The Columbia Democrat. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, November 05, 1842, Image 1

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I Lave on-orti upon the Altar of God, eternal hostility to every form of Tyranny over the .Mind of Man." Tlfotnas Jefferson
MINTED km) PUBLISHED BV II. WEliB.
VdumcVl. BLOOBISBURG, COILUMIMA COUNTY, PA. SAT 3J12.B AY, . KOVJSMiiSjHK, 5, 18455.
- OFFICE OF THE DEMOCRAT
OrrosiTE St. Paul a Ciiuncit, Main-st
The COL UMJ3IA DEMOCRAT will bo
published every Saturday morning, at
TWO DOLLARS per annum, payable
half yearly in advance, or Two Dollars
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tinuance permitted, until all arrearages
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ADVERTISEMENTS not exceeding a
square will be conspicuously inserted at
One. Dollar for the first three insertions,
and Twenty-Jive cents for every stdjse.
qucnt nscrtion. f?A liberal 'discount
made to those who advertise by the year.
LETTERS addressed on business, must
be post paid.
THE ATTORNEY.
AN EXTRACT.
Hour after hour passed; still tliero sat
He attorney looking at that letter. lie
seemed to have grown old since he entered
tht: room. His face was. haggard; his
temple sunken; and he twisted his fingers
one in another with a kind of childish help
lessness. It was near midnight; and a faint noise
echoing through the street made him start
and cast his eyes fearfully about him; for he
was grown within the last few hours as
superstitious as a child. Then he thought
of getting up, and going to his own home,
away from this sad gloomy office; hut ho
was afraid. His thoughts were not of pun
ishment. They were of the grave, of the
crrti-worm, of the future, and its unknown
eternity. He began to recall to rnind what
he. had done which ho must accour.t for
hereaftjr. He began to think his acts ovor
one'by one. Hdw clear his memory was!
He recollected as it were but yesterday,
one man whom he had defrauded of all he
oivued. He had died in that very room,
at his feet; and had cursed him with his
dying. heath. He knew that, that curse
was upon him; he felt his weigtit palpably
pressing him to the earth. Well tho man
had diud; they said his heart was broken,
his family had become beggars, and his
only child, a beautiful girl, was now a com
mon haiiot in the streets. Ho thought of
a poor woman whose son he had imprison
ed vears before for a triflincr debt. The
son died in jail, and the mothei went mad
and would watch for hours at the office
duor until, lie came out; and then would
shako her long skinny fingers at him, and
laugh in his ear until it made his very flesh
creep. Then lie thought of many who had
come to him in his legal capacity; thoso
whom he was grinding to the dusl, to beg
lor a liUle delay; but a week, nay, oven a
day, and they would pay him all; but like
a good lawyer, and one who had the inter
est of his clients at heart ho had crushed
them to the earth, he had wrung from them
their last cent, and had thrown it into the
coffers of the rich whom he served. Ho
had turned a deaf ear to thorn all; but they
came now. They would bo heard! Their
cries were ringing in his ear. Ho fancied
thai ho saw this sad array coming (lowly
down the dim stieet, gliding in the old
building one after another; shadowy and
spectral, on they come, up the creaking
stairs along the dark entry until they wcio
crowding at the door of the office. He
could heai them whisper, and fancied that
they were pointing at him from without.
Ho drew his chair closer to the fire; he
ilirrei! up tho dying coals, for he was be
ginning to be chilly; and felt that if there
wan a blaze, it would not bo so lonely.
He coughed loudly too, and rattled the po
Vfit against the bars of tho grate; for there
was something in the dread silence that
made him shudder. Tho feeling however,
would not go off, for when ho ceased, the
tidiness seemed' more intense and fearful,
lie would hare given worlds to liavo bee,,
it) his own room in bed; but he dared not
venture alone that dark passage, crowded
w'ub aceuseid Tjien ie fancied the office
looked darker and more gloomy, that the
lights were duller than usual, and he got up
and trimmod them, but still there was Ihe
same dull, uncertain light, tie tried to ar
gue himself out of these fears to laugh
them of as ridiculous; and he threw him
self back in his chair and laughed aloud. If
ever mortal man felt tho agony of terror ho
did, for at that moment his laugh was
echoed from the da'k passage 1 Crouching
back in his chair, with Ins heart heating
fast and hard, and gasping for breath, his
hair bristling, lie sat watching the door.
Ho heard a slight motion in the entry, like
a sliding creeping step. It stopped. Then
it came again, and nearer, then a hand
touched the knob and was withdrawn.
Thon it took it again, turned it, and opened
the door jyar; and two bright eyes gland
in hrough the erack. It opened wider;
and a tall, gaunt figure, stole cautiously in
turning the key afier it. It then slowly
and with a cat like stop, crept towards the
Attorney, until it came in full light of the
candle. ,
With a feeling partly of horror and part
ly of relief, Bolton sprang 10 his feet, as the
light revealed to him ihc ghastly features of
Wilkir.s.
'Wilkins,' exclaimed he.
That's mo!' said the other, looking
vacantly about him, 'That's me I wonder
where Lucv is!'
'Lucy? your wife ?' oxclaimed the attor
ney, staring at him. Why, you should
know. She's dead, lonjr eo."
r'toy told mo so,' said he, shaking his
head sadly; but I don't believe it. She
wouldn't die and leave me all alone. I
know she wnuld'nt, It wasn't like her.'
Poor fellow 1' muttered Bolion. 'Its loo
true, bl.e s dead.'
Dead ! Then who murdered her?'
8lioutcd the maniac, confronting' the attor
ney: 'who murdered her, 1 say?' he fuirly
screamed, and at the. same time advancing;
'who murdered her?' I'll tell vou who did
it I It was Reuben Bolton ! lie did it !
She told me so in the grave yard. I laid
my head upon her grave, and she spoke
to me, and told me ! and I swore I would
have revenge ! And now I'm looking for
him !
'Good God ! George I' exclaimed the
Attorney, shrinking from the excited mad
man. '1 never harmed your wife; indeed I
did not !'
'Who are you?' demanded Wilkins
clutching him by the coat, and dragging
him foiward with a strength whicli his ap
pearance scarcely indicated. Ha ! have 1
found you?'
'God ! Georgo ! I never harmed your
wife !' exclaimed Holton, absolutely paraly
zed with fear: 'never, on my soul?'
You lie ! you lie ! Where is she then
demanded Wilkins, now roused to a per
fect frenzy of madness. '1 swore I'd re
venceher! I've caught him! now for
his blood ! Huzza ! huzza ! shouted he,
suddenly dashing his hand in his bosom
and drawing out a large knife.'
'God of heaven 1 protect me !' exclaimed
the Atlorney.struggling to gel loose. 'Help!
help! help!
Now, however, Wilkins was ungoverna
ble. He sprang upon the Atlornoy and
hora him to tho earth: but liolton was a
muscular man, and driven to desperation
his struggles were fearful. lie threw Wil
kins from hint, and although wounded, con
trived t get to his feet and grasp the poker.
This however offered but slight resistance
to the maniac. Regardless of blows he
dashed in upon the Attorney and drove the
Knife up to the haft in his stomach, and
drew it with a lung downward cut, and as
the wretched man fell, he sprang upon him
and hacked and gashed him until his loud
ar-rpnms were stonned bv the blood that
gushed up from his throat, and his groans
and cries sank into silenco.
John Smith has said many good things
and amongst tho test, that a 'newspiper is
i like a wife.becauso overv man ought lo
javc one of Lis own.. , v :
NOTES FOIl A TOURIST.
'Madam,' said a free-spoken, warmheart-
ed, enthusiastic, and a lilt!.) quisical son of
old Kentucky, while paying his devoir. to ',
one of the famous lady tourists of America, !
'Madam, you should have been born in ,
Amerina. " thn orfinicst rnnnnv in the
known world; nature has clustered all
her I
Htupcndous and dazzling works upon this
land, and you should he among them'. Wo
have got the greatest men, the finest men
the finest women, the broadest lakes, tho
tallest trees, the widest prairies, tho highest
waterfalls, and the biggest hearts in the crea
linn.
'Madara, go and sec, the Falls of Ni
agara. May the Lord take a liking to you,
my deal ma'am, if 1 didn't think I'd waked
up in futurity, wjieu I firsl seed that big
slnutejidicular puddle, (hlauleiidtrular's ,an
alge-iira wqid, you mayn't know Why
madam, I could tell you, .something about
thenr falls but you uiusn't put it in your
hook, 'cos nobody'll ever believe it. The
people thai live around there all loose their
speech, and never hear each other speak
for yeais, with the noise of cularicll Fact,
ma'am, true as that's n pencil and note
book you're taking nut your pocket. -Why
tliero was a man lived (here ten years, and
he got so dcef he never knew a man was
speaking to him, (ill a pall of water was
poured down the back of liis nerk! When
you go lo see the falls, ma'am you must do
ail the talking you warn to before you get
within twenty five miles of them, for after
that not a woril of any kind on bo heard!
'Then, ma'am, you should go and see
the great cave in Kentucky, where the bats
liibernaeulate in countless millions. Tliero
is not another such a hole in the ground to
be found upon ihe earth. Ma'am if you
iro. back- Ut,5t-.,J '--a r
mammonth cave, you 11 put your loot in jt
no, beg pardon, you'll excuse me that's
quite impossible; but you'll leave a !ig hole
in the book you're going to .write. There
is no end known In it, madam, and there
a salt water lake in the middle of it
twenty-five n'iles broad. One of the, rooms
is railed ihe 'Aniipndion Chamber,' from
the unpronounceable (act tint n man can
walk just as easy upon the ceiling as upon
the lloor and in this apartment there's a
natural fountain of pure brandy! -
The same cave, too, is u positive cure
for consumption.
You haint been South, yet have you
ma am: you hsini si en the Mississippi
river ar.d the city of New Orleans? Well
ma'am, Nev Orleans is a hundred and
twenty-live feet below the level of the sea,
and the Mississippi runs through a canal
Ijridge'righl over the city! The inhabitants
are chiefly aligators and screech-owls, the
last two words has been vulgarly perveited
into Creole. Their lood is chiefly cum,
prorured from trees in the swamp, and
which they call gumbo. I here is a paper
published there, called the Picaroon, the
name being well chosen as significant of its
professed piracies upon Kant's Philosophy
Karon Muticbausoii the Pilgrim's Progress,
Joe, Miller, Washington Irving, and Bell's
life in London. It is a violent and stupend
ous political print, and the government has
endeavored in vain (o suppress it. One of
the peculiar marks about this cxtraordi'r.aiy
city is the entire absence of those small
quadrupeds uf ihe genus most commonly
known as rats. One was seen many years
airo, bv a citizen, whu brutally murdered
the unknown creature, hut was immediately
tried and sentenced to be hung for the
4
enormity.
'You will hear, madem, a gteat dea
about the 'floating populatiou of New Or
leans, a phrase whicli you will underMaml
when 1 tell you that the town is half tie
year under inundation from the Mississippi!
You should have been boin in America
in v dear ma'am, out as you were not, you
may possibly, die here, and that's some con
solution lo vou.'
'Go on,:I'U follow, lliee.' asjlhe thunder
paid to tho lightning. umj 4Nr ou
UP ON' SANDY. '
A good anecdote is told by a Methodist
circuit rider, Who not long since called at
,l l",,l8e "f a livi..g somewhere
"ear the head witers of Sandy rivcrl in
Virginia, lo stay all night. Every body
knows llio character of the citizens of this
rL'gl"" f country, and that it had been for a
number of years gone by and in all proba
bility for a number of years lo come will
continue to be, nn account of its mountain
fastness, the home of a most ignorant and
debased population. Out Parson, a rrian
of great simplicity of character, on entering,
found four men seated on the floor playing
cards. These, who st'encd scarcely to
note his arrival, he passed by lo whero the
wife of the 'proprietor of the mansion was
silling, w)o very, .soon engaged him in
onversation. Ainimg other (locations usual
v propounded, she asked,
'What in out your business in thees parts
be, stranger?
'I am hunting tho lost shcop of tho house
of Israel,' replied the' Paron.
'Old inrt'n? old man!' cried the woman to
her husband', 'old man,' I say, I H lay any
thing thai the old ram thai was here t'other
lay belongs lo this man.'
The Minister was forced to explain
wi'.creupon gazing al hint with an air of
curiosity end astonishment she rose to
her feet anil exclaimed 'a preacher! well,
you'ie the first critter of that sort, as was
ever in ihcse parts afore, as I've - seen
but niaby you'd liku to take a dramjstrang-
r?'
'No madam, I never drink.'
'Nevei drink? well raly,!'
The men, during this dialogue, continued
their game at cards, but as if suddenly
struck with the impropriety of such conduct
of animal of which she had heard, but.
never before sav,)the woman addressed the
card players with the air of one accustomed
lo command. 'Looky here, men, ain't-v'ou
d d nice set to let a preacher come
lime and catch vou, or I'll breaK this pine
Knot over your cutset pate3.' It is, hardly
necessary to antt that the room wasspeeuty
lcared.
The anecdote abovo related is literally
true, and aiiorus but a fair sample ot the
character of tho settlers on Sndy. Knox,
Post.
A Character. Mr. Walsh, in a iccont
letter to the National (nlclligf ncer, notices
the death of Barrere, the famous member of
the Committee of Public Salety, whose
name is familial to all acquainted with tht
deujls ofthe Frencli Revolution. 'Ho pre
sided in the Convention at l he trial of Lou
is XVI., and voted himself for the death of
tiie monarch., He was the rhetorician of
tho Reign of Terror surnamed the Anacte.
on of the Guillotine. Ho was born at Lar
beu of a distinguished family; gained repu
tatiou at the bur and in tho provincial repub
lie of letters; was elected to the Constituent
Assembly, but did not make a figure until
he entered the Convention. Mad. de Gkn-
lis celelrated his polished address and rea
dv talents. No hero of the Revolution
4
excelled him in glibness of speech and the
arts of varnishing events and doctrines with
both the pen and tongue. It is nearly n mi
racle that he survived to live in quiet in his
birthplace from 1830 until his demise. He
suffered imprisoninont, expecting to be sent
to ihe scaffold ovety hour; was about to bft
deported lo Cayenne; owed his escape lo
Bonaparte's I8th Brumairc; went into ban
ibhmenl in 1810, under the Bot,rbon edict
against at) the suiviving regicides, and re
turned when the Revolution of July re
qpeiied their country to tliem and the pro
scribed Uonnpartjsl. Barreie left manu
script manor for, sixty volumes, chiefly
memoirs.'
A body that weighs one pound, on rithe
Earth, wbnld., weigh twenlyrseveti auu a
half pounds ,if trationorled lo.tliev.Sun.taud
an ordinarytsizediOtim would ther.8Mkweihl
I four thousand pound. ,iiaa3
A JUDGfi 'PUZZLED.
A Western Judgo or Justice of tno
Peaco was recently 'thus, bothered by ono
of the half wild vagrants of the woods
who was brought up "with n empty
whiskey bottle in his own personal custo
dy, r.-.c-l
'So, sir; you're there!' said the Juslice.
'So you always, come os near the truth.
as that?' was.lho reply.
ouence, sir, wncro uo you cuiiiu
from?' fci
'You'll be smart if I keep silence and
you find out?'
'Don't be imnudent, fir; what is your
occupation?' W
'Look hcfe.JmJgc, I II tell you' ope thingi
and I Want to do it respectfully.'
'Well, sir.
You're d d impUdeht yourself.1
This will not. do1: whefe do' 'you coma
from sir?'
'This side 'of sundown,' 1
'Have you an' occupation'?"
RcckoiO
What it ?' ' '(
'Del you o pinto' whiskey I can tell what
yours is.'
Do yon mean to satisfy mo ?'
Certainly, Square; wha'll you have?'
'It is necessarythat you should under
stand that order and peace are necessary in
society Whatever wild freedom' you may
find in the woods, you are now here in a
community' 'of law, and quiet submission
will evince wisdom on your part.' '
Squire, I should like to understand you,
but you're too big for me; Just say rio
more about it, and let's'" go 'anil lake a
drink.' .
'I never drink,'
'What?' : ' " r '
-iievBiT sir?' ' ' - -t-TTT- -
'No sir, never.' ' '' "''
'Sir, I bid you good morning'.' I Jiavo
no desire foi a furlher acquaintance with
you. irhooah I'm comings ! ana mo
backwoodsman broke out of cdurt.
ROMANCE OF REAL UlFE.
Some years ago, says a foreign journal,
the captain of a porsair carried off the wife
of a poor wood-cutter residing in tho neigh
borhood of Messina. After detaining her
for several mouths on board his vessel ho
landed her on an island in the Sjutli Seas
wholly regardles3 of what might befall her. t
It happened that the woman was presented
(o ihe eavige mnnnrch of the Island, who
became enamored of Iter. He made her his
wife, placed her on the throne, and at his i
death left her the sole rdvereign of his do
mains. By a Europeaii vessel which re
cently touched at the Island, thepooa wood
cutter has received intelligence or hfs wife.
She sent him presents of such vast value,
that he will be prpbably one of the wealthi
est individuals in Sicily .until it shall pleaso
her majesty, his august spouse, lo summon
him to her court.
A Dutchman, on proceeding to a placo
from whence ho heard cries ofdistressf
discovered one of his neighbors lying under
a stone wall, which had fallen upon him
and fractured his legs. 'Well den,' said
Hons, 'neighbor Vaulervjken, vat ish do-
matter vid you! mil 6ays ftlattey, vy you
see mino conditions vid all dese pig stones
upon me, and poth mine legs broke off
close py mine poddy,' 'Mein Got,' said,
Hons, 'ish dat allj you hollowed so liko
dc tivil, I thought you was gotdo tooth
aclis.'
'Nabby where's the children's bed!'
'Arn't ii thar, mam?'
'No. npr the bolsters noither.'-
Whai? Oh '. now I think on't mant
guess Mjs Susan put the boUtor on for a.
busjhAand now I. ihmk on't again,l reckon
Mi6s Jane Wor'dnut tire bed, too, kaeo sho
lied qn an awful, big bump, this mornin,'-r
Oh lliese.gals mpnj, never-r-Jlluah,?
N.a.bbyV .
just me lumg.jj jS is jt.
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