PAYINO THE CHURCH DEBT
"Ob! husband, I heard such a sermon to-day,
By dear Mr. Stiggins, who said we would pay
Next Sabbath the debt on our church, and,
said he,
"Whoever subscribes Oh! how happy he'll
be.' ,
' And all may this glorious privilege share
By naming the sum he surely can spare;
You just sign a slip and you weekly can
pay
On! can you imagine an easier way !
"And dear "Mr. Stiggins said all can afford
To give back what only belongs to the Lord,
Who will repay treble besides if we should
Just sacrifice something, we'd feel the more
good."
"Yes, wife, of that privilege all should par
take, A sacrifice for such a cause we must make;
I, being unselfish, will let you, I guess,
Feelgood sj we'll sacrifice your new silk
dres
"Oh! husband, I' couldn't My six won't
suffice.
Our pastor meant you would with ;'oy sac-
. rifice
A few of your pleasures. I thought you'd be
glad
To give up your pipe and your papers so
bad."
Norristown Herald.
ONE YEAR AGO.
"What stars have faded from our sky,
What hopes unfolded but to die?
What dream so fondly pondered o'er
Forever lost the hues they wore!
How lik a death knell sad and slow,
Toils through tbe soul " one year ago."
Where is the face we loved to greet:
The form that graced our fireside seat.
The gentle smile, tha winning way,
That blessed our life path day by day; '
Where fled those accents, soft and low,
That thrilled our hearts " one year ago."
Ah! vacant is the fireside chair,
The smile that won, no longer there;
From door and hall, from porch and hall
The echo of that voice is gone;
And we who linger only know
How much we lost "one year ago."
Beside his grave the marble white
Keeps silent guard by day and night;
Serene he sieeps, nor heeds tha tread ,
Of footsteps o'er his lowly bed;
His pulseless breast no more may knoi
The pangs of life ' one year ago."
But why repine? A few more years,
A few more broken sighs and tears,
And we. enlisted with the dead,
Shall follow where his steps have led ;
To that far world rejoicing go
To which he passed " one year ago."
Airs. John M. Conway.
A RAFFLE FOR FREEDOM.
The subjoined account of an incident
alleged to have occurred on a Mississippi
steamboat a short time before the war is
from a German sketch of American travel.
I ascended the Mississippi, says the writer,
on a steamer, on board of which were
Judge J and General K , of Pennsyl
vania, with both of whom I was slightly
acquainted. "A hard set, these Natchez
men," said the captain, who met us on
the cabin stairs. "There's some of them
down in the saloon playing a high game.
How men can be such fools, I could never
seel" "Let's go down and look on
4 awhile," suggested the judge. In the
saloon we found four men seated at a
table, around which a crowd of specta
tors were gathered. The four were the
'heavy players." The game was 'poker, "
and the money changed hands rapidly.
We had not been looking on long, when
one of the players, a middle-aged man,
who, I learned, was a cotton planter, bet
his last dollar against the hand of one of
his antagonists. The latter showed four
kings, while he had only four queens.
He was "cleaned out," and rose as though
he were goiag to leave the table. "Are
you broke, colonel?" asked one of the
men. "Dead !" was the laconic reply.
"Never mind; I'll lend you." "No: I
can make a raise, I reckon. Here, Pomp !"
"IIere, massa!" responded an old negro,
as he emerged from one corner of the sa
loon. "Bring that girl and her youngster
here that I bought in Natchez. Wait a
few minutes, gentlemen, I'l; raise some
money." The old negro went on his er
rand, and soon returned with the "girl
and her youngster." The "girl" proved to
be a stately mulatto woman, about thirty
five years old. Her "youngster" was
a fine, intelligent-looking boy, eleven or
twelve years old, whose complexion
showed him to be much more nearly
allied to the white race than the black.
"Here, gentlemen," said the planter, as
they entered; "You see this girl and her
boy two as fine niggers as you can find
anywhere. I paid eight hundred dollars
for them yesterday in Natchez. Who
will give me six hundred for them?"
"Will you sell them separate?" asked
some one. "No, can't do it; I promised
not to. The girl swears she'll take her
life if she's separated from her boy, and
her old master said that he was sure she'd
keep her word. But don't you all see
that the girl is worth more money than
I ask for both of them? Come, who'll
give me six hundred for both'" The
planter waited for a reply, and then said :
"Vell, I must have some money. Come,
what say you to a raffle thirty chances,
at twenty dollars a chance? Out with
your cash, gentlemen. The first, on the
list has the first throw 1" This propo
sition created a decided stir among all
present. The three players at the table
led off by taking three chances each,
Their example was followed by the
spectators, ana twenty cnances were
taken as rapidly as the planter could
write down the names and take the
money. Then there w&a a slight pause
Tho planter himscif now' took two
chances, and ' he was followed by hia
three feliow-players, who each took one
chance - more. Finally, three more
chances were taken by the- spectators,
when the planter cried out, "Two chances
still, gentlemen? Who will have tnemr
General K whispered something in
Judge J 's ear, and then went to the
table and laid two ten-dollar gold pieces
on it. "Name, sir, please."-. "Never
mind the name. Put it down for the
woman." "Eh what 1 for the girl her
self?" "Yes, certainly, let's' give her a
chance." "All right ! One for Ninette.
And now" "That's for the boy," said
Judge J , quietly, as he laid twenty
dollars on the tabic. "Goodl bravo!
bravo !" cried the planter and several of
the bystanders. " " One lor Tommy,
which makes the thirty. Now, gentle
men, let's see whom luck favors." The
dice were brought, and the throwing be
gan. Each chance entitled the holder to
three throws Thirty-six was the high
est thrown until the holder of the
eleventh chance threw. He scored forty
two. Then a less number was thrown,
until No. 21 scored forty-nine. The ex
citement now became intense. Forty
nine was hard to beat ; the highest throw
possible being nine sixes fifty-four.
Again and again the dice rattled in the
box, until it came to No. 29. "Come,
Ninette; it is" your turn nowl" As the
poor woman came forward, her hands
crossed and pressed convulsively
against her breast, it was truly
painful to witness her agitation. "Won't
the' gentleman who took the chance for
me please throw ?" she asked, in a low,
tremulous tone. " No; let your boy
throw," replied the gentleman; "per
haps he would have more luck than I."
"Come, Tom," said the planter. Tom
came forward and picked up the box
The woman pressed her lips firmly to
gether, and clasped her hands as if in
rayer. The bty trembled like an aspen
eaf, but shook the dice, and threw
three. For a moment he stared at the
dice as though he could not believe his
eyes, then he put down the box and
stepped back, pale and dejected. "Come,
Tommy, throw again," urged the planter.
"It's no use, master; I couldn't throw
forty-nine now." " Very true, but you
have your own chance. Throw that."
' Certainly, "said Judge J . That
one was your mother's. Now throw for
yourself on the chance I gave jou. Have
a 'stout heart, my boy, and may heaven
smile on you." Again the' boy returned
to the table, and took up the box. He
pressed his lips together, and did his
best to control his trembling limbs. Not
a sound was to be heard in the saloon
but the rattling of the dice. For a
moment every ma a seemed to hold his
breath. He threw. " Two fives and a
six sixteen," said the planter, putting
down the number, while a murmur
of satisfaction ran through the crowd.
One of the bystanders gathered up the
dice and put them in the box, and the
boy threw again. "Two sixes and a
five seventeen." The excitement now
knew no bounds, and the "bravos"
resounded on every hand. The boy, as
he took up the box to throw for the
third and last time, was as nearly color
less as it was possible for him to be with
hi3 yellow skin. ,v Out rolled the dice and
up came three sixes, which made fifty-one.
'Tommy, my boy, I congratulate you,"
cried the planter. "You are your own
and your mother's master 1 Fill up the
necessary papers, captain, and I will sign
them. These gentlemen will be the wit
nesses." I will not attempt to describe the
scene that followed, in the general
satisfaction, one of the men in the crowd
proposed a subscription for the freed
negroes. The proposition was received
with such favor that in less than five
minutes fifty dollars were collected.
Twilight Phenomena at The Equator.
Twilight phenomena of a similar char
acter to the appearances lately so preva
lent were, according to letters, observed
in the island of Mauritius. This is es
pecially remarkable as in that island,
situated twenty degrees above the equa
tor, night, as a rule, follows the day
without any ' noticeable transition. On
several evenings, however, there was a
splendid glow in the west quite half an
hour after sunset, and when night had
fairly set in ihis glow soon extended over
the whole sky, being reflected on the
clouds and covering the island with a
purple tint. The sea is described as ap
parently on fire, the vessels and their
masts looking black, and standing out in
bold relief. The same phenomenon was
observed before sunrise.
A Lady Made a Citizen.
Mrs. Emily S. Smith, a widow, has
been made a citizen of the United States
in the municipal court at Milwaukee.
Mrs. Smith was born in England in 1840,
and came to America when eleven years
of acre. She has resided in Milwaukee
for the past twelve or fifteen years. The
lady went to Dakota last spring ana
ook up a homestead near Harold, and in
order to acquire a perfect title to the
land she was advised to renounce for
ever all allegiance to Queen Victoria and
become a naturalized citizen of the
United States, her husband having neg
lected to take out his second papers.
The clerk of the court says this is the
second instance of the kind during hia
incumbency of the office six years. .
The Value of the Farms.
The farms of the "United States are
worth $10,197,000,000, while all other
real estate, including the dwellings and
warehouses of the city, the capital em
ployed in business and the water power
besides, is but $9,881,000,000; railroads
and their equipments are worth but
$5,530,000,000; and mines including
petr61eum wells and gold and silver
bonanzas and stone and . other quarries,
w-e worth but $780,000,000.
THE HOME OF KING COTTON.
VARIOUS COUNTRIES TS WHICH THE
. STAPLE IS QBOWS.
Tbe American Cotton Raisin? In
dustry Cultivation and Prepar-
ation o( tbe Staple for Market.
What is cotton ; why does it spin, and
who can compete with us in the produc
tion of the fiber ? asks Edward Atkinson
in his paper on the cotton manufactures
of the United States, printed in the
United States Census Report, and then
tells. us what it is. He says: Cotton is
the wing of the seed of one of the plants
belonging to a variety of which the
hibiscus and mallow are well-known
specimens growing elsewhere. It is in
digenous in many parts of the world,
both in tropical and temperate regions,
but the useful sorts are those which grow
in the Southern part .of the temperate
zone. A tree cotton is found in the
tropics, producing a fiber very silky in
appearance, resembling in structure the
fiber of the asclepias, but useless, like
the latter, for spinning purposes, for
want of the form and structure
which makes " it possible to
spin the cotton of commerce. A
.vine cotton may be found in some of the
West India islands. In China and Japan
are found varieties producing a short,
clean arid veryf white staple, practically
useless, except it be spun and woven by
hand. In India many varieties are to be
found, commonly known as "Surats," a
name which belongs to a district, but
which is often applied to all East India
cotton. East India cotton is, as a rule,
short in fibre and rough in its character,
adhering closely by its end to the seed,
and is therefore difficult to remove, ex
cept with great waste. There is, how
ever, one exception to this rule : In the
Dacca province a long and fine staple is
grown, which is produced by a class of
people with whom its cultivation is an
hereditary'employment, and from which
the fine muslin known as " woven wind "
is manufactured. In Africa are to be
found several varieties; but the only
kind known to commerce is the cotton
of Egypt, next in quality to our Sea
Island staple. Aside from this, the cot
ton of Africa is short and woolly. There
are large areas of land, formerly
irrigated, but now a desert, upon which
7,000,000 or more bales of the most
valuable cotton could be annually grown,
if Egypt were well governed and labor
had its true reward. In Brazil a con
siderable quantity of useful cotton is
now produced, but slavery stands in
the way of any great increase or improve
ment of the - staple. There are vast
tracts of land on the Paraguay and
Parana rivers capable of producing the
beat varieties, but as yet these places lack
good government and that security to
property which can alone assure adequate
labor and good cultivation. The same
may for the present be said of Mexico,
but the conditions are so rapidly chang
ing in that country that Mexico may yet
become an important factor in the culti
vation or the -cotton crop of the world.
Cotton has been raised in Asia Minor,
Turkey, Italy and the islands of the
Pacific ; in fact, the area of land adapted
to its growth in some degree is practical
ly unlimited ; but the area which pro
duces the most useful varieties is at
present substantially limited to the
southern portion of the United States,
No treatment of the manufacture of cot
ton can rightly begin without giving the
reason why cotton spins. Nature begins
to twist each fiber upon its own axis, else
man could make no use of it. Is is the
only fiber, either vegetable or animal,
with the exception ot silk, which can be
worked without any preparation
or machine just as it comes from
the boll or fleece. It can be imagined
how some Indian woman in Central
Asia first gathered the fiber as it hung
from the boll, twisted it with her fingers
into a strand, as one may now do ; then,
holding it by the middle with her teeth,
doubled it and made a strong, rough
cord: and then, making a bobbin of a bit
of bamboo reed and tying the ends of
the cord to other reeds, interlaced them,
and made the first web of cotton cloth,
Anv one can do this to-day with cotton,
:.d it would be difficult or impossible to
perform this work with any other fiber,
The next step in the process might have
been the one which is even now practised
in making the finest fabric ever spun and
woven in the world the Dacca muslin,
previously referred to and known as the
"woven wind." The cotton is separated
from the seed by a hand machine known
as the churka, of which the modern
roller gin is but a modification ; and no
invention has ever yet displaced the roller
gin in the treatment of the finest fiber,
like that of Dacca and the sea island cot
ton of America. Next may have been
the application of the fishbone to the
carding of the fiber, which is still in use,
and of which the modern card is but a
modification. Twisting upon a distaff.
in the same way as the cotton is span in
India and flax in Italy, may be the next
step in the progress of the art, and at last
the weaver may have construe tedsuch a
loom of reeds as is pictured upon the
walls of Babylon, while the weaver, sit
ting under a palm tree, as she does to-day
in India, and weaving only in the morn
ing, when the dew makes the handling
of the fiber possible, may have brought
the art slowly and gradually to the per
f ection of the woven wind. In the whole
treatment of cotton, as it is now prac
tised in the finest factory of modern
kind, there is but one original invention
all else is but a change or modification of
these prehistoric methods. That one in
ventiou -was the one which'Sir Richard
Arkwright borrowed from a previous in
ventor. and put in use about a century
ago, namely, the extension of the strand
prior to the twisting by the spindle
This was accomplished by the use of sev
eral pairs of rollers, one placed in front
of the other, and those in front working
at a higher' speed than those behind.
Yet Arkwright's invention itself is im
perfect; and whoever discovers a substi
tute for the leather covering of the top
rolls which are used in this process may
add from five to ten per cent.' to the
capacity of every spindle and loom now
in use in the world. The only other
original invention ever applied to. the
cotton fiber was that of Eli AYhitney,
whose raw gin, afterward" improved and
developed by Carver, made the prepara
tion of cotton for the spinner quiet ana
at the lowest cost. The process of what"
is called manufacturing the cotton fiber
into yarn and cloth begins with
the process of ginning, which
must of necessity be carried on
near the field where the cot
ton is grown. It is the most important
department in the whole series of opera
tions to which the cotton fibre must be
subjected; and, as yet, there has been
less of science and art, and less of tbe
modern system of division of labor, ap
plied to this department than to any
other. But progress has been made even
here. Machines for cleaning the cotton
in the seed and preparing it for the cot
ton gin, which had hardly been heard oi
before the Atlanta cotton exposition ot
1881, have been introduced and sold in
large numbers. Cotton ginning estab
lishments, in which as much art and
science have been applied as in those ol
Egypt, established by English capital
ists, have tfcen set up in several places,
and the old methods, by which the cot
ton has been depreciated after it had
been picked, are rapidly going out ol
use. Cotton is also in a great measure
becoming the product of the intelligent
farmers dwelling upon healthy uplands,
and by improvements which have been
introduced during the last few years its
cultivation has been carried further north
in latitude and higher up on hill and
mountain slopes than was ever thought
to be possible in former days. The great
Appalachian chain of mountains, extend
ing from the northeast to the southwest,
marks a line on which the moisture
brought in in by the gulf stream is con
densed, falling in frequent showers, but
seldom in heavy storms, over the Caro
linas, Georgia and Alabama, on whose
uplands healthy homes for white cot'ton
farmers are being established al
most without limit. To the west
of- this chain the great valley
of the Mississippi and its tributaries,
bordered by bottom lands of untold fer
tility, offers the boon of great crops to
compensate for the less healthy condi
tions of climate ; and to these rich river
bottoms colored laborers, who are more
free from danger of malaria, are trend
ing in ever-increasing numbers. In Texas
the melting snows of the far-distant
Rocky mountains, flowing into the arid
regions of the northern par'; of the State,
burst forth from the ground as rivers
fully grown, lending moisture to the soil
over vast areas, even before the rivers ap
pear in great springs. Over all this vast
area is found a climate which is not trop
ical, and in the largest part of this area
white men, as well as blacks, can live in
comfort and health. To Italians, French,
Spanish and the inhabitants of Southern
Germany, who are accustomed to the
climate of warm countries, these por
tions of the South offer homes and work
where a comfortable subsistence can be
gained more quickly than elsewhere in
this country, and where there is more
than an average opportunity to create
wealth. The use of the seed is adding
profit to the production of the fiber.
When all the parts of the plant are
worked, as they may be, either into fod
der or directly into fertilizers, the cotton
field may become richer every year ; and
land which has only produced one bale
to eight acres, like Farish Furman's farm
in Georgia, will be" brought in a few
short years to two or three bales ro the
acre.
People Who Make Buttons.
According to the recently published
statistics, there is'a village situated near
Paris where from 5,000 to ,6,000 people
are employed in making agate buttons
alone, a surprising number when it is
considered that in the- year 1851 there
were only 9,938 button-makers, all told,
in England, of whom 4,950 worked in
one town. Pearl buttons come princi
pally from Vienna, and shirt buttons
from Birmingham, while those made of
glass are produced in Bohemia. Amer
ica manufactures good of this designa
tion valued at from $8,000,000 to 10,
000,000 per annum, but not at such a
cheap rate as Germany, which runs
France very close with novelties. In
Bohemia, it is said the men engaged in
the glass-button industry earn from Is
8d, to 2s. id., the women from 15d. to
20d., and the children 5d. a day of our
money. American wages are very much
higher, and consequently many of the
kinds imported from Europe could not
probably be made in the United States.
London Telegraph.
Diving for Fresh Water,
One of the hottest regions of the earth
is along the Persian G"lf, where little or
no rain falls. At Bahrin the arid shore
has no fresh water; yet a comparatively
numerous population contrives to live
there, thanks to the copious springs
which burst forth from the bottom of
the sea. The fresh water is got by div
ing. The diver, sitting in his boat,
winds a great goat-skin bag around his
left arm, the hand grasping its mouth;
then he takes in his hand a heavy stone,
to which is attached a strong line, and
thus equipped, he plunges in and quick
ly reaches the bottom. Instantly open
ing the bag over, the strong jet of fresh
water, he springs up the ascending cur
rent, at the same time closing the bag,
and is helped on board. The stone is
then hauled up, and the diver, after tak
ing breath, plunges in again. . The source
of these copious submarine springs is
thought to be the green hills of Osma
some 500 or 600 miles distant.
Jay Gould Outwitted by a Journalist.
Jay Gould was never fairly outwitted
by a reporter but once, and the excep
tional incident occurred . at the time
Gould was in Denver after having just
purchased the Kansas Pacific railroad.
The financial world was agog for infor
mation as to Gould's intentions and
plans, and the Denver newspaper offices
were overwhelmed with telegrams from
Eastern dailies asking for special dis
patches regarding the railroad magnate
and his movements. Mr. Fred Skiff,
who is now manager of the Denver
Tribune, was at that time city editor of
the paper, and he detailed three of his
best reporters to get at Gould and in
terview him by hook or by crook.
About 9 o'clock at night these reporters
showed up with the information that
Gould could not be seen ; that his sen
tinels were posted all along the hall
leading to his rooms in the Grand Central
hotel, and it was impossible to run the
gauntlet of .these wary creatures. Per
haps with a view to showing his subordi
nates what genuine enterprise could ac
complish, Skiff announced that he
would secure access to Gould's apart
ment, and would literally beard the lion
in his den. Accordingly, he hustled
around, borrowed a Pullman car con
ductor's coat and cap, and 6talked bold
ly into the Grand Central. "Look "
ihere," said he to the first sentinel he .
met, .."what does Mr. Gould propose
to do about that car? I must know
right away, for if he isn't going
to use it to- morrow, I've got to take it '
back to Chicago. The sentry knew noth
ing about the car, of course, and ad
vised Skiff to see Gould about it him
self. So Skiff successfully ran the gaunt
let of the half-dozen lackeys, growling
all the time about the bother of being
compelled to attend io other people's
business. Judge Usher, one of Gould's
attorneys, was in consultation with
Gould when the bogus sleeping-car con
ductor was shown in. lie immediately
recognized Skiff, having known him
back in Kansas. "When did you get
out of the newspaper business?" in
quired the astonished lawyer. "I
ain't out of it," replied Skiff,
" but I had to put on this disguise in
order to get in here to interview Mr.
Gould. " Young man, " said Mr. Gould,
Bternly, "if you're a reporter you can
take yourself right out of the room, for I
am not to be interviewed . " Skiff argued
the point, and, not being invited to be
seated, coolly . sat down on the floor.
" Unless you put me out," said he, "I
shall stay here till you tell
me what your plans are." The
audacity rather pleased Gould,
lie looked at Usher, and, see
ing that party chuckling heartily, he
broke out into a he.arty laugh. " Well,
what do you want to know ?" he asked,
finally, in the tone of a man who is
weary with objecting. Skiff knew he
had triumphed. He produced his note
book, drew up to the table at which
Gould sat, and set industriously at work
plying questions and noting the replies.
The result was a reliable forecast of the
immense railroad enterprise in which
Gould subsequently embarked, and of
which the public would not have been
forewarned but for the audacity and wit
of the dauntless Skiff. Chicago Daily
News.
Powerful in Prayer.
'One., of the most remarkable and
original prayers I ever heard, "said a gen
tleman to a Herald reporter, "was just
after the war closed, and I was taking a
run down through Georgia in hope ol
finding a desirable cotton plantation.
One bright summer night found me at
the cabin of an old negro who had once
been a slave, but who located on the old
plantation after the war, and was his own
master. He gladly welcomed me to his
humble abode, and to 6uch bed and
board as he could provide.
Supper over, and a most excellent one,
too, the old man regaled me with stories
of plantation life, until his son, a good
chunk of a boy, came home from a
neighbor's. Before retiring, the old man
asked me to read a chapter in the Bible,
when he would pray. He said he couldn't
read, but was powerful in exhortin' and
prayer. After reading a chapter from
Job and part of a Psalm, we knelt down,
and the sable brother let his soul flow
out to God. He prayed for the Presi
dent of the United States, all his cabi
net, the army, the navy, the g overnors
of all the States, for me, his guest, for
his neighbors, for absent children, foi
himself and family. He asked forgive
ness for many sins and thanked the Lord
for many blessings.
"Well, I began to get tired. I had
rested my knees the best I could, but
wanted to get up badly, and, at the same
time, did not want to give offense to my
kind host. The boy reclined next to me,
with his head in the chair, sound asleep.
Touching him gently, I whispered :
4 About how soon will your father get
through?' Has he got to the place
whar Moses crossed de Red sea?' Being
assured that said point had not yet been
reached, the boy yawned and continued:
'Well, when he gets to whar Moses
crossed the Red sea, he's jist half done,'
and he relapsed into unconsciousness."
Dayton Herald.
How frequently is the honesty and in
tegrity of a man disposed of by a smile
or shrug; how many good and generous
actions have been sunk into 'oblivion .by
a distrustful look, or stamped with the
imputation of proceeding from bad mo
tives by a mysterions and seasonable
whisper.
Correspondents' Club is the name of an
organization in Paris, composed of Eng
lish and American newspaper men, who
meet once a week at an informal dinner..
Tnere '3 one waisx mat me most amor
ous poet doesn't care ' to hug. That
the waste basket. The Judge. .
c
c