THE .A.N EXCELLENT Official Organ of Washington County. FIRST OF ALL THE NEWS. ADVERTISING MEDIUM. Circulates extensively in the Counties t WasliiDlBn. Martin. TyrraH and Eaaafort, JsbPrlntlns In ItsYarlous Branchas l.OO A YEAR IK ADVANCE. " FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY, AND FOR TRUTH." SINQ1.E COPY, 5 CENTS. VOL. X. PLYMOUTH, N. C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 1899. NO. 48. POSTPONED. , ' Anyone at all familiar with farm life knows that when the old dog becomes blind, toothless and helpless, it is the sad but humane duty of the farmer to put an end to his Bufferings; it is generally done by taking htm off to the woods and shooting him. Al though the new dog quickly wins bis. place in our an"ecUons,tbe old is not soon forgotten, ud more than one story begins: "You remember how old Fide." Come along, old chap, yer time's 'bout up, We got another briudie pup; I 'lows its tough an' mighty hard, But a toothless dog's no good on guard. Bo trot along right after me. ' An? I'll put yen out o' yer misery. Now, quit yer waggln' that stumpy tall We aln t a-goin' fer rabbit er quail; 'Sides, you couldn't pint a bird no more, Yer old an' blind an' stiff an' sore, An' that's why I loaded the gun today Yer a-gittln' cross an' In the way. I been thlnkin' it over; 'taln't no tun. I don't like to do it, but it's got to be done; Got sort of a notion, you know, too, The kind of a job we re goin' to do, , Else why would yeh hang back that-a-way? Yeh ain't ez young ez yah once wuz, hey! Frisky dog In them days, I note, When yeh nailed the sneak thief by the ,, throat; Can't do that now, an' there ain't no need A-keepin' a dog that don't earn his feed. So yen got to make way for the brindle - pup; (tome along.old chap, yer time's 'bout up. HER FIRST ASSIGNMENT. 1 Tragic-Comic Experience of a Woman Reporter. E She had just come "out of the back woods" they told her when she mentioned the place. Of course she did uot call it "the back woods." She epoke of it reverently by the tender nauie of "home," and usually there 'sfrere tears in her eyes when she men tioned it. But no matter; it was not ,New York, therefore it was "the back woods," they told her when she asked for work. "What can you do?" asked the first editor, and he did not take the trouble to look up or to stop the pencil that was scrawling over the paper in front of him. "Anything you would give a woman to do," she answered. "Nothing," he said. "Good morning," she said. "Good morning," he said, surprised into looking up by her prompt depart ure, but she was gone. "Bring any stuff?" asked the next one. He was too busy to waste words. She handed him the little flat manu script silently. He fingered it a second. "I don't waut it," he said. "Thank you. Good afternoon," she said. "G'd afternoon," he said. For the next she had to mount to the eleventh story, and she looked dubiously at the sign in the little ante room: "We do not undertake to preserve or return unsolicited manu script." ' But when the editor came out he looked at her really as if he saw her. "I'm awfully sorry," he said, "but just now there isn't a thing in sight. Let me hare , your address, and if I hear of anything I'll be glad to give it to you. " Of course she knew what that meant, but still she was grateful for the cour tesy. In her part of "the back woods" people had time to be courteous, and this man left a pleasant memory that made her almost hopeful of the next. "What you want to do," the next one said, and he was very nice about it, "is to get a place on a magazine; T wouldn't advise you to go in for newspaper work. What you want is a magazine." "What I want, yes," she saiJ, smil ing, "but probably not what I can get." ' He smiled, too, very pleasantly, but still he did not quite like her correct ing his grammar. The next chanced M be rosy and round and bald. He 2s reading a note when she went in, f nd he held it in his hand while she alked. Presently it reminded him of something, i "Why, the very thing," he said, briskly. "Here's a note from my wife. Just reading it when you catne in. Quite a coincidence, surely. You eee, my wife has a friend who's a er literary lady, gives talks, lectures, or some such things. Now, this er literary lady is going over into Jer sey, to Orange, in fact, to give a talk before a club there, the Ultra Matrons, you know, and my wife ' wants me to tseld somebody over to report it. But, of course, I couldn't do that, you know." He looked up over his glasses as if he needed confirmation, doubtless Heause he was defying his wifely in structions, so she mildly said: "No."" "Of course not," he went on.having taken heart of grace from her approv al. "Of course I can't send anybody out of the office for that, but my wife says," he hesitated a moment, then broke off with: "Now.how would you like to run over and do this lecture for us? Not much in it for you, of course; we couldn't use more than a stick at the outside; but better start at that than at nothing. It's the open ing wedge you want, you know. What do you say? Let's see; round trip ticket t jJrange would cost you 50 cents; lulu ways on the elevated, ten; ( Jkat's 60. Not much in it for you. Wht ar? Win von do it, or Dot? We'll travel along at an easy jog Course, you don't know, bein' only a dog; But I can mind when you wuz sprier, 'Wakia' us up when the barn caught Are It don't seem possible, yet I know That wuz close onto fifteen year ago. My, but yer hair wuz long and thick When yeh pulled little Hally out o' the crick, An' it came in handy that night in the storm, We coddled to keep each other warm. Purty good dog, I'll admit but, say, What's the use o' talk in', yeh bad yer day. I'm hopln' the children won't hear the crack, Er what'll I say when I git back? They'd be askln' questions.I know their talk, An' I'd have to lie 'bout a chicken hawk; But the sound won't carry beyond this hill; All done in a minute don't bark, stand still, t There,that'll do; steady.quit lickln' my hand. What's wrong with this gun, I can't under stand; I'm jest ez shaky ez I can be Must be the agey's the matter with me. An' that stitch in the back what! gllten' old, too? The dinner bell's ringin' fer me an' you. Charles E. Baer, in Philadelphia Fres3. "I'll do it, thank you," she said. "That's good," he said, folding up the note in a relieved sort of way. "Thank you. I'll tell my wife." "See here," he said, as she was leaving, "better take this card and call for the literary lady in the morn ing and go down with her. She'll put you through." She thought he looked like a cherub; she lived to learn he was a prophet. She took the card, had herself awak ened early the next morning and called for the literary lady at the hour ap pointed. She wasn't up; call again, the boy brought back the message. She called again. Literary lady had de cided not to go so ear y; call again. She called , again. Literary lady was dressing; would be down. She waited. Literary lady came by and by in a great rush. "So glad you are going with me," she said, and then raced her to the el evated station till both were fairly out of breath. They regained it.however, on the way down to Christopher street and started on a fresh race to the ferry. The gate was closed, so the literary lady walked up and down im patiently and finally bought a paper at the newsstand just as the gate opened. When they had found seats on the boat she unfolded the paper and turned to the woman's page. The first thing that caught her eye was her own name. "I see I'm to lecture before the Ultras," she said, smiling. "Good graciousl" she broke off suddenly. "What is it?" "Why, gracious me," said the liter acy lady, "the notice says there will be a reception after the lecture, and look at this gown! That's what they meant when they kept telling me to dress up! A reception in this thing!" It was only a plain tailor gown. "Gracious! I wonder if they told me and I forgot?" The young woman felt quite sure she had forgot, but she didn't dare say so. "What would you do?" asked the literacy lady. "What can yon do?" asked the girl. "Nothing," said the literary lady. "Then I'd try not to care," said the girl, philosophically. The literary lady evidently tried not to care, but she failed, and her face bore a careworn look. When they were seated on the train the girl thought she had "forgotten, but she had not. "I'll tell you," said the literary lady, grabbing her arm, "I am sorry to trouble you, but I'll have to get you to go back for my gown. . I simply can't attend an Ultra reception in this. I know I forgot. But you must go back and take a later train over, the next if you can. My satin skirt is in the bottom bureau drawer; the waist is in my trunk; it isn't locked. Hurry, you must get it for me." The train was beginning to move, but she followed the girl to the rear platform and called to her as 6he jumped oS': "My room is second to the left on the third floor." The girl was almost convulsed with laughter at the humor of the situation. She caught the ferryboat back, but had to wait at Fifty-ninth street for a Sixth avenue elevated. When she got to the house she pushed the bell fran tioftll', but got no response. -Once, twice, thrice again, but still no an swer. Moments were precious. Final ly some ladies opened the door and went out. The girl seized the oppor tunity and went in. There was no one insight. She went upstairs and to the second room on the left, third floor. She knocked dubiously, not knowing whom or what she should find. No response. She opened the door and entered. Books and papers everywhere; evidently this was the literary lady's room. She found the eatin skirt in the drawer without any trouble, but had to light the gas to look in the trunk. Beside, there were two trunks, and there was no way of knowiug which. Suddenly it occurred to her the possibility that someone might come in, discover her prowling and mistake her for a thief. There was not a person in the house who knew her. She rang the bell, meaning to explain to the maid. Then the im possibility of being able to explain to a maid who had never seen her sug gested itself, and she locked the door. That very act made her feel like a thief, and she crept about stealthily, fearful half lest the maid should not come, half lest she should. She waited breathlessly; no one came. After much searching she found the -waist and made up the package in a newspaper. There was not a bit of string anywhere, so she snipped off the curtain cord and tied it up. Now, the question of making an exit was an important one. Surely she could not get away with that big bundle without being seen, but get away she must. It suddenly came to her that she might be mistaken either for a laundress or a sewing woman, and in that hope she opened the door, but in spite of her self she could not keep from feeling guilty and trying to steal out noise lessly. When she got to the door it seemed as if she could not get it open, and when the outer one slammed to noisily behind her she thought surely discovery was at hand, and she could not restrain herself from running down the steps and, indeed, to the ele vated station at the corner. If a voice had by any chance cried "Stop, thief," she would have collapsed. She even glanced furtively around at the people on the car. What if that harmless looking little man in the corner should turn out to be a detective? Beally she could not compose herself. For one thing her bundle was too big, and for another she feared she would miss her train. W7heu she got off the ele vated she looked behind to see if the little man in the corner was following her. She bought a ticket to cross the ferry and asked the time of the next train to Orange. "Do you want a ticket to OraDge?" the man at the window asked. "No, I have one," she said. "Then why don't you cross the ferry on it?" he asked. She felt that he suspected her and snatched her bundle and ran. When at last she was seated on the train, with the big bundle in her lap, feeling fairly comfortable for the first time, her eyes fell to scauning the newspaper that inclosed the precious gown. Suddenly they were caught by the notice of the lecture. Heavens! It was to be at 2. 30, and she was then on the 1.30 train. She had never been to Orange before; she knew no one; she had no idea where the liter ary lady was to be found. If she was not at the station to meet her, all was lost. She lo ked out eagerly when the conductor called her station, but the literary lad;.- was not to be seen. She struggled across the platform with her bundle. "Drive me to the club," she said desperately to the cabman who came to her assistance. "What club?" he asked. "The Ultras," she said. "Oh, the hall," he aswered.and she thought she was saved. She pictured vaguely the consterna tion she would create by bursting into the hall in the midst of the lecture possibly, but by this time she was physically exllausted and mentally blank. She paid the cabman intuitive ly and had started up the stairway be fore which he had stopped when she thought she heard voices calling and a heavy step running toward her. At last she wa3 pursued. But save the gown she must and would. Spring ing up the stairway she burst open the door into the hall. The platform was empty, but there was a noisy hum of expectancy running through the crowd. At first she heard nothing distinctly. Then a heavy hand was laid on her shoulder, and a voice be hind her said: "Give me your bundle, miss." She looked up at the blue coated policeman, who had come up behind, and fell in a faint at his feet. When she revived she was lying on a rug in a little white plastered room. The window was open, the cold snow-laden air from without was blowing on her, and a sweet-faced, gentle woman was bending over her, holding a bottle of smelling salts to her nose. "Are you the matron?" she asked, feebly. "The what?" asked the woman. "The matron?" "No." She waited a moment. "Then were you put in, too?" she said. "In what':" the woman asked. "In priso )," she said, shudder iag. - "Why, this isn't a prison, child," the woman said with a smile. "Why did you think you were in prison, pray?'" "For stealing that gown," said the girl. "Why, you didn't steal the gown, did you?" And the womau burst out laughing. . "No, but I thought they thought I had, and the policeman arrested me." 'How very funny," the woman said, still laughing. "Why, he was only ccttinc the sown to take to the liter- ary lady, who was waiting at the mil liner's across the way to put it on. She saw you come and got him to run after you. But how very funny." "But where's the gown now?" the girl asked. "Why, the lady has it on and is speaking away; don't you hear her?" "Thea for heaven's sake let me get out and report her," said the girl, struggling to her feet. "Not before you've had this cup of chocolate and a sandwich," the woman said, putting them before her. "I am hungi-y," she said. "Of course you are; that's why you fainted." When she went out by and by and saw the literary lady in all her glory "arrayed like one of these," she felt repaid for her excitement over the gown. That night when she got back to town she took iu her "stick" to the office, and credit for that amount was duly given her on the books. But somehow one of the men in the office had gottea hold of the adventure, so he made a full column story about it, with a picture of her with her big bundle just as she fell at the police man's feet. So, to put it mildly, her fortune was made. Philadelphia Times. HE LOST HIS PENCILS. But the Iteporter Wrote Hi Story with an Electric Lie tit I'ulb. 'Did I ever tell you about the time that I wrote a story with an incan descent light bulb?" said the police reporter to a few of his professional friends. "No? Well, it's a fact, just the same, and all I had to write with was one of these glass globes." The hearers moved uneasily and one was heard to sa something about taking another draw. The police re porter was undaunted, however, and went on: "This is no pipe dream. I was working on the Brooklyn Eagle and had been sent down to a small inter ior town on one of the 'hottest' stories you ever heard about double murder with a good mystery end dead peo ple both prominent, and suspected murderer a prominent citizen. "I pulled into the station at exactly 11 o'clock and of course went into the station, the only telegraph office in the town, to tell the operator that I'd have some 'stuff' to file not later than 1 o'clock in the morning. Hewas an agreeable fellow, and he said he would go home and get two hours' sleep and be back iu time to handle my story. I jumped ia the towii and in an hour was back to the telegraph office, which the operator had left open for me. "I peeled off my coat and vest and sat down to write the crime story of my life. My hand sought my upper vest pocket, where I carried my pen cils, and, jumping Jupiter! I had lost every one of them. I remembered that I hal them a little while before when taking some notes, but they were gone now. "I then began to gaze around the office. The operator had plenty of ink, but nary a pen or pencil could I find. I was in a beautiful hole. Within an hour of filing time and uot a thing to write with. I just thought and thought, and in doing so hap pened to look again at the operator's desk. There lay a pad of 4hia paper and betweeu the first and second sheets was a piece of carboii paper. The way out of my difficulty came to me like a flash. "In the little office were three iu candescent lamps. I turned the key and put out one, unscrewed it, and in auolher moment had the pad of papor with its carbon sheet in front of me. At the big eud of the bulb was a pro truding point of glasc I took the globe in my hand, holding it like a stylus, and marked on the top sheet: 'The Eagle, Brooklyn, N. Y.' Imag ine my joy when I lifted the upper carbon paper to fin4 that it had taken the impression perfectly. Then I went to work audat 1 o'clock when the op erator arrived, had a starter for him of a thousand words." "Did you fihish the story that way?" was asked. "Yes. The operator offered me writing material, but the noveliy of the thing had taken hold of me. So I ran the other 1500 words out. in the same way." "Then, " drawled the court recorder, "you waked up." Atlauta Constitu tion. Left Ills Daushter in the' Well George Smith of Blaine, Me., while drawing water for his cows, lost a tiu pail iu the well. He had let his eldest daughter, a girl of 17, into the well by a line to recover the pail, when he saw that his cattle had entered a field of potatoes that had been newlj poisoned. Iu his desire to save his cows from death he forgot all about his daughter When he came back half an hour later she had wejt her self into convulsions and was making a desperate effort to cling to the stones in the well to escape drowning. Smith has promise 1 her an $85 organ if . she will atop talking about the event New York Sun. Tetnienee rv and Skill. A Gil-s county citizen is reported to have carried a bushel of eggs in a meal sack ou horseback, to AspenHi 1 without breaking au egg. NashVille (Tenn.) Banner. 7 THE BOERS AT PRAYER. Their Army on Its Knees Before Going Into Action. An Englishman who accompanied the Boer army under General Joubert in the recent campaign against M'Pef u, chief of the Makatese, in the north eastern part of the Transvaal, gives some interesting details of the Boer military organization and other mat ters. The commando under General Joubert was the largest ever assem bled in the Transvaal, numbering with the native allies nearly 10,000 men. This force was divided into five laagers, each under its commandant. The first impression of a Boer army, the writer say?, is not flattering. There is no appearance of order and the men are not uniformed, which is in striking contrast with the regular armies of other countries. But the apparent absence of discipline is on the surface. Commandos are made up of burghers drawn from various districts, each man considering himself on au equali ty with any other. They are only subject to orders from their own dis trict commandants, who in turn are responsible to the general. In the field all fare alike, the commissariat knowing no distinctions. The only regulars are the state artillery drawn from the sons of buFghers, and paid about $2 a day. " One of the principal features of the Boer laagers in the campaign was the religious exercises each eveuing, when the men v would assemble under their leaders for prayer, concluding with the singing of their battle hymn, "Bust myn ziel, nev God is Ivoning" (Rest my soul, your God is King.) War, with the Boeis, is considered a religious duty and enforced by the state only in self defence. The night before the storming of M'Pefu's strong-, hold, in the Magato mountains, a united prayer meeting was held of all the laagers under the personal leadership of General Joubert, and the scene is described as singularly impressive. The day following, the Makatese position was carried with only trifling loss, after the Kraals had been subjected to a heavy artillery fire; and the remainder of the cam paign was pushed with such vigor that several of the chiefs, with their men, surrendered, and MTefu, with about 10,003 followers Jtook refuge in Mas honalanJ, iu Rhodesia, across the Limpopo river. The victory of the Boers was complete and was a signal t:inmph for General Joubert, the Ma gato mountains having been considered impregnable and the strongest nat ural fastnesses in South A rlca. Of General Joubert himself, known among his meiK as Slim Piet, the writer says he has been uniform ly successful, notwitstanding that his detractors have proved to their own satisfaction, times without num ber, that he has neither military talents, courage, nor backbone. That may be, he says, because of his ap pearance on the field of battle, which is not impressive, his costume during the Magato campaign Laving been a tweed suit with a tail coat. But nei ther the general nor his men care for externals, and although their clothes would hardly excite the envy of a self-respecting tramp, they do excel lent work in them. CALIFORNIA'S OLIVE OIL. An Infant Industry That Adds Greatly to Her Wealth. The olive oil industry, is likely soon to attract attention and add greatly to the wealth of California. It is now in its infaucy. The young orchards are just beginning to bear, and as they show large profits many people are going into the business. There are now about 30, 000 acres of land devoted to olives, and one-third of it is in bearing. We import from Italy and Spain about 1,000,000 gallons of olive oil annually. There is a popular belief that much of it is cottonseed oil, sent over from this country for adultera tion and brought back in bottles bear ing Italian labels. But the rapid de velopmeut of the oliva oil industry in California will soon make .this unnec essary. Italy markets 70,000,000 gal lons of oil, valued at $120,000,000, annually, and the product of Spain is not much less. Last year the ship ments from California amounted to 50 cars in bulk. This year they will be nearly double, and when all the groves in southern California come into bear ing and the superiority aud purity of the American oil become known the industry will assume great impor tance. But the olive oil growers are meeting with the same prejudice that was formerly felt against California wines. People were persistent in their preference for the adulterated logwood and vinegar concoctions that were imported from France rather than the pure grape juice from California, and even now more California wines are sold iu London thau in any city in the United States. The olive was introduced into Cali fornia by the Franciscan friars, the first tree being planted at the San Diego mission about the middle of the last century. The Californians like the natural or black olhes, which they consider as au article of food rather than a relish. When ripe all olives are purple black, but the curing proc ess cau fix that color or cbr.nge it to tbe familiar shade of ci ee l that is oor.t by imported fruit. Tke yield of an olive tree varia with its age. When eight years old it will produce about 100 pounds of. olives, from which about one and one-half gallons of oil may be extracted. HIS NOVEL POINT OF VIEW. - Thought One Lang Made Him a Bettei - Insurance Klik. The young man was either an opti mist or the possessorsof a Harveyized steel armor-plated nerve. Perhaps ha was a little of both. A short time ago he came to the conclusion that he would like to in sure his life. With this object in view he made application to a prominent company. After filling outj the neces sary blank he received an invitation to call opon the medical officer of the company and undergo the usual physi cal examination. In due course h presented himself at the office of the examining physician. Bequesting the young man to le move his coat and vest the doctor pro duced a stethoscope and began his ex amination. All at once he stopped and regarded the candidate with an expression of alarm. "Young man," he said, "do yoV think you can bear a shock?" "Oh, I guess so," was the cheerful resposo. "Fire away aud let me hear the worst." "Yon have only one lung!" an nounced the doctor solemnly. "Well, what of that?" retorted the candidate, with the utmost composure. "I never told you I had any more, did I? "What!" exclaimed the doctor, "do you mean to say you were aware o your condition?" "Of course Iwai. Do you suppose a man could have only one lung with out being aware of the fact?" "And yet," said the doctor, "you apply to a respectable company for a policy of life insurance. Do you ex pect to get it?" "I csrtaiuly do. Not only that, but I think I ought to get it at a substan tial reduction in the premium." "Upon what ground, may I ask?" "Upon the ground that having only one lung I am 50 per cent, less liable to contract consumption than if I had two lungs." New York World. How Jones Beat a Rival. A reporter named Jones, on a daily in St Loui, was detailed to inter view the governor of another state, who had slipped into the city on a secret political mission. He learned to his disgust that Jackson, the star , reporter of a rival sheet, was on to the fact and proposed to call in an hour. -Acting on inspiration, he sent up a card bearing Jackson's name, and was promptly admitted. ..-'..-. When he had learned all he wanted, , he asked with gross and intentional impudence, whether the information was really true. The governor turned purple. "D'y question my word?" he said. "Oh, don't get gay!" replied Jones, angrily; "common governors cut uo ice with my office." The old man foamed at the mouth. "You insolent scoundrel," he roared, "get out of my rooms!" That was exactly what Jones want ed, and he went. Presently Jackson showed. up. "Here, boy," he said pompously, "take my card to the governor. ':: When the old man lookeil at fha pasteboard he nearly expired. . "The blankety-blanked infamous villain !" he spluttered; "I never heard of such ef frontry in my life! Tell that miscreant , if he or anybody else from his infernal paper comes up here I'll kill 'em!" - The word was carried to Jr.ckson who went away raving. Next day his paper intimated the governor was in town on a bender. Jones' paper had a capital interview and a big "scoop." "Jahart" iu the Argonaut. The Air Cnre. "It's queer to me," said a healthy looking citizen, "that more people don't take the air cure. There's nothing like a breath of fresh air; it is delightful and refreshing, uplifting and invigorating, stimulating aud ex alting, and without a iy depression, and all this is absolutely free. There are far more people now than ever be fore in this cenntry that goin for out door sports, for bicycling and all that sort of thing, and so get the fresh air; but there are many left who do not give themselves the benefit of it as they might. It isn't necessary for a man to have a bicycle or a xhorse or a steam yacht to enable him to take the , air cure; such helps, of course, might make it easier to take, but they are not essential. '"It can be" taken effectively walking; aud there ia nothing like it. Air might not heal a broken lg, but formMiy ills'-of mind and body it will be found. a sovereign remedy. "New York Sun., A Wester n Society Notice. Here are soaie extracts from a rather odd marriage notice which appeared in the Stockton News; "Miss Delia Hill is married. Her husband is a traveling man of considerable means, and she does not have to labor, not even to make her own bed. Her hus band is some yoirs older thau she is. and weighs 2"6 pouud. Their Lo ne ia iu Louisville, Ky. They were mar ried iu la isiiH ity, Misa Hill's frieuds hore will all re;oic3. Kansas City Journal.