Newspapers / The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck, … / May 14, 1885, edition 1 / Page 1
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r thE DEMOCRAT PUBLISHING CO., PUBLISHERS. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $I.SO PER YEAR. VOLUME I. SCOTLAND NECK, HALIFAX CO., N. C. THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1885. NUMBER 25. M-y WIFE AND CHILD. fTI-'is ro?m was written by. Henry xvootes Tjuksjn, the recently appomtca Minister to Mexico, during the Mexican campaigns, in v hieh he t xk part. It then went the rounds f the press, an-1 during the civil war by some . huicV IS EOS into I IKS mi ii'ui ul mo ouutucru tU.lll- I", .,;... A O 1 11 T 1 pros-5. ami "s aniiuuioa tu otuuentiu juck eor. The tattoo beats; the lights are gone, The camp around in slumber lies; The ni'ht with solemn pace mores on; The shadows thicken o'er the skies; ' TSut s'eep my weary eyes hath flown, Jln.I sad, uneasy thoughts arise. I (hinfc of thee, oh, doarest ona! lriiesa love mine early life hath blest; Of thee and him our baby son Who slumbers on thy gentle breast. God of the tender, frail and lone, Oh, guard that littl sleeper's rest! And hover, gently hover naar To her whose watchful eye is wet The mother, wife the doubly dear, In wboe young heart have freshly met Two streams of love, so deep and clear And cheer her drooping spirit yet! Now, as she kneels before t'.iy throne, Oh, teach her, Ruler of the skies! That while by thy behest alone Earth's mightiest powers fall or rise; No tear is wept to thee unknown, Nor hair is lost, nor sparrow dies ; That thou canst stay the ruthless hand Of dark disease, anl soothe its pain; That only by thy stern command The I a'.tle's lo-'t, tho soldier slain; That from the distant sea or land Thou hiiu'st the wanderer home again. And when upon her pillow lone, Her tear-wet cheek is sadly pressed May happier visions beam upon The brightening currents of Ler breast; yor frowning look, nor angry tone Disturb the Sabbaih of her rest! Whatever fat those forms may throw, Loved with a passion almost wild By day, by night in joy or woe By fears oppressed or hopes beguiled; From every danger, every foe, Oh, God! protert my wife and child! BY MEREST ACCIDENT. "3Ir. Witney!" "Sir?" replied the individual ad- Pressed . "I want you to cross to France this bvcninji. ' Very well, sir." sa:d Mr. Witnev. hr.ietly. - Or to-morrow morninjr will do. Here fcre yo::r instructions. Head these naoers aicfu'.ly; make the best arrangements o. ran. I may want the house you iil see all about it in these docu ments." "Am I to purchase the premises, sir?" "Xo. no: thev have rnmetn mr. tn he linn in conscoucnce of an advance biade by my old partner. who. vouknow. Kio.l ,.. f 1 A ' rr.l.. ' tu iuv iu iiisy. i.iiiu possession; :e what the iilaco is like whether it. t ill do for a summer residence. You now the kind of thincr I want to take llic children to, and I can depend on ou. ' Mr. Witnev bowed, and said he bought Mr. Barnstone might depend on pun. He took the deeds. mnrh; his nr. 'angements at the office, tidied and tied p ms papers on his desk, and then rolled homeward at 3 o'clock to nack bis portmanteau. lie was a man of 'out forty good-natured, trustful, and rust worth v--a man of whom little. hil- rieu always stop to inquire ''the time," 111 were satisfied if he did not. rlrnrr nut pis watch a man who piloted old ladies ma blind men over dangerous London rossinirs a man beloved bv animals U'd children, and who cherished an nf. eciion f.ir a cat, which, followed him a3 aitniiiiiy as a clog in and about, his house tBrixtou. l -mi. icier wimey srroneu nomewara, Irst to Ludgate liill station to take a Vaill to Krivton whflrn in linnViolnF ailments he passed his quiet evenings. 2 Was crossing Chnnrerv lnno hu the q J , w.v ostolnce, when a young and decidedly iry gin. a jj'rencn girl, stopped him, ud said, in broken Eno-lish: '?aie. would vou hf so kind? vmi ok very kind could vou tell ma where can fin 1 the I.incoln'slnn Fields?" J-iucoIn s Inn. mademoiselle: mais krtainement ; je " ''Ah! mon3eur narl franrnia " cb fxclaimed, iaterruntinj? him with a ased expression. Then Witn olar, addressed her in her native ngue, and walked with h pr n four jaces in order to put her in the right 'luuuh. c-o tnev went through l.in- In's Inn, chatting, and he found her nation was none other than Mr. rnstone's office ! Having parted with his voun com- l llllon at the office hf linvrJnrl oor in udsrate .inraiu ir A a r i l cf paper she eave him that, the fair treiners n:ime wqo PnVkr:n Ar.,i.;. f it he did not inuuire her business in incoln's Inn Fields after be bad on. punced her nrrival trt rlorb- ? parrro. i "A very pretty girl indeed," mur- j lrea this middle-asred bachelor 'a la ming face; and what a pretty name! ulchcrie; quite fitting too, for a won- r- Calais is not to nice, out it may Pi day be changed. Ah, me!" uiusing of Tulchene, Feter Witney -'i.u me tram; still thinking of her, -nt home, and packed '"Pulchene" hl3 portmanteau. But somehow that '"S Person eansined fnr eho wna with " &h the PVPninir in ilia tro:n ttKaXT. bven- A. S , m the "Normandy," and reached l,;PPe with b;m ; .. ' .tvaanu luc i:ii.iiiiti J ight as bright and fresh a memory 1 ever! Oh TJf oti ii Lf ; , ' era. 1 CiCI Limy U1UU ft ia love! Hie nremiooo ...i,:i. t-a -itt:a l. Jnvestigate and arrange for, were 11 'ted some lii.rl rH.fnn i ' ,er "CaI a vilIaSe which boasted a small . ,lsaiag population of am 'ous hahito ,"i -. i . lorp . pii;c tiiiiiu not oe rre Dartipni..-i , . . Ferflr... j , J ucscnuea, DUt tne mo hi Btfeaui Qa mo increasing lllev .""' ut'aiers m cattle-for the iuhi ralIacemakers. these are lacefn. ants they -follow their a vorrfi 1atwms contentedly. It r3 une niornino- wW M.-WU reaciiort . . e . - .m. m h- Cr ' V,,laSe? he had W!'ked tfete in iJ an1 fouii tiie people It was a holiday a holy day, appar ently, for the inhabitants had just come from the .church, and the girls were dressei in holiday garb, walking in pic turesque groups; laughing, chattering, and while avoiding, yet glancing saucily at the young 'men; "Who, standing or scnted, also in pairs or threes, would dis cuss the weather and the fishing and the cattle, while always keeping the young ladies in sight. A happy, pleasant pic ture, and Peter Witney looked on at the scene with great delight. He determined to give himself a holi day, too. He could not dobusim - i d such a scene. So he made trieu..s di rectly, and inquiries indirectly concern ing the premises he had coutc to take over and have transferred. He learned that the house lay away from the village; it was a mere farmhouse, amid trees, en closed by a wall and paling. It had been untenanted some time. The family had sold everything, and quitted the village some weeks before. "They were poor?!' said the English man. The man addressed shrugged his shoulders as he replied: "Well, not entirely. The good man and his wife had died. His sister and their daughter lived in (he house till the last harvest. The son was a Way in the army of Africa. Young M. Desmoulins, the miller's son, had paid much atten tion to the young lady and had been re pulsed by her. So, being the owner of the property, he bad taken his revenge and managed to frighten them away. Poor girl ! "But he had no right to do so," said Witney. "The hou-e was mortgaged to an Englishman he is dead now. It was handed over as security for advances to the young soldier's father." "That is as may be. The house is closed up, the aftiches of the sale are on the doors. It is desolate empty." "Is it far from here?" "Well, no. A walk ol perhaps half an hour or so will bring you there among the trees yonder. .Yen see those tail poplars, those to the eastward?" Peter Witney nodded assent. "Up there you will tind the place: it stands above the road on your right hand; a little path leads up to the house. You cannot mistake it." "Thank you, monsieur," replied Wit ney. "I think I will go and see it." Peter Witney made ins way toward the poplars and passed them. lie then plunged into a more wooded country and the road tended southeast. Then he came to a gate and a path on the right, as indicated. He entered and ascended the path, passing in the direction whence he had come. But in a moment he re coiled in astonishment. Seated on a ruined portion of a wall was a young soldier, apparently on fur lough. A small bundle lay beside him in the rank grass; a short stick was still i hooked within it. The man's attitude ) v ll ! ... t rt fl 4 1 1 flnnnacf In innliAm TJin head rested, hatless, on his aim; his at titude, the limp and hanging right arm, the bidden face, the who'c pose of the poor fellow, to'.d a sad tale of disap pointment. He had returned full of life I and ardor to the place, perhaps his home, and found it deserted the torn bills of the sa!e still flapping idly in the autumn wind which stirred his tangled locks. "Poor chap!" Peter Witney mentally remarked; ."he has found his home de seited. Our housa, by the way. ..Ah! I shall gain some information here." The spectator after awhile advanced, and then paused. Again he advanced, and touched the young man, who arose with suddenness, angry at being dis turbed. He glanced at the Englishman, and turned round again without speaking. "My friend," said Mr. Witney kindly, "can I assist you? You are iil. sorrow ful ; I may help you. Do you know this place?" Know the place, indeed ! Was he not a native of it? Had he not lived there until the conscription came, and when he was paid to lake the place of another young man? The money was welcome. So much the stranger managed to gather from the half-indignant remarks of the soldier, who at length yielded to the kindly influence the Englishman generally exercised. He sat up, and after a few m-nute3 recovered his vi vacity. He told how he had been treated. "You went as a substitute, then?" "Yes; my relatives were poor; the man had held out threats. I loved my sister oh! where is she? Monsieur, we were not always poor; we held up our heads once. My poor sister promised for marriage by her enemy and mine. Oh, Pulchcrie!" "Pulcherie your sister! Not Pulcherie Malais?" - "The same, monsieur. How could you know? You are English," said the as tonished Frenchman. "Yes; but I am also interested in this house and in her. An English firm owns this property; the rent has not been, paid ; the former owner, the Englishman, is dead; all is chaos; but your sister " "Yes, yes; tell me of her." "She is in London was in London a few days ago." Then Peter Witney told the young man of his meeting with the young lady, and of his having escorted her to Lin coln's Inn Fields. "Ah, yes! it is there her benefactor used to live. She has, do doubt, gone to him. Our aunt knew him well. He was a lawyer unavocat!" "What! an English solicitor? What was his name?" "Bernardin M. Jules Rernardin he was our friend. He helped us; he as sisted my father my poor father and lent him money on security. Then father he died, and my mother had al ready passed to heaven. My sister and my aunt remained. Young M. Desmoul ins assisted u, for he pretended to love Pu!cherie, monsieur; and I, like a fool, went away and ieft her. His attentions aroused the fears of my aunt and sister; I could not come. Then they found the wretch Desmoulins had a claim on them; he broke up their home. Oh, monsieur, I wish I had died!" "Peter Witney noticed that the young man felt very bitter against the young Desmoulins, and feared ha would pro ceed to violence, so' he said: "Neernvnd, I can explain all. M. Bernardin is dead. Julius Bernardin was the partner in my patron's" office. I have come to 'claim the property. I will manage M. Desmoulins. Leavehim to me." .'' .' A sudden inspiration had seized the midd !e-aged bachelor lawyer. He had! already a romance; he would find Des moulins and Pulcherie, and then . So he persuaded the young soldier to re turn with him, and assume his civilian attire; to quit the army if he liked af terward, but first to come to England and find Pulcherie and the kind aunt. After much parley, this was agreed to. Next day the lawyer called on M. Desmoulins; found him a bullv and a roue; quelled him by stern threats of exposure in the tribunal and in the til lage, where he was hated. Finally, he succeeded in getting from him a quit tance of all claims, and, with the French ayocat who had accompanied him, took his leave. In fifteen hours he was in London. The business had developed in a ro mance and Peter Witney was as eager as a boy. -f "Then you do not think the place will suit me," said Mr. Barnstone, after talk ing the matter over. "It is dull, quiet, not near the sea. No, I will let it to some young couple who want to live and love alone. They may have it for a song. It's no use to me, and only a farmhouse, after all !" "May I have the refusal, eir asked Peter, timidly. "You, Witney, you? are you going to be a Benedict, after all? Well, I am sur prised; My good sir, certainly. You are a faithful, good fellow. Take it as a wedding present. It will cost me little, remember, and may do you good," he added, hastily. "Xo thanks, please." "Miss Malais wants to see you, sir." said a lad at this juncture. "Let her come up, "said Mr. Barnstone. "My charming French client," he added; "you shall see her.',' She is connected with this very house my tenant. Ah' here she is." As he finished speaking, Mademoiselle Pu'cheric entered with a little woman, whom she culled ma ante. She at once greeted Peter Witney, and in broken English and more vo'.uble French, ex plained io Mr. Barnstone and her aunt altcrnatcy how she had become ao qua'r.ted with the "monsieur." "Then you .actually directed mademoi selle here?" said Mr. Barnstone. "If you had known, you might have saved your self the journey. Have you any news of your nephew, madame?" "Alas! no; he was in Africa, in the 114th of the line. He will come home i . i i n-.. emu uim ai ucawiaic uui liuiliu. u must return, monsieur, to Dieppe. You have been an angel to us. indeed." "Not a bit, madame, only doing my duty ; in this instance a positive pleas ure. Have you pardon me all neces saries for your journey?" "Madame need take no journey to see her nephew," said Peter, in French. " "How, monsieur! Is it possible he is he is dead?" "No, madame; alive, well, and in London. He returned with me; I will bring you to him. I met him near the old home yonder." "Go," said Mr. Barnstonp, wiping his spectacles. "Run away, good people ; I am busy." So they went and found Antoine, as had been promised, and after awhile the three returned to Dieppe. The following month, plain good Peter Witney again crossed the channel, and spent three weeks in France nEar his new friends. Lo and behold ! the year after the old farm house was again inhabited: not by Antoine, who had gone away on promo tion to a commission an officer; not by the kind auut, for she lay in the village churchyard; but by "M. and Mud ime Vcetnee," as they were called, who had come for "their honeymoon." ' So Peter Witney, the "old bachelor," met his fate a, charming wife and some fortune' in ; Pulcherie Malais all, as some think, "by the merest accident," but you and I know better. "Onr Margaret." In the city of New Orleans there are many monuments erected to the famous statesmen and soldiers of the South. But there is one which has a more pa thetic and deeper significance than any of these. It stands on Prytania street, in the midst of beets of flowers and sur rounded by stately dwellings and groves of the orange and- palmetto. It is " the figure of a stout woman who is seated, holding a little child, on which she looks down, her homely face illumined with a noble benignity and tender love. "That is our Margaret," the stranger is told when he asks what it means. All New Orleans knows "our Margaret." She was a poor woman, who earned her living by making bread, which she sold from a little shop; a thrifty, ener getic, business woman, whose heart was full of love for children. Before the counter was always to be found some ragged urchin who would be sent away with full hands and a happy face. As Margaret prospered, and the bake shop enlarged into a cracker factory, she had her lovers, like other women. But she turned a deaf ear to them alL The only man she would have married was dead, and her heart was full of love only for children; for the' orphans and the poor little outcasts more wretched than orphans.. All her money, all her thoughts, at care as years passed, went to them. She founded, out of her scanty savings, a home for them which, as she grew richer, she enlarged and endowed with all she had. So wise, so tender- and benignant was she in her care of them, that this poor, illiterate woman, who was without friends, and upon whose breast no child of her own had ever lain, became "our Margaret" to the people of New Orleans, aud a mother to all the poor babies of the great city. When she died, other charitable women erected this monument so that the homely figure should remain among them, a type of truest mother-love. Youth's Companion. Lincoln and the Railway Pass. The Mechanical Engineer publishes the following letter written by Abraham Lincoln on the subject of renewing a railway pass: Springfield, February 13, 1856 B. B. Blank, Esq. Dear Sir: Says Tom to John: "Here's your old rotten wheelbarrow. I've broke it, usan on it I wish you would mend it, case I shall want to borrow it this after noon." Acting on this as a precedent, I say: "Here's your 'old chalked hat' I wish you would take it and send me a new one, case I shall want to use it the first of March. T Yours truly, A. Lutcolx. j HUMOROUS SKETCHES Hoist by His Own Petard. "1 have here," said the drummer, as he entered the grocery store, "a wonder ful baking powder; beats, anything you ver saw for raising." "We," responded tbe keeper,' "it may be prettygood for raising, but I've got a powder I keep here would raise a rock." "What is it' called?" demanded the drummer. "Blasting powder, sir; blasting pow der." And then a sort of nevcr-advertise si lence crept aver the group that lingered about the raisin box and cracker barrel. Boston Post. Not Alone A Galveston female school teacher was on intimate terms with the male teacher in the same school. He was in the habit of strolling into her room during the re cess and chatting with the object of his affections. His name was Smith. One day the lady teacher endeavored to make the class comprehend the omni presence of God. She" explained to them that God was everywhere. "Now, my dear children, suppose you all go out of the room, except myself, and I stay in here. Am I alone?" asked the female teacher. "No," exclaimed one. of the little girls, "Mr. Smith will' be with you." Si tings. He Boomed Xoo Hard. A Detroit firm employed a new col lector a few days ago, and among other bills he was given one which had long been classed under the head of "doubt ful." He was informed that the chances of his getting anything were extremely dubious, but was promised half of all he could collect. In two hours after start ing out he was back with the money on the doubtful bill, and when asked how he succeeded so well he replied : "After getting into his office I locked the door, pocketed the key, and told him he'd either got to come down or I'd break every bone in his body. He shelled out, aud both of us are $10 ahead." The next day the firm paid $75 to set tle a case of "extorting money by threats of violence," and the collector was kindly informed that he could have a long vacation for the benefit of bis health. Free Press. Why She Wouldn't Have Him. "And so she wouldn't have you?" "Indeed she wouldn't." "How'd that come?" "Well, I sat down alongside of her and took her by the hand, as I heaved a sigh too deep to sound." "How was that?" "It didn't make noise enough. You see, I alwa's do my sighin' iu'ardly, an' breathe through my nose. "Well, what then?" "I felt her hand flutter in mine, an' I could hear her heart thumpin' like a Waterbury watch. I thought that meant 'say the word an' I'm yourn,' an' so I said it, but I got ieft." "You don't teli me. How'd it hap pen?" "Well, she fired, up like a hornet, an' said she wouldn't never marry no man what popped the question as though he was referrin' tc sp'iit fish." "Well, that beats all. How in the world did you do it?" "Well, I sorter give her hand a little squeeze, to show her I was cheerful, an' then I says, quite glib like, says I Mir andy, can you stomach me?" Chicago Ledger. ' ' ld, bnt Good The Cincinnati Gazette a number of years ago published a good story on a distinguished lawyer named Bcnhani, of. that city. He was a tine orator,, but much given to a display of his vast clas sical learning. In a murder trial he warned the jury to not allow public opinion, which was against his client, to influence the verdict. In concluding his appeal, he said : ''Gentlemen of the jury, give up; drop all feeling in this important matter, and be like the ancient Roman in his adherence to I he truth, who in its defence eloquently declared: 'Amicus Cato, amicus Pluto, amicus Cicero, sid major Veritas" (I am a friend to Cato, a friend of Pluto, a friend of Cicero, but a greater friend to truth). The papers the next morning reported the eloquent lawyer as having"closed his great speech to the jury by finely saying: 'Imay cuss Cato, I may cuss Pluto, Imay cuss Cicero, said Major Veritas.' " This is something similar to a story that has been going the rounds of the press concerning General Sherman. He was walking along the streets of St. Louis with a friend and was very plens antly accosted by a gentleman whom the general did not quite remember. The gentleman, seeing how it wa3, said in a low voice: "Don't yon remember me, I make your shirts." "Oh, yes." replied the general, smiling, then turning to hi friend, said: "Colonel , allow me to introduce my friend, Major Schurtz." Bill Nye cn M Mabdl. This great heathen . and full-blown prophet was once a poor boy, without a dollar in his pocket. Years aao when little Mahdi used to snare suckers along the White Nile, no one thought that to-day he would be the champion heavy weight prophet of the known world. It shows what can be done by a brave, courageous little boy even in a foreign land. In apperance he is a brunette of about the style of the successful meerchaum pipe. He does not dress as we do, but wears a white turban that looks some like an Etruscan hen's nest. On chilly ! da vs he adds other articles of apparel to tms turoan, tnougn aunng me summer months that is sufficient for evening dress. In the morning he puts on his turban, buckles a six-shooter around his waist and he is dressed. It doesn't take Mahdi long to make his toilet. Years ago he decided that he would retire to a lonely island in the Nile and put himself in training for a prophet, so he crawled into a cave and lived there on whatever he could get hold or. While others were down at Khartoum, having a good time at the skating rink, Mahdi remained in his gloomy cave, setting up the pins to go into the prophet business and murder the king's English. Some people began to hear of El Mah aud as be put a card in all the morn ing papers of the Soudan, he at once had all the propfc?sying he couW do and had to hire an amanuensis or assistant prophet to help him out. During the holidays, when trade was brisk, the Mahdi had to sit up and prophesy till 10 or 11 o'clock at night. i iis. real name is Mohammed Achmed, and he was the son of a petty sheik, whose name I have forgotten. This man was an inferior person and a very ordi nary sheik, I am told just such a sheik as you could go in and find on the ten cent counters of the Soudan anywhere. Mohammed Achmed for a long time showed one of the prevailing character istics of a tramp, and so they began to educate him as a fakir. A fakir' is a man who ha3 permission to ramble through the country, chbeling people out of money and groceries in the name of religion. He is a sort of Oriental gos pel bum, whose business is to go around over the country weeping over the sins of people who are too busy to be hypocrites. These fakirs are always devout, hungry and sad. They yearn tor a bright im mortality, but they are in no great rush about acquiring it. They are perfectly willing to wait till the Egyptians pullets run out. I am glad that we have no fakirs in America. By and by Mohanimcd Achmed got a call to rise up William Riley and gather the clans of the Soudan together. He went to them and told them in confidence that he was the only genuine, all wool prophet on the Nile, and if they wanted some fun, to get their double barrel shot guns and join the gang. They did so. None of them evci did anything at home to obtain a livelihood, sa.they could go away on the warpath all summer and their business wouldn't suffer at all. They then proceeded to murder the king's English, who had come there to conquer and acquire their sand pile. The Arabian style of warfare is pecu liar. It consists largely in drinking alkali water on their part and in requir ing their enemies to do (the same for ninety days. So it becomes simply a question of who has the firmest and most durable Bessemer steel bowels. No one but a Bedouin would have thought ol such a style of warfare. It is not, therefore, a question of courage or everlasting justice, it is a question of who can drink concentrated lye all sum mer and take his alimentary canal home with him in the fall. In the battle, the Arab charge is pecu liar in the extreme. The A,rab does not stand up in line of battle for an hour, while the commanding officer gallops up and down the line on a "heavy" horse aud the enemy pours a galling fire into his ranks. He sails up toward the enemy, waves his Oriental night shirt in the Egyptian air, shoots some one and goes away. When the battle-ground is ex amined on the following day, it is dis covered that eight hundred brave and handsome English soldiers are killed and one old moth-eaten Arab has stepped on his Gothic shirt tail and sprained hi? ankle. El Mahdi is not a bad looking man at all, and the report that he has lost his teeth, so that when he gives his orders he has to gum Arabic, is not true. Bill Nye. To Carve Poultry. Place the fowl on the platter with the head at the left. Cut through the skin round the leg joint. Then cut off the wings, and divide wings and legs at the joints. Carve the breast in thin slices parallel with the breastbone. Some prefer to cut it at riht angles with the bone. Take off the wishbone, separate the collar bone from the breast; . .p the knife under the shoulder blade, and turn it over. Cut through the cartilage which divides, the ribs; separate the breast from the neck. Then turn, the b;ick over; place the knife midway, and with the fork lift up the tarf end, separ ating the back from the body. Place the fork in the middle of the backbone, and cut close to the backbone, from one end lo the other, freeing the sidebone. As soon as the legs aud w;ngs are dis jointed, begin to serve, offering Thite or dark meat, as each prefers. Do not remove the fork from the breast bone till the breast is scpa'atcd from the back. Use an extra fork in servi If all the fowl be not required, carve oily from the side, leaving the opposite side whole for another nieul. Godcy's Maga zine. Pigeon-Catching in - Samoa-' The ground being cleared, the chiefs stationed themselves at distances all ' round a large circular space, cash con cealed under a !ov shed or covering of brushwood, having by his side a net at- i tached to a long bamboo, and in his hand a stick with a tame pigeon on a crook at the end of it. This pigeon was trained to fly round and round as di rected by its owner, with' a string at its foot thirty feet long, attached to the end ! of his stick. Every man flew his pigeon, ! and then the whole circle looked like a place w here pigeon.? were flocking round food and water. The scene soon attracted some wild pigeon, and as it apnroached the spot, whoever was next to it raised his net and tried to entangle it. He who got the gre itest number of pigeons was the hero of the day and honored by his friends with various kinds of food, with which he treated his less successful com petitors. Some of the pigeons were baked, others were distributed about and trained for further use. Taming and exercising them for the sporting season was a common pastime. .Census of Occupations. The census of 1880 gives the number of persons engaged in gainful occupa tions as 17,392,000, or 47.31 per cent, of total persons over ten years old. These wete engaged in the four chief lines of occupation as follows: Agriculture, 7,670,000; professional and personal services, 4,074,000; trade and transpor tation, 1,810,000: manufacturing, me chanical and mining industries, 3,b6i, 000. In 1870 the number engaged in occupations was 12,505,000. Of those in i loot), 2,C47,000 were women. The num ber of persons over ten yeais of age is 3G,7G1,000, leaving 19,309,000 unac counted for. The latter number is about equal to the number attending school or physically incapable of labor. The cen s'.is shows an increase over 1870 of about thirty per cent, in population, but an in crease of ihirty-ninc per cent, in the number engageain occupations. This increase in , dumber in occupations over the gain in population is accounted for by the growth of the factory system. Scientific American " - 7 11. THE CONQUEROR OF BARRIOS. ttcmiiiin" ener n of the Career of Zal divar, President of Salvador. Rafael Zaldivar, president of Salva dor, with less resources than his oppo nent, the late Rufino . Barrios, president of Guatemala, has been unexpectedly successful. As far back as fourteen years ago ho was in Germany, where Duenas, who died in San Francisco last year, sent him on a special mission as charge d' affaires of the Salvadorian re public. From that time dates his first appearance in the political field, for he then gave up his profession, in which he held quite a high position, being at the head of the medical faculty, and devoted all his attention to politics. After the battle of Santa Ana, in which the gov ernment, represented by Duenas, was defeated by the Liberals, led by Gonza lez, who then became President, Zaldi var had a narrow escape from death. For a few days he had acted as minister, and had enacted very arbitrary measures against certain moneyed men, in order to make both ends meet, which created a very strong fej-ing of resentment against him. The first reports circulated after the above-mentioned battle had been so favorable to Duena3 that a Te Deum was sung in the cathedral to thank God for the victory obtained by the govern ment, and firing was indulged in to such an extent as to kill a woman on the plaza (in celebrating national events, Central Americans invariably shoot someone accidentally), Zaldivar, who attends always to pleasure before busi ness, was celebrating the triumphs of his party, when suddenly the Liberals appeared in the capital. He ran out of his house, sure that if caught alive he would be shot immediate ly, and seeing the French flag waving on the top of a morchont's he knocked panting at the frout door, and upon be ing let in, threw himself on the mercy of th'j Frenchman. Monsieur Bouineau such was the name of the gentleman did not hesitate in assuring him of his good will. After hiding him he an swered personally to the calls of the sol diers who were yelling ferociously in front of the house, "Death to Zaldivar! (Que muera Zaldivar!) He told them that the ex-Minister had just run out by the side door, and must then be cn his way to the volcano, advising them at the same time to folio v him in that direc tion if they wanted to capture him. The soldiers did not wait for any more explanations, but started in quest of the man whom more than half of San Sal vador would have been pleased to see shot. After they had gone kind hearted Monsieur Bouineau sent a gpod horse out of town with a servant who had an order to wait for his friend, and then, having blackened Zaldivar's face, hands and feet, he dressed him like a moyo (servant) with cotton shirt and drawers, barefooted, a big broad-brimmed ha-, and with a heavy load of yacate or green grass on his shoulders, the future president crossed several main streets on his way to the suburb where the servant and the horse were waiting for him. Upon reach ing them he quickly threw the yacate aside, jumped oa the horse, and disap peared, leaving a message of eternal gratitude to his savior. In the mean while the soldiers had returned to Mon sieur Bouincau's house with an order to search everywhere, but it was too late. The bird had flown. Zaldivar did not stop until he reached Costa Rica, where he was well received. He returned to Salvador only to fight for the presidential chair, which he has occupied for two terms. He was re--electcd, with some opposition, however, for a third term, about a year ago. Since he has become president of Salvador he has amassed several miliions. He is a married man and has one son and two grown-up daughters. He is greatly ad dicted to pleasure, and will at almost any time give up business in order to have a good lime. If succe3', however, is the best recommendation, he can be highly praised, for his career, though eventful", has been remarkable and brilliant. San Francisco Call. Crcscen City Cemeteries. New Orleans' cemetery system is one prolific source of disease, even at its best, writes an Inter- Ocean correspondent. As is well known, there are many burial societies in the city, which have vaults peculiarly fitted up for the reception of bodies. The swampy nature of the ground makes it impracticable to inter below the surface, and so in the case of the poorer classes a large number of immense depositories are needed. Some of these have accommodations for as high as 100 corpses, to my personal knowledge. When a vault becomes quite full of bodies, and the society lacks fund's for . purchasing ground and building again, it is customary to re move the coffins, and hold a grand, open-air cremation. The evils of this operation are apparent, inasmuch as no furnaces are provided for carrying off the deadly fumes that must necessarily be generated. Rut in time of epidemics the question of burial is one of difficulty, and the consequences from crowded interments are most appalling. More than once large vaults have been burst asunder by the action of gases arising from a large number of freshly entombed bodies. - Of course the wealthy endeavor to have their own private family tombs, or be long to influential burial societies that maintain some specially imposing vaults. The colored people have cheaper burial societies by themselves, and the various secret societies have their own ceme teries. This classification system brings about a multiplicity of cemeteries, as, for instance, the Free Masons' cemetery, the Odd Fellows' cemetery, the Fire mens' cemetery, the Jewish cemeteries, knowa as Grtes of Prayer, etc. The payment of k. fee, varying f;om twenty live cents a month to several dollars, en titles the member to free burial at the hands of the society to which he be longs. These burial societies, paradoxical as it may sound, are also - instrumental in promoting social intercourse among the members. The - colored' people give a big yearly entertainment in connection with one of their leading societies, in which the most elaborate festivities" are held, and full dress prevails. The number of plant specimens known to botanists has been placed at 100,000, but there many still unknown. THE HEART OF THE HOME. Be the home where it may, on the hill, in the valley. Hemmed in by the walls of the populou' town, Set fair where the corn lifts its plumes to the rally, Or perched on the slope, where the torrent rolls down, Still ever the hear!; of tha home is the same. Still ever tha dearest of names is th name, And ever the purest of fames is the fame, Of the hom9-queen, the mother, whose gen tle command, Unchallenged, bears rule in oar beautifuj land. Bo the home what it may,-whether lofty or lowly, The mansion, the cottage, the plain little room, 'Tis the heart-beat of true love shall mak the place holy, 'Tis the outlook to heaven shall keep V from gloom. For the heart of the home is the same, is the same, In hall or in hut, there is ever one nam?. Which kindles the torch of a swift leaping flame, As we bow to the mother, whose gentle command Is the sceptre that sways in our beautifuj " land. Oh 6weet with the dawn-flush of morning upon hor, She cradles her first born in tender em brace ; And sweeter, when age brings her glory anJ honor, She smiles with tbe glow of life's eve o her face, We are glad of her praise, we are sad at her blame, Her name was the first for our child lips to frame, And loyally, proudly all homage we claim For the home-queen, the mother, whose gentle command Is potent and strong in our beautiful land. Margaret K Songster. PUNGENT PARAGRAPHS Dogma Parent of puppies. A grave responsibility Tbe sexton's. Goat's milk ought to make good but ter. Liniments go up as roller skaters come down. San Francisco Post. The success of a church choir singer is, after all, largely a matter of chants. In the bright lexicon of the district messenger youth there is such a word as snail. New York Journal. All animals have their good points, but for abundance of the same none can compare with the porcupine. While roller-skating may do well in the spring, one would think it would be unpopular in the fall. Sif tings. The parsons out West think roller skating has a tendency to promote back sliding. Louisville Courier-Journal. Speaking of spreading one's self, the skating rink seems to be the place of all others to do it successfully. Derrick. There's no trouble about twisting the tail of a sleeping bulldog. The dis agreeable part comes when you let go. Shakspeare wasn't a broker at all, but do you know of any man who has fur nished so many stock quotations? Bos ton Times. "Can a cat come down a tree head first?" asks a writer on natural history. It can if the tree is within range of bootjack. A scientist now declares that the tip of the nose ia the home of the soul. 1 1 has certainly often shown where departed spirits have gone. Boston Post. A recent article is entitled "A Poet on an Editor." We cannot exactly under stand this., but perhaps he grabbed hini while his back was turned. Boston Post. An exchange contains a long article which tells how to distinquish a perfect woman. The way to distinquish an im perfect woman is by talking to her brother. Call. When a baseball player strikes out in attempting not to strike out his feeling does not show up with half the intensity of those of the roller-skater who fails to strike out in attempting to strike out. Hatchet. A writer in Harper's Bazar says: "The ears should be so placed as not to be higher than the eyebrows or lower than the tip ot the nose." People who are dressing for a party should not forget this. Call. -v A correspondent says that people in India are rarely bitten by snakes, as boots are worn to protect the feet. How dif ferent it is in this country where people can't keep the snakes out of their boots. Brooklyn Times. It is said that the heart of the average man sends 48,000 pounds of blool through the arteries every hour. When a ruffian threatens to drink your hearty blood, his eyes are larger than hi stomach. New York Graphic. George Riddle, of Carroll County, Mo., has twenty-two daughters. He lives just on the outskirts of civilization, and whenever a dressmaker locates with in twenty-five miles he moves further into the woods. Burlington Free Press. Mrs. Slapper, of Sumter, Ga., has the white slippers she wore when she was married seventy years ago. The fact that she has preserved them all these years is proof that she never used them to Slapper children. Norristovm Herald. The principal instrument of music in China is the tom-tom. It produces bet ter music than a piano, and is much cheaper. . Any one can readily make a tom-tom by tying two cats by the tails and hanging them across a clothes-line. Newman, Independent. In the spring a young man's fancy Lightly turns to thoughts of Nancy ; . But in the summer turns again, And then his thoughts are all of Jane ; When autumn comes thrice-fickle man ! he Proclaims himself the slave of Fanny ; But soon, these three forgotten quite, Dear Rose becomes his heart's delight. Critic. "A scientist says that 'the way to sleep is to think of nothing,'" read Mrs. Smith in a newspaper. "If that be true, I should say that you would sleep all the time, mv dear," said her husband. "No doubt, Mr. Smith, for I think a great deal of you." Newman Independent, W-.f;" rWV-S-'V-'S'.'
The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 14, 1885, edition 1
1
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