Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-09-20
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Three school boys Of Sompoe, Cal,
thought they'd have fun this vaca-
ton playing gold-mining. So they
began on a worn-out claim on the
beach near Point Sal, aud in twenty
four days, working not more than
eight hours day, made $s40.
A crowd OF Winchester (kansas)
boys on mischief bent thought TO
frighten Willie Ray, one oftheir COM
panions, by putting a tick tack
on his window Sunday night Willie
thought the boys were burglars sure
enough and fired load OF buckshot
into the crowd. Daniel Lowe received
a bullet in the head and will die. Tom
Gardiner received four wounds and
his recovery is doubtful. Ed Lucas
received a painful wound in the arm.
The Staunton Spectator is authority
for the statement that Messrs. +. w.
Clark & Co., leading Philadelphia
bankers, closely identified with the
Norfolk and Western Railroad, will,
in September, have $1,000, 900 OF Eng
lish capital placed in their hands for
investment in the South. Ii Is prob
able the bulk OF il will be placed in
Virginia The new town OF Buena
Vista, in Rockbridge county, has
already been promised a share OF
il.
In comparing the literary merits ot
Dickens and Thackeray, an after'din-
ner orator in London said: Its in the
wonderful insight into 'uman nature
that Dickens gets the pull over Thack-
cray; but, on t'other hand, it's In the
brilliant shafts Of satire, t'gether with
keen sense o humor, that Dickery
gets the pull over Thackens. It's just
this Thickery is n humorist, and
Dackens is satirist. But, after all,
it's 'bsurd TO instoot any comparison
between Dackery and Thickens."
A wad OF chewing gum and three
trouser buttons I'm the collection bas-
ket at the Saturday meeting OF the
Sunday School Assembly at Ocean
Grove, n. j., aroused the Ire Of Pres
ident L. II. Stokes, OF the Grove Asso-
citation. He made an analysis OF the
collection for that day, and found
that OF the $500 persons present $40
gave cent, II gave cents, $50 gaveo
cents, 10 gave 10 cents, and only i2
gave as much as 25 cents each. The
other LOO contributed the chewing
gum and buttons.
L. NJ. Gushing sold Mt pnblic auction
the McPheeters farm near Mint Spring
Augusta county, Va, 10 w. A. Nc
Pheeters for go per acre. This farm
was sold and conveyed TO Alex. Nc
Pheeters by VIM. Bevely, ,!August l2,
l747, theiconsideration for the entire
tract being five shillings and one
grain OF pepper corn on a lady's day"
1t has thus been I'm the McPheeters
family l42 years, and the record Ina the
clerk .ofiice shows that 1t has never
been sold nor offered for sale during
that time. IL still remains I'm the
McPheeters family.
James Il. Wilson, a conductor on
the New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad, has received
notice that he had fallen heir TO &c.
900. The bequest is reward for
bravery shown twenty years ago Mt
Cape May In saving from drowning
Henry Van Scott, n retired sea cap
tain, OF Hampstead. Van Scott died
at Danville few days ago leaving q
fortune OF 100000 At the time OF
the rescue Mr.. Wilson received 800
bill He had almost forgotten the
incident and to-day $4,000 10 him is
a big consideration.
The blackbirds have organized a
camp, roost or conclave OF some kind
In the eastern part OF the town OF
Washington, ILL.,, which Il something
remarkable. They have assembled In
countless numbers, and the Noise and
racket which they keep up and whir-
ring OF their wings have become very
troublesome. The mayor has given
permission TO shoot the birds, and
thousands are slaughtered every even
ing. the time when they congregate.
Strange to say, the shooting does not
seem to frighten or disturb them the
least. nor do their numbers seem 10
diminish. These blackbird camps are
quite common In Illinois, but one OF
such magnitude as this is very rarely
seen.
One OF the engineers on the Sahara
Railroad, now being constructed by
France, reports a dicovery OF great
archaeological value. Coming upon
mound OF sand he had II dug into
and found a dome, which proved to
be the top Of a tower; and digging
deeper, the tower proved TO belong TO
a mosque entirely embedded In sane.
Continuing his researches, he has un-
covered nine houses and q watercourse.
The water will be used for irrigation.
This discovery confirms the impress
sion that the Sahara is another In
stance OF the modification which eli
matte changes viii effect, and that
IL was once a populous land instead OF
the waste OF desert we see II to-day.
A telegram from Tazeweli Court
House, Va, states that r. W. Leonard,
missionary Baptist minister stationed
at Pocahontas, has deserted his wife
and family and skipped for parts I'M
known in company with g young