless Washing Tablets Is to ?1' appearance a piece of white wax, having neither smell, taste nor strength, yet they will remove every particle of dirt, etc , from the coarsest and heaviest of garmeDt* down to the finest of fabrics Without Rubbing or ln? jury to the Clothes. They are for sale bv the following mer chants in this vicinity: J. R. Ledbettcr, Princeton. Cotter, Underwood & Co., Smithfield. Z. Taylor, Pine Level. J. W. Liles, Selnia. J. Stancill & Son, Kenly. Hays, Lamm <&Co., Lucama. J. W. Sanders, Four Oaks. Surles liargain House, Benson. A. D. Newberry, Dunn. The Herald ....Office is HEADQUARTERS FOR Magistrates' Blanks OF ALL KINDS. If you need any BLANKS call on us, or write 1 All Mail Orders EST* The Commoner, ISSUED WEEKLY. WILLIAM J. BRYAN, Editor and Publisher. Lincoln, - Nebraska, Terms?Payable In Advance. One Year $1.00 Six Months 0? Three Months SO Single Copy OC No travelling canvassers are employed . Terms lor local agents will be sent upow application. All money should be sent by P. O. order, Express order, or by bank draft on New York or Chicago. Da not sedn individual checks or stamps. We have made a Clubbing Arrangement with The Commoner, edited by Williar& Jennings Bryan, weereby we can furnish Thk IIbrai.d and "The Commoner" oar year for #1.73. BEATY, HOLT 8r LASSITER, Publishers The Herald, SMITHFIELD, If. C? WHITE'S BLACK LINIMENT. 21>c. bottles REDUCED to 15c. "I havp used White's Black Liniment and his other horse< medicines with srreat success and found them to be as represented. "W. L. Fuller, "Smithtleld, N. C." For sale bv Allen Lee, Smithtleld, N. (1 Druggist.