tfnt i j i '.'it t.j .VOLUME X. IiBN'OIR, N. C, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1885. NUMBER 23. .. . - : .4 - Wallace STATESYi LLE, N. C. WliolsslT! Dealers XJSsT General Merchandise. -tot- Largest Warehouse and best facili A ties for han- dling Dried Fruit. Ber ries, etc.. ;RESPECTF Wallace August 27th, 1884. J. H. SPAINHOUR, Snduata Baltiiscra Dental College,; Dentist; Viei io Impure Material for Pilling Teeth. Work as Low as Good Work can be Done. ratientt frocr a distance pa 4j.?i ! i I'll' 3 Toia aeiarDnnonmi kim at wnat time they propose coining. F. LEE CLI N E, 1 DDLlUrm JOIJE3, u.QniKi the State. ULLY . r CLUITON A. CILLEY, Attornoy-At-La7, C'tlto In All Tho Courts. UlUR FBSM THE SEU13E. Wilmington-, Feb. 14. Dear Editor When I closed nav axd Header : ast letter we were gazing upon old. ocean in one of her grandest attitudes ' But few times she shows herself thus, and at those times my mou ntai n reader can get the lest idea of - her tall billows by going to some neighboring peak and' cast ing. a' glance at the sea of moun tain peaks that surround him. This is no had illustration,-" one that will; prove true to the ocean picture when moved by a great .storm. ;',. This morning the ocean " is in ex-. t rune' fpiiotti.de and calmness, not a "ruflle can be seen on all the broad area of waters before me. It 1ms alHuvt the same jshadc of light, und looks as smooth,' as the face of a v:ist lcoking-glass clearly reileetimr in. well defined lines the image of every object 'that;, moves; over its surface. It is a "(had calm." . Place vour finger just at the. edge of the wr.ter and you will bo surprised to lind that the water docs not move back ward 'and' forth over three fourths of an' inch, so docile is the mighty ocean, . I ; Th.efc calms' are i generally eeen in what the sailors term "loomy weath er," which is a most sure prophecy of storms. This weather bailies description ; ofd ocean seems to be enjoying a morning nap while her .-transparent and unruffled" bosom becomes a great reflector to the snn by which, it seems, a threefold measure' of light is thrown back into the air, enabling the observer to clearly see objects several times the distance usually reached' by the un aided natural eye. -.Nature makes herself a great telescope as it were. IShore lines, that are invisible In or dinary .weather, are now seen with the case of looking.1 Men have been seen walking on board a ship fifteen miles at sea without the aid of glass es. We have heard of them being seen at even greater distances than this, but for fear that you will think that I am telling sailors' yarns I will wait until vour credulity has uuder gone more training. A ,'loomy morning" is beautiful, but its beauty dies away whenLa lov- ferucom pares it? with .': the? halcyon sweetness of a "loomy" moonlight night. I have thins compared them. Who that knows the fitness of those nights for courtship could doubt the sequel ? The ocean on these evenings far excels the romantic heights of Blowing Kock, or quiet bosom of "silver lake," for this, the iDTwtv-cnchanting of all purposes. Tlie ocean has the line of a vast basin of molten lead, and I feci like the poet whenjie said : "Through the voiceless night Fair Luna's silver light Is tripping o'er the sea," and I ant awfully n loye, for- my heart beats a ' respOnsi re t hrili ;to every echo -': of the oar, as it gently plashes the water. j f ' But yotjold men and women don't care to heafthis eritinientirgush ; so jhem coraesjsomethipgmore p'rac itieall Wnithing yo have never seen, perhaps. It. is thc Cape Fear light-house standing on Ball head Jfcdand, one, bund red. and thirty feet 'higli, surmoiinted Twith a revolving light to distinguish it from the light-; . boifte- on I Fort Caswell. TheRo lights, kept' up by the government provo'eminently'ti sdftil ' to the mari ner p warning-him knight of his apprqach to laod or tbo locality of dangerous rocks,!1 sandbars andj shoals. They are hnwjrick towered just in the shape "of yoitr old churh that sita ia tbenil house, "big at the bottom,4' little at the top," but instead of having a dasher that goes "flipity-flbp,-t iiiw keeper paid by the government who takes the visitor up the winding stairway and from the sunnitoWhim-a kitig- dom of waters, : k f ? ' J ' Away to the eastl&nd just on the beach-li.Df.YOU, notice tj large build ing. 'Wnat is that ? you ask. It is theSTlIft saving station. " Here a number of men are employed by the ilives'df iev' . j. . ,i Jcft a small steam- 'ery with a crew of eight men, ran aground some 15 miles "off shore." don she i4was dished 1 to 'pieces1 by the pitiless breakers and fait ofthe number soon sank in death ; the 'of the wreck to which they clung, by the men sent out iromhe sta tion. They had being drifting for sailors. bfflS? Vm fifw s?fr If this dan'gefoks'4 eattf year" shore. two days, and so t ough had been the sea that the clothes of two of the number , were entirely beaten off. Though paid for it these men are brave, they; risk Jtheir lives to save! the lives of strangers. But, putting your glasses to hv eye and looking out ou the wa ters, you notice a stationary vessel ; thii is the lightjship,'.' also a pro vision of the. jeejvernment for the irescue of wretched sea-men. It is anchored at the cession of dar.u". termir.us.ofji sue .iv.a 'shoals that ex.--' tend 40 miles frjMn the i i . V l.M' warns the sea-cabinin not lo his vessel between; it and the sh.oiv to do so is tbba vlrCckcil. But; mylfrienkl, - if your In-iiil i 'growig dizzy on :the light-hou.se, wc will, gf down and; take a walk.aloni; tlia l?ach," j It is a genial sunshine day in .May and the ocean is at low tlde, (about u or 8 feet lower than .when at higii-tid), the blue waters kiss the shore and smilingly retreat. AVe soon see a fpot, just above high- tide mark, where the HU4Hooi if it had been lat;lv "stirred.- Thei t exciaims my con'-ll'iihion, is a turtle's nest, (not-a Tut-tltes), ml. securing a piece of stave, Ue begins ia 'rx-iubve ' the pnd until he gets to a depth of1 from 20.to.JI0 incites, and there wr lind a sea-side treasure."'" We brgin to lob.the nest': he takes out, ami I count, the egg:; r.ntil we get all 155--as many ns ISO have been found in a nest. They ire just about tlie size of the black walnut and "quite soft to touch thim is to dent them. You cannot break, must 'pinch' them in order to gain entrance to the. "golden ball." They are very mi tricious, and, when made into turtle egg pudding, are one among the nicest of sea-sidq dishes. But, my "boomer," you can't pick' up one of these sea turtles by the tail and walk off; home with him. JNo sir ! A full grown turtle 4 or 5 feet in di ameter across the shell will furnish a rap men e room on his back for four to seat theniselves, fndthen. scamper on . to tno wateiNas it un conscious of the fun-gcttmg intru-. de'fs. They are often found making their nests and tliie finders get jut such a ride as mentioned above n danger, provided ou. get off before he goes into the water.. As I am 'just through a "square dinner," the luxury of which was vline boiled trout, fresh from the. wa-' terJ I will tell you a little about sea- i side fishing. Three of my members arc fishermen and some days', thev . - ' bring in several hundred of the fin- ny tribe. On j -a nj average of three times per week they will send me a nice bunch, (3 or 1 in number)," m.casu ri ng from ; Vi to lo' i nches i n length Jind thej jt-at all the better from the faci that they do not charge them up as "quarterage." ; (At these times I think of mother, dear, and distant., f 8he knows why !) Just at this season. the fishermen are tryingtheir hand for shad; the finest fishf'on the markctl" they bring from $1.50 to 12.00 )or: pair, weight 10 to 12 pounds. The shad, like most species of salt r water fish, go in "schools," as fishef men term it, and are I usually caught in large nets, sometimes 200 or 300 feet in .length. These netet are never set at the mouth of a streani, from the fact that these fish, is broken into when their, "school" at ihe very entrance of a stream, will, at the next season, give that entrance the "go by," thus deriving their enemies of a much coveted prey. f It is 4 o'clock., on a pleasant June morning. The "Passport," reindeer of the Cape Fear, is steaming up at her wharf, and an eager anxious throng of men from all parts of the city and all vocations of life are moving- to get on board. Where are - they, going ? jyou ask. To the" Black-fish grounds for a day's figh- ing. These grounds, or sand shoals, are about twenty five miles off .tho Cape Fear coast and seem to be a special rendezvous! for the Blackfish. ;The; " steamer'- casts ' her anchor every man takes his . position on the railing or in small boat and; with Jineook, and bait hegius to draw , in - from the hungry multitude of fishes rond about him. You fish "until catching beebmea monotonous ".attd'quit because you have "enough 'fislj riot because they refuse to bite. A party of excursionists well return ith ' several hundred as the result of a day's sporting on the waters.. ; But the best sport of, all is catch ing drum. So here we go for the fun or failure. Each of us have a cord about forty feet in length, one- sixteenth of an inch injsize, with here and there a short line tied to the main line ; on this short line is the hook and bait. , : Wei take otir stand just at the edge of the foam ing surf, and, just as the water re cedes, we throw our line its full length into theses, having it se curely looped in the hand ; no soon er (Iocs . the line sink bejueath the water than the greedy dnjjni lay hol and begin to pull for dear Wh hav roll ord iie this has taken placi- the waves -i " i t turjiea ami are now rusiung, iig toward the shore; and, in i r to get their force tl o am vou in Uringingvour load of 'm to land, vou quickly -'turn vour back on the K'u and, throwing your li shoulder, you run for h mark, wliich, if yoii are j ne off the gh water 1 uicK, you t!if tide. and you man v as will reach just ahead of The water again receile ".turn to see sometimes aa 15 or 20-large drnni fluttering on the'each, and it require no little pull to bring that nianv safe to shore. Not unfrequently they will get a fellow badly in the ffsuds" be fore he gets them to landi A green fellow, like the writer, times abandon his line the moment of victory. ' is he that the "briny will some- ust before po afraid eep" will catch him. Didn't do co But changing work rests but once, mind and body, so we will next go trolling. We will shorten the same! pine down to 10 or 12 feci, leaving 4 pv 5 slort lines on ti e main one and thep get into a nice little boat, spread our sail to the "favoring ;i!e"iand, "floating with the tide," we glide sweetly-along, while our lines float "aft" among the following school of hungry fish. How beautiiful tlrey look in the clear blue waters, which seems alive with the innumerable multitude. But don't gaze so. Pull in your line ! It's full, ever see any fish before ? Didn't yon Fathoms deep in the -transparent w raters the fish of all kinds, in countless num hers, move in lively glee. Thus we spend four hours and return home, two miles "to Smithville I With 347 trout, sheep-head and yellow tail fish Again 'tis night, dark and quiet ; -nothing uisturos the iireamtv silence of "old ocean" slumberinsrl save the distant echo of a seaman's par. . It's a splendid night for gigg ders, quietly remarks a fr ng floun- o end. So' 've get some good "torch-riinc" and, . seating ourselves in our bo it. we are soon paddling o'er the waters to the sand shoals, two miles sonth of Smithville. In twenty miinutes we make the distance, if going with the, tide. On the spot we rui our boat ashor pull off shoes ar d sockg, roll up pants above our kn es light our torch and .proceed, to N battle. Don't be afraid, walk right in among them, lion't gig at every; one, only at the largest. There comes one, right at you, his.back exad tlv in the shape of a mad cat L (ive him a "side splitter" with your T1 T and you'll. get him, strike at hijm 'edge. ways" and you will miss laim, for,; sure enou gh, he is as "flat is a floun der" and runs on one edge. Wo get twenty-nine, and go home at 10 o'clock 1'. m. j Much of the above is frprn actual experience. Jt is royal fun. Come down next summer and wewillgo a fishing. . ..-'.;, Jn our next we' will talk about oysters, crabs, shrimp, clakis, etc. Heundon Tuttle. WHAT CONSBESS IS j : The United States Senate spent Feb. 14, session in considering the Indian appropriation bill. The House passed the postoffice appro priation bill and a .bill granting a pension of $2,000 per annum to the widow of Gen. r Geo, II. Thomas. After two hours spent on the river and harbor bill, the legislative ap--propriatiou bill was taken up, andH 40 out of 108 pages of the bill were disposed of. .: ;' '! - - ,The United States Senate, Feb. 16, passed the Indian appropriation bill in an amended form, j The post office committee of the Senate re ported favorably a "subsidy" amend-, Ument to the House postofEce appro priation bill. The House refused to suspend the rules and" pass the Sen ate bill for the retirement of Gen. Grant two-thirds not voting in fa vor of suspension, t This ia; the first bill passed by thaf Senate that speci fically names the officer to be retired. A bill was passed Ho regulate thev letting of mail contracts. ; LEGISLATIVE TOPiCS. sex ate Feb. 1G. Passed third reading : to make disturbing graves a felony ; to pro- vide for stock law in -Bichmond, Halifax and Warren counties ; spe cial tax. for C'howan ; to amend States ville's charter ; relating to public roads in Mecklenbufg ; to amend section 3415 of Code ; to em power clerks of . Inferior Courts tr. take probate of deeds ; to provide for fences adjoining territory adjav cent to stock law territory ; to incor porate "Catawba and Alexander toll bridge ; to request our Senators and Representatives' in Congress to se cure an appropriation to improve Beaurfort harbor ; to exempt drug-' gists from jury duty. ', The bill to allow, commissioners of Ashe county to levy a special tax passed second reading. house Feb. 16. Passed third reading : to incorpo rate Chesapeake , and Norfolk Rail road ; to amend sec. 832 of Code and also section 219; to repeal chap ter 176, laws of 1879, relative to highways in Ashe, Watauga and Alleghany counties. 'Bill to permit jury in cases of arson, murder and burglary to fix, at their discretion, the punishment at imprisonment for life was indefinitely postponed. - SENATE Feb. 17. ; Passed third reading : To give clerks of Inferior Courts in certain counties authority to take probate of deeds ; to consolidate the charter of . Lenoir ; to amend Statesville's charter ; relating to roads in Meck lenburg ; to authorize Leuoir, Ashe and Washington counties to levy a special tax ; to allow trains to trans port and unload live stock and per ishable freight on Sundays. ' The bill to require insurance com-! panies doing business in this State to pay the full value on all policies on build ings destroyed by fire, un derwent a long discussion pending which Senate adjourned. , house Feb. 17. i A bill was introduced to change the lino between Mitchell and Wa tauga counties. - , The bill to order a republication of the Supreme Court Reports was discussed, 'passed and reconsidered and a substitute by the committee' at last passed. Bill to require registration of deeds passed third reading. ; Bill to establish a hoard of health was under consideration when the House adjourned. k CHAPTER QM ROADS. BY PINE DURli. We hour of. "old" roads and "new" roads. Roads show age according to the kind of land they run through. Take, for instance, the main "State Road," as it was once called, leading from Salisbury to Morganton. Most of that road is where it was 150 years ago, though I can't remember that far back. . , . -. , . Then take the road from Wilkes boro to Morganton. I don't suppose there is one mile of that road in Caldwell county online same bed it was 100 years ago. At the branch, west of Iting's Creek, I believe it cror.ses where it always did. A man .by the name of Holt lived near that point during the Revolu tionary War, when Col. Cleveland was coming up with a party of troops from Wilkesboro. Ilolt, being a Tory; heard Of it through some of his friends who ran ahead and told him of it. It was at night and Holt attempted to make his escape in his night clothes but was shot down within a few steps of his house, nis grave is still to be seen. His wife was a sister of my grandfather. V; I don't just now remember but one place - east ; of this where - the road is where it was then. That is small distance opposite to JC. Mc Gpwan's ; at M D. Smith's a very short distance ; at the old election ground, one mile east of Lenoir, a distance of not over , 50 yards and 4ver that portion ran the Mulberry toad. ;.. -'...'" .5. 'At E. P. Miller's is the only place I remember now where the old bed is ftill in" use. ; The old track is near Major Harper's and passes the south end ' of the Episcopal church. I believe at Dr. Beajl's, where the Yadkin road connected with it, it is on the same bed. ' :;.'; A man by the name of Giddings was found dead in the road at Mc Gowan's. Clarke waa killed in the road where jt is now at Dr. Beall's. Smith and Baldwin were killed in the road where it noT runs, west of Col. Kent's.; Esquire Sndderth tells me that theirfgraves are still visible." They were buried side by side on the same day, though Baldwin was killed the day - before Smith. The particulars' are reserved for a future -article, j j V- - ' . ,! ..,-' ';'..; " The Indian Grave Gap road: was cut out; according to the statement of Mr. Thomufi Coffey, about 1811, though he musjt be mistaken. He says he j was a handf. on the road, which he could not well have been, being 82 years-old nbw, making him; only 6 or 7 years old at the time. Ij am inclined to. think it was -opened, about 1822. ; Abon t the year 1 790 there lived a ' man by the name of AUoway on the farm just below; the old Yadkin church. One 'morning when he he "door he found an infant opened lying ou the doorstep or near it, well clothed. He took it up and cared for it, and named it Is elson Allowav Stranger. The foundling grew to be a man of note, X. A. , Stranger. He was overseer of the. Yadkin side "of the I Indian Grave Gap road. Isaac Slicrri 11 was overseer on tho south side. MrThomas Coffey is the only person living who assisted in the first working. J. . ! ... Allowav married Miss Susan Cor- pen ing .mafrried and,' after her death, he herister, Miss Ann, sister of Mr. A. J. Corpening. Our Boons Letter. ; Boone, Feb. 6. Editor Topic : We are having rather disagreeable, weather soj changeable', first rain, then a little snow, now and then a clear day or so, then some snow, a' little rain, freeze up, thaw, more rain,' mud plenty, then rain, a littlemore siiow,; then, perhaps, it will rain, but t am like theold man "when he said, 'for my part I am" always glad to see some kind of weather." This season of the year is always rather gloomy' in Watauga, and, if it always ! was" like the present, it would be a good; place to move from, but, when the Spring. opens, the grass contest up! and carpets the earth, and all nature puts on her Spring suit and We for get all about the past bad weather. We are haying some sicknessi'and several death? in Watauga. Old, man Johiel Smith, about S6 years old, died a few days agn John MyOiurc J. P., died Mondaylnight and buried with Masonic honors; w;js His' age was about 70. Both of these old men lived on Cove Creek. ; Old Aunt 'Del phia Hartley was buried a : fevv days ago, age about 80. ! She' was an Estes and, I think, a sister: of Lot Estes, on John's River. Old Mrs. Xaucv Baird is dead, lived on( Watauga river. ! Pneu monia is the gene ral can se of our sickness. Dr. Councill is left alone to treat the sick. He is con stantly called for. Our people otight to learn better than to expose tiiem selves so much and so recklessly as they do. This is the cause of pneu monia, no doubt. Pneumonia is a 6evere disease, pspecially-on.old-peo-' pie and persons in. delicate health. Your correspondent from Mretz Mills finds fault with "Old' Hal's" couuty government. Well, he has a right'to do so, and argues his point well,by saying that the increase 'of magistrates in his township ! has proved tQ be an' improvement, ,says .we can have better chance of getting good men by having more of them. His argument would lead to the conclusion that an increase of J, P.'s from 3 to 5 in a township improves the judiciary ' of that township. Then ten- J. P.'s would be a greater improvement, and so on; "Alex," I presume, did not' understa'nd the idea of Old Hal,' as he says,i"his position is an enigma." My idea, in reducing the J. P.'s to ono in each township is to elevate the office , of the J. P., by having qualified men to fill thei oftico and concentrate; the business i)f the township into a court of one man as judge. "Alex" says these "numerous J. P.'s "cost,. the county nothing."' Their ' dockets and codes cost the State something and many of them have nO business to do, and there is no pay to the J. P.'s and certainly no honor, Tben why keep up a system that is no in terest to the J. P.'s or anybody else ? Every observing person must -acknowledge that our county govern--ment needs improving "Alex" does not give any light on ' this subject and I am sorry he did not, for h is an intelligent citizen and he ought to give his opinion. My, idea is, if we had a' good system of county court we would not need any addi tional Superior Courts, especially Watauga and other small counties. Then why not have the justices of the townships to form this5 court f . It is cheaper than any other system. ' f We are having a fine meeting go ing on at the Baptist Church in Boone. Rev. Mr. Allison, fromi Brevard, N. C.V'is doing a good work here. The meeting is of great interest. He. is a fine preacher. His style of orato.y is very similar v,toV that of Gov: Scales. The meeting may last until next week. We hope much good may be done: i I saw the other day an interesting freak of nature in the shape of aj person's hand. It grew on "the end of an ear of corn. It represents the left hand, thumbaild j fingers com- plete ! except the nails.' , All the muscles of the hand are perfectly formed. I never saw any thing so perfect of the kind. Esq. W. H. Dugger, on Brushy Fork, has . the interesting freak. ' . Who will go from Watauga and Caldwell to the inauguration on the 4th ? If anybody will furnish the money for me to go, I will give them half the profits, if I get back. What say you ? Don't all speak at once. I would certainly like -s to be there. 1 " Old TJal.': Our Sweetwater Letter, f ; ' Sweetwater, Feb. 7. ' There seems to be a spirit of im- . provement throughout our township. New and beautiful dwellings are going up, large barns are bcingbuilt, for the better care of our fine and improved stock, of which we are getting a very good supplyy of all kinds. Mr. J. W. Green has :th finest bull in this partof the county. He bought him near Abingdon, Va. for $65. He is Ix)udon Duke, dark red color, and as gentle as a dog, and very quiet. We have some very fine sheep in Beaverdam and hogs aa good as are in the county. Our people arc very quiet and law abiding, with as little drinking as anywhere else in ; the county. We have two churches in the township, each of which has a regular prayer meeting once a week. 1 The weather is very, changeable. One day vety warm, the next celd aud snowing. . Our schools are about all out. U. H. Farthing is tcachingutTimbered Ridge school house ; will bo out the 10th. Has a good school and good attendance. Hope the Legislature will pass a law compelling parents and guardians to send those udr their charge to the public schools, and then there w6iild not be so" ' many children growing up'in igno-' ranee.; ' ' Our merchants are doing a very good business this winter." C. C. Hilliafd ha taken in' a partner from : I Mitchell county. : ' J . i 1 Persons des. ring, to move to the "mountains, this beautiful "Isind of the Sky," would do well to C03ie to Beaverdanis, where peace and plenty abounds, and those wishing to buy good -farms would do well to call oa or address J. 'W. (Jreen and Tf. ,H. Farthing, as they haTe. some goed ; grain and gra3s lands for sale. i Wishing The Topic much success ; I remain a Subscribes. ;-Th3 Cc!d3st Snap., .f , On Wednesday the weather was colder in Baltimore than at anytime since 1881 when it was 6 degrees be low zero.' At sheltered spots in the City the thermometer stood at 3 degrees above and at more exposed points at 3 degrees below zero. This pld Wave extended from the 2 ex treme Northwest to the ;:Gulf and from the Rock Mountains to. the Atlantic. Even at Key West the mercury stood kit 56 degrees above zero, very cold for that locality. At JNew York it was zero, Cincinnati 9f Indianapolis 7, Nashville 1, Buffalo 12, Chicago 18, Milwaukee 23 below zero. Tho storm, accompanied, by immense falls iof snow in some sec tions, started in Texas and traveled Northwest, developing; its greatest energy jn New England .Tuesday. mi . 1 1 t 1 m a. ; , .i i iiero ts a great oiocsauc oi iriu in the .West. Thousands of head of cattle and hogs wcre froaca to death in abandoned freight cars inlUinois, In the;, streets of: Quebec the snow drifted to the hight of 0 fset. In -Ontario and Quebec the thermome ter, ranged from 15 to 40 degrees below zero. At Jackson, Mich., the thermometer waa 35 degrees btlc zero and a cutting . wind. blew frcn the West. - Business was susrend:3J, Lake Ontario was frozen over to a distance of ten miles from the Eicr?, a thing unprecedented," n

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