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W. II. JACOBF, ProprietorO
Trnth and Iligliit God and onr Country
Two Dollars per Annan.
VOLUME 13.
BLOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 1861.
NUMBER 16.
E NORTH.
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STAR OF THE NORTH
JOWHH1D ITIBT'lrtllJtlJDiT BT
WM. H. JAUOBY,
fflee on Haln St., 3rd Square below Market,
TERMS : Two Dollars-per annum if paid
within six months frdfn tHe time'of subscri
bins': t,wo dollars fend 'fifty vcen fs if rjot paid
within the year. No subscription taken fur
'fe less period than fix months; no discon
tinuances permitted until all arrearages are
tpaid, unless at the option Ot the editor.
"JTJU terms of advertising vill be as follows :
Orie square, twelve lines? three times, $1 00
.Every subsequent insertion, 25
One square, three months, 3 00
One year,. ................ 8 00
Ctjoice poetrrj.
" Villi) .NOT TO DISK DESPAIR.
Hast thou one heart that loves thee, -
In this dark world of care,
Whose gentle smile approves thee ?
Yield not to dark despair !
One hand whose loving fingers
Are pressed in thine alone
One fond, confiding bosom,
WhoHe thought are all thine own ?
One truthful voice to guide thee,
And bless thee in distress 1
One breast, when thou art weary,
Whereon tby head to rest?
Till deMh thy form has shrowded,
And cold thy heart so warm,t
. Till death the earth has clouded,
Heed not the passing storm.
tVou ia1 orie fre to bind tbee,
And little life buds rare
Let love, sweet love entwine then,
In this dark world of care !
LIFE IN EXGLISH COAL MINES.
THE COUJER?, THEIR DANGERS, ESCAPES ETC.
. As a rale, we do not find colliers so, well
informed as factory operatives but, on the
other hand, they are a quieter and more
tractable pet. They hardly seem to know
lear ; but still, the darkness in Which they
labor, and the many dangers surrounding
them in their cavernous abode, appear to
imperceptibly affect their general character.
Though, from better application of mechan
ical power, and a more scientific regulation
of the currents of air in our larger coal
Vnines, accidents have become less numer
ous, they will, from the nature of the work,
alwaytkbe "rather frequent, and the collier
on descending the shaft to his daily task, if
reflective, must be keenly alive to impend
ing danger. In walking through the coal
VJistrict about the time the men leave off
work, it is arousing to watch the different
bands of men emerging from the pit's
rnoulh, having been quickly wound up by
the powerful machinery from the regions
of darkness into the welcome light of day.
Many of them are as wild and frolicsome
-as a pack of boyslet out from school ; and
as soon as they can free themselves from
trie chains, in which they have been hang
ing like a large bunch of smutty grapes
the youngsiers in the middle for greater
aafety they run capering and. shouting
from the bank, making the most ot their
liberty, and dispelling, by their boisterous
mirth, and false notions of pity we may
bave been entertaining for their hard lot
In winter certainly, during their working
days, they never 6ee the sun: for those of
them who labor the whole of the day, com
taence before it is light, and do not leave
off until it is durk, being underground nearly
from 6 A. M , to 6 P. M. The Monday fol
lowing the reckoning Saturday is mostly a
play-day with these men ; and, if wages
are good, not nnfrequenlly the Tuesday also
though on these occasions they will frequent
ly assemble at the pit at the customary
time and then, irom come trivial excuse
vastly found by men unwilling to work or
-at the direct instigation of one of the young
est bands, they wilt return home again. It
takes but liulu, on ordinary occasions, to
make a whole p it's company 'play.' Should
the eogineman be but a few minutes be
hind time in the morning, and cause a
light delay, when they are ready to go
Vlown the shaft, they will often refuse to
work; and should auy onforseen occurrence
prevent the whole day's work being done,
they can seldom or never be pursuaded to
'begin later in the day, and do ihreequarters
or half a day's work instead.
Though individually the colliers do not
care much for a few wound and bruises,
"priding themselves npon their hardy endu
rance of suffering, yet, if one of their com
pany is slightly hurt in any way, so as to
be compelled to leave his post,: they will
in general all desist from working, regard
less of consequences. We cannot give
tfiem, as a class, great credit, for being prov
ident ; but there are many exceptions ; and
ia visiting their homes, we. find that where
there is a shelf for a few books, a little
store is also laid by, in the proverbial stock-tng-foci
or in the savings-banks, against the
rainy day.' : At present, literary , societies
end mechanics' institutes- have signally
failed in reaching the bulk, of these men,
though free lectures, in populous places,
and other means of social entertainment,
appear to be attended with good effects.
For religions instruction, a great portion
of them are indebted to the Wesleyan con
nection, and as coming nearer elill down
to their level to the Primitive Methodists,
or 'Ranters,' as they are. vulgarly called.
In the prayer-meetings of these dissenters,
there is a degree of energy and enthusiasm
exhibited which ia most cases accords bet-
t2r with the colliers' taste than the more
formal church-servica. Another induce
ment is, that many of their own number,
take ihs lead at thes religious meetings,
end, rk! exetnp'ary zeal and striking en
thusiasm, strive, as far as their ability per
mits, to inculcate the doctrines of Christi
anity. There are many who will listen to
the exhortation of a 'butty collier,' whom
nothing would persuade to atfend the min
istration of a duly ordained clergyman.
'In travelling about the neighborhood of
the pits, ( frequently have opportunities of
talking to the colliers about their work, or
other topics, and have found occasionally,
under a swarthy cloak of flannel and dirt,
a degree of intelligence that much surpris
ed me. On a cold, rainy day, I have tome-
times entered one of their cabins by the
pita, sure of 'finding shelter and a good fire.
If you have riever been in one of these pla
ces, you may enter with me this evening,
and see and hear what is going on. A ca
pacious fire-place, oa Which is a barrow ful
or two of coal would be lost, occupies near
ly the whole of one side. There is a neat
cast iron grate, but some long bars, of old
pit rails, are stretched across a wider cavity
in the wall, forming an ample receptacle
for the fire. Rods of iron, or sometimes
strong rope-lines, are stretched across the
cabin in front of the fire place, for the men
to dry their wet clothes upon, when they
have been working in places troubled with
water. Various interstices are seen round
the unplastered walls, haudy for putting
dinner basins and cans in, or for stowing
away other odds and ends ; and in one ot
the corners furthest from the fire, a rude
cupboard is generally found, where pow
der, safety-lamps, fuse and cartridge bags
for blasting rocks, candles and other store-,
can be put under lock and key. Round
the walls are fixed some short butts of trees
across which are placed rough slabs for the
men to 6it upon, by whom a large bottle of
ale is often discussed, when for some ex
tra work they have had what they call a
'fetching' from the nearesrpublic-house.
Without running into any excess, there is a
sort of un trammeled enjoyment about these
free-and-easy sittings in the cabin that
many of the pitmen have a strong relish
for. The 'fetching' does not always consist
only of beer ; solids, such as bread and
cheese, and bam are often added ; and
many a royal banquet has passed off with
less sterling enjoyment than is realized by
these joily colliers around their huge fire,
after some heavy task is done.
Silling thus, some of ibem with eyes half
closed, drawing at a short black pipe, they
recount to each other scenes of danger they
have passed through, difficulties they have
encountered, extraordinary seams of coal
they have helped to get, and other wonder
ful experiences. The first that speaks to
night is an old man upwards of sixty, short
and stiff, of the true collier build. His legs
are bowed a little, but firm under him yet;
and you can see that the bridge of bis Ro
man nose has been broken , for a dark-blue
line stretches across it, showing where a
lump of coal or other black substance has
fallen upon iu You will frequently see
colliers with many of these blue seams
upon their face, and other uncovered parts
of their body, for wherever coal cuts deep
into the flesh, it brands a man forever.
'It was better than forty years ago,' he
began-, in 'Bonny's lime, when I was a lad
drawing dans,' and doing work such as
you youngsters know nothing about nowa
days. There had been a bad harvest, 1
remember, and the wheat was so bad that
the bread made of it would hardly hold to
gether, it was so wet and soft ; and my old
woman often scooped the middle of the
loaf but with a spoon, and put it in cans for
the children to eat with treacle, like pud
ding. I have seen surely tempered chaps
throw a lump of their bread against the
wall, where it would stick like nrbrtar.
Potatoes went up to a great price, and were
hardly ever seen iu our pit; and often there
has been a scrambling fight to get a taste, if
the young men saw a few in somebody's
dinner-basin. Well, there was a lot of us.
driving a 'head' through some faulty ground
with a bad roof, and I was drawing out in
dans what little coal tbey met with while
pushing through, i had to go about forty
yards through the uneven way they were
making, back, into another road, where a
second lad met me with an empty dan-basket
to go back with. At middle-day, this
lad brought our dinners, and he took them
to the end of the head, but we had barely
sat down to eat them, when we heard a
loud rumbling noise near at hand. 'Now
we are in for it,' said one of the men ; 'the
head we have been driving has fallen in,
and we are shut up I' ,
Creeping warily along, they found it even
as he said, for about half the length of the
way, the roof had fallen in, completely
blocking up the passage. The . hardiest
collier looked pale, which, with the dirt, I
remember, gave some of them a strange,
leaden ook, as though tbey were numbed
with cold and fright. We did not feel any
more appetite for the dinner now, so it was
carefully laid by, for, as one of them said,
'We shall want it oad enough by and by.'
The men did not spend much time in use
less grief ; but putting out all oar candles
except one, for we had not more than half
a dozen in all, they began resolutely to work
to clear out the road again. It went ou slow
and toi!some( for having no timber to prop
it op, the roof was continually giving way,
now that it was once broken. Candle after
candle burned away, and though the sweat
ran off them, they could not make much
progress in clearing the road. When half
the candles were gone, they had not gained
above a couple of yards in length j still
they kept manf ully at it, being all thorough
ly aroused to the impending danger of being
left with littla air and no liaht. We could
i now hear men working at the other end of
i the head, and knocking, as colliers do
j when they wish to signal to one another,
being too fur away to be heard by shouting
and this revived our courage very much,
for though we could tell that the head had
fallen in for a considerable length, we knew
every effort would be made to get at us. I
j carried the 'last candle to them, and had to
wipe it carefullj before giving it them, for,
almost unknowingly, tears had been drop
ping'oh it as'I hurried along. I told the
man I gave it to, that it was the only one
left ; he said nothing, but sticking it in a
bit of clay against a large rock, worked on
in silence with more vigor than before. 1
dragged away with all ray strength at the
rocks they got out,to clear their way a little,
stealing now and then a ftfrtJive glance at
the small 'candle fast melting away. When
it was almost burnt down, one of them pro
posed that we had belter see after our din
ners, and put them where we could con
veniently find them in the dark. We did
so, and then tried to cut up one of the hack
helves inio splinters, to give light a little
longer; but it was old and tough, and
would not after all, give any light to work
by. Bits of tobacco-paper and other scraps
made a spill or two, to make a flame for a
few minutes, and then we were left in total
darkness.
'Judging by the time the candles would
last, we had now been blocked up for six or
eight hojrs, and I, for one, began to want
something to eat badly, though ashamed to
say so to the rest. Now we were in the
dark, however, the oldest man proposed we
should sit do n and eat a small portion of
our dinners, and think over what we could
do for the best. Oh, Low good the soft
bread wa9 now ! I wondered how I could
ever have disliked it before, and could hard
ly deny myself from eating it all. But as 1
heard the men whispering to each other,
that it may Ve a day and a night before we
could be got out, I laid a portion by for
another little meal, nor did 1 quite empty
my can of beer. Trying to work again in
the dark, one of the three men got hurt-in
the back by a rock falling upon him, so
that we were compelled to give over, lest
some of us should get killed. We knocked
occasionally, lor them to hear and answer
us, but the Bounds did not seem to come
much uearer. How slow the time passed
away ! Our little 6tore of food, though we
divided it into small portions, was soon
gone, now thirst began to be felt more than
hunger. After we had been shut up about
twenty-four hours, as near as we could tell,
the air began to feel very'cloee and oppres
ive and it made the men feel so weak, that
they could not have worked even if we had
had candles. One of the colliers had been
used to attend prayer meetings, getting us
all to kneel down together, he prayed ear
nestly, and encouraged us all to do the
same. I cannot remember much longer
myself, for they told me I had been insen
sisible for some time beforo the road wa
open ; but at length the way was cleared,
and we were carried out all but lifeless. It
had taken more than forty eight hours to
get :o us, for the rocks fell in so continual
ly that timber had to be eet all along to
support the roof over the narrow way.
When the gray-headed old collier had
finished, be refilled his pipe, and wanted to
know if 'nobody else had got nothing to
say ' There was a lusty little fellow in one
corner whom they called "Jerry,' who gave
us an account of one day ho.waa pulled up
the pit without his leave. It appears he
was what they call a 'hooker on,' or one
that connected the carriages of coal to the
pit-chain, when ready for being wound up
the shaft, and unhooked those which came
down empty; and, if the pit's company
were all at work, was continually kept close
to the bottom of the shaft. It appears that
one day as be was connecting a carriage of
coal to the maiu chain, the engine started
rather sooner than he expected; and just as
was slipping the hook into the large link,
his thumb got fastened, by the snatch of
the engine, between the two, and before he
was well aware of it, be found himself a
good many yards Up the shaft. They paused
slightly a short distance up the shaft, to
steady the weight; but he said be was un
able to shout, and consequently was pulled
up in that manner to the top of the shaft,
his band and arm completely numbed by
the pain and tension.
Practical jokes occur, it seems, even in
coal mines ; and one that had nearly proved
fatal to the parties engaged was now rela
ted. In some pits, otherwise well ventila
ted, small quantities of Carbu retted hydro
gen gas collect in rooks and crevices of the
roof, especially in corners partly out of the
current of air which runs through the vari
ous workings. To freighten a novice, a
reckless fellow will pot a naked candid up
into one of these places, causing a mina
ture explosion of fire-damp, just sufficient
to terrify any inexperienced person, but
what an old band would consider a mere
bagatelle. It appears a stranger bad been
down one of the pits, who seemed very
forward with his remarks, and altogether
sceptical as to danger; indeed, the man
said 'be give himself important airs, and
knew all about everything a great deal bet
ter than us poor colliers.' So when they
came to a part of the pit by an old road,
that bad not been nsed for sometime, a sly
rogue among' them directed this savant's
attention to some tarry fnattef oozing out
from the coal in the roof, close to the air
door leading into the old road. Adjusting
his spectacles, the opinionated wiseacre
put up his candle to the place, to note well
the phenomenon! saying at the tme tints
that it was nothing new to him ; but he
had scarcely uttered this self-conceited re-
mark, when the gas caught fire trom his
candle, which he had been poking all
about, and a scorching flame passed over
and almost blinded them. They instantly
fell down flat, as is usually the safest plan
in cases of fire, and he, imitating their ex-
ample, did the same. It was well they
did so, for almo-t in an instant a loud ex
plosion fairly shook the ground, blowing
the air-door, close to them, into fragments
over their heads. The flame, they said,
must have passed through a crevice close
to the door, and ignited a large quantity of
inflammable gas in the old disused road.
Fortunately, they escaped without any very
serious injury, though the learned theorist's
practical experience was of a paiolul char
acter, such as he would not wish repeated,
for his eyebrows and whiskers were singed
ofi, and his clothes bore sure testimony
that 'the smell of the fire had passed over
them.'
The introduction of flat chains into the
colliers, though combated against by the
men at first, as most new things are, has
been the means of saving much loss of
life, h was not a very uncommon thing,
before, to hear of a hempen rope breaking,
and dropping a whole band-full of men.
Such an accident seldom or never occurs
where good three-link chains are used, for
as one of the chains is able to bear more is
generally trusted to all three, and as they
are all joined fast togeuteT at every alter
nate link by a wooden 'key,' driven tightly
in, and held there by stout little nails called
stubbs, it is possible that all three chains
may be broken in separate places, and the
weight still be sustained, by the interven
tion of many keys between the broken parts.
An old charter-master who contracts for
raising the coal at so much per ton told
us how terribly frightened he had been once
by two links breaking together. He was
coming up the pit on the top of a loaded
coal 'skip,' or basket, and when near the
top he hard something snep, and looking
up saw that 'one of the links had broken,
and of the two remaining links, one appear
ed rather slack. By ana by, he could
jiUinly see that the one link which appered
to bear all the weight, was parting in two.
It was an old engine, which wound op
slowly, and the short time taken in being
pulled up, the last few yards seemed, he
said, like an age. As the link parted and
stretched a little, of course the other chain
tightened up, and had come to its bearing
before actual severance had taken place.
It was impossible, he said, to describe
the intensity of his feelings for the few re
maining seconds as his eyes glared at the
sir.gle whole link left, on which bis-lite de
pended. Hj wasn't a praying man then,
he said, but his heart offered up an earnest
ejacuia.ory pennon, almost witnout nis
mowing ir, ana nis companions stared witn
aitonishment as he fell on his kneos upon
the 'tacking,' or platform covering the top
of the pit, and returned hearty thank for
uis ea.io ueiiverance as soon as lie
safely landed and out of peril.
u- . - l - . i
was
Colliers are rather inclined to be
super-
stitious. Derhnns nnino tn thfir work hpinv '
1 i r o o
so frequently done in the dark, or with
such a light as only makes darkness visible.
They are generally too willing to believe
in a special Providence averting danger
and death. Where there are so many ac
cidents, instances of what appear to be
miraculous escapes are not uncommon
Several cases have occurred of persons fall
ing down shafts tome forty or fifty yards
deep, and sustaining no serious injury;
and though science may assert that the
parachutical inflation of the man's stiff flan
nel shirt, or the woman's voluminous skirts,
broke their fall the collier finds it easier
and pleasanter to believe that Providence
interferred in a direct manner. It is an old
assertion of the pitmen, thai the roads fall
in more whfen all is quiet, at night, than
during the daytime, wben men and hores
are continually employed iu them; and
they often have to clear away in the morn
ing large masses of rock which could not
have fallen during working hours without
causing loss of life.
The sexegenarian here recounted some
of the narrow escapes he had undergone, of
which I can only remember one or two -He
had finished earlier than usual one day,
and was coming up the shaft in company
with another man clandestinely, as employ
ers, object to one or two coming up by
themselves, and expect to wail until the
customary number (eight or nine) are all
ready together. He was sure whether
they shouted to the banksman or not wben
near the top, for him to signal to the en
gineman that men were coming up ; but
either accidentally or otherwise, he pulled
them about a yard too high, and they came
in contact with the pulley, just as the tack
ing was being pulled over pit. His com
panion fell out, and dropped on the very
edge of the tacking overhanging the pit,
escaping wonderfully with only a few brui
ses while he himself clung to the rim of
the pulley against which he was pulled,
and waa gently lowered again unhnrt.
Another time he was ascending the pit
with eight or nine more colliers alter their
usual day's work. ; They were singing
away on coming towards the pit mouth, as
they often do ; the engineman pulled them
up exactly to the right place ; the banks
man leisurely pushed the tacking over the
pit, when inttantly the large hook they
were hanging by snapped in two, and drop
ped them all on to the tacking just ready
to receive tbemV Had the hook broken a
second or so beforjbH? 'ljh
been precipitated to the bottom of the shaft
some six hundred feet, and consequently
; have been dashed to pieces. The old man
j said, that he frequently thought of that
time when death was so near; and often
when he and his family had been but badly
off, when wages were low and work scarce,
I he gratefully trusted that the same watch
ful Providence would help them through
their difficulties.
The big fire having burned low, and
their several pipes gone out, the story-tellers,
after placing a large piece of coal
which a London needlewoman would
think a liberal week's allowance on the j
fire, to keep it in till next morning.atl wend
their way homeward.
Though surrounded by many dangers, a
collier unless from compulsion, seldom
leaves the pit for other employment. The
young strong men, when working by meas
ure, can often do their day's work by dinner-time,
or soon after, which leaves a
large portion of the day at their own dispo
sal. When wages are good, of course play
days are numerous, and in many other era
ployments these holidays never occur ; and
a collier lad is dearly fond of a loose end,
as he terms it an expression derived from
their sometimes having the measure they
are working fast at one end, in the solid
stratum, and loose at the other, from a
head having been driven in it previously
Besides the Field Club, to provide against
colliery accidents, they often join another
club or provident society, so that, in case ot
illness or accident, they may be well pro
vided for support and medical attendance.
The collieries being now under the imme
diate inspection of government, no serious
accident can occur without a thorough in
vestigation taking place; and if adequate
protection ia not given to men's lives by
efficient and good ventilation, compulsory
measures are resorted to, by the imposition
of fines upon the proprietors. The master
in a colliery often retains that title only by
courtesy, or wben the men are masters of
their position, they do not scruple to show
their independence, and will work or play
just as they please, without letting the in
terests of their employer interfere much in
their proceedings. With healthy homes to
live in, a moderate education given to them,
and recreation free from vicious contamina
tion placed within their reach, these hardy
fellows would all become worthy and well
behaved members of society. Chambers's
Journal.
i . . t
A xarrow Eseapc.
The following anecdote is related by a
French journal of General Fanti :
During the retreat of Novara, in 1849, the
General who had the charge of saving- the
remnant of the Piedmontese army, had
given the most severe oiders to his troops.
; A w a importam t0 aTOjd attracting
. ,he aUeillion o ,he Austrians, the command
, wa8 g.fen ,hal n0 one under any circurn.
8tanceSj 8honId mter a cry. or above all,
, firn MB ..hou. ,he comrnand of an 0ffi.
cer, under penalty of anstant death. One
morning, during a halt, a soldier, hearing
lhe npjghing of a horce in a neighboring
thicket, raised his gun and fired. General
Fanti who was near, rushed upon him in
fury, 6abre in hand, and plunging the
weapon in his breast, extended him at his
feet.
"1 will do the same," he cried out, ' to
any one who attempts to imitate this
wertch, who was either a coward or a
traitor."
Ten years have passed since this occur
rence, ten eventful years, which have trans
formed the victors of Novara into the van
quished ol Megenta and Sollerino. During
thewe ten years, General Fanti has some-
times related to his friends, with emotion
and compunction, also, this episode of his
military life. "I was brutal," he would
say ; ' but the safety ol the army was at
stake."
A few days since, before his departure
for the Neapolitan territory, he wa accost
ed, in a public square at Turin, by a man,
who placed himself before him, saying
"Do you know me, General ?"
''Not the least in the world."
"But, General, look at me."
" km in a hurry. Speak, who are you?"
"General, If you have forgotten me I
have kept a rtmembrance of you in the
bottom of my heart, lor your sabre entered
here several inches."
"At the retreat of Novara 1"
"Yes, General."
"What ! are you not dead V
"You see ; but I came very near it. I
bad great trouble io escaping."
"You can boast of a tough life ; but do
you know that you were avery bad soldier?"
'1 know that I am now a very poor la
bbrer." "Come to see me to-morrow."
The next day the soldier of Novara pre
sented himself at the war-office.
"Show me my sabre wound," demanded
the General.
The Italian opened his breast, and dis
closed a deep scar.
"Ah !" said the general, "it was a good
stroke. Hold, here is some lint that will
staunch the wound," handing him a hand
ful of bank cotes.
GT"SaI," cried a girl, looking out of the
tipper story ol a small grocery, addressing
another girl who was trying to enter the
frontdoor; "we've all been converted, so
when you want whisky on Sunday you will
have to come in at the back door."
sJ1- jrw-i
Ibe Flags.
Banners are emblems. All nations have
used them, and all nation have abused
them. They have been, and are slid, the
rallying points of bailie, and the significant
beacons in peace. That which we call the
' Star Spangled Banner," is, when fully
blotvn upon the breeze, a glorious thing of
beauty, and well does the poet describe it :
When Freedom from her mountain height,
Unfurls her standard to the'air,
She tore the azure robes of night,
And set the stars of glory there. 4
IShe mingled with its gorgeous'dyes
The milky baldric of the skies,
And stripea its pure celestial white,
With streaking of the morning's light.
Then from his mansion in the tun,
She called her eagle bearer down,
And gave into his mighty hand,
The symbol ol her chosen land.
That 'flag, upon whose folds Josep Rod
man Drake, the poet ju9t quoted, has in
scribed bis imperishable fame, was, on the
first day of January, 1776, raised over the
Continental Army at Cambridge, in Massa
chusetts. It was marked with thirteen
stripes, emblematic of the thirteen colonies
and of their Union, and afterwards a blue
field, with thirteen stars, was added to it,
and thus perfected, it was adopted as the
banner of the Nation by an act passed on
the 14th of June, 1777, by the Continental
Congress.
The flag of South Carolina was adopted
when Charleston was attacked in Septem
ber, 1775. Having no banner under whose
folds to fight, there being no national sUnd
ard at the time, and the British having fled
from Fort Johnson, Lieutenant Colone'
Motte, accompanied by Captain Charles
Cotesworth Pinckuey, Bernard Elliot, and
the famous Francis Marion, went over to
the Fort and hoistsd ever the main bastion
the first Republican flag ever displayed at
the South.
This flag was designed by Moultrie him
self at the request of the Council of Safety,
and as the State troops were clothed in blue,
and the fort was garrisoned by the first and
second regiments, who wore a silver cres
cent in front of their caps, he had a large
blue flag made with a crescent in the dex
ter corner, to be in uniform with the troops.
Since the Palmetto tree has been inserted
on the field of the flag; and as much, it
now waves again over the walls ol Moul
trie, and casts now its ahaJow on the
battlement of Sumpter.
The Amsrican Ensign cf the Stars and
Stripes is still the formal and official sym
bol of the countries, known wherever there
is a harbor to enter, or a river to ascend.
It is honored by all nations, for it has
proudly won its place among the archives
of glory ; and so long as it was used by pa
triotic hands, and loved by patriotic hearts,
it was cherished as the gallant beacon of
every section of country. Under a Jackson,
who threatened South Carolina during his
administration, it was held in the fondest
reverence because it was not the symbol of
a faction, but of the Feneral Government ;
but now that it has been usurped by ene
mies to the public peace, and abettors of
civil war, and breakers of the Constitution,
its stars are dimmed, and its broad stripes
no longer represent the baldric of the skies.
A great emblem should never be prostitu
ted to bad causae, and it is with profound
regret that we are forced, by any combina
tion of circumstance, to Iook upon the
great buting without feelings of the most
enthusiastic character ; but when we know
that it is to be used to lead on the forces of
a fanatical party, we can but feel that it
is detecratrtd, and it should not be allowed
to pasi though such an ordeal oJ infamy.
The Tomb..
The heart of the youth is a wild prairie.
Over it hang the clouds of Heaven to water
it; the sun throws its broad sheet of light
upon it to wake it to life ; out of its bosoms
spring, the long season through, flowers of
a hundred names and hues, twining togeth
er their lovely forms wafting to each other
a grateful odor and nodding each to each in
the summer breeze. Such would be wol'd
he hold that purity of heart which God g'ves
him. Therelore, O, youth, guard your
heart to purity. Never lose it; if it be
gone, you have lost from the casket the
most precious gift of God. The first purity
of imagination, ol thought, and of feeling,
if soiled, can be cleansed by no fuller's
soap; if lost cannot be found, though
sought lor carefully with tears. If a harp
be broken, art may remedy it; if a light be
quenched, the flame may be rekindled ;
but if a flower be crushed, what art can re
pair it? If an odor be wafted away, who
can collect or bring it back ?
G7A teacher one day endeavoring to
make a pupil understand the nature and
application of a passive verb, said, "A
passive verb is expressive of the nature of
receiving an action, "Peter is beateu."
Now, what did Peter do V The boy, paus
ing a moment, wiih the gravest counte
nance possible, said, "Well I don't know,
without he hollered."
OT A witness in court, ppeakipg in a
very loud and harsh voice, the lawyer em
ployed on the bther 6ide exclaimed, "Fel
low, why dost thou bark so fdrious ?" Be
cause," said the rustic, "I think I see a
thief."
Some men who pretend to back their
friends, back them as they would fceir hor
ses, tail formast.
- tyin all matters Except a little matter
bt the tongue, a woman can generally hold
The Grave.
O the grave 1 the grate ! It buries every
error; covers every defect ; extinguishes
every reaentiment. From its peaceful bo
om spring none but fond regrets and recollections-
who can 'look 'down on the grave
even of an enemy and not feel a compunc
tions throb that' ever should have warred
with the poor 'ba'ndful of earth that lies
mouldering before him? But the grave of
those we love what a place.for medilaiiou!
Then it is we call up in long review the
whole history ot virtue and gentleness and
the thousand endearments lavished upon
us, almost unheeded in the daily inter
course 'of intimacy then it is we dwell np
on the tenderness of the partipg.scene ; the
bed of death with all the Jstifled grief; its
noiseless attendants; its mute watchful as
riduities ; the last testimonies of expiring
love, the feeble fluttering. Ay, go to the
grave of "burried love and meditate ! There
settle the accounts with thy conscience of
every past endearmentunregarded, of that
departed being, who never, never can re
turn, to be soothed by contrition ! If ihoa
art a child, and bast ever added a sorrow
to the soul, or a sigh to an affectionate pa
rent sf thou art a husband, aud hast ever
caused the fond borom that ventured its
whole happipess in thy arras to doubt one
moment of thy Jkindness or thy truth if
thou art a friend, and hast ever wronged in
thought, or word, or deed,, the spirit that
generously confided in thee if thou art a
lover, and hast ever given one unkind look,
every ungracious word, every ungentle ac
tion, will come thronging back upon mem
ory, and knocking dolefully at thy soul
then be sure that you lie down sorrowing
and repentant on the grave, and utter the
unheard groan, and pour the unavailing
tear more bitter, because unheard and
. ffha Sent Them.
Old Mother Banner was pious, but poor.
In the midst of her extreme want, hertrust
and confidence was in God.
It was late one chilly night in the autumn
of the year, when two rather wild young
men were passing her cottage on their way
home. One of them had under bis arms
some loaves of bread which be had pur
chased at the vilfaje store. A faint light
glimmered from Mother Benner'a case
ment. Said the one who had the loaves to
his companion.
"Let us have some fun with the old wo
man." "Agreed," said the other.
They approached the house, and peeping
into the window, saw the old woman upon
her kr.eea by the hearth, where a lew em
bers were mouldering in the ashes. She
was engaged in prayer. They listened and
heard her offering an hone6t petition for
bread.
She was utterly destitute offbread.
In furtherance of their fun, one of them
with the loaves climbed softly up the roof
of the cottage and dropped one loaf after
the other down the chimney. As the bread
rolled down on the heanh, they caught the
lady's ee, and in the fullness of her heart
she exclaimed :
"Thank the Lord ; bless the Lord for his
bounty."
l"But the Lord did not send them," shout
ed a voice from tha chimney.
"Yes, he did," said the undauntedly ;
"the Lord sent them, ana the Devil broBghl
them."
A Qpert to the Editor :
"When a lady gets stalled in a gutter,
In the midst of a populous street,
(Like a fly that is stranded.in the butter,)
And has to uncover her feet ;
As gently the crinoline lifts she,
And g:ves it her gracefullest sweep,
Is a fellow to blame Mr. Editor,
If he at her ankles should peep,
Jut to see if they're thick or they're thin,
Mr. Editor, is it a sic? '
To Make Water Soft. If you are troub
led to get soft water for washing, fill a tub'
or barrel half full of wood ashes, and fill it
up with water, 6o that you may have lye
whenever jon want it. A gallon of strong
lye, put into a great kettle of hard water,
will make it as soft as rain water. Some
people use pearlash, or potash j but this
costs something, and is very apt to injure
the texture of the cloth.
UT "Dad, have you always acted so
strange?" "Why Billy ?" "Becaaoe,whea
mam gets sick, you always have to fetch a
baby here to squall around and make sich
a noise.
Good idea To preveut domestics
breaking anything. Keep a cat in the house,
and you will never bear of anything being
broken by ths servants.
CP""To wet your whistle" Imitate ths
example of the locomotive. He runs along,
whistled over his work, and yet never takes
anything bet water when he wants to "wet
his whistle."
Why is an old maid like a dried orange ?
Ans. Because neither of them are worth a
good squeeze.
.. '
EyA crusty old bachelor says, the talk
of women is usually about the men. Even,
their laugh is but "he ! he!!"
Parents Teach your children to lov
everything that is beautiful and it will teactr
them to be useful and good.