McCook weekly tribune., October 30, 1884, Image 6

About McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886

Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE

                
J
CLOUD T llfD.
Somo'whcro , the legends say , thcro lies a land
Older than silent Egypt , wlioso dim coast
Ko human foot baa trod , no oyc has scanned ;
Where never mariner was tempest-tossed ;
Nor pllgiim furod along tbo lonely strand.
And where In brimming cistern hyaline.
Flasbcs.tho Fountain of Eternal Youth ,
Whereof who drinks shall know not any sign
Of fading cheek or palsy-parched mouth.
Or age's long slow langor and decline.
Some say beyond the sunset's latest ray.
Far down the ocean's azure brink It lies :
And of times I have seen at close of day
Strange semblances , rcllccted In the skies ,
In cloudy pageant soon dissolved away.
Domes
Vistas o . ,
Dusk forest solitudes and pastoral dales ;
Sweet haunts of quietness and pleasant
dreams.
Surely the old belief was not In vain !
There must bo ultimate , divine repose ,
And love thatdicth not and end of pain :
But none have found beyond the twilight's
close
The hidden highway to that dim domain.
Yet the relentless turmoil and unrest ,
The inborn , feverous craving and the strife ,
The winged spirit , prisoned and oppressed ,
Urgeus tlll onward toward the ideal life ,
II Onward forever In untiring quest.
LLlpplncott's Magazine.
THE LIGHTNING ROD MAN.
What grand * irregular thunder ,
thought I , standing on my hearth-stone
among the Acroceraunian hills , as the
scattered bolts boomed overhead , and
crashed down among the valleys , every
bolt followed by zigzag irradiations ,
and swift slants of sharp rain , which
audibly rang , like a charge of spear-
points , on my low shingled roof. I sup
pose , though , that the mountains here
abouts break and churn up the thunder
so that it is far more glorious here than
on the plain. Hark ! some one at the
door. Who is this that chooses a time
of thunder for making calls ? And why
don't he , manfashion , use the knocker ,
instead of making that doleful under
takers1 clatter with his fist against the
panel ? But let him in. Ah , here he
comes. "Good day , sir , " an entire
stranger. "Pray be seated. " What is
that strange looking walking-stick he
carries ; "A fine thunder storm , sir. "
"Fine awful ! "
"You arc wet. Stand here on the
hearth before the fire. "
"Not for worlds. "
The stranger still stood in the exact
middle of the cottage where he had first
planted himself. His singularity im
pelled a closer scrutiny. A lean ,
gloomy figure. His dark and lank
mattedly hair streaked over his brow.
His sunken pitfalls of eyes were ranged
with indigo halos , and played with an \
innocuous sort of lightning. He stood
in a puddle on the bare oak floor ; his ii p
strange walking stick resting at his iitl
side. li
It was a polished copper rod , four liS
feet lengthwise attached to a neat wood
en staff by insertion into two balls of ti
greenish glass , ringed with copper
bands. The metal rod terminated at
the top tripodwise in three tines , is
brightly gilt. He held the thing by the
wooden part alone.
"Sir , " said I , bowing politely , "have
I the honor of a visit from that illustri fe
ous god , Jupiter Tonans ? So stood he ti ;
in the Greek statue of old , grasping the cl
lightning bolt. If you be he or his vice cly
roy , I have to thank you for the noble
storm you have brewed among our
mountains. Listen : That was a glori ca
ous peal. Ah , to a lover of the majes cam
tic it is a good thing to have the Thun at
derer himself in one's cottage. The a
thunder grows finer for that. But pray
be seated. This old rush-bottomed w
arm-chair , I grant , is a poor substitute of
for your evergreen throne on Olympus ; sh
but , condescend to be seated. " th
"While I thus pleasantly spoke , the
stranger eyed me half in wonder , and
half in a strange sort of horror , but did D )
not move hand or foot.
"Do sir , be seated ; you need to be an
dried ere going forth again. " ba
I planted the chair invitingly on the bami
broad hearth , where a little fire had miwi
been kindled that ; afternoon to dissipate wi
the dampness , not the cold , for it was of
early in the month of September.
But without heeding my solicitations , tel
and still standing in the middle of the in
floor ; the stranger gazed at me porten- of
tiously and spoke ; hoSt
"Sir , " said he , "excuse me ; but in
stead of my accepting your invitation St
to be seated on the hearth there , I sol cuWJ
emnly warn you that you had best ac WJ
cept mine and stand with me in the du
middle of the room. Good heavens ! " th
lie cried , starting "there is another Tlmi
one of those horrible crashes. I warn mi
you , sir , quit the hearth. "
"Mr. Jupiter Tonans , " said I , quietly wl
rolling my body on the stone , "I stand of
very well here. " ofwl
"Are horribly then " wl
you so ignorant ,
he cried , "as not to know that by far
the most dangerous part of a house
during such a terrific tempest as this , is sa
" CO
!
a fire-place
"Nay , I did not do that , " involunta
rily stepping upon the first board next
to the stone.
The stranger now assumed such an nrMl
unpleasant air of successful admoni
tion , that quite involuntarily again I of
stepped back upon the hearth and yo
threw myself into the erectest , proudest roi
position I could command. But I said ov
nothing. Sp
"For heaven's sake , " he cried , with
a strange mixture of alarm and intimi lie
dation "for heaven's sake , get off the roi
hearth ! Know you not that the heated
air and soot are conductors , to say wi
nothing of those immense fire-dogs ? be
Quit the spot 1 conjure I command ty-
you. " pa
"Mr. Jupiter Tonans , I am not ac yomi
customed to be commanded in my own mi
house. "
"Call me not by that pagan name.
You are profane in this time of terror. " wn
. "Sir , will you be so good as to tell fro
me your business ? If you seek shelter me
from the storm , you are welcome so
long as you be civil , but if you come on sai
business , open it forthwith. Who are str
you ? "
"I am a denier in lightning-rods , "
said the stranger , softening his voice ; flai
"my especia ' business is Merciful (
heaven ! what a crash ! Have you ever cal
been struck your premises I mean ? chi
No ? It's best to be provided" signifi plu
cantly rattling his metallic staff on the "
floor "by nature there 'are no castles ear
in thunder storms ; yet say but the cor
word and this cottage I can make a seli
Gibraltar by a few waves of this wand.
Hark , what Himalayas of concussions ! "
"You interrupted yourself ; * your
special business you were about to
speak of. "
"My special business is to travel the
country for orders for lightning rods.
This is " his
my specimen-rod ; tapping
staff "I have the "
; best of references"
fumbling in his pockets. "In Griggan ,
last month , I put up three and thirty
rods on only live buildings. "
"Let me see. Was it not at Griggan
last week , about midnight on Saturday
that the steeple , the big elm , and the
assembly room cupola was struck.
Any of your rods there ? "
"Not on the tree and cupola , but on
the steeple. "
"Of what use is your rod , then ? "
"Of life and death use. But my
workman was heedless. In fitting the
rod at the top to the steeple , he allowed
a part of the metal to graze the tin
sheeting. Hence the accident. Not
my fault but his. Hark ! "
"Never mind. That clap burst quite
loud enough to be heard without finger
pointing. Did you hear of the event at
Montreal last year ? A servant girl
struck dead at her bedside with a rosary
in her hand ; the beads being metal.
Does your beat extend into the Cana-
das ? "
"No. And I hear that there iron
rods only are in use. They should have
mine , which are copper. Iron is easily
fused. Then they draw out the rod so
slender that it is not body enough to
conduct the full current. The metal
melts , the building is destroyed. My
copper rods never act so. Those Cana
dians arc fools. Some of them knob
the rods at the top , which risks a deadly
explosion , instead of imperceptibly
carrying down the current into the
earth , as this rod does. Mine is the
only tme rod. Look at it. Only one
dollar a foot. "
"This abuse of in
your calling an
other might make one distrustful with
respect to yourself. "
"Hark ! The thunder becomes less .
muttering. It is nearing us , and nearing -
ing the earth , too. Hark ! One cram
med crash ! All the vibrations made
one by nearness. Another flash !
Hold ! "
" What do you ? " I said , seeing him
now , instantaneously relinquishing his
staff , lean intently forward towards the
window , with his right fore and middle
finger on his left wrist.
But ere the words had well escaped
me another exclamation escaped him.
"Crash ! only three pulses less than s
a third of a mile off yonder , some
where in the wood. I passed three
oaks there , ripped out new and glitter
ing. The oak draws lightning more
than other timber , having iron in so Sif
lution in its sap. Your floor there f
seems oak. " l
"Heart of oak. From the peculiar lb ld
time of your call upon me , I suppose b
you purposely select stormy weather T
for your journeys. When the thunder lia
roaring you deem it an hour peculiar a
ly favorable to your trade. "
V'Hark awful ! " ai
"For one who would arm others with fr
'earlessness you seem unbeseemingly frai
imersome : yourself. Common men ai
hoose fair weather for their travels ;
rott choose thunder storms and yet " st
"That I travel in thunder storms , I
jrant ; but not without particular pre- sv
sautions , such as only a lightning-rod ai
nan may know. Hark ! Quick look P
my specimen rod. Only one dollar re
foot. " or >
"A very fine rod , I dare say. But ai
diat ] are these particular precautions Ih
yours ? Yet let me first close yonder at
hutters ; the slanting rain is beaLing ne
hrough the sash. I will bar up. " th
"Are you mad ? Know you not that in
on iron bar is a swift conductor ? th
osist. " pi
I will simply close the shutters then ,
nd call my boy to bring me a wooden sti
ar. Pray , touch the bell pull there. " ra
"Are you frantic ? That bell wire in
light blast you. Never touch a bell
rire in a thunder storm , nor ring a bell th
any sort. " ey
"Nor those in belfries ? Pray will you ni
ell me where and how one may be safe tri
a time like this ? Is there any part
my house that I may touch with It
opes of my life ? " nii
"There is ; but not where you now ell
Land. Come away from the wall. The
urrent will sometimes run down a sp
rail , and a man being a better con- ne
uctor than the wall it would leave liv
lie ( wall and run into him. Swoop ! tir
'hat must have fallen very nigh. That fei
lust have been globular lightning. "
"Very probably. Tell me at once
rhich , in your opinion , is the safest part
this house ? "
m
"This room and this one spot in it
WJ
rherelstand. Come "
hither. of
"The reasons first. "
fa.
"Hark ! after the flash the gust the
pu
ashes quiver the house , the house ! sh
ome hither to me ! "
"The reasons if you please. " Fe
"Come hither . "
to me. tic
"Thank you again , I think I will try tiq
ay old stand , the hearth. And now COpe
Ir. Lightning-rod man , in the pauses
pe
the thunder , be so good as to tell me so
our reasons for esteeming this one
oorn of the house the safest , and your th
wn one standpoint there the safest
pot ; in it. " of
There was now a little cessation of
no
storm for awhile. The lightning- dr
od man seemed relieved , and replied : frc
"Your house is a one-storied house , qu
ith an attic and a cellar ; this room is frc
etween. Hence its comparative safe- me
. Because lihtnin sometimes tin
asses from the earth to the cloud. Do pe
ou comprehend ? and I choose the fa :
riddle of the room , because if the Fe
ghtning should strike the house at all me
would come down the chimney or of f
alls ; so obviously the further you are tra
om them , the better. Come hither to of f
, now. "
"Presently. Something you just feu
iid , instead of alarming me , has ser ;
rangely inspired confidence. " at k
"What have I said ? " the
"You said that sometimes lightning km
ishcd from the earth to the clouds. clo
"Aye , the returning stroke , as it is tlii
tiled ; when the earth , being over- the
mrged with the fluid , flashes its sur- the
us upward. " hoi
"The returning stroke ; that is , from as
Lrth to sky. Better and better. But aswh
ime here on the hearth and dry vour- wit
. " un :
"I am bettor here and better wet. "
"How ? "
"It is the safest thing you can do-
Hark , again ! to get yourself thorough
ly drenched in a thunder-storm. Wet
clothes are better conductors than the
body ; and so , if the lightning strikes ,
it might pass down the wet clothes
without touching the body. The storm
deepens agafn. Have you a nig in the
house ? Rugs are non-conductors. Get
one that I may stand on it here , and
you , too. The skies blacken it is
dusk at noon. Hark ! the rug , the
rug ! "
I gave him one ; while the hooded
mountains seem closing and tumbling
in the cottage.
"And now , since our being dumb will
not help us , " said I , resuming my
place , "let me hear your precautions in
traveling during thunder storms. "
"Wait until this one has passed. "
"Nay , proceed with the precautions.
You stand in the safest possible place
according to your own account. Go
on. "
"Briefly then. I avoid pine trees ,
high houses , lonely barns , upland pas
tures , running waters , flocks of cattle
and sheep , a crowd of men. If I travel
lead the horse. But of all things , I
avoid tall men. "
"Do I dream ? Man avoid man ? and
in time of danger too ? "
"Tall men in a thunder storm I
avoid. Are you so grossly ignorant as
not i to know that the height of a. six-
footer i is sufficient to discharge an elec
tric 1 cloud upon him ? Are not lonely
Kentuckians ] plowing , smit down in the
unfinished furrow ? Nay , if the six-
if
footer stand by running water , the
cloud will sometimes select him as its
conductor tothatrunning water. Hark !
Sure your back -pinnacle is split. Yes-
a man is a good conductor. The light
ning goes through a man , but only
peals a tree. But , sir , you have kept
.me talking for so long answering your
questions .1c that I have not yet
come to business. Will yon order
one of my rods ? Look at
this specimen one. See , it is the best
of copper. Copper's the best conduc
tor. Your house is low , but being on
the mountains that lowness does not
one whit depress it. You mountaineers
are most exposed. In mountainous
countries the lightning-rod man should
have the most business. Look over
these : recommendations. Only one rod ,
sir ; cost only twenty dollars. Hark !
There go all the granite Taconics and
Hoosics dashed together like pebbles.
By the sound , that must have struck
something : . An elevation of five feet
Sia I
above the house will protect twenty
feet about the rod. Only twenty dollars
lars , sir a "dollar a foot. Hark !
dreadful ! Will you order ? Will you
buy ? Shall I put down your name ?
Think of being a heap of charred offal , eih
like a haltered horse burnt in his stall ; eici
and : all in one flash ! " ciw
"You cim
pretended envoy extraordinary
ind minister plenipotentiary to and m
trom Jupiter Tonans , " laughed I ; "you a
mere man who come here to put you Dlai
md your pipe stem between clay and ai
iky , do you think that because you can tcw ;
strike a bit of green light from the Leyden tcw
ar , that you can thoroughly avert the w
late
iiipernal bolt ? Your rod fusts or breaks
md where are you ? Who has em- to . ;
jowered < you , you Tetzel , to peddle
ound your indulgences from divine
rdinafions ? The hairs of our head ,
ire numbered , and the days of otir
ives. In thunder as in sunshine I stand y ,
ease in the hands of my God. False in
icgotiators away ! See , the scroll of
he storm is rolled back. The house is m
mharmed ; and in the heavens I read in
th
he rainbow , that the Diety will not , on
mrpose , make war on man's earth. " ro
"Impious wretch ! " foamed the
tranger , blackening in the face as the
ainbow beamed , "I will publish your * '
nfidel notions. " .
The scowl grew blacker on his face ; Sli
he indigo circles enlarged around his at
yes as the storm rings round the mid- be
Jght < moon. He sprang upon me , his bl
ri-fork thing at my heart.
wean
"I seized it ; I snapped it ; I dashed it ;
an
trod it ; and dragging the dark light siz
ing king out of my door , flung his fa.
Ibowed copper spectre after him.
bl (
But , in spite of my treatment , and
pite of my dissuasive talk of him to my
eighbors , the lightning rod man still
Ives in the land ; still travels in storm
br
ime , and drives a brave trade with the
of
sars of men.
CO
An Historic Spot at Auction. an
It is ninety years since the govern- mine
icnt , purchased Harper's Ferry , and noPe
rith it 640 acres of land , from the state
Virginia , to be used for the manu-
acture . of arms. It is to be sold at Po
ublic auction by the government
hortly. In 1794 , during the adrninis-
ration of Gen. Washington , Harper's
'erry was chosen as the site of a na- both
ional armory. It is said that this selcc-
iqn was made by the father of his th
ountry , he having visited the place in as
erson. The water power is immense , fo :
erne : supposing it to be the finest in in
lie ! world. In 1794 congress applied to It
lie general assembly of Virginia for me
ermission to buy this property , and siv
course permission was granted , but ob
ot to exceed 640 .
acres. One hun- the
red and twenty acres were purchased
the heirs of . prj
om Harper. A subse- br ;
uent purchase was made of 310 acres in
orn a Mr. Rutherford. The govern- rat
icnt , desiring to secure the valuable ]
mber of London Heights , leased in iti
erpetuity : 1,395 acres from Lord Fair- isti
, immediately joining Harper's ma
erry. Thus prepared , the govern- the
icnt at once set to work the erection dal
shops. In 1799 , during the adminis-
p we
ation of John Adams in
, anticipation tal
war with France , the government
rganized a considerable army for de- ani
mse. A portion of the forces was bra
nt , under Gen. Pinckney , ' into camp bo (
this place , and the ridge on which
one
tey were stationed has ever since been
asc
aown as Camp Hill. When the war am
osed many of the soldiers settled at
one
place. The spirits of those buried gin
icre are said to be regular visitors to
asc ;
old habitations , causing these
rea
uses to remain tenantless and known
the haunted houses. The negroes ,
appear to be especially favored J
ith spiritual manifestations , bear ing
lanimous testimony to these reports. noc
The more recent history of the place is
best known. Hero John Brown struck
his blow for the freedom of the slaves ,
capturing the arsenal on the night of
October 16 , 1859 , fighting all day on
the 17th , seeing his sons and near
friends shot down about him , and
finally on that evening returning to tile
little engine house as a last stronghold ,
where the forces gathered against him
the next morning , capturing him and
his two remaining men , killing one out
right , wounding the other , and , after
piercing the leader of the band with
their bayonets , reserving him for
the hangman , who did his
work on the following December
2 , at Charlestown , turning the
remains over to the son-owing widow
at Harper's ferry on the same day.
Less than two years later the echo of
John Brown's blow was heard at this
very spot , when the arsenal and its val
uable arms and machinery for the man
ufacture of more arms , were captured
by the confederates without a blow.
The place was recaptured by the union
troops afterward , but not until the more
valuable machinery had been carried
off to Richmond for use by the confed
erate government in manufacture
of arms. It was recaptured by Stone
wall Jackson in 1862 , just before the
battle of Antietam , later by the union
forces again. The fortunes of wai left
it a wreck ; the buildings burned and
demolished and nothing is now left to
remind the visitor of many tragic scenes
enacted there except the foundations of
the olel building and the little engine
house where John Brown made his last
stand , which , by some means , escaped
the general destruction about it , and
now stands near the railroail station ,
labelled in large letters , "John Brown's
fort. "
lyuooTS.
Straiuje Freak of a fountj Girl Who SougJtt
Jjjde/iewZence.
Louisville Journal.
A wealthy farmer in Rutherford
county , Tenn. , not long since was ap
plied to by a good-looking lad for t
work , the boy saying that he preferred
to drive a harvester or a wagon , or do
other light work about the farm. The
applicant looked so delicate that the o
farmer refused the request , but gave d
the lad the name of a farmer in an ad r
joining county who wanted a boy to litt
milk cows. The situation was sought ,
and the lad taken on trial. The two
tiIi
farmers met a few days since in Nash IiII
ville and got to talking about the lad. II
Said the" employer of the boy : "He is irm
the best milker I ever saw , and can get irS1
more milk from the cows than anyone S1a1
ever had before him. He attends a1
strictly to business and suits me first- tcSi
rate , but I am afraid he is going to create SiP
ate a sensation yet. " P
Being pressed by his friend , the farm C
er was compelled to admit that his wife d
liad discovered , through the merest ac- sc
cident , that the supposed boy was a st
ivoman. "When I found it out I told stw
my wife that the girl-would have to go , w
is ; it would never do to have our neigh- In
oors know we had a woman parading ra
iround the farm in top boots. My wife tli ;
old me she didn't think anybody else tliw
ivcmld ever find it out , and it was worth w
virile taking the chances on it , as the in
ad suited us well. I like Gcogie and cl
ook my wife's advice , and I think she tilm
.vill be able to stay with us and wear m
nen's clothes as long as she wants to. la
"She lived up in Indiana and had not
icard about. Middle Tennessee , where cu
rou could throw your hat on the ripen- ar
ng wheat and it would bear it up , it ol
vas so thick and strong ; so she dcter- th
nined 10 come down here anel get work bl
in a farm , where she could work in sp
he open air nearly all the year va
ound. It was then that she Ol )
Letermined to carry out a long- Sc
herished plan that of assuming the as
of a man , which added so much to hi
icr independence in seeking a situation.
Lnd you ought to see her my milker , no
ihe's a dandy , I tell you. She weighs an
bout 140 pounnd , is large for a woman , alj
icing about five feet high. Her hair is ha
lack : and she parts it on the side and in
ears it very short. The has small feet an
nd hands , and wears kid boots two air
izes too large for her. She has a round
ace . , a roguish twinkle in her large ja
lack eyes , and her coarse shirt is al- tre
irays kept buttoned close around her tin :
veil-shaped | neck. sic
"When I tell you she wears a wide- tin
irimmed , coarse straw hat on the back an
her head , and her tight fitting trow- rej
ers thrust loosely in the tops of her
oarse boots , always has a kind word an
.nd a joke for everybody , and is very sin
ouch liked b } ' my wife , I leave you ila
othing to all to the picture. " pr
Size of the Brain In Animals. * l
opular Science Monthly.
Among mammals we find a still a i
reater increase in the weight of the pis T ,
rain as compared with that of the ,
ody. Leuret found it to range in the . , a
lonkeys from as 1 to 22 , 24 and 25 ; in ic
oft
< dolphin it was as 1 to 36 ; in the cat :
val
1 to 94 ; in the rat as 1 to 130 ; in the
x as 1 to 205 ; in the dog as 1 to 305 :
the sheep as 1 to 351 , in the horse as
ten
to 700 , and in the ox as 1 to 750. The
lean for the class of mammals , exclu- , . ic
ve of man , was as 1 to 186. My own
bservations ; accord very closely with cai
lose of Leuret. I found that in the my
rairie wolf the proportion between the me
rain and the body was ns one to 220 ;
the wildcat as 1 to 158 ; and in the e ;
id
as 1 to 132.
If these figures teach anything at all , slo'
is that there is no definite relation ex-
ting between the intelligence of ani- SOD it
lals and the absolute or relative size of
brain. It is true that , taking the sav
1st
ata of Leuret as the basis , there is a
ell defined relation between the men-
the
development and the brain , as re- e
irds the several classes of vertebrate J1 ?
limals ; for in fishes , the lowest , the in
ain is but one 5,668th part of the it , :
elet
dy ; in reptiles , the next highest , it is
1,321st part ; in birds , next in the she wai
iceneling scale , it is one 212th part :
in mammals , the highest of all , nar
186th part , There is , therefore , be- ver
nning with the lowest class , a regular As wei
cent in the volume of the brain till it , 5 .
aches the maximum in mammals.
upc
MAN -wastes his mornings in anticipat- and
his afternoons , und wastes his nfter- whi [
ous in regretting his mornings , sen
KEST.
Love came floating o'er the waters of life's
calm untroubled sea , ,
Flashing in the inornln ; sunlight ; "Illse , '
Ho said , "And follow mo. "
"Lord , " I cried , "tho flowers thou gavest
they are claiming all my care.
Love , I can not rise and leave them , never
llowcrs were half so fair. "
Then the decoy freshness vanished , and the
flerco unpitylng heat
Smote upon my tender blossoms ; laid them
dying at my feet.
Love came near me. in the shadows of the
evening , cold and gray ,
"Let the dead their own dead bury. "Illso,1
He said , "And corao away. "
"Lord , " I cried , "yet still thcro lingers the
rich perfume of their breath.
Though my flowers were fair In living , they
are sweeter still In death. "
And the evening shadows deepened to the
blackness of the night ,
And , the darkness gently piercing , came a
ray of Love's own light.
"Lord , " I cried , "oh , take my blossoms , take
my weariness and pain ;
Take my loneliness and longing , only give
mo peace again. "
Then ho drew me oh , how gently to the
shelter of His breast.
"Child. " Ho said. "I take thy sorrow ; thou
shalt have thy perfect rest. "
Still , I have it. passing onward through a
scene , each btep more fair ;
All my joy In Him is springing , all my glad
ness He doth share.
And though gently , days unfolding some
times pain and sorrow bring ,
Yet the Hand , that gives them to me , flrst
doth rob them of their sting.
[ From Good Words.
DEFJIXDIA'G Till : CAPITAL.
Ctualus iU. Clay's Itetnintscencca of the Early
Days of the War.
One of the first acts of the adminis
tration of President Lincoln was the
superseding of the diplomatic represen
tatives of the United States at foreign
courts , in order to put a stop to the in
trigues which it was known were being
carried on to the prejudice of the estab
lished government , and in the interests
of the rebellious states of the south ,
says the Philadelphia Times. Among
the first of these appointments was
Cassius M. Clay , of Kentucky , commis
sioned just twenty-four days after the
president's inauguration.
The following autograph letter , writ
ten ( by Gen. Clay to Maj. Armes , a re
tired officer of the army , and recovered
from a mass of private papers , presents
fto interesting picture of the condition
ftr things in Washington the first few-
days after Mr. Lincoln assumed the
reins < of government , and also sheds b
light upon his supersedure at St. Pe B
tersburg bj * Simon Cameron. The let
ter read as follows : "DKAU SIK : ClP
n response to your letter of December P
16 , 1880. In the spring of 1861-62 , be n
ing appointed envoy extraordinary and t
minister plenipotentiary to the Russian o
government at St. Petersburg , was B
awaiting , with my family , at Washing Bol
ton , my instructions , when United ol
States vessels were sunk in the Chesa ole
peake < , and the railroad and telegraph r
communications with the north were o
lestroyed ( by the confederates. As ofr
soon as I learned that the ships were se
sunk I knew that the war was begun. seT
"ItAvas near night , and the omnibus '
vas standing at the door of Willard's tl :
lotel , going to the Baltimore depot. I in
an to the rooms of my family and told 01
hem to get at once into the carriage or 01h
.hey would be left , and after that they
vould not be able to get out of Wash-
ngton. Ther did so , leaving their
ilothes and trunks unpacked , and set- Mst
ing out awaited my arrival in Balti- Mw
uore. That , as I anticipated , was the st
ast car that left the city. stdi
"For nearly thirty years I had dis- a
iussed the slavery issue in Kentucky in
md elsewhere , and I knew from long th
ibservations and the avowed designs of
he slaveholders that war was inevitare
le , and I had so stated in my many ex
peeches made in the presidential can- va
ass in 1860 in Illinois , Indiana and tli
hio. I at once went to Gen. Winlield ed
cott's headquarters in Washington and ca
sked an interview. He granted it , but
is ; military staft then present , hearing va
ly request for a private conference and
ot retiring , I asked the , general into lin :
nether room , but they followed him in ilo
Iso , and refused to retire. As I then th
ad reason to believe there was treason
ne
the army I refused to say anything ,
nd , telling the general I would call Ju
gain , I retired.
soi
"In the quadrangular court of the Hi
ard of Willard's hotel was an old thea- thi
which had been disused and was tal
ien turned , I believe , into an occa- sai
ional church. It saiMJ
communicated with MJ
ic main hotel by a passage and door , wi
nd also opened upon the street in the sei
3ar of the house.
ah [
"The hotel full of
was guests , friends of
nd foes of the union. I consulted with tie
.ich as I knew to be true to the old th
ag , and they agreed with me that the
resident < and the other officials of the
co
overnment and the capital were in Ne
anger of capture. me
"We began immediately to organize meW
volunteer force for defense. I was W .
laceel in the leadership. I received but lin
lose whom I knew to be true , gave the Th
atchword. and introduced them into
nal
old theater. This nucleus took Ma
hers in. All were brought to my pri- Ho
ite room , enrolled and sent into the
cot
mimon quarters. When the enemy tha
imd out what was going on , thcv at- Th
irnpted to bullme. . Three gentlemen , ere
a notorious person from California , ble
iding me alone in my front room ,
inie in and demanded admission into
corps. I asked upon whose recom-
endation , and they answered insolent- BosJ
upon their own. I kept two revol- J
rs upon my red in the next room , the
, going in , came out with one in the
ich hand and ordered them out. They all
owly did so , but their chief rolled up spo
ime balls in his open hand and then "M
them in his pocket , as much as to Wli
, 'We'll give 3-011 these. ' 'Very well , ' haj
said , 'we will meet you. ' Again , as Grr
5tood at the door of our quarters as wai
crowd of our force were entering , an it.
iknown face appeared. I challenged the.
for the watchword , and. not having iron
and still advancing to enter , I lev-
my pistol at his head , told him it ] \
revolutionary times and I would con
oot him. He" then retired. The the
imes of all my corps were taken down ; mai
ry distinguished men they mostly cha
ife , governors , senators , judges , etc. and
1 soon went to Europe , I don't know andS
iiat became of this list.
000 , ,
more fortunate in another call
con
ion Gen. Scott. I gave him my views
eve :
got his consent to arm my men ,
rich he did. For the moral effect , E
nding to niy quarters to get arms to skin :
arm his household rather than make n
requisition himself. In the meantime
Senator James Lane , of Kansas , had
also raised volunteers. Wo united our
forces for drill and action. As I had
the most I was made chief and ho sec
ond. After being organized , armed
and drilled my force slept in the theatre
ready for immediate action.
"A guard each night was placed
over the president's house. We were
all called one night to the government
barracks below Washington , on the
Potomac river , expecting an assault ,
but we were not attacked. As I antici V
pated , the capture c f Washington , as it
r
appeared later in the war , was the de
sign of the rebels. I know they were in
the city. I gave out to a man whom I
knew favored the rebel cause , though a
professed friend , in confidence that
probably the next day Scott would de
clare martial law , and that many would
be captured , tried and shot.
"The ruse had its effect. That night
hundreds , if not thousands , left Wash
ington for Virginia. Willard's hotel ,
which lately was full , was so vacated
that the proprietors took up their car
pets and took down their curtains with
a view of closing the house.
"But my absence left me unable to
say what was done. So soon as the
regiments from New York and Massa
chusetts came into Washington our
volunteer , force was dissolved. Lincoln ,
J through the secretary of war , gave out
body J thanks for our patriotic serrices ,
and presented me with a Colt's pistol ,
which I proudly preserve in my family.
Charles Simmer and others insisted upon
my taking the post of major-general on
volunteers in the United States service ,
and his views were backed by the
'union safety committee' of New York.
But I declined because Scott was old ,
and as my rank would have placed me
above Worth and Wool , veteran regu-
ular generals. I did not think myself
qualified to supersede them , as I had
only served as a captain in Mexico , and
only colonel of uniformed volunteers in
Kentucky , and had no regular military
education. "
A Famous Game of 1'olter.
From a fetor } ' by Joel Chandler Har-
is ( "Uncle Remus' " ) , in the November
Century , we quote the following char-
ictcr-sketch. The time of the story is
before the war : "In his own estimation
Major Compton was one of the most ac
complished of men. He had summered
Cla
at Virginia Springs ; he had been to
Philadelphia , to Washington , to Richmond
mend , to Lynchburg , and to Charles
ton , and had accumulated a great deal
of : experience , which he found useful.
Hillsborough was hid in the woods of
middle Georgia , and its general aspect
of innocence impressed him. He looked
on : the young men who had shown their
readiness to test his peach brand-
overgrown country boys who needed to
be introduced to some of the arts and
sciences he had at his command.
Thereupon the major pitched his tents ,
figuratively ! ' speaking , and became , for
he ! time being , a part and parcel of the
innocence that characterized Hillsbor-
3ugh. A wiser man would doubtless
lave : made the same mistake.
"The little village possessed advant-
igeri that seemed to be providently ar-
anged to fit the various enterprises that
Major .Compton had in view. There
vas the auction-block in front of the
stuccoed court-house , if lie desired to
lisposeof a few of his negroes ; there Avas
quarter-track , laid out to his hand and
excellent order , if he chose to enjoy
he pleasures of hoise racing ; there
vere Deluded pine thickets , within easy
each , if lie desired to indulge in the
xeiting pastime of cock-fighting ; and
arious lonely and unoccupied rooms in
lie second story of his tavern , if he car-
to challenge the chances of dice or
ards.
"Major Compton tried them all with
arying luck , until he began his famous
ame of poker with Judge Alfred Wel-
ngton , a stately gentleman with a
owing white beard and mild blue eyes
Iiat ; gave him the appearance of a be-
evolent patriarch. The history of the
ame in which Major Compton and
udge Alfred Wellington took part is
amething more than a tradition in
misborough , for there are still livin"-
liree or four men who sat around the
ible and watched its progress. It is
iid that at various
stages of the < nuue
ajor Compton would destroy the cards
ith which they were playing and
jnd for a new pack , but the result was
ways the same. The mild blue eyes
Judge Wellington , with few excep-
ons , continued to overlook "hands"
Kit : were invincible a habit thev had
squired during a long and arduous
surse , of training from Saratoga to
ew Orleans. Major Compton lost his
loney , his horses , his wagons , and all
negroes but one , his body-servant
hen ] his misfortune had reached this
mit the Major adjourned the o-ame
he sun was shining brightly , an'd all
ature was cheerful. It is said that the
.ajor also seemed to be cheerful
f
owever this may be , he visited the
Hirt-house and
executed the papers
lat gave his body-servant his freedom
bis being done , Major Compton saunt-
ed into a convenient pine thicket and
ewout his brains. "
A Lamentable Mistake.
ston Transcript.
Johnny was told he might have half
grapes. When his mother went to
cupboard she found he had taken
and left none for his sister. When
ioken to by his mother , he replied-
Mamma , I'll tell you just how it was" ( ,
hen I had- eaten half of the ° rapes I t
ippened to think that I'd eaten up
racie's half 4
instead of
my own I
real sorry , but then I couldn't lieln
I'd given her part of my half , onlv
ey were so good that they were all
me before I knew it. "
Miss Louise Sidonie Veque , a well-
nnected lady and Creole beauty of
French quarter of New Orleans , has
irried a Chinaman , SamHinoamer
ant in El Paso , Tex. , an educated
polished gentlemac.
New York sells annually about 100
0,000 pounds of butter , of which the
mmissipner of agriculture claims
one-half is bogus.
Esquimaux girls make their own seal
sacques