davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
AtPOciOuS$ Murder i'm CaddO
Parish
shreveport Times, Hth.l

S~nFGFepOfb IuneS, E1Un.I
A murder of the most atrocious char
acter was committed on the third instant,
near Mooringsport, in this parish, by W.
j, Harris. Harris, in company with Mr..
Joe Thompson and Mr.. Robert Packer,
were returning on the day above men
toned from a hunt; the party had taken
several drinks and Harris became some
what turbulent. He accused every ne
gro they met of1having burnedhis house
a year or two ago, and threatenedto kill
each one. His companions ~interfered
and prevented him from carrying out his
murderous threats; When the three
reached the road leading to Mr.. ThOmp-
sons house that gentleman left them
and Harris and Packer rode on together.
Before they had proceeded far they met
q negro named Henry Clay; Harris stop
ped hlmsand accused him of burning his
house; the negro replied that he had not
done SO, said he had NJ reason to have
done so, and knew nothing about it.
Harris said that he was q liar and told
him to get down, that he was going to
kill him any how. The terrified negro
dismOunted, as did also Harris. Harris
then told the negro to kneel down, that
he was going to kill him. The poor fell
low fell upon his knees and began beg
ging for his life when Harris fred uDOn
him. The negro lodged and the load of
duck shot slightly cut his left shoulder.
Harris immediately fired the other bar
rel OF his gun, the contents taking effect
Just above the negro's stomach, killing
him almost instantly. Harris then be-
gan begging Packer to-say nothing of
the affair, or to swear TINT he (Harris)
did not do it, and when Packer refused.
Harris threatened to shoot him. A ne
gro concealed near by, heard Packer
begging Harris not to kill CLAW, The
following day Packer came to town and
made affidavit to the facts before Judge
Looney, who issued a warrant for the
arrestof Harris. OnThursday morning
Deputy Sheriff W. y. Ashmore proceed
ed to-MOoringsport and to the house of
the murderer to arrest him, but he had
tied. Mr.. AShm0re used every exertiOn
to discover his whereabouts bHtin vain ;
he had disappeared in company with his
brOther-in- law, FAC Mcfarland, who is
now under an Indictment for murder.
The murdered negrowa a generally liked
by the people of both races, and had
been q consistent Democrat, voting at
each election with the white people, all
Of whom thought a good deal of him.
The community at and about Mornings
port are extremely indignant, and will
spare no effort to arrest the murderer.
The negroes declare that If they capture
him they will turn him over to the au-
thorities, confident that Justice will be
done in the matter bY the whites.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
Newspaper Postage.

The following summary of the laws
concerning newspaper postage, COM
piled by the Mobile, Register, we pub
lish for the benefit of our readers:
Section 1873. That no newspapers shall
be received to be conveyed by mail I'M
less they shall be dried and enclosed in
proper wrappers.
Sec. 1885, That when packages of
newspapers or other periodicals are re-
ceived at a pOstOffice directed to n
address, and the names of the sub
scribers to whom they belong with the
postage for quarter in ADVANCES handed
to the postmaster, he shall deliver such
papers or periodicals to their respective
owners .. rs. -a.yt- a-..s .
Sec. 140. That Dostmasters shall notify
the publishers of any newspaper or
other periodical when any subscriber
shall refuse to take the same. from the
Office, or neglect to call for it for the
period of one month.
See, t141. That publishers of >newspa-
pers or periodicals may print on. write
upon their publications, sent to regular
subscribers, the address of the subscri-
Der and the date when the subscription
expires, and enclose therein bills and
receipts for subscription thereto with
out ~subjecting such matter to extra
postage. t.-s.I ..~s-s..
Sec. lac. That any person who shall
enclose or conceal any letter, memoran-
dum,2 or other thing in any mail matter,
not charged with letter postage, or
make any writing or memorandum
thereon, and deposit or cause the same
to be deposited for conveyance by mail
for less than letter postage, shall, for
every such offence, forfeit and pay 1--WE
dollars, and such newspaper or periOdi-
cal shall not be delivered until the
postage thereon is paid at letter rates.
Sec. 159. That on newspapers and
other periodicals sent from a known
Office of publication to regular subscri-
beers, the postage shall be paid before
delivery, not less than one-Quarter nof
more than n year, which payment
may be made either at the Office of
mailing or delivery, commencing at any
time, and the Postmaster shall account
for said postage in the quarter in which
it was received. ~ .-t.
Sec. 1913. That on newspapers and
periodical publications, not exceeding
| four ounces in weight, sent from a
known office of publication to reg liar
subscribers, postage shall be charged at.
the following rates per quarter, lame-
ly: On publications issued less fire.
quently than once a week, at the rate of
l cent for each issue; issued once a
week, 5 cents additional for each issue
more frequent than once a week. An
additional rate shall be charged for
each additional four ounces or fraction
thereof in weight.
Sec. 161. That persons known as regu-
lar dealers in newspapers and periodi-
calls may receive and transmit by mail
such quantities of either as they may re-
quire, and pay the postage thereon as
received at the same rates pro rata as
regular subscribers to such publications,
| who nav quarterly in advance.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

DIGESTION AND LEGIsLArTOS.-HOv,
much OF the distracted state of recent
legislation has been produced by the
wO'k OF laW-making being carried on
when the brains Of the lawmakers are
0bscured by fumes Of dinner, and their
lungs ~dlsordered by an impure atmOs-
phereY The evil is n which every
body recognizes in general terms: but
the recognition is of that imperfect
klnd which produces no corresponding
fruit in action. The most important
part of all public business is probabIT
performed by men whose state of health
is below par, and at hours of unusual
fatigue and ObfuscatiOn. Everybody
who is accustomed to- intellectual work
knows the Importance of Selling the
few hours during which his faculties
are perfectly fresh, and he isunconscious
OF the load OF heavy matter which he is
compelled to drag about with him.
But IN practice, legislation of all kinds
frequently consists in first reducing
some hundreds of gentlemen to a cOndf7
ton in which their brains are working
with diminished energy, and then in
dueing them to catch at the first COM
promise which allows them to escape
from a dilemma which they are too dull
to solve logically. eff you want to
HdlS LIul9 MANS u1AAS duu II q wan
to let him go, let him go; but for Gods
sake, let's get out Of thism were the en-
phatic last words of the celebrated
Cornish juryman ; and they pretty well
represent the state of mind in which
decisions are taken by a distracted meet
ing of any kind. Now a genuine az
probation of the vast Importance of
thorough physical health would lead
to the conclusion that you should no
more set people to decide difficult points
Of legislation when they are necessarily
in a state of muddle, than you should
set % man to row a race just after q
heavy dinner. The work which is done
well is that which is done with a fresh
brain and a system not overloaded.
Our present system seems to go on the
hypothesis that the digestion is far too
contemplate a thing to be taken into
sequences are about what we might <
pect from the premises with which we
start.-[Saturday Review.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

A MODERN CRUsOE.-New York, May
1.-THE Herald publishes statement
Of James A. King, the only known sur
viVor of a crew of the seal-fshing
schooner. Franklin, of New London,
landed in 1871 on Window Island, one of
the South Shetland, situated south of
Cape Horn, in latitude GA. The men
killed 1900 seal there, and went to st.
Georges Island, leaving a record of
their whereabouts behind. The vessel
subsequently returned from another of
the group of islands, discovered the re-
cord and proceeded to where stated,
getting no response to guns, rockets
and other signals, and being unable to
send a boat ashore on account of break
ers and ice, was compelled to abandon
the men and proceed home. The
schooner Nile, N of whose men is now
in New York, discovered King late last
year in @ small wooden hut on St.
Georges Island. One of misconceptions
had died several months before, while
the others, including the third mate,
Townsend, left two weeks before King
was found, with O boat, for Window
Island against all remOnstranee. He
helped them launch the boat, but don't
know what became of them. 1t is GER
tain, however, that as a portion of the
boat and a sailors coat were found on
the beach near Cape Sheriff, thirty miles
from the hut, where the men passed a
weary year, that they were drowned in
the breakers and never reached VIM
dow Island. It is reported that the
seals are almost entirely killed off the
South Shetland Island. King told this
man that he and his comrades managed
to live on pelican flesh and biscuits left
behind by q boats crew, and made
clothes out of seal skins. The hut was
built of boards left there by another
vessel, and fire kept with seal blubber.
The survivor had been without a fire
several days when found.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
4 Curious Document.
VIZ find the following in the Bossiel
Banner: .

VIZ find the following in the Bossier
Banner: ..
BELLEVUE, LA. May g., 1873.
To the Chairman Of the Committee of
Three, for Public Safety in Parish of
Bossier-J. A. Snider, J. H. Keyser,
VIII. Bledsoe:
Gentlemen-Owing to a difference Of
opinion as to the sense of the Mass Meet
ings held at Rocky Mount and at Belle
vue, | respectfully tender to you my res
ignation of a commission as Parish Judge
of the Parish of Bossier, which was re-
commended by you, and received by me
last uightfromhi his Exeellency, John Nc
Emery. H. "~. 80
Law and reason with the men we have
to deal with is of no avail. Ipr0pose to
take the Offices fromthe usurpers, and
to drive them from the temple of Justice,
in the parish of Bossier, as Jesus Christ
did the money changers in the days of
old. 4z.- Ii; ~. ..r .sv
Those Of my party who differ from
these sentiments will please do me the
Justice to believe I am in earnest. s
M. Respectfully, ~
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
The Munbo Jumbo of Bourbon mol

The Mumbo Jumbo of Bourbon poll
tics ought to be looking after the Hon.
Alex. II. Stephens, of Georgia. He has
lately been so disregardful Of orthodox
modes of thinking and speaking as to
say that he doesn't believe that General
Grant is either sordid or corrupt. For
the es-Viee President of the late Con
federateS States, Whobelieves in the State
right theory of the Federal Government,
andw doesn't advocate the coming die
tatorship either of Ulysses or George
Francis, to talk IN this wild latitudina-
.rian way, is really amazing.
If.hei is not hushed up by Mumbo Jum-
DO, Mrs. Grundy, or some equally potent
censorship, he1nay even have the bold
essaBndperversity to assert that the car
BURGLAR efloeescence on venerable
Bourbon's frontispiece is merely the
bloom Of excessive whisky, and not an
infallible beacon to guide the lost chill
dren of the South through the political
wi1derness.-[N. Q. Times.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
A vIND1CATION IN ORDER.
New Orleans Times.l

It is in order for some Dryasdust his
tOrian of the Bourbon school to come out
with forty or fifty yards Of research and
exposition to vindicate the memory of
some of the most distinguished worthless
of the antediluvian period Of American
history. An exhumed Congressional
record shows that John @. Calhoun, of
South Carolina; Timothy Pickering, of
Massachusetts; Judge Mclean, Of Ohio :
and Henry Clay and Richard NJ. John
son, of Kentucky; all participated in a
salary grab similar in retroactive effect
to the, one enacted at the late session of
Congress. It was done in 1916, when the
country, from the results of the war of
1912, was deeply in debt andits prosper
ity at q low ebb. -. 49,
The act was. almQst~universally con-
demned by the people, and Mr.. Clay and
the rest of its authors who did not lose
their seats in consequence, took an early
opportunity to comply with the popular
demand for its repeal. But it is some
what remarkable that theydidnot make
the repeating act retrospective, as tothe
sitting Congress, but only applicable to
future Congresses. Thus they pocketed
and retained two years increase of sal
airy, and reserved the virtue Of short
commons for their successors,
Of course, the Dryasdust historian,
when he takes hold of the matter, will
prove to entire satisfaction that there
was nothing infamous or improper in
Clay's, or Calhoun's, or any old time
statesman's connection with It from first
to last. Nevertheless, that connection
is deeply to be regretted. They were
dS~eplorably short-sighted, or they would
have known that such conduct was des-
tined to encourage, if not palliate, an
infamous imitation of the example BY
greedy Congressman in 1873.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
Purity of the PaSt--COrruptfOEa
of the Present.
chicago Tribune. May 81

In the good old days of Massachusetts
there was a convention there toconsider
TIE original constitution of the United
States. The debates of that convention
were. years ago, collected and published
by the State; and it is found-the ques-
ton of congressional pay being before
the HOuse-that MI. Theodore SedgWick
said: "Can a man who has the least re-
spCct for the opinion of his feilow-coun-
trymen go home to his constituents after
having robbed them by voting himself
an exorbitant salary?p This was Mas
sachusetts in 1888. 1.-THE past, at least,
is ~seeure,7 "F5s &
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
1t is Better.

Better wear calico dress without trim
ming, if it be paid for, than to owe the
sFopkeeper for the most elegant silk, cut
and trimmed in. the most beWitclnng
manner. r.v> n~-
. Better to live in log cabin all your
own, than q brown stone mansion be-
longing to some one else.
Better to walk forever than run into
debt for a horse and carriage.
Better to sit by a pine table for which
you paid three dollars ten years ago,
than send home a new extension black
walnut top, and promise to pay for it
next week. :
Better to use the old cane seated chairs,
and faded tWO-ply CARPET, than tremble
at the bills sent home from your uphols-
terers for the most elegant parlOr set
ever made.
Better to meetyour business acquaint-
ance with a free don't owe you a cent
smile, than to dodge around the corner
to escape a dun.
Better to pay the Interchangeable
two cents for music, if you musthave it,
than owe for a grand piano.
BETTER to gaze upon bare walls than
pictures unpaid for,
Better eatthin soup from earthenware,
if you owe your butehernothing, than to
dine off lamb and roast beef, and know
that it does not belong to you.
Better to let your wife have a fit of
Mysteries than to run in debt for nice
new furniture, or clothing, or jewelry,
or anything else that women wish for.
A fit Of Mysteries properly managed, is
often more real benefit to a woman than
anything you could buy. It is better to
treat themin this way: "When she be-
gins to cry for something she ought to
know she eannothave, try to reason with
her q. liftle.7
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

ADVANTAGES OF UNDERDRAININc-
Inc advantages of understanding arc
many and important.
l. 1t greatly lessons the injurious effect
of drought.
2. 1t admits al increased supply of
atmospheric fertilizers.
soil. luis u "lo
4. It hastens the decomposition of
roots and other organic matter.
D. 1t ac%celerates tie d~isintegratiOn of
the minerals in the soil.
D. 1t causes a more even distribution
OF nutritious matters among those parts
OF the soil traversed by roots.
4. 1t improves the mechanical texture
of the soil.
running out. N
g 1t enables us to deepen the surface
By removing excess of water
10. 1t renders soils earlier in the
spring,
II. It greatly lessons the throwing out
OF grain in winter.
rains. 'oA
10. 1t keeps off the effects Of cold
weather longer in the fall.
IA. 1t prevents the formation of acetic
and other organic acids, which indnce
the growth of sOFrel and similar weeds,
10. 1t hastens the decay of vegetable
matter, and the finer communion of
the earthly parts of the soil.
16. 1t prevents in q great measure,
the evaporation OF water, and the con-
seQuent cooling of the soil.
II. 1t admits fresh quantities of water
from rains, etc, which are more or less
imbued with the fertilizing gases Of
the atmosphere, to be deposited among
the absorbent parts of the soil. and
given up 20 the demands of plants
Is. 1t prevents the formation of SO
hard a crust on the surface of the soil
as is customary on heavy lands.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

HrvrNG BBEs.-Ac correspondent of the
National Bee Journal gives his plan of
hiying bees thus:
Some say that some swarms come out,
and go direct from the hive to the
woods; but in the time that I have kent
bees, Ihever had such an instance. In tne
first plaeeI prepare my hive. Igenerally
mt q piece of comb into the hive to at
tract them. keep the hivein the shade
and. when the bees come out, they will
alight on some tree nearb by them. Take
the hive, and rub the inside with lemon
balm, or it will do without; put it in the
shade of the tree, ON the. table; tip the
hive back enough to let the bees enter;
but a. board, eighteen inches square, or
cloth, in frontof the hive, and take
The bees down and put them on it.
Then take cold water from the well,
and with a hand broom brush sprinkle
cold water on the ground, and o trlhe
on them, and they will soon coup.
Repeat this in twenty minutes and
continue till the hottest part of the day
is past. AS soon as they. are nearly all
in. remove the OldhiTe, and put the new
one where the old one stood, and put a
board over to keepthe sun and rain off,
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

TRANSMITTING IN THE NIGHT.-A
gentleman anxious to ascertain the
effect of transplanting atsnight, instead
of by day, made an experiment with the
following results: f@4 rfy ..:.n5
He transplanted ten cherry ~treesWhile
in bloom, commencing at four O'clock
in the afternoon, planting one each
hour until one o'clock in the morning.
Those transplanted during the daylight
shed their blossoms, producing little or
ne fruit, while those planted in the
dark maintained their condition fully.
He did the same with ten dwarf trees,
after the fruit was One-third grown.
Those transplanted during the day shed
their fruit; those hansplanted during
the night perfected their crop, and
showed no injury from having been
removed. With each Of these he re-
moved some earth with the roots. The
incident is fully Youched for; and If a
few more similar experiment. produce a
like result, it will be a strong Argument
to horticulturalists, etc, TODD such work
at night.IWestern Rural.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24
stephensvilIe, Texas, April 81, 1878.
WAsHNereN, La, May 16,as7a.

j. ". JACKSON, ESQ:
Dear Sir-The Courier OF May 10th,
SAYS: G That of the features of the
Washington election was to. p~erpetuate
the toll bridge system, eten Nov 1.-THE
Town Council has anything TO do with
the toll bridge system, it is new to me,
the corporation not paying any parish
tax. The committee appointed to wait
upon the bridge company saw only me,
(Sne toll man, and requested me to re-
port to the stockholders what they had
agreed to rive for the bridge across the
Bayou Carron. and not athe bridges"
us the Courier has it. The valuation
fixed by the committee was IL thOHsand
dollars. About one year ago I, (tne toll
man.. Da5asfof 0ne-si1th Of the bridge
twenty-fYeh hundred dollars cash. Does
the COMMITTED, the Courier, DE- the Par
fish thinkthat IWould take one Thousand
dollars for That which i paidtwenty-fye
hundred fort Would sell to the Parish,
bnbnot give. sucllis thekind OF good
men the Courierexpects to fldm WASH
ington, mary one,1 find them sort about
the Courier office.
3. WOoDWoRTH.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

81 SENTENcED.-Judge Morgan. sen
fenced this week the following crimi-
na'as, convicted at this term of the
Court:
Pierre Hebert, horsestealing, three
wears iii pdnitentiary.
louis Anarus, disturbance, ten days
in parishjail.
Amos Small, ItUceny, fifteen months
in pe~nitentiary.
Joseph, Charles and Louis Ahemand,
c~ovstealing, each one year IN peniten-
tiary.
johnson Hawkins, larceny, one year
in pehitentiary.
Is Yalsin Tate, assault and battery, six
months III parish jail.
Henry Williams, larceny, one year
in penitentiary.
FRANCOIS Martin, murder, for life in
n~ehitendary.
ANOTHER HoRsE DRoWNED.-Last
Sunday night, Rev. +. Raymond, of the
Opelousas Catholic church, and another
Reverend condemnation Grand oteau,
left. III q. buggy, his residence at the
church, situated at the upper limit of
the corporation, to visit asick person
residing in the central part Q flown. It
wasraining at the time, and had already
rained considerably. In fact terrQ .fiaaa
was pretty vet, especially in the bayous
generally, and bayou lesson, running
through Opelousas4r1nning north and
south. west of the Courthouse-in partic-
ular. The streetleading from theehurch
nm north and south also, and three
sonares from the hayou; and the resi-
denee they intended to visit is situated
about midway between the two. In the
darkness and rain, the horse went too
Far. after turning into the cross street,
and took the buggy and It's reverendoe-
cupants RIGHT down to bayou lesson
which was much swollen; and instead Of
crossing the bridge directly before him,
lie went straight, or r~atterturned above
the bridge, into the raging food, to his
own death, and to the great discomfort,
and alaossdeafh of observation-disclosures
of Fatalar Raymond especially, who, it is
said would have drowned. butfor the
assistance DC his stronger companion.
The loss OF the horse falls on Father
Raymond.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

HoRsE DRowNED.-Last Wednesday,
a horse and buggy belonging to john
ston's livery stable IN this place, with q
colored boy driving, and Capt. Bailey.
vinsonr as passenger, left here to- go to
Termillionville. On arriving at Calle-
,ham's bridge, three milesfrom town, the
driver attempted to ford the bayou above
the bridge, having been informed that
some planks had been washed off the
bridge aud that It was impossible. The
tbayon was considerably swollen from
the rains, and was swimming. The cur N
rent forced the horse and buggy down
stream, passing under the bridge where
the parties caught and landed; but the
horse was drowned.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-24

How EASILY BUTTER IS SPoTLED.-A
farmers wife writing to the Ohio Far
mer says: "Of all the products Of the
farm, butter is most liable to be tainted
by noxious odors floating in the atmos-
the cellar, from which a little blood
flowed ont, and was neglected until it
commenced to smell. The result was,
that 5 jar Of butter which ! was then
packing smelled and tasted like spoiled
beef.n Another Lady reader observed
that'there was a pond OF filthy, stagnant
waters few hundred feet from which
an offensive efiuvium would be borne
on the breeze directly to the milk-room,
Hon. the result of which was that cream
and butter would taste like the disa-
greeable odor coming from the pond.
As soon as the pond was drained we
had no moredamaged butter.