The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-11

/ Charlton county are deeply interested ia
/ t draining of the Okefenokee swamp, and
are speaking of getting up petition ask
! ing state aid. The draining Of this vast
sheet Of water would be a gigantic under
| taking; yet it can be done, as there is SUI
fcient fal to warrant it a success. Once
drained Charlton would possess some of
the richest land in the sout1, and the old
county, which has been held so long in low
repute on account of the poverty of its soil,
would rank among the foremost counties in
the state in agricultural point A canal
sufficient to drain the huge body of water
would be navigable for steamboats,,
which could to utilized in the transporta-
ton OF the products of the soil.
Hartwell Sitn: The mill on Gum branch
was built by Marcus Carter, about the year
1869, and was a successful and profitable en-
terprise for five or six years, when the dam
was washed away, which ended its exist
ence, 50 far as grinding and saving were
concerned. During the war government
distillery was run there and was instrument
tai In causing the death Of poor unfortu-
nate deserter at the hands OF government
officers. The means resOrted to to catch the
deserters were planned with the distiller,
an old cOlored man, VINO was to run a traf-
tic with the deserters by exchanging whisky
for chickens. The night for the delivery Of
the chickens was to be made known TO the
selves near enough the still-ho se to hear
the chickens squall, by which means
the old distiller was 10 make known
the presence Of the deserters The
deserters arrived at the appointed time, aud
after they had entered the house aud the
door was closed the old distiller accidentally
ION purpose) made the chickens squawl, and
the officers Immediately made for the still
house, and, but for the noise they made in
crossing a small bridge, they might have
met with greater success. When the de-
serters heard the clatter a regular stampede
occurred in the stlll-house. The door was
fastened on the inside, and their efforts to
escape were so much impeded that the
officers were almost upon them as they left
the door. However, they all escaped with
the exception of a young man whose fate
was to receive heavy load Of huckshot,
which ended his life in four or five days.
The poor fellow was member of a good
family. and the unfortunate circumstances
connected with his death have always been
lamented.
Fort Gaines Advertiser: w. s. Paullin,
an old citizen of Clayton, Ala, showed us,
while visiting him few days ago, knife
that was curiosity, and its history is no
less interesting. The knife is not above
medium size for carrying in a pocket, has
pearl handle, and twenty eight separate
blades, all made of the finest steel and all
about the same size. 1t was given him, he
aid, while living in New Jersey, about
1893, before he made his first visit south,
which event happened not long afterward
Taxing passage on steamer, it
was several days before be reached
his destination, and during the
time he and other passengers had the good
fortune to capture and kill whale. This
knife being convenient he used it in skin
ming and dressing it, and afterward CREASED
it with some of the fresh whale oil and
wrapped it in tissue paper. After reach
ing Eufaula he was engaged in merchan-
dising, and traded largelg,,with the Indians.
In short time the knife which was kept
on a shelf as a curiosity, disappeared, aud
as all search was unfruitful, it was given
up as lost and described to children and
grandchildren as thing of the past. Years
and years passed and long after the Indian
war closed, Mr.. Paullin was travelling
and his attention was attracted by
hearing one man tell another about
a very curious knife which one of his friends
had, and stated that il had a horn handle
Mr.. p. said that he had knife very much
like that one stolen from him, but his had
pearl handle. On examination it was found
to be the same knife and was given back to
him. The knife had been found several
years before on one of the old Indian battle
grounds near Pea river swamp, and he
thinks an Indian had stolen it from his store
and lost it at that place. Mr.. Paullin was
glad indeed to get the old knife again, and
although rusty, and one or two blades
broken, still keeps it as a curiosity.