davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10
SEVENTEEN CHILDREN.

Pickens is great district in some respects.
We remember to have heard our friend,
Major Whitfield, state, one day, in the Leg
islaturc, encircled by gallery Of beautiful
women, that it was not uncommon to see d
constituent of his the mother of twenty chill
dren This expression produced, we thought,
something of alarm, and sort of auttering
in the gallery. An old gentleman, sitting
at our elbow, whose son has just married and
moved to Pendleton, whispered to US that he
should write to his son to quit the district.
Whilst attending Pickens Court, the other
day, we met our friend Captain Steele, who
had been gallant midshipman in the war of
1872 with Great Britain, and who served
heroicallyi in one Of the hardest fought naval
engagements during the war. He is now a
resident of Pickens district. Some year ago
he informed us that he had twelve children.
We enquired Of him chow the wife and chill
dren did?' His reply was, that he had add
ed five more to the number, and that now he
had seventeen, all the sons and daughters of
one mother. The youngest is still nursing!
The oldest is just setting out for Kansas
We thought Of Major Whitfeld's speech in
the Legislature, and what a fine constituency
he had. The reply of Napoleon, to Madame
DeStael, when she enquired, rather pertly,
who was the greatest woman living, in his
estimation, is well known to have been, She
who has borne the greatest number of chill
dren.' Fifteen years ago we remember to
have heard our old friend, Daniel Durham,
of Pickens district, defend himself in Court,
before Judge CAN'T, in propria persona.-
In the course of his argument, he stated to
the Court that he had nineteen children at
home, all dependent, in some measure, on
him for support His Honor the Judge,
charged the Jury to acquit him and let him
20 home to his children, and stated that it
was the best speech he had heard at the Bar
during that Circuit. We could mention
half dozen instances known tous in Pickens,
where mother has fifteen and twenty chill
dren. But Greenville, in the person Of John
Bates, Sr, can beat all this. He has COM
menced, as our friend P. E. Duncan once
said in stump speech, his third dozen of
children. One mother bore him twenty four,
and all living, she then died, and the old
man took himself second wife, who had,
some years ago, given birth to three more
How many since, we know not.-GrecnviNe
Pdtriot
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

1t is common remark that the United
States are at peace. Clergymen are in the
habit of felicitating the country on the ex-
emption we enjoy from the devastating effects
of war. A distinction must be drawn here.
If by war we understand such a life and
death struggle as has lately been waged in
the Crimea-if to constitute war, a nation
must be drained of her resources, driven to
suspend the usual political guarantees in or
der to concentrate her strength, and forced
to fight, tooth and nail, for her hearths and
her homes, her fame and her national e1is-
tence-then, certainly, the United States
are happily preserved from the curse Of war.
But if wholesale butchery of human beings,
if campaigns in the field, if sieges, rapid
marches, countermarches, pitched battles and
treacherous ambuscades; if these cannotexist
in the absence of state of war, then the
United States are at war, not on one side,
but on four at least.
Our last accounts from Florida announce
that the Indian war has broken out there
again. There being no Seminole organs to
give us the Indian version of the story, We
are reduced to rely on the newspapers pub.
lished by the white men; and they concur
in imputing the outbreak of hostilities to the
commission Of new atrocities by the Semi.
noles. At all events, we hear of houses be.
ing burned, and individuals scalped and
before long we shall certainly hear of the
troops taking the field, and battles being
fought.
Then, on the borders of Texas, war is the
normal condition of the country. There are
flashes of peace, trruces of few weeks or
months at time; and then the war breaks
out again, and there is warm work. In Ne.
braska Colonel Harney is hard at work xii.
ling off the Indians; in Washington Terri.
tory there is also terrible Indian war, which
has already cost million of dollars; and the
Qregonians, on their side, have managed to
get up q vettyy pretty war, in which somehow
an impression is gettsiisssg abroad that they are
in the wrong. All these wars are 7s<y g.
rious affairs. The plans of operations are
the same as these which Pellissier and Gort.
schakoff pursue; and in proportion to the
numbers engaged, the number of persons
killed is probably greater.
These are quite Independent Of the civil
war in Kansas, and the proposed war with
England. So the less we say about our hap.
py condition Of peace, the better.
Neao York Herald.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10
NO.. Is.

tember until 1st March we have but little
rain-mostly clear, dry weather. The past
winter has been, though, colder than ever
known before. Our country I regard as
very healthy; in some localities chills and
fever prevail to some extent-we have no
pulmonary diseases in Kansas. In regard
to supplies you can procure anything you
may want in Missouri-if you get to Kan
sas by May or June you can raise plenty of
corn, Our lands are ready cleared-you
can make your location one day and com.
mence farming next.
In conclusion permit me to thank you,
and to thank the people Of South Carolina
for the noble effort they are now making to
assist US in preventing the best country, in
my opinion, in the United States from fall.
ing into the hands of the Abolitionists.
Respectfully your ob't servant.
j. W. WHITFIELD.
Hon. JAS. CHEsNUT, jr. .
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10
WASHINGTON. March IS. 1856.

WASHINGTON, March IS, 1856.
DEAR SIR AT the request of Hon. W.
W. Boyce,' I take great pleasure in giving
you such information in regard to Kansas
as will be useful to persons emigrating to that
country. In regard to soil, Kansas is un-
surpassed, producing from sixty to eighty
bushels of corn per acre; twenty FIVE to forty
bushels of wheat per acre. The finest oats
I have ever Seen grow, We raise in Kansas,
in fact, have seen nothing planted in Kan
sas Except cotton) that does not produce
more to the acre than the best lands of Ten
nessee.
Besides being a fine grain and grass eoun.
try, it is part of the United States. Hemp
is decidedly the most profitable crop now
raised, and the statistics will show that the
planters of Western Missouri are making
more money per hand than is made in any
other State in the Union. 1t is nothing un-
common for farmers to pay three hundred
dollars hire for negro men per year. White
men cannot be hired for less than S25 dol
lars per month. In addition to our advan-
tages as an agricultural people we have a
trade with New Mexico, Utah, Oregon and
California, amounting to several millions Of
dollars per annum, besides, our India trade
amounts to more than one million per an
mum. In addition the government for mill
tary supplies expend very large sum. Mill
tary stores are sent out to all the posts of
New Mexico and the Indian country, and
to give you some idea ofthe amount of trans
portation required for that department-one
firm last year employed over seventeen hum
dred men, and twelve hundred wagons, each
drawn by twelve oxen. Kansas is the start
ing point for all emigrants going West of
us. was raised in Tennessee, and have
been in nearly every State in the Uuion, and
I say to you in all candor, that have nev-
er seen any country that possesses as many
advantages to new or old settlers as Kansas.
Our friends in Western Missouri-with simi-
lar soil to Kansas, make from six to eight
hundred dollars hand per annum. This
will, I have no doubt, seem large to you,
but I assure you it is strictly true.
The climate of Kansas regard as being
far better than in Tennessee; from lat Sep.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

AN OLD MAN.-Among the deaths lately
announced at Louisville, Kentucky, is that
ofOld Ben Duke, colored man, who had
reached the great age Of ITO years, seven
months and three days. He was a native Of
Maryland, and at the age of thirty entered
the service Of Washington, of whom he re-
tanned lively recollection to the period Of
his death. He went to Louisville when the
surrounding country was an unbroken wild
erness, and lived through two generations,
to see it become large bristling and thirty
ing city. Deceased is represented as having
been an upright and worthy man, member
of the Baptist Church, and Of a constitution
so healthy that he never had occasion for the
service ola physician, and died without pain
or previous sickness.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

THE EARTH Growing COLDER.-It is
stated by German astronomers that the sun
is increasing his distance from the earth
annually; and, in the course of six thousand
years from the present time, it is supposed,
that the distance will be so great that only
an eighth part of the warmth we now enjoy
from the sun will be communicated to the
earth, and it will then be covered with etern-
al ice, in the same manner as We now see
the plains of the North, where the elephant
formerly lived, and have neither spring nor
autumn. ..tH... ..... s.... .,
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10
4olitiital,
KANSAS INFORMATION.

We direct attention to the interesting let
ter of the Hon. J. W. Whitfield, delegate
from the Territory of Kansas to Congress,
written to Hon. James Chestnut, President of
the Kershaw Kansas Association, furnishing
important and reliable information in regard
to that new and desirable country; we say
desirable, for lands that will produce from
sixty to eighty bushels per acre, are certain
ly desirable, and this, We presume, is an
average estimate, for the writer seems to
speak with that confidence which assures US
that his statements are neither oyerdrawn
nor exaggerated.
We are glad to learn that there are appli.
cations from our District, and that it is more
than probable that we will be able to furnish
our quota of men and means in furtherance
of the great Southern cause in Kansas.
Those who desire to go under the auspices
of the Kershaw Kansas Association, are in
vited to call at the Office of w. M. Shannon,
Esq, and register their names at once, in
order that the necessary arrangements may
be perfected by the first of May, at which
time the company are expected to leave
Camden Journal.
Correspondence of the Camden Journal
Col. T. J. WARREN Dear Sir.-I have
received very interesting letter from the
Hon. j. W. Whitfield, the delegate from
the Territory Of Kansas, to the Congress Of
the United States. take the liberty of en-
closing it to you for publication, with view
of furnishing information to those who may
feel an interest in the enterprise now under
taken by the Kershaw Kansas Association.
By the present condition of our subscrip-
tion list we are warranted in opening an Of
fee to receive application from those who
may wish to emigrate under the auspices Of
the Association.
All persons, who may be thus inclined,
will call at the Office of Mr.. VIM. NJ. Shan.
non, and register their names, which, it is
desirable, should be done as soon as practi-
cable, that the movement may not falter.-
The company will leave here, at latest, by
the 1st of May next.
Very respectfully,
Your friend and ob't. sv't.'
JAMES CHESTNUT, Jr., President.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

THE STEAM-ENaINE.-There is something
awfully grand in the contemplation of vast
steam-engine. Stand amid its ponderous
beams and bars, wheels and cylinders, and
watch their unceasing play-how regular and
how powerful The workmanship of lady's
Geneva watch is not more nicely adjusted
the rush of the avalanche is not more awful
in its strength. And it ought to be a lesson
to those who ridicule every new idea, and put
no faith in inventions, to consider that the
complex fabric, this triumph of art and
science, was once the laughing stock of jeer-
ing thousands, and once only the waking fan
tasy of boys mind, as he sat, and seeming
ly in idleness, watching little column Of
vapor rise from the spout of a tea-kettle D.!
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

A GREAT CoUNTRY.-To give the Eng
lish some idea of the extent of our domain,
which they have recently talked so much
about annihilating at single blow, we would
state (says New York paper) that the dis
tance between New York and New Orleans
is more than equal to that separating Lon,
don from Constantinople, or Paris from St.
Petersburg. By the land route between New
York and Astoria, the distance is equal to
that between New York and Bremen. By
the water route the distance is as great as
that between Canton and London.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10
ADMISSION OF NEW STATES.

How much tolerance does the South, the
parent of the new States, exhibit, in permit
ting them to enter the Union with constitu.
tions prohibiting slavery! They ask to par
tioipate in all the principles af the old thir.
teen, saying, at the same time, owe are
holier than YOU" "The blot of slavery is
not on our escutcheon." To the present
slave States, they, in effect, say, [" You, it is
true, have given to the Union, or have been
chiefly instrumental in acquiring for the
Union, all her territories; but you are q
wicked, degraded race, and must not contami-
nate us with your vile institution of slavery"
If the new States were within the Frigid
Zone, where the negro would be at all times
useless, it would only add wantonness to the
insult, for the prohibition would be unneces-
sary. The prohibition of slavery is always
either wanton insult, or gross wrong to
the South The Federal Government, as
the agent Of the States, may or may not ad-
NIT new States into the Union, as it pleases
In admitting them, it is bound to do equal
justice to the North and to the South. It
does perpetrate gross and palpable injustice
to the South, when it permits forward child
to be remitted to the rights of manhood,
when its very petition is accompanied with
insult and wrong to one Of its parents
If we of the South admit that slavery is
immoral or inexpedient in new States, We
cannot maintain that it is right anywhere.
We thereby yield the great principle for
which abolition contends, and furnish it
lever and fulcrum with which to upset our
domestic institutions. Hereafter, in admit
ting any Northern State prohibiting slavery,
it should be with an understanding on the
part of the South, that "it submits to ad-
mission, not as a matter of right, but for
the sake of peace, and because it will not
quarrel about useless abstraction" With
out some such procedure on the part Of the
South, the admission Of any State excluding
slavery is the assertion that slaveryis moral
ly wrong and inexpedient.
Whenever the South takes the distinct
ground, that her institutions are righteous,
honorable and expedient, as those of the
North, she will find her defence easy. Until
she does this, until she asserts her equality
in morality, as well as in right, she invites,
nay, she justi6es, the attacks Of abolition.
ls,}s Richmond Enquirer.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

sS Perhaps it is not generally known, as
it should be, that salt put in the mouth will
instantly relieve the convulsive moments in
fits, either of children or animals.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

"a He who has wolf for his companion
must carry 3 dog under his cloak. -.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

A~ A good tale badly tsld, is bad one.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

I@ It is better to be alone than in bad
company. .......r.. ...s
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10

n8 When is wine merchant like shipl
When he's laying IN port.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-04-10
WAR IN THE UNITED STATES.

Hon. JAS. CHEsNuT, jr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-29

and occupied by William johnson as hat
store and factory, were entirely destroyed ;
and the next two occupied by Z. Quincy q
Co., as shoe store, and Griffith Il Wilson as
a hardware store, were very much injured in
their roofs and third stories-and their front
walls it is supposed will require to be taken
down. Much of the sock in these four stores
was moved out, but a considerable portion Of
il was lost or damaged
Mr. Barry's loss is very heavy. Nothing
was say ed. The clothes Of his family, with
the exception of the scanty covering in which
they esoaped-his valuable furniture, esti.
mated to have cost four or FIVE thousand dol
lars; all his books, papers and money; and
an uncommonly large stock of china, glass and
crockery ware-au Of which, together with
the store, he estimates at fully s35, 000-and
only an insurance of S., 900 on the house.
The houses on the south side of Union street
and MIR. Harrison's three story grocery store
on market square were also damaged.
The buildings destroyed were all insured in
the Mutual Company of Virginia-loss from
So, 900 to S4 600. James Rarry's stock OF
furniture was not insured; value about
$4,000. E Quincy & Co removed and
damaged, insured for $4,000, viz: So ,OOO
in the Phoenix, London; $4,000 in the Anne.
rican, Norfolk; 81 900 in the Lynchburs
company. E R Sale, removed and dam.
aged, insured for $40 600. viz SO 600 in be
Phoenix, London; 81 900 in the American,
Norfolk; So 600 in the Washington Grifith
$1,000 in tho Washington. w. johnson. Jr.
removed. and damaged, insured for $4,000
viz $4,000 in the Phoenix, London $4,000
in the Howard New York
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-29
PERSONAL.

....J. N. Bonapar;e, Esq, of Baltimore, is
~ Wizards Hotel.
-. Gen. Harvey, U. s. Army, is in New
York city.
80. Judge Scarborough, of the Court of
Claims, is at TIE Kirkwood House.
80. Mrs. Melinda Jones, the actress, ccn.
menced an engagement st Petersburg, Va,
Monday night.
go. The Fillmore Wings of Boston held a.
large meeting on Friday evening, and were
addressed by the Hon. 4. c. Winthrop and
others.
49, Tho Newburyport Mass Herald un-
derstands that tho Hon. Thomas Ii. Benton,
Of Missouri, Is to deliver a lecture before the
Lyceum in that city in November.
80. The Boston Ledger states that w. NJ.
Fleming, Esq late manager Of the National
Theatre OF that city, is studying divinity in
New York, and intends hepcefOrth to devote
his talents to the pulpit.
-. Professor Morse and Mr. Cyrus w
Field, of Kew York, had an interview with
the Earl Of Clarendon On the 7th inst at the
Foreign Office. in regard to the connec ton Of
Ne"toundlsnd and Ireland by electric teIe-
graph.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-29
Great Fire in Nor folk, Va.

The Norfolk Herald states that a most de
structtve fire occurred in tina. town on Sunday
morning, with loss Of some STA 900 worth Of
property.
The fire was discovered about half asst
two clock, by an issue of smoke from the
door Of a cooking room connected with the
restaurant under the large four.story china
store and dwelling Of James Barry, ESQ ,ffor.
merly the " Steam boat Hotel, at the north.
east corner Of Market Square and Union
street. Persons who first saw the smoke pro.
ceeded Immediately to break open the door of
the cuisine, when volume Of dense smoke
and flame rushed out, and it was discovered
that the flames had not only full possessi sion of
tue room, but the stairway, which furnished
the only avenue Of escape to the street for the
family above Their cries of terror and dig
tress on being awakened to their awful and
perilous condition may well be conceived but
not described. Half suffocated with smoke
from every direction they hurried with only
their night-clothes to the portico and implored
the assistance of those below to save then
Ladders were Immediately brought by some
Of our active and noble hearted fremen, and
in few minutes they were all landed in safe.
ty on the pavement-Mr. and Mrs Barry and
fourteen or fifteen others, including eight ser
wants. ... .- -.. "a - .
1uo tiuIc ~ WHICu Tue ur0 pr0k6 out ~ AZ
most unfortunate. Halt the male population
Of the city had been exercised to late hour
Of the night at political meetings, most of
whom had probably only been asleep for a
brief psriod-indeed at that hour the whole
city might be said to have been buried in pro.
found siuuber. Hence, before the fren,en
were able to get their apparatus in operation,
nearly the whole interior of the vast building
was enveloped in flames. With inconceiya
BILE rapidity the ERE communic ated to the ad
JON ng compact block Of six handsome store
"a Market square, one Of which owned 10y
estate OF j. ID. Gordon and occupied by Enoch
~ "ss - 2 shoe store, and the other owned
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-29
Book II Offices.

ScRrprURaI AND STATISTICAL VIEWS IN IA
yOR OF SLAVERY. By Thornton Stringiei
low, ID. D. Richmond, Va j. W, han-
dolph. (For sale in this city oy franA
Taylor
The author Of this popular work, which We
see has reached fourth edition, urges with
much force. tb at the guardianship and control
os the black race by the white in this Union
is an indispensable Christian duty, to which
wa must as vet look if we would secure the
we'll being Of both races.
THE RIFLE, Axe, AND SADpLE-RAGS and
Other Lectures. By William Henry Mil
burn With q portrait of the author. New
York: Derby jackson For sale in this
city by Taylor 4 Maury)
These lectures, now presented in book form,
are distinguished by that earnest thought and
vivid nara tiye which have rendered the au-
thor SO attractive as a popular speaker. The
typography and binding are in the usual su-
perior style of this publishing house
From j. Shillington we have Putnam S
Monthly" "The Knickerbockes," and the
"Household Words" for November.
Putnam has an interesting sketch Of tie
last years Of Heinrich Heine, the celebrated
German poet, satiriss, and artist "Thc Ira
gedy of Hsirston," an Accomac Eastern Shore
legend a review of De Tocqueviile on the
Causes of the French Revolution; part eight
of the series of " Scampiavas-Glimpses #
Nineyeh - Neapolitan story; and another
Of its political jsremiades are among the other
prominent articles.
Household Words is varied, sprighuy, and
entertaining as ever. One of the articles in
the present number, Six Years in a Cell y
p vamped over in Harper for November, an
appears in that magazine as " Six Years in g
German Prison"
Observation-Disclosures gem Of the "magas''-
comes this time with its blue covers fairly
distended with cram Of fun, sentiment,
poetry, and romance. Clark announces tina,
"Mr. SparrOwgrass" (COzzsns) is to contrib
ute story to the new volume of Knick, and
that Mace Sloper" Charles G Leland) viii
continue his " Observations" in its pages.