The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-02-05
ASIRANGE SIoaY.
From the Se- York Herald.

From the Ner York Herald.
In lS4S chestnut tree, quite 800
yeafs old. was blown down on the
banks of little creek near the church
called South Carolina, within amile
Of the village Of Yorkville. in Pickens
County, Ala. and about seventeen
miles southeast of Columbus. Miss.
Beneath the roots of the chestnut tree
were found q pair of brass scales for
weighing, with the brass weights hav-
ing Spanish inscriptions and numer-
ais on them. Two three pound cam
non shot were found with the scales.
The soil beneath the tree was very dry,
drained rs il was by the little stream
hard by, and these relics of the Sanish
advepturer were well preserved But
Il does not follow because these porta-
bic articles were found ut that spot
that DE Soto visited IT, He had little
use for scales, and iaay have left them
at some distant place of encampInent,
or lost them In some battle, and a Gu
riOuS rQsi man, assigning little valu. To-
the treasure trOve," left il when he
drank on the banks Of the stream. In
dams hal no wagons or wagon ways.
and yet when Eastern Mississippi was
first settled by the white people in
1880, and while the Choctaws still
owned and occupied the country.
there was a broad, deep wagon road
following the course of the river some
distance and deeply cut in the hillsides
anu into the rivers banks. Ii crossed
the river at the mounds, ten or twelve
miles below Columbus, OH Buffers
plantation, of which | have spoken.
The Ch0ctaws said that this road was
carved out by white men, who march
ed across the country, fighting and
killing. long before their recollection.
IT this be the tradition, rs / heard il
stated long ago, there eau he little
crossed the TOmbigbee at the place in
Dictated by the Spanish scales ana
weights. and the old highway was GER
tainly made by no race of modern In
dians. But if this be true. it docs not
follow that De Soto spent the winter
preceding this passage of the Missis.
sipi In the vicinity OF Columbus or at
Tupelo.
A most improbable story comes from
Berlin, to the effect that the proposed
increase in the German army i in
tended to force France to join with
the other great Powers in a crusade
against the Nil,ilists, Socialists, Inter
nationals and other revolutionary or
CARNATIONS II France refuses to
adopt this policy the armies of Ger
many end Austria will make a joint
attack upon the republic. So runs the
story but its absurdity is so apparent
on its face that it is hardly worth a
second thought, Germany is no more
afraid Of France than Of the revolu-
tionary organizations that will -four
tsh as long ~ the people are compelled
to work like slaves to maintain armies
to support tottering thrones. Ever
since the Franco-German war France
has been steadily engaged in the reor-
ganizatfOn of her army, and to-day it
is the strongest and best appointed in
the world. Germany finds no comfort
in this fact, and hence fees called up
ON to prepare for an inevitable renew
al of the struggle fur the POSSESSION Of
Alsace and Lorraine. The proposed
Increase IN the German army iin,..
much opposition among the people,
and all Bismarck S canning AMI bllly-
ing to carry the measure through
The pretense that the Government is
only anxious to make France all in
the suppression OF the threatening
political organizations, in order thai,
when tho Nihilis,s and Socialists are
no more a general disarmament OF all
nations may follow, is only put for
ward to reconcile the German people
to an increase in the burden OF taxa
ton. Whether it will succeed or rot
remains to he seen, hut that the in
crease In the army will not aid in al
laying popular discomfort with the cy
isting condition of things in Germany
and other soldier-ridden countries j.
certain.-Chicdg0 htrr-Occn,.