St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-02-25
SOUTHERN GLEANINGS.
The Murat Mansion at Tallahassee.

Inc NurdG Mansion at Tallahassee
| Fla, burned on the evening of Jan. 6, say:
| an exchange, was one OF the historic houses
of America. Prince Achille Murat, son o.
the King Of Naples, lived there when Ma.
poleonic misfortune eXicd the family from
Europe. A price having been set upon his
head, he lived like hermit upon this plan
tation, then at the edge of the primeval for
est. Here he met relative Of General
Washington, who, with her father, had en-
igrated from Virginia. She was charming
young widow, less than 20 years of age, and
she lived in a log cabin with but two rooms
The consent Of the Murat family having been
obtained, the Young widow was married to
Prince Murat, and they lived together in
Tallahassee for twenty-five years. During
the Florida war the .Murats were protected
by the friendship Of an Indian chief, who
came at night and slept beneath their roof.
He quoted their fears by saying: "You and
your squaw safe.' After Prince Murat' $
death his widow visited England, and was
received by Napoleon III. and Eugene.
She returned to her Southern home and died
there. During the war she was much inter
ested in hospital work, and she sold some of
her jewels TO feed the destitute.
Near Padding, Miss, while we'll was
being bored, at depth of thirty feet the
auger was taken out, and 4 considerable
roaring was heard down in the we'll and i'm
mcdately volumes of smoke were dis
charged, which continued for several days.
The smell is said to be very offensive. The
anger struck a rock, and consequently moth
ing more has been done for the present, but
there is talk of blasting the rock and going
deeper One Of the strongest features
about it is that the we'll discharges this
smoke about three days, and then draws
the air in about the same length Of time;
then it discharges it again.
An Alabama man named Allen swap
ped his wife for the sister OF young man
at South Pittsburg, Tenn, some time ago.
1t appears there was an agreement between
Allen and Ayers to the effect that Allen was
to take his seven children and Avers's sister
and Ayers was to take Aliens wife. So, on
recent Sunday, Allen delivered his wife to
Ayers, and took his (Ayers's) sister. The
next day Ayers, who is only about twenty
years old, was married to Aliens wife, The
authorities, finding out that she was an I'M
divorced wife, had them arrested and lodged
in jail.
A New Orleans lady whose husband
was away from home recently heard nose,as
if some one was trying to get into the house.
She went softly on to the gallery, revolver
in hand, and, sure enough, there was man
down at the window, prying open the shut
ter with long knife. After watching him
for moment, undecided what to do, know
ing that if she chose she could kill him, she
leaned over the railing and called out,
'tShall I shoot you, sir:'' The astounding
question caused the man to stop work. He
turned and looked up at her, but made no
pretense to run. She then fred at him, and
he retreated to the fence, where he inso-
lently regarded her in the moonlight. The
brave little woman, not whit discouraged,
then determined to show him that she could
scare him if she pleased so, taking good
aim, she put bullet through the rim of his
hat. In less time than can be told the
would-be burglar was over the fence and
out of sight.
The La Sale celebration, in memory
of the discovery of the Mississippi River,
will occur at New Orleans ON the 10th and
18th of April. The literary exercises will
take place on the 10th. The Hon. Charles
Gayarre will preside and the Rev. B. NJ.
Palmer, D. D., will deliver the address of
welcome at the City Hall at 2 p. NJ. The
Hon. Francis Parman, Hon. E. B. Wash
burne, and Hon George II. Pendleton have
been invited to deliver addresses at p. M,
with the suggestion that Mr.. Parkman be
requested to speak on "La Sale and His
Companions; Mr.. Washburne, on "The
Valley of the Mississippi and Its Relation to
Our Country" Mr.. Pendleton, on 'The
Comparison of America in 1882 with Amer
lea in 1882" On the 18th there will be an
excursion on the Mississippi to all points of
interest connected with La salle's discovery,
such positions having been previously To-
Gated.
There are number of colored stu
dents in Maryville College, East Tennessee,
and one of them recently applied for MEM
bership in one of the literary societies con-
nected with the college, and was promptly
rejected. Two members who voted for the
negro were Immediately expelled from the
society. Anticipating trouble from the IA
Guilty, the society vacated their hall in the
college building and rented room In
Maryvile. While engaged in moving they
were ordered by the faculty to desist, but
the orders. Twenty-Five mem
bers of the society were suspended.
The receipts of cotton at Selma have
fallen off fifteen per cent. compared with last
year.
A vein of coal has been discovered
near Dardanelle, Ark, only four feet under
ground.
The shipments of cotton from Waco
Texas. for this season will hardly reach 3d.
900 bales.
At sale in Vicksburg, Miss, recent
ly, plantation containing 1909 acres