HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance, 1907-01-10, Page 3FIGHT ON A RIVER SANDBAR
Desperate Encounter Near Natchez
When Bowie Uses Knife.
(New Orleans Times -Democrat.)
Probably the most famous of all the
hand-to-hand fights which flecked the
forefront of American civilization with
blood was thee which took place upon
the sandbar opposite the eity a Natchez,
Miss, in which both grandfathers of the
present Governor Blanchard, of Louisi-
ana, Colonel James Bowie, the inventor
of the bowie knife, and nine others were
participants,
Se numerous and varied have been the
accounts of the. noted duel to the death
that there exists to -day a great deal
Cuney and James Bowie drawing their
pistols.
"Colonel Crain saw at a &me how
things stood, therefore he shot the: one
whom lie coeceivedto be themajor-
general of the party through the, breast,
as 1 believe, and so it was said at the
time, for Bowie declared he was glad
there was so much powder in the pistols,
as all the balls passed. out, Colonel
Crain, after shooting at Bowie, who bad
;ilea shot at him, 'wheeled around and
passed over a little wash in the sandbar
and ae and Curley fired simultaneously
at each other. Cency 1'011 modally
wounded, and then Colonel Crain, with
an empty pistol in his band, turned, to
meet James Bowie, who was rushing
upon biln with bis famous bowie knife
in his hand, and, when within roach of
Itis arm, he (Colonel Crain) struck lain
over the head with the empty pistol and
brought him to his knees,
of misinformation concerning it, It is
fitting that the facts concerning the
bloody lutttle shall be gathered. from in-
disputable sources and placed in orderly
Array before they have become lost.
One generally credited story of the
sandbar fight gives the number of
wounded ae fifteen and. the killed as six,
whereas tbe feet is that only twelve
men were actually upon the sandbar at
the time the fight, took pletee, and. of
them but two were killed and two were
wounded. This Is the evidence not of
those merely who beard about the con-
flict but of eye witnesses and. partici-
pants themselves.
The battle was fought .on Sept. 18,
1827, It grew out of a duel between Dr.
Thomas H. Maddox and Samuel L.
Wells, It came as ste unexpected inci-
dent upon the heels of the bloodies.; and
satisfaotory arrangement of the differ-
ences between the principals after they
ale'. had twice faced each other upon the field
and twice emptied their pistols at each
other at short range.
Among those who accompanied the
principals and seconds to the scene of
the encounter were Richard Caney and
Colonel Norris Wright. Olney was on
unfriendly terms with Colonel Crain,
who was the second of Dr. Maddox, and
after adjustment of the trouble between
Maddox and Wells cursed Crain and ad-
vancing threatenedingly with his pistol
drawn declared that this was a good
!time ,to settle their misunderstanding.
This act precipitated the general fight
which ensued. When it was all over °tin-
gly and Wright were dead and Colonel
'Jim Bowie and Alfred Blanchard were
wounded.
The affair gave rise to much talk at
' the time and many unfortunate and un-
founded rumors arose out of it. Ib was
natural that the affair should be exag-
gerated and it has developed into a
story that bears but few earmarks of
the original.
The following statement of the fight
was written by Dr. Thomas. H. Mad -
do; one of the principals in the. duel
which lea to the trouble. Dr. Maddox
• was, me indeed all of theparticipants of
the fight were, a prominent citizen of
Rapidee parish, Louisiana. Be Was a man
of uncommon strength of body and of
-mind, and of the most unquestioned per-
!sonal cournge.
"I am the onl3r survivor of the twelve
persons engagecl in the 'Sandbar' fights
erS , and haying seen lately many and various
accounts of what they call the 'Bowie
'sandbar fiat,' and there being little
' truth in them, 1 am induced to give a
:tree statement of the affair as far as I
'saw it," said Dr. Madame.
"Stisne difficulty lemming between
myself and General Montfort 'Wells, or
from some other eallee which 1 do not
'recollect et this time, induced Samuel
IL Wells to send me a very offensive
°carte blanche,' which I accepted as a
challenge and it was agreed that we
should meet at Natchez nod settle the
matter, each party leaving Alexandria,
Sept. 17, 1827.
"Of my party there were R. A. Chin.
my second; Norris Wright. Alfred and
Carey Blancbard and myself, being five
of us in number. The opposing parte'
were Samuel L. Wells, McWhorter, his
second; James Bowie. Richard Cunev,
Jefferson Wells and Sam Onney, mak-
six of them in number. Having ar-
rived at Naechez I called on Dr. Denny
to be my surgeon, who made nember
six of my party, and making six of each
party and no more.
"Ravine. accepted the certe blanche
as a challenge, I directed Colonel Crain.
eny second. to call on Mr. Wells end
state my terms and mode of combat,
'which were: To stand eight iaces apart,
right side to right side, pistols down. to
' be raised at the words. 'Axe yon ready?
Firel one, two, three.' the ;mai way' in
which gentlemen vinaioatect their hon -
"As he arose I caught bold of him and
he threw me off and faced Wright and
the two Blanchards, who had arrived on
the field from the cage of the woods. I
at that time hue a pistol pointed at me,
but it was not fired, and being totally
unarmed myself I ran to the edge of the
woods, a few paces off, to get, my shot-
gun and on returning met 8. L. Wells,
who said to me:
"'Doctor, for God's sake don't do any
further damage, for it is all over.'
"On my arrival at the seat of war
again, to my surprise I found my dear
friend, Major Wright, dead and General
Cuney dying from excessive hemorrhage,
Bowie badly wounded and Alfred Blanch-
ard slightly wounded. And this was
the end of that memorable afffair, the
sandbar fight.
"So there were two killed. and. two
wounded out of the twelve persons en-
gaged in the couflict, six on each side,
and not, its has been erroneously statea
by some, six killed and fifteen wounded.
"Other writers have said that Bowie
killed Colonel Crain in the melee and S.
L. Wells. Such contaariety of 'opinion
is indeed singular.
OT.
"Mr. Wella objected to nre terms, as-
sumed that he was the Challenged party
and had the right to name the terms, as
was informed by my sceona. Colonel
Crain. Whereupon T told, Colonel Crain
to go back and get his tering, rler I waiv-
ed my riaht. which he did. They were:
To stand left side to left, side, nietolg
down, and at tbe ward, 'Prepare!' we
were to raise our piste% in an opposite
direction from each ether at the word
'Fire!' to fire as we chose,
al fired acres.; my breast. How he
fired I do not know. Two romule were
fired withrnit effect and the affair was
then settled bv S. L. Wells witheraw-
ing all offensive language. We retook
hands and were proceeding to my friewle
in the edge !of the woods to take et glass
"Colonel Cram and James Bowie were
not so inimical as has been represented;
the only feeling between them was ow-
ing to the advocacy of James Bowie of
the cause of those opposed to himself
and Major 1,Vright.
"Subsequently in New Orleans James
Bowie invited Colonel Crain to his room
and, contrary to the advice of his friends
he went, and upon entering the room
Bowie locked the door and asked Colonel
Crain to take a seat, where they had
their talk and came out perfectly recon-
ciled. with each other."
Entirely corroborative of the main
points in this statement of Dr. Maddox
is the letter written by Dr. Robert A.
Crain, who acted as his second in the in-
terview with Wells, which immediately
preceded the fight. This letter was ad-
dressed to General Joseph Walker, who
afterward became Governor of Louisiana.
In part this letter says: "After col-
lecting the pistols that were used in the
duel, a brace of wbich I gave the boy,
the others I held, one in each hand, well
loaded, of course, we proceeded down the
river, angling across the sandbar and
having Bowie, Cuney and Jeff 'Wells
immediately at right angles from where
we started under the willows; they
started and. ran down the hill, and in it
quick running walk intercepted us, or
rather me. Drs. Penney and. Maddox
were some ten or twelve paces ahead,
Maddox entirely unarmed. Cuney re-
marked:
"'Now is the time to settle our affair.'
I think swearing or cursing at me at the
same time, and commenced drawing his
pistol. Sam Wells eaught hold of him
tuel Dr. Cuney got immediately between
ma and him then; Bowie at the same
time was drawing his pistol. I drew
away from him; be now says I did not
touch him, but drew his fire; he lies, I
shot him through the body, as he is
shot. I could not miss him, shooting
not farther than ten feet, and the object
is to excuse his conduct for killing our
poor friend.
aI wheeled, and jumped four, six or
eight steps across some little washes in
the sandbar and faced Cuney. We fired
at the same moment. His bullet cut the
shirt and grazed the skin on my left
arm, Ho fell.
"Jim Bowie was at the same moment
within it few feet of me with his big
,knife raised to lunge. I again wheeled.
and sprang a few steps, changed. the butt
of the pistol, and as be rushed upon me
1 wheeled and threw the pistol at him,
which struck him on the left side of the
forehead, which circumstance alone say.
ed me from his sevage fury and big
knife.
"At that moment Major Wright and.
,the two Blanehards rushed up. Bowie
sheered off to it leaning stump, by which
he took a stand; Wright and Bowie ex-
changed shots at about ten steps, with-
out any chance of Wright hitting him;
lie behind the log and. the other ex-
hausted. with running at least 100 yards;
he. shot poor Wright through the body.,
who exclaimed: "The rascal has killed.
me,' and then rushed upon Bowie with
his sword cane, who caught him by the
collar and plunged his knife in . his
bosom.
"At that moment Cuney shot Bowie in
t. of wine as a cement. . the hip, who fell instantly. Wright
"Dr. Denny ana myself were wheeled, made a lunge at him and. fell
N, abut a. few paces Owed of the rest over him, dead. Hostilities then ceased."
SCORED ANOTHER
WONDERFUL VICTORY
One Here Added to the Lout List of
Cures EgeCted by Psyebine.
This young lady, who lives in Browns-
ville,nenr Woodetock, Ont., tells her own
atory in a few effective worde of bow alio
obtained deliverance from the terrible
grip of weakness and disease.
l have to thank Psychine for my present health.
Two years osto was going into a decline. meld
hardly drag myself across the floor. 1 could not
iweep the mullet.
If L stunt for a
diet") I WO ire
dowu when e
eamo back, If I
Went for a mile
on two on my
wheel I was too
weak to lift it
tin ough the gate-
way, and last
time I came in
front hexing
spi n I dropped
utterly helpless
from fatigue. my
hither would give
me no peace until
I procured Fey-
chlue, knowing It
W8S excellent for
decline or weak-
ness. I must wry
the roeults are
Wonderful, and
people remarked
ray huprovemeut Instead of a little, pale, hollow
thetked, listless, melancholy girl, 1 am to -day
full of life, ready for a sleIgh.ride, a skating
Twitch, or an evening party with anyone, and a
few menthe ago I could not struggle to thumb,
40 reeds from my home. I have never had the
slightest mese to fear any return of the disease.
ELLA MURIEL WOOD,
Brownsville, Ont,
Thousands of women are using PSY-
CHINE, because they know from exper-
ience that in it they have it safe friend
and deliverer. Psychine is a wonderful
tonic, purifying the blood, driving out
disease germs, gives a ravenous appetite,
aids digestion and assimilation of food,
and is a positive and absolute cure for
disease of throat, chest, lungs, stomach
and other organs. It quickly, builds up
the entire system, making sick people
well and weak people strong.
'of the parav when Cameral (limey, 4 • 0
(PRONOUNCED si-KEEN)
for sale at all druggists at 50e. and $1.00
per bottle, or at Dr. T. A. Slocum, Limited,
Laboratory, 179 King St. West, Toronto,
Dr. Root's Kidney Pills are a sure and
permanent cure for Rheumatism, Bright's
Disease, Pain in the Back and all forms
of Kidney Trouble. 25o per box, at all
dealers.
COSTLY RAM TO SCRAP PILE.
which the owner has touched. A. distance
of 300 to 6011 yards 15 given them for
the initial traehing, and at the end. of
the course stands the owner with, pos.
sihly, a little meat, which he bands as
an encouragement and reward to the sue-
cessful hound.
This experime»t is repeated and made
More difficult by degrees. Then the
hounds are taken out on the high road.
and taught to pick up scent where is has
been crossed or confused by other trails.
It is customary for the runners, who
are used as the first quarry of young
hounde, to place cleft, stieks containing
pieces of paper at the turnings and
crossings taken by them. This le as a
guide to the hunt in case the trail fol-
lowed by the bounds should be momen.
tartly lost by confused scent.
It is, however, a golden rule with
bloodhound experts never to assist the
hound who goes wrong, but to let him
learn, as he soon does, to "cast" for
himself and to "try back" whenever lie
has overrun the line,
Mrs. G. A. J. 011phaut, Shreavton,
Wilts, England, enjoys the distinction of
having been the first woman to Own and
bunt with it pack of bloodhounds. Mrs.
Oliphant, who is president of the ladies'
braneh of the Kennel Clurb, is a member
of the Bloodhound Hunt Club and has
owned the well-known Chatley pack for
it number of years. Ifer kennel Just now
eprstains eigbteen couples, besides pup- I
Another Within who has taken up the
sport with great zest is Mrs, Charles
Chapman:, of landau: near Worthing,
Rngland. She also le It member of the
Bloodhound Hunt Club. Her dogs have
often been requimitioned by the local po-
lice to track a sheep killer or a missing
miner in the Modomsloy pit. Mrs. .Ash-
ton Cross, of Alderbourne manor, Bucks,
and Mrs. Handley Spicer also take an
interest in these hounde and the Vie -
coma -tees Castlereagh is another owned
and suporter of the breed.
Katandin to be Broken Up Into Junk
After Years' Trial.
.After being carried on the naval list
of warships for a number of years at
it big expense to the government the ram
Katandin, one of the failures of tho
new navy, which has been, lying since
long before the Spanish-American war
in the back exhannel at League island, is
on the list to be disposed of as junk.
The Katandin, which, it is claimed by
the naval men, has cost nearly $3,000
every two years to keep in such condi-
tion that it would not be eaten away
by rust has already been condemned as
utterly useless for any purpose what-
ever, naval or commercial, and orders
from Washington to sell the ram as old.
iron are expected at League island any
day.
Pew of the hundreds of visitors to
League island every week know what
it. tremendous cost the peculiar turtle -
backed vessel has 'been to the government.
The Katandin dates from the period in
the history of the new navy when the
government was doing e. whole lot of ex-
perimenting to get a formidable fleet
of warships. Various schemes for get-
ting naval strength were tried and one
of the experiments resulted in the build-
ing of the dyna.mite cruiser Vesuvius at
a. oost of $350,000. When turned over
to the government the Vesuvius was
looked upon. as the terror among all
seafighting craft and it was predicted
that it would play havoc with any en-
emy it ever engaged: in battle with. The
Vesuvius also proved a failure as a
dynamite projectile thrower and was
sent to League island and ordered out of
commission.
Soon after nearly $500,000 was appro-
priated for the building of the ram
Katandin, constructed all of steel. The
Katandin was the idea of an officer
of the navy vibe at tho time of the build-
ing of the ram declared that the sharp -
pointed craft, from the manner in which
it was constructed would be immune
from the shots of an enemy, but would
send any warship to the bottom that
it came in contact evith. Great things
were expected from the ram, but after
it was accepted as part of the navy it
was discovered that the alleged terror
was able to make only sixteen knots at
its best, and! as the warships of any of
the navies of the world were capable of
making at least eighteen knots it would
be im.possible for the Katandin to catch
up with them.
As fighting craft the Katandin vvas
found to be worthless and, was sent to
League island. There it remained for
several years and at the oatbrealc of the
Spanish-American war both it end the
Vesuvius were used to protest the coast.
The Vesuvius was turned int:" a service-
able torpedo training ship, but the pe-
euliar build of the Katandin made it
impossible to eonvert the vessel into any-
thing that would be of use.
47ames Bowie and Jeff Wells came run- Nell—The fellows all say he's a
ming down on es, General Climes saying brick. Belle — Then I guess. it's a ,
to Colonel Crain that this was a good good thing he missed me when he threw
time to settle their difficulties, he, himself at my head.
47.
Studies of the Vernacular.
"Hullo!"
"Hullo! Oazat?"
`Smee—Mayme. Thatehoo, Moll?"
"Yeh, 'tsmee. W,otsup, Mayme?"
"Saymoll, wttjiz mean by tellinfanbout
—can yeer me, Moll?"
"Yes, I heerja. Telliner wet?"
"Core shoo dunno!"
"Core si don't. Oozbinstuffin yuh?"
"Nunna yer biz. Betchacant guessoo,"
"Bettacan! Pantole—"
"Awgit out! Haintseener since—"
"Yesh ay! Yoon her evuz—"
"Am frezzin sake canchoo lemmy—"
"Lookeer, Mayme! Owbout Billan you
cumminover—"
"Nuthindoon. Gee, gotastoppen go-
backstore! Goo by."
"Awfulsorrygooby."—Chicago Tribune.
Accidents to your horses
may happen at any moment.
GET READY for emergencies.
Buy a bottle of
Fellows' Leaning's
Essence
For Lameness in Horses
Only 60c. a bottle—and saves
dollars worth of time by, curing
lameness of every description.
At dealers, or from
National Drug & Chemical Co., Limited,
MONTREAL
l Historic War Ships.
(N. y. Herald.)
All naval roads seean at the moment ti
lead to the Dreadnought and, from whateves
aspect this great ship may be viewed, new
inspirations, sometimes of aotion, often of
' treatment and always of good example( are
sure to be revealed. Even before her first
commission is finished the play of fact tied
fancy is translating this 'battle type into a
compelling force and an honored tradition.
The latest point of interest is that estab-
lished by the Admiralty In thristening two
of Jeer fleet mates the Temeraire and the
Bellerophon. Both are time graced ships'
names in the British service. Temeraires
were famous in the days when hearts of
oak and wooden walls wore the bulwarks
Of English liberty. And who can forget
Turner's pathetic picture of the "Fightiug
Terateraire," her days of usefulness gone,
etauding up in the blushing sundown for
her last resting place in the Medwey? A
Bellerophon fought with Nelson at the Nilo
with Howe off Usk:1M on "the' glorious first
of June." Aboard of her the groat Napol-
eon surrendered when St. Helena was at the
end, awaiting him.
mime preservation of historic names pos-
sestets so deep a significance that the prac-
tice of tbe Admiralty Ls commended to Con-
gress and the Navy Department Our annals
are rich in the names of memorable ships.
sailor pride and honest patriotism w I li :tit
Why not utilize ehern? What fur 1:
a survival. But where are the Mecodonian,
Java, Cyane, Lovant, President, Congress,
• United States—there's a name to conjure
with—Frolic and Wae,p, Hornet and Peacock,
. Enterprise and Boxer, Independence and Lib-
erty—not a array it host of other heart thrill-
ing naval worthies? And Indeed, to corae to
TRAINING A BLOODHOUND.
DISEASE MADE BONES
SNAP LIKE GLASS
Frank L. Wellington has died, at his
home in Trinity avenue, New York, the
vietim of a disease which caused his
bones to snap like glass. One day while
holding a strap in a street ear his urm
snapped off. A short tirne later it leg
bone snapped. According to his phym-
elan this terrible condition Wile brought
abOat by taking ineclieine which cone
tained. a certain mineral paieon.
Again and win bas it been demon-
strated that mineral medicines are
harmful. It is because Bileans, while
so effective for all liver and digestive
diaorders, yet contain no trace of eny
nnneml, but are on the contrary, purely
herbal, that they have won the praise of
medical men, trained nurses and seitne
tists ell the world over. Bileans differ
from nearly every other liver medlemo
In containing no mercury end. from near-
ly every other stomach medicine in be-
ing free from bismuth, They are also
free from alcohol. They are compounded
from the finest known medieinal herbs
and roots, and are thue the best family
medicine that can bo obtained. They
operate gent,, on the bowels, curing con-
stipation and piles. They furred aeidity
of the stomach, stimulate the digestion
and tone up the liver, and eorreet the
secretion of bile. Their general action
is at the same time•eorreetive and tonic
--eorrecting faulty :secretion, toning up
weak and debibtatecl organs. They thus
cure anemia, green sickness, female im-
purities, rheumatism, nausea, bead-
aehe, ga's, pain in the chest unit between
the shoulders, constipation, piles and
all female ailments. .All druggists and
stores sell Bileans :at fifty emits a box,
or post free from the Bilean Co., Toron-
to, on receipt of price. For $2.50 a par-
cel of six boxes will be mailed. •
- •
MORAL INFLUENCE OF STAGE.
Pastime Enjoyed by Some English Wo-
men Who Own Packs.
Bloodhound training is becoming quite
a fashionable pastime with certain Eng-
aaa ' lishwomen. At first sight this hound
111.1034443010.0 100 4:14 440 00600
Rapid changes of temperature are hard
on the toughest constitution.
The conductor passing from the heated
inside of a trolley car to the icy temperature
of the platform—the canvasser spending an
hour or so in a heated building .and then
walking against a biting wind—know the
difficulty of avoiding cold.
Scott Emulsion strengthens the
body so that it can better withstand the
danger of cold from changes of temperature.
it will help you to avoid taking cold.
•
ALL DRUGGISTS SOct. AND $1.00.
61.4,41404.414044.441.6.4hefoo
appears scarcely likely to find favor with
the gentler sex, but, like tlie bulldog,
the bloodhound is far from beingas
vicious as he looks., and will merely bay
*where dogs of other breeds will bite. Ile
Is, however, deeply resentful of chastise-
ment,
"Bloodhound' traeking" is a most iti-
teresting sport and many women who
ride consider nothing can be more de-
lightful than to take out their owe
hounds for a couple of lours. The result
is most certaih to be a morning in which
most interesting work has been wit-
nessed, without the fatigue which it long
day's fox hunting entails having been
experienced and without "the kill" at
the end, against whieh the feminine mind
often revolts.
A seemlier thing about It bleedhOttlid
ig that he follows a stranger's trail bet-
ter than his owner's, To fit him for
sudden and unexpected work, therefore,
reeourse hi had to a scent laid flOW11.
But as this must, be a scent svhich can
not give alltr adventitious Aid whet is
teelinitally known as the clean boot is
steployea ift this way man hunting is en-
tirely different from the old-fashioned
drag.
1Vf09t owners of bloodhounds lind the
timbale of the Illoselimund Hunt Club
follow the eastern of taking out their
young hounds at from three to four
months ol& for their first trials. They
take up the trell front a. piece of paper
;fa% 'r'irlioe;t° tit t let nis)trt rite"—a, toftho t
only one as yet unhonored as the law provides
by a master ship of a navy where for brist-
li other Delawares have flown with
so much credit the oountry's sea pennant and
flag?
Jing years
Lesson to the Vulgar Herd.
Those vulgar persons who go to the
theatres on street cars have been pro-
perly rebuked by it lady. who complains
of their !unseemly haste in quitting their
seats toward the end of the last act in
order to rush to the cars. The nice peo-
ple, who come in cerringes, according to
this ,soperier lady, can be more leisurely
ht filing out. We are glad to eee these
hasty ones rebuked, but we tremble for
the theatres lest in their humiliation
they refrain front coming to the shows
hereafter. As they eonsprise about 99
per cent. of the audienees it would be ra-
titer hard on the theatres, Omagh, of
course, the :people remaining—the otr-
riage-comers—would form an audience
aa "seleet" as einall.—St. Louie Globe -
Democrat.
I BIG GAMULE
[OK IAmoNOS I
(Pall Mall Gazette.)
Away down- in the extreme southwest cor-
ner at the Transvaal, le a district wiach until
the olialIng Of the NletkedellP-FOlirteert
streams xanwey lay far out of the track of
the ordinary traveler, there exists curious
little Memory. The alaMOnd diggers Of the
Vaal are found in a beckwater 4at Seuth
A.feicart lite. At iong intervals the outer
Pored hears of eorne exceptional success, but
It kuows nettling et the :alluvia The greet
financial e.elunners have no ilmo for the awn
who polto itheut in the bed Of 4 river to Owl
few ;Mame, leut the spot le full of intereet
anti after the parched Rand n ramble by the
broad river which has played 80 inmortaat
o part in the history of South Africa makes
a welcome change.
ate camp of the diggera makes pic-
turesque scene in the early moralug. In the
marvelously olmr air and &meow eunshine
of the beginnings of a ,Sowth Aldo= day
there is it certain promise of romance, a tingle
of adventure brightens the meet prostate
journey. The breadth of the Vaal between
Christiana oa the Transvaal bank and Zout-
pan's cirift on tee ()range river shore is ed -
ways beauelful, but in the clear-cut bril-
liance of early morning, ae in the softer
glow of the setting sun, there is an added
attraction,
The waters, though daily growing lower,
so that the wtate post whoa, lawless tile
height of the flood time now etaude three
or tour feet above the level of the atreara,
aparkle In elle sunehine; a few bowies nestle
among the trom ad away 0.8 far as tbe eye
can see stretches the great plain, sun -yel-
lowed and utmost treeiees, part ef the ex-
panse of apparently wasted land through
which the Diamond express now rushes for
hour after hour. A. silent, lonely land, strik-
ing on acceunt of its aranieneity.
But here an the Vaal et 7 o'clock in the
moruing all is activity. The bronzed, Mot -
turn ferryumu laboriously rows ever tee
heaviest loads of the day, his rough pleak
craft deep in the water. The river diggers
who live in Chrietlana age crossing to the
Draught bank; those 'who dwell close to their
work in the tented Camp, which extends up-
stream or half it mile from the drift, are
thiug a hasty .breakfast before cemmenclug
on 'another day's gamble, whith may leave
them with a full purse or only an increased
load of anxiety. For, after all, the diamoud
digger of the Vaal is a 'gambler. and no
gambler ever.worked harder for his gains.
Cross the 'placid water by the weir and in-
spect the little groups now starting work
almost in the bed of the river. There are
probably 900 or 40) men digging in the mud
and stones which lies beneatt the reels. A
largo proportion are white na, Wail In niud-
spattered clothes with browned faces and
e.rnrs. They have excavated huge Pits In the
low ground left dry by the falling river; some
are so close to the water that they have htul
to erect eemi-eireuher dams to keep the
stream from flooding the writ. During the
night two or three feet of water hoer risen
in the diggings, and the firot task is to ball
out the pits.
The more enterprising—or rather those
with capital—have purchased 'Caltornia
purapo, an innovation introduced by Ur.
Hamilton, the biggest digger on the field,
Some months ago. eet first failure was pre-
dicted for the seraewhat flimey-looking ar-
rangements of wood and canvas, and a
throng of mon came out to see thedr pre-
dictions verified, but it was a victory for
Setenoe, ?rhe "new tangled" idea caught on
and ;half a, dozen are in use to -day, for they
empty e. pit in an eighth of the time it would
take a bunch of boys with buckets.
Many of the diggers, however, could not
afford the outlay and to -day you see the
white man, who is supposed not to work In
this lea,ppy land, standing knee deep in water
and mud doing "nigger's work,"
After the pits have been got fairly dry the
mud aud gravel are due: up and handed In
buckets to the "baby." Prom this swinging
sieve the finer gravel emerges and this is
again carefully wasbed, and then comes the
sorting, when the keen eye of the digger soon
ekes oat Any diamonds which have, been
brought up. But the stones so painfully
looked fer axe few and far between and often
the mem will plod for days and even weeks
without the slightest reward.
It is hard work as the sun grows hotter and
after a run of bad luck even tho natural op-
timism of the river digger fades and he thinke
of throwing up his task. But luck has a
strangeemay of corning at the last moment.
That middle-aged digger over there— a man
who employs a respectable sized gang of boys
—was only repently on the verge of geeing In.
A run of blank weeks had eaten away his
capital. His boys were unpaid. He could
hardly force himself to remain on the bank
and go 'through the endless washing, always
finding nothing. At last he decided to "chuck
it". Some of his gear was aotually_Lemoved,
when audenly he found a stone which he
sold for re.130. The gear was put back and
the digger is still tempting fortune on the
banks of the Vaal.
Over there is it 141anthester man with his
"chum." The former is an educated man,
formerly an accountant. They have no na-
tive labor but do the whole of the rough 'work
themselves. A. few days ago they were lit-
erally existing upon mealle pap. Then two
small stones were found and to -day they are
again eating 'white man's food. Many a curi-
ous history could be told by the diamond dig-
gers of the Vaal. Here are men who have
traveled over half the globealways driven
onward by the passion for finding the wealth
which nature hides so cleverly.
Hope leads them ever onward, like a will
o' the wisp. Another blank day to -day? Never
mind; there is to -morrow, and then, per-
haps— Alas: 0.0 old digger told me that
only 5 per cont. of the diggers ever do even
moderately well. In most eases those who
have luck squander in a few hours the
windfall of a. minute.
But there is trouble brewing on the bank a of
the sunny Vaal. You notice that, although
Julia Marlowe Discusses a Most Interest-
ing Topic.
During the last season or two I have been
a good deal impressed by the number of let-
ters which haxe been received by me from
avowing religious people asxtug how s thine
the theatre and the ourch may be brought
into closer sympathy. Them are written in
a vein so wistful and erten so ingenuous
that is is lummeible to doubt their good
faith, In any cam their queelone seem to me
indicative or the growth or a more toler-
ant feeling on the part a the stricter church
treople toward the theatre and of a desire
to know something of the real intentions
o an institution and a class which they have
in the past been a little apt to coudemn with-
out understanding.
Briefly put, their first and most frequeut
question is; Is it poseible to have a Curia -
Ron theatre in America?" Following a geu-
eral line of thought suggested by such an le -
(Mire, I have come to the conclusion that. a
Christian theatre would not be an unmixed
blessing any more than a Mohammedan or
Buddist theatre would be. The theatre is
an institution which seeks to exprees In dra-
matic form the highest artistic and Moral
truths in many centuries older than new tes-
tament theology. Long 'before the term Chris-
tian 'possessed any universal significance the
deLeveetrueei,.....
hadL atained a strong and beautiful
In its purity it e nothing to do with ap-
/Plied religion of any kind be enuntry save In
that its highest office is to reflect "004-
ne8e and beauty—a function which, of course,
IS the 'primal one of religion. In so far and ao
tarther does the stage share the functioes qf
religioe, and, like religion, et may be de-
hased, distorted and misrepresented by faith -
lees and corrupt followers. I am often asked
11 13 'possible to have a theatre whioh re-
ligious 'people gamy consistently attend. I am
[lure that good popple of all creeds must ex-
ercise judgment and the faculty of seiectiou
In the matter of their theatrical amusements
quite as much as they do in their choice of
reading. 11 18 obvious that there is a litera-
ture for the good, the aspiring awl the pilre
of heart, just as there is literature for the
prurient and the evil minded. By the smite
token there are loftily written and beauti-
fully acted dramatic produotions with which
geed men and women may beguile and hi -
street themselvea if they will only exercise
aonslbly the process f selootion.
Some of my correspondents demand that
they shall be assured that the players whom
they are to see shall be men and women qf
as a high standing morally in their profession
ae sindiar public entertainers In the field et
literature. That takes the discussion into the
eomain of arivate morals and life histories.
It is not to the point of my argument so far
as its practical aspects are concerned. If we
aro to rate the productions of writers, paint-
ers, scuptors and players by the standard of
their private lives 'we shall have to set down
e.s unworthy and immoral many of the Pelmet
and most inspiring creations the human race
has achieved. Shapespeare's life was not
blameless nor was Shelley's, Goothe's, By-
ron's, George Eliot's or Rousseau's. But on
this point I do not care to apeek at length,
though I wish to add that on the whole as
high a standard of morals maintains among
the Players of to -day as is followed by other
People engaged in fields of artisttle endeavor.
4..point upon which I am in thorough ac-
cord with the strictest sectarian is the open
Sunday theatre. No one should be compelled
to werk seven days a week and players,
awing to the emotional strain their work lit
vetoes, should of all people pay strict heed
to the commandment which is intended to
ald the spiritual, dntellectual and physical
griewth of all Christendom. If the public
could be persuaded to 'witness fine and rev-
erent 'performances of the classics on Sunday
there might be some excuse for the Sunaay
theatre, but the public does not seek theat-
rical diversion of that character on Sunday.
Those theatre,' in the eartern cities which do
open their doors are playhouses of a very
cheep and often disreputable kind. trhey
offer what is parish and noisy. There is
neither instruction nor wholesome amuse-
ment to be gained from them, The Greek
plays, the dramas of Shapeapeare, Goethe
and Schiller form no part In the offerings
of Ole Sunday theatre. But, irrespective of
all that, it is bad mentally, morally and
physically for anybody to work on Sundays
and one does not need any more ingenious
answer to the question.
POWDER MILLS HEROISM.
"T always like to read the heroism of
firemen and policemen, but I think that Vir-
ginia can pride herself on having more heroic
acts accomplished In a, year that any other
state in the union," mid Roger Harries of
Charlottesville, Va., at the St. Charles. "The
Virginians and Carolinas have 90 per cent. of
the powder mine in the country and the Du
Pont people alone furnish the government
with a large amount of explosive. 1The mix-
ing !process is an extremely dangerous one
and there are many Instances where the
powder has exIoded from seemingly no
Mee.
"When hundreds of kegs of powder aro
piled together in a warehouse the effects of
a nexplosion are too terrible for comprehen-
sion. When we do have a disaster it generally
is an awful one, but hardly a month passes
when the heroism of ala emethee does not
save the plants from destruction and the lives
of hundreds of workers. About two months
ago the Du Pont mill near Norfolk caught fire
from the outside and within 100 feet of the
scene of the blaze was a warehouse contain-
ing several tons of giant powder, With
etareely a thought of the great danger the
workmen secured the fire -fighting apparatus
sea quickly got the fire Under control.
"When the danger seemed over a sudden
gnat of wind blew it number ot the blazing
brands directly on the roof of the powder
house. Before the root Could eat& afire a
half dozen of the workmen were upon it and
extinguished the blaze with brooms and pails
of water. This, I think. Is true heroism"—
• • to
• Put to Sleep by Wheel,
IAn ingsmioue inventor has produced a
mesmeric machine which he exrpeets to
be of con.salerable service to those who
are nimble to sleep. The instrument is
composed of irregiilarlyplaced ami enr-
ionsly thepel "pita:tiers,attached to it
elowly revolving elteel. It tie euffieient
to look at this fixedly. when the instru-
ment is in motion quickly to be "lime.
merizeil," a evard wlach in this inetonce
meatee merely to be Blade &May and
pent to sleere,---alinneapelis Journal.
The Silk Eat.
It* eislieuleue custom of Waling thet
aliening aunnel, the silk ant, will appear
res etupefyieg to 001grest.gettesdehilchren
a* tive cuttom of putting abate theousi!i
the lip ot it ring through the mystrife
Dippsars trionetirees to us.--Totin
IN STRICT CONFIDENCE.
WOMOII Obtain Mrs. Pinkbam's
Advice and Help.
She Has Guided Thousands to Health.
—How Lydia E. Pinkham's Vege-
table Compound Cured Mrs. Fred
Seydel.
eumatiSm
Oen be ourea—is being oared every &or
--by the ;vow, wboolutely certain reent4
Dr. 11. It Mack's
Rheumatism Compound
It works direetly at the muse, oiser-
ing away the lirie A.chl, freaking up ehe
meet obstinate deposits; strengtheolag,
without dangerous:5" excitisq, Ohs kadr
neys.
The °urea already wrought by this
remedy have won. the attention, of Mr.
C, W. Meek, the well -knows rubber
stamp manufacturer of Toronto, cousin
of the (tooter. After eserefai investiga.
tion, Mr. Mack says: "I &tate, from post -
tire proof, thi remedy is absolutely
sure and safe." .Andi he We pat colloid-
erable money into 'setting it. No busi-
ness man would do this with medieine
that would not make good.
Try It You run no risk. If It doesn't
cure you, your anortey will be cheerfully
refunded,
Write to -day for Dr. Maoit's bee4olet
on Rheumatism. Dr. H. dviar.lc, 80 )(cogs
street, Toronto.
11M1641.1•111•111011MINI•
there are evidence la past digging on the
Transvaal abore, all the diggers have re-
moved to the Orange river colony bank. This
is not because the Zoutpan's drift side is the
riThr.
The bend of the strewn on the Obriatians
side le 'believed to contain far the greater
wealth. During the little work that was
done there a stone of 33 carats, whieh was
sold on the Mot for 2472, was discoVerad,
whereas in all the digging on the oPPosite
shore the biggest diamond has been IPA
carats, the sale price befog 4120. But further
licenses for the Transvaal tde have been
refused. It has been tailed that the bed of
the river is crown land. This necessitates he
formai proclamation by the government and
there will be considerable delay before this
ean be done.
The sequel Is likely to be trouble. .As the
river falls there will be a great influx of 41g -
;tors from other parts of the river as well as
from the Rand. A thousand are sadd to be
coming down. These men -will find the
Orange river colony bank fairly filled up,
and yet before their eyes a potential Bider -
ado, which for some reason they can not
fathom is a closed land. The danger la—and
it is not a remote one—that the diggers will
defy the law and descend into the bed of
Ole river as soon as the water is low enough
and begin work.
Once established there, it will be hard t•
get them to shift, and oome people on the
spot already mention the word riot. It cer-
tainly eeeme desirable that the men should
be allowed to work even of there Is a techni-
cal breach of the law. The diggers realize
between 41,000 and 41,100 a month in dia-
monds and the trade which results keeps
Christiana, which is the seventh or eighth
largest town in the Transvaal, solvent.
4 •
• METAL IN PLACE OF COPPER.
Aluminium and Sodidflic'litiviettr, Are
Not Wholly Satisfactory.
The high price of copper has for yeara
inspired search for something which
would serve equally well as a conduct-
or of electricity, but would be cheaper.
To a limited extent aluminium has been
utilized for this purpose, but it is not
an altogether satisfactory substitute.
It now appears that the feasibility of
employing sodium has been under con-
sidelration. Bulk for bulk sodhum
• weighs only one -ninth as much as cop-
per. Its conductivity is lower, but it
is asserted theta pound of sodium would
render three times the service now per-
formed by a pound of the red metal.
Just now sodium is a rather expen-
sive article, because there is little de-
mand for it. It is alleged, however,
that if manufactured on.a large scale it
could be produced for 7 1-2 cents a
pound, or less than half the price now
paid for copper. Apparently, then, the
work of carrying an electric current
could be done with sodium at one-sixth
the cost of doing it with copper.
When the reader's expectations have
thus been raised to a high pitch his eyes
are opened to the embarrassments that
would beset the use of this partieuler
substitute. In the first place, sodium
is so soft a metal that it can readily
be cut with a knife. Hence it is hard-
ly suited to the making of telegraph,
telephone or trolley wires. Again, it
is extremely combustible. A piece of
it thrown into a dish of water will take
fire. Here is an additional reason for
not stringing it near buildings in pub -
tic strets. Already there are too many
fires from defective electric equipment
to please the underwriters and it would
be folly to increase the number. Never-
theless, both this and the other diffi-
culty might be overcome by inclosing
the sodium in an iron tube and putting
it underground. 'Used in that manner
it might furnish a oonvenient and safe
means of transmitting current from the
main power houses to the substitutions
of an electric road. It has also been
suggested that if alloyed with some
harder metal it would prove less dan-
gerous than if employed in a practically
pure state. After all, therefore, there
is a microscopis chance that future ex-
periment may pave the way to the sub-
stitution of sodium for copper, but at
Ole present moment the prospect of a
change is hardly what would be called
dazzingly brilliant.
It is it great sa-
tisfaction for it wo-
man to feel that
she can write to
another telling her
tLe most private
and confidential
&tails about her
illness and know
that her letter will
be seen by a woman
only.
Many thousands of cases of female
diseases come before Mrs. Pinkham every
year, some personally, others by mail.
Mrs. Pinkham is C., daughter-in-law
of Lydia E. Pinkhart ;lei for twenty-five
years under her dire( tion and since her
decease she has been advising sick
women free of charge.
Mrs. Philtham never violates the confi-
dence of women, and every testimonial
letter published is done so with the
written consent or request of the writer,
in order that other sick women may be
benefited as she has been.
Mrs. Fred Soydel, of 412 North 64th
Street, West Philadelphia, Pa., writes:
Dear Mrs. PinIsham:—
"Over a year ago T wrote yoti a letter
inking advice, as I had female ills and
could. not earre it child to maturity. 1 res
ceived your kinti lett& of instructions and
followed your tolvicit 1 ant not WO a well
woman in eonsequence, but haveabeautiful
baby girl. 1 wish every suffering woman
In the land 'would write you for advice, as
you have done so muck for me."
Just as surely as Mrs. Seydel wads
....fred, will Lydia E. Pinkhfun's Vega,
Ade Compound euro every WOMan
nettling front any form of female ills.
If you aro sick, 'wilts Mrs. Pinkhani,
Lynn, Mass., for special advice. It
free and always holpful.
Recession of Niagara Falls.
The only reliable data thest can form
a basis for speculation as to the progress
of Niagara Palls from Lake Ontario to
the present site is found by oomparing
the two eurveys that have been amide of
the falls, one in 1842 and the other in
1880. The first of these was a. trigo-
nometrical survey made by Dr. John
Hall, nester of the New York State
Geological Survey. At the suggestion of
Sir Charles Lyiel, who vieited tele falls
with lam, monument& were erected at
the points at whioh the angles were ta.k.
en in order that some later surveyor
would be able to find. with aeoueacy the
exact extent of the ehangee. The emend
' survey was made * 1880 by W. S. Wood-
ward, of the 'United States. Geologieal
Survey, now director of the Cktmegie
Institute at Washington. The result
surprised the world. Woodward's sur-
vey showed: that the falls had moved
220 feet sinee 1842. The rate at the eons,
tre haa been, therefore, five feet par
. an-
nuni. Woodwa.ra -proved. that the tre-
mendous arta, of five Acres of rock bad
beeit precipitated from the face of the
falls in the half eentury„—Fourelteek
NOM,
o • *
No More Bleac'hed Blondes.
The chemical blonde has very nearly
disappeared froin the enlightened. gale
of men. Ono upoii a time the yellow
mid strawberry beauty was taken et
her own coloring, but now it is ueeless
to practice any such deception. tiophis.
tication rules the hour. No masculine,
inneh less feminine, eye elm be deceived.
Her lustrous hair is womans glory and
to arrive !it it she must (ging to the col-
or in which nature turned her out, be
elle blonde, brunette or nondescript. No
beauty doctor or dyer's art eau change
the leopard's spots without haeard of
betrayals—Boston Herald,
Makesa Vivid Comparison.
ateleatim Nita., (Bebe.)
Heavy snows are so rare in 'Korot Uwe
-leighs lead gamest re se:chided se
as a 44443`101 ataa'a Ate* atilt