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VOL. 20. SMITHFIELD. X. C.. FRIDAY. DECEMBER 20, 1907. NO. 41
FDRTY-FIVEYEARSAGO
Christmas Day In Dixie When
War Was on the Land.
JOY AND SADNESS MiXED.
Turkey Dinner Under Difficulties
Party Dresses of Old Lace Curtains.
Dancing to a Single Fiddle Played
by Old Uncle Ben.
"Christmas day of 1907. Dear me,"
said a little Virginia lady, "I cannot
realize it has been forty-five years
since Christmas day of 18(52.
"The winter had been unusually se- j
vere, very cold and a heavy fall of
snow during November, so that both
armies lay in winter quarters, but with
no great distance between. Hampton's
legion lay near my old plantation
home, but many of the boys were wel
come guests not only in our home, but
in those of neighboring plantations.
The matter of suitable presents, little
tokens of remembrance, was a source
of anxious thought not only to us, but
the soldier boys also. And finally we
settled down on the practical and knit
warm woolen socks and mufflers and
made caps wadded with wool. Of
course tiny pincushions made of scraps
of silk and little books found their
way to some favored one's pocket,
while watch charms carved from the
ivory of fine tooth cotnbs and the pal
metto cut in lead, beaten and ham- I
niered fiat from a bullet, were treas
ures.
"My mother had Invited General Al- j
ien, the commanding officer, and his
staff to dine with us, and many of 'his |
bovs,' as he called them, for they were |
friends and neighbors in his southern
home, would also come, and by night [
tlie young people would gather for a
dance. Mammy, our old cook, tossed
her turbnned head when my mother
suggested cake made of brown sugar
and cookies of sorghum, for luxuries
were not to be had and necessities
hard to get after two years of war.
"The cakes looked rich and brown,
though, when taken from the Dutch
ovens, and we dressed them with hol
ly berries and popped corn, laid over
closely like icing.
"The long table in the dining room
held a substantial meal that Christmas
day.
"The big turkey held the place of
honor assigned especially to that bird
on such a day, but was none the less
juicy and luscious for being stuffed
with raised corn bread minus ralslnir
I -TKSSrST ~T ! i 1?1 1
A. YOUNG SOLDIER FROM ALABAMA SKATED
HIMSELF AT THE FIANO.
and almonds, but well filled with
roasted chestnuts. At the other end
of the table a roasted shote knelt
gracefully on the broad platter, hold
ing a red apple in Ills mouth. A pair
of ducks lying cozily together was
flanked by an old Virginia ham rest
ing in a dish of cabbage. Big pones
of corn bread and brown beaten biscuit,
homemade pickle and red currant
Jam filled in the spaces, while from
the steaming silver urn my mother
drew the fragrant coffee made of dried
sweet potatoes and toasted rye and
sweetened with sandy brown sugar.
"To the homesick soldier boys, whose
rations were often parched corn and
bacon, such a dinner was a feast, and
they did it justice. But all during the
evening as they came from the camps
my mother served the hot coffee nnd
6ent none away without their Christ
mas dinner.
"Our dressing, too, hud got to be a
study. Old silks were treasures, but
were often combined without regard
to color. A favorite evening dress was
unbleached muslin and not Infre
quently lace curtains gracefully drap
ed over an old evening silk, while the
dainty fan was made of paper. Gloves
were priceless. No matter how soiled,
thev were earefnllv nre?er'-"d and kent
ns ueat as |i?niI.|o by rubbing with '
metil niul suit soup.
"We danced this Christmas night ]
until the wee small hours, l.'ucle Ben's
scraping ll.hlle 11ml rosined bow milk
ing sweet, enlivening music for trip- |
plug feet.
"The cold weather had given place
to a Ytn'rm. sultry spell, and the open
Jbw wlndov s often tempted collides
out to a promenade 011 the broad piaz
za which almost surrounded our spa
cious house.
"There was a clinging sadness, horn
of the turbulent times, or perhaps the
reality of war. with Its stern disci
pline. t tint lent 11 dignity to men and
bravery to women, for there was an
Intense earnestness in every face, and
I recall little that was really frivolous
except dancing.
"While Incle Ned had gone to
quench his tlirist a young soldier from
Alabama seated himself at the piano
and sang that sweet song, 'Let Me
Kiss Him For His Mother.' I think
strong men wiped their eyes. Major
Lily of Mississippi, one of the state's
brightest young lawyers, gave some
of Ills brilliant recitations, alternately
melting his audience to tears or con
vulsing them with laughter. Two
weeks after he met his death in a
shocking accident on a southern rail
road on Ills way home to be married.
"Colonel Armstrong of Alabama was
the hero of the evening?a brave, noble
officer, who commanded his boys with
mingled dignity and love until they
would ride to the cannon's mouth un
<lor liic Ip<u1pp?ihin
"How (1U1 the men In camp spend
Christmas day?
"You may be sure some time was
spent in writing home to the loved j
ones, using every available box and
barrel ns a table. Pencils were saved
by tying a cord to them, and nearly ev
ery man boasted at least of a stub or
short piece, while paper was often
written over two of three times, cross
ed and recrossed.
"One thing that made Hampton
camp particularly joyful was the cap
ture of a sutler train late that even
ing?one or two wagons loaded with
edibles and clothing?which was pass
ing overland to join the Army of the
X'otomac, lying near Falmouth.
"Many of the boys came in with
new, squeaky boots and pockets full j
of ginger cakes and crackers, and
while there was pity for the poor sut-1
ler, who was cared for in camp until j
sent under guard to Richmond to be
regularly exchanged, we rejoiced over
the grand luck which brought some-1
thing cheery to all the boys in Camp !
Hampton that Christmas day of 18G2." |
A SWEDISH RAFFLES.
Burglar Posed 03 Nobleman and
Diplomat.
After a series of burglaries probably j
unequaled in modern criminal history
by one man .larls Carllson has been
arrested in Munich. If all the stories
printed about him are true, he is the
most amazing cracksman in Europe
tnd the exact type in real life of the
indomitable Rallies.
Carllson is a Swede by birth and a
locksmith by profession, although it is
many years since he legitimately prac
ticed his craft. Since then he has
posed as a nobleman, author, million
aire and diplomat with consummate
skill, living in princely style in Berlin,
Munich, Paris, Vienna and other cities
under different names and in different
disguises.
All the time he lived by the most
daring burglaries, usually at hotels, al
though at times he was not averse to
looting the private residence of a mil
lionaire or an art connoisseur. He
changed' his role and his address ac
cording to necessity and avoided ar
rest with much skill, although the best
detectives in Europe were on his trail.
Carllson is described as a man of "very
gentlemanly" appearance, with refined
tastes and pronounced artistic and lit
erary* inclinations. He was a great fa
vorite among women, who were charm
ed by his exquisite manners. He was
noted for his taste in dress, and while
living in Vienna in the guise of a dip
lomat on leave he is said to have inau
gurated a new fashion in neckties.
When arrested Carllson was staying
at the most fashionable hotel in Mu
nich, where he occupied an expensive
suit and posed as a Danish nobleman
of considerable wealth. The police
found $12,500 in his possession in ad
dition to jewelry valued at $13,000. It
is estimated that his annual income
i from burglaries averaged $73,000 dur
ing the past ten years. Carllson took
his arrest philosophically and threat
ens to write his memoirs while in
prison.
Woman's Aim.
"To convict the defendant of as
sault," said the woman's lawyer, "it
must first l>e proved that the intention
was there."
"But." interrupted the magistrate,
"all the evidence shows that the wo
man actually hit her husband with a
brick."
"Which very fact proves that she
must have aimed at something else."
?T.ondon Globe.
n n u u n n ? ? ? n ? ? #
aSfWMtlier Centenary ?
u
Beloved Quaker Poet Was
?$ Born on Dec. 17, 1807,
&.nd Died on Sept.
*+ 7. 1892.
?H* *H* *M* "i*T ft ft ft
44 I
Celebrations In New England
in Honor of the Author of -H
"Snow - Bound" a.nd
"Barbara Frietchie."
t+ if ft *+ t+ ft -H
VT Tt " ? vr "I?i" -r-r
II110 centenary of the
birth of JohnGreen
Tleaf Whlttler on
Dec. 17 recalls the
fact that New Eng
land has great rea
son to be proud of
the men of literary
genius she has pro
duced. Wbittier,
Hawthorne, Long
fellow, Emerson,
Holmes, Lowell
not to go farther
down the list?such
names make one
w o u d e r what It
was that caused
such remarkable
literary fertility in
the New England
of 100 years ago.
The old farm
house in the town of East Haver
hill, Mass.. where Whlttier was born
100 years ago, is still standing, and
this and the modest but dignified
house in Ainesbury, .Mass., so long
Ids home, are now preserved in af
fectionate remembrance of the poet.
The latter lias been gone a little more
than fifteen years, as his death oc
curred in Hampton Falls, N. II., on
Sept. 7, 18112. All over the land the
day of his birth will be remembered,
and in New England, esjiecially in the
towns associated with his career, there
will be exercises appropriate to the an
niversary, among them a memorial
meeting at the place of his birth under
the auspices of the Whlttier club of
Haverhill, with addresses by Professor
Bliss Perry, Frank B. Sanborn and
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe. Whlttier was
a true poet of the people, and the an
niversary appeals not only to the lit
erary critics, but to young and old of
every class wherever the English lan
guage is read and spoken.
There are some facts about the ca
reer of the gentle poet that indicate
that even a bard of his unusual lyrical
powers must often concern himself
with things that are extremely prosaic.
For instance, when lie was studying at
tlie academy at Haverhill he supported
himself by making slippers, and he did
not indulge in any poetic fancies on
the subject of finance, for he calcu
lated his expenses so closely that he
knew at the beginning of the term
that he would have 25 cents to spare
at its close, and be actually had just
this sum in his pocket when his half
year of study was over. He was then
about twenty, and the first of his
poems to appear in print, "The Exile's
Departure." had just been published in
William Lloyd Harrison's Newburyport
Free Press. Garrison did much to aid
! Whlttier to live while making his way
*4 4 4~4" 4 4 4 4 TT IT TT
upward in the literary world. It has
air ays been hard for a poet to earn
his bread and butter simply by the
sale of his rhymes, and in the days of
Whlttler's early manhood the fruits of
literary toil of this kind were meager
indeed. Thus we find him at one pe
riod of his early career engaged in the
unpoetic task of editing the American
Manufacturer and poring over reports
of crops and statistics of industries.
Ilis participation in the controversy
over slavery aroused his enthusiasm
for what he believed to be the right
and entailed great labor in the writing
of pamphlets and other contributions
to tlie antlslavery cause, but this was
not a cause in which there was much
money for anybody, not excepting the
New England Quaker, who did such
valiant work in its behalf, although of
course In later years the sale of works
in which such productions appeared
P- . I
WHITTIER'S BIRTHPLACE AT EAST HAVER
HILL, MASS.
brought him some pecuniary reward.
But the poet's Income was small and
uncertain until he was past middle
life. Vet he was never in debt, and
he made It a rule of his life never to
buy a thing until he had the money In
hand to pay for it.
It seems strange now that there could
ever have been anything but love and
veneration for so xlnilly and noble a
character as Whittler. But It cannot
be forgotten that even in New Eng
land, where his name is so much rever
enced today, he was once mobbed and
on another occasion his office was sack
ed and burned by opponents of the
abolitionists. Feeling ran high over
the issues of those times, and the man
who was more than any other the poet
of the abolitionist cause suffered along
with other early exponents of these
Ideas. Iu these days there Is general
acceptance* of the view expressed by
George I). Prentice when he introduced
to readers of the New England Review
the poet he had engaged as its editor,
"No rational man can ever be the en
emy of Mr. Whittier."
KIDNAPED A CORPSE.
Remarkable and Pathetic Love Drama
Enacted In Naples.
The newspapers of Naples publish
sensational accounts of a remarkable
and pathetic love drama which has just
j been enacted there. A young man In
| humble circumstances named Joseph
Alessandro was violently in love with
a beautiful girl named Klvlra Scaling!,
I but the father of the lady disapproved
of his suit and engaged her to a rich
nobleman residing at Caserta. Just
before the date lixed for the wedding,
however, the lady died suddenly and
mysteriously.
On the day following her funeral the
discovery was made that the grave had
been opened during the night and the
body stolen. Inquiries were immedi
ately instituted, and it was eventually
ascertained that the body snatcher was
none other than the deceased lady's
lover, Alessandro. The discovery of
this fact was made by a peasant who,
knowing of Alessandro's love for the
girl, climbed a tree outside the man's
house and saw the missing body lying
on a lied anil Alessandro passionately
kissing the face of the corpse. The
peasant, assisted by several neighbors,
forced his way Into the house and re
covered the body, but Alessandro es
caped.
There is n well known editor wno
dislikes nothing more than superfluous
questions.
On one occasion the telegraph editor
approached him with this query:
"Here's a story of a big landslide in
s the west. Under what head shall I put
it?"
"You might throw it in with the real I
estate transfers," caustically suggested j
the "old man."? I'lttsburg Press.
GIRL TURNS PURPLE.
Hair Tonic Delays Miss Maud Fryer's
Wedding Ten Days.
As the result of a shampooing ad
ministered by a Wllllmnntlc hairdress
er, Miss Maud Fryer of Waterbury,
Conn., turned purple. Miss Fryer was
to have been married on Nov. 9. On
the Tuesday before the wedding date
she went to the hairdresser for the
shampooing.
Whether an experiment was tried or
whether there was a deliberate at
tempt to interfere with the wedding
cannot lie learned. Her family pre
serves the utmost reticence on this
point.
Miss Fryer emerged from the minis
trations of the hairdresser with her
hair stuck together as though with
glue. Soon afterward her face turned
purple, and later her whole body fol
lowed suit. Miss Fryer fell into a
comatose condition and for a week
was close to death. Then she sudden
ly recovered and on Nov. 19 became
Mrs. Henry N. I.nrkln. Mr. and Mrs.
parkin are now on their honeymoon.
Kind Lady?Vou are a strong an<
healthy looking man. Why don't yot
go to work?
Tramp?Well, It's like this, ma'am
I ain't got nobody to look out fer me
but meself, an' ef 1 got work I might
be deprlvin' it man with a wife an' a
lot of kids of a Job.
A passenger on a Itrooklyn avenue
car handed the conductor a crumpled
transfer with one corner torn off.
"What kind of a transfer Is this?" the
conductor demanded. The passenger
answered: "That is a street car trans
fer. What did you think It was, a real
estate transfer?"?Kansas Cltv Star.
JOHN D. AS SANTA CLAUS.
How the World's Richest Man Cele
brates Christmas.
Not to be outdone by the scores of
others who contributed to tho happi
ness of the younger generation last
Christmas, John 1). Rockefeller assum
ed the part of a generous Santa Claus
to the children about l'ocnutlco llills
and provided them with an entertain
ment and Christmas treat at the Lyce
um there.
Mr. Rockefeller visited the hall aft
er the decorations were In place and
pronounced everything "line." Mrs.
Ramsay, a trustee, conducted him,
and he Inspected the tree, which was
electrically lighted In many colors.
A large star In evergreens above the
platform attracted his attention.
"Doesn't that star remind you of
the good old song let me see, 'Oh, Star
of Bethlehem, Guiding Star?'" he said,
singing the words to the hymn. Then,
not readily recalling the words, he
whistled the refrain to the end. lie
Inquired whether a tiro would bo light
ed In the fireplaces to add to the com
fort of the children and expressed a
regret, when asked, that ho would not
bo able to witness the distribution of
the gifts.
Mr. Rockefeller recognized a young
inan there whom he hud not seen for
[ five years.
"My. how you have grown!" he ex
< claimed. "I distributed the prizes at
your school when you stood at the
head of your class. That was four
years ago, wasn t It?
The Lyceum trustees sent to the pro
vider of their Christmas cheer a mes
sage wishing him "a merry Christmas
and many years of good health and
happiness." At the conclusion of the
entertainment Mr. Rockefeller's reply
was read to the audience:
"I am deeply grateful for the words
of cheer that you have conveyed to
me and hope that you will feel the up
lifting of lie season commemorative of
the birth of him who said, 'Peace on
earth, good will to men." "
BROKE JAIL TO PLAY BALL
i Cscapcd Prisoner Helped Visiting
Team to Victory.
A story was told by a Redlands (Cal.)
business man on his return from the
Imperial valley in connection with a
jail delivery in HI Centre. Sheriff ltuck
is a baseball enthusiast, and his dep
uty is one of the payers on the Hi
I Centre team. They nad as a prisoner
a young man from Calexico who was
in jail on a minor charge awaiting
trial. Iloitville and lil Centro were
having a baseball game in the latter
town, and the sheriff was in attend
ance, while the deputy was playing
with the Hi Centro nine. The deputy
had learned that his prisoner was a
professional ball player en route to
the coast from the east and had learn
ed that he would be willing to play
with Hi Centro if permitted, but this
j the sheriff refused to allow, and the
two officers started to the game, leav
ing tlie prisoner in the brick shack that
is being used for a jail.
The game was an exciting one
throughout, Iloitville Introducing a
strange player, who helped its team to
i victory. When the sheriff and his dep
uty returned to the jail, they were
surprised to find a hole In the wall and
no prisoner, the bird having dug
through the brick wall and flown. In
stead they found a note: "I didn't want
to break out, but I did want to see the
ball game. I saw it, but you didn't
recognize me in a uniform." It devel
oped that the strange Iloitville player
was Sheriff Buck's prisoner, and now
the El Centro players are angry be
cause the sheriff didn't let him play
with their team.
Moore's Conscience.
Iadgh Hunt relates In his writings
the following:
"I remember, when I was showing
Lord Byron and Moore my garden
while in prison for publishing what
was called a 'libel' on the prince re
gent, a smart shower came on, which
induced Moore to button up his coat
and push on for the interior. ?lle re
turned Instantly, blushing up to Ills
eyes, having forgotten the lameness of
his friend.
" 'IIow much lietter you behaved,' he
said to me afterward, 'In not hastening
to get out of the rain! I quite forgot
for the moment whom I was walking
with.'
"I told him that the virtue was in
voluntary on my part, having been oc
I cupled in conversation with his lord
i ship, which he was not. and that to
forget a man's lameness involved a
compliment In it which the sufferer
' could not dislike.
" 'True,' said he. 'but the devil of it
i was that I was forced to remember it
) by his not coming up. 1 could not in
decency go on, nnd to return was very
awkward.'
"This nnxiety appeared to me very
| amiable."
lie?How can I repay you for that
delightful waltz? She (whose train(has
suffered)?Oh, don't repay me! Settle
with my dressmaker.?Ally Sloper.
SHOT BY COMRADES,
Japanese Soldier Poet Marches
Singing to Death.
CONDEMNED FOR DESERTION.
Iwamatsu Zenzo Wipes Out Stain of
Disloyalty by Bravely Paying the
Penalty?Asks Fellow Fighters to See
a Warning In His Fate.
Deserter and Incendiary. Iwamatsu
Zenzo, twenty-four years old, was shot
Nov. lo by order of court martial, lie
died displaying all the traditional for
titude of the Japanese.
Zenzo belonged to the Fourth regi
ment of the Second army division, sta
tioned at Sendnl, in the north of Japan.
He deserted the regiment and joined a
party of gamblers. Iluuted by the po
lice, he took refuge in an inn and early
the nest morning set tire to the place,
taking what valuables he could lay
hands on. lie was arrested and sen
tenced to death. He was told of the
court's decision and burst Into fren
>l?,l niMfoof..
When his emotion had subsided they
told him again that- he must be shot
and advised him to prepare for the
end. A change came over the man's
face as lie listened to their words. Ris
ing from ills seat In the cell, he held up
his arms that they might more easily
strip ills khaki uniform from him.
"I am ready to die," lie said simply
and was moving from the cell when his
aged father and mother came to the
door to bid him farewell. Zenzo turn
ed ills head away, saying: "I do not
fear death, but if I see my father my
heart will fail me. I want to die
bravely."
Overnight he had composed a poem,
the words of which ran something like
this:
"I erred In my heart from the cause of
my country.
The penalty is death, but I do not fear.
Yet how bitter It is to fall like a felon.
Riddled to death by the guns of mjr
friends."
Many spectators were allowed on
the execution ground. The aged par
ents, holding each other's hand, stood
with bowed heads among the crowd.
Zenzo, singing the verses that he had
written, walked bravely from his cell
into the open yard. A white wooden
"COMRADES, OOODBY!"
cross nua ueen erected In one corner,
lie walked up to the cross, stretched
out his arms as though to measure tka
length of the crossbar, then turned
again to the officials. He asked and
obtained permission to say goodby to
Captain Nakamurn, under whom he
had served. In silence the two men.
gripped hands.
Then Zenzo turned to the squad of
sis riflemen who were drawn up twen
ty paces from the cross. A cup of wa
ter was handed to him that he might
moisten his lips before he spoke. "You
must shoot me," he Raid without n
tremor, "because I have lieen disloyal
to those who were in authority. If
my deatli servos as a warning to oth
ers I shall not have died in vain. Com
rades. goodby."
He stepped back to the cross, threw
out his arms, ami a white linen cloth
was drawn over his face. "Ovvari!
Owari!" ("I am ready") he called.
"Banzai! Banzai!"
The rifles cracked. 1 he wooden cross
shivered, and Zenzo's corpse lung
limply from the bar. A priest ofen I
up a prayer, and the spectators, weep
ing loudly, knelt down by the coriwe
and prayed for Zenzo's soul. Theb> d.
was handed to the relatives for cre
luatiou, and the old man and woman,
who had been silent s(>ectators of the
tragedy, bowed meekly to the official*
and bore their boy away.