Newspapers / The Times-Democrat (Charlotte, N.C.) / June 11, 1880, edition 1 / Page 1
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it ti Mi? ft rT VL fi 1 1 in wisyl rrnTYi fr ir S I I J I I I WiA Vil vT Y II 111 Y II I T A VNr Y II I i I n I I hi w ni i n i n i n i ii i ii i i mi jv v hi hi ri'. I y -ii 1 -J TWENTY IV. J, YATES, Editor and Pbopbietob. Terms of Subscription 2. 00, advance. CHARLOTTE, N. C, FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1880. EIGHTH TOLUE.-NUnBEIi 1436. THE Charlotte Democrat, rUULIPIIED BY WILLIAM J. YATES, Editor and Proprietor Tkrmb TWO DOLLARS for one year, or One Dollar and Twenty-five Cents for six months. Subscription must be paid in advance. " Entered a.t the Tost Oitice in Charlotte, N. C, as second class postal matter," according to the rules of the P. O. Department. ROBERT GIBBON, M. D., CHARLOTTE, N. C, (''V corner th and Tryon Streets,) Tender his r Sessional services to the public, as a tract ica! Siir'e on. Will advise, treat or operate in nil the (Clh-n:: t departments of Surgery. Patients from ad.sU:t- , when necessary, will be furnished comfortable (garters, and experienced nurses, at rcasonabli; iab;s. Adtlress Lock Box No. 33. March 5. lwO. y Dr. JOHN H. McADEN, Wholesale and Retail Druggist, CHARLOTTE, N. C, Has on hand a large and well selected stock of PURE DRUGS, Chemicals, Patent Medicines, Family Medicines, Paints, Oils, Varnishes, Dye Stuffs Fancy and Toilet Articles, which he is determined to sell at the very lowest prices. Jan 1, 187'J. DR. T. C. SMITH, Druggist and Pharmacist, Keeps a full line of Pure Drugs and Chemicals, White Lead and Colors, Machine and Tanners' Oils, Patent Medicines, Garden Seeds, and every thing pertaining to the Drug business, which he will sell at low prices. March 28, 1870. J. P. McCombs, M. D., ' tiers his professional services to the citizens of ( harlotte and surrounding country. All calls, both night and day, promptly attended to. Oilice in Brown's building, up stairs, opposite the liarlottu Hotel. Jan. 1, 1873. DR. J. M. MILLER, Charlotte, N. C All calls promptly answered day and night Oilice over Traders' National Bank Residence opposite W. R. Myers'. Jan. 18. lfefiS. DR. M. A. BLAND, Dentist, CHARLOTTE, N. C. Oilice in Brown's building, opposite Charlotte Hotel. Gas used for the painless extraction of teeth. Feb. 15. 1S78. DR. A. W. ALEXANDER, Dentist, Office over L. R. Wriston & Co.'s Drug Store. I am working t prices to suit the times, for Cash. With 25 years' experience I guarantee entire satisfaction. Jan. 18, 1878. DR. GEO. W. GRAHAM, CHARLOTTE, N. C. Practice limited to the EYE, EAR AND TIIItOAT. Jan. o0, 1880 ROBERT D. GRAHAM, Attorney" at Law In the State and United States Courts. Collections, home and foreign, solicited. Abstracts of Titles, Surveys, &c, furnished for compensation. Oilice: corner Trade and Tryon Streets, Jan. 9, 1880. yr Ciiaklotte, N. C. A. BURWELL, Attorney at Law, CHARLOTTE, N. C. Oilice in the Brick building formerly occupied by "Vance & Burwell," near the Court House. June 27. 1871). RUFUS BARRINGER, Attorney at Law, Also, h-nds money on Real Estate or good collat erals ; negotiates loans, &c. Bank rules and rates strictly followed. Charlotte, We. 21, 187!) ly-pd Watches, Clocks and Jewelry. E. J. ALLEN, Near Irwin's corner, Trade Street,! Ciiaui.ottk, N. C, PRACTIC A L W ATC II-MAKER, Repairing of Jewelry, "Watches and Clocks done at short notice and moderate prices. April 17, 187t. y HALES & FARRIOR, Practical Watch-dealers and Jewelers, Charlotte, N. C, Keep a full stock of handsome .lewelry, and Clocks, Spectacles, tVe , which they sell at fair prices. Repairing of Jewelry, Watches, Clocks, &c, done promptly, and satisfaction assured. Store next to Springs' corner building. 'nly 1, 1S70. j. Mclaughlin & co., Wholesale and Retail Dealers in Groceries, Provisions, &c, Cou.Ef.K Stkeet, Ciiaklotte, X. C, Sells Groceries at lowest rates for Cash, and buys Country Produce at highest market price. Cotton and other country Produce sold on commission and prompt returns made. BURWELL & SPRINGS, Grocers and Provision Dealers, Have always in stock Coffee, Sugar, Molasses, Syrups, Mackerel, Soaps, Starch, Meat, Lard, Hams, Flour, Grass Seeds, Plows, &.c, which we orler to both the Wholesale ard Retail trade. All are in vited to try us from the smallest to the largest hnyers. Jan. 17, 1880. WILSON & BURWELL, Druggists, Trade Street, Charlotte, N. C. August 16, 1878. STThe Hon. William E. Dodge, in his recent lecture on "Old New York," or New York as it was titty years ago, when he was a young man of twenty-five year,, gave the following financial advice to young men: "All young men should aim to save some thing, even at the expense of a limited wardrobe and many little things they think necessary. If there were none but young men here, I would say that from the first year when I entered a store, with a salary of fifty dollars, to my last year when, as a salesman, I received for those days very large pay, I never failed to save a part; and when I started in buMness, those savings and my experience were all my capital." Valuable Mill Property for Sale. I wish to sell my Mill property known as "Stewart's Mills," ty miles-South of Charlotte, in Sharon Township. The Mills consist of Flour, Corn and Saw, together with a good Cotton Gin all run by never failing water-power. Sufficient Land will be sold with the Mills if desired. For further particulars address me at Charlotte or call at the Store of li. M. White. H. K. STEWART. March 5, 1880. tf Announcement. Please suggest as a candidate for Coroner the name of C. S. Sturgeon, who is a one-legged ex Confederate soldier and deserves the suffrage of the people. CITIZENS. June 4, 1880. tf. NOTICE. North Carolina Railroad Company, Secretary and Treasurer's Office, Company Shops, N. C, May 31st, 1680, The Thirty-first Annual Meeting of the Stock holders of the North Carolina Railroad Company will be held in Greensboro, N. C, on the Second Thursday in July, 1880, and the Transfer Books of Stock of said Company will be closed from this date until after the meeting. P. B. RUFFIN, June 4, 1880 5w Secretary. T. M. PITTMAN, Attorney at Law, (Opposite t7ie Court House, Ciiaklotte, N. C.,) Practices in the State and U. S. Courts, and gives prompt attention to business. Will negotiate loans. May 28,' 1880. 6m SCHIFP & GRIER, Grocers and Commission Merchants, Have one of the largest and best assorted Stocks of Staple and Fancy Groceries In the State. Close and prompt Trade especially invited. They are Agents for the PLANTERS' FAVOR ITE and LONG'S PREPARED CHEMICALS, Fertilizers too well known to need further com mendation. Call for the book with testimonials from all sections. They are also Agents for Sterling Baking Powder, One of the purest and best. Chemists of national reputation recommend it, such as Prof. Poroniusof New York, and others. Sample Package free. Try it. Attention of Physicians called to it. For sale by all leading Grocers. SCI1IFF & GRIER. Charlotte, N. C, Dec. 24, 1879. AT RIGLER'S Candies Both Plain and Fancy. We claim that we have as good if not better than you will find elsewhere, and at prices as low if not lower than you can buy the same in the city. FR UITS, Nuts, Raisins, Citron and Currants, and Seedless Raisins for your Christmas Cake. The best assortment of Plain and Fancy Crackers ever brought to the city. CANNED GOODS of all descriptions. Here is the place to buy your CAKES AND BREAD, as we make a specialty of Cakes. Come and see us. Respectfully, D. M. RIGLER. Dec. 12 187J). Paint, Varnish, &c. We have the largest and best assorted stock of Paint, Varnish, White-wash and Shoe Brushes in the State. WILSON & BURWELL, April 1G, 1880. Druggists. PLEASE READ THIS. Complete Burst of the Great Monopoly. The following is the latest Price List of Ziegler Bros.' goods, of which a complete line can be found at J. MOYER'S Boot and Shoe Store, Tuade Street, Charlotte, N. C. Best Pebble Goat Button Boots, French heel, $2.75 " Kid Box Toe " 325 " Fox " " " Serge High Cut Kid Lace, " " " Fox Lace, Kid Newport Ties, 3.00 300 300 2.50 2.50 2 25 2 25 250 2.50 t( it " Kid Fox Lace Boots, plain heel, " Serge " Pebble Goat Congress Boots, gen,e " Kid Crimp Vamp Cong, boots, plain heel, 3 25 Finest French Kid Button Boots, French heel, 4.00 tW My Stock of Gents' goods cannot be sur passed. Call and see them. April 16, 1880. ' J. MOVER. NEW MILLINERY GOODS And New Store. Spring Season, 1880. Mns. E. GERTRUDE GRAY of Baltimore, rnACTTCAL JlLpf-SU, Near tho Court House, Cuarlotte, N. C. March 20, 1880 3m TO THE LADIES. 1 have just received another nice lot of Fancy Groceries, such as Okra and Tomatoes in Cans (for soup), Buffalo Tongues, Breakfast Bacon, Mince Meat, Apple Butter. Sardines in Tomatoes, the nicest Honey in market and Mushrooms. n. T. BUTLER, Agent, Old Pest 0$ce, Feb. G, 1SS0. Spring Chickens, Swctt P. Uiots, Dried Apples and Peaches, Pickles by the doz. or 100, at May 21, 1880. S. M. HOWELL'S. About Public Officers. It will be interesting news to many to know how many of the Presidents of the United States since the days of Washington were christian men. It runs in my mind that none have been examples of christian integrity. It will be a pretty piece of in formation just at this juncture to know what per cent of these men whom the nation has honored have honored God and His cause. From great centers go out great influences. Power brings new temptations and new re sponsibilities. Is not this government controlled mainly by men of the world? Will this christian nation, so called, continue to promote men of this stamp ? During last year the train stopped &t a depot on the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad. It was babbath even ing. There were some Congressmen in the parlor car going down South to look into the frauds. What were they doing ? Seated by a table drinking and playing cards. Frauds looking after frauds. The same scene was witnessed by Mr Milburn "the blind man eloquent" before the war on a steamboat. It was on the Sabbath day. The Captain invited him to preach. He did so. Before concluding his sermon he specially addressed himself to the Senators and members whom he had seen drinking and playing cards. He ask ed what would a foreigner think of this government if he were traveling through this country to get an idea of its people, &c, if he were to witness card-play in er, drinking and profanity among men who make her laws? He frankly told them un less they repented they would all be damn ed. They respected him for his boldness, and through their influence had him elected Chaplain on their return to Washington. The press is largely responsible for the elevation of wicked men to official station, and the pulpit ought not to keep her mouth closed longer. Take our own State government. How many of our Governors have been prdfessed Christians ? You will have to go back to antebellum daysbefore you findoue. When the wicked rule the people mourn." N. M. J. in the Durham (N. C.) Methodist Ad vance. EST" The value of our commerce last year was $1,550,000,000, of which only about twenty five per cent was transported in American vessels. We pay an annual tribute of $75,000,000 to foreign ship own ers in the way of freight charges. We cannot build these ships because of the high tariff on building material. Were the tariff properly reformed we could build vessels, give employment to thousands of ship builders, carpenters, lumbermen, iron workers, &c., and keep all this money at home. But the high tariff men say no. And thus they stand in the way of a return to substantial prosperity. Were we freed from the millstone they have placed on our necks, every branch of trade would be on a prosperous footing, and innumerable indus tries would spring at once into existence. Scarr's Fruit Preservative. By the use of this Preservative all kinds of Fruit can be preserved as fresh as when picked, without the aid of sealed Jars. Perfectly harmless. Suld by F. SCARR & CO., Druggists, near the Court Hous.., May 28, 1880. Charlotte, N..O. Horse Powders. Barker's is the best good for Catpe, good for Sheep, good for Hogs and good for Chickens. Only 25 cents a package. S Dr. TC. SMITH, April 16, 1880. Druggist. June l&i; 1880. This is the usual e for reducing the prices on SUHEE GOODS. We propose from this date to the close of the season to olier goods at reduced prices. Prints and all Domestic Good3 have been re duced. Our Dress Goods, Lawns, Muslins, White Goods, etc., etc., have been reduced. Every one knows that we always did lead the market in Embroideries. Our friends may rest assured that we are fully prepared to meet the market on all Goods. ALEXANDER & HARRIS. June 4, 1880. Brood Mare. I offer for sale a fine Brood MARE good farm ing stock. June 4, 1880. LeROY DAVIDSON. A. R. NISBET & BRO., Wholesale and Retail Grocers and Confectioners, Dealers in Tobacco, Cigars, Musical Instruments, &c, CHARLOTTE, N. C. The best stock of Groceries, Confectioneries, Prize Candies, Toys, Musical Instruments, Strings, Tobacco, Cigars, Snuff, Wooden-Ware, Paper Bags, Canned Goods, Glass Jellies, Crackers, Powder, Shot, Salt, &c, in the city, will be found at our Wholesale and Retail Store. Call and see us before buying. A. R. NISBET & BRO. Nov. 7. 1879. Simmons' Hepatic Cojapound, or LyER CtFJiK Do you sufier with headache ? Do you feel dull and languid ? , Does your appetite fail you ? Is your liver out of order ? Have you a metallic taste in your mouth ? Have you dyspepsia or indiges tion ? If so, take Simmons' Hepatic Compound and get immediate relief. It never fails, as hun dreds will testify who have used it and have been benefitted. It is entirely vegetable, certain in its effects, and absolutely harmless. One trial will convince you. DOWIE & MOISE, Sole Proprietors, Charleston, S. C. For sale by WILSON & ByRWELL, Druggist, Trade Street, Charlotte, N. C. May aS.l&S He-No Tea Is pronounced by those who use it to be the best in use. Sold only by WILSON & BURWELL, April 16, 1880. Sole Agents for Charlotte. Extraordinary Shootine: by a California Marksman. From the San Francisco Chronicle. The celebrated Dr. Carver, who left Cali fornia about a year ago, and has since per forated the temple of fame with ballets from his "little rifle," has now a most formidable rival in the person of Dr. John Ruth, who yesterday gave an exhibition ot his won derful skill with the rifle at Shell Mound Park, Berkeley, in the presence of about 100 spectators, largely " composed of local crack shots,' with both the rifle and shot gun. The doctor was accompanied by his wife,a prepossessing lady of medium stature, who also entertained the company by a brief display of her skill In the manipula tion of the rifle and pistol. This was Mrs llluth's first exhibition in public, and she manifested considerable perturbation at first, or as the doctor expressed it, "she was a little skittish upon her first appearance ;" but, after the first two or three shots, the nervousness disappeared, and the glass balls were shattered in quick succession. The balls were thrown into the air by an attendant, Mrs Ruth breaking six out of nine. She then perforated a glass ball held in the attendant's hand at a distance of about twenty feet, and repeated the experi ment with the hammer of the rifle held downward. She also shattered with a pis tol several balls thrown in the air, and also a ball held in the hand. Mrs Ruih was loudly applauded for her steady nerve and wonderful marksmanship. Dr. Ruth then proceeded to give an explanation of fancy shooting at a glass ball held in the hand of his attendant, he taking aim through his legs with his back to the object. He also held the rifle with the butt resting upon the top of his head, the hammer pointing down ward. He also shot with his back reclin ing upon a table. In all these experiments he was successful in the first attempt. He also performed the Austin brothers' mirror trick successfully. Turning his back to the attendant, he sighted the rifle by the aid of a hand mirror, and broke the ball at the first trial. Perhaps the most wonderful? trick that he accomplished, and one requir ing considerable nerve on the part of both himself and attendant, was shooting a cigar out of the mouth of the latter, an experi ment which led many to predict tjkat the Doctor's assistant would not live o a very green old age. Another interesting experi ment was shooting without a sight, that es sential adjunct being covered iy a piece of card-board placed around bj& barrel at its extremit y. The absence pf the sight ap parently made no differene, as the destruc tion of the vitreous spheres continued una bated. The following experiments were also successfully accomplished: Shooting a ball from the heta of an attendant, the latter being blindfolded ; the same feat with the bandages removed from the attendant's eyes, and the fitter looking into the muzzle of a rifle. Qe-band shooting with a small rifle, manipulated in a variety of difficult ways, hiding the rifle with the hands placed lack of the neck. In none of these shotaaid the Doctor fail to shatter the bajjs from the head of the attendant. One c the most marvelous feats performed was vhe following: Placing a glass ball upon the ground, the Doctor shot in front of it, and plowing under it, 6ent it flying several feet in the air by the force of the concus sion, and, before it reached the ground, another shot broke it into a thousand pieces. An exhibition of rapid shooting was given, the Doctor breaking the balls as fast as the attendant could throw them into the air. All those present expressed much astonishment at Dr. Ruth's skill, and it seemed to be the general verdict that Carver's proficiency with the rifle was secondary to that of Dr. Ruth, who uses a forty-four calibre Winchester rifle, which was presented to him by the manufactur ers. He will soon depart for the East, it being his intention to make a tour of the States with his wife, and give exhibitions during the coming Summer, and in the Fall he will either depart for Europe or Australia. Senator Williams of Kentucky, made a speech in behalf of the Mexican veterans. He gave the following interesting historical incident : "After showing that the gallant soldiers, who never lost a battle from the Rio Grande to the City of Mexico, and who added a va6t territory to the United States, deserved a pension, he proceeded to give them credit for the humanity with which they treated the conquered. He stated that he was at a banquet in the City of Mexico when a paper signed by hundreds of leading Mexicans was handed General Scott, tendering him the Presidency for life ot that Republic. He told how Gen. Scott declined, and added that it would have been well for the Mexi cans if he had accepted, for two-thirds of the American volunteers would have re mained there, and by this time Mexico, in stead of having 8,000,000, would have a population of 20,000,00Q.. T$4Yl.tXu Stones in Nevada. The curious traveling stones of Australia are paralleled in Nevada. They are described as almost perfectly round and about as large as a walnut. When distributed about upon a floor, table or other level surface, within two or three feet of each other, they immediately begin traveling toward a com mon center and there lie huddled up in a bunch like a lot of eggs in a nest. A sin gle stone, removed to a distance of 3 feet, upon b,eing released, returns to the heap, but if taken away 4 or 5 feet remains mo tionless. They are composed of magnetic iron ore. BSf Childhood, knowing nothing of the future, imagines it is to be the "golden age," and mankind, having failed to find perfect happiness, imagines that it is only attained in childhood. Go to Bed Early. To all young persons, to students, to the sedentary, and to invalids, the fullest sleep that the system will take, without artificial means, is the balm of life without it there can be no restoration to health and activity again. Never wake up the sick or infirm, or young children, of a morning it is a barbarity; let them wake of themselves; let the care rather be to establish an hour for retiring, so early that their fullest sleep may be out before sunrise. Another item of very great importance is : Do not hurry up the young and the weakly. v uv MuiautagC III pull tUCIU UUli Ul UCU as soon as their eyes are open, nor is it besl iui mo Dkuuiuug, ur cveu lor me wen wjio have passed an unusually fatiguing day to jump out of bed the moment they waWup ; 4et them remain, without coins to-sleeD again, until the sense of weariness . passes from their limbs. Nature abhors two things; violence and a vacuum. The sun does not break out at once into the glare of the meridian. The diurnal flowers unfold themselves by slow degrees ; nor fleetest beast, nor sprightliest bird,eaps at once from its resting-place. By ml of which we mean to say, that as no physiological truth is more demonstrable thari that the brain, and with it the whole nervous system, is recuperated by sleep, ijt is of the first im portance, as to the wel-being of the human system, that it havens fullest measure of it ; and to that end, thehabit of retiring to bed early should be raade imperative on all children, and no ordinary event should be allowed to interfere with it. Its moral healthfulness is not less important than its physical. Many a young man, many a young womnn, has made the first step to wards degradation, and crime, and disease, after ieno'clock at night, at which hour, the yearound, the old, the middle-aged, and the young, should be in bed ; and then the e'rly rising will take care of itself, with the Incalculable accompaniment of a fully rested body and a renovated brain. We repeat it, there is neither wisdom, nor tfiealtb, in early rising in itself; but there is an oi mem in ine persistent practice ot retiring to bed at any early hour, winter and summer. Peter Francisco. The allusion in a recent letter of your Louisa correspondent to the old Revolu tionary giant hero, Peter Francisco, re vives many traditions and reminiscences of the wonderful performances and daring deeds of that extraordinary man. My father, recently deceased at the advanced age of ninety, well remembered him, hav ing frequently seen him in his native coun ty of Buckingham, Va., and related many anecdotes of his stirring and perilous ad ventures and hair breadth escapes as he heard the recital fall from the lips of the giant himself. He describes him as six feet one inch in height, his weight two hun dred and sixty pounds, bold and manly and his hands and feet uncommonly large, his thumbs being as large as an ordinary man's wrist. Such was his personal strength that he could easily shoulder a cannon weighing 1,100 pounds, and he had seen him take a man in his right hand, pass over the floor and dance his head against the ceiling with as much ease as if he had been a doll-baby. The man's weight was 195 pounds. Par taking of the patriotic enthusiasm of the times, he entered the American revolution ary army at the age of 16. He was pres ent at the storming of Stony Point, and was the first soldier, after Maj. Gibbon, who entered the fortress, on which occasion he received a bayonet wound in the thigh. He was at Brandywine, Mammoth and other battles at the North, and was trans ferred to the South under Gen. Green, where he was engaged in the actions of the Cowpens, Camden, Guilford Court House, etc. He was so brave and possessed such confidence in his prowess that he was posi tively fearless, lie used a sword with a blade five feet long, which he could wield like a feather, and every swordsman who came within reach of him paid the forfeit of his life. Things Easy and Not Easy. It is the easiest thing in the world to find fault. It is easy to say that the church is to blame for it. It is easy to say that the church would be all right if the minister would preach and do as he ought. But it isn't easy to look on the best side, to see that there are hundreds of faithful preachers, thousands of honest, sincere men and wo men, countless acts of justice, charity and humanity, which outweigh all the grumb ling of all the grumblers, so that it is really only the finest dust in the balance. Let us be fair and cheerful. The world is not all wrong. Everybody isn't a rascal. Our neighbors are not trying to cheat us. The church is doing a good work for the world, and even the growlers are not half as disa greeable as they seem. The various branches of the Metho dis church have decided on holding an Ecumenical Council of Methodism at Lon don, in August, 1881. There will be four hundred delegates, two hundred from the United States, and two hundred from Great Britain and other countries. Bishop Simp son is chairman of the Western section of the Church,, and Bishop McTyeire of the M. E Church, South, vice-chairman. The chief object will be to establish fraternal relations between Methodists of Europe and America. Sensible. The announcement is made in the newspapers that Lady Thornton, (wife of the British Minister,) has taken a stand in Washington against the style of writing up social entertainments indulged in by some newspapers. She says that no one shall publish a description of a lady's dress worn at any of her parties, under pain of being denied the opportunity of doing so the second time. - The Bo Schools of Enjrjand. ; 1 I suppose $ere are few boys .who have not heard of Westminster Abbey and who do not kn$w that within its ancient . and splendid walls the . Kings, of England: are crownedand the great, the wise, aad .the brave tf every age are buried. But few perhap, are aware that the Abbey, also contains the oldest and one of the .most fa mou, boys schools in the world. , It 43 true that the statutes of the school, as they, now exist, are of a less remote date than .those 01 Eaton and Winchester schools being framed by Henry the Eighth and Elizabeth but they no more represent the . origin of Westminster School than the Reformation represents the origin of the English Church. Westminster Abbey was , bu.yt by Ed ward the Confessor, and the Master of the Novices sitting with his ' disciples in the western cloister was the beginning of West minster School. It was, without' doubt, this school that Ingulphus the writer of a famous chronicle (A D. 1045-105lV--at-tended; for he tells us that Queen Edith often met him coming from school, and questioned him about his grammar and logic, and always gave him three or four pieces of money, and then sent him to the royal larder to refresh . himself two forms of kindness that a school-boy never forgets. Ingulphus afterward became the 'Secretary of William the Conqueror. In his day there was no glazing to this cloister, and the rain, wind, and snow must have swept pitilessly over the novices turning and spelling out their manuscripts. They had, indeed, a carpet of hay or rushes, and mats were laid on the stone benches, but it must have been a bitterly cold school-room in winter. At the Reformation, Henry the Eighth drew up new plans for Westminster School, and Elizabeth perfected the statutes, by which the school is still governed. . It was to consist of forty boys, who were to be chosen for their "good disposition, knowl edge, and poverty, and without favor or partiality ;" and even at the present day there is no admission as a "Queen's Scholar" at Westminster except by long and ardu ous competition between the candidates for the honor. No one who has witnessed the mode of election will ever forget it. The candidates are arranged according to their paces in the school, and the lowest two boys first en ter the arena. The lower of these two is the challenger. He calls upon his adver sary to translate an epigram, to parse it, or to answer any grammatical question con nected with the subject. Demand after demand is made, until there is an error. The Master is appealed to, and answers, "It was a mistake." Then the challenger and the challenged change places, and the latter, with fierce eagerness, renews the contest. Whichever of the two is the con queror, flushed with victory; then 'turns to the boy above him, and if he be a really clever lad, he will sometimes advance ten, fifteen, or twenty steps before he is stopped by a greater spirit. This struggle which is peculiar to Westminster, and highly prized by its scholars frequently extends over six or eight weeks, and the ten who are highest at its close are elected "Queen's Scholars," in place of those advanced that year from Westminster to Oxford or Cam bridge. This mental tournament is a very ancient custom, for Stow says that the Westminster scholars annually stood under a great tree in St. Bartholomews Church yard, and en tering the lists of grammar, chivalrously asserted the intellectual superiority of Westminster against allcomers: and Stow, as you very likely know, died about' A. D. 1600. There is, therefore, as you may see, a very great honor in being a "Queen's Scholar ;" besides which, the prizes to be divided among them are very valuable. These consist of three junior studentships of Christ Church, Oxford, tenable for seven years, and worth about 120 a rear; Dr. Carey's Benefaction, which divides 600 a year among the most needy and industrious of the scholars in sums of not less than 50, and not more than 100 ; and three exhibi tions at Trinity College, Cambridge, of yearly value about 87, tenable until the holder has taken his Bachelor of Arts de gree. The Queen's Scholars are partially maintained by the school; but all other boys, of which the average number is about one hundred and fifty, pay very hand somely for their education. The government of this school is an ab solute monarchy in the hands of the Head Master, though the Dean and Chapter of Westminster can exercise a certain control of the Queen's Scholars, and the reigning sovereign of England is by the statutes Visitor of the School. In 1846 the father ofoneofthe Queen's Scholars complained to her Majesty that his boy had been cruel ly treated by three of the other scholars, and she ordered an immediate trial, and punishment of the guilty parties. Westminster, from its earliest records, has been famous for its Masters. Before the great Camden the Pausanias of Eng land were Alexander Newell, Nicholas Udall, and Thomas Browne. Nowell was Master in Queen Mary's reign, and Bonner intending to burn him, he fled for his life. On Elizabeth's accession he again became Master, and was also one of Elizabeth's preachers, and reproved her so plainly that on one occasion she bade him "return to his text." You know, boys, it is so easy and so natural for school-masters to tell people when they are wrong, and the Masters of Westminster have been noted for the habit Amelia K Ban in Harper3 Magazine tBT A man, passing through a gateway in the dark, ran against a post. MI wish that post was in the lower regions, he said angrily. "Better wish that it was some where else," said a bystander. "You might rim agamst it again, yotr know"
The Times-Democrat (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 11, 1880, edition 1
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