The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-24
TRIBUNETS.
A NEW PRODUCT.

South Carolina promises to develop a new
interest in the protective tariff. 1t has been
discovered that the vine of the "stOek," cow"
or niger pea, as it is varionsly called, is
superior to hemp or manila for rope-making.
As it grows very profusely, requiring very little
if any, labor or management its production is
well suited to the South Carolina constitution.
Old prisoners of war will distinctly remember
the aforesaid pea as an occasional variation
in the rations of cornmeal. 1t is certainly the
Coarsest and toughest member of the legumi-
nous family, and the mystery used to be among
the prisoners as to how one small pea could
possibly contain so many bugs. After they all
crawed out their united bulk was much larger
than the pea which had been their birth place
and home. Another question of perennial inter
est was whether the thing was really pea or a
bean, and long and loud disputes ragged between
the prisoners on this topic. The earnestness of
these resulted sometimes in the division of
squads into regular Pea " and Bean par
ties The Beauties based their arguments upon
the likeness of the seed to q bean, and pointed
out that no pea ever had such shape, color or
markings. The Peaites held that the presence
of the bugs was conclusive evidence of their
being peas Frequently, in the heat of the
discussion, it would be decided to leave the
matter to some negro or guard near by, and
conversation like this would probably follow;
"Uncle," Peaite would inquire, showing
sample, "what do you call this ?"
why, dat 'ere's a cow-pea. Some folks calls
'em niggah- peas, kase deys bout all some mig
gahs has to eat
"There," would say the triumphant Peaite
{" Will you give in now?"
DWELL, uncle" would persist the Beanite,
{" don't some people call them beans, toO?"
" Yes, sab, b'lieves they does"
And so the arbitration would not arbitrate.
But We are wandering from the subject. It
will be great gain to the country if the pea
vine can be made to replace hemp and manila
for rope-making and similar purposes. The
ea-vine grows in limitless quantities, and if we
can use it instead OF the $34, OOO, 900 worth of
hemp, jute sisal-grass, etc, which We import
every year, we will put that much money into
the pockets of the people of South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama aud Florida, instead of send
ing it to Hindoostan and elsewhere on the op-
posite side of the globe.
II EIGuCu pOlAblCAdu BottC4 CtAltl
trick which has never been thought of in this
land of fertile invention. He was a partisan
| of Boulanger and an opponent of Ferry, and lie
took with him fine-looking dog, which he
had carefully trained to bark furiously when
| ever in his speeches he alluded to Ferry. Some
of our hating orators, like Vest, of Mis-
souri,, might copy this idea, and take with
them typical "yaller-dOg" of the South,
which would snarl and yelp whenever bounty
jumpers" coffee coolers" etc, were men
toned. II the fitness of things one of the
kind that used to stand picket for the guerrI-
| las and bushwhacker5 of the Border States, and
raise ki-yi at the sight of blue-coat, ought
| to be selected.
The Indians taught the Pilgrim Fathers to
make maple sugar. But no Indians ever
dreamed of palming off cake of glucose of last
years vintage for fresh maple sugar" That
was Yankee Improvement.
After all, who gives more pleasure to those