North Carolina Newspapers

ins messenger Prints . the . News -8EHD OEDEBS FOB- JOB PRINTING TO .(ml..-. Kutberford, liurke nu.l (.thfr counties iu Western North tar,.liua, and is there fore a Cood Advertising Medium. Hates furnished on application. Aa.Ir".s, TUK MESSENGER THE MESSENGER! Marion. N. C. rromptness, Accuracy, Neatness and Good Stock Guaranteed. Letter Heads, Note Heads, Bill Heads, J Envelop-, Circulars, Cards, Tos- J w tors, Tamphlets, and any kind of I Printing. J J Jiarton, N. C. VOL. T NO.:J4. MARION. X C, FRIDAY, DECKMBER II. 18. Trice $1 Per Year, in Advance. TL, Bl It. Romance: or the Wheel. tri -uu-s.c, a cannon KZjff CtAb. i'ctl giddy now." T : - t i oor audi .Mary was white to the lips and I taw it would never eio her. Time W f was Phort, 1 too. yon cannot. !'ct out "uicklv," "I don't like to spoil your pleasure. 1 think 1 Mill try. It id not for very 'oir'." ' Vo, I won't have it." "ii;t you havo so wished to po. T ipposo" doubtfully "you wouldn't - done?" "Yes, y, , I will. (uick!" And, none too hood, I succeeded in ttmg her out. As 1 did so, a iaan i ; i mig o:i to the cur. 1 wan to taken up with speaking ry v.ur !.-: to poor Aunt Mary, who ! M,:.ci distinctly Letter already for ! :! ;,' on terra llrma, and in waving .Hi ii'V to In r, that I did not notice i:y fe.lo-v passenger llie only one for Mime time. We wciii in th. (Ir-iit Wheel at Furl's Court. 1 h:i 1 often wished to make the a-. -lit, and t j-day Lad pre vail".! "!i Aunt Mary to accompany u. e. Shu has nl way.-; keen over-ia-ilnlg. lit to my whi-ns mi l I, like all F oilt people, Lave ni v,;; h been ready to uv.iii myself f her iuilgonce, and t. tux it t thu full; but I really had no idua t li-it this wh-el journey was i h a icrroi to her, or I ho pa I should nut have been ho persistent. i was enjoying the delightful ascent t . the full, and, absorbed in looking i ;t nt the hug' city lying far beneath, ! l. id not ouee glanced toward my l. Ilmv-traveler. 1 was startled to lm l myself ad !;. --ed by him. "I'ur.iiiii me, but I think wo aro old iio.lU'iiiitiiuees." 1 looked and recognized though wu., difficulty my old friend Cecil l .ir.pihar the last person in the world I wanted to meet ! Ho and I had been ! -vers, end wo were so no more. Five . .us ago ho had left mo to take up ::'i appointment in the far East. I had i.i trly broken my heart over the part i and had written piteous letters. Ih h tter.s got fewer and cooler (I ! !.n't believo tho bent man can renicm i i r an absent womau for long) ; and I, ::i i ride and anger, had suggested t'mt, if he n. longer cared for me, it voiild bo better to break our cnage : r nt at ouee. Uy return mail came a i. Iter, aeouie.sciug in my suggontiou ; 1 for tho last three years I had been . ndeavoriu.: to persuade myself that I didu'i care. Not with uniform euc- My only feeling, however, on recog mzing him now was unreaKoning iitijjcr. "I think, Mr. Far.iahar, thai it was very pientiouablo tuttoto thrust your- .-..If upon me in this way!" "Wood heavens ! lo you suppose I ."id it on purj oso? This machine was .-i.-t oil'. "No time fur choice. However, it is i , t for long." "ilow long?" I tuked. "1 believe the circuit is made iu l ' . nt twenty minutes, and 1 bhould ? iii!; nearly half that time has elapsed i.'.vfw.U-. Vou need not fear that I !.:i',l intrude myself any farther on . nr notice." "It certainly dots seem unnecessary ; r nvw our acquaintance." ' 'As you please." i bowed, and he retired to the .rther corner of the car, where ho sat ; :idiiy looking out of tho window. 1 glanced toward him. Yes, he had i.'t.nd, but for tho better. He was ir.eiier and browner, and that silky .rd was a distinct improvement. i'.. -ally, thougb, this had no interest ' r me ho was nothing to me. 1 r-unted my study of tho view. We . ; t be descendin,? now. How tilowly m re going ! Wo scarcely scorned : move; I looked at my watch; it i-t li'ivo gone madly wrong, for aa r ting to its register wo had already :. half au hour, and the whole jour . y only took twenty minutes. 1 saw t:re.it many heads thrust out from . various cars, and it seemed as if !.!. anxiety was felt. We had undoubtedly stopped. I i! 1 have given anything to speak to .-.1 l'ar.pihur, yet pride forbade me. rhap he would begin. I looked ! v u d him. His head was out of the 1 o-ite window. 1 rattled my para ;, and changed my position some- ! it liois.ly. Xo notice was taken. Shall 1 i-peak? Fear and curiosity 1 v a hard battle with pride. Two oso ought to win; but pride is very . : r. !),,'. urely he must look round soon. that impervious back. Now he is talking to some one. I :.'t c itch tho words, but the voices :-il anxious. I must know. It is iutely inhuman not to toll me. . .- thing must have gone wrong with machinery perhaps wo are ii -:er. 1 must know. Fride is well -ti vmiuished. I go over to his of th- carriage. "Mr. Faripihnr !" !b. detsn't hear and thrusts himself :'.( r out of tho window to listen to ' t;,o niftu in tho cur beneath is ' : I M rain my cars to listen and a wird or two: "Can't move . : . j.-reat fear hours" t . io is laid low. ; 'ill his coat. ' turns round at hut, with a look ' Mr. mo i-ur prise. ' .n't c.ire. " i e l me I must know ! What has - . .I.ei?" i ; y ou cannot move tho wheel I V. has gone wroug with the 1 1 i a ay be eome I'.omtj before I'Attd in puttiaa itxisUU I en)pose I looked very scared, for he savs, almost kindly: "I do not think there is any danger only inconvenience." "Hut how awful for us to be impris oned here !" A fierce look of anger comes into hia eyes. I remembered it, years ago. "I have told you that I shall not annoy you ; but to make assurance doubly sure, I will go and leave you to yourself." "You cannot ; we are in the topmost car; risk would bo enormous." "I'll challenge it. I am strong, and have a good nerve and a steady head ; and if the worst come there is no one left to care." Ho opens the door and prepares to step out on to the iron framework of tho huge wheel. At the sight of the man whom I had so truly loved in my girlhood subject ing himself to this awful risk, every vestige of the petulant pride that had dominated mo a moment before van ished. I only saw my lover of former days the only man who had ever really stirred my heart iu danger. I leaned forward, holding out imploring hands to him. Ho hau already begun to descend. I bent forward, and tried to reach him. His left arm is stretched upward, grasping the girders above him. What is that gleam of gold I seo at his wrist? Ah! I recognize it. My banglo that ho took from me years ago and had soldered on to his own arm, A mist of tears dim my eyes. I lean forward, stretching my arms toward him. "Stay, Cecil, for my sake!" How did it happen? I could never quite tell. 1 missed my footing. For a second my brain reeled ; and then I find myself firmly clasped in his right arm, whilo with his left and with feet and knees he clings desperately. "Madge, Madge!" he says hoarsely, "for Ood's sake nerve yourself! Cling to something ! I cannot hold you like this long. Try all you know." "I will." And I suit tho action to the word by grasping tho lower part of tho door sill with both hands. "Promise mo you will not attempt the descent." "No, I will not, I swear!" Ho is still holding me, for my feet are below tho steps. We are in hideous peril, but one dare not real ize it. 1 have cause now to be thankful that an annual mountaineering in Switzerland has strengthened my nerve- and muscle. Somehow I regain the car in safety. Cecil is quickly beside me, and then, oh 1 crowning ignominy, I tling myself sobbing into his arms. It does not seem to strike him as strange, for I am folded close to his heart, and soothed i.d fondled as I used to be in tho old dava beforo he left me. "Madge, dear little girl, you have not forgotten me after all?" "Never, never, though I tried 6o hard. And you?" "I tried to when I hoard you were fond of 6ome one else." "I never was." Why did you write as you did?" "I thought you did not care any more." "By tho 6amo mail I got a letter from my cousin saying you were en gaged to that lanky Irishman, Ma lone." "Which cousin?" "Gertrude Gray." "Why, Cecil, she must have wanted to part "us. Yes, I always thought she cared for you.". Ho blushes and says : "Was there no truth in tho report about Malone, Madge?" "Not a word, indeed ; and indeed He bends and kisses my lips. "Madge little sweetheart that used to love me I was going to see Ger trude this evening to ask her to take pity on a lonely man in tho far East. Shall I go?" He has to bend low for the answer. D:it it is "No," emphatic, though whispered, and he is satisfied. Everyone has heard of the night out in the Great Wheel. Sixteen hours! A wearisome time to many, but we had the story of live years to tell each other, and plans to make for the luture, It was none too long. Godfrev's band below, brought close to tho" wheel to relievo the tedium of the term of imprisonment, playing wild, sweet waltz music, formed a fitting accompaniment to the talk in which "Do you remember?" w as ever on our lips. The brave tar who did climb the girders, bringing refreshments to the prisoners, seemed to take in the situa tion, and offered ns his congratula- in tho heartiest manner imagin able Cecil was half inolined to be angry, ut happiness won the day, and he ended by giving the sailor a most wildly extravagant "baksheesh. We sent a telegram to Aunt Mary, which she never got, for she did not o0 home, as I had hoped she would, but she spent the night in the gardens close at the foot of the inert monster. When at last the word was passed up that all was right and we should soon move, it was to us a subject of regret and the descent was all too rapid. Aunt Marv was on the spot to re ceive me, full of regrets and commis eration. ,. . I shall never forgive myself for not coming. Fancy your spending a 1 those hours alone on that most terri ble wheel!" . , I was not alone. I met a friend. !vrt,, have beard of Mr. rarqunar, juii uw - badly to me I She gave him a look wnieh was quite healthily vicious. "I have not the pleasure of hi ac quaintance." "We mu-t remedy that, Mr3. Eirle," he says, pleasantly, "because it i-i my good fortune to be your prospective nephew." She looks at me, fa:rlv puzzled. "It's all right, Aunt Mary. Up there people understand one another better. Perhaps the rarefied air iharp ens tho perceptions." Cecil laughs and wo all go oil" to breakfast at the expense- of the Earl's Court Exhibition proprietor . Lon don Answers. Odd Ikiice f n- Ohiainiii:? Inc. Only a century ago tho world used many odd devices for obtaining lire. In this country the tinder box, with steel and flint, was the apparatus most generally used. If there was no tinder box in tho house, the old flintlock musket, with a few grafns of powucr in tho pan, to gether with a few shreds of paper or greased ragp, was considered a house hold necessity, llubbing sticks to gether until they were iired by fric tion was the method used by the savages of that time in nearly all tho lands of the globe. One singular exception, however, tD all of the above, as well as many other of the moro common methods of "striking light," was the method practiced by a rude tribe of semi-savages inhabiting Eastern Thibet. One of their machines was recently brought to Loudon. Those rudo savages ob tained fire on htrictly sciuntiGo prin ciples, which involved a wonderful knowledge of the properties of com pressed air. The apparatus u.-e 1 consisted of a wooden cylinder, two and a half inches long by three-quarters of an inch in diameter, which was closed at one end. This cylinder tapered off at ouo end nntil it was not larger than a common lead pencil. Into it was fitted an air tight piston, which had a largo flat knob at tho top. Tho other end of tho piston was slightly hollowed out, tho indentation being intended for the reception of a small piece of tinder or "punk." When this apparatus was in use it was held in one hand, the piston being inserted with the other, and pushed about half way down. If evtry thing had worked to per fection the scientitic savage wa usually rewarded by finding that tho tinder had been lighted and a fire assured. Sir William Gill, the English scientist, who investigated this queer mode of striking a light, says that ''it requires skill to use this fare producing ai)Dar- atus, as well as science lo invent it." Running Down a Wotiii'Ied 1'authcr Is longerons Npart. Slipping my riilo through the screen of branches about me, I took a quick aim and lired. Down ho flung tho goat one way, and with a snarling roar went flying, crashing through tho bushes in another direction. Ah! blissful moment that, as I scrambled iu hot haste down from tho tree, for here was the very cream of sport in prospect an exciting follow-up of a wounded, daucrerous beast, Nothing beats it that I know of for pleasurable excitement that thiilling watchful advance along the fresh blood tracks, while your eyes search intently tho jungle on every side lor timely sight of the crouching, plucky brute, and tho safety of your skin often rests on the quickness of your eyes. And of all animals, who can crouch concealed like the panther who moro ready to turn upon his foe ! Who more fiercely brave m his attack I even though wounded unto death. Put this time I did not quite get the sport I looked for. For I had ru followed far bo fore I heard tho paiw.-.cr growling in the thickets ahead of mo. Judging from ths sound as to where ho lay, I was able to make my way safely round his flank, and so came within view of him standing up and listening seem ingly for my approach, but evidently badly wounded, and I easily killed him with auother bullet. Scribuer. Vocal Fishes. Dr. Dufosse, the eminent zoologist, has been for two years engaged in making observations on the vocal pow ers of certain species and varieties of tho so-called "singing lUhes.'' Ho has devoted the principal portion of this time to tho gurnards and the dorks. Ho states that the sounds produced by thoso fishes is produced by a vibra tion of tho muscles belonging to tho air bladder, and that largo gurnards may be heard at a distance of six or eight yards. It was found that the sounds emitted were instantaneous or prolonged for several minutes, some times as long as a quarter of an hcur. Tho pitch often varied during a single "sonorous emission." The finest vocal performers among the fishes belong to the species called tnorrtule, whien, it appears from t ho doctor's studies, Burpass all their cousins .n producing a great number of complete and dis tinct vocal sounds. Aucient American Colleges. I Twenty-three college ia tho United States were founded before the be'in- ! ning of this century. The-e are: Harvard, 1G3G; William and Mary,; 1GD3 ; Yale, 1701 ; University of Penu- ! sylvania, 1710; Princeton, 171G; Washington and Lee, 1719 ; Columbia, , 1731; Brown, 17tU; Kutgers, 1700; Dartmouth, 17f.'J; Hampdeu-Sidney, 1773; Washington (Md.), 1732; Dick inson, 1783; Charleston, 17S3; Uni versity of Georgia, 178",; University of Nashville, 1783 ; Georgetown, 1788 ; St. John's (Annapolis, ITS'J; Uni versity of Vermont, 17.U; Williams, 171)3; Granville and Tusculum, 17;)4; University of North Carolina, 1795 ; Union, 17lC, and Washington (Tenn.), 1793. A Wrecked Fortune. Bit by bit the immensely valuable real estate in Denver once owned by Senator Tabor has passed out of his possession, till now the only propertv stAnd ng in his name consists of six teen lots surrounding the family home stead. This, too, will soon go to cred itors under a foreclosure. There are two mortgages on it, amounting, with interest, to $33,000, an 1 the house and land will hardly realize that amount. Not longagoSenator Tabor was ranked ".v". r ..... ... . ' i w ,r.. Cnlnrnilo 8 riCUCSl IDCD, rut misfortunes ot various hjuu u w FOIt QUICK CHCRXINO. Iiy taking a small portion of good sweet cream just about to l ogin sour j;:g, Settling it up Irom the air, an.l , using a small portion to mix with ; (operated cream, the Eouring can be . t.j hastened that the cream can be !iirned much sooner than otherwi-e. Ilai-ing tho temperature of the milk to 170 degrees has been resorted to to keep it sweet, as well as tho use of various antiseptic?. HORSES NoT WOIlTII KCEriXG. The depression in prices of horses makrs it still mere important than it his been i:i previous years that the farrnir wdiol.-a su it ill nous horses shall, alttr his fall work ii done, dispose of the poorest ci them, to save winter 1 te; iig. For a fci-cr.J many such hc.rtcs, killing end skinning them, jn.d selling the hide for what it wiil I riii", is tho fairest way to get rid of lit m. An old ho:o, m tho fall of th'- T.-nr, is a bad g'ft to receive, uu less th'. man receiving it promptly converts it iuto n onty I y selling its hide a'jri n'ir.g the meat and bones atir cooking its fuo i for fowl?. I5i:t we revcr saw an old horse for which somebody was not willing to pay more than it was wi rib. We had such nn Id l.orso once which we sold in the fall to a man who was cutting and hauling ice during tlo winter. The price v.-.'is only fi'lo and the whole ai.io;i:.t was trusted. Hut as the horse died before tvrit:g. as we expected it would, the note unpaid was returned to ils i-aktr. The man probably did not jesc- r.:; thim.", but if he had to pay the nolo ho would. STAliTISO AN OKCrTAim. Tho ground for an orchard should be veil and deeply cultivated and free from weeds, well drained, if the soil requires it, and iuoi.-t soils are better for draining except sandy or light fTuvclly soils with a light subuoil. Such land may not require- draining, but in every case it should be well worked and pulverized and enriched. The work of preparation must be done during the summer so ns to be ready for fall c v spring planting. Planting in the f jring is preferred, which will enable the trees to take Crui hold of the tr.rlh and io resist the frost of next winter ; but planting may be done successfully iu the autumn by protect ing the trees so as to prevent the frost from heaving or misplacing them. Select young, healthy and vigorous trees, and from a reliable nurseryman, and if possible from a soil simiiar to that in w hich you intend to plant your orchard. The different kinds of apples will depend upon your own choice and tho suitability of soil and climate. I rdvisc that the selection be made from the old, tried r.od reliable kinds. Tito di-tauce apart should not be less than thirty feet, so as to allow the trees room to spread their brandies and to form a low and spreading head. Close planting has a teudenoy to force trees to run up, and preventing the liuit from obtaining its proper color ironi the sun, and making it more dinicult to gather the ft nit. At the distance of thirty feet apart it will re quire twenty-nine trees to the acre. Before planting the trees, remove all bruised and broken roots by cutting clean with a sharp knife. Lny out your ground in straight lines, so th:;t your trees will be in line each way aud at equal distances, thirty feet apart. William Giey, in Farmer lleview. ADVANTAGES OS" THE SJILO. The silo will enable a farmer or dairvman to preserve a greater ouaa- tit y of the food materials of the original fodder, be it either corn, clover, sorg hum, rye, oils, or other grasses ail ot which may be ensilaged with com plete success for the feeding of ani mals, thrn is possible by any other system of preservation now known. When the entire corn crop is in the silo, there c?iu be no possible bleach ing and consequent loss of nutriliou by the ruin of fall or the snows of the winter. It will take very much less room to store the ensilage lrom a given niva than the hay from the same area. Hay its it is ordinarily placed in the mow will occupy slightly more than three times ns much room a3 the same quantity ed food material when stored in the silo. Then llrnk of all the extra labor required t store this txlra bulk, of the labor required to feed it, and the immense expenditure of vit:d furce required of the cnimnl economy to extract the same amount of nutrition from it. Then, too, an KTe of corn can be placed in the silo at a hss co.-t than is required to store the same as dry io hler. Sihige will not burn, is not com bustible, and in addition to cheaper insurance for this reason, in the event of tire which might destroy all your buildings, the ensilage would remain intact, and yunr winter supply of food would be saved. Too much credit can not be giveu to the succulence of t'isilage, vhi"l means its greenness rnd Ireshuess, w --"kes it highly e'.i-rc'tible and greatly . eciated by stok in the le;.d of winter. The silo nlior h: an even supply of nutritious food during t he whole winter. A iiositive advantage to dairy cows which arc quite susceptible to change ; in the food rations. 1 WLi'.e every kind of farming that j 1 r.s to do with the r. r.ir.tenance ot live ; stork iLv.r be ;roa;iy benefited by the ! ue of silo, the prot to be derived j irom us use are p-. rn-.ps greatest w nt u employed in dairy farming. The ex perience of mir-y dairymen the coun try over laces the pain in milk ad butter from the use of silage during the winter months at twenty-five U thirty per cmt. e wr the feeding of dry Iced. When cue stops to consider that the price of lutter in the wiuter is frequently dt.-.i't ie whit i: is in the summer, a still lurthvr a Wantage ra iy be i.t;ribn'.e-d to the u-e of silage. It ii a generally uecepted fact that Ji.'ty pcr J'.rt. more jck can be ktpt upen a gjvvu i rv't by the. aid ot the tiio. Fi.ru:. Fiv'd aud Fucsidw. ECONOMY ON" THE FAHM. ! One of the Le:t farmers iu this foc- t;on of tho country (I'roome County, ew York) writes E. L. viuccLt, oner faul that the secret of his success wo-; that he began early in life to save ii; everv direction he could. The Jittlt savings thus made from ti'ie to timfa enabled him to build up his basines-: in every direction ; and lon before his death ho came to be classed among the few really prosperous farmers cf hi i locality. Being desirous to know in what direction this man's economy led, I made a few mental notes of his p!uu as shown by tho farm he owned, and I soon discovered that, his smug was not of the class usually seen in the country; for he had good bairn ic.r his stock. The wind did notwbutie through a dozen cracks and crevices, causing his cattle to shiver, and calling for larger outlays for fodder mid gra'n to keep them through our long North em winters. He had plenty of build ings for storing the implements used about his farm. No wagons, sieigiis or tools layout of doors, rrtsliug or rotting in the summer rain. All these buildings were kept in a good state of repair and tho feuces showed signs ot careful attention. His work was done promptly in season. No ripened grain went to setd, and no weeds grew rank among his crops. In buying he was careful to get only the best of everything', and in selling ho estab lished a reputation for fair denliug. liis word was as good as his bond. It might setm as if all this indicated a lavish expenditure cf time and money, instead of economy; but it may be safely set down us a fact that a farmtr cannot waste his resources more surely aud effectually thin by being niggardly tow.ir.l h's laud, his crops and his buildings. . A half starved farm, soil lairly crying out for m re liberal feeding and cattle eking out a miserable existence in open barns or barren pastures are proof positive that their owners are exceed ingly wasteful all along the line. It pays to be generous with the farm. The return comes sr.rclv and sooii. rnor ani plants. If one can in some way afford pro teetion to the more tender flowering plants such as are injured by a slight touch of Jak Frost tho beauty of tho garden will be enjoyed for a longer ?eriod. This may be accomplished by the use of a screen of cheese cloth stretched over and a little above the beds at night timo when tho sigr.3 in dicate l'ro.-.t. Tins thin network will effectually prevent the cold from set tling, acting in respeet to frost as the Davy lamp does to tho gases in coal mines. Where the plauts ato not of any great height, thin means is very practicable, aud has been u-ed to much advantage by one grower o violets. His plants are in cold frame, :;u 1 j'or convenience of rolling up ihe cheese cloth during daytime an appliance like a windlass may bo used a cyclindcr upon which the cheesecloth may bo wound. While dealing with protection from frost, it will not be out of place to con sider how frost does its injurious wont ..!.d therefrom to draw a lesson. Iu e:i-. s o frost bite the u-,u.il and most eiikvie;.-.- .s rnrroy is rubbing with snow, I'. tli'.::::!: at tirst sight that would seem nn remedy at all. In point of fact, bc'.v. ver, the heat cngtre l by the friction brings about a very gradual permeation by warmth of tho frozen member, so gradual, indeed, that the rupture of the frozen tissues which severe friction, unaccompanied by the modifying effect of tho coll snow, would inevitably bring about is avoided, and with time aud care the member is thawed, circulation is re sumed, and its functions continue. Now, with plants, this absolute need of cxtremiy slow thawing is often over looked, and it is highly probable that a very large percentages of the hiss in curred by intense frost would be avoided if more attention were paid to this point. We often holiee that after a frost the leaves of even the hardiest shrubs are black, as if bumf If we examine one of the shrubs dnr mg the frost we shall find not only it, but tho soil also, absolutely frcz-n, and the circulation of tho sup iu the roots and branches at ft stand-ttii. In the early morning it is probably white with hoar frost ; the sun rises, and in a very short space of ti ne a heat many degrees above freezing is beating upon those leaves, the hoar frost melts at once, and as tho tenia! warmth pene trates tho tissues a local circulation is set up and transpiration begins. In a very brief space, however, tho rest of the plant being frozen, th-: circulating moisture is exhauste I and tho leaf dies. A .-low, gradual and general rise of j temperature, however, instea l o. a rap;. I an.l local one, woui.t uiaw ma piaLt all over, and thus permit the loss from transpiration to be made up from other lmrts of tLe vlant. It is pro' able that the greatest ianSt r exists m ttiawing x::e loimgo ue.uie the ro ts, ;r it is quite obvious that if th S'i; ; the : itter nr.- not in a condition to the i-'fives wi;u moisture when itt- r are thawed an 1 df niand if, - mu-t ensue. Tt is clear, ih-.t frozen pot p'ant.v are1 A -e -! by be-in dipped :u c. 1 1 i few degr-es only a'i.;ve the I COb i th. r be t w.i' ! fr-': point. This wi.l gr.i 'iui;.y ; penetrate nul thaw th-' foil, and at i the same time prevent tho foihvse be i ing dried up in the wjy above ic ii.'.it i ed, while the tame piant, which so i-i-I suscitated would be absolutely none i the worse, would, if thawed by being i placed in a warm room cr conserva tor', simply shrivel and die. Ameri can Gardening. To n?move Ul.strr in Wall Paper.; Carefully cut a slit with a penknife, j and paste down the cut snrface with s i small cimeiVhaiT brush dipped in i verv little paste. Tap tne spot lighily I nv'h a small L.imnier, au 1 when the) is ,lrv tho. I. lister will b,-.ve Kii .. : . ; urcd eutirtlv. BILL AliP'S LETTElt. WILLIAM HELPS TO FIND LONG L.OS1' KKLATIVKS. A Heavy Mtil Attests the Philoso pher's Popularity. Now if there is any old soldier liv ing who was iu tho Indian war in Ore go daring the years 1839 and 18G9, under command of General Joe Lane, and knew CaptaiD George W. lley nolds, in that etrviec, let him please write to his widow, at Mars Hill, Mal ison county, North Carolina. The poor wonim is eutitled to a pension for her husband's service, if she can prove it. It is a long shoot and a car row chance, but maybe some comrade will seo this. It would rejoice -my heart to see a little of that pension fund coming down this way. I ant not a bureau of information, but receive many letters of inquiry about antebellum days and families and events, and am always pleased to answer them and give the information if I can. Many of them are from old Georgia soldiers who removed west soon after the war, and they or their widows have heard that Georgia is paying all her invalid soldiers or their widows a pension. Tlense let me 6ay to all concerned that there is no pro vision for non-residents in our state pension laws. This seems hard upon those who felt constrained to emigrate, but it is the law, and that settles it. Then there aro many letters from figed men who look back to old Geor gia with longing hearts and wish to trace up their kindred. It is a sure sign of gray hairs when a man or wo man begins to hunt up their distant kinelred or the companions of their youth. Here is a Mr. John A. Harri?, of Tass Christian, Miss., who wants to know about his father's rela tives the Harris family, of Appling and Macon and also about h:.n moth er's kindred tho Bledsoes, of Athens and Augusta. And here is Mr. Heel wine, of Fiodwine, La., who wants to know of his kin of that name in Geor gia. Alas, my old venerable friends, Judge CJark is elead and so is C. C. Jones, the only two men who knew all tho olel families of Georgia. It would perplex even them to identify any branch of the Harris family, for their name ia legion, but tho Bledsoes and rtedwinos could no eloubt bo traced by ?ome of tiie octogenarians still living. These aro very uuusual names nnJ Iheir kinship is not so remote. I was ruminating about the origin of names, Auglo-Snxou names, and lied it to be a curious and interesting s'udy. For insfanc?, is it possible that the original Bleelsoewas wounded in a iiht jr by accident aud bled so in neb. that it gavo him a name? Is it probable the lledwine ancestor hael a vineyard ami made wine ef that color, tr maybe di.l not have n vineyard, but was much given to looking upon the wine when it was red? It seems that tho common people didn't need but one name until long afteT the Chris tian era. The Romans, however, be gan a system to honor and distinguish distiiipu:sht:d people. They adopted a pie-m ni'in a nci'iia and n coguo nu u as Publius Cornelius Scipio Publius was lils Christian name, as we call it, and no d .nbt tho beiys called him Pub. Cornelius, his family name, and Scipio was his mest notable char acteristic, for ho was good to his blind old father and led him about with ft stuff, and Scipio mcaus a staff. I have cr't n q ot for Scipio. Horace was c died lloratius Flaceus because lie had Very 1'rgo 'aru, and Flaceus means ll ..p-enrrd. It was not till tho eleventh ceii'nrv that f-imilv names were h'Hidtil down to succeeding gen erations, and this custom was a lopted becaus -.1 of a law reqiriug births and lnarriii'jos r.'.d th-atlis to be registered in tii.s parish books. As late as the eighteenth century many famiiit s in England had no surnames, and the children were given nicknaintB, as Nosy, Soaker, Sucker, Snaggle-tooth, Cockeye, Jo.mp.vr, Bjwie?gs, Kedtop, etc. An people mnllfplieiT, new mofliid hud u be de viso.5 to distinguish th -ru. I:i'e !xh and lVi::'8 weie n-sorted to. i'i.e; word son was added to distinguish the father from the children, as Jeho, Johrso.'i, Vv'il', Wilson, Tom, Tomsou. Th' word Fit, w is a pre lix to N rmau names and came from ii s or film, a '.on. Vitch in the Kus.-dau language has the Sam-; in atiiug, and so has Vou r vitii in b mi i", ii'id Mm in Scotch auel Irish, as MacDonald, the son of Donald. O is an Irish prefix and means grandson, as O'Connor, O'B irr, OTIl!aran, etc. De or Due is tho French prefix for son and Ap means the same in Welch. Theso oflixes and prefixes will classify a great number of names, for from John came Jonson, Johnson, Johnston and Johnstono. Tho Smith family name had a peculiar origin. The old Anglo-Saxons were ever on tha lookout for invasions of the island, and hence they kept a largo force of men on the hills near the coast to look out for the invaders and to smite them when they came. Theso men had but a single name, ss John or Jack or Will, but they were known as John the Smiter or Jack the Smiter.or Will tho Smiter, which was soon abridged to John Smiter and then to ! John Smither, and finally to John Smith. A smith is a smiter a golU ' smith smites gold, a blacksmith smites ! iron. Aud so all these soldier on the highlands became Smiths by name.and 1 were good patriotic fighting stock, i Hurrah for the Sadths including John. Tho Jones family are of Welch j extraction, and no doubt h idasimilar j oriein for the original name was .Tone, j and the S was added for a plural, i But names were still i-carcer than ! people, and so they had to resort to ' eccnpations to distinguish them; hence ! came the honest names of Farmer, Carpenter, Mison, Baker, Gardner, j Tanner, Weaver, Taylor, Draper, ; Cooper, Miller, Porter, Joiner, Sadler, I Brewer, Barber, Turner, I'iumbe-r, j Thrasher, Carter. Currier, Granger, I Cook, Bridgman, Bowman, etc. Scores i of others could be added that indicate I trades and occupations. Not long after, as the people multi plied, they were named for the places ; where tnev nvecl or some nmutm oo I j,-ct neor'by, as Hill. Dale, Forest, ! Wood, Grove, Fountain, Lake, Pool, j liivere, Crooks, Brttcb, Bueb, Orubb, ' Trc, bioae, Baaki, fcaore, Ec:fc Birch, Waters, Wall, Cliff, Peak, Seay, laio, Bainwater, Timberlake, luce, Wheat, Corn, Allcorn, etc. They even appropriated the names of animals, birds, etc., as Lion, Lamb, Hog, Colt, Fowl, Ball, Bullock, Beaver, Bear, Buck, Deer, Swan, Hawks, Dove, Crane, Bird, Herring, Bass, Trout, Salmon. And next the fruits and flowers, as Apple, Orange, Lemon, Plum, Cherry, Berry, Haws, Coffee, Turnip and Tur nipseed. Colonel Turnipseed was col onel of the Ninth Georgia regiment. Of flowers and trees, there is Hose, Violet, Trimres?, Chestnut and Holly. Then they had to encroach on the nobility and clergy, and so we have King, Queen, Prince, Eirl, Lord, Duke, Knight, Page, Stewart, Cham berlain. Pope, Bish p, Tricst, Abbot, Prior, Deacon and Bailey. And on tho heavenly bodies and heavenly things and precious stones, as Sun, Moon, Star. Cloud, Wind, Gale, Sky, Angel, Diamond, Pearl, Gold, Glass1, Jewell, etc. And on parts of the body, as Head, Heart, Beard, Hair, Arms, Legg, Foot, Shinn, Back, Hipp, Hand, etc. And on colors, as White, Black, Brown, Green, Redd, Blue, Gray, Hoar and Violet. Some were named on account of per sonal peculiarities as Long, Long fellow, Stringfellow, Short, Small, Strong, Meek, Lightfoot, Good, Best, Bliss, ise, Witt, Wisdani, lite and Fitten. But there are enough for the young folks to build onto and make a very good catalogue of name. Charles Lamb says that the original name of Bacon was Hogflesh, who was a very wealthy and clever gentleman, but his girl wouldn't marry him becane she couldn't bear to be called Mrs. Hog flesh. It would be awful. And so he applied to parliament and had his name changed to Bacon. He couldn't give up the whole hog, but took it cured. Many names were abridgeel or changed from circumstaeces. John at the Moor was changed to Atmore, and At the Wood to Atwood and Peter at the Seven Oaks to Peter Snooks. Will, tho taylor, had a sign of a peacock over his ehop, and got to be called Will Peacock. Aoslem, the pawnbroker, had a sign of a red shield, which in the Jewish language was Rothschild, and so he and his brothers were called Rothschilds, and became the richest men in the world. The olel story of the firm of I. Ketchuni and U. Cheatham may have nevtr ex isted, bnt before tho war there was a firm in Rome of Wiee A- Gooelman. and close by was a Wit and a Wisdom. There is a Fe ute, and a Fite in Car tersvillc, and some years ago there was a Fitten. The poet asks what's in a name? There is a good deal, and if I was a pretty girl, and had a pretty name, I wouldn't change it for a Hogg or a Sheepshanks. Bill Abp in At hmta Cons' vition. AGE OF THIS MUNDANE SPHERE Recent Kxcavatlous PUow the World to lie Much Older than (supposed. According to scriptural chronology, the world is about "i.i00 years old. the theory most generally accepted being that the creation occurred 4,k4 years before tho beginning of the Christian era. Professors Ilaynos and Hill prachr, of tho University of Pennsyl vania, who have boon conducting ex cavations iu thej ruins of tho east, have recently made tlisroveries which hooiu to prove a high state of civilization 7,) years before the birth of Christ. Large numbers of stone tablets have been found in Nipur. the buried eity of the Euphrates, which carry back human written history nearly P.,mm) years further than any reoords hereto fore known. Professor S. A. Binion, an eminent archaeologist and Egyp tologist, :i member of the Itiblical ArchaooloKical Society of Iondon, .says: "Not a eloubt lias been expressed as to tho correctness of the dates of the tablets taken from the prehistoric Ni pur and which have just beeui deci phered. Assyrian chronology up to tho time of Sargon is not so much beset with obstacles as the Egyptian. Their scribes put" down the dates, counting tho years from the accessiem of various rulers. 'The day of the month nnd the year are invariably iriven on these tablets, and a their months are lunar, bear ing tho same names and exactly oor resondlng to the present Jewish e'.'il ciiilar, it is within e-asy reach of the chronologist." Nipur Is upon the very jpot where the garden of Eden Is thought to have Icon situated and a few miles from the Tower of Babel. The ruins from which the tablets were excavated are under more than thirty six feet of earth, upon the top of which were ruins of the ancient city of Nipur, regarded by archaeologists as one of the oldest known. Both of these cities, on under the other, had the sime name, although they were separated by more than r,.NMt years of time. Professor Binion is of the opinion, in his interesting re view of areliaclogical discoveries, that the first city of Nipur, the prehistoric city, was wiped out by the deluge de scribed in the Miti'e. The excavations were Pegiin In iv-x, and through the munificence of friends of the Univer sity of Pennsylvania have been 'on tinued i i j to the present lirne. The explorers have l.eeu richly rewarded for their labors, although the result apparently upsets the reckonings of biblical scholars. lialtimore Sun. There !s a striking antithesis in the re-eiit newspaper headline, "l'afpHi- to Become Students." The title Is over a paragraph telling of stej toward the erection of school buildings for Ind.nn children on the northern tdiore of Lake Superior. There is now in the United States no frontier of civilization in the old sense-, and there Is no hiirmn ix-ing within its lorders that cannot enjoy most of the substantial benefit of civ ilization. There has recently l-n furnished perhaps the severest f-st ever made of the practicability of bicycles for mili tary purposes. An officer and eight soldiers, heavy aeeontred tnd carrying four days rations, wheeled nearly a thousand miles. Including tho paag.; ef the Rocky Mountain range. In lx-tter time than foot soldiers or troopcrj could have made on a sustained march la a uiouiitaiuoun p'giyti. TIIK PI BLK' SCHOOLS. Figure From the Next Itrport of Su perlntemlont Scarborough. The following figures in regard to the public schools of North Carolina, are published by the Biblical Re corder, from tho advauce sheet of the annual report of Hon. J. C. Scarbor ough, Superintendent of Public In struction: There are 033,432 children of school ago (between G and 21 years) in North Carolina, Ninety-tWa per cent, of these, which is 60:1,673, are dependent Dn the public schools to teach them to read aud write. If she does not pro vide schools 603,673 of the children in her borders have no hope, no opportu nity but to grow up illiterate, ignorant utterly. If she piovides peor schools, Rorry teachers and keopa them only a few weeks in each year, tho chances for these 603,673 children aro but slightly improved. And it is no re flection on the teachers to say that this is tho condition of tho aver age public school; the reflec tion is upon tho General Assem blies which havo met without making better provision; it is a shamo npou the people who aro intelligent enough to recognize these conditions and to deplore them, but who have indiffer ently tolerated them. No patriot can stand by and see 603.673 children out of the total of 633,413 in the State, coming to manhood in iguoranco bo cause they have uo schools, or becaus 6uch as they have are so meagcrly sup ported that thev are not even kept . open long enough to teach a pupil to read or write or ligure. There aru 7,171 public schools iu North Caroliua. The amount expeuJod upon the teach ers iH 5690,161.31. w hich is au average of $95 for each school a year. The total uuniber of school districts in North Carolina is 7.S07, that is to say (bearing iu mind tnnt the number of schools repotted is 7,191) that in 616 districts there were no sehools at all. The total amount of money expended on tho public schools for tho year ia $335,265. that is to say (bearing in mind the amount paid to teachers) that $145. 10 1 was expended for schoed houses, sites, expenses of county boards, furniture, fuel, etc. . A Kriu.irkiiMe Crop Year. Tho first report of tho now arrange ment ol tuo cliuialo iiua crop service has just boeu issued. Instead of being railed tho North Carolina Service, ii id now called the "North Carolina Section" of tho climate and crop service. This number contains, a re view of tho crop season of 1896. It lays: "Tho crop sensou of the past ycarin North Carolina was u remarkable one in several respects. Thcro prediably Jiever was ft year with i larger number of warm periods. Unusually favorable Weather prevailed early in tho year, resulting in a splendid condition ol crops; but tho severo drought at the end of tho season disappointed all hopes. Tho winter was favorable for farm work." -- Ought to je Impe.ielK l. The Biblical Bccor icr speaks about Juelgo Norwood's intemperance aud says: "This is not the lirht time such dis graceful conduct has been reported ol Judge Norwood. He sceins to bo a hopeless subj' ct of stream dr'.uk. 11? ought te resign for bis own snke. II he does not, he ought to be impeached. The bench should bo ke pt ubovo re proach, above all other parts of the government. -- Found to Work AdnilraMy. The Charlotte Observer's Rah'igh correspondeot snys: "It is learned on high authority that a number of coun ties will ask the Legislature to allow them to adopt the elispeusary law. It is nsserted that in Haywood coun ty it is found to work admirably." Spencer, tho new railroad towu near Salisbury, will havo electric lights by Christmas. Had No Power. The electoral college met in Raleigh last wee k, ten of its eleven members being present. A telegram from lyre York, the rbsent euio announced his tickne-KH. An opinion of the Attorney General was read, that the college at the session under tho State law hud no power to declare or fill a vocuncy. The college after an hour' session, adjourned to January 1 Ith. Conditio!. of the Treasury. The balance in the Statu Treasury at the end of tho ye ar, Novembe r 30, ac cording to the books of tho State Au ditor, was: rieneral fund 8107,55 2.95 Lduciitionul fund 35,0.8.3i Total ...l 12.611. A Tho Durham aldermen refuse to pay water rent, saying that tho com pany Lusnot kept tho contrace. It is said that Sheriff Ellington, ot Johnston, has the honor of being tho first she-riff to nettle his taxes for Ih'.i'j. He mode a cornph to scttlemtrt. . . The Lalls of the two houses of the Legislature have not experienced tho touch of the kalsominers and painters this year, so sajs the Ralt-igh corres pondent of the Charlotte Observer. Moth are very dinpy. The fumituro bas been re-polished. It ii all vtiy fiLe m&Lcgar-v, put there in IKi. it it. aid. The Supreme Court l.us decided that ?oat con e i;nd':r thej head cf cattle. Ihe gj iLion in this case is written by fudge Cluik. 'the total amouLt cf tie State's pen uoa wf,rir.ts b r this year amounts to $101,761. They are being sent cut to he various registers cf deeds of the State tor distribution. Business with Durham's tobacco manufacturers is in a rush. It is said lie Bull factory has received ceo cr ier for a million j ounds cf m.ckitig xLacco. Winston shiFT11 n'7 1,000,000 jonnda of manufactured tobacco tOObth.