The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-11-27

gradually worked my feelings to the verge
Of intolerance on the other side; ready to de
fend the South t. the utmost extremity,
right or wrong. One incident. occurring a
few DAYS after South Carolina seeded, may
illustrate the temper of the ines On
christmas eve. the Media schools gave an
exhibition at the court house to raise funds
to equip a Volunteer company. y number
of pieces elected bOisterous applause Ter
their political significance: one beng 4 pro
cession of thirteen-year-old boys, IN Conti-
mental Uniform. marching to clean out the
South Carolina secesh.' as the prompter
announced in stentorian tones, amid roars
Of delight. Next a gigantic picture OF an
eagle. clawing a snake labeled state
Rights. was thrown upon the wall ny q con.
cealcd magic lantern" Again the wild
uproar burst forth; whereupon a local poll
~tici;n who | have heard, was expelled
from the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1876,
for frauds and corruption) sprang on the
stage and made a furious harranguc against
the south, particularly South Carolina clos
ING with a call for-"Ihree grOaus for the
ucculxeR tuitOFs.''
With feverish impulse, as the groans, and
| misses subsidized, | sprang upon the bench,
fOurishcd Il broad-brimmed hat, and shout
ing-'Three cheers for Carolina and South
ern Rights, The south defies YOU The
sensation Of course was prOdigious; such
views were not tolerated in hat latitude.
The only Southern student very tall and
slim. with a foolish fondness for long hair,
and daily walks in all directions, | had be-
come as we'll known in the town Us any one
in it hence at once was recognized by the
vast ~assemblagc. HOwls of rage. cries of
put him OUT kick him out, > knock
him down. kill the damned traitor."
etc, etc, rouse from all parts of the house,
and there was a general movement towards
the central aisle, down which | was walk
ing. Fortunately, at that moment, either in
tentionally or to repeat the stereOscopic
picture, the gas jets were turned of, and
and in the darkness and confusion, | PASS
ed out, and fastening to the Institute,
packed NY trunk, and got ready my defen-
sive armament. The latter consisted of an
old knife, and IN ancient pistol, of pep
per-box'' pattern, which through much ser
vice, had acquired the properties of a Cat
ling gun, or mitrailleuse; all six of its bar
rels going off with a whir-r-r at one snap of
the hammer. There was danger everywhere
in the neighborhood when it started. How
ever no occasion to use it occurred. A
number of men came to the gate of the In
%stitute, which was in the suburbs of the
village; but after a long talk with the
Principal, went away. The Media Repub-
lican paper next day stated that "a sprig
of chivalry" had attempted to raise "A dis
turbance, and ''narrowly escaped rough
handling,' etc. Boy-like, | worried my
self over this derisive squib more than if |
had been really mobbed.
TASTE OF CLAW YALTY."
few days later, Will g., our Preceptor's
son, and others, urged me not to 90 over
to town after dusk, as some of the drunken
ballies were threatening to demolish me at
first opportunity. | gave little thought to
the matter, until one day several months
later II gentle reminder occurred. Strollinn
in the beautiful groves, as usual after school
hours, searching for violets and dreaming
day-dreams of the great world that was
bubbling with hot passion al over its sur
face, | heard regular firin- in an adjacent
ravinc or hollow. 1t was a narty OF the 10
cal military practicing at 4 target, set up
against a railway embankm Mt which ran
across the ravine. Going /, the edge of
the woods | perchcd upon 4 fence watching
their bad craftsmanship. Presently one of
them cried-"Look at that d-ned long
haired secesh, up yonder, snyin' of us.'-
and without more ado he fired toward me.
, Thinking he aimed to frighten, not to hit,
| sat still; whereupOn several others began
a rapid fussil'ade and many splinters flew
OH TIC ltECc. l lOIlONcu liClE example.
1t appeared to be judiciOus to retire upon
my base Of supplies-half a mile in rear
lest some of the drunken rascals might
wing me-, even it not really intending it.
1t is altogether probable they were indiffer
ent WI ether they struck me or not. The
Media companies had been recruited by
riff raft of Philadelphia, who like the ia
nous BILLY Wilson's cuthroats. and
"Ellsworth's Fire Louaves, were more
dangerous to their own fellOw-citizens than
to the a med C~onfederates. Beside. tho
mobbing of Democrats and Southern
sympathizers" in almost every town and
village had lessened popular respect fol
personal rights, when not joined with the
right politics. | have spoken of a Media
druggist who was made to kneel in the
street and swear fidelity to Lincolnism.
while at the same moment the sound Of his
crashing windows and case-bottles rang in
his ears. A Lancaster county man was
mobbed because of an unlucky taste for
red-and white window curtains, which
~ora Cr,CnocfoI <f c;~,;F. .-I