u
THE TOPIC.
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PUBLISHES XTXBT WEDNESDAX BY
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OFFICE of WALLACE BEOS.,
To the Trade:
As it is our purpose to thor
ougHly organize our wholesale bus
iness In all its ; branches for the
coming fall trade, immediately, we
shall, for the next SO day s,cibse our
pirnim
C3
in all departments, j
and as it is a class of goods exactly
suited to the fruit season, if mer
chants can find it convenient to call
on us at once we are sure they will
find jobs that will amply repay the
Very
visit.
XVW CTADV 1 BETWEEN THE CENTRAL HOTEL AND JVEW GOODS I
r.g. coy
aviDg just received from
consisting of a'beautiful line of spring and summer prints, Cassi
mers, Flannels, Shawls, Alamance,' Bleached and Unbleached
Domestic, Alpacas, Boots and ShoesMen's and Boys w ooi
straw and Fur Hats, Ladies' Hats and Hosiery, .
Groceries of all Kinds, :;.Espe.cW
the Best COFFEE, SUGAR, TEA, RICE, CBACKERS? OYSTRS
Mackerel, Molasses and Candy. Also Drugs,,
Hardware, Tinware and (LrocJiery
all of which will be sold at DARD TI31B.p"CCs for
Thanking our Friends and Patrons for
in the past we hope to merit a continuance of their patronage
in the future by Fair Dealing and Low Pnces. CALL AND
EXAMINE OUR STOCK AND FHIMS.
J. T. Webb.
3TATBSVIU
J T. WEBB & SON,
i With nuny yean experience In the MABBLE ri0 lf t nn T r - Pl!RlTIIR K
M0MHENT8, DEADST0NES, ; TOMBS & TU?E
of all deecripUon furnished at no" """" 1 '
BATItfAOTlOTGUw..aItalIlA
; Werk aecurely boxed, and deUyered free ef ch8rge'r"EBB continue as traveling agent.
SUtervllle, N. C. Feb. let. ly.
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ftisrrnk'e Kr: tho pnivATE KfiMgjQ
For tno km i. s.r.'iiV.VoEEissaJ
mufvicrovvnoyouiuui'oi" ..s-toee to hi. '
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VOL. VIL
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I
tatesville, N. C,
August -1st,
, .
mumnnmieiF
Respectfully,
the NORTH a full line of
0. B. V(ebbt
tabled to 'do"ail! Wh" df work in
J
fi:'rrt a
EEDS
wmn.
-13 J - - .
1 .
IT.'' I -j
LENOIR, N". 0.. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, '.1882.
, , , .
Qnr New Tort Letter.
Correspondence of The Topic.
New Youk, September 2, 1882.
the use of useless things.
Modern invention is utilizing a
multitude of hitherto waste materials
and bringing up repeated arguments
to prove the old adage that nothing
is made in vain although the wildest
dreams of the most chimerical invent
tor have not jet evolved the purposes
of divine Providence in creating the
Jersey musquito or the ant which gets
into the plc-nic ice cream. Forbears
the coal mining and transportation
companies have-been piling. up great
heaps of coal dust and refuse, to their
own inconvenience and from which no
income could be derived. The Philat
delphia and Reading Railroad have
been experirnei.ting upon appliances
for using their retuse and have had
their coal dust heaps surveyed, result'
ing in an estimate that these heaps
contain 60 millions of tons of dust of
which 40 millions tons can be used as
fuel. v i
Another illustration of the use of
waste materials was shown me a few
days ogo in a substance called "min
eral wool." In appearance it resem
bles raw cotton, but with the differ
ence that when compressed it does
not return to its former "fullness" as
cotton does, but will pack down to
nearly a solid mass, It is made from
the "shock" refuse from iron furnaces,
hitherto thrown out whenever it' can
be got rid of, and at the service of
any body who will take it away for
roads and ballast. The shock as it
issues from the furnace is subjected
to a powerful jet or steam system by
which it is driven like snow before a
gsle. The effect is to send out a
multitude of miniature meteor like
streamers each with a metal ic head
or nucleus with white fibers streaming
behind it. The heads are afterward
cleaned out by machinery, leaving
only the wooly or cottony fibres. This
substance is absolutely i incombustible
and an admirable nonconductor of
heat and sound. It is used in packing
around steam pipes and boilers for
casing for railroad cars, filling in
walls and roofs and many other pur
poses where its special qualities arc
desirable. So, day by day, we are
utilizing the waste things of the earth
and finding mony in dust and
ashes.
A PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY.
I heard, a day or two ago.of a style
of Christianity which strikes me as
being worth more in practical worth
and kindness toward our fellow citi
zens than spending time in moralizing
and reproaches. There was a clergy
man who wa9 invited to take charge
of a mission church and school in the
eastern part of the city where tene
ment houses abound and refined pleas
ures are few. He consented upon
two conditions first, tjiat the congre
gation should raise a salary . for their
minister in order that they should
feel that they had some duty to per
form, and, second, that he would ac
copt noneot this salary for himself
but would spend the whole fur the
benefit of the Church and the Sunday
School. The congregation were to
know nothing of the second condition,
leat it should neutralize the effect of
the first, but he Jias faithfully fulfilled
arrangement, and has stocked the
school with a library, improved the
church edifice &c. and labored inces
santly for the good of the parish. That
is a noteworthy fact but, that is not
all. This summer he has been with
his family to the sea shore during the
week, coming in to town to teach and
work on Sundays, and asking no va
cation like the pastors of more fash
ionable churches. He has a fine con
servatory of flowers and he regularly
every Saturday or Sunday gathers
every blossom from his plants and
sends or carries to the poor families
within his district, choosing the ,sick
if there arc "any. Now this Is a beau
tiful Christianity, which is good all
through, and every bad that goes from
that minister's hot hoirse to the bed
side of a sick child in tLe top. of a
tenemant house, ahouid blossom out
into a decoration , for ; the crown ot
glory which the donor is hoping for
when other flowers may bloom upon
hisgrayey j
: 8TRECHINO IT ". :i
Xm.
It has been a pop u far delusion that
the ordinary capacity oft the human
stomach is one pint. If so the elastic
membrane must Was elastic as the
membrane of a Congressman. A
New Yorker was accosted, a day or
two ago.by a seedy looking tramp who
begged for a dime to get a bite to eat
to keep hini from starving. The gen-,
tleman chose to be sbure that his
charity took the form of food and not
of whiskey, so, instead of giving him
money, he wrote an order to a nearby
restaurant to "give the poor fellow a
dinner and charge to me." Armed
with this note the tramp canvassed
the situation, studied the bill of fare
and settled down to business. Begin
ning, with a mutton stew he followed
it with roast veal, corned beef and
cabbage, roast iamb with mint sauce,
two plates of salmon lobster salad,
boiled eggs, vegtables of all kinds,
pie, pudding, cheese, three bottles of
Scotch ale and cigars. There was noth
ing mean about him. His benefactor
paid the bill of $4.20 when it was
presented and then Invested the rest
of a $5. bill in a stout and trustworthy
cane, with which lie walks abroad,
looking for that hungry tramj). The
by slanders will bear some remarks
when he meets him once more The
tramp is probably laying off waiting
lor ine siomacn-acue to oiow over.
i
Bessie.
AS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SENATOR HILL.
Atlanta Constitution.
The following brief but interesting
autobiography ot the , late Senator
Hill was written and given by him to
his friend, the late Dr. W. H. White,
in 1879, and it was found among
his father's papers by Mr. W, Woods
White, who has kindly consented to
its publication. It is as follows :
I was born in Jasper county, Geor.
gia, September 14, 1823. I was the
seventh of ninth children and the
fifth of six brothers.
. My lather was a small farmer,
owning a few slaves only. All bis
sons, therefore, did all farm work and
all his daughters did all household
work. My mother cut and wove the
clothes we wore, and most of them
were spun and wove on the planta
tion. I worked in the farm from the time
I was eight years old, and 'black and
white came and went alike in ail
work.
My father was a man of common
educatioh, but was extensively read
and of great influence in his neigh,
borhood. .
When I was ten years old, (in 1833,)
my father moved to the county of
Troop, a new county, and his lands
were all in the woods, and I helped
to clear them.
I walked the entire distance from
the old to the new home, over 100
miles, helping drive the cattle.
My father would always have a
school. house, n church and a temper
ance society near his house. He was
always trustee of the school, classt
leader and steward in the church and
president of the temperance society.
Some of my earliest and sweetest
recollections are connected with these
institutions and my father's zeal in
them.
The black people always attended
church with the whites; and al of
as, black aad white, were encouraged
to become members at very early
ages. The rule was for the children
to work on the farm until . the crop
was made and then go to school nu til
it was gathered. After the crop was
gathered, go to school agaia until
planting time for another crop. '
This was my life until I was six
teen( years old, I was then continued
at, school all the time with a .view.! to
a collegiate education. .
My father was not able to send - all
t .... 'r ., r r - i . V ......
his children; to college, tnly! one ? be
side myself desired a college coarse
and I alone graduated. T ) ; . Y-
' After I was pronounced prepared
to enter college, my ' father ; decided ;
he was not able to send me. ;
: V. A' family , coLsnltatlon - was held. 1
My : mother - i nsisted on . my golug.
Sheha6t always fiad what was called
her Vpatch," ; which was ' near , j:ha f
; house, and. was cultivated .by , her
house l hands: when not needed . at
,j ... - .... .v. ' - w ; .
I TT v 7
tcusa "work; Thia batch had1 alttava
a if :r 9 "': ,. , -
iTf.-"i v.lA.i.Jt,'(w,.!..f.... . :
41 V
':i.'?!'ri-, ?..f ?..
.:NO.62.
been my mother's pin. money amount
ing from $50 to .$100. ,
My mother said;she would contrib.
ate, this, to.styf college expenses, and
would make my clothes at home be.
sides.
An old aunt of my mother's, who
lived in a small house in my father's
yard, and had .. some means (small)
and no children, agreed Jo contribute
as much more. My father agreed to
add the balance, and I promised that
my college expenses ofany kind
should not exceed $300 per annum, I
promised my mother I would take the
first honor m my class. I redeemed
this promise. ,
The proudest day, of my life was
when I wrote to my parents that I
had taken the first honor in iuy class
and all the honors of the literary
society of which I was a member.
now i became Ai slave-holder.
The cook, Mariah, came by uy
mother, and was near her age. She
also raised nine children, just the
number my mother raised. One of
the cook's childreu from bjrth was
assigned to one of ray mother's chil
dren From otfr childhood we.played
together, worked together and would
fight for each other against all the
world. It was an alliance offensive
and defensive.
I married in 1845. My wife had
seven slaves, large and small, hither
by her father, who died when she was
an infant. We thus began life with
eight slaves.
When my father and mother died,
the slaves selected their owner among
the children and I had 'to take two
more, who would go with no other
child, and paid. for them.
My wife had one other brother left
an orphan with her. He married
several years after we did; and de
termined not to keep his slaves. They
were not willing to go out of the
family and I bought them. I no w
had fourteen slaves. ,
I was a professional man living hi
town and did not need them. I was
not willing to hire them out. The
result was I bought some land near
the town and .moved on it With the
slaves - and told them to support
themselves under my protection.
The slaves increased and married ,
wives and husbands and raised chfb
dren and" to keep them together-'-I
bought them .all.
I also bought several others who
had to be sold and who selected me
as their Owner. ff ;
In a few years my small place was
Insufficient for Them, and rather than
part with them I bought a largjer
plantation in the county and placed
them on it, and removed with ray
family back to town, !
I was thus a slave-holder frob
1845 to 1865, just twenty years.
My .slaves increased from eight
sixty seven, and during that time
there were but two deaths atrodg
them. . J ,
I realized no profit from them, aud
all of them will testily that I car.ed
better for them than they have' ben
able to care for themselves 'sinee
freedom came."
AH INCIDENT OF VAH0E AND MERRIMOk.
Reidsville Times. : '
In the days that'Merriraons ran fpr
Governor, while Vance was Execo':ie
of the State, the two chanced to meet
at a commencement at 'Trinity, college
where, Merrimon was to deliver too
address. They were but on the gree i,
also a large assemblage of ladies at d
gentlemen, and the crowd pressed
Vance for a speech, j. He relused, b it
, they, , would take no refusal. Final y
he mounted the stand and said : ,
I Ladiesnd Gentlemen : 3 I wi s 5
; raised in Bancombc.connty with a boy
named Alfred Merrimon - we -went to
school together, andI remember ode
day we had a fight and, after? a'shajp
rough and tumble I got him down and
gouged him good After it wa over,
'and we had proposed to make friends
Merrimon said he was willing'' if I
would only assure him one thing, and
that was that I didn't intend to goue
him: - :I assured him v I'didn't an4 wo-i
made it op IorteH' heard Alf say he :
rwanteci to be a gretTlawyer, he wanti;
ed to "be a reat'Jurist; and his great. -est
ambitibriwas r.td'baL GUyemor of
'NortDi? CarolihiW'll; my:i fello ri
cltiaens; ti$ nas" ib5h; )oth a gt e it
. tydiedTill of ltoetMnj fkte Vfll Wfar
niahed on application, yr j . ... -.TTTrrTT
; Professional parda, nix , jtnes or less, ten dollar
per iraiov-pajwia can Tfvunj jn fawum
wEemittances may be mwietTyelrcokJ Utfft, post
office money order,6f tegfstcferieil.liei,
i r4YQmec1aillfifn4T5ftf e the tim
contracted for lias expired, 'charged ' trtALBieiit ratea
for the time aatnally published.
I IConimunicationa containing items of local or
general interest respectfally, solicited. Mauusripts
intended f 01? publication mnat be written on onepide
of the papor, and acoonjpaaied by the nsao of the
writer, ts a gnarai.Ue-oigooU fafili.
lawyer and a great jurist, and ProvN
dense .permitting wc will tho 7th of
next November make him our next
Goverhofc;,l !.r,"j::v,",r ''' 1
With a' speech somethihg of this
sort, said with telling effect as only
Vance can do it, he descended the stand
and hadn't more than touched ground
when a beautiful girl about sixteen
ran recklessly to him from the crowd
and -throwing l)oth arms around his
neck shei gave him a kiss. Vance
started back fin amazement, but she
said, loud enouge to . be heard
by all :
"Gov. Vance 1 when my dear father
was mortally wounded in the war, it
was to your' tent he wa3 carried, and
you nursed him like a brother; he
wrote us about it and sent home a
blessing n ycur name, and this is the
first time I have ever seen you to
thank you - for it."
"Well, come," said Vance, quickly
recovering and spreading both hands,
"let's have it over again !"
j Never was a crowd so curiously ira
pressed. The ladies brought to tears,
almost hysterics, but quick as" a flash
Vance'3 manner smoothed all sensa
tion into solid reality. This was iuat
after tho war. James W. Reid of
Wentworth, our talented young coun
trymen, was but a youth, he witnessed
it and will never forget in.
A CLCSE CALL.
Charlotte Observer.
Last Sunday morning when the
train from Charlotte on the States1
ville road was within eighteen miles
Oji this place, the engineer saw a man
lyiug prone on the track a short dis.
tance ahead. He reversed the engine
and applied the oir brakes,' but the
train was running at such a speed
that it looked almost impossible to
cheek it in time. Yet it did. The
pilot of the engine touched the man
and pushed hini forward a few inches.
The pasbengers. excited by the sudden
slowing up the train, rushed out -and
gathered around the engineer, who
Was standing in front of the engine,
quietly contemplating the scene ofa
negro man, dead drunk, lying across
the track with the pilot of the engine
pressed against him. The engiueer
waked up tho nero, who wa3 o
Urunk that ha shovved no signs of
Consciousness, and tossed hi in lo ;no
side. Besidca what; the u v ro had in
him, a quart bottle of liquor was
found in his pocket.
AN OLD DEBT PAID.
Green3boro Patriot.
I An old and most worthy citizen of
this county, who visited Virginia
about Gfty years ago, borrowed a pair
of saddlebags from a neighbor to
carry his extra wearing apparel in, as
the most convenient Way of taking it
with him on his long horse.back
journey. Ho was gone some months,
and when he returned his . neighbor
had moved away. He laid the saddle
bags away, intending to return tnem
to their owner should he ever have an
'opportunity to do so. About Gve
years ago he learned where he wa3
land immediately sen) for a friend, to
whom he showed the borrowed prop
erty, and asked him the value of such
an article forty five years! ago. His
friend gave his opinion as to their
value at the time referred lo, ami was
Uold to count the interest on that
: amount, payable annually. He did
so 'end the old gentleman sent him a
postal order for nearly fifty dollars.
I THE CLAIMS OF GARTiELD'S PHYSICIANS.
1 The $35,000 to be paid to Garfield's
physicians won't hold out. Dr. Bliss
iwants. $25,000. Drs. , amiltonand -j
Agnew $15,000 each, and Dr. Return
j $10,800. ' Dr. Rey burn charges $100
i for each day, he was in attendance,
I and , $100 .additional for each of the
j alternate nights that bo k was, on duty.
iDr.vSasan Edson, . who was at ..the
bedside of ihe President almost, all of
Ithe time, day tiaV well j n?ofvjSihis
calcaWtion, will be leltithont a
dollar for her services, aa will alsoDr,
rrtm mis-no a "iias diotvever2a decided
that Drs.; JBoynton r ngd, Jldsoq, being
'technichally .nujses, Vjcy , cannotTei
ceive anything utlder' ".the J'appr6pria
iibfi'-'ThoT'wiir'lhorelor1.' to ,
;. appeal to'Cdhress? Wijtu pW as"
may bo given theciji li'hMvu'
liaving the seUlemcnt of thebiHsx;an
reduce them toIsuit'thcmselvesThe