THEY DROVE THE CROWS AWAY
And Then Coaxed Them Back Again
to Save Their Corn Crops.
"The crow is so universally
looked upon as a sort of vermin
i which no pains should be spared
to rid every community of, that
lit will be hard for most people
to believe there is at; least one
spot where he is not only made
a welcome visitor, but to which
he is actually coaxed j and beg
ged to return, after having been
driven away by years; of merci
less persecution ' said a former
resident of Edgar county, Ills.
"That spot is the portion of Ed
gar county known as Ashmore's
Grove. Twenty years ago there
they
had never been
that vicinity,
about that time
arrive in countless
There seemed to
! their coming, j They
every piece of woods
around, and it was
many crows in
but one season
began tb
numbers.
be ho end to
occupied
for miles
estimated
.that the j colony contained; not
less than 500,000 of what the
farmers supposed were winged
i marauders. It is a rich prairie
land out there, and sixty bushels
jof corn to the acre was not too
much to expect as an average
!yield. Naturally, everybody
jbelieved that this great army of
crows had heard of that garden
spot, and had marched upon it
to devastate the newly planted
fields, and leave ruin and fam
jine in their wake, so men, wo
men and children organized in
ia systematic campaign against
the black destroyer. They were
hunted in their roosts, they
were poisoned, i and they were
even pursued by fire, the torch
being applied at night to woods
jwhere they roosted, and the lo
cation of which did not endan
ger other property. Thousands
of crows were killed nearly
every night, but still the survi
vors of the colony lingered in
the locality and swarmed upon
the fields. 1 I
: "The farmers of Edgar coun
jty noticed another new visitor
that season a I grub that not
only attacked the roots of thb
young corn, but also played
havoc with the grass, j ! The far
mers bemoaned these disastrous
yisitatations greatly, but it
never occurred to them that the
crow was among them for any
other purpose than evil. So the
warfare of the crow was carried
on with merciless vigor, and the
next season there was a very
decided decrease in the size of
the crow colony. It grew small
er and smaller ! year by year,
until only a few wild and strag
gling flocks put in an appear
ance. ' ! j ! .' , ' . j. . : j
M "During all this time the yield
of corn per acre' had gradually
decreased, and ! the crow was
credited with being the princi
ple cause of the loss. The grub
was still at work, but the far
mers had no idea that they were
not able to handle him. But
the first season the crows failed
to appear the yield of corn was
smaller than it had ever been,
and the season was one of the
most favorable for corn in the
history of the county. j The grub
increased in numbers and the
corn crop kept on growing less
and less until ten bushels to the
acre was as big a yield as that
; rich prairie bottom would re
turn and the crows' had not
i been permitted to get another
i foothold in the region either.
Then the thinking farmers made
up their minds
the crows had
that the reason
,
put m such a
ber of crows that made their
home thereabouts decreased.
That is because they had les
sened the grub crop so that
use for ! such a
work there, and
thev went to other fields: of use
fulness. But tjhere have always
been enough crows around Ash
more's Grove to keep down the
no
there was
large force to
iat corn the big
lav of dessert is
the farmer says
premium for the
And there is one
It wonrt be well
grubs, and w
birds eat by w
not half what
he earns as a
good they do.
tiling certain:
for any one who goes out into
that part of Edgar county and
says hard things against the
crow
large and sudden appearance at
Asnmore s Grove a few years'
before was that they had simply
followed the wake of the grubs,
and had come to feed on the
irrepressible pests, and then the
community felt like kicking it
self clear out of the State. They
went to work to; try to get the
crows back again. They sent
clear to the Wabash country,
where the biggest crow roost on
the top of the earth is located,
and had thousands pf crows
captured and for warded to them.
These were, released! at Ash
more's Grove. and finding ev
erything pleasant and peaceful
there the crows remained. More
than that, news of the situation
must have been; communicated
by these crows to others, for in
a few weeks there were more
crows in that locality than had
been known for years. The
next season something like the
old time colony took up its quar
ters in the woods and that fall
the biggest crop of corn that
had been known in the region
for five years j was gathered.
Nobody disturbed the "crows,
and the man who would have
dared to molest j one around Ash
more's Grove would have been
lynched. In four years that
prairie was raisiner sixty bushels
to the acre Again, . and the blue
Rev. Dr. Dixon and Ingalls.
There is a good evidence of
Rev. Dr. Thomas Dixon, Jr s.,
power as a preacher, and his
popularity as a pulpit speaker,
is the attention he receives from
the newspapers of New York,
and the frequency with which
they report his sermons.
His sermons are not tame.
They are fullj of life, and his
sermon last Sunday was on the
need .of live men in the pulpit.
He thinks the jtime has come for
the church toj move upon the
press and convert it; make every
daily newspaper in this country
a! Christian newspaper. He
doesn't condemn the Sunday
newspaper, either. He thinks
stay, and says,
the Herald's re-
it has come to
according to
port:;
i lne bunaay newspaper is no
riyal tojthe pulpit. To be can
did,! I would rather, myself , read
a live newspaper than listen to
a dead man try to preach. The
cannot hold his
cold type is not
called to preach, and the sooner
he quits trying to preach the
better for him Sand the better for
the cause he
preacher who
own against
BENEDICT ABNOLD'S HOUSE.
Perhaps the
represents,
most interesting
Dart of iKev . Dr. Dixon's sermon.
though, is what he has to say of
the church and politics:
The time has come for the
church to make its influence
felt in the political world. We
have separated church and State;
so far have wej separated them,
that we have) practically left
trie State in the hands of the
dvil. ISenator Ingalls, who re
cntlv dated his letters from the
Vice-President's Chamber, gave
utterance lately to the follow
ir g remarkable deliverance :
The docalogue and the golden
rulediave no place in a political
campaign. Their object is suc
cess. : : .
This modern! cant about cor
ruption of politics is fatiguing
in the i extrerjie. It proceeds
from the tea jcustard and the
syllabub dillettanteism, the
frivolous and desultory senti
mentalisQi of epicenes.
J Patronage will allure the am
bitious, I force 'will coerce the
timid, demagoismwill gull the
credulous, fraud will rob the
weak, money will buy the mer
cenary All I'have to say in reply to
this is 'that the man who does
not believe in purity is impure.
Tjiej man who does not believe
in honlisty isj dishonest. The
mjan who does not believe in
truth is a liar. This nation was
founded on the Decalogue and
the (Ten Commandments. The
men who landed at Plymouth
Rock landed jon their knees.
Tie! foundations of this Repub
lic were cut from the quarry of
God's eternal granite. Its foun
dation stones were laid in ce
ment made with the tears and
blood of Christian men and wo
men. The main who has out
grown the Decalogue and the
Gplden Jlule has outgrown his
usefulness in this nation.
The party jthat repudiates
them had better prepare for the
funeral ceremonies. In the
narrie of the living God of Heav
en and earth, I say to Mr. In
galls, that God's truth and
must and will
righteous indig
nation of a lohg suffering peo
ple is now being aroused from
sea to sea.-
righteousness
prevail. The
M. j !
j
grass was back
the corn crop increased the num
to its yield. i As
j The time is 'rapidly drawing
nigh when it will be impossible
for men who hold such views as
the t distinguished Senator had
proclaimed, to; live in American
politics. j
Still, religion in politics is apt
to do more good than the church
in politics. The church has all
it can do to spread religion with
out involving Itself into politi
cal! discussions ; and it . is by
teaching , religion and not by
figH'ting polical battles 'that the
church is to do its duty injpui i
fyjhj politics.! JEteligidn makes
men, tetter,,, better' meninake
better citizens, better citizens
make better politics, and' fetter
politics make better T govern
ment. Charlotte Chronicle.
Still Standing in New Haven Some
& Reminiscences of the Traitor.
The old Benedict Arnold
house is j still standing in the
Fifth ward, on j (Water street,
near the corner of Olive street.
It has fallen into decay, but!
there are j some gray haired citi- j
zens wlio remember it when it;
was one of the Show places of
the town. Its orchard was the
largest and finest in Xew Ha
ven, and the grounds were laid j
out in handsome terraces.
Arnold built the house soon
after ! his return from Ticonde-
TT A 1 1
roga. ne must j nave been a
man of some wealth, for the
house was well built and the
grounds were ample. Arnold
was not a popular man. He
had a violent and irascible tem
per, and! "would rather fight
than eat," as has been said of
him. He always found fault,
and the ferryman who took pas
sengers across the mouth of the
Quinnipiac river before the
bridge was built, dreaded to
have him for a passenger, for
he always swore at them for
not rowing faster. !
Nevertheless, 'Arnold was a
man of affairs. j Besides his
business as a druggist and book
seller he with Adam Babcock,
owned three vessels engaged in
the West India trade. They
were the brigantine I Fortune,
forty tons ; the Charming Sally,
thirty tons, arid the Three
Brothers, tweiity-eight tons.
LArnold never took particular
pains to see that all custom
house dues were paid ; in fact
he was very lax in this particu
lar. It is related that once on a
time a sailor on j board one of
his vessels reported i some - of
these laxities to the collector of
the port. The report was made
onj Sunday, and the collector re
fused to receive it, and told the
sailor to come again on Mon
day. In the meantime Arnold
had heard of the sailor's tale
bearing, j Before Monday came
Arnold adopted a course o'f
moral and physical suasion
which compelled the sailor to
leave ! town with his tale untold.
Arnold's laxity in regard to the
custom house laws was prob
ably i not much ! greater than
that of his neighbors. Indeed,
to evade the customs was a vir
tue rather than ja fault, for it
was regarded: as a justifiable
method of protest against tax
ation without representation.
Arnold's property was confis
cated! after his 1 treachery at
West Point was discovered.
Pierpont (Edwards "acted on the
government administration and
sold the property to Capt. Isaac
Prput. Capt. Prout made only
a partial payment, and was un
able to meet the subsequent
payments as they became due.
In this way the property came
into the hands of Noah Web
ster, the lexicographer, and he
lived there forj some years,
finally selling it to James Hunt,
a West India merchant, who
devised it to his daughter, wife
of D. Goffe Phipps, of this city.
The bouse still remains in Mrs.
Phipps' possession, although it
has been almost dismantled.
Betsey I Arnold! a sister of
Benedict Arnold, lived for years1
and years after her brother's
disgrace, in Norwich, on public
charity. When she was 90 years
old she was taken to the alms
house; by old Sheriff E. G.
Thomas. -j Betsey made a great
how-de-do about jit, and was so
grieved that she lived only a
few months. She was a strong
old woman, and ! had much of
her brother's temper. New Ha
ven Pal radium.
W. P. WHITTINGTON , M. D., j
6ffice 2S Patton Aveiiue, second floor,
. h- i ;
asheville; x. c.
I i i ' ... j
Tenders his professional services to the citi t
zens oi .sneviue, ana tnrrounain(:r touuu;
nesiaence in; ooann stf e it.
fmininff. Thorouch and complete
The IPKIITIJI esoximeru etuuui uuouivo- ; . . , , . ... "c oi et-,
Auc 1 o . . .i sTttiaa fT rvnaiTiAca IitA . Vnll 'Hun
voun" men and young lames lor wo " , pa of fc.
J 'uuj? " . . , t. .ntaf it. time. Dioloina on pradnation . well h.
DE. B.1F. AEfilNGITON.
Office rooms on Patton Avenue, over the
clothing store of C. D. lilanton or Co.
Residence, corner of Woodiiu and Locust
streets
mm sale.
ocIl-ly
A Lurjre Rosewood PIAXO, in g-ood condi
tion. Apply tb
MRS. S. EW BUCHANAN",
Dec. 19 tt. : : South Main street,
. A WORD TO SMOKHKS SUFFICIENT.
; If you want the best 5-cent cirar offered in
this city cav on me. I am agnt f qr
GAEP
Try
,& SON'S
j Hon. Henry Watterson.
The brilliant editor of the
Louisville Courier-Journal de
livered a lecture in Memphis,
Tenn.1, recently, the whole gist
of which : was that the danger!
that threatens America is plu-!
tocracy. j " Not material pros-1
perity' said the eloquent lec
turer,! " but moral right must
rule tie world, and plutocracy
is moral j death, j bringing, not
perhaps, but inevitably, disaster
and ruin to any nation where it
reigns. 'r
A Memphis dispatch states
that after the lecture Mr. Wat
terson " engaged with some
friends in a social game of draw
poker," for which he is accred
ited with having great tond
ness, and before retiring from
the game had lost $1,900. Of
this $500 was lost on a single
hand.! The editor tried to bluff
on a " short' straight," which
he really didn't have, and his
opponent, .Who j tdid . have a
straight. " called ." him, and
down went the ; editor to the
bottom of the sea. Baltimore
Sun. j . ..
Subscribe for The Democrat.
nd you will use no other.
NO. 11
0IGAES.
;-" . J.
Plain and
t C. DAVIS.
Asheville;
All jobbing in his
tended at reasonable
guaranteed, i
H. ExVTON, J
Ornamental Plastering,
N. C.
Battery ! Pa
ine promptly at-
prices, and work
jani-dm
k Hotel!
Asheville, North Carolina!
Open throughout the year. Elevation 2,600
feet : average winter temperature, 5.) ; mag
nificent mountain scenery ; hydraulic eleva
tor ; electric lights and befls ; music hall, ten
nis court, ladies' billiard parlor and bowling
alley. Beautiful drives and first-class livery.
For descriptive printed matter apply to
' " I j . JOHN B. STEELE, Manager.
Buggy and Carnage Works,
Manufactured or Bepaired -
In best style, at reasonable prices.
H. M. Howard,
81 S. 3Iain St., Asheville, xi C.
Horse-shoeing a Specialty. :
GRAPE VINES.
; Several kinds of rooted 3roung Grape
Vines for sale, lower jthan tiiey can be
bought at large nurseries, North or South
Ironclads, Concords, Elviras, Etc. j
Apply to S. K. STEVENS,
Vernon P. O
,! Buncombe Co.
THE OLD RELIABLE BARBER,
PLUM LEVI,
Has established himself at the corner of
Court Square and College! street, where he in
vites his old friends and the public to call. An
expert lady barber always in attendance.
Also in connection with the Barber Palace
is a First Class Restaurant, where good meals.
nicely served, can be had at 'all hours at rea
sonable pnces.j
CHICAGO ! AND ALTON It. R.
EMIGRANTS GOING
WEST OR NORTHWEST
; : j ! I j ;
"Will save time and money going via Chicago
and Alton Route. . Vestibuled i train be
tween St. Louis and Kansas City. Reclin
ing chair cars and toufist sleepers free of
charge to all western btates and i territories.
For low ratesy maps and descriptive ; books
write to or call on j i j
B. A. NEWLAND,
'" -i M " i
Traveling Passenger Agent.
No. 10 Patton ave., up stairs, Asheville. N. C
W. D. R0WE,
-DEALER IN
Italian ni American Mle, Eranite, Etc.
Alliance Warehouse, Asheville, N. C.
i All kinds of Monuments, Tombstones, Head
stones, Urns and Vases, Fencing and . Cresting
made to order in the latest designs. J
Purs Wines li Lit
OFF
oct 10-lm
F. :m GARRINGTON,
f (SUtCESOK TO ATKINS & CAKRINQTON.)
1 " 1 i I ; ,
WHOLBSAIiE A1ID EETAIL DEALEE IN -
llnsoFTCOii,
Hay, Grain , Bran and Shorts.
BEST JELLICO COAL
CE : NO. 8 NORTH COURT SQUARE, ASHEVILLE, N,
HiRD
mil
HHAMTON :k :-: FEATIIERSTOM
Public Square,
j ASHEVILLE, X. C,
Invite the attention of the trade to their
Large Stock of j
i; mi mil m upn
Which is offered
WHOLESALE :-: OR :-: ! RETAIL.
j Our Stock of
Tobacco, Cigars and Cigarettes
is complete.
THE B ES
Ales and Beers
Always on Hand. '
Give us a call when you want something
Strictly First-Class.
1 Dec y.
"The
- 1 1
- i
j -i
bonanza;
THE LEADING-
WINE AND LIQUOR STORE
IN THE STATE.
Fine Sample and Billiard Boom.
NO.
S. MAIN
ST.
ASHEVILLE, K.
Ji MAEQUARDT, Manager,
THE "HICKORY INN."
hickory, n. c.
. r..M J
An all the Year Resort
ELECTRIC LIGHTS;
r
HOT AND COLD WATER BATHS AND fOHX
j i
ON EACH FLOOR. ;
Special Attractions for Families.
Cuisine
and Appointments Unsurpassed.
FRANK LOUGHRAN, Prop.
J. ML SMITH.
W. W. BOLLIX
THE
WAREHOTJSI
ASHEVILLE, X. C.
Headquarters for Bright Tobacco
Having: been selected h
house
many
at which to sell all
:o:-
V the Farmers' All ianc.ft nf ISTariisnnVnnntv as the UJ
their tobacco, we take this ODDortunitv to .-thank 'V-
friends for the patrohage thev eave us last season. We can with conC-;
say that we are in better shape to serve them this season than everj
fore. Our ."Warehouse is being enlarged and otherwise refitted and our accot.
dations are first-class in every particular. We are elad to sav to our friend h
customers that the outlook for tobacco is very flattering, the grades they prty
are in demand, the manufacturers need them and are represented on ourni
and they pay more for it here than elsewhere. Offerings are large and prices fj
Asheville is tk
Place to sell
Western ! North Carolina and East Tenn.
We have, with th leading "i
house in the State, where you attend the sales oi your own tobacco, or haTj y
m a few days after shipment. We have with us this year John R- Baiw
Manager ; E. B. Davis, Auctioneer ; John A. Campbell, Book-Keeper; J-jy
Keagan, Assistant Boot-Keeper. Elsewhere we give a partial list of ctu i
maae recently. j
SMTTH '& E0LIJNS, Fropr's.