Pub lished by Roanoke Publishing Oo. "FOB god, for coujttrtjnd for truth." "W7 Fletcher Ausbon, Editor
VOL. IV. PLYMOUTH, N. C, FKIDAY, MARCH 17, 1893. NO. 40. ;
And .now Italy has ( a great . National
scandal" on its, hands, largo enough to
distract" Italian attention from Franco
and its rYnama' troubles'. .
A small colony of Italians planted in
(New South Wales a few years ago , has
(thriven "so well that' it la now one of the
most prosperous in the laad. . ' .
. The. School-Management Committee
of the (Chicago Board of Education has
decided- to recommend to the Board that,
sfter the present school, year, clay
modelliag .studies be discontinued, and
that unmarried women take precedence
of those who are- married when appoint
cit 3 teachers are made.
;. The salaries paid to persons in the
Civil Service of the United - State3
amount ta.$?0,OQO, 000 annually. This ,
seems like a tremendous amount, says
the Chicago -Herald,., but-, when it is
borne in mind that this sum pays the ,
wages of 180,000 person it need not ap
pall anyone. The average is only $$09
a year. . - -
. The late cholera epidemic at Havre
and Rouen, in'-France, has turned the
attention of the local "authorities to the
investi zacion . ' of electrical methods of
disinfection. The method at present
most in favor is the process of M. Her
mite of. Seating sea' water electrically,
and it may possibly be adopted by the
commission of Havre and Toulon and
' other ports open to infection.
Labor papers in Italy . have recently
' copied articles appearing in New , York
( papers describing the miserable condition
of Italian laborers living in the hovels
- of Mulberry street and vicinity.' ' The
! Italian editors appear to be horrified at
j the spectacle presented by the American
' press, and they beseeeh 'their fellow-
countrymen not to emigrate " to this
country, as tney aro better on at nom'j
vtnan tnev would ever be in tms citv.
It is said that the United States
Treasury has redeemed more f 500 legal
tender notes than it ever issuedv Toil
'jdoes not look to the NewjOrleans Pica
oiynne as though many such notes had
been stowed away in the toes of old
(stocking agajnst a,,rainy day, and it
does looVto the keen observer as though
some very nicb counterfeiting had been
'done when Government "oflicials them
selves have not been able to - detect
them..'"- '
; A noteworthy example of the .vast
agricultural resources of our country is
found in the official report of the cereal
harvest for the year 1893. The yield of
three cereals wheat, corn and oats
reached the enormous aggregate of
2,341,450,000 bushels. Assuming that
the population of the United States is
65,000,000, those three props would give
an average of oter. thirty-six bushels to
every man, woman and child in the
. whole country. '..' "'
By a series of calculations it nas oeea
demonstrated that ' it "Costs r railroad
company ten cents to" stop a locomotive '
and four cents for each Stop of a-passeu-gor
car. It often happens that a pas
senger does not discover, -that he --.or she
(and it iajenerajly a . woman)L makes no
move to leave a train .until the order is
. given to' go ahead, and a train must be
brought to a stop again-to -Jet the slow
goingjmssenger oflV This little incident
jcosts the railroad company sixteen or
twenty cents, sometimes as much as the
tardy passenger has paid. : This is one of
the little leaks $iat jTTallroad company .
undertakes : to guard against, and the
number of coaches to a train is limited
as well to save expense ' of stoppages as.
well as to lessen the number of pounds
of coal consumed and wear and tear of
its running gear.
. , You cannot tell how a boy will turn
out. ( Professor Beatty,who for many .
years has been at tht head of the Dan
' ville (Ky.) College, says there were at
one time two boys under him whose
school life he remembers well one, John
C. Breckinridge, a very ordinary scholar,
who did not promise much; the other a
..ooy whom he thought a marvel, and
who, he expected, would reach the
highest position in the land. Speaking
jwith Governor' Crittenden, of Missouri,
Uv.out those two boys recently, Professor
j Aty said the marvel wa now teach,
ling in a deaf and dumb asylum, while
'the other became Senator and Vice
president and once was a candidate for
!the Presidency.- Of Governor Crltten-'
I den's clasa of twenty-five boys the pro
cessor did cot think much, yet fifteen of
SAINT VALENTINE'S ,
fhe first spring bine is in the sky
' And on the brightening aea
A breath of sweetest prophecy
Bteals soft along the lea.
The heart of every living thlnj
Is touched to love and mirth ..
Ob, joy and hope, oh , youth and spring ;
How glad ye make the earth !
The snow-drops shiver with delight
And shake their bells to call,.
The lasy tulips up, to light-
Their torohes by the wall;
The brave, bright crocuses arise
In gold and purple lines,
And smile to greet the smiling skies- ' f
It is St. Valentine's!
Thick with brown bu Is, the elm-bous'ui
sway . :-:t: ' . V .,',.: ,
And beckon to the sun;
A rodbreast on the topmost spray
His love-song has begun
On wood and wave a tender flood
Of vital radiance shines,
And every bird and every bu 1 ;
: Welcomes St. Valentine's!
Upon the roof two pigeons coo,
. And circle round and round.
Two bluebirds in the rosebush woa,
Two sparrows on the ground;
And cooing, singing, chirping still
This selfsame thing they say; ' :
"Farewell to snow and blast and chill
Tie pairing-day todayl" t '
Elizabeth A. Allen, in Youth's Companion.
, Grandma's .Proohesv.
BT HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
ND was nothing said
about me I"
Elizabeth Elton
stood in the middle
of' the room, with
the, tea-canister in
her hand.
The lamp was
Hot yet lighted, for
the soft yellow
glow of the Pebru
ary twilight still
lingered in . the
west, turning "the snow mantled fields
. to fairy plains of. rose and gold. The
fire crackled cheerfully in the stove; a
smell of fresh-baked Graham gems per
, vaded the air, and Grandma Elton had
, just taken a saucepan of stewed apples
off the fire.
Leah and Naomi, two fresh human
. rosebuds of sixteen and eighteen, were
untying their hoods and removing their
wraps by the door.
iN no," reluctantly answered
.Naomi; "I don't remember that there
was."
' MYou see, Aunt Elizabeth," awk
wardly explained Leah, "it's a young
folks party."
Elizabeth laughed a short, disdainful
laugh.
"Oh, I understand," said she. "Peo
ple over thirty have no business thinking
about St.. Valentine parties." .
' But," cried Leah, eager to heal the
' wound she had so unconsciously inflcted,
if I were to explain to Ellen Vincent
that you would like an invitation, I am
quite sure" ' '
You will do nothing of the soit,"
said Elizabeth, with what Naomi was
wont to caii hjr "tazeaj auoea" air.
"Of all persons, I am the last to go
begging for invitations."' Will you light
the lamp, grandma, please?.. Tea is
ready."- .
.Naomi looked at Leah. Leah shook
her head at Naomi.
Grandma motioned them to keep
silence, and the Graham gems and apple
sauce were eaten in mute gravity.
Elizabeth went to her room early that
night.
Naomi came and leaned against' the
big, carved wooden mantle.
I am so sorry," sighei she.
So am I," said Leah. -
"I think Aunt Elizabeth would hare
liked to go to the party tot all she is so
old," murmured Naomi.
., - "Thirty.. three isn't such a venerable
old age," observed grandma, scratching
her ' cheek with her knitting-needle,
"though, to be sure, Naomi, it's twice
as old as you are. All the same, it would
have been more thoughtful of C&rrie
Smith to invite her, too."
, Carrie said she didn't want all the
old maids in creation!" giggled Leah.
"Nonsense, child t" said grandmat
knitting away very fast. "I ehouidn'l
wonder if Elisabeth were married before
you, after all." r ,
Loah and Naomi exchanged laughing
glances as they ran away to dress for
the St. Valentine's Eve party.
In their eyes Aunt Elizabeth belonged
to a past age a race which had no
business with love or marn.vje.
buttoned the pearl Kaoos of her sister's
white serge gown, "we all know that
Aunt Elizabeth has been disappointed in
love."
"Yes, to be sure," assented Naomi.
"Oo you think, ' Leah, that white
chrysanthemums would be prettiest to
wear, or Roman pearl beads, In one's
hairl",
So the . merry young things went to the
St. Valentine's Ere party.
Elizabeth heard the jingle of the
sleigh-bells as they drove away,
. Grandma turned the heel of hei
stocking and went quietly to bed, auo
Elizabeth was all alone in the great
silent, echoing house.
' "I suppose I , must get used to this
sort of thing!" she said, bitterly, to her
self. - "It's the flnt time that I have ever
been left out oflhese neighborhood fes
tivities, and it harts je, it does hurt i
little! Am I realty growing so oldt How
shall I look when I get' to' be grandma'i
age! they call i'mo; Old Mist
Elton!' Shall X carry an ear-trumpet!"
She smileof . not a mirthful smile.
"It's worth5 trying," thought she"
'Come, ifl caV.tgq to tha St. Vaten
tine's party, I can at least, have a litt
private masquerade all b myself. Dear
old grandma is sound asleep. . She wll
never know."- , . ; " . .
A strange mood had taken pousttibs
of Elizabeth Elton. She had slipped of)
'icr gray merino gown and dressed her
self in grandma's Quakerish black dress,
with the white net folded croaiwajs oa
the bosom , . ..
She cpmbed back the luxuriant gold
if her thick tresses under grandma's cap
rills, and adjusted the old lady's spec
acles across the bridge of her nose.
What a metamorphosis was there I
She laughed aloud, scarcely believing
ler own eyes. :
" 6ld Miss Elton!' " she said. "Now
( know exactly how she will look. But.
i can get a better sight of myself in the
ooking glass downstairs."
She took up the candle, and tripped
ightly down the wooden stairway to the
littlng room..
As she reached the threshold, there
same a sodden tap to the old brass
knocker on the front door, bhe started
it first, then turned resolutely to the
loor.
"Naomi has forgotten her fan," she
thought. "Or Leah has sent back for
something she wants. Their evening
has only just begun dear little girls!"
But it was no messenger from the house
pf rejoicing' that met Elizabeth's eyes as
she opened the door. . i
A tail man, closely muffled to the
eyes to keep out the piercing February
cold, stood there.' She retreated a pace
or two, stUl holding the candle in her
hand. .
"Who are youl" she said, her heart
giving a sudden jump. A' What do you
want at this time of night?".
"Don't be frightened, Grandma El
ton," said a low, pleasant voice; and ,
then Elizabeth remembered thequatnt
disguise she had assumed. "May I
come in, just a minute! You are the
very person I wanted to see." . .
Elizabeih began to tremble. Had the
Bickering flame of the tallow-dip been a
IHtle more powerful the visitof might
have observed the color come and go
fitfully in her cheek.
"It it is late!" she hesitated.
"Yes, I know,' urged the young man.
"But I won't keep you long. I suppose
she Elizabeth has gone to the party
at Colonel Smith's!"
"Thryoung people are gone yes."
"And I want just one word with you,
Mrs. Elton Please let me come in. I
want to ask you a question or two about
Elizabeth."."
What could she say! Her heart was
beating so fiercely she could scarcely
breathe.'
Ten years ago, Archer Vail had quar
reled with her, or she witn ' Archer
Vail she scarcely knew which and he
had sailed with his cousin, the famous
scientific professor, on the expedition
to Japan which was intended to clear up
half a score of unsettled points as to
climate, flora and fauna.
The professor had died at Tokto, and
from that time nothing had been heard
of Archer. And here, on St. Valentine's
Eve, he had risen like a spirit out of the ,
snow, and the starlight, on the very .
threshold os her house.
She t opened the sitting rocra door.
IIo sat clown by the fire, with a sigh of
relief. : ."
Yen havc-'t ctsged a bit, graru!-
even straighter than you used to. And
Elizabeth has she changed! Tell ' me
truly does she ever speak of me!" .
Elizabeth was . silent. ' She set the
candle on the old cherry wood chest of
drawers in, the corner, and stood ' ner
vously picking the leaves o3 the monster
fish-geranium in the window.
"Because," said the young man, "I've
come to the conclusion that I can't live
without Elizabeth, I've thought of her
every dsy and hour, of late. I have
done well in business on the other side
of the world, and I can put my jewel in
a proper setting, if I can but gain it.
Do you suppose, grandma, she would
forgiyo me! , Do you think I could hope
to win her heart!" ?
Outside the snowy branches crackled
in the wind and the starlight. Inside
the hour and minute-hand of the old
clock had joined together at the hour of
midnight,' and , Elizabeth still stood
silent in the shadow as the clock struck
twelve. ;
Look I? s.id Archer "It. is St. 'Val
entine's Dsy I ; Do you think there is any
luck in omens, grandma! . .For I love
her dearly, and, I Relieve t could make
her happy if she would but give me Vhe -
' Chance. .' I've watched the windows for.
a long time. I shouldn't. have ventured
to come in. if I .had not seen the light
gleaming through, the. cracks in. the shut
ter, For the sake of the dear .old days,
Grandma Elton, give me a shred of hope .
to cling to! For the sake of old St;
Valentine, tell me that I have a chance!"
Elizabeth took the candle and set it
on the mantle, where it caught a reflec-
tion from the mirror and shone cheerily
out with double lustre. Then she took
off the muslin-frilled cap, letting her -golden
hair stream like a cascade of
brightness down over her shoulders, and .
flung the spectacles on the table. -'
"Yes,. Archer Vail!" she said, halt
laughing and half crying, while the roses
blossomed on her cheeks and the dim
ples came out around her lips; "yes, I
think perhaps "
"Elizabeth!" he started up, and had
her in his arms in a second "Elizabeth,
what does this masquerading mean!
My darling, my own sweetheart, look at
the clockl It is vSt. Valentino's morn
ing, and you, precious one, are my life
long Valentine!" ;
"Grandma, grandma, do wake up I"
Old Mrs. Elton roused herself from
dreams of long ago, to see Naomi and
Leah in her room, their white gowns
glimmering, their eyes shining like
stars.
"Is it you?" she said, rubbing her
eyes.' "ilome a'ready! Why, it can't
be much after ten !"
"But it is, grandman," declared
Loah. ; ,
"It's past one," said Naomi.
"St. Valentine's Day," said Leah.
'And we've had such a lovely time,"
chirped Naomi.
"And, oh, gracious!" panted Leah,.
its come true I"
'What has come true?" said Mrs.
Elton, smiling drowsily at her grand
daughters. "Why, your prophesy."
La, child !" cooed the . old woman,
"I ain't a prophet." , ,
"Yes; you are," said Naomi.
"Of course you are," asserted L?ah.
"We found Aunt Elizabeth and Mr.
Archer Vail down, in the Bitting-rootn
when we came home," said Naomi. .
"Nonsense,", .interrupted "grandma.
"Archer Vail is in Japan."
"No, he isn't," gleefully laughed
Naomi.1 "He is just now by the old
church wall, I should think; or perhaps
he has got as far as Mrs. Hopper's cot
tage, if , he walks very fast.; At all
events be has been spending the evening
here and he and Aunt Elizabeth have
made up their old quarrel, whatever it.
was--" v.
"And," interrupted Leah, "here's
where the prophesy comes in, and yo
are a sphinx, you darling grandma!
Aunt Elizabeth will be married before
Naomi and me, after all. . She has got a
Valentine, and w haven't."
We know," added Naomi, because
she blushed so charmingly when she in
troduced Mr. Vail to us. And I never
knew before how pretty Aunt Elizabeth
really 'was."
"Well,-1 declare," said- grandma,
"there's iuck in St. Valentine's Day,
after all!" V'-'' '
The Press of Franoe.
There arc 2161 journals published in
Paris, and 5439 in the provinces. This
makes a total of 7600 for France, and of
these 172S are political newspapers, 33
of the number being conservative, that,
i to say, opposed, to the French Re; '
ANTHROPOPHAGI.
AUSTRALIA'S ABOKlOtNES AUG
LOW IN HUMANITY'S SCALK.
ilbw a White Man Lived Among
Them and Escaped Being: Eaten
Manners and Customs ot
a Strange People.
S to whs t race of mankind is
lowest in the human scale, de
clares a Washington. Star con
tributor, there has been some
dispute. Yet, on the whole, it would
seem that not even the Tierra del Fue-,
gans nor the ' Hottentots approach so
nearly to the brute as do, the aborigines
of Australia, commonly known as "black
fellows." In the' country to which they
are native they have been customarily ,
hunted like wild beasts by the highly,
civilized invaders and 'present occupants
of the soil. Not' long ago a scientific
Norwegian, Professor Carl Lumholtz,
mauean expedition into the ' interior of
the isla'ndcontinent for tbe purpose
of coliecting mammals, birds and insects
of new species. Penetrating into wilds
which had never been traveled by any
white man previously he was obliged to
rely for assistance in procuring food and
specimens'upon such of the savages as he '
couid hire All of ihem are professed
cannibals, and, inasmuch as' they are
hopelessly treacherous, his escape from
death and subsequent - cooking at their
hands was little short of a miracle. -, In
fact, on more than one occasion they '
plotted to kill him, and his life was only
saved by accident. They imagined that
he possessed supernatural power, having .
a great dread also of the revolver which
ho carried, and it was supposed by them
that he never slept. -'
For many months he saw no other
human beings than these black fellows,
who wear no clothing whatever and live
in nearly every respect as monkeys do.
They are wanderers, having no perma."
nent dwelling and subsisting fromday to
day on what they can pick up or kill.
They are inveterate beggars, being never
satisfied witK what is given them. ; Grat.
itude is unknown to' them, and they
will betray - their benefactor for tho
smallest inducement. It is always dan
gerous for the traveler to permit one of
these savages to walk behind him. A
fallen foe, be it man, woman or child, is
eaten as the choicest delicacy. They
know such luxury as the flesh of a black
man, esteeming that of a white person
as very inferior in, flavor. As is the
rule with all savages, the' women 'do
pretty . nearly all the work, being re-'
girded as slaves. They have no domes
tic animal except the wild dog, or
dingo." ' . '
Money has no value with the natives.
Knowing no stimulants they are extrava
gantly fond of tobacco ' f ort smoking.
Professor Lumholtz used tobacco when
among them as money, also carrying
with him a stock. of clay pipes. These
primitive people were very much afraid i
of his gun and pistol, not even under
stand tho use of bows and arrows. But
the professor found it desirable never to
miss hitting a mark in their presence, .'
because a failure diminished ' their to- -'
spect for him. They had a great vene- -ration
for the baby of the gun, as they
called the revolver, believing that it '
never , ceased shooting. They loG&ed .
upon the scientific explorer as a myster-:
ious being, who could travel from land
to land without being eaten, and whose
chief .interest lay in utterly useless
things, such as the skins and bones of
slain animals. . .,
One of the first natives whom he em -ployed
was named Mmgoran. ' He
looked "more like a brute than a human
v . .11
being.. His mouth extended almost
from one ear to the other When he :
talked," says the Professor, "he rubbed
his body with complacency, as if the -
-sight of me made his mouth water, and
he gave me'an impression that he would
like to devour me on the spot. He al
ways wore a smiling (ace, a mask be
hind which ail these savages conceal
their treacherous nature." Though a
poor huuter, this man waf regarded with
muoh respect by his fellows because of
his success in procuring human flesh to
eat. To be liberal with the savages was
extremely dangerous, the traveler found,
for they assume that gifts are bestowed
ont of fear, bo long as they under ,
itand that ; they can have advantages
from a white man they let him live. .
They think no more of killing a person
than of breaking a stick, and the only
thing which will keep them from murdar
is dread of evil consequences to thom-
noltz's servants increased day by day.
until finally they insisted that he should
ive them his weapons and even the
trousers which he wore. j
The .black fellows are fond of decorat-
ing their Domes wita gnsnes cue in
parallel lines across the breast or the ;
itomach with a sharp stone or a clam
shell. To keep the wounds from heal
ing the put charcoal or ashes in -them
for a month or two, until they, swell op
into rough ridge3.' Sometimes they ac
complish the same result by letting ants
walk about in the wounds. - Certain or
naments of this kind, are only adopted
by a ' youth after he has come of age,
after which time he is permitted ; to ' eat
whatever he pleases, though previously
be has been obliged to abstain from cer-',
tain things', such as eels and large liz-,
nrds. The women' are often .badly ,
marked and scarred from blows inflicted
by their spouses. As they do all .the" :
work, they ere considered valuable
property, and the savage is rich in pro-
portion to the number of wive) he poa- -sesses.
- "J ". -I
The natives employed by Professor
Lumholtz never made any secret of their
cannibalism and in the evenings about
the campfire it was the leading topic of.
their conversation. v Their greatest de
light is eating human flesh and the very
thought ot it makes their eyes sparkle, t
ot a dead foe as a delicacy, but often
carry a small piece of' it as an amulet, V"
hun? aro":'' ne"1- in a little basket.;
riney say mat tne wiute man s nean is-
salt and occasions nausea, which may be
due to diet, f : They consider a Chinaman'
as good tor eating as a black: man, bia
'food being chiefly vegetable. A y
j It has been ascertained within recent
years that cannibalism is a "much more',
common practice in the world than had
,hitherto been realized. Millions of na
tives of Africa are anthropophagi. Prob
bly the most peculiar exhibition of this
habit exists in certain mountainous dis
tricts of northeast Burmah, where there
are tribes which follow a life as' savage
as that of the Australian blacks, eating
the congealed blood of their enemies. '
The blood is poured into bamboo reeds,
corked up, and in course of time hardens.
The filled reeds are hung under the roof a
of the huts and when a person desires to
treat his friends very hospitably the reeda
are broken and the contents are de-
voured with the greatest relish. Wash
,ngtoa Star. r
: RN.
' The military prisoner makes his escape
in an unguarded moment.
Binx calls his doctor his biographer
for the reason that he is at work upon
his life.
You never can judge a man from his
appearance in a wedding suit. Hartford
Journal.
Samson was the first man on record to
fvfnrv rfinrn ha Kaiioa TTniAn . PAtinf w
Standard.
Out in Chicago they refer to the new
Columbian coins as their "better halves."
Statesmen. . "
The man who aspires to make a suc
cessful pickpocket should study free
hand drawing. " .. ." ,
Whenever there is any doubt about a
'dog's sanity an ounce of lead is worth a
pound of cure. Mercury.
'.' Men most liberal in their views'givs.
away their opinions freely before they ar
asked. Detroit Free Press. !
George Why do you frown upon
my suit!" Blaisie ''Because it's ready
made." New York Telegram, " -
' ; An upright judge needn't be ashamed
of his sentences even in the presence of
the strictest grammarians. Troy Pj33.
- It is fortunate for woman that she ha?
'a better aim in lif than ths onn shn
f&Vna )ln fVirrtTcino cf.nnn ti. Inmn
hen, New York Telegram. .
Ethel "They say the.Rev. Dr. Bishop
rehearses-all his, sermons beforehand."
: Clara That is quite right; he practices
what he preaches." The Club
; "That will do for the present," as the
yonng man remarked as he paid for a
box of cheap candy for his Bwcethoart's
birthday gilt. Philadelphia Record. ;
i He (proudly) "My love h&i. no end."
Bhe (quickly) "Hasn't it! Well, you
want to make a limit mighty quick. L t
it end with me and go no further.
' Vogue. ' .
The first Russian newspaper w:i9 pi:' -ished
in,1703. Peter th tire:,:, tc
j-eraonsl fart in its c'1:t! ! r-